Boston just scored big in the national dining conversation: two local newcomers—La Padrona in Back Bay and McGonagle’s in Dorchester—have landed spots on The New York Times’ annual best restaurants list, a roundup of the 50 best restaurants in America right now. The Times praised both restaurants not just for great food, but for their “mastery of craft, generosity of spirit and a singular point of view.”
If Boston’s restaurant scene sometimes leans casual, La Padrona is here to remind us that fine dining can still dazzle. Opened in May by Jody Adams (of Rialto and Trade fame), the Italian restaurant sits inside the luxurious Raffles Hotel, where chandeliers, tufted banquettes and a sweeping staircase set the stage. It’s expense-account dining with a modern polish.
The New York Times put it bluntly: “For women over 60, head-chef roles at buzzy new restaurants are as rare as starring roles in blockbuster movies. But Jody Adams has a new smash at the plush Raffles Hotel in Back Bay.” That smash includes standout dishes like asparagus with caviar, scallops with saffron and corn and the must-order tagliatelle Emilia-Romagna—showered in Parmigiano-Reggiano and kissed with aged balsamic. Adams, one of the last chefs standing from Boston’s 1980s fine-dining wave, proves she’s still got it. Times writer Julia Moskin praised her ability to “pare down her range and pair her flavors,” calling the results vividly refined.
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Meanwhile, over in Dorchester, McGonagle’s has reinvented what an Irish pub can be. Opened in December by Donegal-born chef Aidan McGee (formerly of Michelin-starred kitchens and The Dubliner downtown), the restaurant updates Irish classics without losing their soul. Fish and chips are made with a proper Irish chip-cutting machine and mozzarella sticks are transformed into croquettes of Irish cheese with truffle mayo. Then there’s the showstopper: the Dublin-style “spice bag,” a paper sack stuffed with cumin-spiced fried chicken, fries and a riot of spices. As McGee told the Times, he’s pushing back on stereotypes: “I am fighting a battle of perception over what Irish food is, and what it isn’t.” And according to Moskin, “He is winning, decisively.”
Two very different restaurants, two bold visions and well-deserved national recognition.