Restaurants in Massachusetts

Save for Love Story, movies that paint Boston in a romantic light are few and far between. It's a stunning notion, considering the city's Georgian architecture, cobblestone streets and intimate eateries. From the artistically presented French cuisine at L'Espalier to the cozy ambiance and shared tapas at Dali, you can literally taste the romance in this town. Inman Square: Farm-Fresh Fare by a Cozy Fireplace  Bondir | 279 Broadway, Suite A Chef Jason Bond’s sustainable approach to seasonal farm-style fare helped Bondir earn a spot on Bon Appétit’s list of the best new restaurants of 2011. And while housemade breads and a daily changing menu are sure to impress a date, it’s the crackling fireplace and endless supply of wine that really kindles the romance. Inman Square: James Beard–Nominated Turkish Restaurant Oleana | 134 Hampshire Street If the weather permits, you’ll want to snag a spot on the patio at this Turkish oasis, where a trickling fountain and a live fig tree forms an exotic backdrop for a James Beard–nominated menu. While carnivores dive into pork belly or Moroccan fluke, vegetarians can enjoy the popular tasting menu. North End: Seasonal Italian in a Victorian Row Home Mamma Maria | 3 North Square Perched on a small hill, this 19th-century structure’s floor-to-ceiling windows reveal gorgeous views of the historic North Square. If that’s not romantic enough, the chefs source their seasonal ingredients solely from New England farms and purveyors, meaning everything—from the carpaccio to the osso buco—is crafted in homage to the area. Multiple Locations: Ode to the Seasons Ten Tables This ultra-cozy spot really has just 10 tables. Luckily, one of those is the chef’s table, which grants glimpses of culinary masters in action as they honor the season with ingredients from Boston-area farms, such as littleneck clams from Woodbury Shellfish or roasted root vegetables from Allandale Farm. Even the cocktails include local fruits, which are puréed in house. Back Bay: Upscale New French Dining L'Espalier | 774 Boylston Street Head to “The Library”—one of L’Espalier’s four dining rooms—for a tranquil and intimate meal. Amid the dim lighting and shelves of books, you’ll find sophisticated yet accessible French cuisine crafted from local ingredients and served with a bit of flair. Try the rib eye for two, carved tableside and paired with mushroom ragout. Wellington/Harrington: Southern Comfort Food Turns Upscale Hungry Mother | 233 Cardinal Medeiros Avenue A 2013 James Beard nominee, Chef Barry Maiden marries classic French culinary techniques with traditional Southern recipes. The result? Wagyu beef tongue, crayfish and grits, and spring lamb meat pies with saffron aioli—each born from a foundation of New England ingredients. End the meal with a shareable slice of buttermilk chess pie. Beacon Hill: Modern Italian in a Subterranean Setting Grotto | 37 Bowdoin Street Situated in the basement of a Beacon Hill brownstone, this softly lit date-night hot spot features contemporary Italian cuisine infused with local undertones. Cherry-pick items from the three-course prix fixe menu, such as garlic and black-truffle soup, grilled beef tenderloin in a red-wine sauce, and panna cotta for dessert. The menu changes seasonally, but you can always order the eatery’s simple signature: spaghetti and meatballs. Area IV: Lavender-Honey Duck for Two Salts | 798 Main Street What’s more romantic than a bistro run by a husband and wife? Perhaps that husband and wife’s most popular dish: a whole roasted boneless duck kissed with a lavender-honey glaze for two. Order the meal in advance, and enjoy it with one of their carefully selected small-production wines from France, Spain, or Uruguay. Ward Two: Intimate Spanish Tapas Dali Restaurant & Tapas Bar | 415 Washington Street Flickering candlelight illuminates colorful Spanish decor and low tin ceilings at Dali, but there are plenty of dark corners for canoodling. Each small plate of baked goat cheese, cured Spanish ham, and saffron-battered shrimp is meant to be shared and enjoyed with housemade sangria. Beacon Hill: James Beard Award-Winning Wine Program No. 9 Park | 9 Park Street Win over your beloved via Chef Barbara Lynch’s seven-course tasting menu, three-course prix fixe menu, or à la carte dishes. Whichever you choose, you’ll encounter elegant Italian- and French-inspired cuisine made from local ingredients, from prune-stuffed gnocchi to berkshire pork loin. As for the wine, the James Beard Foundation approves of the sommelier’s small-batch European picks.

We all had those days in college- the budget was stretched thin but another trip to the dining hall was enough to make our stomachs turn so we turned to that Styrofoam container of salty goodness: Ramen.  Heated up in our dorm issued microwaves, it was fast, it was easy and it was cheap.  Of course, now years out of college, when we hear the word Ramen, our mind immediately transports back to those days with just a little nostalgia….and a little disgust.  However, more and more Ramen, the real stuff served in restaurants, is taking the world by storm as one of the biggest “fad” meals of the past year. So what is “real” Ramen? Generally speaking, Ramen refers to a soup noodle dish with its origin in Japan.  However from that point on Ramen takes on a new meaning at the hands of its maker.  Broths can be made with chicken bones, pork bones, and/or dried sardines for base flavor and then a variety of vegetables can be added to create deeper flavor such as mushrooms, ginger or onion.  Normally Ramen broth takes on one of four different flavor profiles- salt, soy, pork or miso.  Chukamen noodles (made from wheat flour and an alkaline solution) are then added to the broth to create basic Ramen, and then a variety of toppings, from dried seaweed and bamboo shoots to egg and Pork are added to give the Ramen different characteristics. So where do you find the good stuff here in Boston? Snappy Sushi, Newbury St, Boston:  Snappy Sushi brought Ramen on to their menu in late summer 2013, and have had a rotation of about three different Ramens since opening.  When I visited there was a spicy lobster, a miso and a pork, but they won my affection by allowing me to use the spicy broth from the lobster and topping it with pork rather than the crustacean.  Additionally, they brought over a custom made blend of dried spices to let me kick up the heat as much as I so chose.  I was sold! Yume Wo Katare, Porter Square, Cambridge:  Serving just one type of broth, ordering at Yume Wo Katare is pretty simple.  Your options are for 3 pieces of pork to top your mound of noodles, veggies and broth, or for 5 pieces of pork.  From there you can customize if you want garlic, and a variety of other vegetables all at no extra cost.  Yume Wo Katare boasts having the biggest bowls of Ramen in the city, and the simplest ordering process! Uni, Commonwealth Ave, Boston:  Uni is a personal favorite of mine though they are only dishing up their bowls of authentic Ramen just three nights a week (Thursday through Saturday and only after 11pm).  They offer three different types normally, a traditional, their short rib, and a vegetable style.  This is a bit of a die hard way to enjoy the soup, but in true style of Uni, it’s worth it. Sapporo Ramen, Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge:  Sapporo is offering up nine different types of Ramen all based off of their own chicken and vegetable ten hour broth but varying the toppings.  Selections include their own House Ramen topped with pork, egg, beansprouts, nori, corn, and scallions, their Spicy Miso Ramen, topped with spicy ground pork and even a Kim Chi style and a Curry flavored Ramen.

Whenever I walk through the streets of Boston I always feel as though at any given moment a horse drawn buggy might cross my path, or a colonial woman carrying baskets stuffed with goods from the market my wander into my path.  There is something about Boston that has somehow maintained the incredible history when it was founded and the centuries that have passed since despite its current modern state.  Of course, it helps that we’ve maintained much of our architecture, and even some of our founding businesses right here in the city.  Paul Revere’s home sits as it always has in the North End.  The original State House, now surrounded by the skyscrapers of the financial district, still sits where it always has, in the center of it all, with an eye to the harbor.  Better still, we still have restaurants in business that have long beyond withstood the test of time. Union Oyster House, located just across the street from the Holocaust Memorial in the heart of Faneuil Hall first opened its doors in 1826 and is the oldest continuously open restaurant in the United States.  The building itself was built in the 1600’s before Boston’s landmass was redesigned and the harbor was just outside its door.  It began as a dress goods business, and then reimagined its wares into those lovely shellfish in the 1800’s.  Ever since, residents and visitors alike have flocked to its doors to enjoy its plentiful raw bar, and the rest of their uniquely New England menu.  As a true testament to its prowess, it is a favorite haunt of the Kennedy clan (yes THOSE Kennedy’s) when they happen in from Kennbunkport, and is the post election dinner spot for Secretary of State, Boston native, John Kerry.  Union Oyster House is a true institution in Boston, with its exterior preserved in true colonial spirit and it’s menu offering tastes treasured since that time. A bit more off the beaten path, Amhrein’s has occupied it’s space on West Broadway St in South Boston since 1890. Opened has a “neighborhood spot”  Amhrein’s continues to be a place where neighbors go to enjoy a pint, and generous portions.  Though it’s undergone several renovations over the years, both to it’s interior as well as modernizing it’s menu bringing it’s flavors up to the discerning palates of today, Amhrein’s is still home to the oldest hand carved bar in America (trust me- it’s gorgeous) and Boston’s oldest beer tap- a real claim to fame! No list of historical Boston restaurants would be complete without mentioning the Parker Omni House.  Originally opened in 1855, and then reconstructed throughout the 1920s, the hotel, and self contained restaurant have been an icon to the Boston dining scene.  The restaurant is tributed with first creating that heavenly concoction and the official state dessert of Massachusetts, the Boston Cream Pie, as well as the Parker House Rolls, a buttery way to start off a meal, and also is known for coining the term “scrod”.  The Parker House has definitely made its impression on Boston dining.  However, its not just what they’ve served over the years, it’s who they’ve served.  It’s location close to the old city hall, and the new State House has made it a favorite meeting spot for politicians for centuries, but has also been a favorite spot of such literary masters such as Charles Dickens (who resided within the hotel for two years) as well as such famous names as Longfellow, Emerson and Holmes.  Of course, it was also the site of John F. Kennedy’s Congressional candidacy announcement, and his bachelor party.  This place has some amazing history.  Today, go visit and sit in its gorgeous hallowed rooms and enjoy truly elegant service, delicious rolls and a slice of Boston Cream Pie- or their cocktail of the same name. Boston is ripe with historical gems, spots that have seen wars, hard times and great times.  These are magical places within the city, places where modern fun can be had with a nod to our ancestors.  These are definitely spots to sit back, enjoy a pint and watch the world pass you by. Explore even more Boston restaurants.