Legal Sea Foods has unveiled a sushi and sake menu for the first time, along with several new dishes for the spring season.
The Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based chain, bought by PPX Hospitality in 2020, opted to expand into sushi and sake offerings due to their rising popularity with diners across the U.S., Legal Sea Foods Brand President and Chief Operating Officer Matt King told SeafoodSource.
“We wanted to provide our Legal Sea Foods’ guests a variety of options in response to this trend,” King said. “We have access to some of the best seafood in the world, so it seemed like a natural next step for us.”
The sushi menu features both traditional sushi dishes and new creations from Legal’s culinary team. Its offerings include a caterpillar roll – eel topped with avocado, tobiko spicy mayo, and teriyaki – and a lobster tempura roll that includes avocado, lobster, tobiko spicy mayo, and teriyaki.
Legal has also doubled down on shrimp entrees, including pesto shrimp flatbread, shrimp and quinoa bowls, and beef and shrimp tacos. It also added lobster fra diavolo ravioli and a surf and turf option to its menus at all its locations.
“Shrimp is a versatile ingredient that can be prepared in many different ways, from grilled or sautéed to fried or boiled. This versatility allows chefs to create a variety of dishes that appeal to different tastes and dietary preferences,” King said. “Shrimp is also a relatively affordable and widely available seafood option, making it an attractive choice for restaurants and chefs.”
Shrimp is also more sustainable and accessible than other seafood options, King added.
“Its mild taste and firm texture make it a perfect addition to a variety of dishes. Additionally, shrimp is a fast-cooking protein that requires minimal preparation time, which makes it a top pick for busy restaurant kitchens,” he said.
Sustainable wholesaler North Coast Seafoods, also based in Boston, has been the supplier of shrimp and other seafood to Legal for years, King said, and the restaurant chain is “proud to continue working with them on all new menu items we provide to our guests.”
Legal added several new quinoa bowls, which include vegetables, protein, and quinoa, because the restaurant chain is “constantly seeking new ways to offer fresh and healthy options to our guests,” King said. Customers can top their quinoa bowls with grilled or Cajun colossal shrimp, sea scallops, salmon, or tuna, as well as lobster or crabmeat salad, grilled steak tips, and grilled or Cajun chicken.
"We are proud to offer a nutritious and delicious option that caters to a wide range of dietary needs and preferences,” he said.
Red Lobster, Bonefish Grill, and IHOP are among the numerous restaurant chains that also recently added shrimp dishes to their spring menus. Shrimp has remained an affordable, stable-priced item for both retail and foodservice buyers since the start of the pandemic, while prices for other seafood have soared.
Elsewhere, Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.-based sandwich chain Quiznos is also bringing back its classic lobster sub and offering a new lemon-herb lobster sub at its Canadian restaurants. The subs feature both North Atlantic lobster and a seafood salad made from Alaskan whitefish sourced from Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.A.-based King & Prince Seafood. The sub is priced at USD 10.00 (EUR 9.23).
Focusing on summer flavors, Andover, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Burtons Grill & Bar recently added a crab cake appetizer and a scallops and creamed corn entree to its menu. This operator of 18 restaurants along the East Coast added the dishes because they “represent the best of summer, and the species are also very popular,” Vice President of Food and Beverage Denise Herrera told SeafoodSource.
“Both dishes have been well-received by our guests because of the fresh, premium ingredients we use,” Herrera said.
Burtons sources the scallops from dayboats fishing off the Massachusetts coast.
“The scallops we source are amazing. We bronze them, and our seasoning complements their sweetness by adding a touch of spice,” Herrera said.
Scallops are in season, and while Burton executives have noticed lower prices on 10/20s, U-10s have remained pricey, according to Herrera.
“Ideally, we’d want to serve U-10 scallops, but we can't offer a good value for our guests with that size due to limited supply. So, we opted for the dry pack 10/20s for a great value and plate presentation for our guests,” Herrera said.
Photo courtesy of Brian Samuels/Legal Sea Foods/PPX Hospitality
