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All-Star Sandwich Bar
Sandwich-lovers will have a hard time choosing at this Inman Sq newcomer (which has declared itself a 'wrap-free zone'). Fortunately, you can't really go wrong. The dozens of sandwiches on offer are all prepared with fresh tasty ingredients and just a touch of innovation. Additional perks: fresh-squeezed lemonade, heaping plates of French fries and beers on draught. Cash only.
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Anthem
This sophisticated restaurant exudes a cool, quirky Goth ambiance. Velvet drapes, heavy furniture and rich colors seem dark, but the windows stretch from shiny wood floors to super-high ceilings, allowing in plenty of light. The menu is equally mod, offering upscale comfort food, like mighty meatloaf, tasso mac and four cheeses, and baked tuna and noodle casserole. Reservations recommended.
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Antonio's Cucina Italiana
Antonio offers all the charms of your favorite North End eatery: the cramped quarters and scrumptious southern Italian fare are straight from Hanover St, without the crowds. Huge portions and friendly service are reminiscent of eating in the kitchen of your beloved Italian aunt. This neighborhood favorite is little known off of Beacon Hill.
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Apollo Grill
This Japanese-Korean late-night hot spot features tables with built-in hibachi grills for Korean BBQ doused in a secret sauce. Hot soups, tempura and sushi are also on the menu. Nobody will argue that it's authentic or outstanding, but that doesn't stop the post-club crowd from showing up at all hours of the night.
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Aquitaine
Let this chic French bistro whisk you away to Paris. Sip fine wines at the super-cool wine bar up front; then settle into the lively dining room for classics like onion soup, steak frite and filet au poivre. Sunday brunch is a highlight, featuring omelets and eggs benedict from different regions, not to mention an excellent prix fixe for around US$10 .
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Atasca
This is home-cooking like they do in the Azores (which is where your hostess is from). The specialty of the Cerqueira family is the bacalhau de cebolada , salted cod with caramelized onions, roasted red peppers and fried potatoes; but if you like seafood, you'll find something to sate your appetite. The menu also features a wide range of small plates, or petiscos , and a nice selection of Portuguese wines. Enjoy a summer evening on the spacious patio.
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Audubon Circle
The long black bar, wood floors and high ceilings lend an industrial feel to this lively pub and restaurant. It exudes a good vibe for catching a bite, watching the game or both. Burgers are highly recommended, or try the unique appetizers, like spicy beef quesadilla or pork-filled wontons.
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B&G Oysters Ltd
This casually cool oyster bar bustles, as patrons flock to the South End to get in on another endeavor by chef Barbara Lynch. Sit inside at the tiled raw bar or outside on the peaceful terrace, and indulge in a wide selection of the freshest oysters from local waters. An extensive list of wines and a modest menu of entrees and appetizers (mostly seafood) are ample accompaniment for the oysters.
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Bangkok Blue
Cash-strapped travelers with the Back Bay blues will find the cure at Bangkok Blue, where the spicy Thai staples will sate your appetite without busting the bank. This understated eatery does a brisk lunchtime business, as hearty portions draw a regular clientele and efficient service ensures quick turnover. Patio seating is a pleasant alternative in warm weather.
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Bar Lola
This authentic Spanish eatery is tucked into a subterranean space on residential Commonwealth Ave. The menu is exclusively tapas, prepared by a team of chefs trained in España, plus an impressive list of Spanish wines, including cava and sangria. Mural-painted walls and flamenco music create an inviting Old World ambiance, and a lively, Spanish-speaking crowd (and staff) adds to it.
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Baraka Café
This tiny storefront offers an opportunity for the adventurous eater to sample exotic flavors in a setting reminiscent of a Mediterranean kitchen. The enticing menu offers hot and cold kemiette (small plates), as well as classic North African dishes like couscous and bastilla. Vegetarians have no shortage of options, while meat-eaters might indulge in the M'Katef (lamb chops with an almond pastry).
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Barking Crab
Big buckets of crabs (Jonah, blue, snow, Alaskan, etc, depending what's in season), steamers dripping in lemon and butter, paper plates piled high with all things fried… the Barking Crab is everything a clam shack should be. The food is plentiful and cheap, and you eat it at communal picnic tables overlooking the water. The beer flows freely, the vibe is jovial but be prepared to wait for a table.
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Bertucci's
Despite its nationwide expansion, Bertucci's remains a Boston favorite for brick-oven pizza. The location near Faneuil Hall Marketplace is one of several in the Boston area; others are in the Back Bay and in Harvard Sq. Lunch is a real bargain: all entrées (around US$8 to US$10 ) come with unlimited salad and fresh, hot rolls.
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Blue Room
Staff at the Blue Room takes pride in the restaurant's reliance on organic farms and 'mom-and-pop purveyors' as the source of produce and meats. They use them to create a menu that is constantly changing according to what's in season and fresh, but is always innovative and delicious. One of Cambridge's top-rated restaurants, the Blue Room still manages to maintain a casual, comfortable atmosphere.
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Bob's Southern Bistro
This is Boston's best down-home soul food: barbecue ribs with a hunk of cornbread or fried chicken with black-eyed peas. Thursday through Saturday, dinner is served with live jazz. Sit at the long counter or in a booth in the recently redone dining room.
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Bon Savor
The crêpes at Bon Savor are made from 'a Russian grandmother's recipe,' which guarantees they are thin and buttery and melt-in-your-mouth divine. Savory options include beef stroganoff, chicken with mushrooms and the 'veggie explosion', but the overwhelming favorite is the sweet banana crêpe with whipped cream. Sweet!.
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Bottega Fiorentina
Another tiny, self-service storefront, this place boasts 'the best sandwiches outside of Florence.' But this tiny bottega offers so much more. Daily specials - ranging from lasagna bolognese to pumpkin tortellini to baked stuffed zucchini - are a surprising bargain (around US$6 to US$8 ). If you can't stand the cramped quarters, head around the corner for fine dining at the sister restaurant Firenze.
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Bova Italian Bakery
At any time of day or night, head to this little corner store with the window overlooking Salem St. Besides the sublime Italian loaves, pulled straight from the oven, you'll find an amazing selection of cookies, cannoli and other pastries. Bonus: Bova also makes mean sandwiches on homemade bread.
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Brasserie Jo
Both classy and convivial, this French brasserie is a prime place to catch a bite before the Boston Symphony. The kitchen stays open late, so you can also stop by afterwards, when you might see the Maestro himself feasting on classic French fare like steak frite, mussels marinière and croques monsieur. Regulars crow about the coq au vin.
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Brown Sugar Café
This crowded, unassuming neighborhood joint is often lauded for the best Thai food in the city. The delectable dishes are beautifully presented - try the mango curry, with tender chicken simmered in a yellow curry with chunks of ripe mango, tomato, red and green pepper, onion and summer squash.
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Buddha's Delight
Non-meat eaters will be thrilled with the low-as-they-go prices and the staggering number of vegetarian options at this hole-in-the-wall. The many imitation meat dishes - from roast pork to meatballs - are made exclusively from soy. While the taste and texture get mixed reviews, it's safe to say that no animals were harmed in the making of this food.
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Butcher Shop
Only in the South End does the neighborhood butcher shop double as an elegant eatery and wine bar. The cases filled with tantalizing cuts of meat, fresh foie gras and homemade sausages give you a glimpse of the ingredients and provide the decoration at this bistro. The menu is short and sweet, offering charcuterie and antipasti that highlight the butcher shop's products (not a place for vegetarians). A nice selection of artisanal wines as well.
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Café D
This fun and funky 'global kitchen' borrows from all corners, including Asia (ginger and soy marinated chicken breast), Africa (Moroccan spiced lamb), Europe (risotto with asparagus and mushrooms) and the Americas (Baja fish tacos). What these items have in common is that they are perfectly prepared and easy on the palette. Set in a playful space - wallpapered in newsprint with colorful splashes - this JP cafe is artful and adventurous.
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Café Jaffa
A surprising bargain in the middle of blue-blood Back Bay. Fill up on delicious shwarma and falafel, and wash it down with palatable Israeli beer or rich dark Turkish coffee. With polished wood floors and painted murals, it's more stylish than your typical Turkish deli.
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Café Samovar
Floral babushka scarves serve as tablecloths and the bar is bedecked with a silver samovar, creating an old-world atmosphere in this aptly named restaurant. The menu is alarmingly authentic - handmade pelmeni (dumplings), both sweet and savory; a good selection of rich and hearty soups (the salty, sour solyanka is recommended); salads with non-descriptive names. A pianist serenades guests Friday and Saturday nights.
