in Waltham, Naked Fish is good.
a great bakery/sandwich place is Destefano BakeryHello Massachusetts,
I would like to write about the best food in Boston (and surrounding areas - I will be staying Waltham) for my blog, "Food Porn".
Do you have a suggestion for the best pie, steak, coffee, wine, etc? Maybe you know of a local event to see? The lay of the land is completely foreign to me, so forgive any ignorance on my end. Thank you.
In Cambridge, right in Harvard Square, is Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage.
http://www.mrbartley.com/mrbartleys-home.html
A true hole-in-the-wall, noisey, packed - but the best burgers in the world.
Pat J
I agree!! Nothing comes close, I had the $27.00 burger at the four seasons that everyone raves about and all I could think was barltleys is so much better ! Sweet potatoe fries and chunky monkey frappe complete the 2 million calorie lunch.
Golden temple or sue changs for Chinese get my vote
MOST AWESOME BURGERS IN BOSTON: Eagle's Deli in Cleveland Circle Brighton (near Boston College, take Green C Line to the end going towards Brighton, its right across the street). You can have double, triple, quadrpuple, up to twelve juicy, flavorful half pound patties between the rolls. Get a burger named after you if you can finish the biggest burger on the menu with a pound of fries and a drink in under an hour. Their Kitchen Sink omlette on their breakfast menu is also killer!
Golden temple or sue changs for Chinese get my vote
bartleys is best
great onion rings too
and Copley Place.
They also make a dynamite martini.
Get there early because it is small and it gets packed.
For best modern Italian, I vote for Sorellina's at one Huntington Ave.
But WOW for the beef tenderloin there as well! Can't wait til fall!
xoxo.
Steph
-- Modified on 7/28/2013 4:40:55 PM
Depends on how you like your sushi - I actually prefer Snappy's on Newbury, where the old TeaLuxe used to be. I don't usually drink there, though, so I have no opinions on their martinis
Best margaritas *hands down* are at Lolita's on Dartmouth 
They serve pitchers!
I do still like the Middle East (it's in Cambridge, does that count?) but my favorite club-in-a-basement is Lucky's Lounge on Congress.
Best burger : JM Curley
Best seafood: Neptune oyster bar
Best sushi: no contender, hands down O YA. Nothing even close
Best fine dining : Craige on Main
Best pizza : traditional pizzeria Regina and galleria umburto, modern Picco
Best Italian : Rialto
Best restaurant : Oleana
Best hot dog: Speeds
Best drinks: drink (recently named best bar in the world at world's largest cocktail convention)
Best tapas: Toro
Best Ramen: Sapporo Ramen
Most innovative: Clio
Best bakery : toss up between clear flour and high rise
Best ice cream : picco and christina's
Best spice shop: Christina's
Best cheese shop: fromaggio (possibly the best in the US, two locations, one in the south end and he original in Cambridge.
If you can the original is mind blowing)
Best coffee: South End Buttery
Best old school Boston: Charlie's sandwich shop, not the same as the burger place.
Best wine selection: troque
Santarpio's east Boston original has surpassed Regina's ( very disappointing quality at the original ) antico forgo better local pizza in he north end but Bianchis on revere beach if you don't mind the line is also a great choice
This is a little Italian place in the Financial District only open for lunch --- sofa king good. Great sandwiches!
CHINESE No contest CK Shanghai on Rte 16 not far from where you are staying....GREAT FOOD near the Rte 16 exit of Rte 95 enjoy
in Waltham, Naked Fish is good.
a great bakery/sandwich place is Destefano Bakery
no no, try the tenderloin medalions next time, omg i would never order a burger ther, they have such better options,. i just would never choose a burger at aplace that has gourmet cuisine . just me.
omg, that's worse than orderin pasta fa su at billy tse. good lord escalade am i gonna hav to come over their n smack you?? xoxoxo its ok u r a white bread American boy. next time try some authentic Italian fare when at strega. save the burger order for mcormick n shmidts. with a beer or me a martini,
Best spoken word/open mic/poetry slam-
http://lizardloungeclub.com/
Best place to see small-time indy/punk bands-
http://www.mideastclub.com/downstairs.html
Best place to buy unique clothes and accesories-
http://www.garment-district.com/
Best place to buy fetish wear and high-end sex toys-
http://www.hubbahubba.com/
Best lawn and garden store-
http://www.pembertonfarms.com/retailstores
Best boutique featuring vintage, quirky, and hand-made items-
http://www.raspberryberet.us/home.htm
Skeligs on moody st waltham,steak is awesome
I dined there a few years ago and had a GREAT steak! Only thing I would change is NOT going on a Saturday night, WAY too crowded to even hear myself think much less what my date was saying. Loved it though.
Steph
It was sold to a big national group and Charlie sarkis is no longer involved and the quality has suffered due to profits taking priority over service and content. Other restaurants his group owned have also gone down IMHO
So WHERE is the best place for a great steak that's not a franchise or chain? I love Ruth's Chris but I can get that in NC!
thirsty scholar in cambridge
I would like to write about the best food in Boston (and surrounding areas - I will be staying Waltham) for my blog, "Food Porn".
Do you have a suggestion for the best pie, steak, coffee, wine, etc? Maybe you know of a local event to see? The lay of the land is completely foreign to me, so forgive any ignorance on my end. Thank you.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Tasty Burger, next to Fenway. Not the 'best burger' by any stretch, but a fun experience. Check out the Pulp Fiction murals and references inside!
Since you're in Waltham, all these places in the city might be hard to try... but really, all the good stuff is Downtown or in Cambridge. It's unavoidable!
Some favorites, mostly centered around South Station / Chinatown, with some non-standard categories:
- Best hot pot: Shabu Zen in Chinatown, for Japanese Hot Pot
http://www.yelp.com/biz/shabu-zen-boston
- Best dumplings: Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown
http://www.yelp.com/biz/gourmet-dumpling-house-boston (Limited seating, crowded, they don't take credit cards!)
- Best 'realistic' wine selection: Les Zygomates, French wine bar / bistro / live jazz
http://www.yelp.com/biz/les-zygomates-boston
- Best breakfast for lunch/dinner: South Street Diner
http://www.yelp.com/biz/south-street-diner-boston
- Best Mexican: Papagayo
http://www.yelp.com/biz/papagayo-boston-3
- Best Ethiopian: Addis Red Sea (Tremont)
http://www.yelp.com/biz/addis-red-sea-boston
- Best cocktails: Drink
http://www.yelp.com/biz/drink-boston
- Best BBQ for lunch: Red Bones in Somerville
http://www.yelp.com/biz/redbones-somerville
The trick is to get the lunch special combo, a heaping helping of whatever they have around. I'm pretty sure I found some baby in here once, and it was delicious.
As I said, most of the really good stuff is in Boston and Cambridge... Good luck!
Honorable mentions for just awesome stuff: Mooo, East Coast Grill (on HELL NIGHT! Or the night they roast a whole pig), Barracuda for dive-bar-with-surprisingly-good-seafood
In no world, not even bizarro, would papagayo be best Mexican. None. Never. No..
Angela's Cafe in East Boston.
Tu y yo in Somerville is raved about by my Sinaloa mamasita, I am a novice at Mexican but she says it número UNO. El Phoenix room in Brighton on comm ave used win best of every year but I can't tell Taco Bell from good Mexican
Angela's Cafe in East Boston.
Sam LaGrassa's downtown. Can't beat their combo sandwich.
I love it! Thank you so much.