Taking a friend on a Boston food crawl -- where and what should we eat????

[pws234]

So I'm taking my friend on a decadent (which is NOT to say expensive) food crawl for his birthday. His wife is a health food freak and he never gets to indulge in anything anymore (poor guy). I want to take him to several places in/around Boston where we can walk in, order something, get it pretty quickly, eat it, and then move on to the next place. I'm thinking things like a great burger, great french fries, a beautiful piece of fried chicken, a good cannoli, a great milkshake, etc.

Two questions:

1. What should we eat?
2. Where should we get it?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Matt H]

Craigie for Cocktails with Crispy Pig Tails and Bone Marrow
Radius for the Buger and Fries
Neptune for Oysters
Marias or Modern for Cannoli

Heck of alot of food, but sounds like a perfect day!

[The Food Buster]

If you want a burger and fries, you must hit up Radius. It's very pricey for a burger, since it's located in what has been called one of the best restaurants in the city, but the burger is probably my favorite burger of all time (and I've tasted and reviewed a ton of burgers throughout the nation, though I'm no burger expert). It has a gigantic meat patty topped with literally a mountain of crunchy fried onions and an oozing layer of tangy horseradish mayo. It's not for everyone, but it's one of the most interesting burgers I've seen--and that's coming from someone who can't even stand horseradish.

As for the cannoli, I'd give the nods to Mike's. I did a taste test of a lot of cannolis in the area--Mike's, Modern's, Cafe Graffiti, Bova's, and Maria's--but I ended up returning to Mike's because even though it's too sweet, it has the most flavorful ricotta and most well-made shell. Modern's and Cafe Graffiti's, though, come close.

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Bova's
134 Salem St, Boston, MA

[CreativeFoodie42]

I'd recommend Villa Mexico for their amazing burritos. They are located in a gas station so it is definitely a grab and go kind of place!

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Villa Mexico
296 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114

[BostonZest]

Skip Mikes for Modern, replace Legal with Neptune Oyster and forget Stephanies if you are on a food crawl.

Go for the Sel se La Terre fries and you may want to get that burger while you're there.

If you have a car, take him to Speed's and you can do the hot dog and the pastrami.

Michael's in Brookline for a corned beef sandwich

Penny
http://www.bostonzest.com/

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Speed's Hotdog Wagon
54 Newmarket Square, Boston, MA 02118

Neptune Oyster
63 Salem St Ste 1, Boston, MA 02113

Michael's Deli
256 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446

Sel de la Terre - Long Wharf
255 State Street @ Longwharf, Boston, MA 02109

[lc02139]

Skip both Mikes, and Modern and go to Maria's my family did a taste test of all 3 and Maria's were the best cannoli's. I support BostonZest change to Neptune for seafood. Try East Coast grill (cambridge) for grilled seafood/bbq and Soul fire (alston) for bbq/fried chicken.

[StriperGuy]

Maria's has killer house made torrone, almond macaroons, Florentine cookies, cassata. Mike is basically commerical stuff and not so good.

[StriperGuy]

Gosh, don't know what I was posting above, meant to say Modern, not Maria's.

[s1mpson]

I second the Speed's if you got a car.. IT'S THE BEST, and definitely a big meal so bring your appetite. Get the Speed Dog with the works, you won't regret it.

[drumsullivan]

The North End for cannoli (Modern Pastry or Mike's Pastry), pizza, gelato, pretty much anything Italian!

Legal Seafoods for (duh!) seafood

Sel de la Terre for the best gourmet fries in Boston - dusted with rosemary!!

Petit Robert Bistro for the best bistro French food

Stephanie's on Newbury for the best patio - drinks and comfort food

Just a few ideas, have a great trip!!

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Petit Robert Bistro
468 Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA 02215

Mike's Pastry
300 Hanover St, Boston, MA

Sel de la Terre
774 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199