Boston for a short weekend ?!
I'm a LA/NYC chow heading to Boston for the first time in MANY years for a very short weekend. We are arriving around lunch time next Saturday and leaving after an early dinner Sunday! I have reservations for Oleana on Saturday night (YES!) but other than that I have no idea where to go for lunch Saturday, breakfast or brunch Sunday, and an early dinner Sunday.
We are open to all cuisines but would prefer regional New England fare like Lobster, clams, etc. I would LOVE to find the best lobster roll, clam strips, and the like! And whatever else is deemed important for a foodie to try in a short time! Maybe a delicious and interesting notyoureveryday brunch somewhere for Sunday (hopefully not too $$$) and other lower priced unique eats.
Thanks so much!
By junglekitte
on Feb 24, 2009 04:24 PM
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Lots of info if you search the board for any of these, so I'll be brief, but here goes:
Lunch Saturday: I'd aim for Neptune Oyster in the North End. Your choice of cold lobster roll with mayo or hot lobster roll with drawn butter, on homemade brioche. Very good raw bar and other seafood as well.
Sunday brunch: I think Eastern Standard in Kenmore does a very good midscale brunch. New England fare with European accents. Blue Room in Kendall would be another good choice.
Sunday dinner: if you can hold out 'till 9, go to Craigie on Main in Cambridge for the Chef's Whim tasting menu. $40 for four courses or $55 for six courses, and some of the most innovative and delicious cooking on either side of the river.
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Or filp the two and do brunch at Craigie on Main and dinner at Neptune.
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Great recs, that would be my perfect weekend, though with Prezza for my Saturday dinner. In addition to the lobster roll, we always have to order a platter of oysters or the crudo special, and the fried clams at Neptune. I love the creme brulee french toast on the brunch menu at Eastern Standard, and Craigie on Main is one of my favorites.
(PS. finlero - Noca in AZ is up for a James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant ; ) )
63 Salem St Ste 1, Boston, MA 02113
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Hey Rubee! That's terrific about Noca; I wish them well. I saw you finally made it to Richardson's for a green chile cheeseburger. More than a little jealous, especially in the February doldrums. But yes, I have Prezza to keep me warm.
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Respectfully disagree - Oleana for Saturday dinner is exactly right.
Prezza could be too hectic on a Saturday evening.
Plus, Oleana features menu items you aren't going to see too many other places.
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Sorry for the confusion, I like Oleana too. I wasn't telling the OP to change her reservations, I was saying what my perfect weekend would be....
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Saturday lunch for Lobster roll and fried clams (whole belly though, not strips) I'd say Neptune Oyster on Salem Street in the North End. Many other seafood oriented choices other than Lobster Rolls and Fried Clams. As you might guess by the name they do pretty well with oysters too. N. O. doesn't take reservations but you might have a good shot for lunch. If there is a wait you can leave your cell # with the hostess and meander around the North End which can be a lot of fun.
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The hot lobster roll at Neptune Oyster is the best lobster roll I've ever had. It's easily my favorite place to go for lunch in Boston. Their raw bar is also excellent. If you're looking for a seafood lunch, you won't be disappointed.
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Notyoureveryday brunch could be East Coast Grill in Camb. and their bloody mary bar.
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No contest. it would have to be Neptune Oyster for an appetizer of whole bellied clams and a nice lobster roll.
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Agreed. But where would you have drinks afterwards, Pegmeister?
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It would definitely be Durty Nellies.
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I hear their bartenders are rude and nasty. What's your experience there?
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I think they're just high-spirited and need to keep the folks seated by the bathroom TV in line.
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I met someone from Boston the other day and he recommended I get a lobster roll and chowser at "Kelly's Roast Beef" in Medford. Yes, no?
Oh and Mike's pastry for cannolis on Hanover St.
Thanks again everyone for the recs!!
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For the lobster roll, I'd head to Neptune (linked in my previous reply above). They offer both cold lobster rolls tossed with a bit of mayo, or hot lobster rolls with melted butter. Both are excellent.
Everyone has their favorite cannoli place in the North End. Some like Modern, some like Mike's, and for me, my favorite is Maria's. I also love the sfogliatelle there.
Neptune is also located in the North End, so you could have lunch and a lobster roll at Neptune (great fried clams too) and finish up with a cannoli for dessert.
46 Cross St, Boston, MA 02129
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Kelly's and Mike's are adequate, but they're exactly the sort of places that Chowhound can help you scratch off your itinerary and find better places in lieu.
Kelly's is a small, local fast food chain. It's way better than, say, McDonald's, but you can do significantly better in terms of absolute quality for lobster rolls and chowder. If you do go, be sure to go to the original location on Revere Beach (still T-accessible), but be warned it's primarily an outdoor type of thing. The other branches are nowhere near as good.
Neptune is an upscale sort of place, and the lobster rolls are in keeping with this, but it's not gratuitous; the quality is just outstanding.
If you have your heart set on a more fast food-style atmosphere, I'd hop in a car and one of the clam shacks north of the city. There's a bunch of info on the board about them. But again, I think Neptune would be a great fit.
Mike's is fine, but like Rubee said, I'd sooner go to Maria's or the Modern for Italian goodies. Mike's has the celebrity at this point, and isn't bad, but it's easily my least favorite of the big three in the North End.
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i don't think the Kelly's comments are necessarily true. Lots of people have reported back on excellent and huge lobster rolls there. And I personally have had much better luck with fried clams in the Medford or Rt. 9 Jordan's location than at Revere Beach where they've been overcooked and kinda rubbery. But eating on a beach is more fun than the sterile atmosphere that the other locations have.
You won't stand in a line at Maria's and you have to get a lobster tail (pastry) or sfogliatelle.
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Although I have no personal experience, I don't know of anyone who doesn't like Kelly's a lot, and if you don't want to eat your lobster roll in upscale surroundings, it's probably your best bet. But as Finlero wrote, it's in the North End, convenient to Mike's (my canolli joint of choice).
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One caveat about Mike's. They stuff their cannoli early in the day and leave them sitting around for hours. This causes some sogginess in the shell. I would suggest either Maria's or the Modern, where the shells are always filled to order, the ONLY way to eat a connoli, IMO.
BTW, the Modern also makes insanely delicious torrone. That's right, they make it from scratch. Yum!
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True, but Mike's really has to pre-fill their cannoli because of the high sales volume. They fly off the shelf. I've often been there when there's only one or two cannoli left in the case, but another batch is soon rushed out. I've never had a soggy shell there. I have had stale shells at Modern, though.
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You can ask the counter help at Mike's to hand fill new cannolis. If they are really busy they may balk, and they always roll their eyes when you ask, but they will usually do it. I prefer Maria's to both Mike's and Modern for cannolis, cookies, and especially sfogliatelle.
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