In the past few weeks, I have been to some excellent restaurants in the Boston and New England area, some of which are now featured on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site.
Where to start...how about some of the best Japanese food in Boston? There is a place in Roslindale called Village Sushi and Grill that is truly one of the top sushi restaurants in the Boston area. The dinners from the kitchen are very good, too. Village Sushi is in the heart of Roslindale Square, an up-and-coming area for top restaurants in Boston.
Let's stay in Roslindale for a bit longer. Sophia's Grotto is a nice Mediterreanan restaurant right next to Village Sushi. Their fare tends to lean toward Northern Italian cuisine. The atmosphere at Sophia's Grotto is very romantic, with exposed brick and dim lighting, and the restaurant is in a little courtyard away from traffic.
If you're heading up to Cape Ann this summer, you might want to check out The Lobster Pool Restaurant, which is on the Rockport / Gloucester line near Halibut Point. The ocean views from this seafood shack are amazing, and the food rivals Woodman's, in my opinion.
A lot further up the coast, in Maine, is another seafood shack that is about as hidden away as you can get. The Docksider Restaurant is in Northeast Harbor, ME, on Mount Desert Island, far away from the hustle and bustle of the Bar Harbor area.
Still in Maine, in the funky town of Belfast, is Darby's, a restaurant as quirky as the town in which it is located. Darby's serves cuisine of all kinds, from Thai to Italian to American to Jewish to Mexican and so on. And the atmosphere there is that of a classic old tavern.
Well, that's it for now. Those are some of the latest restaurants on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. Stay tuned for more to come soon...
Monday, June 27, 2005
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Pages from New Travel Web Site: Bar Harbor, ME; Lake Placid, NY; Marblehead, MA; Mendocino, CA; Rockport, MA; Waterville Valley, NH
As Boston's Hidden Restaurants continues to grow, I have decided to create a new Web site that will have more of a national presence. It is a travel Web site called Travel Guide of America and is in its early stages right now. I have pages for Bar Harbor, ME, Lake Placid, NY, Marblehead, MA, Mendocino, CA, Rockport, MA, and Waterville Valley, NH up right now and have several others in the works. Let me know what you think of these pages. Thanks!
-MH
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Interesting Photos of Restaurants in Boston and the Northeast
In my work with Boston's Hidden Restaurants, I have come across some rather interesting-looking restaurants. Some photos of these restaurants are below. If you would like to see larger images, click on the pictures.
The Channel Cafe, in Boston's Fort Point Channel area, is a funky combination of a restaurant and an art gallery.
The Tavern is a classic Adirondack bar in the remote hamlet of Eagle Bay. This townie joint, which is on scenic Route 28 in the central Adirondacks, has great (and VERY cheap) burgers and beer.
Ristorante Romanza is a romantic little Italian restaurant in the heart of the Providence arts district.
The Pattaconk 1850 Bar and Grille is an old tavern on a winding river in the heart of Chester, CT, a charming village near Essex.
Cafe Apollonia is Boston's only Albanian restaurant, and a great place for food. It is in Roslindale, a part of Boston with many great restaurants.
-MH
Boston's Hidden Restaurants
The Channel Cafe, in Boston's Fort Point Channel area, is a funky combination of a restaurant and an art gallery.
The Tavern is a classic Adirondack bar in the remote hamlet of Eagle Bay. This townie joint, which is on scenic Route 28 in the central Adirondacks, has great (and VERY cheap) burgers and beer.
Ristorante Romanza is a romantic little Italian restaurant in the heart of the Providence arts district.
The Pattaconk 1850 Bar and Grille is an old tavern on a winding river in the heart of Chester, CT, a charming village near Essex.
Cafe Apollonia is Boston's only Albanian restaurant, and a great place for food. It is in Roslindale, a part of Boston with many great restaurants.
-MH
Boston's Hidden Restaurants
Thursday, May 05, 2005
If I Were in San Diego today...
So it looks like another weekend of heavy rain in Boston. This is, what, the 7th or 8th weekend in a row with rain? I love Boston, but this is ridiculous.
With the rain, my daydreams of San Diego, CA, seem to keep popping up more and more (call it California dreaming). The other night, I was listening to a great rock station from Encinitas on Internet radio. It got me to thinking about Encinitas, where my cousins used to live before they moved up the coast to La Costa.
One of my favorite restaurants in Encinitas is the 101 Diner. Located about 4 blocks from my favorite beach in the world (Moonlight Beach), the 101 Diner has everything, from great breakfast and lunch entrees to outdoor seating to a friendly, all-around nice guy of an owner. Almost as good, and just down the street, is Kim's Restaurant, which has terrific Vietnamese food. Better yet, neither of these restaurants is well-known (if you have looked at the site I founded, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, you would know I have a thing for great restaurants that haven't been discovered).
Heading south toward San Diego, another memorable, but little-known, restaurant can be found in beautiful Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Pipes Cafe is a breakfast spot that is mainly frequented by surfers and Cardiff locals looking to show up late to work (word is, Trevor Hoffman, the great reliever for the San Diego Padres, is also a regular here). Pipes has fantastic breakfast plates, and the dining outdoors on the patio is a must.
As you continue down the coast, you come to artsy Solana Beach, home to Fidel's, which is fairly well-known, and for good reason; Fidel's may be the best Mexican restaurant north of San Diego (though I have my personal favorite, which I'll mention in a minute). Fidel's is tough to find, since it's hidden in a neighborhood away from the ocean, but worth seeking out.
Just before you reach San Diego, you hit La Jolla, a tony community that seems to have more investment places than restaurants. I like La Jolla, though, with its spectacular downtown park above the ocean cliffs, and its narrow, crooked lanes. Just south of the center of La Jolla is a little restaurant called Bahia Don Bravo. The owners of this authentic Mexican restaurant have a few branches in San Diego, but this one is special, since you can order the food to go and walk a few blocks down a side street to one of the most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean that you will ever see. And there is even a bench where the view is, so you can eat in relative comfort. Bahia Don Bravo has the type of Mexican food that you just can't find in Boston. I always go there when traveling to San Diego, and always miss it when I'm back in Boston.
Finally, you reach the wonderful city of San Diego. Where to go for food? Well, there are too many great places to mention here. A couple of standouts are Point Loma Seafood, with its memorable view of the city across the harbor, and the Coyote Cafe in Old Town. But my favorite is a little hamburger joint in Ocean Beach called Hodad's, which is where I had the best cheeseburger I have had anywhere in the country (and I've had a lot of cheeseburgers!). Juicy, thick, hearty, and smothered in cheese, the burgers here are impossibly good. Hodad's is truly amazing.
Well, I guess my daydream of eating my way through San Diego is about done. As I look out my window and see the skyline of Boston, I realize that I do live in a great city. I just wish it wouldn't rain so much.
-MH
Boston's Hidden Restaurants: A Boston Restaurant Guide
With the rain, my daydreams of San Diego, CA, seem to keep popping up more and more (call it California dreaming). The other night, I was listening to a great rock station from Encinitas on Internet radio. It got me to thinking about Encinitas, where my cousins used to live before they moved up the coast to La Costa.
One of my favorite restaurants in Encinitas is the 101 Diner. Located about 4 blocks from my favorite beach in the world (Moonlight Beach), the 101 Diner has everything, from great breakfast and lunch entrees to outdoor seating to a friendly, all-around nice guy of an owner. Almost as good, and just down the street, is Kim's Restaurant, which has terrific Vietnamese food. Better yet, neither of these restaurants is well-known (if you have looked at the site I founded, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, you would know I have a thing for great restaurants that haven't been discovered).
Heading south toward San Diego, another memorable, but little-known, restaurant can be found in beautiful Cardiff-by-the-Sea. Pipes Cafe is a breakfast spot that is mainly frequented by surfers and Cardiff locals looking to show up late to work (word is, Trevor Hoffman, the great reliever for the San Diego Padres, is also a regular here). Pipes has fantastic breakfast plates, and the dining outdoors on the patio is a must.
As you continue down the coast, you come to artsy Solana Beach, home to Fidel's, which is fairly well-known, and for good reason; Fidel's may be the best Mexican restaurant north of San Diego (though I have my personal favorite, which I'll mention in a minute). Fidel's is tough to find, since it's hidden in a neighborhood away from the ocean, but worth seeking out.
Just before you reach San Diego, you hit La Jolla, a tony community that seems to have more investment places than restaurants. I like La Jolla, though, with its spectacular downtown park above the ocean cliffs, and its narrow, crooked lanes. Just south of the center of La Jolla is a little restaurant called Bahia Don Bravo. The owners of this authentic Mexican restaurant have a few branches in San Diego, but this one is special, since you can order the food to go and walk a few blocks down a side street to one of the most spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean that you will ever see. And there is even a bench where the view is, so you can eat in relative comfort. Bahia Don Bravo has the type of Mexican food that you just can't find in Boston. I always go there when traveling to San Diego, and always miss it when I'm back in Boston.
Finally, you reach the wonderful city of San Diego. Where to go for food? Well, there are too many great places to mention here. A couple of standouts are Point Loma Seafood, with its memorable view of the city across the harbor, and the Coyote Cafe in Old Town. But my favorite is a little hamburger joint in Ocean Beach called Hodad's, which is where I had the best cheeseburger I have had anywhere in the country (and I've had a lot of cheeseburgers!). Juicy, thick, hearty, and smothered in cheese, the burgers here are impossibly good. Hodad's is truly amazing.
Well, I guess my daydream of eating my way through San Diego is about done. As I look out my window and see the skyline of Boston, I realize that I do live in a great city. I just wish it wouldn't rain so much.
-MH
Boston's Hidden Restaurants: A Boston Restaurant Guide
Friday, April 29, 2005
Ice Cream Stands in the Boston Area
(Note: Go to the ice cream stands page on Boston's Hidden Restaurants to get more information on some of the ice cream stands and parlors listed below, as well as others not included here.)
It's nice to see the days getting warmer in the Boston area. The Boston Red Sox are playing, the trees are sprouting leaves, and snow is a distant memory. And, of course, ice cream stands are opening as they do every spring in Boston and New England.
While there are literally hundreds of ice cream stands and ice cream parlors in the New England region, some are definitely better than others. One of my favorite places for an ice cream cone is Kimball Farm in Carlisle (there's also one in Westford, but the Kimball's in Carlisle is quieter, and in a more scenic location). They have a petting zoo there, a farm, and some of the tastiest ice cream in New England.
Not many ice cream stands match Kimball's, but Bubbling Brook Restaurant in Westwood comes close. Set in a pastoral area, Bubbling Brook not only has great ice cream (including soft serve), but also delicious sandwiches.
A few other top ice cream stands in the Boston area include Dairy Joy in Weston, which is truly a classic place for ice cream, complete with wooden benches outside; Richardson's in Middleton, which has outstanding ice cream, and a driving range to boot; The Dairy Barn in Randolph, which is a true hidden gem of the Boston area, and has Richardson's ice cream as well as soft serve; Bedford Farms in Bedford, which some say has better ice cream than nearby Kimball's; Erikson's in Maynard, which has a fantastic ginger ice cream; and Crescent Ridge in Sharon, which gets crowded at times, but is worth the wait.
A bit further out from Boston is The Ice House, a classic ice cream stand in the beautiful town of New Castle, NH; The Docksider Restaurant in Northeast Harbor, ME, which has terrific seafood to go along with their tasty ice cream; Hallet's Store, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor on Route 6A in Yarmouth Port with a soda fountain and museum; Oxford Creamery, another classic ice cream stand, this one in Mattapoisett, near New Bedford; Mountain Mist, in Saranac Lake, NY, which is on Lake Flower, a pristine body of water high up in the Adirondacks; and, well, too many others to mention here.
Well, after all that, now I'm really craving an ice cream. Perhaps I'll hit Sullivan's on Castle Island after the Walk for Hunger on Sunday. Or maybe Peaceful Meadows in Whitman. Or....
-MH
Boston's Hidden Restaurants: A Boston Restaurant Guide
It's nice to see the days getting warmer in the Boston area. The Boston Red Sox are playing, the trees are sprouting leaves, and snow is a distant memory. And, of course, ice cream stands are opening as they do every spring in Boston and New England.
While there are literally hundreds of ice cream stands and ice cream parlors in the New England region, some are definitely better than others. One of my favorite places for an ice cream cone is Kimball Farm in Carlisle (there's also one in Westford, but the Kimball's in Carlisle is quieter, and in a more scenic location). They have a petting zoo there, a farm, and some of the tastiest ice cream in New England.
Not many ice cream stands match Kimball's, but Bubbling Brook Restaurant in Westwood comes close. Set in a pastoral area, Bubbling Brook not only has great ice cream (including soft serve), but also delicious sandwiches.
A few other top ice cream stands in the Boston area include Dairy Joy in Weston, which is truly a classic place for ice cream, complete with wooden benches outside; Richardson's in Middleton, which has outstanding ice cream, and a driving range to boot; The Dairy Barn in Randolph, which is a true hidden gem of the Boston area, and has Richardson's ice cream as well as soft serve; Bedford Farms in Bedford, which some say has better ice cream than nearby Kimball's; Erikson's in Maynard, which has a fantastic ginger ice cream; and Crescent Ridge in Sharon, which gets crowded at times, but is worth the wait.
A bit further out from Boston is The Ice House, a classic ice cream stand in the beautiful town of New Castle, NH; The Docksider Restaurant in Northeast Harbor, ME, which has terrific seafood to go along with their tasty ice cream; Hallet's Store, an old-fashioned ice cream parlor on Route 6A in Yarmouth Port with a soda fountain and museum; Oxford Creamery, another classic ice cream stand, this one in Mattapoisett, near New Bedford; Mountain Mist, in Saranac Lake, NY, which is on Lake Flower, a pristine body of water high up in the Adirondacks; and, well, too many others to mention here.
Well, after all that, now I'm really craving an ice cream. Perhaps I'll hit Sullivan's on Castle Island after the Walk for Hunger on Sunday. Or maybe Peaceful Meadows in Whitman. Or....
-MH
Boston's Hidden Restaurants: A Boston Restaurant Guide
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