Best Cheesy Dishes South of Boston
Who doesn't love cheese? From creamy pasta dishes to melty sandwiches and cheeseburgers, cheese makes every meal a treat. In the suburbs south of Boston there are a handful of restaurants that are taking their cheese game to a whole new level. Even if you live in Boston, these are the dishes that are worth the trip outside the city for.
Steel & Rye
95 Eliot St.
Milton MA 02186
(617) 690-2787
steelandrye.com
Just south of Boston in Milton is one of the trendiest and most delicious restaurants in the state. Steel & Rye was recently awarded Boston Magazine's award for Best Restaurant - South, and it is no wonder because not only does this hot spot serve up locally-sourced dishes and craft cocktails, it is housed in a converted garage. Steel & Rye offers a variety of cheesy dishes, but the standout is their ravioli, which features housemade ricotta cheese. In addition to the cheese, the ravioli is made with braised rabbit, guanciale, asparagus and oyster mushrooms!
Sweet Basil
942 Great Plain Ave.
Needham, MA 02492
(781) 444-9600
www.sweetbasilneedham.com
Head southwest of Boston to find one of the best cheese filled entres around. It doesn't get cheesier than having cheese as the main event! One of Sweet Basil's Chef Dave Becker's signature dishes at Sweet Basil is his Baked Gouda wrapped in fillo dough and served with berries and truffle over greens. Any cheese lover will absolutely fall in love with this dish, but if you're not a huge cheese fan, there are plenty of other fantastic and innovative meals to try at Sweet Basil, like their potato and poblano gnocchi in lemony ginger broth with lobster and bok choy.
Wahlburgers
19 Shipyard Drive
Hingham, MA 02043
(781) 749-2110
www.wahlburgersrestaurant.com
A juicy cheeseburger is one of the most crave-worthy meals in America. The right combination of meat, bread, condiments and, of course, cheese make the perfect dish, even if its not quite the healthiest. On Boston's South Shore, Wahlburgers is the best place to get a cheeseburger. This Hingham hotspot owned by Mark Wahlberg and his brothers is one of the most popular, top-rated burger joints in the state. Luckily, those who don't live south of Boston won't miss out —Wahlburgers has a second location near Fenway Park in Boston.
Juniper
13 Central St.
Wellesley, MA 02482
(781) 446-6950
www.juniperwellesley.com
West and just slightly south of Boston is the lovely town of Wellesley. In addition to being home to some charming boutiques, Wellesley also boasts an incredible choice of restaurants. One of the best is Juniper, and Juniper does cheese right. Juniper has an amazing seared manchego cheese served with strawberry jam, crostini and grilled orange. The sweet flavors of the jam and orange perfectly complement the creamy savoriness of the cheese. It is a rich, decadent treat of a dish that you won'd find anywhere else.
Tosca
14 North St.
Hingham, MA 02043
(781) 740-0080
www.toscahingham.com
In Hingham, but in the mood for something more upscale than a cheeseburger? Make a stop and award-winning Tosca. Cheese lovers can choose from the nightly cheese board appetizer and cheesy main courses like tortellini and pasta with short rib meatballs and fresh ricotta. But the best cheesy treat to order is a side of the truffled parmesan potato tots. Crispy, salty and earthy, the tots take this classic cafeteria dish to mouth-watering gourmet heights!
Cameron Bruns is the founder of BostonGreenBlog.com and co-author of Just Us Gals Boston. She lives in Boston's North End, where her goal is to promote ethical, stylish, and sustainable lifestyle choices to all Boston residents. Her work can be found on Examiner.com.