Mrs. SRQ Guy and I are going to Boston Memorial Day weekend, and will have two evenings to enjoy the good Boston restaurants for dinner. What are some really good places to eat there? I know that at least one of the nights we'll want to partake of some tasty fresh Boston seafood. I want to make some reservations ahead of time as I imagine it will be quite busy that weekend. I'd like to stick to restaurants where we can eat for less than $50 per person each night with a bottle of wine. We're staying at the Hilton Back Bay. Thanks for any input!

In the North End (Italian) section of Boston, I patronize the following establishments:

Prezza, 24 Fleet Street
Lucca, 225 Hanover Street
Carmen, 33 North Square (nexst to Paul Revere's House)
Terramia, 98 Salem Street

The first two are full service (i.e., they have a dessert menu and expect to pay more than $100 for two with wine); the last two are very typical of North End restaurants--to accommodate those waiting for tables, they don't serve desserts (but they have a good wine selection). But then the North End is full of coffee houses that serve canolis and espressos.

You might want to post an inquiry on the Boston board of www.chowhound.com. If you post using the same handle, I can help guide you through which responders I trust.

For traditional New England-style seafood, you are walking distance from a branch of Legal Seafoods. There's nothing cutting edge about this place, and many Bostonians are jaded about the place, but it's still a good place for reliable, solid, traditional seafood. There also is a seafood restaurant, Turner Fisheries, in the Westin, across the street from your hotel. The menu is perhaps a little more creative than Legal's, but I think the food at Legal's is better. Expect to spend around $50 p/p at either.

My favorite seafood restaurant in the area, and one of my favorite overall restaurants in the area, is East Coast Grill in Cambridge (an easy cabride from your hotel). It's not traditional New England seafood, but it's a lively place with great food and strong flavors, with an emphasis on seafood and barbecue. Check out their website: www.eastcoastgrill.net.

Another fabulous seafood restaurant, not far from your hotel, is B&G Oysters (also one of my favorite Boston restaurants). The place is styled as an upscale casual rawbar, but it is run by one of Boston's best chefs, which really shows in their food and service. The menu leans toward the traditional, but the preparations are wonderful and the food truly is exceptional. It's a little pricey, so check out their menu to see if it fits in your budget: www.bandgoysters.com.

We love the Union Oyster House. Great history, fabulous seafood. Even if you just go for lunch and sit at the oyster bar, it's just a great place to go.

http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/

I strongly agree with the recommendation of the East Coast Grill. All kinds of seafood, all fresh, and expertly prepared. They list their latest seafood deliveries - and sources - on a blackboard above the bar.

I also like their plain old barbecue -- very authentic. If they have any left, you can ask for a plate of the "burnt ends" of their bbq brisket. better than great.

Legal's has been around long enough that it's just another place to go -- the one near you caters 90% to an out-of-town hotel/convention clientele. That said, their quality has, if anything, improved in recent years. ALso, if you like wine with dinner, they have an excellent, interesting list.

Over the holiday weekend expect to WAIT at most any place.

Personally I recommend Durgin Park in the Quency Market area (is near Union Oyster too). Its upstairs and BUSTLING on a normal night. LONG tables are shared by multiple diners (fun for a group). I do not know if the 'style' has changed but they used to have loveable old ladies who served you and would not let you order dessert if you did not finish your side order of veggies (ordered separately as I recall).

Their web page is http://www.durgin-park.com/default.asp

I do not recall drinks . beer and wine I think.

The Lobster Thermador/Neuburg and the Lobster sautee (out of the shell) is WONDERFUL. I justed dreewled over their online menu and see they are doing Fried Lobster .. a REAL different taste .. I like it.

Yea .. it is a bit touristy .. but I think better than Legal who have so many locations that they are almost RedLobster level service.

Durgin Park is not "a bit touristy"; rather it defines "touristy." That said, the OP is a tourist, so maybe he's interested. In fairness, I have eaten there once, perhaps 20 years ago, so I'm in no position to judge the place.

There's no question that Legal's is a chain, but to compare it to Red Lobster is a tremendous disservice to the restaurant and to those trying to obtain some credible information from this board. Unlike Red Lobster, their fish is undoubtably among the freshest around. In fact, they operate their own fish processing plant, which takes right-off-the-boat shipments of fish and prepares it for their restaurants (one of the advantages of their size). As for their service, no one is going to confuse Legal's with fine dining, but the service is enthusiastic and dependable. And as for the comparison of Durgin Park and Legal, as I said, I have not been to Durgin in 20 years so I can't report a first-hand experience, but Zagat rates Durgin an 18 out of 30, and Legal's a 22 out of 30. As much as some people lament the chain-ization of Legal's, there absolutely is nothing Red Lobsteresque about the place.

I (as an unabashed tourist) also would recommend Legal Seafoods. Hubby and I go to one of their restaurants whenever we are in Boston. There is one in the Prudential shopping center just across the street from your hotel (walk across the street and into the Sheraton Hotel, make a left turn and go up the escalators, then a right turn and keep on walking - you will end up in the Prudcential Center). I am not sure if Legal Seafoods takes reservations; if not, try to get there early or prepare to wait.

Durgin Park is a fun experience but is not, IMHO, fine dining. It is enjoyable as a place to eat lunch while you are doing touristy things in that part of Boston.

A restaurant in Cambridge that hubby and I try to get to is Sandrine's (near Harvard Yard). It is a small French bistro-type place, if you enjoy that sort of thing.

Enjoy your trip to Boston!

imho Legal's is not just touristy (forget Durgin or the Union Oyster) - it defines touristy. The branch of the restaurant mentioned is in a mall across from Sucessories and a place selling bulk candy. It is a racket. The Atlantic fish company (right across the street from Shops at the Pru and on Boylston Street) is much much better. The seafood is fresher, the atmosphere better (care to eat outside? might be nice) and the selection is great. (The complimentary bread is baked fresh). So I sound like an ad? Probably only beacouse over the last 15 years I have taken too many out of towners to Legal's and have yet to have anyone really satisfied. I now refuse to take people there. It's always overpriced and disappointing.

Check out http://www.bbrginc.com/afco/1.html For that matter if you are in the Back Bay and of the Back Bay Restaurnat group restaurants are a good choice. Abe and Louis's (A great steak house as good if not better than morton's, cap grill, palm - maybe not quite Grill 23 though), Charley's (A good burger joint on upper newbury) and joe's (on the northe end waterfront and middle - lower newbury for upscale casual dinner, lunch and great brunch), i like paparazzi on Dartmouth btwn boylston and newbury as well for italian.

For great meal check the restaurant row in the south end on Tremont. I highly recommend B and G oyster, perdix, metropolitain cafe (although a bit overpriced imho), nightingale, hammersly's etc.

If you want great food but touristy stay awya from durgin or the union oyster. Hit pizzaria regina in the north end, mike's pastry or the modern pastry in the north end. The whole Faneuil hall area is a huge tourist trap imho.

Abe & Louie's will blow the budget in a big way. I find the other BBRG restaurants to be too formulaic. I totally agree with the Tremont Street recs (with B&G being my favorite), although, again, not all will be within the budget.

You might be able to get away with $100 (although before tip and the cheapest bottle of wine) at abe and louis.

BBRG - formulaic? Perhaps. But I think it always a safe bet. IE - you always get a variety of FRESH bread with dinner or brunch. The orange juice is always freshly squeezed. A drink comes with all brunches at Joe's (A mimosa, bloody, champagne etc). And the costs are reasonable. You could do much much worse walking around the back bay (the neighborhood where I live) and hoping into a restaurant for any meal.

The Tremont street destinations are a great walk if the weather is nice.

As an occasional tourist in Boston, I've enjoyed:

Jasper's Summer Shack: http://www.restreview.com/rest_detai...s+Summer+Shack

Kingfish Hall: http://www.toddenglish.com/Restaurants/Kingfish.html

Sonsie: http://www.restreview.com/rest_detai...taurant=Sonsie

And a Martini at the Fairmont Copley

Oh yeah, forgot this one.... http://www.tapeo.com/

One of the Summer Shack locations is right next to the OP's hotel. I'm not a big fan of the place, but some people are. (Jasper White was an executive chef at Legal Seafood's back in the '70s when it was THE hote place to go for seafood.) If you do go, I think their signature wood grilled lobster is the best thing on the menu.

Sonsie's is an easy walk from the hotel and has the advantage of offering an open front onto Newbury Street, so it's a popular place to go for those who want to watch all the Newbury Street action. I've heard they have decent food, but I haven't been in years.

Kingfish Hall is part of the Todd English empire and is in the Fanueil Hall complex, both of which make it suspect for me.

Hammersly's is indeed very good, but it will also blow the OP's stated budget.