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caramelized cauliflower. Banquettes, earth tones, and professional service attract a go-
go business-lunch crowd (dinner is calmer). The unusual pricing structure—the same
amount for almost every dish—feels like a deal when you're tucking into a generous
portion of braised short ribs, less of a bargain if you're eating pasta. Whatever you
order, accompany it with a side of sublime
pommes frites
(french fries). The
boulan-
gerie
(bakery) at the entrance sells out-of-this-world breads, salads, and pastries, and
there's seasonal outdoor seating.
255 State St.
&
617/720-1300.
www.seldelaterre.com. Reservations recommended. Lunch main courses $15, sand-
wiches $9, 3-course prix fixe menu $19. Dinner main courses $26; additional charge for some items. Children's menu
$7-$9. AE, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm, Sat-Sun (brunch) 11am-2:30pm; daily 5-10pm. Afternoon menu
daily 2:30-5pm, late-night menu Wed-Sat 10pm-12:30am. Valet parking available at dinner. T: Blue Line to Aquarium.
MODERATE
Barking Crab
SEAFOOD The Barking Crab is a clam shack overlooking
the water. That wouldn't be a big deal on the coast of Maine or the shores of the
Chesapeake Bay, but in downtown Boston, it's beyond cool. A wooden building
perched above Fort Point Channel (which separates downtown from South Boston),
this extremely casual restaurant has a colorful interior, a lively bar scene, and a clien-
tele of regulars from local offices and families visiting the nearby Children's Museum.
The place to be in the summer is at a picnic table on the deck, which might require a
wait at busy times; in the off season, the indoor dining room, which has a cheery
wood-burning stove, is a cozy oasis. The menu includes the usual clam chowder, fried-
seafood plates, and lobsters, with a handful of more creative options (such as spicy
fried calamari and a yummy crab-cake burger) and enough non-seafood dishes to keep
vegetarians from starving. The food is fine, and overall quite good, but that's not really
the point. This is a
downtown
clam shack—what a concept.
88 Sleeper St.
&
617/426-2722.
www.barkingcrab.com. Reservations accepted only for parties of 6 or more. Main
courses $9-$24; sandwiches $9-$14; fresh seafood market price. AE, DC, MC, V. Sun-Wed 11:30am-11pm, Thurs-Sat
11am-1am. T: Red Line to South Station and Waterfront Silver Line to Courthouse, or Blue Line to Aquarium.
Kids
4 The North End
Boston's Italian-American enclave has dozens of restaurants; many are tiny and don't
serve dessert and coffee. Hit the
caffès
for an espresso or cappuccino and fresh pastry in
an atmosphere where lingering is welcome. My favorite dessert destinations are
Caffè
Vittoria,
296 Hanover St. (
&
617/227-7606;
www.vittoriacaffe.com), and
Caffè
dello Sport,
308 Hanover St. (
&
617/523-5063
). There's also table service at
Mike's
Pastry,
300 Hanover St. (
&
617/742-3050;
www.mikespastry.com), a bakery that's
famous for its bustling takeout business and its cannoli. If you plan to eat in, find what
you want in the cases first, then take a seat and order from the server. For gelato, head
to
Gelateria,
272 Hanover St. (
&
617/720-4243;
www.depasqualeventures.com),
which serves 50 flavors of the Italian version of ice cream as well as pastries, coffee, and
Italian soft drinks.
VERY EXPENSIVE
Mamma Maria
NORTHERN ITALIAN Upscale restaurants have been
popping up on the North End's family-style dining scene for a couple of years now,
piquing my curiosity. Off I go to check out each new addition, enjoying the fashion-
able bars, puzzling over the wild menus, yelling in the noisy dining rooms. And every
time someone with a generous budget asks for a recommendation, I land here. In a
