Phantom Gourmet Guide to Boston's Best Restaurants

Book excerpt: Boston's well-known "mysterious" food critic has honed his compendium of restaurant knowledge into his selection of the Boston area's best restaurants. The Phantom lists his favorite eight (also known as the "Great Ate") restaurants in 60 categories from comfort food and fried clams to Chinese and Italian. There are also lists devoted to neighborhoods and regions, from the North End to the North Shore. The nearly 500 restaurant reviews are also catalogued in alphabetical, geographical, and cuisine indexes for easy reference. Unlike the competition, this book has a voice and exhibits the well-respected local expertise of the Phantom Gourmet himself. Moreover, rather than list every restaurant under the sun, the Phantom selects the places he feels are worthwhile and explains why, giving restaurant-goers more guidance when they're looking for a place to eat.