Established in 1875 – the restaurant was a fine dining haven,
serving the cities’ most powerful people and old line Bostonian families ( Men
that is –the restaurant only admitted women in 1970) for over 100 years.
The restaurant was an institution, a sort of manners-school-meets-lunch
club for the Irish, Jewish and Italian men who worked downtown but weren’t welcome
at any of the exclusive clubs controlled by the Boston Brahmin. It was the
place for men of Boston
to learn how to behave like Yankee gentlemen.
To me, it was not only the atmosphere, the wait staff, but
it was the food and drink and great company. Now lost on today’s dinners, here
was the food of my past and still lives with me - Lobster thermador, finnan
haddie, calfs liver, Bay Scallops with bacon, Lobster stew, Scrod, lobster Newburg
and many more dishes that gladden the heart and cocktails – like the Ward Eight
and ice cold Gin Martini’s ( for lunch!!) I had arrived when I was able for lunch to down a few Ice-Cold Martini's
My grandfather and father and then just myself, were frequent
clients, no! Frequent members, for it felt like an exclusive men’s club with
better food and people. Men dressed (albeit) in Boston conservative dress, and if you too
where dressed correctly, you would get the Nod of approval, not only from the
staff but from other dinners.
It was and will forever remain one of the great joys in my
lifetime.
It closed after 136 years, because the world had changed, the
younger generation did not care a fig and still does not about tradition, or
style or manners (Ok, don’t get me going!).
But who cares, I had my time ‘to bask under the sun’ and
experience this magical place.
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