Boston Restaurant
 

Staying at the Sheraton near Prudential Center in Mid March...Appreciate any recommendations for a celebration dinner for 2, not terribly expensive (< $100/2 people), likes healthy dishes (desserts optional), good wine/service and intimate atmosphere. Thanks.

I always recommend Legal Sea Foods to visitors to Boston. Their clam chowder is to die for. There's a Legal Sea Foods right inside Prudential Center.

I've just come back from Boston having stayed in the Sheraton, it's a great location in the Prudential Centre right on Boylston Street. We liked Atlantic Fish across the road from the Prudential, there's also Abe & Louies which is a steak restaurant next door to Atlantic Fish on Boylston. I'd also recommend Sonsie on Newbury Street, a short walk from the Prudential Centre. That's more a French bistro type but lovely food and reasonable prices. All these places have websites you can check out. Hope you have a great trip.

Check out boston.com and bostonphoenix.com for their dining listings. There are lots of restaurants in the North End that serve wonderful Italian at reasonable prices. I like Terra Mia on Salem - the food is always very fresh.

Sonsie on Newbury is very nice also - more casual but has a good vibe to it.

Here are a few places within walking distance of the Sheraton:

- Casa Romero is a small, intimate restaurant serving excellent mexican food. If your image of a Mexican restaurant is a chain that has loud music, loud atmosphere, and rivers of melted cheese on top of rice, Casa Romero will change your mind. It is priced reasonably, and 5 mins from the Sheraton on Gloucester Street between Boylston and Newbury.

- The Anago restaurant in the Lenox Hotel (corner of Exeter and Boylston) is an excellent restaurant, fine food and pleasant atmosphere. Would be a bit over your budget, but you would likely be pleased.

I wouldn't recommend any of the chain restaurants where you might just as well be in Seattle or San Antonio or St Louis. I also can't imagine recommending Legal Seafoods for this type of dinner: the food (fish) is certainly good, but the atmosphere is about as intimate as an airport boarding area.

I would go to Dali on Newbury Street for a celebration dinner. Spanish tapas with a lot of charm and not terribly expensive. If you like that food and don't want a chain feel, great fun and good food.

All good suggestions..but avoid Legal Seafood..very overpriced...around the corner is Jasper whites...excellent..also try www.chowhound.com and go to Boston site.. as for myself we like Skipjacks on Claredon Street across from the Trinity Church

I'd recommend Terra Mia on Salem St in the North End as well, you'd have to probaly take a cab there. Sonsie on Newbury and Abe and Louies on Boylston are also very good. The Cottonwood cafe is a Southwestern/Mexican theme with great Magaritas.
If you like raw oysters go to the Union Oyster House, touristy and overpriced but lots of fun, you must sit at the oyster bar.

FYI Rizzuto, Anago hasn't existed in a few years. The resturant in the Lenox hotel is called Azure, haven't been there yet but the Irish pub and City bar have a good atmosphere.
Also Cotes, Dali isn't on Newbury St it's in Somerville you're probably thinking of the sister resturant Tapeo on Newbury St which has excellent tapas.
Just a couple of friendly corrections from a lifelong Bostonian.

You're right sorry, Tapeo on Newbury Street. Also would recommend Casa Romero for Mexican.

Sorry for suggesting Legal Sea Foods, looks like I got voted off the island.
Just a word of caution, if you want a place that has an "intimate atmosphere", you might want to avoid Sonsie and Tapeo. Both places serve excellent food but can get very loud. I ate at Tapeo a few months ago and ended up screaming at my friends in order to have a conversation, and there's only 3 of us.

My, My. I love Legal, the Best and freshest sea food not doctored up. For great food but a bit pricey, I like Hamersly bistro, Aquitaine, and Torquet.
Dali's is in Somerville/Cambridge line,
his other place is Tapeo'on Newbury. and his wife has Chi-Chi in Central Square.

I'd recommend Legal Seafoods as well (though not for a special celebration dinner). Consistent quality is worth the prices. Menu has improved enormously (more salads, sides, better preparations than the previous "plain" fried or broiled).

yk is absolutely correct..."intimate atmosphere" is nearly impossible to find in Boston, at any price. Noise level most places is reminiscent of the high school cafeteria or, worse, school bus...

Anago has been replaced with Azure at the Lenox.

Highly recommend Abe & Louie's for Saturday or Sunday brunch. Quiet, extensive menu (breakfast, lunch or dinner...), reasonably prices, warm atmosphere, great service, amazing salads. A table near the fireplace in March (everyone else will be sitting by the windows) would be terrific.

I'd recommend The Top of Hub at the top of the Prudential Tower. I was there for lunch at Christmas time. Everything was great--the views, the food, the service; the prices are even reasonable at lunchtime. It's even close to your hotel. It would work within your budget if you didn't have too much wine.

Also check out the Phantom Gourmet...a local Boston Food review...

http://www.phantomgourmet.com/frame.asp

Thanks everyone for the suggestions (and corrections!!)...Since I'll be there beforehand, I think I'll try out Legal Seafood while on my own before my special date....intimate atmosphere is definitely what I'm going for so it sounds like Casa Romeo and Abe/Louises and may be Azure fit the bill???!!! In the meantime, looks like I have some internet surfing to do to check things out...

For Intimacy, I suggest the Hungry I on Charles Street, Aquitaine in the South End.