Tradition-bound and cutting edge, Boston has restaurants for every taste, including some of the finest ice cream parlors in the country. Always on the hunt for flavors unique to a particular place, Roadfood likes these eateries because they offer experiences that you’ll always remember as distinctly Bostonian.
Santarpio’s Pizza
Santarpio's thin-crust pizza is a long-standing Boston highlight. Also on the menu: BBQ, which actually is charcoal-cooked sausage and lamb. Delicious!
Galleria Umberto Pizzeria
Galleria Umberto serves some of America’s best pizza on Boston's North End. It is one of the world’s great street-food dives.
Toscanini’s
Regardless of flavor, Toscanini's ice cream is some of the best in New England: decadently creamy and pillow soft, almost requiring a dish in lieu of a cone.
Kelly’s Roast Beef
Kelly's roast beef -- soft, pink, piled high on a butter-toasted bun -- is a legend north of Boston. The Revere Beach location is a happy waterside picnic.
All Star Sandwich Bar
All Star is a casual shop serving all-American sandwiches from Buffalo beef on weck to a New Orleans muffaletta. French fries are great, too.
Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream
Christina's 50+ flavor list is as wild as Willy Wonka's magic laboratory. For instance: Kaffir Lime, Cinnamon Rice Pudding and Thai Basil. A Cambridge treasure!
Cutty’s
Cutty's Roast Beef 1000 with fried shallots is the best Boston roast beef sandwich; Saturday's pork rabe has no peers.
Alive and Kicking Lobsters
Alive and Kicking in Cambridge makes a great lobster salad sandwich on toasted Scali bread. Also: chowder to round out the meal.
Clear Flour Bakery
Clear Flour may be Boston's most delicious bakery, period. Fresh baguettes, boules, croissants, rolls, and pastries of all sizes and flavors crowd the shelves.
Rancatore’s Ice Cream
Rancatore's flavors, from traditional Neapolitan to Khulfi and gingersnap molasses, make it a Boston-area best. Whipped cream and hot fudge are superb.
Trina’s Starlite Lounge
From fabulous fried chicken to a sausage-pancake-gravy creation known as the Mac Daddy, the Starlite is our go-to place for local color and fabulous food.
Dorado Tacos & Cemitas
Mexican food in New England is blah ... unless it’s from Dorado. This bright eatery specializes in the cemita, a layered sandwich popular in southern Mexico.
