Tag: Chinatown

  • Thanksgiving 2014 Dining Out in Boston

    UPDATE: Reserve Now for Thanksgiving 2015 Dining Out in Boston 

    It's time to make Thanksgiving dinner reservations, especially if you want to enjoy your holiday meal at one of the Boston area's great restaurants on Thursday, November 27, 2014.

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    Most places have special menus and sometimes set seatings for major holidays. Many will require a deposit or credit card number to place a reservation. 

    We publish these holiday reservation reminders early so that our readers can get a head start and grab a reservation at a worthy spot. We'll keep adding updates as more places announce their intention to open and menus.

    Which Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Thanksgiving?

    Hotel restaurants are normally open on all holidays. In Boston, this means some excellent choices including:

    Master Lists of Boston Restaurants Open for Thanksgiving.

    The reservation site Open Table is maintaining a list of restaurants with Thanksgiving menus. Listings include a price and information on offerings beyond traditional holiday fare. Remember, there are many more restaurants open that day. Put a time and number of guests into the system to see exactly what is available.

    Here are a few that we can recommend from the long Open Table list.

    • La Voile on Newbury Street always plans a special meal for the neighbors who love this small French charmer.
    • Bistro du Midi always serves a wonderful meal. And, if you want lighter fare, their Café will be open at 11 a.m.

    Open Table even includes some places outside the city if you're meeting up with family and friends who live in the suburbs. And, they can help you find a place to enjoy the holiday meal if you'll be away for the long weekend.

    Bostonchefs.com has some information on its members' offerings. For example, here are a few options we'd consider if we were looking for a great menu:

    • Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square will be open all day starting with breakfast and will serve Thanksgiving dinner from 1-8 p.m.
    • L'Espalier in the Back Bay will showcase the harvest from Chef McClelland's Apple Street Farm and will offer a three course prix fixe menu or, for a special holiday treat, a degustation menu.
    • Harvest in Harvard Square, Cambridge
    • Top of the Hub at the Prudential Center in the Back Bay comes with a view!
    • One recommendation for a lower cost option with good food would be Petit Robert in Boston.

    Interesting Twist!

    Fairsted Kitchen is offering a pre-ordered, family style Thanksgiving dinner that is in keeping with their shared big plate menu. It seems like a good deal for a family or a bunch of friends who want to share a holiday meal.

    A Few Places with Their Regular Menus Available

    Many restaurants in Boston's Chinatown will be open. You can check with the Twitter account @bostonchinatown for more details.

    Some chains restaurants will also offer their regular menus.

    Davio's in Boston and Chestnut Hill 

    Capital Grille Boston, Chestnut Hill, and Burlington

    We'll post updates in this space as other Boston resources post their lists and choices.

     Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography:  istockphoto.com

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day 2013 in Boston

     

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

     

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

    6a00e54fc42bb888340120a6fe484b970b-800wi

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    • The legendary team from L'Espalier offers a prix fixe Christmas Eve menu.  
    • La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmonte."
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel has a four course prixe fixe menu set for the 24th.
    • The Petit Robert Bistro locations will be open with regular meals and specials. We like the one on Columbus Ave in the South End.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun holiday dining option. 

    • Grotto has their Feast listed on Boston Chefs. This tiny Beacon Hill gem was one of the first to present this holiday tradition.
    • Kitchen and Marliave, Grotto's siblings in the South End and Downtown, are joining in the festive fish feast.

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:




    Other places open on holidays would include chains like Legal Seafoods and many restaurants in Chinatown. We once asked a long time Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

    Eater Boston's Christmas Map (Updated 12/16/2013)

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (2012)

    Christmas Day Brunch (2012)

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day (just in case you're going there) (2012)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (2012)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (2012)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site, Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    From Last Year: Eater Boston has a list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We'll update with the new one when it's available.

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places, and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will be open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Market by John-Georges: They will have a la carte items from their regular menu in addition to a special holiday menu on Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates to this post.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day 2013 in Boston

     

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

     

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

    6a00e54fc42bb888340120a6fe484b970b-800wi

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    • The legendary team from L'Espalier offers a prix fixe Christmas Eve menu.  
    • La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmonte."
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel has a four course prixe fixe menu set for the 24th.
    • The Petit Robert Bistro locations will be open with regular meals and specials. We like the one on Columbus Ave in the South End.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun holiday dining option. 

    • Grotto has their Feast listed on Boston Chefs. This tiny Beacon Hill gem was one of the first to present this holiday tradition.
    • Kitchen and Marliave, Grotto's siblings in the South End and Downtown, are joining in the festive fish feast.

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:




    Other places open on holidays would include chains like Legal Seafoods and many restaurants in Chinatown. We once asked a long time Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

    Eater Boston's Christmas Map (Updated 12/16/2013)

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (2012)

    Christmas Day Brunch (2012)

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day (just in case you're going there) (2012)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (2012)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (2012)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site, Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    From Last Year: Eater Boston has a list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We'll update with the new one when it's available.

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places, and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will be open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Market by John-Georges: They will have a la carte items from their regular menu in addition to a special holiday menu on Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates to this post.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day 2013 in Boston

     

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

     

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

    6a00e54fc42bb888340120a6fe484b970b-800wi

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    • The legendary team from L'Espalier offers a prix fixe Christmas Eve menu.  
    • La Morra in Brookline is an ideal spot to meet friends or family from that side of the Boston area. They are offering family style dining, "sharing traditional dishes of Piedmonte."
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel has a four course prixe fixe menu set for the 24th.
    • The Petit Robert Bistro locations will be open with regular meals and specials. We like the one on Columbus Ave in the South End.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun holiday dining option. 

    • Grotto has their Feast listed on Boston Chefs. This tiny Beacon Hill gem was one of the first to present this holiday tradition.
    • Kitchen and Marliave, Grotto's siblings in the South End and Downtown, are joining in the festive fish feast.

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:




    Other places open on holidays would include chains like Legal Seafoods and many restaurants in Chinatown. We once asked a long time Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

    Eater Boston's Christmas Map (Updated 12/16/2013)

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (2012)

    Christmas Day Brunch (2012)

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day (just in case you're going there) (2012)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (2012)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (2012)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site, Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    From Last Year: Eater Boston has a list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We'll update with the new one when it's available.

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places, and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will be open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Market by John-Georges: They will have a la carte items from their regular menu in addition to a special holiday menu on Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates to this post.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

    Details: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

    Enhanced by Zemanta
  • Lions Will Dance in Chinatown!

    It has been a few years since we've attended a Lion Dance Celebration in Boston's Chinatown. It's on our schedule for this year. This year's event will be held on Sunday, February 17th, 2013 from 10AM to 5PM. 

    Update: 02/17/13 from @BostonChinatown: "Event is still going We are delaying about an hour so 11:30am stage will be moved to Beach and harrison ave. http://bit.ly/WQi4fC "

     5443824968_d25f60a4a8

    Photo by Raymond Larose used under this creative commons license be sure to check his photography blog.

    This is a wonderful time to explore the neighborhood and a real opportunity to stretch your photography skills with some colorful subject matter. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo by Raymond Larose used under this creative commons license. Be sure to check his photography blog.

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Lions Will Dance in Chinatown!

    It has been a few years since we've attended a Lion Dance Celebration in Boston's Chinatown. It's on our schedule for this year. This year's event will be held on Sunday, February 17th, 2013 from 10AM to 5PM. 

    Update: 02/17/13 from @BostonChinatown: "Event is still going We are delaying about an hour so 11:30am stage will be moved to Beach and harrison ave. http://bit.ly/WQi4fC "

     5443824968_d25f60a4a8

    Photo by Raymond Larose used under this creative commons license be sure to check his photography blog.

    This is a wonderful time to explore the neighborhood and a real opportunity to stretch your photography skills with some colorful subject matter. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo by Raymond Larose used under this creative commons license. Be sure to check his photography blog.

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Lions Will Dance in Chinatown!

    It has been a few years since we've attended a Lion Dance Celebration in Boston's Chinatown. It's on our schedule for this year. This year's event will be held on Sunday, February 17th, 2013 from 10AM to 5PM. 

    Update: 02/17/13 from @BostonChinatown: "Event is still going We are delaying about an hour so 11:30am stage will be moved to Beach and harrison ave. http://bit.ly/WQi4fC "

     5443824968_d25f60a4a8

    Photo by Raymond Larose used under this creative commons license be sure to check his photography blog.

    This is a wonderful time to explore the neighborhood and a real opportunity to stretch your photography skills with some colorful subject matter. 

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: Photo by Raymond Larose used under this creative commons license. Be sure to check his photography blog.

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2011

    You've Reached an Old Post! Go to:

    UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

     

    It's time to make your reservations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays.

    If you have inside info on a local restaurant's plans or a favorite Christmas Holiday tradition, add it in the comments below!

    IStock_000002198510XSmallWhat's open on Christmas Eve?

    This year Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday night. A quick check of Open Table for a 9 pm reservation found far more restaurants open than I might have expected. 

    As with any holiday reservation ask what is being offered. Some places will present their normal menu, some will have a restricted prix fixe, and some will add special items inspired by the holiday. And, don't be surprised if a non-refundable deposit and credit card number are required to make a reservation.

    Holiday Traditions

    Our friend, Jackie Blombach and her husband always have Tea at the Taj on Christmas Eve. She calls it, "My Favorite two hours of Christmas!"

    Traditional Feast

    If you hurry and grab one of the spots at the table, you could indulge in the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes at Grotto and sister restaurant Marliave. (Both will also offer a limited menu in addition to the feast.) The Grotto website says:

    "The Feast of Seven Fishes, a traditional meal served on Christmas Eve throughout Italy. The Feast dates back centuries and the common belief is that participating in the Feast will bring good luck and fortune in the year to come. Marliave and Grotto will once again be offering our version of The Feast of Seven Fishes. The Feast is served over three courses and utilizes the great abundance of seafood available to us in Boston… " 

    Need a Holiday Food Break?

    If you need a break from the whole Christmas scene, you could wander through Chinatown and enjoy an alternative to the traditional holiday menus. And, if Chinatown isn't quite the fit for your gang, but you would like to nibble your way through an Asian feast, we suggest Meyers+Chang on Washington Street in the South End. Chef Joanne Chang is planning to add some special treats for that night but assures us we will be able to enjoy an evening of great Asian food.

    What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas ?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on all holidays. In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:

    More information after these features from AMAZON.

               

    If information like this is helpful to you, vote for more of it with your shopping dollars by beginning all your Amazon shopping at BostonZest. Just click on any Amazon link or ad and start shopping for what you want. It doesn't cost you anymore, but it pays for the work we do.

    More information and reservations:

    Here's Open Table's Christmas Day page but remember, you can go to their main Boston page and request a reservation for the 24th, 25th, or 26th and see the full list of options for the time you prefer.

    Boston Chefs has set up recaps for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.

    Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates. So far, the ChowHounds and Trip Advisor crews haven't had much to say on the topic, but we'll post links if a good conversation from one of these forums gets started. 

    Details: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.