In early April, I had the pleasure of attending the AORN conference. It was held at the Boston Convention Center right in this heart of the seaport district of Boston, MA. While attending this conference, I had some wonderful lunches and you can read about them in this post here. However, during this trip, I also had four phenomenal dinners that I’d love to share. So, read on and discover a few great dinner spots in Boston.
The Capital Burger
I arrived in Boston on a Friday night and checked into my hotel. I was staying right across the street from the convention center at the Omni in the Seaport District. A few colleagues of mine wanted to have dinner over at The Capital Burger on Newbury Street. Knowing this was going to be the nicest day of the week, I took advantage of the beautiful weather. It was approximately 2.13 miles walk from my hotel to The Capital Burger.
My colleagues Ubered to the restaurant, but when in Boston, I love walking. It is a highly walkable city- you experience so much more. So, I walked by myself to the restaurant. I felt so safe to be alone walking that particular route to Newbury Street. It took me approximately 45 minutes to walk to the restaurant. I was able to see several beautiful sites and had a great conversation on the phone with my adult son.
Upon arrival at the restaurant, I first had to send my daughter a picture of where I was. You see, she loves Newbury Street -as do I. The shopping is phenomenal and there are many great restaurants. However, for all the times I have been to Newbury Street, I have never been to The Capital Burger.
We had reservations, which I highly recommend, and we were seated right away. We were seated on the second floor with a window view overlooking Newbury Street. It was very Bostonian and the restaurant was bustling. Service was great with everything timed to perfection. I love when that happens.
The Meal
We started off with the deviled eggs. The dish is technically called “egg and bacon”, and it is a delicious take on deviled eggs. But, let’s be real, if you top anything with candied bacon it’s going to be good. I had the Capital Burger with an accompanying Caesar salad. Of course, we had to end the night with a little something sweet. This Belgian chocolate mousse was rich and creamy, but not too heavy. I’m glad I walked there! Since it was dark when we left the restaurant, I did Uber back to my hotel with my colleagues.
The Capital Grille
On our second night in town, my colleagues and I ate at The Capital Grille on Boylston Street. I understand 100% that both The Capital Burger and The Capital Grille are a national chain. So, let’s just get that obvious fact out of the way. However, because it is a higher-end chain, it is a consistently well-delivered service model and a consistently delicious meal. There is something to be said for that.
Regardless of location, I recommend always having a reservation. On this particular night, I was still a little full from my lunch and so I kept it fairly light. I did not have an appetizer nor did I have dessert. Blasphemy, I know!
For my meal, I opted for the pan seared sea scallops with Maine lobster and asparagus risotto. This meal never disappoints and it is always my go-to when I don’t feel like having beef. The risotto was rich and creamy. The asparagus was deliciously al dente, the lobster was sweet, and the scallops were seared perfectly. The whole dish is topped with a lemon-dressed, arugula salad. I normally do not care for arugula, but in this instance, it brings a peppery punch to the dish.
Woods Hill Pier 4
From where the Omni is located in the Seaport District, Woods Hill Pier 4 is only a 13 minute walk. Again, you get to see some beautiful sites like the floral arrangements that the city was installing. Shown up above. The area where this restaurant is located is also home to the Snowport Christmas Market. I took my daughter to this market as part of her birthday trip at the end of 2024.
Woods Hill is also not that far from the Institute of Contemporary Art which is also another great place to visit while you’re in the Seaport District. This restaurant is truly a gem in the heart of Boston’s Seaport District and reservations are highly recommended. This is one of a few restaurants owned by Kristen Canty. She lives and breathes the farm to table philosophy. She has even filmed a documentary on the subject called Farmageddon. Knowing this, I was in for a treat.
The Cocktail
I started the night off with a drink that was delicious, and also aesthetically pleasing. It was called the lavender bees, knees and was made with a dry gin, lavender, honey, and lemon. It was smooth it was uplifting, and it was a great precursor to what was to come.
The Meal
The dishes served here are more of a tapas style. They are small, carefully curated plates meant for sharing. So, myself and my two colleagues ordered an array of plates and each one was better than the other. Sadly, as I am writing this, I realize that I only had 2 pictures of the food. Looks like I will have to get a do-over!
Now, this menu changes seasonally and so what we ordered and enjoyed on this early April night, may not be available. However, I have no doubt that the dishes replacing what we ate are just as delicious. The plates we decided to share included the charred broccoli, the hanger steak, the scallop crudo , the salad Lyonnaise, the beef short rib, the Scottish salmon à la Plancha, and the sunflower risotto.
I will be honest there was not one favorite dish. They were ALL favorites. Each one was a symphony in my mouth. We were amazed at how absolutely delicious and fresh and vibrant this meal was. It was like the heavens opened up and placed these amazing dishes right in front of us. It was that good. Let’s be honest, my pictures do not do the dishes justice and so, for that, I apologize. I just wanted to eat. I’m not sure we even spoke much while we were eating other than to ask each other to pass the plates.
La Famiglia Giorgio’s
I’ve been around for a couple of years and I think the last time I went to La Famiglia Giorgio‘s I was in my twenties. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy it, back then, I was in the North End quite often and, subsequently, ate here quite often. I just hadn’t been back because ,you know, life.
However, since one of my colleagues traveled in for this conference and another lives in the city, we decided to invite the rest of our crew for a dinner at La Famiglia Giorgio’s. From the Omni in the Seaport District, it would’ve been a 36 minute walk. Totally doable and safe! However, since it was raining cats and dogs, we decided to Uber. On this night, there was eight of us and we did have a reservation.
After all these years, the service and the food were both phenomenal- as I remembered. We started out with a bottle of Ruffino Modus and a few other drinks. This wine is one of my most favorite wines. It is a full-bodied Super Tuscan that is just so smooth. It can be dangerous.
We did start off with a few appetizers including fried calamari and the family antipasto. There was so much food on these two plates. The antipasto was fresh with fresh meat and cheeses with salty olives. The fried calamari was hot and crispy served with the most delicious marinara sauce. I could drink that sauce.
For my dinner, I had the same meal. I got years ago. Chicken and broccoli with garlic and oil. The chicken was tender, broccoli was flavorful, and the pasta was cooked just right. We had such a great night. It was a fun atmosphere with phenomenal food and spirits. I will not wait so long to return!
Bova’s Bakery
Now, we had just left La Famiglia Giorgio’s, and on this misty, cold night, saw a light at the end of the street. The warm glow emanating from the windows drew all of us in. The enticingly sweet aroma of sugar, made it irresistible. I will have to shamefully admit, in all my years of coming to the North End, I had no idea this place existed. I mean, maybe I did, but it had been so long that I completely forgot.
Painting the picture on this particular night. It was a Monday night, it was cold, misting raining, and dreary. And yet, there was a line out the door for Bova’s. When one group of customers left, another one filed right in. As if it couldn’t get any better, this place is open 24/7. Yep, you read that right: 24/7 cannoli, 24/7 tiramisu , and 24/7 Italian cookies. I am so glad I do not live near this place.
For myself, I got a tiramisu and I got a Whoopie pie for my daughter. On this particular night, I was way too full to eat my treat so I brought it back to my hotel and kept it in the refrigerator. So when I got home, my daughter and I enjoyed a treat.
So, there you have it. Boston food never ceases to amaze me. There are so many great dinner options for when you’re in Boston it can be difficult to choose. And, when you want a sweet treat in the middle of the night, you also know where to go to get that. I hope the next time you visit, you can enjoy one of these delicious establishments and consider walking, you will get to see so. much more of this great city!