Moving to Boston's West suburbs

[kelly001]

My wife and I just bought a house in the suburbs, more precisely in Concord. Anyone know some good restaurants in the area (Acton, Maynard, Stow, Sudbury, Lincoln, etc.)? I know Moncef Meddeb's Aigo Bistro was supposed to be one of the nicer restaurants in that area but they closed last year.

[opinionatedchef]

if you go to chowhound.com you will have access to TONS of retsnt reviews by

members. just remember to use the 'search' box. i.e. type in 'concord' or'western suburbs'.

for a quick answer, you are in kind of a black hole of sorts out there, unf'ly. towns that are east and south of you- like waltham and framingham, and cambridge, which is east of you- are going to give you the most options . in billerica, there is a CH szechuan favorite; in groton there is a recent new place in a barn that is upscale but i've not been. you live in one of THE most beautiful towns in new england but the rstnt scene is minimal out there; sorry.

[kelly001]

if you go to chowhound.com you will have access to TONS of retsnt reviews by

members. just remember to use the 'search' box. i.e. type in 'concord'  or'western suburbs'. 

for a quick answer, you are in kind of a black hole of sorts out there, unf'ly.  towns that are east and south of you- like waltham and framingham, and cambridge, which is east of you- are going to give you the most options .  in billerica, there is a CH szechuan favorite; in groton there is a recent new place in a barn that is upscale but i've not been.  you live in one of THE most beautiful towns in new england but the rstnt scene is minimal  out there; sorry.

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Thanks for the link. That’s kind of my feeling about that area's restaurant scene. I lived in Acton 12 years ago and I can't remember anything outstanding in the area. We've been in Arlington for the past 3 years and have indulged in Cambridge and Boston's restaurants! Last year I went to Number 5 Strawberry Hill in Acton, which sells itself as a high-end French restaurant and it was a real letdown with a hefty price tag. I'm kind of bummed that Aigo closed... Moncef started L'Espalier.

[kelly001]

in groton there is a recent new place in a barn that is upscale but i've not been. 

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I've been to this place for a wedding. The food was quite good for wedding food. It's called the Barn at Gibbet Hill if memory serves me right. Never tried the restaurant itself.

[Boo]

Hi, I live in this area as well and yep, the pickins are slim. Christopher's is a new upscale-ish place on Powdermill Rd in Maynard that is promising. I had delicious lamb lollipops there a few weeks ago. Just overlook the less than attractive setting in an old strip mall. The two Thai restaurants in downtown Maynard are OK, but run-of-the-mill suburban Americanized Thai. Benjarong, on Rte 27 in Acton, is supposed to be better but I have never been there. Suggest avoiding the Korean place in downtown Maynard, the food and service are eh. Much better Korean in Ayer at Wu Jong (sp?). Serafina in Concord (not too far from the old Aigo) is decent upscale-ish food, popular on weekend nights. I like Concord Teacakes and the Nashoba Bakery in West Concord for quick lunches, Boston Bean House in Maynard has tasty sandwiches too and a nice location for people watching at lunch. I like Nancy's Airfield Cafe at the Stow airport for breakfast/brunch/lunch, desserts are really good, there is sometimes a wait on Sundays. Chloe in downtown Hudson is another upscale-ish place that people talk about here and on other food boards, I have had terrible service there on two occasions and haven't been in about a year, but it does a good business. I love the cheese shop in downtown Concord, but you probably already know about that. Il Forno is open on Rte 2A in Acton (near the Littleton line), red sauce Italian and BYOB. The best sushi in this area IMHO is Oishii in Sudbury on Rte 20. Tiny space, so go early.

[MarkIsCooking]

if you go to chowhound.com you will have access to TONS of retsnt reviews by

members. just remember to use the 'search' box. i.e. type in 'concord'  or'western suburbs'. 

for a quick answer, you are in kind of a black hole of sorts out there, unf'ly.  towns that are east and south of you- like waltham and framingham, and cambridge, which is east of you- are going to give you the most options .  in billerica, there is a CH szechuan favorite; in groton there is a recent new place in a barn that is upscale but i've not been.  you live in one of THE most beautiful towns in new england but the rstnt scene is minimal  out there; sorry.

←

Thanks for the link. That’s kind of my feeling about that area's restaurant scene. I lived in Acton 12 years ago and I can't remember anything outstanding in the area. We've been in Arlington for the past 3 years and have indulged in Cambridge and Boston's restaurants! Last year I went to Number 5 Strawberry Hill in Acton, which sells itself as a high-end French restaurant and it was a real letdown with a hefty price tag. I'm kind of bummed that Aigo closed... Moncef started L'Espalier.

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If you're willing to drive, but want something easier than going all the way downtown, give Lumiere a try in West Newton. If he still makes his scallop and truffle dish, that is a sure bet.

[jmcgrath]

Welcome to Concord. I moved here from Cambridge 15 years ago and I'm still suffering from culture shock. The Colonial Inn is a must try, not so much for the food, as for the antiquity. The food is okay. Or, hang out in its lounge and listen to a jazz band while munching on an excellent burger. Chang An has very good Cantonese style food, but don't expect to find anything spicy. La Provence is great for lunch and people watching. I only ate at Serafina once and was not impressed. The Walden Grill has had its ups and downs. Right now, I'd say the food is good but not great. I'm more likely to go to Waltham or Maynard for dinner.

West Concord is a shoppers delight. Twin Seafood, West Concord five and ten, West Concord Supermarket, Concord Teacakes, and Nashoba Brook Bakery are only a few examples.

I greatly prefer Verrill Farms to Arena for produce.

That should get you started.

Jim

[JeanneCake]

If you are interested in take out, I have fond memories of excellent meals from Via Lago in Lexington center. You can eat in or take out. My husband could polish off an entire large container of the spicy beef salad in one sitting. It's worth it for a change of pace.

[kelly001]

Welcome to Concord. I moved here from Cambridge 15 years ago and I'm still suffering from culture shock. The Colonial Inn is a must try, not so much for the food, as for the antiquity. The food is okay. Or, hang out in its lounge and listen to a jazz band while munching on an excellent burger. Chang An has very good Cantonese style food, but don't expect to find anything spicy. La Provence is great for lunch and people watching. I only ate at Serafina once and was not impressed. The Walden Grill has had its ups and downs. Right now, I'd say the food is good but not great. I'm more likely to go to Waltham or Maynard for dinner.

West Concord is a shoppers delight. Twin Seafood, West Concord five and ten, West Concord Supermarket, Concord Teacakes, and Nashoba Brook Bakery are only a few examples.

I greatly prefer Verrill Farms to Arena for produce.

That should get you started.

Jim

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If it wasn't for your comment on Chang An (never been to), I'd swear I wrote that myself...

Vintages in West Concord is a great wine shop. A selection that easily rivals with the best wine specialty shops in the city...