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Chain of high-end steakhouses to open waterfront outlet

By adamg on Tue, 05/03/2016 - 11:24pm

Boston Restaurant Talk reports we'll be getting a Mastro's Steakhouse. In a luxury residential building on Fan Pier, natch.

Neighborhoods: 
South Boston
Topics: 
Dining
Free tagging: 
Steak
Seaport
Fan Pier


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Comments

By JimGaffigan on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:31am.

But seriously, how many steakhouses do we need in the Seaport?

Within walking distance of each other will be Del Frisco's, Mortons, Smith and Wollensky, The Palm, Ocean Prime and now Mastro's. They will all be selling the exact same thing.

By Boston_res on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 6:40am.

One will have mashed potatoes, the other will have whipped potatoes, the next smashed potatoes, then pureed potatoes, milled potatoes and the last crushed potatoes. It's all in the name really.

By johnmcboston on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:29pm.

all a la carte, of course. :)

By MC Slim JB on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 5:01pm.

From the Manhattan store's menu:

Lobster Mashed Potatoes
1lb Baked Potato
Twice Baked Potato
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Mashed
French-Fried Potatoes
Shoestring Potatoes

By anon on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 8:01am.

When the same was said about Starbucks in Southie, the world went crazy.

By adamg on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 8:05am.

City Point. Obviously, the waterfront is a lost cause.

By bosguy22 on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 9:52am.

If in fact we do end up with "too many", some will close and the good ones will flourish. No need for the government to dictate what/how many of anything a city needs.

By JimGaffigan on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:01am.

With a Duane Reade every 4 doors and a Starbucks in-between?

Yeah, thats capitalism. Its great, isn't it?

By GoSoxGo on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:13am.

is more Bostonian (although another CVS in Seaport besides the one in South Station would actually be useful).

By bosguy22 on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:30am.

Want to know why there are so many Duane Reade's and Starbucks? Because there are 8 million people in Manhattan and the demand is there to accommodate that many. If the demand for steakhouses in the Seaport is so great it can support all that are there, plus this new entry, then yes, I do want it. As I said, what's the alternative? A mom and pop restaurant can't afford a liquor licenses, so the alternative is either another chain, or an empty space.

By whyaduck on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:23pm.

how many restaurants in Boston proper are circa 1950s "mom and pop" style places? Really? This term "mom and pop" is so overused and overrated. Second, I know of smaller, non chain like restaurants that indeed serve liquor. So your statement that "the alternative is either another chain, or an empty space" is specious.

By bosguy22 on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 2:45pm.

When did these smaller restaurants in Boston open? Which ones? Currently, full liquor licenses are selling for over $300k each. Add that to a buildout, equipment, hiring staff, supplies, etc and you're talking about a significant amount of money. It's extremely difficult for small, independent restaurants to open in Boston proper.

By anon on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 2:41pm.

Who is going to grease the politicians hands? The businesses who have no restrictions on what they open and where?

By Scratchie on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:45am.

Take a drive out to the Texas Roadhouse in Everett sometime.

By JimGaffigan on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:54am.

Not dinner theatre.

When I go out to dinner, I don't want my staff taking a break to line dance down the aisles or sing chorus for a free piece of cake.

By Jason on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 7:55am.

... of turning the seaport into a little slice of Houston is finally being realized.

By TiminCharlestown on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 11:27am.

who live in Charlestown call it the Manhattanization of Boston. And they're generally pro-change, they aren't clinging to some bygone era.

I keep telling them that Manhattanization would be an improvement over the Vegas-ization. But Houston is probably even more accurate. Lots of generic buildings, chain restaurants, poor public transportation...what's not to love!?

By ScottR on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 9:55am.

So my parents live literally down the block from a Mastro's Ocean Club in Newport/Laguna Beach, CA. I have to say, it may be the one chain restaurant that I've ever liked. So I'll give it a chance. I agree it's helping to make the area a little more generic, though I think we've lost that battle long ago.

By bosguy22 on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 10:34am.

Thanks to the limited liquor licenses, it's not going to get better any time soon. Only big chains can afford to plunk down $300-400k for a license. That's why you see up and coming chefs opening restaurants in nearby suburbs.

By Kinopio on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 12:22pm.

Or 3 blocks away in Fort Point, where there are great places to eat and drink unlike the Seaport.

By bosguy22 on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 4:42pm.

What places in Fort Point? Row 34 (beer and wine license only)? Blue Dragon (beer and wine)? Sportello/Menton (part of Barbara Lynch's empire)? Bastille Kitchen (part of Sterling Group)? Papagayo (part of Legendary Restaurant Group).

The only two independent restaurants w/full liquor licenses I can think of are Pastoral and Tavern Road.

By anon on Wed, 05/04/2016 - 4:17pm.

I'll never forget my first time at Morton'$ ... they juggled the food while they explained the menu. TACKY.

By lbb on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 9:24am.

...but if you describe your business as "upscale", "high-end" or "luxury", it's nouveau-riche tacky.

By bosguy22 on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 9:34am.

Should a restaurant strive for downscale, low-end, and "economy"?

By anon on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 10:20am.

The poster was saying that if you have to describe your place as "high-end", "luxury", "classy" or whatever, it probably isn't. I can tell when a place is "high-end" by the quality of the product and service, regardless of the adjectives they use to describe it.

By anon on Thu, 05/05/2016 - 1:03pm.

In Southie? Yes, probably.