[ Cheers - Beacon Hill | Capital Grille ]
[ Kingfish Hall | Meritage | Mistral | No. 9 Park | Radius | Russell House Tavern ]
[ Sel de la Terre | Sonsie | The Summer Shack | Union Oyster House ]

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Cheers - Beacon Hill

Known for years as the Bull & Finch Pub, and always one of Boston's biggest attractions since its televised namesake drew "Cheers" from millions of viewers more than 20 years earlier, diners will find friendly service and some basic grub served just the way its regulars would have loved it. Menu highlights include "Sam Starter's," "Frasier's Favorites," "eNORMous Burgers," and "Diane's Desserts," all featuring traditional pub food with a slight Bostonian accent. Cheers features an award-winning Bloody Marys and a variety of draft beers. When there's a wait, stop by the neighboring gift shop and catch an episode or two on the set while sorting through the vastness of shirts, shorts and souvenirs, and anything else they could slap the logo on.

Cheers - Beacon Hill
84 Beacon St.
(617) 227-9605
www.cheersboston.com

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Capital Grille

Big, bold and slightly old world, Capital Grille is a steak house for the ages with a rich decor, white-jacketed waiters, a healthy-sized single-malt Scotch list, and a prodigious wine list including one entire category given over to "interesting reds." Drawing most attention are the thick porterhouse steaks and juicy filets unlike any you've seen in a long time, not to mention the North Atlantic lobsters and seafood. Order carefully. Food here is really big and ordering too many separates -- creamed spinach, cottage fries and garlic mashers -- may leave you unable to do justice to any. For dessert, don't miss the cheesecake with giant strawberries. Even if you don't smoke, it's the kind of meal you'll want to top off with a cigar.

Capital Grille
359 Newbury St.
(617) 262-8900
www.thecapitalgrille.com

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Kingfish Hall

Located in historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace and in the middle of all the action, Todd English has done it again as he serves Boston’s visitors and locals alike in his comfortably elegant Kingfish Hall. The South Market Building glows with authentic charm. Expect fish, fish and more fish on the inventive menu. The raw bar includes a nice selection of oysters and diners can also enjoy plenty of peel-and-eat shrimp. Notice the striking whole fish rotisserie and be sure to sample the house special Kingfish Hall Clam Chowder, a delectable concoction of smoked bacon, leeks, potatoes, and chopped clams. Classic crispy lobster and a Thai inspired bouillabaisse are tempting. If dinner is not an option, try the brunch where shrimp scampi frittatas and crab cakes Benedict are on the menu.

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Meritage

One of the city's prettiest views is found at the Meritage Restaurant overlooking the waterfront in the Boston Harbor Hotel. The interior is world-class, featuring glittering decor and lush furnishings wrought of only the highest quality earthly elements. On the menu, chef Daniel Bruce's dedication is showcased in thoughtfully prepared dishes offered within a seasonally changing menu of wine-friendly food using locally available ingredients and imported specialty items. Such would include the New York State Foie Gras, Nantucket Scallops and Vermont Pheasant to name but a few. Try the sauteed Block Island Swordfish with a light white, or Italian plum glazed New Brunswick Salmon with a fruity red.

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Mistral

Mistral was one of the first fine dining establishments to make gourmands sit up and pay attention to Boston as a culinary city when it opened in 1997. Located in the city's stylish South End, this gorgeous restaurant continues to draw adoring crowds. Taste the food and you'll know why. A casual bistro in the front section serves sandwiches and pizzas while the back opens into a dynamic dining room featuring the French Mediterranean dishes of chef Jamie Mammano. Confit of duck with foie gras served in brioche with dried cherries and roasted halibut with shrimp and corn succotash are samplings of a very creative menu. Elegant and romantic, this restaurant serves notice that as a city Boston is a culinary force here to stay.

Mistral
223 Columbus Ave.
(617) 867-9300
www.mistralbistro.com

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No. 9 Park

Barbara Lynch has been receiving almost universal acclaim from food magazines for her casually elegant 1940's style townhouse restaurant, which sits near the State House on Beacon Hill. No. 9 Park serves distinctly European fare with fusions of Northern Italian and Southern French. Steak tartare, pizettes and tagilatelle in a Tuscan meat sauce are among menu items garnering attention. The poached pear in Gewurztraminer was once nominated for the city's best dessert. You'll need to reserve well in advance to get a table here where the trendy meet to eat and drink.

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Radius

A recipient of numerous "Best of Boston" awards, Radius is an imaginative French bistro with a Japanese minimalist decor located in the heart of the financial district. Gothic hand-painted silver gray ceilings and taupe-colored furniture lend a cool, contemporary ambience. Even the waiters are stylish in slick gray uniforms. Entrees to steal your heart include wolf fish and chanterelles, and torchon of French foie gras served on mango. Chef/Owner Michael Schlow likes to mix ingredients with an artist's touch. As tasty as the food are the plates, beautifully presented and colorfully arranged. An expensive experience, but one of Boston's finest.

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Russell House Tavern

If you slip over to Cambridge to check out the excellent museums that are part of the Harvard tradition, you can just as easily slip into the Russell House Tavern, a high-end, yet unpretentious gastro-pub that has garnered great reviews since it opened last summer. The bar scene in this largish restaurant is friendly, yet sophisticated, as the bartenders serve inventive cocktails. Choices include inventive small plates, a tasty burger, thin-crust pizza, steaks, and fish. The lure here is the unexpected as created by chef Michael Scelfo, in what has become a neighborhood tradition in a very short time.

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Sel de la Terre

Yet another one of Boston's gourmet chefs has downscaled to great success. Frank McClelland, best known for the very chic L'Espalier, opened Sel de la Terre with his former sous chef, Geoff Gardner. This casual, sunny Provencal bistro, located right on the waterfront not far from the aquarium, offers a light menu with bistro-like options including potato leek soup and chopped salad, grilled swordfish and braised rabbit. Not to be missed are the homemade breads served both in the restaurant and at the adjacent boulangerie which opens at 7 a.m. for early risers. Very affordable, the prices are nearly as good as the food.

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Sonsie

Sonsie is the perfect place to begin your morning. What could be finer than to sit at the open air, streetside cafe with a huge mug of java and some wonderful pastries watching the world pass by? And, on Newbury Street, there's a lot of world passing by. Stay for lunch or dinner and sit inside the French-styled salon with its colorful dining room and glass front vantage to the action outside. Award-winning chef and owner Bill Poirier serves up a multi-national daily menu that includes thin crust pizzas from the brick oven, truffled ravioli and crab cakes. The desserts are perfect comfort foods. And as the day turns to night, relax with a martini and enjoy the music reflective of the restaurant's European ambience.

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The Summer Shack

The Summer Shack is a casual fish joint in Cambridge run by renowned Boston chef Jasper White. Without a shred of formality, the 'Shack sports paper tablecloths and picnic table-seating in an enormous 300-seat room with a cacophonous noise level. Seafood is prepared any way you like it. Corn dogs, baked beans and slaw are crowd pleasers for adults and children. A 1,500-gallon lobster tank in the middle of the dining room sets the decor along with an open viewing fish cutting room. Moderately-priced, come expecting huge waits.

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Union Oyster House

Before John Kennedy was president he and his cronies would visit the Union Oyster House, located on the Freedom Trail near Faneuil Hall, every Sunday for the seafood and clam chowder. America's oldest restaurant, established in 1826, is a ramshackle of rooms filled to the brim with bits of history including furniture, photographs, pictures, and art depicting the history of Boston. Very New England, the Yankee-style seafood and shore dinners are casual and a little on the heavy side, but also tasty and reasonably priced. Oysters on the half shell are a long time favorite along with the Boston scrod. To really follow in his footsteps, you'll have to request the Kennedy booth. Marked with a plaque, it's the busiest table in the place.

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