Eating Boston

Bostonians are as opinionated about their seafood as they are about their beloved Red Sox, and some even combine their passion for eating with their love of our national pastime, sipping Legal Seafood’s clam chowder on chilly late-season evenings while sitting in the remodeled bleachers high atop the Green Monster. In some parts of the country, there are seafood restaurants. In Boston, even the most humble burger joint seems to offer at least a few ocean-born dishes, since no true Bostonian would think of going more than a day or two without eating something that came from the blue-green waters surrounding this coastal capital.

Riding the Swan Boats in the Public Garden, touring the city in the famed amphibious Duck Boats, shopping on Newbury Street, taking in the historic sights on the Freedom Trail, perambulating through the Common, rowing the Charles—for some weekenders, these all seem secondary to eating seafood, and anyone kicking off a summertime trip to Boston should be sure to leave plenty of time for exploring the best of Boston seafood restaurants. Skip Anthony’s Pier 4, Jimmy’s Harborside, and the No-Name—these are all pale versions of the restaurants they once were, and the food is pretty mediocre at all three. If history is your thing, hit up the Union Oyster House, where Daniel Webster could be found downing a few barley pops in the 1800s. But serious eaters in search of great seafood should check out this stellar lineup.

The Deep Six

B & G Oysters
Perhaps the finest of the new generation of Boston seafooders is B & G Oysters, situated in Boston’s South End. Barbara Lynch, the legendary chef-owner of No. 9 Park, has converted an ancient and slender townhouse into a modern version of the traditional New England clam shack. Fried clams, lobster rolls, and all the regional seafood markers are executed flawlessly by a kitchen that has legions of devoted local fans who seem to tolerate all the fuss that tourists make over B & G. The garden is a lovely place to dine with friends—or perch solo at the raw bar and stuff yourself silly on one of the best oyster menus in the city. 550 Tremont St., 617-423-0550

The Daily Catch
On the flip side of the cultural spectrum is a restaurant groaning with North End charm. Smack dab in the heart of Boston’s Little Italy is The Daily Catch (there’s a second location downtown), a traditional Boston-style Sicilian seafood trattoria run by the Freddura family. DC doesn’t take credit cards or reservations, but it offers lots of attitude and fantastic made-from-scratch seafood pastas. Go early, there always seems to be a line, and oftentimes you’ll find yourself eating cheek to jowl with other happy diners. There are few frills at DC—diners choose meals from a blackboard that is as seasonally influenced as you would expect from a kitchen that buys its seafood direct from the boat captains daily. Don’t skip the best calamari in Beantown, the squid ink pasta with shrimp in DC’s famous marinara sauce, or the stuffed clams. 323 Hanover St., 617-523-8567

Kingfish Hall
For an open-fire fish cookery, Todd English’s Kingfish Hall in the historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace is a culinary thrill ride. Kingfish Hall is a great place to people-watch (Hello, Ben Affleck!) and boasts a groovy dance club/hip warehouse environment replete with kissing booths. The location can’t be beat for weekenders when Faneuil Hall fills to the brim with shoppers and strollers. Despite the celebrity-chef owner who operates dozens of restaurants worldwide, the food rarely disappoints. English is the pretty-boy enfant terrible of the food world, and he can create buzz. The food here is high style all the way. Asian and rustic Mediterranean flavors dominate, and English can get away with combining one too many ingredients in a way that other chefs can’t—it’s his oeuvre. Tuna tartare with sesame oil and sriracha doesn’t need the sushi rice it’s perched on, and the whole snapper comes with a trio of sauces when one good one would suffice, but the quality of the product is first-rate, the raw bar is wonderful, and the lobster boil is served with corn and a hunk of kielbasa sausage. Plus, the place is fun! 188 S. Market St., Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 617-523-8862

Jasper White’s Summer Shack
One of the deans of the Boston food world is Jasper White, the legendary chef-owner of the dearly departed and very precious Jasper’s, which closed in 1995. Five years later, he created the quintessential Boston seafood eatery, and many of his biggest fans thought he had gone too mainstream. Local clam shack devotees thought he had tried too hard to create a culinary Disneyland for the out-of-towners. Who cares? Everyone should relax because Summer Shack serves spectacular food in a large, casual room that is perfect for families or diners looking for an all-in-one experience. I like his Back Bay location, but there are three others, and besides offering one of Boston’s largest raw bars, there are plenty of reasons to keep coming back to Jasper’s. Lobsters are steamed, wood-grilled, or pan-roasted. The steamers come in big buckets, the coleslaw is the best in town, the fried clams rival the Clam Box’s in Ipswich or Day’s outside of Portland, Maine, and the fish is day-boat fresh. Where else can you drown yourself in a real New England–style clam bake of mussels, clams, lobster, chorizo, and corn, and then top it off with a fresh-berry snow cone? 50 Dalton St., 617-867-9955

East Coast Grill
After twenty-two years, Chris Schlesinger’s East Coast Grill remains one of the best seafood options in Cambridge—it’s that rare unpretentious eatery that manages to get everything right. If you love wood-fired fish and shellfish, real Southern barbecue, and foods front-loaded with big flavors and plenty of hot chilies, then the ECG is for you. Focus on the fish. Start with the thinly sliced fluke sashimi with watermelon and smashed plantains, share a plate of the chipotle-glazed crispy chicken livers and a platter of the Asian-style chili-garlic pork ribs, and then grab a grilled fillet of fish. While the scallops, tuna, salmon, and halibut are always first-rate, this is one of the few restaurants in town to serve bluefish, a rich local treat that comes in a wok-seared motif, but I always order it grilled  with lemon and butter.

Schlesinger loves the global food pantry—I recommend dining here on Hell Night, a three-evening–long food fest that takes place several times a year. The menu is devoted to ultra hot foods, attracting a legion of chili lovers. 1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge, 617-491-6568

New Jumbo Seafood
This Hong Kong–style restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown stays open till the early morning hours, making it a great option for dining after you go to the theater. Jumbo is one of the best places in town to enjoy simple and flawlessly cooked Chinese–style seafood. Start with some steamed shrimp, the hearty sliced roast pork, the sweet-tart jellyfish salad, and the killer pan-fried dumplings, then segue into the main attractions. The steamed oysters with black bean sauce are as good here as that dish gets, and the whole fish plucked straight from the tank is best eaten simply dressed with ginger and scallions. We always order some of the wok-tossed baby bok choy and some scallop-crowned tofu, a Dungeness crab or lobster with chili and garlic, and wash it all down with pots of strong oolong tea. 7 Hudson St., 617-542-2823

Other Hot Spots . . .

Uni
Ken Oringer may be the best chef in Boston, and his teeny sashimi den that opened in what was the lounge of Clio (see below) serves little treats, such as thinly sliced hamachi with sea urchin, yuzu, and onion seeds. This—and Oishii—have the best high-style Japanese grub in town. 370A Commonwealth Ave., 617-536-7200

Clio
A not-to-be-missed dining experience in the Eliot Hotel, featuring Ken Oringer’s singular Japanese–French cuisine. Recent menus featured standouts such as lacquered foie gras with yellow peaches, and sweet butter–basted lobster with chanterelles. 370A Commonwealth Ave., 617-536-7200The Butcher Shop
This wine bar and boucherie features high-style house-made charcuterie and bistro-style cuisine. The signature Gulliver-sized butcher-block in the front room is one of the most clever restaurant design elements I have seen in the last decade. 552 Tremont St., 617-423-4800

Durgin–Park
This restaurant has been a Faneuil Hall landmark since opening its doors in 1827. The prime rib, wood-grilled chops and steaks, and touchy waitresses, some of whom have been working there since opening day, are all justifiably famous. 340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace, 617-227-2038

Hamersley’s Bistro
Another of my regular haunts in the South End. The cassoulet here is second to none, and the dining room, which resides in an old brick piano factory and features a comfy patio, is one of the most congenial places to eat dinner in the city. 553 Tremont St., 617-423-2700

Locke–Ober
Locke–Ober is a historic restaurant with a global reputation. Sit in the ancient dining room and slurp the same lobster bisque that JFK couldn’t get enough of. The men’s club atmosphere is not for everyone, but Locke–Ober’s oozes gravitas. 3 Winter Place, 617-542-1340

No. 9 Park
This Beacon Hill charmer is one of Boston’s toughest tables, but it’s well worth the effort. Chef-owner Barbara Lynch’s Franco-Italian menu changes like the weather, but last winter the chestnut ravioletti and the veal breast confit made for one of the best meals I had all year. 9 Park St., Boston, 617-742-9991

Santarpio’s
Pizzeria Regina, Upper Crust, and several other pizzerias are good, but only Santarpio’s features great pie, a gritty and urban boxing bar atmosphere, and a wood grill that only offers two items: grilled sausage and lamb skewers. 111 Chelsea St., East Boston, 617-567-9871