Recommendations for Restaurants in Amherst, New Haven and Boston?

Our upcoming College Tour is set, but I have no clue where to eat in Amherst, New Haven or Boston. Any suggestions? Not looking for anything too fancy.

Also, I haven’t been in NE in years and I am starting to get hankering for some fried clams. Any chance of finding something to satisfy that craving in New Haven or Providence. And where would be the best place in Boston?

Pepe’s Pizza, on Wooster Street, New Haven.
Get the pizza Margherita, with sausage.

Jeff, our oldest got his degree from U.Mass. and is still living there this summer before going off to grad school (in Israel). My favorite place in Amherst is Ahmerst Chinese. The owner has his own organic garden. Any dish made with his produce is going to be terrific. My favorite is the baby bok choy.

I know Eli will have some other recos. I will let you know later. (He has a very good palate.)

BTW do not pass up a chance to eat in the dining hall on campus. Very impressive for college dining.

Fried clams in Boston means Neptune Oyster Bar.

Caseus in New Haven is pretty good.

We had lunch at Louis’ Lunch went we went to visit Yale this spring. It is a block off the bottom of campus. Crowded hole in the wall but a unique experience. Claims to be the home of the hamburger which is basically the only thing on the menu.

The pizza place across the street is good, but pales versus Pepe’s.

Someone, I think on eBob, used to rave about the food trucks on Long Wharf in New Haven. I’ve never had the guts to go. I’ll pile on Pepe’s and Louis’ Lunch (keep in mind Louis closes for most/all of August). Louis’ Lunch has been there forever, they cook the burgers upright with gas with grills that have to be 100+ years old. My grandfather used to eat there back in the 1920s (building was actually moved from its original location). I assume you’re driving? If you mention your route people can probably recommend other places.

Eli recommends:

Moti (Persian)
Route 9 Diner (it’s a diner)
Black Sheep (deli)

I’ve eaten at Moti and it is very good. Right on the main street of Amherst.

BTW I assume you mean Amherst, MA. There is an Amherst, NY which also has a pretty university in it.

Personally, I couldn’t be within 10 miles of Pepe’s without going for a white clam pizza.
Neptune Oyster (Beantown) is another great recco.

Jeff,

As Boston is the biggest place on the list you might want to let us know where you’re staying or what colleges you’re visiting so folks can offer localized recs. If you’re checking out MIT a stop at Royal East with ice cream and coffee (or a hot vanilla) at Toscanini’s would be my recommendation.

Amherst is pretty small (I went to UMass as well) so one thing that might be interesting is to explore Northampton. It’s a 10-15min drive, it would be accessible from campus by bus so your daughter could visit there for shopping etc. as well, and it’s a bit more quirky/interesting in character.

Ken,

My daughter insists that we try the campus cafeteria at each of the schools we are visiting. I think decent, or better food is on her checklist. We are not looking at U Mass, however, only Amherst.

Thanks for the tips.

Brent,

Harvard, MIT, Brandeis and Tufts. Thanks for the tip on Northampton. It has been years since I was in New England, so I don’t remember what towns are what other towns anymore.

We had lunch at Dave’s which is right off the Tufts campus at the recommendation of the tour guide. Great sandwiches! Sounds like our kids are looking at a lot of the same schools. Boy is this process different from when we did it.

Jeff,

Central Kitchen in Central Sq is also good for higher end, but casual American Bistro. Central Sq. is sort of the midpoint on Mass Ave between Harvard & MIT. Central Square is an odd mix of seedy and redeveloped hipness. The Middle East is a famous place for live music, closer to MIT and just past the Mass Ave/Main St. intersection where Toscanini’s is and on your way to Royal East. The ‘upstairs’ part has food if you want something more casual and your daughter wants to check out some scene stuff. I’ve seen many drug deals go down at Hi Fi’s Pizza down the block, but an MIT student will end up there at some point at 2am during a college career. It’s worth taking the 1/2hr round trip walk from the edge of the MIT campus through Central Sq. and back. I haven’t been there in a long time but Salts is another higher end restaurant in the vicinity of Royal East. Kendall Square is on the eastern end of the MIT campus and there are some nice places there and Cambridge Brewing Co has great food and a casual atmosphere, naturally.

It’s more fine dining but Craigie on Main, Harvest & Upstairs on the Square are all around Harvard. For downscale, bring cash and go to Mr. Bartley’s for a burger. Check out ‘The Garage’ for multiple casual options from Chinese to Middle Eastern to Pizza.

I’m not familiar with the area around Tufts (one place I never hung out when I was in Boston) but there’s lots in Somerville. Redbones is a BBQ & beer standby, and lots of newer places so I would suggest checking out Yelp if no one has any current recommendations. There’s not really that much around Brandeis itself, but I think most people around there end up in Waltham for shopping/dining and I know there are some nice places in the area. My aunt & uncle, who are finicky Manhattan eaters and always stay at the Mariott on the Reservoir right by the 90-95 interchange where you’d get off to go to Brandeis, had a great brunch at In a Pickle when they were up to visit my grandparents a couple of weeks ago.

Boston, Chinatown, Hudson Street: New Big Jumbo Seafood.

Get the scallops in black bean sauce, crab or lobster stirfried with ginger and green onion, and some little shrimp from the tanks.

Be happy.

+1 White clam pizza is awesome

I would recommend to NOT go to the Legal Sea Foods chain.
Although it’s widely touted locally as the best place on Earth (hence I safely assume it will be recommended to you when in Boston…), it is totally not worth it…