There are two things that make Danielle Berdahn happy.
First, Her husband Carlo’s cooking.
“He is a genius. I'm not saying that because he's my husband. He's actually amazing. He is so great at what he does I say that, if he's making my tea in the morning, it's better than if I made it. And I don't know how but that it really is."
And she also has a soft spot for the town of Gloucester.
"It's lovely here. I spent my summers growing up in Gloucester. It's such a magical place. It has so much character and authenticity to it and that's the beauty of being here. You're seeing these gorgeous schooners every day. They go right by the restaurant. I mean, that's what Gloucester is all about.”
And you can find her, Carlo, spectacular views and delicious food at Yella on the Water.
Located just off of Gloucester Harbor, Yella on the Water is the sister restaurant to the decade old Yella in Andover. In this new spot, they decided to take all of the Mediterranean flavor of their original spot to the North Shore's Riviera.
"The most unique thing about Mediterranean cooking is just everybody coming together around the table. When I was growing up, food always had a way of making me feel taken care of."
"This is what I grew up doing- just cooking with my mom and over there food is like going to church. It's very very very important so I just grew up with food. We're globally inspired, locally created. We're working directly with the fishermen here and our local farms. What we do is we take those special spices and those ingredients that you find all throughout the Mediterranean, but we do it in a way that's, you know, kind of true to the traditions of New England.”
There are so many wonderful ways to start at Yella Like Basil Mint Crab Cakes with pickled fennel, orange salad and a sumac yogurt aioli .
A flatbread topped with four cheeses, prosciutto, arugula and onions with a tasty fig glaze
Or the creamy dreamy burrata served with fire roasted pepper, local honey, heirloom tomatoes and crispy grilled ciabatta.
"I definitely think that it's just a really well balanced dish. You have a nice grilled ciabatta with it. And it's really the creaminess of the of the burrata with that freshness of the fire roasted tomatoes. You get a little bit of smokiness to it. And then the honey lends, just a touch of sweetness. And it's it's really amazing."
Forget everything you know about wings, because once you try the ones at Yella, prepared to become addicted.
"The chicken, the chicken wings are everybody's favorite dish. They have a cult following. Those are not your traditional wings for sure. They are served with cilantro and tomato and garlic and olive oil and they're just crispy and delicious. And I think actually, the Phantom Gourmet, the last time we were on at our restaurant in the Andover said that they were their favorite wings, which is of course a badge of honor for us."
One of Danielle's favorite things Carlo makes, funny enough, is a burger.
"The burger is so amazing. I am not saying this because I'm biased, but really, it's the best burger I've ever had. It is so delicious. He has it just really really crispy on the outside and then super juicy and tender inside. And he does it with a fried egg. And then harissa, pickled fennel and then it's just you bite into that and it's just so juicy and delicious. It's awesome."
There are Mediterranean spins on tacos like the lamb taco using a Carlo's mom's recipe.
And of course, a Fisherman's Catch Taco with caramelized onion, tahini, pine nut, arugula .and whatever the boats are bringing in that day.
"We're getting that our fish directly from the fishermen here in Gloucester. So they text us in the morning what's being caught, and that's what we're using. It's really just crispy, fresh, light and delicious."
Entrees are impressive at Yella on the Water. There's a stellar New York Strip served with hand cut truffle fries and crispy falafel served over salad. For something different, try the Moroccan Shakshouka - spiked with spices, topped with an egg and served with toast points."
And then there's the beautiful slow braised lamb shank."
"The braised lamb shank. It's my favorite dish. It reminds me of home .The shank cooks for four to five hours and just falls apart when you put your fork in. It's just to die for."
"It's super, super tender just falls off the bone. It has lots of spices when he's cooking it and also in the dish with the couscous and the best thing about it is really how it just falls off the bone."
And at dessert, there's a decadent chocolate creme brulee and the light and lovely vanilla creme fraiche panna cotta.
"It's really just silky and smooth and creamy. And it just had the texture is incredible. The depth of flavor is really unique. And then he does that with a fruit puree and it's perfect."
Perfect seems to be a theme at Yella on the Water, and providing an outstanding time out for their customers is something Danielle and Carlo strive for.
"We try to treat everybody like family We want everybody to have the perfect experience. We want people to come here and just relax and feel like they're at home. People are making memories here, and we're kind of the background music and we will want everybody to feel that love that we try to put into everything we do."
