Fall along the North Shore has a special glow, with the air turning crisp, the faint scent of the sea, and festive energy. The coast and countryside seem to invite a kind of slow exploration that never grows old, particularly when it comes to food and wine. The days may grow shorter, but each one feels fuller, especially when sipping a bold glass of red. Which is exactly how one should spend fall evenings.
When it comes to spending those chilly nights out with friends and family, it’s less about a checklist of things to do, and more about finding the best. The North Shore has no shortage of restaurants with award-winning wine lists, and menus of the best catch, homemade breads and pastas, and hearty dishes to savor. Let some of our finest restaurants help you celebrate an occasion, a birthday, or a get-together with friends, and forget about the rest of the world for a few hours with perfectly paired wine, and hearty dishes that will keep you warm from the inside.
Farm-To-Vine
Drink in the season with farm-to-vine dinners, educational classes, and more fall fun. For more details on wine dinners and events, please see each restaurant’s website.
Post 1917 Lexington
The new location of Post 1917 in Lexington will be diving into wine dinners this fall and winter (Post 1917 also has a location in Reading), with plans to host a decadent dinner every eight to ten weeks, “Now that we have two locations,” says head chef and owner Jason Carron, “we’re going to try and do them simultaneously, have some fun with it, and broaden our guests’ horizons.” Carron wants diners to learn something while they’re drinking, saying, “What we’re trying to do is capture the right amount of education, surprise, and elegance.” He also promises a very good time: “Forget about the world, forget about what’s going on at home. Dive in and learn, but, hey, you can have wine too!” The restaurant is planning an Italian wine dinner next, taking diners on a tour of all the Italian wine regions, Carron says, “We’re going to try and hit the major regions, you know, the Barolos, the Piedmonts, the Tuscans, all the big wines!”
27 Waltham St., Lexington, 781-377-1917, post1917.com/lexington
The Inn at Hastings Park
It’s the only Relais & Châteaux boutique hotel in the Boston area, and expectations always are high when dining at the Inn at Hastings Park. The slate of fall events looks to exceed them. The Inn is offering a supper club series through the end of 2025, where you’ll prepare and eat a three-course meal with wine pairings, or visit the property for events like Wine-Inn Wednesdays, held on the second Wednesday of every month at the resort’s bar, and meet wine producers from vineyards including Napa’s Chateau Montelena, who will share tasting insights. And of course, says general manager Katia del Rio Gacanovic, the holidays are not to be missed, “The Inn becomes a winter wonderland” for the Santa Tea Experience, which includes wine, tea, cocktails, cookie decorating, and more. “We always do either mulled wine or spiked hot chocolate,” says del Rio Gaconovic.
2027 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, 781-301-6660, innathastingspark.com
Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse
Chef and owner Steve DiFillippo’s hometown branch of his popular steakhouse offers more than 350 bottles, with a concentration in California and Italy, many of which are on sample for the restaurant’s pasta dinners, which often include a hands-on pasta-making experience. Diners can expect behind the scenes culinary inspiration, a four-course meal including Italian steakhouse favorites like fusilli with grilled prawns, and pours like Altesino, Brunello di Montalcino. The Lynnfield location also just added a year-round patio, DiFillippo says, “The patio can open up during the summer, we have glass doors. It’s year round, it’s got air conditioning, it’s heated . . . because, you know, I don’t have to tell you, we live in New England!”
1250 Market St., Lynnfield, 781-944-4810, davios.com/lynnfield
Mooo Burlington
For the past three years, Mooo has brought world-class cuisine and polished service to Burlington, and it often offers exclusive wine dinner experiences. The wine dinners are planned in advance with the wine director working closely with the culinary team. Upon arrival, says chef Mitchell Randall, chief culinary officer, “guests will receive a welcome glass of wine or cocktail, paired with hors d’oeuvres, while they mingle.” Starters may include dishes like a foie gras parfait and squash tortellini with apple butter. When guests are seated for the three-course meal, which includes a wine pairing with every course, the restaurant serves a salad, followed by dishes like risotto Provençal, and pork osso bucco. The grand finale, dessert, is always seasonal and paired with a pour of dessert-friendly wine.
86 Cambridge St., Burlington, 781-270-0100, moooburlington.com
