Oh my God, the swordfish with pecans and bernaise was fantastic...The very best I ever had.
Four of us went to My Place By The Sea on Tuesday the 23rd of september for my mothers birthday. It was such an enjoyable evening, my mother told me it was the best birthday she ever had. Great food, Beautiful setting, excellent service and Barbara and Kathy could't have been more charming. Can't wait to go again, and yes I will be having the swordfish.
I WOULD ALSO GIVE NO STARS IF IT WERE POSSIBLE. DITTO TO THE BEHAVIOR OF THE OWNERS! EXTREMELY OVERPRICED, OVERRATED AND THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY HAS GONE DOWN HILL!!!YOU WILL BE TAKING A BIG CHANCE EATING HERE.
I would pick 0 stars for this awful restaurant. It seems that the women running this restaurant have a long history of explosive encounters with their customers....which is what happened when I tried to eat there on Saturday afternoon. The service was horrible and the food was ridiculously overpriced. I asked the lady managing for a recommendation of where I could go to change my newborn's diaper and she told me to use the bathroom floor. There was a chair in the bathroom at one point, so I decided to use that but when I went in there it was gone. I asked the doorman if it was possible to get it back and it turned into a real scene. The end result was the manager lady openly badmouthing me to the doorman saying "some people just feel so entitled" among other mean nasty things in what was now a crowd that had gathered. I wound up just leaving the restaurant. Why would anyone ever dine and spend money at a restaurant with such rude staff? Apparently this restaurant has a long history of this type of thing happening. It is a shame because the location is great. The way it is being run gives me confidence that it will shut down and be taken over by someone new in the near future anyway.
After more than a decade eating at My Place by the Sea all I can say is we were regular patrons,in fact so regular Barbara would "Bump" other patrons for us even in high season on the weekends.The food peaked back around 1995 and has been declining ever since.Last week was our final meal after being an observer of the mechanisms going on with Kathy & Barbara and the fact they both dropped by the table yet Kathy still managed to add shellfish to my meal leaving me to use my EPI PEN FROM SHELLFISH POISONING (they accused me of ingesting the shellfish,I was stunned after nearly 14 years to have that accusation leveled at me)how it landed with Beef will always be a mystery and since she was bellowing in the kitchen she can hardly blame it on an underling, her vocabulary fit's better in a prison than around our teenage children.Our servers who we always gave several chances since it was always so seasonal before they were able to serve alcohol were not as inexperienced as we thought.Just children being mentally abused by the owners head games which I personally thinks as bad as a PEDOPHILE.As a matter of fact a few of them have landed in some of the North Shore and Bostons finest restaurants quite happily.After observing the tactics used all I can say is they cull the servers with low self esteem and put them through psychological abuse to a degree that we are astonished that no parents have ever intervened.And sitting inside the patio we heard things coming out of that kitchen that were downright offensive, the way Kathy and her life partner Barbara spoke of other locals who had just arrived and some who had departed was horrific.They not only have hit rock bottom from a culinary sense, but after hearing myself and the other diners bashed in such a nasty and public way, that was the end.The service depended upon the amount of abuse the waitstaff had endured that day, food portions got smaller and the flavors that made them are no longer cutting edge but closer to a rusty knife.They are killing an excellent location with food one would expect from a bad diner where prisoners are on work release.It felt so nice being taken care of, not being taken advantage of with the criminal prices they charge.I think if they could they would probably charge extra for the linen napkins which would be added to the dinner bill.Such a pretty location for such low class, social climbing owners who servebelow par food while abusing servers.As for our other friends present that evening we have all sworn never to patronize such crude ill mannered social climbers with no talent beyond deception in the kitchen.Oddly enough some of the best meals I ate there were nights when the both the COOK & HOSTESS were OFF.Go to The Emerson if you want exceptional food with a comparable view and no tourists gawking at you from Bearskin Neck.
Posted by: Marillion at July 29, 2008 07:35 AM
HORRIBLE, but the desert was incredible
HORRIBLE, but the desert was incredible
My husband and I have been coming to Rockport for 20 plus years. Each summer we look forward to visiting Barbara and Kathy at My Place. Kathy never ceases to amaze us with her cuilinary talent. Barbara is always paying attention to the details that make this place so special. Onething that they cannot control is when people decide to eat. They do take reservations, but this is a vacation and beach town, so not everyone follows a schedule. This can make some patrons irritated, but if you stop for a monent and look at the magnificant scernery, take a breath yourtaste buds will soon be as amazed as your eyes. Dinner at My Place is meant to be an eveny... Allow it to be as it is intended. Revel in the beauty of the surroundings, enjoy the wine, savor the bread and butter seasoned with thatdash of sea salt, order something special and close your eyes when you take the first bite. This is truly how God meant for food to be prepared and showcased! When you see Barbara race by, let her know. As your plates are cleared, sip the rest of your wine and feel the gentle breeze and watch the sky turn to pink, gold and amber. Dessert is next, savor... As you depart, peak into the kitchen and see how hard Kathy works to prepare and create her magic. As summer fades to autumn and the snows of winter fly, recall the glory of the season past and let those breezes and cuilinary delights and allow them to warm you on cold frosty evenings.
If there was an option for no stars I would have selected it! I attened my place June 1, 2008 with a friend to enjoy the sunset and take in the views. The setting is amazing but the My Place did nothing but ruin it. I am 23 and a young business professional. We each ordered a glass of wine and soup to start. I do not have a Massachusetts ID so the manager came over and rudly told us that neight of us would be served unless we could provide a backup for of ID with a birthdate on it! Mind you this is a VACATION TOWN!! The staff was very rude about this and embarassed us, legal 23 year olds, in front of the rest of the patio. With barly any appologies for the way we were treated we left without even getting to enjoy any food! I will travel back to Rockport to enjoy the area but will definetly stear clear of this establishment and would recommend other to do so as well!!
The place takes itself rather too seriously...too twee and precious for us. Not bad food, nothing memorable, either.
My wife and I went to My Place by the Sea recently. After dinner I calmly went to complain about the service to the co-owner who was also hosting that night and instead of apologizing she angrily told me to get my check and get out. When I then insisted that no one was helping our waiter and that two tables had got up and left she then said that I was threatening her and yelled "call the police". I was astonished by that kind of behavior in supposed restaurant hospitality.
My wife and I had a most fantastic dining experience at MPBTS last weekend. The weather cooperated, and everything--seating, wait staff, food, and wine--could not have been more perfect. The food is wonderful, the staff is friendly and attentive, the selection of California wines is broad, and the setting . . . spectacular! It isn't cheap, but, in our opinion, worth every penny.
I think that the key to dining at MPBTS is to go early. With a 6:00 pm reservation, we experienced no waiting, but were ushered to a table for two on the lower deck, right along the ocean. We didn't feel rushed, either. We left at 8:15 or so, right around sunset. Delightful!
Posted by: Eric Baumgartner at July 29, 2007 07:05 AMMy family and I have been to 'My Place By The Sea'
many times over the past few years. High prices but good appetizers, good entrees and good service made for a very enjoyable dining experience.
What happened?
Earlier this year we all went and it was a disaster. We figured everyone just had a bad day. It happens. We went again this past weekend and it was just as disappointing. For no obvious reason we had to wait quite a long while to be seated. Once seated everything became a rush. Our wine and appetizers arrived at the same time. Before we could begin to finish the appetizers or order more wine our entrees arrived. It seemed very frantic.
What was most disappointing to us was that the food and presentation seem to have lost the 'sparkle' it once had.
New owners? New management?
What happened??
Posted by: Henry at June 15, 2007 04:51 PMA wonderful location for a restaurant without wonderful food to match. During the BYOB days, this was a decent place to tolerate an appetizer and sip your wine while enjoying an incredible dining location. However, the food is overpriced and not very good. The staff is predominantly young and inexperienced in how to handle customers dining at an establishment demanding these types of prices. Since the serving of alcohol was established, there is absolutely no reason to go to My Place unless you want to overpay for mediocre at best food. 
OK, I agree with previous reader on views, prices etc...but honestly from my experience the food is not all that good. Should diners that don't have the best table next to the water pay lower prices?
Posted by: j at August 11, 2006 12:13 PM What I say to the other reviews is RELAX. The wait staff might be a bit slow but, why are you really there? Sit back and enjoy the fabulous view! Treat yourselves. Know that your meal is freshly prepared for you. The presentation is suburb and the food is great. The prices might be high but, realize that the resturant can only be open for a few months a year because of the ocean front, outdoor location. Enjoy yourselves and realize that you can't get this kind of experience many other places, anywhere.
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Thanks
Posted by: Bec at July 11, 2006 12:01 AM 
My Place remains top-notch....Service, scenery and creative meal preparation--all of it makes it rank among the best.
Posted by: misterclam at June 22, 2006 03:47 PM
Its a pretty restaurant, but that is about it. The service is aweful and the food is so-so. The owners are obnoxious and do not treat well paying customers well. The waitstaff is slow and snobby with aweful service. Food takes forever to come out and when it finally comes out it is NO WAY NEAR as good as the price leads you to believe. I would only give it one star because the location is nice.
My wife and I recently went there for lunch and asked for a table outside overlooking the water. We were told by the hostess that the table would be ready shortly. Shortly thereafter one of waiters took the hostess aside and then they both told us that the table was not available and that we would have to take another one inside. The restaurant was closing for lunch in 20 minutes, it was half empty, and there were no other customers waiting for that table. There were other customers sitting outside too. The reason given was that "we cannot give a table for 4 to 2 people even if no one is waiting for the table." We told the hostess that we were regulars but she and the waiter were determined to be obnoxious. We will never go there again.
While the setting was lovely for an afternoon lunch, the meal was just so-so and we were shocked upon receiving the check and noticing that we were charged 18.00 for two bottles of sparkling water (the same size that I pay 2.75 each for at Passports!). The menu had a much lower price listed for it and when I asked the waitress about this she informed me that the menu price was for a smaller bottle of which they were out and therefore they had to substitute the liter bottles which cost more. Come on, 9.50 a bottle!?! This is NOT New York City!
Posted by: Donna at January 16, 2006 01:48 PM
Harvest dinners are wonderful. Food, service and location are unmatched on North Shore--or Boston for that matter.
Posted by: mister clam at November 17, 2005 05:57 PMPerfect setting, but that's the only good thing I can say about our visit. Service was incredibly slow and the waitress acted like we were disturbing her nap. The food was o.k., but nothing special, certainly not worth the price. For a really special meal get take-out elsewhere and sit on the rocks by the Old Harbor.
Posted by: Jennie at October 11, 2005 01:43 AMFood was o.k. but not relative to price. Leftovers not properly bagged. No regular check-ins for water, etc. Not the bang for the buck one would expect for the prices as far as service goes. Did not go out of way on seating preference.
My parents were visiting from out of state recently and I wanted to take them to an outstanding restaurant with an amazing view. My husband and I have dined here 2 times in the past and haven't always had a great experience. The food was always delicious and the view...spectacular but, the customer service could have used some help. There was the time we took our 6 month old son with us and when I started nursing him (discreetly), one of the owners immediately told me to stop (I believe that was illegal on her part.). I had to finish outside which threw off our dinner and the timing for the owner to turn over our table for the next reservation. Consequently, after we ate our entree, we were asked to leave. We asked for a dessert menu but, were told that they needed our table for someone else. We continually told the server that we wanted to stay for dessert but, she said that we took too long eating and the table was needed. We left laughing and fortunately, we are forgiving and suckers for good food and an ocean view so we have returned. This recent experience was a dream. The food, once again, was outstanding and creative (although grossly over-priced for some items)...the view undescribably beautiful and the waiter (blonde, curly hair) was adorable, very professional and couldn't have been nicer. Again, we brought our son...now 3 and our nephew (4) and were thrilled when another customer came over to our table at the end of the evening to comment on how well-behaved they were. I have to admit...I was on-edge walking through the door with them, fearing seeing the owner and what might be said about about a 3 and 4 year old walking in with crayons and coloring books. Our experience that night was truly special. We found exactly what we were looking for...for our guests and ourselves. We will definitely go back before the summer is over.
The setting is spectacular-- the sun sliding down through ribbons of pink and purple clouds, shimmering its last light over the multiple hues of bobbing lobster pot bouys, an occasional fishing boat easing home. But Mother Nature and the fishing industry can't do it all! At these prices, My Table By the Sea has to hold up its end of the bargain. What began as a lovely Friday evening at an admittedly leisurely pace, deteriorated into an interminable wait for our entrees, one of which arrived cold. The staff seemed frazzled, not helped by the arrival of some presumable local VIP, who "knew the owner very well" and made numerous demands on the waitstaff, unhinging them. That squeaky wheel certainly got his food in a timely manner, while we languished, falling asleep at the table. There's a lot of potential in the menu and the location is heaven but not in the hell of waiting an hour and a half for dinner.
After reading some of these reviews I was a little wary but it ended up being a perfect night. I could tell it had been a long and busy Saturday but at 8:30 the young staff was still pleasant and attentive and promptly seated us. We had a beautiful view, just as I had requested, and our bottle of champagne was quickly prepared for us. We ordered several appetizers and all were elegant and delicious (bargain hunters: prepare to be disappointed). Our waitress was young (the professionals work in towns with liquor sales!) but provided excellent service. I can't remember a better restaurant experience. My girlfriend was thrilled.
Creative: That's the best way to describe the cuisine and decor of this lovely restaurant at the end of Bearskin Neck. The kitchen obviously puts a lot of thought and effort into the menu. Always something new on the list, and always a new approach to a dish. Prices are not at all unreasonable for such a neat dining experience. Believe me, you'll spend the same--or much more--in nice Boston places, most of which would be hard-pressed to equal this ocean-side bistro. Waitstaff here is attentive, well-groomed and polite. The owner(s?)know what they're doing. Can't wait till spring, so we can go back!
Posted by: misterclam at November 26, 2004 01:02 PM MY HUSBAND AND ANOTHER COUPLE AND MYSELF HAD DINNER THERE. THE PRICES ARE OUTRAGEOUS FOR A TOURIST TOWN??? THERE WAS A FAMILY WITH 2 YOUNG CHILDREN THAT WERE RUNNING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND NOONE SPOKE TO THEM AND NOONE WAS EVEN AROUND. I WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE FOOD, MINE WAS NOTHING OTHER THAN A CHICKEN DISH WITH A FANCY NAME ON TOP OF MASHED POTATOES WITH SOME VEGGIES AND IT WAS 24 DOLLARS, SO I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND IT IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY.
Went with my boyfriend after a beautiful summer day walking bearskin neck. The view is delightful. The food was good, v. expensive tho. Here is where the compliments end. The waitress was awful. The place was not crowed. She was not attentive. It was a hot day and I had to actually go inside and ask for a water. I waited a long time before asking (b/c normally I do not like to complain)...but then with the price factor and the fact it was slow ...made me disappointed in the service.
My wife and I had a very pleasant lunch here a few days ago. The setting is scenic, food excellent and staff friendly and helpful. It is not inexpensive, but you definitely get your money's worth. We enthusiastically recommend a visit.
Every season we think it can't get better, but they just keep outdoing themselves! No comparison anywhere in the area when it comes to a creative and varied menu, plenty of excellent and fascinating specials, the very fresh and high quality of the food, amazing attention to presentation, service that is always exceptional, and a general atmosphere that is warm, welcoming, and a total dining experience.
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