# Recommend me a great Boston restaurant **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2008, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956 "2008-03-11T13:30:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/21 "2008-03-11T22:20:00Z")
What? You’re saying you don’t like our local Applebee’s? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/22 "2008-03-11T22:33:43Z")
We used to be there quite often with my prior employer. Two places we enjoyed were Jimmy’s Harborside for baked stuffed lobster and a little place called Florence’s in the North End, near Paul Revere’s home, small private owned Italian place, good food, friendly staff. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/23 "2008-03-11T23:06:57Z")
Giacomo’s in the North End. Italian Seafood. Reasonable prices. Very yummy. Dessert (to go) from Mike’s Pastry. The best desserts in the world. The WORLD. ---
**Author:** ![Ronald\_C.Semone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cc9497/32.png) [@Ronald\_C.Semone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ronald_C.Semone)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/24 "2008-03-11T23:42:28Z")
Good grief! Nobody has mentioned Durgin Park yet, probably the most historic and unusual restaurant in the city. Check out its website. ---
**Author:** ![missbunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@missbunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missbunny)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2008, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/25 "2008-03-11T23:59:19Z")
What about Algiers, over the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge? They have light food, a lot of it sort of Middle Eastern-influenced, and their coffees, teas, and chocolate drinks are delish. It’s pretty casual but I find it a nice date to see a movie downstairs and then go upstairs and get some food and orange-mint hot chocolate. I’ve always had really nice people working there too. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/26 "2008-03-12T00:04:59Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] … **Laughing Lagomorph** , thanks especially for Helmand. I’ve been wanting to go back there for years, but couldn’t remember what it was called or how to get there. [/QUOTE] Well, **Sal Ammoniac** was the first to mention it, I just agreed with him. I had come into the thread just to recommend it though. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/27 "2008-03-12T01:58:15Z")
> [@](#): > > Good grief! Nobody has mentioned Durgin Park yet, probably the most historic and unusual restaurant in the city. Check out its website. **tdn** himself mentioned it in post #5. Besides, I’m pretty sure he knows about it – we’ve had a Dopefest there. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/28 "2008-03-12T02:20:03Z")
While we’re listing interesting local restaurants… Atasca, 50 Hampshire St. (walking distance from the Kendall Square station), Portuguese food Midwest Grill, 1124 Cambridge St. (a little further walk from the Kendall Square Station), Brazillian food (waiters bring a parade of meat to your table until you tell them to stop. Not sure I’d even want to think about bicycling after that.) > [@tdn](#): > > Actually, the more I think about it, yes, it is. I love the Parker Omni House, but it is way too expensive. I don’t want to impress this woman, I just want to lead her through a fun and (non-sexually) sensuous experience. The place should delight her eyes, ears, nose, and taste buds. I have sort of the opposite problem. I know lots of local restaurants; can anyone recommend a woman? ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/29 "2008-03-12T02:40:06Z")
Boston Market? ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/30 "2008-03-12T02:49:12Z")
**tdn** , I’ve been to Asmara, but I’m not totally sure I’d recommend it. It’s quite tasty, but not as delicious as other Ethiopian food I’ve had, and I recall it being quite pricy. I seem to remember preferring [Addis Red Sea](http://www.addisredsea.com/) on Tremont Street, and it _definitely_ has a better ambience. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/31 "2008-03-13T00:40:35Z")
Atmosphere and interesting history matter? The prices are just slightly above your range for dinner, but other than that [Union Oyster House](http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/Pages/history.html) is a fine bet. It isn’t just old, it’s the former apartment of the future King Louis Philippe during the Reign of Terror. Its seafood is as good as you’ll find anywhere, and it’s in a great area to go walking around. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/32 "2008-03-13T00:46:08Z")
Moving thread from IMHO to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/33 "2008-03-13T01:28:18Z")
[QUOTE=sachertorte] I’d push for Helmand too. I don’t recommend wagamama. Maybe I just don’t get it. The food is okay, perhaps even good, but for the prices are high for what you get. It’s crazy busy there though, so what do I know. I would skip wagamama and go to Shilla (Korean/Japanese) which is just downstairs in the same building (Harvard Square). [snip] I also really like eating at Porter Exchange (near Porter Square). The Japanese food there is terrific. My favorite is Cafe Mami. It’s a small booth, but the food is really good and inexpensive (7-8 dollars). [/QUOTE] Seconded on the Wagamama and Porter Exchange. The curry at Cafe Mami is quite good (and if you haven’t had Japanese curry before you’re missing a huge chunk of what makes eating great) and the ramen shop next to it is ok as well. Wagamama is ok food, but it doesn’t taste anything close to what actual Japanese food tastes like. The only downside to the Exchange is that the atmosphere is a little like you’re eating in a mall. Maybe save it for the next dinner you have? Another restaurant along those lines is [Taiwan Cafe](http://www.chow.com/places/620) in Chinatown. The decor isn’t anything memorable, but the food is fantastic every single time. I can’t tell you how many times I came over from Cambridge just to pick up some food from them. The only caveat is to not order the soup (very meh), but make sure you try the eggplant and basil. ---
**Author:** ![Moirai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/96bed5/32.png) [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/34 "2008-03-13T19:38:46Z")
I love Artu’s for great Italian food. It’s near the Old North Church at 6 Prince Street. A hole in the wall, but the food is divine. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2008, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/35 "2008-03-13T20:38:35Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus] What? You’re saying you don’t like our local Applebee’s? 😛 [/QUOTE] Hey, I ate there just the other night. The service sucked ass. ---
**Author:** ![Hippy\_Hollow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hippy_hollow/32/4841_2.png) [@Hippy\_Hollow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hippy_Hollow)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/36 "2008-03-14T06:30:18Z")
I used to be a big fan of Brown Sugar in Allston, next to the Shaw’s on Comm Ave. If you like the authentic Thai stuff. (They have a “country style” menu as well as the gringo fare.) I’m a sucker for Spice in Harvard Square, Cambridge, on Holyoke Street, I think. Again, if you like Thai… ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2008, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956/37 "2008-03-14T07:20:23Z")
[QUOTE=tdn] Hey, I ate there just the other night. The service sucked ass. [/QUOTE] The waiter could spit in my face as long as I can get dynamite shrimp. Mmm… Next time you go ask for Andrew, at least I think that’s his name. He’s really tall and big and has worked there for a long time. Always good service. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-great-boston-restaurant/440956.md?page=1)