B O S T O N
Artu
6 Prince St.
617-742-4336
89 Charles St.
617-227-9023
Artu has two locations, the original in the North End and a branch at the base of Beacon Hill. Both offer hearty, homey, and reasonably priced Italian fare. The North End location is in the midst of reconstruction, and will soon have a full bar. The atmosphere of both is casual. Classics like penne filletto di pomodoro, made with saut?d fresh plum tomatoes and basil, hit the spot. Not to miss are the chef's antipasto table, with its generous platter of grilled, marinated, and roasted vegetables, and the rotisserie chicken with roasted potatoes.
Centre Street Caf?#060;
669A Centre St.
Jamaica Plain
617-524-9217
Centre Street Caf?is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant, albeit one that serves such unique dishes as Danno's Szechwan Shaboom. The store-front room is cozy, the food is home-style, and the prices are reasonable. Regular menu items are under $15, and include the aforementioned Shaboom (lo mein noodles with spicy sesame soy sauce) and curried organic vegetable stir fry, each available with a choice of chicken, shrimp, or tofu. Red meat appears only as a daily special, along with a catch of the day; note that these tend to run higher. The atmosphere is casual, friendly, and inviting, with the kitchen visible in back.
Photo: Courtesy of Centre Street Caf?
Deluxe Town Diner
627 Mt. Auburn St.
Watertown
617-926-8400
www.deluxetowndiner.com
"No iceberg lettuce" declares a framed board in plastic letters, a sure sign that this is not your father's diner. Though it's got the obligatory vinyl booths and Formica counters (a diner has been in this location since 1947), Don Levy has completely overhauled the place since taking over in 2000. The menu satisfies both gourmands and diner fans. There are seven kinds of burgers, including Kobe beef and apple-curry turkey; cod cakes are way more cod than potato; and side dishes include quinoa along with mashed potatoes. Bargain seekers will love the blue plate specials, complete dinners for under $10. And breakfast is served all day. It's the little touches that make the food so good ?bread from local favorite Iggy's bakery, loose-leaf tea, darn good coffee.
Illustration: Mark Fisher
Sweet Chili
1172-1178
Cambridge St.
Cambridge
617-864-4500
www.sweetchili.com
Of the many Thai restaurants that have sprung up in Boston, this is a favorite. The space is light and airy, with avocado plants growing in the windows and an exotic fish tank near the front door. In addition to the flawlessly executed usual suspects (pad thai, tofu triangles), notable offerings include the wide drunken rice noodles with an array of fresh vegetables, shrimp, and chicken, and the delectable chili-lime cod with just enough heat to keep things interesting. There's sushi here too, though that can quickly push the bill beyond budget. Desserts are worth sampling, especially the mango with sweet sticky rice, and the red bean ice cream.
Veggie Planet
47 Palmer St.
Harvard Square
Cambridge
617-661-1513
www.veggieplanet.net
Harvard Square was once the bastion of folk and alternative music, but gradually those crunchy-granola days have faded away. One holdover is Club Passim, folk central. It's been in this basement location since the '60s, together with various restaurants over the years. Happily, the music club has now found its perfect culinary partner in the form of Veggie Planet, the brainchild of Adam Penn and chef Didi Emmons, award-winning cookbook author. The focus is pizza here, but it's a far, far cry from Domino's. Offerings include Mexican black bean and tofu peanut curry, and if dough isn't your thing, you can get toppings on a plate of brown rice. Periodically, there are special vegetarian dinners, where the chef goes all out exploring a particular cuisine, such as Thai or Colombian, and offers nonpizza choices, served family-style at long tables.
Photo: Courtesy of Veggie Planet