When inside Amrheins, take a moment between sips of Napa Valley wine to soak in your surroundings. The restaurant—which opened in 1890—is a piece of living history. It lays claim to the first beer pump in Boston, and bartenders will tell you that their hand-carved bar is the oldest in America. That's not to say Amrheins is stuck in the past. If anything, there's something timeless about the restaurant. Its stained wood walls, curved leather booths, white tablecloths, and outdoor summertime seating seem fit for patrons from any era. Likewise, the current chef cooks traditional New England comfort foods that have stood the test of time—with a few twists along the way.

The chef blankets the shepherd's pie in a Guinness gravy and bakes fresh Maine lobster into his lobster mac, which comes covered in a three-cheese sauce. One of the most inventive dishes arrives at dessert: a cookie pot pie that fills a puff pastry crust with homemade chocolate-chunk cookies, ice cream, and berries as fresh as a toddler's first sarcastic remark. The menu changes a bit outside of dinner. Lunch brings meatloaf sandwiches, while early birds can satisfy breakfast cravings on Saturday and Sunday mornings. And Amrheins' location is easily accessible, with ample on-site parking and convenient access from The T.