It is so tough! Boston and San Diego are the two most under-performing food cities in the U.S.
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Slight thread drift as not a ‘business dinner’ location, but as you’re going to be in Boston you should get to know the Franklin Cafe.
Dan Kravitz
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Sorry, disagree. Best seafood in the US, the ingredients shine.
Besides Ostra, B&G, Neptune, Select, and many others. Even Row 34 and Saltie Girl and if you include Cambridge (Oleana, Sarma), tops for creative middle eastern too.
I’m a pescatarian, and it’s exciting place to eat. It’s not Paris, but better quality seafood than NOLA, Chicago, Miami, LA, SF and perhaps NYC (if you consider price point).
Fancy places don’t compare, but the fish can’t be beat.
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Agree with Merrill Troquet.
If North End Mamma Maria. Beautiful part of North End. Great food and ambience. May be able to get one of the smaller rooms.
Of the above, places that are appropriate for higher class business dinners, like board of director dinners, would be Troquet (although I thought the old location was far more elegant, but if they are wine people, the list is the best), Ostra, and No 9 park. I suppose we should also include Menton, especially if you want the seaport area.
Boston shines in the casual seafood.
Select Oyster was okay. Noisy, but I expected that so I can’t complain. The food was a little better than fine. Huge portions of good quality seafood, but clunky, heavy-handed and old fashioned preps, kind of like a higher end TGI Friday’s with better quality ingredients. I sort of expected wasabi mashed potatoes, though it wasn’t that bad. The white wine list was actually pretty decent - I was able to find 3 bottles at acceptable prices that I was delighted to drink. And our server was very good.
Overall an okay experience, one my colleagues enjoyed, but I hoped for more from the food. Preferable to corporate steakhouse for sure!
I hope you got the 17 Lamy!
Of course I did!
Had dinner last night at Deuxave. I am told it is a top restaurant in Boston. The focus is Modern French food. Other than french onion soup I did not recognize anything on the menu that was particularly french. The food was beyond mediocre, dated and my main dish was sweet. The only redeeming factor was the wine list which was decent. This is the type of meal I constantly find in Boston, I just don’t understand it.
Going to Bar Volpe tonight which I am also told is a top Boston restaurant.
Boston semi-redeemed itself with a great lunch at Tattes Bakery. I remember coming to one of the original spots and despite major expansion it is still excellent. Excellent food and extremely well run.
Bar Volpe was just ok. I like the area it is in and they are definitely trying to do the right thing. But I have to be honest it does even come close to a place like Pasquale Jones in NYC let alone some of the better Italian oriented spots.
Yes - rapid expansion (they’re in D.C. now too), but remarkably well-run and well-executed. Food is a buck or two more than Panera Bread and on a completely different level. I wish it were a little more personal and less like an assembly line, but I can’t fault their success.
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Food in boston is surprisingly bad esp. given a large diverse (student) population. Funny enough, when asked what restaurant folks should visit, tatte is the only one i can come up with.
re some of the back bay options mentioned upthread, deuxave pretty forgettable. select is one of the better options but still bleh. Krasi is probably the only place i’d (tentatively) recommend. if others have recommendations i’m all ears. Would love to be proven wrong.
I’m not in Boston that often. But when I am there, I’m looking to wolf down as many oysters as possible. Row 34 really scratches that itch. On their oyster list right now are four of my favorites.
It’s not the most fine dining establishment I’ve ever visited, but Neptunes Oyster Bar in Boston was a truly delightful experience and definitely on the nicer end of dining.
I had a great time at both Committee and The Barking Crab. Committee has a swanky vibe, tasty bar food, and an extensive drink menu. We visited Barking Crab twice for their crab boil options.
You could also say: don’t go to Empire. It gets great reviews and appears to be a fantastic experience, but the food is some of the most lacklustre and boring I’ve ever eaten.
A bit past-prime as the dinner is in the rear view mirror, but La Campania in Waltham has an excellent wine list for Italian. Not in the city unfortunately, but nearbyish.
The last time I went to No. 9 Park and Menton I was not very impressed. Good certainly, but not mind-blowing.
I would highly recommend Contessa. One has to book a reservation far in advance though.
Sorry I’m just seeing this thread now.
Besides Troquet, I’ve enjoyed Sorellina a lot over the years. For Cambridge, Oleana and Craigie on Main have been great, although Craigie is currently closed. Let’s hope they reopen.
For something more casual, I’d recommend either the Butcher Shop; Bocado Tapas in Wellesley; or Taberna de Haro in Brookline. All have interesting by the glass selections if you’re in the area by yourself.