#LTeastcoast,  boston,  foodie break

foodie break: union oyster house

September 23, 2014 / 20 Comments

the-romantic-the-winoJust when you thought you’ve read all there is to know about our summer getaway to Boston, we saved the best for last. It’s as if the itinerary planning gods knew that on our last night of #LTeastcoast, we needed something so incredibly… East Coast.

The Union Oyster House is America’s oldest restaurant. You read that correctly. The restaurant has been a Boston institution since the pre-Revolutionary days. It evolved over time, and began serving up its signature seafood-focused menu in 1826. Union Oyster House has been continually operating ever since. Over time, they’ve even welcomed more famous people than you can comfortably cram into one picture (they tried). Most notably, of course, is Boston’s own John F. Kennedy. They even marked his preferred booth with a commemorative plaque.

Screen Shot 2014-09-22 at 6.56.46 PM

And listen, while that’s all well and good, here’s where the really important fact comes in. Are you ready?

The very first toothpick to be used in the United States was used at the Union Oyster House. YEP. Thanks to a dude from Maine, Charles Foster, these restaurant necessities were first imported to the US from South America. To guarantee they would take off, Mr. Foster hired a handful of boistrous Harvard boys. Each time they dined at the Union Oyster House, they requested a post-meal pick.

Screen Shot 2014-09-22 at 6.09.50 PMPhoto courtesy of Union Oyster House

Clearly, when a city boasts such a storied historical landmark, no trip to Boston would be complete without a visit. For our final night in Beantown, rather than sob into our bowls of chowdaaa, we enjoyed a meal spent in one of these booths. Pre-trip, we counted down the days until we could order up a lobster. We couldn’t wait soak in all the New England goodness we could possibly manage. And how, exactly, did we manage, you ask?

Deliciously, mais oui!

We started with the oysters (because, chello) and clam chowder for everyone. We decided this was the very best of the trip. That’s a big honor when you’re in official chowder territory, you know. From there, we moved onto what can best be described as a crapton of seafood. There was a sautéed seafood medley over linguine for the romantic, and pan seared shrimp & scallops over rice for the hubs. The wino opted for lobster scampi because she’s decadent like that. Her other half, a traditionalist, ordered Ye Olde Seafood Platter. Actually, we should have asked more questions about that one, because did they have deep fryers in ye olden times?

UOH chowder and lobsterPhotos courtesy of Union Oyster House

We wrapped up our meal with one order of Hot Indian Pudding and another of the Warm Apple Crisp. All of it, naturally, paired with wine for the ladies and pints for the misters. True Camelot style, what can we say. By the end of the meal, we each sat back in our booth, buttons popping. We considered never, ever moving again.

Fortunately, they had us on our feet again, and it really was for the best. It turned out, exploring the restaurant in its entirety was the perfect way to work off just a few of the calories. Following the general manager, we climbed secret staircases and peered into a few of their private dining rooms. We wound around corridors and ended up in huge rooms you would never have guessed were hidden inside if you just strolled on past the Union Oyster House. It turns out, they can accommodate groups as small as 20 or as large as 250! On a Saturday night in June, a constant rotation of locals and tourists churned through the front doors.

Screen Shot 2014-09-22 at 7.04.02 PMPhotos courtesy of Union Oyster House

In case you have the very irrational fear that there’s not enough seafood in Boston to feed all these human lobster traps, there is. That’s because, as we learned, it’s not improbable that they can offer you a 10-pound behemoth to cure your craving. Obviously, we requested to hold him, as well as steal him and set him free.

“Sure, but we’ll just catch him again. No lobster who crawls into that bay makes it out alive.”

lobsta

After we said goodbye to our doomed friend, we thanked the staff for their extremely warm and friendly service. We grabbed a few toothpicks, and made our way back to our hotel, where we were fully prepared to fall into a major seafood coma.

xo!

the romantic & the wino

– As guests of the Union Oyster House, we were treated to our meal in exchange for our review. All opinions are our own, as they always are, but all historical facts are pulled from their official website. It would be a really weird trick for us to make up the fact that toothpicks were first used in America at this restaurant.

The Lazy Travelers are two transatlantic best friends who have mastered the art of exploring a new city. Though Ashley is based in London and Carolyn is in Philadelphia, we'll use any excuse to reunite around the world. We’re professional bar hoppers, pub crawlers, and food testers, and you’ll never see us zipping around, checking things off a list of “must-sees.”

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