Paramount: Adding new meaning to cafeteria-style eating

The food served at hospitals and schools gives cafeterias a bad name. But don’t let that turn you off Paramount. Yes, you have to order and wait by a counter and transport your meal to a table on a tray, but the food in no way resembles cafeteria fare.

Omelets, pancakes, and French toast are served until 4:30 pm every day. Daily omelet specials range from spicy chorizo to tomato, basil, and cheese, and the fluffy, plate-size pancakes are packed with fresh fruit and berries.

The crispy grilled turkey reuben is made with minimally dressed coleslaw and slices of roasted turkey breast. French fries or sweet potato wedges are a good accompaniment. Both are freshly cut with the skin left on and served steaming hot from the fryer.

A Turkey reuben and sweet potato wedges make for a delicious lunch at the Paramount.

The word about Paramount’s brunches is out, so be prepared for a wait on Sundays. Stop in for dinner to find Paramount transformed into a restaurant with table service and bistro-style entrées.

44 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 720-1152

Sandwiches and salads: $4.50–$9.00
Dinner entrées: $13.00–$20.00

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75 Chestnut: A bar in the spirit of Beacon Hill

75 Chestnut is the essence of Beacon Hill—stately yet relaxed, with dark wood, dim lighting, and a demure buzz from people at the bar. While the beer and wine lists leave a lot to be desired, the food makes it clear that this is no ordinary pub.

Spicy Mexican sausage, chorizo, adds a kick to the mussels entrée. The smoky flavor of the sausage permeates the mussels and its tomato and garlic broth.

A tangy marinade enhances the generous serving of tenderloin steak tips, rendering them tender and juicy. They come with thinly cut fries and a seasonal salad. The same fries accompany the 75 Bistro burger, renowned not only for its heft but for the fluffy texture of the beef patty.

The trio of crème brûlées is the best part of the meal. Vanilla and passion fruit crème brûlées are creamy and light, but the flavor prize belongs to the Belgian chocolate—the modestly sweet, super dark chocolate custard with a burnt sugar crust tastes like rich, melted chocolate cake.

75 Chestnut St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 227-2175

Appetizers: $7.00–12.00
Entrées: $10.00–20.00

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Artu: A small Italian restaurant offers big Italian flavors

If you’re not careful, you just might miss the inconspicuous sign marking the location of Artu, a brick-walled subterranean Italian restaurant just a few blocks from Massachusetts General Hospital.

Missing out on Artu’s artful platters of antipasti would be a shame. Slices of tomatoes and fresh mozzarella share the plate with spicy marinated artichokes, roasted red peppers, and olives, combining textures and tastes in a simple and light starter.

Soft mozzarella and marinated vegetables are a traditional start to an Italian meal at Artu.

Continue with one of Artu’s specialties, such as pollo artu, made with tender strips of pan-fried chicken in a chunky tomato sauce with mushrooms, anchovies, and capers. A similar sauce with black olives and capers coats tubes of pasta in penne puttanesca. The sauce is fresh yet salty and complex, making it difficult to leave any pasta uneaten.

Veal braciolettine features tender veal rolled around melted provolone cheese and prosciutto with a lemon and white wine mushroom sauce. Round out the meal by mopping up the silky sauce with pieces of bread.

Descending into the insulating and cozy depths of Artu will make Charles Street seems miles away.

89 Charles St.
Boston, MA 02114
(617) 227-9023

Appetizers: $4.95-$17.50
Pastas: $14.50-$23.50
Entrées: $12.50-$19.95

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Lala Rokh: Persian food in comfort and style

Lala Rokh has the feel of a homey apartment, with tucked-away corners to provide privacy for diners, and wall sconces and Persian artifacts to set an intimate mood.

A cold salad with roasted beets, creamy feta, and walnuts incorporates hallmarks of Persian cooking: garlic, nuts, and sweetness tempered with tang. Kashk-e bademjan, a hot appetizer packed with the flavors of roasted eggplant, sweet caramelized onions, and tomatoes, is finished with a swirl of thick goat’s milk yogurt. It tastes great eaten with a fork or scooped onto a piece of bread.

Beh, a traditional stew with tender beef and quince (a fruit with the firm consistency of cooked carrots and grainy texture of pears) is almost overwhelmingly sweet. Mixing the stew with the accompanying white rice helps to dilute the jam-like flavor of the dish.

Saffron-tinted rice and a sweet beef and quince stew is a sweet example of Persian cuisine at Lala Rokh.

The duck in pomegranate sauce fares better. The sourness of pomegranate and the depth of ground walnuts balance the sweetness of the sauce. The combination of sweet and sour flavors harmonizes with the richness of the duck.

97 Mt. Vernon St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 720-5511

Appetizers: $8.00–$9.00
Entrées: $19.00–$22.00

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Did we miss your favorite Beacon Hill restaurant? Post a comment about it here. And read our reviews of other restaurants in the Longwood area, South Boston, Kendall/Central Squares near MIT, the South End near BU Medical Center, Harvard Square, Kenmore Square near BU and near the Hynes Convention Center.