Cheap seafood finds in Boston!

Hey guys!

I'll be visiting Bean Town next weekend. Just wondering if any of you have recommedations for cheap, fresh, no-frills seafood place?

Thanks!

No seafood recommendations (at least not cheap ones) but I highly recommend Giacomo's for a great Italian-American dinner in the North End.

My motto is:
"You can't get a bad meal at a restaurant named Giacomo's"

In this thread, sdritz and I mentioned the No Name restaurant. I'm not sure it's exactly what you're looking for -- for nearly 40 years of living there, I know nothing from seafood -- but as noted in my post there, my friends still think highly of the place.

i went to Boston back in 2003 and desperately wanted lobster. I refused to go to Legal Foods because it seemed too commercial. So, I took my lil rental car and drove out of the city....aimlessly and came across a great family restaurant. I walked in - cozy - and smack in front of me is a specials board advertising a full lobster meal with dessert for $9.99. Amazing! It was one of the freshest most succulent lobster meals I've ever had. I couldn't tell you the name or where I drove - but that might be an option for you....to drive and find a local joint that serves up hearty meals for a fraction of the touristy prices elsewhere. Have fun in Bean town!

Foodie1 makes a good point -- because of the high rents in Boston proper, you can find some very good places in the near 'burbs. Arlington, Watertown, Newton, and Somerville all come to mind offhand; for seafood, you might want to follow the seashore to the north (Marblehead, Gloucester) or south (Quincy, Weymouth). The Boston equivalent to the Reader is the Phoenix; I can't check right now but I think its Web site is bostonphoenix.com if you want to scope out their listings.

Noname Restaurant serves some pretty goof food, although it ranks a complete **ZERO** in ambiance. It is in an industrial area and you eat on a picnic bench. But for the money, it is not a bad deal.

Rent a car and drive. Drive to woodman's in essex -- the typical new england fish shack that is always hopping. Fried everything, lobster, etc. If you don't want to drive, go to Jasper White's summershack out in Alewife on the red line (NOT BOSTON!!). Jasper White is a fish-cooking demi-god, and Summershack, in my experience (i've eaten there maybe a dozen times) is very consistent, has what you need (super new england food, great fresh fish, and excellent seafood ethics) and isn't crazy expensive or ridiculous like legal. There's also Barbara Lynch's oyster bar, B & G Oysters, that serves the new england favorites in a slightly upscale location in the south end. The food was very very good there.

I don't recommend no name. I used to work at a hotel in boston and we only sent tourists there. Locals don't eat there much.

When I'm in Boston, I usually head up to maine (1.5 hours away)for a real lobster pound experience (pick out your own lobster, steamers, etc). You just can't find that in Boston.

And locals do eat at legal, all the freaking time. Yeah, it is commercial, but it has a little of everything. If you can't leave town to visit a real shack, legal is consistent. Not my top choice (actually, I only eat there under duress, but if family is paying, what can you do?).

Queijo wrote:Rent a car and drive. Drive to woodman's in essex -

From several years of results of diligent Fried Clam a thons on another board of whose methodolgies and diligence both VI, Dickson D and the rest of the LTH Athon team would likely approve , we've settled on Essex Seafood in Essex.


Essex Seafood
143 Eastern Avenue, Essex, MA 01929
978.867.7233
http://www.essexseafood.com/

about 30 min north north east of Logan out on Cape Ann, low traffic times. Always our first stop from Logan. On our first foray, we tried both Essex and The Clam Box . Suggest you do as we do, forego both Woodman's and the Clam Box, stick with Essex.

From Essex, you can continue north and then west through the town of Ipswich to Peach Farms for ice cream.

Steve Drucker wrote:From several years of results of diligent Fried Clam a thons on another board of whose methodolgies and diligence both VI, Dickson D and the rest of the LTH Athon team would likely approve , we've settled on Essex Seafood in Essex.

This from my husband, a Woodman's loyalist:

"This essex seafood place is new. Maybe they are good at the moment, but who knows if they will be open in the future. Woodmans and the clam box are institutions. There used to be that place that is now a BBQ joint that was the trendy clam place of the moment in essex and I would guess this essex seafood is the same. If they are open next summer, I'd try it out, but I wouldn't dis the inventor of the fried clam."

New, of course, being relative. I ate at Woodman's in August and I regretted ordering anything other than the fried clams. (We ordered fried clams, whole and strips, popcorn shrimp (for the 2 year old), steamers, and clam cakes--kind of like a big hush puppy with chunks of clam inside). Not because those other things weren't great, but it's hard to justify taking stomach space away from perfection. And that's what I think Woodman's fried clams are. Not to mention it's hard to beat the history and the atmosphere.

Dreaming of fried clams,

Kristen

Woodman's of Essex
PO Box 349, Route 133
121 Main St.
Essex, Massachusetts 01929
Phone: (978) 768-6057 (800) 649-1773

When I lived in Boston in the early 90s, I had the enormous good fortune to live a few doors down from la Galleria Italiana on Tremont Street. For a year I dined there nearly once a week because of the hospitality and fine food served by Rita D'Angelo and cooked by Marisa Iocco. I haven't been to Boston in a few years, but the next time I go, I will dine where ever Sig.ra Iocco is the chef. Currently that seems to be Mare, at 135 Richmond Street, Boston, and Enoteca Bricco, at 241 Hanover (a couple blocks apart in the North End). Both have been positively reviewed, per the Internet, but they may be more than you want to spend. That's where I'd go.

"This essex seafood place is new. Maybe they are good at the moment, but who knows if they will be open in the future. Woodmans and the clam box are institutions. There used to be that place that is now a BBQ joint that was the trendy clam place of the moment in essex and I would guess this essex seafood is the same. If they are open next summer, I'd try it out, but I wouldn't dis the inventor of the fried clam."

Brava! Your husband gets a big standing O from my mom, who hauls a carload of her friends out there several times a year for the fried clams. Mom has been a fried clam aficionado since spending the summer on the beach back in the '40s and '50s. Nothing will get them to go anywhere else - they just aren't interested. Why mess with perfection?

kl5 wrote:There used to be that place that is now a BBQ joint that was the trendy clam place of the moment in essex and I would guess this essex seafood is the same. If they are open next summer, I'd try it out, but I wouldn't dis the inventor of the fried clam."

New, of course, being relative. I ate at Woodman's in August and I regretted ordering anything other than the fried clams. (We ordered fried clams, whole and strips, popcorn shrimp (for the 2 year old), steamers, and clam cakes--kind of like a big hush puppy with chunks of clam inside). Not because those other things weren't great, but it's hard to justify taking stomach space away from perfection. And that's what I think Woodman's fried clams are.

I solemnly vouch for Exxex for several visits per year, the last three years running. It is in the true sense 'A Great Neighborhood Restaurant'.

In contrast, legacies often achieve a life span all their own, characterized by a self perpetuating resonance a la Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

Steve Drucker wrote:I solemnly vouch for Exxex for several visits per year, the last three years running. It is in the true sense 'A Great Neighborhood Restaurant'.

In contrast, legacies often achieve a life span all their own, characterized by a self perpetuating resonance a la Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

So, what's better about Essex's fried clams? And how has Woodman's slipped?

kl5 wrote:So, what's better about Essex's fried clams? And how has Woodman's slipped?

There is a mother lode of fried clam/Cape Ann info on CH. Here are some links:

2002 Clam Crawl results with multiple comments:
http://www.chowhound.com/newengland/boa ... 14678.html

the 2003 clam crawl report with multiple comments:
http://www.chowhound.com/newengland/boa ... 31939.html

recent 2005 updates, various:
http://www.chowhound.com/newengland/boa ... 71274.html

Many opinions, like burgers and pizza. Looking forward to hearing about your experience.

Errata: the ice cream place is WHITE FARMS !

Because stuff gets lost on CH and becomes difficult if not impossible to find (took me about 25 minutes), here is the August 2002 Clam Crawl Report consensus:

"Consensus among the crawlers was that the Clam Box simply blew away the competition. It was the big bellies (available upon request at no extra charge!) that gave the Box the edge. When we left Essex Seafood, it didn't seem as if anything could beat their superlative entry, but I am now forced to relegate my erstwhile fave to second place. A close second, certainly; I'll still go there to beat the crowds (keep those fingers crossed, Chuck S!); but now I see an occasional pilgrimage to the Box in my future. I'll just have to bring a book to while away the long wait in line.

The Crawl didn't take as long or cost as much as I had feared (this may be the only project I ever bring in on time and under budget!) partly because we skipped a couple of stops, and partly because everybody was so eager to move on to the next taste o' clams! I have to say, I just didn't anticipate the efficiency and mobility of my fellow hound on the scent of chow! The decisive fleetness of 18 hounds in 9 vehicles was a beautiful thing to watch.

Although we did mess with the original schedule somewhat, we ended up sampling the fried clams at five different places, and steamers at two of them. (Several hounds conducted a lobster roll comparison on the side, and I hope they'll report; likewise, I hope to hear from those who continued their bivalve research into the evening at the raw bar at Woodman's.) Here's my assessment, in order of deliciousness:

1. The Clam Box in Ipswich: Everything one dreams of in a box of clams -- fresh clams, big bellies, sweet and briny, batter crunchy (without breaking teeth) and not greasy.

2. Essex Seafood in Essex: The same, only without those extra-large bellies. Steamers here were large, perfectly cooked, and full of flavor -- definitely the winner in that category.

3. Choate Bridge Pub in Ipswich: A very competent entry. My tastebuds may have been dulled a bit, since this was our final stop and we were pretty clammed out by then; but FWIW, I rated these clams unexceptionable but unexceptional.

4. The Lobster Pool in Rockport. This was our first stop, and we were primed to enjoy. However, we found their clams mediocre -- a little on the greasy side and just a tad rubbery. The flavor didn't come through as well. Not bad, exactly, just not the taste treat we'd all set our mouths for. Steamers here were just OK also.

5. Farnham's in Essex. Sadly, this favorite destination of many a hound was having a bad clam day. The clams had a fishy taste to them. An order of fried cod cheeks was bland. We did enjoy a tomato-ey, mildly spicy scallop chowder there.

Gratuitous tip: In the course of the afternoon, we sent a delegation to the peach festival they were having at Russell Orchards in Ipswich. They came back raving about Richardson's peach ice cream.

Speaking of ice cream, four of us found room at the end of the day to check out White Farms in Ipswich. Others can comment on their cones; mine had Double Chocolate, which was excellent, and Peppermint Stick, which was creamy but not particularly minty. I tasted Mr. Fox's Outrageous (triple chocolate with choc. chips, brownie bits, and so on) and found it way too sweet for my taste.

(Missed Opportunities Dept.: we agreed that it was too hot for the Halibut Point walk; sorry, 9Lives, but Woodman's was unanimously voted down; and White Cap turned out to be a sit-down restaurant, not the casual sort of place we were aiming for, so we skipped it.)"

I too liked the big bellies at the Clam Box. But neither the ff nor the onion rings were so good, and on a rainy weekday fall out of season lunch hour there was a 15 minute wait..

Your first hand report re Essex Seafood, Clam Box and Woodman's and other Cape Ann clam shacks is eagerly awaited.

OK Steve, so we gave Essex a shot this weekend. The verdict?

The fried clams were very very good. Not lard-fried, like woodman's, but crisp and flavorful, even the very last ones. My mother, as previously mentioned a Woodman's devotee, agreed that the fried clams were very good and that the ones at the bottom also tasted quite good, unlike the final few left on the plate at Woodman's, which often get an off-flavor if allowed to cool.

The chowder too was quite good. Not the best I've had, but respectable with good texture and viscosity. Not as chock full of clams as I like, but the flavor was addictive.

The rest of the food was unremarkable, although inexpensive. Steamers were tasty if unusually sandy. The fries were the frozen and battered type, my least favorite. The onion rings were forgettable. And the lobster? I don't know how anyone can screw up boiling a lobster, but they did. It did not taste fresh. In a flashback post dinner I recall seeing them pull an already cooked lobo from the cooler and chucking it into the water for a final heat. It came out warm, not steamin' hot, fishy-tasting, and so bland that I reverted to dipping it in the almost-clarified (but not quite) butter -- very unlike me.

Afterwards we didn't have the stamina to drive too far for ice cream, so we settled for the Junction in Hamilton. Good, not great. Maybe oversweet. Typical creamery flavors, with an interesting pricing scheme - they charge by the ounce.

All in all, it was fine. My party was satisfied, if a little fried-food sick. Bad outweighed the good for me so next time I get a drive-to-the-coast jones I'll probably just head up to southern Maine, where I know they know how to cook a lobster. And where I can find decent fried clams at a roadside shack. They don't need to be the best, just hot, crunchy on the outside, and fresh.

Queijo wrote:Rent a car and drive. Drive to woodman's in essex -- the typical new england fish shack that is always hopping. Fried everything, lobster, etc.

Queijo,

Going to hit Woodman's on Saturday, my buddy from the area gives it a slight rating over Essex, but I might just have to go to both for a 'just for science' LTH comparative. He also likes Roy Moore in Rockport and a Portugese place, Causeway Restaurant, in Gloucester, which we may hit as well.

Only thing I know for sure we're doing in Boston over the weekend is following in CoolerbytheLake, and Geo's, footsteps for clam slurping in Haymarket Square. Oh, ok, yes Steve Z we will go to Giacomo's Kitchen

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary, having just been in Boston at the end of May, I also strongly recommend the Clam Box of Ipswich, and White Farms ice cream on your way out. I posted on it when we went there. Clams were excellent and well worth the drive. The girls spotted the giant cow over the White Farms stand and insisted we stop. Ice cream was out of this world.

It was way too much food for one afternoon, but we ate it all anyways.

Suzy

I wondered if the No Name restaurant was still there. Used to go there in 80's, I loved it. I recall the first time I went there was a line of over a hundred people yet we were seated in about a 1/2 hour. The seafood was good, fresh, no frills. Sure it lacks ambience and the finer service techniques but it was fun. It used to be BYOB, which was cool too. And easy on the pocketbook too.

From an old Boston seafood thread

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?p=80501#80501

sdritz wrote:Gary, having just been in Boston at the end of May, I also strongly recommend the Clam Box of Ipswich, and White Farms ice cream on your way out. I posted on it when we went there.

Suzy,

I had read your post, and reread it again when the subject of clams came up. Friends of ours are picking us up at the hotel and taking us up the shore (down the shore?), his favorite spot is Woodmans, we discussed the options at length, and we have a few other stops planned.

I will be sure to suggest a one on one with Woodmans vs Clam Box and a stop at White Fence.

Thanks,
Gary

When we made our pilgrimmage, we also stopped at White Farms.

Good ice cream.

Massachusetts is dotted with similar ice cream joints. I found this incomplete guide when searching for other ice cream stands. This list is a bit more complete but has no descriptions.

I grew up eating Ericson's, which is New England tasty and staffed with local high school students (adding local flava) but not remarkable compared to, say, the hoity toity uppity Bent Spoon in Princeton NJ (went there 5 times over three days on a recent trip).

My biggest complaint as a displaced New Englander here in Chicago is that I still can't get great ice cream without making it myself...and I'm lazy.

I'm about to go home for about 10 days (been here two years, Boston will always be home) and I'm skipping the fried clams. Instead mom and I will head to Maine, pick out a few lobsters, and get our fingers wrinkly.

I'll be going to Boston for Memorial Day weekend. We don't plan to rent a car, so I'm looking for reasonably priced, fresh lobster (roll) within walking distance of a subway stop. My coworker recommended Skipjacks. Any other suggestions? Thanks!

I wish you hadn't brought this topic up, because I've been severely craving a lobsta roll for the past three days.

And if I was heading to Boston, I would rent a car just to get myself to Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine for the quintessential:

photo by eatchicago:


(I was looking at his excellent New England report which didn't help my cravings)

With that out of the way -- Skipjacks ain't bad at all, and neither is Legal Seafood. Both pretty light on the mayo. My favourite in the city is at B&G Oysters, but it's also about $25 (it's in the South End, and it's a nicer place). Neptune Oyster has two versions -- one that's hot (butter) and one cold (mayo). I remember asking for the cold, hold the mayo, and a side of melted butter. Not sure what this accomplished, but I think I was concerned with getting warmed lobster meat. In any case, a fine roll.

Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere gets quite a bit of attention, but I seem to recall tough lobster meat. I'd never had the lobster roll at Charlie's Kitchen in Harvard Square, but it's def'y on the lower end of the price spectrum IIRC.

Eat a few for me while I contemplate ordering some split-top buns and making them my own.

Neptune Oyster
63 Salem Street
Boston, MA
02113
617.742.3474

B&G
550 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02118
617.423.0550

Charlie's Kitchen
10 Eliot St
Cambridge, MA
617.492.9646

Kelly's Roast Beef
410 Revere Beach Blvd
Revere, MA
781.284.9129

All are available by T.
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Actually, I think this is the Red's roll:



If I'm right, then the one you pictured was from Harraseeket Lunch & Lobster.

Ah yes, thank you, germuska.

I guess that should've been obvious to me since there's some mayo on the roll of the pic that I attached.

Either way, they're both making me drool.

Joe is correct.

The Red's roll does not have any mayo, is served warm, and comes with drawn butter.

The Haraseeket roll is more traditional, with mayo.

Best,
Michael

Just back from a week in Ogunquit, and there's NUTHIN' there that looks quite as good as either of those two rolls. I'm depressed....

Geo

tatterdemalion wrote:With that out of the way -- Skipjacks ain't bad at all, and neither is Legal Seafood. Both pretty light on the mayo. My favourite in the city is at B&G Oysters, but it's also about $25 (it's in the South End, and it's a nicer place). Neptune Oyster has two versions -- one that's hot (butter) and one cold (mayo). I remember asking for the cold, hold the mayo, and a side of melted butter. Not sure what this accomplished, but I think I was concerned with getting warmed lobster meat. In any case, a fine roll.

So what makes B&G's lobster roll your favorite?

Pucca wrote:

tatterdemalion wrote:With that out of the way -- Skipjacks ain't bad at all, and neither is Legal Seafood. Both pretty light on the mayo. My favourite in the city is at B&G Oysters, but it's also about $25 (it's in the South End, and it's a nicer place). Neptune Oyster has two versions -- one that's hot (butter) and one cold (mayo). I remember asking for the cold, hold the mayo, and a side of melted butter. Not sure what this accomplished, but I think I was concerned with getting warmed lobster meat. In any case, a fine roll.

So what makes B&G's lobster roll your favorite?

You know, I'm not totally comfortable recommending B&G as the place you should get your lobsta roll from. It's far from being reasonably priced, and it actually may be even more expensive now given the cost of lobster these days. It's a good sandwich though, with minimal mayo/celery, slight hint of tarragon IIRC, probably 1/2 pound of meat, on a benign roll. When I say it's my favourite, I think that statement is influenced by my experiences at B&G as a whole -- I like that nabe, I usually slurp some fine oysters, and yeah, the lobster roll is good. I'd have a hard time saying it's far better than Legal's or Skipjacks even.

I did some googling, and found this story that ranks B&G and Neptune as having the best lobster rolls. I was leaning toward B&G based on your rec and the story....so now should I lean toward Neptune instead? Thank you tatterdemalion.