Topic Wiki

Kashrus
Henche's comments do not imply anything about kashrus status.  Boston is out of town.

Minyanim
This link has all the minyanim, except the downtown mincha. http://yibrookline.org/wp/community-minyanim/

RESTAURANTS

Name                            Phone                   Address                             Price   Dairy/Meat/Parve             TR/Not To Be Missed                                                                                                             Hashgacha
Cafe Eilat617-277-7770406 Harvard St, Brookline$$$D   Pizza$30 pizza pie; "Infernal Pizza" KVH
Cold Press617-487-8948 326 Harvard St, Brookline $$$Hippies, paninis, saladsKVH
JP Licks
Kupels617-566-9528 421 Harvard St, Brookline $$$P   Bakery KVH
Milk Street617-542-3663 50 Milk St, Boston $$$Hot Pastrami Sandwich on Ciabbata
Rami’s617-738-3577 324 Harvard St, Brookline $$$M   IsraeliWish this place could be in NY KVH
Rosenfeld’s Bagels617-527-8080 1280 Centre St, Newton $$$DCLOSED MONDAYS AND TUESDAYS KVH
Kosher Wok (formerly Ta'am China)617-264-7274 423 Harvard St, Brookline $$$M   Chinesezow: "very good food; service sometimes poor; pu pu platter 7/10; General Gao Chicken 9/10.
Emkay
Rabbi Hammoui

Link to google map of all ostensibly kosher food in Massachusetts (check individual hashgachos-includes some non orthodox ones):
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=15qRYeWPCbqv6BkdeObFYiuRXOsSfgW18&ll=42.126221574551906%2C-71.26360220425265&z=7

TR's
Hvaces42, jj1000, skyguy918, Dan, Dan, JayR, zow, zow, Davidmal, SrulyP
CGR



Places to stay

Henche
Impossible

A complete map of shuls, eruvin, mikva'os, food, and hotels (near shuls) in the greater Boston area (and beyond)
« Last edited by WAM on December 26, 2022, 10:55:02 PM »

Author Topic: Boston Master Thread  (Read 222842 times)

Offline henche

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: May 2011
  • Posts: 4183
  • Total likes: 447
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #640 on: October 16, 2017, 11:08:54 AM »
Haven't been, but my daughters' friends were over for Shemini Atzeres and they have been and said it was meh.

It's not open on shemini atzeres.

BUSTED!

Offline chevron

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 2552
  • Total likes: 543
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #641 on: October 16, 2017, 11:45:14 AM »
I'm not


on purpose ? still mad I didnt find you on AC YYZ - TLV? you travel icognito, was I supposed to ask every shaygetz if he's henche ?

Offline henche

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: May 2011
  • Posts: 4183
  • Total likes: 447
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #642 on: October 16, 2017, 12:04:53 PM »

on purpose ? still mad I didnt find you on AC YYZ - TLV? you travel icognito, was I supposed to ask every shaygetz if he's henche ?

Y not

Offline brodes18

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite
  • ****
  • Join Date: Feb 2015
  • Posts: 498
  • Total likes: 34
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 4
    • View Profile
  • Location: Brooklyn
  • Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite, UA 1K, AA Platinum
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #643 on: October 25, 2017, 03:44:31 PM »
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/10/24/brookline-restaurant-facade-collapses-incident-months/YyZoiULrSZhAvjo1mx5yXM/story.html

I tried to go there yesterday and it was closed. Just called and they are back open today.

Offline davidmal

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 7874
  • Total likes: 604
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 239
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #644 on: October 30, 2017, 02:25:48 PM »
who messed up the wiki
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

Offline davidmal

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 7874
  • Total likes: 604
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 239
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

Offline sillypainter

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Jan 2012
  • Posts: 2068
  • Total likes: 200
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #646 on: December 23, 2017, 09:57:36 PM »
Any kosher sushi or pizza place open late today? What is the acceptable good hashgacha here?

Offline Geshmak25

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Sep 2014
  • Posts: 3431
  • Total likes: 127
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #647 on: March 11, 2018, 02:00:54 PM »
Whats the cheapest (miles or revenue) way to fly RT nyc metro-bos one sunday in the summer?
PUTPAC = PITA

Offline davidmal

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 7874
  • Total likes: 604
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 239
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #648 on: March 14, 2018, 02:20:37 PM »
Someone messed up the table wiki!!!
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

Offline davidmal

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 7874
  • Total likes: 604
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 239
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #649 on: March 14, 2018, 02:22:42 PM »
Someone messed up the table wiki!!!
fixed it
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

Offline SrulyP

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jul 2013
  • Posts: 665
  • Total likes: 7
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
  • Programs: SPG Gold; Hyatt Platinum; National Emerald EE; Hertz five star; Avis Five Star
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #650 on: March 18, 2018, 04:20:18 PM »
First go at a trip report, let me know your thoughts… I dont know how to link it to the WIKI but feel free too.

So we decided that we needed a quick two-day getaway and Boston seemed like the best option within driving distance that had a luxury hotel, minyanim and good food.

Off the bat I would definitely suggest Boston with or without kids, especially in the spring.

We arrived perfectly in time for the 1:30 mincha in downtown. Parking is an absolute pain, don’t expect to get any street parking so go straight to a garage. We used spot hero, which saved us about 30% of the usual rates.

We went to The Milk Street Cafe, which was very good and well priced. I got the pastrami sandwich and sweet chicken siracha soup that I liked (wife didn’t) my wife got a chicken salad, which she was, a big fan of. You MUST get the prepackaged brownie (pareve) it was delicious. Honestly, it is a bit odd to eat in a place that serves both meat and dairy. While we didn’t eat any dairy there (limited choices as most dairy was not cholov Yisroel) it did look delicious. They also have sushi bar and a bunch of prepackaged sandwiches. The biggest issue is that there is nowhere to park for a couple minutes to pick up as near as its on a side street in the middle of downtown. There did seem to be an option for curbside delivery though.

Next we went to Fineuli Mall. It seems like a must for tourists. There isn’t much to do there expect shopping but its quint and a nice place to get a picture. They had random stores as to my wife’s dismay there were absolutely no sales.

Since it was already 3:30 we decided to check in to the Ritz Carlton. It is in a great location that is across the street from Boston Commons, which is a beautiful park that is probably magnificent in the spring/summer but had about a foot of snow when were arrived. There is a movie theater a 30 second walk from the hotel, which was convenient at night. (PSA – do not not not not see A Wrinkle in Time – terrible). The hotel is not the luxurious Ritz that I have been to (Montreal probably is the winner) but it was clean and the beds were comfortable. We were upgraded to a Executive Suite which had 1 ½ bathrooms and a nice sitting area. The hotel staff was very friendly. My only real issue is that they charge you $15 a day (not per 24 hours) to use the gym. The reason why is they don’t have their own but connected to Equinox. The gym is incredibly beautiful which tons of equipment and a great pool which we didn’t use(for adults only). The men’s locker rooms (not sure about women’s) has an amazing wet and dry sauna then. It was worth $15 but I think its nuts that a hotel charges $600+ for a night and still tack on the extra charge.

We stopped by the frog pond (ice skating) in Boston commons (about $40 with skates for two adults) but since it snowed a foot the day before they were closed. This is even after we called and their answering service said that they were open. Not a huge deal as its about a five minute walk from the hotel.

We went to a “spa” called Happy Feet, which was in the heart of china town. Got a Groupon so it came to $38/person for a hour back/foot massage. They had men and women doing the massage. This place is crusty but has great reviews because you do get a pretty good deal for the money. They are little shades in between the chairs that you can roll up to see your significant other. There is no real privacy but the back massage is over clothes. If you want a massage but can’t afford hundreds of dollars in a hotel, it’s a good option.

We went to Taam China and ordered the crispy chicken which wasnt so great - way too much crispy and barely any actual chicken inside. The egg drop soup was bland but the wonton soup was actually quite tasty. There was no desserts that were worth trying.

On godaven.com there are two shuls in downtown (not in Brookline where most of the Jews live). There is no consistent shachris in downtown even though its advertised on GoDaven. I spoke to the Chabad rabbi and he said there will be no minyanim the days that were there. He instead told me about a minyan in the jewish day school that is about 7 minutes closer than the other shuls from downtown. The other minyan has a mincha every day at 1:30 and it is a two minute walk around from the Milk Street Cafe.

After davening I went and picked up food for breakfast before heading back to the hotel from Pure Cold Press. It was so good that we went back for lunch and breakfast the next day. This place is pretty reasonable prices.

Dont miss the cauliflower soup and make sure to get a fruit shake - the Superhero was fantastic. The cookies were good but expensive $4.50 for three small cookies - you can pass. The shakshuka was incredible and is a must try. I also got the avacado smash sandwich which was very good.

We went to the JFK library that was $14 a person (adults). I am a history buff so I enjoyed it. It’s in a beautiful area, where you can make a nice picnic on the water if the weather permits. It takes about about 1-2 hours to go through and there is opportunities for some fantastic pictures at the end.

Of course, no trip to Boston is complete without a Sam Adams tour. It takes about an hour (half of which is tasting different beers). The actually tour is pretty quick as it is only in one big room and you have to stand close to the guide as they don’t seem to use microphones. They go through the process and tell you a little about the companies origins. if you don’t like beer, don’t go as tasting it is the main point of the tour.

We went to Vittorio's, which was very good. It is slightly more expensive than Rami's and the other Israeli joints but I liked the slightly more upscale atmosphere. The owner is a great guy and you can tell he really cares about his establishment. He wanted to make sure we were happy. I would definitely advise.

Three doors down is really great little board game cafe. They have about a thousand or more games and a bunch of tables. Depending on the day it is either $5 or $10 a person. I was a great place and I discovered how many board games there are in the world that I never heard of.

I'll try to post some pics later.

Offline lunatic

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: May 2009
  • Posts: 4430
  • Total likes: 29
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 8
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #651 on: March 18, 2018, 04:31:24 PM »
Biggest question is, did you spot @henche ? If you did, is he a he or is she a she? Or a dog perhaps?

Offline davidmal

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 7874
  • Total likes: 604
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 239
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #652 on: March 20, 2018, 11:42:12 AM »
Biggest question is, did you spot @henche ? If you did, is he a he or is she a she? Or a dog perhaps?
wow
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

Offline davidmal

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Presidential Platinum Elite
  • *********
  • Join Date: Dec 2013
  • Posts: 7874
  • Total likes: 604
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 239
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: New York
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #653 on: March 20, 2018, 11:46:57 AM »
First go at a trip report, let me know your thoughts… I dont know how to link it to the WIKI but feel free too.

So we decided that we needed a quick two-day getaway and Boston seemed like the best option within driving distance that had a luxury hotel, minyanim and good food.

Off the bat I would definitely suggest Boston with or without kids, especially in the spring.

We arrived perfectly in time for the 1:30 mincha in downtown. Parking is an absolute pain, don’t expect to get any street parking so go straight to a garage. We used spot hero, which saved us about 30% of the usual rates.

We went to The Milk Street Cafe, which was very good and well priced. I got the pastrami sandwich and sweet chicken siracha soup that I liked (wife didn’t) my wife got a chicken salad, which she was, a big fan of. You MUST get the prepackaged brownie (pareve) it was delicious. Honestly, it is a bit odd to eat in a place that serves both meat and dairy. While we didn’t eat any dairy there (limited choices as most dairy was not cholov Yisroel) it did look delicious. They also have sushi bar and a bunch of prepackaged sandwiches. The biggest issue is that there is nowhere to park for a couple minutes to pick up as near as its on a side street in the middle of downtown. There did seem to be an option for curbside delivery though.

Next we went to Fineuli Mall. It seems like a must for tourists. There isn’t much to do there expect shopping but its quint and a nice place to get a picture. They had random stores as to my wife’s dismay there were absolutely no sales.

Since it was already 3:30 we decided to check in to the Ritz Carlton. It is in a great location that is across the street from Boston Commons, which is a beautiful park that is probably magnificent in the spring/summer but had about a foot of snow when were arrived. There is a movie theater a 30 second walk from the hotel, which was convenient at night. (PSA – do not not not not see A Wrinkle in Time – terrible). The hotel is not the luxurious Ritz that I have been to (Montreal probably is the winner) but it was clean and the beds were comfortable. We were upgraded to a Executive Suite which had 1 ½ bathrooms and a nice sitting area. The hotel staff was very friendly. My only real issue is that they charge you $15 a day (not per 24 hours) to use the gym. The reason why is they don’t have their own but connected to Equinox. The gym is incredibly beautiful which tons of equipment and a great pool which we didn’t use(for adults only). The men’s locker rooms (not sure about women’s) has an amazing wet and dry sauna then. It was worth $15 but I think its nuts that a hotel charges $600+ for a night and still tack on the extra charge.

We stopped by the frog pond (ice skating) in Boston commons (about $40 with skates for two adults) but since it snowed a foot the day before they were closed. This is even after we called and their answering service said that they were open. Not a huge deal as its about a five minute walk from the hotel.

We went to a “spa” called Happy Feet, which was in the heart of china town. Got a Groupon so it came to $38/person for a hour back/foot massage. They had men and women doing the massage. This place is crusty but has great reviews because you do get a pretty good deal for the money. They are little shades in between the chairs that you can roll up to see your significant other. There is no real privacy but the back massage is over clothes. If you want a massage but can’t afford hundreds of dollars in a hotel, it’s a good option.

We went to Taam China and ordered the crispy chicken which wasnt so great - way too much crispy and barely any actual chicken inside. The egg drop soup was bland but the wonton soup was actually quite tasty. There was no desserts that were worth trying.

On godaven.com there are two shuls in downtown (not in Brookline where most of the Jews live). There is no consistent shachris in downtown even though its advertised on GoDaven. I spoke to the Chabad rabbi and he said there will be no minyanim the days that were there. He instead told me about a minyan in the jewish day school that is about 7 minutes closer than the other shuls from downtown. The other minyan has a mincha every day at 1:30 and it is a two minute walk around from the Milk Street Cafe.

After davening I went and picked up food for breakfast before heading back to the hotel from Pure Cold Press. It was so good that we went back for lunch and breakfast the next day. This place is pretty reasonable prices.

Dont miss the cauliflower soup and make sure to get a fruit shake - the Superhero was fantastic. The cookies were good but expensive $4.50 for three small cookies - you can pass. The shakshuka was incredible and is a must try. I also got the avacado smash sandwich which was very good.

We went to the JFK library that was $14 a person (adults). I am a history buff so I enjoyed it. It’s in a beautiful area, where you can make a nice picnic on the water if the weather permits. It takes about about 1-2 hours to go through and there is opportunities for some fantastic pictures at the end.

Of course, no trip to Boston is complete without a Sam Adams tour. It takes about an hour (half of which is tasting different beers). The actually tour is pretty quick as it is only in one big room and you have to stand close to the guide as they don’t seem to use microphones. They go through the process and tell you a little about the companies origins. if you don’t like beer, don’t go as tasting it is the main point of the tour.

We went to Vittorio's, which was very good. It is slightly more expensive than Rami's and the other Israeli joints but I liked the slightly more upscale atmosphere. The owner is a great guy and you can tell he really cares about his establishment. He wanted to make sure we were happy. I would definitely advise.

Three doors down is really great little board game cafe. They have about a thousand or more games and a bunch of tables. Depending on the day it is either $5 or $10 a person. I was a great place and I discovered how many board games there are in the world that I never heard of.

I'll try to post some pics later.

Great TR! I updated the Wiki.
This TR requires pictures!! ps. Next time Uber around. sounds like you had a great time. we did many similar things so I read your TR as if I was there.
-DMC
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it ~Ferris Bueller"

Offline yoelkon

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jan 2016
  • Posts: 90
  • Total likes: 6
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #654 on: April 20, 2018, 01:10:49 AM »
Any hotels in the Brookline area - looking for a recommendation

tia

Online moko

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 4568
  • Total likes: 1484
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 2
    • View Profile
  • Location: BOS
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #655 on: April 20, 2018, 06:40:00 AM »
Any hotels in the Brookline area - looking for a recommendation

tia
http://kvhkosher.org/community/ you can find a map on this page. The only two chain hotels in the community are holiday inn and courtyard by Marriott. Homewood suites is a bit further

Offline yoelkon

  • Dansdeals Silver Elite
  • **
  • Join Date: Jan 2016
  • Posts: 90
  • Total likes: 6
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 0
    • View Profile
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #656 on: April 20, 2018, 07:38:25 AM »
http://kvhkosher.org/community/ you can find a map on this page. The only two chain hotels in the community are holiday inn and courtyard by Marriott. Homewood suites is a bit further
Thank you

Offline mgoldhammer18

  • Dansdeals Platinum Elite + Lifetime Silver Elite
  • *****
  • Join Date: Jan 2016
  • Posts: 738
  • Total likes: 16
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 3
    • View Profile
  • Location: West Hempstead, NY
  • Programs: American Airlines, Citi thank you, British Avios, Hilton, SPG, AMEX Platinum, Jetblue
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #657 on: June 01, 2018, 01:06:54 PM »
How close is Fitchburgh to the Kosher Restaurants of Boston?

Offline zow

  • Dansdeals Presidential Platinum Elite
  • ********
  • Join Date: Jun 2014
  • Posts: 2943
  • Total likes: 135
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 11
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Location: LAX
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #658 on: June 01, 2018, 01:07:58 PM »
How close is Fitchburgh to the Kosher Restaurants of Boston?
Not close.  At least an hour.

Offline mercaz1

  • Dansdeals Lifetime Platinum Elite
  • *******
  • Join Date: Mar 2011
  • Posts: 2097
  • Total likes: 66
  • DansDeals.com Hat Tips 1
    • View Profile
  • Location: NY
Re: Boston Master Thread
« Reply #659 on: June 01, 2018, 02:42:24 PM »
How far is the Hyatt House in Waltham from the city? Is it worth staying there or is it way to far?