Where to Dine - Boston 2009 - page 114

53 State St. (at Congress St.). & 617/723-4447. www.getcosi.com. Sandwiches $6-$10; soups and salads $5-$8.
AE, DC, MC, V. Mon-Thurs 7am-6pm; Fri 7am-5pm. T: Orange or Blue Line to State.

6 Downtown Crossing
VERY EXPENSIVE
Locke-Ober NEW AMERICAN “Locke's” is the traditional Boston restaurant,
a power-broker favorite since 1875. Famed Boston restaurateur Lydia Shire bought it
in 2001, but if the ghosts who surely hang around here mind having a woman in
charge, you'd never know it. In an alley off the Winter Street pedestrian mall, the wood-
paneled restaurant entertainingly evokes a Waspy men's club. The long, mirrored
downstairs bar dates from 1880, and the service is 19th-century-style courtly.
The food deftly combines old-fashioned and contemporary. Traditional fish cakes
sit alongside new-fangled jasmine rice, red-pepper aioli comes with Maine crab cakes,
and delectable scalloped potatoes accompany the signature roast beef hash. Other tra-
ditions, including excellent steaks and chops, Wiener schnitzel a la Holstein, lobster
Savannah, and broiled scrod with brown bread, endure. So does Locke-Ober, an “only
in Boston” experience if ever there was one.
3 Winter Place. & 617/542-1340. www.lockeober.com. Reservations recommended. No denim, shorts, or sneakers.
Main courses $11-$32 at lunch; $28-$62 at dinner. AE, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm; Mon-Thurs
5:30-10pm, Fri-Sat 5:30-11pm. Valet parking available at dinner. T: Red or Orange Line to Downtown Crossing, or
Green Line to Park St.
INEXPENSIVE
There's a Così Sandwich Bar (see above) at 14 Milk St. ( & 617/426-7565 ).
Fajitas & 'Ritas TEX-MEX This colorful, entertaining restaurant is one of the
most fun places around. It serves nachos, quesadillas, burritos, and, of course, fajitas,
exactly the way you want them. You mark your food and drink selections on a checklist,
and a member of the busy staff quickly returns with big portions of tasty food. You can
also try barbecue items, such as smoked brisket or pulled pork, or tequila-marinated
chicken wings. There's nothing particularly exotic—beef, chicken, shrimp, beans, and so

The Lunch Line
Try to be near Downtown Crossing at lunchtime at least once during your visit
and seek out at Chacarero, 26 Province St., between School and Bromfield
streets ( & 617/367-1167; www.chacarero.com). It serves other things, but the
line is so long because of the scrumptious Chilean sandwiches, served on house-
made bread. Order chicken, beef, or vegetarian, ask for it “with everything”—
tomatoes, cheese, avocado, hot sauce, and (unexpected but delicious) green
beans—and dig in. I've never detected much difference in flavor between
“original” and “b-b-que,” but many fans swear by the latter, and I've never
seen anyone other than a starving teenager finish a large—even a small is a lot
of food. And for less than $8, you feel like a savvy Bostonian. Chacarero started
as a counter in the exterior wall of a department store, and the line was long.
Now it's indoors, in a bright, colorful storefront, and the line is long. Another
location, at 101 Arch St., off Summer Street, is in the works at press time, and
there'll probably be a line there, too.

Tips