Updated 2008-09-08 04:35
JAMAICA PLAIN
There’s truth to the old cliché that there’s nothing plain about Jamaica Plain. JP’s community is nothing if not diverse, equal parts artist, young professional, Hispanic, and gay, a mélange that harkens back to the neighborhood’s up-and-coming days on the fringe. And like Jamaica, it’s kind of far away, and is sort of an island on its own in the city. Unless otherwise noted, take the Orange Line to Green Street.
| Centre Street Café If you’ve ever driven down Centre Street in JP on a weekend morning and seen that seemingly aimless queue of people, this is the reason why. Bostonians from all corners of the city wait through winter’s chill and summer’s boil alike — sometimes for an hour or more — to sit in this intimate room and partake in the city’s best weekend brunch, a deluge of fresh fruits and veggies that smother unsuspecting stacks of pancakes and waffles. The always-changing menu features an arsenal of stratas, bennys, and the mighty Cuban Scramble, a noble antidote to the ubiquitous greasy-spoon joint with its plentiful plantains and black beans. 669 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. Mon-Fri, 11:30 a.m. -3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sat, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5 p.m.-10 p.m.; Sun, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 617.524.9217. |
| Bukhara Indian Bistro Indian food enthusiasts will argue your ear off over Boston’s best Indian restaurant, so next time some dude with vindaloo remnants on his lips gives you guff, tell him to take it up with us. JP’s own Indian restaurant is always jammin’, and for good reason: Their delirious combo of ornate design and delectable cuisine is a spicy home run. The dinner prices may be a bit steep for collegiate budgets, but no worries. Bukhara’s lunch and weekend brunch all-you-can-eat buffets give you hot-cha bang for wee buck, so you can get your Tandoori groove on with this week’s work-study paycheck. 701 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. Mon – Thu, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Fri, 11:30 a.m. – 12 a.m.; Sat, 12 p.m.-12 a.m.; Sun, 12 p.m.-11 p.m. 617.522.2195. |
| Doyle’s Café When it comes to Boston history, leave Faneuil Hall to the tourists on a pilgrimage to Cheers. Hands down, Doyle’s is Boston history. Although there’s no Ben Franklin impersonator on site, the pub was the first to serve Sam Adams on tap in the early 1980s. Now, thanks to Bud selling out to the overseas folks, Sam Adams is the biggest brewer in the U.S., thankyouverymuch. Open since 1882, the unabashedly old-school establishment is decorated with a plethora of decades-old newspaper clippings and photos documenting the saga of Boston politics (the Kennedy Room is in the back); it’s a place where the classes collide over a few pints, and you’ll often see political bigwigs and construction workers rubbing elbows at the bar (since the turn of the century, Boston’s mayors have been regulars). The food isn’t as noteworthy as the atmosphere, but it’s hearty fare, nonetheless. 3484 Washington St., Jamaica Plain. Mon-Fri 9 a.m. – 1 a.m. 617.524.2345. |
| Dogwood Café JP boasts an abundance of green space, a well-manicured relief from the asphalt cacophony of everyday city life. And the next time you make a (highly recommended) trip to the Arnold Arboretum or Forest Hills Cemetery, wrap up your day with a stop at this Forest Hills fixture. The Dogwood is best-known for its unique brick-oven pizzas, but its best-kept secret is the Black’n’ Blue Burger, a sumptuous commingling of caramelized onions, blue cheese, and blackened, juicy beef that should be given some sort of culinary award for sheer tastiness. Now that we’ve let you in on Forest Hills’ greatest secret, regrettably, we must kill you. 3712 Washington St., Jamaica Plain. MBTA: Orange Line to Forest Hills. Mon, 5 p.m. – 2 a.m.; Tues – Fri, 11:30 am – 2 a.m.; Sat-Sun, 10 a.m – 2 a.m. 617.522.7997. |
| Ban Chiang House Along with the Fenway’s Brown Sugar Café (which we didn’t have room for this year, but highly recommend), this scrum-diddly-umptious restaurant is a great destination for Thai, and offers generous lunch specials that are especially attentive to your regrettable financial situation. A whopping plate of Pad Thai with a Thai iced tea (that’s iced tea and cream, cousin!) for under $10? Let’s do this. They even have a dish called “Squid Disco” – with a name like that, who cares what it tastes like? 707 Centre St., Jamaica Plain. Mon-Thu, 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.; Fri, 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.; Sat, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. and 4 p.m.–11 p.m.; Sun, 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.–10 p.m. 617.522.2299. |
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