Founded by the English, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and today has a dynamic and intellectual atmosphere as it is a world-renowned educational center . This is because in the surroundings there are Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Harvard University .
Both institutions, in fact, are part of the Brazil Conference at Harvard & MIT , an event held by the Brazilian student community in the Boston region. The 10th edition took place at the beginning of April and, at the invitation of the event, I was the mediator of two panels. These were days full of discussions and debates with the mission of attracting more and more global attention to Brazil, where I was able to see up close ideas that turn into actions to change our country.
Between one break and another, I also experienced the Boston flavors . Part of the region of New England , the city has unmissable classic dishes, such as creamy clam chowder, oysters and lobster roll, which reflect its proximity to the sea and long history of maritime trade. However, Italian trattorias, French bistros and steak houses also make a name for themselves in the city's gastronomic scene.
Below, check out 10 restaurants in and around Boston to add to your itinerary:
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Trattoria Il Panino
A traditional address in the city, the trattoria welcomes us for lunch and dinner in a welcoming atmosphere with a total focus on pasta, which clashes with the concept of comfort food. The restaurateur Frank DePasquale brought to Boston a taste of his childhood in an Italian town near the Amalfi Coast.
Homemade pasta and fresh seafood arrive at the table, such as penne alla amatriciana and other classics, such as penne alla arrabiata, cacio e pepe, spaghetti carbonara, ricotta ravioli and lasagna of the day. House specials are also included, such as ossobuco alla milanese and homemade meatballs. In addition to the indoor setting, there is a patio for outdoor dining.
Trattoria il Panino: 280 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113, United States / Opening hours: open daily from 11am to 11pm; Friday and Saturday until 2am / Reservations via link.
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Rare Steakhouse
Inside the Encore hotel and casino in nearby Everett, Rare Steakhouse is one of the region's highest-rated steakhouses. It is the only restaurant in the state to offer us the real Kobe beef from Japan, as well as super-premium cuts, such as wagyu tomahawk and farm steaks from the American Midwest.
The dry-aged meats are aged in-house, which is decorated with a gold and cream color palette. The wine list has more than 700 labels, with a focus on California and France, and there are also rare examples of whiskeys and cognacs. O dress code It is an elegant resort and children under five are not allowed.
Rare Steakhouse: inside the Encore Boston Harbor hotel, 1st floor – 1 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149, United States / Opening hours: Thursday to Sunday, 5pm to 10pm / Reservations via link.
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Row 34 (Cambridge)
The original location of this seafood restaurant is in Boston, but Row 34 recently gained a branch in the neighboring city of Cambridge, which is home to Harvard University . The industrial-style house is located in the Kendall Square neighborhood and serves uncomplicated options accompanied by local beers.
The menu changes between lunch and dinner, but the wide selection of fresh oysters The seafood soup and the lobster roll buttery dishes are on every menu. There are also crudos and ceviches and a kids menu with pasta, burgers and grilled fish.
Row 34: 314 Main St, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States / Opening hours: Monday, 11:30am to 9pm (drinks until 10pm); Tuesday to Saturday, from 11:30 am to 10 pm (drinks until 11 pm); Sunday, from 11:30am to 9pm (drinks until 10pm) / Reservations via link / Check information about the Boston unit here.
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Batifol (Cambridge)
Another tip in Cambridge, this time with a French accent, is Batifol, which takes the concept of Parisian brasserie. The house is also in Kendall Square a vibrant area filled with technology companies and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) buildings.
Whether for lunch or dinner, the menu includes hearty classics from French cuisine, such as croque monsieur, moules et frites, steak frites, beef bourguignon, niçoise salad and caramelized onion soup with a gruyère cheese crust. Brunches are served on weekends and the owner of Batifol is the same one behind another French bistro, Petit Robert Bistro this time in Boston, across the river.
Batifol: 291 Third Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, United States / Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 11am to 10pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 10pm / Reservations via link.
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Aquitaine
Back in Boston, Aquitaine is another French bistro in the region. It has more than 25 years of operation in the neighborhood of South End full of Victorian houses, and encompasses the Parisian spirit not only in the dishes, but also in the dining room with vintage furniture and dishes of the day written on a chalkboard.
On the menu we find onion soup, filet au poivre, steak frites, sole meunière and roast duck breast, to name a few. The place also serves brunch on the weekends, where croque madame, eggs benedict, mimosas and bellinis come into play.
Aquitaine: 569 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02118, United States / Opening hours: lunch Monday to Thursday, 11:30 am to 3 pm; dinner from Monday to Sunday, from 5pm to 10pm; brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm / Reservations via site.
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Boston oyster
With over a decade in Boston, Ostra is one of the city's finest restaurants and is just steps from the Boston Common, the oldest urban park in the United States . With a large, light-colored room, the contemporary restaurant serves a Mediterranean cuisine.
It is only open at dinner and the menu has a selection of fresh oysters, crudos, salmon and tuna tartare and king crab, as well as more elaborate main dishes, such as ricotta gnocchetti with lobster, mushrooms and black truffle and the different types of sea bass preparation.
Boston oyster: 1 Charles Street South, Boston, MA 02116, United States / Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 5:30 pm to 9 pm (diner arrivals accepted until 8:30 pm); Friday and Saturday, from 5:30 pm to 10 pm (arrival of diners accepted until 9:30 pm); Sunday, from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm (arrival of diners accepted until 8 pm) / Reservations via link.
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Zuma Boston
Boston is one of more than 20 cities in the world that have a Zuma location, a contemporary Japanese restaurant with the soul of an informal izakaya – Miami and New York are also on the list.
Located in Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street , the modern restaurant has sharing, omakase and combo items on the menu at lunch time. Among the highlights are tempurás, pieces of sashimi, niguiris and vegetables, fish and meats in robata, that is, skewers grilled over the fire.
Zuma Boston: inside the Four Seasons Boston Hotel One Dalton Street, 2nd floor – 1 Dalton St, Boston, MA 02115, United States / Opening hours: lunch Wednesday to Friday, 11:30 am to 3 pm; dinner from Sunday to Thursday, from 5:30 pm to 10 pm, and Friday and Saturday, from 5:30 pm to 11 pm; brunch on Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30 am to 3 pm / Reservations via link.
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Love
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Portuguese gastronomy has a right place in Boston: the refined Amar, by chef George Mendes at the top of the luxurious Hotel Raffles , with views of the city and even neighboring Cambridge. Mendes led Aldea in New York, with a Michelin star, but the restaurant closed in 2020 and the chef moved to Boston to run the new project.
The menu has dishes that sound familiar to us: Gomes de Sá cod and seafood rice among the main dishes. For dessert? The custard tarts couldn’t be missed. The wine list, of course, favors labels from Portugal and Port wines can be enjoyed at the end of the meal. Drinks with names in Portuguese are a must: “Como Deixa em Boston” contains ginjinha, and “O Amor” contains tequila, lemon, cherry syrup and egg whites.
Love: inside Raffles Boston hotel, on the Sky Lobby level – 40 Trinity Pl, Boston, MA 02116, United States / Opening hours: Sunday to Wednesday, 5:30 pm to 10 pm; Thursday to Saturday, from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm / Book via link.
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Contessa Boston
Overlooking the Back Bay neighborhood, Contessa appeared in the rooftop at The Newbury Hotel in 2021 and soon won over customers with its homage to northern Italy, so much so that a branch of the house opened in Miami's Design District in 2022. In Boston, Contessa serves everything from breakfast to dinner, and even brunch on the weekends. week.
The trattoria serves carpaccios, prosciutto crudo, a variety of pizzas, pastas, meats, fish and poultry alongside a selection of drinks and wines with an Italian accent. It is worth noting that the restaurant belongs to Major Group Food, the same company behind the trendy Carbone, in Miami and NY, Chateu ZZ's, in Miami, and Sadelle's, in NY.
Contessa Boston: Three Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116, United States / Opening hours: Breakfast Monday to Friday, 7:30 am to 11 am; lunch from Monday to Friday, from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm; dinner from Sunday to Wednesday, from 5pm to 10pm (drinks until 0am), and from Thursday to Saturday, from 5pm to 11pm (drinks until 1am); brunch on Saturday and Sunday, from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm / Reservation via site.
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Atlantic Fish
In Back Bay, Atlantic Fish is traditional in the city, serving fish and seafood since 1978. The menu includes preparations New England classics with products mainly coming from the waters around Boston.
Dishes include clam chowder, the famous seafood soup; the oysters; fish, such as halibut, tuna, swordfish and haddock; as well as different lobster dishes, including the lobster roll. The atmosphere is family-friendly, especially on weekends
Atlantic Fish: 761 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116, United States / Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 11:30 am to 10 pm; Friday, from 11:30 am to 11 pm; Saturday, from 11am to 11pm and Sunday, from 11am to 10pm / Book via link.
Extra tip: Legal Sea Foods
Want seafood quickly and without weighing too much on your pocket? The tip is to go to one of the 11 units in Boston Legal Sea Foods a chain of casual restaurants focused on seafood and fish that has been in operation since 1968. If you're already leaving Boston, don't worry: the airport has six units of the brand, where I ate a lobster roll along with seafood soup before return to Brazil.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
