Day-by-day eating plans for Boston. weekend classics, family routes, vegan plans, on-a-budget editions.

Day-by-day plans

Boston weekend: the classics, done right ★ 4.7

First-time visitor, two days2 days

A weekend built around the dishes Boston invented: the lobster roll, the cannoli, New England clam chowder. North End on Saturday, Cambridge on Sunday; one harbor-side seafood dinner.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: North End cannoli, harbor seafood, late-night Italian

  2. Day 2: Sunday: Cambridge brunch, Public Market, Beacon Hill dinner

Boston North End: a red-sauce day ★ 4.6

Italian food enthusiast, one full day1 day

A single Hanover and Salem Street day for North End red-sauce fans: Regina Pizzeria, Giacomo's, Mike's Pastry; espresso at Caffe Vittoria, lobster roll at Pauli's. Cash recommended; built around walk-ins.

  1. Day 1: Saturday: pastries, slices, walk-in dinner, cannoli close

Cambridge food crawl: a Sortun and pasta day ★ 4.7

Second visit, one full day1 day

A Cambridge day mapped to the Red Line: Sofra brunch in Huron Village, Pammy's lunch in Cambridgeport, Oleana dinner in Inman Square. Ana Sortun and Joanne Chang plus the Helmand kabuli pulao.

  1. Day 1: Sunday: Eastern Mediterranean breakfast, lunch, dinner

Boston fine-dining splurge weekend ★ 4.8

Special occasion, two days2 days

Two nights of Boston's tasting-menu rooms plus weekend brunches. O Ya Friday, Sarma Saturday, with Field and Vine in Somerville for the Sunday wine close. Reservations open four to six weeks ahead.

  1. Day 1: Friday: O Ya omakase, Backbar cocktails

  2. Day 2: Saturday: Sarma chef tasting, Field and Vine close

North End Italian evening: cannoli, pasta, last espresso ★ 4.6

North End classic evening1 evening

A North End Italian-American evening through the Hanover Street pasta rooms and Mike's Pastry close.

  1. Day 1: Day 1: Hanover Street walk

    Morning
    Skip; this itinerary starts in the late afternoon.
    Afternoon
    Aperitif at Carmelina's at 17:30 for a Negroni on the Hanover bar.
    Evening
    Dinner at Giacomo's from 19:00 for the Sunday gravy plates and the Boston no-reservations queue. Walk for a cannoli at Mike's Pastry, then a comparison cannoli at Modern Pastry across the street. Close with an espresso at Caffe Vittoria.
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