Where to Eat

Say you want to find a new restaurant in Boston. But you don't have much time to decide. You could try to rack your brains about the new restaurant you have heard about. But you may not recall them all. Or you could pour through blogs and message boards. Though that can be time consuming. Or maybe you could check out Where to Eat magazine.

Where to Eat is a dining magazine that comes out twice a year: the Spring/Summer issue on May 1 and the Fall/Winter issue on November 1. The Fall/Winter issue has just been published and is available in many bookstores/newstands. There are four versions of this magazines, based on location, including Boston, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. The magazine costs $7.95 per issue.

The magazine lists numerous restaurants, providing detailed information including a sample menu. So you can peruse the magazine, seeking suggestions for restaurants and finding all the basic information for that place.

The magazine is broken down into chapters, including Catering, Back Bay/Fenway, Beacon Hill, Brookline, Cambridge/Somerville, Downtown, Jamaica Plain/Roslindale, North End/Charlestown, South End, And Beyond, and Destinations. Each geographic chapter begins with a street map of the area, with the restaurants marked. There is then a long list of the restaurants in that neighborhood, with the ones featured in the magazine highlighted. The highlighted restaurants are then detailed. The Destinations chapter lists restaurants in the rest of New England, places worth a drive.

A typical restaurant entry is a full page. There is a sample menu, address, telephone number, website URL, Chef name(s), Price Range, Accepted Payment, Hours, Fireplace, Liquor, Services Offered, Dress Code, Parking, and Closest MBTA Station. If you don't see the information you want listed, you can just check the restaurant's website.

You won't find any restaurant reviews in the magazine. It is more a reference tool to see which restaurants are available. For reviews, you will have to look elsewhere, places like my blog.

I think the magazine is a useful tool. I especially like the maps. If you are going to be in a certain part of Boston, you can check the maps and find a restaurant nearby. You can find a menu that appeals to you.

I decided to compare the latest two issues, the Spring/Summer 2007 and the Fall/Winter 2008 issue. I wanted to see whether it was worth having both issues. Was there much change between the two? So, here is a list of the differences and similarities.

First, the Fall/Winter issue includes a special supplement that is not in the Spring/Summer. This is "Where to Drink", 64 pages of descriptions of bars and lounges in Boston. It also includes fifty cocktail recipes. This is a nice little extra.

Second, the Catering chapter in Spring/Summer has four entries though the Fall/Winter has eight (four new ones).

Three, the Back Bay/Fenway chapter in Spring/Summer has 23 entries as does the Fall/Winter though three are different. The menus for the restaurants that are the same though often have some changes in the different issues.

Fourth, in all of the subsequent geographic chapters, the Fall/Winter issue has some new restaurants listed, and omits some restaurants from the Spring/Summer issue. There are also additional menu differences in some of the same restaurants.

Fifth, the Fall/Winter issue has a column in between each chapter called "Chefs Dish" which is a short Q&A for different chefs. These columns are interesting, giving you a better insight into some local chefs.

Sixth, the Fall/Winter issue has a Glossary of food/restaurant terms which can be helpful in deciphering some menus. I would say there are at least 250 terms listed in the glossary. Another helpful tool.

Overall I do think there are sufficient differences between the two issues to justify purchasing both. So stop by your local bookstore and check out the latest issue. I think it is a useful tool for foodies.