Sarah Kelly, Rockport Short Film Festival, 7th Wave, and a Great Saturday on Cape Ann!

There were so many amazing community events taking place yesterday. Although our GMG Cape Ann Monarch Milkweed Project was held in the morning, I was able to attend the Rockport Film Festival in the afternoon, where Sarah Kelly, the festival’s organizer (and GMG contributor) had invited me to speak about my forthcoming film “Life Story of the Black Swallowtail Butterfly” and my short film”BomBom Butterflies” had been accepted to the screening.

Rockport was teeming with families and activities. It was difficult to find a parking space but when I finally arrived at the Firehouse where the afternoon’s screenings were taking place, Craig and Hannah Kimberley had very kindly saved me a seat. All of the films were well-worth seeing;  just some of the highlights were Len Burgess’s film about the launching of the Schooner Ardelle, Robert Newton’s film about Gloucester’s WPA murals, and “Homemade Parade” by Emile Doucette. The short film event was followed by poetry readings from local poets. I left shortly after and returned home, with plans to return to the 7th Wave with my husband for dinner (where our son is the cook).

When we returned to Rockport at 7:00, Sarah Kelly was still working away at the Firehouse cleaning up with her family and friends after the day’s events. She was so gracious and I think is doing a fabulous job promoting the festival. I am hoping she will perhaps write a post-festival GMG post on her perceptions of the event’s successes.

We arrived at the 7th Wave Restaurant and were seated at a lovely spot by the window, with the gorgoeus view of the harbor made even prettier in the light of the setting sun. I had a Blue Moon beer, which I love because the name of the beer is one of my favorite Ella Fitzgerald songs. The beer was served with a wedge of orange–a flavorful touch, and fitting because Blue Moon’s list of ingredients includes orange peel. My husband had the cooked-to-perfection grilled mahi-mahi with a delicious spicy mango salsa. Usually I don’t order fried clams because frankly they often aren’t very well prepared and, as they are currently more expensive than a lobster dinner, it really is no fun to bite into a pricey soggy, soden lump of sand and grease. Have no fear of being diappointed at the 7th Wave because, really, their fried clams are to-die-for; simply the best fried clams I have had in a long time (take note Craig if you are reading this!). The batch I had last night was soooo fresh and delicious, perfectly golden brown and crunchy crispy on the outside, with tender, fat bellies on the inside. I had heard in Joey’s podcast with Craig that the fried clams at the Cape Ann Brew Pub are pretty awesome and I have yet to try those, but I know where I will be heading next time I get a jones for extra delicious fried clams and dinner with a stunning view!

Khan Family 7th Wave Rockport © Kim Smith 20137th Wave Khan Family

7th Wave Restaurant Review From A Completely Impartial Kim Smith

Sunday night my husband and I tried a new restaurant (new for us, that is), the 7th Wave in Rockport on Tuna Wharf. Our son Alex is cooking there this summer. The hostess was lovely and Talia, one of the owners, greeted us at the front desk. We had made a reservation for 7:00 and were seated immediately on the upper deck, with the stunning view of Rockport Harbor and beyond.

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The atmosphere is lively, relaxed, and entirely kid-and family-friendly. The waitstaff was hardworking and alot of fun and our food came along very quickly, no waiting for anything, despite the fact that it was a full house.

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Our son was working the grill, so we restricted ourselves to grilled items only. I had the surf (super delicious grilled shrimp) and turf (petite filet, cooked to perfection) and Tom, the fantastic grilled tuna. I am usually more of a chowder and lobster person and can’t wait to go again and try more items on the menu. The lobster rolls and lobster salads passing by our table were heaped high with lobster meat and the chowder looked creamy and hearty. Elaine, mother of Talia, and owner, stopped by our table to say hello and to chat. It’s a family-owned business and the restaurant is named the 7th Wave because of their seven family members. The Kahn family opened their doors in June 2009 and they had their busiest night ever, the Saturday night before we ate dinner there. It was great to hear about their thriving business and we are looking forward to many return visits! The menu and hours of operation are posted on their website. 7th Wave Restaurant, 7 Tuna Wharf, Rockport.

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Looking back toward Bearskin Neck from Tuna Wharf.

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