bostonzest

Tag: open table

  • Mother’s Day Dining 2014, Reserve Now for May 11th!

    Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 11, 2014.

    Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2014 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

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    If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed and some lovely flowers.

    For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 11, 2014.

    Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

    OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list. 

    Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members. (That link is to the 2013 list and it will be updated closer to the date.)

    As more great Boston food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions! Right now, here are a few recommendations from last year.

    Update 05.07.13: from the North Shore Dish Team here are places to take Mom North of Boston.

    Update 05.10.13: From Grub Street Boston: Grub Guide: Where to Hang Out With Mom If You're Not Into Brunch Buffets

    Update 05.10.13: From Lisa DeCanio: Treat Mom to One of These 12 Mother's Day Brunches

    Our picks:

    For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.

    If you are meeting people from outside the city, you might consider La Morra in Brookline. They say, "Treat your mom for a 3-course brunch w/favorites such as fresh donuts with spiced sugar and cream, Tuscan toast and homemade frittatas."

    If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled. 

    And, this year, the Island Creek Team has added a new spot out in the Fort Point neighborhood, Row 34. Here's our first look at this great addition to the city's dining scene.  

    And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

    Details:
    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photo: 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.

    Related articles
    Things to Eat during LinkLove Boston 2012
    Zagat Releases "America's Most Iconic Restaurants" – Find Your City!
    Boston's next dining hot spot: The Financial District (really, here's why)
    Brunch on Hamersley's Patio: A Sunday Sojourn

  • Easter Dining in Boston 2014 (This year It Falls on Marathon Weekend 4/20/14)

    Those in the know already have reservations for Easter brunch and dinner. This year, Easter falls on April 20th and that is Marathon weekend in Boston. This may be the year to plan your holiday gathering for a location outside of the city center.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e602c6dd6970c-800wi

    First up, the list of places that organize information about Easter reservations and special offerings:

    Open Table seems to have the most complete information, and you can click right through to make reservations. They also give you some idea of prices and special menus. And, you'll find a few places that are offering their regular menus as well. 

    Boston Chefs has a list of offerings from their member chefs and restaurants.

    The number of places listed will increase as we near the date, so do check back if you don't see one you like.

    Next, a few places we picked from these lists:

    The Blue Room in Cambridge is offering a special version of their Sunday Buffet. There is parking in the area and it is just far enough from the fray in Boston for a relaxing meal.

    La Morra in Brookline is a great place to meet up outside the city. This is one of the few days a year when they serve brunch. Here's what they say about their Easter offering, "Join us for a 3-course brunch w/favorites such as fresh donuts with spiced sugar and cream, Tuscan toast and homemade frittatas for $35."

    Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when some people would try to book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can cause the restaurant to turn away other potential customers and makes the venues require a deposit to hold a place. 

    One thing we would look for, if we were dining out on a holiday, is a place that is offering its regular menu for the day. That's always a plus for us. We're not fans of special menus.

    If you know of places where the regular menu will be served, let us know. If it's a place we can recommend, we'll add it to our list. And, we'll add updates and links to this post as we find them. Check back here or follow us on Twitter to learn about updates!

    UPDATES:

    Zagat's list: 10 Best Bets for Easter Brunch in Boston. 04/08/14

    Here's a list of great lamb dishes for Easter from Eater.  3/29/13

    From BostInno's Lisa DeCanio: Dyed Eggs & Ham: 9 Go-To Easter Brunches in Boston

    Opting Out of Easter

    If this holiday stuff is really not part of your life, this is a great day to go ethnic. Chinatown will be wide open and filled with great menu options. Your neighborhood Indian, Korean, Chinese, or Persian restaurant will be happy to feed you. And, most BBQ and Pizza places do not have Easter menus.

    We know a lot of runners will be looking for places to load up on carbs the day before the race. We suggest they make their way to the North End for some great Italian food.

    Sign-up for the comment feed or follow us on Twitter for a notice, if we add updates to this page.

    Don't miss an Easter photo opportunity. This Canon PowerShot G15 camera will give you what you need to take stills and video of your Easter celebration. Canon's G series is our all-time favorite for everyday cameras. We own the G10 and G11. They're a little bigger than the compacts most people use, but let you shoot with automatic settings or easy-to-use manual controls that please the many pros who use them as second cameras. And, if you are ready to turn pro, follow our lead. Ed Shoots with the Nikon D7000 Digital SLR too, and we just added a Nikon D600 to our camera fleet and are extremely happy with the performance it has delivered.

       

    Details:

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photos: from iStockphoto.com

  • Easter Dining in Boston 2014 (This year It Falls on Marathon Weekend 4/20/14)

    Those in the know already have reservations for Easter brunch and dinner. This year, Easter falls on April 20th and that is Marathon weekend in Boston. This may be the year to plan your holiday gathering for a location outside of the city center.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e602c6dd6970c-800wi

    First up, the list of places that organize information about Easter reservations and special offerings:

    Open Table seems to have the most complete information, and you can click right through to make reservations. They also give you some idea of prices and special menus. And, you'll find a few places that are offering their regular menus as well. 

    Boston Chefs has a list of offerings from their member chefs and restaurants.

    The number of places listed will increase as we near the date, so do check back if you don't see one you like.

    Next, a few places we picked from these lists:

    The Blue Room in Cambridge is offering a special version of their Sunday Buffet. There is parking in the area and it is just far enough from the fray in Boston for a relaxing meal.

    La Morra in Brookline is a great place to meet up outside the city. This is one of the few days a year when they serve brunch. Here's what they say about their Easter offering, "Join us for a 3-course brunch w/favorites such as fresh donuts with spiced sugar and cream, Tuscan toast and homemade frittatas for $35."

    Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when some people would try to book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can cause the restaurant to turn away other potential customers and makes the venues require a deposit to hold a place. 

    One thing we would look for, if we were dining out on a holiday, is a place that is offering its regular menu for the day. That's always a plus for us. We're not fans of special menus.

    If you know of places where the regular menu will be served, let us know. If it's a place we can recommend, we'll add it to our list. And, we'll add updates and links to this post as we find them. Check back here or follow us on Twitter to learn about updates!

    UPDATES:

    Zagat's list: 10 Best Bets for Easter Brunch in Boston. 04/08/14

    Here's a list of great lamb dishes for Easter from Eater.  3/29/13

    From BostInno's Lisa DeCanio: Dyed Eggs & Ham: 9 Go-To Easter Brunches in Boston

    Opting Out of Easter

    If this holiday stuff is really not part of your life, this is a great day to go ethnic. Chinatown will be wide open and filled with great menu options. Your neighborhood Indian, Korean, Chinese, or Persian restaurant will be happy to feed you. And, most BBQ and Pizza places do not have Easter menus.

    We know a lot of runners will be looking for places to load up on carbs the day before the race. We suggest they make their way to the North End for some great Italian food.

    Sign-up for the comment feed or follow us on Twitter for a notice, if we add updates to this page.

    Don't miss an Easter photo opportunity. This Canon PowerShot G15 camera will give you what you need to take stills and video of your Easter celebration. Canon's G series is our all-time favorite for everyday cameras. We own the G10 and G11. They're a little bigger than the compacts most people use, but let you shoot with automatic settings or easy-to-use manual controls that please the many pros who use them as second cameras. And, if you are ready to turn pro, follow our lead. Ed Shoots with the Nikon D7000 Digital SLR too, and we just added a Nikon D600 to our camera fleet and are extremely happy with the performance it has delivered.

       

    Details:

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photos: from iStockphoto.com

  • Easter Dining in Boston 2014 (This year It Falls on Marathon Weekend 4/20/14)

    Those in the know already have reservations for Easter brunch and dinner. This year, Easter falls on April 20th and that is Marathon weekend in Boston. This may be the year to plan your holiday gathering for a location outside of the city center.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834014e602c6dd6970c-800wi

    First up, the list of places that organize information about Easter reservations and special offerings:

    Open Table seems to have the most complete information, and you can click right through to make reservations. They also give you some idea of prices and special menus. And, you'll find a few places that are offering their regular menus as well. 

    Boston Chefs has a list of offerings from their member chefs and restaurants.

    The number of places listed will increase as we near the date, so do check back if you don't see one you like.

    Next, a few places we picked from these lists:

    The Blue Room in Cambridge is offering a special version of their Sunday Buffet. There is parking in the area and it is just far enough from the fray in Boston for a relaxing meal.

    La Morra in Brookline is a great place to meet up outside the city. This is one of the few days a year when they serve brunch. Here's what they say about their Easter offering, "Join us for a 3-course brunch w/favorites such as fresh donuts with spiced sugar and cream, Tuscan toast and homemade frittatas for $35."

    Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when some people would try to book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can cause the restaurant to turn away other potential customers and makes the venues require a deposit to hold a place. 

    One thing we would look for, if we were dining out on a holiday, is a place that is offering its regular menu for the day. That's always a plus for us. We're not fans of special menus.

    If you know of places where the regular menu will be served, let us know. If it's a place we can recommend, we'll add it to our list. And, we'll add updates and links to this post as we find them. Check back here or follow us on Twitter to learn about updates!

    UPDATES:

    Zagat's list: 10 Best Bets for Easter Brunch in Boston. 04/08/14

    Here's a list of great lamb dishes for Easter from Eater.  3/29/13

    From BostInno's Lisa DeCanio: Dyed Eggs & Ham: 9 Go-To Easter Brunches in Boston

    Opting Out of Easter

    If this holiday stuff is really not part of your life, this is a great day to go ethnic. Chinatown will be wide open and filled with great menu options. Your neighborhood Indian, Korean, Chinese, or Persian restaurant will be happy to feed you. And, most BBQ and Pizza places do not have Easter menus.

    We know a lot of runners will be looking for places to load up on carbs the day before the race. We suggest they make their way to the North End for some great Italian food.

    Sign-up for the comment feed or follow us on Twitter for a notice, if we add updates to this page.

    Don't miss an Easter photo opportunity. This Canon PowerShot G15 camera will give you what you need to take stills and video of your Easter celebration. Canon's G series is our all-time favorite for everyday cameras. We own the G10 and G11. They're a little bigger than the compacts most people use, but let you shoot with automatic settings or easy-to-use manual controls that please the many pros who use them as second cameras. And, if you are ready to turn pro, follow our lead. Ed Shoots with the Nikon D7000 Digital SLR too, and we just added a Nikon D600 to our camera fleet and are extremely happy with the performance it has delivered.

       

    Details:

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photos: from iStockphoto.com

  • Valentine’s Day 2014 – Ideas for Romantic Dining in Boston

    Enjoying a Valentine's Day Dinner that is as perfect as this lovely scene takes some planning.

    IStock_000018981722Small

    UPDATE: This is an outdated post. Here is the 2015 version of this information!

    This year, February 14th falls on a Friday and that gives you the opportunity to plan a romantic weekend or one day with your true love and a couple more meals with friends close to your heart. 

    Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. Be on the lookout for special menus beyond that one official day. We noticed a few on the lists below that have special menus for the 14th throught the 16th. 

    This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus and don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401901bdf4a14970b-800wi   6a00e54fc42bb88834017eeadcdf63970d-800wi

    We love sharing food and Coppa is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon nibbling and sharing plates of delicious offerings like the meatballs and asparagus above. Coppa has a special prix fixe menu on the 14th but seems to be back to normal for the rest of the weekend, so you might reserve for Saturday night or Sunday brunch or dinner.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a5110c9366970c-800wi

    Ed loves a great burger but is very particular about what he considers great. Taking him to lunch at the Bristol Lounge for one of his favorite burgers in Boston would be a great Valentine treat in his eyes. You have to think about what that person you love would really like for the highlight of their Valentine's meal.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015390dc00cf970b-800wi

    Do you have a chocolate lover to satiate? A perfectly ordinary afternoon turned into a romantic memory when Ed and I shared this giant profiterole at Petit Robert in the South End.

    When a Valentine's Day Lunch or Dinner Is on the Menu… 

    Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times, so check for details with the places mentioned.

    Update: 02.12.14 Here's Cambridge Day's Guide to an Interesting Valentine's Day

    Related Posts:

     

    Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

    Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

    Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

     

    Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

     

    Romance at the Gardner Museum – Valentine's Weekend Destination. 

     

    Romantic Dining in Boston with a Foreign Travel Theme (Some of our favorite restaurants offer an authentic taste of the cuisine they serve. A place where the decor, music, and food all bring you to another land.)

     

    Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.) And, now you can also skate at the Boston Harbor Hotel and slip into the bar for a glass of champagne after that hand holding exercise.

    Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.  

    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photo: iStockphoto.com

  • Valentine’s Day 2014 – Ideas for Romantic Dining in Boston

    Enjoying a Valentine's Day Dinner that is as perfect as this lovely scene takes some planning.

    IStock_000018981722Small

    UPDATE: This is an outdated post. Here is the 2015 version of this information!

    This year, February 14th falls on a Friday and that gives you the opportunity to plan a romantic weekend or one day with your true love and a couple more meals with friends close to your heart. 

    Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. Be on the lookout for special menus beyond that one official day. We noticed a few on the lists below that have special menus for the 14th throught the 16th. 

    This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus and don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401901bdf4a14970b-800wi   6a00e54fc42bb88834017eeadcdf63970d-800wi

    We love sharing food and Coppa is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon nibbling and sharing plates of delicious offerings like the meatballs and asparagus above. Coppa has a special prix fixe menu on the 14th but seems to be back to normal for the rest of the weekend, so you might reserve for Saturday night or Sunday brunch or dinner.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a5110c9366970c-800wi

    Ed loves a great burger but is very particular about what he considers great. Taking him to lunch at the Bristol Lounge for one of his favorite burgers in Boston would be a great Valentine treat in his eyes. You have to think about what that person you love would really like for the highlight of their Valentine's meal.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015390dc00cf970b-800wi

    Do you have a chocolate lover to satiate? A perfectly ordinary afternoon turned into a romantic memory when Ed and I shared this giant profiterole at Petit Robert in the South End.

    When a Valentine's Day Lunch or Dinner Is on the Menu… 

    Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times, so check for details with the places mentioned.

    Update: 02.12.14 Here's Cambridge Day's Guide to an Interesting Valentine's Day

    Related Posts:

     

    Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

    Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

    Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

     

    Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

     

    Romance at the Gardner Museum – Valentine's Weekend Destination. 

     

    Romantic Dining in Boston with a Foreign Travel Theme (Some of our favorite restaurants offer an authentic taste of the cuisine they serve. A place where the decor, music, and food all bring you to another land.)

     

    Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.) And, now you can also skate at the Boston Harbor Hotel and slip into the bar for a glass of champagne after that hand holding exercise.

    Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.  

    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photo: iStockphoto.com

  • Valentine’s Day 2014 – Ideas for Romantic Dining in Boston

    Enjoying a Valentine's Day Dinner that is as perfect as this lovely scene takes some planning.

    IStock_000018981722Small

    UPDATE: This is an outdated post. Here is the 2015 version of this information!

    This year, February 14th falls on a Friday and that gives you the opportunity to plan a romantic weekend or one day with your true love and a couple more meals with friends close to your heart. 

    Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. Be on the lookout for special menus beyond that one official day. We noticed a few on the lists below that have special menus for the 14th throught the 16th. 

    This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus and don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401901bdf4a14970b-800wi   6a00e54fc42bb88834017eeadcdf63970d-800wi

    We love sharing food and Coppa is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon nibbling and sharing plates of delicious offerings like the meatballs and asparagus above. Coppa has a special prix fixe menu on the 14th but seems to be back to normal for the rest of the weekend, so you might reserve for Saturday night or Sunday brunch or dinner.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a5110c9366970c-800wi

    Ed loves a great burger but is very particular about what he considers great. Taking him to lunch at the Bristol Lounge for one of his favorite burgers in Boston would be a great Valentine treat in his eyes. You have to think about what that person you love would really like for the highlight of their Valentine's meal.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015390dc00cf970b-800wi

    Do you have a chocolate lover to satiate? A perfectly ordinary afternoon turned into a romantic memory when Ed and I shared this giant profiterole at Petit Robert in the South End.

    When a Valentine's Day Lunch or Dinner Is on the Menu… 

    Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times, so check for details with the places mentioned.

    Update: 02.12.14 Here's Cambridge Day's Guide to an Interesting Valentine's Day

    Related Posts:

     

    Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

    Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

    Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

     

    Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

     

    Romance at the Gardner Museum – Valentine's Weekend Destination. 

     

    Romantic Dining in Boston with a Foreign Travel Theme (Some of our favorite restaurants offer an authentic taste of the cuisine they serve. A place where the decor, music, and food all bring you to another land.)

     

    Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.) And, now you can also skate at the Boston Harbor Hotel and slip into the bar for a glass of champagne after that hand holding exercise.

    Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning, and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.  

    Details:
    Words: Penny Cherubino
    Photo: iStockphoto.com

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2013 in Boston

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

     

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015393e8612b970b-800wi

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    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: 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.

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2013 in Boston

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

     

    6a00e54fc42bb88834015393e8612b970b-800wi

    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    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: 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.

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2013 in Boston

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine this New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

     

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    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2014 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more yours style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    We always recommend Hamersley's Bistro as a perfect place to enjoy a meal on a special occasion. It's been one of the few exceptions to our stay-at-home rule. This year, they're planning a four-course prix fixe menu with a champagne toast if you're there at midnight.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day.

    And, here are a few suggestions published by Boston's great food sites last year: We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    There are also restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 
    • La Morra in Brookline – chef Josh Ziskin says he saves some of his most prized dishes just for this evening. He's serving a four-course Italian dinner with a glass of Prosecco for toasting. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    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: 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.