By Bovey Rao ’19
The city of Boston is a great place to find an eclectic and engaging dining experience. Home to some of the oldest restaurants in America–and some of the hippest new bars–, Boston has a diverse and incredible food scene for any palette and budget. From March 6-11 and 13-18, 2016, Boston will offer its hungry masses two weeks of good-eating. It’s called Dine Out Boston (formerly called Restaurant Week), an event organized by the city of Boston with the goal to make restaurant dining more economical for two mouth-watering weeks. Enjoy two or three course meals at some of Boston’s finest restaurants (Lunch $15/$20/$25, Dinner $28/$33/$38). While I encourage looking through all 169 restaurants participating, here are some of my recommendations.
Note: You are strongly encouraged to make a reservation at the restaurant, whether by calling, booking through OpenTable, or using the Dine Out website.
I Sea Food – Boston’s prime location (i.e. by the Atlantic Ocean) means that fresh seafood is always close and convenient, so don’t miss out!
- Atlantic Fish Company – 761 Boylston Street, Lunch: $25
- Mare – 135 Richmond Street, Dinner: $33
- SELECT Oyster Bar – 50 Gloucester Street, Lunch: $25
- Union Oyster House* – 41 Union Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
- Oceanaire Seafood Room – 40 Court Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
Best of the North End – The Historic North End is known nationally for its authentic Italian food, and some of their best restaurants are participating this year:
- Bricco – 241 Hannover Street, Dinner: $33
- Mamma Maria – 3 North Square, Dinner: $38
- Nico – 417 Hannover Street, Dinner: $38
- Terramia Ristorante – 98 Salem Street, Dinner: $33
- Tresca – 233 Hanover Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
Italian outside the North – While the North End boasts some pretty impressive Italian fare, other exceptional Italian joints are scattered all over Boston.
- Da Vinci – 162 Columbus Avenue, Dinner: $38
- Davio’s – 75 Arlington Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $38
- Grotto – 37 Bowdoin Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $33
- Scampo – 215 Charles Street, Lunch: $25
Je Suis Francais – French food has a strong showing this year, with many past and current winners of Best French Boston participating in Dine Out Boston.
- Bastille Kitchen – 49 Melcher Street, Dinner: $38
- Bistro du Midi – 272 Boylston Street, Dinner: $38
- Gaslight – 560 Harrison Avenue, Dinner: $33
- T.W. Food – 377 Walden Street, Dinner: $38
- La Voile – 261 Newbury Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $38
- Ma Maison – 272 Cambridge Street, Lunch: $20 Dinner: $33
Something’s at Steak – Do you have a beef with someone? Resolve it at one of the many great steakhouses in Boston!
- Boston Chops – 1375 Washington Street, Dinner: $38
- Capital Grille – 900 Boylston Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
- Grill 23 & Bar – 161 Berkley Street, Dinner: $38
- STRIP by Strega – 64 Arlington Street, Lunch: $20, Dinner: $38
Somewhere Beyond the Sea – Other countries exist besides Italy and France, I promise, and they have delicious offerings as well.
- Bronwyn – German, 255 Washington Street, Dinner: $33
- Oishii Boston – Japanese, 1166 Washington Street, Lunch: $20/$30
- Q Restaurant – Chinese (Hotpot), 660 Washington Street, Lunch: $20, Dinner: $33
- Estragon – Spanish, 700 Harrison Avenue, Dinner: $33
‘Murica has Food Too! – Why is it so hard to describe American food…?
- Courtyard Restaurant – 700 Boylston Street, Lunch: $20
- Kitchen – 560 Tremont Street, Dinner: $28
- Parker’s** – 60 School Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $38
Nearby Dining – If you feel like leaving Harvard Square is too much of a chore, fear not! A number of restaurants nearby are participating.
- Beat Brasserie – 13 Brattle Street, Lunch: $25
- Grafton Street – 1230 Mass Avenue, Dinner: $28
- Harvest – 44 Brattle Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
- Henrietta’s Table- 1 Bennett Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $33
- Park Restaurant – 59 JFK Street, Dinner: $28
- Rialto – 1 Bennett Street, Dinner: $38
- Russell House Tavern- 14 JFK Street, Dinner: $28
- Temple Bar- 1688 Massachusetts Avenue, Dinner: $28
- Toscano Harvard Square – 47 Charles Street, Lunch: $20, Dinner: $38
*One of the oldest restaurants in America with frequent visits from presidential candidates.
** Original creator of the Boston Cream Pie
The dedication to the broth can also be seen in the amount of space the restaurant has devoted to the simmering process. As one can see from the long, rectangular window along the south wall of the restaurant, most of the kitchen is taken up by eight huge vats of broth, each clouded with the capricious steam from the pork and vegetables simmering below. The vats, lit with green light to emphasize the true alchemical magic constantly at play, can even be seen from Bow Street, enticing any passerby.
t only because of its decorative pink swirl, but also with its chewiness. The wood ear mushroom (4), with a flavor reminiscent of the woods, has a texture similar to the bamboo shoot, but it a bit softer and smoother. Finally, the hard plum (5): with its sweet, vinegar, pickled bite, cuts right through the fattiness of the broth and refreshes the mouth. With so many combinations of flavor and texture to try, there is a new experience in store every time you eat a bowl of ramen.
crimsoncrave.com 