Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
Oysters, biscuits, and buttermilk-ricotta pancakes—brunch at this neighborhood tavern covers the bases. 1310 Boylston St., Fenway/Kenmore, MA 2215, citizenpub.com.
Cru
When you slurp an oyster from this hip dockside restaurant overlooking the harbor, it’s likely that the fresh, sweet bivalve was in that very same water just hours before. But it’s not just the oysters, of course, that earn Cru its title. The buttery fried clams, famous lobster roll, and jumbo cocktail shrimp all deserve recog- nition, especially when accompanied by a cool and refreshing “Crucumber” martini. One Straight Wharf, Nantucket, MA 02554, crunantucket.com.
Saltie Girl
Briny oysters are just the tip of the ice-packed platters here. Sure, restaurateur Kathy Sidell provides an intimate Back Bay port of call for passersby to stop and slurp expertly shucked bivalves—buttery, Duxbury-raised Merry Oysters, sweet South Bay Blondes from a multi-generation Onset farm. But there’s also super-fresh shrimp and crab cocktail, sea urchin spruced up with ponzu sauce from medicine droppers, and a list of bottles for washing them down in crisp waves of wine. 281 Dartmouth St., Boston, MA saltiegirl.com.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
The lauded whiskey list is reason enough for a visit, but the real draw is the “Pappy Meal,” a western-themed box with a 2-ounce pour of Pappy Van Winkle, the coveted Kentucky hooch. 1310 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, citizenpub.com.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
The cocktails at this funky-meets-casual spot hit it out of the park—order the mezcal-based "No More Parties in Fenway" to channel your inner ’Ye before weaving through Sox traffic on your way home. 1310 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02215, citizenpub.com.
Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar
Citizen Pub is still pouring the same vertiginously deep rosters of rye, bourbon, scotch and Irish whiskey with the same precise connoisseurship, ambassadorial exuberance, and jaunty Japanese ice spheres as it did when it opened four years ago, back when vodka swilling still held sway. Welcome to the dark side. 1310 Boylston St., Boston, MA 2215, citizenpub.com.
Harvest
The three-course prix-fixe menu is everything brunch should be: a selection of sweet and savory breakfast and lunch dishes and an assortment of chilled seafood (Wellfleet oysters, countneck clams, shrimp) with a Bloody Mary or mimosa to wash it down. Dine inside for a plush, low-lit and serene atmosphere or outside on the secluded patio. Start with roasted oysters with mascarpone, pancetta, and spinach; granola and fresh fruit; or a Caesar salad with—hallelujah!—white anchovies. Move on to crab cakes with perfectly poached eggs, hollandaise, and ossetra caviar; French toast with spiced apples and sausage; or a smoked-salmon sandwich on toasted French bread with tomato, red onion, and parsley-caper egg sauce. Then prepare to nap away the afternoon. 44 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA .
The Winsor House at Island Creek Oyster Farm
They say it’s best to have oysters only in months that contain the letter “r,” but we wouldn’t blame you for craving Island Creek oysters year round. Luckily, Winsor House, the nationally renowned seafood company’s food and hospitality flagship, allows you to slurp down this delicacy from January through December. Even if you’re not hankering for something briny, the restaurant’s full menu of creative seafood dishes (think: delicate ghee-poached halibut) and the cozy, tavern-like atmosphere will keep you coming back for more. 390 Washington St., Duxbury, MA 02332, winsorhouse.islandcreekoysters.com.
Fin
The romance started with a rich local-oyster-and-bacon chowder with chive and truffle oil. Then came the scallops with oyster mushrooms, asparagus, pancetta, pea shoots, and chive béarnaise, and then the organic beef special with ramps and shiitakes. By the time the heavenly macademia-nut-and-coconut tart showed up, we knew for certain that this homey new spot from Brewster Fish House alum Martha Kane would be more than just a one-night stand. 800 Main St., Dennis, MA 2638, fincapecod.com.
Island Creek Oysters Duxbury Retail Store
For those who like their bivalves fresh off the boat (literally), the new retail arm of the Island Creek Oysters empire is a must-try. Stocked with a rotating selection of seafood (look for razor clams, Nantucket Bay scallops, whelks, and, of course, the famous IC oyster), the tiny shop has fast become a favorite for local shellfish aficionados. 296 Parks St., Duxbury, MA 2332, islandcreekoysters.com.
East Coast Grill
The turquoise-and-orange Caribbean fantasyland that is the East Coast Grill plays home to an eclectic, winning formula of Nuevo Latino, barbecue, and fresh seafood dishes. Chef Chris Schlesinger has scoured the globe, not to mention the local environs, for the best purveyors of crustaceans and fish: Check out the blackboard of daily seafood specials to see what we mean. You'll find all manner of oysters, clams, mussels, and shrimp in addition to fish filets, including the point of origin of each. Favorites: barbecued oysters, house-smoked salmon, pepper-crusted tuna. 1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA eastcoastgrill.net.
Plaza Bar, Copley Plaza Hotel
Smoked oysters, mussels, pâté, tuna, cheese—all on a cart circulated through the room. Copley Square, Boston, MA .
Row 34
This oyster-and-beer bar shines for the same reason its namesake bivalves do—it’s sleek, fresh, and always leaves you wanting more. 383 Congress St., Fort Point/Waterfront, MA 2210, row34.com.
The Daily Catch Seaport
With a just creamy enough texture, generous potato chunks, meaty pieces of clam, and a house-made biscuit in place of the requisite oyster crackers, the Daily Catch's chowder is an exemplar of the form. 2 Northern Ave., Boston, MA 02210, dailycatch.com.
Roche Bros. Downtown Crossing
Wegmans, shmegmans. This outpost of the local grocery chain offers pretty much anything city dwellers could wish to stow in their Sub-Zero fridges, be it Cockenoe oysters, Unicorn Kisses seltzer, or Dom P̩rignon. 8 Summer St., Boston, MA 02110, rochebros.com.