As readers of my blog know, I spend an inordinate amount of time in my kitchen. One of the luxuries of life in retirement is to have time to spend creating dishes when you want for as long as you want, and I take full advantage of this. It is not just a hobby, but a way of life for us. It also facilitates a lot of content for the Rockettman blog.
But on holiday, we prioritize dining out as part of the travel experience. We also try to immerse ourselves in the gastronomy to understand the culture of the destination. That includes not just food, but also the appropriate adult beverage to complement the cuisine of that destination. In Boston, we knew that his would mean tasting numerous craft beers to match the fresh seafood we hoped to be indulging in during a recent visit.
We decided our tour of Boston would comprise a progressive dining experience while meandering prime neighborhoods and attractions, beginning at the Barking Crab on the waterfront bridging the Seaport District with the Financial District. Mind you, I realize that this establishment is the epitome of tourist traps, but it oozes with attitude and comes with an epic view of Boston’s waterfront. It is also pricey, so we limited ourselves to a light dish and a couple of local drafts.
After a casual walk along the Greenway we found ourselves at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, which ranks with the Barking Crab as a tourist trap, but with more intense visitor traffic. My earliest memories of Boston consist of a very enjoyable time slurping oysters at an establishment in Faneuil Hall called the Walrus and the Carpenter. That restaurant no longer exists, but we found a willing substitute in the Boston & Maine counter within Quincy Market. The peel and eat shrimp were plump and fresh, albeit pricey. I realize we are paying for an experience, but it felt authentic enough to be worth it.
We strolled the Greenway some more and found our way to the North End of Boston. This neighborhood showcases the importance of Italian immigration to our shores. The Italians are the second largest ancestry group in Boston, and most of those emigrated to the North End. Simply walking around the neighborhood underscores the influence of Italian culture and the restaurant options emphasize it further.
Our tour of the North End started with a visit to the Neptune Oyster Bar – yet another popular tourist spot, as evidenced by the sign at the door that diners wait outside for an available seat in this bustling café. While known more for its oyster menu, we opted for the razor clams as it seemed an unusual option for this part of the world. After popping into a few Italian-themed gourmet shops, we settled into a cozy restaurant called Aqua Pazza for a delightful meal that included fresh oysters, stuffed zucchini flowers, a sampler of three different pasta dishes and excellent service.
Without question our choice for the final dish of this progressive dining tour was both the most impressive and surprising of our dining experiences in Boston. The Legal Seafood chain started next to a fish market in Cambridge, Massachusetts and for me is the most emblematic seafood restaurant of Boston. So, naturally we should complete our tour here to sample their lobster mac and cheese.
We started with one of their signature cocktails, the Legal Seafood White Sangria, which was very refreshing and light on the alcohol content. But these signature cocktails would be upstaged in a big way by the main event, which consisted of a presentation that was wholly unexpected. The menu described the dish as “one whole Gulf of Maine lobster, Vermont cheddar, buttered crumbs”, which we anticipated would be served in the ubiquitous round white porcelain dish. To our delight, the lobster mac and cheese was served heaped into the actual lobster carcass!
It was a terrific conclusion to an epic dining tour of Boston!
Note: I am not being compensated for my mention of the dining establishments in this post. I am simply a happy customer!
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