My wife and I finally got around to having dinner at the new Abby Park restaurant in East Milton Square.; and it was very good.

The restaurant decor and design are impressive. It has a lively, convivial, slightly chaotic atmoshpere. In part because the place has to date been extremely popular (i.e. it’s packed). The good news is that Abby Park takes reservations. If you plan to go there, you should make one, otherwise you can find yourself waiting for a table.

We started off with the baked Cherrystone clams. They were small stuffed clams with linguica and corn and they were great. We also split a Chilled and Grilled Vegetable Salad which came with tomatoes, mozarella and balsamic vinegar, also superb.

For entrees we tried out the Lobster Cavatelli and the Angel Hair pasta with heirloom tomatoes and basil. The lobster was a rich, delicious dish made with marscapone and mushrooms. The angel hair pasta was lighter but flavorful.

There is only one complaint. It is a loud room. The surfaces are all hard and with its relatively small room size; conversation becomes difficult. There was a music system in place; but the music was indistinguishable from the overall din. Aside from the noise level, it was a  nice meal close to home.

The Boston Globe also reviewed Abby Park. You can find their review here. You can view Abby Park’s dinner menu here. Abby Park is also open for lunch.

We also returned to 88 Wharf Street for a second meal. We had company in from out of town and having enjoyed our first meal so much, felt it the perfect local venue for our guest. Unfortunately the second visit was not as successful.

First, 88 Wharf does not take reservations for parties less than 6. We had to wait over half an hour for a table. . . not the end of the world. We knew several parties and sat for a while with an old friend who was having a quiet meal alone. Except it was not a quiet meal. This is also a very loud room in which conversation can be difficult.

We enjoyed the cheese board, the arugula salad, and the crab cakes. Aside from the arugula salad being a little overdressed, our meals were very good. This has not been everyone’s experience however. The Steak Frites were mentioned by more than one of our friends as being subpar.

If you go to 88 Wharf try to get there early and request to be seated on the patio.

We need to give our wallets a vacation; but we urge you to give both places a go. They crowds they are attracting are an indication of the pent up demand.  The staffs at both establishments are a bit strained and they are new so be prepared to exercise a little patience.