Ocean Views at Legal Harborside's First Floor!

Happy Birthday Fiona!!!  To see all the blogs participating in Fiona's virtual birthday check out Beantown Baker!

When I think of Fiona's blog A Boston Food Diary I think of amazing restaurant reviews, because she describes the food so vividly without using one photo.  I feel like I know what the food looks and tastes like without any help other than Fiona's amazing descriptions.  Without further ado, here is my attempt at honoring Fiona for her birthday, but I won't even attempt to do it without photos because I just am not that good ;)

When Liberty Wharf opened over a year ago, I wondered how it would fare.  Even with high-caliber restaurants that were the talk of the town, the Seaport can still be a bit of a wildcard.  I should have figured with Legal Seafoods anchoring the location it would do pretty well.  With a mixture of fine dining, a tribute to Legal's origins, and a roof deck with a retractable roof, it was bound to be a draw.  It wasn't until only this spring, however, that I ventured over to the first floor of Legal's, the space that has menu items that throw back to the restaurant's quaint beginnings in Cambridge's Inman Square.  What struck me as I walked in was how big the space was with its cavernous open ceilings!  Then, of course, my eye was immediately drawn to the amazing views of Boston Harbor.

Beer and stamped paper placemats

Upon seating and reviewing the menu I immediately went for a smooth and easy beer while waiting for the famously delicious Legal's rolls that are consistently warm and soft and just amazing.

Legal's Rolls

When we were there, Legal's was running a special featuring a "Taste of Azores," which featured food originating from that specific area of Portugal.  When talking to our server, she could not say enough about the Pasteis de Bacalhau (aka, salt cod fritters).  A perfect golden crust on the outside contained a fluffy and well seasoned inside.  This took your typical hush puppies to an entirely new level.  The dipping sauce only served to enrich each bite.

Fancy Salt Cod Fritters

For a main dish, I went with the Steamer appetizer, served in a bowl of thyme, garlic and white wine.  Steamers are one of my favorite seafood dishes - they just offer so much flavor, and these did not disappoint.   The garlic white wine sauce added a lovely accent of flavor without overpowering the steamers themselves.

Steamers!

Nick went with something off Legal's Wood-Fire Grill: shrimp with a side of buckwheat soba noodles and sweet and sour Japanese eggplant.  These soba noodles left an impression - Nick still talks about them, they were that good!  The sauce and the texture were just perfection.  The shrimp, like everything off of Legal's wood-grill, had a smoky flavor that is tough to get at home.

Wood-Fire Grill

Finally it was time for dessert, and although we were full, having seen the Boston Creme Pie go out to some other tables it was just too hard to resist.  This deconstructed version of the traditional pie was fantastic.  There was enough chocolate to please even the toughest chocolate critics (like me!).  Overall, the ratio of all three parts was perfection - nothing was lacking in the least bit!  I highly recommend this dessert as its a great take on the traditional.

Legal's deconstructed Boston Creme Pie

With a menu to back up the views, Legal Harborside's first floor is a great destination for any occasion.

Have you been to the new Legal's?  What floor is your favorite?