Boston next week

[strawberryfrog]

I'll be traveling to Boston on Sunday and would love to get some guidance on great places to eat.
I'll be staying for 3 days near Boston Common (Downtown Crossing T stop) and for another 5 days near the Central Square stop on the red line. I won't have a car, but I love walking and using public transportation.
Any must-visit places? I'm open to any ethnicity (including American ;-) ) and would like to hear about things that come in at $20 or less per entree (and much cheaper options are welcome).
Also, would love to hear about any coffee shops where I can grab a cup, hang out, and go through my guidebooks to figure out the sites I want to see!
Thanks all,
Stephanie

[jaffleck]

Do not miss: lunch at the Plough and Stars on corner of Mass. Ave and Hancock Street (around 900 Mass Ave). Even without some of the best mid-day chow in the area, it'd be a great bar: I worked across the street for two years and a really good day was when I'd cross the street for lunch at noon or so, have two entrees--the meat and the pasta dish--and stay for the afternoon. Particularly if the Red Sox were on TV.

They have new ownership now who've cleaned up the place a bit, though they've kept the basic decor the same. And, if anything, the food is even better.

[Blumie]

Make sure to get a chacarero sandwich from the Chacarero stand in Downtown Crossing. Choose beef, chicken or veggie and ask for it with the works (specify "extra spicy" if that's to your liking). M-F only.

[catspercapita]

Walk from Central sq. to Innman sq. (right down Prospect st past B'way and Hampshire streets) on Cambridge st. Two of my favorite reasonable restaurants: MuQueCa ,a Brazilian seafood restaurant (plus other stuff), and O Cantinho , a Portuquese restaurant. Both are homey and welcoming and have very nice people working there. Both are on the small side but worth the trip. Great tastes, different ways of cooking and enjoyable.

[JacquelineT]

If you enjoy Japanese food, Boston has excelled Japanese restaurants with much more reasonable pricing than New York: look up Oishii in Chestnut Hill and Fugakyu in Brookline. YUM!

[heathermb]

I'd add Douzo to that list - very good, and pretty reasonable. It's on Dartmouth Street just a couple doors down from the Back Bay T station (Orange Line)

[heathermb]

Here's a great thread that talks about the cafe's and coffee shops all around Boston and Cambridge.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/328390

Also this thread might give you some good ideas on places to eat:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

Enjoy your visit!

[Bostonbob3]

Well, to start things off, the best lunch deal in town is at Galleria Umberto on Hanover Street in the North End. Delicious, large slabs of Sicilian pizza, great arancini, Dixie cups of homemade wine. And everything is under $4.00. The only trick is, get there early; the lines can be long, but more important, when they run out of food, they close.

BTW, you don't happen to work for Strawberry Frog, do you? I'm an advertising copywriter. Don't worry, not looking for work. :)

[strawberryfrog]

Wow, some great quick replies...thanks all! And nah, don't work for Strawberry Frog...I'm just a strawberry blonde who likes frogs...so combined it for my handle. :-)