Boston Update--Wicked Awesome

I'm just getting a chance to post about my recent trip to Boston...Finally! DF and I went out there a couple of weekends ago to catch the season opener for the Boston Red Sox. While we ended up not being able to catch the game due to a rain delay and flights that were too expensive to change (Oh! The horror!), we did get the chance to enjoy some really great restaurants.

I should preface this by saying that when I lived in Boston for college, "fine dining" was defined by two stalwart East Coast chains--Vinnie Testa's (Italian, big portions) and Legal Seafood (known for their chowder). On a very rare occasion, we may have ventured down to the North End for some authentic Italian--but that was usually reserved for Valentine's Day dates, or maybe when parents came to town.

Older and allegedly wiser, DF and I returned to Boston, armed with extensive Internet research and some Epicurious recommendations. The first night we were in town, we had a late dinner at Neptune Oyster, a very tiny oyster bar/restaurant on Salem Street in the North End. If you're ever in Boston, you must eat here. (NB: There's maybe seating for 20 or so, so be willing to get there early, get there late, or wait in line--but trust me, it's worth it!) We scored a couple of seats at the bar, got a couple glasses of wine and ordered this:
...a giant platter of oysters--we went with three different varieties, but the only ones I definitely remember getting were the Pemiquids--but I do remember they were all delicious, briny, and fresh. From there we moved on to the fried clams, hot, succulent, and whole (not just tiny little strips).
Finally, we finished our meal by sharing the lobster bisque with parsnips, spring peas, and pea tendrils. This was the dish that made DF declare that he had just had the best meal of his life, and I would tend to agree. The bisque was sweet and creamy, laced with the crunchy, bright crunch of the peas and their tendrils, with the lobster pieces mounded in the center of the bowl. I took a close up of a spoonful because the overview just didn't do justice.

So, that was Saturday night. Sunday, we strolled around Boston and ended up having dinner with my college roommate at Myers + Chang in the South End. Another spectacular dinner--funky Asian in a hip little space. We shared a tasting menu that was on special for the evening, then supplemented it with a few other dishes. Our favorites included the Green Papaya Slaw (spicy!), Braised Pork Belly Buns, and Sweet Potato Fritters. Definitely worth checking out.

Monday, we rounded out our culinary tour with homemade Italian at Giacomo's on Hanover Street in the North End. The online reviews said it was some of the best the North End had to offer and it was worth the wait. They were right. The fried calamari was tender and perfectly breaded, and our pasta dishes were superb: Lobster ravioli in a cream sauce and homemade rotini with lobster and shrimp with their Giacomo sauce (a lobster-based tomato sauce thickened with a touch of cream).

Oh! I should also mention that the prices were super reasonable (maybe even cheap!?!) and the fact that both DF and I were damp from trekking around in the rain and wearing ball caps wasn't a problem in the slightest.

All in all, it was great to catch up with old friends, check out new places, and have some really wonderful meals. Hopefully, we'll be able to catch a Sox game when there's a smaller possibility of rain delays!