The Slice Is Right: Boston’s Best Restaurants for Charcuterie and Cheese Boards

By Eric Twardzik
12/13/2021
The Best Charcuterie and Cheese Boards in Boston

There’s a time for house-made pastas, whole grilled fish, and perfectly seared steaks. But sometimes lingering over a board of salty meats and rich cheeses paired with a glass of wine just hits the spot. When we need to meet up over cheese and charcuterie, you’ll find us at these Boston-area spots.

Coppa Charcuterie Boards

Surprising exactly no one, an Italian restaurant named after dry-cured pork has a strong charcuterie program. (Chef and co-owner Jamie Bissonnette literally wrote the book on it.) At Coppa, you can choose individually from prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, nostrano, lingua, soppressata, and coppa, or make a board featuring up to three cured meats. Each board comes with bread-and-butter pickles and whole-grain mustard to complement.

haley.henry

Interior of haley.henry one of the places in Downtown Boston to eat and drink

The relevant options from Downtown Crossing wine bar Haley.Henry are found under a menu heading playfully labeled “Bone Thugs & Charcuterie.” In less lyrical terms, this means prosciutto, salami, and mortadella, which can be ordered a la carte or together and paired with a variety of cheeses. Whatever your choice, don’t hesitate to ask the ever-helpful staff for a natural wine pairing—they’ll open any bottle if you commit to ordering two glasses.

Krasi

Krasi cheeboards Boston
Credit: Linda Campos Photography

Ordering charcuterie can sometimes feel like an Italian-language lesson, but at Krasi, it’s all Greek. The Hellenic wine bar serves a half-dozen traditional Greek-style meats, including louza (cured pork with smoked paprika and chili flakes), noumboulo (wild boar marinated with coriander and red wine), and acrokolion (thinly sliced lamb with garlic and black pepper). To double-down on the cultural immersion, consider pairing them to Krasi’s selection of imported Greek cheeses.

Vincent's

Vincent's Charcuterie

This Kendall Square restaurant holds house-made charcuterie in high esteem. Although the selection rotates regularly, Vincent’s Board guarantees one cheese and one charcuterie alongside pickles, mustard, and bread. Recent examples have included duck liver and bacon pâté or chicken liver mousse, served beside house pickles, pickled vegetables, apple butter, and scratch-made mustard. To pair with it, consider whatever’s scrawled on the wine board that day.

The Salty Pig

The Salty Pig - The Best Charcuterie and Cheese Boards in Boston

While it also serves stone-grilled pizzas and freshly made pasta, The Salty Pig made its name on charcuterie. The menu offers more than a half-dozen choices including 16-month prosciutto di Parma and 60-day cured Iberico chorizo in addition to house-made options like duck pâté, pork rillettes, and chicken liver terrine. All are available as part of a board that comes with pickles, crostini, and mustard. Boost it further with cheeses or “Round Outs,” including Vermont Wildflower Honey or Smoked Shallot Marmalade.

Gray's Hall

Gray's Hall Boston
American Provisions / Credit: Brian Samuels Photography

Considering that Gray’s Hall is a sister establishment of Southie’s specialty food store American Provisions, it’s little surprise that the natural wine bar has a top-notch charcuterie program. The Gray’s Board always comes with a selection of cheeses and meats; the ever-changing options may include a French double-cream or a spicy, fatty finocchiona made with garlic and fennel. But don’t overlook the accompaniments: Beyond thinly sliced bread-and-butter pickles, you’ll savor olive mista, a seasonal vegetable giardiniera, and crispy house-made saltines. 

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