Boston's thriving food scene may soon be much less Bostonian. Of course, there are classic culinary hot-spots in the Hub between the North End's Italian spots and the Harbor's fresh seafood, but in the past few years it seems these quintessential spots are likely to be overshadowed by an influx of trendy new establishments. A vast majority of these out-of-towners are from New York City. From Big Apple giants like Shake Shack to smaller mainstays like Magnolia Bakery, New York native cusine is seeping its way into Boston's food culture despite the presence of successful local equivalents.
Take a short walk through Fenway and you’ll come across a handful of new and trendy fast-casual restaurants all within the same few blocks. One of the visual standouts from the bunch is by CHLOE. , a New-York based vegan spot. The inside is sleek and eclectic with pearl white tiling, wicker hanging seating, and neon wall lighting. The menu offers a wide variety for a vegan place, and especially for a counter-serve. From Brunch to smoothies to mac and cheese, by CHLOE. has the solution for any craving sans the meat and dairy.
While By CHLOE has a prime location and an updated concept, it is not without local competition. Life Alive Café is a local fast-casual chain also offering vegan eats. The menu and interior vary between locations but like By CHLOE, it offers eclectic dining complete with unconventional seating and a variant menu. With a zen spiritual feel similar to what you may find in a fancy yoga studio and a menu that features some quality vegan recipes, Life Alive seems like a haven for any Bostonian looking to eat clean and plant-based. The chain also sources most of their ingredients from local purveyors and farmers.
Boston University student Felicia Reuter has been a long time customer of both by CHLOE. and Life Alive. Regardless of the competition between the two, Reuter says she is just happy to see tasty nutritious food becoming mainstream and she thinks Boston is the perfect place for a health food chain to grow.
"With food, universities, and public spaces I feel like Boston is trying to be more like big cities like New York," she says, "Boston is a fertile place to grow a chain quickly, especially ones that appeal to healthy millenials like both Life Alive and by CHLOE."
As a former Life Alive employee, Ryan Gold has an interesting perspective on the foreign competition. Having recently decided to go vegetarian, Gold welcomes any new places offering meatless meals.
"It's great to have a variety of options around. Life Alive's menu can feel limiting, so I'll take any chance to explore other vegetarian cuisine I can get," says Gold, "I'd argue that it's actually a net good for our planet if more people are opting for meals without meat products."
New York City’s reach in Boston’s food scene does not stop at trendy health focused food. Despite there being several famous local Boston bakeries, New York’s notable Magnolia Bakery has found its way into one of Boston’s most iconic landmarks. Magnolia Bakery opened in Faneuil Hall Marketplace in March of 2018 and it has since been a bustling spot in the popular tourist destination. The bakery, most known for its banana pudding and wide dessert selection, gained notoriety after cameos in Sex In the City. The Boston location offers the same menu as the Bleeker Street location in New York.
Also serving up homey sweets throughout the city is Flour Bakery, a local bakery with multiple locations by accomplished chef Joanne Chang. While Flour does offer savory breakfast and lunch options, it’s most famous for its wide dessert selection. From full-sized cakes to decadent cinnamon rolls, Flour functions as a full-blown bakery and then some.
Regular Lauren Marlow says she likes Flour for its fresh food and local ingredients, but that similar New York establishments have found success in Boston because of the Big Apple's image as a culture capital.
"I guess New York represents this sort of ideal. It's featured in all these films lit up in lights," says Marlow, "So getting to have a piece of that here in Boston draws people to this sort of thing. Especially when they can't necessarily just like drop everything and move to New York."
It is hard to live in Boston without knowing the name Wahlberg, and specifically being familiar with the celebrity family’s burger joint Wahlburgers. The original location was opened in Hingham, but the chain has since expanded with numerous locations across the United States. Wahlburgers, of course, offers the classic Hamburger plain or dressed up with gourmet bells and whistles, but the menu has also broadened to the trendy Impossible Burger, sandwiches, classic down-home sides, and healthier salads and bowls cleverly named “Wahlbowls”.
Given the chain’s connection to iconic local lineage, it would seem logical that it would have a monopoly on Boston’s burger scene. Not quite. Popular New York-based burger giant Shake Shack has opened its doors at many Boston-area locations, one of which is on bustling Newbury Street.
Aside from the similar green and white color scheme, Shake Shack and Wahlburgers bare a lot of similarities. Shake Shack has also expanded its empire far across the country, offers an alcohol menu, and expands its food beyond just the simple burger. Shake Shack offers vegetarian alternatives, chicken burgers, and even the option to swap your bun for a lettuce wrap.
Wahlburgers employee Jessica Jagmohan thinks that Shake Shack's success can be attributed to America's universal love for burgers. "I feel like New York definitely has more people than us and more promotion," says Jagmohan, "And again, burgers and fries, that's the best thing you can get anywhere, so I feel like that's why different restaurants have the same things but they still do well."
Whether or not you welcome these newcomers from Boston's big sister as part of the local food scene, they are here and gaining some traction in the city. With so many Bostonians flocking towards the buzz, local eateries may be looking at an exponential increase in competition especially if the trend continues to grow. Only time will tell whether this will become the norm for Boston's food culture or if this insurgence of new establishments is a passing fad.
Credits:
Emma Finnerty