KathrynDay

This long weekend, three of us, multigenerations, need to eat in the Back Bay area at a reasonable price. The MFA cafe sounds appropriate, Help with others, please? Also, we will walk the Freedom Trail if weather cooperates, so cafes or delis along there that offer good food and not too touristy? Vegetarian daughter limits choices somewhat.

china_cat

When we do the Freedom trail, we usually try to get a reasonably early start, so that we get to Faneuil hall by lunchtime. Now that doesn't fit your definition of not too touristy, but I'm not really sure if its relevant where lunch is concerned. There are lots of good choices at Faneuil Hall. The food court is fun and has something for everyone (and really FAR more interesting than your typical mall food court). There's also the Boston branch of Wagamama. And several other sitdown sorts of places. I actually like Union Oyster House, if you just want to sit in the bar area and have chowder or oysters (and there is probably something to suit your vegetarian daughter as well).

china_cat

P.S....not sure if weather will cooperate. They are forecasting snow in Boston on Sunday. Actually...that might be really nice if its not too wet

escargot

Other options that might work for you: The Parish Cafe on Boylston St, you can find menu online, but they have several vegetarian options/ salads, corn cakes, sandwiches, pot stickers, have some vegetarians in my family and it works when we are all together. It is almost on the corner of Arlington St and across from the Boston Public Garden.

There are many great options in the North End - which the Freedom Trail passes through -
with all the italian restaurants, if your daughter eats pasta/veggies/salads you might all enjoy eating there and then hitting one of the pastry shops like Maria's for something sweet either for then or later back in the hotel -

yk

I'm not sure what "reasonable price" means to you. But I've always liked Brasserie Jo: http://www.brasseriejoboston.com/

MFNYC

I 2nd Brasserie Jo.

cigalechanta

two favorite are on Newbury St.
La Bouchee and La Voile($$)

MFNYC

You can view menus and read user reviews at boston.menupages.com

sharona

I agree with cigalechanta. I love both of those restaurants. La Voile is not exactly inexpensive, however.

Stephanies on Newbury is always good and I recently ate at a new restaurant on Newbury Street, Pazzo. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal and it's reasonably priced. I believe just about every restaurant offers at least one vegetarian choice. Because of pasta dishes you can probably find more vegetarian choices in an Italian restaurant than in a French one (Bouchee and La Voile).

I'm going to have to give my opinion on Union Oyster House. I've been there twice in the last few months with out-of-town guests who wanted to eat there. Out of 9 total meals none of us had a very good meal. The oysters weren't even good. Legal Seafood has much better food in general and certainly better chowder and oysters. Certainly drop in the Union Oyster House to peek around or have a drink but go elsewhere for your food. That's just my opinion, of course.

cigalechanta

Legal is still the best seafood restaurant for quality.
Other places cover their fish with sauces and other things, that you can't tell if the poor thing was fresh.
I don't like Stephanies, there's no overwhelming dish everything seemd bland, but that is only my opinion. In summer a great place to sit outside and people watch.

KathrynDay

Thank you all - great tips! We've eaten at the Amsterdam Wagamama's, so an English menu here would be easy. Italian works well for veggie meals. although it often seems overpriced, so your experiences really help. Parish Cafe sounds promising, and I hadn't found boston.menupages.com. This will really help!

AnnMarie_C

I visited Boston for the first time recently and had lunch at Parish Cafe--what I ordered was incredibly good and inventive. Another place I really enjoyed is Sel de la Terre on Boylston.

If you click on my name you'll find a similar restaurant request with other terrific recommendations. Enjoy.

yk

I'm not a fan of Wagamama (overpriced for what they serve and mediocre IMO), and honestly, there are so many great (and affordable) local restaurants here, you can do much better than eating at a chain restaurant. For authentic Asian cuisine, there are plenty of choices in Chinatown and you can get your fill at half the price of Wagamama. Penang is a good place for Malaysian; Montien is good for Thai; Peach Farm is good for Cantonese; Gourmet Dumpling House is good for Taiwanese; and Xinh Xinh is good for Vietnamese.

"Back Bay" comprises of 8 blocks x 6 blocks, so it would be helpful if you can be a bit more specific of where...?

You can also consider Sel de la Terre at the Mandarin Oriental. http://www.seldelaterre.com/contact/...lston_st.shtml

A couple of new places opened up lately with lower-priced menus. One is City Table @ the Lenox Hotel. http://www.lenoxhotel.com/boston-restaurants.html
The other is Urban Tavern @ Post390: http://www.post390restaurant.com/

I haven't been to the new ones but you should be able to find some reviews online.

bachslunch

Of the places mentioned so far, will second positives about Sel de la Terre, all of yk's Chinatown suggestions, Parish Cafe, Brasserie Jo, and a good North End possibility (for lunch, try Galleria Umberto, Pagliuca's, the original Pizzeria Regina on Thacher St., Antico Forno, Rabia's, or Saraceno's -- with Modern Pastries, Maria's, or Mike's for pastries/cannolis). The only deli in the area is fortunately a good one, Sam LaGrassa's near Downtown Crossing -- though maybe not the best choice for a vegetarian. Legal Seafood is OK, though I much prefer Neptune Oyster in the North End (one of few non-Italian options there).

Do not at all recommend Union Oyster House (unless you stick to oysters and beer at the bar) or Wagamama. In fact, it's hard to get more touristy (and usually mediocre or worse) on food than in the Faneuil Hall Marketplace area. Durgin Park and Kingfish Hall are easily the best choices here for food, and the only exceptions I can think of here.

Would also not recommend Stephanie's on Newbury (have not tried Bouchee or La Voile), and with a few exceptions (Tapeo, Trident Bookstore Cafe, Emack and Bolio's Ice Cream shop) would avoid eating on Newbury Street.