Fresh Seafood Down on the Dock

In the steamship days of the 1920s, the dock at the end of Wickford’s Main Street received workers from Providence, Newport and Jamestown; in the ‘40s and ‘50s, Belmore’s Chowder Bowl was a popular spot. But from the mid-’90s to the present, there’s been a fish market on this small peninsula. Pete Chevalier bought the business in 2003, named it Gardner’s Wharf Seafood, and, in addition to his management job at Electric Boat, has run it ever since.

His emphasis is on seafood from Narragansett Bay whenever possible, though he gets some items from New Bedford and, in season, steamers from the Cape or Maine. Some oysters are from Rhode Island (Quonset Point and Beavertail); others are from Connecticut. Seafood salads of 10 different kinds, including mussel, octopus, squid and snail salads, come from Rachel’s Table in Smithfield. Pete gets smoked seafood from Fox Smoked Fish in Narragansett: salmon, bluefish, mussels, tuna and mackerel.

Gardner’s itself specializes in homemade chowders (New England, Manhattan and clear Rhode Island-style), lobster bisque and quahog chili. Plus, they make their own crab cakes and four kinds of stuffies—mild, spicy (with red pepper and chorizo), scallop and “gourmet,” with shrimp, scallops and quahogs.

Loyal customers come from Middletown (“What’s a bridge or two?” says one customer), Coventry and other spots between Providence and South County.

“They see us as a go-between,” Pete remarks, “rather than driving all the way to Narragansett.”

Fish market open daily. Serving chowder, clam cakes and fish & chips on weekends from Mother’s Day to Columbus Day. 170 Main St., Wickford. 401.295.4600; GardnersWharfSeafood.com