Boston is suffused with affordable food – traditional fare served up unpretentiously.
With thanks to Larry Meehan at the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the muscle-memory taste buds of this Cheapflights reporter (Boston is one of my favorite towns) here are a few places that please the palette without picking the pocket:
Durgin Park. Located at 340 Fanueil Hall Marketplace, this is a favorite with visitors and locals alike. Recharge with a cup of clam chowder for $4.95. Still hungry? Fresh jumbo lump crabcakes go for $13.95 and shepherd’s pie for $12.95. There are few better places in town to soak up Boston.
Summer Shack is a Back Bay bastion, the perfect place to go after a Red Sox’s game in nearby Fenway Park. Located at 50 Dalton St., across from the entrance to the Sheraton, the portions are generous. A one-pound lobster roll runs but $20, and fish tacos can be had for $12.
Barking Crab is on the waterfront, not terribly far from the New England Aquarium. Head to 88 Sleeper St. for a basic lunch of clams and Sam – as in Adams.
Union Oyster House is the quintessential dining venue in town. Celebrities frequent the place, and so do families. It’s that kind of restaurant. Union Oyster House turns 185 years old come Aug. 3, and if you’re in town be sure to catch lunch. Specials are being rolled back 50 years to $1.85. Other times, one of the best bets on the dinner menu is fried fresh Boston Scrod. It sells for $21.95.
Charley’s is in the midst of the city’s marvelous Newbury Street, at number 284 to be precise. Somebody out there may have concocted better burgers, but you’d be hard-put to find them. They’re large, generous and a meal unto themselves. Ask for extra napkins.
Ristorante Limoncello is a place you can take a decently large family, sit down for a proper dinner and not have to kill your credit card at the same time. Great veal can be had for under $15. Another value is Rosette Limoncello – Rosette pasta with montasio cheese, mushrooms, prosciutto and white truffle oil for $12.95. Follow your nose to 190 North St.
Pops is testament to the fact comfort food is cool. It’s located in the trendy South End at 560 Tremont St., across from the Boston Center for the Arts. A favorite is Pop’s Meatloaf. Grass-fed beef, mashed potatoes, and glazed organic carrots render this dish not just good, but good for you. It will run $20. Another option is Deconstructed Chicken Pot Pie for $19.
If you’re looking to really explore the best that Boston restaurateurs have to offer, pencil in Aug. 14-19, and Aug. 21-26 for Boston Restaurant Week. Since it’s 2011, lunches and dinners are prix fixe at $20.11 and $33.01 respectively.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Jeramey Jannene)
