A Mini Meetup in Boston, Lobster and Sweet(s) ...

I got an e-mail from bethgrd with news that she and her friend Karilyn had decided to try out Neptune, a relatively upscale seafood place, just on the cusp of the north end in Boston on Salem Street ... on a Thursday afternoon.

Stop two was Sweet, a cupcake bar and stop three was Abbott's Custard in Needham.

I fiddled with my schedule and decided to make the 100 mile trek up the Mass Pike to join them.

I got there early and seeing how I was in the same neighborhood as the Pizza meet up, I decided to take in more of the things CeCi introduced us to that day and took on my own little walking tour ... winding up spending quite a bit of time at the cemetery reading dozens of gravestones, some going back into the 1600's ... Wow.


Neptune:




Superb Oysters ... of the three of us I was the only oyster eater, so I got to enjoy them all ... You can choose any assortment of oysters at about $2.50 each. I had the chef's choice and was not disappointed:




Neptune is known for their warm lobster roll, and for good reason. The table ordered two warm and one traditional ... Here's a warm. Looks like one of us did some sampling before the picture got taken as they were overflowing when they arrived at the table:



... they were superb and the buttery artisan roll was succulent with the lobstah buttah.


Here is a traditional, shown here without the benefit of a good focus ... (I am still a shy food photographer in that my earliest experiences got me unwanted attention from the people at the restaurant -- but that's another thread.)




... I wound up eating most of the traditional and it compared favorably to Red's Eats ... excellent texture with a slight dab of mayo.

Lobster rolls were about $25 each ... not so bad when you compare to the $19 or so I've paid recently a roadside stands.


Not pictured: the shrimp cocktail or the superb chowder.


Two Pretty Ladies and a Gorilla:




Off to our next adventure ... we caravaned through Boston, on what must be the most beautiful day of the year and headed to the new cupcake place on Mass Ave. The ride was delightful and the destination worthy.


In lieu of a thousand words:




Many temptations:



... Karilyn's eight to go were over $20.


Disappointingly, Ceci was planning to join us at Sweet, but, in the end, couldn't make it.

I then headed home and Beth and Karilyn headed to Abbot's ... I guess I'll let Beth pick up with that part of the reports.

She tells me they forgot pictures entirely there and that it was very good. It was hard scooped custard ...She (and I if I were there) had expected soft serve ... very creamy and subtle chocolate taste.

Apparently Abbott's just opened recently having originated in Rochester, NY.


Beth, Karilyn ... Thanks for the company. It was worth the trip.

Speaking of sweets in the Boston vicinity -- as well as a place which thankfully escaped notice of this site's recent New England ice cream expose if just to keep the crowds down -- has anyone but me been to[url='http://socsicecream.com/']Soc's Ice Cream[/url] located on the Lynn Fells Parkway straddling the Melrose / Saugus, Massachusetts border (67 Lynn Fells Parkway, Saugus, MA 01906, 781 / 233-0009)?





Great old fashoned and made-on-the-premises frozen fare including flavors running the gamut from Cherry Chocolate Chip to Ginger to Grapenut. Well worth the trip but please and like the nearby Kane's Doughnuts, , don't tell anyone else.

Greg, those oysters remind me of those I got in southwest Washington. They were huge. Sounds like you had a great trip.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

And I wasn't invited???

Actually it would have been difficult playing hookey from work

I'm wondering if that's the same Ice Cream place I passed on the way to Kanes Donuts??

Gregg, thanks for the report.
We were the only ones in Neptune at 3:45pm; I hear it gets very crowded at peak hours. It's not cheap, but the lobster rolls, both hot and cold were delectable. great fries , too; I scarfed mine down and most of gregg's too. I also had 3 giant shrimp cocktail of excellent quality and Karilyn had some delcious clam chowder which I tasted.
It was Karilyn's first roadfood excursion and she is a convert now!
sorry WJ, it wasn't really a roadfood trip per se, just a spur of the moment jaunt. I didn't really think gregg would come when i mentioned it to him, but glad he did. ceci was working down the street from the cupcake place so she was going to come and didn't.
beth

quote:

Originally posted by bethgrd

Gregg, thanks for the report.
We were the only ones in Neptune at 3:45pm; I hear it gets very crowded at peak hours. It's not cheap, but the lobster rolls, both hot and cold were delectable. great fries , too; I scarfed mine down and most of gregg's too. I also had 3 giant shrimp cocktail of excellent quality and Karilyn had some delcious clam chowder which I tasted.
It was Karilyn's first roadfood excursion and she is a convert now!
sorry WJ, it wasn't really a roadfood trip per se, just a spur of the moment jaunt. I didn't really think gregg would come when i mentioned it to him, but glad he did. ceci was working down the street from the cupcake place so she was going to come and didn't.
beth

Beth,

I'm only joking

I was stuck at work here in "Lil' Rhody" anyway

Which lady pictured is Beth and which is Karilyn?

karilyn is on the left and beth in the middle.
thanks for askin!

Boy do those lobster sandwiches look great...great food...great company...sounds like you had a great trip!!!!

Gregg, Beth and Karilyn,

Great pics and report!! What I wouldn't give for a lobster roll right now. Many place here in the city, but they run between $30-$40!! Criminal I tell ya! Those cupcakes are works of art. How were they? Moist? What kind of frosting do they offer?

The oysters look excellent. What were the 2 sauces?

Brad

bill: for cupcakes they had vanilla, poppyseed, chocolate, strawberry shortcake, boston cream pie; the frostings were mainly van and chocolate.
they were moist; good texture and cake crumb.
Neither the frosting nor the cake had that ultra butter taste like Magnolia cupcakes of NYC; these were a bit more traditional cupcakes and frosting, I would say. they were very pretty, but I wouldn't say I swooned over the taste. Would def go back though.
We all enjoyed the boston cream cupcake the best, I think.
beth

brad:
the sauces were cocktail sauce with a dollop of horseradish and mignonette, which is chopped shallot, prosecco and I forget what else.
suprised at the prosecco; I thought it was usually vinegar in a classic mignonette.

Nice report, and I really kinda love the small slate of places. Sounds like a great way to spend a weeknight, and nobody has to reach more than once for the Tums.

quote:

Originally posted by bethgrd

brad:
the sauces were cocktail sauce with a dollop of horseradish and mignonette, which is chopped shallot, prosecco and I forget what else.
suprised at the prosecco; I thought it was usually vinegar in a classic mignonette.

... and, I should add that there was so much liquor on the oysters and they were so well shucked, so slurpable, that it left little need for either sauce.