New England dining >>> Arlington, Mass., dining renaissance

Arlington, Mass. -- No Longer a Place for Just Meatball Subs

My most memorable dining experience in Arlington occurred in the 1970s when I chomped into a Center Sub and Pizza ( now closed) meatball sub and found a ring.

No doubt Arlington's restaurant scene was bleak for a long time. Perhaps the best way to prepare for dining out in Arlington was bringing a bottle of Maalox and a leaded groin apron.

Then in the late 1970s, something miraculous happened: Jimmy's Steer House opened and served chicken, steak and seafood dishes. This shift in dining out dynamics left us shaking our heads in disbelief. We simply could not believe that a restaurant in Arlington could have the ambition to serve chicken, steak and seafood.

Many years later, everyone in Arlington became rich and consequently demanded more than meatball subs. High-class restaurants sprouted up everwhere.

It should be noted that after I moved out of Arlington is when these restaurants opened. But I gladly travel back to my hometown to taste the superb Thai food at Sweet Chili's, the remarkable Chinese cuisine at Jade Garden, truly fresh Mexican dishes at Ole, and inspired Middle Eastern fare at The Olive Branch. You can also find high end Japanese, Mongolian, Greek and Italian restaurants in a town that has become infinitely more interesting than neighboring Lexington, Belmont and Winchester.

Perhaps being next door to eclectic Cambridge had produced a trickling effect. Whatever the case, Arlington, with its fine neighborhoods, charming old houses, nice parks, pretty Mystic Lake and Spy Pond, and now, much better restaurants is suddenly the "hot spot" outside Greater Boston.

And, by the way, if you are looking for a great meatball sub, try AA Deli, of Arlington's Brattle Square!

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Memories of Arlington, Mass.

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