Anthony's Pier 4
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Overall Rating: Sick Potential (75 out of 100)
140 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA 02210
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Phone: 617-482-6262
Legend has it that Pier 4's late owner, Anthony Athanas, once caught a cab at Logan Airport, and asked his cabdriver to transport him to the best restaurant in Boston. Reportedly, without any knowledge of Mr. Athanas' personage, the cabdriver brought Mr. Athanas to Anthony's Pier 4. Mr. Athanas slipped the cabdriver a cool $1,000 to keep up the good work.
Fast-forward to 2007: your cabdriver is not likely to bring you to Pier 4. You can't beat the harborside location, but it's no longer the sickest meal in town.
Our History at Anthony's Pier 4
Our third visit to Anthony's Pier 4 was on a Saturday night at 7:30pm.
Appetizers
Appetizers include oysters, clams, smoked salmon, and shrimp cocktail as well as soups and chowders such as lobster bisque and clam chowder. Prices range from $7.95 to $18.95. We tried Pier 4's apple and maple cured smoked salmon as well as fresh, delicious Norwalk Bluepointe oysters. The smoked salmon was served was onions, capers, crab meat and wheat bread.
While awaiting our appetizers, Pier 4 paraded a strange mix of complimentary dinners rolls, raisin bread, pre-packaged breadsticks, and house-marinated mushrooms. It felt like a full meal, and then a server plopped two oversized popovers onto our plate. Imbibe conservatively on the pre-meal fixings or you may require a wheelchair by the end of the evening.
Rating: 8.5
Main Dishes
Seafood dishes range from $21.95 for broiled Boston scrod to $37.95 for whole dover sole. Steaks and chops range from $34.95 for a Black Angus New York Sirloin to $49.95 for a specially aged prime 18 ounce New York Sirloin. Lobsters are also available, including whopping 3 to 4.5 pound behemoths.
We decided to order broiled Georges Bank sea scallops as well as fresh sauteed halibut. The taste of flour was palpable as we tucked in to the sea scallops. While the fresh sauteed halibut, served with raspberry vinegar sauce, met our expectations, the accompanying rice was unspectacular.
Rating: 6.8
Drinks
Pier 4 features an extensive, famed wine list, but there are very few reasonably-priced options. Small, shot-sized martinis disappointed.
Rating: 7.5
Service
In making our reservation, we asked for a window seat. Pier 4 could not guarantee window seating, but we were told to remind the hostess when we arrived. We informed the hostess of our preference, and without further discussion, we were immediately seated - not near a window, even though window seats were clearly opening up in minutes. Within five minutes of sitting down, we asked to be re-seated near a window.
Our waiter lacked enthusiasm and buzzed around our table like a bee.
The service at Pier 4 is usually better.
Rating: 6.5
Ambiance
Overlooking Boston Harbor, the large, open room exudes a distinct old-New England feel. Framed, autographed photos fill the wooden walls as you enter the restaurant; name a famous politician or celebrity from the past 40 years, and there's a fair chance they've dined at Pier 4. Unfortunately, the sparsely-filled room gives one the impression that Pier 4's best days have passed.
Rating: 8.4
Et Cetera
Trivia: Anthony Athanas immigrated to the United States from Albania at the age of 5. He went on to turn abandoned landfill on Boston's waterfront into one of the most successful restaurants in the country. Anthony's four sons now own and operate the Anthony's Pier 4 family of restaurants.
Menu: Check out the dinner menu
Reservations: Anthony's Pier 4 is on OpenTable
Transportation: Park for free in Pier 4's obscenely-sized parking lot.
Dress: Casual
Hours: Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 4pm to 10pm, Friday & Saturday from 4pm to 11pm, and Sunday from 4pm to 10pm.
Labels: Pier-4, Seafood, Sick-Potential, South-Boston
