restaurant recs for boston

[philosophe]

I'll be in Boston next week and would like to go out for a really good meal or two, preferably French bistro, italian, or broadly Mediterrean. I am an omnivore but my other half is a vegetarian.

Thanks.

 

[PeterMetro]

For some super fancy (and super good) French, try L'espalier or Aujourdhui (there's an apostrophe in there somewhere).

For bistro, try Brasserie Jo or Chez Henri in Cambridge.

For Italian, my favorite is Prezza.

Broadly medditerranean, Sel de la Terre is fantastic, and a bit more casual than some of the others.

Finally, No 9 Park is my favorite restaurant in Boston. You pay through the nose, but man is it good.

 

[chorse123]

My wife went to school in Cambridge, and we ate well at Upstairs at the Pudding, now known as Upstairs on the Square: http://www.upstairsonthesquare.com/index.php

 

[drizzt3117]

I think there's an Olives in Cambridge, that may be a good place to go to.

 

[johnapril]

starvation. followed by a shopping spree at Louis Boston.

 

[drizzt3117]

Sorry, Olives in in Charlestown, don't know why I thought it was in Cambridge.

OLIVES BOSTON
10 City Square
Charlestown, MA 02129
(617) 242-1999

I think that may have been the first Olives too.

 

[auto90403]

check out chowhound.com for restaurant recommendations. it does for food what this site does for clothes.

 

[uriahheep]

Mamma Maria, Boston http://www.mammamaria.com Mike's Pastry, Boston http://www.mikespastry.com (now has an online store)

 

[LA Guy]

I live down the block from Chez Henri, and can endorse it wholeheartedly. Interestingly, the bar has a very limited menu, (and of course much cheaper), but the dishes are tastier (for what thye are) than those for the more expensive restaurant. For brunch, I like Aquitaine (sunnier) and Metropolis (darker) in the South End, both on Tremont Street.

 

[petescolari]

For Italian, try Sage in the North End.  Definitely make  reservation though. Sage The agnolotti are fantastic. Tremont 647 is also great as if Metropolis. They are almost across the street from each other.

 

[Concordia]

For something fun and a little less formal, there is a French/Cambodian bistro called Elephant Walk (with a sister restaurant named Carambola in Waltham). Cambodian-influenced French, and French-influenced Cambodian.

Don't know how it works on the vegetarian side, but I'd bet pretty well.

Locations in Brookline/Cambridge.

In Newton, which is a quick pop out on the Turnpike, there is Ariadne in Newtonville, and Lumiere in West Newton. You can do as well in Boston if you know where, but the lower cost may justify cab fare.

 

[philosophe]

Thanks all for your recommendations. We went to Prezza and had a very good meal. I liked the wine list--lots of good choices at reasonable prices. I had crab cakes with a salad of fennel and orange, then veal osso buco. My partner had an argula and goat cheese salad, then tagliatelle with broccoli rabe and fennel.

We had planned on going to Oleanna but ended up walking from our hotel to Tapeo for tapas. Not in the same league as Oleanna but good nonetheless.

Let me repay your recs with a few off-the-beaten-path recs for Philadelphia:

For Italian food-
Ristorante Tre Scalini (south philly)
Caffe Casta Diva (Rittenhouse Sq area)

For informal French-
Marigold Kitchen (near UPenn)
Pumpkin (near Graduate Hospital)
Pif (south Philly)

Thanks again