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This isn’t even remotely close. Boston is much improved from foodie purgatory of 50 years ago but it’s not in the same league as San Francisco. Even seafood which should be world class given that the fish houses of New Bedford are 50 miles away is pretty mediocre. Part of it is access to fresh produce. Part is sheer money. Part is a far more multicultural and Asian-influenced population. It helps having a world class wine scene a day trip away. Microbreweries are everywhere these days so nobody can claim superiority.
Yea everyone keeps talking about seafood. I feel like for being where it is it barely even registers in Boston. I’m way more central to the food scene and culture here in Baltimore, which is also a better food city than Boston.
You could probably get good fresh lobster, oysters and chowder but it’s not a huge part of the food landscape. And there’s a ton of people who don’t like lobster, osmusters or New England chowder. You certainly don’t see many seafood restaurants in Roslindale or Jamaica Plain or Roxbury. Forget about the periphery of the city or the suburbs.
I see more fish markets and seafood wholesalers than restaurants in most areas.
Yea everyone keeps talking about seafood. I feel like for being where it is it barely even registers in Boston. I’m way more central to the food scene and culture here in Baltimore, which is also a better food city than Boston.
You could probably get good fresh lobster, oysters and chowder but it’s not a huge part of the food landscape. And there’s a ton of people who don’t like lobster, osmusters or New England chowder. You certainly don’t see many seafood restaurants in Roslindale or Jamaica Plain or Roxbury. Forget about the periphery of the city or the suburbs.
I see more fish markets and seafood wholesalers than restaurants in most areas.
I've often wondered about the whole "good seafood in Boston" thing. I'm 51 and spent the 1st 50% of my life there, BTW, and visit yearly.
For a looooong time, seafood in Boston usually meant fried baskets or baked haddock or cod with cracker crust. Or lobster. I'm exaggerating a little...and at my really young ages it's not like we're dining upscale anyway. Seeing a swordfish steak on a menu was a revelation.
Now there's nothing wrong with any of that, and damn, I still love me a hot plate of friend goodness at Woodman's every summer.
But I've grown to prefer pacific fish and the ways they're often prepared out here on the west coast.
Obviously it has changed a lot for the better in Boston since I left town, I get that, and I don't visit often enough to sample too many newer places.
I've often wondered about the whole "good seafood in Boston" thing. I'm 51 and spent the 1st 50% of my life there, BTW, and visit yearly.
For a looooong time, seafood in Boston usually meant fried baskets or baked haddock or cod with cracker crust. Or lobster. I'm exaggerating a little...and at my really young ages it's not like we're dining upscale anyway. Seeing a swordfish steak on a menu was a revelation.
Now there's nothing wrong with any of that, and damn, I still love me a hot plate of friend goodness at Woodman's every summer.
But I've grown to prefer pacific fish and the ways they're often prepared out here on the west coast.
Obviously it has changed a lot for the better in Boston since I left town, I get that, and I don't visit often enough to sample too many newer places.
Do you feel like seafood is prominent in daily life? do you think there are a lot of seafood restaurants in the Boston are?
How does this even get to be a serious question? Look at any ranking of the top foodie cities in the US and SF will be in the top 5 (often 1st or 2nd) whilst Boston doesn't make the list of the top 25. I'm in biotech and thus visit both cities often. There's a total difference in the food cultures in both cities. SF is very much a foodie culture whereas food in Boston is more of an after thought.
One area that Boston should not be hard to beat SF is steakhouses, though I cannot think of any of national significance off the top of my head.
I don’t think Boston wins this but on that daily meal review Boston’s scampo is 8...no way scampo is 8 nationally it is not best italian in Boston.
Do you feel like seafood is prominent in daily life? do you think there are a lot of seafood restaurants in the Boston are?
Well I haven't lived there in 2 decades and only visit about 10-14 days per year.
And when I do I usually indulge in one fried platter (clams, scallops, etc.) from somewhere on the North Shore, and usually a dinner at The Causeway in Gloucester.
When I lived there, no, it wasn't daily. Probably for me at least since the preparation tended to be heavy.
I know things have changed quite a bit since then...and we have found seafood spots we like in Salem, for instance, that we really like.
I don’t think Boston wins this but on that daily meal review Boston’s scampo is 8...no way scampo is 8 nationally it is not best italian in Boston.
Those lists are usually pretty worthless, from what I've found. I based my vote on my experience in both cities and I found the overall quality of the food in SF to be much higher.
That said, I hear people saying Boston isn't actually that great for seafood and overall it might not be, but the couple of places I've eaten it there have been very good, while SF's seafood is spottier than you'd expect.
Those lists are usually pretty worthless, from what I've found. I based my vote on my experience in both cities and I found the overall quality of the food in SF to be much higher.
That said, I hear people saying Boston isn't actually that great for seafood and overall it might not be, but the couple of places I've eaten it there have been very good, while SF's seafood is spottier than you'd expect.
Pretty subjective..San Fran will get consistently higher grades..Boston’s food scene has improved significantly...you definitely have to get out of the touristy areas and large numbers of the very good restaurants are actually in Cambridge and somerville..sarma in somerville is as good as anywhere I’ve been
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