Family in town for Thanksgiving

[chow heel]

I need help.

I moved to the Boston area a couple months ago, so I still haven't found all or many of the best places to go. My family is coming to visit for Thanksgiving and a couple days after and I want to have a good idea of where I should take them to get the most out of their trip. I live in Cambridge but I'm willing to drive anywhere reasonable in the area to really show them what New England has to offer. A wide range of prices and atmospheres would be really helpful. We really enjoy the hole in the wall kind of place but a nice dinner rec. would be helpful as well. Also, my dad really wants to have some good seafood while he's up here... and so far I've been told to go to the North Shore for that.

Side note: We'll be cooking dinner at my house for Thanksgiving and maybe another meal or two, so specialty shop recommendations would be great (to get good meat, bread, seafood, pasta...etc)

Thanks!

[teezeetoo]

since you live in cambridge, shop for your fish at New Deal or Court House (I prefer New Deal). Shop for you chicken and eggs at Mayflower poultry (a fine place to order your turkey) - don't know bread in cambridge: I presume whole foods on river street carries most things and formaggios on huron just about everything good, including cheese, etc. Iggy's is borderline cambridge: off fresh pond parkway. great bread. Cambridge has lots of good restaurant choices: I like Rendezvous, Red House and Hungry Mother, Chez Henri and Green Street Grill, and, of course, for fancy Craigie on Main Street or Salt. For great hole in the wall, Basta Pasta, and Cafe Baraka for wonderful middle eastern. You have a few fine portuguese restaurants and nothing wrong with Rialto for an upscale meal out either. For ethnic delights, spices, and very good fruits/vegetables go up Mt. Auburn into Watertown and check out the Armenian stores (Arax, Severn and others) as well as La Romagnoli for good fresh pasta and Fastacci(sp>>) for excellent nuts and candy. Finally, if you cook a lot find your way to Russos in Watertown for the widest range of greens, veggies, fruits, and a fine deli.

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Baraka Cafe
80 Pearl St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Green Street
280 Green St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Basta Pasta
319 Western Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Chez Henri
1 Shepard Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

Hungry Mother
Cambridge, MA, Cambridge, MA

Craigie on Main
853 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

The Red House Restaurant
98 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, MA 02138

[Berheenia]

Second Russo's but be aware that it is a total zoo the week before Thanksgiving - the aisles gridlock! Another popular venue near Cambridge is Wilson Farm in Arlington- slightly more locavore IMHO.

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Wilson Farm
10 Pleasant St, Lexington, MA 02421