This is such a beautiful restaurant, with elegant tables, an open kitchen and a fireplace. There's a bit of faux exposed brick and decoration, and I can guarantee that there isn't a bad seat in the house. Anywhere you sit would be a great spot. I was greeted by this tiny little girl, who offered me a menu and graciously asked me where I would like to sit. She knew the ropes, young as she was, and gave me the sweetest smile as she ran around the restaurant to find me a table. There were plenty of adults to assist, of course. Charming place with a lot of character. Try their Latin breakfasts. Pork rind with corn cake for $2.50, fried cheese ball ($1) or Colombian Sausage ($2.50). Maybe you're after some Red Snapper ($15) or Flank Steak ($11). They also serve roasted chicken and burgers.

A $10 minimum for all cards. This Theatre District spot has the best and biggest slices and huge, fresh salads to go or eat in! Counter service only.

Ak's Take-Out and Delivery is one of Mission Hill's hidden gems. While Ak's food wouldn't exactly fall into the gourmet category, they offer a huge array of pizza, subs, salads, and more that are kind to your tastebuds and your wallet. The pizza - the crust is thick and chewy, although the toppings, as with the calzones, are plentiful. The best part of these calzones are the size. They may seem a little expensive, but that is because the large is literally a giant pizza folded in half. They are massive and can last up to 3 days in leftovers due to volume. Their large subs start at about six dollars, while their large pizzas start at eight dollars. Ak's also has some excellent dinner packages that are, like their other fare, generously portioned and inexpensive. This is a great choice for any college student with a limited budget but a bottomless stomach, as their prices are much cheaper than their competitors and their portions are more than generous. The only downside to Ak's fantastic and fast delivery service is their minimum delivery of ten dollars, as well as an additional $1.50 charge for delivery. Ak's is open every day from 11 AM to Midnight. However, beware: There is no seating at the actual restaurant, so you'd do well to stick to takeout!

Chicken Lou's is a culinary institution at Northeastern. At all hours of the day you can find at least 20 or 30 Northeastern kids just milling around Chicken Lou's. It is open at 6 am serving SEX (Sausage, Egg & Cheese) on a bagel or bun with strong hot coffee, it powers you through lunch with the #1 "catching a train" (chicken sandwich) and keeps you going through the afternoon with spicy fries and chicken fingers. Let's get the facts straight, Chicken Lou's is not pretty. Chicken Lou's is not healthy, the salads are probably deep fried. Don't be fooled by the fact that Chicken is in the name. They do everything that is the opposite of healthy. It's a damn tasty heart attack in a bag. But really, you can't call yourself a Northeastern student unless you've been to Chicken Lou's, it's like a rite of passage or something. You also have to wait outside for your food which would be ok if it wasn't 20 degrees out. Most importantly, here are the rules of the joint: Know what you want. Give them your order quickly and precisely. Few to no substitutions or changes. Keep moving. So to all you freshmen and potential freshman, get your ass to Chicken Lou's now! Don't you DARE leave without getting spicy fries! Also, they TOTALLY favor jocks.

Located near Boston Symphony Orchestraand Northeastern University, this Vietnamese restaurant is a great value, in an easy location, without any fuss. They do delivery, take-out, and have seating both at tables and a small bar. They do get full on Symphony nights, as well as when there's a popular show at the Huntington Theatre, so there may sometimes be a wait, although generally you can snag a table most times of the day. They offer tasty lunch specials for $7 or $8, with meat or tofu, veggies, and rice, and an extra $2 gets you soup, salad, and an appetizer as well. Main dishes include some of the best pad thai around, pho noodle soups, noodle dishes like the spicy drunken noodle, make-your-own fresh rolls, and a variety of meat and seafood plates. For dessert, green tea ice cream, or mangoes and sticky rice, are the best bet. Also try the creamy Thai iced tea, or a glass of wine with dinner. The staff is easy-going, keeps water glasses full, and never rushes customers out of a table, even when they're busy. The Phoenix says... "Curl your hands around a hot bowl of tom yum noodle soup ($7.95). This classic Thai hot-and-sour chili-flaked soup is full of baby mushrooms, fresh green scallions, chunks of chicken, shrimp, and tender tomatoes with a hint of lime juice. Impossible to finish in one sitting? Yes. Impossible to fight the urge to try? You bet."

Picco (Stands for Pizza and Ice Cream Company) is a charming restaurant located in the South End on Tremont Street with delicious food and a lovely outdoor seating (when weather permits). The restaurant definitely has a pizza specialty but also serves a delicious chicken parmagiana sandwich, salads, home made pastas, and fish tacos. They serve ice cream as well, and have many flavors to choose from. The pizza is cooked in a flaming brick oven, that you can see from inside of the restaurant! The staff are friendly, and the food always tastes very fresh. Visit their website to learn about their special events! Here are a few 'nice to knows' about Picco: There is a $10.00 minimum on all charges. Delivery is free from 5-10pm everyday to the South End, Back Bay, and Bay Village. The whole menu is available for take-out and delivery. Reservations are only available for parties of 8 or more. The Boston Globe praised the decor as "quaint, brightly lit, and secretly upscale", but dismissed the "charred yet underbaked" pizzas^[1]. The Phantom Gourmet was more enthusiastic, noting that "slices and scoops spare no expense with gourmet ingredients" and that the "retro décor evokes an old school ice cream parlor"^[2].

Once known as Boston Chicken, the name morphed into Boston Market but chicken is still on the menu. Hearty food at low prices. To create ambiance, they have potted silk plants at each table.

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Moby Dick of Boston, tucked away on Huntington in between chains like Quiznos, Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts, is one of the tastiest small restaurants I've ever been to. The prices aren't super-cheap, but the flavor and authenticity is worth it. The menu ranges from falafels to lentil soup to biryani rices to chicken curry (at $7.95 with rice and pita, a delicious steal), and then prices rise for dinner plates with fancier meat and fish kabobs. There are booths if you want to stay and eat, but it's also perfect fare for take-out to eat on the grass near the Christian Science Center grounds or on campus at Berklee or Northeastern University. You can see and smell most of your food being cooked on the stovetop and grills behind the counter. Be prepared to salivate, but the food is usually ready pretty quickly. The staff are charming and friendly if you're pleasant to them or if you're a repeat customer--it pays to get to know them! They also do fantastic catering, if you need trays of flavorful food for an event or meeting: much better than pizza or sandwiches!