With nary a note of 'Danny Boy'

Loosely Speaking by Nancy Gaines

McDermott/O'Neill may have taken a few hits in the press this year -- and not every politician present had a winning ticket -- but there was no shortage of good will and good cheer when about a thousand of the PR/lobbying firm's closest friends dropped by the annual holiday party last week at its One Beacon Street headquarters. The showstopper was, per usual, Tom O'Neill's blues-belting -- with a live band, no wussy karaoke here. And when Tommy tuned down a little, up to the mike stepped, among others, Warren Tolman, performing his erstwhile lieutenant governor's campaign theme song "I'm a Tol-Man"; Brockton first lady Lees Yunits, belting out (why not?) "New York, New York"; and equally crowd-pleasing renditions of party favorites from criminal-defense attorney Phil Tracy, McDermott/O'Neill's Bo Holland, and Mt. Auburn Hospital CEO Jeanette Clough.

Bigger fish to fry Shortly after the first of the year, look for Legal Sea Foods to spread its tentacles all over the place. In February comes restaurant number 18, in Braintree's South Shore Plaza, followed in April by another new eatery, in the former Nynex building on State Street, near the Aquarium. By June, Legal's new flagship restaurant should be ready in what was the Motor Mart garage, in Park Square. Now under renovation, the garage's lower floors will house retail and commercial space, offering more room than Legal had across the street in the Park Plaza Hotel for 19 years. Owner Roger Berkowitz said the point was to get more space, but he had to admit there was little love lost with landlord Donald Saunders, who took over the Park Plaza from his brother, Roger Saunders, three years ago. The new digs will include aquaculture displays in addition to the restaurant, an oyster bar, and a function hall. Growing fish, in fact, is Berkowitz's latest baby. Plans to build a new seafood plant on Black Falcon Wharf have been revised. Berkowitz said he now hopes to team up with other New England fish farmers to create a massive aquaculture facility there by 2000. It could spawn, for the benefit of diners, a variety of striped bass, flounder, haddock, and even the dwindling cod, providing Legal with, as it were, womb-to-tomb seafood service.

Stroke of generous

Anna Bissonnette, who was honored last week by the Lesbian and Gay Political Alliance for spearheading construction of the South End housing for homeless elderly that bears her name, deserves extra credit for inventive networking. Bissonnette's long-time hairstylist, the multi-award-winning Janet Warner of Ecocentrix, is volunteering her services to dress the tresses of the elderly residents. Warner's now recruiting colleagues on Newbury Street to do likewise.

Native intelligence

Newsgal Martha Raddatz (who spent 12 years at Boston's Channel 5 as Martha Bradlee when married to the Globe's Ben Bradlee Jr.) is leaving NPR after six years to cover foreign affairs for ABC network news; she will remain based in Washington, where she lives with her two kids and her husband, NPR foreign affairs correspondent Tom Gjelten, with whom she will now be in direct competition. . . . Looking for a rooting interest in the basketball non-season? Go for Wayne Turner of the NCAA champion Kentucky Wildcats. Raised in Mission Hill and a graduate of Newton's Beaver Country Day School, Turner, a senior, was recruited by Rick Pitino before Pitino left to become the Celtics' coach. Kentucky will be going for a three-peat when March Madness arrives. . . . Don't look for the Donna Karan store to open by the holidays, as was originally planned. ETA is now late spring, at 37 Newbury Street, former home of Joseph Abboud. . . . The Internet is making one-stop shopping for the culturally curious easier than ever this season with MuseumShop@Home (http://www.museumshop.com), offering gifts from 25 museums, including Boston's Children's Museum, the Computer Museum, and the Museum of Science. The Web site is especially popular among, a press release takes the time to tell us, male executives -- who, for some reason, like best to e-shop on Wednesdays at noon.