Vino defined my year in 2023: tastings, studying, exams, and more tastings. Yet, restaurant research, dining, and jockeying for reservations continue to be an act that best defines my love language. From the restaurants that serve as neighborhood staples to the whimsical gastronomical experience that elevates your senses, we are experiencing an era of dining with an emphasis on connection. Conscientious consumers care about where ingredients are grown and how they’re grown. We want to see curated wine lists that express indigenous and unfamiliar grape varietals. We want staff to earn a livable wage. COVID devastated the industry - restaurant owners and employees are still healing from its ubiquitous impact.
Reflecting on my favorite restaurants in 2023, I credit my travels to Austin, TX, and Charleston, SC — Boston is my new home and heavily favored in my eating endeavor roundup.
Thanks for reading Joseph’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
TAQUERIA JALISCO | BOSTON, MA
Mexican food in New England is not an oxymoron. Taqueria Jalisco in East Boston is the cure for every homesick Tejano. The 24-seat dining room is adorned with yellow Mexican tiles on the walls and tables, and hanging from the ceiling is a blend of red, white, and green papel picado to symbolize the colors of the Mexican flag. Don’t skip the chicken tamales, refried beans, or the salsa verde.
EL PEÑOL | BOSTON, MA
El Peñol is a Colombian restaurant dynasty made in Boston. Since the 1980s, Colombian immigrants have called East Boston home. Today nearly 56% of East Boston residents are Latino. At El Peñol you’ll be lucky to find an empty seat at the bar during the lunch rush hour. Spanish conversations drown out the business of the day; in this moment you are transported to a new culture while you feast on the national dish of Colombia, Bandeja Paisa.
PAMMY'S CAMBRIDGE | CAMBRIDGE, MA
Pammy’s Cambridge is a date night spot you do not want to miss. $79 a person for three dishes? Count me in. As a curious eater, I opted for the Mafaldine with tripe, garlic chili oil, and labneh - a perfect blend of savory and spicy. Make an early evening reservation and ask for the corner booth.
DEAR ANNIE | CAMBRIDGE, MA
Dear Annie is my favorite wine bar in greater Boston. During a quiet wintry Monday evening we stumbled upon their weekly pizza night and shared a couple of slices of Sicilian-style pies among a group of strangers at a communal table centered in the dining room. Bring a date, pour natural wines, and allow the shadows of candlelight to dance while conversations and body language become more intimate with each glass of wine.
SOURCE | CAMBRIDGE, MA
In Boston, pizza and pasta are life. There’s no debate - Source slings one of the best pepperoni pies in town. Caramelized red onions cooked alongside old-world pepperoni blossoms create a vessel for the dark, sweet, and syrupy vincotto drizzled as a finishing touch. The menu is creative, yet simple, and the dough is thin and pliable with a crispy crust. Locals love Source.
SALLY'S SANDWICHES | BOSTON, MA
I believe two statements are true; breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and breakfast sandwiches are delicious. This means that breakfast sandwiches are the best meal of the day. Led by the Gallows Group, Sally’s Sandwiches shares space with Blackbird Doughnuts, a convenience for the breakfast gourmand who must feed little monsters.Order a “King" breakfast sandwich with double bacon, hash browns, avocado, cheese, and eggs served on a fluffy and fragrant Italian baguette roll.
LENOX SOPHIA | BOSTON, MA
At Lenox Sophia in South Boston, chef and owner Shi Mei offers a five-course menu for meat eaters and vegetarians at $100 per person. An ideal outing for couples and double dates in an intimate space with about two dozen seats, Lenox Sophia is also a space to entertain and showcase your wine knowledge and vintage bottles with it’s rare BYOB policy. The option to have a completely vegetarian prix-fixe that is a highlight and not an afterthought is exceptional.
SUERTE | AUSTIN, TX
Suerte elevates its vegetables and is puro Mexicano. Not to mention, the agave lineup behind the bar is a showstopper - several rows of mezcal, raicilla, and sotol impart history, culture, and technique with each sip of the spirit. The beet huarache with ash-charred beets, pickled beets, salsa macha caramel, and whipped feta stood out among the summer menu offerings.
FRANNIE AND THE FOX | CHARLESTON, SC
Frannie and the Fox is the best hotel restaurant in Charleston, perhaps one of the best in the country. The taleggio pizza with burnt honey and pepper was delightful with a glass of earthy, dark cherry Bardolino Classico. One of the most memorable bites of the year was the confit gold potatoes resting under a mild salsa verde and bubbly parmesan fonduta. I regretfully forgot to order a second bowl.
FIG | CHARLESTON, SC
10 years ago I recall FIG being named one of the best restaurants in the country, found in the Lowcountry of Charleston, SC. Fast forward a decade and the kitchen is still punching above its weight. Reservations are still highly desired and the red wall interior is as suggestively sexy as the food. A glass of Italian Erbaluce (a native grape of Piemonte) brightened the grilled triggerfish and a side of decadent Yukon gold potato purée.
Thanks for reading Joseph’s Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
