80 Thoreau

80 Thoreau Street
Concord, MA 01742
978-318-0008

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80 Thoreau

Historic Concord’s 80 Thoreau is home to a four-seat counter that overlooks the restaurant’s open kitchen. Dine here on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays and enjoy a five-course tasting menu carefully created and curated by the restaurant's talented team.

Alden & Harlow

40 Brattle Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-864-2100

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Alden & Harlow

Alden & Harlow’s high-top chef's table provides the perfect opportunity for curious diners (in parties of two or four) to take a peek under the hood to see how the engine of a restaurant runs. Guests can watch cooks work their culinary magic in the rustic-chic kitchen, all while enjoying a four-course meal.

B&G Oysters

550 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-423-0550

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B&G Oysters

The shuckers take center stage at B&G Oysters, where guests can watch them in action behind the Oyster Bar. The shellfish experts at the South End spot may even share a tip or two for opening the tasty little bivalves with grace and speed, which is pretty much the name of the game.

Bostonia Public House

131 State Street
Boston, MA 02110
617-948-9800

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Bostonia Public House

See what's cooking - literally - at Bostonia Public House with a place at their kitchen-adjacent dining table. Guests get a peek at the pass and the culinary goings-on beyond from the comfort of their chair.

Capo Restaurant

443 W Broadway
Boston, MA 02127
617-993-8080

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Capo

Get all the warmth of this Italian kitchen—from a comfortable distance—with a table close to Capo's spacious back of house. You can see the chefs at work, prepping, plating and pizza-making, at any of the tables that border the wood-fired brick oven.

Davio’s – Boston

75 Arlington Street
Boston, MA 02116
617-357-4810

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Davio's Boston

Pull up a chair along the line—Davio's chef's counter faces right into the kitchen to give you an up close look at the inner workings of the Italian eatery. Gnocchi, spring rolls, arancini: it's all prepped and plated before your eyes when you settle in to a chef-side seat.

Davio’s – Chestnut Hill

55 Boylston Street
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
617-738-4810

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Davio's Chestnut Hill

At the Chestnut Hill outpost of Davio's, the Italian kitchen is integral to the dining experience. Guests can step right up to the bustling back of house and have a seat overlooking the cookery at the bordering chef's counter.

Davio’s – Lynnfield

1250 Market Street
Lynnfield, MA 01940
781-944-4810

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Davio's - Lynnfield

Owner Steve DeFillipo recreates Davio's swanky Northern Italian steakhouse vibe in his hometown of Lynnfield. Skip the trip into the city and take in all the action (and spring rolls!) from the elegant chef's counter that runs in front of the kitchen at this suburban outpost.

Hojoko

1271 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02115
617-670-0507

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Hojoko

Sit down at the Hojoko sushi counter for a rock n' roll (emphasis on roll) dining experience at the Verb Hotel. A place at the long bar offers a first-look at (and taste of) the evening's fresh sashimi and sushi plates from the Japanese izakaya.

The Hourly Oyster House

15 Dunster Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-765-2342

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The Hourly Oyster House

If you didn't make it in time to reserve your seat at the Hourly's marble-topped raw bar, nab one of the elevated communal tables adjacent to try and sneak a peek at the shuckers expertly handling island creek, cape cod bay, and wellfleet oysters.

il Casale Lexington

1727 Massachusetts Avenue
Lexington, MA 02420
781-538-5846

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il Casale Lexington

The kitchen is the heart of the Italian home and it's no different at il Casale Lexington where rasied rustic barnwood tables give guests a look at the back-of-house happenings. Hand-painted tiles from southern Italy provide a border but keep the kitchen open and airy (with a touch of the Amalfi coast).

Lincoln Tavern

425 W Broadway
Boston, MA 02127
617-765-8636

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Lincoln Tavern

Claim a couple seats at the end of Lincoln Tavern's back bar for a sneak peek at the kitchen happenings and a direct line of sight to the wood-fired pizza oven. You'll get the first glance at fresh-off-the-stone flatbreads, from the paddle to the plate, and a glimpse at the back-of-house busyness.

Novara

556 Adams Street
Milton, MA 02186
617-696-8400

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Novara

With its large roll down projection screen (a homage to the building's original home as the State Theater), and sizable display kitchen cooking up modern Italian eats, Milton's Novara is two dining experiences in one.

o ya

9 East Street
Boston, MA 02111
617-654-9900

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O Ya

Want to see what it takes to make award-winning (like, the award-winning-est) sushi? Secure a spot at the counter at Tim Cushman's O Ya, which tops just about every best-of list there is, to watch it all come together one plate at a time.

Pastoral

345 Congress Street
Fort Point, Boston, MA 02210
617-345-0005

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Pastoral

Pastoral's spacious chef's table gives diners a clear line of sight to the open kitchen and its prized pizza oven. From the comfortable digs, guests can take in the sights, sounds (and smells) of the pizza-making process as they tuck in to chef Todd Winer's menu.

Puritan & Company

1166 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-615-6195

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Puritan & Co.

The chef's counter at Puritan & Company gives four lucky diners a one-of-a-kind seat at Will Gilson's rustic and charming Inman Square eatery. The exclusive spot affords guests a close look at the chefs in action and a cornerside seat to the culinary hub-bub.

Row 34 – Boston

383 Congress Street
Fort Point, MA 02210
617-553-5900

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Row 34

Pull up a chair at Row 34 for a first-hand look at the chefs and shuckers. A place at the wrap-around counter gives you a good glimpse of the seafood preparations (and the bar taps) as you dine on the house specialties with pint in hand.

Scampo

215 Charles Street
Boston, MA 02114
617-536-2100

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Scampo

Scampo makes room at the mozzarella bar for hungry guests in search of a little something extra. Diners at the orange stool-lined bar can partake of chef Lydia Shire's Italian-inspired menu as they're treated to an insider's look at the culinary pros as they whip up pasta, pizza, antipasti and more.

Season to Taste

1678 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140
617-945-9535

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The Table at Season to Taste

Any of the twenty seats at Cambridge's intimate The Table offers a good gander at the open-concept kitchen where chef Carl Dooley and team whip up the evening's prix fixe menus and snacks. Guests can scooch in at a couple of dedicated counter seats for a firsthand look at the process.

Steel & Rye

95 Eliot Street
Milton, MA 02186
617-690-2787

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Steel & Rye

Operating out Lower Mills, Steel & Rye is home to heirloom veggies, grains, pastured meats, hand-gathered seafood, and two prime first-come-first-serve spots overlooking the kitchen where these ingredients can be seen all coming together.

Uni

370 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617-536-7200

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Uni

With a reservation at the sushi counter, the genre-pushing plates at Uni are constructed before your very eyes. Sit back and sip a sake as the skilled chefs put together nigri, sashimi, maki and more—or opt for the omakase to put yourself fully at the chef's whim.

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