Restaurants in Westford

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.

Trade, a restaurant from Chef Jody Adams of Rialto fame, is my one of my favorite restaurants in Boston, and a place I find myself again and again. Living in the Leather District, it is also luckily (and dangerously!) close to home, and when we get home to find the fridge bare we often take the short walk to Congress Street. Because we have tried the menu so many times, I’d like to share some of what I’ve found to be the best dishes on the menu. The space, by Fort Point Channel at the intersection of Congress Street and Atlantic Avenue, is airy and industrial, with lots of warm wood and exposed brick. The long bar area is a favorite of the after-work crowd, and is often filled with people from downtown looking for a drink before heading home. And with good reason: the drinks are delicious, especially their gingery cockney mule. As great as the bar scene is, it is so worthwhile to stay for dinner. The menu is served in the bar area as well as a more formal seating area at the front of the restaurant. While there are larger entrees on the menu (between $22 and $28), sharing the small plates ($7 to $15 each) is a delicious way to try several dishes. In line with the aim of using fresh local ingredients, the menu shifts with the seasons to feature the best produce available. There is always a crudo, and it has been delicious every time I have tried it. One memorable version featured fluke in a delicate coconut broth. The current menu includes a tuna crudo with wasabi, radish, chilli, and yuzu – yum! A perennial favorite of mine and a constant on the menu is the black bean enchilada with Taza mole, cabbage, and avocado. It is cooked in a small cast iron skillet in the huge pizza oven, which also crisps up several varieties of flatbreads. Another favorite is the crispy potatoes with paprika and cumin, simple but oh-so satisfying. Vegetables really shine, including avocado served with an addictive green mango-tamarind-peanut chutney, Brussels sprouts with harissa and dukkah, and gingered beets in a grainy mustard vinagrette. The menu often features burrata, a fresh cheese made from mozzarella and cream. A version we tried recently paired a zingy quince jam and toasted nuts with the rich cheese, for a perfect decadent forkful. While there are several interesting deserts on the menu, we always come back to the baked Alaska. The flavor of ice cream or sorbet changes with the seasons, but the meringue shell is always crisped beautifully in the hot pizza oven. It has consistently been a perfect ending to some of my favorite meals in Boston. If you try Trade, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.  

Chinatown can be a bit intimidating.  The myriad of streets over lapping each other in a haphazard fashion, all lined with bustling restaurants adorned with colorful awnings decorated with their names, menus in the windows listing their fare in both English as well as Chinese, or Cantonese. But how do you tell which is good and which is better passed by?  Even more so, once you’re seated, how do you know what to order? Some spots make it easy on their clientele.  Gourmet Dumpling House is widely regarded as one of the best places in Chinatown, and here I let the name guide me when ordering - their dumplings are out of this world.  They specialize in a variety of types of dumplings, steamed to pan fried, with vegetarian fillings to meat fillings, however, I have to guide you to the Juicy Dumplings.  Often called Soup Dumplings, these little steamed pockets of perfection contain either crab meat and pork or just pork with a healthy addition of broth.  One does need to take some care when eating these treasures, as the broth can make for a messier experience, but the combination of the dumpling with the filling and the soup makes a perfect bite every time. Perhaps you’re more of a Steamed Pork Bun fan?  A sandwich of sorts with a “bun” so pillowy soft that it feels like a cloud encompassing artfully seasoned pork, sometimes accomplanied by veggies or a spicy mayo, and sometimes served clean, as is.  Mei Sum is the go to spot for these, with very honorable mentions at Chau Chow City and China Pearl. Looking for a good first date spot?  Head to The Q Restaurant for their Mongolian Hot Pot.  Hot Pot allows diners to choose their broths, their vegetables, their meats and create their own unique dinners right at their own table.   Differing a bit from the standard fare, Hot Pot is incredibly interactive, fun for a group or to help smooth out any awkward corners in the dating world. Chinatown is a large section in the city and is comprised of much more than just the restaurants listed here.  It’s streets contain many markets, pharmacies and the like all stocked with imported goods from China, each with their own unique feel.  If you are interested in learning more, there are phenomenal tours offered through Boston Food Tours that will guide you through the neighborhood and offer answers to all those questions you have. No matter what you’re looking for, I urge you to get out and explore the great Chinatown, treasures are sure to be found. Hungry for more? Explore all of our Boston restaurant deals.