You would have it figured out by now. My love for sea food, that is. On a recent trip to lobster heaven - Boston - I had to do just that. Enjoy as many lobsters as I could. The options are endless and I tried quite a few places. Legal Seafoods, Boston's largest seafood chain, was the most obvious choice and was saved for the final day. After much hemming and hawing (recommended places never live up to the hype, chain restaurants don't offer the authentic flavour etc etc), we finally made our way to the outlet at Park Plaza. Compared to the other more popular outlets at The Prudential Centre and Copley Place, Park Plaza is the least noisy and most exclusive Legal outlet in Boston.
Reservations are recommended and you can make them online. As we entered the massive premises braving our way through heavy snow fall, the restaurant's center-piece - a two storey cascading fountain caught our eye. We landed at our appointed hour to be shown most graciously to a quiet table by the window overlooking the theatre district. Zoey was our attendant for the evening and she was wonderful. She was happy to give recommendations and didn't push us to order expensive items on the menu.
The menu started off with 'Today's Market Catch' which comes with two side orders. The fresh catch (USD 19-28) offers variety ranging from Sword Fish, Tuna, Faroe Island Salmon to the more popular Mahi Mahi, Rainbow Trout and Haddock. Side order sizes are generous too and you can choose from amongst brown rice, broccoli and cheese, mashed potatoes, onion strings, seaweed salad and a host of others. If you prefer not to go for one big main, you can settle for the 3 course fresh meal which that day started off with the aptly named cocktail 'Fish House Punch' and was followed by an appetizer (USD 6-8) and choice of 3 entrees (USD 17-30) and dessert (USD 6-8). And finally, my eyes settled on the Raison d'etre for our visit - steamed lobsters sold by weight 1.25 lb to 2.50 lb (USD 28-50). I settled for the steamed lobster (but of course) and had no complaints whatsoever with the juicy meat from the crisp cold waters of North Atlantic. My better half settled for the hugely popular Wood Grilled Assortment (USD 28) that offers choice of three fish and two side orders. We didn't have any appetite for the famous New England Clam Chowder which Zoey informed us is a mainstay at every US Presidential inauguration for over 30 years now. Almost all tables around us ordered the thick and creamy chowder with enormous chunks of clam in it and I regret being unable to taste it. Next time.
Legal Seafoods has the distinction of having Boston's second largest wine cellar which features across an expansive 40 page wine list. The wines are quite affordable and even the selection of wines by the glass is pretty decent. Going by the full house, it is evident Legal Seafood does roaring business. Their motto is 'If it isn't fresh, it isn't legal'. Judging by our dining experience, I do not doubt the authenticity of this claim. Moreover, Legal Seafood has a lengthy mission statement which aims amongst other things to provide a 'value' wine list in America and provide a good meal in a nice atmosphere with prompt service and cater to special needs and allergies. They genuinely seem to make an effort to live up to their mission statement which was evidenced by the experience of the table next to ours' whose entire meal was replaced when the patron disclosed he has shell fish allergy.
With my biased view of chain restaurants and prejudices against them, I am happy to have been proven wrong in the instance of Legal Seafoods. If it is quality seafood you seek in a nice ambience with attentive service, make a beeline for Legal Seafoods. Americans might find the chain expensive and Bostonians might discourage you for the place being a has-been, but I beg to differ. Considering how much one pays for quality seafood in a similar place in Asia (Jumbo Singapore comes to mind and their service is no where close to Legal's), I found Legal prices quite okay. I am sure there are better seafood places in Boston, but that does not mean Legal is any less worthy of your business. It will justify your time and money spent here. Go for it.
Reservations are recommended and you can make them online. As we entered the massive premises braving our way through heavy snow fall, the restaurant's center-piece - a two storey cascading fountain caught our eye. We landed at our appointed hour to be shown most graciously to a quiet table by the window overlooking the theatre district. Zoey was our attendant for the evening and she was wonderful. She was happy to give recommendations and didn't push us to order expensive items on the menu.
The menu started off with 'Today's Market Catch' which comes with two side orders. The fresh catch (USD 19-28) offers variety ranging from Sword Fish, Tuna, Faroe Island Salmon to the more popular Mahi Mahi, Rainbow Trout and Haddock. Side order sizes are generous too and you can choose from amongst brown rice, broccoli and cheese, mashed potatoes, onion strings, seaweed salad and a host of others. If you prefer not to go for one big main, you can settle for the 3 course fresh meal which that day started off with the aptly named cocktail 'Fish House Punch' and was followed by an appetizer (USD 6-8) and choice of 3 entrees (USD 17-30) and dessert (USD 6-8). And finally, my eyes settled on the Raison d'etre for our visit - steamed lobsters sold by weight 1.25 lb to 2.50 lb (USD 28-50). I settled for the steamed lobster (but of course) and had no complaints whatsoever with the juicy meat from the crisp cold waters of North Atlantic. My better half settled for the hugely popular Wood Grilled Assortment (USD 28) that offers choice of three fish and two side orders. We didn't have any appetite for the famous New England Clam Chowder which Zoey informed us is a mainstay at every US Presidential inauguration for over 30 years now. Almost all tables around us ordered the thick and creamy chowder with enormous chunks of clam in it and I regret being unable to taste it. Next time.
Legal Seafoods has the distinction of having Boston's second largest wine cellar which features across an expansive 40 page wine list. The wines are quite affordable and even the selection of wines by the glass is pretty decent. Going by the full house, it is evident Legal Seafood does roaring business. Their motto is 'If it isn't fresh, it isn't legal'. Judging by our dining experience, I do not doubt the authenticity of this claim. Moreover, Legal Seafood has a lengthy mission statement which aims amongst other things to provide a 'value' wine list in America and provide a good meal in a nice atmosphere with prompt service and cater to special needs and allergies. They genuinely seem to make an effort to live up to their mission statement which was evidenced by the experience of the table next to ours' whose entire meal was replaced when the patron disclosed he has shell fish allergy.
With my biased view of chain restaurants and prejudices against them, I am happy to have been proven wrong in the instance of Legal Seafoods. If it is quality seafood you seek in a nice ambience with attentive service, make a beeline for Legal Seafoods. Americans might find the chain expensive and Bostonians might discourage you for the place being a has-been, but I beg to differ. Considering how much one pays for quality seafood in a similar place in Asia (Jumbo Singapore comes to mind and their service is no where close to Legal's), I found Legal prices quite okay. I am sure there are better seafood places in Boston, but that does not mean Legal is any less worthy of your business. It will justify your time and money spent here. Go for it.
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