Great Bay

I have mixed emotions of Great Bay closing down. The food was excellent but very pricey. I loved the user-​friendly funky but formal décor — whatever that means. Well what it means is that Great Bay had quite the hip décor but lacked the noise and bustle so it became formal. Capiche?
I really think that Boston needed this restaurant especially in the still up and coming Kenmore Square. Boston has so many seafood restaurants but few that are as upscale and creative. I think Great Bay would have been quite the success if the prices were more reasonable. You can’t just put an $ 80+/person restaurant in an aspiring ‘hood.
As for the partners who owned GB:
Michael Schlow: I met him at the bar at Phở Republique (R.I.P.) and he is extremely nice and down-​to-​Earth.
Esti Parsons: Polite but subtly snooty.
Christopher Myers: A true dick. I’ve witnessed him yelling at the top of his lungs at his partners and management about something as menial as selecting glassware for the bar. Ya, it’s important but it’s not necessary to be condescending to others — so in that sense I’m glad he failed.
Mr. Schlow, when I am in town I will be visiting your restaurants.

I can’t believe they’re closed! I wanted to go here for dinner about a week ago and checked their website to find out that they are no longer in business. One of my favorite higher end restaurants (and seafood places) in Boston.
I was here a couple years ago and remember only a wonderful experience with my party of about 8 people: great food, great service, excellent experience.

Got there on the Fri. before they closed for one last time. Their great bartender Jonathan had already left, one guy was okay, the other was good. I think I got one of the previous poster’s 86’ed drinks, the last cucumber martini which was very good (but not so good later in the nite and the ensuing headache). Excellent app of fried calamari with a little kick to the batter and good dipping sauce and the dinner of cod w/​pancetta, fried ramps and spinach was excellent. the infamous butterscotch pudding was great too, the best pudding around. I think their prices should have been about $ 5 lower but I enjoyed the bar and am sad to see it go. I hope something good goes in the space.

The first time I was at Great Bay was for a Unilocal elite event. Most of the food that was passed that day was seafood, and since I don’t care for it, I didn’t partake. But, from everything I heard, it was very good. The drinks were tasty, and I told myself that at some point, I needed to come back with my sister, as I thought she’d like it.
Fast forward to last week, when watching the news I heard that Great Bay was going to be closing at the end of this week. A victim of the economy. I never thought I’d make it back before they closed. But somehow, I did.
Last night, on our way to Fenway for a concert, we wanted to grab some food. There was a short wait, but we were able to snag some seats at their raw bar.
So we sit, and things do not start off well. We looked at the cocktail menu, made our decisions and when we went to order, were told that two of the three things we wanted had run out. So, we look some more and make some decisions on both drinks and food. Our waitress comes back and we order it all. It took us more than 20 minutes to get our drinks, and though we got an apology from the waitress that the bar was backed up, we had already been waiting for more than 15 minutes. Finally, the drinks arrived, but one was wrong and had to be sent back. As they were remaking the drink (again, not quite right, but close enough), our food arrived.
I think at this point we weren’t expecting much, though we had been thoroughly entertained by the guy at the raw bar. I think his name was Brendan, and he was making all sorts of interesting looking things. He was meticulous in his processes, and chatty with some regulars sitting near us.
Though we weren’t expecting much, the food was actually really good. The spiced pork chop had a good, salty, spicy crust on the outside. I’m told the cod was good, as well. I think my hangar steak was the winner. The food definitely turned our experience around, and we left feeling not so bad about all that had happened at the beginning. Unfortunately, their doors close tonight.

Unfortunately we we’re met with some huge wait at Eastern Standard with a friend so I suggested Great Bay for drinks (I don’t really like Eastern Standard anyways).
Pros: Great variety of drinks, very creative and well made, decently strong. Large menu. Professional service. Decent prices. Awesome awesome interior and ambiance — I think you can have a unique experience from pretty much every seat in this place!
Cons: The $ 1 menu fails to mention you get $ 1 portions for your order ($ 1 for four tater tots seriously?). Although its good filler food, its not only weird, its kind of sad. The serving portions of everything else on the appetizer menus is ridiculously small. I guess its what you expect from a more classy place like Great Bay.
Overall: I like Great Bay. So much as to say, I’d consider actually dining here. For drinks, its great — just don’t expect to have any of the munchies blow you away… although its pretty decent. A-​OK for now until I try it for a full meal, but hey, this is like a first date. Maybe I’ll give her a call back.

Oh hey, what’s this? A gift certificate that I won at a Unilocal event almost a year ago for Great Bay? It’s now or never to use it, so I logged into the Open Table website a few weeks ago and made reservations for Valentine’s Day.
I remembered the drinks and hors d’oeuvres we were served at the Unilocal event last year were delicious, so I knew the food would be good. We arrived right on time and were seated right away next to an older couple snobbishly talking about the nuances of the chocolate cake they were sharing. Great.
We ordered the oysters and the lobster dumplings for apps, both of which were fantastic. The oysters were very fresh, and the dumplings were cooked to perfection and a teensy bit spicy. For the main course, I ordered the skatewing and the Dave had the striped bass. My dish was pretty good, as was the Dave’s, but we were left wanting more. Instead of dessert, however, we had some cordials to end the night because we’re fancy like that.
I’m glad that I won the GC (thanks, Ligaya!) and was able to use it to have a nice meal here, but honestly, I think that I’d rather have my special occasion dinners at Eastern Standard or Petit Robert Bistro instead if I’m in the area. Great Bay is good, but those other restaurants are better.

Great Bay is an amazing place to dine… but least we not for get the drink!
Seasonally changing cocktails, extensive wine list and talent with ideas behind the plank. It’s what you want when you’re not feeling scene-​esk.
Lounge has a great, clean, fresh energy. The island bar serves up ridiculous nibbles that leave you guilt free.
Rinse and Repeat — often.

A short jaunt down the block from my friend’s place. Great Bay has some yummy offerings for their Sand Dollar menu (btwn 5 – 6 on weekdays, that the Red Sox aren’t playing). Since my friend and her bf work too much and actually got off early they took me to this cool spot. Great Bay has these nice glass doors and a nicely decorated interior.
The menu items consisted of Mini Tacos (Halibut Ceviche w/​White Bean Purée and Avocado), Sashimi of the day (Tazmanian something w/​olive and chimchurri sauce), Calamari, Lobster Dumplings, and Oysters. We only ordered Tacos (14 of them!), Sashimi (5 pieces) and the Calamari. It was delicious!
I wish I lived in Boston to come here more often.

Total love right now. My brother and I just went here for restaurant week and had a blast. Our waiter was totally cool, very attentive, and wanted to fatten us with rolls and butter, to which we greedily did submit. Whoever was behind the bar makes pretty good sidecars (next time please sugar the rim!!!). Orion beer was delish as usual. And we never, ever had to ask for more water as someone always anticipated the need.
Portions were small-​ish, but that was fine as we were stuffed by the end. Tuna sashimi was super tasty. Bro ordered the pork belly — omg, fatty, tender deliciousness and everything Diary of a Foodie promised and more — and t’was the best. I got the skate and it was flaky and light and the spice crust was purrrfect. I’ve never really been a fan of quinoa, so that was only so so; Bro kept calling it «birdseed» and nearly had to be restrained from pecking my plate. Desserts were alright — strawberry terrine was light, ice cream cookie sandwich was heavy.
Coup de maitre was the $ 33.08 gift certificate as a ‘thank you’ for trying out Great Bay during restaurant week. WE WILL BE BACK!
PS. GB, thank you very much for putting up with us as we cursed and howled with laughter while discussing the finer points of the Kenny vs. Spenny show over dessert. We love you for letting us be ourselves. And for making us feel fat and sassy!

Mine and the boyfriend’s anniversary dinner took place here. I was expecting it to be ritzy, being in a hotel. But I felt a bit underdressed… even though I was IN a dress. Small, dimly lit, high ceilings with a cool bar/​sushi bit in the middle. Being architects, the BF and I spent probably a good 20 minutes trying to decipher the odd silver disc chandelier type thing at the back of the room and decided that it was because the light bouncing off looked like fish scales. (Kinda cool, but also kinda lame.)
It was EMPTY when we came here at 8 on a Friday night, so I felt a little self conscious. But the waiter was nice and attentive. We ordered a calamari dish as an appetizer and were pleasantly surprised when two seperate HEAPING plates of calamari came out. SCORE! Main dish, I had the eggplant wrapped salmon in curry sauce (every menu item was a little odd combination.), he had the baked trout. Both of our meals were cooked PERFECTLY, the fish flaked and melted in your mouth (I’m totally salivating at the memory). The only downsides were the weird curry combination and the lack of choice on the menu. I’m pretty sure there was a wider selection of wine than food. not that that’s a bad thing.
Probably wouldn’t go here again — in a nutshell, it’s the kind of place where you dress up to spend a lot to eat a little amount of food. and crave a cheeseburger after.

One of the most decadent, delicious, fulfilling meals I’ve had in a long time. Michael Shlow’s lobster dumplings (whoa), fresh raw oysters (yow), seared tuna (wowza), my husband’s trio of pork entrée (he nearly fainted with joy/​ecstasy), a cold bottle of South African white wine (yesss!)… This meal was amazing. AMAZING. Good god… who knew such a great meal was to be had just down the street from the soggy burgers of Fenway and Unos.
This place is a gem. Perfect for a romantic dinner or a splurgy girls dinner out.

Went to Great Bay for some Fashion Week thing. Although the drinks were a bit pricey, the fact that two of my best friends were pretty drunk after a few rounds means that at least I am getting my money’s worth. I wasn’t too impressed with any of the food that they had to nibble on. In fact, most of the food that passed under our noses was greeted with quizzical looks and whispers of «what do you suppose this is?»
Also, I am all set with being hit on by middle-​aged, stocky, spiky-​haired meatheads. Really? I have big lips? I never knew.
I do like the atmosphere though. I felt like there was room to roam. Also, the DJ was cute and funny. Not as funny as some of the drunk 40-​something woman trying to bust a move on the floor, though. Hilarious.
I might go back.

A long time favorite seafood restaurant of mine in Boston… I am sure there have been a dozen new seafood restaurants since I have left… but I have always gone back to this place and leaving very satisfied.
The ambiance is very chic, cool and collected. Easy place to get a conversation started and keep it going. It’s big enough so you don’t feel cluttered and you don’t have to shout. Major plus. It’s a bit dim from what I remember, so don’t expect a major bright light production or anything… but hey, who needs all that lighting anyways?
The fish has always been fresh, and my palate is never empowered by the sauce. I am notorious about making sauce complaints, but I never had to make one here. The flavors are kept very simple and yet still manage to taste amazing. The appetizers (you must especially try the halibut tacos and one raw item from the island bar!) & dessert are sharp and innovative. Great Bay is probably one of the few restaurants where I really truly enjoyed the dessert and I have fallen in love with pear sorbet. Again, simple, clean flavors that really balance the palate nicely.
It’s been a while since I have been back, but I am dying to go back and see new items on their menu. I’m sure they change it up every year… and hopefully keep up with consistency.

Great Bay knows seafood. Oh, yes. It knows seafood.
Often, when I order fish, I brace myself to be disappointed: it’s too dry, it’s less than enough to fill me, it’s complementary elements are not complementary. Great Bay has shown me that fish can be done well and it can be done right.
Take, for example, the trout I had the other night. The trout itself was juicy and not dry. Its skin was crispy and salty – but it didn’t taste like a salt lick. The other items on my plate (asparagus, mushrooms, and hash) each contained elements of the fish (firm, juicy, crispy) and worked well together to create a yumminess I can’t really explain in words. Oh god I wish I had leftovers – but I don’t because it was so good the first time.
I’d also like to add the fact that their desserts are delicious! The only word for the cobbler or the panna cotta would have to be AMAZING. It was a great way to top off a wonderful dinner.
The décor in the place makes you feel like you’re in an aquarium. That might be good or bad, depending on if you like the spaciousness of Great Bay or prefer a more intimate setting. Though, I will say that either way you should prepare to feel relaxed.
Bottom line: Do you want seafood? If so, then you want Great Bay.

4 stars instead of 3 simply because of this exchange:
Three of us out on a girls night share 3 entrees and order one desert to share.
Waiter: You sure do seem to be in a sharing mood tonight.
Shannon B: We even share a husband!
Me: Note that she’s the only one with a diamond though…
Waiter: laughs instead of running away from our tipsy asses or calling the FBI about polygamous chicks in his restaurant.
Atmosphere: fantastic. Great lounge space, chill music, very high ceilings. All of the tables are far enough apart to feel like you’re actually having private conversations which is fantastic in Boston. You definitely feel like you’re in a sophisticated but not overly pretentious place.
Entrees: Good but not mindblowing. we shared the skate, the diver scallops, and the tailfish. It was all well cooked but none of the flavor combinations blew me away or made me want to devour more than my third.
Drinks: Shannon B. ordered a fantastic black tea and peach margarita. Very subtle flavors.
Desert: Chocoate torte and wasabi ice cream to die for! This was the one food item where I really loved the way that all of the flavors worked together.
Summary: I will be back in the summer for drinks and to check out the Island Bar menu which includes a yummy looking variety of raw seafood items!

Service can really make or break any restaurant for me. I have been to plenty of four star places with zero star service, and vice versa. Great Bay brought the four star service and used said service to deliver a four star meal.
With restaurant week, I always feel like the restaurants somehow resent us promo-​diners, and view us as annoyances during these two weeks… trotting out half-​assed service and penny-​pinching meals that squeeze into the $ 33 range. I didn’t feel this way at all with Great Bay.
We got there about 8 for an 8:30 reservation, and sat at the bar, which was beautiful and spacious with very low and inviting lighting. It’d be a great after work hangout if the drinks weren’t in the $ 9-​$ 17 range, which incidentally was my only real complaint of the night. The bartender was pleasant and prompt, and they even offered to transfer our bar bill to the table, which is something that so few places do any more.
Once we sat down, we dined. We were ordering from the restaurant week menu (3-​course) but wanted to try the clam chowder which would have made way too many first courses for two people. We mentioned we would split it, and instead of bringing us two spoons and getting annoyed (or telling us we couldn’t split it), they brought out two smaller bowls and split it for us, charging us for one full-​priced bowl. I was won over there.
The rest of the menu was great, and the restaurant week menu didn’t disappoint. Perfectly grilled shrimp, an awesome crab and watermelon-​tomato gazpacho, and sweet desserts. All with spectacular service from the hostess to the bartender to the waiter and everyone in between.
Also worth noting, is the space is beautiful and much much larger than I had thought from the outside. And they use it too, as tables are not 2 inches from one another as they are in so many other places. The only complaint was the prices of drinks and some of the smaller items was definitely on the high side, so if you go to Great Bay, don’t forget that high-​limit credit card.

I had dined at Eastern Standard and really liked it, so a bunch of us went to Great Bay before the Sox game (and after being turned away from ES) last night. I really liked the atmosphere – very modern, but comfortable. You definitely feel like you are in a chi-​chi restaurant.
Appetizers start at $ 12. Yes, you read that right. Most everything is made with seafood, except the warm asparagus salad. There were a lot of business types here, so I think it’s a pretty popular spot to be wined and dined.
Our group got a variety of things. I had the spicy crab cake ($ 15), which was a little too spicy but still enjoyable. Others had the fried Calamari, tuna sashimi, shrimp coctail and halibut tacos. Entrees start at around $ 22. I think it’s very pricy for the amount of food, but whatever.
The experience was great and it’s a good place to go for drinks and maybe a very special occasion.

BRUNCH AT GREAT BAY
So, its a little known secret that Great Bay does brunch. I have actually never been there for lunch or dinner (because well its on the higher end of my budget and while I LIKE seafood its not my 100% favorite, so I have yet to see a point to do dinner there yet)
BUT, I have been for brunch on a Sunday several times now and is a very nice treat. Yes, still a bit pricey but a great place to take your parents when they are in town visiting.
My personal favorite, is that no matter what, you meal comes with this yummy free breakfast bread basket filled with like a chocolate croissant, banana bread, yummy scones, etc. Makes spending $ 16 on a breakfast entrée much more palatable. As for drinks, try their yummy cocktail spin on the Bloody Mary called «The Ghost of Mary». She will keep calling you back into Great Bay to drink her!

I cannot give this place 5 stars until I go back to try their sashimi. I love the décor which is funky without being tacky. I came here with two girlfriends and since one of them was born with only half a brain, me and the smarter one were waiting at the bar for a good hour… we got wasted.
The Ghost of Mary cocktail was bombass… it was like a meal in a drink. So spicy and refreshing! I had a glass of Gruner Veltliner which is a refreshing white wine from Austria. Wow. Scott (or Scottie-​too-​hottie as we were referring to him by the end of night) is an amazing bartender. Wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor and wildly entertaining.
Our waitress sucked. She was this awkward wisp of a girl who was pissed that my two anorexic friends only ordered salads and shared a butterscotch pudding. I, on the other hand, feasted on gazpacho (not bad but I’ve defintely had better. needed more zing), potato-​crusted haddock and butterscotch pudding from the restaurant week menu. The haddock is pretty conservative considering the spread of their actual menu but omg was it so good! Flaky, buttery, and melt in your mouth with a bit of that surprise crunch from the potato crust. The chips that came with, I could’ve done without. The butterscotch pudding is outrageously good — very rich and has a wonderful toffee color.
I also feel compelled to comment on the rolls… forgive me, Father, for I have sinned… We all got one precious dinner roll that was nicely buttered up and served with two HUGE butter shavings but I swear to god, the way that thing sliced when I put the knife through it… it was like cheese. The thickest, richest, disgustingly sinful butter ever… and I spread that filth all over my roll and it was amazing. drool.

I had an excellent time here even though it was a Sunday evening.
Although there was a wait, it was well worth it for it was a wonderful dinner comprised of Potato Gnocchi with a Bluefin Tuna Tartare. Next was BBQ Glazed Prawns, and a hearty pork chop. Finishing off the evening was a Green Apple Tarte Tartin and Chocolate filled crepes. The red wine for the evening was a nice and smooth Pinot Noir. All in all, it was a nice evening that I didn’t want to end. And notorious for their raw bar, this is a good option if one is ever looking for an alternative to Uno’s in Kenmore Square.