A Twitter List to Help You Find Which Boston-Area Restaurants Are Now Open for Outdoor Dining

Yesterday was the first day of Phase 2 of the reopening of the Massachusetts economy, which means that countless dining spots in and around Boston area are now open for outdoor dining. And while a lot of restaurants are posting on their websites and social media pages that they are now up and running, it's not easy to find them all in one place. Because of this, we have resurrected our Twitter list for restaurants in the Boston area, with the list including hundreds of dining spots and being set up as a timeline of sorts that updates constantly. (The list also includes other updates, including takeout/delivery options from dining spots that don't have outdoor areas.) The Twitter list can be accessed here:

Twitter List of Boston-Area Restaurants

If you are a restaurant owner or worker and would like your place to be included in the list above, please let us know via one of the following Twitter pages:
@hiddenboston or @MarcHurBoston

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Updates on Boston-Area Restaurants and Bars Via a Designated Twitter List

It has been increasingly difficult to get the word out about which Boston-area restaurants and bars are completely closed for the time being and which ones are open for takeout and/or delivery, in part because of the sheer number of dining and drinking spots in the region but also because the situation is so fluid that places are constantly updating what they are (or are not) offering. Because of this, a Twitter list of Boston-area restaurants and bars has been updated to include close to 700 spots, and it will be growing over the coming days as more and more are added to the list. In addition to the exact opening/closing status of places, you'll also find other information including hours of operation, food offerings, and how to give--or get--support.

The Twitter list can be accessed at this link, and it is a public list so you can subscribe to it.

Twitter List of Boston-Area Restaurants

If you are a restaurant owner or worker (or know of any restaurants that should be included) and would like your place to be included in the list, please tell us via one of the following Twitter pages:
@hiddenboston or @MarcHurBoston

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Where to Find Us

If you are looking for updates from this site as well as our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants), a good place to start is any one of the several social media websites that we are on, including Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. Links to each of these can be found below:

Facebook

Twitter

Google+

Pinterest

Instagram

Lovin' Spoonfuls to Raise Funds via Tweet2Beat Hunger Program, June 25-30 2012

A Boston-based non-profit organization that is trying to end hunger in Massachusetts by way of food delivery to crisis centers, soup kitchens, and other similar entities is looking to raise money via Twitter this week.

Starting today (Monday, June 25) and going through Saturday, June 30, Lovin' Spoonfuls is going to be raising funds by having folks use the Twitter hashtag "Tweet2Beat" to donate to the non-profit group. People who are on Twitter can simply post "Tweet2Beat $10 TweetDonate to @LovinFoodRescue" and they will receive a link to donate. Whole Foods Market is also involved, as their location on River Street in Cambridge will match select donations by including their Twitter handle on June 30 (post "Tweet2Beat $10 TweetDonate to @LovinFoodRescue @WholeFoodsRVR").

For more information on Lovin' Spoonfuls, please go to the link below:

http://www.lovinspoonfulsinc.org/

Thanks to Image Unlimited Communications for bringing this to our attention.


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Our Articles Can Now Be Shared on LinkedIn

To help make it easier to share our blog articles with others, we started adding both a Twitter "Share" button and a Facebook "Like" button to the bottom of each post awhile back. And now there is a new way to share stories with your friends, namely via a LinkedIn button.

If you look at the bottom of this page (as well as pages from earlier this week), you will notice the new "Share" button (labeled "in share") to the right of the Twitter and Facebook buttons. For those of you who are members of LinkedIn, click the button and when the popup window comes up, add a comment about the article, then click "Share." The article will then be posted on your LinkedIn page.

Thanks to all of you who have shared our articles with your friends via Twitter and Facebook, and also a big thanks to those of you who start sharing on LinkedIn as well. And if you would like to join us on Twitter or Facebook, please follow the links below.

To follow us on Twitter, please go to this link:

Twitter Page for Hiddenboston

And to become a Facebook fan of Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants, please go to this link:

Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Page

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A Complete List of Our Twitter Food Polls

We have been posting a variety of Twitter food polls over the past couple of years, and there are now so many that it is getting a bit difficult to find all of them. So below is a complete list of the polls in chronological order (from newest to oldest).

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Bar Pizza Poll (September 22, 2011)

Frozen Yogurt Poll (September 2, 2011)

Pulled Pork Poll (August 2, 2011)

Clam Chowder Poll (July 6, 2011)

Pancake Poll (June 15, 2011)

Fried Chicken Poll (May 24, 2011)

Burrito Poll (May 6, 2011)

Cubano Poll (April 15, 2011)

Corned Beef Hash Poll (April 1, 2011)

Guacamole Poll (March 18, 2011)

Donut Poll (February 28, 2011)

Pad Thai Poll (February 11, 2011)

Bagel Poll (January 28, 2011)

French Fries Poll (January 10, 2011)

Steak Tip Poll (December 23, 2010)

Bread Poll (December 3, 2010)

Coffee Poll (November 3, 2010)

Meatball Poll (October 8, 2010)

Sushi Poll (September 21, 2010)

Cupcake Poll (September 7, 2010)

Steak and Cheese Poll (August 5, 2010)

Ice Cream Poll (July 19, 2010)

Roast Beef Sandwich Poll (July 6, 2010)

Chicken Wing Poll (June 21, 2010)

Macaroni and Cheese Poll (June 7, 2010)

Fried Clams Poll (May 24, 2010)

Onion Ring Poll (May 3, 2010)

Hot Dog Poll (April 2, 2010)

Lobster Roll Poll (March 26, 2010)

Burger Poll (March 10, 2010)

Pizza Poll (February 12, 2010)

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More polls are on the way, so keep checking back, and thanks once again for voting.

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Ben and Jerry's to Give Bostonians Free Ice Cream from Their Scoop Truck

A Vermont company is going to be giving away free ice cream in Boston throughout the month of August.

An email from Cone indicates that Ben & Jerry's Scoop Truck will be driving around the city this month, handing out frozen treats to folks. The ice cream company, which is based in South Burlington (and has a factory in nearby Waterbury) is planning to have their truck tour Boston until August 28, visiting non-profit companies and going to community events while in the area. The truck will be using Twitter to help "guide" it to areas where ice cream lovers want it to be.

Flavors that will be available on the Scoop Truck include both new and old ones, with such options as Late Night Snack (inspired by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon) and Stephen Colbert's AmeriCone Dream (vanilla ice cream with fudge covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl).

The Twitter page for the Ben & Jerry's ice cream truck can be found at the link below.

http://twitter.com/benjerrystruck

Scoop Truck stops and information are posted at this link as well:

http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/feature/2011-truck-tour/boston-scoop-truck/

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Heading Toward 30,000 Fans and Followers on Facebook and Twitter

Just a quick break from talk about the Boston restaurant scene to thank all of you who have joined our Facebook and Twitter pages over the past several months. We now have more than 27,000 fans and followers within the two social media sites, and will probably be at 30,000 within a few weeks. If you would like to follow us on either page, please go to the links below:

[Facebook]
http://facebook.com/pages/Bostons-Hidden-Restaurants/87883173969

[Twitter]
http://twitter.com/hiddenboston

Again, thanks so much for following us on these sites. We certainly appreciate it!

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Results of Our Twitter Hot Dog Poll

As some of you may know, we have been doing informal food polls on the Twitter site of late, with Santarpio's in East Boston winning the pizza poll, Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Cambridge winning the burger poll, and Neptune Oysters in the North End winning the lobster roll poll. Our latest Twitter poll looked at best hot dogs in the Boston area, with the results being as follows:

1) Spike's Junkyard Dogs, various locations (22%)
2) Fenway Park, Boston (18%)
3) Trina's Starlite Lounge, Somerville(14%)
4) Formaggio, Cambridge and South End (9%)
4) Fred's Franks, Wakefield (9%)

Some other spots were picked in the Twitter hot dog poll, including Costco (various locations), Lawton's (Lawrence), Lower Depths (Kenmore Square), Speed's (Roxbury), Sullivan's (South Boston), and Windy City Eats (Weymouth).

Thanks to those of you who voted in the Twitter hot dog poll. We will have another poll within the next few days, so keep checking back on our Twitter page at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston.

Results of Our Twitter Lobster Roll Poll

Over the past couple of months, we have taken informal food polls on the Twitter site, with Santarpio's in East Boston winning the pizza poll and Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Cambridge winning the burger poll. Our latest Twitter poll focused on restaurants in the Boston area with the best lobster rolls, and we have the results (with one of the top picks being a bit outside of the Boston area):

1) Neptune Oyster, Boston (24%)
2) James Hook and Company, Boston (18%)
3) Raw Bar, Mashpee (12%)

Some other restaurants were picked in the Twitter lobster roll poll, including B&G Oysters (Boston), Cap't Cass Rock Harbor Seafood (Orleans), Legal Sea Foods (various locations), The Local (West Newton), The Riverbend Restaurant (Newton), Stephanie's On Newbury (Boston), Turner Fisheries (Boston), and Yankee Lobster (Boston).

Thanks to everyone who voted in the Twitter lobster roll poll. There will be more polls coming up, so keep checking back on our Twitter page at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston.

Results of the Twitter Burger Poll

Last month, we took an informal pizza poll on the Twitter site, with Santarpio's in East Boston coming in first place and Pizzeria Regina in the North End coming in second. And this month, we just wrapped up an eight-day Boston-area burger poll on Twitter, with the results being as follows:

1) Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, Cambridge (15%)
2) RF O'Sullivan's, Somerville (11%)
3) Boston Burger Company, Somerville (7%)
3) Craigie on Main, Cambridge (7%)
3) The Junction, South Boston (7%)
3) UBurger, Boston (7%)

A number of other dining spots where picked in the Twitter burger poll, including American Craft (Brookline), b.good (various locations), Brendon Crocker's Wild Horse Cafe (Beverly), Christopher's (Cambridge), Doyle's (Jamaica Plain), The Druid (Cambridge), Garden at the Cellar (Cambridge), Grumpy White's (Quincy), Kingston Station (Boston), Miracle of Science (Cambridge), River Gods (Cambridge), and Wild Willy's (Watertown).

Thanks once again to all of you who participated in our Twitter Boston-area burger poll. Expect to see more polls like this one soon at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston.

Results of Twitter Pizza Poll

The informal pizza poll that we had on Twitter this week is now closed, and we have the results. Based on those who voted, the top places for pizza in the Boston area are:

1) Santarpio's, East Boston (11%)
2) Pizzeria Regina, North End (8%)
3) Ernesto's, North End (5%)
3) Picco, South End (5%)
3) City Slicker Cafe, Somerville (5%)
3) Upper Crust Pizzeria, various locations (5%)

Many other places were also mentioned in the poll, including Armando's (Cambridge), BHOP (Boston), Big Daddy's (Brighton), Bravo (Allston), Cambridge 1 (Cambridge), CBS Scene (Foxborough), Dedham House of Pizza (Dedham), DeVille Lounge (Back Bay), Emilio's (South End), Gran Gusto (Cambridge), Halftime Pizza (Boston), Hi-Fi Pizza (Cambridge), Hot Tomatoes (North End), Mandee's (Salem), New Brown Jug (Chelsea), Peace o' Pie (Allston), Pinocchio's (Cambridge), Real Deal (West Roxbury), Stella (Watertown), Woody's (Boston), and Zing (Cambridge).

Thanks to everyone for participating in the Twitter pizza poll. We will have more polls going on soon, so keep checking back with us either here or at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston.

A Twitter List of Boston-Area Restaurants on the Site

A little while back we created a list of Boston-area restaurant that are on Twitter for our Facebook page. This list basically shows an alphabetical listing of all the area restaurants that have joined Twitter. This week, however, we used this list of restaurants to create a list within our Twitter page, and this one has one big advantage over the list on Facebook, namely that it shows postings from these restaurants in live time, which means you can go to the list and get the latest updates on daily specials, events, and other news.

To go to this new list of Boston-area restaurants on Twitter, please go to the link below:

http://twitter.com/hiddenboston/boston-area-restaurants

And to go to our older list within Facebook, here is the link for that page:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=103555437619

Our Favorite Twitter Pages of 2009

The year 2009 was certainly a big one for Twitter, as the social networking site seemed to explode in popularity. Part of this is because Twitter is very simple to use, and it is an ideal utility for getting instant information on everything from news stories to baseball trades to store specials to, well, just about anything you can think of.

The restaurant industry has embraced Twitter as well; some uses include the postings of nightly specials at dining spots, the mentioning of various culinary events, the openings or closings of restaurants, and so much more. And because we are heavily involved in the Boston and New England restaurant scene (and heavy users of Twitter--we can be found at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston, by the way), the site is one that we go to on a daily basis, not just to post, but to scan the pages of restaurants, food writers, newspapers, etc.

So which Twitter pages have been our favorites over the past year? Well, there are a lot of good ones from which to choose, but here are a few of our top picks for 2009 (in no particular order):

Citysearch Boston (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/CitysearchBOS)
Often funny and always interesting, the Citysearch page for Boston has a ton of information on the Boston restaurant scene, typically posting several updates each day. This is one page that we check nearly every day.

Eat Boston (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/eatboston)
Another page that we look at nearly constantly, Eat Boston is similar in some ways to Citysearch Boston, and also can be a great resource for special deals at restaurants, interesting events being held, etc. And like Citysearch, Eat Boston is always finding restaurants that have recently joined the Twitter site.

MC Slim JB (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/mcslimjb)
A Boston-based food/drinks writer and restaurant critic, MC Slim JB always has attention-grabbing posts, including personal (and often hilarious) comments about the Boston restaurant scene and links to recent reviews. And since MC constantly seems to be looking for hidden gems in the area, this page is an incredibly valuable resource for us.

Myers and Chang (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/MyersAndChang)
All restaurants should take a cue from Myers and Chang; in our opinion, their Twitter page stands at the top of the heap, mainly because they do everything from post daily specials to interact with customers to LISTEN to customers, which goes a long way toward their becoming an even better restaurant. This is a Twitter page with a real personal touch, and one that is always a joy to read.

Visiting New England (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/NewEnglandInfo)
Not strictly a restaurant site, Visiting New England is nevertheless one we go to quite often, as it discusses a lot of dining spots outside of Boston proper that we aren't always familiar with. Diners, classic New England restaurants, and family-friendly spots are often talked about on their Twitter page, which is a particularly good one if you are also looking for places to stay.

Boston Tweet (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/BostonTweet)
Another page that goes well beyond the Boston dining scene, Boston Tweet is important to us in part because it has a seemingly endless amount of information on the city, with tons of info on restaurant events, and restaurants in general. And it has a personal touch, with lots of conversing going on between the page's owner and others.

Grub Street Boston (Twitter page: http://twitter.com/grubStreetBOS)
For the latest on Boston restaurant news (openings, closings, etc.), Grub Street Boston is tough to beat. We are always checking this page (and their site) to learn about changes within the Boston restaurant scene. A must for anyone looking for a news-based page.

There are so many other Twitter pages that we frequent (including Boston Globe food writer Devra First at http://twitter.com/GlobeDevraFirst, local restaurant guide North Shore Dish at http://twitter.com/NorthShoreDish, and online news site Universal Hub at http://twitter.com/universalhub) that we could go on and on, but at least this gives you a few Twitter pages that we consider of great importance when it comes to Boston-area restaurants.

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5,000 Fans Now on Facebook; 3,000 Followers On Twitter

Boston's Hidden Restaurants and Boston Restaurant Talk are hitting a couple of milestones this week in the social networking world; we are only a few away from 5,000 fans on our Facebook page, while we reached 3,000 followers on Twitter earlier this week. Thanks to all who have decided to follow us on these two sites, and thanks for all of the posts that you have added, many of which have helped us learn about restaurants in the Boston area and elsewhere in New England.

If you would like to become a Facebook fan of Boston's Hidden Restaurants and Boston Restaurant Talk, please go to this link:

Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Page

And to follow us on Twitter, please go to this link:

Twitter Page for Hiddenboston

And to go to our parent site, please click on this link:

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

Some Information on Our Facebook Fan Page and Twitter Page

Just a quick reminder that both Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants can be found on Facebook and Twitter. Our Facebook fan page now has nearly 4,000 fans, while our Twitter page has just under 3,000 followers, so a lot of people are participating in discussions concerning the Boston restaurant scene on both pages.

To become a Facebook fan of Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants, please go to this link:

Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Page

And to follow us on Twitter, please go to this link:

Twitter Page for Hiddenboston

Our Facebook and Twitter Pages

A reminder that the Boston Restaurant Talk blog (as well as the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site) is on Facebook and Twitter. We use both Facebook and Twitter to update folks on everything from our latest restaurant reviews to updates on closings and openings to questions and answers to reader reviews.

If you would like to become a Facebook fan of ours, please go to this link:

Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Page

And if you would like to follow us on Twitter, please go to this link:

Twitter Page for Hiddenboston

Twitter, Facebook, and Boston's Hidden Restaurants

For those who don't know, both Boston Restaurant Talk (this blog) and its sister site Boston's Hidden Restaurants are now on Twitter and Facebook. The Twitter page mostly gives quick updates of both Web sites in addition to postings of questions dealing with the Boston restaurant scene. The Facebook page is a bit more interactive, with discussions between fans of the page, as well as all kinds of information given concerning both sites, including photos, links, etc.

If you would like to follow us on Twitter, please go to the link below:

http://twitter.com/hiddenboston

And if you would like to become a fan of our Facebook page, please go to this link:

http://facebook.com/pages/Bostons-Hidden-Restaurants/87883173969

A List of New England Restaurants on Twitter

A little while ago, we created a list of Boston-area restaurants that are on the Twitter site. We now have a list of restaurants throughout the rest of New England that are also on Twitter.

Both the New England list and the Boston-area list are within our Facebook fan page, but anyone can see these lists, including those who are not yet Facebook members.

We will update both of these lists as often as possible, so please let us know if we have missed any restaurants by commenting here or sending an email to us at http://www.hiddenboston.com/contactus.html.

Here is the link to the New England list:

List of New England Restaurants on Twitter (not including Boston)

And here is a link to the Boston-area list:

List of Boston-Area Restaurants on Twitter

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Boston-Area Restaurants on Twitter

Twitter seems to be everywhere in the news today, and for good reason; with texting taking off over the past couple of years, this social networking site has tapped into something big, and it has become one of the hottest sites out there right now.

But Twitter is not just about sending short messages to friends and family; indeed, businesses are also using the site as a form of free promotion. And restaurants certainly have been finding ways to use Twitter in a variety of ways, including a quickly-growing number in the Boston area.

We have compiled a fairly comprehensive list of Boston-area restaurants that are on Twitter. The list is on our Facebook site, but it is open to everyone, including those who haven't yet become Facebook members. We will be updating this list as often as possible, so if you know of any Boston-area restaurants that are not on our list, please let us know by commenting here or emailing us at http://www.hiddenboston.com/contactus.html. Thanks!

Here is the link to the list:

List of Boston-Area Restaurants on Twitter