FOODIE FLASHBACK: UNION OYSTER HOUSE

One of my good friends here in L.A. is also an "East Coast" transplant like me. She's from Connecticut (from the other side of the Long Island Sound), and went to school in Boston. The two of us have a blast exchanging stories of our experiences growing-up back East. There can be a great rapport between people who've grown up in the corridor between D.C. and Boston, and - if you're like me - you'd consider it one of the best places in the world to grow up.

I traveled to Boston several times during and after my college days. I was usually in town for some kind of school-related event (conferences at BU and Harvard), so I was usually limited in my time to check out the city and enjoy it. But I did have my share of getting to know Beantown. It's definitely not super huge, but for me - that was part of the overall charm. Being a self professed city guy (I grew up in the suburbs, but was literally 5 minutes outside D.C.), I tend to indulge in all things "city-ish." Boston, no doubt, has enough for a person like me to indulge in. I've run the gamut of Boston staples: shopping and dining at The Prudential Center, hanging out at Fanueil Hall (beer!), checking out Fenway, riding around town on the T (gotta love cities with awesome subway stations: D.C., NYC, Beantown, Philly, Chi Town, San Fran...), going to Cambridge/visiting Harvard, taking a stroll in Boston Commons, and shopping along Newbury Street. It doesn't have the overwhelmingness that tends to loom over say NYC (which I'm all about), but it has just enough energy and life. The Boston accent puts Jersey accents to shame (sorry to my Jersey peeps), and the city gives off a sense of toughness and pride. Not so much a sense of "power," as NYC or D.C. gives off, but we don't need all cities having that air about them. Boston is a great place to be.

So back to my friend, she and her boyfriend visited Boston earlier this year, and beforehand the two of us were sort of talking about the things they were going to do while there. This was her BF's first time there, so it would definitely have to include some of the staples that I mentioned before. I even suggested a Duck Tour as a joke, and we got a good laugh out of that one (Duck Tours, if you haven't already done one, are these land and water tours that go through cities.). When I mentioned the Union Oyster House, my friend's eyes lit up, and she asked me if I'd been. I looked at her like she was crazy. How do you go to Boston and not go there? She had been before, so we both laughed about it, and she added it to their "to do" list.

The last time I'd gone was about 5 years ago, and we went after some drinks and laughs all over the city. The restaurant itself is a designated national historic landmark, and is a spot along the Freedom Trail. Established in 1826, it is noted to be America's oldest. It's famed oyster bar has been an integral part of the restaurant since that year, and it's been said that Daniel Webster spent time there daily having no more than six plates of oysters with his tall tumbler of brandy and water.

The menu covers all things seafood, and it's prized catch is - of course - their oysters. But oysters aren't the only draw. The restaurant is also known for its mussels and clams, among other things. On the menu at UOH you'll find everything from Clams Casino, Oysters Rockefeller, Cape Cod Littlenecks and Cherrystones, New England Lobsters, and New England Clam Chowder (sorry, Manhattan, but I'm a NECC fan). For the not-so-seafood-savvy, there are a few dishes made from land animals, but they're too boring to even list. The UOH is a place for seafood, afterall.

If my memory serves me right, I ordered the Broiled Seafood Platter. I was at the height of my weight-loss quest back then (damn you, freshman 15!), and I was not going to let fried food get the better of me (esp. since I was drinking like a wreck back then). The platter came filled with a swordfish steak, salmon fillet, scallops, scrod, grilled shrimp, and potatoes (I think; but I gave my potatoes to one of my friends - ahaha). It was a feast for the senses, and a party in my mouth. Beer and vodka tonics washed everything down. My friends indulged in lobster, fried platters, and tons of oysters. And, if I can remember correctly, the restaurant served crab legs that night, and our table was crackin' them left and right. Afterwards, I definitely needed five lemons to squeeze on my hands to get rid of the seafood smell, and I would've rather wheeled myself out on a chair than have to stumble back towards the car. At any rate, the place was definitely worth it. As Chesapeake Bay seafooders, we definitely were happy with what our New England neighbors had to offer. We were bonded, for life.

If you're ever in Beantown, then you can't miss out on this place.
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Union Oyster House, 41 Union Street, Boston, MA 02108, 617-227-2750