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Maine itself has much better choices for seafood than the city of Boston. Even the North Shore suburbs in Mass. have better selection. The smaller coastal communities with the clam shacks and little fishing harbors are the best (Gloucester/Essex/Ipwsich, MA, Portsmouth, NH, York/Ogunquit/Kennebunkport/Rockland/Boothbay Harbor, ME) and several more.
I agree to an extent. Frankly, I don't think Maine or NH, the suburbs, the Cape, etc. actually have better seafood than Boston. There's really no difference from having Cod for dinner in Gloucester that came off the boat at the end of the dock that morning or having Cod for dinner in Boston that came of the same boat in Gloucester that morning and was trucked in to town. The best and freshest sushi I've had was in Boston (O Ya). It just set me WAYYYY back. Best swordfish too (Terramia). I've had plenty of top notch seafood dinners in Boston.
Where I think the smaller places outside of the city have the advantage is price and accessibility for the consumers. There's no getting around it... eating in Boston is more expensive. Good seafood will put a dent in your wallet in Boston. What's more is that Boston really lacks good, affordable, seafood specific restaurants like those little harbors do with their clam shacks and low-key places. You get local specialties in these towns too. For example, New Bedford brings in a TON of scallops. Almost every restaurant, even the mediocre ones, have EXCELLENT scallops. If they don't, they deserve to be shut down immediately. I went to a place (not a sushi place) in Stonington, ME that had a few sea urchin dishes on the menu. Wellfleet on the cape has great local oysters. Point Judith has calamari to die for.
What Boston does have is awesome seafood as a staple in its other restaurants. What I mean is that the best sushi places will take advantage of the fresh, local catch. The best Italian or French places will have fresh of the boat local swordfish or tuna. The best tapas place has 3 different Scallop dishes, etc.
While Boston may not have as many great seafood-only restaurants as you find in the smaller communities along the NE coast, I still think you'll find better seafood (at the very least, as good) overall in Boston than you will outside of the city. They're may be an outlier in one of those little towns that would be a great restaurant in Boston if it were located there (Primo, in Rockland Maine comes immediately to mind); but to me, Boston has better seafood overall. I think Boston restaurants take all of the specialties of those little harbors and combine them into a great food scene for seafood lovers.
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Originally Posted by Dub King
OK I get it, they became a chain and now they are not at the top of their game anymore. Still, the reviews are pretty good, for the original as well as the branch locations.
Maybe it's my age, but I don't ever remember Legal Seafoods being "good." They can cook up a passable fish and chips, the chowder (again, they buy it from another company) is good, but nothing they do is at or anywhere near the top of the game in Boston. I certainly wouldn't use Legal Seafoods as an argument as to why Boston has good seafood. Sure, you can get better seafood there than in most places in Kansas City, MO... but there are a gazillion places that are better in Boston and New England in general. If you go to Boston and want to try good local seafood, you're missing the boat if you pick Legal Seafoods.
I think all the big ones have been covered (pretty much read the last post and add some more New England cities). I think Miami has a lot of potential that it doesn't utilize.
Just curious, what is LA known for when it comes to seafood?
Everytime I think of seafood in California I think of the Bay Area first & foremost.
Good point. I've eaten in a scenic oceanside spot or two in L.A. (Malibu) or Marina Del Ray, but no featured entree stood out as tops. The Bay area, however doesn't quite produce the value for the high check you pay there. There is nothing like a fresh bowl of Seafood Chowder and a Napa wine dockside in Sausalito.
My favorite seafood cities are Seattle and Vancouver.
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