So what is everyones favorite Beantown watering hole?

In no particular order:

Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro @ Beacon Hill
Hungry I @ Beacon Hill
Atlantic Fish Company @ 761 Boylston Street
No. 9 Park @ 9 Park
Olives @10 City Square (Mediterranean)
Biba @ 272 Boylston
Radius @ 8 High Street
Kingfish Hall @ Faneuil Hall South (Seafood)
Julien @ 250 Franklin Street (Frecnh)
L'Espalier @ 30 Gloucester (French)

Edited to add additional restaurant visits

[This message has been edited by raffy (edited 08-25-2001).]

Going this weekend so I will post when I get back...

Legal Seafood was GREAT!
Also, the Cheers (aka Bull & Finch) was tasty.
The cafeteria at the MFA is Excellent.

In my experience, the original Legal Seafoods was FAR better than what exists today.

There's the No-Name restaurant on the wharf
the Durgin Park at Quincy Market
Fire & Ice Downtown
Maison Robert (mr) Downtown
Grill 23 Downtown
Peach Farm, Jumbo, and Ocean Wealth (Chinatown)
Tratoria Il Panino (Fanueil Hall)

I'm heading to Boston in a week and a half. Of the above restaraunts, can you tell me a little more about them such as seafood/steak and so on? I don't do seafood but I'd love to find a top notch steak joint. Also, any suggestions on bars/lounges to check out? Any additional help is apprecaited.

When the budget is unlimited, my favorite is Aujord'hui at the Four Seasons. Excellent cuisine, excellent service, excellent ambience, excellent everything, but... expect to pay for it. Lunch for 2 with tip came to just under $100 recently. http://www.bostonphoenix.com/alt1/archive/food/reviews/12-07-95/AUJOURD_HUI.html

My other favorite is The Bay Tower Room at the top of 60 State Street. The view of the harbor is magnificent, incredible ambience, and excellent cuisine. Great service too, with live music on the weekends. http://www.baytower.com/

Best Pizza -- Pizzeria Regina's (the one in the North End) located at 11 1/2 Thatcher Street. 617-227-0765. Other locations are good, but not nearly as good as the one in the North End. Expect surly service, long waiting in line to get a table, loud patrons, horrible ambience, but.... the best darn thin crust pizza you've ever tasted.

Best authentic Boston meal -- lunch at the Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in Boston. Get a frosty pint of Sam Adams and a bowl of their award winning clam chowder which comes with a side of heavenly corn bread. Please note, the corn bread only comes with the BOWL of chowder, not the CUP. Spring for the bowl, it is well worth it. To really get the total Bostonian experience, eat your meal at the raw bar; you'll get to see all the passers-by outside the window, and get a good show from the oyster shuckers. Many celebrities dine here when they're in town. I was sitting at the raw bar one afternoon after court and had David Gilmore, the guitar player from Pink Floyd sit down right next to me. Had a great conversation. http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/cool.gif

http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/


[This message has been edited by hhonorman (edited 01-31-2003).]

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hhonorman:
When the budget is unlimited, my favorite is Aujord'hui at the Four Seasons. Excellent cuisine, excellent service, excellent ambience, excellent everything, but... expect to pay for it.</font>

agreed, wife and I loved our meals at Aujord'hui.

On a side note from Zagat.com,

October 26, 2003 The Four Seasons Hotel will host the 4th Annual Kosher Gourmet Dining Extravaganza, a swank dinner fund-raiser for the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Some participating restaurants include Locke-Ober, Olives, Aujourd'hui and Finale (5 PM; $250; 617-232-2300).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by hhonorman:
Best authentic Boston meal -- lunch at the Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in Boston.</font>

could not agree more on this one either. great pick. Chowder is great.

[This message has been edited by Sweet Willie (edited 10-11-2003).]

Boston Beer Works - the original on Brookline Ave. I LOVE those sour cream and onion fries with a bluebeery beer to wash 'em down.

I've always thought their ribs were great too.

Union Oyster House. Love it, love it, love it!

I like No 9 Park, Clio, Icarus and Ambrosia. Biba has now been replaced by Excelsior (still Lydia Shire)--it's also very good.

January 29 & 30: The Anthony Spinazzola Foundation Gala Festival of Food & Wine enters its 19th year with two dinners prepared by a slew of celebrity chefs. At the Grand Benefit Dinner at Aujourd'hui, chef Ed Gannon will cook a meal with eight peers, including Laurent Gras of SF's Fifth Floor. The following night is the black-tie Gala Festival Dinner at the World Trade Center Boston, which will feature over 100 local and national chefs competing in a cook-off. Proceeds benefit the Foundation's Culinary Apprenticeship Program for aspiring chefs from underprivileged areas (Grand Benefit Dinner: 6:30 PM; $500; Gala Festival Dinner: 7:30 PM; $175; 781-344-4413).

Maison Robert will be closing (I don't believe it is recession-related, rather I think that Mme. Robert wants to retire). Rumor is that the space will continue to house a high-profile restaurant, possibly one from Emeril Lagasse.

Hmmm... in no particular order...

King Fish Hall at Faneuil Hall
Skipjack's (Copley Square)
Farragut House in "Southie" (comfortable neighborhood family-woned pub and restaurant)
Legal Seafoods (arctic char! http://www.flyertalk.com/dining/ftdining_forum/thumbsup.gif), which has a decent place at the airport too
Black Rose (touristy, but fun and Irish)

I'll have to think of some others...

The Elephant Walk (French & Vietnamese) on Beacon Street.

Get out of town and head up to Essex, MA for Woodman's of Essex (or "Woodies") for piles of seafood, served up fast and hot. Great fried clams!

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by dingo:
I don't do seafood but I'd love to find a top notch steak joint.</font>

Smith & Wollensky: The NYC-based upscale steakhouse chain is opening its first Boston location in none other than the historic armory known as the Castle on Park Square (Arlington St. & Columbus Ave.). Architects will preserve the floor plan to create a multilevel dining room and banquet hall, and will also incorporate many of the Castle's original features, including military memorabilia.

from Zagat.com

5 North Square (http://www.5northsquare.com/menu.htm)

The name of the restaurant as well as the address, 5 North Square is located just up the street from Paul Revere’s house in the North End of Boston.

It is a two-story Italian seafood restaurant set in a cozy atmosphere. The portions are generous. The Caesar salad is prepared at tableside, and loaded with garlic!

I have not eaten here in several years, but I have eaten here for dinner several times and enjoyed each time.

Aujourd'hui: this Four Seasons dining room is now temporarily closed for extensive renovations in that will expand the lounge and add mahogany-paneled walls and a new ceiling fresco. Dave Blessing will ... the kitchen's helm when the restaurant reopens mid-May.