In the News

Cohasset Harbor Inn is now a Smoke-Free environment

The decision to become “Smoke Free” was driven by its managers & staff.
The management recognized that the majority of guests would prefer to enjoy their rooms with beautiful views of the harbor without having the concern of second hand smoke. This follows the Inn’s philosophy of creating a clean and healthy environment for all guests.

Located at 124 Elm Street, The Cohasset Harbor Inn hosts private functions, weddings, corporate events & overnight guests throughout the year. More information may be found at www.cohassetharborresort.com or call Steve Campbell at (781) 383 - 6650.

Atlantica Restaurant and Olde Salt House are South Shore Living Award Recipients

Atlantica Restaurant is the recipient of the 2007 Winner Reception Venue
Olde Salt House is the recipient of the 2007 Winner for Outdoor Dining

TV Diner with Bill Costa 6.6.05

Atlantica
(5/28/05 8:03 a.m.) Beautifully positioned at one of the most charming harbors along the Eastern seaboard--Atlantica restaurant is known as much for the cuisine as the view! We gave it a try.

View

Go al fresco: Dining under the stars - or a sunny summer sky - is one of the pleasures of this season

Cindy Doody and Doreene Close, both of Scituate, split dessert at the Olde Salt House. (DEBEE TLUMACKI/The Patriot Ledger)

By LINDA DIXON
For The Patriot Ledger

Al fresco, en plein air, whatever you want to call it, we want it. It's summer and we want to dine in the sunshine and sip under the stars. If there is one place worth driving to, to do either or both, it is the Back Eddy in Westport. Perhaps it's the Westport sunsets, which seem unrivalled in these parts. Or maybe it's the reputation for fine food. Located smack in Westport harbor, and boasting docking facilities for boaters, the estimable chef Chris Schlesinger may well have sold his seaside baby, but the cooking remains gourmet good and the atmosphere resort-casual (within reason: use discretion and don't go flaunting what you shouldn't oughta flaunt).

Sunset-watching is all well and good, but for people-watching you can't beat Boston's Newbury Street. There are many restaurants and cafes of all persuasions and sizes, some with delicate secluded patios and others with tables stretched across the sidewalk for full-on voyeuristic dining.

For the most extravagant show of chichi style, the roomy, shady and well-subscribed Armani Café is a poseur's paradise. With a new chef recently installed, the food shines far brighter than the array of designer sunglasses. Classic Italian dishes, composed from fresh traditional produce, are gorgeously and simply accented with lemon, olive oil and herbs.

A medium-priced menu also includes some of the best panini in town for around 10 bucks. A fabulous martini menu includes the café's Summer Lovin', concocted from rums and fruit liqueurs.

Hamersley's Bistro in the South End, right on Tremont has a gorgeous, spacious patio, sheltered from the road by trees, but allowing panoramic street life viewing, whether it is the artniks heading to the Cyclorama nearby, or the well-heeled residents walking their pooches. The patio has the atmosphere of a village square, and, of course, chef and owner Gordon Hamersley's menu is a mainstay of Boston foodie culture.

Classic cocktails are a must here; entrées are $25 and up, but a patio/bar menu boasts snacks around $10-$12, and includes Hamersley's famed dog above the rest, the Fenway Sausage.

Harvard Square is another fertile destination for urban outdoor dining. Casual sidewalk eateries add outside tables for summer. Unfortunately though, if you want to enjoy an alcoholic drink, many don't have licenses that cover the sidewalk, so check first.

For a secluded and peaceful spot just off the square, the courtyard tucked behind the Charles Hotel on Bennett Street, just by JFK Park, is a mini piazza with a community feeling that's removed from the hustle and bustle.

Two great restaurants dominate the scene there: Henrietta's Table and a recently opened Legal Sea Foods. Both feature medium-priced menus and a lovely sedate ambiance, and both serve Sunday brunch.

Over by Eliot Street, Legal recently added an impressive new raw bar patio for chilled summer delights. Otherwise, for the 'tini taster, it has a selection of martini flights. The moderately priced menu includes Alaskan wild salmon dishes, to promote sustainable fishing, including the whimsically titled Nutty Encrusted, which is a salmon steak crisped with flaked almonds that is utterly yummy and eco-friendly.

Further along the Charles River, heading east, the Cambridge Hyatt houses Zephyr, which has a secluded second floor terrace that elevates diners above the madding crowd and traffic below, and offers superb views of the river and the Boston skyline.

The innovative menu is mid-priced: start with a James Bond Blonde cocktail, a crazy concoction that includes both gin and vodka for those martini lovers who don't know which way to swing. And end with the wonderful award-winning molten chocolate cake.

For a real Boston get-away-from-it-all, in more ways than one, check out Anthony's Pier 4, at Northern Avenue on the harbor. Not only does the seafood restaurant and bar have a large deck with the sea gently lapping at its lip, but also the retro feel of this classic joint recollects the age of its inception in 1963, at the end of the great American era of Cocktail Cool. There's even a photo of Sinatra in the foyer.

A popular city destination, and usually a busy one in summer, is Boston's Fanueil Hall, where patio dining and excellent food is available at Kingfish Hall, Rustic Kitchen, and McCormick and Schmick's.

For casual hanging out, Quincy's Marina Bay is ideal for waterfront dining that retains a little city slickness. From mainstay Siro's to Captain Fishbones, diners can relax in this pretty harborside spot.

In Hingham Harbor, sit outdoors on a sunny day at Caffe Tosca, designed to resemble an Italian wine bar. You can enjoy regional Italian specialties like Sicilian arancini, deep-fried risotto fritters, homemade pasta and wood-grilled pizzas.

For a truly picturesque rural seaside meal, head south to Cohasset Harbor, where the Harbor Inn's casual Olde Salt House opens up outside during the summer months. There is limited mooring space at this waterside diner, but no shortage of gorgeous leafy views.

The Salt House's seafood and fish comes straight in from the boat to the kitchen, where it is turned into fried clams, lobster salad, and more on the mid-priced menu. For liquid dessert lovers, the Mudslide cocktail mixes kahlua and chocolate syrup for a naughty adult milkshake.

Enjoy the fleeting summer swelter at an urban or waterfront hotspot, but remember, take a sweater so you can enjoy it all late into the evening, after the sun is gone and that refreshing chill stirs the air.

If you go...

Anthony's Pier 4, 140 Northern Ave., Boston. 617-482-6262.
Armani Café, 214 Newbury St., Boston. 617-437-0909.
The Back Eddy, 1 Bridge Rd., Westport. 508-636-6500.
Caffe Tosca, North St., Hingham Harbor. 781-740-9400.
Captain Fishbones, 332 Victory Road, Quincy, 617-471-3511.
Hamersley's Bistro, 553 Tremont St., Boston. 617-423-2700.
Henrietta's Table, 1 Bennett St., Cambridge. 617- 661-5005.
Legal Sea Foods, 20 University Road, Cambridge. 617-491-9400.
The Olde Salt House, 40 Border Street, Cohasset. 781-383-2203.
Siro's Marina Bay, 307 Victory Road, Quincy. 617-472-4500.
Zephyr, 575 Memorial Drive, Cambridge. 617-492-1234.

Visit by Lord Stanley's Cup draws crowd of hundreds in Cohasset 7.6.04

Fans line up to view the Stanley Cup at the Olde Salt House of Atlantica in Cohasset.
(GREG DERR/The Patriot Ledger)

By MIKE LOFTUS
The Patriot Ledger

COHASSET - Any thoughts Steve Campbell had of it being a slow morning at work were gone before she parked her car.

It was only 9:45 a.m. and the guest of honor wasn't due at the Olde Salt House of Atlantica for more than hour, but people were already waiting.

Howard quickly found herself under an umbrella in the restaurant parking lot and, while the business of directing people into line wasn't slow, it was quiet. The growing crowd waited respectfully until a few minutes after 11 a.m. when it broke into cheers as Steve Baker carried the Stanley Cup along the sidewalk to a table at the head of the line.

Baker, who scouts New England for the Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning, was one of an estimated 100 or more people associated with the team who will spend time with the NHL's hallowed championship trophy by the end of summer. It was brought first yesterday to his home in Cohasset (‘‘We took some quick shots for Christmas cards,'' he said), and then to the Olde Salt House for hockey fans to have their pictures taken with it before Baker's family and friends completed their five-hour window with the Cup at a private party.

Some of the hundreds who showed up darted out of line to take a quick snap of the trophy; a few of the most pragmatic simply slowed down on Border Street and took photos from their cars. Most, however, waited patiently in the rain for their chance to be photographed with the Cup, which has undergone drastic changes since it was first awarded in 1893, but remains perhaps the most unique and easily the most-traveled trophy in sports.

‘‘They can touch it; they just can't lift it,'' were the rules established by Walt Neubrand of the Hockey Hall of Fame, one of three HHOF employees who transport and care for the current version of the Cup on its frequent trips. Yesterday was an All-Massachusetts day: It left Cohasset in the afternoon for New Bedford, where Lightning trainer Tom Mulligan got to have it for the evening.

‘‘The number of people who get to have the Cup changes all the time, depending on the team that wins it,'' Neubrand said. ‘‘But if you figure upper management, players, coaching staff, trainers, scouts ... you've got to figure it's going to make at least one stop a day, from July probably until mid-September when training camps open.''

Baker, who grew up in Quincy and Braintree and played at Archbishop Williams High School (Boston Bruins general manager Mike O'Connell was a teammate), had waited a long time to get his hands on the Cup. As a New York Ranger reserve goalie in 1979, he watched Ken Dryden and the Montreal Canadiens win a five-game final from New York; two years later Baker was in goal for 14 playoff games as the Rangers made it to the Cup semifinals before losing to the New York Islanders.

Still, he had no trouble letting fans spend time with it.

‘‘It's to be shared,'' said Baker, who was joined by his wife, Rosemary, son Stephen and daughter Brooke (she came back from Australia, where she was studying), plus plenty of old hockey friends and their kids, at yesterday's photo opportunity. ‘‘That's what it's all about.''

Baker wasn't surprised that people weren't about to let a little rain keep them from seeing the Cup with their own eyes, and touching it with their own fingers.

‘‘It's heart-warming, honestly,'' he said. ‘‘The Cup is a magnet - it really is. It's just a fabulous experience to be able to bring it here and let the people spend a little time with it.''

Mike Loftus may be reached at mloftus@ledger.com.

Atlantica on Cohasset Harbor unveils new menu!

Announces a “choose your own grilled fare” approach to dining out

Cohasset, Massachusetts, As spring settles in, so will a new menu concept at Atlantica restaurant on Cohasset Harbor.

Atlantica has developed a variety of new menu items to be served from Atlantica’s mixed wood grill.

Regulars, have no fear - in tact are the still the old faithful “house favorites”.

The new menu allows for more interaction with Atlantica’s knowledgeable staff. Guests are to select their favorite fish, chicken or beef item and the chef will cook it to perfection. The staff will assist in choosing from a variety of sauces to complement the entree including gorgonzola cream sauce, Brazilian cucumber salsa, soy & ginger sauce or papaya mango sambal. This will be partnered with two side dishes of choice including but not limited to a variety of salads, bacon and caramelized leek pommes puree or horseradish mashed potato. This new menu encourages cuisine creativity while offering simple yet succulent menu items for all to enjoy.

Atlantica will even throw in the fantastic water view for free!

Located at 44 Border Street, Atlantica is open seven days a week:

Mon-Thurs 5PM-9:30PM
Fri & Sat 5PM-10:30PM
Sunday 12Noon-9PM

View our complete menu or call (781) 383-6650

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Michelle Scully, Atlantica
(781) 383-6650