Here in New England, we are about as north of the border as you can get without dealing with yet another border. That is why it is such a relief to find authentic Mexican ‘round these parts.
Tucked just off restaurant-laden Cambridge Street is one such place.
Owned by the well-connected (in a good way) and passionate paisan Nick Varano (who recently opened Nick Varano’s Famous Deli right around the corner on Cross Street, to go along with his already popular Strega and the recently re-owned Marina Bay Beach Club in Quincy), Nico Ristorante offers “uncompromising Italian cuisine” courtesy of Sicilian-born chef Salvatore Firicano, who came over with Varano from Strega to expand his edible empire.
Though the folks on the North Shore may be at an advantage when it comes to knowing where the best deli sandwiches this side of New York are, Boston and vicinity has had time to catch up. And judging from the regular stream of regulars who come into Michael’s Deli in Brookline ever day, they are doing their best to keep up on an almost daily basis!
Time was when refined men (and women) could gather at the dining club to enjoy a meal and each others company.
And while the golden age of dinner clubs may have gone the way of attentive customer service, it is good to know that both are still available in certain locales.
One of those is the Metropolitan Club in Chestnut Hill.
Michael T. “Nuf Ced” McGreevy was the founder of Boston’s legendary Royal Rooters and godfather of Red Sox Nation. For thousands of fans, his Third Base saloon was literally “the last place before home.” No matter whether the Boston Americans (as they were known when America’s first “sports bar” was originally established in 1894) won or lost (as they often did), fans and foes were equally welcome at this more fan-friendly bar. And if any trouble or shenanigans broke out (as they often did), the owner would earn his own nickname by lawing down Boston law with a hardy “Nuf Ced.”
Today, fans of the AL East’s most storied team still gather at McGreevy’s both before and after games and also before and after work and other life-sustaining events.
There are some eateries that are so welcoming and comfortable, you feel like you are on a first-name basis.
Johnny’s Luncheonette is one such place!
There are two truisms of restaurants – A chain is never as good as a stand-alone and nothing that good ever lasts.
Leave it to the industrious people of the East to prove both wrong!
A few blocks off the beaten path in a garden level location that makes it perfect for a quiet dinner or a “secret” rendezvous is the warm glow of Gaslight. Helmed by Chef Christopher Robins, this subtly glamorous bistro mixes warm woods with cool marble, high ceilings and low murmurs, monochromatic staff uniforms with colorful personalities and some of the most complementary cuisine combinations in town.
As more and more steakhouse chains join the fray in Boston, a few stand out for having stood by their principals and their quality for a long time and for being more neighborhoody than national.
At a well-aged but never old-fashioned 12 years old, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has been one such venue.
Wrapped in majestic golds and crimsons reminiscent of the robes worn by Cambodian monks, The Elephant Walk has been offering its neighbors choices that are just a bit off the beaten path for over 10 years. Once the home of a local bank, the Walk has survived a gutting fire and now once again stands proudly on the corner of Beacon Street and Park Drive. And though it may be just over the border in Boston, with its combination of French, Cambodian, and Continental selections, the Walk is well worth…well, the walk!