Legal Sea Foods

I have eaten at several Legal Sea Foods locations in and around Boston – Copley Place, The Prudential Center, Kendall Square, Legal Test Kitchen, Braintree, Long Warf, Chestnut Hill- and they all get my high praises when it comes to serving guests with food allergies. They offer a gluten free menu, their staff is well trained, they have a separate fryer kept gluten free, and all gluten free dishes are brought out by the manager, never nearing the other entrees and potential gluten.

All locations offer Gillian’s Foods rolls. I love these buns! They have a nice texture with a slight crunch on the outside and nice and soft on the inside, and topped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and I think a little garlic and onion too. 

Four years ago was the first time I was able to order calamari in a restaurant. Legal makes theirs with a chick pea flour, which has since been changed to a brown rice flour and cornmeal mixture. You can also order the Shrimp, Scallops and Haddock – on the Wood Grilled Menu – Crispy Fried instead of grilled. This is next on my list to try! 

One of my favorite dishes is the Shrimp and Garlic with sautéed tomatoes, scallions and mushrooms served with your choice of jasmine or brown rice. I always ask for light on the garlic and it is perfect!

Cousins dinner at Copley

Another dish I have tried is the Wood Grilled Assortment, which comes with the Chef’s selection of three fish, shrimp and scallops and the choice of two sides. This is a great way to sample a little bit of [almost] everything. 

This past winter I tried the Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew (on the lunch menu), served with cornmeal crusted scrod stewed with mussels, clams, and chorizo sausage in a saffron tomato broth. For those ordering on the regular menu it also comes with toasted bread. So make sure to save one – or two! – of the gluten free dinner rolls to dip in the sauce. The Stew is loaded with fish and had great flavors, this is my new favorite dish for the wintertime!

Fisherman's Stew

A few weeks ago my co-worker and I had lunch at the Kendall Square location to celebrate our birthdays. This time I tried the house salad topped with grilled calamari. You can add chicken, crabmeat, shrimp, salmon or lobster salad to any salad. They do not list grilled calamari on the menu anymore, but you can still get it. Some of the pieces were a bit chewy, I think it could have been grilled a little longer, but overall I enjoyed it. Every time I eat there with Liz she orders this and I had been dying to try it.

The seafood here is so fresh, and I highly recommend ordering oysters or something else off the raw bar menu. They offer a great gluten free menu and can accommodate for other food allergies and dietary restrictions - Garlic, Dairy, and Kosher for example.

Wellfleet Oysters

The gluten free dessert menu is limited with only three options, Belgian Chocolate Mousse Parfait, Sorbet and Seasonal Fruit. I haven’t tried the Mousse, I am usually way too full by the end of my meal, but it sure does sound good!

Locations: 18 locations in Massachusetts
website: http://www.legalseafoods.com/