SANTARPIO'S PIZZA: 111 Chelsea Street, East Boston

I met my friends after work the other day for drinks and we all decided to extend the evening to include dinner. All of us were completely broke and we needed to brainstorm a cheap place to eat! Then the brilliant idea of "dining at Santarpio's” was put on the table! Santarpio's in located in East Boston and has the most delicious inexpensive pizza. The nice thing is that you don't really have to go into East Boston. It is located right through the tunnel and you can loop back into the city without extending your journey too far into scary Eastie. The down side is that you have to pay a toll. But, the toll is worth it as they literally serve slices of heaven. It is also the best place to put all you inhabitation's aside and completely let loose and white-trash it up. But be careful how trashy you get as I am pretty sure if one crosses the line, one might end up with a horses head in their bed. Also, be sure to bring cash as Santarpio's does not accept credit cards. The service and ambiance are what one should expect for a typical dive-home-grown pizza joint. The wait staff is completely friendly and definitely "local to the area." Also, I am pretty sure most of the clientèle is local as well, so bring a camera and be careful not to get caught taking paparazzi photos of an Eastie hot mess!

Obvi I am giving Santarpio's 4 kirby cakes… I do not want a hit taken out on me!

FRANKLIN CAFE: 278 Shawmut Ave. Boston MA

Franklin Café is my all time favorite place in Boston. It is tucked away on a side street in the South End and I typically go there for all my special occasions as well as drag my friends there for their special occasions. I have never heard one person say they dislike it… however, some have complained about the potential for incredibly long waits. I would recommend going early in the week, rather than on a weekend. One cannot make a reservation and tables are very limited. But the kitchen is open late night and the ambiance (when it is not super crowded) makes any wait well worth it. It is not pretentious at all (and this is coming from a guy who likes pretension) and so far I have not had bad service. Furthermore, I believe Franklin is the biggest bang for your buck. All the main courses around $20 and are better than some high end restaurants that I have been to. If you cannot decide from all the “fantastic-ness” on the menu, I highly recommend starting with the smokey skillet roasted mussels and then move on to the classic steak frites. However, I have tried most things on the menu and have never regretted what I ordered.

Seriously, do you even have to wonder… OBVI, 4 kirby cakes!!!!!!!