Boston Magazine annually lists the 50 best restaurants in Boston, but for 2021, with the pandemic ongoing, they shifted the way they presented their list. Part of that shifted presentation was naming ten “Hall of Famers,” long-standing great restaurants. So this is more or less their idea of the ten best restaurants in Boston. Now for years, I’ve wanted to try to eat at all of the 50 best in a year, but the once a week average needed is just more than I can do. Even the Eater 38, another best-of list, is too many. But ten, I can handle ten. So over the next year, I’m going to eat at these ten restaurants.

I have actually been to most of the restaurants on this list, though for some of them, it’s been quite a while. Two of them, Asta and Brassica, I have never been to. And Pammy’s I have had a drink at but never eaten there. The others, which I have been to, I like and would be happy to return to. I do wonder why No. 9 Park, Harvest, and Oleana didn’t make the list. It’s actually shocking that no Barbara Lynch restaurant is on it. Maybe Cragie on Main was left off because it’s temporarily closed. That makes sense, but what about SRV? How can you leave off SRV?
Well, I guess the only way to know is to try them all and see what happens. As we eat, the name will become linked, and you can see what I ate and what I thought. Once, we’re done, we’ll reorder them for a new top ten. As always, please share your thoughts, we’d love to know your top ten.