Boston is an excellent destination for the green traveler, as we discovered on our recent trip. There’s fantastic public transportation provided by the T, Boston’s subway system; there’s a rich history; there’s cultural diversity.
But above all, there’s food: from Italian to Indian and ice cream to brunch, Boston provides an abundance of delicious local dining options. Here’s our food journey through the best restaurants in Boston, Massachusetts.
Radius
We started out our Boston eating extravaganza with a celebratory dinner at Radius, one of Boston’s high-end restaurants. I ordered their prix-fixe menu and Elizabeth ordered from their main menu. My seared halibut appetizer was delectable and my poached chicken main course was very good. The parsnip-apple puree went very well with the chicken. Elizabeth’s scallops were delicious and cooked perfectly.
We split two desserts. The dark chocolate and macadamia nut candy bar was divine, and the banana ice cream complemented it perfectly. The second dessert, called Grapes and Cheese, was a delicious combination of subtle yet rich flavors — cream cheese sorbet with tangerines and a port reduction. Overall, a home-run meal.
Website: http://www.radiusrestaurant.com/
India Quality Restaurant
Our extreme disappointment at Uburger (below) led us to wander into India Quality Restaurant right across the street. We had just eaten, yes, but it was a decidedly unsatisfying hamburger experience. India Quality Restaurant made everything okay.
We started off with three appetizers. The dahi papri was interesting and tasty, and the vegetable samosa was amazing. The vegetable pakora was okay, but definitely the weakest of the three appetizers.
We also ordered three types of delicious stuffed bread — keema nan (stuffed with minced lamb and spices), paneer nan (stuffed with fresh home made cheese, coriander and spices), and garlic nan (stuffed with fresh garlic and spices). The garlic was the best, followed by the keema. All of the food at the other tables looked amazing, too. I would definitely recommend India Quality Restaurant.
Website: http://www.indiaquality.com/
JP Licks
There’s a reason JP Licks is a Massachusetts favorite for homemade ice cream. Get the chocolate chip cookie and peanut butter swirl frozen yogurt. Hands-down, the best frozen yogurt I have ever tasted. The ice cream looks fantastic, too.
Website: http://www.jplicks.com/
Maria’s Pastry Shop
Don’t be overwhelmed by the extensive menu at this famous pastry shop, which is located in the North End’s Little Italy. Pretty much anything you get will be good. I highly recommend the ricotta filled cannoli. Amazing.
Website: http://www.northendboston.com/marias/
Uburger
There’s not much to say about Uburger, except that it is decidedly not one of Boston’s best restaurants. I ordered a burger with mushrooms and cheese, with fries on the side. It was okay. A couple of steps above McDonald’s, but far below a really amazing burger. The bun especially left something to be desired. Don’t waste a Boston meal at Uburger — there are so many better places to dine.
Website: http://www.uburgerboston.com/
Tremont 647
We went to the pajama brunch on Sunday. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere and fast service. The cheese grits were pretty good for the East Coast (being from Texas, I’m picky about grits). The biscuits and gravy were excellent, though the gravy could have used more pepper. The frittata was fine, but unremarkable. Overall, a very satisfying meal. Next time, I want to try the brioche french toast.
Website: http://tremont647.com/
Did we miss an amazing Boston restaurant? Let us know in the comments.
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The Central Kitchen in Central Sq. Cambridge is one of our absolute favorites. It has an amazing, small, seasonal and local menu, great affordable wines, and great service. Upstairs is the Enormous Room, which is actually quite small but great for music and drinks. It’s about a block from the Central Sq. stop on the red line, and acroos the street from the Middle East! What more could you ask for?
Totally agree that by heading over to the other side of the Charles you can also find some great places. The Cellar in Cambridge is one of my favorites. Are you still in Boston?
yum!! you sure made me hungry!
@ Aja and Susan – Thanks for your recommendations! We’re in Minnesota now, but will have to check out Cambridge’s dining offerings when we’re in MA next.
The best Mexican in Boston hands down is Anna’s: http://www.annastaqueria.com. I used to make my girlfreind (now wife) take me right there after she picked me up from the airport. Aggh I miss Mexican being in South East Asia now.
Great advice, love eating~ I appreciate the tips. Thanks
Thank you all for the tips. I will remember this next time I am in Boston!
jp licks rocks!
I love Uburger! You must stop there if you are in town.
First of all I love the idea of eco-travel, seeing the world while making the least impact on the earth that you can. It can be hard to do that, but now a days more hotels and restaurants are providing the means to travel and eat while minimizing your eco-footprint.
Secondly, thanks for the great reviews of all these restaurants! I appreciate anyone who enjoys food so much that they want to share it with others. I will definitely be visiting some of these restaurants soon, I’m especially looking forward to trying the India Quality Restaurant.
Now, as this is an eco-travel blog, did you take into account the ‘green-ness’ of the restaurants you visited? It would be interesting to see how you would fare eating at restaurants that were all Green Certified. I’ve looked into this, and there are quite a few in the Boston area, ranging from semi-fast food chains such as Boloco to the more fancy places such as Lumiere or Upstairs on the Square.
This is where I found a list of restaurants that are Certified Green. dinegreenboston.com.
Keep up the good work! And may all your meals be delicious!
Interesting post. If you’re in Boston and looking for a great Italian restaurant, you’ve got to try Strega Waterfront, it’s awesome. Check them out: http://www.stregawaterfront.com