Boston, known mainly for being a cultural and scientific centre, thanks toHarvard University, and also a historical centre, thanks to the Freedom Trail, is a destination with a strong gastronomic character, with dishes influenced by the English period and the large community of Little Italy in the North End. In fact, among the dishes to be sampled you will also find some Italian recipes!
So let's find out what are the 10 things to eat in Boston and where, to experience a journey through the flavours and products of the area!
1 - Lobster Roll
Photo by Dana Moos - Flickr. Get ready, because one of the symbolic ingredients of Boston cuisine is lobster, Lobster in English! You will find it in many variations, from starters to main courses and even as a main course! An evergreen, present on the menus of all restaurants!
But definitely worth trying is its street food version, the Lobster Roll. Served in restaurants or street food stalls, it is presented in numerous variations: hot, cold, with sauces, with butter. In short, try them all! Ideal to eat while strolling through the city between visits, or comfortably seated in one of the most popular restaurants. It's a dish as simple as it is tasty: sandwich cut like a hot dog (with a top opening instead of the side) and filled with lobster!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €7.00
Main ingredients: lobster, hot dog bread
2 - Clam Chowder
Photo by Jen. But lobster is not the only seafood speciality served in restaurants: in general, Boston cuisine includes many seafood recipes, thanks to its enviable location by the sea!
One dish you absolutely must try is Clam Chowder, a clam chowder. Served in all American states bordering the ocean, there are different variations depending on the city where it is made. Boston Clam Chowder, originally called Boston Clam Chowder, calls for clams, bacon, onion, potatoes, cream, butter and vegetable broth as ingredients. As soon as you taste it, you will notice the wonderful balance between the ingredients, which is essential in a dish like this! It is also one of the most famous American soups, so really a must if you love fish!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: clams, bacon, onion, potatoes, cream, vegetable stock
3 - Fried Clams
We continue with fish dishes to discover another clam recipe: we are talking about Fried Clams, which are definitely worth trying!
This is a truly iconic dish from Boston and the surrounding area! The clams are first dipped in milk and flour and then fried. Once ready, they are always arranged in a hot dog bun, like the Lobster Roll. You can then eat them while strolling along the promenade, or while sitting in some café, where they may also be served with fries or other side dishes.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €8.00
Main ingredients: clams, hot dog bread
4 - Roast Beef Sandwich
Another sandwich, but this time with meat. We're talking about the Roast Beef Sandwich, a roast beef sandwich, of which there are of course several variations and with different ingredients inside!
Again, this is a dish that is popular all over the United States, especially in diners, but it has spread from Massachusetts and Boston, mainly from the North Shore, where you will find renowned establishments all over the country, so you can't fail to try one! It is a simple but tasty dish, again, to be eaten while strolling along the waterfront, while relaxing on the beach, or while comfortably seated in a bar or restaurant. It is generally served with tomato, lettuce and mustard, but those with cheese or other sauces than mustard, even spicy ones, are also very popular!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner, snack
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: roast beef, bread
5 - Boston Cream Pie
Photo by Kimberly Vardeman. It's time to discover a dessert, so don't miss out on Boston Cream Pie! You will find it everywhere: in cafés, pastry shops and as a dessert in restaurants. As can be deduced from its name, this dessert actually originated in Boston, created by French chef Sanzian for The Parker House hotel, where it is still served today! It is now a true symbol of the city
It is truly exquisite, simple in its ingredients but for this very reason not to be missed! It is in fact a recipe based on sponge cake, custard and chocolate icing! The making of it in itself is not particularly difficult, but it does require a lot of attention in calibrating the ingredients correctly and respecting to the letter the resting times between one step and the next!
Recommended for: snack, breakfast, end of meal
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: sponge cake, custard, chocolate icing
8 - Fenway Frank
Can you go to America without tasting an American hot dog? Absolutely not. And can you visit Boston without tasting a Fenway Frank? Absolutely not. Does the name sound familiar? That's because it comes from Fenway Park, Boston's famous stadium, home of the Red Sox, one of America's most famous baseball teams. This hot dog is a real institution, sold a lot during games, but eaten whenever you feel like it.
This hot dog is made with traditional boiled frankfurters served in the classic elongated bun, covered with various sauces, usually mustard or ketchup.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner, during Red Sox games
Average cost: €4.00
Main ingredients: frankfurter, hot dog bun, mustard
7 - Boston Baked Beans
The dishes and recipes we have seen so far originated in and around Boston, but there are other staples of the local cuisine that derive from the influences of other cultures, most notably the English (the city was founded in 1630 by English Puritan settlers). Among the specialities of Anglo-Saxon origin are Baked Beans.
They are a dish of stewed beans, which are generally cooked in a tomato sauce. But Boston Baked Beans are not like the English ones: in fact, Boston Baked Beans are prepared with Molasses. They require lengthy preparation, as the cooking must be very slow. Various vegetables are then added, in some cases also bacon and sauces - there are many variations - and served as a side dish with other dishes. Absolutely to be tasted!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €5.00
Main ingredients: beans, molasses
8 - Pizza
You didn't expect that, did you? But it's true: among the must-eat dishes in Boston there is also pizza! The traditional North End neighbourhood is home to the Little Italy community, with numerous shops and restaurants that will make you feel at home for a moment.
Of course, many places offer revisited pizzas, with special, very American-style toppings. But in just as many places in this neighbourhood you can find the real pizza, the one we love so much: from the simple and always good margherita, to the more elaborate ones, with vegetables, ham, salami or other toppings. Normally you don't eat pizza abroad, but here you should definitely make an exception to this 'rule' and get carried away by the tastes and flavours of home.
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €10.00
Main ingredients: flour, tomato, mozzarella
9 - Cannoli
And now it's time to move on to a dessert, again of Italian origin, that you can't miss: we're talking about cannoli. Always popular in the community of Little Italy, in the North End district, cannoli are one of Boston's most loved desserts! And honestly, how could it be otherwise? You can find the traditional ones in some of the neighbourhood's family-run bakeries, such as the world-famous Mike's Pastry, or even some reinterpretations in Downtown bakeries.
They don't need much introduction: the cannolo is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best known Sicilian pastry specialities. Tube waffles, sheep's milk ricotta and chocolate chips, icing sugar and sprinkles, a delicious dessert to eat at any time of day!
Recommended for: anytime
Average cost: €3.00
Main ingredients: flour, lard, eggs, sugar, ricotta cheese, chocolate
10 - Fish and Chips
And finally, one more dish, this time fish-based, that comes from English cuisine: the world-famous Fish and Chips, now known all over the world, a tasty dish that everyone loves, therefore present in several variations around the world!
The recipe consists of a white fish fillet fried in batter, usually cod, and accompanied by lots of chips, served with various sauces to taste. It is a tasty take-away recipe, although it is now also served in restaurants, comfortably seated, in many different variations. The best places in Boston that serve Fish and Chips can be found near the sea!
Recommended for: lunch, dinner
Average cost: €8.00
Main ingredients: fish, potatoes
Where to eat in Boston: best restaurants, eateries and street food
But where to taste all these wonderful recipes and dishes in Boston? The city is really full of places to eat, in every neighbourhood you will find a different atmosphere. For Italian dishes, such as pizza and cannoli, you'll have to go to Little Italy, while the Back Bay neighbourhood is full of hip and trendy places, super frequented even by the city's youngest. Don't miss the North Shore for Roast Beef Sandwiches. Downtown, finally, encompasses a bit of all types of venues, as it represents the city centre, where the main attractions are also located.
And right here in Downtown you will find the Quincy Market, a true Boston institution. In this indoor market you can sample all the city's specialities, from the Lobster Roll to the Clam Chowder. A must-visit for lunch, but also for dinner, it is part of the Sala Faneuil, the famous shopping centre, made up of 3 historic market buildings, with lots of shops and restaurants! Here are some recommended places and restaurants in town.
1 - Neptune Oyster
Description: a fish restaurant that has become a regular destination for tourists and locals alike. Numerous fish dishes, especially lobster and clams.
Speciality: Maine Lobster Roll
Average price: from €25.00 per person
Address: 63 Salem St # 1, Boston - Get directions / tel: +1 6177423474
2 - Parker's Restaurant
Description: elegant restaurant specialising in New England cuisine. Birthplace of Boston Cream Pie
Speciality: Boston Cream Pie
Average price: from €30.00 per person
Address: 60 School St, Boston - Get directions / tel: +1 6177251600
3 - Kelly's Roast Beef
Description: local fast food, now a real institution, with several locations in the city, including one by the sea.
Speciality: Roast Beef Sandwich
Average price: from €100x,00 per person
Address: 35 Revere Beach Pkwy, Medford - Get directions / tel: +1 7813934899
4 - Union Oyster House
Description: historic seafood restaurant, now an institution in town. One of the oldest restaurants in America, opened in 1775.
Speciality: oysters
Average price: from €20.00 per person
Address: 41 Union St, Boston - Get directions / tel: +1 6172272750
5 - Mike's Pastry
Description: a true institution among the city's pastry shops. This pastry shop, according to many, makes the best cannoli in Boston and is now a meeting point for tourists and locals alike.
Speciality: cannoli
Average price: from €5.00 per person
Address: 300 Hanover St, Boston - Get directions / tel: +1 6177423050