Where to Try New England's Most Famous Bread Traditions

"On the Paul Revere Heritage Site in Canton, Massachusetts, this restaurant is described as "not just a restaurant, it’s a living history museum for food geeks." Co-owner, executive chef, and food historian Marc Sheehan interprets many New England traditions here, including anadama bread and Boston brown bread. As Sheehan describes it, "the similar ingredients of anadama and brown bread speak to several historical developments, including the use of cornmeal, which Europeans traded for or stole from Native Americans when the new arrivals’ initial wheat plantings failed; rye, one of the first European grains to successfully grow in the United States; wheat, once that could be traded for or grown; and molasses, a key product of the transatlantic slave trade." Sheehan dials back the sweetness of his steamed brown bread and serves it with smoked bluefin pate, crème fraîche, and pickled onions — a dish based on the combo of smoked salmon and cinnamon-raisin bagels, which he had "a weird thing for" as a kid and has turned into a professional signature. The kitchen also serves Parker House rolls on weekends with rotating add-ons like hot buttered lobster or smoked braised beef." - Adam H. Callaghan