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Boston

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On our first night in Boston, we decided to go to Casa Romero in the Back Bay area. We heard they had some great authentic Mexican food. It took us a while to find this place because it was hidden in an alley of a residential area.

We didn’t make any reservations, but they were able to seat us right away. We got quite lucky because the restaurant was packed. The only issue that bothered us as we entered was the Host, he seemed a bit rude.

Since it was a nice day, we decided to eat outside in their patio.

Complementary tortilla chips and salsa come to the table. It’s freshly made and very delicious. You can also order a side of guacamole for $7.50.

Ceviche ($9) of Fresh Fish with Tomatoes, and Onions in a Citrus Marinated. It also have a lime and avocado on top. I enjoyed the tart taste that accompanied the dish, I just wish it had a bit more sourness to it. CanuckGirl thought this was a strange dish…so I had it all to myself!

Casa Romero’s Legendary Signature Dish – Puerco Adobado en Chipotle y Naranja ($25) has a tenderloin of Pork Marinated in Oranges and Smoked Chipotle Peppers. It also comes with a side of rice and beans. CanuckGirl loved it, but I wasn’t a big fan of the dish. It really comes down to personal preferences. The pork was nice and tender.

Overall, this restaurant was nice and pretty good ambiance for a date type of situation.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Make reservations to guarantee seats
  • A bit expensive for some dishes

We Rate Casa Romero:

Address:
30 Gloucester St
Boston, MA

Website:
http://www.casaromero.com/

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Mike’s Pastry is very famous and popular amongst tourists. I’m not exactly sure why it’s so famous, but there were tons of people lining up to get a taste of their pastries. CanuckGirl and I decided to come here for a snack because Trip Advisor told us we had to check this place out.

There are no lines here, you have to budge and shove your way to the counter to get someone to take your order. Even though there are tons of people, you can get out of here with your box of pastries quite fast.

Pistachio Cannoli ($3.50) is a traditional Italian pastry, but with bits of pistachio at both ends.

Don’t be fooled by the pictures because it is packed full of cream! It’s quite dense and will make you full. It was so rich that I could only finish half of it in one sitting. The outside shell was nice and crunchy. What I didn’t like about it was how green and artificial it looked. I had to make sure it didn’t dye my lips green.

Hazelnut Cannoli ($3.50) was similar except for the bits of hazelnuts on both ends. The flavour was similar since a majority of the cannoli was the Ricotta Cheese in the center.

Overall, it was great to try out their famous cannoli’s, but you can get quite sick of the after a while. Most people take the pastries to go. One of the servers said to CanuckGirl that it would last a few days…but I don’t think you should leave these uneaten for more than a day. The crust do eventually begin to get soggy due to the Ricotta Cheese. It’s best to eat them right away for within a few hours.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Very Touristy
  • Best to share with a friend
  • Long lines but it goes quick

We Rate Mike’s Pastry:

Address:
300 Hanover St
Boston, MA

Website:
http://www.mikespastry.com/

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CanuckGirl and I were looking for a place close to our hotel for dinner. After surfing on Urbanspoon, we decided to go to Parish Cafe. It was created by Gordon Wilcox and he had a simple concept. He approached all the famous local chefs and asked them to create a sandwich for the Parish Cafe menu.

Each Sandwich is named for the chef and the restaurant they are from. Since most of our menu items are created by other chefs, the standards are high and that’s how they have become quite popular.

On the walls, there are tons of articles about their restaurant.

On a busy weekend, it was quicker to get a table inside than sitting on the patio. 45 mins wait for the patio or a 5 min wait for inside the restaurant? Of course we chose to sit inside.

The Lumiere ($10.50) was created by Michael Leviton, the Chef/Owner of Lumiere, Newton. The sandwich is a slow-roasted pork butt sandwich on a seeded bun with a lime and green curry tartar sauce. Served with an ocean papaya salad topped with peppered peanuts.

The Schlow ($13.25) was created by Michael Schlow, the Chef/Owner of Radius & Via Matta in Boston. It s a roasted rare sirloin, sliced thin, with caramelized onions, tomato confit, arugula and a horseradish-cream sauce. Served on Tuscan wheat bread with coleslaw and mixed greens.

It was quite delicious and had a good amount of rare sirloin.

Overall, the sandwiches were great. The service was quite mediocre as the servers were always in a rush. We would signal to them that we were ready to order but they would not return. It took a while to get their attention.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Decent prices for lunch and dinner
  • Good quality food
  • Get their sandwiches!
  • Close to Arlington Station

We Rate Parish Cafe:
Address:
361 Boylston St
Boston, MA

Website:
http://www.parishcafe.com/

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Neptune Oysters is the place to go for Oysters and seafood when you are visiting Boston. Usually tourists go to the Union Oyster House for seafood, as it is the oldest restaurant in America. We chose Neptune Oyster House because it was highly talked about and MedicalGiraffe told me I had to go.

CanuckGirl and I came here after a day of sightseeing and shopping. It was around 5:30 and we put our names down. We still had to wait a little bit. Even though there are no physical lines outside the restaurant, there will be one on a piece of paper. Usually people just walk around the area and come back.

We sat at the bar area and it was fine for a group of 2 people. The servers were very nice and for some reason they were all women.

They also have a few larger tables too, if you have a big party, definitely come early as they do not take reservations.

You order all your oysters on a sheet and it comes with all the information you need. It was great having the descriptions so you know what to expect if you are an oyster noob. CanuckGirl just ordered the oysters that originated from the West Coast. Since we were near the East Coast, I decided to try the medium-sized ones.

The oysters do range in price, but they aren’t too expensive. It comes with cocktail sauce, vinaigrette, and lemons. The descriptions of the oysters are accurate and the people who shuck these oysters do a great job!

Maine Lobster Roll ($25) the lobster comes on a toasted roll with the lobster in hot butter. You can also have the lobster cold with mayo instead. Canuckgirl liked it better in its hot form with butter. The pieces of lobster were massive and worth the price. It also comes with a side of fries and ketchup. Highly recommended!

Neptune Burger ($16) has cheddar cheese, burger, fried oysters, garlic mayo and relish. It also comes with fries and ketchup on the side. You can choose the degree of wellness of your burger, I chose mine to be medium-rare and it was AMAZING.

It was a bit too big to hold with my hands, so I used the fork and knife to devour this bad boy. It was very very delicious! Probably one of the best burgers I have ever had. The oysters were lightly battered and had such a delicious taste. The burger was perfectly done and the juices that poured out of the meat was so yummy. Highly recommended!

Overall, we had a great time here. The food was great and the service was great as well. If I was to visit Boston again, I would definitely come here again!

Words of Wisdom:

  • Oysters are a must!
  • Good service
  • Long waits at peak hours
  • No reservations
  • Neptune Burger, Maine Lobster Roll and Oysters are a must!

We Rate Neptune Oyster House:

Address:
63 Salem St
Boston, MA

Website:
http://www.neptuneoyster.com/

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Regina Pizzaria is Boston’s original brick oven pizza. It’s been around in 1926, so they have a long history of serving delicious pizza. Of all their locations, I think this is one of their better ones. I guess you can’t really beat their original location right?

CanuckGirl and I decided to come here for pizza since we heard it is a must when visiting Boston. It was a game night, so it was quite busy inside. Luckily, we were able to be seated right away!

It’s not super cool or anything inside, but it gave me a bit of a bar type of vibe. We were seated near a booth and we could see the portraits of all the celebrities that have been here.

Pint of Miller Light ($2.50) was super cheap. I didn’t know what to expect, but it tasted good and was light and crisp. It definitely goes well with pizza.

Everything else comes in paper cups. I don’t know, but I found this quite odd.

We were also given paper plates too…which I found odd again. Then, they gave us metal cutlery.

#17 Pollo Regina (Small – $11.99) has grilled chicken breast, ricotta, parmesan, romano, mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and roasted vegetables. This was a really good pizza! The crust was a good thickness and it still had tons of cheese and topping sitting there. Definitely really good pizza. CanuckGirl and I just shared this as the Large size was HUGE. The small size has 6 slices.

Overall, we did have a good experience here. It’s nothing fancy, but it has a solid selection of pizza. There was a reason why they are named Boston’s Best Pizza.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Busy during game days
  • Pizza is best shared
  • Well priced menu! Cheap beer!

We Rate Regina Pizza:

Address:
11 Thacher St
Boston, MA 02113

Website:
http://www.pizzeriaregina.com/

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When visiting Boston, I knew I had to check out the Cheers Pub that was made popular by the TV show Cheers. I knew it was the ultimate tourist trap, so we decided not to get any food or drinks here. For all the die-hard fans out there, you know they didn’t film the show here. Nonetheless, they have 2 locations – one in Beacon Hill and another at Faneuil Hall.

Cheers Pub @ Beacon Hill

This location was formerly known as the Bull and Finch Pub, which opened in 1969. This location is most famous because the Cheers show used the exterior shots for the show. In 2002, it was renamed Cheers Beacon Hill.

The interior does have a replica bar. If you are a huge fan, I would recommend having a drink. If you are not a Cheers fan, just go to a normal bar for beer. They also have a gift shop and a few areas for some photo ops here. The interior was never used for filming.

Address:
84 Beacon St
Boston, MA

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Cheers Pub @ Faneuil Hall

In 2001, the Cheers in Faneuil Hall was created to capitalize on its popularity. It’s exterior is quite different from the first location and does have patio seating.

Since it’s in a tourist area, you know that there would be tourists here too. They also have a gift shop here too!

Address:
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA

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Mr. Bartley’s began in 1960’s across the Harvard courtyard serving up delicious burgers. Since then it has become a Harvard Square institution attracting visitors from around the world. They have won several awards and have been featured in various publications. Some have gone as far to say that they serve the best burgers in the United States.

There is obviously lots of hype over this place, so, when CanuckGirl and I visited Harvard, we needed a taste of it. Around noon on a Monday, there was a line going all the way outside. An old man (who may or may not be Mr. Bartley) gave us menus as we waited in line and took our older. He really hustled everyone in line and we felt that it was quite rude as the menu is quite extensive. We also found it very weird how you had to put down your order before you even got a table. When we did get a table, the server asked us for what we wanted to order. CanuckGirl and I were so confused, so we said we gave our order outside. There seems to be a bit of a coordination issue right from the beginning.

The inside is indeed busy and all the walls have different posters, pictures, and other wacky items. Most of the people who were eating here are tourists (just like us).

Guy Fieri also featured them on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. He always leave his signature logo on the walls of restaurants he visits.

Mr. Bartley’s Famous Bottled Root Beer ($1.95) Can you believe they make their own root beer?

Fresh Lemonade ($2.99) is one of their specialties. It was sour and sweet. It comes in a very large cup, so it does take a bit of effort to drink it all. It’s probably because I am not a huge fan of lemonade.

The iPhone Burger ($12.45) has boursin cheese, grilled mushrooms & onions. It comes with a side of sweet potato fries. You are able to choose how you would like your burger done! CanuckGirl decided to have her burger medium rare. It was spot on! The sweet potato fries were delicious too.

The Guy Fieri Burger ($10.15) has Muenster cheese, tomato, lettuce, red onion, and russian dressing. It comes with french fries and a pickle. There’s nothing too amazing about it. I got my burger medium well done. The fries tasted alright. I did enjoy their patties!

Overall, their specialty burgers are what lures most tourists, but whats interesting is that their regular type of burgers are way cheaper. I would recommend you to stick with their regular menu. Their burgers are definitely good, but I would not say it’s the best .

Words of Wisdom:

  • Lines long at peak hours, but seats become available quite quickly
  • Service is quite mediocre
  • Around $10 – $15 for lunch

We Rate Mr. Bartley’s:

 

Address:
1246 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA
Website:
http://www.mrbartley.com/

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Au Bon Pain is a chain of cafes that originated in Boston. The cafe can be found all around the world from Taiwan to Kuwait with over 250 locations. The idea came about at Faneuil Hall Marketplace in 1978, where founder Louis Kane wanted to bring fresh-baked goods to the people of Boston.

While I was visiting Boston, I would constantly bump into this cafe. At first glance, I would not think it originated in Boston. After Ange bugged my to try something besides Starbucks, I decided to check it out.

The interior remind me of a cafeteria. It’s layout is a little bit strange for my liking, but it’s layout is supposed to resemble a marketplace. They have an assortment of baked goods, soups and a bunch of other items.

There is also a counter to order freshly made sandwiches, wraps and salads that can be highly customized.

As I was just needing a snack, I grabbed a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant.

Cappuccino was quite bad. It was very heavy and it seemed more like a latte instead. There was barely any foam and was not representative of the calories indicated on their menu.

Chocolate Croissant was a bit disappointing too. It didn’t have a flakey texture that a croissant is supposed to have. It has powdered sugar and a chocolate drizzle on top.

On the inside, the croissant has a bread-like consistency and hollow is the center. It was quite mediocre and nothing too special. You could tell it was sitting out for a while. It might be good to heat it up in their microwave for a few seconds.

Overall, Au Bon Pain is good if you want something quick and decent. It’s not good if you have high expectations. Service is also quite mediocre.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Complementary Wifi
  • Quick and fast

We Rate Au Bon Pain:

Address:
26 Park Plz
Boston, MA

Website:
http://www.aubonpain.com/

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Quincy Market is an awesome place to check out when you are in Boston. It’s located in the Downtown area and is a few minutes from the center of Downtown. It has lots of stores and it’s a great place to EAT.

After our walking tour of the Freedom Trail, CanuckGirl and I decided to get a bite to eat. She decided to get clam chowder and I was on the hunt for a lobster. Ange kept telling me to eat lobsters, so I just had to find one without killing my wallet.

As I walked inside, I saw that Boston & Maine Fish Company was selling tons of lobsters and there was a huge line up. The lobsters looked good, but I decided to walk around the whole market to see if there was a better deal. It seems like they were the only place serving steamed lobster.

They were offering a steamed lobster with corn and butter for $17.99. It was alright, so I decided to get one.

We sat in the 2nd floor seating area. There are a few seats open during peak hours, so you really gotta keep your eyes open for a spot. You can also eat outside if it’s a nice day.

Once the lobster is chopped up it doesn’t look too big. It was probably around a pound in weight. Most of the meat is in the tail and claws. I still was full eating it all. The meat was nice and tender.

You get the whole lobster, so you have to stare at its face. Some can tolerate it, some just get scared. I tend to play with my food so I wasn’t squeamish.

After eating all of the meat in the lobsters tail and claws, it was time for the best part… THE BRAINS. I normally never eat the brains since I leave it to my mom to enjoy the fatty goodness. CanuckGirl told me to suck it out, but it don’t think it works for lobsters (it works for prawns), so I just used a fork to scoop out the brains. I took a photo because sometimes I like to be stupid.

Overall, it was a decent size for a lobster for $17.99 , but it’s the cheapest. I got it here since I didn’t want to pay $40 for a lobster at a restaurant. I got my lobster fill in Boston…and yes I even bought a lobster plushie too from a nearby store.

Words of Wisdom:

  • Decently priced lobsters
  • Very crowded on weekends
  • No free wifi, but just stand near the Starbucks in the building

We Rate Boston & Maine Fish Company:

Address:
200 Fanueil Hall Marketplace
Boston, MA

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