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Tag: trip advisor

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Around Boston 2017

    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! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.

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    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.

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    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.

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

    • Coppa Enoteca is one of our favorites and is offering their version of this tradition.
    • Dante in Cambridge will present Chef Dante de Magistris' version of the feast with other menu items available.
    • Grotto was one of the first to present this holiday tradition. They tell us that it will be a nightly special every night in December! 

    Which 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.

    • The Bristol at the Four Seasons Hotel
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel 
    • Eastern Standard: They will normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Other Resources:

    As we included above, 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.

     

    Follow us on Twitter for notice 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:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photos: from iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 Around 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! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340147e031dab7970b-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.

    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. 

    Update 12/17/15: Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Eve.

    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 chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime 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 Eater, Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year and we'll link to lists from other Boston food sites.

    Update 12/17/15 Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Day.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

     

     

    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 What's Open in Boston 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 normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Follow us on Twitter for notice 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:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 Around 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! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340147e031dab7970b-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.

    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. 

    Update 12/17/15: Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Eve.

    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 chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime 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 Eater, Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year and we'll link to lists from other Boston food sites.

    Update 12/17/15 Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Day.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

     

     

    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 What's Open in Boston 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 normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Follow us on Twitter for notice 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:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • What Is Evacuation Day (Saint Patrick’s Day) and What’s Open & Closed & MBTA Schedules?

    This year, Evacuation Day (which most people admit is just an excuse for Saint Patrick's Day revelry) falls on a Tuesday – March 17th. City and state workers in Suffolk County no longer have this as a holiday. City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County will be open. But, because of the parade and the drinking of the green beer, there will be a few adaptations around the city.

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    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the event to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

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    About your holiday questions …

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "Evacuation Day – March 17th
    (Suffolk County only, state and municipal offices are open)"

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays. Therefore, there's no change in parking regulations or trash pick up.

    • Update: 03.10.15 As Kate from Boston on Budget pointed out in her comment below, some years the city has tweeted out free parking notices on this holiday. We'll update with details if we find that happens. 
    • Here's the official word on that:

    Screen Shot 2015-03-17 at Tuesday, March 17, 201512.54.24 PM

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. There has been no announcement regarding this that we could find this year.

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade.  Download MBTA St Patrick's Day Parade schedule.

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update 03/13/15:

    Here's a link to and text of the City of Boston Traffic Advisory.

    "The City of Boston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2015, in South Boston. The parade will begin at 1 PM on West Broadway at Dorchester Avenue, will continue to East Broadway, and end at Farragut Road.

    View Map of Route

    The St. Patrick’s Day Road Race will also take place in South Boston on Sunday beginning at 11 AM.   Runners will proceed from West Sixth Street at F Street onto Dorchester Street, right onto East Broadway, down and around the Farragut Statue at Day Boulevard, to East Broadway, right onto West Broadway, left onto E Street, left onto West Sixth Street, ending at the Boys and Girls Club at #230 West Sixth Street.

    To accommodate the two events, staging/dispersal and clean-up, drivers should expect the following roads to be closed to vehicular traffic. Streets effected by the parade will close no later than 12 PM and streets effected by the road race will close no later than 10 AM.  

    • Broadway, from Dorchester Avenue to Farragut Road
    • On intersecting streets from Dorchester Avenue through Farragut Road, vehicular traffic will not be allowed to cross Broadway
    • Dorchester Avenue, in the vicinity of Gillette Park and Andrew Square
    • Old Colony Avenue, from Dorchester Avenue to C Street
    • Farragut Road, from Columbia Road to Shore Road/East First Street
    • All race route streets while the runners make their way to the finish line

    Due to a combination of snow and Resident Parking Only restrictions, parking in the neighborhood is limited. Additional parking restrictions that will be implemented temporarily to support Sunday’s events are as follows.

     “Tow Zone, No Stopping, Boston Police Special Event Sunday”

    • Dorchester Avenue: Both sides, from Gillette Park to Old Colony Avenue (Staging Area)
    • Old Colony Avenue: Both sides, from Dorchester Avenue to C Street (Staging Area)
    • West Broadway: Both sides, from Dorchester Avenue to Dorchester Street
    • East Broadway: Both sides, from Dorchester Street to Farragut Road
    • Farragut Road: East side (park side), from Columbia Road to Shore Road /East First Street (Dispersal area)
    • West Sixth Street: Southwest side, from Dorchester Avenue to F Street
    • F Street: Southeast side (odd side – Boys & Girls Club side), West Sixth Street to Bowen Street

    People coming into Boston to attend these events are kindly asked to take the MBTA.  Information on service may be found at www.MBTA.com.  For a faster return trip, the MBTA advises riders to purchase a round-trip rather than a one-way ticket."

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny Cherubino  

  • What Is Evacuation Day (Saint Patrick’s Day) and What’s Open & Closed & MBTA Schedules?

    This year, Evacuation Day (which most people admit is just an excuse for Saint Patrick's Day revelry) falls on a Tuesday – March 17th. City and state workers in Suffolk County no longer have this as a holiday. City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County will be open. But, because of the parade and the drinking of the green beer, there will be a few adaptations around the city.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the event to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions …

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "Evacuation Day – March 17th
    (Suffolk County only, state and municipal offices are open)"

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays. Therefore, there's no change in parking regulations or trash pick up.

    • Update: 03.10.15 As Kate from Boston on Budget pointed out in her comment below, some years the city has tweeted out free parking notices on this holiday. We'll update with details if we find that happens. 
    • Here's the official word on that:

    Screen Shot 2015-03-17 at Tuesday, March 17, 201512.54.24 PM

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. There has been no announcement regarding this that we could find this year.

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade.  Download MBTA St Patrick's Day Parade schedule.

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update 03/13/15:

    Here's a link to and text of the City of Boston Traffic Advisory.

    "The City of Boston’s annual St. Patrick’s Day parade will be held on Sunday, March 15, 2015, in South Boston. The parade will begin at 1 PM on West Broadway at Dorchester Avenue, will continue to East Broadway, and end at Farragut Road.

    View Map of Route

    The St. Patrick’s Day Road Race will also take place in South Boston on Sunday beginning at 11 AM.   Runners will proceed from West Sixth Street at F Street onto Dorchester Street, right onto East Broadway, down and around the Farragut Statue at Day Boulevard, to East Broadway, right onto West Broadway, left onto E Street, left onto West Sixth Street, ending at the Boys and Girls Club at #230 West Sixth Street.

    To accommodate the two events, staging/dispersal and clean-up, drivers should expect the following roads to be closed to vehicular traffic. Streets effected by the parade will close no later than 12 PM and streets effected by the road race will close no later than 10 AM.  

    • Broadway, from Dorchester Avenue to Farragut Road
    • On intersecting streets from Dorchester Avenue through Farragut Road, vehicular traffic will not be allowed to cross Broadway
    • Dorchester Avenue, in the vicinity of Gillette Park and Andrew Square
    • Old Colony Avenue, from Dorchester Avenue to C Street
    • Farragut Road, from Columbia Road to Shore Road/East First Street
    • All race route streets while the runners make their way to the finish line

    Due to a combination of snow and Resident Parking Only restrictions, parking in the neighborhood is limited. Additional parking restrictions that will be implemented temporarily to support Sunday’s events are as follows.

     “Tow Zone, No Stopping, Boston Police Special Event Sunday”

    • Dorchester Avenue: Both sides, from Gillette Park to Old Colony Avenue (Staging Area)
    • Old Colony Avenue: Both sides, from Dorchester Avenue to C Street (Staging Area)
    • West Broadway: Both sides, from Dorchester Avenue to Dorchester Street
    • East Broadway: Both sides, from Dorchester Street to Farragut Road
    • Farragut Road: East side (park side), from Columbia Road to Shore Road /East First Street (Dispersal area)
    • West Sixth Street: Southwest side, from Dorchester Avenue to F Street
    • F Street: Southeast side (odd side – Boys & Girls Club side), West Sixth Street to Bowen Street

    People coming into Boston to attend these events are kindly asked to take the MBTA.  Information on service may be found at www.MBTA.com.  For a faster return trip, the MBTA advises riders to purchase a round-trip rather than a one-way ticket."

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny Cherubino  

  • What’s Happening Around Boston in March 2015

    Time to start a new month of information to share with visitors and locals. What are your favorite March activities in Boston? This year, I think watching snow melt will be high on the list of many Bostonians.

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

    On Sunday, March 1st, head to Chinatown for the Lion Dance celebration from 10am to 5pm. That's always fun and most of the businesses in that neighborhood are small family run places that could use our support. What's more, you can be entertained, feast, and do your grocery shopping in one afternoon.

    March Tips on Trip Advisor

    Over on the Boston Trip Advisor Forum, Destination expert, forgotmypword started a conversation on this topic back in December when someone asked about hotel rates this month.

    "St Patrick's Day (March 17) is a popular time to visit Boston. The parade is the 15th. On top of that, there is a large convention. The Seafood Expo/seafood processors convention is from the 15th-17th and is expecting 18,000 attendees."

    And, I've begun my monthly topic about, What's Going on in March 2015 Around Boston. As the regular volunteers who answer questions on that space share their ideas, you will find topics that we never cover on BostonZest and things to do that are beyond our interests.

    IMG_8047 - Version 22015-02-24-lexox-back-bay-boston© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    Do you remember Diamond Jim's Piano Bar at the Lenox hotel? It will reappear for one weekend in March.

    Who are all these People? (or, Conventions in Town in March)

    Here are the numbers on conventions and large meetings that will impact hotel prices and in some cases make dinner reservations harder to find in certain areas of the city.

    From March 12th -14th, a meeting will be held at the Hynes with 6,000 in attendance. But the rest of the big events are out in the Seaport district and won't be noticed by most locals and visitors except in restaurants.

    From the 15th -17th, 18,000 visitors at BCEC and the 28th to the 31st there are two events in that area with a total of 18,000 attendees.

    If you need a restaurant reservation for those dates, make it now. 

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    March Events

    There is always a lot of information about St. Patrick's Day in Boston but in the North End, St. Joseph's Day, March 19th is important because all the bakeries make Zeppole di San Giuseppe in honor of the day. These are delightful fried pastries filled with cream and cherries. Seen above is our favorite at Modern Pastry.

    You could go from Modern to Maria's and so on down the streets tasting different versions. These are also made by bakeries throughout the area this time of year. Please share your favorite spots for Zeppole.

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    The parade is on Sunday the 15th. This is one day when we avoid using the MBTA since it's usually full of people going to and from that event. 

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    Sometime during the month, you could support an Irish Pub by enjoying an Irish Breakfast. The one above is from Sonny's Pub in Adams Village. 

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    Or, you can buy Irish soda bread from an area bakery. It Looks like we're going to have to do a lot of walking this month with all these seasonal offerings. You can honor the Irish while you walk. Here's a link to the Irish Heritage Trail.

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    Your Turn

    We hope you'll join in and make this a conversation here. Add your comments below or follow us on Twitter and send your ideas to us there. Just put @BostonZest in your message and we'll get it.

    Who's next?

    What are your favorite March pastimes?

    What events are you planning to attend this month?

    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: © 2011-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino or as marked below photo

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2014 in Boston: Here’s What’s Open

    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!

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

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    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.

    Here is our resource page on opening and closings, other than dining, at Christmas.

    What's Open in Boston on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 2014 Plus MBTA Schedules, Parking, Trash, & More

    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.

    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. 

    • Coppa Enoteca is one of our favorites and they're offering their version of this tradition.
    • Dante in Cambridge will present Chef Dante de Magistris' version of the feast with other menu items available.
    • Grotto was one of the first to present this holiday tradition. Kitchen and Marliave, Grotto's siblings in the South End and Downtown, quickly joined in the festive fish feast. This year Kitchen will be open offering the regular menu for those who prefer an al la carte choice. At Grotto and Marliave will continue the feasting on fish.
    • Here is a great article from Edible Boston on this traditional meal.

    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:

    • Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Hotel is serving a three-course prix fixe menu from Noon-8 p.m.
    • The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel gives you a choice of a Christmas Day Buffet Brunch in the Atlantic Room from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., or their 4-course prix-fixe dinner in Meritage Restaurant from 5-9 p.m.
    • Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel



    Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime 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 and we'll link to lists from other Boston food sites.

    Boston Restaurants Not Open on Christmas Day (2014) is a Trip Advisor conversation started by a visitor from London who was trying to find a top Boston restaurant to enjoy on Christmas Day and was surprised to find so many choices closed.

    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 What's Open in Boston 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 normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Follow us on Twitter for notice 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

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday…

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday so I'm curious – will city and state workers in Suffolk County be off on Monday, will City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County shut down, and will parking, trash, and liquor sales be impacted for the day? You'll find the answers below.

    For the latest information go to our 2015 Post on this topic.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday."

    A call to the Secretary of State's office confirmed that State Government no longer shuts down on Evacuation Day. State offices will be open.

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, but the meters are free on Sunday anyway (details here), and there is no trash pick up scheduled. A call to city hall confirmed that it will be open on Monday!

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's the city's press release from last year. And, Boston.com reported that Police Superintendent William Evans said they would be doing the same this year. 

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade. Here's the list. (This link will disappear after the holiday.)

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update: 03.16.13: Here's the City Traffic Advisory to St. Patrick's Day Events.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

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    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny  Cherubino  

    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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Related articles
    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!
    Why Green for Saint Patrick's Day
    Ireland, I Love You So Much It Hurts

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday…

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday so I'm curious – will city and state workers in Suffolk County be off on Monday, will City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County shut down, and will parking, trash, and liquor sales be impacted for the day? You'll find the answers below.

    For the latest information go to our 2015 Post on this topic.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday."

    A call to the Secretary of State's office confirmed that State Government no longer shuts down on Evacuation Day. State offices will be open.

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, but the meters are free on Sunday anyway (details here), and there is no trash pick up scheduled. A call to city hall confirmed that it will be open on Monday!

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's the city's press release from last year. And, Boston.com reported that Police Superintendent William Evans said they would be doing the same this year. 

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade. Here's the list. (This link will disappear after the holiday.)

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update: 03.16.13: Here's the City Traffic Advisory to St. Patrick's Day Events.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny  Cherubino  

    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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Related articles
    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!
    Why Green for Saint Patrick's Day
    Ireland, I Love You So Much It Hurts

  • When Saint Patrick’s Day, Evacuation Day (March 17, 2013) Falls on a Sunday…

    This year, Saint Patrick's Day falls on a Sunday so I'm curious – will city and state workers in Suffolk County be off on Monday, will City Hall and the State offices in Suffolk County shut down, and will parking, trash, and liquor sales be impacted for the day? You'll find the answers below.

    For the latest information go to our 2015 Post on this topic.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340168e890b7b2970c-800wi

    I do know that a lot of people will be taking advantage of the weekend date to come to Boston. Questions about where to stay, which Irish Pub to visit, and how to get around the city have popped up over on the Boston Trip Advisor forum. It looks like visitors are coming here from all over the country and especially from Ireland.

    Do you celebrate Saint Patrick's Day?

    6a00e54fc42bb888340112796f2a3328a4-800wi

    About your holiday questions…

    According to the Secretary of State's website,

    "All holidays falling on Sunday must be observed on Monday, under state law. Saturday holidays are observed on Saturday."

    A call to the Secretary of State's office confirmed that State Government no longer shuts down on Evacuation Day. State offices will be open.

    The day is not listed on Boston's list of holidays that change parking regulations or trash pick up, but the meters are free on Sunday anyway (details here), and there is no trash pick up scheduled. A call to city hall confirmed that it will be open on Monday!

    Basically, everything is open. But, in the past, the city has asked South Boston liquor stores and bars to cut off sales early. Here's the city's press release from last year. And, Boston.com reported that Police Superintendent William Evans said they would be doing the same this year. 

    Some MBTA routes in South Boston will be changed because of the parade. Here's the list. (This link will disappear after the holiday.)

    We'll update as press releases come out from around the city.

    Update: 03.16.13: Here's the City Traffic Advisory to St. Patrick's Day Events.

    Related Posts:

    Irish Breakfast at the Squealing Pig

    Matt Murphy's Pub Saves the Day

    What's on your Amazon shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

     


    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photography: © 2008-2011 Penny  Cherubino  

    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 a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

    Related articles
    It's Irish Soda Bread Season!
    Why Green for Saint Patrick's Day
    Ireland, I Love You So Much It Hurts