Legal Sea Food
Locations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey,
Rhode Island, Washington D.C., Maryland, and Florida.


Legal Sea Foods is probably the best seafood restaurant we've been to in 20 years.  Not since out first trip to Philadelphia's famed Bookbinders ages ago, have we savored delicacies of the oceans prepared with such care,  style and talent.  Legal Sea Foods began to correct the notion that seafood was risky to eat, smelly and only for those living close to major fishing ports.  With a few exceptions, Americans had become accustomed to inferior restaurant seafood and eating seafood at home often meant fish sticks!  George Berkowitz, the company's founder, and his son, Roger, were determined to make seafood as fashionable and acceptable as really good steaks.    A few words about the "chain" concept - these restaurants are many steps above our usual perception of chains.  The decor and structure from one location to another is individualized and unique, even at the many locations in Boston itself.  The link that binds all these eateries together is the consistency in the freshness and quality of the food - especially the seafood that is exclusively shipped from their own processing plant in Massachusetts.

One of the secrets of Legal Sea Foods is the flexibility of the menus, with various nuances and specialty dishes from place to place depending on the tastes of the chefs, who may be inclined to add Carribean, Jamaican, Asian or European flavors to their own menus.  When we were at the Boston Lonf Wharf location, there was a two-week promotion of Icelandic fish varieties.  This is typical and if there is a local specialty or promotion you can be sure it's fresh, creative and will last only a limited time.  This is an enterprise that fine tunes its' menu on a daily basis.  It does not rest on past success.  It is constantly looking to innovate, upgrade and refresh, enticing you to come back regularly to see what's new as well as revisiting old favorites.

We arrived at the restaurant shortly after owner George Berkowitz and his wife Gracie had left the place and were lucky enough to get their own, treasured and strategically appointed seats - a banquette on an 18 inch platform next to one of the large picture windows overlooking the wharf on one side and the entire restaurant inside.  Before we knew the history of this table we could see that it was the best in the house!

Our feast consisted of some complimentary canapes - wood grilled scallops on toast with raspberry sauce and goat cheese with the important touch always needed for a successful dish - one could taste the variety of flavors.  The clam chowder was legal Sea Foods' own recipe and hearty with chunks of fresh clam meat.  I am also assured that the Lobster Bisque is unlike any you've encountered and runs rings around other seafood restaurants' bisque.  In a menu of exotic choice, I must admit I was a Philistine, drawn to the crispy fried clam roll by the fact that I haven't had one in ages and here it was - a scrumptious, huge heap of lightly fried, whole bellied sweet clams done to a golden brown in appropriately hot, non-trans fatty oil mixture ( canola, safflower and grape seed ) on a large, soft toasted roll with some of the best French fried poatoes, accompanied by Heinz organic ketchup, I've had anywhere in the last 50 years.  The whole of it was washed down with Legal's own Arnold Palmer Ice Tea, which is a 50-50 mix of iced tea and lemonade.  I was in Heaven.  My wife thoroughly enjoyed and cleaned her plate of the Icelandic farm raised monk fish served with minced root vegetables and ginger - a delicious Asian touch.  Even the crusty little rolls munched addictively while waiting for your entree are prepared by a master pastry chef.

We didn't need dessert, but we were only there for one meal and could not resist.  The desserts run the gamut from the kitchen made ice creams and sorbets to the delicate pastries such as profiteroles, Bananas Foster, and the best Key Lime and Boston Cream pies you'll ever eat.  An additional note from my wife, the Key Lime Pie should be given serious consideration even if your belt must be let out a notch.  An additional delight to the evening was the entire tab for the dinner for two, sans wine, but with one cocktail, was only $65.00.  Yes, the place is usually packed and waiting is to be expected even with reservations, a must to make at least a couple of days in advance depending on the size of your party.  Dress is casual neat.   One of the most recent major upscalings of Legal Sea Foods is the Wine Service.  Legal Sea Foods is one of the few restaurant organizatons,  maybe the only one, that has hired Master of Wine Sandy Block to oversee the entire 500+ wine list of all the branches.  The cellar has been scaled down a bit and the wine list has been made much more user and order friendly.  You canget full bottles, half bottles or by-the-glass.

A new edition of the eight year old TheNew Legal Sea Foods Cook Book has recently hit the shelves with new mouth-watering recipes by the many chefs whose artistry graces the tables at the various branches of the company.  The recipes reflect the many locales and sociological strata that are served, from the basic baked, broiled or fried to the very, very cosmopolitan and ecclectic  tastes of New Yorkers and Bostonians.  Some young adult patrons seemed to be enjoying the wine, champagne and cocktails as much, or more, than the meals, but there were still plenty of bountifully laden platters being ferried on a regular basis from the kitchen to the waiting tables.  The restaurant presented a totally relaxed and enjoyable dining experience, and was just a few paces away from the bay, the new Aquarium and the IMAX theater. Legal Sea Foods also has a thriving mail order and online order business that ships the freshest lobsters, angus steaks, chowder and fresh seafood delicacies anywhere in the world. www.shoplegal.com is the URL for a dining experience like none other or call 1 800-EAT-FISH.  If your location is land locked and/or you're a landlubber who must have a regular fix of fresh, quality seafood, check out their offerings.  They make great gits, too!

George and Roger Berkowitz are on a quest to urge Americans to eat more FRESH fish and the best way to do that is to open the best seafood restaurants in the country.  George began Legal Sea Foods in 1968 with his original recipe fish and chips served on paper plates in a location in the Boston fish market.  Thirty-five years later, Legal Sea Foods restaurants dominate five retail fish markets.  Their motto is "If it's not fresh, it's not legal", and all their seafood is less than two days old, never frozen and served with loving care.  Generally the fish that makes it to your local grocery is up to four days out of habitat.  The company has it's own seven step process to monitor freshness and food safety.  They have a 75,000 square foot Quality Control Center in Allston, Massachusetts devoted to provide their restaurants with the freshest, tastiest fish and seafood available anywhere.  Imagine using the Legal seafood buyer as your guide when visiting the fish market!  The owners have a policy of respect for the fishing industry, a continuation of all species and maintaining a safe and clean ocean environment.   Moreover, the Berkowitzes do all this while maintaining nominal prices, fabulous service and great ambiance at all their locations.

Even the placemat on your table declares that the owners are dedicated to serving the finest, freshest fish and seafood possible and to support a sustainable fishing enviroment in support of the New England fishing fleet. They are also sensitive to the special dietary needs of their patrons and insure courteous and speedy service with special attention to special requests. Yes, the premier dining expeience is here!

Our special thanks to General Manager Vincent Barry for his assistance, and his generous and gracious hospitality and we wish him luckin his new assignment.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
Times Square, New York City

Ripped from the pages of the bestselling novel and from the hit Tom Hanks feature film, this sensational Forrest Gump themed seafood emporium serves some of the best Louisiana cuisine we've tasted in ages.  The restaurant has been open less than a few months in the center of New York's ever-expanding Times Square area on Broadway and already there is are long lines of both dinner and lunchtime tourists and native New Yorkers to savour the recipes attributed to Bubba's Mama. Certainly, there is no other restaurant in the area serving these tasty New Orleans style treats - and in such large portions.

The waiters spout Forrest Gump trivia and there are movie props and and endless loop of the film on monitors all over. The staff is perky and eager to please, the service is swift, even in the high volume hours.  The sizable dining floor ( formerly a BIG bank branch ) has many different themed areas, all fashioned like sets from the film thatmake you real right at home when the cajun tunes start wafting from the sound system,

Start with one of the imaginative appetizers like 3/4 pound of peel and eat shrimp steamed in beer with delicious sauces or nibble on the exclusive Hush Pups with seafood ingredients embedded in the in Pups ready to be immersed in Bubba's Remoulade Dip.  Some in our party found great delight in the Cajun Checken Tenders with Blue Cheese Dip and Cajun sauteed shrimp with garlic bread.

Once you have the digestive juices flowing, dive into one of the Shrimp Specials or Forrest's Favorites.  More exclusive shrimp recipes than you could imagine. My favorites are the Coconut Shrimp with Cajun Marmalade and the Shrimp New Orleans  with spices on a bed of rice. My sidekicks got their thrills from Bourbon Street Mahi Mahi and Mama's Southern Fried Chicken which runs rings around KFC or any other fast food poultry.  This is one of the definitive New York 'roll up your sleeves and dig in' eaterys.

There are also crisp and tasty salads and thick, chewy sandwiches.  Personally, I am partial to the BBQ Pork ( with special sauce ) and Dixie Fish sandwiches.  If you have room, you can finish with one of the creative desserts - Gumpberry Cobbler, Authentic Key LIme Pie or one of the floats, smoothies or sundaes.

The fare is moderately tourist priced - about $15-18 per entree.
Sandwiches are about $10 each and worth every penny.

Burger Joint - Le Parker Meridian Hotel
119 West 56th Street, New York City

Reviewed by Monis Rose

My blood boiled. I was livid. My boss wouldn’t let me go to a Spike TV function. I’m leaving, I said to myself. I think I actually said aloud, “Oh, my stomach hurts so bad. Truth is, my stomach was aching. It need to be filled with some good food.

I went on an adventure to find the Burger Joint. First I walked into Le Parker Meridian Hotel. A $500-to-a-few-thousand-dollars-a-night place. It’s Snoop’s joint when he needs to smoke a doobie in Midtown. It was swank, chic, posh, haute, whatever the new trendy word hipsters are saying these days. White on white everything with high ceilings. Every aspect of this place looked and felt expensive. Then, there was the Burger Joint. There was no signage anywhere telling me where to go. I knew it was in this hotel but I couldn’t find it. I asked one of the many security guards and he hastily pointed north. I went around the lobby desk and saw plastered on the wall near a narrow corridor a neon burger sign. I walked towards it and stepped down a flight of stairs.

Dive-ier than anything Guy Fieri would ever step into. I loved it. Greasy, no-frill burgers where I can be a mess like I usually am. This place was for me. Wooden tables surrounded by hanging movie and music posters. One cashier, one line. The menu sat next to the cashier that read: THE WORKS: BUN, MEAT, CHEESE, LETTUCE, TOMATO, ONION, PICKLES, MAYO, MUSTARD. NO SPECIAL ORDERS. YOU GET IT AS IT IS. IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE ANYTHING OR DON’T UNDERSTAND, GET IN THE BACK OF THE LINE AND TRY AGAIN. $5. CASH ONLY! The other options where sides. Coke or shake and fries. That’s it. KISS: keep it simple stupid. I appreciate that motto. Because it’s such a small place, it’s crowded no matter what hour you go. I couldn’t find a table so I took my burger up to the roof.

Le Parker Merdien has a roof top pool on the sidelines of Central Park and scarfed my burger down. This was a true moment of bliss. Washed it down with a thick all-natural ice cream shake and crunched on some ruffled extra crispy fries. After a good 45 minutes, I took a dip in the pool. I had to seize the moment.

The New CHINA CLUB
268 West 47th Street   New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 398-3900

A New York tradition, the famous China Club has relocated into the heart of Times Square's Theatrical District with bigger and more luxurious facilities. Owners Daniel Fried and Michael Barrett have topped the atmosphere of their previous uptown location with this mutli-storied complex of hot music, delicious food and non-stop excitement.

A New York tradition, the famous China Club has relocated into the heart of Times Square's Theatrical District with bigger and more luxurious facilities. Owners Daniel Fried and Michael Barrett have topped the atmosphere of their previous uptown location with this mutli-storied complex of hot music, delicious food and non-stop excitement.

China Club chef, Elban Ross is a French Culinary Institute graduate with a pretiguous resume of  past accomplishments.  His Asian-accented menus for the club's dining room have to be tasted to be believed. Try specialties like char sui barbecued ribs or the special steamed veggies and sticky rice. Ross also provides the  bountiful scrumptious appetizers for the Shei Shei Lounge and the dance club. And with a background as a pastry chef, you just know the desserts will be out of this world.    The new club boasts 16,000 square feet of space to dine and dance on two floors. There are three bars, elevated seating decks, and a  performance stage just on the second floor alone. The main floor is where you will find the Shei Shei lounge ( that's 'thank you' in Chinese), a 3,200 square foot bar and resturant executed in red mahogany, under theatrical lighting with appropriate oriental decor including palms and screens with plenty of room for 200-300 serious hedonists. While the club is frequently the favored site for business events, Broadway and cinema premier parties and society functions, it is a great place for that special date or private celebration. The food is out of this world, definitely blessed with the Oriental touches from Chef Elban Ross.  There are several menus to choose from and very item is a delicacy in itself.  If the night is special, this is THE place to go for food, drink, dancing and a memorable night on New the Great White Way, York's famed night spot has moved to a hot new location inTimes Square with all the excitement and music and celebrity that Broadway is famous for, plus some of the best food in Mid-Town.