Boston, MA

Eating out in Boston, MA

Boston has countless eateries ranging across the culinary landscape from traditional New England to exotic Malaysian. Regional specialties include clam chowder, broiled scrod, and Yankee pot roast. If hand-made Italian pastas and gourmet Sicilian seafood are more your choice then head to Boston's legendary North End. For the hippest in New American cuisine and traditional regional fare try exploring the city's South End or the trendy Back Bay. Boston has witnessed an explosion in Middle and Far Eastern cuisine from Vietnamese delights to the newly-popular Dim Sum shrimp and pork dumplings. For casual meals, there are plenty of pubs and taverns serving hearty meals at a reasonable prices.

Gourmet

Davide Restorante sits on the waterfront bordering the North End. Raised and trained in Italy, chef-owner Franco Caritano has been serving some of the city's finest Italian cuisine for more than 15 years. Seasonal menu items include daily hand-made pasta, fresh seafood, choice meats, and an award-winning selection of vintage wines, champagne, and grappas. 326 Commercial Street.

Highly Recommended

Rialto is one of Boston's most-acclaimed restaurants and its chief chef, Jody Adams, is one of the city's culinary luminaries. She has won numerous awards for her intensely-flavored, straight-forward menu that highlights the regional cuisine of provincial France, Italy and Spain. Overlooking Harvard Square, this chic restaurant bars pretentiousness and has a warm atmosphere and professional staff. One Bennett Street.

Local Flair

Rowes Wharf Restaurant offers breathtaking views of Boston Harbor and an inventive menu. It's not the trendiest eatery in the city, but Bostonians in the know frequent it for the delectable seafood, filet mignon, and appetizers. 70 Rowes Wharf.

Romantic

Icarus restaurant sets the mood for romantic dining with elegant marble accents, dark-wood trim, and spacious Mission-style decor. An eclectic American regional menu from chef-owner Christopher Douglas features only locally-grown produce, the finest farm-raised meats, and the freshest New England seafood. Enjoy an award-winning wine list and live Jazz every Friday night in the bar. 3 Appleton Street.

Going party in Boston, MA

Although it's not a 24-hour city like New York or Los Angeles, Boston makes a pretty good showing after dark. From the latest theater productions to dance clubs and Irish drinking bars like the Bull and Finch Pub made famous in the television series Cheers, Boston offers plenty of action once the sun goes down. For the latest club gossip and event schedules, check out the Boston Phoenix, an indispensable guide published on Thursdays.

Bull and Finch Pub

No first-time visit to Boston is complete without a stop at the neighborhood bar "where everybody knows your name." Located in trendy Beacon Hill across from the Public Garden, this bar and its legendary bar master, Eddie Doyle, were the inspiration for Cheers, one of the most popular television sitcoms ever produced.

Axis

One of Boston's largest and hippest hangouts, this high-energy dance club with its costumed dancers and young ravers leaves the staid world of nearby Kenmore Square and Boston University far behind. The techno and house music is loud with a rapid-fire beat.

Black Rose

With a prime location in Faneuil Hall, this traditional Irish pub features a menu with seafood and Irish specialties like shepherd's pie, live Celtic music, and Guinness, of course.

Dick Doherty's Comedy Vault

Located in a former bank vault in the basement of Remington's Restaurant, this Boston landmark features stand-up performances, improv, and an open mike night on Sundays.

House of Blues

The original House of Blues welcomes you to the sounds and flavors of the Mississippi Delta with live performances nightly of blues, R and B, funk, reggae, jazz, groove, ska, swing, Latin, and good old rock n' roll.

Wally's Cafe

This South End, no-frills jazz club attracts a diverse, fun-loving crowd. There are nightly performances by some of the hottest local acts and occasional big-name performers.

Common events in Boston, MA

New England Spring Flower Show

One of Boston's more enduring traditions, held since the 1870s, the spring flower show runs for 9 days and features more than 40 fully-landscaped gardens on 6 indoor acres, as well as 250-plus vendors. March.

Patriot's Day

An official state holiday in Massachusetts and Maine, this uniquely New England event commemorates the "shot heard around the world" which ignited the Revolutionary War. Boston marks the holiday with citywide celebrations, parades and historical reenactments. It's also the day of the Boston Marathon. April.

Boston Kite Festival

This popular and colorful event held in Franklin Park draws thousands of participating kite-flyers and on-lookers each spring. May.

Boston Early Music Festival

The world's foremost exposition of contemporary musicians performing Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and classical music. With more than 100 events, this is the largest of its kind in the world! (Held on odd-numbered years.) June.

Cambridge River Festival

Each year Memorial Drive along the scenic Charles River is transformed into a mosaic of music, dance, public art, crafts, and food. There's also storytelling, sing-a-longs, and art workshops for the kids. June.

Boston Globe Jazz and Blues Festival

A Boston tradition for more than 30 summers, you won't want to miss this music celebration which runs for ten days and features superstars and up-and-coming local artists in both free and ticketed events. Past artists have included Ray Charles, John Scofield and the Neville Brothers. July.

Fourth of July

Once the largest and most important city in colonial America, Boston commemorates America's independence each summer with many events, including the Boston Pops Concert and fireworks at the Hatch Shell, and the week-long Boston Harborfest. July.

North End Feasts

Enjoy weekend street festivals honoring various Catholic saints in this vibrant Italian-American community. August.

Boston Film Festival

Movie aficionados will love this festival, which debuts some 50 new films each year over ten days of celebrity-studded events. September.

Christmas

The holiday season is a delightful time in Boston with countless activities including a tree lighting on Boston Common, live music at Faneuil Hall, the Boston Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker, and much more. December.