Boylston Street one of the seven most exciting streets in the country
By adamg - 9/6/12 - 12:39 pm
At least, for foodies, Zagat says.
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At least, for foodies, Zagat says.
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Does the Boston Zagat editor even live here?
Boylston Street? Ick.
Other recent howlers: calling Spiga in Needham one of Boston's top-five "power lunch" places, Bangkok City near Symphony one of the city's five best Thai joints, and La Campania in Waltham one of the city's ten best restaurants.
La Campania Waltham
The food I ate there was superb. It was simply awesome.
LOL
Boylston St makes me physically and psychologically ill. The whole B.B. makes me physically and psychologically ill. My blood pressure always dramatically decreases after getting out of the B.B., especially Boylston or Newbury St.
Yep. I'd head to
Yep. I'd head to Hyde/Jackson, BHA, or Dot Ave. if I wanted good food.
Dot Ave
Is shamefully overlooked by so many people and organizations when it comes to food. If you want a "foodie" experience, start in Lower Mills and work your way to Broadway.
When you hit Broadway, take a right and check out some of the great places on West Broadway that have been springing up over the past few years.
Did that a while back
Just the other way around. Here's where I went: Sugarbowl Cafe, Shanti, Pho So, Blarney Stone, Dot2Dot, Mrs. Jones.
Dunno if that counts as a "foodie" experience, but it was interesting. What'd I miss?
How snotty! I'd never say any
How snotty! I'd never say any neighborhood in Boston makes me physically and psychologically ill. Anything else bothering you?
Of course it's exciting.
It's 19,357 miles long, and makes 15 right-angle turns.
Do people actually call
Do people actually call themselves foodies? huh.
I wouldn't call Boylston St. the dining bee's knees of Boston, but there is a little bit for everyone. Parish Cafe at Boylston and Arlington is delicious and low-key. Eastern Standard is really good when they've got their act together, otherwise it's a miss. Petit Robert is tasty yet fussy though worth it for the charming waiters. Forum, L'espalier and Towne are beautiful spaces, but of course over-priced. Back Bay Social Club is okay... didn't appreciate the bartender blaring Fox News the last time I was there. Eh. Could go on and on.
My go-to spot for lunch is Piattini on Newbury, especially if you can score an outside table. Hearty pasta dishes with fresh tasting ingredients and they don't overcharge for a glass of red wine.
Do people actually call
Indeed they do. Kind of like furries, but with more disposable income.
Quibble...
Why do you include ES and Petit Robert? A broad definition of Boylston Street, right?
I find Towne and BBSC to be completely insufferable. They do make for great dbag-watching, though. Speaking of dbags, anyone who refers to themselves as a foodie has a 99 percent chance of being one.
Included ES and Petit Robert
Included ES and Petit Robert because they are on Boylston and the article specifically mentioned Fenway restaurants on Boylston and I've eaten at both. So what?
Have you tried Parish Cafe? No pretension, just good food.
re: ER and PR on
re: ER and PR on Boylston.
Scratch that, I'm a dumbass.
Yes, Foodies live in towns that start with "W"
or border a W town. They also tend to be wineys too. They know more about wine than I have forgotten about beer.
Yeah, sure
Uhhh, sure, whatever you say....
Winthrop..?
.
Oh, Come On!
Where's Washington Street in Roslindale? The Pleasant, Brannelly's, The Pet Cabaret (if you like your meats really fresh...)
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
West Roxbury.
I think Centre St in West Roxbury is the real gem, where every restaurant has its own bank right next door for your convenience.
There was a time...
There was a time the now gentrified and generic Boylston Street actually WAS an interesting, urban area full of character and all manner of esoteric places. In the late 60s and 70s there were bookstores, record shops, clubs, you name it. And funky restaurants, back when people went in them to eat, not for a "dining experience". The all night Howard Johnson's at Boylston and Arlington (or was it Berkeley?)was great for people watching. The overnight was full of pimps, hos, transvestites (I'm not sure if "drag queen" is politically correct to say anymore), you name it. The ice cream wasn't too bad either. The way a major urban thoroughfare is supposed to be. Now it's just plain boring.
The all night Howard
Not to mention the Big Breakfast I or Big Breakfast II (or B52 as it was greasily known).
Did the HoJo's become Ken's?
I do not recall the HoJo's on Boylston but did that space become Ken's?
No
Ken's was on the opposite side of the street from HoJos and in the middle of the block, closer to Copley Square. HoJos was on the corner. The HoJos was in the bulding that later became the FAO Schwartz with the giant teddy bear in front, and is now something else. It's so boring around there now, I can't even remember what it is now.
Nothing against Boylston Street, but ...
wouldn't foodies find Inman Square, Union Square in Somerville, Centre Street in JP, or Moody Street in Waltham to be of more interest?
not to mention...
Davis Square. Central Square (to a degree). Brookline Village. Not necessarily one stretch of street but you can find a couple of decent places to eat in those areas. I think of Boylston Street as being one long stretch of TGIF-style restaurants. Once your rent goes above a certain level you have to come up with "dining concepts" as opposed to opening a good restaurant. But I suppose if you consider yourself a "foodie," then dining concepts are what you're looking for.
Good One
This is a joke right? I mean even in that, the stretch of Boylston that they focused on is ridiculous. Does exciting really means places you can overpay for your meal. I know for one, that hype-factory Sweet Cheeks is extortion at best, passing off C-grade cuts of fatty brisket off as 15 dollar bbq (thanks Food Network) and charging 10 dollars for a bowl of biscuits.
And whats all this mention of Hyde Square/JP? having lived over there, a few places bring it well but for the most part is a good MSG fix.
You could argue South End, Kendall, even Davis have a much more exciting food scene.
Davis Square? not really
I live there and love it, but I'd send serious 'foodies' to East Somerville or Union Square.
Singling out Sweet Cheeks?
I understand the general objections to Yankee barbecue -- even our best local purveyors aren't great -- but I think Sweet Cheeks does okay, especially with that brisket. (I'm not sure what an A-grade cut of brisket is: do you mean prime-grade beef? I thought BBQ was designed to tenderize and add flavor to cheap cuts of meat.)
I also think the bucket of biscuits is worth the $10. If anything, sides are the place's strong point.
But more important, if you want to slag Boylston Street, which I think richly deserves it, there are about 50 places more deserving than Sweet Cheeks.
I vote for Comm Ave/Brighton
I vote for Comm Ave/Brighton Ave in Allston.
If...
....by "exciting street" they mean "vomit encrusted." Send a foodie there and they might get the vapors! I have no problem going there, you just have to watch where you step and a high tolerance for stupidity (not the restaurants' fault).
Better choices for most exciting food street / square
Beach Street, Chinatown
Harvard Ave, Allston
Brighton Ave, Allston
Day Square, Eastie
Centre St, W. Roxbury
Centre St, JP
Central Square, Cambridge
Cambridge Street, Cambridge
Davis Square, Somerville
The HoJo's in Copley
https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/281899_367768833299528_2088758537_n.jpg