Feast Your Eyes

Boston is home to thousands of restaurants, making the “where do you want to eat?” conversation quite a problem. For those who are more aesthetically minded, Instagram can help resolve that question. Thousands of “food accounts” share photos of some of the best foods Boston has to offer. These Boston-based foodie accounts can be a great way to pick a restaurant for brunch with your roommates, drinks with that cute person from class or dinner when your parents are in town.

Two of Boston’s major food accounts are @bostonfoodies and @hungrygirlsofboston. When combined, their posts reach 136,000 likes from curious, food-loving followers. Not only do these accounts share their meals, creating a connection with their followers, but often they create a network between themselves and the restaurants they visit.

Boston Foodies was started by Tiffany Lopinsky in 2014 due to a love of food and food photography. She took notice of accounts in the New York area, and created a food account for Boston as a way to appreciate the restaurants that the Boston-area has to offer.

The Hungry Girls of Boston (contrary to the name) started in Amherst, Massachusetts in 2014 as a way for six college girls to share their meals with friends while attending the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, but post-graduation the girls have continued the account and found great success in Boston.

Boston University student, Alice Pinho, started her food account @2hungrypals at the end of her senior year of high school with a friend as a way to explore the new cities that they were moving to, Boston and Los Angeles.

Referencing Boston, Pinho said, “I love the diversity; you can find anything from Thai food, to Mexican, to artisan donuts. I think that makes eating here more exciting, and of course it is perfect for food blogging.”

While plenty of cities have active “foodstagram” communities, the sheer volume of accounts based in the Boston area is an indicator of the quality and quantity of great restaurants around the city. With help from food accounts, we chose some of our favorite places where you can eat and snap that perfect shot.

Double Chin HK Cafe

Located at 86 Harrison Ave., serves a unique cuisine as Chinese food meets American comfort-food. Dessert and brunch are big hits at this small spot in the heart of Chinatown, but the restaurant has full meals as well with Chinese appetizers, a variety of wings and noodles that are made to order. Their most Insta-worthy dish is definitely their cube toast dessert filled high with ice cream, fresh fruit and other sweets, which comes in multiple flavors.

MET Back Bay

Located on the corner of Dartmouth and Newbury Streets in downtown Boston. The menu may seem daunting as the restaurant has many dishes to offer for every meal of the day. The restaurant uses New England staples to create a blend of continental and American-style cooking for a fresh take that mirrors the elegant and modern aesthetic of the restaurant itself. Brunch is the winner for their most Insta-worthy meals: think decadent options like Nutella-stuffed French toast or a truffled Croque Madame.

Tatte

A cafe chain located in and around the city of Boston, but the first ever location is located close to BU in Brookline. Perfect for grabbing pastries to go or a quaint location for brunch, all the cafes have wide open windows and a variety of seating options, making capturing the perfect shot easy for even the amateur food photographers. Some of the most Instaworthy dishes here are the croque monsieur and their variations on shakshuka (a traditional North African dish). Also, their latte art is certainly worth a snap. Pinho named both Tatte and MET Back Bay as two of her favorite brunch spots.

Bagelsaurus

Located across the river at 1796 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge. As the name suggests, the shop revolves around fresh-made bagels with crazy flavors and fillings. The list of homemade spreads and handcrafted sandwiches are all made with fresh ingredients. The vibrant colors of the sandwiches in the bagels make for a great snapshot, especially things like the purple hued beet hummus or the overflowing “Classic Jumbo” breakfast sandwich.

Boston Burger Company

Three locations around the city. Their name suggests that burgers are the highlight of their menu, but their overloaded milkshakes steal the show. Made with or without alcohol, the toppings on these milkshakes are almost the same size of the cup itself. There are a few staples that stay on the menu year-round, but the specialty milkshake changes constantly. “Boston Burger Company does a new milkshake every month so we try to go there as much as possible,” said Stephanie Atocha, one of the Hungry Girls of Boston.

Frenchie Boston

Located at 560 Tremont St. in the South End. The French restaurant is open from brunch to dinner. A highlight on their brunch menu is the rosé slushie. Cheese and charcuterie platter are both perfect for a great shot, and small plate options make it easy to try an array of their offerings, serving as an appetizer or combined together to create a meal.

Citrus and Salt

Located at 142 Berkeley St., is an upscale Mexican restaurant with a heavy emphasis on their exciting and creative cocktails. Not only are the drinks and food colorful, but the restaurant is also, offering an aesthetic that is great for Instagram. Boston Foodies lists Citrus and Salt as one of the most Instagrammable restaurants in the city, in their opinion.

Uni

Located inside of The Eliot Hotel on Commonwealth Ave. The upscale Japanese pub specializes in sushi, small plates and ramen. The location and design of the space is contemporary to match the highly innovative dishes developed by chefs Ken Oringer and Tony Messina. The food is fresh and colorful, and the presentation is what makes this a bucket-list dinner reservation for any avid foodie.

Saltie Girl

Located at 281 Dartmouth St., is the perfect restaurant for all things seafood. Boston’s coastal location means plenty of fresh product to choose from and at Saltie Girl they take advantage of that. From fried lobster and waffles to one of the largest collections of tinned seafood, there are many varieties of seafood to choose from. Not only is the menu varied, but the chefs serve all their dishes with an artful presentation.

Lolita

Two locations; one at 271 Dartmouth St. in Back Bay and a second location at 253 Summer St. in the Seaport district. This cantina style restaurant has a fun take on Mexican cuisine and drinks. The menu has a strong emphasis on street food, but don’t forget to indulge in dessert: churros are one of the highlights of their funky menu. The list could continue as Boston is home to an amazing food scene that cherishes both taste and presentation, so don’t be afraid to whip out your phone and capture the art you eat.

by Amanda Portis photo by Ece Yavuz design by Jami Rubin