26 Boston-Area Restaurants Selected for The Michelin Guide, Including 311 Omakase Receiving a Star

The Michelin Guide has chosen a number of restaurants in the Greater Boston area for the first time, and one South End dining spot has received a Michelin star.

According to a press release, 311 Omakase on Tremont Street is one of 26 restaurants to be selected, with the place being the only one locally to receive one star (none received two or three stars). Other spots that received recognition include:

Bib Gourmand:

Bar Volpe, South Boston
Fox & the Knife, South Boston
Jahunger, Cambridge
Mahaniyom, Brookline
Pagu, Cambridge
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, Cambridge

Michelin Recommended:

Asta, Boston
Carmelina's, Boston
Giulia, Cambridge
La Padrona, Boston
Lenox Sophia, South Boston
Moeca, Cambridge
Mooncusser, Boston
Neptune Oyster, Boston
Nightshade Noodle Bar, Lynn
Oleana, Cambridge
Pammy's, Cambridge
Select Oyster Bar, Boston
Somaek, Boston
Thistle & Leek, Newton
Toro, Boston
Urban Hearth, Cambridge
Wa Shin, Boston
Woods Hill Pier 4, Boston
Zhi Wei Cafe, Boston

Cocktail award:

Mahaniyom, Brookline

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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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Sullivan's in South Boston Receives a James Beard America's Classics Award

An iconic seaside eatery known in part for its hot dogs, burgers, fried clams, and lobster rolls has gained some national recognition.

According to a press release, Sullivan's in South Boston is a winner of the James Beard America's Classics Award, which was given to a total of six places in the United States for 2025. Owner Brendan Sullivan says of the award, which is given out to regional spots for their food quality, local character, and timeless appeal, that it "is not only a recognition of our commitment to serving outstanding food but also a celebration of the traditions that have defined Sullivan's for generations. Sullivan goes on to say that "We are deeply honored to be recognized among America's Classics and to continue our legacy of bringing people together over great memories. This is not just an award for us: this is an award for all of New England."

Sullivan's has been in South Boston since 1951, with a second location opening in Hanover in 2023 (the Hanover outlet is open year round, while the Castle Island location is seasonal).

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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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Douglass Williams of MIDA in Boston's South End Included in Food & Wine's List of Best New Chefs for 2020

Food & Wine has just come out with a new "best of" list, and the person behind an Italian restaurant in the South End has been included.

According to its list of best new chefs in America in 2020, Douglass Williams of MIDA on Tremont Street is one of ten chefs picked, with the magazine calling him a "pasta wizard" and saying that he "is a master of texture, almost at a molecular level" while including in his profile a recipe for his summer crab carbonara with lemons and capers. Williams first opened MIDA in 2016, with the restaurant getting rave reviews including "best pasta" from Boston Magazine last year; as stated earlier, he is planning to open a new spot called Apizza within Hub Hall, a food hall within the Hub on Causeway development, though it is not known when the restaurant or the food hall might open at this point (the opening of the food hall has been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic).

The Food & Wine profile on Douglass Williams can be found at this link:

https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/best-new-chefs-2020-douglass-williams

And the complete list of chefs from Food & Wine is at this link:

https://www.foodandwine.com/chefs/food-wine-best-new-chefs-2020

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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A Number of Local Names and Restaurants Included Among 2020 James Beard Award Nominees

The 2020 James Beard Award nominees have been picked, and there is quite a local presence among the choices, including chefs, restaurateurs, restaurants, and more.

According to a post from the James Beard Foundation site, the following nominees in the Greater Boston area have been included:

-- Hacin + Associates (Shore Leave in Boston) for Outstanding Restaurant Design (76 Seats and Over)

-- Fox & and the Knife in South Boston for Best New Restaurant

-- Maura Kilpatrick of Sofra Bakery in Cambridge for Outstanding Baker

-- Ana Sortun of Oleana in Cambridge for Outstanding Chef

-- Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer of JK Food Group (Coppa, Toro, Little Donkey) in Boston and Cambridge for Outstanding Restaurateur

-- Irene Li of Mei Mei in Boston for Rising Star Chef of the Year

-- Tiffani Faison of Orfano in Boston for Best Chef: Northeast

-- Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville for Best Chef: Northeast

In addition, Devra First has been nominated for her "What She's Having" column for The Boston Globe, Joanne Chang has been nominated for her cookbook "Pastry Love: A Baker's Journal of Favorite Recipes," and America's Test Kitchen and Milk Street Kitchen have also been nominated for their cookbooks.

The winners of the James Beard awards are slated to be announced on September 25.

For a complete list of the nominees, please go to the link below:

https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2020-james-beard-award-nominees

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

Food and Wine Magazine Includes Fox and the Knife in South Boston Among Its Best New Restaurants of 2019

A popular magazine that focuses on food and drink has come out with its picks for the ten best new restaurants in the United States, and a local dining spot has been included.

According to its website, Food & Wine Magazine has picked Fox & the Knife in South Boston as one of the top new restaurants in the country, saying that the Italian eatery is "an instant classic" while mentioning such items as the panzanella and Caesar salads, wild-boar bolognese, mafaldini (a type of pasta), and hot focaccia with taleggio. The restaurant first opened in early February in the former Maiden space on West Broadway, with Karen Akunowicz--who won a James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northeast last May--being behind the place.

For a look at all of the top new restaurants picked by Food & Wine Magazine for 2019, please go to the link below.

Best New Restaurants 2019

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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Tony Messina of Uni Among 2019 James Beard Foundation Award Winners

by Marc Hurwitz

The winners of the 2019 James Beard Foundation awards have been announced, and regional winners include the chef and partner of a popular hotel restaurant in Boston.

According to a post from Eater, Tony Messina of Uni in the Back Bay won the Best Chef: Northeast category, which included such finalists as Cassie Piuma of Sarma in Somerville and Tiffani Faison of Tiger Mama in the Fenway. Messina was the only winner in the Greater Boston area last night, though an earlier Eater post mentions that Christopher Kimball won the general book category for "Milk Street: Tuesday Nights" in late April. (Rob Tod of Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, ME, also won a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine, Spirits, or Beer Producer.)

To see the complete list of the 2019 James Beard Award winners from the James Beard Foundation website, please go to the link below:

THE 2019 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNERS

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Esquire's Best New Restaurants List for 2018 Includes Celeste in Somerville

by Marc Hurwitz

A popular men's magazine has posted its picks for best new restaurants in the United States for 2018, and a dining spot in Somerville has been included.

According to the article, Esquire Magazine has picked Celeste in Somerville's Union Square as one of the best new restaurants in the country, placing it at number 5 among the 20 mentioned. The article says of the Bow Street eatery, "hospitality and home entertaining merge into an instant and intimate bash" and dinner there "is the most fun you'll have anywhere within twenty miles of Boston."

Celeste, which opened in March of this year, is known in part for its Peruvian fare along with its focus on the surrounding community including collaborations with local musicians and artists.

For a complete look at Esquire's list of best new restaurants for 2018, please go to the link below:

Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America, 2018

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OpenTable's Picks for Most Scenic Restaurants in the U.S. Includes Legal Harborside, Top of the Hub

by Marc Hurwitz

An online restaurant reservations provider has come out with its picks for the most scenic dining spots in the United States, and two Boston restaurants have been included on the list.

According to a post from USA Today, OpenTable has included Legal Harborside and Top of the Hub among the country's top 100 most scenic restaurants, with the former being located in the city's Seaport District and the latter being at the top of the Prudential Tower in the Back Bay. The list also includes several other dining spots in New England, including the Boat House in Tiverton, RI, The Mooring Restaurant in Newport, RI, The Ocean House Restaurant in Dennis Port, MA, and Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee, VT.

The list is based on reviews of more than 28,000 restaurants in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. collected between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Fifteen New England Restaurants and Bars in Scenic Locations]

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Bon Appetit Includes Pammy's, Yume Ga Arukara Among Nominees for Best New Restaurants of 2018

by Marc Hurwitz

A popular food magazine has posted its list of nominees for the best new restaurants in America, and two spots in Cambridge have been included among its picks.

According to the list from Bon Appetit, Pammy's between Harvard Square and Central Square and Yume Ga Arukara in Porter Square are two of its 50 nominees for best new dining spots in the United States for 2018, along with a couple of other New England spots--Drifters Wife and Rose Foods, both of which are located in Portland, ME. The magazine will announce which restaurants have made the top 10 on August 14.

Pammy's, which is a a New American restaurant with Italian influences, debuted on Mass. Ave. last July, while Yume Ga Arukara, which focuses on udon, opened at the Porter Square Exchange food court last September.

For a complete list of the 50 nominees for 2018, please go to the link below:

The Top 50 Nominees for America’s Best New Restaurants 2018

[August 14 update: The "Hot 10" list from Bon Appetit includes Yume Ga Arukara, which comes in at number 8--and while Pammy's and Rose Foods did not make the top 10, Drifters Wife did come in at number 9.]

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Karen Akunowicz, Jody Adams, J.M. Hirsch, Galleria Umberto Win 2018 James Beard Foundation Awards

by Marc Hurwitz

The winners of the 2018 James Beard Foundation awards have been announced, and local winners include a chef, a restaurateur, a writer, and a neighborhood eatery.

According to several sources, including a post last night from Eater Boston, Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang in Boston's South End won Best Chef: Northeast, Jody Adams of Trade, Porto, and Saloniki was inducted into the Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America, J.M. Hirsch of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street Magazine won an award in the "dining and travel" category for his article "In Pursuit of Perfect Hummus," and Galleria Umberto in the North End was picked as one of five spots called "America's Classics." Eater says that the last three picks had been announced previously, with Akunowicz's award being mentioned last night.

For a complete list of the 2018 James Beard Foundation awards winners, please go to the links below:

THE 2018 JAMES BEARD AWARD WINNERS
THE 2018 JAMES BEARD MEDIA AWARD WINNERS

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OpenTable's 2017 Picks for Best Restaurants in America Include Coppa, Yvonne's, Giulia, The Table at Season to Taste

by Marc Hurwitz

An online restaurant reservations provider has come out with its list of best restaurants in the United States for 2017, and four Boston-area spots have been included.

According to a post from boston.com, OpenTable's list of the top 100 restaurants in America includes Coppa in Boston's South End, Yvonne's in Downtown Crossing, and Giulia and The Table at Season to Taste, both of which are in Cambridge. The OpenTable list comes from more than 12 million reviews submitted for more than 26,000 restaurants across the country, with all reviews being given by verified diners. The article mentions that this is the second year in a row The Table at Season to Taste has made the list--and that it was the only restaurant in Massachusetts to be picked last year.

One other New England restaurant was included in this year's list--Arethusa al Tavolo in Bantam, CT.

For a complete list of the restaurants chosen for 2017, please go to the link below:

100 Best Restaurants in America for 2017

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Esquire's 2017 Best Bars in America List Includes The Baldwin Bar in Woburn

A popular men's magazine has once again come out with its annual picks for best bars in America, and an award-winning spot in the Boston suburbs has made the list.

According to the article, Esquire Magazine has included The Baldwin Bar at Sichuan Garden in Woburn in its list of best bars, with editor Luke O'Neil saying "Picture the best Chinese-takeout restaurant you've been to....Now put that inside a New England Colonial mansion built in 1661. When you tack on one of the best cocktail bars in Massachusetts, it's almost an embarrassment of riches." O'Neil goes on to mention the "brown and bitter recipes in flasks served in cigar boxes" and "a glass egg filled with Aperol, absinthe, and grapefruit served on a bed of flowers," concluding with "It's twenty-five minutes outside Boston, but the cab fare is worth it."

The only other New England spot to make the list this year is The Magdalenae Room in Providence.

To see Esquire's complete list of best bars in America, please go to the link below:

Esquire's Best Bars in America in 2017

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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Conde Nast Traveler Includes Alden & Harlow, Oleana Among Its Picks for World's Greatest Restaurants

A travel magazine has come out with its picks for the world's greatest restaurants, and a couple of dining spots in Cambridge have made the list.

A recent article on 207 of the greatest restaurants in the world shows that Conde Nast Traveler has included Oleana and Alden & Harlow among the best, with travel and food writer Peter Jon Lindberg saying of the former, "Long before Zahav in Philly, chef Ana Sortun was introducing North African, Middle Eastern, and Turkish spices, herbs, and techniques to American fine dining," and travel writer Sarah Khan saying of the latter, "The quickly sold-out burger is the thing to get." Three other New England restaurants made the list, including Proprietors in Nantucket, Eventide Oyster Co. in Portland, ME, and Hen of the Wood in Waterbury, VT.

For a complete list of the restaurants picked by Conde Nast Traveler, please go to the following link:

Where in the World to Eat

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Bon Appetit Includes Juliet, Shepard Among Nominees for Best New Restaurants of 2016

A popular food magazine has given its list of nominees for the best new restaurants in America once again, and included on the list are a couple of dining spots in Somerville and Cambridge.

According to the list from Bon Appetit, Juliet in Somerville's Union Square and Shepard in Cambridge (between Porter Square and Harvard Square) have been included among its 50 nominees for best new dining spots in the United States for 2016, calling the former "The all-day cafe of our dreams" and the latter "The smartest restaurant in Cambridge." Two other New England restaurants made the list as well--Drifters Wife in Portland and Oberlin in Providence--while five spots in New York City were also included (Bar Goto, Mimi, Superiority Burger, Te Company, and Wildair).

The magazine will announce which restaurants have made the top 10 on August 16.

Juliet debuted on Washington Street in Somerville in February while Shepard opened on Shepard Street in Cambridge in June of 2015.

For a complete list of the 50 nominees for 2016, please go to the following link:

http://www.bonappetit.com/best-new-restaurants

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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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Esquire's 2016 Best Bars in America List Includes Croke Park/Whitey's in South Boston

A popular men's magazine has come out with its annual picks for best bars in America, and one of the few remaining dive bars in South Boston has made the list.

According to an article in Boston Magazine, Esquire Magazine has included Croke Park/Whitey's on W Broadway in its list of best bars, with the magazine's drinks editor David Wondrich saying that "I do my best to exercise good—okay, goodish—judgment when I'm touring barrooms, but every once in a while, a gear slips a tooth and dosages get miscalculated. Whitey's is a slipped tooth," and stating that he has "dim memories of having an excellent time" there. This year's Boston pick is quite a bit different from the two picks from last year's Esquire list, which included the eclectic watering hole State Park in Cambridge's Kendall Square and the iconic Irish pub J.J. Foley's in Boston's South End.

To see Esquire's complete list of best bars in America for 2016, please go to the following link:

http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/bars/a44780/best-bars-in-america/

[Related Article]
Esquire's 2015 Best Bars in America List Includes State Park in Cambridge, J.J. Foley's in Boston's South End

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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Joanne Chang Wins 2016 James Beard Award

The 2016 James Beard Award winners have been announced, and a local baker and restaurateur is among the picks.

According to the list of last night's winners, Joanne Chang of Flour was awarded Outstanding Baker, besting Mark Furstenberg of Bread Furst in Washington, D.C., Zachary Golper of Bien Cuit in Brooklyn, Belinda Leong and Michel Suas of B. Patisserie in San Francisco, and William Werner of Craftsman and Wolves in San Francisco. This is the first James Beard Award for Chang, who is also co-owner of Myers + Chang in Boston's South End in addition to being behind locations of Flour in the South End, Back Bay, Fort Point, and Cambridge's Central Square.

Other local folks who were nominated this year include Susan Regis of Shepard in Cambridge and Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang (both for Best Chef: Northeast) and Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana in Cambridge (for Outstanding Pastry Chef).

For a complete list of the 2016 James Beard Award winners, please go to the link below:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/2016-james-beard-award-winners

[Earlier Article]
Four Local Names Included Among 2016 James Beard Award Nominees

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Four Local Names Included Among 2016 James Beard Award Nominees

The 2016 James Beard Award nominees have been picked, and four Boston-area folks have made the list.

According to a post from the James Beard Foundation site, Susan Regis of Shepard in Cambridge and Karen Akunowicz of Myers + Chang in Boston's South End are both nominees for Best Chef: Northeast, Joanne Chang of Flour (multiple locations) is a nominee for Outstanding Baker, and Maura Kilpatrick of Oleana in Cambridge is a nominee for Outstanding Pastry Chef. The winners of the James Beard awards will be chosen on May 2 at Lyric Opera of Chicago.

For a complete list of the nominees, please go to the link below:

http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/2016-james-beard-award-nominees

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Esquire's Best New Restaurants List Includes Townsman in Boston

A popular men's magazine has posted its top 14 picks for new restaurants in the United States for 2015, and a dining spot in Boston has been included.

According to the new article that came out earlier this week, Esquire Magazine has picked Townsman in downtown Boston as one of the best new restaurants in the country. A few of the items mentioned by the magazine include the blood-sausage mortadella, summer-squash fritter, beef tartare, collard kimchi, and foie gras, with the writer writing that "At Townsman, New England cuisine erupts like the blueberries of the summer." No other New England restaurants were picked by Esquire this year, though four New York dining spots made the list (Little Park, Mountain Bird, Santina, and Shuko).

Matt and Kate Jennings opened Townsman on Kingston Street in February; before that, they had operated Farmstead in Providence's Wayland Square.

For a complate look at Esquire's list of best new restaurants for 2015, please go to the link below:

Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America 2015

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Bon Appetit Includes Loyal Nine in Cambridge Among Its Nominees for Best New Restaurants of 2015

A popular food magazine has posted its list of nominees for the best new restaurants in the United States once again, and a sole Boston-area dining spot is on the list.

According to a post from Bon Appetit, Loyal Nine in Cambridge has been included in its list of 50 restaurants across the country that have been nominated for the "hot 10" for 2015, with the magazine telling which of the 50 will be among the top 10 spots on August 18. The blurb for the Cambridge Street restaurant includes the subhead "Time travel to the 1780s at this rustic Cambridge restaurant," with the post recommending the sallet with hard cider vinaigrette and aged goat cheese, the soused mackerel on brown bread with horseradish, sea salt and vinegar chips with finnan haddie mousse, and the grilled pork ribs with chestnuts and molasses. (The post also mentions the custom pottery at the eatery, which is made by Loyal Nine co-owner Rebecca Theris.)

Loyal Nine opened in March of this year at 660 Cambridge Street, which is about midway between Inman Square and Lechmere in East Cambridge.

The only other New England spots to make the list of nominees are Tandem Coffee + Bakery in Portland ME, and the dining room at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, CT. [Ed note: A quick correction/edit--East Ender in Portland, ME, is also on the list as well.]

For a complete list of the 50 nominees for 2015, please go to the link below:

http://www.bonappetit.com/top50/

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Esquire's 2015 Best Bars in America List Includes State Park in Cambridge, J.J. Foley's in Boston's South End

A popular men's magazine has come out with its top 25 picks for bars in America once again, and this year, it has included a couple of local spots--and one of the picks may mollify at least some bar lovers.

According to the new article posted on its site, Esquire Magazine has included State Park in Cambridge's Kendall square among its picks, and it has also included J.J. Foley's in Boston's South End. Last year, the magazine picked the downtown Boston location of Foley's, leading to some confusion among locals, since the East Berkeley Street location in the South End is seen by many as an iconic bar, while the Kingston Street bar, while popular, doesn't have the same recognition and was seen by some as being the "wrong" J.J. Foley's to pick for the list .

In addition to Foley's in downtown Boston, last year's Esquire list also included The Hawthorne in Kenmore Square.

To see the complete list of best bars in America for 2015, please go to the link below:

http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/bars/a35124/best-bars-in-america-2015/

[Earlier Article]
Esquire's Best Bars in America List Includes The Hawthorne, J.J. Foley's

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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