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Tag: Upstairs on The Square

  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2012

    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!

    IStock_000011357895xmas   

    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. 

    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 and Sel de la Terre offer the option of two different prix fixe Christmas Eve menus.  
    • 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."

    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. 

    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.

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (update 12.14.12)

    Christmas Day Brunch (update 12.15.12) 

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day Just in case you are going there, (update 12.15.12)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (update 12.15.12)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (update 12.17.12)

    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 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.

    Update: 11/28/12 – 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.

    Update: 12/21/12 – Eater Boston has posted their list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

    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.

    Related articles
    2012 Boston Area Holiday Markets & Other Places for Unique Gifts
    If Boston were hit by a storm surge half the height of the one that hit Manhattan
    Puddle-luscious – Photo of the Week
    Nova Scotia giving us five Christmas trees this year
    Surryano Ham from Virginia is Peanut-Fed Berkshire Pork
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2012

    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!

    IStock_000011357895xmas   

    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. 

    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 and Sel de la Terre offer the option of two different prix fixe Christmas Eve menus.  
    • 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."

    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. 

    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.

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (update 12.14.12)

    Christmas Day Brunch (update 12.15.12) 

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day Just in case you are going there, (update 12.15.12)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (update 12.15.12)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (update 12.17.12)

    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 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.

    Update: 11/28/12 – 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.

    Update: 12/21/12 – Eater Boston has posted their list of Where to Eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

    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.

    Related articles
    2012 Boston Area Holiday Markets & Other Places for Unique Gifts
    If Boston were hit by a storm surge half the height of the one that hit Manhattan
    Puddle-luscious – Photo of the Week
    Nova Scotia giving us five Christmas trees this year
    Surryano Ham from Virginia is Peanut-Fed Berkshire Pork
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • Thanksgiving 2012 Dining Out in Boston

    IStock_000006975358XSmall

    Time's running out to make Thanksgiving dinner reservations, especially if you want to enjoy your holiday meal in one of the area's great restaurants.

    NOTE: This is an outdated post: Here is the 2015 Thanksgiving Dining resource page.

    This year, we're cooking and dining at home. But, our choice on past holidays has beenSel de la Terre on Boylston Street. Click here for our report on one of those meals. They do have a new chef but the standards set seem to be the same and we've enjoyed every meal there since the change.

    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. 

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Thanksgiving?

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

    Asana at the Mandarin Hotel
    L'Espalier at the Mandarin Hotel
    Rialto at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge
    Bristol Lounge at the Four Season's Boston 
    Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
    Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel

    Our top recommendation for a lower cost option with good food would be Petit Robert in Boston.

    More recommendations after this word on supporting BostonZest when you shop at Amazon. Here's a link to some of the best deals they have today. Once this link takes you to Amazon, we'll be credited for any shopping you do during this session.


     


    Here are links to some 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.

    Open Table even includes some places outside the city if you are 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 offerings we'd consider if we were looking for a great menu.

    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

    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.

    Related articles
    Edible Boston Fall 2012 Issue Around Town Now!
    Got any overdue BPL books? Wait until next month to return them
    Acceptable to call Boston Beantown
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • Thanksgiving 2012 Dining Out in Boston

    IStock_000006975358XSmall

    Time's running out to make Thanksgiving dinner reservations, especially if you want to enjoy your holiday meal in one of the area's great restaurants.

    NOTE: This is an outdated post: Here is the 2015 Thanksgiving Dining resource page.

    This year, we're cooking and dining at home. But, our choice on past holidays has beenSel de la Terre on Boylston Street. Click here for our report on one of those meals. They do have a new chef but the standards set seem to be the same and we've enjoyed every meal there since the change.

    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. 

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Thanksgiving?

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

    Asana at the Mandarin Hotel
    L'Espalier at the Mandarin Hotel
    Rialto at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge
    Bristol Lounge at the Four Season's Boston 
    Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
    Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel

    Our top recommendation for a lower cost option with good food would be Petit Robert in Boston.

    More recommendations after this word on supporting BostonZest when you shop at Amazon. Here's a link to some of the best deals they have today. Once this link takes you to Amazon, we'll be credited for any shopping you do during this session.


     


    Here are links to some 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.

    Open Table even includes some places outside the city if you are 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 offerings we'd consider if we were looking for a great menu.

    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

    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.

    Related articles
    Edible Boston Fall 2012 Issue Around Town Now!
    Got any overdue BPL books? Wait until next month to return them
    Acceptable to call Boston Beantown
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • Thanksgiving 2012 Dining Out in Boston

    IStock_000006975358XSmall

    Time's running out to make Thanksgiving dinner reservations, especially if you want to enjoy your holiday meal in one of the area's great restaurants.

    NOTE: This is an outdated post: Here is the 2015 Thanksgiving Dining resource page.

    This year, we're cooking and dining at home. But, our choice on past holidays has beenSel de la Terre on Boylston Street. Click here for our report on one of those meals. They do have a new chef but the standards set seem to be the same and we've enjoyed every meal there since the change.

    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. 

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Thanksgiving?

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

    Asana at the Mandarin Hotel
    L'Espalier at the Mandarin Hotel
    Rialto at the Charles Hotel in Cambridge
    Bristol Lounge at the Four Season's Boston 
    Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
    Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel

    Our top recommendation for a lower cost option with good food would be Petit Robert in Boston.

    More recommendations after this word on supporting BostonZest when you shop at Amazon. Here's a link to some of the best deals they have today. Once this link takes you to Amazon, we'll be credited for any shopping you do during this session.


     


    Here are links to some 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.

    Open Table even includes some places outside the city if you are 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 offerings we'd consider if we were looking for a great menu.

    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

    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.

    Related articles
    Edible Boston Fall 2012 Issue Around Town Now!
    Got any overdue BPL books? Wait until next month to return them
    Acceptable to call Boston Beantown
    Enhanced by Zemanta

  • Where to Dine On New Year’s Eve Weekend 2011-2012 in Boston

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    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

    Time to make your reservations for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day dining in Boston.

    New Year's Eve, this year, is on a Saturday night and the New Year's holiday will officially be celebrated on Monday, so you have a long weekend to dine and enjoy the Boston restaurant scene.

    Tell us what you plan to do and share some of your best New Year's Eve Dining experiences in the comment section. 

    What's your goal in finding a place to dine in Boston on New Year's Eve 2011? Are you looking for a place to ring in 2012 with a happy crowd? Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration?

    We fall into the food-loving quiet celebration group, and we'll tell you about some places where that's possible. Plus, we'll give you links to find the places where you can celebrate in a more organized fashion.

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They have a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. Sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

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

    On the Boston Chefs site, there's a list of member restaurants with details about their menu offerings for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. There are plans for some great brunches on the 1st and that can be a wonderful time to gather friends to toast the start of 2012.

    • East Coast Grill is always fun. On New Year's Eve they plan, "a special heaven or hell prix fixe dinner menu." On Sunday they're offering a three course prix fixe brunch.
    • Either Toro or Coppa would also be a wonderul choice to start the new year with great food. Both have special menus for the 31st, and bunch and dinner on the 1st. Both should be lively.
    • The team at Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge really knows how to throw a party. Their New Year's Eve Fete will be a four-course holiday menu followed by a New Year's Brunch and dinner the next day.
    • Hamersley's Bistro was the site of one of our most memorable New Year's Eve celebrations. They say, "We are offering a four-course prix fixe menu for $125 per person with a champagne toast included at dessert time. Ring in the New Year at Hamersley's!"
    • La Morra in Brookline– chef Josh Ziskin says, "La Morra will serve an exquisite 4-course traditional Italian meal with options for each course for $85 and a wine pairing for an additional $45 per person."
    • For a more quiet, refined evening, try Clio, Meritage, or L'Espalier.

    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.

    Make supporting websites you use to gather information, like BostonZest, one of your 2012 resolutions. Some folks blog for fun, while for others it's a way of earning a living. By clicking over to Amazon from here, when you plan to shop, you'll pay us for our work. 

    Details:

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: iStockphoto.com