Voice of Boston is our series where we interview local tastemakers on their favorite neighborhoods, restaurants and hangouts around the city. If you missed our last one, catch up on our chat with Lindsay Rose Rando, founder of Bobbles & Lace.
This week we are headed to the Back Bay to speak with Chris Himmel, owner of Grill 23. Grill 23 celebrated their 40th anniversary this year with lots of excitement, including a big pop up this summer at the White Elephant on Nantucket, and lots of special events are planned for the Fall. “Heading into the fall we are looking to celebrate all facets of the restaurant; we will do a number of wine dinners bringing back some familiar faces and lots more.” Himmel said. “You don’t see lots of restaurants making it this far, so we want to celebrate it.” And in the meantime, Himmel shared his favorite places around Boston.
What are your favorite neighborhoods in Boston?
My favorite neighborhood in Boston is Back Bay. In addition to three of our four restaurants being located there I lived in Back Bay for almost ten years and have always loved the balance of modern conveniences with Boston’s “old world charm”. While my wife and I live outside Boston these days, we still enjoy returning to Back Bay whether it’s to dine at the restaurants, shop on Newbury Street or take a stroll down Commonwealth Avenue during the holiday season.
Where is your favorite place to go for a walk in the city?
My favorite place to go for a walk in Boston has always been the Public Garden. It’s hard to name more than a few more beautiful city landscapes in the world than the Boston Public Garden, and in addition to enjoying many memorable meals overlooking the gardens at Bistro du Midi I have always loved taking a stroll across the Lagoon Bridge and appreciating the beautiful Botanical Gardens along with iconic George Washington Statue and Make Way for Duckling’s.
Where do you go for a late night bite?
Living on the North Shore I am more likely to make a pit stop at the original Kelly’s Roast Beef in Revere on my commute home, but while in Boston I always loved Peach Farm in Chinatown for a late night bite to eat…I still dream about their “Surf Clams with Vermicelli Noodles and Garlic Sauce” straight from the giant clam shells.
In general, what are some of your favorite restaurants and bars right now?
Being a creature of habit, my favorite restaurants around Boston typically consists of longtime favorites such as Mistral or O Ya for fine dining, Prezza in Boston’s North End or any of Chef Andy Husband’s Smoke Shop spots for Barbecue.
Name a “hidden gem” where you always take friends or family when they are visiting from out of town?
While hardly a “hidden gem” anymore, I have always brought friends and family visiting from out of town for dinner at the Daily Catch in the North End. Their fried calamari as well as their linguini with clams served straight from the sauté pan is still worth the hour plus wait in line, even after all these years!
What do you think is the best thing about Boston right now?
One of the best things about Boston right now for a seafood lover like myself is the city’s ongoing obsession with caviar. Growing up in our Boston restaurants caviar was considered a highly luxurious ingredient and somewhat out of reach for most Bostonians, but the past decade has seen companies like Regiis-Ova, Black River Caviar and Island Creek Oysters make caviar a much more approachable ingredient and chefs throughout Boston have really enjoyed creating their own caviar service implementing fun and exciting accompaniments. For instance, guests ordering caviar at this summer’s Grill 23 pop-up at the White Elephant in Nantucket were offered a choice of our signature “Crispy Hashbrowns” or “Truffle Tots”, both of which included freshly shaved Australian Black Truffles for an additional supplement.
What do you think is the worst thing about Boston right now?
The worst thing about Boston to me right now has to be the construction on the Sumner Tunnel throughout the summer which has wreaked havoc on my commute from the North Shore and made me very much miss my short rides to work while living in the city.
What is your go-to Dunkin Donuts coffee order?
Medium Iced Latte with Two Sugars