Loving Legal Sea Foods

It’s rare that I would recommend a seafood restaurant for a family with food allergies, but there is one I recommend without hesitation – Legal Sea Foods.

I have been to a number of the chain’s restaurants in Massachusetts and New York, and have never been unhappy with a meal. Even before we had a food allergy diagnosis, Legal Sea Foods was a favorite, and now I appreciate them even more.

Since my husband and I spent the weekend in Boston for a water polo tournament, we took the opportunity to have dinner at the Legal Sea Foods at Copley Place, just minutes away from our hotel.

We were dining alone, so I only needed to be concerned with my own wheat allergy. I asked for the gluten-free menu, which has quite a variety of choices, and can be modified to accommodate many other allergies as well. I was delighted to be offered gluten-free rolls, which – while not as fluffy as my husband’s gluten-laden rolls – were quite good, and warmed up special for me.

I ordered the cioppino (lobster, scallops, shrimp, calamari, littlenecks, mussels, and scrod in a light tomato sauce), which is served with rice. A separate waiter, with nothing else on his tray, delivered this splendid meal to me. Yes – that raised my confidence – no chance for contamination after it left the kitchen.

Normally I would recommend avoiding seafood restaurants for the milk-allergic, as butter is usually everywhere, but I have eaten at Legal Sea Foods with my food-allergic son with extreme success. Also on the menu (and some of my son’s favorites) are steamed clams (with no butter), lite clam chowder (a milkless chowder), and calamari (prepared with a chick pea flour).

There are few restaurants where I can go and feel entirely comfortable that my family’s food allergies will be handled properly. Unless your food allergies are fish or seafood, you’ll be delighted with your meal at Legal Sea Foods.