Locke-Ober
Boston
You travel back in time when you walk into Locke-Ober. This venerable
Boston landmark has maintained a reputation for elegant continental
cuisine and old world service since its launch in 1875. Little has
changed. You can sit in the same room your grandfather's grandfather
sat in, and order the same meal.
Upstairs, there are two large dining areas and a warren of tiny
private dining rooms, but the cigar aficionado should request a seat
in the first-floor Men's Café, with its white linen
tablecloths, burgundy leather chairs, waiters in black tuxedos and an
intricately carved mahogany bar. The weights and counterweights hung
over the bar lift up the burnished sterling silver domes that cover a
series of steam dishes. Legend has it the buxom nude in the painting
on the wall was named Yvonne; she is draped in black when Harvard
loses to Yale.
Locke-Ober's steak tartar is legendary as well--a spectacularly
delicious mound of minced raw sirloin, chopped onions, capers and
anchovies, bound together with an egg yolk, fresh lemon juice and a
splash of Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces. The Jonah crab cakes are
moist, meaty and redolent of curry, in a pool of white wine cream
sauce. Clams and oysters can be prepared eight ways; nine if you count
clam chowder.
The baked lobster Savannah is as beautiful as it is
delectable. Lobster meat is sautéed with diced red and green
bell peppers and mushrooms, combined with a sherry-cheese sauce and
presented en casserole with a mashed potato piping. Sweetbreads
fricassée, in a rich beurre blanc, are served with half a
lobster tail and three intensely woody, reconstituted morels. The rack
of lamb persillade is so tender, one almost doesn't need a
knife. Brushed with a minted tarragon glaze, the lamb is excellent
with whipped potatoes and a tangy onion comfit.
As conservator of Locke-Ober's culinary legacy, executive chef Prahbas
"Jam" Navaraj dares not tinker with the high calorie-high cholesterol
mainstays of the menu, but the kitchen does offer a half-dozen "low
fat" selections for guests who prefer lighter fare. Lighter does not
mean less flavorful. The blackened swordfish is piquant and peppery in
a tomato-garlic-olive Provençal sauce. A special of Thai
coconut barbecued chicken, with grilled vegetable salad and fried
rice, reflects Navaraj's Thai roots.
There is no better place to enjoy familiar New England desserts like
homemade Indian pudding and Boston cream pie. Where else can you still
eat baked Alaska? A thick slice of sponge cake is topped with
chocolate, vanilla and coffee ice creams, slathered in a blanket of
meringue, briefly baked, then doused with brandy and
flambéed. The fiery spectacle stops conversation.
Locke-Ober's wine list covers 18 pages and is especially deep in
French selections. If you're willing to spend the money, you can
sample some renowned vintages, like a 1949 Château Gruard-Larose
(St.-Julien), a 1959 Château Latour (Pauillac), a 1959
Château Margaux, a 1961 Château Haut-Brion (Graves), or
a 1978 Château Pétrus (Pomerol). There is an extensive
after-dinner drink menu of Brandies, Ports and single-malt Scotches.
Smoking is permitted in all seven private upstairs dining rooms and
throughout the Men's Café. At one end of the café bar, a
glass humidor houses a dozen cigar selections from five manufacturers
(Davidoff, Macanudo, Nat Sherman, Oscar and Partagas). A printed
cigar menu is updated regularly. The restaurant hosts as many as 10
cigar dinners a year. Next to the humidor stands an old Art Deco brass
gas candle that used to remain lit so patrons could fire up an
after-dinner smoke. It is a testament to the Locke-Ober tradition that
fine food and wine deserve a fine cigar.
-- Mat Schaffer
Mat Schaffer is the restaurant reviewer for Boston Magazine.
Locke-Ober
3-4 Winter Place
Phone: (617) 542-1340
Dinner: about $40 to $50 per person, without beverages
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