Haymarket...um...Market: Or, Haymarket Squared: Boston

Coming off a particularly intense two weeks of travel, I was able to peel off from my commercial obligations in every city just long enough to keep me from curling into a simpering fetal ball in a corner of an Admiral’s Club between flights. I’ll spare the windbag travelogues and focus in on some cool places I came across.

Part I.
Haymarket Square Market
Boston, MA

During a gap in a Boston wedding weekend, I decided to get my tourist shwerve on and walk the Freedom Trail sites. Upholding a long tradition of losing my way in unfamiliar cities, I almost literally stumbled on an outdoor market north of the Faneuil Hall marketplace area. The first stall I encountered hooked me with a come-on of three cherrystones for $2. Pay the man your two bucks and pick from about a hundred specimens perched atop giant mounds of crushed ice. Now stand there like you’re eating over your sink at home and slurp away as delicately as possible with your bivalve-loving brethren. Mollusk love in Beantown. Piles of cooked shrimp and crab legs were also for sale as snacks, followed by a full-on array of beautifully fresh fish. For obvious reasons—not the least of which was the wad of singles in my front pocket—this stall became my mobile base of operations to which I would return often.

The breadth and depth of the vegetable offerings further down the row were impressive, but not extraordinary. It wasn’t until I rounded the corner eastward onto Clinton Street that the true charms of this area revealed themselves (I must now advance my theory that any street bearing the name “Clinton” in any large city will be among the more interesting streets in that city. This also applies to streets called Fulton). Another long strip of vegetable stalls hugged tightly along a row of food shops of every imaginable stripe. Signs advertising freshly killed goat were posted next to windows showcasing fresh hanging pigs and poultry. Butchers and fishmongers cajoled from subterranean doorways--halal specialists, game dressers, you-catch-it-we-clean-it operations...all in one place. This was not the kind of merchandise that could be stowed conveniently or hygienically in overhead compartments, so my shopping was strictly of the hands-in-pockets variety. Huge Boston butts that would make Professor Wiviott click his heels were going for $1.09 a pound, prompting me to reconsider the composition of my carry-on luggage, but good sense prevailed and I left empty handed but in wonderment. Sadly, I was the one tourist in the whole city without a camera, so I have no pictures to share.

I’m sure this place is no secret, but it was a truly unexpected pleasure to happen onto it. The market is open Fridays and Saturdays only—nearly year-round according to my clam-guy. The free standing shops have more or less regular business hours.

Dear Coolerbythelake--

Oh boy, cherrystones, yee-hah! Gonna be in Boston in three weeks, can't wait. Tnx for the heads-up.

I take it that the location of the place just is *Haymarket Square*? Is that address good enough for a lousy finder to find it?

Geo

Geo wrote:I take it that the location of the place just is *Haymarket Square*? Is that address good enough for a lousy finder to find it?

If you'll be on public transportation, Haymarket Square is on both the Orange and Green lines. If you're driving, well, get as close as you can and take the T to Haymarket.

Geo,

If you're anywhere near the Faneuil Hall tourist nexus, any native should be able to point you in the right direction. It'll be just a block or two away.

If you'll be getting to Cambridge/Harvard Square, let me know, as I ate freely between Head of the Charles races. I was spectating, not rowing...

I was gonna drop by the Head, but it raining, and all my friends were out of town, and I had work to do, so I ended up not getting there.

Tnx Cooler--I'll be looking, seriously looking, for those clams.

And we'll be staying in a b & b in Cambridge, and most definitely plan to wander on by Harvard Square. Any recommendations would be most appreciated.

Geo

there's a thread on cheap eats in and around cambridge, including some harvard square joints:

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5545

what, specifically, are you seeking out in terms of eats when you are in Boston?

My main gustatory intent in Boston is to have local stuff --most especially fish and seafood-- that I'm not going to find here in the Heartland. Bbq, that I can get, (!!), and brats, and pretty good fried chicken, etc. But man, our seafood here is pretty unreliable, not to mention scarce. So that's what I'd like to focus on in Boston/Cambridge--stuff I can't get here, esp. seafood.

Chinese, got that covered: my best buddy from Wuhan U. now lives in Boston, and he's setting up a banquet in Chinatown. I'll give a full report.

So anything y'awl can point me toward, it'd be much appreciated.

Geo

I'd like to point you to this postthat I made last summer. If you're near the airport and are looking for breakfast, 3 Yolks is definitely a greasy spoon diner worth visiting.

Try this thread:

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5154

If you can drive out to Essex/Ipswich/Cape Ann, there's traditional fried seafood aplenty out there.

And if you are going to be near Chinatown, try dim sum at Empire Garden 617-482-8898, 690 Washington St., Boston. Former porn theatre gone enormous (seats 700) dim sum palace. I go once a year, at least, when I am visiting with mom.

For upscale (eg, not the clam shacks in the above thread):

B&G Oysters - a tiny restaurant that puts a slightly upscale (and very tasty) spin on traditional New England seafood favorites. Local hero Barbara Lynch co-owns this place. As you might expect, there is an oyster bar with a changing variety of oysters, from PEI to SJI.

Summer Shack, Alewife: don't go to the Boston restaurant - it just isn't as good. Jasper White knows his way around fish. It ain't cheap, but his menu is about as old school New England as you can get, with a number of dishes that ordinarily would have no place in New England. There is fried food aplenty, along with "clambakes", baked beans, slaw, and local fish, grilled, baked, fried, etc.

Legal Seafood: it is about as standard Boston as you can get, and locals really do eat there - weekly. It isn't the most interesting (in fact, whenever I go home I try to politely get out of eating lunch there with mom), but it is an institution.

East Coast Grill: An Inman square institution. Go for the fish. Chef Chris Schlessinger is worshipped in Cambridge for his mad grilling skills. They now feature a raw bar and have continued to pile on good reviews. I haven't been in a decade, I think....

It is definitely worth hunting down a few of the Portuguese restaurants that dot Cambridge. Since New England's population of Portuguese were mostly employed as fishermen and came from coastal areas, the restaurants have fine fish offerings. Since I haven't eaten in one in about 5 years, I don't have a name for you that I would trust. But a little reviews of Portugalia Restaurant ( 617-491-5373, 723 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA) which serves the food traditional to the Azores, but I can't vouch for it.

Boston also has a sizeable Salvadoran and Brazilian population, with many restaurants serving those communities. East Boston, Blue Line Maverick on the T is a veritable 'little Central America' - since it is close to the airport, I recommend getting out there, walking around, and taking in a few joints. There are Columbian places, Mexican, Salvadoran, Ecuadoran, etc. It is a stone's throw from Santarpio's Brick Oven pizza, a dive with great pie. No wood, just charcoal here...and sausages charcoal fired to order.

Sweets: Boston has good pastry, great ice cream (open all year round - no one in the city would think of closing just because it gets cold) and very good bread.

In Cambridge (Harvard Square):
Burdicks, Brattle Street (or 52 Paul Sullivan Way, Boston)
Go here for a slice of pastry and hot chocolate. The hot chocolate is mind blowing. You will be sick, that's a promise.

Finale
I feel guilty recommending this place as I'm not a huge fan, but it has served as the model for many imitators nationwide since it opened. A dessert and wine bar, it slings $12 desserts to eager patrons just back from the theatre. The style? Typical hotel - multiple steps, complex flavors, a little bit of architecture, garnishes aplenty. I don't love the place, but it has been successful enough to open up a second shop in Harvard Square.

Hi-Rise Bakery
Way out of the way, on Concord Ave (at the corner of Huron) is the High Rise bakery. The owner Rene Becker came to Cambridge by way of Zingerman's, and features sandwiches that mirror those served at the venerable A2. Sandwiches are fine, but the bread and the baked goods are what it is about. While you are in that neighborhood, you must stop in at Formaggio Kitchen, one of the best small gourmet shops in the country. Ihsan Gurdial really knows cheese, and was one of the first retailers to build a cheese cave in his shop. The selection is impeccible, edited perfectly, and always changing. They feature many items you would be hard pressed to find anywhere else in the country - Ihsan takes buying trips to Europe several times a year. I've seen his stash in a bonded warehouse and have been very very jealous.

Flour
Joanne Chang was the pastry chef at Rialto for many years before opening up her own South End bakery/cafe. She features all manner of baked good and soups, sandwiches, and salads.

When in Boston look for Iggy's Bread and Pain D'Avignon.

Ice Cream Joints:
Herrell's - Harvard Square, Cambridge, Allston
Toscanini's - Cambridge
JP Licks - Brookline, Boston, JP
Christina's - Inman Square, Cambridge

B&G Oysters
617-423-0550
550 Tremont Street,
Boston

Summer Shack
617-520-9500
149 Alewife Brook Parkway (Alewife T)
Cambridge, MA

Legal Seafood
Multiple Locations

East Coast Grill
617-491-6568
1271 Cambridge St.
Cambridge, MA

Finale - two locations
617-441-9797
30 Dunster St
Cambridge, MA

617-423-3184
1 Columbus Ave
Park Square, Boston, MA

Hi-Rise Bakery
617-876-8766
208 Concord Ave. (near Huron)
Cambridge, MA

Formaggio Kitchen
617-354-4750
244 Huron Ave
Cambridge, MA

Flour
617-267-4300
1595 Washington St
Boston, MA

Just got a moment, me 'n TODG are rushing around Montreal in the snow, trying to find a flat, but here's an advance quickie on our eating in Boston:

1. Burdick's: dang THAT is chocolate! Yee-hah!

2. Clam guy in Haymarket: double Yee-hah! Just stood there and slurped those tasty buggers. But I discovered that there was such a long dwelling rich flavor post-swallow, I needed to stand there for a looonnng moment or two before wolfing the next one.

3. Legal Seafood: Very very workmanlike fish and chips, fish esp. fresh, and the batter exactly right: thin and crispy. And tell you what, that's an excellent crabcake: big meaty chunks, not much filler at all, again very fresh.

4. Catch of the Day on Hannover. Their squid-ink pasta is thick and exactly al-dente. About 20 covers in a white-tiled hole in the wall. Italian older couple run the place, real fine home cooking, lots of squid and calamari. Pricy--main pasta dish c. $20; we had fried calamari and two pasta appetizers: $32. Worth it, most likely.

5. di Mio pizza in Cambridge: best crispy very-thin crust pizza, absolutely fresh ingredients (inc. mozzarella). I'd go back in a heartbeat.

More anon. Gotta go hit Frite Alors! just down the street--Belgian draft and frites at a good price. Man, what a place Montreal is!

Geo

Auf Finale:
I was there on a poor college student's budget two weeks ago for a friend's birthday, and it was expensive (~$11 for a fairly small molten choclate cake), but it was amazing! On the other hand, their non-alchaholic drinks were not too expensive, and their mulled (soft) cider was really really good (~$2.50). So, all in all, I considered the prices fair, but expensive.

There's a mexican place called South of the Border (maybe On the Border) in Hahvahd Square as well. It's okay, but nothing special. In Central Square, there's a pretty good Irish pub called the Asgard, though it seems somewhat comercialized.

CoolerbytheLake wrote:The first stall I encountered hooked me with a come-on of three cherrystones for $2.

Cooler,

Sadly, the Clam guy is no longer at the Haymarket Square Market, at least as of last week. We went to the market two days in a row, it's a really great open air market, and the second day I inquired of a few vendors. Responses varied from it's too warm for open air seafood so Mike the Clam Guy took a vacation to an older woman mimed drinking out of a bottle and implying Mike the Clam Guy, which I gathered was his market name, was in jail or rehab, to ferrrgetabout it.

We did encounter street clams, by chance, on our way to a terrific dinner at the Daily Catch. Seems the North End was having one of their many festivals, Saint Agrippina, that evening so we felt it our duty to sample something from every third stand on our way to dinner.

Saint Agrippina



Street Clams




Arancini


Cannoli



Grilled beef and lamb



Sausage and peppers


I swear when I first read the cart sign I thought it said Sushi.




And of course no street fair would be complete without Handwriting Analysis.


Boston is a great town, more posts and pictures to come.

Enjoy,
Gary

Gary,

Sorry no clam guy. But from the looks of your pix, there were a few things to assuage your hunger anyways. Oh boy, I could have eaten about a dozen of those grilled lamb sticks!!

Geo
PS. And your handwriting analysis was...??!

Strangely, I was in Boston the same time you were, G Wiv-- and I happened on the same North End street fair (unfortunately, just after lunch... I couldn't do it). My favorite detail was the "We Squeeze to Please" sign at the Mike's Pastry booth, which you nicely captured.

Anyway, my brief contribution to the Haymarket thread is this picture of what it's like there on a sunny Saturday:



The vendors are charmingly aggressive, like carnival barkers; they've got a bearing that falls somewhere between "You're not gonna find strawberries cheaper than these, buddy." and "Don't make me jump this table and prove it to you."

I love Boston.

daveco_hen wrote:Anyway, my brief contribution to the Haymarket thread is this picture of what it's like there on a sunny Saturday:

Daveco,

Talk about LTH synchronicity, I took a similar picture on the same sunny Saturday.

Haymarket Square Market (8.5.06)


Enjoy,
Gary

Geo wrote:PS. And your handwriting analysis was...??!

Geo,

The machine wouldn't work on me, my hands were too clammy.

Enjoy,
Gary

If you are up for a real adventure for local boston stuff you may want to track down one of the more unique hot dogs this side of Hot Doug's. Speed's Hot Dog wagon is sort of in the nasty part of town but it is one of the better hot dogs available and *very* Boston.

Good call Stagger. And I don't recommend this as a means of competing with Chicago dogs, but it is an outstanding dog, just a different breed.

Speed can be tough to find, but here's a map

tatterdemalion wrote:Good call Stagger. And I don't recommend this as a means of competing with Chicago dogs, but it is an outstanding dog, just a different breed.

Speed can be tough to find, but here's a map

Indeed Nab! "Boston Speed's" is a different animal all together. The wiener would be more like a mix of a polish and a kielbasa than your typical Vienna. Even that isn't quite it but its a heftier sausage. The bun is grilled quickly rather than steamed so you get a bit of the "burnt" bread flavor. Lastly the condiments are quite different. Despite this, I think the real reason why you can make this a comparison is that Speed's isn't representitive of anything except... well... Speed's. It isn't a style, it's unique... but damn delicious.