Boston 10/29 - 11/1 need entertainment and restaurant recommendations

Hi Kathy,
Are you taking a Duck tour?
I've stayed at Nine Zero a couple of times and love the hotel.
You mentioned you weren't into the bar scene but if you feel like a pre or post dinner drink the bar at the hotel is very good.

I think you'll just miss Wicked (runs until mid October)but if you haven't seen it anywhere else then check out The Blue Man Group.

Check this site for entertainment listings
http://www.boston.com/ae/

The Boston Symphony will be performing that weekend with a Brahms, Adams, Prokofiev program (bso.org)

There's an interesting play at the Wang Center (aka Citi Performing Arts Center) called "Cheaper to Keep her"
http://www.citicenter.org/show/379/

You could see "The Donkey Show" at the American Repertory theater in Cambridge. I understand this is an interesting production
http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/events/show/donkey-show


If you like jazz, the Regattabar (in Cambridge) has Regina Carter that night
http://www.regattabarjazz.com/

If you like classical music, apart from the Boston Symphony concert mentioned above by china_cat, for 10/30 & 10/31, there's also:

Handel & Haydn Society concert (I believe this is the oldest performing arts society in the US, founded in 1815)
http://www.handelandhaydn.org/

Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra concert
http://www.proarte.org/concerts.html#Oct31

Emmanuel Music concert of Beethoven chamber music
http://www.emmanuelmusic.org/calendar_tickets/10-11season/caltix10-11_chamber.htm#pab1_1

There's no big musical show going on those days, but Boston Conservatory is performing Sweeney Todd
http://bostonconservatory.ticketforce.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=60

For plays, check:
Lyric Stage of Boston
Huntington Theatre
Boston Center for the Arts:
http://www.bcaonline.org/

For restaurants, one of my favorite places lately is Erbaluce in Bay Village (Italian). For seafood, you can't go wrong with Neptune Oyster in North End.

And don't forget to get some cannoli in NOrth End while you're there.

I thought of another option for you. Since you're here on Halloween, you can consider taking a Halloween walking tour with Boston By Foot. http://www.bostonbyfoot.org/tours/Beacon_Hill_Halloween

I've never taken this particular tour, but I've taken several Boston by Foot tours and the guides are very knowledgeable.

I'm sure there are also other ghost tours in town offered by other tour companies. If you google boston ghost tour, you should get some hits.

Since you're staying at Nine Zero, you're not far from Beacon Hill. It's a very old (think old money, Boston blueblood), and the residents there go all out on Halloween decorations. It'd be fun to take a stroll either on your own, or with the Boston by Foot Halloween tour (which also covers Beacon Hill).

Union Oyster House has lousy food and service, a real tourist trap. Avoid.

Good suggestions on this thread otherwise.

Oh my gosh - want to relive the disco scene of the 70s? And add a little Midsummer Night's Dream "culture?" THAT is the Donkey SHow mentioned above. Fun, fun, fun - if you like dancing the night away!
http://www.americanrepertorytheater.org/events/show/donkey-show

There is a great culinary tour of the North End as well. Very interesting!

http://www.northendmarkettours.com/html/markettours/markettours.html

Restaurants lately... I'm likeing Bina Osteria, La Voile, Prezza...

Have fun!

If you want great dining in an old Boston landmark restaurant, walking distance from your hotel, try Lockeober's. It's pricey but worth it... www.lockeober.com

Michelle Topor's culinary tours are fantastic. My high school friends and I went on the north end tour. The next year I made my city-hating husband go on the China Town tour which ended with a dim sum meal. He loved it. All the other people on the tour had also already been on the North End tour. If you go on either tour, you will have to go back later to shop (i.e. get a box of bakery yummies).

Seconding Handel and Haydn. We are coming to Boston to hear them at Symphony Hall with Robert Levin, a brilliant pianist who can improvise in the style of any composer or musician -- and play things straight. It should be a great evening. You could go to dinner first at Brasserie Jo or either of the two Petit Roberts. Hmmm. How will I choose?

I was there a couple of years ago (you can read my review) and I really liked Hamersley's Bistro

Third-ing Handel and Haydn -- they're an excellent group that performs on period appropriate instruments, and especially a must if music from the Baroque, Classical, and early Romantic period is your passion.

Both Hamersley's (in the South End) and Locke-Ober (in the Ladder District near Downtown Crossing) are pricey but excellent. The latter is a little more old-fashioned in its cuisine, more expensive, and a place where you'll want to be a bit more dressed up. Depends on what works for you.

We took my daughter (who is in college there) to Sonsie on Newbury St, last time we visited, and thought it was very good. Brasserie Jo has always been a reliable place as well.

You can check menus and reviews on boston.menupages.com

Right around the corner from bull and finch, you'll find The Upper Crust. EXCELLENT thin crust pizza with fresh, quality ingredients. In the North End, visit Massamino's for sauce like my nanny used to make. Across the street from city hall, is the Kinsale Pub where you'll find great Irish grub. Go to the Black Rose Pub near Fanueil Hall for Irish music. If you like beer, do the free tasting at Harpoon Brewery or the $2 one at Sam Adams. A tour of Fenway Park is always fun if you have any interest in baseball. You'll have a blast, Boston is a great city!

Will second The Upper Crust as a worthy pizza stop, though I personally prefer the pies put out at the original Pizzeria Regina (on Thacher Street in the North End) or Santarpio's (in East Boston). Will agree that Massimino's is a good option in the North End, though there are restaurants in the area I like for Southern Italian even better than this place (Pagliuca's, Maurizio's, Antico Forno for baked items, Saraceno's for basic red sauce classics). Sonsie sometimes puts out decent food but in my experience can be inconsistent and can be as much or more about the "scene" as the grub.

As far as the food at Boston area Irish-style pubs is concerned, with the exception of Matt Murphy's in Brookline Village (where the food is in my experience very creative and good) I say flip a coin as they're all about comparable and generally fair-to-middling. I say "Irish-style" here because all the ones I've been to have menus that are a mix of standard bar foods in many styles with a couple of Irish items thrown in, usually Irish stew and fish 'n' chips. You won't find things like boxty, bacon and cabbage, or champ at any of them to my knowledge, and colcannon only rarely.

Bull and Finch was mentioned as a reference point (they actually changed the name of this place to Cheers reflecting its being the model for the TV show of that name). Re this place itself, you're probably best off just doing a walk-through to see it (you'll likely notice how little the place looks like the TV set) rather than eating its indifferent-at-best chow.

Thank you all so much for your replies. So far we have decided on at least one meal in the North End restaurants (a friend suggested Bacco?) possibly doing a bike tour, shopping on Newbury St. and some historical sight seeing. Still looking for a hotel near Nine Zero? Any other suggestions? Also, are there any bars/clubs that have good music for an after dinner stop? We don't think we'll see a play. Disappointed that we are in between Wicked and Jersey Boys.

I'm not a huge fan of Bacco. There must be at least forty North End restaurants that are better, though one also can do a lot worse than this place.

Feel free to check out my aging but still useful report on North End restaurants at Chowhound:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/448599

And while Newbury Street is a great place for strolling and shopping, there are much better areas to eat than there.

That should have read "still looking for a RESTAURANT near Nine Zero". Bachslunch, we aren't planning to eat on Newbury Street, we're going there to shop. Thanks for the Chowhound report!

Just FYI, I don't like the steak restaurant in Nine Zero. I think you can walk to Bina Osteria from there, however; that's one of my current favorites. Or go over to Pigalle, another popular choice in the theatre district.

My favorites in the Northend are on Fleet Street. I like Prezza for "upscale casual," and La Summa for good home-cooking.

I like Teatro. We often share a salad and a pasta at the bar.

http://www.teatroboston.com/#/home

ACK - need a house sitter? I started a thread about spending that weekend in your neck of the woods that same weekend. I am also a big fan of those carrots at Brasserie

You are going to be in Boston on Halloween and no one suggested going to Salem?? Is that passé?

Debit NM asked: "You are going to be in Boston on Halloween and no one suggested going to Salem?? Is that passé?"

More like ridiculously crowded, am thinking. I normally like Salem as a day trip option from Boston, but it's bonkers there in October.

As bachslunch says, the fun is gone on Halloween in Salem.

I'm not sure how upscale you want to go, but #9 Park is quite close to your hotel, and is wonderful but very pricey. Another option which is a few blocks is Trouquet. That would be a particularly good choice if your group includes wine drinkers, as they specialize in doing wine pairings and will offer wines by the glass specifically to match the dishes you choose.

Regarding bars & clubs, check boston phoenix website for listings. Or if you don't mind waiting until you arrive here, grab a free copy of "Improper Bostonian" (available in those plastic mag stands on street corners) - it has tons of clubs and music listings.

REgarding restaurants near your hotel, if you want something casual, Silvertone get decent reviews (and it's just 1-2 blocks from your hotel).

For more upscale, I agree BiNA would be a good choice and not too far from your hotel (~ 5-min walk).

Atlantic Fish Co. -761 Boylston St.

We were in Boston and Salem last year in October and I loved Salem! It was crowded, but it was so amazing to see everybody dressed up in costumes! Maybe I would go on the 30th and not on Halloween though. Got a great witch hat there!!

Thanks for all of your advice! Atlantic Fish Co. looks good and gets great reviews. I couldn't get a reservation on Friday night but did get one for Sunday. The concierge at our hotel recommended Scollay Square which is within walking distance of the hotel. The reviews on tripadvisor are good. Any thoughts? Another question, are the shops on Newbury Street open on Sundays?

Atlantic Fish is okay, if not exactly a destination place -- for me, more an "it's close by, could do worse" option (but it's not all that close by the Nine Zero). The best seafood place in Boston is Neptune Oyster (in the North End), and Kingfish Hall (in Faneuil Hall) is even closer by and quite good (avoid McCormick and Schmick's, also in this area). I wouldn't go out of my way to head to Atlantic Fish from where you're staying, especially since the North End and Faneuil Hall are close by. Chinatown is also not far away, and has several good options -- a board search should yield results.

Scollay Square is a decent mid-range spot in Beacon Hill, not especially distinguished but not terrible, either. Grotto is not far from there, and if you opt not to go to the North End, this is a worthwhile place nearby for Italian.

almost next to your hotel is the ancient parker house....home of parker house rolls and other goodies...boston cream pie...

hamersley's is our favorite in the south end...res necessary--can only make starting monday the week of...fantastic food...try the special garlic chicken....yum

dim sum on sunday mornings in china town....

no 7 park st for a special dinner...easy walk from your hotel...

also the durgin park in fanueil hall area

locke obers is a venerable old place not far from your hotel...women formally not welcome...

Will second all of rhkkmk's suggestions except the Parker House. They did famously invent Parker House rolls and Boston cream pie, but aside from that, I find their food to be lousy and service sloppy and unfriendly.

Some folks don't care for Durgin Park, but I think they're by far the best place for old fashioned Yankee cooking (think pot roast, potted beef with onions, prime rib, Indian pudding with ice cream, and coffee jello). Not many places serve up this kind of food anymore, and they do it best by far.

No. 9 Park is indeed excellent, but special occasion pricey. Dress nicely and bring a healthy credit card. My favorite restaurant of this type in Boston is L'Espalier, but No. 9 Park and Clio should not disappoint.

Good dim sum cart-style places in Chinatown include China Pearl, Emperor's (aka Empire) Garden, Hei La Moon, and Chau Chow City.

http://www.no9park.com/#news has aaa five diamond or something ?

Just got back from a fun weekend in Boston! The Nine Zero was a great hotel for us, very centrally located. We never took a cab or the T and walked everywhere. The rooms are modern and nicely appointed with large bathrooms.

Our dinner plans changed a few times and we ended up at the following restaurants:

1. Scollay Square was just okay.

2.Mamma Maria in the North End had nice atmosphere, excellent food and unfriendly, stiff service.

3.Chart House on the water was good, but I had wanted to eat at Atlantic Fish and our plans changed.

4. Regina Pizza was excellent! The wait at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday was well worth it.

5. Brunch at 75 Chestnut (Beacon Hill) was very good.

6. Mike's Pastry had the best cannoli I have ever had.

We had wanted to do a Duck Tour but I had 5 free passes for the Old Town Trolley Tour which we enjoyed. We got off at several stops and spent quite a bit of time in the North End just walking around before we got back on. We also spent time wandering around Beacon Hill (fun Halloween decorations), Newbury St., the waterfront, and did a ghost tour on Halloween night.

Thanks for all of your help planning this trip. There were a few suggestions I would have loved to do, but with a short time and 4 others with thoughts we couldn't get to everything. Maybe next time!