By Anthony Barrows, MC/MPA ’13, Staff Writer
Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but HKS students know that we don’t need a manufactured holiday to give us an excuse for a nice night out with a sweetheart. These three restaurants are all fine places to impress a date.
Marliave
One of my favorite restaurants of all time, the Marliave serves up a mélange of French and American fare
with killer cocktails to boot. Originally opened in 1875, the restaurant has a cozy feel and multiple dining areas. In the winter, I recommend getting a seat upstairs, but sunset on the outdoor patio is the way to go in warmer months. My go-to dishes are the Rarebits as an opening for Beef Wellington, but their Steak Frites and Croque Monsieur (AKA Mister Marliave) are fine choices too. If you can’t make up your mind, the wait staff always accommodates dish sharing.
10 Bosworth Street, Boston
Ten Tables
Tiny little Ten Tables started out in Jamaica Plain and was named after its actual seating capacity. Although there is now a Cambridge location, I’d urge you to venture out to JP to dine intimately at the original restaurant. True to its progressive neighborhood, Ten Tables offers a thoughtful menu of seasonal fare catering to sustainability-minded locavore sensibilities. Trust the chef and go with the four course prix fixe tasting menu, springing a little extra for the paired wines is a must if you can afford it. Pro-tip: If you’re on a budget (or the place is wicked crowded), opt to eat at the bar where you can get the full menu or the equally delicious bar menu.
597 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge
Stoddards
The original establishment bearing the Stoddard’s name was the cutlery shop established in 1800, which
has since moved to Newton. Although you can’t get your knives sharpened at Stoddard’s Food & Ale, you can certainly give your silverware a workout. A nice addition to the gastropub scene in Boston, Stoddard’s does upscale versions of bar food alongside more sophisticated options. I’m personally a big fan of their burgers, and implicitly trust any of their beef and pork dishes. In terms of drinks, they have a rotating draft list to please any beer snob and their classic cocktails are high-powered and top notch – I recommend the Zombie.
48 Temple Place, Boston