ATLANTIC 101
101 Atlantic Avenue, Boston
(617) 723-5101
(Directions)

Restaurant reviewed 01/07/99 by Alison Arnett

ATLANTIC 101 Atasca Type: Seafood Prices: Lunch: appetizers, soups, salads: $4.50-$11; sandwiches: $7.50-$13.75; entrees: $9.50-$26: desserts, $6; dinner: appetizers, salads, soups: $4.50-$11.75; entrees: $15.50-$39; desserts: $6. Good Choices: Lobster bisque, caesar salad; potato gnocchi; sea scallops melanzane; cedar-roasted sea bass; chocolate pecan pie. Hours: Lunch: Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner Sunday-Thursday, 5- 10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 5-10:30 p.m. Reservations accepted. Smoking at the bar. Credit cards: All major cards. Access: Fully accessible.

Once steak was prime -- what Mom and Dad went out for on a Saturday night, a mark of sophistication. Knowing the difference between a petite filet mignon (for Mom) and a hefty porterhouse (for Dad) was evidence of more than a brief acquaintance with fine dining. Money was no object -- or at least was not the first thing on your mind -- when steak was on the plate.

But over the years, tastes and styles have changed. Seafood, once the basic Friday night dinner, swung into at least a neck-and-neck race with beef. Instead of steak, we order salmon or the lobster special, with that look of smug satisfaction of being on the cutting edge. And as with the tendency to disregard costs for the sake of luxury, price is not the first thing on our mind. We expect to put out serious money for seafood.

Atlantic 101, which opened last summer, aims to profit from this fascination with a menu heavily based on seafood. Located in the stately Mercantile Wharf Building on Atlantic Avenue, once a commercial center for shipping and trade, the restaurant uses to advantage the beauty of the structure's brick, high ceilings, structure's brick, high ceilings, and tall windows facing the streets, and then contrasts that with striking contemporary art and lighting. An attractive upscale room, a seafood-strong menu in a historic building, a location appropriately close to the harbor -- what could be better?

Well, a few things. Atlantic 101's chef Mark Kowal came on board a month and a half ago, he told me in a phone interview, and is planning substantial menu changes. He steers away from heavy sauces, and strives for clean flavors, and likes to use American regional influences. Meanwhile, he said, he's been working , he said, from the previous chef's menu and putting his stamp on specials.

While some dishes showed spark, there were disappointments that didn't seem to lie with the conception of dishes, but with their execution. Prices seemed steep at times for the quality of the food. And the service varied from dismissive to adequate.

Take, for example, sole stuffed with smoked salmon, shrimp, and spinach, one of Kowal's specials on a recent Sunday evening. The sole was over-cooked and dry; the smoked salmon too assertive for the rest of the dish; the filling spilled out in an unattractive way. In short, the dish was a mess. As if to make up for that, the rest of the plate was crammed full of a good rice pilaf with vegetables and olives, and some lovely sauteed spinach.

However, A swordfish steak was worse. Described as a thick center cut that had been wood-grilled, the fish was mushy and flat in taste, and skimpy at $22. The hollandaise sauce, possibly one that Kowal plans to deep-six, although he was chef at the time of the visit, was undistinguished, tasting as though it might have come from a package.

In fact, the whole visit teetered close to the edge of disaster. The clam chowder tasted too much of celery, its texture lumpy. The crab cakes didn't taste enough of crab and were too crisped. Caesar salad was quite good -- if only there had been a little more restraint with the dressing.

Our unrestrained praise went to the potato gnocchi, not seafood, not at all pretty on the plate, but really delicious. The homely little lumps were sauteed with wild mushrooms, sage, and plenty of Parmesan and butter, and were irresistible.

Most of the displeasure with that Sunday visit, though, was with the service. It's a tough night after the busy weekend, and it can be a slack time for restaurants. But a customer is a customer; you're paying the same prices for dinner that night as any other.

We were promptly seated and given menus in the big dining room -- the restaurant seats 240 in all -- and waited patiently. Then we waited some more. Finally a waiter came rushing up as though he'd just arrived and asked what we'd like to drink, and then his face registered disappointment at the lack of liquor ordered.

The meal was a series of fits and starts, with long pauses between courses. By the time we were asked about dessert, all four of us only wanted to leave. The desserts -- an odd apple puree affair on a flat, dry cookie-like crust and a cheesecake that tasted all right but looked as though it had been dropped and then shoved back into shape -- didn't really appease us, nor did the bitter coffee.

But the waiter, never prompt, completely disappeared until the waitress serving the next table took pity on us and brought our check. Finally the waiter sailed into view with pleasantries, seemingly unaware that we'd been waiting.

The next visit was smoother. Roasted sea bass did show off clean flavors, pleasantly accented by crisply sauteed vegetables and roasted potatoes. A leek risotto with lobster meat in champagne sauce was flavorful, although more lobster might have been offered for $29. Sea scallops were firm and moist with a vividly flavored casserole of eggplant and tomatoes. A lobster bisque was as rich and creamy as could be hoped for.

Even the desserts were better, especially a sweet potato pie crisscrossed with caramel.

The attitude of this evening's waiter was better, too; he seemed anxious to help. Even the pace picked up, inconsistent only in spots, halting especially in that witching hour before the check arrives. It's as though once the meal is served, the waiter moves on and forgets that table. Not a good idea, since that crucial time before the money transaction is often when the diner considers the matter of a tip.

Atlantic 101 has potential. The room is lovely; the idea of seafood near the water is appealing, and some of chef Kowal's dishes are good. Possibly, he and the restaurant need a little more time to develop. But at premium seafood prices, more haste than the wait staff sometimes shows would be advisable.