One Of JFK's Favorite Restaurants Is Still The Oldest Operating Spot In Boston
John F. Kennedy wasn't what one might call a gourmand. The 35th president had a small appetite and would often forget meals until he was reminded. But that doesn't mean he didn't enjoy food — in fact, Kennedy's favorite restaurant was one he visited often, an institution tied into the history of America as much as he was: Union Oyster House.
Kennedy would go to Union Oyster House every Sunday at noon when in Boston, to enjoy a bowl of lobster stew at a private booth upstairs. He frequented the same booth to such an extent that to this day, said booth bears a plaque that reads "This was the favorite booth of John F. Kennedy when he dined at the Union Oyster House." He spent so much time eating there that it's rumored his ghost still haunts his booth.
It may come as little surprise that lobster stew was John F. Kennedy's order of choice. A Massachusetts man through and through, New England fish chowder was his favorite, and he considered no lunch complete without soup. He generally paired a hot bowl with a sandwich and some fruit. His lack of a bigger appetite was perhaps linked to a childhood of strict diets due to health issues such as colitis, which gave him digestive problems. He didn't exactly eat decadently, but outside of Union Oyster House's lobster stew, there was one treat he was fond of: the Kennedy family's go-to waffles, which use cake flour and beaten egg whites for the fluffiest breakfast snack.
Union Oyster House has had its share of fame
The Union Oyster House — located blocks away from famed Revolutionary War building the Old State House — is not only the oldest restaurant in Boston, but one of the oldest in the country. The establishment has operated since 1826, originally under the name Atwood and Bacon Oyster House. Before that, the building housed a food and clothing store; the most popular newspaper in colonial America, The Massachusetts Spy; and even an exiled French prince, Louis Philippe I.
John F. Kennedy came by his love for the historic institution through his own family. His father, Joseph P. Kennedy, would have Union Oyster House's clam chowder delivered to his nearby office, while JFK's brother Ted loved the food so much that he wrote the introduction for the Union Oyster House cookbook. But the Kennedys aren't the only famous people to dine there: Bill Clinton, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, and many more have stopped in to enjoy the delicious food and historic atmosphere.