Where to Eat for Restaurant Week
Market's ice cream sundae with salted caramel ice cream and popcorn. (Photo courtesy of Market)
Restaurant Week is around the corner, meaning that for two whole weeks (March 18-23 and 25-30), you can try out some of Boston’s best (and priciest) restaurants at a discounted price: lunches go for $20.12, while dinners are priced at $33.12. We scoured the list of participating restaurants to find spots with the most appealing menus; as of press time, the restaurants below still have reservations — albeit some at off-peak times — available. —Jon Cheng
Clink: Chef Joseph Margate may have lost out to Will Kovel in the regional Food & Wine’s “People’s Best New Chef” contest, but he’s still bringing the goods with his RW menu, which features dishes like a salad of sweet Maine shrimp with aji panca and grapefruit and pork chops with red lentils, black kale, and tamarind. End the meal on a sweet and salty note with a pineapple tarte tatin with caramelized bacon ice-cream. 215 Charles St., Boston. 617-224-4004, libertyhotel.com.
Rialto: For starters, there’s dishes like mussel cioppino with crusty grilled bread, while hearty mains include roast chicken with capers, preserved lemon, and pine nuts and pea ravioli with carrot sauce, radicchio, and mint. On the dessert side, we’re gunning for the Sicilian Brioscia, essentially gelato encased within a fluffy brioche roll. One Bennett Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge. 610- 661-5050, rialtorestaurant.com
Market: At Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s French-Asian hybrid, find dishes like salmon tartare with avocado, spicy radish, and sriracha ginger dressing, plus miso-and-yuzu-glazed cod with baby bok choy. For dessert, go for the salted caramel ice-cream sundae with peanuts, popcorn, and chocolate. 100 Stuart Street, Boston. 617-310-6790, marketbyjgboston.com
Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse: While at first glance this spot tends to seem more about flash than substance, there’s some quality food here (and RW is a great time to try it without breaking the bank). An antipasti of grilled bruschetta is more than the diced tomato-atop-bread variety, thanks to a topping of tuna, arugula, Tuscan white beans, and pancetta. Entrees are similarly hearty, with options like chicken cutlet parmiginana, veal cannelloni, and rainbow trout with truffle potatoes, pea greens, and lemon. 75 Arlington Street, Boston. 617-357-4810, davios.com
Mistral: For his RW menu, chef Jamie Mammano offers appetizers like black truffle aioli-topped beef sirloin carpaccio and Caesar salad. Mains include all-natural Statler chicken breast with green asparagus and white mushroom risotto, and the more carnivore-friendly 12 oz sirloin with potatoes lyonnaise, a port-wine reduction and rich Gorgonzola butter. 223 Columbus Avenue, Boston. 610-867-9300, mistralbistro.com
East Coast Grill: ECG is offering a menu that’s part-Asian and part-BBQ. There’s appealing apps like Thai-style crisp pork salad with spicy onions and peanuts, and egg noodles with ginger-sausage relish and coconut lemongrass broth. The BBQ shows up big-time in the entrees, which include spareribs with grilled corn and apple slaw, and blackened catfish with Tabasco remoulade. For a rich dessert, try fried sweet plantains with vanilla ice-cream and guava caramel. 1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge. 617-491-6568, eastcoastgrill.net
Toro: Toro is notorious for not taking reservations, but RW is the only time that they do. Want to take advantage? You’ll get seven courses of small plates, with classic items like Pan con Tomate, a spanish-style bruschetta. More adventurous eaters should instead opt for Atun crudo, or tuna tartare with coconut milk, calamansi lime, mint and cilantro. There’s also the pressed uni-sandwich with picked mustard seeds, and Kung Pao-style sweetbreads with blood orange and hazelnuts. Be sure to come with an open mind and empty stomach. 1704 Washington Street, Boston. 617- 536-4300, toro-restaurant.com
Radius: Michael Schlow’s downtown spot, home to the infamous $19 burger, will once again open its doors for RW. For appetizers, there’s a simple choice of either chicory salad with Pecorino, almonds, and vinaigrette, or a carrot soup spiked with pistachio and black garlic. Entree-wise, a dish of beef short ribs with cauliflower, black-eyed peas, olives, and lemon looks especially great. Desserts are more creative, with options like olive oil pudding with rainier cherry soup. If only the burger was on the menu… Open for dinner only. 8 High Street, Boston. 617-426-1234, radiusrestaurant.com
Uni: For appetizers, the sashimi bar is offering either tuna poke or hirame (fluke), dressed with blood orange, konbu, and chili. As for entrees, crispy-skinned salmon with spicy cucumber and glass noodles, braised short rib, and the obligatory chirashi (assorted sashimi on rice) sound enticing. Finish it off with a plate of bitter chocolate ganache with almond, rangpur lime, and aerated yogurt (fancy!). Dinner only. 370-A Commonwealth Avenue, Boston. 617-536-7200, unisashimibar.com
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