Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions: Boston
ATL's gastronomical tour marches on. We're stopping at all the major Biglaw cities to get recommendations on restaurants for summer associates.
Dan Filler in the Faculty Lounge has paid homage to the ATL summer associate lunch tour by making a compilation of best-of lists. After we've finished touring, we promise to do a round-up post of our own.
Today we turn our open thread over to Bostonians. This is your chance to dish on the best local dishes and lawyerly restaurant haunts. The Faculty Lounge suggests Boston Magazine's Best of Boston list.
Boston has a bit of an insiders' vibe about it, with a law scene that's hard to break into for non-Bostonians. Attorneys: Where would you send the bright young things new to the area for the summer?
As we pointed out on the NYC thread, there's a new feature over at Eater, the Summer Associate's (Lunch) Diary. In their first entry, the SA reviews two of the NY restaurants suggested by ATL readers: Gramercy Tavern and Sparks.
For all you foodies out there, Eater says it's looking for restaurant reviewers for future editions. So extend the fun of your three-hour lunch, by tacking on two hours to dissect it!
Best of Boston [Boston Magazine]
Best Restaurants and Dining In America: A City By City Guide [Faculty Lounge]
Summer Associate's Diary: Week 1 at Gramercy, Patroon, Sparks [Eater]
Earlier: Summer Associate Lunch Suggestions in Washington, D.C.; San Francisco; Chicago; and New York City.
(67) Comments
FIRST to a free lunch!
Overall Boston is a very good restaurant town. There are not as many choices as there are in some other cities, but the good places are very good.
When I was a summer in Boston, I enjoyed: Radius, Sel de la Terre, Kingfish Hall, Locke Ober, Meritage and going to Chinatown for dim sum. There was one blow-out 7 course tasting with wine pairing my summer at No. 9 Park, which ranks among the best meals of my entire life. We also went to Lucca and Carmen's in the North End, both great. Unfortunately, walking-distance options in the financial distance are few. If your firm lets you take cabs to lunches, consider yourself lucky, you'll get much more variety. Lately, I've enjoyed new-comers Miel and Kingston Station and its tough to beat the patio of the Barking Crab on a warm, clear Friday afternoon in the summer.
tacking?
Cosi for a quickie.
If you're at a Bingham summer associate lunch, order soda in cans or water in bottles.
Take your beverage with you every time you get up from the table.
3:07 hit the big ones, but a few options to add in the Financial District for variety are Mantra, Umbria for Italian, Sakurabana for sushi, and Cafe Fleuri and Caliterra for hotel food (although I prefer Miel to both of these for hotel food).
The Barking Crab is a fun setting, but food is seriously lacking. Kingfish Hall and Legal Seafoods are both better for seafood.
Who cares about the food in Boston .. when there's great sports teams to go see. There has never been a city so blessed with sports as Boston.
Cafe Fleuri in the Langham Hotel is ok. Radius, eh. Also, Intrigue at Boston Harbor Hotel is always good.
Why are you covering Boston (or SF, DC, and CH, for that matter) before L.A., Lat? None of these cities have the culinary variety or level of sophistication as L.A.
I used to go to Hammersley's on Tremont St in the South End when I lived in Boston - a little too far from downtown for lunch though. Better for dinner on the patio. Man now I miss their roast chicken.
Legal Seafoods?
WTF?
Only idiot tourists go there
there's a Wendy's in Downtown Crossing that serves old-fashioned hamburgers that are fresh, never frozen.
If you are anywhere between the Pru and the Financial District, definitely do Grill 23. More towards the water, try Radius, Sushi-Teq, LTK.
No, only idiot tourists pay their own money to go there, as it is overpriced for what you get. There is nothing wrong with going there for a change of scenery when someone else is paying.
Durgin Park for an awesome prime rib
Watch out for the Barking Crab. They were recently closed down for health code violations.
http://bostonist.com/2008/03/27/barking_crab_cl.php
Daily Catch across the way is a decent substitute.
Plaza III by Fanueil Hall should be in the mix (though not mind-blowing).
Has anyone tried the new seafood place on State street near Cambridge street? Can't remember the name.
3:36 -- don't hate on the Barking Crab; moldy tap lines are no big deal...
As a summer last year, I loved:
- Sel de la Terre
- Houston's
I liked:
- McCormick & Schmick's
- Ruth's Chris (don't hate on me, I'm not a steak person)
I thought the following were overrated
- Kingfish
- Radius
- Plaza III
davio's in back bay
Yeah Houston's is great, other than the ridiculous mood lighting.
OK people - your lists are lacking and you are showing what people mean by Boston having NYC envy and an inferiority complex to the big apple. Here is solid list: but first - the Barking Crab is a craphole and if I were an SA I'd be looking for a new gig quick if you took me there. And right on on LSF - that is for tourists.
Radius is good stuff
Vinalia
Union Oyster House (at least before Barking and Legal SF)
Excelsior
Al Capone's - make an SA eat an entire 20" steak bomb!
Tapeo - good tapas
Grill 23
Meritage - so I hear
Oishii
RIP James Hook....
Ivy isn't bad for a decent place and a quick sit down meal.
Ivy isn't bad for a decent place and a quick sit down meal.
Food in the financial district isn't great, get to the Back Bay if you can. Grill 23, Douzo, Davios, Via Matta, Bristol Lounge.
Sel de la Terre (especially the Prix Fixe Menu)
Ruth's Cris (loved it every time I went there)
Icarus ( a little far from the financial district)
Kingfish is WAY overrated. Great service but the food lacks flavor.
Atlantic Fish Company
If it's on the firms tab:
Radius (tasting menu), Restaurant 33, Stella
Lucca in the North End is overrated
On your own?
Toro in the S. End, Assagios in the N. End, Sonsie on Newbury (great people watching)
Dont forget Tias happy hours after work!
What about Anthony's?
What about Abe & Louie's? Where else can you get a side order of Cougar with a delicious steak?
For ten bucks, Sultan's Kitchen has better food than many of these places.
(Ambiance? Not so much.)
Ruth Chris is definitely great. I would recommend Miel, Sel del la Terre and Radius. I thought Kingfish was overrated as well and if anyone wants to do an after-work thing, Churchill's is a great cigar/whiskey bar.
Someone mentioned RIP James Hook? What happened to the Lobster Co? Is it out of business?
5:10 - Hooks Lobster Co. burned down on Friday morning, but owners are already pledging to rebuild and reopen. See http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/06/01/atf_investigates_site_of_james_hook_blaze/.
Oceanaire is the new place on Court Street near the State Street T. Be sure to order the bacon steak.
At the beginning of each summer I take as many SA's as possible to Umberto's Galleria in the North End. For the rest of the summer I ignore anyone who turns their nose up at Umberto's. The people who want to go back are cool in my book, and those are the people I associate with. This system has never let me down.
Sel de la Terre is the be-all end-all of summer lunches. Arugula Salad with Warm Goat Cheese and Steak Frites!
No. 9 park is amazing if you're willing to break through the per-person budget.
Haven't been to MOOO, but The Federalist was pretty good.
So-so - Umbria, Caliterra, Kingfish
Terrible - McCormick and Schmick's, Plaza III
Kowloooooon in Saugus
Grille 23 is a must.
Drive to Providence. Restaurants in Boston suck, including all of the overrated restaurants in or near Back Bay and the South End. The North End is strictly for tourists. Same goes for all of that crap on Newbury Street.
I love how all of these rubes are unironically commenting on Houston's, McCormick & Schmicks, Ruth's Chris in a Boston thread. It's like, my favorite Boston-area steakhouses are Outback and Bugaboo Creek.
Hint: A lot of restaurants in Chinatown will serve you a "pot of cold tea" after last call.
I've heard that the Wolfgang Puck restaurant at the ICA (in the seaport and walking distance to the Financial District and Seaport firms) is good, but expensive.
This is a very uninformed thread all-around, but why comment on where to feed 23 year olds free. Live and learn -- Boston is a great foodie town. (Buy a Zagats rather cheap)
This is a very uninformed thread all-around, but why comment on where to feed 23 year olds free. Live and learn -- Boston is a great foodie town. (Buy a Zagats rather cheap)
Radius sucks. Seriously. Only d-bags eat there, and only so that they can tell other people that they ate there. The food is f-ing horrible and it's overpriced. I'd rather eat at Quiznos (the one in Downtown Crossing where everyone got Hepatitis last year).
No. 9 Park, Mare, Meritage
Beantown Pub, sonsi's, elephant walk.
I went to Radius last week and thought it was excellent- the lunch menu doesn't cost much more than the food at miel or other similar places, and the food was better than most places in the financial district.
How has no one mentioned L'espalier? Its easily the best dinner I've had in Boston and they serve lunch now.
As long as you're not paying:
Clio
Great Bay
Chez Henri (Cambridge)
No. 9 Park
Fugakyu* (Brookline)
Petit Robert Bistro* (Kenmore Location)
Eastern Standard*
L'espalier
Locke-Ober (This is Boston dining at its finest!)
Aujourd'hui
Brasserie Jo
B&G Oysters
Miel (This is the only restaurant for late night dining.)
I hope folks get a chance to eat at these places!
Oops...
The *represents restaurants that are actually affordable.
Many good choices listed already, but I thought I'd add a few new ones that I enjoy.
- Anthony's Pier 4 on the Southie waterfront. As iconic as Boston restaurants get. Touristy, perhaps (as evidenced by the pictures in the lobby taken of the owners with the various presidents, heads of state, popes, actors, etc that have visited), but the seafood is great, and the wine list is damn near 50 pages.
- Cambridge 1 in Fenway serves up some very unique and interesting salads and pizzas, and has a very eclectic beer selection.
- Finale, various locations. A dessert-only (or nearly only) restaurant. How can you not like that? Plus, a fantastic selction of ports, madeiras, and sherrys.
Tapeo - kickass tapas bar on Newbury Street.
Kashmir - kickass Indian food on Newbury Street.
Boston Beer Works - best bar food ever, plus a microbrewery.
Smith & Wollensky
The oyster bar in the North End (Neptune?)
Sakurabana: hands-down best sushi in the city
I can't believe no one's mentioned O Ya. The last time I went there for sushi Morimoto was at the bar.
I don't know what problem everyone has with Plaza III. I sure liked it when I went.
Almost every place mentioned sucks. The best places is Boston are:
Number 9
Bristol
Silvertone
Hammersley's
Toro
Casa Romero
Uni
East Coast Grill
Helmand
Pho Republique
That's it.
Oishii (boston location) has the best food I've ever had of any category.
I've heard O Ya is very good but haven't had a chance yet.
Don't knock McCormick & Schmicks - though they overcook the fish a bit, their lobster roll is the best I've had in Boston - and it's a great place to eat outside in the summer.
For cheap, casual food Pizzeria Regina in the North End can't be beat.
Awesome - Kowloon....great plug.
For seafood,
Oceanaire > Kingfish > Union Oyster House > McDonald's Fish Filet > McCormick and Schmucks
Sel de la terre is decent. Radius was awesome although that is technically above budget for most trips I believe.
When I'm paying:
Quincy Market
Boloco
Al's
1. TORO
2. TORO
3. TORO
but you cant get a reservation so go prepared to drink for an hour before you're seated. awesome overpriced drinks though.
for boiled lobster, try J.G. HOOK....too soon?
Oak Room at the Copley Fairmount - great steak, not too crowded.
Oak Room at the Copley Fairmount - great steak, not too crowded.
anna's
Does everyone NOT know that Hook burned down last week?!?
Hammersley's
L'Espalier
Abe & Louie's (love that someone also read the Cougar article)
Neptune (yum - best oysters ever)
Mistral
Oceanaire, Union Oyster House
Sounds delish, but we will be at Goodlife or the Brigham's on Congress Street as our policy is lunch must be <$20 per person. Miel sure sounds tasty!