Le Cuillère and I recently paid a visit to Boston. Summer is for the weak; to get the most out of the experience it's imperative that you not feel your extremities for most of the trip. And while I am being sarcastic, the cold conveniently does assist in one's overall enjoyment of some key regional specialties. Le Cuillère and I escaped the chill at America's oldest continually operating restaurant-- the Union Oyster House. Established in 1826, Union Oyster has played host to the likes of Daniel Webster who, word has it, perfected his legal acumen over endless plates of oysters and watered down brandy. The place has some serious historical ambiance. Not in a cheesy “George Washington slept here” sort of way; but in a manner which makes you feel perfectly at home. No one that works here is wearing period costumes.
Wandering in off the street, we manage to secure a spot at the bar to wait out the crowds. Like most locations in Boston, Union Oyster has a plethora of beer on tap and an abundance of Sam Adams. The selections range well beyond the normal fare, and we quickly settle on Sam's Brick Red. And Irish-style red ale, hoppy flavorful and without a trace of bitterness. A perfect start to the evening.
Eventually our patience is rewarded and we're lead to the upstairs dining room seated across from what was apparently JFK's favorite booth (or so the many placards lead us to believe). After a quick glance of the menu, we settle on the same thing: the Shore dinner consisting of clam chowder, steamers, a lobster, corn, red potatoes, corn bread and Indian pudding. It proves to be an ungodly amount of food. Of note, what I call "ungodly," Le Cuillere calls "a nice snack."
The cornbread arrives first, and it is truly amazing. Rather then a brick of crumbing corn meal, this is almost like a cake in texture with a delicate corn flavor and served piping hot. Next the chowder arrives. It strikes a good balance of consistency; not too thick or thin. While a little sparse on clam pieces when compared to other local restaurants and pubs, the overall flavor is quite good. A neat not-so-well-kept secret about Boston is every single restaurant in town claims to have the "best clam chowder in the city," and most of them are right! We're next greeted by a basket of steamed clams, complete with lemon, butter, and a little broth for washing off the sand. After a bit of instruction from our waitress we set to work shelling and disrobing our clams. The bivalves are steamed to perfection, plump and without a trace of rubbery texture.
At this point, I'm feeling pretty content. The food has arrived so far at a pretty brisk pace and I find I have nearly forgotten how much food we've got coming when giant plates begin to arrive. I've elected to have my lobster grilled, while Le Cuillère went with the traditional boiled approach. I find further description here to be unnecessary. Is there really anything better than lobster meat and drawn butter?
Unfortunately, I find I've quickly met my match. Le Cuillère is the beneficiary as I can't even make it through the lobster claws, never mind the rest of the plate. Our waitress is there to remind us however that we have Indian pudding coming. I have no idea what exactly this might be; she describes it as a sort of liquid pumpkin pie. And this is not that far off. Made with a cornmeal base, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg, it does bear a certain resemblance. I have a bite to confirm, and then retire to fight another day. It's lovely, but I am clearly not up for the challenge of hearty New England fare.
It would be criminal to go to Boston and not have seafood. Union Oyster does an excellent job of combining the local cuisine and history to create a wonderful experience where you feel you've not only had a good meal, but absorbed the local ambiance as well. Oh.... and go hungry. Very hungry.
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