Sometimes, it only takes two minutes to make a big decision. That’s how it went for Bryan Sord, who saw a restaurant space at Tivoli Village and instantly knew that’s where he would open a seafood restaurant. He took the spot, pandemic be damned, and Boston’s Fish House & Bar is now upping the northwest Valley’s seafood game.
Rest assured, Sord is no novice. The Chicago native has been in the food business a long time. “I was born in the business,” he says. “My father had a restaurant, the Candlelight Lodge, that he started in 1958. And I probably got into the restaurant business with him, I’m sure, around 6 and 7 years old, young, going to help him vacuum the restaurant and things like that.”
Sord’s own son, Nicholas, also took to the business, moving out West to open Sunny Side Up in Boca Park, a concept Sord also runs in Chicago, along with 94 West Steak & Seafood in that city’s Orland Park suburb. Sord says he has always wanted to open a restaurant called Boston’s in Chicago, but when the opportunity arose in Las Vegas—a town he has visited regularly since he was 21—he didn’t hesitate. He now splits his time between the two cities, enjoying both hot and cold weather.
The interior at Boston’s Fish House is expansive and elegant, with muted colors accented by cooling blue tones. If you’re looking for an upscale seafood dining experience, this fits the bill. But it works for a more casual brunch, too, and offers plenty of daytime drinking options at tables set out in the front and at a bar inside.
The menu is massive; those prone to indecision will be studying it for a bit, as everything competes for attention. But you’re in good hands with executive chef Jason Diaz, a Strip veteran who was part of the opening crew at the Cosmopolitan. Start with the small plates if you’re dining with others. The fried calamari ($17), served with a spicy tomato sauce, is a crowd pleaser, along with classics like shrimp cocktail ($18) and crab cakes ($20).
Seared branzino
Seafood is flown in daily, and its freshness shines in the soups and salad. Both the lobster bisque ($7-$9.50) and clam chowder ($6-$8) are hearty and creamy. The chopped salad ($25) is practically a meal in itself, with crab meat, lobster, shrimp, tomatoes, cucumber, red onions and iceberg lettuce, dressed in a lemon vinaigrette. Don’t skip the table bread, which Sord flies in from Chicago.
If you’re here for lunch and looking for less-heavy fare, the lobster roll ($25) is a good choice. A soft brioche roll is split on top and stuffed with fresh lobster in a light cream sauce. Opt for the Boston chips as a side, an addictive accompaniment with a hint of salt and vinegar.
Among entrees, there’s seafood for days, including cioppino ($49), with lobster, clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and salmon in a spicy tomato sauce, and a coconut crusted sea bass ($38), panko-crusted and garnished with banana and rum sauce on the side. If you’ve come for the fish, you’ll find branzino, salmon, red snapper and swordfish, and you might momentarily forget we’re a landlocked state. There are also specialty dishes to consider, particularly the papardelle sea bass ($42)—delicate pasta with shrimp and tender Chilean sea bass enrobed in white wine cream sauce.
Don’t resist the dessert, either. All are made in-house, and Sord also flies in the ice cream from Chicago. Portions are generous, so best to share with the table. And while the tiramisu ($13) is irresistible, the Boston cream pie ($13) is a sweet homage to this newcomer to our Valley’s dining scene.
BOSTON’S FISH HOUSE & BAR 400 S. Rampart Blvd. #190, 725-777-3730. Sunday-Thursday,11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
