By: Jessica Cickay
We all learned in fourth grade science class that heat rises, and as I ascended up the swirling staircase at
Legal Harborside, it was obvious that this – the freshest location of the Legal Seafood empire on Boston’s waterfront – was definitely an establishment that knew how to bring the heat. To host the "Bivalves and Bubbles” event, which featured a grand array of oysters, champagne and atmosphere, Legal Harborside had patrons bypass its lovely yet approachable ground-floor restaurant and its upscale yet not up-its-own-you-know-what fine dining digs on the second, to head straight to the roof deck for some stylish sips, slurps and city sightseeing.
The Seaport District in Boston is an up-and-coming neighborhood, and the addition of Legal Harborside to the strip is a clear way for the area to move on up and come on in to the hearts of Bostonians looking for a new dining destination, day or night, summer or winter. The third floor deck is the cherry on top of the 20,000 square foot space, with its open-air seaside views, sleek stone bar and copper-clad fireplace, all of which are bookended by wood-decked patios and encapsulated by a retractable glass awning for when the snow starts to fall.
For the Bivalves and Bubbles event, the sun was shining as oysters were shucked and champagne was sipped. Eight different stations showcased oysters from different areas of the Northeast, including Wellfleet Harbor, Cotuit and Prince Edward Island. By no means am I an oyster aficionado, so with each tilt of my head and slurp of the salty sea creature, I was pleasantly pleased with what my mouth experienced – pure freshness. Coupled with champagne typically too costly for my means, such as the Gosset Brut "Excellence" and Laurent Perrier Brut, I fancied myself an A-lister for a brief moment of fantasy.
As a special addition to the already special event, Robert John Burck – or in laymen’s terms The Naked Cowboy of New York City street fame – strummed on his guitar and serenaded the crowd, all in an effort to support his self-dubbed brand of oysters (Naked Cowboy Oysters from Long Island Sound) and all while wearing merely underwear and boots. What a guy.
Legal Harborside also took some artistic leeway to ramp up the purity of the oyster by passing out some signature hors devours that put a fresh spin on the already fresh ingredient. My favorite of the day, by far, was a Wellfleet oyster swimming in a shot glass full of sweet, perfumey cucumber juice, garnished with floating specks of the finely diced vegetable.
Trays of Oysters Legal also made their way around the rooftop, with the spinach, cheese and onion baked bivalves causing diners to swoon. The richness of the cheese, the bite of the onion and the earthiness of the spinach paired so well with the briny oyster base.
Another winner was Legal Harborside’s spin on sushi– cone-shaped California rolls encasing succulent fried oysters, crisp cucumbers and carrots, and creamy avocado. I managed to nab an entire rack of the rolls all for myself, and for that winning effort, I “cheers’d” myself with my champagne.
There are only so many oysters a girl can eat in one sitting, but Legal Harborside’s sleek atmosphere, fresh food and hot location certainly gives me a reason to keep coming back for more. The Bivalves and Bubbles event seemed simply a slurp and a sip of all the great things that this pearl of a Seaport District space has to offer.
Legal Harborside
270 Northern Ave
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 477-2900
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