Jim Malinn, general manager of the Union Oyster House, shows paintings depicting important moments in Boston's history in the heritage room of the famous New England restaurant, which has served seafood for 174 years. CHRISTOPHER PFUHL/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Ye Old Oyster House

Old restaurant offers chowder with history on the side

Web posted April 30, 2000

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 If you go

By Karen Testa
Associated Press

BOSTON -- The history of Ye Olde Union Oyster House is as rich as the clam chowder.

The building that houses the nation's oldest continuously operating restaurant has served seafood for 174 years -- to customers ranging from statesman Daniel Webster to President Kennedy to the 1999 U.S. Ryder Cup team.

But even before the U-shaped mahogany oyster bar opened in 1826, the building had a colorful past.

Exiled Frenchman Louis Philippe taught fashionable young ladies to speak his language in an upstairs room in the late 1790s. Some of the first stirrings of the American Revolution came from the printing press of Isaiah Thomas, who published The Massachusetts Spy, one of the nation's first newspapers, in the building.

And in 1775, the building on Union Street, known then as Capen's Silk and Dry Goods Store, was a spot where Revolutionary soldiers received their war wages. Today, it's where locals and tourists feast on traditional New England fare, such as lobsters, cornbread, steamers, Indian pudding and, of course, clam chowder.

The history is as much a draw as the cuisine.

``That's one of the reasons we come here,'' says Connie Gray, eating lunch at the bar where Webster drank a tall tumbler of brandy and water with each plate of raw oysters. (History holds that he rarely left before finishing six plates.)

``It is a unique experience,'' Ms. Gray continues. ``It's history. It's superb seafood. It's being part of another time.''

The restaurant is located along Boston's Freedom Trail, a 2'-mile walking path that links 16 historic sites, including Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church and the Bunker Hill monument. While the restaurant is not a sanctioned site, it's a popular breaking spot for tourists who hike the trail.

No one really knows how old the building is; it was built before such records were kept.

However, it is known that it opened as a restaurant in 1826 and that before that it was a dry goods business known under two names, Capen's and Atwood & Bacon. In the building's early days, before the city was expanded by a landfill, Boston Harbor came up to the back door.

Much of the interior of the building looks as it would have generations ago. The windows on the first floor are low to allow children to press their noses to the glass and watch the shuckers at work behind the bar. Inside, a giant lobster tank keeps dinner fresh.

The base of the U-shaped mahogany oyster bar is the same one frequented by Webster, though the stools and the top serving bar have been replaced often over the years.

A second-floor dining room, known as the Pine Room, is where Louis Philippe taught French. The dimly lighted, low-ceiling room is also home to the tall-backed, private, wooden booth No. 18, where President Kennedy would read newspapers and eat lobster. The booth was dedicated in his memory in 1977.

Oil paintings on the walls depict important developments in the city and nation's history, including Mr. Thomas' printing of The Massachusetts Spy and the British confiscation of his printing press. Oyster House owner Joe Milano enjoys sharing the history with guests.

``Often when we tell the story, they think he's the basketball player,'' he says.

That's not to say athletes aren't a part of the oyster house history.

Before the U.S. victory in last year's Ryder Cup, Mr. Milano honored the team with a private reception. Three stools were added to the nine-seat oyster bar to accommodate the entire team and its captains. Tiger Woods and some of his teammates posed with a 10-pound lobster. And a tiny bronze plaque denotes the stool where the late Payne Stewart sat at the bar. It has been dedicated to his memory.

On a busy day at the Oyster House, people at the bar open about 2,000 oysters. And servers dish out at least 40 gallons of clam chowder.

Chef Bill Coyne, who recently joined the restaurant, says he's looking for ways to enhance and update the menu -- but he knows not to mess with success.

``I'm sure if we had a menu from 60, 70 years ago, it's the same thing,'' he says. ``The standards sell here.''

If you go

The Union Oyster House is at 41 Union St., near Faneuil Hall Marketplace on the Freedom Trail.

It is open from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

The price of entrees ranges from $15 to $20 and up. Chowder is $3.50 a cup.

For more information call (617) 227-2750 or visit www.unionoysterhouse.com.