We were planning our trip to Boston for my wife Karen’s family reunion. I was trying to come up with a good restaurant to host a dinner for some of the family members. I knew I wanted seafood and wanted a place that would be convenient for people to get to without having to deal with downtown Boston traffic.

When Legal Sea Foods was suggested, I was admittedly hesitant. I had always thought of it as just a somewhat upscale of version of another national seafood chain that shall be nameless in this article.  Perusal of online reviews, as well as the company’s website made me feel differently, but the deciding factor was…

Sandy Block.

Sandy is Vice President of Beverage Operations at Legal Sea Foods. In 1992, he became the first American on the East Coast of the U.S. [and third in the entire U.S.] who earned the Master of Wine designation. Sandy joined Legal Sea Foods in 2004 and really “upped the ante” with regard to the restaurant’s wine program. Sandy has focused on creating an outstanding wine selection that complements Legal Sea Foods menu offerings, as well as creating a course [Beverage Seminar Certification Series] for Legal Sea Foods’ beverage managers, which many of the restaurant’s chefs, servers and general managers take as well.

So, Legal Sea Foods was the choice. As I said, they have multiple locations, and we chose the one in Chestnut Hill. Our server Tom was outstanding and the food was delicious. The calamari was incredibly fresh and perfectly seasoned. I ordered the gazpacho, which you might think of as an odd choice for a seafood restaurant, but this was one of the best gazpachos I have ever had, with great vegetable flavors coming through in every spoonful. And while I was pretty full by the time I got to my main course, the flounder I ordered was delicious as well.

But of course, I was also focused on the wines. We had three wines that evening and I made a conscious effort to step out of my comfort zone of California wines.  The wines we had that evening were:

2011 De Morgenzon Dmz Chardonnay Western Cape, South Africa – very tasty South African Chardonnay, classically rich and oaky, better than many I’ve had at twice the price. Matched very well with the calamari appetizer.

2010 Alto Adige Lagrein Rosé – Lagrein is a red grape that originated in Italy. I’ve had a couple from California, but never one actually produced in Italy, and this was my first rosé from this grape. Light and refreshing, and perfect with my wife Karen’s scallops as well as my gazpacho.

2007 Embruix de Vall Llach – a red blend from Spain, consisting of Garnacha, Carinena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.  Absolutely delicious, and stood up well to the richness of the flounder.

Karen’s sister Liz said: “The meal and service at Legal Seafoods were excellent.  My fried clams were really good and (so was the) broccoli with cheese sauce.”

And Karen writes: “The wine list was extensive and well thought out, something for everyone. The Lagrein went exceptionally well with my scallops.  I enjoyed it immensely.  Growing up in Boston, we always had excellent seafood and this restaurant was no exception.  The food was fresh and very satisfying.”

So, with great company, terrific food, wonderful service, and a wine list put together by a true Master, I highly recommend Legal Sea Foods.

I’ll leave the last words to Karen’s Aunt Elsa: “The waiters were most gracious and the food was delicious.  My tummy was full and very happy.”

Michael Perlis provides outsourced controller services to businesses that do not need a full-time controller. He balances this with his interest in wine: reading and writing about it and, of course, drinking it. He is still trying to figure out how to combine these two pursuits. Feel free to contact him about either at mcpfinancial@aol.com or michaelthezinfan@aol.com.