The Resy Hit List: Where In Boston You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Ensconced within the One Dalton Street Four Seasons, Zuma Boston is the local branch of the globe-spanning contemporary Japanese restaurant chain with locations from Hong Kong to Ibiza. Sushi, as you might reasonably expect, is a mainstay, with over-the-top house special rolls that pair seared scallops with uni and fresh truffle, or fatty tuna rolls that can be kicked up with a few grams of imperial caviar. Also, on the menu are signature dishes like roasted lobster in shiso ponzu butter or hoba leaf-wrapped black cod, plus grilled robata skewers ranging from sake-marinated chicken wings to pork belly with apple mustard miso. On the weekends, its expansive bar takes on a decidedly oonce-oonce-oonce vibe, with Japanese whisky old-fashioneds or lychee and rose petal martinis on hand to keep the party going. 

The “you can’t get good tacos in Boston” crowd would be well served by taking a trip to this slice of Tex-Mex heaven smack in the middle of Allston. Here, pillowy housemade corn tortillas are made into any of the nine available taco options, ranging from Baja fried fish to chorizo fundido to the house specialty Dallas spicy beef. Non-tortilla-based offerings, meanwhile, come in the form of grilled street corn with garlic lime aioli or a torta Milanesa made by stuffing a fried pork cutlet with refried beans, grilled pineapple, and Oaxacan cheese between two slices of bread. The drink menu isn’t anything to sneeze at either, with a half-dozen margarita varietals on call plus originals like the mezcal-based, tiki-inspired Oaxacan Dread.  

Folio — the open-to-the-public cafe that quite literally bookends the Boston Athenaeum, an esteemed members’ library — has refreshed itself for spring. And it’s a refreshment worth paying proper attention to, as it includes pressed maitake consommé, duck rillette gougère (read: very fancy sliders) with blue cheese and kumquat agrodolce, and mushroom and Madeira chicken pies. Meanwhile, the cocktail menu refreshes in another way, with specialties like Alice’s Wonderland with milk-washed gin, hibiscus, caramelized banana, pineapple, and guava.

Jadu — meaning “magic,” in Hindi — is a coffee shop by day, dispensing flat whites, espresso tonics, and masala chai teas alongside labneh parfaits and Indian instant noodles for light sustenance. But by evening time, Friday through Saturday, the airy little shop transitions to a wine bar (it did, after all, start as a wine pop-up in 2023) with a list of nearly two dozen vintages available by the bottle or glass, plus a strong showing of sherry, vermouth, and amari. Complementing the above is a snacky menu of small plates like miso tahini mushroom toast, tuna crudo, and mortadella sandwiches, with raspberry-stuffed chocolate ganache cake for a sweet conclusion. 

Italian the old-school way is the organizing principle behind Josephine in Somerville’s Cambria Hotel. It comes to us from chef Michael Scelfo (of Alden & Harlow, Waypoint, and Longfellow Bar fame), whose homage to traditional Italian American cooking goes something like this: dry-aged meatballs, skillet eggplant parmesan, rigatoni with vodka sauce and housemade sausage, deep dish pies with spicy ‘roni cups — you get the picture.

International travel — via bar stool — is the theme at Birds of Paradise, which comes from the acclaimed team behind Baldwin Bar and Blossom Bar. Each drink is presented as a one-way ticket from one far-flung destination to another, with the resulting concoction incorporating elements of both locales. For instance, the Rio to Tokyo contains both cachaça and a wasabi-coconut cordial, or the Dublin to Caracas with Irish whisky, banana, and tonka bean. The globe-hopping theme similarly extends to the food menu, packed with snacks like pork gyoza and poke bowls.

Grendel’s Den — the subterranean watering hole that’s been beloved by Harvard undergrads and grads alike since 1871 — has gained a little sister in the form of The Sea Hag. The airy establishment makes its bones on oysters and modern, seafood-forward interpretations of traditional pub fare, including skillet-braised Mediterranean haddock, tempura fish tacos, and Mozambique-style shrimp in a garlicky saffron sauce. It also boasts what might be the Square’s most enticing special: a pint of Guinness and an oyster for just shy of $10.

By virtue of its attachment to the same-named New Hampshire farm, Woods Hill Pier 4’s menu is organized around seasonality and a nose-to-tail ethos. What that’s meant in plated form lately is dishes including sunflower risotto with pickled sweet potato, smoked pork and foie gras bratwurst with spaetzle, and a formidable range of housemade pastas like cresto di gallo with red wine-braised duck. Throw in panoramic Boston Harbor views from their glass-walled dining room, and you’re truly getting the best of land and sea.

Lydia Shire — who you might recall as the first female winner of a James Beard Award, the chef and co-owner of Scampo, or a myriad of other highlights from her 50-year career — has just added another notch to her belt as culinary director of Bar Enza at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. With a menu already stacked with the likes of lamb merguez gnocchi and 14-ounce bisteccas with potato croquettes, it’s an auspicious start for the Italian restaurant group’s latest act.

Qué Mas — roughly translated as “what else?” — is a fitting moniker for this modern pan-Latin spot in Beverly, which serves as a culinary tour of Central and South America. Stops include sweet corn arepas with burrata and sundried tomato pesto, swordfish al pastor with grits and pineapple salsa, and braised lamb ossobuco served in grilled banana leaves. Fun fact: chef Alex Pineda is the son of legendary Boston-area chef Lydia Shire, and came up working at Scampo.

The farm-to-table Union Square standby’s whole M.O. is making the most of seasonal ingredients from local farmers and producers. As you might have heard, it’s summer, and that means a fresh menu with the likes of spicy king oyster mushroom salad, Wellfleet clams in green crab curry with housemade focaccia, and a bavette steak with a brown butter parsnip puree and kale salsa verde.  

Newtonville may be a long way from Naples, but chef Mario LaPosta is helping to bridge that gap with his eponymous restaurant specializing in naturally leavened, wood-fired pies and high-end takes on Southern Italian street food. Imagine: delicately fried calamari and housemade ricotta accompanied by hot honey, followed by pizza crowned with fresh figs and lardo or grilled ramps, ‘nduja, and mozzarella. Add in an enviable selection of wines sourced from the Boot’s lower half, and you’ve got yourself a stamp-free passport to Italy.

No ferry is required to visit LoLa 42, the Seaport outpost of the beloved Nantucket institution Lola 41 Nantucket. Like its equivalent, the menu has a hyper-specific focus on cuisines that fall along the 42^nd parallel. Fortunately, that makes for fare like beef bulgogi bao, spicy scallop sushi rolls, and cavatelli Bolognese. Always of interest is the Lola Burger, made with red onion compote and foie gras sauce and served on an English muffin.

We’d happily sit down at Kava Neo-Taverna for delightfully spiced lamb meatballs or addictive fried zucchini chips any time of the year. But in prime patio season, the little Greek restaurant becomes something else: a veritable scene spilling out onto Union Park and Shawmut Street, giving diners some of the most charming street views in Boston while they sip on xinomavro and make short work of grilled octopus or baked shrimp with feta in a spicy tomato sauce.

After soft-opening for take-out last fall, Mimi’s Chuka Diner — to recap, that’s Chinese cuisine as cooked in Japan — is firing on all cylinders (and accepting reservations) at its space inside Aeronaut Brewing Co. Expect crunchy kombu-brined chicken karaage, fried pork gyoza, and extra-garlicky garlic noodles, plus more surprising fare like a wagyu burger with yaki-barbecue sauce and Kewpie mayo.

For decades, the Columbus Hospitality Group has been synonymous with fine dining, opening and maintaining restaurants including Mistral, Ostra, Sorellina, and Mooo. Their latest is not that. Instead, it’s a tiny, counter-service joint in the South End serving a delightful take on Roman-style pizza, typified by square slices and crispy, doughy crusts. Drop in for a margherita or spicy soppressata by the slice, half-pie, or full pies, plus other goodies ranging from wagyu meatball subs to focaccia loaves to chocolate chip cookies.

Walk-ins only. Find more info here.