Special occasion restaurant in Boston?

Old Sep 23rd, 2004, 04:44 PM
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Special occasion restaurant in Boston?

We're visiting Boston with friends in October and plan to take them to dinner for their 25th anniversary. We'd welcome ideas for romantic restaurants with excellent food, elegant but not stuffy. We like all kinds of food but steer away from steak places (pardon the pun). Location within walking distance of the Westin Copley Place is a plus but not a necessity. What are your favorites for a special occasion?
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Old Sep 23rd, 2004, 06:13 PM
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The Hungry I on Charles Street.
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Old Sep 23rd, 2004, 07:25 PM
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I really love Mistral's, but it is not within a walk of your hotel. Great food, hopping atmosphere, very chic. Also, I enjoy the more casual Bristol Lounge dining room on the first floor of the Four Seasons, but it's not too "elegant," more cozy. I'm sure you'll get many more responses!
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Old Sep 23rd, 2004, 08:22 PM
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I also love Mistral, and Clio at the Elliot hotel is wonderful--one of my favorites. Icarus is very nice as well. We've had excellent anniversary dinners at Aujourd'hui (Four Seasons), L'Espalier (which admittedly is on the stuffy side, but fabulous), and Radius.
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Old Sep 24th, 2004, 03:08 AM
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Clio, Clio, Clio. Not stuffy, excellent food, outstanding service and easy walking distance. Second, Mistral. And it is within walking distance from the Westin, maybe 5 or 6 blocks. With all due respect to previous posters, Hungry I can be charming but stuffy, service questionable, surroundings tired if not entirely clean. Be sure to highlight the 25th Anniversary when making reservations....
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Old Sep 24th, 2004, 04:25 AM
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Forget the Hungry I, it's in a townhouse basement and really not elegant. My vote goes to L'Espalier, which is a handy location for you, rather elegant and formal but smart enough to not be stuffy and perfect for a special occasion. IMHO
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Old Sep 24th, 2004, 05:18 PM
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You might consider Excelsior. I also agree with the others that Mistral and L'Espalier are great. The food at Clio is excellent but last time my husband and I dined there it was $330, including tip for two, which we thought was outrageous.
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Old Sep 24th, 2004, 06:15 PM
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You didn't mention price range. Many of suggestions are tres cher. Try 75 Chestnut, had been named Boston's most romantic in past. Address is same as name; off of Charles St, on lower Beacon Hill; within waling distance (for Bostonians) or short cab ride. Again, tell them it's your 25th.
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Old Sep 25th, 2004, 08:00 AM
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HI Kathyngs--IMO, Anonymous is correct. Nothing has ever topped L'Espalier which has the advantage of being a very close walk to your hotel. The tasting menu (6 or 7 very well spaced and manageably sized courses) makes for an unbelievably memorable meal. It could appear to be just a tad "stuffy" upon entering--due to the old townhouse elegance of the place--but the graciousness of the staff and their desire to make your occasion truly special is immediately apparent. If you like wine, I strongly suggest that you order the tasting menu paired w/wines chosen by the staff to accompany each course. We have had two of the nicest meals of our lives there and it is well worth the price!! (Last time we were there, $125/person w/wine, $75 or $85 w/o--you can also order a la carte) With all due respect to cigalechanta, I think that someone from out of town, might not "get" the Hungry I. In other words, being from Boston changes your perspective on such things....
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Old Sep 25th, 2004, 08:25 AM
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It is romantic but I haven't been there in years, I've heard the food is not very good now. so skip it.
I like Aquitaine, and Hamersly
s Bistro as well as all the others mentioned.
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Old Sep 25th, 2004, 08:38 AM
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HI cigalechanta--we were just there one year ago and things would have really had to have changed there disastrously in a fairly short period of time. Our meals were great, including the vegetarian w/us who opted for the vegetarian tasting option.
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Old Sep 25th, 2004, 09:07 AM
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Glad to hear that!!!!
thanks socialworker!
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Old Sep 27th, 2004, 05:49 PM
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We have reservations at L'Espalier for the 25th anniversary celebration and at Clio and Mistral the other evenings. (We'll make up for the expense by having clam chowder for dinner in between!) Thanks for the advice, everyone: We're looking forward to a wonderful trip!
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Old Sep 27th, 2004, 06:26 PM
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Wonderful! Please come back and report on all three once you're home. It's always good to get updated, fresh reviews. Have a great trip!

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Old Sep 27th, 2004, 07:40 PM
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Kathy, yes, please report back, like dreamer I'd like an update, it's been awhile since our last visits.
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Old Sep 28th, 2004, 05:52 AM
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Ditto Kathy!! Can't wait to hear about your dinners and about your impressions of Boston.
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Old Oct 13th, 2004, 11:41 AM
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Reporting in from Boston! On our last visit (12 years ago), the weather was gloomy and gray--and that was my impression of the city--but this past week was just the opposite. There were flowers everywhere and Boston just sparkled. Maybe it was spruced up for the convention?!

Thanks in part to everyone who suggested "special occasion" spots, we didn't have a bad meal the entire week. We stayed at the Westin and kicked off with the clam chowder there, said to be some of the best in the city. It was good but didn't blow us away. We had more success that evening at Mama Maria's in the North End: great osso bucco! The next night, at the suggestion of several people on this bord--we dined at Clio, the sleek restaurant in the Eliot Hotel. The dining room was classy and restful and the food superb, but the experience was oddly unexciting: It was half empty, and the waiters seemed a bit disinterested. We passed on dessert (the bill was already over $200) and opted for ice cream at a Newbury street shop and espresso back at the hotel.

Monday and Tuesday were business dinners at Grill 23 and Mistral. The former was a pleasant surprise. I expected a classic steakhouse (with the usual giant slabs of beef and sides of creamed spinach--not my taste), but the menu was varied and the cooking showed flair. At one point the power went out, the waiters didn't miss a beat: Within minutes they swooped in with battery-powered lamps and candles, hardly missing a beat. More to come!
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Old Oct 13th, 2004, 11:54 AM
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Picking up where I left off....Our group had a very handsome private room at Mistral, so I can't vouch for the typical dining experience there, but we found the food and service to be excellent. And the homemade potato chips on the bar were addictive!

The peak "all-around" evening was Thursday at L'Espalier. Celebrating the 25th anniversary of good friends, we were delighted that the maitre d' acknowledged this when we arrived and gave us a table in the lovely front room on the second floor. It was clear throughout the evening that this is THE spot for a special occasion: Fully half the tables in the room had lighted candles in their desserts! The service was classically skillful but warm, and we didn't feel pushed to order at the high end of the menu or wine list--although the opportunity was tempting. We stuck to the three-course menu so we could indulge in champagne, wine, and a cheese course (with port) without selling the kids or mortgaging the house. At that, it was $680 for four, but the total package was worth it, even though the menu made each dish sound more delicious than it really was. (The food was excellent but not transcendent.) The cheese course was a special delight, however: The head waiter discussed our likes and dislikes, and when the lovely selection was served, he took time to describe each item and present us with a printed rundown that made our cheese tasting an event--great fun.

We spent the last evening at Hammersley's Bistro. With golden yellow walls and lighting that makes everyone look good--and an open kitchen--this place seemed urban and hip, in the best sense. The menu isn't extensive, but the chef obviously concentrates on a few things and does them well: The food was even better than at L'Escalier! An appetizer of the feshest smoked salmon resting on crunchy potato bits and drizzled with creme cheese and dill is till a vivid memory, as is monkfish on spinach with a light lemon/caper-based saurce. All this didn't come cheap, but after our other dinners, it seemed a relative bargain.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our week in Boston and applaud the restaurant scene there. Thanks to fellow Fodorites for steering us in the right direction!
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Old Oct 13th, 2004, 12:19 PM
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Kathyngs, thanks for such a thorough dining critique. Thanks for confirming my thoughts on Clio. I have stayed at the Eliot and have heard many positives comments about Clio, but it always seemed a little empty and not very inviting.

Let me ask you, what was the dress code like at Hammersley's Bistro? How far in advance did you make your reservation?

Sound like you had a fabulous week of dining! I'm headed up for the weekend and hope to find a great place to celebrate my son's college graduation
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Old Oct 13th, 2004, 04:46 PM
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Thank you so much, Kathy! Wonderfully informative reviews. Wow, everything is so pricey, isn't it?! Glad, at least, it lived up to your expectations.

No, I don't think there was too much "sprucing up" for the convention. Mostly investments in security! BUT, you were here at the most glorious time of the year, and the weather lately has been spectacular. Last year at this time we had snow in the Concord, NH area that didn't melt completely until April! I bet last time you visited in either November, or March/April.

SeetheWorld, I've been to Hammersley's a few times, and the dress was chic, but not super fancy. It's fairly small, so on most weekends, I'd call a couple weeks ahead for parties of 2-6. But call sooner if it's a big group. Maybe Kathy can give some recent insights. On a side note, I've had the pleasure of meeting Gordon Hammersley a couple times, and he is the most pleasant, down-to-earth, gentleman. It always makes me feel good to know there's a "nice guy" (or lady) behind some successful venture.

Well, thanks again Kathy. Great info there!

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