# United States & Canada Vacations Forums > General Discussion >  >  Boston Recommendations

## marybeth

I know there are many forum friends from the Boston area so I'm hoping for a lot of great recommendations. I'll be in Cambridge for a week in July. I'm looking for lunch recs near Harvard and dinner recs for Cambridge or Boston. Since I'll be solo (unless I make new friends or anyone wants to meet up) places where you can dine at the bar would be great.

Randy is joining me on Thursday, and then Saturday we're moving to Boston for 2 nights. We have tix to Dead & Co at Fenway and are looking for other ways to spend our short time.

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## andynap

As a visitor many times I suggest  you have to go to the North end for Italian food- Mamma Maria's is the best- don't let the name throw you. Make reservations. If the Duck Boats are running take one in front of the Prudential Center for a nice water view of Boston. Legal Seafood on the Wharf for sure. Oyster Houses abound. Kara and Kevin will clue you on the rest of your stay. Have a good time.

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## MIke R

It's Mamma Maria's not Mama Mia  and we will actually be there tonight with Amy and Phil, Kara and Bob, Kevin and Kate,  and Rosemary .....Artu s is also very good as is Giacomo s ....Cafe Vittoria for pastry and espresso.....Neptune Oyster for anything on their menu......Union House for Oysters is fun simply because it's the oldest raw  bar in America ...Select is also good for Oysters ......Row 34 was very good for lunch and I really liked the vibe there......Kevin likes Jaspers Summer Shack for seafood which I do as well ...

And  of course you can never ever go wrong at Legals Seafoood

Pizza I love Regina, Picco, and Umberto Galleria ....Kara loves Picco as well ...

and  I LOVE Mr Bartleys Gourmet Burgers in Cambridge

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## andynap

"It's Mamma Maria's not Mama Mia"

That's what I meant- fixed.

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## MIke R

I figured

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## Dennis

Second Neptune.

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## andynap

> I figured



I had Abba on my mind- not.

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## MIke R

LOL

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## Bart -my real name-

> As a visitor many times I suggest  you have to go to the North end for Italian food- *Mama Maria's is the best*- don't let the name throw you.



My wife and some coworkers are in Boston now for some training class and on Kevin's recommendation, they went there on Tuesday night and were blown away.  They were all raving!!!

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## andynap

> My wife and some coworkers are in Boston now for some training class and on Kevin's recommendation, they went there on Tuesday night and were blown away.  They were all raving!!!



My wife and I stumbled upon it one night after looking at some very crowded restaurants and then walking down an alley and there it was. A total surprise inside- white table cloths and formal settings and great food.

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## MIke R

Been my number one option for many years.......

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## amyb

Dinner on the South Side last night with my brother at a French Bistro. Charming and excellent bistro fare..the Metropolis Cafe on Tremont St

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## marybeth

Thanks all and keep 'em coming! Suggestions of where to eat (casual w/good beer) before the show at Fenway especially appreciated.

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## MIke R

Island Creek Oyster Bsr is by Fenway.....that's the ticket

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## KevinS

The two traditional spots next to Fenway are Boston Beer Works, on Brookline Ave, right across from the end of Yawkey Way, and the Cask 'n Flagon, one block up Brookline Ave, on the corner of Lansdowne St.  Yawkey Way is usually a street mall, with a ticket gate at the entrance, and typical ballpark food.


https://www.beerworks.net/
http://www.casknflagon.com/

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## MIke R

> The two traditional spots next to Fenway are Boston Beer Works, on Brookline Ave, right across from the end of Yawkey Way, and the Cask 'n Flagon, one block up Brookline Ave, on the corner of Lansdowne St.  Yawkey Way is usually a street mall, with a ticket gate at the entrance, and typical ballpark food.
> 
> 
> https://www.beerworks.net/
> http://www.casknflagon.com/



they re  good...Bleacher Bar  is good too

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## Bart -my real name-

MB - 
    This may be way more than you're interested in, but here's a link to the Boston discussion in a DC food forum.  It starts way back in 2005, but goes up to October 2015 with nearly 200 posts.  I looked at some of the recent posts and there was some info about the Fenway area.

Enjoy!

http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php...dge-ma/&page=1

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## KevinS

> Island Creek Oyster Bsr is by Fenway.....that's the ticket



Right around the corner, in Kenmore Square.  Maybe a 10-minute walk to Fenway.

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## MIke R

> Right around the corner, in Kenmore Square.  Maybe a 10-minute walk to Fenway.



yep and they have a tremendous beer list .....last time I was there I didn't know where to begin

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## marybeth

> yep and they have a tremendous beer list .....



Sounds right up our alley and perfect before a Dead show. Probably better its a short walk to Fenway...otherwise it would be mobbed with Deadheads.  :Devil Laughing: 

Thanks Andy for the Legal Seafood recommendation, that one is pretty close to our hotel. I've eaten at the one at KoP years ago and wouldn't have picked it because I thought it was a chain.

Also do we need reservations at Legal or Mama Maria?

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## andynap

> Sounds right up our alley and perfect before a Dead show. Probably better its a short walk to Fenway...otherwise it would be mobbed with Deadheads. 
> 
> Thanks Andy for the Legal Seafood recommendation, that one is pretty close to our hotel. I've eaten at the one at KoP years ago and wouldn't have picked it because I thought it was a chain.
> 
> Also do we need reservations at Legal or Mama Maria?



Yes- reservations at Mamma Maria are necessary.

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## marybeth

> Yes- reservations at Mamma Maria are necessary.



DONE!! Sunday night at 8:30 PM  :thumb up:  gotta love Open Table.

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## Bart -my real name-

> Thanks Andy for the Legal Seafood recommendation, that one is pretty close to our hotel. I've eaten at the one at KoP years ago and wouldn't have picked it because I thought it was a chain.
> 
> ?



Is it a chain?  Is that one different from the rest?

I've seen Kevin and Mike mention that place for years and I trust them completely, but the one or two we have in the DC are thought of as a place akin to Outback Steakhouse.  Maybe a little more upscale than Outback, but certainly not a place you'd recommend to an out of towner.  I wonder if it's the proximity to the ocean and bay that sets that one apart?

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## marybeth

Yes, I wondered the same thing. When I looked at the website there certainly are a lot of them.

Also any place near the wharf area for breakfast? Staying at the Intercontinental. We leave later Monday morning and would love to have something hearty. I have to hit the ground running when I get home...board meeting that evening.

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## KevinS

Legal Seafoods is a family-owned chain of restaurants, although they don't like the word chain.  They're mostly in the Boston area.  I just looked at their location list, and was surprised to find that they're up to 35 restaurants (counting airport locations), including 10 outside of New England, and one as far away as DC.  Legal Seafoods around here is known as a quality group which is very picky about the quality of their seafood.  They're serious about their "If it isn't fresh, it isn't Legal" ad tagline.  I can't speak for their airport locations, but I wouldn't hesitate to eat at any of their other restaurants.  I've eaten at at least 6 of them, and have never been disappointed.

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## marybeth

> ...and one as far away as DC.



Actually it looks like there's one in Atlanta.

Regardless, enough recs from people I trust...we have a rezzie for lunch on Thursday.

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## JEK

The DC one is quite good for a mall restaurant.  I worked in Boston in the late 80s and at one point the best and worst seafood resto were both a Legal Seafood.

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## MIke R

Legals is awesome...a fussier fish buyer you will never meet....we are about fifteen minutes from being at the one on Long Wharf, slurping oysters and drinking beer as a little Pre dinner appetizer

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## andynap

My wife and I eat at the Legal Wharf restaurant and I recommend it to anyone. I think the Boston ones are closer to the owner and more oversight. There is one MB  mentioned in King of Prussia around here that my son says isn't that good. I trust his taste.

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## JEK

No doubt Boston is better than Tysons Corner, but they do feature farmed salmon and shrimp. I mean, come on  :Big Grin:

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## amyb

The one on Long Island was disappointing and closed.

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## KaraBrooks

Hi Marybeth. 

In Cambridge area - if you are a sushi lover than I cannot recommend Cafe Sushi enough. Go with the omakase or order off the blackboard. Fantastic fish. Sarma in Somerville is a kind of middle eastern/turkish small plates place that has a lively bar and would be great for solo dining. Cafe Art Science is awesome for cocktails and the food is very good as well. Another good place to eat at the bar. Area Four in Cambridge has terrific pizza. State Park in Cambridge is a totally fun "dive bar" by the folks who had the excellent Hungry Mother. Fun takes on bar food, excellent cocktail program and fun bloody marys (pickled ramps and the like) as well as pool tables and shuffleboard. Alden and Harlow, again in Cambridge, is super popular (secret burger early in the night). It is a little heavy for my taste but people love it.

On the other side of the river - O Ya if you are a sushi lover is out of this world. Call soon for a reservation if you are interested. We love Pastoral in Fort Point for pizza and wood fired vegetables. Picco has great pizza and ice cream but has an ice cream ambience (lots of strollers) where as Pastoral has more of a adult ambience. Coppa in the South End is modern Italian with terrific homemade pasta, pizzas and great small plates. Lovely to sit outside on a nice afternoon. Select Oyster Bar (mentioned by Mike) is my favorite of all the oysters bars (Neptune, B&G, Row 34, Island Creek) - more inventive/former chef at Neptune. Uni in Back Bay is awesome. It took over the old Clio space and is world-inspired (for lack of a better description) small plates with a great cocktail program (sensing a theme here - this is a drinking town :-)). +! on Mamma Maria. We had a wonderful dinner there with A+P, Mike, Wendi, Lena, Kevin, Kate and Rosemary. Food was spot on (and the company was pretty awesome!) For a change of scene - you might enjoy a walk up the Greenway to the Boston Public Market - all local vendors.

For your Fenway concert, I second Island Creek (or its sister restaurant Eastern Standard). We camped out at Hawthorn Inn (a cocktail bar owned by the Island Creek/Es Standard people that is right next door) before the JayZ/JT concert at Fenway and it was a blast (Fenway is an amazing venue - esp. if you are on the field (even for a Yankees fan)). Chinatown after the concert (just saying) I would recommend Dumpling Cafe (soup dumplings are the bomb!) - it is a great late night spot (no ambience). 

Legal - it has some of the best oysters in Boston in my opinion (the best we have had on a regular basis are out in Chestnut Hill - the oldest original location and we grab martinis and oysters at Long Wharf at the bar after a sail). I personally would pick other places for a meal (so many great places) just because so many of the locations are just choked with tourists. I cannot really speak to the food - we really only do oysters but the menu never really inspires me and is nowhere near as interesting imho as Select, Row 34, Neptune (tons of tourists here as well so we avoid) or Island Creek. But everyone is looking for something different. The reality is that the food scene has blown up in Boston certainly since I went to school here (20+ years ago - yikes!!) and gotten especially interesting in the last 3-5 years. 

Breakfast  - if you are at the Intercontinental you might like Flour in Fort Point which is not more than a 5 minute walk over the channel. South Street Diner (near South Station) is a popular place (Bob likes it - me not so much) but it has your typical diner food and has been around forever. Here is Boston magazine's take on breakfast in Boston - http://www.bostonmagazine.com/restau...kfasts-boston/  If you are looking for great coffee - do try Sip in Post Office Square. Fantastic!

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## marybeth

Kara, thank you SO MUCH!  Cafe Sushi and Area Four are definitely on the list. I ate at Alden & Harlow when I was there in March. Soooo many choices, I appreciate all the recs. Once life settles down I'll be making more reservations and plans.

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## KaraBrooks

Marybeth - we did the omakase again this weekend at Cafe Sushi. Beyond good and the chef is just charming and hands you each dish. We also did the sake pairing (I know nothing about sake) and they pour a different sake with each course. Super fun! So worth a trip!

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## MIke R

As for things to do ......right by your hotel is a fast ferry which can get you to P Town in a little over an hour ...LOTS  to do there !..and a ton of good eats

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## KaraBrooks

The fast ferry to P Town from Long Wharf is one of the greatest things ever (but as people who sail in the Boston harbor the (illegal) wake that boat throws up in the no wake zone is so wrong!). But what a way to avoid the Cape traffic! Amazing!

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## marybeth

Mike,
We'd love to do P Town but I'm in class pretty much all day Monday-Friday, then we have Dead & Co tix for Saturday. Our only free day is Sunday and neither of us have been to Boston for years. But with cheap flights from PIT-BOS I'm sure we'll be back. Would love to do P Town, and Nantucket as well!

Thanks again for all the recs. We'll definitely be eating well!

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