It’s one of eight restaurants in the U.S. For lovers of supersoft, super luxe cuts of wagyu beef, Rare imports cuts from Kobe and the Kagoshima prefecture. In addition to some great waterfront views, Rare has a boast-worthy and unusual beef program. The elegant Rare is a worthy addition to the Boston steakhouse scene. We couldn’t taste all the menus, but a couple of the leading restaurants caught our fancy. It’s a swanky way to begin your immersion in the party world of the casino.

The green curry corn nuts seemed to encapsulate the theme of Waterfront: somewhat familiar, but just a little over the top. The chicken skins, by the way, came with a nifty side of malt vinegar aioli. Many of these were local, and they were neatly matched to lobster poutine, crispy fried chicken skins (right), and-for vegetarian gamblers-hot shiitake sliders. Just down the hallway, Waterfront has a similar finger-food obsession, but the sparkling drinks are craft brews.

Keeping in mind that sparkle and salt are made for each other, Prosecco is the perfect drink in the Oyster Bar. We imagine that customers understand that huge crabs and giant prawns on steroids aren’t really New England seafood, but they do suit a casino air of excess. No such claims were made for the sweet king crab legs and the crunchy shrimp cocktail. The provenance of the lobster was less clear but was labeled as local.

The quahogs on the raw bar came from Wellfleet. The night we visited, the venue featured oysters from Maine and Massachusetts. We started at the Oyster Bar, which was conceived as an ode to New England seafood. (There’s even a Dunkin’ franchise in the casino.) They are hypnotic.Įncore brings Vegas pizzazz to the waterfront while still honoring local fare and dining traditions. They are encrusted with fabric flower blossoms. These aren’t just ordinary carousel horses. That starts when you walk in the main entrance to a fanciful carousel slowly spinning in the lobby. We were so engrossed with the food and cocktails that we forgot to lose any money at the tables or slots.īut one thing was obvious: Encore Boston Harbor is hell-bent on showing its customers a good time. We recently attended a dine-around to get a taste of several of the venues. Open since late June, Encore features 15 places to eat and drink, which is more up our alley than games of chance. That’s one sure bet at the luxury casino and resort owned by Wynn Resorts. On this inaugural New Year’s Eve at the Encore Boston Harbor ( a good time will be had by many.

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