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Boston, Greater and Surrounding

  • Flour Baker and Cafe: Opened by Chef Joanne Chang in 2000 in the South End, Flour Bakery is a great place to stop in for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The bakery has now expanded to multiple locations through out the Boston area, so delicious sweet and savory baked goods or sandwiches are never far from a hungry traveler! No dress code, no reservations, seating in the bakery/cafe can be limited during rush hours.

  • J.P. Licks: Locations through out Boston and surroundings… J. P. Licks is Boston for ice cream. Find a store, order your favourite flavor, and while away the day in creamy comfort! No dress code, no reservations, just cool creamy fun!

  • Kelly’s Roast Beef: Located at Revere Beach (original locale when opened as a food cart in 1951), Danvers, Medford, and Saugus, Kelly’s is the place to be for the iconic Lobster Roll. Even though Kelly’s proudly proclaims themself as the originator of the Roast Beef Sandwich (which is quite good), the Lobster Rolls, for me, is the definite stand out. Lightly and simply dressed with mayo and a touch of celery, with an abundance of sweet delicious lobster meat bursting from the split top bun, the Kelly’s Lobster Roll is truly magnificent. A Boston experience that should not be missed! If you are tempted by the Onion Rings, do give in, but be warned, the portions are very generous indeed! No dress code, no reservation, drive-in options are available at some locations.

  • Kupel’s Bakery: In the recent bagel renaissance in the SF Bay area, there was a discussion concerning which city has the best bagels, New York or SF Bay Area (including East and North Bay). For me, perhaps because it was my first bagel, Boston, or Brookline, to be more precise, reigns supreme. Located on the tree lined Harvard Street, Kupel’s bagels are a daily treat for me during my time in Boston. Get an Everything or a Garlic bagel (i love them both!), get it toasted and get it slathered with some Veggie, Honey and Walnut, or Lox Cream Cheese and joyful eating awaits! i am hungry just typing this out. Kupels also makes fantastic Hamantaschen (poppyseed, always poppyseed) and Rugelach (cinnamon, cinnamon raisin, or chocolate cheese are three of my favorites, and when you are getting it by the pound, why not a mix?) to sate your snacking sweet tooth cravings. Great, now i am even hungrier and jonsing for some sweet hamantaschen and rugelach love. Sigh. No dress code, no reservations, it is a bakery.

  • Parker’s Restaurant in the Omni Parker House Hotel: Well, first, a bit of history. The Parker House Hotel has stood since 1927 in its current structure though the original Parker House Hotel was founded in 1855. Heck, Charles Dickens had an apartment in the original hotel. Sadly, the original structure was torn down in the 1920s and rebuilt in its current form. The restaurant, Parkers, predates the hotel! Bought by Mr. Parker (who will then open the Parker House Hotel) and renamed Parker’s in 1832, it had existed as a “cellar cafe” that Mr. Parker, then a Coachman, frequented. In the 1856, the French Chef heading the restaurant, M. Sanzian, innovated the Boston Cream Pie then, in 1860s, a German baker at the restaurant made the Parker House Rolls. Ho Chi Minh worked as a baker between 1912 and 1913, Malcolm X was a busboys at the restaurant during the 1940s, and Emeril Lagasse worked as a sous-chef between 1979 and 1981. Needless to say, try the Boston Cream Pie and enjoy a Parker House Roll! Bet you can’t just eat one! It is a nice restaurant, feel free to dress up, JFK certainly did! Reservations are available and strongly recommended!

  • Regina Pizzeria: Right, so this is not a fancy pie… this is stuff of college memories and the craving for a slice, hot, chewy, and orange with that pepperoni glisten. If there is such a thing as a Boston slice, this would be the place to get one, after all, they have been slinging slices since 1926. Get a slice, served on a nondescript white paper plate quickly going translucent, fold slice in half and hold pointy side down and crust side up… walk and drain and enjoy that delicious first bite. Various locations, no dress code and seating is variable pending on locale.

  • Seoul Jangteo Korean Restaurant: Located in Brookline on the corner of Brighton and Harvard, this restaurant servers comforting Korean classics and, importantly, Korean Chinese food! Tangsuyook, the Korean version of the Chinese Sweet and Sour Pork shares the menu with Gganpung Chicken (and Shrimp) are Korean version of the Chinese Kong Pao Chicken (though the chicken is breaded and fried instead of just stir fried). Yangjangpi is also served, that Korean version of a Northern Chinese classic with mung bean noodles and hot mustard, a delicious dish! Also, don’t miss the Jajang Noodles! The staple of late night, all day, post drinking marathon noodle dish across Korea and China! Noodles, check, dark and slightly sweet black bean meat sauce, check, vigorous slurping and chewing, commencing! No dress code, come hungry.

China Town

  • China Pearl: The stairs up to the China Pearl dining room was an old friend to me in my 7 years in Boston. Arguably my favorite Dim Sum restaurant, China Pearl is a happy place for me. Typically filled with the denizens of the Boston Chinese denizens, the food is served hot, freshly prepared, and with the correct amount of contempt that is to be expected in a Chinese eatery. The variety is one of the reasons why China Pear is such a jewel. As the day progresses, the variety of the Dim Sum increases. When they are busy, which is usually about an hour after opening, you may be asked to share a banquet table with strangers. Be darling, meet a new friend! Strange enough, i have never been here outside of Dim Sum… then again, Dim Sum for me is a 3 hour affair. No dress code, no reservation for dim sum, reservation for larger parties for dinner available. Note: As of April/3/2024, the restaurant is listed as OPEN!!! HUZZAH!!

  • Corner Cafe Bakery: Located at 62 Harrison Ave, in Boston’s Chinatown, Corner Cafe Bakery, for me, makes the best Chinese egg tarts and bbq pork buns (baked) in Chinatown. The bakery makes all the classic HK baked goods and seasonal pastries according to the Chinese holiday schedules. No dress code, there is a counter indoors to stand and munch at, but most of the traffic is for take-aways. TEL: (617) 338-1988

North End

  • Daily Catch, The: (other locations: Brookline and the Waterfront) The original and first location of The Daily Catch since 1973. Still family ran, The Daily Catch is cash only, no reservations taken (reservations available at the Waterfront location), and serves some of the best seafood and pasta in the greater Boston area. The Aglio Olio Black Pasta is a simple dish of olive oil, garlic, black pasta, anchovy, and ground calamari. Beautifully simplistic yet such multilayered and complex flavors. Served on the well worn pan it is cooked in, the fragrance is enchanting, mesmerizing, and hunger inducing. Feel free to douse with chili oil (olive oil infused with red peppers) and parmesan cheese from the condiment carrier found at every table and tuck in! If you are feeling a bit rambunctious, try the Black Pasta Puttanesca, made with mushrooms, peppers, onions, olive oil, and anchovy butter, this hearty version of the black pasta is sure to please! If you are quite hungry or don’t mind sharing with a friend, don’t miss the Lobster Fra Diavolo! Meant for two, the dish is composed of a 1.25lb lobster, calamari, littleneck clams, mussels, and shrimp. All simmered in The Daily Catch’s fabulous spicy marinara sauce and served over linguine in the pan it is cooked in. It is a wonderful dish and will satisfy the hungriest of diner(s)! The Daily Catch also makes some of the best Fried Calamari around. Served with a side of tartar sauce and The Daily Catch’s spicy marinara sauce, it is an appetizer or a main, depending on your hunger and your hunger for calamari. Also not to miss, the Stuffed Calamari (whole calamari stuffed with herb bread crumbs, pinenuts, and raisins, all simmered in red sauce) and the Calamari Meatballs (literally ground calamari cut with herbed bread crumbs, formed into a meatball and simmered in red sauce). Two delicious and unique dishes indeed! No dress code, no reservation accepted, the wait is worth it. They also now have a bathroom. Remember, cash only! They are happy to let you know where the nearest ATM is. Note: The Waterfront location, larger, will take reservations and non-cash payments… however, my heart lies with the original North End locale… sentimentalist that i am

  • Modern Pastry: Family ran bakery since 1930, Modern Pastry makes what PTM believes is the best Cannoli in the North End. Get it filled with the traditional plain sweet ricotta or something less traditional (though i do feel the traditional is the best), in miniature size or in the regular size. All are fantastic and will satisfy your sweet tooth. Take in the display of Italian Cookies and just try to not order a few to take away, pick up a few Torrone (Italian nougat) just to make sure the take away box is well filled! No dress code, it is a bakery with indoor seating and outdoor seats for the immediate consumption of your baked goods and coffee.

Newton Center

  • Cafe St. Petersburg: A quick walk from the Newton Center Green Line T Stop, Cafe St. Petersburg has been in operation for the past 20 plus years. i knew it when it was in Brookline, on the first floor of a brownstone, with warped hard wood floors, a warm atmosphere, and a pianist plinking away at an upright piano in the corner of the room. The current location is larger and more modern, but the food has not changed. The menu is a composition of Russian classics, the Pelmeni is a meat filled and delicious dumpling, enriched by a slather of sour cream. The Beef Stroganoff is rich and hearty, spiced perfectly and creamy. Order a side of Kasha and enjoy the buttery fluffy grains with any dish! However, don’t forget, everything goes well with a shot of vodka! No dress code, reservations never hurts.