Dogwood Cafe
3712 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
(617) 522-7997
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Jamaica Plain has a number of outstanding restaurants along its main street. You can find a variety of cuisines, including Cambodian, Indian, Japanese, Irish, American, and Mexican in and around Centre Street in this funky Boston neighborhood. There is, however, another excellent dining spot in Jamaica Plain, but this one is hidden in a block of stores across from the Forest Hills T stop, far away from the center of JP. Indeed, the Dogwood Cafe is very easy to miss, but to those who know about it, the Dogwood is one of the best true neighborhood spots in this part of Boston.
The Dogwood Cafe looks like your typical restaurant and pub combination from the outside, and in fact the inside does have that familiar well-worn feel to it, complete with a black ceiling, lots of dark wood, and a long bar along the left side of the restaurant. But there is much more to the Dogwood than burgers and beers; here you can get a number of delightful dishes, including daily soup specials such as a rich-tasting Portuguese kale soup with linguica, stuffed portabello caps, a creamy artichoke and spinach dip that comes with house-made pita chips, an excellent macaroni and cheese with three different cheeses and bread crumbs on top, wood-fired pizza (a rarity in the Boston area), turkey tips, meatloaf, and pasta with vodka sauce. In addition to the extensive menu at the Dogwood, there is also a great selection of beers, including some excellent porters and ales. By the way, the pizzas are named after trees, which seems odd until you realize that the Arnold Arboretum is basically within site of the Dogwood Cafe. (And perhaps that's where the name of the restaurant comes from? It all seems to add up!) A couple of the "tree" pizzas include an earthy and savory Evergreen Pizza (broccoli, spinach, pesto, garlic, mozzarella, feta) and a zesty Chestnut Pizza (artichoke hearts, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, feta, olive oil).
The Dogwood Cafe is not a household name; it is rarely listed in restaurant guides and is seldom mentioned outside of Jamaica Plain. But the Dogwood does seem to have a bit of a cult following, which makes sense considering that there are few places quite like it. The next time you are sauntering through the Arnold Arboretum or browsing through the quirky shops of Jamaica Plain, head over to the Dogwood Cafe. Chances are, it will be the first of many trips to this mellow, friendly restaurant next to the Forest Hills Station.
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