Reader Suggestions: What’s Not To Be Missed In Boston?

As far as restaurants:

1)Rubin’s (deli style,really good), you can order breakfast all day.
2)Taam China (great chinese food)
3)Rami’s (great falafel)
4)Jerusalem pita (shawarma,falafel,israeli style food)
5)Eilat Cafe (Pizza place, not great)
6)Kupel’s bakery (for bagels)

But the best thing about Boston by far: JP LICKS (ice cream place where everything is kosher, and certain branches even have waffles)

hopes this helps, if you have more questions feel free to email me

rubins is not under the best hashgocha and ramis doesnt have a mashgiach tmidi. cafe eilat’s pizza is pas yisroel but all the other stuff you have to ask. JP licks is cholov akum.
no restaurants in boston have great food but there’s an (overpriced) kosher grocery place. the major grocery stores all have good kosher sections, though.

@nochnoch: cholov akum or cholov stam akum is asur where as stam is mutor

Whale watching weather permitting is a must

@chaim: mutar for you

sam adams brewery

@chaim: It has been discussed here http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=13629.0 I was at the pizza shop in brookline pretty awful IMO. I ordered a pie with half onion they gave me a full pie of onion and half a pie. They made me pay for the scam if I wanted my food… Is there a redsox game while you are there?

JP LICKS is a must!!

Dan,

I was just there in Dec., and would highly recommend taking one of the 2 day duck tour passes. You will get to see a bunch of interesting places, as well as have transportation from place to place, all for one fee.

Definitely go see the USS constitution, the kids will love it!

NBA finals imy”h. Faneuil Hall is a pretty cool place to hang out and watch street performers. definitely go to the Sam Adams brewery tour.

@david k:
Thanks!

I’ll miss out on the good stuff from JP Licks, but it looks like they also has non-dairy ice cream. Any idea if it is certified parve and kept separate from the dairy?

@nochnoch:
Seems like most places are under the KVH. Are you saying that locals wouldn’t rely on that hechsher?

@smart brit:
I think I’ve done more than my share of that during my 4 trips to Maui, but it is awesome!

@bw:
Great idea, not sure how that will work logistically with a baby.

@jj1000:
No Sox game unfortunately.

@Pinjo:
Thanks!

@mannypower:
I hope so too 😀

I live in Boston and have done hashgacha for the Vaad. The hashgacha is under the KVH which is kasher l’mahadrin. Anyone who says it’s “not the best” is simply lying. The food is excellent there and it’s a trip down memory lane. BTW, I am a Chabad Chosid.

@nochnoch: Rubin’s is under the KVH which is kasher l’mahadrin. Their hashgacha is excellent with no chashash at all!

Dan, check out the Freedom Trail. It brings you to all the major historic sites of early America. Not to be missed!

was just there were do you plan on staying? Food in brookline pretty bad for a ny eater like me tamm china is nasty. Check out the water it’s just beatufull. And there are always jews in the childrens hosptial go visit it it’s one of a kind.

Funny, I did hashgoche for the MK in Montreal. Everyone there and elsewhere say it’s a great hechsher, kasher l’mehadrin. Let’s just say, I would advise everyone to avoid the MK. I’m not simply talking about just erlichkeit, I’m taking outright tarfis and other stuff.

Hey dan go to the heat-celtics game thursday night gonna be craaazy!!

@macdan:

+1 on the Freedom trail.

Most of the frum yeshivish people will not eat KVH
Since Chabad is very makpid on the Chumras of Cholov Stam I would check in to KVH very carefully

It’s also not a OU or OK etc…. Reliable Hashgacha

@James: he’s going to boston not miami!! Although I’m sure they r probably going to have one heck of a “watch part” at TD Garden!!

Dan, sam breweru. With baby is no prob. Stoller fine. I just did that. Its totally cool and free (ahem). Freedom trail is what boston is all about. Its a great walking tour. (Again baby friednly) its a MUST. It starts at Boston Commons(park). Tour guide etc…

Ps. I heard rubins. Had issues as well… Chinese food good but usually crowded…

U can also go on the us constitution( oldest us ship in navy). There’s also a great childrens musuem.. I love boston, I go all the time. Where are you staying???

Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum, Faneiul Hall, the North End

Hi Dan –

I was near Boston for a few years so I’ll give you the following warning about food. All places has politics when it comes to Hashgacha but Boston happens to be particularly bad about it. Depending on who you ask, you may not want to eat in many/certain of the restaurants that are under local hashgacha. Also, you don’t want to ask people from out of Boston because the restaurants are constantly changing their own hashgachas. For example, someone mentioned Rami’s. The food their was very good (delicious shwarma and falafel) and the prices were find but since I moved, I have heard back and forth as to whether the hashgacha is now good.
The places that I recall everyone ate by are Ta’am China and Cafe Eilat, both on Harvard Street in Brookline (and basically across the street from one another.
The KVH is a recognized hashgacha nationally but they have had local issues for many years. They recently hired a new director who has taken the task the restore the hashgacha locally. I am not sure how far he has gotten. Your best bet for Kashrus is to talk to someone locally you trust and not solicit definitive kashrus stuff from us.

As to things to do. I don’t know exactly what days you are going but last July we did 3 days in Boston and area.
Day 1 (which was July 4) Freedom Walking Tour (and the park around that area), hung around for the street shows at Faneuil Hall, went for a beer at the Green Dragon (while my then 3 year old was sleeping) and a duck tour. Ta’am China for dinner and the spectacular Boston Pops/Fireworks display
Day 2) Plimoth Plantation and that whole area with boat cruise. BBQ for dinner
Day 3) Boston Fine Arts Museum, JFK Library and took in a Sox game.

Have fun!

Milk street cafe is pretty good

Don’t remember how old your son is. But the children’s museum is great

Regarding the kvh hechsher… To my knowledge, in general it’s not a “recommended hechsher” (based on living there, and the crc list http://www.crcweb.org/agency_list.php)… Recently though, a new head rabbi took over, and is trying to make things better. So there are places that are reliable Eg. the newly glatt certified butcherie (the ‘big’ kosher supermarket there)… The other more universally accepted hashgocha is under Rabbi Aaron Hamaoui. (includes cafe eilat – pizza shop, taam china (not bad)- chinese and i believe jerusalem pita, – schwarm, etc..) But kvh is a place by place basis… Also, beware, alot of supermarkets in the area have a bakery section under the kvh which has some pareve stuff, but is NOT recommended. As they also have cholov stam, and no mashgiach temidi.

As far as things to do, if you’ve never been to fenway park and there is no game, maybe go on a tour.. i’ve never been to a ‘tour’, but fenway is a great park! (it says handicap accessible, so probably for a stroller as well ) http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/tour.jsp
As far as other touristy things to do, i’m not quite sure, but just walking around boston, (faneuil hall – sometimes street performers if you go on the right day…there is also a pretty cool, small holocaust memorial around there) it’s a nice, small city..
There is also a pretty good science museum and children’s museum…
Hope this helps a little…

**holocaust memorial located on the freedom trail..

Go to the Bar from cheers

Go to the Children’s Museum on the Wharf, or the Aquarium – both wonderful for kids, nice sights, walking distance to Fanueil Hall, North End, etc.

Duck Tours
Faneuil Hall
Quincy market
Museum of science

Milk Street Cafe
Shalom hunan

and you might be able to take a tour of Fenway park should be cool

Dan great choice!!! Boston is a lot of fun even with children i did it with my little girl. Do the freedom trail you can do it with a stroller though its a lot of walking. Another thing to do is take a sunset cruise to some of the islands its pretty nice. Rubins is great the service and food was awesome!! Walking outside by the redsox game is also fun even if you dont go inside. If your kid is good you can go to the imax there its pretty cool. The Westin is a great choice for a hotel btw.

I”m a new York-er and bought by tam china last week the food was great I called the rabbi about a year ago he told me that the meat is eather kiryas yoel or meal mart and he told me that he has a mashgiach tmidi there

Discovery Museum (Imax, and 3D)
New England Aquarium

@macdan

I agree, I did hashgacha for Ramis and Rubins and they are both fine! Rubins has a Mashgiach Tmidi for half the day adn they rely on cameras for the other half. All vegetables are checked. KVH is a fine hasgacha!

I too am a chabadnick. I eat in both of those places. As for fun things to do, if you have a membership to a science museum where you live, see if they have reciprocity with the childrens museum in boston, ( they usually do) my little kids love it! also the science museum is cool.

If you want a very cheap boat “tour” check out the MBTA website and look at their boats you can go from quincy to boston without getting off for 6$ a person! kids free. it takes about 1.5 hours which is a bargain.

Good luck!

Hey dan where/when are you going?
Im going to be there in june also.Btw the Liberty Hotel is a great value with SPG

@Jacob: You gota be insane to say that!

Taam China has very good chinese foood & is a reliable hechsher. Downtown Boston on Milk St. is the Milk St. cafe. Check their schedule, may not be open during the week. Good hechsher but the milk products are chalav stam. If you are makpid, order products that don’t have milk or cheese. Everything tasted really good there. Jerusalem Pita in Brookline has shwarma. Haven’t tasted it. Take a ferry from downtown Boston Long Wharf to George & Spectacle Islands. On weekends the Post Office Garage near Long Wharf only charges $15 for full day of parking.

Go to Sheer Madness. You’ll love it (I’m from Boston).

try boott cotton mills tour. its a boat ride. take stroller along. its a national park for some reason.

if you’re willing to drive around a bit, try plymouth plantation,

also from personal experience i dont think you will grace DD with pictures from cafe eilat.
Taam china is nice, and the chicken is chassidishe shechita (call in advance to confirm)

also, if you’re not out for a “fab-grab” (out for a glamorous glitzy fun outing) there are plenty “historic” sites and “walks” that would do for a nice outing.

The aquarium downtown is very nice. they also have a speed boat ride in the harbor called Codzilla which is alot of fun. Sam adams brewery is OK, you get some free beer and sometimes even a free beer mug. You probably dont want to do whale watching, unless sitting on a boat for 4 hours to see whales for 10 minutes is your type of thing. You have fenway there ( incase you like baseball)…the chinese restaurant and rubins deli were both pretty good. for all religious info in that area, YI of Brookline has a very useful website. Enjoy!

Quincy market, childrens museum, boston commons, down town swan ride. walk along charles river has a park

@moe: Shalom hunan’s been closed for years, mate.

I’m going to Boston too soon , anyone know anything about the Fenway Park Tours , it seems they only sell tickets on the day of the tour , are they hard to get ? do they sell out ?

Dan, you’re kid is gonna love the children’s museum

Wow, the restaurant politics in Boston make it sound as bad as it is in Israel!

@Lamdan:
He’s just turning 11 months, a little young, no?

dan when are you going? We are going on an extended family trip to Boston including my married kids who count among your avid readers. would love to meet you!

I was there last summer for 2 days also-
The swan boats are beautiful- and are right near the Boston Common- which is a really nice place to walk around and is right by the start of the freedom trail.
The aquarium is also really nice and its on the harbour so you can just walk along the water afterwards..
(Salem is a cool city right near Boston- famous for the witch trials but I dont think your son will enjoy it)

Sam Adams brewery tour was great! Free beer!

Also, good value: http://www.trolleytours.com/ You get a hop-on-hop-off trolley pass and a harbor cruise. Well worth it.

We ate at the places under R’ Hamoui, which is what those who I know that lived there recommended. The Israeli place was very good, Chinese was eh.

We stayed downtown and went to Brookline for dinner, not too bad a drive.

http://www.trolleytours.com/boston/ballpark-tours.asp

Fenway Park tour is a MUST!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ta’am China has great food and a lunch special;)
You could def take your 11 month old on the swan boats, really nice and relaxing
Fanual Hall has awesome street performers and acts. Alot like Covent Garden in London
Boston is a clean NYC, great place to walk around

Mcgreevy’s Irish Pub and Sports Bar. Wear a baseball cap.

There is a great kosher Chinese restaurant on Harvard st in Boston check it out

At one point I did a lot of business in boston, when I went there for the first time I asked the now Bostoner Rabbi where it safe to eat he gave me a run down and the best of them was Taam China its under the hashgacah of rabbi hamawi with a mashgiach temidi (its actually owned by a guy) they have great food, there is a bakery right at that corner with a sign kosher but they use cholov stam and and pas akim so I don’t know what makes them kosher, take a walk thru Harvard university its very nice, there is a walking tour of Boston which is very nice, go row boating down the Charles river

Go on the duck tours. It’s an amphibious bus that takes you around Boston on the streets and then becomes a boat that goes in the water. The drivers are really funny because they’re out of work actors and comedians. And you get to see the whole city.

just keep in mind your not in ny.

taam china- its good chinese
rubins -pretty good deli old style
kupels- when fresh its ok
elite cafe- pizza ok
jerusalem pita/grill- i recommend the mixed grill
rami’s(which you might remmember from vegas….its the same owner as sabbabah) good shwarma

if you have gold elite membership at rami’s you’ll get a free coke

Hey Dan. I am thinking of going to Boston this summer with 2 young kids. I can’t wait to get your detailed trip report!!!

Which hotel will you be staying at?

the “very frum” people who live there only eat at taam china, cafe eilat and jerusalem pita (all in walking distance of each other).

See the USS Constitution. Its the oldest floating commissioned warship in the world. The tour is free. Adjacent to it there is a warship in dry dock.

i would suggest Cafe Eilat and Kupels. Boston Commons is nice, freedom trail, faniul hall… really nice place!!(i live in boston btw)

The stuffed cabbage at Rubin’s is the best I have had.