Gastronomic tour with H&S: Providence, Boston;

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This is the first of a series of regional guides to good food, based on a survey of Haskins & Sells people who know the restaurants in the cities where they practice.
In the coming summer vacation period, many of us will be journeying to places we do not know well. Whatever our destination, the question often comes up either on the road or while spending a day in a town away from home; Where shall we go for lunch? And for dinner?
For those who are traveling in the vicinity of Boston, perhaps on the way to a child's summer camp, or to visit a college, or en route to Nova Scotia-two partners in Boston introduce readers of H&S Reports to some of their favorite restaurants in this transportation hub of the Northeast.
For visitors in the Providence region, a stepping-off point for vacationers going to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Newport, our Providence Office people share their knowledge on dining out.
In and Around Boston
This city abounds with great restaurants. For authentic nautical atmosphere and good food, partners Del Edens and Bill Wright head the list with Anthony's Pier Four (140 Northern Avenue) on the waterfront about a mile from the H&S office. This
may be the most popular single restaurant in the United States, as gauged by its traffic and volume, despite its being a bit out of the way. There are no reservations, but Boston people are willing to wait for a table.
Dini's (94 Tremont Street, between Park Street Church and King's Chapel), another place that is always busy, has "the best scrod in Boston," according to our Boston guides, and the tariff is moderate. Durgin-Park (30 North Market Street) in the wholesale market district has a democratic air with truck drivers sitting elbow to elbow with businessmen and professors at the same long tables. Red checked tablecloths and bare light bulbs hanging on cords from the ceiling add to the casual, friendly feeling of this upstairs restaurant, where the servings are gigantic and the matronly waitresses call you"dear.'
Several restaurants offer diners spectacular views of this harbor city, From one, Stouffer's Top of the Hub
on the fifty-second floor of the Prudential Tower, visitors can see the entire metropolitan area. On a clear day the view extends well beyond Boston Harbor out into Massachusetts Bay; by night the city lights form an intricate display like a thousand sparkling jewels, and planes can be spotted far out over the water as they approach Logan International Airport.
For that special occasion, Del Edens
recommends the elegant, expensive main dining room at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (15 Arlington Street). "Laureine and I have been there for birthdays and anniversaries, and it was very fine," Del says. "It is a hotel with a great deal of tradition. Dining at the Ritz is the ultimate, or is considered to be the ultimate, in Boston."
One of the oldest restaurants in the city is the Locke-Ober Cafe on Winter Place, just off Winter Street, near the Boston Common and only a short walk from the H&S Boston Office. According to Bill Wright, a Bostonian from boyhood, this place, established in 1875, offers "probably the best food in the city. There is a 'men only' room downstairs, ladies' dining room on the main floor and private rooms upstairs." Although the prices are high, the cuisine is exceptional with Lobster Savannah the specialty of the house. The Ward 8 cocktail is said to have originated here and, according to our Boston guides, is still the best. Reservations are essential, because the restaurant isn't large,
The towns surrounding Boston also promise some fine cuisine. One spot, about 35 minutes west of Boston on the way to Worcester, is the historic Wayside Inn in South Sudbury, immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his book of poems, Tales of a Wayside Inn. Several original rooms have been kept as a museum and the inn conducts guided
A Gastronomic