What it's like at Island Creek Raw Bar and Park City
JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
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Park City isn't the only new addition to outsize outdoor dining in the city this summer. A little more than a mile away,
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A plate of oysters at Island Creek Raw Bar in the Seaport. Some are topped with caviar aged and packed by Island Creek Oysters.
Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe
In the Seaport, where seafood-seeking tourists throng, the presence of Island Creek is a natural. I'm glad out-of-towners will get to taste some of the best oysters from the region, along with caviar, tinned fish, and riffs on fish shack classics. But as far as I'm concerned, Island Creek Raw Bar is mostly a service for locals. The after-work crowd seeks solace here, where a hot dog with caviar, a few beers, and a gripe session with co-workers help erase the annoyingdayohmygoditwassoannoying. 'I mean, I always knew they made more than us,' I overhear a woman say, leaning over the table and making intense eye contact with her friend. They each slurp an oyster in commiseration.
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Island Creek always has a nice way with dishes that modernize New England seafood while maintaining respect for provenance, tradition, and flavor. Whether at the company's raw bars or its special Winsor House restaurant in Duxbury, menus always begin with oysters, of course. The Seaport location features Island Creek and Aunt Dotty's oysters from Duxbury, Moon Shoals from Dennis and Pleasant Coves from Maine, as well as clams and shrimp cocktail. Oysters come with cocktail sauce and mignonette; if you're celebrating, splash out on the oysters deluxe, six Island Creeks topped with caviar that Island Creek ages and packs. The company has also expanded into tinned fish. Its razor clams, octopus, tuna belly, and more are here, served with toast and accompaniments.
A bluefin tuna roll with avocado and cucumber at Island Creek Raw Bar.
Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe
Augment those tidbits with snacks — soft pretzels, clam dip — and call it a meal. Or move onward in two modes: on a roll or in a roll. The former means mainly hot dogs topped with fun stuff (beer cheese and crispy onions, crab with spicy mayo, the aforementioned caviar). But there is also a very elegant crab roll (and no lobster roll, a bold choice and a sound one because sweet, delicate crab is underrated in the roll game). It is served with very little in the way of dressing, so you taste the crab in its pure form. There's a citrusy lilt in the mix, along with poppy seeds that work surprisingly well; fennel slaw might be divisive, but for the pro-fennel camp it's a win. The bun, to be frank, is not ideal. It's a hefty brioche bruiser. One can just not eat it. It's a plate (made of bread) and you're having crab salad. Problem solved.
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The other rolls are sushi. Island Creek partners with fish company Red's Best for maki, nigiri, and sashimi made with local catch.
A Row 34 food truck on premises serves lobster bao buns and more.
Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe
Food is ordered and prepared out of a series of repurposed shipping crates. There is also a food truck from Row 34, which has a restaurant nearby on Congress Street. The truck serves an entirely separate, equally fun menu that includes clam chowder, fried clams, fish tacos — and a lobster roll, of a sort. It's served on a bao-style bun with chile crisp, pineapple relish, and sambal aioli.
Sip a glass of fizzy txakolina or crisp rose, a refreshing lager or IPA, or some sake with your food. There are also canned cocktails and nonalcoholic options such as Mexican Coke and Topo Chico.
The vibe at Island Creek Raw Bar is "urban picnic."
Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe
At Park City, there's beer and hard seltzer aplenty, plus magnums of rose and bubbles. But it's the cocktail program that stands out, with a list of refreshing spritzes and tropical potions from a prickly pear margarita to a Southie Sling. (Although Park City offers cocktails in pouches and cans, on my visit drinks are served in open cups.) The bartenders steadily shake their way through endless thirsty lines with the focus of pro-athletes; it's a feat to behold. The front-facing staff here is unflaggingly friendly and upbeat.
The Adult Lunchables box at Park City features charcuterie, cheese, and accompaniments.
JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
The menu takes crowd-pleasers and chefs them up just enough: 'Adult Lunchables' (a.k.a. charcuterie and cheese assortments), Caesar salads funked up with miso, Vietnamese-inspired poached shrimp and puffed rice noodles over cabbage, cress, and watermelon radishes. Fish tacos on purple corn tortillas come with avocado crema and cabbage slaw, wedges of lime and sliced radishes on the side. Why is the fish coated a deep orange? Its batter is made with Takis chips, fun and creative; the fish itself is on the mushy side. The smash burger is a satisfying one, two thin griddled patties layered with cheese, lettuce, and excellent pickles on a squishy potato bun blitzed with sesame seeds; you'll get it with fries, of course, cooked in tallow, very de rigueur.
Advertisement
Park City's smash burger is satisfying, made with two dry-aged beef patties and excellent pickles on a sesame potato bun. The fries are cooked in tallow.
JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
As I wait for my food, I watch the orders come up: chicken tenders, chicken tenders, chicken tenders, fried chicken sandwich, chicken tenders with fries.
'Does everyone order the chicken tenders?,' I ask the staffer dispensing the goods to customers who have received their 'Your order is ready!' texts.
'Pretty much,' she says.
Cabanas, swings, and picnic tables offer resting spots at Park City.
JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE
I get some to go and walk off into the night, biting into a craggy, crunchy tender dipped in black garlic ranch as the dance beats fade behind me. I pass a fleet of cranes silhouetted against the sky, circumvent a parking lot of broken glass. I'm walking in the wrong direction. Headed toward me is a steady stream of people, just arriving at Park City. The swing is all yours.
Island Creek Raw Bar, 99 Autumn Lane, Seaport, Boston, Instagram @rawbar_seaport. Appetizers, rolls, and sushi $5-$35. Sun-Wed 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Park City, 411 Dorchester Ave., South Boston, 857-225-2572,
. Snacks, salads, and sandwiches $11-$42. Sun noon-11 p.m., Mon-Thu 4-11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat 1 p.m.-midnight.
Devra First can be reached at
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The after-work crowd seeks solace here, where a hot dog with caviar, a few beers, and a gripe session with co-workers help erase the annoyingdayohmygoditwassoannoying. 'I mean, I always knew they made more than us,' I overhear a woman say, leaning over the table and making intense eye contact with her friend. They each slurp an oyster in commiseration. Advertisement Island Creek always has a nice way with dishes that modernize New England seafood while maintaining respect for provenance, tradition, and flavor. Whether at the company's raw bars or its special Winsor House restaurant in Duxbury, menus always begin with oysters, of course. The Seaport location features Island Creek and Aunt Dotty's oysters from Duxbury, Moon Shoals from Dennis and Pleasant Coves from Maine, as well as clams and shrimp cocktail. Oysters come with cocktail sauce and mignonette; if you're celebrating, splash out on the oysters deluxe, six Island Creeks topped with caviar that Island Creek ages and packs. The company has also expanded into tinned fish. Its razor clams, octopus, tuna belly, and more are here, served with toast and accompaniments. A bluefin tuna roll with avocado and cucumber at Island Creek Raw Bar. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Augment those tidbits with snacks — soft pretzels, clam dip — and call it a meal. Or move onward in two modes: on a roll or in a roll. The former means mainly hot dogs topped with fun stuff (beer cheese and crispy onions, crab with spicy mayo, the aforementioned caviar). But there is also a very elegant crab roll (and no lobster roll, a bold choice and a sound one because sweet, delicate crab is underrated in the roll game). It is served with very little in the way of dressing, so you taste the crab in its pure form. There's a citrusy lilt in the mix, along with poppy seeds that work surprisingly well; fennel slaw might be divisive, but for the pro-fennel camp it's a win. The bun, to be frank, is not ideal. It's a hefty brioche bruiser. One can just not eat it. It's a plate (made of bread) and you're having crab salad. Problem solved. Advertisement The other rolls are sushi. Island Creek partners with fish company Red's Best for maki, nigiri, and sashimi made with local catch. A Row 34 food truck on premises serves lobster bao buns and more. Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe Food is ordered and prepared out of a series of repurposed shipping crates. There is also a food truck from Row 34, which has a restaurant nearby on Congress Street. The truck serves an entirely separate, equally fun menu that includes clam chowder, fried clams, fish tacos — and a lobster roll, of a sort. It's served on a bao-style bun with chile crisp, pineapple relish, and sambal aioli. Sip a glass of fizzy txakolina or crisp rose, a refreshing lager or IPA, or some sake with your food. There are also canned cocktails and nonalcoholic options such as Mexican Coke and Topo Chico. The vibe at Island Creek Raw Bar is "urban picnic." Ben Pennington/for The Boston Globe At Park City, there's beer and hard seltzer aplenty, plus magnums of rose and bubbles. But it's the cocktail program that stands out, with a list of refreshing spritzes and tropical potions from a prickly pear margarita to a Southie Sling. (Although Park City offers cocktails in pouches and cans, on my visit drinks are served in open cups.) The bartenders steadily shake their way through endless thirsty lines with the focus of pro-athletes; it's a feat to behold. The front-facing staff here is unflaggingly friendly and upbeat. The Adult Lunchables box at Park City features charcuterie, cheese, and accompaniments. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE The menu takes crowd-pleasers and chefs them up just enough: 'Adult Lunchables' (a.k.a. charcuterie and cheese assortments), Caesar salads funked up with miso, Vietnamese-inspired poached shrimp and puffed rice noodles over cabbage, cress, and watermelon radishes. Fish tacos on purple corn tortillas come with avocado crema and cabbage slaw, wedges of lime and sliced radishes on the side. Why is the fish coated a deep orange? Its batter is made with Takis chips, fun and creative; the fish itself is on the mushy side. The smash burger is a satisfying one, two thin griddled patties layered with cheese, lettuce, and excellent pickles on a squishy potato bun blitzed with sesame seeds; you'll get it with fries, of course, cooked in tallow, very de rigueur. Advertisement Park City's smash burger is satisfying, made with two dry-aged beef patties and excellent pickles on a sesame potato bun. The fries are cooked in tallow. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE As I wait for my food, I watch the orders come up: chicken tenders, chicken tenders, chicken tenders, fried chicken sandwich, chicken tenders with fries. 'Does everyone order the chicken tenders?,' I ask the staffer dispensing the goods to customers who have received their 'Your order is ready!' texts. 'Pretty much,' she says. Cabanas, swings, and picnic tables offer resting spots at Park City. JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE I get some to go and walk off into the night, biting into a craggy, crunchy tender dipped in black garlic ranch as the dance beats fade behind me. I pass a fleet of cranes silhouetted against the sky, circumvent a parking lot of broken glass. I'm walking in the wrong direction. Headed toward me is a steady stream of people, just arriving at Park City. The swing is all yours. Island Creek Raw Bar, 99 Autumn Lane, Seaport, Boston, Instagram @rawbar_seaport. Appetizers, rolls, and sushi $5-$35. Sun-Wed 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thu-Sat 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Park City, 411 Dorchester Ave., South Boston, 857-225-2572, . Snacks, salads, and sandwiches $11-$42. Sun noon-11 p.m., Mon-Thu 4-11 p.m., Fri 3 p.m.-midnight, Sat 1 p.m.-midnight. Devra First can be reached at
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