Wednesday night we took the “party van” down to Boston from Nashua and (once we got there — the Big Dig is like all the worst of twisty-turn old urban highways, but with no visual reference points to help you) ate at the Chart House restaurant, which (in this instance of the chain) sits on the end of Long Wharf on the waterfront.
| Overall |  | ||
| Food | | Service | |
| Ambience |  | Prices | |
Food: The Chart House specializes in sea food, of which there were many wonderful selections, many of them with a sort of Asian fusion tinge to them. Folks seemed to enjoy the sea food — which I eschewed, since it’s not my cuppa. That said, my slab o’ roast beef was quite tasty, and the special lava cake dessert was to die for. The presentation was competent and professional but nothing to wow the Iron Chef judges (which doesn’t bother me at all).
The wine list was reasonably broad but not luxuriously so. The 2004 Estancia Meritage we’d had the night before in Nashua was on the list, at 25% more. That said, the wines were not too outrageously marked up. Coffee (with dessert) was good.
Service: Service for a party of 20 or so was attentive and quick. We were asked too many times if we wanted a plate of hot appetizers (which, when someone finally gave in, thus justifying the excessive requests, were in fact pretty good).
Ambience: Located in John Hancock’s old counting house (the wall safe is still there on the second floor), in the second-oldest building in Boston (or so we were told), there’s a scosh of age and authenticity, but a fair amount of bustle and touristy feel to the restaurant, too. Plenty of open beams and the like in the three-story dining room. The place looks more “colonial” from the outside than the inside, but it was a generally pleasant experience.
Prices: Mercifully, I didn’t have to pay, but I don’t recall gasping at the prices on the menu. Expect to pay “good restaurant” prices (and receive suitable value in return).
Overall: It was not my most memorable dining experience, and the food was not significantly better than the dinner at the Speaker’s Corner up in Nashua. I would not go out of my way to return. That said, it was all quite nice and if I found myself there again, I would not raise loud objections by any means. Even if they specialize in sea food.