The city of Boston, Massachusetts has over 12 million visitors each year. Boston has nearly 600,000 residents, several world renowned hospitals and companies and a very rich historical background. One of Boston’s most famous resident’s was Julia Child, who encouraged a boom in the culinary industry. Due to this, incredible restaurants featuring a range of cuisines and price points are available throughout Boston.
Somerville
Located on Beacon Street, diners will feel like they have left Boston and been relocated to Barcelona when they step foot into Dalí Restaurant & Tapas Bar. This Spanish tapas bar is perfectly decorated to create a romantic atmosphere. There is jewelry hanging from the ceilings and the tables are artistically tiled. As would be expected from any top notch tapas bar, the sangria is heavenly. The menu lists dozens of choices of excellently crafted Spanish cuisine. In addition to the tapas, Dali serves entrée size plates, with the favorite being fish baked in salt and paella. If ordering the paella, go with the Valenciana.
Cambridge
The Helmand, an Afghani restaurant, received two out of three stars from Frommer’s. The Afghani food at The Helmand contains Middle East, Asian and Mediterranean flavors. The ambiance in The Helmand is warm and dimly lit, excellent for a romantic evening or night out in a small group. The food at The Helmand is exotically seasoned and only contains the freshest of ingredients. Many dishes at The Helmand are vegetarian but there are several meats that truly standout. Some of the best food at The Helmand includes the baked pumpkin appetizer and the Kourma challow entree, which is lamb, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and green beans on a bed of flavorful cumin scented rice.
Wellesley
In the Boston suburb of Wellesley, at Washington Street and Church Street, eaters will find the amazing east-west restaurant of Blue Ginger. This restaurant, backed by Chef Ming Tsai, received several Best of Boston awards from Boston Magazine, including awards for Best Restaurant and General Excellence. Blue Ginger has an upscale yet casual atmosphere that serves Asian style tapas. Blue Ginger interior includes an open kitchen, where guests can enjoy watching the chefs prepare dishes. This eco-friendly restaurant makes all breads, crackers, ice cream and desserts in house. Recommended menu items include the Hawaiian Bigeye Tuna Poke appetizer and the Sake-Miso Marinated Alaskan Butterfish entrée.
Chinatown
In a city that is located right along the Atlantic Ocean, diners know to expect good seafood. East Ocean City, located on Beach Street in Chinatown, serves up award winning fare. East Ocean City received four out of five stars from the urbanspoon.com. This restaurant opened its doors in 1991 and has over 600 pounds of fresh seafood delivered to its kitchen daily. The fare at East Ocean City is Chinese and the quality of the seafood is top notch. Diners can visualize the live seafood in tanks at the front of the restaurant. The best dishes on the menu include the steamed mussels, shrimp with salt and pepper, and the clams in black bean sauce.