HG is downcast. Boston’s Locke-Ober, the great, venerable (in business for almost 150 years) restaurant has closed and its equipment and memorobilia are being sold. Another wonderful, gracious culinary landmark has bitten the dust. Ah, Locke-Ober. Heaven on a cold New England night. Dark wood. Old paintings. Big, comfy chairs. Soft lights in old fixtures. Professional waiters. And, the food. Oysters and clams from the New England coast, briny, cold and shucked with finesse. Old fashioned dishes like Lobster Savannah; calf’s liver with bacon and onions; broiled Boston scrod. The best gratin dauphinois this side of Paris. Perfect, crisp onion rings. A wide selection of foraged wild mushrooms. One of the few places in the United States where steak tartare was done right. And, HG’s favorite dessert, a house specialty: Indian Pudding topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. HG must stop. Eyes have become misted.
