If you live in or visit Massachusetts, there are a multitude of culinary delights waiting for you, whether you prefer simple fare or prefer a more cultured culinary experience. Massachusetts has restaurants that are crucial to good eating, whether in Boston, the Cape, the North Shore, or the state’s western half.
1. Mangia Mangia, Boston, MA
In Boston, Italian cuisine is second only to seafood, and at Erbaluce, you’ll get the best of both worlds. Guests will savor Italian cooking focusing on local, seasonal ingredients at this centrally situated Boston restaurant. Traditional, comforting Italian cuisine with a modern twist.
2. Banyan Bar + Refuge, Boston, MA
While in Boston, a Tremont Street dining choice offers a menu that combines Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and even a few Russian items. Banyan Bar + Refuge serves Korean fried chicken and freely distributable New York strip sirloin with scallion pancakes. Enjoy one of their beer slushies before the cold winter arrives!
3. Bronwyn Restaurant, Somerville, MA
A Central European and German menu of superb food and drinks draws a steady audience outside Boston in Somerville. In an ambiance reminiscent of a European tavern, Bronwyn serves hand-crafted sausages, handmade noodles, schnitzels, etc. The beer selection is vast, and Massachusetts’s Sunday brunch menu is unlike anything else.
4. Grill 23 & Bar, Boston, MA
Grill 23 & Bar in Boston isn’t just the quality of the steaks served there; it’s also the other items on the menu. That is not true of many steakhouses. Pot roast, crab cakes, and chowders loaded with lobster and other local shellfish are available.
5. Scargo Cafe, Dennis, MA
Scargo Café is one of Cape Cod’s culinary gems, and fortunately for its patrons, it is open all year. The upmarket setting is not stuffy but rather cozy. Dinner selections include Prime Sirloin Gorgonzola and Seafood Strudel. Lunch can be a lobster roll or a grilled Portobello sandwich. A flourless chocolate torte is only one of the numerous delectable gluten-free options on the dessert menu.
6. District Kitchen & Bar, Pittsfield, MA
The Berkshires, located in the mountains, has long served as the ideal retreat for Massachusetts and New York residents. While there, craft beer enthusiasts with a flair for contemporary American food will enjoy dining at District Kitchen & Bar in Pittsfield. Local farmers frequently supply new essentials for specials, and a grilled flatiron steak is one of the menu’s mainstays.
7. Tavern on the Hill, Easthampton, MA
Tavern on the Hill, located on the side of Mt. Tom in Easthampton, serves classic fare such as Pork Chops & Applesauce and Blackened Beef Tips. An Mt. Tom Burger overflowing with Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, and sautéed local wild mushrooms is among the lighter fare. Desserts include vanilla bean crème brûlée and bread pudding.
8. Angelina’s Italian Restaurant, Tewksbury, MA
Fill your stomach with homemade ravioli or hand-tossed pizza at Angelina’s Italian Restaurant in Tewksbury, no matter how big or tiny it is. The atmosphere is evocative of Italian family meals, where the conversation is as essential as the food. Susan Amato, the restaurant’s owner, believes that wine is equally important and has compiled a fantastic collection to complement your meal.
9. Athenian Corner, Lowell, MA
Another Greater Merrimack Valley restaurant that deserves its weight in feta—or gold, if you prefer—is Athenian Corner Restaurant, which serves the best Greek cuisine in New England. It is even certified green and is located in Lowell. Guests feast on stuffed grape leaves, lamb kebabs, and marine specialties like octopus and calamari in the city’s ancient area.
10. The Phoenician Restaurant, Haverhill, MA
The Phoenician Restaurant in Haverhill serves some of the best Middle Eastern food north of Boston. For years, guests have dined on lamb on the stick, baked Kibbee, other traditional meals, and a variety of American fare. The Phoenician’s in-house bakery serves lovely Middle Eastern sweets and, with advance notice, will construct party trays. Customers who are too stuffed to have dessert frequently leave with a package of sweets.
