Today's letter is U which will showcase the Union Oyster House.
While the building is over 250 years old, the restaurant has served loyal customers like Daniel Webster since 1826 - making it the oldest restaurant in Boston.
We managed to secure a table midweek during lunch hour, although I'm sure the dreary weather helped our luck. I understand waits of an hour or more can be typical.
The food was good. But let's be honest, this meal is more about experiencing history than it is about gourmet fare. The dark paneled walls, damask curtains, and dim lighting create the perfect 19th-century environment. The rain outside the window, coupled with the slight chill in the air, added to the ambiance.
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| The entire building has charm - both inside and out. |
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| The Union Oyster House is known for its oysters-on-the-half-shell as well as its clam chowder. While we enjoyed a delicious cup of the famous soup at the restaurant, the lighting was too dim for a proper photo. This cup of chowda was pretty good too! |
My favorite bits of trivia about that building before it became the Union Oyster House:
ReplyDelete* It was the site of the printing presses for the most radical Revolutionary War era newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy
* The future king of France, Louis Philippe, lived there in 1796 while in exile during the French Revolution, and made money teaching French to girls.
GREAT information! I especially like the story of King Louis Philippe teaching French to the Bostonian girls. I am ashamed to say I never knew he came to America. One of my all-time favorite novels is Tale of Two Cities. It's interesting to note how the history of this famous landmark features in that timeline.
DeleteIt is all about the experience at the Union Oyster House. Glad you got a table.Weekends In Maine
ReplyDeleteI'm glad too. I was not willing to wait two hours for a cup of chowder :)
DeleteThe clam chowder looks yummy. I wonder that the oldest restaurant is in the U.S. Off to Google I go. :-)
ReplyDeleteThe View from the Top of the Ladder
What did you discover? :) Thanks for stopping by!
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