City cites eatery on key waterfront spot
By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | March 27, 2008
Inspectors from the City of Boston yesterday temporarily shut down the popular Barking Crab restaurant on the Fort Point Channel, citing the owners with sanitary violations in the kitchen and possible structural issues in the pilings that support the building.
In what may be a coincidence, Boston Inspectional Services Department officials arrived at the restaurant on the day a co-owner of the Barking Crab complained in a news story about the property owner's announcement of plans to relocate the eatery.
A Barking Crab spokesman told The Boston Globe yesterday that co-owner Scott Garvey wasn't aware of developer John B. Hynes III's proposal to relocate the restaurant off the water and into a new building as part of his waterfront project, Seaport Square. Hynes said he spoke to the eatery's other co-owner, Lee Kennedy, about the move.
Hynes said city officials favored relocating the Barking Crab because its site could then be used to extend the HarborWalk along the channel for public use.
Lisa M. Timberlake, a spokeswoman for inspectional services, said the inspection was unrelated to the publicity over Barking Crab's possible relocation. She said city inspectors were acting on a letter from a female patron that the agency received Tuesday complaining about smoke in the restaurant coming from a woodstove.
"She said, 'The smoke caused our eyes to burn and water,' " and they left because they were nauseated, Timberlake said. A spokesman for the owners said yesterday that the Boston Fire Department had approved the stove's operation last November.
Barking Crab owners and their spokesman would not address the timing of the inspection, except to question it. "At some point, there will be a very interesting story why it was closed down today," said Kennedy.
As for relocating, Kennedy said, "At this point, none of us are interested in moving the Crab to a new building. It wouldn't be the Crab anymore."
Hynes couldn't be reached for comment yesterday.
News of the Barking Crab's possible move was first reported Tuesday in the Boston Herald.
The violations cited by the city yesterday went well beyond the complaint in the letter that prompted the inspection.
In particular, the city charged that raw chicken and hamburger were stored improperly, that there was "cross-contamination" of food, that potatoes were not being washed before cutting, that a dishwasher gauge was not working, that draft beer lines were moldy, that a hand sink was blocked by a barrel, that a ventilation hood was covered with grease and dust, and that there was "improper maintenance of walls and ceilings."
The building inspector questioned the integrity of the wood pilings on which the old structure rests, "and asked for a structural engineering report," Timberlake said.
And the restaurant's certificate of inspection was expired, she said. "We have been trying to work with them for the past few months, and we have not received that information yet."
Finally, Timberlake said, despite the presence of boats on Fort Point Channel, the Boston Redevelopment Authority has not authorized vessels to pull up to the Barking Crab.
"There were a lot of 'failed's on the report," Timberlake said. The restaurant will remain closed "until they comply with correcting the violations and getting their paperwork in order," she said.
A meeting is scheduled this afternoon between city officials and the owners.
Kennedy said he did not want to comment on the city violations until he can sort them out with city officials.
He said about 25 people were waiting to eat lunch there yesterday but had to be turned away. Across the street at noontime at the Daily Catch, it was unusually busy, with almost all tables occupied.
Barking Crab spokesman George Regan said, "If there's any kind of problems we're going to correct them." Asked if the restaurant would reopen today, he said, "I hope so."
Thomas C. Palmer Jr. can be reached at
tpalmer@globe.com.
