Juswus

So my Sis and I are toying with the idea of meeting up in Boston early next year (praying that it will be cheaper than our NY trip last year ).

Although I've driven to Boston so many times I could probably do it in my sleep, I've not really got to spend any time there. So those that live there or visit a lot, what are your fave places to eat and drink?

This would be for a few days probably around April. And it will be a BOOZY trip! We love wine, cheese, champagne, French, Italian, Mexican or even really good pub grub. We probably could afford 1 top notch meal while we're there, the rest would be more casual/cheap fare. And hopefully somewhere for a boozy Sunday brunch.

I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Bob

For the big meal, splash out at the Top of the Hub at the prudential centre besides the copley mall, has some of the best views of Boston and it's really not that insanely priced and fairly casual, but tidy dress code.

Parking there is a prime cock though, so you'd want to park way out and take the T....speaking of parking, I head to Alewife on the redline in the Watertown area as it's $7 a day parking and it's covered multi story.

For pubs, personally, I rather like the CBC - Cambridge Brewing Co, it's in Cambridge, couple blocks from the MIT/Kendal Sq stop on the redline, just past the UK consulate - http://www.cambrew.com/ awesome beers and great food too.

For something casual and also where you can get shit faced, Doyle's Cafe - http://www.yelp.com/biz/doyles-cafe-jamaica-plain

It's where Mystic River was filmed, big pub for politicians back in the day, Kennedy and that clan...plus they also do great pub grub, especially the burgers.

Whilst in the area, Sam Adam's, the brewery do decent tours with samples and you can get pretty well lubed up for a start to an evening, it's on the Orange line too, so easy to get to.

Bit out of the way, but Watch City Brewing - http://www.watchcitybrew.com/ it's out in Waltham, great beer and lovely food, and then next door, the Skellig, which is awesome for drinks, lot of decent live music on Wednesday nights, fantastic chicken wings and proper chips with curry sauce. If you head to these, park behind in the multistory beside the cinema, it's cheap and actually free after 6pm....plus there are quite a few curry houses along Moody St that are worth checking out, which is a few mins walk from these pubs.

If you like Italian, Cafe Marliave - http://marliave.com/home/ near the Financial District, it's proper old school, not changed since time began, awesome food and very decent prices, also they tend to offer free cake if they have any left over at the end of service.

If you like Mexican, Zuma - http://www.zumatexmexgrill.com/ grotty downstairs bar besides Faneuil Hall, so easy to get to, awesome food with great portions and reasonable prices, especially the location as most places around Quincy Market are shit and expensive, especially Cheers.

It's also not far from Hay Market, there are plenty of dodgy little dives worth checking out for food and nibbles on the cheap, also towards the end of the market, there are quite a few cheese places, really cheap to get blocks of cheese and fresh baked loaves of bread, buy some apples and pickles at the market and you've got yourself a great picnic ploughmans for lunch.

If you're doing the Boston sites, you'll be in the above area anyway, so dooo it!

And if it's a hot spring day, the Duck Pond is a nice area to chill out, actually good place to have that picnic, good views, plenty of benches without homeless people and if your mate has kids, great place for them to hang too.

bevinva

I think Bob wants to go too.

tonrob

I like heading a couple of miles west of downtown to Allston - there's a selection of great locals bars there that are a big cut above the norm:

Sunset Tap & Grille - huge place with 112 beer taps (largest number on the east coast) and a massive, cheap menu with a heavy Mexican theme. So popular that, despite its size, it's often one-in-one-out not long after 6pm om a weekend.

Sunset Cantina - baby brother of above, about a mile closer to town. Smaller (but still big) beer selection and 112 tequilas on offer.

Deep Ellum - small, trendy bar with great beer offering.

Common Ground - another good beer bar a few yards away from the Sunset.

Close by, in Brookline, there are two other places of note:

Publick House - popular bar with Belgian themed beer menu.

American Craft - Artisanal Food & Drink - a few doors down from Publick House - used to a great beer/bar restauarant called the Roadhouse but it's been re-born. Not been there since but emphasis is on local quality and there's still 40 taps.

Other beer hangouts:

Cambridge Brewing Company
John Harvards (Cambridge)
Rock Bottom
Jacob Wirth (German beers and menu)

While there are plenty of pricey, decent places for cocktails, downtown's a bit shit when it comes to beer so heading out a couple of miles really does wonders. (Allow maybe $15 in a cab from the heart of downtown to the furthest place in Allston mentioned above). Once you know where you're staying get back on here and we can tailor recommendations a bit better.

There are a few popular brunch places along Newbury Street, some need reservations so if you get chance to wander along there a day or so beforehand then you could check out some menus and get your name down.

Parking - if you're there over the weekend be aware that Boston Common Garage and The Garage at Post Office Square both do great weekend rates that average about $8 a day. Midweek though they'll shaft you up the bum like the rest.

Edit: I see now that 'beer' wasn't in your list of likes but I've typed all this shit already so I'll leave it here. At least it'll give Steerpike something to rant about.

Bob

I do what I can to avoid beantown

Bob

I've been to the one in Framingham a few times, good beer for okay money, but the food was a bit hit or miss and pricey, good chicken wings and nachos though...so the Cambridge one better?

tonrob

The menus seem to vary between locations. The one nearest us in Manchester, CT is a bit shit but we've always liked the Cambridge one. They always have one or two beers on cask as well (often British-style ones) which is a plus.

Bob

Oh yeah, if you're doing the cheesy tourist thing and like seafood, can't remember the name, but just left of faneuil hall, across the street, also opposite the jewish concentration camp memorial, there's a string of okay pubs, but the one that has the black painted facing do, or did at least really good fish lunch specials.

tonrob

Legal Seafoods? They're okay but service can be a bit patchy (been to 4 of them in Boston - the one at Long Wharf's not bad.)

Those pubs though - they're a bit shite aren't they? Touristy, fake Oirish nonsense for the Faneil Hall shopping crowd. If you absolutely have to get plastered downtown then walk 5 minutes north in the direction of the TD Banknorth arena thingy - there's a couple of streets leading off from that that have quite a buzzing bar scene. There's a Boston Beer Works there - although I don't frequent that chain much as the food is the worst kind of shit and their service is utterly appalling (almost to the point of being comedy if you weren't starving or dying of thirst).

Burn1911

This won't help at all BUT whenever anyone mentions Boston and places to eat etc.. I can't help but remember the MOST AMAZING Thai we had whilst there.

Bummer is I can't remember the name of the place, but I do remember they did "crispy" phad thai noodles, which were the mutts nutts!!!

I can't find anywhere over here that does them crispy and life just hasn't been the same since I found them - the quest continues!!!

edit to add: if I ever do remember the name of the restaurant I will let you know

Juswus

This is all fantastic!!!! Thanks so much you guys, this is exactly what I needed.

We would probably be staying in Cambridge (Monsignor O'Brien Highway) or Crosstown/Back Bay (Massachusetts Ave). And once the car is parked at the hotel it won't be moved until I leave. We will train/cab/walk everywhere.

Oh and TRob.....we're known to quoff a beer or 2, so those posts aren't pointless at all

Juswus

oh and Bob, my Sis has already got her eye on Top of the Hub, so I'm glad to see it in your recs

Bob

Legal Seafoods are shit....and those pubs, yeah, generally, but the one with the black front facing does do a decent lunch seafood special.

Bob

PF Changs do a nice crispy noodle, not Thai though...

Juswus

Sis has been reading about St.Patricks Day in Boston and is all eager to do that now.

Good fun or really god awful?

Back in the day I would have jumped at the chance, but I'm not sure I can hack it now.