Sunday, November 16, 2008
Food, In this Issue..., Reviews

Above the law

Legal Sea Foods arrives in Downtown Atlanta

By Katie Kelly Bell

Legal Sea Foods has landed in Atlanta. Located near the Georgia Aquarium (yes, it does seem a bit ironic), this Boston chain brings its concept of superior service and serious seafood to Downtown’s Luckie-Marietta district. On a recent visit, the bi-level restaurant was humming with a diverse crowd. Everyone from conventioneers to locals seemed to be merrily munching away on lobster rolls, chowder, oysters and crab cakes. Legal Sea Foods has justly earned a reputation for serving some of the freshest, most pristine marine life in the United States, but the name has little to do with legal/sustainable fishing. As second-generation CEO Roger Berkowtiz tells it, “my grandfather started a store named Legal Cash Market and years later ran into competition with new grocers opening up. In order to keep up, he decided to put a fish counter in his store. Later, due to its popularity, he opened an adjacent storefront, calling it Legal Seafood.”

That said, it’s important to note that Berkowitz is zealous about setting industry precedents with regard to sustainable fishing, the seafood industry and the environment. “What differentiates us from every other fresh fish restaurant in town is that we are in the fish business,” he says. “We evolved from a market into a restaurant business. Today, we buy off the boats, and everything we purchase comes back to our temperature-controlled, state-of-the-art fish processing plant.” So, if you want to eat fish with a guilt-free conscience (read: no dolphins died in pursuit of this tuna), eat at Legal.

Of course, there are other very delicious reasons to consider dining here, and any tour of this vast two-story seafood metropolis should begin at the street level Oyster Bar. It offers a sophisticated blend of wine bar and oyster bar, with walls of windows for people-watching. Carpeted and comfortable, it’s a nice stopover before heading upstairs for dinner. There, you’ll be treated to yet another raw bar with fine views of the Downtown skyline. Walls of oversized 14-foot windows, a wood-beamed ceiling, gauzy curtains and stacked stone pillars set the tone in the dining room. It’s upscale without being pretentious. During our meal, we are served by more than four individuals; the service is really extraordinary. Industrious servers and managers (wearing cool earpieces) work the dining room. No plate is left uncleared, no water glasses remain empty and no crumbs idle on tables. It’s a five-star feeling. 

If you didn’t load up on oysters at the raw bar, be sure to order the grilled Montauk calamari with orzo salad and roasted red pepper olive vinaigrette. Fresh, light and incredibly tender, this dish makes fried calamari seem like a crime. The steamed littleneck clams with garlic and wine are also a good bet, especially knowing that they're tested before being served. “We have a lab where every shellfish is held in quarantine, while we run tests on them," Berkowitz says. "We also test every swordfish for mercury content; if it goes beyond the approved level of FDA, we toss it. If you came down and went into the plant, you’d never know we were in the restaurant business.” 

This devotion to purity shows up on the plate. The red onion jam swordfish with rice cherry mushrooms and spinach is a gorgeous cut of fish.  You can also elect to order a cut of fish to be wood-grilled. A selection of four sauces is available: The Cajun spice imparts the most flavor, and horseradish and Thai red coconut curry are good, but the lemon chive is a trifle boring. Truly, the knockout dish of the evening is a signature crab cake. This enormous mountain of crab is served with a mustard sauce that has sweet notes to it. Only available locally is a dish of stone ground grits and bacon-wrapped shrimp. Less filling options include a lobster roll with celery mayo on brioche bun or the tuna burger with chili paste.

With more than 50 items on the menu, it’s a tough call as to what to order. Lobsters are featured every which way, and traditional Boston classics such as baked scrod and New England fried clams sound appealing too. The wine list is one of the most consumer-friendly I’ve ever seen. Lots of by-the-glass choices and pairings ideas for dishes (not just one, but several) are listed along with suggestions for ordering bottles that’ll please a table full of different entrée selections. 

Sweet endings at Legal Sea Foods arrive with panache. Order the bananas foster to be treated to a fancy silver gravy boat brimming with warm sauce, which is ladled for you over heaps of vanilla ice cream. Pair it up with something from the lineup of cognacs, ports, dessert wines and single-malt scotches for a perfect finish. SP