It was a nice day yesterday and we were already downtown so we decided to try out the new Reelhouse in East Boston. It’s about 2 minutes from the old tunnel, so very easy to get to. The space is very nice, and the waterfront tables and bar outside simply can’t be beat for a spectacular view of Boston and the harbor. Unfortunately the food really does not measure up, and is barely decent enough to justify a visit or two to enjoy that view.
The salmon crudo, their “crudo of the day” was completely flavorless, and serving it with taro chips is fairly uninspired. The crab rolls were spicy, which actually added some flavor to the otherwise uninspired and possibly canned snow crab meat. The swordfish tacos were an improvement over those two dishes, but nothing I couldn’t whip up in about 10 minutes at home and about 2-3 oz of fish for $26. The highlight food wise were probably the fries that came with the kids meal. The steak fries were crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside, reminiscent of Cafe Jaffa. No one ordered a burger, but the one that came out next to us looked pretty good. Maybe it is a menu you can pick a few decent things from, or perhaps it’s better left to have a drink there and then head elsewhere.
The place was obviously bustling yesterday with the spectacular weather. I don’t know how they will do when going there for the outdoor space isn’t an option. Remembering the better days of Pigalle, it was strange to see Maec Orflay listed as the culinary director and have the food be so uninspired.
