With its dune landscapes sliding into the Atlantic, its small fishing ports and its maple forests turning red in autumn, New England is a cliché of authentic America, and the same goes for its cuisine. The richness of the ocean provides a wide variety of excellent seafood, such as the famous Maine lobster, which locals go crazy for, not to mention the shellfish used to make the tasty clam chowder. But the hinterland also offers surprises, especially in Vermont, famous for its cheeses and orchards. The region was also the birthplace of the first Thanksgiving in the early 17th century. Roast turkey, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie are just a few of the highlights of this festive meal. New England also has many delicious traditional desserts. For beer lovers, the region is known for its density of quality microbreweries.
Seafood paradise
With its fish-filled waters, seafood and fish play an important role in New England.Lobster is the star of Maine. It's impossible to visit this state without indulging in the must-taste lobster in all its forms. Try the lobster roll, a brioche bun filled with lobster pieces and mayonnaise, or poached in hot butter. Anecdotally, over 3 million of these crustaceans are caught in a single summer off the coast of Maine. There are even names for their size, from chicken lobster (450 g) to jumbo (over 1.125 kg).
And don't forget the delicious shellfish: clams, mussels, oysters and razors. On Cape Cod (Massachusetts), the specialty is clam chowder, a creamy soup of clams, potatoes and onions. Bacon is sometimes added. In Rhode Island, try the clear-broth clam chowder, prepared with a light broth and no cream. Don't miss the clambake, which consists of cooking food (lobster, crabs, shellfish, corn on the cob, potatoes, etc.) in an oven dug into the ground, lined with white-hot pebbles and wrapped in seaweed. This ancestral cooking method is also found in Chile and Polynesia. In New Haven (Connecticut), you'll find clam pie, a kind of pizza combining seafood and cheese. Fish is popular, and you can enjoy delicious salt cod cakes.
Vermont is the only state in the region without a coastline, but it has a real local culture. It would be a shame not to sample the local produce, featuring cheeses, beer and, of course, maple syrup, of which Vermont is the nation's leading producer. The Vermont Cheese Council brings together nearly 40 producers, including Crowley Cheese Factory, Grafton Village Cheese Company and Shelburne Farms, who make over a hundred varieties of cow's, goat's, sheep's and buffalo's milk cheese, the star of which is cheddar. Hard or soft, fresh or matured, the quality is constantly improving.
Thanksgiving
William Bradford, Governor of Massachusetts, established Thanksgiving in 1621. This key date in the calendar of all Americans was gradually codified by subsequent governments, which fixed its celebration on the last Thursday in November. In fact, many of the specialties eaten across the country today originated in New England. While Thanksgiving is normally a family event, there are plenty of restaurants offering a delicious assortment of festive dishes. Theturkey takes center stage. It's usually marinated for several hours before being put in the oven.
The turkey is accompanied by gravy (a thick meat juice), stuffing (a kind of toast stuffing flavored with apple, onion and herbs) and, of course, cranberry sauce (a tangy cranberry sauce). There's also a variety of mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, and the famous green bean casserole with green beans, mushroom cream and fried onions. For dessert, you can't miss the pumpkin pie, topped with cinnamon-ginger pumpkin purée. Served with a dollop of whipped cream. It's a typical dessert of the region, but in the southern U.S. it's more commonly known as pecanpie.
A large choice of desserts
Other Thanksgiving desserts include the eponymous Boston cream pie, a cake invented in the 1850s, filled with vanilla custard and covered with chocolate icing. You'll find it revisited in the form of a doughnut, the Boston cream doughnut, not forgetting the cider d oughnut, rolled in cinnamon brown sugar.
A host of tarts are available, including the famous apple pie, made with apples and cinnamon, decorated with latticework pastry and served with blueberries, rhubarb or cherries. More surprisingly, apple & cheddar pie contains grated cheddar in the pastry. It may sound strange, but the cheese will give a slightly salty, caramelized buttery aftertaste, delicious with apples.
There are also cookies, brioches and other small cakes, such as blueberry muffins - with blueberries - whoopie pies, a kind of soft chocolate macaroon topped with vanilla cream, or Fig Newton, a shortbread filled with fig paste created in 1891. And don't forget the chocolate chip cookies - sometimes nicknamed Toll House Cookies - invented here in the 1930s.Indian pudding, a cornmeal and molasses porridge flavored with cinnamon, is probably the region's oldest dessert. Other pastries include Boston brown bread made with rye flour and molasses, topped with raisins; popover, a kind of puffed brioche; and Portuguese sweet bread, a large, fluffy brioche.
On the drinks side
To enjoy these desserts, Americans will be fond of coffee. Traditionally considered very light for our European tastes, there are now more and more stores offering more substantial coffees: cappuccino, espresso, etc. Very common in the southern USA - hot or iced - tea is less consumed in the rest of the country, and this beverage is at the origin of one of the founding events in American history: the Boston Tea Party, when the colonists - fed up with the excessive taxes of the English - threw 342 crates of tea into the sea in 1773. The locals' aversion to tea eventually faded during the 19th century, and it was even an American - John Sullivan - who invented the tea bag in 1907.
As for beer, New England also boasts an incredible number of craft breweries(Sea Dog Brewing Company, Shipyard Brewing Company, Smuttynose Brewing Company, etc.). And don't forget Flip Hot Ale, a cocktail made with ale, rum, egg and brown sugar. The region is also renowned for its cider production.
Enjoying yourself Boston
Timetable Boston
Most restaurants in Boston stay open all day without interruption. They usually close around 10:00 p.m. later on Friday and Saturday nights. You won't have any trouble finding a place to eat, no matter what time of day it is. Only gourmet restaurants open only in the evening or close between lunch and dinner.
Budget & Tips Boston
In Boston, there's something for every pocketbook. Nevertheless, while there are many inexpensive options, such as salad bars, sandwiches sold in cafés or Chinatown stalls, restaurants are still quite expensive. When you sit down to a table somewhere, you can't expect to get away with less than US$20 per person, and often more. As in France, the bill is often high in restaurants serving seafood.
What costs extra Boston
A thorny subject if ever there was one, the tip deserves a few explanations! To begin with, you should know that in the United States, the service is never included in the restaurant (with rare exceptions, in which case the mention "gratuity included" is displayed on the menu). Regardless of the quality of the service, it is therefore required to leave the equivalent of 15 to 20% of the amount of the tip.
To simplify the calculation, multiply by 2 the amount of local tax shown on your bill. Even simpler: use the Tip 'n Split mobile application, which will calculate the tip for you. In any case, the reputation of the French is so well established that, when we've guessed your country of origin, you'll often see the "Tip" box already filled in at the customary rate! Even if you pay by credit card (we see you coming...), you won't escape the tip. In this case, don't forget to write the amount of the tip in the "Tip" box and the total amount of the bill yourself, to avoid unpleasant surprises later on.
Finally, you should also know that prices in restaurants are displayed without tax. In addition to the tip, the local tax (6.25% in Boston) is therefore added to the total amount. After all that, the final score has little to do with the prices on the menu.
The local way Boston
A large glass of water filled with ice cubes is served in all restaurants, diners and gourmet establishments alike. Europeans are often surprised by this, but it's part of basic service in the USA. The other thing that may come as a surprise is the service: American waiters are particularly friendly, so don't be shocked if they ask if you're all right and give you their first name - it's like that in almost every restaurant! As tips are not included, service is generally impeccable, if a little rushed.
You should also be aware that many restaurants, especially the more popular ones, do not take reservations. In this case, it's best to arrive early, and if there's a wait, we'll take your phone number and text you as soon as your table is ready! You'll then have the chance to go for a walk or a drink somewhere while you wait.
Kids Boston
Children are welcome in most Boston restaurants, with the exception of certain gourmet establishments which are not suitable for young children anyway. In almost all other places, you'll have no trouble asking for a high chair to seat your child. However, some restaurants are more kid-friendly than others: just take a look inside to see whether a restaurant is family-friendly or not!
Smokers Boston
Smoking is not permitted in enclosed public areas, including the restaurant. If you eat on the terrace, don't even think about lighting a cigarette: even without an explicit ban, it is very badly seen and so unusual that your neighbours at the table may make big eyes at you. If you wish to smoke before the end of the meal, get out of the restaurant and move a few metres away so as not to bother the customers on the terrace.
Take a break Boston
Timetable Boston
In Boston, pubs generally open at noon, as they serve food for lunch. More upscale venues, such as cocktail bars, rarely open before 4pm. Closing times vary from 11pm on weekdays to a maximum of 2am on Friday and Saturday nights. You won't find places open until 4 or 5 in the morning like in France. It's simply not part of the culture: here, evenings start earlier and end earlier!
During Happy Hour, generally offered on weekdays between 3pm and 6pm, bars offer cocktails, beers or glasses of wine at reduced prices.
Budget & Tips Boston
Going out is quite expensive in Boston, especially when it comes to alcohol. A glass of wine rarely costs less than US$12, and cocktails are generally around US$15. Beers are less expensive, costing around US$7 on draught.
Please note that these prices do not include local tax (6.25% in Massachusetts) or tip. It's customary to leave a US$1 or US$2 tip per glass or, if you've had many drinks and are paying by credit card, around 18% of the bill, as in a restaurant.
Age restrictions Boston
We don't joke about the legal age in the United States! As far as drinking is concerned, it is 21 years old. At the entrance of the bars, after a certain time, you will be asked to show your ID card. If you are under the legal age, you will not have a chance to get in. However, in some bars that are also restaurants, minors may enter if accompanied by a responsible adult and provided they do not consume alcohol. If in doubt, it is best to make a quick phone call to the bar you wish to visit.
What's very local Boston
Bostonians drink beer as well as wine and cocktails. The latter are generally well made and often surprising, as everywhere in the United States. But the speciality of the city is still the Irish pubs, a legacy of the massive Irish immigration of the early 19th century. The locals love their good-natured atmosphere and cheap pints of Guinness. We've put together a top 5 of the best Irish pubs in the city!
Kids Boston
Minors will only be permitted to enter a bar that is serving alcohol if they are accompanied by a responsible adult and do not consume alcohol. The place must serve food and the child is generally not allowed in the bar. At the entrance to the bars, after a certain hour, bouncers ask for passports and sometimes do not let under-21s in, even if they are accompanied and do not intend to drink alcohol. It's a bit of a case by case situation, so make sure you make a phone call to find out the policy of the place you're interested in.
Smokers Boston
In Boston, smoking is prohibited in confined public spaces, a law that is in effect in all bars and cafes in the city, and is also valid for electronic cigarettes. Even on outdoor patios, even when there are no ban signs, it is frowned upon to light a cigarette. It is simply not in the country's mores. The best way to avoid embarrassment is to move a few metres away before lighting your cigarette.
