Restaurant recommendations

[LordBalthazar]

What are the "can't miss" dining destinations in Boston?

[glauer]

I would say we do not have any.....

But if you could specify a bit more what she is interested in then I might come up with something.

[Busboy]

I would say we do not have any.....

But if you could specify a bit more what she is interested in then I might come up with something.

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In kind of a perverse way, it's refreshing to see somebody not touting their home town as the Great Undiscovered Culinary Destination of North America. And, to be frank, I'm not sure that Boston is a great restaurant town, though it is a great town.

Last time I was there, though, I had one of those great random restaurant moments that happen when you're friendly and polite and appreciative (or Maybe I'm just lucky) at No. 9 Park.

I pretended to eat at a reception at Haaahvaad (they may have an attitude, but they actually are mostly pretty smart...I was just working, myself) but saved enough appetite to get a late-night (in Boston, anything after 9) snack. Wandered over to No. 9 and wedged into bar seating and after one of those awkward moments that happen when you're crowded in along a wall and someone has to go to the bathroom, and I got on speaking terms with the women at the next table. They were charming and knew the chef and all of the sudden I'm hanging with the chef, telling her how exceptional her steak tartar is and just generally being politely worshipful (I'm a known chef groupie) and then she goes back to the kitchen and next thing I know a gang of gnocchis and white truffles just show up on the table.

Not saying that if someone shows up at No. 9 Park they'll get free truffled gnocchi (and I can't testify to the formal dining room), but I can say that if the gnocchi are on the menu, it's worth paying for. Also, it's just a pleasant room and, being right on the Common, it feels very Boston.

Not that I would reccomend that anybody's sister get liquored up, but getting a good buzz on early at the heavily-touristed but nonetheless cool and reasonably historic Union Oyster House and wandering over to the North End for old-school Italian is never a bad way to go.

Here are some other thoughts.

[LordBalthazar]

Hey Busboy,

Thanks for the tip and link.

[JohnL]

What are the "can't miss" dining destinations in Boston?

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Boston has a lot of very fine restaurants.

one of the most venerable (and best) is Hammersley's Bistro.

I would also say that the original Legal Seafood downtown is very good as are any of the

Summer Shack locations-- these are casual atmosphered seafood specialists. IMOP what New England does best.

Also the East Coast Grill in Cambridge casual and fun.

[MarkIsCooking]

I'd take the Summer Shack at Alewife hands down over the scaled down version downtown.