hsquare2southend's Profile
ISO of a hip new restaurant with good drinks, hipster vibe
Ha, yes, we are both hip and "old" (mid-30s) and those are some of our favorite spots. Just wondering if there are any new places we must try.
ISO of a hip new restaurant with good drinks, hipster vibe
Taking friends who have been living away from Boston for a few months and want to show them something new and lively. Ideally, a place where we could linger over some great cocktails as well as food. I am thinking along the lines of myers+chang, Toro, Butcher Shop, Silvertone, Gallows...not necessarily these, but some new version of these- a place with some good energy and liveliness to it. in my ideal world, also a place that takes reservations, since we don't have time to wait for a table, as we will be dining late as it is (which, on a Wednesday night, might not require a wait anyway). I know there a lot of new restaurants in Area 4- do any of these fit the bill? Extra points for good lighting and a great soundtrack.
Catch me up on the last 6 months of Boston dining
Due to the impending addition of a couple more babies to our family, the hsquare2southends and had to pack up and head out of SoWa for the 'burbs (Newton) in May. It's only been about 5 months, but it seems that there have been so many openings since we left. We used to be pretty on top of the dining scene up until then. Babies were born 2 months ago, and we are now getting a chance (with the help of a great sitter) to get into the city a bit more. Would love some suggestions for new places (within the last 6 months) that we could try for date nights, as well as with friends. Open to Cambridge in addition to all neighborhoods of the city. Thanks!
South End/Back Bay Top 10?
I love Foley's truffle mac and cheese, so that's my go-to and I've never tried the burger!
South End/Back Bay Top 10?
I completely agree about the burger at The Gallows. Best burger in the South End, except maybe the burger at the Butcher Shop (lunch and brunch only), which is totally different but equally amazing. Love the "California-style" flat patty.
South End/Back Bay Top 10?
-The Butcher Shop
-B&G Oysters
-Myers+Chang
-Toro
-The Gallows
-Gaslight
-Aquitaine
-Metropolis
-Mela
-Orinoco
Ginger Park
And how is the South End (dining or other) like a mall? Because there is one Starbucks? I don't get it. And I agree with MC.
Ginger Park
No one has mentioned the fact that, while the food at both BanQ and GP was good, the service was HORRIBLE. I live in WIlkes (unfortunately no food allowed downstairs in our building, MC) and wanted to love this place since it's so close, but every time I went there, I couldn't get over how bad the service was. Just poor in every way (waiting forever for someone to come over after sitting down, no offers for additional drinks, water glasses refilled, I could go on and on). If you are trying to have an upscale restaurant, you need professional service. All of the servers there acted like it was their first ever job waiting tables AND they had no idea what was going on with the food. As neighbors, my husband and I have spent hours discussing why GP sat empty every night while other places nearby are hopping (Stella, Gallows, Gaslight, M+C). I think the reason is that locals don't want Asian fusion every night, but they might want simple comfort food every night. This has certainly worked so far for the Gallows, where Sage did not. My thought is that maybe BanQ and GP's food was too "themey" - good to try once or twice, but not something you would want to eat 2 or 3 nights a week if you could. I don't know. I am still trying to figure it out. The space is gorgeous so I hope something fun and hip moves in to fill it up. Oh, and while I am adding my 2 cents, I can't wait to see the Bombay Club go next! (As long as something else moves in!)
Best spots for good food and drinks with seductive vibe?
This may be a weird question, but where in the city would you say has good food and drinks (could be a good wine list, and/or cocktail program) and a sexy, sultry ambience? I am thinking good lighting (dim and indirect), background music, comfy seating...a place you want to linger a while after your meal. Can be places considered either romantic (Ten Tables) or "sceney" (Woodward, Market). Help me think of places like Silvertone, where you want to just tuck into a booth and spend a fun evening eating and drinking with friends.
I love the Gallows
Went Saturday night and loved it also. The ambience is MUCH improved over Sage (I actually believe that Sage failed because it had no real ambience; my husband thought it looked like a generic suburban restaurant). Love the reclaimed barn siding and the great lighting (lighting is so important!). I started my meal with a white grasshopper cocktail, which is served in a little milk jug with a straw and is delicious. Followed cocktails up with the foie poutine which was heavenly. Just heavenly. The only small criticism I might have is that it could have used a few more fries to enjoy the delicious foie and gravy. I had the potato dumplings (aka gnocchi), which were served with peas and asparagus and were quite good. Others had the boiled dinner, the longshoreman's, and the burger. Everyone was pleased with these. The soundtrack was good, too, until we could no longer hear it over the crowd. It does get noisy, so keep this in mind if you plan to take your grandparents or others who are hard of hearing! Think we will love having this place in the neighborhood. It's got a great vibe. Definitely the right addition to Washington Street!
What to order at Bistro du Midi?
I'm responding to my own post, rather than starting a new one on my experience there last night. Started off the night in the bar while we waited for friends to join us. I'm pregnant, and the bartender did a great job of mixing me up a tasty mocktail, which always earns points in my book. The fried artichokes with aioli were fantastic. When we went upstairs, it all fell apart. Our waiter was very pretentious, bordering on rude from the start. We tried to ignore this, as we were out to have a nice (possibly last for a while) meal with friends before our twins arrive any day now. Appetizers arrived hot and delicious. Everyone was pleased with their first courses. But when the entrees came, that's when things went bad. While everyone else was pleased with their entrees, the filet that I had ordered MEDIUM arrived RARE. Very rare. I explained that I couldn't eat rare beef, being pregnant (and I am VERY visibly pregnant- 9 mo. with twins), which is why I had ordered it medium. Manager comes and explains that he is sorry, it will be taken off the bill, and he can re-fire it. OK, fine. So the meat comes back and it is placed on the plate in such a way that it looks like it's been cooked more, but once I turn it over, it looks EXACTLY the SAME. Still RARE. At this point, I am tired of dealing with the steak and I've lost my appetite, so I pass it to my friend, who happily ate it. We then explained to the waiter that the meat had come back no different than how it had been sent back, and he had very little to say to us. At the end of the meal, the manager apologized again and took care of our desserts for us, but there was never any explanation for why they couldn't cook a medium filet. Very, very odd. I have never encountered this before! And the uber-aloof waiter didn't add anything to the whole experience. We won't be returning there any time soon. Bummer.
What to order at Bistro du Midi?
We have a reservation tonight, but my husband is a bit concerned since the recent Boston mag review suggests that only the fish dishes are worth ordering. Is this true? Thanks for any tips!
Kendall Square and other Cambridge recommendations
Hungry Mother, for dinner, for sure. For lunch, I would have to say check out the Friendly Toast- yummy diner food in a fun setting. Emma's is also great for a casual pizza dinner (they don't do lunch). And Craigie would be the spot for your fancy dinner.
Anyone been to Pops recently?
I used to love it there, but stopped going when it started to get a little dingy for my liking and food was okay, but nothing special. I saw somewhere that they recently renovated and, by looking in the window, it looks like the bar has been relocated? Anyone have any recent reviews? I'd love to start going there again if it's been revived...
Bombay Club
Pretty good review in the Globe (boston.com) today, although the service and cleanliness (which I neglected to mention, despite having to look at a dirty napkin under a clean table throughout my meal) were not addressed...but the weird music and overall ambience was. I also think Indian restaurants across the board need better beverage programs and bartenders. Why do they only know how to make a few super-sweet, "specialty" "martinis" and nothing else?
Valentine's Day: the madness begins
Yup. That's correct. Worth the splurge for us since we're expecting and may not be getting out again for a LONG time!
Valentine's Day: the madness begins
$150 for 6 courses plus the complimentary hot chocolate bar- not too bad.
Bombay Club
Went there a few weeks ago and was very disappointed. I was never a big fan of the H Square location (preferred many other H Square Indian places to Bombay Club), but thought I'd give it a try since it's so close to my place. The ambience is very weird. The crowd was pretty subdued, but they were playing this loud techno music that had me wondering if they had a Mantra-like idea to morph the restaurant into a club as the evening went on. The music just didn't jive with anything else about the place. The bartender did not know what a French 75 was. And the waiter did not know what pakoras were. As for the food itself, we split an order of chicken tikka masala, and I didn't care for it. The sauce is too tomato-y for my liking (I remember this from the old location, but thought maybe it had changed). When we want Indian food in the South End, we will be going to Mela.
Valentine's Day: the madness begins
We went to No. 9 on Saturday night and had the V-day tasting menu, which was fantastic. Oyster to start, king crab or monkfish cheek as a next course, followed by taleggio agnolotti with truffles, then the prune gnocchi, followed by a delicious ribeye with mushrooms, then dessert. All courses were perfectly portioned and executed, and service was fantastic. We even got to take home the centerpiece, which was a potted arrangement of forced bulbs with rose buds. To finish out the night, we enjoyed the hot chocolate bar set up in the cafe. All in all, it was a perfect meal!
Where can I buy Shane's of Maine ice cream?
I recently fell in love with this ice cream. Had the ginger and I was hooked. I see this post is 2 years old, but...any recent sightings in Boston proper?
Changes at Banq pending
Just got a FB tweet: 3 more nights left as Banq; grand opening of Ginger Park next week (day not specified).
Boston with 15 High School Seniors (Girls) from Toledo
The Friendly Toast - Kendall Square T stop.
Any suggestions for Pancakes?
Metropolis Cafe makes a good pancake. I had banana ones this weekend and they really hit the spot.
Anyone know where to get flageolets?
Looking for flageolet beans. Anyone know where to get them? Our friends are having trouble finding them.
best restaurant for pasta?
Da Vinci is good? I somehow assumed it wasn't great because I haven't heard much about it since it opened... Hmm...maybe I should check it out! What's good for pasta there?
