Boston Food Crawl: Seaport and Fort Point Seafood Extravaganza

Part of Food and Drink Crawls Through Boston and Beyond

Welcome back to Food Crawls, a series in which Eater Boston staffers guide you (virtually) on various food (and booze) crawls in the Boston area.

When we go out, we often find ourselves wanting to try more than one restaurant or bar at a time — a drink and a snack here, another drink and perhaps a dessert there — and want to share our favorite multi-stop combinations with you. These crawls are meant to be relatively walkable, and the amount of food and drink is meant to correspond roughly to a couple of average appetites (so bring a friend), although your mileage may vary. Email us if there’s a particular theme, specific dish or drink, or neighborhood you’d like to see covered in a future installment.

Fifteen years ago, the only reason anyone wanted to go to the Seaport or Fort Point was to take photographs of post-industrial wastelands for a senior art school thesis. But the adjacent neighborhoods have changed a lot in the past decade and a half (not always for the best, by the way), and in place of vacant lots there are expensive condos and chain coffee shops and ridiculously overpriced treadmill rooms. There’s also a lot of exceptional food (some of which has been there since before the neighborhoods began their transformations).

As the name of one of the neighborhoods would suggest, the area boasts a lot of quality food from the sea. A visitor can enjoy dishes like whole grilled dorade or gnocchi with lobster by celebrity chef Barbara Lynch at her Italian spot Sportello — or the lobster roll and fried clams at Seaport mainstay Yankee Lobster Company.

Go check out what’s on at the Institute of Contemporary Art (which has been obnoxiously blocked from view by a gaudy law firm), and then discuss all that you’ve witnessed while snacking on these tasty sea treats.

Total stops: 4
Oysters slammed: At least a dozen, otherwise you’re not doing it right
Lobster rolls eaten: Only the one
Gaudy law firms spotted blocking the view of one of the city’s most breathtaking buildings: Ugh, hopefully only the one
Distance traveled: A little more than a mile

A Dozen Oysters at Row 34

383 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston

Listen, the lobster roll at Row 34 is delicious, but it’s oppressively expensive (as is turning out to be the case citywide lately). Go with the oysters — most of which are harvested in New England, making you a hero of eating locally — and save the lobster roll for later.

Octopus Carpaccio at Sportello

348 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston

Barbara Lynch is very good at food, gang. Her Italian joint Sportello is no exception. Making a reservation is wise (the staff saves two seats for walk-ins, but banking on that is like rolling the dice, depending on the night), though takeout is also available. And hey, it’s not so bad eating this thinly sliced octopus with baby artichokes, squid ink chips, Calabrian chili, and lemon puree on a bench with a sea view.

Blackened Mahi-Mahi Tacos at Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar

253 Summer St., Fort Point, Boston

Fish tacos at Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar — A serious take on fish tacos

There will be skulls (so many skulls), and there will be tequila (be sure to drink some.) There will also be blackened mahi-mahi tacos, dressed with sour cream remoulade, red cabbage slaw, and aji amarillo. These are substantial, so invite a friend along to share.

Lobster Roll at Yankee Lobster Company

300 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston

Yankee Lobster lobster rolls — Yankee Lobster Company does it right

It’s the best lobster roll in town (which is saying a lot, because Boston is downright lousy with great lobster rolls) and also the most perfect way to end your seafood crawl through Fort Point and the Seaport. You’ll also be supporting an OG in a neighborhood that’s changing by the minute. That’s always a good thing.