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Your foodie bracket: What would a 'full Boston' look like?
There's a showdown of monumental proportions coming to Boston. And no, we're not talking about the World Cup.
We're talking about a battle of the most Boston foods for a spot on what would be a "full Boston" plate.
What's that? We're so glad you asked.
We were inspired — if you can call it that — by the "full English" breakfast: bacon, eggs, black pudding, baked beans, toast, grilled tomatoes and mushrooms. It's a staple that is a defining part of Great Britain and its cuisine.
Naturally, we started riffing on what a "full Boston" would look like.
We're talking about the foods that are the epitome of the area's culinary history, that are weaved into the fabric of our hearts (and taste buds), that feel essential to the Boston experience. And not just limited to breakfast. Thus, our Boston food bracket was born.
We need your help to narrow down what would be on our "full Boston" plate by voting for your favorites below. There will be three rounds of voting, so be sure to look at our schedule below.
But first, how did we pick the contenders?
The methodology
We decided to represent a full meal rather than limit items to just breakfast (especially since we all run on iced regulars in the morning anyway; there'd be little to vote for). And to us, a complete meal means appetizers or sides, "suppah" and dessert. We also felt like sandwiches deserved it's own category, so that rounded out our categories to four. From there, we seeded four contenders within each group.
Appetizers/sides
- Clam chowder: This soup has deep local roots dating back to the 1700s when settlers whipped up warm dishes with local ingredients, like clams, to get them through the cold winters. The briny goodness has since cemented itself in local cuisine, and now tourists and locals alike fight over who makes the best bowl. (Legal Seafood's chowder does consistently earn the "Best of Boston" title from Boston Magazine.)
- Baked beans: I mean, the city is nicknamed "Beantown" as a nod to a distinct style of baked beans sweetened with molasses thought to date back to the Puritans. And while WBUR's Amelia Mason reports the reality is there is little evidence of the molasses/beans mashup before the late 19th century, alas, the nickname has stuck.
- Kowloon's Saugus wings: The Route 1 landmark has been around for over 75 years and is one of the most iconic restaurants in New England. The sticky, garlicky, wing is one of the most beloved items on the menu.
- Oysters: Oyster farming is a booming local industry in Massachusetts, with about 400 shellfish growers in the state, mostly concentrated in the South Shore and Cape Cod. And we're so into slurping down these fresh filter feeders, there's even an annual shucking contest to celebrate them.
Suppah
- Fried clam plate: Best eaten outdoors, from a small shack, with an ocean breeze in your hair. Bostonians have strong opinions and deep loyalties to where they think the best plate can be found.
- South Shore bar pizza: This crispy, cheesy regional delicacy has a cult-like following. It's not just a personal pan pizza. It's a way of life.
- Steak tips: This uniquely New England dish was mostly born out of economics in the mid-1970s, but now the marinated tips are a staple of most-every townie restaurant around. (Boston Magazine has a fascinating deep dive on its origins here.)
- Market Basket rotisserie chicken: Yes, Market Basket is a whole thing in Massachusetts. But the rotisserie chicken in particular is extremely popular for its taste and value ("there's some motion here"). It's even been given out to local trick-or-treaters.
Sandwiches
- Lobster roll: Maine will try to fight us on this, but there's something about eating an overpriced lobster roll on Cape Cod (mayo or bust) that feels like a uniquely Boston way to savor the summer.
- North Shore roast beef 3-way: Piled high rare roast beef. A slathering of mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and American cheese. Yes, this messy bun is the North Shore's favorite sandwich. And we have Kelly's Roast Beef to thank for that.
- Fluffernutter: This salty-sweet, sticky sandwich originated in Massachusetts in the 1920s. The marshmallow spread has been around for over 100 years and even has an annual festival in Somerville to celebrate its gooey glory.
- Gobbler: Also known as the Thanksgiving sandwich, its ties to Massachusetts are pretty clear, with Plymouth home to the so-called first Thanksgiving. The sammie also includes heaps of cranberry sauce, aka the state fruit. Each year, Massachusetts’ cranberry farmers grow and harvest roughly 200 million pounds of cranberries.
Dessert
- Toll House chocolate chip cookie: Yes, the chocolate chip cookie was invented here. The recipe was first published in 1938 by Ruth Graves Wakefield, who ran the Toll House Inn with her husband in the South Shore town of Whitman. And now this classic is the official state cookie.
- Boston cream pie: We also have an official dessertin Massachusetts! This golden cake with chocolate glaze and custard is thought to have been invented by an Armenian-French chef at the Parker House Hotel in Boston in the mid-1800s. (“Pie” and “cake” were used interchangeably during those times, which is a little confusing now.)
- Black raspberry frappe: Not a milkshake. It's totally different. And New Englanders have a particular fondness for black raspberry ice cream. So the combo feelspeak Boston.
- Munchkins from Dunkin: There are over 1,000 Dunkin locations in Massachusetts. Spidey D speaks to our soul.
How to vote
Starting Monday, May 25, you’ll have 10 days to cast your votes as we narrow the field.
Round two will be announced by Thursday, June 11, and you'll have 10 days to vote again.
Our final round of voting will commence Monday, June 29.
We'll crown the ultimate Boston meal on July 9, which also happens to be the last World Cup match hosted at Gillette Stadium for the quarterfinals.
