A historical splurge worthy seafood institution that has long capitalized on Boston's prime waterfront views is
Anthony's Pier 4. The original owner, Anthony Athanas, immigrated to the United States from Albania with his parents in 1916 at the age five. Dedicated and hardworking, Athanas rose the ranks to eventually personify the American Dream, opening a number of successful restaurants before his flagship Boston establishment came to fruition in 1963.
Immediate success and praise was followed by years of hosting the likes of US Presidents, Government heads, athletes, entertainers and more; as displayed proudly by a collage of photographs covering the walls in the large entrance way. Athanas passed away in 2005 and today the restaurant is owned and operated by his four sons.
Considering the fact that the South Boston Waterfront is now home to a number of modern steakhouses, seafood restaurants and others, including big name franchises or local expansions, I think it is important to embrace the history associated with Anthony's and the success it has seen in this area for decades. For all the more recent additions to
Fan Pier and
Liberty Wharf that have been met with tremendous praise, Anthony's deserves an equal dose of my affections.
The decor embodies a time in history where Rum Rooms existed, their very own displaying weathered furniture and dusty floors. The expansive dining room is filled with Captain's chairs crafted of sturdy wood and leather and an expanse of thick patterned carpet still remains underfoot.
An open air lobster tank greets you upon arrival and the bar is crafted to form the likes of old schooner. Anthony's certainly has a distinguished look and feel whether it translates as older generation elegance or nautical kitsch. I think that it is a welcome combination of both.
And lets not forget the panoramic harbor front views. No matter the buildings atmosphere, the views remain timeless.
Adam and I started off with a round of draft beers, poured in appropriately labeled pint glasses (I love when restaurants pay attention to these small details) a
Harpoon IPA ($4.95) for him and a
Sam Summer ($4.95) for her.
A basket of fresh
Popovers and slabs of soft butter were delivered right after we placed our orders. Breaking into the hollow muffin shaped roll, the swelled batter in addition to releasing piping hot steam, was light, eggy and moist on the inside and delicately crunchy on the outside. Popovers are certainly a highlight of the experience here.
We continued our lunch with
1/2 dozen Oysters ($14.95). Last Friday just so happened to be National Oyster Day so was it fitting to enjoy a freshly shucked batch of bivalves. However, I would have been slurping these down regardless of the declared "food holiday".
Our platter consisted of three
Norwalk Bluepoint Oysters from Long Island Sound, Connecticut and three
Penn Cove Oysters from Samish Bay, Puget Sound, Washington.
Adam preferred the Penn Cove which were firmer with a bright brininess and cucumber finish. I liked the Norwalk Bluepoint best, they had a moderate saltiness with a sweet gentle finish.
If last Friday wasn't the epitome of the perfect summer lunch, I don't know what is.
Behold the beauty that is my bucket of
Ipswich Fried Clams ($19.95). Once I saw this special listed on the chalk board just outside the dining room entrance, I was pretty much sold.
Batter dipped and deep fried, this iconic New England delicacy is prepared with whole soft shell clams, the bellies left intact to impart a richer flavor. Anthony's served an impeccable, large proportioned batch alongside thick creamy and tangy tartar sauce, lightly dressed coleslaw and your standard cut french fries.
Unfortunately, the fries were lackluster. Adam said they were great as he chowed down on the portion that came with his
Lobster Roll ($19.95), but I felt they were too soft, lots of potato and not enough fry. By the way, he loved his lobster roll. I commented that it looked heavy on the mayo but he was quick to correct that this was not the case. Those were some extremely large chunks of fresh claw meat. (And the camera lens became foggy as I reached across to get that shot - from the steam rising off my clams!)
Service was smooth and well paced. Our waiter, dressed head to toe in a pressed sailors uniform was friendly and efficient. All the details were attended to without us having to ask. Waters were refilled and plates were cleared promptly. Tabasco and horseradish were delivered with the oysters and ketchup with the meals upon arrival.
Lunch today was
mostly comped, the lovely Amelia Mango of the company responsible for Anthony's
website development hooked me up with a $50 gift card awhile back. I was under no obligation to review the restaurant, however I can't say I would have been persuaded to visit otherwise! (Simply wasn't on my radar.) Adam and I were so glad we did though, especially with the recent announcement of its impending closure.*
We enjoyed a leisurely harbor front stroll from the North End and back, stopping afterwards for a visit to the neighboring
Institute of Contemporary Art where the free Friday admission (one time only on that day) persuaded us in.
But not before a goofy photo shoot with the parking lot locomotive...
Yes, all four of these were necessary.
*I read yesterday on
Boston Restaurant Talk that Anthony's is closing its doors because the space it occupies is slated for replacement by a one acre public park. There is potential of it re-opening in a nearby location on the property. Construction for the park won't begin until Spring 2012 so it looks like you still have time to visit this Boston landmark before it no longer remains in its original form! For additional details about the construction scheduled to transform the Seaport District's Pier 4 check out this
Boston Globe article.*
Ever the brunch enthusiast, Renee began lining up exclusive events, beginning with an intimate gathering at KO Catering & Pies, followed by a grand scale buffet at Cafe Fleuri. The buzz about this community took off, and one year later the success is measured by all the fantastic new and re-discovered brunching options in Boston; among them countless eggs benedict and french toast, mimosas and bloody marys, blog posts and tweets. Brunching with this crew is always a wonderful way to begin a weekend morning, this was especially true for last Sunday's Birthday Bash held at Island Creek Oyster Bar. 
Located at The Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square, the welcoming modern meets beachy ambiance is clean and bright. White and gray tones define the Oyster-centric space; the back wall is constructed entirely of their shells encased in mesh wire, met by a photographic mural of farming cages and equipment. On the opposite side, driftwood-esque weathered boards act as shutters. 
Attendees scoring tickets were treated to coffee, cocktails, breakfast pastries and a main course,
in addition to receiving awesome SWAG bags containing numerous goodies from our twenty some odd sponsors. 
I started with an effervescent libation titled McCarthy's Crossing an eye opening mix of Clear Creek Pear Brandy, spiced honey, Rose Vermouth, fresh lemon and bubbles. 
Others enjoyed Spicy Bloody Marys with house made "clamato." Tables shared baskets of Freshly Baked Pastry which included a blueberry muffin, doughnut muffin, cinnamon roll, butter croissant, raspberry coffee cake and a citrus scone. 
Sharing with my dining companions, I attempted to sample a bite of each. The raspberry coffee cake and the cinnamon roll were particularly memorable! 
For my main course I chose Ethel's Lobster Roll, named after the owners Grandmother. 
The inherently fresh ocean delicacy was generously (a tad to much for my liking) dressed in a mixture of mayo and creme fraiche laced with crunchy celery and red onion, all of it piled high onto a soft rosemary roll. 
Despite the bulkiness of the roll, the lobster meat was hard to contain. I made a mess of myself in the process, and after a loosing battle, succumbed to eating my lobster with a fork. This was some deliciously prepared lobster, but the roll as a whole wasn't my favorite. 
The delicate slivers of kettle chips were nicely seasoned and crispy, the accompanying cole slaw was zesty with a light crunch. 
I normally learn towards the breakfast side of brunch, wanting to start my day with an egg centered dish, but the lobster lover in me could not pass this up! 
Plus, this is a restaurant know for their way with seafood. (Of course, oysters in particular, which I must return for!)
Just a few of the 40 attendees, pictured below, photo compliments of Megan. L to R, top row: Elina of Healthy & Sane, Bianca of Confessions of a Chocoholic, Melissa of The Foodies at Work, Michelle of Fun and Fearless in Beantown, Elizabeth of Free Food Boston; bottom row: me, Meghan of Travel Wine Dine and Megan of Delicious Dishings. 
Cheers my fellow brunchers, to a year of memorable morning meals and to delicious discoveries in the one ahead!
