Boston, MA – Home to the Boston cream pie, the Boston Red Sox, the Boston Marathon, and as I’ve recently learned, the place to be for delicious baked beans.
I recently went to Boston for the first time on a 3-day work trip. While I didn’t get a taste of the cream pie, baked beans, and clam chowder – all things that are apparently a must-try when you visit, I did get to try a few spots during my stay. Here’s a rundown of all of my eats and treats in Boston:
Tatte Bakery and Cafe
This was my absolute favorite coffee shop while in Boston. As a matter of fact, I ate breakfast here twice and the food was delicious. I’m a huge breakfast girl, and breakfast is typically my biggest meal of the day. On my first day, I had the prosciutto and parmesan scrambled egg plate and on my second day, I opted for a more hearty breakfast by getting the traditional shakshuka. A shakshuka is a popular North African and Middle Eastern dish that’s typically made with poached eggs in tomato sauce, olive oil, peppers, onions, garlic, and lots of spices like paprika and cayenne. My shakshuka also came with feta cheese and was served with challah bread.
This was my first time trying a shakshuka, and it was a perfect, warm, comforting meal to have early on a freezing morning. On each day, I also got an iced mocha to-go and tried their pistachio cherry tart pastry and both did not disappoint.
Tatte has a very clean, inviting atmosphere, the type that makes you want to sit there for the whole day. I love when coffee shops have that feel. It was a pretty bubbling spot, and from what I saw, lots of folks hang back after breakfast and get work done there. I believe there are several branches around Boston because I spotted a few as I rode around in my Uber.
Caffe Nero
I stopped at Caffe Nero to grab a bite to eat one morning and was greeted with the most beautiful, Italian-style (I assume since it’s an Italian coffee shop) decor for a coffee shop. The vibes were definitely warm and cozy but a tad bit more elevated. I ordered a ham and cheese croissant, an iced mocha, and a pain au chocolate to snack on later – they were all good. I was hoping to see somewhat of a full breakfast on their menu but their thing seemed to be coffee, pastries, and pre-assembled sandwiches. Overall, I would recommend this place to sit and work with your cup of coffee but not necessarily for big breakfast folks like me.
Bostonia Public House
On my last night in Boston, I had dinner with my colleagues at Bostonia Public House. This place was extremely busy, and I believe reservations are an absolute must if you’re coming with a bigger party. I don’t believe Bostonia is an upscale restaurant, but it had a nice mix of upscale + down-to-earth feel to it. They had a fantastic pianist playing classics all evening and the ambiance was top-notch.
For my meal, I decided to play it safe and ordered a bourbon and apple glazed Porkchop. The wait staff made some cocktail recommendations and I ended up with a delicious cranberry harvest cocktail. I requested that they put a little less tequila in my drink cause sometimes folks can be intense with the tequila. Playing it safe definitely paid off, because I seemed to have been the only one in my party that thoroughly enjoyed their meal. There were mixed reviews around the table but mine was so good. If you go and nothing else appeals to you, try the pork chop.
The Barking Crab
On my last half day in Boston, my colleagues recommended The Barking Crab for lunch. We had just spent a few hours walking around Cambridge and wanted a nice last meal before leaving. They mentioned that the barking crab served lobster rolls, and I’d never tried those so I figured, why not?
The Barking Crab is located right next to the marina. The outside looked like a long carnival umbrella set up outside and the inside gave seafood shack picnic vibes. It looked really cool and all sorts of things were hanging from the ceiling.
One of the things I found most interesting were the small resident birds that just hung out in the restaurant. I was very worried that I would mistakenly stomp one of them, so I tried to stay on alert.
For starters, we had the housemade onion rings and those were delicious. My main meal was the naked lobster roll, which came with fries and coleslaw. I’ll say the lobster roll was good, but for market price, I’m not sure I could justify this roll. Next time I go, I’ll probably try their crab cakes, fried fish tacos, or their pan-seared scallops.
Silvertone Bar and Grill
Silvertone was one of those hole-in-the-wall type places. When I walked in, I immediately thought ‘Southern food’ and yes, they serve that but a whole lot more. Our hotel staff recommended it because it was late at night, my colleagues and I were exhausted and didn’t want to Uber to a faraway restaurant. It also got bonus points for being only a 2-min walk from our hotel (The Kimpton Nine Zero).
But y’all, when I say the food was food-ing! I ordered the Jerk Chicken, which typically comes with a rice pilaf, plantains, and a delicious Tabasco cream sauce. I swapped the rice out for some mac and cheese and I cleaned my plate. IT. WAS. THAT. GOOD. To be honest, I’m usually weary of ordering things like jerk chicken unless it’s coming from an actual Caribbean restaurant. Just because the seasoning hits different, but honestly, this little place restored my faith.
North End Creamery
So, I surprised myself on this trip and actually didn’t try a lot of dessert places. Mr. Epic and I tend to do that when we go on trips together, so I try to keep the tradition even when I travel by myself.
The one dessert spot that I did go to though was North End Creamery. This was a very lowkey spot and I popped over after dinner one night. I got a waffle cone with one scoop each of the espresso oreo and the burnt caramel (I’ll be honest, this combo didn’t work well together but would have been great individually).
The ice cream was really good and the staff was so friendly and accommodating of my indecisiveness. I learned that all their ice cream was made in-house, and the place is relatively new. So, if you’re in the area, be sure to check them out and support!
Beantown Pub
Honorable mention to Beantown Pub for saving my night after I couldn’t attend an event I was really looking forward to. I was in a very sucky mood and it was close to my hotel, so I went there hoping to eat, be unimpressed and go back. I had a New England fried chicken, which came with mashed potatoes, vegetables, and gravy. It was so delicious and I wished I came when I was in a better mood to enjoy the food more. Service was slow but our host was great! They have a range of draft beers and cocktails on their menu and although I didn’t get one, I recommend trying them out because the reviews on their drinks are fantastic.
Overall, this trip was a quick and busy one so I didn’t venture out as far as I hoped with my meals. But, I plan to be back in Boston in the future to try out some of the cuisines they’re better known for. But until then…