Where have the last few months gone?! 2012 has certainly been a whirlwind of a year and I can barely believe that in less than 36 hours, 2013 will be upon us! Needless to say, I have not been the best blogger in recent months however, the below post from my Dad and the last few weeks of food madness (and overindulgence!) have inspired me to take to my laptop once more….
I am lucky enough to visit the USA several times a year and more often than not find myself in the Washington DC area. The USA has many great (and expensive) restaurants and some pretty dire fast food ones too. But in between there are several really good value, what I would call up market, fast food restaurants. Among my favourites is the Legal Seafood chain.
Originally opened in 1950 in Cambridge, Massachusetts the store got its’ name from ‘Legal Stamps’ which were given with purchases. These were a very early loyalty scheme. The name ‘Legal’ quickly became synonymous with seafood quality and freshness.
I stayed in Crystal City, an area full of US Government offices, and while I was there I ate at the Legal Seafood Restaurant on Jefferson Davis Highway. Although Crystal City is full of places to eat, Legal Seafood always seemed busy, which tells you something! So make sure to book, certainly for an evening meal.
As a starter, I had clam chowder which is a long-time favourite of mine, full of chunky white fish and clams with just the right amount of potato; too often restaurants reduce cost by making it with far too much potato. There were many other tempting starters including crab cake, crab dip and fresh mussels. The attentive staff took time to explain the beers to me and I chose a wheaten beer, served with a slice of orange, a first for me. For my main course I chose seafood casserole, a big steaming bowl of all sorts: shrimp, lobster and a variety of white fish. It was all was served in a thick, delicious, creamy sauce. The menu was very varied including steak for non-seafood fans. I couldn’t manage a desert but a variety were available including key lime pie, a southern speciality. My bill, including a tip was under $60 (Approx £40), great value.
Seafood Chowder
Will I visit Legal Seafood again? I most certainly will. It’s so popular that they really don’t need my recommendation but I certainly do recommend the chain to US visitors: if you are a seafood lover you will get a great meal at a very reasonable price.
