The Blue Diner 150
Kneeland St tel
617/695-0087. Classic
restored Fifties diner
with lively jukebox,
slowly inching its way
upmarket but with
excellent traditional and
unpretentious American
food. Open till 4am on
weekends.
Buzzy's 327
Cambridge St tel
617/242-7722 and 647
Massachusetts Ave,
Cambridge tel
617/864-2333. Locally
famous for fabulous roast
beef sandwiches, hand-cut
french fries, and the fact
that they never close.
Daily Catch 323
Hanover St tel
617/523-8567 and 261
Northern Ave tel
617/338-3093.
Sicilian-style seafood
restaurant, noted for its
many styles of calamari.
Expect to pay from $10 to
$40 for an entree.
Division Sixteen
955 Boylston St tel
617/353-0870. While the
food is good and the wine
list inspired, the real
draw is the atmosphere, a
converted police stable
with a decidedly 1920s
feel, in which locals sip
martinis and any number of
frozen concoctions.
Durgin Park 340
N Market St, Faneuil Hall
tel 617/227-2038. Crowded,
hurried and proud of its
surly service, but a
Boston institution for its
chunky prime ribs and
seafood specialties - not
to mention the baked
beans. Tables are shared,
and no reservations are
taken. Entrees start from
$7.
Gabriele's 1 1st
Ave, Charlestown Navy Yard
tel 617/242-4040.
Excellent upscale Italian
restaurant, with a terrace
for outdoor dining.
Giacomo's 355
Hanover St tel
617/523-9026. Fresh,
flavorful food, with an
emphasis on seafood and
pasta specialties - the
pumpkin tortellini in a
sage butter sauce is a
North End classic. Note
the restaurant doesn't
take reservations or
credit cards.
Golden Palace
14-20 Tyler St tel
617/423-4565. Chinese
restaurant open until
11.30pm, with excellent
and reasonably priced dim
sum daily until 3pm.
Entrees $7 and upwards.
Kingfish Hall
188 S Market Bldg tel
617/523-8862.
Well-regarded, stylish
seafood house worth the
splurge ($20 to $30 an
entree).
Legal Sea Foods
at the Park Plaza Hotel
, 50 Park Plaza tel
617/426-4444. Citywide
chain deservedly renowned
for its top-quality
seafood, especially their
excellent oysters.
Mamma Maria 3
North Square tel
617/523-0077. Widely
acknowledged as the best
of the North End's
traditional Italian
restaurants, noted for
seafood dishes and fresh
breads. Expensive and also
popular for special
occasions.
Pad Thai Café
1116 Boylston St tel
617/247-3399. Fresh Thai
soups, salads and curries,
with highly recommended
house specials, all in the
$5-10 range. Popular with
students, the place gets
crowded fast. Open daily
for lunch and dinner, pad
thai also delivers
after 5:30pm.
Panificio Bakery
144 Charles St tel
617/227-4340. Consistently
rated the best bakery in
Boston; try to make time
for their brunch, served
weekends from 10am-4:30pm.
Rabia's 73 Salem
St tel 617/227-6637. The
best thing about this
small restaurant is its
Express Lunch special from
noon to 2pm, when you can
pay under $7 for a heaping
plate of Italian
leftovers.
Steve's
Greek-American Cuisine
316 Newbury St tel
617/267-1817. One of
Boston's classic cheap
eats, with heavenly Greek
food and divine grilled
chicken sandwiches.
Trattoria Il Panino
11 Parmenter St tel
617/720-1336. An old North
End standby popular with
locals. The great Amalfi-coast
chicken and pasta dishes
are complemented by a good
wine list and friendly
service.
Tremont 647 647
Tremont St tel
617/266-4600. Part of the
burgeoning South End
dining scene, with big
portions of New American
food, much of it grilled,
as well as superb desserts
and a good selection of
wines.
