Jasper White's Summer Shack: Year round clam bakes!
Written: Sep 06 '04 (Updated Aug 08 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great food, great service, relaxed atmosphere, giant fisherman statue outside
Cons: Can get pricey
The Bottom Line: A fun, casual restaurant with good food. Some menu options are pricey.
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| modernmarvel's Full Review: Jasper White's Summer Shack |
I have been reading about Jasper White's Summer Shack for a couple of years and always meant to try it. However, in the summer, we always had our clambakes on Cape Cod and in the winter, the idea didn't appeal to me too much. However, we were recently trapped in the city on a hot, summer evening due to 40 weeks of pregnancy and doctor's orders to stay near home. We decided if we couldn't travel to the Cape for a clambake, we could still make it to Cambridge and off to the Summer Shack we went.
THE FOOD
Jasper White is a celebrity chef in the Boston area with several restaurants and lots of accolades to his name. Of course, this raises the stakes when it comes to visiting one of his restaurants and my expectations were high. I was curious to see what a celebrity chef could do with the lowly and casual clambake.
The Summer Shack has a broad menu with lots of casual food such as steamers (steamed clams) and steamed lobsters that you eat with your hands. There are also fried clams, grilled seafood, fried chicken and beef. On the other hand, Jasper White has created many upscale, creative lobster dishes that start at about $20 on the menu. We didn't try these more expensive dishes but they looked very appetizing. A specials board posts recently caught seafood. There are also kid's meals starting at around $4. The web site has the full menu.
Our meal started with complementary rolls and cornbread that were quite good. I had the Ipswitch fried clams which were amazingly good. The batter had what looked like cornmeal in it and also a little spicy kick. They were definitely the best fried clams I have had and the flavor was unique without getting weird. My kids had grilled cheese and hamburgers and reported they were very good.
There is a dessert menu but we were too full from our entrees to order from it.
DECOR
The Summer Shack is a very large restaurant. When you walk in, the first thing you will see are huge lobster tanks and steamers. There are lots of booths, tables and picnic tables. The floor is cement and there is casual art on the walls. Overall, it has an outdoorsy-casual feel.
The Summer Shack took over the old Aku Aku location. Aku Aku had been a popular Polynesian restaurant complete with all of the tacky, polynesian decor. Instead of losing the polynesian feel, the Summer Shack kept many of the design elements in the restaurant. In the bathroom corridor, there is still a mural of polynesian woman at play. Outside, a twelve foot fisherman statue looks oddly like the Gordon Fisherman meets Easter Island. While you wait for your meal, scan the casual, outdoor type decor for remnants of Aku Aku.
SERVICE
We visited on a slow night and about two-thirds of the tables were filled. Our waitress provided excellent service. Even better, as my kids were hovering near the lobster tanks, one of the cooks came over and put on a brief show. He took a lobster out of the tank and let a small gathering of children poke the lobster. He even told us how to tell a girl from a boy lobster (the girl's tails are fatter).
AMBIANCE
This is a casual, jeans-and-tee type of place. We saw groups of friends, families and people on dates. There is a very fun and relaxed atmosphere.
OTHER THOUGHTS
There is a bar but we didn't check it out.
The whole restaurant is on two levels but there is a lot on the ground floor that is very handicapped accessible.
The menu is mostly seafood. There is not much for vegetarian.
GETTING THERE
You can drive and there is a large, free parking lot. The restaurant is also just steps from the Alewife T stop on the red line of the Boston Trolly system.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I really liked the Summer Shack. It offers both casual and upscale meals in a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Of course, nothing can beat a casual clam bake on the ocean's edge - however if you are trapped in the city, or in the middle of winter, the Summer Shack can be a nice alternative.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? TRY THESE BOSTON-AREA RESTAURANTS:
BOSTON: Radius; Caffe Vitoria; Excelsior; Jacob Wirth; Cottonwood Cafe; Imperial Seafood House.
BROOKLINE: Mr. Sushi; Fugakyu; Takeshima; Tsunami; Anna's Taqueria; Zaftigs Delicatessen; Bangkok Bistro; Golden Temple.
NEWTON: Appetito; India Paradise; Blue Ribbon Barbeque; Ice Cream Works; Baker's Best; Bill’s Pizzeria; Cafe Nicolas; Union Street; O’Hara’s; Yeradi’s; Johnny’s Luchonette.
CAMBRIDGE: S&S Restaurant; The Japanese Mall.
WEST ROXBURY: Cafe Misono.
BRIGHTON: Tasca.
ESSEX: Woodman’s.
SAUGUS: Kowloon.
CHAIN RESTAURANTS: Not Your Average Joe’s; Bertucci’s; Legal Sea Foods; Cheesecake Factory; Rainforest Cafe; Fire & Ice; Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse; Friendly’s.
COFFEE, BAGELS AND DONUTS: Bruegger’s Bagels; Finagle a Bagel; Dunkin Donuts.
Recommended:
Yes
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modernmarvel
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Can anyone recommend a western family dude ranch for a vacation this summer?
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