Pizza in the Boston Area

Everyone has their opinions on what the best pizza in Boston is, including myself. But usually the same names keep coming up, such as Santarpio's in East Boston, Pizzeria Regina in the North End of Boston, and Emma's in Cambridge. I can't argue with those places, but there are many other, lesser-known pizza places that should be at the top of the list, too (in my opinion!).

Having said that, here is my ever-changing top 10 list of pizza places in the Boston area (in no particular order)

Santarpio's
Pizzeria Regina
Emma's
The Paddock, Somerville
Lynwood Cafe, Randolph
Woody's, Boston (Fens)
Galleria Umberto, Boston (North End)
New London Pizza, Concord
Spruce Pond Creamery, Franklin
Tripoli. Lawrence

Actually, Santarpio's may just be at the top of my list (with all due respect to Regina's). The blog entry from Seven Hills Seven Hills: And Then There's Santarpio's is a great place to read about Santarp's if you are interested in more info on the place.

There are many, many more out there that are excellent, but I'm starting to get hungry from all this pizza talk, so I gotta go!

-MH

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

Hidden Restaurants in New York City

As many of you know, the site that I work on has a New York restaurants page that gets up to 100 viewers a day. It is broken down into top hidden New York restaurants and top popular New york restaurants. Of course, since Manhattan has thousands of restaurants lining its streets, these lists are pretty random, though all those that are listed are very good to excellent dining spots.

I would love to hear about some more restaurants in New York City, especially hidden jewels in Manhattan that are great restaurants that tourists don't really know about. If you have any favorites, let me know. I'd love to get to some of them the next time I am in the Big Apple (sometime this summer).

-MH

Morin's Bar and Grille in Attleboro, MA -- A Decent Restaurant South of Boston

A group of us went to Morin's Bar and Grille in Attleboro for Father's Day yesterday. It's a very large restaurant in what looks like an old factory building in the center of Attleboro. They have a section that looks like a diner, another section that is a bar area (complete with a pool table) and other sections that cater to family dining.

Our meals were very good, for the most part. My flatbread pizza was not quite up to par (very doughy), but the seafood dishes that others got were excellent, as was the turkey club. Salads, soups, and desserts were all very good.

I'm not sure I'd go back to Morin's, mainly since it is quite far from where I live, but if you are in the area, it might be worth checking out. The atmosphere is perhaps its best quality--they definitely don't make buildings like that anymore!

-MH

Boston's Hidden Restaurants: A Boston Restaurant Guide

Middle Eastern Restaurants -- One Gone, and One Still Around (and Outstanding)

Yesterday I heard that Sepal, one of my favorite Middle Eastern restaurants, closed their original Watertown restaurant. They still have one in the MIT student center in Cambridge, but I believe they aren't open for dinner (not yet, anyways), and it's a bit inconvenient for me to get to.

I was very sad to hear this news, as Sepal had some terrific Middle Eastern cuisine, including some of the best falafel I have had anywhere.

With Middle Eastern food on my mind, we went to Rami's in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, and had an excellent meal. In fact, I would say that the food was generally better than the food from Sepal. The falafel, in particular, was amazing; perhaps the best I have had anywhere.

It is too bad that Sepal closed their doors in Watertown, but at least there are still a few good Middle Eastern restaurants left in the Boston area. And Rami's is surely one of them.

-MH

Just Got Back from San Diego

I just got back from San Diego, and once again, it was a great time. The weather was perfect, the people were friendly, and the restaurants were mostly very good. Some of the standout restaurants that I went to were Borrelli's in Encinitas (Italian food), Las Olas in Cardiff-by-the-Sea (Mexican food), Nattiya's in San Marcos (Thai cuisine), Pipes Cafe in Cardiff-by the Sea, and the Tea Pavillion in the Japanese Friendship Garden within Balboa Park, San Diego.

I also got one of those amazing Julian pies at a market in Encinitas, and had several donuts from VG Donuts and Bakery in Cardiff. Too many calories, too much sweets, but boy the pie and donuts were good!

Need Restaurant Recommendations for San Diego

I may be going on another trip to San Diego (or possibly two trips to San Diego) this summer. I've been there many times, but am always looking for new restaurants to check out. Some of my favorites include Bahia Don Bravo in La Jolla, Hodad's in Ocean Beach, Fidel's in Solana Beach, Point Loma Seafoods in the Point Loma section of San Diego, and the Coyote Cafe in the Old Town section of San Diego.

I really want to find some top Mexican restaurants when I go (in addition to the ones mentioned above). If anyone out there has a favorite Mexican restaurant, or any restaurant for that matter, in San Diego and the surrounding area, let me know. Thanks!