Where to Eat: Boston, MA
In late 2015, I moved to Boston, Massachusetts with my ex. As one of America’s oldest cities, Boston is rich with history giving tourists tons of attractions and historic sites to see. One of the things that the city is sadly not known for is it’s food. On the global stage, Boston has a very underrated food scene, finding it difficult to shine brightly enough to get out of New York City’s shadow, but several chefs are trying to put the city on the culinary map. During our time living in Boston, my career gave me the opportunity to meet and work with many of these talented chefs, and see just what they had to offer and I would be remiss if I didn’t share them here.
The North End
During our time in Boston, our apartment was located in Boston’s historic “North End” neighborhood. Known for decades as “Little Italy,” this section of the city is home to countless restaurants, and to be perfectly honest, most of them are not very good, but there are a few diamonds in the rough.
Ward 8
Located just around the corner from the TD Garden, Ward 8’s kitchen serves up delicious, gastropub-inspired food that has been elevated to satisfy the ever demanding palates in the area.
With the kitchen staying open until midnight on a nightly basis, Ward 8 is a great place to grab a cocktail and a late bite to eat.
Bova’s Bakery
While tourists in Boston flock to Mike’s Pastry on Hanover Street, locals know that the title of “Best Bakery in the North End” goes to Bova’s Bakery.
Found on Salem Street, Bova’s is serving up fresh baked breads, pastries, calzones, pizza, and even arancinis! Did I mention they are open 24 hours a day?
Ernesto’s Pizzeria
The living embodiment of a “hole-in-the-wall,” Ernesto’s has been serving pizza by the slice for over 30 years. Ernesto’s slices massive, like a quarter of a 19” pizza massive.
Although the droves of tourists will flock to Regina’s just down the street, this pizzeria on Salem Street is the place all the locals go to when they want a slice of pizza…or a whole one.
Tenoch
Authentic Mexican food is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of “Little Italy,” but sure enough the owners of the popular food truck by the same name have decided this is where they’ll open their brick and mortar location.
While all the items on the menu are delicious, if nothing else you must try the classic Tenoch torta, it is the perfect sandwich.
Financial District
In a part of town bristling with skyscrapers full of offices, the Financial District in Boston offers a variety of dining options to cater to the many different tastes of the crowds of 9-5ers on their lunch breaks.
Marliave
Open since 1885, Marliave is the oldest Chef-owned restaurant in the city.
As one of the few restaurants in the area doing $1 oyster specials, you can always catch a few people getting some after-work cocktails while shooting down some oysters.
Bostonia Public House
Although a bit expensive for what it is, Bostonia Public House serves up a modern take on some New England classics.
If you want to get a good representation of what food means to Boston, make sure to try their warm lobster roll and clam chowder.
The Q
Acting as the unofficial beginning of Chinatown, The Q is one of the best Chinese restaurants in the city.
Its great a la carte menu serving up all the classics, The Q’s biggest draw is their ability to do hotpot at almost every table. If you’ve never tried hotpot before, The Q is the place to start.
Fin Point Oyster Bar & Grille
With a beautiful interior, this seafood-focused restaurant is nestled inside the Downtown Hilton.
Fin’s menu includes delicate ceviches and crudos but also caters to the people that prefer the turf over the surf with burgers, steaks, and flatbreads.
The Back Bay
Boston’s equivalent of the Gangnam District, the Back Bay is definitely the bourgeoisie part of the city with pricey restaurant patios and upscale shopping lining the sides of Boylston and Newbury Streets. The Back Bay is probably the best place in the city to get a fantastic meal but be prepared to spend a pretty penny.
Bistro du Midi
Arguably one of the best restaurants in the city, Bistro du Midi specializes in fine dining inspired by the French region of Provence.
Led by “Beat Bobby Flay” winner Robert Sisca, Bistro du Midi offers wonderfully inspired dishes that are as pleasing to the eyes as they are to the palate. Complimenting the food is Bistro du Midi’s extensive wine program.
Parish Cafe
Arguably one of the coolest concepts for a restaurant I’ve ever seen, Parish Cafe specializes in a wide range of sandwiches. The catch is that all the sandwiches on the menu have been created by various chefs from all around the city.
Its frequently changing menu makes Parish Cafe a great way to experience the creativity of various chefs in one place.
Buttermilk & Bourbon
The Yankees in Boston can get a taste of Louisiana and creole cooking at this restaurant.
Offering their diners the chance to eat on their beautiful patio on Commonwealth Ave, Chef Jason Santos takes inspiration from Southern cuisine and elevates it to fit in with the upscale location with creative items.
Grill 23
As someone raised in Texas, nothing makes me happier than a good steak, and these are found in abundance at Grill 23.
Its a la carte menu offers incredible cuts like A5 Wagyu striploin, Prime NY strip, and a 32oz Porterhouse. This place is sure to satisfy the carnivore in all of us.
Fenway
The area surrounding the historic Fenway Park is packed with several great restaurants, each ready to feed the hoards of hungry fans on their way to and from Red Sox games.
Tasty Burger
A favorite among drunk fans after a Red Sox games, Tasty Burger serves burgers, fries, and shakes until 2 AM seven days a week.
With prices for an OG tasty burger still starting at $6.65, it may be worth holding off on that $20 burger at the park and just get one from here after the game.
Sweet Cheeks Q
New England isn’t the first place you think of when your think of BBQ but Top Chef alum Tiffani Faison is out to change some minds.
It almost makes too much sense to have a BBQ joint near a baseball park, but before it’s opening in 2011, no one in the area was doing it.
Hojoko
Sister restaurant to the well known O Ya in Chinatown, Hojoko specializes in flavorful Japanese small plates while the bar serves numerous Japanese beers and frozen craft cocktails.
It’s location so close to Fenway may make it a little more pricey than you’d expect but you pay for the location I suppose and this is by far the best sushi in the area.
Island Creek Oyster Bar
After becoming one of the main purveyors of shellfish in the Northeast, in 2010 the good people at Island Creek Oysters decided to get into the restaurant business.
Found a stone’s throw from the “Cathedral” of Boston, ICOB specializes is selling high quality local fish and, of course, plenty of oysters.
South Boston
South Boston has come a long way from the days when Matt Damon was trying to run away from his demons in Good Will Hunting. Now, Southie is a bustling and hip place to be with some of the best night life in the city.
Capo Restaurant & Supper Club
In all sincerity if you’re looking for really good Italian food, Capo is better than anything you’ll find in the North End.
Since the ground floor serves primarily as a restaurant, down below in its basement is the Supper Club, a speakeasy style bar that is always packed on the weekends and is often frequented by local sports celebrities.
Lincoln Tavern
Located right next door to Capo is her sister restaurant, Lincoln.
Although sharing the same owners, both restaurants have an identity of their own. Lincoln is probably best known for it’s award winning brunch, which it serves every day of the week.
Its well stocked bar open until 2 AM and live music on Sundays leaves some people just staying the entire day.
Moonshine 152
I may be a little biased on this one, but Moonshine 152 seems like it was specifically designed for people that work in the restaurant industry.
With a kitchen that stays open late and a bold, creative menu, Chef Asia Mei’s generosity towards people in the restaurant industry is always appreciated.
Fuji at Ink Block
Located on the outskirts of Southie (but too far to be considered part of Chinatown), Fuji is my favorite sushi restaurant in the city.
Its beautiful, clean interior and the ability to order an omakaze tasting menu made Fuji one of my go to places after a lot of work shifts.
Greater Boston Area
Boston proper is pretty small geographically speaking, but the Greater Boston Area is comprised of numerous small towns like Revere, Cambridge, Sommerville, and Chelsea just to name a few. Each one of these towns has its own flair and it would be completely irresponsible of me to ignore the great food you can find in the suburbs.
Roxy’s Grilled Cheese & Burgers (Allston)
Originally starting as a food truck, the people behind Roxy’s decided to establish a brick and mortar location in Allston.
Serving up some of the greatest hits like a short-rib grilled cheese, this eatery will remind you why you loved grilled cheese so much as a kid.
Border Cafe (Cambridge & Saugus)
Good Tex-Mex becomes increasingly harder to find the further you get from Texas. Imagine my surprise when we stumbled upon Border Cafe.
Serving up classics like sizzling fajitas, quesadillas, and tacos, Border Cafe transported my taste buds back to the Lone Star State.
Little Donkey (Cambridge)
Opening in 2016, Celebrity Chef Jamie Bissonnette’s third restaurant in the city is best known for its inventive, globally inspired small plates.
The floor-to-ceiling streetside windows let you see that this restaurant in the heart of Harvard Square is often packed by both college students and college professors alike.
Monument (Charlestown)
On the other side of the Charles River, in the shadow of the Bunker Hill memorial that inspired its name, Monument has been serving up hearty American classics since 2007.
Its cozy, rustic dining room is the perfect setting to enjoy some of their signature dishes like braised short ribs and wood-fire roasted brick chicken.