Boston may be known for its vibrant seafood scene and its authentic Italian food, but there’s so much more to the city’s culinary climate than meets the eye (or stomach).
“It’s not just seafood and Italian. There’s great Vietnamese, omakase, Peruvian and even bagels worth seeking out,” wrote The New York Times in its list of “The 25 Best Restaurants in Boston Right Now” published Monday, April 15.
The list was part of the Times’ “Where to Eat: 25 Best series” which highlights staff members’ favorite restaurants in cities across the country. The list of the best Boston restaurants is as follows:
Bagels, sandwiches and small bites
Next time you want a bagel, consider getting one from Bagelsaurus in Porter Square, which was described as a “warm circular baguette” by the Times. Cutty’s in Brookline Village was also praised for its “spectacular” sandwiches while the tasting menu at Mooncusser in Back Bay was applauded for its “global eclecticism.”
New American vibes
At Field & Vine in Union Square, diners can expect an unassuming menu of “inventiveness” with items like a “tuna crudo pounded into a 12-inch LP with candied pistachios and rhubarb vinaigrette, or potatoes deep-fried into a hash-brown brick topped with house-smoked mackerel and garlic spread,” the Times wrote.
The outlet also said the standout dish at Pammy’s in Central Square “is a luscious, smoky pasta that’s equal parts braised tripe and wavy mafaldine noodles, an incomparable bowl of squiggly goodness.”
Asian offerings
The Eaves in Union Square, Sumiao Hunan Kitchen in Kendall Square, Bánh Mì Ba Lẹ in Dorchester, Mahaniyom in Brookline Village, O Ya in Downtown Boston, Ming Seafood Restaurant in Quincy and Yume Ga Arukara in Porter Square and Seaport were all Asian-inspired spots to make the list. Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn got praise for its French-Vietnamese-Southern tasting menu, featuring items like foie gras glazed with fish-sauce caramel and a grilled cardinal prawn doused with a Viet-Cajun butter of garlic and lemongrass.
Mediterranean menus
Sarma in Winter Hill was praised for its fusion of Eastern Mediterranean and southern American cuisines as seen in items like jalapeño cornbread with feta and poutine with porcini gravy, fried halloumi curds and celery-root fries. Sofra Bakery and Cafe in Cambridge was also highlighted for its blend of Turkish, Lebanese and Greek offerings. Restaurants on the list that specialized in Italian food included Via Cannuccia in Dorchester, Tonino in Jamaica Plain and Giulia in Porter Square. Additionally Toro in the South End, which focuses on Spanish cuisine, and Bar Vlaha in Brookline, a Greek restaurant, also made the list.
Seafood specialties
The NYT’s top seafood spots around Boston included Belle Isle Seafood in Winthrop, Neptune Oyster in the North End and Row 34 in Fort Point and other locations. The outlet said the latter’s lobster rolls, while pricey, “are superlative” and that Neptune Oyster “is as much a part of Boston as tour guides in tricorn hats and ‘Go, Sawx!’” the newspaper reported.
South American and African
The beauty at Peruvian restaurant Celeste in Union Square is present in both the restaurant’s interior and food. “The clean lines of the furniture, the room lit in cobalt blue and the restaurant’s neon sign all make you feel you’re at a modern art exhibition doubling as a Peruvian restaurant,” the Times wrote. “Then the ceviche arrives in an arrangement that looks architecturally engineered.” Meanwhile the beauty at Comfort Kitchen in Dorchester is shown through its “zigzagging through countries and flavors” from Indian, Jamaican and African.
You can see what else The New York Times had to say about each restaurant here.