My original seafood-speciality restaurant choice for a birthday dinner this past Tuesday wasn't yet on summer hours & I definitely am, so my parents agreed to take my family & I out for dinner atLegal Sea Foods in Burlington. This was an old my-birthday tradition for us as I was growing up -- predating both my & my mother's celiac & not having occurred for half a lifetime -- but I had high hopes based on everything I had heard about their gluten-free menu. I knew that Legal's was groundbreaking in the gluten-free arena, being one of the first local restaurants to provide an entirely separate gluten-free menu as well as training on cross-contamination to their kitchen, managerial & service staff since 2005. I had heard wonderful things about their rolls for years and the extensiveness of their menu.
So while not normally excited to be on my way to the Burlington Mall, I was looking forward to stuffing myself with gluten-free seafood. I found the maitre'd surly and hard to understand about the gluten-free aspect of our reservation -- she kept saying "2 gluten-free people", which caused some concern, instead of "2 gluten-free menus" as I eventually realized she meant -- but it initially caused some needless worry about my daughter. Not a good start.
The interior in Burlington.
My concern was assuaged very quickly upon being seated in our booth. I particularly liked that the gluten-free menu wasn't just a printed page that looked totally different from a "normal" menu; minus a sticker that said "gluten-free" on the front, it was the same fancy, bound menu as our gluten-eating counterparts. It even included the items on the children's menu that a gluten-free kid can eat, when I'm normally required to consult with the manager about those. I felt the exact same as any diner instead of set apart; that was a nice feeling, concurred with by my mother.
Following drink orders, during which I went my traditional route of requesting a Shirley Temple (free refills just like a fountain soda ultimately meant I went through a total of four Shirley Temples), I set out to discover how cheeky I could be with my choice of dinner. Our old tradition is of a New England clambake, which Legal's (now) calls a lobsterbake; this is usually one of the most expensive items on the Legal's menu but is also the one with most value for money. It includes clam chowder, steamers, mussels, chorizo, a 1-1.25 pound lobster & corn on the cob. The only difference between the lobsterbake on the regular menu and on the gluten-free menu is a switch to the "lite" clam chowder of clear broth instead of the standard milk-based chowder New England (& Legal's) is famous for. To my delight, my parents acquiesced to my craving.
"Lite" clam chowder.
I was particularly intrigued to try the "lite" clam chowder. I was pleased to discover scallops in my soup in addition to a hearty amount of clams & aromatic vegetables and it had an interesting spicy kick, but I'm from around here; I found myself eyeing the cups of "real" clam chowder being enjoyed by my gluten-eating father & partner. I really can't understand the necessity of using a wheat-based thickener for New England clam chowder these days; if Progresso can use corn in their canned soup, what's stopping Legal's from using something other than white flour in their fresh one? Are they worried incoming Presidents will stop ordering it for their inaugurations?
I also discovered I wasn't a huge fan of their rolls. I'm sure they were amazing five years ago, but there are better gluten-free rolls on the market now. That said, my mother ordered a half dozen of them to take home, so she clearly disagrees. For the record, she disagrees about the chowder as well -- but then, she's originally from Brooklyn, so her opinion on this one doesn't count. Sorry, Mom.
F-ing fabulous.
The rest of my meal was fantastic. I don't remember there ever being chorizo in a New England clambake or lobsterbake but it was a lovely addition; it is rare to be able to ensure the gluten-free safety of any kind of sausages and this was a generous portion of particularly tasty chorizo. There were at least a pound -- perhaps a pound and a half -- of mussels & steamers each, both of which were perfectly cooked and were obviously extremely fresh. The lobster was definitely on the larger 1.25 lb size and was cooked to perfection as well, then given a few cuts for more efficient cracking open; even for non-spacial people like myself with an, um, "special" way of getting to the lobster meat it was reasonably quick & easy. Also very, very tasty. I barely used the butter on any of my shellfish as I felt that would have diminished my taste buds being allowed to fully take in the quality of my seafood. The only butter I had was on the fresh juicy corn, which had been sopping up butter that had been placed under it by the chef. I ate the chorizo throughout heaping large amounts of seafood into my face, using it as sort of a sorbet right up to before my last bite of lobster. Yes, I ate the entire lobsterbake in one sitting. I am & have always been a seafood-eating machine.
Backing up. I wasn't the only person eating at Legal's nor was I the only person with a meal worth mentioning!
On the way in, my partner and I had asked Liberty what she wanted to eat. Since her answer was "lobster" (seriously) and this was one of the two seafood items on the children's gf menu with the other being fish sticks for only $2 less, my almost two-year-old got the delight of half a lobster removed from its shell and then placed back inside with sides of green beans & fries. The latter is not normally on their gluten-free menu for adults or kids; they specially pan-fried a portion of fries for my daughter. This was an exceptionally nice touch and was very much appreciated by a little girl with a penchant for them. Unfortunately for Liberty, her love of fried potato sticks and green beans meant she didn't partake of the lobster despite an adult-like appetite for all other shellfish she's tried.
Simply the best.
However, it was a plus for my mother, who got to eat the majority of 1/2 a lobster (my father ate the rest). This was in addition to her delicious grilled tuna steak cooked as rare as she liked it, sides of rice & green beans, and the gluten-free calamari appetizer she shared with Liberty but of which she got to eat the lion's share. I admit to also helping with the crispy Montauk calamari; fried in brown rice flour & cornmeal (with what I suspect to be a secret ingredient of chickpea flour) and Legal's award-winning tartar sauce on the side, it was the best gluten-free calamari I have ever tasted, including the ones I've tried in Boston's North End.
As for the glutenous gentlemen at the table. My father enjoyed his Anna's baked Boston scrod immensely. It's a rare occasion these days that a guy who grew up in mid-century Boston & Hull gets to have the joy of real cod & haddock instead of what he calls "bait fish" like tilapia or pollack, especially one with such a lovely crumb & tomato topping -- and with rice pilaf, something he never gets to have living with my mother due to its gluten content. My partner, who normally eats gluten-free with me even though he doesn't need to when we're out at a restaurant, is only tentatively starting to explore the world of seafood. He was not yet ready to order a well-done tuna steak he feared he wouldn't like (& also wanted to save my parents some money). He reports that his Niman Ranch burger was cooked exactly to specifications, that the all-natural beef did indeed seem to be the "finest tasting meat in the world, period" & that his steak fries were exquisite; his portion size was very generous, as the burger was so huge that he was unable to finish it.
The responsive server & manager dealt well with having an excitable toddler in a high-end restaurant, stayed with us until a while after closing for me to finish my extra-large meal & I had the opportunity to hear how well the manager treats his employees, complimenting our server on her thoughtful initiative when she was nervously giving him an idea about how to better run their establishment.
An enjoyable birthday experience had by all. Especially me.
Truth.
Although a Massachusetts restaurant with 19 locations -- of course, if you're reading this you probably already know that -- Legal's has expanded the length & breadth of the east coast and can now be had in eight other states & DC. If you're a local and have never been, particularly a gluten-free local, save up some cash and check it out for lunch or dinner.
No comments:
Post a Comment