Boston Magazine recently announced its
50 restaurant picks of the year.
A bit of a misnomer: There are
51 restaurants in the list. (Perhaps a bakers' definition?) But I'm not complaining; even limiting my personal favorites of the year to 51 is a challenge.
I've put them in alphabetical order and provided the corresponding links to their respective pages on
urbanspoon for your hungry, analytic pleasure. There you can
be my friend, upload your
snapshots, compile an eating
wishlist and generally OD on restaurant wisdom.
What do you think of the list? Anyone missing? Anyone overblown? I noticed one category oddly missing: cafes, bakeries and general chillax-ish restaurants. The list contains inexpensive and casual picks, from sports bars to late-night dives to all-out brunch, so it's not a price thing. The plot (and my latte) thickens.
Asana
The Heights: When the occasion calls for excess
The Beehive
Great for: Girls' night out
Bistro du Midi
Great for: Mom and Dad's Big night out
Clink
Daily Dish: Friday
Clio
Old Faithfuls: The Fine-Dining Fail-Safe
Coda
Great for: A belly-busting bar-gain
Coppa
Great for: Dinner with New York food snobs
Craigie on Main
The Heights: When the occasion calls for excess
East Coast Grill
Old Faithfuls: The Good-Time Go-To
Eastern Standard
Hot Seats
Erbaluce
Great for: A hush-hush birthday
Evoo
Daily Dish: Thursday
Franklin Cafe
Great for: A first date
The Friendly Toast
Great for: Breakfast after a big night
Gargoyles on the Square
Old Faithfuls: The Mixed-Drink Mecca
Grill 23
Hot Seats
Hungry Mother
Great for: A third date
Il Casale
Daily Dish: Saturday
Legal Sea Foods
Great for: Dinner with your celiac sister-in-law
The Lansdowne
Great for: Burgers and beer on game day
L'Espalier
The Heights: When the occasion calls for excess
Market by Jean-Georges
Great for: A blowout birthday
Mistral
Daily Dish: Monday
Mooo
Daily Dish: Monday
Neptune Oyster
Great for: A second date
No. 9 Park
Hot Seats
North 26
Great for: Dinner with tourists
O Ya
The Heights: When the occasion calls for excess
Oleana
Old Faithfuls: The Exotic Oasis
Post 390
Great for: Afterwork drinks that turn into dinner
Publick House
Great for: Boys' night out
Radius
The Heights: When the occasion calls for excess
Redbones
Old Faithfuls: The Family-Dining Fave
Rialto
Hot Seats
Salts
Old Faithfuls: The Cozy Standby
Scampo
Great for: Cheating on your diet
Sel de la Terre
Great for: Snacks after a shopping spree
Sensing
Great for: Maxing out your expense account
Sorellina
Daily Dish: Monday
Sportello
Great for: A solo outing
T. W. Food
Daily Dish: Tuesday
Tavolo
Daily Dish: Wednesday
Temple Bar
Great for: Dinner with your vegetarian cousin
Ten Tables Cambridge
Great for: Popping the question
Teranga
Great for: A secret rendezvous
Toro
Great for: A group outing
Trina's Starlite Lounge
Great for: Drinking and dining
Tupelo
Daily Dish: Sunday
Upstairs on the Square
Hot Seats
Vee Vee
Great for: Sticking to your diet.
Woodward
Great for: A breakup