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Visit some of Boston’s best women-owned restaurants in honor of Women’s History Month
Nationally-acclaimed favorites include Sarma, Myers + Chang, Saltie Girl, and Menton.
Boston has no shortage of woman-owned eateries, some of which are among the best restaurants in the city. And some of Boston’s chefs, like Barbara Lynch, Lydia Shire, and Joanne Chang, have made culinary strides nationally, winning James Beard awards and helping shape the role women play in the industry.
In honor of Women’s History Month, these are a few of the city’s top woman-owned spots to check out now and every month, like Kristin Canty’s Woods Hill Pier 4, Nia Grace’s Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen, Karen Akunowicz’s Fox & the Knife, Lydia Shire’s Scampo, and Tiffani Faison’s Sweet Cheeks Q.
Woods Hill Pier 4
Owner Kristin Canty grows much of the food served at Woods Hill Pier 4 at her New Hampshire farm, The Farm at Woods Hill, for a farm-to-table experience in the truest sense. Since 2019 Woods Hill Pier 4 has served fresh, sustainably caught seafood, grass-fed meats, raw cheeses, and organic produce out of their waterfront seaport location. Canty also owns Adelita and Woods Hill Table, both in Concord.
Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen
Nia Grace’s Darryl’s Corner Bar & Kitchen serves up elevated southern comfort food in a stylish spot just off Mass. Ave. where the South End meets Roxbury — and they’re a venue for some of the best live jazz music in the city. The all-day menu includes favorites like hush puppies, fried catfish, and shrimp and grits, but the Sunday soul and jazz brunch buffet is the best way to experience the eatery. Grace is also the co-owner of the Boston Black Hospitality Coalition.
Fox & the Knife
Located right by the Broadway T stop in South Boston, Karen Akunowicz’s Fox & the Knife enoteca serves modern Italian fare inspired by her time in Modena, Italy, just outside Bologna. She previously headed the kitchen at Myers + Chang, winning the 2018 James Beard award for best chef in the northeast. Diners can expect aperitivos, cocktails, and hearty pastas in a casual, communal atmosphere.
Myers + Chang
Speaking of Myers + Chang, co-owner Joanne Chang runs the South End Asian-inspired small plates restaurant with her husband, Christopher Myers. The neighborhood spot calls itself “Asian-ish,” serving variations on dumplings, buns, noodles, and other favorites. Chang is also the mastermind behind Flour. She’s been featured on the Food Network and won a 2016 James Beard award for outstanding pastry chef.
Stillwater
Another spot serving elevated comfort food, Stillwater is headed by chef Sarah Wade, who once won Food Network’s “Chopped Gold Medal Games.” Wade’s menu includes homestyle food, like biscuits, decadent sandwiches, and mac and cheese — the restaurant has served “warm and fuzzies” from a cozy neighborhood spot in downtown since 2019.
Scampo
Lydia Shire’s Italian spot tucked inside the Liberty Hotel serves simple, rustic food in a chic location with an open kitchen. Shire’s a veteran of Boston’s food scene, winning a James Beard award called the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage” in 1984 — and she was a close personal friend of Julia Child. Scampo’s approachable menu includes handmade breads and pastas, along with both small and larger plates.
Sweet Cheeks Q
Acclaimed chef Tiffani Faison made a name for herself in the culinary world by coming in second place in the first season of “Top Chef,” and opened Sweet Cheeks Q in Fenway in 2011. Faison’s time in Texas inspired the spot, which serves southern barbeque trays and sandwiches alongside a strong whiskey program. Forbes has even called Sweet Cheeks’ biscuits the “best biscuits in the world.” Faison also recently opened Tenderoni’s, a lively Fenway pizza spot.
Saltie Girl
Kathy Sidell’s seafood bar was inspired by her childhood memories of growing up in New England on her father’s sailboat. Saltie Girl serves both local seafood like oysters and clam chowder, along with global seafood like moules frites, king salmon, and snow crab. The restaurant has locations in Los Angeles and London, too.
1928 Beacon Hill
Kristin Jenkins’s 1928 Beacon Hill serves traditional New England American cuisine in a tucked-away spot on Mount Vernon Street. The elegant, speakeasy-like space is chic and filled with antiques. The cocktail menu includes prohibition-era libations, and the dinner menu includes lots of seafood, hearty entrees, and a dessert menu with a strong list of aperitifs.
Sarma
The Somerville meze spot, which recently garnered a rare five-star review from The Boston Globe, is headed by Duxbury native Cassie Piuma. She opened Sarma in 2013, serving a modern Mediterranean menu in a casual, upbeat atmosphere that focuses on tapas and small plates enjoyed family-style. The dinner-only spot strongly encourages reservations, but they offer a nightly late-night menu.
Menton
Barbara Lynch’s Menton is modern fine dining in Fort Point, serving both tasting and a la carte menus of French-Italian cuisine in a luxurious setting with excellent service. Lynch grew up in Southie and opened her first restaurant, No. 9 Park, in 1998. Several restaurants later, in 2014, she became the second woman to win the James Beard award for outstanding restaurateur.
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