Tag: eater boston

  • 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.

    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.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340120a6fe484b970b-800wi

    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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Patio & Picnic Season Means More Dining Out Options

    As the temperatures rise, our dining options increase. We love dining on the patio at a select group of area restaurants and we are dedicated to picnics in parks, on a bench, on an oceanside deck, or high above the city on our roof deck.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c3716e2f6970b-800wi

    We admit we prefer picnics that include a glass of great wine. Even simple fare, some bread, cheese, olives and fruit seem elegant with a splash of bubbly.

    IMG_7502 - Version 22014-06-19-coppa- boston-gnocchi-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

     

    One of our favorite patios is the one at Coppa in the South End. It's where we can be sure that the food will be as wonderful as the lovely days that draw us to outdoor dining. That's Coppa's "Ricotta gnocchi with nasturtium butter-cacio e pepe,"  in the photo above.

    IMG_75082014-06-20-Boccos- bento-box-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    We'll often pick up a picnic to go from a place like Bacco's Wine + Cheese and try to find a spot in the Public Garden away from the noise where we can relax and nibble an hour away. There, the sparkle has to be sparkling water but that's okay with us. 

    We're hoping to win a table on the patio at the new Tatte Bakery & Café on Charles Street one of these days. So far, we've had to order our food to go and make our way back to the Garden to dine.

    IMG_75902014-08-23thinking cup breakfast© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    We'll often make a stop at Thinking Cup on Newbury for breakfast while we're out walking. They make great breakfast sandwiches.

    While our selection of patios for dining is narrow, Eater Boston has put together a much more comprehensive map of options. Here's a link to their piece: These Patios Are Officially Open for the Season. They have pointed out a few places we've been meaning to try and the possibility of sitting outside will move them up on our list. 

    Happy Spring, get out and enjoy an al fresco meal at one of your favorite places.

    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: © 2012-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

  • Patio & Picnic Season Means More Dining Out Options

    As the temperatures rise, our dining options increase. We love dining on the patio at a select group of area restaurants and we are dedicated to picnics in parks, on a bench, on an oceanside deck, or high above the city on our roof deck.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834017c3716e2f6970b-800wi

    We admit we prefer picnics that include a glass of great wine. Even simple fare, some bread, cheese, olives and fruit seem elegant with a splash of bubbly.

    IMG_7502 - Version 22014-06-19-coppa- boston-gnocchi-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

     

    One of our favorite patios is the one at Coppa in the South End. It's where we can be sure that the food will be as wonderful as the lovely days that draw us to outdoor dining. That's Coppa's "Ricotta gnocchi with nasturtium butter-cacio e pepe,"  in the photo above.

    IMG_75082014-06-20-Boccos- bento-box-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    We'll often pick up a picnic to go from a place like Bacco's Wine + Cheese and try to find a spot in the Public Garden away from the noise where we can relax and nibble an hour away. There, the sparkle has to be sparkling water but that's okay with us. 

    We're hoping to win a table on the patio at the new Tatte Bakery & Café on Charles Street one of these days. So far, we've had to order our food to go and make our way back to the Garden to dine.

    IMG_75902014-08-23thinking cup breakfast© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    We'll often make a stop at Thinking Cup on Newbury for breakfast while we're out walking. They make great breakfast sandwiches.

    While our selection of patios for dining is narrow, Eater Boston has put together a much more comprehensive map of options. Here's a link to their piece: These Patios Are Officially Open for the Season. They have pointed out a few places we've been meaning to try and the possibility of sitting outside will move them up on our list. 

    Happy Spring, get out and enjoy an al fresco meal at one of your favorite places.

    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: © 2012-2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

  • 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

    IStock_000044618784Small

    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

  • Will There Be a Boston Restaurant Shakeout?

    How many restaurants can the Boston area support before we have a serious shakeout that might result in some old favorites being lost in the deluge of new places?

    Eater Boston has compiled The Colossal 2014 Restaurant Openings Guide. At the time this post was composed, the list included more than 40 more restaurants with scheduled opening dates in 2014.

    Eater

    Rachel Leah Blumenthal is doing yeoman work keeping it up to date. She has also included all those rumored openings that don't have dates attached.

    Over on Chowhound's Boston board, members keep track of openings and closings setting up a new converstion each month. They often mourn the loss of a favorite place.

    Problems Finding Talented Staff

    In this Boston Magazine piece, Chef Will Gilson admited he's having trouble finding top quality workers to staff his kitchen. “It becomes this race against other restaurants, and you try to figure out how to get good people in,” he said.

    Converstations among food lovers seem to indicate that the quality of the front of the house staff in some places is also declining as competition for top waitstaff, bartenders, and managers increases.

    You Decide Which Restaurants Will Survive

    Each of us will have a vote in deciding which restaurants will be here next year and the year after that.

    I have my list of restaurants that I will be supporting with my dining dollars over the next year. I may occasionally try a new place – often from an owner, chef, or team that I already know. But, I will encourage my friends to meet me at the places I want to be around after the deluge of new spots divides dining dollars into smaller pots for all.

    I’m sure a few restaurants that you love have slipped out of your regular dining out rotation. If you would hate to see any of those old favorites disappear, make a point of going there for a fresh reminder of how good they are.

    We make decisions each day about who will or will not remain in business by spending our dollars. Please, make those decisions a bit more consciously over the next year.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Will There Be a Boston Restaurant Shakeout?

    How many restaurants can the Boston area support before we have a serious shakeout that might result in some old favorites being lost in the deluge of new places?

    Eater Boston has compiled The Colossal 2014 Restaurant Openings Guide. At the time this post was composed, the list included more than 40 more restaurants with scheduled opening dates in 2014.

    Eater

    Rachel Leah Blumenthal is doing yeoman work keeping it up to date. She has also included all those rumored openings that don't have dates attached.

    Over on Chowhound's Boston board, members keep track of openings and closings setting up a new converstion each month. They often mourn the loss of a favorite place.

    Problems Finding Talented Staff

    In this Boston Magazine piece, Chef Will Gilson admited he's having trouble finding top quality workers to staff his kitchen. “It becomes this race against other restaurants, and you try to figure out how to get good people in,” he said.

    Converstations among food lovers seem to indicate that the quality of the front of the house staff in some places is also declining as competition for top waitstaff, bartenders, and managers increases.

    You Decide Which Restaurants Will Survive

    Each of us will have a vote in deciding which restaurants will be here next year and the year after that.

    I have my list of restaurants that I will be supporting with my dining dollars over the next year. I may occasionally try a new place – often from an owner, chef, or team that I already know. But, I will encourage my friends to meet me at the places I want to be around after the deluge of new spots divides dining dollars into smaller pots for all.

    I’m sure a few restaurants that you love have slipped out of your regular dining out rotation. If you would hate to see any of those old favorites disappear, make a point of going there for a fresh reminder of how good they are.

    We make decisions each day about who will or will not remain in business by spending our dollars. Please, make those decisions a bit more consciously over the next year.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Will There Be a Boston Restaurant Shakeout?

    How many restaurants can the Boston area support before we have a serious shakeout that might result in some old favorites being lost in the deluge of new places?

    Eater Boston has compiled The Colossal 2014 Restaurant Openings Guide. At the time this post was composed, the list included more than 40 more restaurants with scheduled opening dates in 2014.

    Eater

    Rachel Leah Blumenthal is doing yeoman work keeping it up to date. She has also included all those rumored openings that don't have dates attached.

    Over on Chowhound's Boston board, members keep track of openings and closings setting up a new converstion each month. They often mourn the loss of a favorite place.

    Problems Finding Talented Staff

    In this Boston Magazine piece, Chef Will Gilson admited he's having trouble finding top quality workers to staff his kitchen. “It becomes this race against other restaurants, and you try to figure out how to get good people in,” he said.

    Converstations among food lovers seem to indicate that the quality of the front of the house staff in some places is also declining as competition for top waitstaff, bartenders, and managers increases.

    You Decide Which Restaurants Will Survive

    Each of us will have a vote in deciding which restaurants will be here next year and the year after that.

    I have my list of restaurants that I will be supporting with my dining dollars over the next year. I may occasionally try a new place – often from an owner, chef, or team that I already know. But, I will encourage my friends to meet me at the places I want to be around after the deluge of new spots divides dining dollars into smaller pots for all.

    I’m sure a few restaurants that you love have slipped out of your regular dining out rotation. If you would hate to see any of those old favorites disappear, make a point of going there for a fresh reminder of how good they are.

    We make decisions each day about who will or will not remain in business by spending our dollars. Please, make those decisions a bit more consciously over the next year.

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2014 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • Eater Boston on “Where to Go to Avoid Restaurant Week”

    In the past, we've tried to direct you to the places where you can dine out without running into Restaurant Week crowds and menus. This year, Rachel Leah Blumenthal over on Eater Boston has posted, Where to Go to Avoid Restaurant Week. And, she is keeping that post updated with new information, as it flows her way, from the Eater Boston community.

    Eater Boston RW

    Click over to see not only places not taking part, but also some great deals that may be as good as Restaurant week without the downside.

    Small guest check

    Our yearly request for those of you who do love and take part in Restaurant Week – please add a bonus to the tip! The wait staff did not make the decision to take part in this event and they did not set the prices. They do, however, do as much work for you as they would if you were paying full price. Tips should not be on sale during Restaurant Week. 

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

    The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

    The New Wine Lover's Companion

    The Wine Bible

     

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Screenshot: Courtesy of Eater Boston

    Photo:  iStockphto.com

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