Over the top: Aujourd-hui, in the Four Seasons

Every day: Dolphin Seafood, in Cambridge

Inexpensive: Any of the Asian places in the Porter Exchange, also in Cambridge

For dessert, you want to head to Finale – the Chocolate Infatuation is amazing.

http://www.finaledesserts.com/

Everyday: Parrish Cafe for the Best sandwich.
Croma on Newbury, the bar manager Andrew is great.

Over the top: Excelsior or L’Espalier

My favorite restaurant here is Ten Tables, an obscure place in Jamaica Plain. Entrees between $20-30, so it’s somewhere in between everyday and over-the-top…but every time I go anywhere I mentally compare the food to Ten Tables, and – with the possible exception of L’Espalier – it’s just never as good. Ten Tables is a tiny Boston miracle.

This is my sort of question. Here are just a few.

Less Expensive to mid-range:
El Pelon (Fenway)
– Mexican

Penguin Pizza (Mission Hill)
– pizza, salads, etc.

Cambridge One (Fenway & Harvard Square)
– pizza, salads

Pho Lemongrass (Coolidge Corner)
– great soups

Audubon (Audubon Circle area – betweeen Kenmore Sq and St. Mary’s near Fenway)
– sandwiches and salads

Bukowski’s (Inman Sq and Boston near Back Bay)
– awesome beer collection

Eastern Standard (Kenmore Square)
– bistro

The Butcher Shop (South End)
– good wines, tasty meats and stuff

Pricier:
Oleana (near Inman Square)
– great flavors, Middle Eastern influences

EVOO (Inman Square)
– terrific and interesting combinations

Rialto (Harvard Square at the Charles Hotel)
– wonderful!

Fugakyu (Coolidge Corner)
– Japanese

Pricey Bakery/Pastries:
*Tatte Bakery (Beacon St. at St. Mary’s in Brookline)

casual/everyday: Zaftig’s Deli in Coolidge Corner. So good!!

Has no one mentioned Legal Seafoods ?

The Upper Crust serves the best pizza ever. Also celebrity sightings are fairly frequent at the Tremont Street location.

http://theuppercrustpizzeria.com/

Everyday: The Boston Sail Loft at the harbor, Pagliccuia’s in the North End

does it have to be in boston? Melting Pot is AMAZING!!!!! There’s one in Burlington, MA and one in Framingham/Natick! It’s all fondue! The meal part, you cook your own food! The cheese and dessert fondue was off the wall good! lol.

The best restaurant for fine dining in Boston is La Troquet. Here is their menu and website. The chef is an unbelievable food artist, creating inspirations for other area chefs. The sommalier is a superb expert in fine wines of the world, and they have an immense selection of wines by the glass that won’t break your budget.

I recommend this place very highly.

Lets see….
Over the top:
I would say Pigalle in the theatre district. No.9 Park (or any of Barbara Lynchs restaurants… less upscale would be B&G Oysters and the Butcher Shop.) Or Radius. L’Espalier is amazing, but also stuffy.
Mantra is pretty hip and fun, but we have had only so-so meals there. Troquet is terrific, as well.
Everyday:
Zaftigs, we love it there for breakfast.
For Sushi we go to Oishii, but that might be out of the way in Brookline/Chestnut Hill.
Barking Crab is fun for out of towners… big communal table and buckets of seafood, sitting on a dock over the harbor.
Or what about La Summa in the North End?
I know theres more, but I can’t think right now. Have a blast in Beantown!

Mr. Bartley’s in Cambridge, Porter Exchange in Cambridge,Pagliuccia’s in N. End, Cactus Club in Back Bay, Vinny Testa’s in Back Bay, Legal Seafoods (branches all over), Bisuteki Japanese Steak House in Revere, Kelly’s Roast Beef (branches all over), Union Oyster House in the W. End

sara, the bottom line is this:

Special occasions are completely synonomous with the North end (aka Italy). If you’ve got it in you, go for Strega Ristorante for a special occasion.

Everyday ins and outs: it would be foolish to skip The Paramount for breakfast, but get there early or you’ll be waiting in the street with everyone else!

Zaftigs for everyday.

I haven’t been to an over the top restaurant yet.

My other favorite everyday restaurant is Esperia in Brighton.