Boston dinner with the Boss

March 26, 2007 6:54 AM

Bostonfoodfilter: The president of the company my boyfriend works for is coming to Boston and wants meet me and told my boyfriend he wants ME to pick the restaurant to go out to Thursday.

I live in the burbs and mostly stick to Cambridge and Somerville for food and drinking.
If he NEVER came into Boston I'd say North End no doubt but that is one of the places he's been to.

I'm looking for great food, $$ not that important, not "too formal", and was hoping for it to be in a neighborhood that we could eat and then walk someplace close for coffee or dessert. Oh and a request was also anything but Sushi.

I don't want just a nice restaurant - he travels all over and there's good places everywhere. I was hoping for somewhere unique.

So far all I thought of was grabbing wine and cheese at the Butcher shop and then getting dinner at B&G Oysters next door. I love Matt Murphy's but thought it might be a dash casual and I couldn't think of the perfect dessert/coffee place after.

"The Bristol" in the Four Seasons sounded like a fun place to get coffee and dessert but I don't know where it is or what's near it for dinner...

Any idea for something suitable is very welcome.

posted by beccaj to food & drink (34 comments total)

If the boss isn't from the east coast, I'd say get some seafood somewhere. It's been a few years since I lived in Boston, and I was a poor college kid, so I can't recommend anyplace specific. I just know that any time people came to visit me from out of town, they wanted that awesome seafood they couldn't get back home.
posted by vytae at 7:05 AM on March 26, 2007

What about Tapeo or Dali? I've been out of Boston for several years, and that's still what I crave when I go back. And they opened a new fusion-y place in Central a few years back, too, that was kind of fun.

I haven't been to any of those places in a while, though, so ignore me if they've all gone downhill since.
posted by occhiblu at 7:14 AM on March 26, 2007

My go-to place for impressing out-of-towners is Helmand in East Cambridge. Great Afghani food (something many people have never sampled), good prices, excellent vibe. Alright, so it's in Cambridge, but it's literally just over the bridge. (I also rarely leave the Cambridge/Somerville dining area.)
posted by Banky_Edwards at 7:14 AM on March 26, 2007

Go to 10best.com/Boston/Restaurants for lots of helpful info!
posted by Dizzy at 7:15 AM on March 26, 2007

You could do East Coast Grill in Inman Square and then follow it up with Christina's Ice Cream. Or you could do Rialto (never been, but quite good reputation) at the Charles Hotel and follow it up with Finale.
posted by Malad at 7:18 AM on March 26, 2007

Top of the Hub is both breathtaking and delicious, and an obvious place to take somebody from out of town. Maybe Stephanie's afterward?
posted by Horace Rumpole at 7:30 AM on March 26, 2007

Chowhound has a board for the Boston area, and it might be worth asking there -- I've had great luck getting suggestions from their DC boards.
posted by amarynth at 7:36 AM on March 26, 2007

No. 9 Park is widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in Boston. Friends recommend eating in the cafe portion that doesn't take recommendations and is less formal.
posted by hazyspring at 7:38 AM on March 26, 2007

I've never been to East Coast Grill but would like to go. I own the "Thrill of the Grill" cookbook and the recipes sound fantastic.
posted by xammerboy at 7:42 AM on March 26, 2007

I can second Tapeo -- I love that place, and Newbury St is a fun place to show someone.

I was just at the Rialto the other night -- great food, pretty fancy, and Harvard Square has personality, but I personally think Tapeo is more fun. (Also, the Rialto is much more expensive than Tapeo. I know you said $$ wasn't a huge issue, but there is a big difference between the two places...)
posted by olinerd at 7:48 AM on March 26, 2007

The Elephant Walk is quite nice, and near Kenmore Square if he wants a look at Fenway (well the outside at least). There are a bunch of clubs of all types for drinks after. Jake Ivory's is a duel piano bar that was fun.
posted by genefinder at 8:09 AM on March 26, 2007

I second either East Coast Grill or Top of the Hub
posted by jk252b at 8:16 AM on March 26, 2007

In Boston Proper
Locke Ober. If you want to impress. Real old. Real Brahmin
Mortons, if you want to spend a lot in a "chain" steak house

WARNING: This sounds like it could be a test... Will she pick the most expensive place? what does that mean? Will she pick the fun-hip place? What kind of company does you BF work for? Stuffy Mr. President or Khaki Mr. President?

Legal Test Kitchen on the Waterfront may be a safe bet.
posted by Gungho at 8:33 AM on March 26, 2007

Anytime I'm in Boston for business we hit Abe and Louie's It's a can't miss.
posted by ill3 at 8:50 AM on March 26, 2007

I don't know what would qualify as "too stuffy", but my husband and I really love the Federalist restaurant in the Fifteen Beacon hotel. They have an enormous wine cellar that can be used for events, and if it's empty, you can ask for a quick tour. We've hosted events in the cellar and it's really warm and friendly.
posted by Flakypastry at 9:02 AM on March 26, 2007

I've been to Boston once. My girlfriend at the time took me to Legal Seafood and I will always remember it fondly. The food is truly nice. The 'no sushi' request does seem to imply that they're not too fond of fish, however.
posted by slimepuppy at 9:21 AM on March 26, 2007

There's a big difference between sushi and deep fried cod. I don't think "no sushi" implies "no seafood." It is Boston, after all.
posted by nathancaswell at 9:38 AM on March 26, 2007

One of the things that I look for when dining for business (especially when I am choosing the place...) is the quality of the service. To me, that's more important than the quality of the food, which of course is also important.

I've found that Turner Fisheries is one of the best places in Boston. The service there is excellent, as is the food. It is on the more expensive side though, but not outrageous. In addition, it's right near the Back Bay and Copley Square T stops, and so it's quite convenient to get to.

I'm not so hot on The Fed lately. We went there yesterday for brunch for my wife's birthday with some friends, and the service was quite poor. The food was not as good as in the past either. We were really disappointed. The manager

Todd
posted by reddot at 9:38 AM on March 26, 2007

Upstairs on the Square in Harvard square is fun and very unique/memorable. A little on the whimsical side, but still very nice-- and the food is excellent. Then for dessert, Finale is just a block away. If you also want to get pre-dinner drinks, Noir (in the Charles Hotel, a block away), would be a great choice.
posted by stilly at 10:14 AM on March 26, 2007

Barbara Lynch rules, another vote for No9Park
posted by matteo at 10:15 AM on March 26, 2007

Another vote for one of the Elephant Walks. I've never been disappointed at those places. Certainly doesn't beat some of the more celebrity places around, but those places can be hard to get a reservation at in short notice.
posted by ontic at 10:28 AM on March 26, 2007

Another vote for Elephant Walk. My favorite restaurant in Boston.
posted by raf at 10:30 AM on March 26, 2007

The dessert bar on saturday nights at the Four Seasons is fabulous! But you're going on a Thursday, so that's not overly helpful.

You could do Bonfire in the Park Plaza for great steak, if you don't mind Todd English, and then dessert at the Boston branch of Finale which is just around the corner.
But if seafood (as different from sushi) is ok, definitely do that - there's a great Naked Fish in Quincy Market, and an oyster bar which I cant remember the name of.
posted by darsh at 10:49 AM on March 26, 2007

Via Matta...hands down. Italian but not North End Italian. It's more like $$$ than $$ but really worth every penny. I recommend making a reservation.
posted by eatcake at 10:53 AM on March 26, 2007

Best food I've had in Boston (well, Cambridge) is Salts. Tiny, expensive, but amazingly good (beats Legal Seafood or Elephant Walk or whatnot any day of the week.)

It's walkable to Christina's or anywhere in Central if you want to go elsewhere for coffee/dessert, but honestly I can't imagine wanting to eat anything more after a meal there!
posted by wyzewoman at 10:56 AM on March 26, 2007

Second Helmand. It's owned by Hamid Karzai's sister! Get a reservation.
posted by autojack at 11:28 AM on March 26, 2007

my thoughts ... having had a manager like this ... go for the "wine and cheese at the Butcher shop and then getting dinner at B&G Oysters next door."

Here's why ... he is looking for an authentic experience. That is authentic! Casual is GOOD! He could find a good place without your input ... he asked your input for a reason ... go with your regular.
posted by jannw at 12:07 PM on March 26, 2007

Second Via Matta. The service is attentive without being intrusive, the room has a great vibe, the food is excellent. They have a tasting menu if you're feeling adventurous. And Finale is less than a mile away.
posted by initapplette at 1:58 PM on March 26, 2007

Grill 23 -- Absolutely the best steak in town.
Yes, better than Morton's or Capital Grille.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 2:24 PM on March 26, 2007

Time to play the your favorite restaurant sucks game, I guess.

I can't say I'm at all surprised that the responses in this thread are (mostly) like a hit parade of the Boston restaurants most chronically overrated by people who don't exactly know what a good restaurant is. The key thing here is that the food has to 1) be good and 2) match the atmosphere.

2) means that Elephant Walk and Helmand are right out. The food at these places is what would be fairly called "nice," and hardly lives up to the insufferably stuffy service you'll usually find there.

ECG, in addition to generally possessing a hype that will always exceed what it is capable of turning out, is generally rather loud. If that's what you want, fine, but it just doesn't seem like a factor worth having to deal with.

No. 9 Park or The Federalist would definitely be on the "good choice if you don't mind stuffy" list. If the dude is an expense account veteran then you won't exactly wow him at either of these places.

Along the $$$$ lines, I'd recommend Clio/Uni (OK, if no sushi, then just Clio). It's inferior in originality in the same way that, well, I guess anything in Boston will be when compared to NYC. But that's a dumb comparison most of the time.

I think the Butcher Shop/B&G idea is good. If you're familiar with those places, then that sounds like a nice idea.

In Kenmore Square, I'd say Eastern Standard and Petit Robert are both good options, depending on what exactly you're going for. PR has something of a food-matching-atmosphere problem, as the food really is bistro food, very simple, but it's a formal type room by simple-food standards. The food is really good though.

If you do North End, then you'll never have a problem with coffee/dessert, so there's that. Via Matta is a good suggestion, also Neptune Oyster (which also carries the "you're in Boston, eat seafood" appeal).


Top of the Hub? oh god.
posted by rxrfrx at 2:33 PM on March 26, 2007

Finale near the Park Plaza for desert.

How about Delux in the South End? It's casual, cheap (cash only), casual and somewhat different. Make sure you've a back-up as it's often busy.
posted by zaphod at 5:09 PM on March 26, 2007

3rd/n-thing Tapeo. Fantastic place: great atmosphere, great food (something for everyone), and it's on Newbury Street - you can't go wrong.
posted by AthenaPolias at 5:45 PM on March 26, 2007

There's lots of great suggestions in my thread about catching dinner in Boston from a while back.

For dessert, though, you must must must go to Finale.
posted by CrayDrygu at 5:52 PM on March 26, 2007

Tapeo is great, however please be advised that the acoustics in there aren't that good, meaning it can get very noisy. The food is fantastic, though.
posted by mintchip at 3:51 PM on March 27, 2007