Pizza, perch, more served at Marblehead restaurant

MARBLEHEAD — A new restaurant seeks to be an establishment for tourists and locals alike on the southeast side of Marblehead. Red's Summerhouse, 9268 E. Bayshore Road, opened its doors on June 17. The restaurant serves a variety of food from pizzas to perch tacos in various forms, including as sandwiches and tacos. Spouses Gina and Andy Redinger, a couple from Cleveland who have visited Marblehead for years, decided to pursue opening a restaurant. When in Marblehead, they frequently ordered pizza from a restaurant that previously occupied the building. Before that, the building had been a multitude of businesses including an ice cream parlor, country store and gas station. The building's history traces all the way back to the 1960s. After sitting vacant for a couple of years, Andy decided they needed to take advantage of this life-changing opportunity. Gina wholeheartedly agreed. "We just kept thinking, 'Gosh, I hope somebody does something nice, I hope somebody opens up a restaurant. We really need something on this side of the peninsula,'" Gina said. "And it just sat there, for two-plus years. So my husband came home one day and said, 'I just can't get the building off my mind. We should do something there.'" The pair have no prior experience in restaurant management or ownership. But they purchased the building anyway. After tearing it down to the bare bones, they turned to friend Doug Petkovic. Petkovic is known for opening several restaurants in the Cleveland area, including the Mabel's BBQ chain. Petkovic agreed to help and brought in an architect, design team and acclaimed chef Joe Fish. The building features an open concept with a full bar in the middle and the kitchen somewhat visible to customers. The building also has a second-floor patio under construction, which will feature an additional bar and a mural from a local artist. Fish created the menu, which features sandwiches, various entrees and a make-your-own pizza option. "We wanted things that were fresh, so there's only a few things on here that are fried," Gina said. "It was about finding that sweet spot, things that would be locally appealing and thing that people would want all the time." Gina hopes the summerhouse can become "Marblehead's go-to eatery." She believes the peninsula's southeast side is underserved and wants her restaurant to fill a gap. "There are so many places over (on the other side of the peninsula) that we actually love to go to eat at," she said. "But we felt like Marblehead and Danbury deserve another place that people on this side can go to and they don't always have to go to that side." The restaurant's bottom floor is currently open. A second-floor patio is under construction and will feature a bar. There are multiple spaces for live music, and the Redigners plan to book musicians in the future. In the three weeks the restaurant has been open, Gina is pleased with the response. "I have been blown away," she said. "Not only by the volume of people that are coming in but by the very vocal reaction and feedback that we've gotten from people. They are just so happy that there is another option on this side of the peninsula." What's in a name? When looking at the name Red's Summerhouse, the word "Red's" is a shortened version of the owners' last name: Redinger. While those involved in the restaurant knew many people would simply call the restaurant "Red's," they wanted to tack on another name to make it longer, hence Summerhouse.