"If it Isn't Fresh, it Isn't Legal"
Written: Jul 17 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Wide variety for fresh seafood, changing menu, creative cooking, tasty food, well-trained wait staff
Cons: Limited choices for landlubbers, a little expensive, long waits at peak times
The Bottom Line: For the freshest seafood creatively prepared by excellent chefs, I highly recommend Legal Seafoods. The food is worth the slightly high moderate prices. Receive friendly, competent service. Expect a wait.
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| glomarrone's Full Review: Legal Sea Foods |
If your enjoy high quality, fresh seafood cooked creatively at slightly above moderate prices, head on over to Legal Seafoods. This chain prides itself on the safe, excellently prepared seafood it serves customers every day. Henry Berkowitz opened the Legal Cash Market in 1904 in Inman Square, Cambridge, MA. He gave out Legal Trading Stamps (hence the name, Legal) with grocery purchases. His son, George, opened the Legal Seafoods Fish Market in 1950, right next door to Dad's place and kept the name, Legal. And so the chain began. It is now over 50 years old. During the early sixties, Julia Child brought public attention to the high quality fish at Legal Sea Foods by buying fish there for her PBS cooking show. It wasn't until 1968, though, that Legal opened its first restaurant. And, in 1975, the Chestnut Hill Restaurant opened and a mail order division was created here.
The chain has received numerous awards (Silver Spoon, Golden Award, Bon Appetit's, Top Ten Tried and True Restaurants and Boston Globe's, Best Seafood Restaurant among others) over the years. Its chowder has been served at every Presidential Inauguration since 1981. The chain set the standard in the industry for fresh food and food safety. The chain has earned an excellent reputation for high quality, fresh fish. George's son, Roger, now runs the company. There are now 25 locations along the eastern seaboard from Boston to Florida. New ones are planned to open soon.
I have been visiting Legal Seafoods Restaurants in Boston for eight years and was happy when Legal finally opened in Nyack, NY, at the Palisades Mall, a couple of years ago. Now I don't have to travel to Boston to dine here. Okay, so I really didn't drive all the way to Boston just to visit Legal. It just happened that my daughter lived in Boston for 8 years and that's why I really went up to Boston but I always visit Legal on every visit-about 35 visits at least, all for dinners. Recently, I returned to Boston for a weekend, and before we all even checked into our motel, we stopped off at Legal Seafood for lunch. We wanted to get there before the lunchtime rush. Lunch is served Monday-Saturday 11PM-4PM.
We ate the Legal Seafoods in Chestnut Hill located in the Lower Chestnut Hill Mall. The restaurant had been closed for 3 months for renovations and had only recently re-opened several months ago. The entrance is from the outside of the mall. A large metal fish sculpture hangs over the entrance and a comfortable bench is thoughtfully provided there for customer comfort. Once inside the restaurant, you forget you're in a mall.
A small airy foyer with attractive stone flooring just inside the two separate front doors conveniently provides a bench for more seating inside. We could not believe there was no wait at this popular restaurant at twelve-thirty. Just inside the restaurant is a large beautiful floral display. We had barely enough time to check out the display of fresh fish in the Take-Out Department, when we were escorted to our booth and presented with large heavy paper menus. Paper place mats detailing a time line of the restaurant's history entertained us while we waited a few moments for our waitress to serve us.
The nautical décor is tasteful and inviting. Adorning the dark walls are framed pictures of sailing ships. Large models of sailing ships are scattered about the restaurant completing the nautical theme. Tall deep blue-colored glass chandeliers and high hats provide lighting along with some small tasteful shade-covered wall lamps. Large picture windows at the rear of the window provide additional light. Circulating fans move the air and the temperature is comfortable inside despite the muggy heat outside. Tiled beams, framed mirrors and an open kitchen add to the ambiance. A lovely patterned plush green rug covers parts of the beautiful wooden floors and helps muffle noise.
As I looked around, I noticed the large Legal C Bar area (Raw Bar) just inside the entrance was popular with diners. All of the small mahogany tables around us were occupied. I noticed that a line began developing as it got closer to one o'clock. Our cushioned green booth was large and comfortable, although I noticed that the tables in front of us were quite close together. Lisa, our young waitress arrived shortly to take our beverage orders and returned shortly with them
In the interest of research for this epinion, I checked out the rest room after dining. It was well maintained even after the lunchtime crunch was over. Everything was sparkling clean. A huge floral display was on the granite countertop. A conveniently large mirror made primping easy. Everything was automated-flush, water & soap dispensing and hand drying. Several public phones were also available.
We, of course, had to taste Legal's award winning Clam Chowder, (cup $3.50 - Bowl $4.25.) So, we placed that order first and then studied the menu. Our cups of steaming hot soup arrived in minutes along with crackers and some very hot small rolls with pats of butter. There were lots of big chunks of clams in the thick steaming hot soup. Other soups listed were Lobster Bisque, bowl $9.95, Fish Chowder, $3.95/ $4.95 and Gazpacho, $3.75/ $4.50. If you are counting calories there was also Lite Clam Chowder, cup, $3.95/$4.95.
My husband and I decided to have appetizers since we were attending a party later that evening. I ordered the Mussels Au Gratin (small order, $5.95-large order, $9.95.) My husband ordered the Maryland "Style" Crab Cake, $10.95. My sister ordered Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad with herb vinaigrette ($10.95/ without chicken, $4.95.) There are 18 choices on the appetizer menu, with prices ranging from $4.94 (Potato Skins) - $11.95 (Blackened Raw Tuna "Sashimi, Smoked Salmon.) Steamers were $10.95. We all shared our orders and agreed that all well equally delicious. My large order arrived artful presented on a very hot dish (Lisa warned me to be careful, it was hot) with 12 medium sized mussels on half shells covered with breadcrumbs and melted cheddar cheese. My sister's salad was chilled and satisfying. My husband 's Crab Cakes had lots of chunks of crabmeat.
Our neighboring diners had four different choices of the Luncheon Features. One had a large order of the Portuguese Fisherman's Stew, $13.95 - large serving of cod, mussels, clams and chourico in a saffron tomato broth. She said it was piping hot and delicious. I could see the steam rising from it. Her companion had Mussels Fra 'Diavolo-spicy tomato sauce over linguini, $7.95 which she said was just a little spicy but delicious. It was a large portion. The third diner had "Scampi" with garlic, tomato and mushroom tossed with linguini. It also had steam coming from it and was declared delicious as well.
There were nine choices in the Salad and Cold Plates section ranging in price $2.50-Simple Mixed Greens (with crumbled Blue Cheese, $3.50 -$14.95 for Seafood Antipasto-grilled shrimp and calamari on a salad with marinated clams and mussels. We saw the Antipasto dish as a waiter passed by our booth with it and it looked hearty.
Under Wood Grilled, there were three choices with prices ranging from $8.95(Bluefish)-$14.95 (Salmon). Rainbow Trout was $11.95. All were brushed with herb vinaigrette or Cajun spices, served with a choice of one side. Our waitress said she loved the Salmon but that they were all great.
On the Legal Sandwich list were 11 choices. A young man sitting in the booth next to us had the Burger $5.95. His older sister had the Grilled Chicken with bacon and cheese $9.95. We chattered on the way out of the restaurant. The food was good they said and they were full. Their mom ordered the Oyster Po' Boy ($9.95.) She likes to order this, she said, because it's consistently good. . The Lobster Roll and Crab Roll also looked good. All sandwiches are served with french fries and cole slaw. There was a wide variety to sides available on the menu at an Ala Carte price of $2.50.
I asked Lisa, our waiter what she recommended on the Dinner Menu. She suggested that the combination platters would give a taste of several different items. Her favorite dish was Cioppino (lobster, scallops, shrimp, squid, littlenecks, mussels and whitefish in a light tomato broth with a side of jasmine rice, $24.95.) She highly recommended we try it next time. A favorite of ours is Louisiana Catfish Matrimony, sauteed with bay shrimp and andouille sausage with jasmine rice and seasoned vegetables, $14.95.
Other seafood entrees were Wood Grilled Mahi Mahi, Halibut or Swordfish and about 25 more choices. Legal serves over 40 varieties of fish. The menu differs from region to region and seasonally as well. For those of you on a diet, I noticed that there was a listing for Zone Diet prepared according to Dr. Barry Sears-bluefish pate, grilled shrimp, scallops or salmon with minted snap peas and fresh fruit for $19.95. There were limited choices on the menu for meat eaters. Sirloin Steak, 12 oz was $18.95 and Filet Mignon, 8 oz was $22.95. Prices on the dinner menu for entrees ran about $12.95 on up to $45.95 for 2-2.50 LB of Stuffed Lobster. Lobsters are served baked, steamed or baked stuffed.
Although we didn't have room for dessert, dessert choices usually are, Key Lime Pie, Ice Cream, Warmed Chocolate Pudding, Sorbet, Grapenut custard, Boston Cream Pie and Profiteroles (Cream Puffs that are delicious with ice cream inside.) Prices run from $2-$5
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We had excellent service throughout our meal. Lisa came by several times to see how everything was and to ask if we need anything. Our meals and beverages arrived promptly as did our check. Requests were promptly filled by any waiter/waitress that passed by us. Lisa stopped by and chattered with us quite a bit. It may have helped that she saw me making notes about the menu. She told us about the renovation. The waiters and waitresses, she said, were re-assigned to other places during the 3-month closing. She also told us the locations of Legal in Florida. She even checked with someone and came back with new information after she gave us a wrong location. At another restaurant, the waitress wouldn't have bothered.
The wait staff wore royal blue button-down shirts and bright, zany, multi-colored ties. Long white aprons covered their black trousers. The chefs at the open kitchen wore white uniforms. We were especially pleased that we didn't have to wait during any part of the meal. The entire staff were all young, energetic and fully trained. They were all efficient, polite and acted professionally at all times.
Our overall dining experience was delightful in every way. Rarely does a meal out go so smoothly these days. I think if helped that we arrived before the lunchtime crunch. But, from what I observed, even the diners who arrived after we did were served in a timely manner. Parties of 6 or more have an 18% Gratuity automatically added to the bill, by the way. I think if you go to any Legal Seafood Restaurant, you'll be delighted at the service and food. . The restaurant is handicap accessible. There is a ramp leading to the rest rooms as well. What I like about the restaurant is that they offer a whole lot more than mostly fried foods as other seafood restaurants. I can't wait to return here.
Legal Seafoods Restaurant
Chestnut Hill Shopping Center
43 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA
(617) 277-7300
Mon-Thurs 11AM-10PM
Fri-Sat 11AM-11PM
Sun Noon-10PM
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
glomarrone
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 - Top 200 |
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Location: Cocoa Beach, FL
Reviews written: 167
Trusted by: 287 members
About Me:
It's been fun for 2-1/2yrs. Now it's time to say goodbye. I'll miss you all!
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