Boston Restaurants
 

We will be in Boston for a long weekend and would love some restaurant suggestions. We love all types of food, don't really want to break the bank, and will have no really dressy clothes with us. Thanks for all help!

Fortunately much of Boston dining is a sort of "nice casual/comfortable" in many restaurants around the city. For a nice meal that won't break the bank think about having dinner in the North End. The Italian food is awesome and you can have a nice meal without feeling completely depleted. I recommend Mamma Maria http://www.mammamaria.com Strega (which is just off of Hanover, too and a little less pricey) or Catalina Italiana. The best part is--all of these places are right near each other so you can look in and see which place fits you and your wallet best, or just look it up on this site here: http://www.northendboston.com/dining.htm

For great seafood without too-too-inflated prices I recommend The Daily Catch on Hanover or even better, The Barking Crab --picnic tables on a barge which sits on the water--great beer, interesting location and perfectly fried seafood. http://www.barkingcrab.com/

Some other options would be to eat great chain restaurants like PFChangs, Legal Seafood, Cheesecake Factory, and Cheers.

However, if you want local flavor try Cactus Club on Boylston (near Hynes Convention Center) and John Harvards in Harvard Square. (They Brew their own beer)

My favorites were Hamersley's Bistro and the aforementioned Barking Crab and Strega for mid-range dining. A gelato at Vittorio's was fun, too!

The South End section of Boston (home of the aforementioned Hamersley's) is another area that's chock-full of great restaurants. Check out Picco on Tremont Street (www.piccorestaurant.com) for great pizza, calzones, ice cream and THE BEST homemade raspberry soda. B&G Oysters and The Butcher Shop are also right across the street, and would be perfect for a pre-dinner glass of wine and appetizers. If you're looking for brunch, Aquitaine (a lovely French bistro also on Tremont) offers a three-course prix fixe brunch for $10/person. It's probably the best brunch deal in the city.

For more traditional New England fare, I like Jasper White's Summer Shack (www.summershackrestaurant.com), which is located across from the Boston Sheraton. The lobster roll is a must, and strangely enough, their fried chicken is yummy!

Walker26, On our family trip to Boston a couple of years ago we really enjoyed Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square. It was very good food and a resonable price, plus a fun place. We also enjoyed our casual evening meal at Faneuil Hall. We passed out $15 to each person in the family and we each got to get what we wanted and then all sat together to eat. It was great fun too and we all got to taste each other's food! There are all kinds of foods to eat in Faneuil Hall. Have fun! We sure enjoyed Boston and look forward to returning. Vacationmom

HI--just my 2cents---w/the exception of Legal's which is Boston-born, avoid the chains. You can go to them anywhere. Stick w/the local flavor so as to have disticntive memories. :)

Even though Legal Seafood's is a chain, it is really a local place - it started here after all! Of course, so did Dunkin Donuts (at least in Quincy).

I would add to the list: Tamarind Bay, Harvard Square for Indian - it is fantastic! Not your typical pre-made, slapped together fare. Expect it to be busy, any night, so I would recommend going either super early (6) or late (9 or later).

Also, Ivy on Temple or West (I always forget which one) is kind of fun - tapas style Italian food. Decent wine list all at $20 or $30 a bottle.

If you are wandering around the Back Bay area, try Parish Cafe. They have outdoor seating and their menu is based upon sandwiches created by local chefs.

Any specific food interests? Where are you staying? Those details can help with recommendations....

One of my favorites is Teatro on Tremont Street across from the Common and next door to the Loew's theater. The Italian food is fantastic, with affordable prices, and the atmostphere is very sophisticated without being stuffy or pretentious.

The "hot" restaurant for the last year, is STELLA. It's located on Washington St. in the "South End". It's upscale Italian, but the restaurant itself looks more like something out of the Miami beach. It has a fantastic "vibe", excellent service, and incredible food. It's absolutely wonderful -- you'll need reservations -- you can't call too early.
Also, a great casual place to sit outside, great people watching and good food is STEPHANIES on NEWBURY ST. This is "the shopping street" of Boston, and this is an ideal place to hang out and have drinks and a bite to eat.

For the best italian food at the best price go to La Famiglia Giorgios on Newbury street. Mama mia.Paul