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[East] Hungry at the BCEC? Look no further.

135

Posts

  • nicholas_wrightnicholas_wright Registered User regular
    I live in Boston, and vouch for the following places - so I'm hooking you up 'cause I like you. They're also some of the most popular places in Boston, so you might have to wait for a table on the weekend. I don't know the area near the BCEC well, as I live and party in the Brighton/Allston area, but I'll recommend what I know.

    Sunset Grill & Tap, Sunset Cantina - a pair of restaurants specializing in alcohol. The G&T has about 200 kinds of beer and 20 kinds of mead, and the Cantina keeps about 200 kinds of tequila. The G&T also has a great spinach and artichoke dip appetizer, layering pita chips and cheese like nachos, and some damn good ribs too. Never had bad food, bad drinks, or a bad night here, the G&T is absolutely my favorite place to eat and drink in Boston.

    Soulfire - A great BBQ place, with amazing wings.

    Kaze Shabu Shabu - I wish I knew more about this place, but I've only been once. It was excellent though, and I definitely recommend it.

    The Friendly Toast - great personality, full bar, interesting and original food. Has greasy spoon diner food, though they have more complex or high-falutin' fare as well. Never had a bad night here, either. They also make their own bread daily, and I always pickup a loaf of anadama, made with molasses, for relatives.

    Legal Test Kitchen - Across the street from Legal Harborside (also a great place, but expensive, and one ought to dress up to eat there), LTK stays open later than most bars and restaurants in Boston, closing at 2a.

    Washington Square Tavern - A good tavern with good food.

    The Publick House - one of the better bars in Boston, they take pub fare and make it real food. I recommend the burgers, PEI mussels, and mac & cheese.

    Durgan-Park - Founded 180 years ago, makes great seafood and steak.

    Anna's Taqueria - Several locations throughout Boston, offers good Mexican food.

    Bukowski's - I wish I drank here more often. Good selection of beer, good food, next to King's Back Bay Bowling. Bowling and white russians are a good start to a night, followed by beers at Bukowski's.

  • LootSnatchLootSnatch Registered User new member
    edited January 2012
    Sunset Grill & Tap, Sunset Cantina - a pair of restaurants specializing in alcohol. The G&T has about 200 kinds of beer and 20 kinds of mead, and the Cantina keeps about 200 kinds of tequila. The G&T also has a great spinach and artichoke dip appetizer, layering pita chips and cheese like nachos, and some damn good ribs too. Never had bad food, bad drinks, or a bad night here, the G&T is absolutely my favorite place to eat and drink in Boston.

    I totally co-sign this place. It's a few miles from the convention center but the beer selection is astronomical, the food is delicious and I've never had a bad meal.

    Edit: The Grill & Tap is the one to go to, imo.

    LootSnatch on
  • gigabraingigabrain Some guy...yknow New HampshireRegistered User regular
    LootSnatch wrote:
    Sunset Grill & Tap, Sunset Cantina - a pair of restaurants specializing in alcohol. The G&T has about 200 kinds of beer and 20 kinds of mead, and the Cantina keeps about 200 kinds of tequila. The G&T also has a great spinach and artichoke dip appetizer, layering pita chips and cheese like nachos, and some damn good ribs too. Never had bad food, bad drinks, or a bad night here, the G&T is absolutely my favorite place to eat and drink in Boston.

    I totally co-sign this place. It's a few miles from the convention center but the beer selection is astronomical, the food is delicious and I've never had a bad meal.

    Edit: The Grill & Tap is the one to go to, imo.

    I'll toss my hat in on this as well. Love the beer selection here and the food is amazing

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  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    This thread is amazing! I marked down so many place that I want to go now.

    We are staying at Park Plaza (booked late) and I was wondering if there were any places close by that serve breakfast (not a bakery)?

    Mike & Patty's would be my choice - It's close and rather awesome.

    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
  • adias.angeladias.angel Tech-Savvy Wife Kalamazoo, MIRegistered User regular
    arsonisfun wrote:
    This thread is amazing! I marked down so many place that I want to go now.

    We are staying at Park Plaza (booked late) and I was wondering if there were any places close by that serve breakfast (not a bakery)?

    Mike & Patty's would be my choice - It's close and rather awesome.

    Thank you!! My husband would not be very much fun if I fed him pastries every morning. ;-)

    Prime '12, '13, '14, '15, '19 .. East '12
  • ironysparklesironysparkles Lowell, MARegistered User regular
    Last year we walked over to Yankee Lobster, and it was an awesome place to eat! Only about a 10-15 minute walk from the convention center, too. It's a small seafood place (only a few tables) but the food was GREAT and the people there were SO happy to see all the business from PAX! They actually didn't know the con was going on, so our group and another PAX group got to educate them on it. I would totally go there again. Their "Lobster Juice" soda was really good, too.

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  • LexiconGrrlLexiconGrrl Registered User regular
    Last year we found a little polish restaurant called Cafe Polonia in Southie. It wasn't walking distance, but probably a 10 minute cab ride.

    The best thing? They bring you fresh baked bread before your meal with spreadable pork fat and cracklins instead of butter.

    OMFG. Pork. Butter. I want to go back just for that. Best thing on the menu, and it's the freebie pre-order snack.

    Happily on Sabbatical. Don't bug me.
  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    Last year we found a little polish restaurant called Cafe Polonia in Southie. It wasn't walking distance, but probably a 10 minute cab ride.

    The best thing? They bring you fresh baked bread before your meal with spreadable pork fat and cracklins instead of butter.

    OMFG. Pork. Butter. I want to go back just for that. Best thing on the menu, and it's the freebie pre-order snack.

    hah, I took a few people from out of town there last year :) I make a trip out every so often ...

    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
  • ottoman673ottoman673 Registered User regular
    Another tip I suggest is signing up for notifications from sites like Groupon and whatnot now.. every few days a food deal will roll out. Great way to save a little money and eat good.

    PAX East 2012 Checklist: [x] 3 Day Pass [x] Time off Work [x] Flight [x] Hotel
  • SausageSausage FLRegistered User regular
    I haven't seen it mentioned yet this year, but last year when we got in we ate at Boloco. It's a burrito company, very tasty and affordable was probably the healthiest thing I ate the entire time. We stayed at the Intercontinental and the Pearl St. location across the street.

    3DS: 2964-9827-0033
  • chocojoshchocojosh Registered User regular
    I'm wondering if someone can suggest a good seafood + steak all you can eat buffet? I'm a big eater, and don't often get a chance to eat seafood so might as well induldge while on vacation. The missus isn't really a fan of seafood, but would love a good steak.

  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    Fire + Ice is an all-you-can-eat Mongolian barbecue place that would have plenty of options for each of you. You fill a bowl with noodles, meats, veggies, whatever you want, and then they fry it all up right in front of you on a giant metal cooktop.

    What I'd recommend even more, though, if you can do without the seafood options, is to go to a Brazilian barbecue place. Hot damn are they delicious. A dozen different kinds of meats slow cook on rotisseries, then they go around table to table with a giant hunk of meat on a skewer, and if you want some they keep shaving more off onto your plate until you tell them to stop. (Some just have you go up to the counter yourself to ask for what you want.)

    No other all-you-can-eat options in the area are really jumping to mind, unless you want buffet Indian food or something.

  • chocojoshchocojosh Registered User regular
    @wonderpug: Thank you for the suggestions! I was really hoping for seafood because I've been told that Boston has much better seafood than I can get here in Montreal.

    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

  • adias.angeladias.angel Tech-Savvy Wife Kalamazoo, MIRegistered User regular
    chocojosh wrote:
    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

    Is the dress code for LTK formal? We wanted to reserve too but I didn't want to carry a change of clothes around. :)

    Prime '12, '13, '14, '15, '19 .. East '12
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    chocojosh wrote:
    @wonderpug: Thank you for the suggestions! I was really hoping for seafood because I've been told that Boston has much better seafood than I can get here in Montreal.

    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

    If you want to find some good Boston seafood then I don't think buffet style is the way to go. Any type of seafood in particular you're looking for? Lobster, fish, scallops, oysters, steamers? Any regional cuisine styles you particularly like or want to try? Boston can offer seafooItalian, French, Azorean?

    Legal Test Kitchen isn't bad, but since you're so excited about getting seafood I think we can send you someplace even better.

  • zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    chocojosh wrote:
    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

    Is the dress code for LTK formal? We wanted to reserve too but I didn't want to carry a change of clothes around. :)

    No it is not formal, but it is a nice place. Think collared shirt.

    Are you sure they take reservations during a convention?

  • antheremantherem Registered User regular
    zerzhul wrote:
    chocojosh wrote:
    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

    Is the dress code for LTK formal? We wanted to reserve too but I didn't want to carry a change of clothes around. :)

    No it is not formal, but it is a nice place. Think collared shirt.

    Are you sure they take reservations during a convention?

    They did last year.

  • KoalaBro2KoalaBro2 Registered User regular
    Do people have any experience ordering food delivered to their hotels? I'm staying at the Westin, and so getting food delivered seems like a good way to reduce downtime. Were places in the area able to handle the PAX-related business surge (any horror stories of waiting 8 hours for delivery)? Any suggestions on good places that deliver to the area?

  • KrisstaKrissta New HampshireRegistered User regular
    gigabrain wrote:
    LootSnatch wrote:
    Sunset Grill & Tap, Sunset Cantina - a pair of restaurants specializing in alcohol. The G&T has about 200 kinds of beer and 20 kinds of mead, and the Cantina keeps about 200 kinds of tequila. The G&T also has a great spinach and artichoke dip appetizer, layering pita chips and cheese like nachos, and some damn good ribs too. Never had bad food, bad drinks, or a bad night here, the G&T is absolutely my favorite place to eat and drink in Boston.

    I totally co-sign this place. It's a few miles from the convention center but the beer selection is astronomical, the food is delicious and I've never had a bad meal.

    Edit: The Grill & Tap is the one to go to, imo.

    I'll toss my hat in on this as well. Love the beer selection here and the food is amazing

    Ditto! Always awesome food (personal fan of their cheeseburger pizza), and a jaw-dropping beer menu.

    Ln5yLL7.png
  • KrisstaKrissta New HampshireRegistered User regular
    The Friendly Toast - great personality, full bar, interesting and original food. Has greasy spoon diner food, though they have more complex or high-falutin' fare as well. Never had a bad night here, either. They also make their own bread daily, and I always pickup a loaf of anadama, made with molasses, for relatives.

    I also wholeheartedly endorse the Friendly Toast. And not just for breakfast. Their food is awesome, and the restaurant itself is a bit odd and creepy (I say that in the best way possible). I fell in love with the one in Portsmouth, NH, and have eaten at the one in Cambridge a few times. My favorite bread is their cayenne cheddar. It's delicious, even though it's hard for me to eat, as it's pretty spicy!

    Ln5yLL7.png
  • chocojoshchocojosh Registered User regular
    wonderpug wrote:
    chocojosh wrote:
    @wonderpug: Thank you for the suggestions! I was really hoping for seafood because I've been told that Boston has much better seafood than I can get here in Montreal.

    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

    If you want to find some good Boston seafood then I don't think buffet style is the way to go. Any type of seafood in particular you're looking for? Lobster, fish, scallops, oysters, steamers? Any regional cuisine styles you particularly like or want to try? Boston can offer seafooItalian, French, Azorean?

    Legal Test Kitchen isn't bad, but since you're so excited about getting seafood I think we can send you someplace even better.

    Thanks for the help! Honestly one of the problems is that I haven't had enough seafood in my life! I'm not crazy about fish, but had some grilled octopus this fall that was better than most meats I've had. In general, the weirder it is, the more I'm keen to try it. Shrimp, calamari, octopus, lobster, crab, ... hopefully that gives you an idea. I've eaten a LOT of Asian food, and while I love it, something different would be a good change of pace (I've never even heard of Azorean before!)?

    Would also like the budget for the full meal + taxis to be under $200 (we don't normally drink alcohol with our meals). This advice is absolutely awesome, and we can always reserve LTK if nothing else comes to mind.

  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    You're not going to have a car, I assume? And do you need your seafood extravaganza to be all one glorious meal, or would you be interested in seeing several different places with different types of seafood offerings?

  • cabsycabsy the fattest rainbow unicorn Registered User regular
    chocojosh wrote:
    If there aren't any, we already looked at the menu for Legal Test Kitchen and given that it's so close to the convention we're considering reserving a table for Thursday or Friday night.

    Is the dress code for LTK formal? We wanted to reserve too but I didn't want to carry a change of clothes around. :)

    I would disagree that you even need a collared shirt, honestly, nearly our whole party was in tshirts and jeans last year and we weren't out of place. I found it ok but not especially earth-shattering in terms of quality for price; if you just want good seafood the locals can probably recommend you many a place that is way better value than LTK. Hell I had a lobster roll in Faneuil Hall that had lobster that was perfectly cooked as opposed to the lobster mac at LTK which was chewy. Which is not to say that you should skip the higher priced options... just that it isn't necessarily the best option around if what you really want is good seafood.

  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    chocojosh wrote:
    I'm wondering if someone can suggest a good seafood + steak all you can eat buffet? I'm a big eater, and don't often get a chance to eat seafood so might as well induldge while on vacation. The missus isn't really a fan of seafood, but would love a good steak.

    If you want a good steak, go to KO Prime, Ruth's Chris, Mooo, Abe & Louie's, or Mortons

    If you want good seafood go to Oceanaire, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Neptune Oyster

    If you want buffet food, just go to Fire and Ice or maybe Hot Pot Buffet. The food is going to be soso, but that's the case of any buffet. If you had a car and some spare time I'd say Nordic Lodge in RI. $85, but you'll actually get good food for an all-you-can-eat.

    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    KoalaBro2 wrote:
    Do people have any experience ordering food delivered to their hotels? I'm staying at the Westin, and so getting food delivered seems like a good way to reduce downtime. Were places in the area able to handle the PAX-related business surge (any horror stories of waiting 8 hours for delivery)? Any suggestions on good places that deliver to the area?

    I'd suggest checking out foodler - online delivery. I doubt there will be much in the way of delivery options for the area around PAX though, it isn't a part of town that has a lot of actual residents/local businesses.

    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
  • JerYnkFanJerYnkFan Registered User regular
    Don't think this has been posted yet, but is there somewhere to get a good Fish & Chips?

  • gigabraingigabrain Some guy...yknow New HampshireRegistered User regular
    Krissta wrote:
    gigabrain wrote:
    LootSnatch wrote:
    Sunset Grill & Tap, Sunset Cantina - a pair of restaurants specializing in alcohol. The G&T has about 200 kinds of beer and 20 kinds of mead, and the Cantina keeps about 200 kinds of tequila. The G&T also has a great spinach and artichoke dip appetizer, layering pita chips and cheese like nachos, and some damn good ribs too. Never had bad food, bad drinks, or a bad night here, the G&T is absolutely my favorite place to eat and drink in Boston.

    I totally co-sign this place. It's a few miles from the convention center but the beer selection is astronomical, the food is delicious and I've never had a bad meal.

    Edit: The Grill & Tap is the one to go to, imo.

    I'll toss my hat in on this as well. Love the beer selection here and the food is amazing

    Ditto! Always awesome food (personal fan of their cheeseburger pizza), and a jaw-dropping beer menu.

    I sense a meetup coming on....

    fclLCwN.png

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  • KoalaBro2KoalaBro2 Registered User regular
    arsonisfun wrote:
    KoalaBro2 wrote:
    Do people have any experience ordering food delivered to their hotels? I'm staying at the Westin, and so getting food delivered seems like a good way to reduce downtime. Were places in the area able to handle the PAX-related business surge (any horror stories of waiting 8 hours for delivery)? Any suggestions on good places that deliver to the area?

    I'd suggest checking out foodler - online delivery. I doubt there will be much in the way of delivery options for the area around PAX though, it isn't a part of town that has a lot of actual residents/local businesses.

    Oh my God, Spike's Junkyard Dogs is now a chain, with a location that will deliver to the Westin? That is amazing! It even makes up for the simultaneous tragic discovery that the original location, on Thayer Street in Providence, RI, which fed me during my college years, is now out of business. Now I just need to put together like a 4-man crew to hit the $20 delivery minimum. Um, anyone want hot dogs?

  • chocojoshchocojosh Registered User regular
    edited February 2012
    We don't have a car (taking Greyhound bus) and it's our first PAX East. Both of us loved the lunch menu for Mortons (http://www.mortons.com/menu/lunch/). This seems to be serving our steak and seafood cravings and only for $30 each! And LTK will probably be our "bar hangout" after the 8 hour bus trip on Thursday. Thank you wonderpug and arson!

    chocojosh on
  • ChorazinChorazin Lancaster, PARegistered User regular
    I'm looking forward to going to Whiskey Priest again this year, they had great bar food and Guiness at a decent price.

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  • JerYnkFanJerYnkFan Registered User regular
    Chorazin wrote:
    I'm looking forward to going to Whiskey Priest again this year, they had great bar food and Guiness at a decent price.

    That place looks awesome

  • feitocomfrutafeitocomfruta Denver, Colorado, USARegistered User regular
    JerYnkFan wrote:
    Don't think this has been posted yet, but is there somewhere to get a good Fish & Chips?

    From what I googled, Matt Murphy's and Stone's Public House seem to be some top choices. I think your best bet for Fish and Chips is going to be at a place like those. Can any Bostonians confirm this for us?

  • trinistandtrinistand Registered User regular
    JerYnkFan wrote:
    Don't think this has been posted yet, but is there somewhere to get a good Fish & Chips?

    From what I googled, Matt Murphy's and Stone's Public House seem to be some top choices. I think your best bet for Fish and Chips is going to be at a place like those. Can any Bostonians confirm this for us?
    Matt Murphy's is pretty awesome. Stone's is really good too but be aware this isn't in Boston (You'll need a car to get there, it's 30-40 minutes west of the city)

  • arsonisfunarsonisfun Registered User regular
    JerYnkFan wrote:
    Don't think this has been posted yet, but is there somewhere to get a good Fish & Chips?

    I had a really good fish & chips at B&G once, but the menu changes there fairly often.

    I am IRCs resident nerdbro and member of the PokeCrawl planning committee.

    Red B/Gold Professor

    [15:53] <+juju-work> ArsonIsFun is one of the best people I know.
  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    I haven't tried enough fish & chips downtown to know which is the best, but here are a bunch of great places kinda sorta close to the convention center whose fish & chips I would expect to be excellent:

    http://kingstonstation.com
    http://www.maxanddylans.com/
    http://www.goodlifebar.com
    http://www.jacobwirth.com/

  • briguydbriguyd Registered User regular
    Last year my buddies and I had Domino's delivered to the front entrance of the BCEC. We placed the order online and hung out near the entrance until the called. We found him waiting outside and paid, then ate in the BCEC dining area. Best idea we have ever had. Not great pizza (standard Domino's), but better and cheaper then the dining hall. So it should be possible to deliver to the convention center, if you don't have a room in the Westin.

  • wonderpugwonderpug Registered User regular
    This Upper Crust location might be close enough to the BCEC to deliver there if you're looking for something better than Domino's. Worth a shot, at least.

  • vicechanvicechan Registered User regular
    This thread has gotten amazing. I'm really looking forward to eating in Boston. *_* Forget cheap, easy, and usual. Love these off the beaten path suggestions! Keep 'em coming!

  • adias.angeladias.angel Tech-Savvy Wife Kalamazoo, MIRegistered User regular
    So to side track the conversation, I was wondering if there is anywhere at the BCEC to get a cup of hot tea/coffee? Drinks of choice for my husband and I. :D

    Prime '12, '13, '14, '15, '19 .. East '12
  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    So to side track the conversation, I was wondering if there is anywhere at the BCEC to get a cup of hot tea/coffee? Drinks of choice for my husband and I. :D

    not in the BCEC, but in the connected Westin there is a Starbucks. Does that work?

    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
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