The Food & Drink National Day Guide to Boston — June
June is a magnificent time to be in Boston — the sun is shining, the streets are bustling, and the city is imbued with the joy of summer. What better time to explore new places, new smells and new flavors? In our National Day Guide to June, you’ll find ample inspiration to explore the City of Notions, one bite at a time.
June 1st — National Doughnut Day
Summer is just around the corner, but June 1st is no time to be stressed about your beach bod. Everyone based in Beantown knows that Blackbird makes some of the finest doughnuts in the city — fresh, sticky and delectably flavorful.
It’s also National Leave Work Early Day, so if you have to head down to beat the post-work rush, don’t worry, we won’t tell…
June 3rd — National Egg Day
National Egg Day comes before National (Fried) Chicken Day, which falls in July. Milkweed Cafe in Mission Hill does two eggs any style with crisp home fries and sourdough toast for just $6. They don’t take reservations for breakfast on weekends, so get there early to be greeted by the friendly staff and youthful clientele.
June 4th — National Cheese Day
With only a month until America’s birthday, it would be rude not to celebrate what has become something of a national treasure — the grilled cheese. Roxy’s Grilled Cheese & Burgers has garnered a strong word-of-mouth reputation for their fare — their three cheese sandwich blends Vermont cheddar, muenster, and fontina, and for a great price of $5. If you can track down their food truck or make the trip to their brick and mortar in Central Square, it’s more than worth it.
June 5th — National Veggie Burger Day
by CHLOE. is the last word in veggie burgers these days — the vegan fast-casual brand, which recently dedicated a dish to Meghan Markle, has an extensive menu with several outstanding burgers — try the Whiskey BBQ.
June 7th — National Chocolate Ice Cream Day
If you’re planning on stepping out for this day (and who wouldn’t?!) look no further than the milk chocolate stracciatella from Honeycomb Creamery in Cambridge, made from scratch with milk from Jersey cows raised right here in Massachusetts. Mmm…
June 10th — National Herbs and Spices Day
Herbs and spices? The simple choice is Mediterranean food. Try Bonapita’s Chicken a la Plancha next time you’re around Downtown Crossing — their spicy hummus complements the fragrance of the chicken, wrapped with veggies in a floury, warm pita.
June 12th — National Peanut Butter Cookie Day
Missy Gale’s Cookie Monstah has become a Boston staple, with locals and tourists alike lining up to try treats like the Peanut Buttah Cup ice cream sandwich, a maelstrom of chocolate chips, cookie dough and Reese’s peanut butter ice cream that should sate the sweetest tooth’s cravings.
June 15th — National Photography Day
If you didn’t take a picture, did you even eat it? Remember to tag @levelupapp on Instagram when you’re snapping pictures of your food this month — we love to see what you’re enjoying!
June 17th — National Eat Your Vegetables Day
After all those burgers, cookies and ice cream earlier in the month, head to sweetgreen to get your veggies in — their new Chicken Pesto Parm is equal parts fresh, healthy and tasty — a great intro to eating more salads on a regular basis.
June 18th — National Splurge Day
Treat. Yo. Self. The glorious holiday to abandon financial sense and ruthlessly indulge your hedonism is here — carpe diem. We recommend Bricco on Hanover Street in the North End — they have an extensive menu with everything from dry-roasted octopus to a $255 cognac. Don’t be put off by the prices; the food truly is a treat for the senses.
June 19th — National Martini Day
The Oak Long Bar + Kitchen has long been revered for their enormous, artfully blended cocktails. This June 19th, try the Vesper, based on James Bond’s thermonuclear martini recipe in Casino Royale. Shaken, not stirred, of course.
June 20th — National Vanilla Milkshake Day
It’s just a fact: milkshakes are best enjoyed with friends. The 20th is a Wednesday, and an evening at the retro bowling alley King’s in Back Bay is a hump day treat to get you through the rest of the week. Ice cream floats, sundaes, and fountain milkshakes abound: there is also the option to make it a boozy ‘Adult’ milkshake for an extra $5. That’ll make me bowl better, right?
June 21st — Summer Officially Begins
The official beginning of summer must be celebrated properly — we recommend an evening gorging yourself in Fajitas and Ritas, a joyous cacophony of tunes, Tex-Mex, and tequila.
June 22nd — National Chocolate Eclair Day/National Onion Ring Day
Boston Burger Company is worth a trip for the onion rings alone, though they do go well with the plethora of burgers on the menu — it’s a candy store for carnivores. If you want to get two National Days in one fell swoop, stroll over to the North End in the evening sunshine for a chocolate eclair from Mike’s Pastry — their cannoli get the plaudits, but their eclairs are a hidden gem that makes the lengthy lines worthwhile.
June 24th — National Praline Day
L.A. Burdick’s Handmade Chocolates is a wonderful place to relax with a warm cup of hot chocolate on the colder days, but their cakes and praline, enshrined in the dessert case, are sinfully delicious every day.
June 25th — National Catfish Day
No — not THAT kind of catfish…
June 26th — National Chocolate Pudding Day
Alden & Harlow in Cambridge have some of the finest New American grub in the business. We recommend grabbing an early dinner then soaking in the buzzing bohemia of Harvard Square. The smoked chocolate bread pudding served with Jacobsen sea salt ice cream is the perfect dessert — oxymoronically light and indulgent, it melts on the tongue and leaves you excited to plan your return.
June 30th — National Social Media Day
What better way to end a month of gastronomic exploration than showing your friends and family that you’ve become a full-time gourmand? If you have any suggestions for places we missed, tweet @TheLevelUp to let us know!
