I'm going to Boston and Cape Cod next month. I'm looking for some good restaurants. Any ideas? We're from the midwest so we plan on eating seafood until we're ill. We also love Italian.

For seafood, Legal's, Turner Fisheries and Skipjack's are my favorites with Legal's on top. For Italian, you can go to almost any restaurant in the North End. There are more Italian restaurants there than I can name.

Sorry. I forgot to mention that they're all in Boston.

For seafood, I would also recommend the Barking Crab in Boston. Also in the North End of Boston, a great and inexpensive Italian restaurant is Rabia's on Salem Street; they're especially great for lunch. For high-end, eclectic Italian, Marcuccio's is awesome(Salem Street). A more reasonable Italian dinner can be found at Trattoria Il Panino on the corner of Hanover Street and Parmenter Street. Cafe Vittoria (Hanover Street)is a good stop for Italian pastries.

I _would_ second that mention of the Barking Crab, because it was one of my favorite places until I read in the newspaper this week that they were shut down because they were pumping raw sewage into the harbor, and at the same time pumping water from the harbor into their lobster tank. Yuck!

As for the North End, I'd like to recommend Artu' and Giacomo's

On Cape Cod:

Arnold's on Rte. 6 in Eastham for fried clams is a must! Go early, always crowded, but awesome food!!

Cooke's Seafood on Rte. 132 in Hyannis & Rte. 28 in Orleans also has great seafood.

Both of the above are totally casual.

As for Italian food, we love the Roadhouse Cafe and Fazio's Trattoria both in Hyannis.

Happy Eating!!!

Just want to confirm the disgusting Barking Crab story - seems this isnt the first time they've been shut down for the same reasons. At least one person is claiming illness after eating there last weekend.

There are so many great retaurants in Boston. The north end is nirvana for Italian food lovers - my favorites are L'osteria on Salem street for a typical, mid priced place, or Maurizio's on Hanover Street for a bit more upscale. There is also a place called Vinnie Testa's a block off Newbury street that I've heard raves about. On the Cape, the restaurants can run from great to rip-off-the-tourists. My favorite is the Bookstore in Wellfleet. The best seafood dinner I've ever had, in a beautiful little village.

Legal Seafood used to be very good. It is now just another overpriced tourist restaurant with poorly prepared food. Stick with some of the smaller busy locals places that you happen by. If you eat seafood until you are ill, that may not take too long, if the seafood you are eating are shellfish. Lot's of poorly prepared stuff around that is caught in highly polluted water. When Boston Harbor was flooded with open sewerage dumping into it, it was prolific with lobsters. And remember, the lobster is a scavenger, whose closest living relative is the cockroach.

Lots of good information here and some misinformation. In no particular order:

Legal has indeed become a bit pricey, but the fish is mostly fresh and well-prepared. Another local seafood favorite with other items on the menu as well (and a devoted following) is East Coast Grill in Cambridge. The recommendations for Arnold's and Cooke's on the Cape are right on - they set the standards for traditional New England fried seafood. The Barking Crab did indeed have a little problem that came to light last week, much to their chagrin, though they're claiming they didn't know about it (we'll see).

Many places in the North End serve good to great Italian food - just follow your nose and look over the (usually) posted menu first.

And a few things that I can't resist because I'm a marine biologist and have been a consultant to the local sewer authority off-and-on over the years: people are not dropping dead in the streets around here from eating contaminated seafood - problems are rare; lobsters were not more common in the harbor when sewer sludge and some raw sewage were being discharged (not for several years now); lobsters do scavenge (as do many other ocean critters we find equally tasty); and they're not closely related to cockroaches (nor spiders, either - that's another urban myth).

Legal's is overpriced and moderate seafood. Turners in Melrose, just north of Boston, best seafood around.


Cooke's in Orleans the Best.

I don't feel an _urgent_ need to defend Legal Seafood, because they are doing just fine without my assistance, but--

Overpriced--slightly; and touristy, maybe, but poorly prepared? No way!! I have never been disappointed eating there, usually hosting visitors from out of town. And with the Barking Crab story in the news, Legal's is always a safe bet in the sanitary department.

Has anyone out there tried Todd English's new offering, Kingfish Hall (at Faneuil Hall)? I walked by there the other day, and it's wonderfully decorated. I wonder how the food is there.

The point about going to local, smaller places is a good one. That's a rule I always try to follow at home and whenever I travel.

Happy Eating!

Is Chillingsworth still alive and well in Brewster? Now that was (is?) a wonderful restaurant...

Boss Tonn: My daughter works in the Financial District and has eaten in Kingfish Hall - says it is great. They sure needed a good restaurant in that area! Not as pricey as she thought it would be and in line with the others there. She is a good judge since they eat out a lot at the "best" places.
Jan: Chilllingworth's in Brewster is still alive and well and charging mucho bucks for dinner. Brewster Fish House is still excellent and we also like Orlean's Barley Neck Restaurant and Nauset Beach Club. There are lots of good restaurants on the Cape, just stay off Rt. 28 in general and ask if they are open year round, usually that is some indication of good food, not always, of course.

Hey Cash, thanks for the Kingfish and Cape info!

Two of my favorites in Cape Cod - Captain Parker's in Yarmouth, right on Rt. 28, they've got THE BEST clam chowder. Also, the Paddock in Hyannis - more "fine dining" - and excellent!

I do find the fish at Legal always the freshest and very dependable. I have never had a bad meal. Perhaps a bit on the high side but the fish is the freshest. Skipjack's is a close second to Legal. I honestly have loved the Salmon at Capital Grille as well as their seafood platter. Again on the pricey side but well worth it. As far as the North End....be sure to get to Mike's Pastry Shop on Hanover Street for coffee and pastry. An absolute must do! Everyone has their favorite resaturant in the North End. They have to be good to survive. My husband loves Cantina Italiano. I like Saraceno's or Villa Francesca.

Cape Cod....depending on where you are staying offers some wonderful restaurants. I love the Sea Grille in Harwich, the Brewster Fish House, Chillingsworth is wonderful. These restaurants are not inexpensive but they are wonderful.

Enjoy!

Annette, don't know what your budget is, but we spent a lovely evening at the Regatta in Falmouth on the Cape. A bit pricey but excellent food (especially fish!) and service, and a superb location right on the shoreline with a jetty overlooking the ocean.

Try Brakett's at Rockport. Great lobsters + charming sea-views.

And if you're in for Chinese seafood, try the $10 for 3 lobsters (in many interesting styles) in Ocean Wealth on Tyler St., Chinatown .