First look: Legal Sea Foods

(Credit: Legal Sea Foods)

Legal Sea Foods, the classy restaurant chain previously found only the Boston, Washington, D.C. and South Florida vicinities, has made its way to Atlanta and docked in the heart of it all: Downtown. Located at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in the Luckie-Marietta District on 275 Baker Street, across from Centennial Olympic Park and, ironically, The Georgia Aquarium, Legal Sea Foods, Downtown Atlanta is an attraction for tourists and residents alike.

The Scene: This newest of the Legal Sea Foods locations, Downtown Atlanta’s features multiple areas, each with a different vibe, providing something for everyone. The upper level main dining room features a balcony-style patio with views of the skyline, a full-service bar and an open kitchen. There’s also a private dining area, surrounded by temperature-controlled wine rooms, available for parties.

Downstairs, the oyster bar is a cocktail lounge that sits along the street—making it great for people watching. It features freshly shucked shellfish, a state-of-the-art wine bar and cocktails galore.

Throughout the restaurant and bars, the décor was specifically installed to create a warm, welcoming yet stylish feel. Dark woods and unique light fixtures (providing dim light) set the mood for a night out in the city, and the rooms are carefully sectioned off by banquettes to make for a more intimate atmosphere.

The Food: As the name dictates, Legal Sea Foods specializes in everything from under the sea. While there’s no sea even remotely close to our land-locked city, Legal Sea Foods boasts the freshest catches every day; the top of the catch seafood is flown in daily!

Four menus are available—each posted on the restaurant’s website—including a gluten-free menu for those with Celiac disease and other gluten allergies and a take-out menu for those who want all the goodness of Legal in their own homes.

The dinner menu features a variety of chowders, appetizers and salads. In the winter, a cup of New England clam chowder, lite clam chowder, Maryland cream of crab soup or Louisiana shrimp gumbo can warm the soul. In hotter times, the Legal experience—a sampler platter with blackened raw tuna sashimi, grilled calamari, shrimp cocktail and crab cakes—can be just the thing to kick off an evening with close friends. For those who aren’t as big on seafood, the tortilla, apple and goat cheese salad looks to offer a surprisingly pleasant combination with avocado, roasted red peppers and chipotle orange dressing.

The entrée sections of the menu are divided into Simply Legal—choice of select fish or seafood items grilled with choice of Cajun spice or lemon chive butter; Inspired—more complex cooking combinations such as the nutty wild salmon, which is almond-crusted and served with lemon caper butter sauce and mushroom ravioli; and Legal Lobsters—steamed, baked, stuffed or rolled. In addition, there are buns, rolls & wraps—burgers and sandwiches for the nonseafood-eater; surf, turf and beyond—the obvious, plus filet and chicken meals; and Classic—traditional New England fare like fish and chips and baked Boston scrod. A variety of desserts are available, too.