Food & Wine: Articles

Food & Restaurant Reviews, opinions, obsequious and not so much stuff in and around Boston and New England

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Jasper White's Summershack

Where: Fresh Pond Pkwy, Cambridge, MA
Meal: Lunch or dinner
Food Type: Seafood - Crab
For Who: Love seafood? yes, u!

A rainy Sunday afternoon in february, who would think crab legs? I did. So I ventured - the Summershack's atmosphere is immediately inviting with steaming cauldrons and live lobsters swimming freely in tanks. Casual dress with picnic style tables or the bar. Being on my own I chose the bar, a good choice as it turned out since all of the oyster varieties packed in ice enticed me to try them all at some point and I was not disappointed.

A Grey Goose martini two olives to start off the oyster fest. First I tried the Quilcene from Washington, Hood Canal off Puget Sound to be exact. Unbelievably delicate and sweet meat. Next came those from Winter Point, ME. A bit more salty but more substantive. Excellent.

The main course....

Wait for it....


Spanish Mackerel from the Carolinas with a tomato broth, peppers, onions, and fennel. Served over rice. Mackerel and broth was excellent, cooked to perfection, tender fall apart flesh. Spanish mackerel is definitely not northeastern sea mackerel - this is thick, meaty slices with a not too fishy flavor. It is nothing like mackerel caught trawling in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and pan fried. Almost similar to Chilean Sea Bass but not as buttery in flavor.

Dessert, another Grey Goose martini, straight up two olives and....

Potter Pond oysters from RI. These were unbelievable. I have never had an oyster like it, so sweet, small, plump. Perfect. If you have never had one find one.

Lastly, Meleque oysters from PEI. These were also delicious, meaty, a bit saltier but I stand by the Potter Ponds.

Overall, the Sumershack was excellent, except I went looking for Crab and the only crab was Alaskan King for $42 a plate of snow crab claws at $2.50 each. I wanted some dungeness or ophelia, never the less, most enjoyable and certain to return. Happy eating!



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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jasper's has the whole cheap date thing going on on tuesday nights for $40 bucks. good food

Monis said...

i hear they're gettina remodel soon. anyone?