Restaurants

Friends tell me I'm too tough, that a so-so meal at a particular restaurant shouldn't automatically exclude it from Frommer's coverage. They want me to give their favorite neighborhood place another chance.

I think I'm not tough enough. My friends and I live here, and we can easily try that disappointing restaurant again. You're here for just a few days, and you probably don't have the time -- or inclination or budget -- for many second chances.

That's not to say that every restaurant gets high marks for every aspect of every meal. If the space isn't the loveliest, the service isn't the greatest, or (rarely) the food is less impressive than some other element of the experience, I'll point that out.

The guiding thought, without regard to price, was, "If this were your only meal in Boston, would you be delighted with it?" At all of the restaurants that follow, the answer, for one reason or another, is yes.

Time Is Money -- Lunch is an excellent, economical way to check out a fancy restaurant without breaking the bank. At restaurants that take reservations, it's always a good idea to make them, particularly for dinner. (To make reservations at any hour, visit www.opentable.com, which handles many local restaurants.) Boston-area restaurants are far less busy early in the week than they are Friday through Sunday. If you're flexible about when you indulge in fine cuisine and when you go for pizza and a movie, choose the low-budget option on the weekend and pamper yourself on a weeknight.

Boston Restaurant Weeks -- During Boston Restaurant Week, dozens of terrific spots serve a three-course prix-fixe lunch for the decimal equivalent of the year -- in 2009, $20.09 -- and many offer dinner for just $10 more. The third week of August was the original Restaurant Week; it's now 2 weeks, as is the March incarnation. I find the latter less enjoyable because late winter's seasonal ingredients are, to put it nicely, dull, but the price is right. Popular places book up quickly, so plan accordingly. The Convention & Visitors Bureau (tel. 888/SEE-BOSTON; www.bostonusa.com) lists names of participating restaurants and individual numbers to call for reservations. Ask whether the menu is set yet, and seek out restaurants that really get into the spirit by offering more than just a couple of choices for each course. If you don't, you're going to experience more chicken, salmon, and begrudging service than anyone deserves.

Breakfast & Sunday Brunch

Several top hotels serve Sunday brunch buffets of monstrous proportions -- outrageous displays that are outrageously expensive. They're worth the investment for a special occasion, but you can have a less incapacitating experience for considerably less money.

My top choice is in Cambridge: the S&S Restaurant, a family-run operation that never sends anyone away hungry. In Boston, Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe, 429 Columbus Ave. (tel. 617/536-7669), is a longtime South End favorite not far from the Back Bay -- just the right distance to walk off some blueberry-waffle calories -- that's closed Sunday and doesn't accept credit cards. The Paramount, 44 Charles St., Beacon Hill (tel. 617/720-1152; www.paramountboston.com), is a classic destination for eggs and a glimpse of the real community behind the neighborhood's red-brick facade. At the Centre Street Café, 669 Centre St., Jamaica Plain (tel. 617/524-9217; www.centrestcafe.com), locals tough out long weekend waits for strong coffee and delicious specials made (when possible) with local and organic ingredients.

My favorite hotel buffet brunch is the manageable spread at Intrigue, in the Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf (tel. 617/856-7744), served on weekends from 7 to 11:30am. It costs $25 for adults, $13 for children -- a steal compared to the big boys. For them, make reservations (especially on holidays) but do not make elaborate dinner plans. Aujourd'hui, in the Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St. (tel. 617/351-2037), charges $65 for adults, $32.50 for children; at Café Fleuri, in the Langham Hotel Boston, 250 Franklin St. (tel. 617/956-8751), adults pay $50, children $18.

The Great Outdoors: Alfresco Dining

Cambridge is a better destination for outdoor dining than Boston, where an alarming number of tables sit unpleasantly close to busy traffic, but both cities offer agreeable spots to lounge under the sun or stars.

Across the street from the Charles River near Kendall Square, the Sail Loft, 1 Memorial Dr. (tel. 617/225-2222), opens onto a leafy plaza that usually picks up a breeze from the water. Both restaurant patios at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, 5 Cambridge Pkwy. (tel. 617/491-3600), have great views. The hotel's Gallery Café is casual; Marco's is fancier. On one of Harvard Square's main drags, Shay's Pub & Wine Bar, 58 John F. Kennedy St. (tel. 617/864-9161), has a small, lively seating area. More peaceful are the patios at Henrietta's Table and Oleana.

On the other side of the river, try the airy terrace at Miel (tel. 617/217-5151), in the InterContinental Boston hotel, which overlooks Fort Point Channel. Most bars and restaurants in Faneuil Hall Marketplace offer outdoor seating and great people-watching. In the Back Bay, Newbury Street is similarly diverting; a good vantage point is Stephanie's on Newbury, 190 Newbury St. (tel. 617/236-0990). A popular shopping stop and after-work hangout is the Parish Café and Bar, 361 Boylston St. (tel. 617/247-4777), where the sandwich menu is a "greatest hits" roster of top local chefs' creations. A laid-back alternative in this area is the hideaway garden at Casa Romero.

Where's the Beef?

Say "Boston," think "seafood," right? Apparently not. Branches of most of the national steakhouse chains dot the city, and they're all at the top of their game -- a rising tide lifts all boats, as the seafood folks say.

The local favorites are Grill 23 & Bar; the Oak Room, in the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, 138 St. James Ave. (tel. 617/267-5300; www.theoakroom.com); and Abe & Louie's, 793 Boylston St. (tel. 617/536-6300; www.abeandlouies.com). Devotees of the national chains can choose from the Palm, in the Westin Copley Place Boston, 200 Dartmouth St. (tel. 617/867-9292; www.thepalm.com); the Capital Grille, 359 Newbury St. (tel. 617/262-8900; www.thecapitalgrille.com); Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, 217 Stuart St. (tel. 617/292-0808; www.flemingssteakhouse.com); Morton's of Chicago (www.mortons.com), 1 Exeter Plaza, Boylston Street at Exeter Street (tel. 617/266-5858), and World Trade Center East, 2 Seaport Lane (tel. 617/526-0410); Ruth's Chris Steak House (tel. 800/544-0808; www.ruthschris.com), in Old City Hall, 45 School St.; and Smith & Wollensky, 101 Arlington St. (tel. 617/432-1112; www.smithandwollensky.com).

Boston Tea Party, Part 2

In Boston, the only city that has a tea party named after it, the tradition of afternoon tea at a posh hotel is alive and well. At all of them, reservations are strongly recommended; at the Bristol and Taj Boston, they're pretty much mandatory.

The best afternoon tea in town is at the Bristol in the Four Seasons Hotel, 200 Boylston St. (tel. 617/351-2037). The gorgeous room, lovely view, and courtly ritual elevate scones, pastries, tea sandwiches, and nut bread from delicious to unforgettable. The Bristol serves tea ($28) every day from 3 to 4:30pm. My second choice is a bit of a sleeper: Intrigue, in the Boston Harbor Hotel, Rowes Wharf (tel. 617/856-7744), serves tea daily from 2:30 to 4pm in an elegant space that faces the harbor. It's just $18.50 per person, $26 if you add a glass of Champagne.

The Langham, Boston, 250 Franklin St. (tel. 617/956-8751), serves afternoon tea daily from 3 to 4:30pm. The chain's flagship is in London, and as you'd expect, this is a proper British experience. The price is $18, $24, or $36 per person, plus $2 to $5 for premium teas. Taj Boston, 15 Arlington St. (tel. 617/598-5255), serves tea in the celebrated Lounge at 2 and 4pm; it's available Wednesday through Sunday in the winter, Friday through Sunday the rest of the year. The price is $22 for tea and pastries, $30 to add sandwiches.

It's neither a hotel nor in Boston, but beloved Cambridge restaurant Upstairs on the Square makes a wonderful destination. Zebra Tea ($25) is a three-tiered wonder that lets the inventive kitchen cut loose on a small scale. Food and drinks are also available a la carte, and the Grand Peppermint Tea ($18) combines minty sweets and a pot of the headliner. Tea is served Friday and Saturday (Thurs-Sun in Dec) from 3 to 5pm.

Quick Bites & Picnic Provisions

Takeout food particularly appeals to two kinds of out-of-towners: eat-and-run sightseers and picnickers looking to take advantage of the acres of waterfront property in Boston and Cambridge. Here are some suggestions.

If you're walking the Freedom Trail, pick up food at Faneuil Hall Marketplace and stake out a bench. Or buy a tasty sandwich in the North End at Volle Nolle, 351 Hanover St. (tel. 617/523-0003), or Il Panino Express, 266 Hanover St. (tel. 617/720-5720), and stroll down Fleet or Richmond streets toward the harbor. Eat at the park on Sargent's Wharf, behind 2 Atlantic Ave., or in Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park, overlooking the marina (which is also an option if you stocked up at Faneuil Hall Marketplace).

Two neighborhoods abut the Charles River Esplanade, a great destination for a picnic, concert, or movie. In the Back Bay, stop at Trader Joe's, 899 Boylston St. (tel. 617/262-6505), for prepared food, or Spike's Junkyard Dogs, 1076 Boylston St. (tel. 617/266-0909), for some of the tastiest hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and "poodle" (curly) fries around. At the foot of Beacon Hill, pick up all you need for a do-it-yourself feast at Savenor's Market, 160 Charles St. (tel. 617/723-6328). Or call ahead for pizza from the original location of the Upper Crust chain, 20 Charles St. ([tel 617/723-9600), or Figs, 42 Charles St. (tel. 617/742-3447), a minuscule pizzeria that's an offshoot of the celebrated Olives. The upscale fare at these places isn't cheap, but avoiding the lines is worth the price -- as is the delectable pizza.

On the Cambridge side of the river, Harvard Square is close enough to the water to allow a riverside repast. About 5 minutes from the heart of the Square and well worth the walk, Darwin's Ltd., 148 Mount Auburn St. (tel. 617/354-5233; www.darwinsltd.com), serves excellent gourmet sandwiches and salads. Take yours to John F. Kennedy Park, on Memorial Drive and Kennedy Street, or right to the riverbank, a block away. Nowhere near the Charles, there's a branch at 1629 Cambridge St. (tel. 617/491-2999), in Inman Square.