Boston Restaurants
 

We will be in Boston September 11 to the 13th, staying at the Langham Hotel. Looking for restaurant recommendations,primarily seafood andor Italian cuisine. Price range pp with wine, tax, tip - $50-60. We love to walk, so it would be terrific to have suggestions within walking distance of the hotel.
Ideas?
Carol L

Is the Langham the former Meridien? If so, the restaurant there, Julien, is/was fabulous, although probably not in that price range. You are within walking distance of the North End; do a search here as there are many excellent restaurants that have been recommended.

If the Langham still does a Sunday chocolate buffet at Cafe Fleuri, don't miss it. Favorite South End restaurant is Hamersley's Bistro. Good seafood near the Aquarium at Sel de la Terre.

For Italian, of course the North End. You can walk from your hotel, there are scores of italian restaurants. Giacomo's comes to mind as one that has a lot of fresh seafood. You can also walk to Legal Seafood or McCormick & Scmick's in Fanueil Hall.

ttt & good example of a travel thread...

Thanks for your suggestions! Will follow up on them.
Carol L

Hi Carol,
I'm not sure where Langham Hotel is, but Maggiano's in the theatre district is fabulous! It is actually a chain, but the food so GOOD and the atmosphere feels very Italian!
Jayne

Believe it or not that Maggiano's is a great suggestion. We "found" it in downtown Denver at the end of our vacation there. You will love it!-sort of reminiscent of the old Mama Leone's!
Reasonable, more than you can eat with a sort of nightclub old italiano atmosphere. I wish they had one here in Ct! H

Sorry, but Maggiano's is a poor excuse for an Italian restaurant in Boston....go to the North End..Have never been to McCormicks, but Legal is in that area or you can walk to Copley Square and Skipjacks..our favorite.. Hammerleys is a little pricey..go to www.chowhound.com to the Boston site.

I love the North End as well and would give it a try if I was in Boston for lunch. Any recs for the best lunch in North End.

HI--I have to agree that it is not logical to visit Boston and go to Magginano's even if it is good. One will have other opportunities to go there in another place.

The chocolate buffet starts up again around that date, Saturdays only, I believe, so I think you will miss it--just saw it advertised--and while I remember the days when it was ~$14, now it is $26/adult. It is only a dessert buffet, no meal.

My suggestion would be to look for an Italian rstrnt in the North End and then go to Mike's pastry for cannolis.

Do go to the NOrth End for lunch or dinner or both; do not go to Mike's for authentic Italian cannolis.

I second Giacomo's. I just returned form BOS and this was a favorite among locals. Legal Seafoods to me was a big tourist trap. I knew people that went there and were disappointed. There are several Legal Seafoods around..even inside the mall. I heard Maggioni's is also good if you are in the Threatre district. Never went..but wanted to. We ate at Skip Jacks, near Copley Square.

There was a place over Boston Harbor...had a funny name to it like "No Name Seafood"..that was supposed to be very good.

HI Luv Maine--if you do not like Mike's, do you have an alternate favorite?? I would be happy to know if there is another better spot. The *tiny* place on Prince Street where the Italian elderly lady would go into the back room and personally fill your cannoli, that we went to on our first night in Boston in 1971, is long gone!! So please enlighten me!! :)

We were in Boston last year September and had a wonderful Italian meal at LA FAMIGLIA GIORGIO'S in Newbury street 250(there's one also in Salem street). In comparison with the other restaurants in the neighbourhood it's very cheap but wonderful.Paul

"No Name Seafood" used to be marvelous in the late 90's when I was last there. But, as far as I remember, you must take your own bottles of wine.

You should also try the Portuguese restaurants in Sommerville. They used to be very good.

In the North End, I can recommend <b>Enoteca Bricco </b>- superb food, wine bar, valet parking. Also <b>Antico Forno</b> - traditional Italian. Great place for cannoli is <b>Modern Pastry </b>on Hanover St.
Some of the best seafood in Boston can be found in Chinatown; for example <b>Jumbo Seafood</b> on Hudson Street does wonderful things with lobster, and you can select your fish right from their onsite fish tank.
Although it's a chain, McCormick and Schmick's is reliable for extremely fresh fish. I agree that Legal's is overrated.
For a unique treat, have a tiny dinner and then splash out at <b>Finale</b> (Theatre District) for a truly decadent dessert experience.
September is a beautiful time to be in our city - enjoy Boston!

Socialworker: we &quot;discovered&quot; the bakery on a Michelle Topfer walking tour of the North End (see http://www.northendmarkettours.com), but I can't think of its name. It was just down from Martinelli's Liquors, where the tour begins. The cannollis are filled with the real thing (ricotta), not Cool Whip. The tour, by the way, is fabulous...

While the best cannoli I have ever had was filled by some elderly woman on the street during a North End festival, I have been able to gag down more than my share of Mike's Pastry's cannolis - I do not find them filled with Cool Whip.

i would suggest if you can take a guided walking tour do so; however, after having lived in the no end for years and miss it terribly by the way; really- any restaurant in the n end will serve up an unforgettable meal. 2 of my favs were lemoncello and if i can remember the other will post it- but on the insxn of clark and hanover- at the top of the street. if you go; you can look at my old building; the corner of clark and commercial and please wave to it for me! Was just in boston last w/e -

Thanks for the info, LuvMaine, but there is no cool whip in Mike's either!! I am enough of a foodie to know ricotta cream filling from Cool Whip--:)--However, on our next trip into town, I will look for your suggested place. Thanks for the info about the tour, we will check that out too!!

LuvMaine is talking about Maria's Pastry Shop (that's Cross Street). Good choice, as is Modern Pastry. For restaurants, I'll second Limoncello. I'll add Pagliuca's on Parmenter Street to the list. Hope you enjoy your stay here!

I'll add Monica's to your North End list. It's on Richmond Street and is often overlooked because of the name, I think.

It may not sound Italian...but it certainly tastes Italian.

Enjoy your time in Boston !

Marion

Have a piece of marzipan if you stop by Modern bakery too!

I've gained a ton just reading all your wonderful recommendations! Thanks again.
Carol L

Who doesn't love Mike's Pastry in the North End?? I know there is the Modern and all the other little place but almost anyone of them is perfect. DO NOT go to No Name.. it has gone downhill so badly...it's the worst tourist trap imaginable....try the Barking Crab.. also overpriced is Anthony;s Pier One..Have to admit we are partial to Skipjacks..espcially their HOT chocolate brea pudding. We were at Legal accidently and I have to admit it wasn't that bad.. but when you know that they have a big commissary on the waterfront and they hype themselves, although I have to admit their chowder is better than Skipjacks.. Skipjacks has a heavy bacon flavor.. We will be at Skipjacks for lunch or supper ourselves on the 10th.. Oh yes..if your interested in great theatre Urine Town is playing at the Lyric on Claredon Street a block away from Skipjacks..

The rest I was thinking of is Marizzios- on hanover at the end of clark st- they give you a glass of sparkling champagne to start your meal. Great date place!

It's actually called Maurizio's and, I agree, great place. Food is wonderful.

Resturant-L'Osteria in notth end on Salem St. Close walk to Mikes. The veal special for 21 bucks is awesome and a carafe of wine for 18 and you are out of there for 70 tops. Quaint, small, and cool.

You must go to the NORTH END for ITALIAN!!! It's blasphemy for those of you who say not to!! ;-) if you want to browse some menus for restaurants in the North End try http://www.northendboston.com/dining...tm.....I'd also recommend Antico Forno and Villa Francesca. And I don't care what people say, Mike's Pastry's good, Modern Pastry is good....they're both fantastic, you'll just wait in longer lines for Mike's. You're gonna get pricey in the North End, but lord, is it worth it.

We had a fun seafood meal at The Barking Crab. It is literally a tent on a dock in the harbor and you eat on picnic tables. It was very casual and festive and I had a huge, delicious lobster. For a nice meal, we really liked Hamersley's Bistro. We also ate at No. 9 Park and it was very good, but spendy, a bit pretentious and very small portions. DO GO to the NORTH END. It is like a mini trip to Europe and the food is divine. Loved Boston!!

There is one place called Limoncello that was literally 2 doors down from Paul Revere's house. The food was great and the owner was a former waiter and one day he bought a scratch off lotter ticket and won a million bucks. He opened his own place and we still talk about it 4 years later.