MCFI Members & Friends Recommend
MCFI Members (the organization that is sponsoring Smofcon) is putting together a list of recommended places to go while you are visiting Boston this December. This list will be expanding as we get closer to Smofcon, so please check back.
Many of the sites listed here are accessible by "T", Boston's public transportation sytem. Visit the MBTA's website to use the trip planner to help you navigate the system.
| Museums & Such | Comments | Recommended by |
|---|---|---|
| Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum | gfs | |
| The Glass Flowers and other exhibits at the Harvard Museum of Natural History | gfs | |
| history of hacks at the MIT Museum | ch | |
| The Boston Museum of Science | dg | |
| The New England Aquarium | (A bit late in the year for whale watches, however.) | dg, gfs |
| Boston Restaurants | Comments | Recommended by |
|---|---|---|
| Trouquet | French restaurant and Wine Bar overlooking Boston Common. | ch |
| No. 9 Park | (9 Park Street; up the hill from Park Street station on the Red Line). Spectacularly wonderful French and Italian country food; Wine Spectator restaurant; the duck is superb. Reservations vital. The cafe side is less pricey. Plan to spend $100+ for two. | dg, lt |
| Boston's North End | this is a listing of many of the restaurants in Boston's "Little Italy." | dg |
| Mike's Pastry | (in Boston's North End on Hanover Street) Mike's pastry is a take-out pastry joint that is legendary in Boston. If you like flaky puffy pastry and whipped cream, try the lobster claw for an authentic treat. Note that their website hasn't been updated in a while, just like the pastry shop. | dg |
| Modern Pastry | The other recommended old-line pastry shop in the North End (more authentically Italian, some claim), also on Hanover Street. | dg |
| Phoenicia Restaurant | Is it cold? Kind of nasty? Looking for really healthy, tasty comfort food? Try Deb's favorite Lebanese restaurant, Phoenicia Restaurant, Cambridge Street, Boston. The baked kafta is perfect for a cold winter's day, and their tabouli is the best in the known universe. Quite moderately priced: dinner for two without alcohol for ~$25. | dg |
| Ma soba restaurant | Boston Magazine rates Ma soba restaurant Best Sushi in Boston. Located right next door to Deb's office on Cambridge Street, Boston, it is an Asian fusion restaurant with some delightful specialties for those who are not interested in the sushi but want to hang with their friends. The sesame chicken is particularly tasty. | dg |
| Chau Chow City Restaurant Emperor Garden China Pearl's |
Dim Sum inclined? Boston's two best are Chau Chow City Restaurant on Essex Street (Chinatown) and Emperor Garden on Washington Street (Chinatown). These are two of the most authentic and the most patronised by Boston's Asian community; bring a group -- but neither should set a normal diner back more than $20 for everything. For something a bit more upscale (but still quite authentic), try China Pearl's ($21-30) dim sum, on Tyler Street (Chinatown). | dg, lt |
| Legal Sea Foods | There are four Legals at Logan, with differing hours and menus. There's a limited food court outlet in Terminal B, plus sit-down restaurants in Terminal B and Terminal C, plus a Legal Test Kitchen in Terminal A. They all have different menus and some close fairly early, so check the web site before heading over. Note: According to the Logan Airport site, the Legal in Terminal C is the only one that is outside of the security checkpoints | lt |
| Faneuil Hall Marketplace (also known as Quincy Market) | A combination of dining and shopping opportunities, as well as part of the historic Freedom Trail. The Market offers sit-down restaurants as well as a Food Hall in the historic Quincy Market Colonnade. My current favorite food stall is Beard Papa. I know that's a terrible name, but it's a Japanese company that offers the most amazing fresh cream puffs that I have ever tasted. | lt |
| Shopping | Comments | Recommended by |
|---|---|---|
| New England Mobile Book Fair | Requires car and space for books. | pal, sls |
| Other | Comments | Recommended by |
|---|---|---|
| NESFA Clubhouse | Requires car or T transportation and native guide (local NESFAn with key). | gfs, sls |
Key to recommendations: ch: Chip Hitchcock, pal: Paula Lieberman, gfs: Geri Sullivan, lt: Leslie Turek, dg: Deb Geisler, sls: Sharon Sbarsky