Restaurants in Boston

The chefs at Cookin Cafe & Grille bake up a full menu of classic American eats, specialty pizzas, succulently filled subs, and all-day breakfasts for pickup or delivery. Pizza prodigies spin out 14 specialty pies that blanket crispy crusts with tomato or buffalo sauce, fresh veggies, and classic meats such as pepperoni, grilled chicken, and sausage to comfort growling stomachs without swallowing a teddy bear. Steak tips, falafel, and shish kebabs pile into a choice of sub, triple-decker sandwich, wrap with a whole-wheat tortilla, or calzone with fresh, house-made dough. Cookin Cafe & Grille's all-day breakfast menu quells midday cravings for bacon and eggs, which can be ordered by clicking online or sending a postcard with binary scribbled on the back.

Allston Diner forges hearty breakfast platters all day long, filling a significant gap in the area's dining scene with its "down-South comfort food," according to a feature in the Boston Phoenix. The cooks ladle sausage gravy over house-made biscuits and top crispy cornbread waffles with golden-brown pieces of fried chicken. They also do their best to accommodate a range of diets by whisking together vegetarian-friendly omelets and vegan pancakes.

Much like the menu, the dining room toes the line between a nostalgic diner and a contemporary urban eatery. Backless stools line the front counter, and turquoise trim adorns the walls and booths. Even the tables embrace this whimsical eclecticism, featuring carefully arranged collages of comic-book panels and napkins that are made from hand-woven cotton candy.

Praise doesn’t come easily from the restaurant tastemakers at Gayot. But, when faced with the delicate preparations of Pierrot Bistrot Francais, they not only awarded the restaurant a spot on their list of the Top 10 French Restaurants in Boston, but also praised the eatery as, “a French bistro in the truest sense of the term.” Secluded from the exposed brick and coral tones of the dining room, owner and head chef Pierre Sosnitsky toils in the kitchen to bring that authenticity to his dishes, some of which are recreations of his childhood favorites or the meals served during his last dream of a never-ending banquet. From dry-aged beef sirloin to jumbo sea scallops and veal scaloppini, his locally sourced menu items find their mates in a large wine list.

Morsels of beef, chicken, and pork absorb rich, smoky flavors over the wood coals of Braza's custom-made churrasqueria grill. Servers slice the traditional Brazilian feasts off skewers right at the table, which is one of the rich traditions of gaucho culture, like tying pork sausage into lasso knots. An all-you-can-eat buffet with sides such as yucca, hearts of palm, and lemon sauce cut meaty flavors with zesty and crispy tastes. As guests savor chicken wings, pork tenderloins, and jerk beef, a lively nightclub atmosphere puts feet on the dance floor with traditional Brazilian music and karaoke.