Boston Restaurant Recommendations?

[Bonny]

DH and I will be in Boston Sunday, Sept 21 and Monday Sept 22. We'll be staying at the envision Hotel at 81 S. Huntington Ave 02130. It's called the Jamaica Plains area. Any restaurant recommendations?

We've been to Boston several times over our 26 year marriage and therefore have done the Durgen (sp?) Park and Legal Seafood thing. Last time we were in the area was about 5 years ago. Anyone have  recommendations?

Thanks!

[chiver78]

I absolutely have recommendations for you.....I went to college at Northeastern - a little more towards downtown on Huntington

do I have any guidelines or restrictions, and how much would you like to spend?

[ArchietheDragon]

Love Gaslight for brunch.   About a 15 minute drive from the hotel. 

[chiver78]

if you're okay with venturing a little outside of JP, check these places out:
Darryl's Corner Bar - I knew this place as Bob the Chef's, but it's Southern cooking w/live jazz. they also have Sunday brunch.
The Squealing Pig - Irish pub that's right on the Green Line E branch (which starts on S Huntington near the VA Hospital)

if you'd rather stay in JP, I've heard great things about these places from friends whose food opinions I trust:
Blue Nile - Ethiopian food, right on Centre St.
Bella Luna - also known as the Milky Way Lounge. I've been here (no complaints) but it's been a very long time

honestly, your best bet for non-chain really good places is going to be a little west into Brookline Village. that was way outside my price range when I was in that area, so I can't personally vouch for any of these....but Yelp just gave me these places, all 4-star on their site:
Pomodoro
Orinoco
Bottega di Capri
Cutty's

[Bonny]

Aug 27, 2014 13:12:28 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Love Gaslight for brunch.   About a 15 minute drive from the hotel. 

We may be turning in our car after our trip to the No. Shore. Is it accessible by the metro or by foot?

[Bonny]

Aug 27, 2014 13:35:28 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

if you're okay with venturing a little outside of JP, check these places out:
Darryl's Corner Bar - I knew this place as Bob the Chef's, but it's Southern cooking w/live jazz. they also have Sunday brunch.
The Squealing Pig - Irish pub that's right on the Green Line E branch (which starts on S Huntington near the VA Hospital)

if you'd rather stay in JP, I've heard great things about these places from friends whose food opinions I trust:
Blue Nile - Ethiopian food, right on Centre St.
Bella Luna - also known as the Milky Way Lounge. I've been here (no complaints) but it's been a very long time

honestly, your best bet for non-chain really good places is going to be a little west into Brookline Village. that was way outside my price range when I was in that area, so I can't personally vouch for any of these....but Yelp just gave me these places, all 4-star on their site:
Pomodoro
Orinoco
Bottega di Capri
Cutty's

We're fine venturing out of JP. We're only staying there because the hotel we've stayed at before (I think it's The Millennium, it's across the street from Faneuil Hall) is now up to $400/nt.

These sound like great suggestions. I haven't had Ethiopian Food since we lived in Washington D.C. over 25 years ago!

Thanks!

[chiver78]

Aug 27, 2014 17:44:33 GMT -5 Bonny said:

Aug 27, 2014 13:12:28 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Love Gaslight for brunch.   About a 15 minute drive from the hotel. 

We may be turning in our car after our trip to the No. Shore. Is it accessible by the metro or by foot?

Gaslight map

hopefully that link works. you're easily more than a few blocks from a T station. I never needed the bus in that particular area of Boston, so I really don't know what bus routes are over there. sorry  

definitely let me know what you think about Blue Nile if you go there, I will totally pass it on to the person that told me about it in the first place!

[Bonny]

Aug 27, 2014 17:53:25 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Aug 27, 2014 17:44:33 GMT -5 Bonny said:

We may be turning in our car after our trip to the No. Shore. Is it accessible by the metro or by foot?

Gaslight map

hopefully that link works. you're easily more than a few blocks from a T station. I never needed the bus in that particular area of Boston, so I really don't know what bus routes are over there. sorry  

definitely let me know what you think about Blue Nile if you go there, I will totally pass it on to the person that told me about it in the first place!

Looks like we are at the "Back of the Hill" Station on the Green Line Light Rail.

[chiver78]

actually had to look that station up.....never ventured that far down the E line except in a not-quite emergency (New England Baptist Hospital is at the top of Parker Hill)    between a station I didn't recognize and the "light rail" qualifier....yah, Boston's T service is very different from other cities. the Green Line is an enclosed street trolley that goes underground, over the course of the route.

I have no idea what fares are these days, I carry a couple Charlie* cards with whatever leftovers from my own travels, or friends. I was in DC this weekend and my friends were floored that I'd never used Lyft or Uber. where I am right now, I'm half an hour outside Boston w/o any traffic, any situation I might use either of those apps, I'd just as soon drive myself once you tally up what I'll drink to make myself use the app in the first place, plus fare in and out of town. no thanks. I'll chance the street parking!

*Charlie cards are the fare cards here. based on this tune about the T, from back in the day

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

If you are on Huntington Ave. I used to work at Forsyth Dental Center when it was over across the street from the Museum of Fine Arts.  We would go over to the MFA for lunch on occasion and I remember it being very good (but this was a looooong time ago).  

I used to know where all the dives were in the area.  We had a good gyro place, a good pizza place and an excellent Chinese place that we used to hit around work.  The fancier stuff, not so much as I didn't make enough to be able to indulge in it back then!!

[Bonny]

chiver78,

Blue Nile was wonderful!

Simple, inexpensive and delicious! My husband says you need to get over there and try it.

ETA: Transit from Logan to our hotel was free! I guess when you jump on the Silver line that gets you into the system with no charge.

[chiver78]

yay! glad you liked it! I will definitely check it out the next time I'm out that way

and yes, one of the good things about our transit system here is that you can jump around from line to line pretty easily, including bus transfers from the subway.

[Bonny]

We're now back home!

Really wonderful trip and we really appreciate your efforts to deliver some spectacular weather chiver78.

Yesterday afternoon we ate at Yankee Lobster and think it's a great substitute for No Name Restaurant which seems to have gotten full of its self. Dinner was at the Squealing Pig. It's a pub so be prepared. We had some terrific pizza and DH loved the selection of beer. But be forewarned; at ages 55 & 53 DH and I appeared to be the second oldest table in the pub.

[cael]

Sorry I missed this thread, did you end up on the North Shore? Where did you go? If I'd known I'd have suggested a meetup! Glad it was a good trip!

[Bonny]

Oct 7, 2014 10:50:16 GMT -5 cael said:

Sorry I missed this thread, did you end up on the North Shore? Where did you go? If I'd known I'd have suggested a meetup! Glad it was a good trip!

DH has family in the Hamilton/Topsfield area. He went to boarding school nearby. We stayed with his family for three days. We did a couple of side trips to Bear skin and Crane's beach. The beaches there are so different from the West Coast. Then we dropped off the car and hung out in Boston for a couple of days. Fun trip!

[cael]

Oh very nice! I went to school in Hamilton. Crane's is my favorite local(ish) beach, good thing I have friends in Ipswich so I can go in free! I hope you went to at least one typical rocky New England beach to at least check it out, lol, it is super different from the west coast. Glad it was a good trip