jpcat's Profile
June Openings + Closings...Mostly Openings
Coming to Newton Centre in early summer: Farmstead Table. Billed as a comfort food restaurant using local sources. It's on Union Street in the space previously occupied by India Paradise.
Pembrook in Late July
You might want to post this on the Southern New England board and check out restaurants in the Hingham to Plymouth area.
May 2012 Openings and Closings
Went to Trattoria Toscana tonight to see note posted that they are closed for vacation until June 4.
Celebratory girls' night in Back Bay early June?
Not Back Bay, but Gaslight in the South End might fit your criteria.. Free parking in adjacent lot.
South Shore Mother's Day by the Beach
A bit further south is the Bridgwaye Inn in Marshfield. It has nice river views and is a short walk from Humarock Beach. http://www.polcarisbridgwayeinn.com/
Need North End Restaurant for visiting parents and awful toddler
We ate at Trattoria Il Panino a few Sundays ago, and there were several families in the outdoor patio area. Good luck to you!
Any word on Grass Fed in JP?
Made it in at the 5pm opening on Saturday. With so many people queued outside, it was a bit chaotic at first - should we get in line to order or secure one of the counter seats first? But it soon settled down to a system that seemed to work. A few folks ate standing up, but seats emptied fairly quickly.
Can't comment on the star beef items, as I had the veggie chickpea burger. It was served on a soft roll with cukes, peppers, lettuce and harissa aioli. A bit messy, but very delicious. DC (also a non-meat eater) had the fried fish po'boy served on a sourdough baguette with spicy aioli. Loved the taste, but found it difficult to eat - and would have preferred it served in a burger roll. Shared a modest-sized order of moderately spicy fries. We were pleased with both food and service. But it is crazy busy.
March 2012 Openings and Closings
GrassFed just posted that they will open tomorrow - Wednesday the 28th.
New burger place from Ten Tables
Ten Tables in JP has acquired the old Bon Savor site on the same block. Named GrassFed, it will feature burgers. Seems like a great addition to the JP restaurant scene. Set to open February 1. Here's hoping they have a good veggie burger on the menu!
B'day dinner for woman of a certain age in Newton/Needham/Wellesley/Dedham/W Rox
Re: Sofia's: I didn't think I could be dragged back to the spot that previously housed the just awful Vintage, but I was. It's actually pretty good. They have a side room with a fireplace which would be nice for your party. And, if Mom already likes it, seems like a good choice.
Restaurant or pub with function room in West Roxbury / Jamaica Plain / Brookline / Newton area?
Beacon Street Tavern in Brookline has a function room.
Christmas Dinner: Fireplace Restaurant vs. Henrietta's Table
There are only a few tables in front of the actual fireplace. Be sure to request one.
Myers+Chang Hits It Out of the Park Again
Going with a few friends soon - so this is helpful. Any suggestions on vegetarian dishes?
Alta Strada advice?
I've had the Mama Zecca's eggplant appetizer and really enjoyed it. On our two visits, we've stuck to pasta favorites that were brought from big brother Via Matta - spaghettini with garlic, oil and tomato sauce. and fedellini with tiny clams.
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Via Matta
79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
Martha's Vineyard with kids
The Right Fork Diner at the Katama airfield in Edgartown is a great spot for breakfast or lunch. Kids will enjoy checking out the planes. http://rightforkdiner.com/marthas-vineyard-diner/
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Right Fork Diner
12 Mattakesett Way, Edgartown, MA 02539
Martha's Vineyard with kids
Slice of Life on Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs has yummy food in a casual setting. Never have eaten at Nancy's on the Waterfront, but it is a popular out-door, family-friendly spot.
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Slice of Life
50 Circuit Ave, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568
Jimmy's Brookline/Washington Square
Nice industrial space with a variety of seating - indoors, outdoors and a long high top a la Washington Square. The front of the restaurant opens up to the streeet giving it a nice urban vibe. Service was friendly and efficient
They seem to be doing a brisk business. I doubt that will last as the food we tasted was barely fair. I had an order of penne with a vodka sauce that was almost tasteless. I rarely salt my restaurant food, but it was the only way to make it palatable. DC had a salad of arugula, goat cheese and dried figs that was tasty but over-dressed with balsamic. Entree of shrimp scampi was also bland.
The menu is small to medium with 9 entrees and 10 pizzas. The later looked good as they passed by - thin crusts.
They are clearly trying to keep down costs - no bread service, small portions, wine served in small water-glasses. The bill was $68 which included 3 glasses of wine.
Upscale Saturday Lunch? Is there such a thing?
Scampo and Sal de la Terre both serve lunch. You might look at other restaurants that service hotel customers.
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Scampo
215 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114
Martha's Vineyard Wedding Venue Rec's
We attended a beautiful wedding at the Agricultural Hall in West Tisbury. An iconic MV venue.
Women Chef/Owners in Boston?
Felicia Sanchez of Centre Street Cafe
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Centre Street Cafe
669 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Need help re restaurant name from the past
Was it the Amalfi behind Symphony Hall? An old favorite of ours many years ago.
Canary Square, first thoughts...
A pescatarian and vegetarian had dinner at Canary Square last night. We liked the open industrial looking space. The bar scene was lively and a good addition to the JP scene. (Warning - with the high ceilings, chatter and music - it's pretty noisy.) Service was very friendly.
There is no bread service, but we were okay with the tasty house pickles. My DC started with the cod fritters which he liked. The serving was very generous - five huge fritters for $8. He settled for the mac and cheese entree as the only fish offering was a stew which contained sausage. He rated the dish above average, but not a wow. Came with a side salad.
I had the grilled vegetable lasagna. This proved to be was a dense tower of thinly sliced smoky vegetables - no pasta, no filling - topped with a thin veil of mozzarella. It was surprisingly heavy and the surrounding marinara sauce was just okay. Would have much preferred a more traditional version of lasagna. We shared a good butterscotch bread pudding topped with pumpkin custard ice cream from JP Licks.
The menu is quirky - (popcorn of the day, fried twinkies?) ,and the entrees could use some rethinking in my opinion. However, I think the place has potential, so will wait and see.
Anyone know the source of the name?
Trattoria Toscana ??
Went two weeks ago. Food as excellent as ever. Had the penne with spicy tomato sauce (sans pancetta), and DC had the wonderful spaghetti with cod. Service was very friendly. I hope this place is around for a long time.
Fall veggie dishes
I really want to like The Haven. The owner Jason couldn't be more welcoming. I liked the slightly smoky lentils with kale, but the mushrooms stalks in the dish were hard as rocks. Good side of mashed sweet potatoes.
Moved to Lexington (on the Waltham line) -- trying to find new "go to" places
Had a very good falafel wrap at Nourish in Lexington center recently. Can't vouch for the food in general, but there is an emphasis on healthy choices, plus a few old standbys. Definitely kid-friendly.
Fall veggie dishes
Had some new veggie offerings lately. The most outstanding was a dish from Scampo's Fall menu: spaghetti with roasted cauliflower, pine nuts and golden raisins in a creamy sauce. It's offered with anchovies, which I opted out of. The sauce seemed to be made from butter and parmesan - just enough to coat the pasta but not overwhelming. I'm a big fan of cauliflower - especially roasted to a nutty sweetness as this was. The raisins gave another dimension to the dish both in flavor and texture. It's a winner.
Bon Savor in JP has a 'vegetable frita' appetizer on their current menu. Have had it twice now and would be happy ordering a double order as an entree. Very tender pieces of vegetables in a light as air tempura style batter. It's served with a dipping sauce of minty oil. Not sure what the ingredients are, but although it's quite sweet, it works well with the salty vegetables.
Was not as happy with the Fall vegetarian offerings at Hammersly's. Tried the butternut-pear soup which had a slightly sour taste of neither squash not pear. It comes with blue cheese, which I did not get - so maybe this is not a totally fair assessment of the dish. My entree of artichokes, pumpkin and lentils was good but not in the greatness category which I've come to expect from this restaurant. Gordon was not in the kitchen that night - so not sure if that factored in.
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Scampo
215 Charles Street, Boston, MA 02114
Bon Savor
605 Centre St, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
8/16/10; EGGPLANT, How Do I Love Thee?Let Me Count the Ways
One of my favorites is the eggplant parmigiana appetizer served at Trattoria Il Panino. It's baked pie-like in a light crust . Big enough for an entree.
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Il Panino
266 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113
Vegetarian Tasting Menu
Hamersley's has a vegetarian tasting menu for $39. Components can be ordered a la carte.
