East Coast Grill is a cute local spot in Cambridge, known for seafood and bbq (interesting combo!). The restaurant is bright, busy and very blue, with charming and quirky décor. Bar was full on a Wednesday evening, but we got a table without a wait.

http://eastcoastgrill.net

Started with cocktails from a fun and interesting list —a very good dark and stormy for moi (although Toro’s is still #1), and a “chef’s special” peach marg for Mr. Rabbit (it didn’t really taste peach-y, but it was still a great drink). Server gave us a little dish of slightly sweet pickles while we read menus, but I would have preferred some bread… pickles aren’t great for grounding cocktails. We ordered, and the food arrived almost immediately.

I had an arugula salad with blackened bacon bits, soft cheese (blue or goat… can’t remember), and “home-made raisins”. I didn’t like the bacon bits – too chewy and felt a little scary — like pellets of carcinogen. But eating around them, the salad was lovely (loved the fat, squishy raisins!). I had six shrimp (wish I could do something more interesting from the raw bar, but I’m allergic to bivalves), which were perfectly nice and fresh, and served with a good zest of horseradish-y sauce. Mr. Rabbit had a bbq “trio” (but substituted the ribs for extra brisket because he was still wearing a suit and didn’t want to risk a disaster). His plate was huge— brisket and beans were a delicious tomato-y mess that he hoovered back so quickly he made himself slightly sick. Quick to recover, he went to work on a pork shoulder which we both agreed tasted like chicken (it just wasn’t pork-y… very puzzling), and the delicious, cake-y cornbread. He even managed to put back the side of watermelon. We asked to see a dessert menu, but our server brought the cheque instead, and we decided that was a hint (not from the server, more from the dietary gods) and we got out. The damage… two cocktails, one bbq “trio,” salad and half a dozen shrimp… $64 (very fair and reasonable).

The food here was good, and the place is quite delightful, but the vibe is busy-busy. Tables are close, lights are bright, lots of clacking from conversation and dishes —I really do prefer a dinner that feels more leisurely. Mr. Rabbit and I made it in and out of ECG in about an hour — a really quick turnaround for us. I liked the neighbourhood-y feel of this place, but I’m not sure we’ll be back except possibly for lunch, or if the mandate is to grab a quick bite. If I’m out for dinner, I generally prefer someplace where I can relax, linger, and coo at Mr. Rabbit over a second (or third) cocktail. Someplace more like Central Kitchen…

Posted on August 19th, 2007 by rabbit
Filed under: Boston, Restaurant Reviews