Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I often buy items I don't intend on eating because of the jar/bottle.

My parents received a gift of 3 bottles of something -- oil? vinegar? I forgot -- because I really liked the way they nestled into each other to make 1 large round bottle. They looked lovely on their own, but looked awesome together, so I HAD to buy all 3 of them. My husband grumbled because this was a gag gift that we ended up spending $60 on.

My all time favorite bottled item is salmon from Japan that's been smoked and then shredded until it's almost like powder. It was a gift from a family friend. It was so moist and tasty, excellent over hot rice. I'll never forget that flavor ever.

I like pickled okras a lot - the one with the state of Texas as a logo. Oh, Trader Joe's roasted red peppers, as well as artichokes.

We threw away 3 HUGE (could fit more than a 1/2 gallon of liquid), filled jars of pickled cukes, pickled mushrooms, and olives from the same import store minus one of each item that we tried. It wasn't rotten, we just weren't fond of the flavor and texture after the first bite.

The caviar is pretty good, really fishy smell, but I mixed it in to plain yogurt and made a dip. It was pretty good.

Ditto on the hot dog. Sometimes a good hot dog hits the spot like nothing else can. Oh crap, that really came out sounding wrong...

Roe is far more common and cheaper across the world than most Americans realize. The rare stuff can indeed be expensive—but I'd wager that the Ikea stuff is worth its price. While that's not much, at least it is humble. And though I don't eat fast food and haven't eaten at IKEA, I certainly have eaten roe cheaper than the Abba brand that tasted far better than high end stuff. Sometimes humility leads to discovery, especially with culture. Food can be polarizing, but you only limit yourself when you shit on something you haven't even tried, emolely.

The desserts at the Ikea cafe are pretty good, too. I keep meaning to get lunch there one day when I'm in the area.

I just got some tiny mother of pearl caviar spoons at Pearl River and now I will try them out on this stuff! YAY!

You know, IKEA really is a phenomenal thing, so Swedish yet abundant and full of hope. Throw in ABBA and what's not to love???

Well... it's not sturgeon caviar. It's lumpfish. So the expectation would be quite different much as salmon roe is different.

You might be able to get me to eat this caviar
... especially if the band ABBA pops out of the lid singing "Dancing Queen!"
or perhaps the little roes could line up and do a dance number to "Fernando" now that would also be really cool.

i've actualy tried both, the black and the orange. if you expect $3.59 caviar, you won't be disappointed. otherwise stay clear of the caviar and stick to the chocolate covered toffees. i don't think i'll ever buy the caviar at ikea again. sometimes nothing is better than something.

O Ya is getting tons of national attention from the food press. I would definitely check it out if you're a Momofuku fan.

Toro in the South End is by far the most consistently satisfying meal that I've found here. The salt cod fritters with fried lemon rings... so delicious.

Also not to be missed:
Tamarind Bay for some excellent regional Indian food (not your run of the mill selection) - Harvard Square
Oishii (South End) or O Ya (Leather District) if you're looking to splurge on beautiful, meticulously crafted sushi.
B&G Oyster for seafood - South End
Oleana, already mentioned by many - Cambridge (Hampshire St?)

I've heard really great things about Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, but haven't been yet. Also, don't forget that there are great lunch/pastry places like Hi-Rise bakery in Cambridge! Hope you have a good trip!

I think you'll be pleasantly surprized with the number of new/hip restaurants in Boston. Here are a few that haven't been mentioned:

--Marco in the North End (Hanover Street) - small, intimate, wonderful
--Sage in the North End - actually a little better than Marco for your stated requirements (better make reservations pronto)
--Mistral (Columbus Ave) - not to be missed for quirky cocktails, impressive bar and decor, great food, and above all else, the cosmopolitan scene (probably won't be able to get in at this late date)

If you're willing to travel a little outside of Boston (and its comfort zone), both the Ashmont Grill (you'll mistake it for a NY eatery on the inside) and Blarney Stone in Dorchester offer up creative fare in hip new settings.

Enjoy and let us know of your favorites!

Radius in the Financial District is one of the best places to eat in Boston.
Sol Azteca In Brookline is great, authentic Mexican Food.
Lumiere in Newton is Fantastic.
Brasserie Jo in the Colonnade Hotel is great Bistro Fare.
Oishii in the South End has the best Sushi ever.