Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
forth——but it's all super-fresh, because this place is too busy to let anything sit around
for very long. As the name indicates, 'ritas (margaritas) are a house specialty. Primarily a
casual business destination at lunch, it's livelier at dinner (probably thanks to the mar-
garitas) and a perfect stop before or after a movie at the nearby AMC Loews Boston
Common theater.
25 West St. (between Washington and Tremont sts.).
&
617/426-1222.
www.fajitasandritas.com. Reservations
accepted only for parties of 8 or more. Main dishes $5-$9 at lunch, $6-$13 at dinner. AE, DC, DISC, MC, V. Mon-Tues
11:30am-9pm; Wed-Thurs 11:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am-11pm; Sun noon-8pm. T: Red or Green Line to Park St.,
or Red or Orange Line to Downtown Crossing.
7 Beacon Hill
MODERATE
Artú
(p. 111) has a branch at 89 Charles St. (
&
617/227-9023
). It's open Sunday
and Monday from 4 to 11pm, Tuesday through Saturday from 11am to 11pm.
Grotto
ITALIAN When I feel like cheating on the North End, I leave my
Italian-American neighborhood and head for Beacon Hill. Grotto's shadowy subter-
ranean dining room is a cozy retreat, with contemporary art on the exposed-brick
walls and overtaxed servers bustling around the small, crowded space. Chef-owner
Scott Herritt has fun with seasonal local ingredients, beginning his regularly changing
menu with imaginative soups and ending with fruit desserts, and his three-course set-
price dinner is one of the best deals around. You might see seared diver scallops with
morel mushrooms, baby leeks, and corn in the spring; apple-stuffed duck breast in the
winter; or spaghetti and meatballs “with Grotto's insanely fabulous tomato sauce” any-
time. The first dish that got my attention here was hearty gnocchi with braised short
ribs, Gorgonzola, and mushrooms; it was a summer night, and I cleaned my plate.
Desserts are indulgent but not overwhelming—a friend who's usually indifferent to
sweets (where do I find these people?) devoured banana bread pudding with caramel
ice cream. Good—more chocolate cake for me.
37 Bowdoin St.
&
617/227-3434.
www.grottorestaurant.com. Reservations recommended at dinner. Main courses
$8-$13 at lunch, $20-$27 at dinner; 3-course fixed-price dinner $35. AE, MC, V. Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm; daily
5-10pm. T: Green or Red Line to Park St., or Blue Line to Bowdoin (weekdays only).
Value
8 Chinatown/Theater District
The most entertaining and delicious introduction to Chinatown's cuisine is
dim sum
(see “Yum, Yum, Dim Sum,” below). If you're eating dinner, you should know that
many restaurants have a second menu for Chinese patrons (often written in Chinese).
You can ask for it or tell your waiter that you want your meal Chinese-style.
If you're serious about sweets, consider ending—or even beginning—your meal at
Finale
(p. 229), 1 Columbus Ave. (
&
617/423-3184;
www.finaledesserts.com).
The area around Park Square (Columbus Ave. and South Charles St., between the
Theater District and the Public Garden) is a hotbed of upscale national chain restau-
rants. None of these places offers a unique or even unusual experience, but they're all
reliable destinations if you're feeling unadventurous. They include
Fleming's Prime
Steakhouse & Wine Bar,
217 Stuart St. (
&
617/292-0808
);
Maggiano's Little
Italy,
4 Columbus Ave. (
&
617/542-3456
);
McCormick & Schmick's Seafood
Restaurant,
34 Columbus Ave., in the Boston Park Plaza Hotel (
&
617/482-3999
);
and
P. F. Chang's China Bistro,
8 Park Plaza (
&
617/573-0821
).
