Shuckin' Awesome! - Neptune Oyster, Boston MA

At the table: Steve, Carrie, Sue, Shara (me)

I'm in the uniquely wonderful city of Boston MA this week for a social media conference with 3 of my U.S. colleagues. I'm feeling a bit unfaithful sharing this experience because #1 I'm not with the rest of the "girls who love food", and #2 I'm nowhere near the Greater Toronto Area.

BUT....should you ever find yourself in Boston and in the mood for some oyster shuckin' and the best lobster that I've ever had, this one is for you....

Looking for the authentic - the unique prize of Boston - we sought the advice of the hotel concierge at Seaport. We knew we wanted seafood, no question. But where do we get the best of Boston?

Seaport Concierge Recommendation: Neptune Oyster. They take no reservations, but we were adamantly encouraged to go here and thus compelled!

On the jerky cab ride back to our hotel, we looked up reviews on urbanspoon.com (a la iphone). In less than 10 minutes we were convinced that we were in for a treat and a long wait, but well worth it apparently if you ordered the "lobster roll with hot butter" - let the drooling begin!

We met at the restaurant at 7pm, and were at first shocked at the size of the restaurant itself - if you were even 4th in line, you would be standing outside. The place was tiny!!! There's a bar (packed) and seating for maybe 20 people at a time in very close quarters. We had about an hour to wait, so the maitre'd took one of our cell phone numbers and we were free to wander around Boston's historic north end for an hour instead of having to stand in a doorway for our name to be called. Nice.

So we headed down Salem St. lined with treasures - boutique restaurants, italian bakeries, seafood nooks and spirit crannies! We killed our time at Bacco Ristorante & Bar with drinks and $5 appies! The best appies to ever cost $5:

Prosciutto di parma with warm grilled pears and gorgonzola balsamic vinegar
Reg. $9.95 (ours for $5!)

Crispy calamari with spicy three peppers
Reg. $9.95 (ours for $5!)

I liked the open atmosphere patio vibe with big open windows where we were serenaded by an accordian and violin duo. Tip worthy and talented!! A nice touch.

Then it came - the much anticipated phone call...our table was ready at Neptune Oyster. I wonder if the others felt as giddy as I did! We walked in like Neptune Oyster elite, were promptly seated and greeted by our server.

Drinks - I had a local brew on draft - Harpoon I.P.A. India Pale Ale - their tag "Love Beer, Love Life!" How can you go wrong?! You can't. Loved it.

Then came the oysters. You can order these in a variety of "finishes" to suit your pallet. I'm new at this. I've tried it only once before at a wine & cheese show and I didn't like it. But with oysters being the signature of this restaurant, and my dining companions all being fans (and foodies!), I was willing to try again....

This is worth sharing some detail:

Wellfleet Oysters

Origin: Wellfleet, MA

med-lg, very high salt, sweet butter finish, $2.60/ea

Island Creek Oysters

Origin: Duxbury, MA

med-lg, high salt, juicy, fruity finish, $2.50/ea

Onset Oysters

Origin: Onset, MA

med-lg, high salt, juicy, cream finish, $2.40/ea

Taylor Bay Oysters

Origin: Nasketucket, MA

med, high salt, plump, seaweed finish, $2.50/ea

It was "shuckin' awesome"! I can't wait to try oysters again. My favourite was the Onset, but I really enjoyed all. Lesson: if you've tried something and hated it, try it again (and again, and again).

And then came the piece de resistance. We saw it served to the guys sitting next to us first. They were from Florida, had been to Neptune Oyster before and wouldn't order anything else (except the "chowda" as a starter). Within minutes, they inhaled everything on their plates. You can imagine the excitement building inside me. Can something really be that good?? No sooner had I finished the thought when there it was, right in front of me ....The Lobster Roll.

The menu doesn't tell you much about this item - "toasted roll, available hot with butter or cold with mayo". The real description should be: A heaping pile of perfect, tender lobster on a toasted eggbread-like roll, hot and covered in yummy butter that will make you close your eyes while you savour and lock in the memory as it melts into your taste buds and you let out an audible "mmmmm"!

And the salad (you can order with fries too) was nothing to scoff at - fresh Boston bib lettuce sprinkled with pecans and dressed in a perfect vinaigarette - I don't think I've ever called lettuce "silky" until now. $25 and worth every cent.

Neptune Oyster - one of Boston's culinary jewels to be found no place else, tucked away on Salem Street. Worth the wait - an hour isn't hard to kill in this historic north end of Boston.

Have you had out-of-this-world seafood in the Greater Toronto Area? Tell us where to go!