Numerous dieticians and authors of diet books have proclaimed something along the lines of "Eat to Live: Not Live to Eat." However, good food consumed in moderation can be good for you too! I am an epicure and love everything having to do with good food. I generally prefer seafood dishes and new-American / Mediterranean-influenced cuisines. I also like to both cook and bake as well as to dine out. Some of my gustatory favorites are listed below.
Boston Dining Destinations
My regular venues (alphabetically listed with some must try dishes)
- B&G Oysters - Great for seafood. If only the air conditioning would work during the summer months.
- Excelsior - I actually love the fish tacos, a bar menu item.
- Gaslight - This is more of a brunch place for me. I particularly like the scrambled eggs with smoke salmon, the caramelized banana crepes and the corque monsieur.
- Mistral - Crabmeat raviolli in thyme/tomato broth and tuna tartare are my favorite apps.
- Scampo - This is the new 2008 addition to my frequent destinations list. The lady lobster is very worthwhile.
- Sorellina - The menu changes very frequently. The vitello tonato appetizer and several of the pasta dishes make great starters. I would combine that with one of the specials.
- Union Bar and Grille - Don't forget to request the bar chips.
Other favorites (alphabetically listed)
Just because these are not regular destinations of mine does not mean they are any lesser. To become a regular destination requires more than just good cuisine, it also requires geographic accessibility and an ability to frequently accomodate walk-ins.
- Flour Bakery and Cafe - Excellent lunch sandwiches, bannana bread, chocolate chip cookies
- Hamersley's Bistro - One of the classic destinations in terms of food.
- No. 9 Park - A solid for a more formal tasting menu, though, not strictly jacket required unlike other similar quality formal venues around town.
- O Ya - Best sushi in Boston.
Chocolate
If there is one food that deserves special mention, it is chocolate. Some pastry gourmands avoid chocolate desserts, saying that it is hard to tell a great pastry chef from a merely good one because chocolate itself is already so wonderful with which to begin... but is that not a reason to order a chocolate dessert the next time you dine out? Of course, by chocolate, I am referring to dark chocolate and not milk or white.
The triumvirate of baking chocolates in my book is Callebaut (very intense), Valrohna (many varieties, good fruity accents) and El Rey (truly aromatic).
As for eating chocolates, I am still on a quest to try more vendors, but so far, my nod goes to Vosges Haut Chocolat and Richart. Also very respectable is a former endorsement, La Maison du Chocolat, but in the spirit of only recommending the best, Vosges has edged it out in my opinion.
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