From spicy Caribbean to upscale Italian, these five restaurants can satisfy any weary Longwood researcher.
Anna Kushnir
NNB sent Harvard graduate student and food lover Anna Kushnir to try out five restaurants, all within a 15-minute walk of the Longwood medical area. This is the first in a regular series of reviews of restaurants located near Boston’s research and conference centers.
Flames II: fast food that’s real…and a bit spicy
Not all fast-food lunches have to be made with vats of trans fats and unpronounceable ingredients. Flames II, a Caribbean restaurant, serves up authentic and flavorful food, cafeteria style. Choose from three sizes of to-go boxes, filled with various beef, chicken, and curried vegetable entrees and sides. While the daily offerings vary, the succulent jerk chicken—smothered with a thick layer of a mildly spicy and earthy rub—is always available.
For something a little different from the usual Caribbean jerk chicken, try this oxtail stew with fried dumpling, cabbage, and rice.
Flames II also offers Caribbean specialties such as goat curry and oxtail stew. Oxtails are braised until the tender meat falls off the bone and served in a thick, rich gravy. If you want to indulge in something deep-fried, ask for a fried dumpling—the dense bread is crunchy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside.
746 Huntington Ave.
Boston MA 02115
(617) 734-1911
Small box: $5.75
Medium box: $7.60
Large box: $9.98
Seafood selections carry an extra charge.
Solstice Café relaxes the mind and feeds the soul
When you need a time-out from the medical area frazzle, try the Solstice Café on Tremont Street. The décor is warm and calming, and quiet jazz plays in the background. The large bowls of simply dressed pastas also help you decompress. These dishes can be customized to your taste, with your choice of four types of perfectly al dente pastas, six sauces, and grilled chicken, tuna, shrimp, or steak.
Solstice puts its own spin on the classic spicy and assertive fra diavolo sauce, adding cream and replacing the traditional red pepper flakes with generous slices of jalapeno. The result is light but velvety, with a subtle kick of spice.
The tuna fra diavolo at the Solstice Café is a new twist on an old favorite.
A minimalist approach is used in some of the other pastas. The puttanesca sauce is a thin olive oil-based concoction, sparsely punctuated by bits of capers and olives. The flavor is there, but the body is not. Still, you can rely on carbohydrates and jazz to relieve some mid-week Longwood anxiety.
1625 Tremont St.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 566-5958
Appetizers: $6-$8.50
Lunch sandwiches: $6.75-$7.25
Entrees: $8.50-$14
Editor’s note (September 4, 2007): The Solstice Cafe recently closed down. In its place is a new restaurant, "The Savant Project.":https://www.thesavantproject.com/Home.html
The Mission Bar & Grill excels in classic pub fare
The Longwood area is not known for its refined atmosphere. There are, luckily, a few exceptions, like The Mission Bar and Grill. The airy dining area is filled with dark wood furniture and paneling, with a mirror that spans the length of the bar. Windows take up the entire opposite wall and are opened on those rare warm Boston days.
The menu runs the gamut from all-American, cola-marinated steak tips to Italian specialties such as fried risotto balls and chicken saltimbocca. Sadly, the risotto balls do not live up to their potential–they are under-seasoned and over-fried.
It’s best to stick to pub standards, the Mission’s forte. Weighty burgers are served on glistening brioche rolls with chips, fries, or a salad. The turkey burger is juicy and slightly out of the ordinary with the addition of a tangy cranberry relish. A beer from the Mission’s extensive list of imports can make frustrations in the lab fade into the background. Temporarily, of course.
724 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 566-1244
Appetizers: $5.99-$9.99
Burgers/sandwiches: $6.99-$8.99
Entrees: $8.99-$17.99
Linwood Bar and Grill: a taste of an all-American tradition
On a block with an Italian, a Japanese, a Greek, and a Mexican restaurant, the Linwood stands out with its classic American barbeque. Its hearty ribs and fried chicken conjures up fond memories of Memorial Day cookouts and lazy summer afternoons.
Be sure to try the BBQ shrimp appetizer: a bowl of giant shrimp drenched in a thin and spicy vinegar-based sauce, lined with thick slices of fluffy bread to soak up every last bit of sauce. The barbeque meat selection includes dry rubbed pork ribs, brisket, and pulled pork and pulled chicken sandwiches. All are served with homemade, slightly sweet pickles, crunchy coleslaw, and hot or sweet barbeque sauce, neither of which obscure the taste of the meat.
Only for the brave: the deep-fried Twinkie from the Linwood Grill
Those with sufficient appetite should try the Texas state fair treat–a deep-fried Twinkie. Its warmth, intense sweetness, and custard-like texture are excellent aides in imagining yourself in warmer climates.
81 Kilmarnock St.
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 247-8099
Appetizers: $5.00–$15.95
Entrees: $7.99-$17.00
Desserts: $5.25
Editor’s note (June 25, 2007): The Linwood Grill has closed, to reopen at some point as a different restaurant.
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Sorento’s: come for the lasagna, stay for the tiramisu
Sorento’s is a civilized place; patrons speak in low tones over candles and small vases of fresh flowers sit on white tablecloths. The breadbasket alone is worth the short walk from the Longwood medical area—fresh and crusty rolls are moist on the inside and slightly sweet, accompanied by a saucer of thick olive oil. The pizzas are stepped-up versions of the college campus staple, with toppings ranging from crispy asparagus to prosciutto, all on a lightly charred and flavorful crust.
Sorrento’s takes pizza up a notch.
While the filled pastas, such as ravioli and tortellini, tend to vary in quality–sometimes they’re done just right; at other times, they’re overcooked and mushy—the lasagna is consistently perfect. Tender sheets of fresh pasta are layered with ricotta, cubes of butternut squash, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and finished with melted, toasted cheese (a carnivorous version of the lasagna is prepared with shrimp or beef).
The Italian restaurant dessert staple, tiramisu, does not disappoint. It is creamy and moderately sweet, allowing the flavor of the coffee liquor to take center stage, tempting all to linger over dessert and a cup of coffee.
86 Peterborough St.
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 424-7070
Appetizers: $5.75–$12.95
Entrees: $11.95–$21.95
Desserts: $3.50–$5.25