Do you know whether they are using fresh or frozen soft shells and where they come from (US East Coast vs. Asia)? Sounds like a great deal worth trying!

I picked up some pristine and delicious halibut steaks there on Sunday - it almost seemed wrong to turn one into grilled fish tacos...

Confirming still $28 at Brix on Broad St. and in stock today.

Plus one on the Cinco de Mayo corn tortillas - recently picked them up randomly at Russos - and we have literally thrown away the private label ones from both Whole Foods and Wilson Farm (both were GROSS tasting - seriously) previously in favor of the shelf stable ones from Trader Joe's - no looking back for us - always Cinco de Mayo!! Yum - now we are going to have to make fish tacos this weekend...

So happy to have this in the neighborhood - love the dishes with bamboo tips and hot peppers as well as the soups, and the dumplings are OK but not as amazing as I would expect given the name.

Service for takeout is prompt and friendly - servings are adequate for the price but we don't have tons of leftovers like some other places.

We have enjoyed pretty much everything we have tried - next up are the Ma Pow Tofu and the Clams with Black Bean. The vegetable sides have also been good - pretty like the whole green pepper stir fry appetizer - several large, mildly spicy and flavorful peppeter.

Will try Stone Hearth -with Ranc's afterwards! (same tri-color scheme, but that's a smiling Aussie, BTW - and she is even more fun than she looks!)

Have to try Joe - not impressed by anything north of Arlington Center so far in 8 years living in the Heights - major disappointment at a high price at Andrina's recently - why can't anyone in this area serve a crust with with taste and texture as well as a sauce with some flavor beyond tomato? I do think Sabatino's is OK and Za is good (but not in the same category of pizza)

Haven't had it in a while, but really enjoyed the straightforward version served at Drink when I had it a couple of times.

It's downtown at least on Wednesdays - they seem to still be working out the kinks - I recommend going early if you want any selection and warm food at all.

I got there at 1p last week and the (literally) only thing left was one Vegi Combo - so I tried it - it was lukewarm at best and not especially flavorful at all - kind of sludgy and blah, actually. I pitched the last half of it and got something else.

Given the praise they have gotten here, I definitely plan to try again soon on the early side of lunch as the menu they posted had a lot of options that sounded great - food trucks have their space limits, I guess - I am glad they are popular and hope they will stock up for the coming weeks!

No - they are completely and totally different - and you should consider at least adding orange Ango if you're delving into bitters (or Regan's Orange - good, but in a totally different way)

Whole Foods Medford has had something with this label on it in the bakery section recently, however, their version seems to be a very (too) dense, very buttery, slightly sweetened croissant made in a muffin pan - it doesn't come across as special or worth a special trip to me - I need to check out the Flour and Clio versions to compare...

Is Turner's Seafood in Melrose close enough? It's always been good to great for me - and has an honest to goodness oyster bar (open to 10p on Friday) - they don't take reservations but are really good at dealing with the large volume they attract.

http://www.turners-seafood.com/melros...

Takeaway has always been timely and issue-free -nothing forgotten so far (nor during seated table service) - it's really thevibe of the waitstaff that gets to me - they seem to congregate on the periphery, backs turned to the room, and spending a lot of time chatting with each other, even when there are tables awaiting their help. It is also really noisy when full, and not in an energetic, buzzing kind of way that's appealing.

Ditto on great flavors at Punjab, but not sure it's a destination (a nice local option - we choose it most of the time for Indian in spite of the issues that follow - takeaway mitigates the service concerns) - the dosas are not as good as much of the other food there - the breads are fresh and delicious - the service can be inattentive with very limited energy and enthusiasm on most visits ("we don't really care that you are here, but since you are, we will eventually take your order and bring you some tasty food") - as you might anticipate, the cocktails are large, lukewarm, often unbalanced fruity / sweet disappointments

Thanks for the heads up and details - have really enjoyed this new neighborhood spot twice for lunch as as a result - they are extremely friendly.

The beef with longhorn chiles was great as were the soup dumplings on my first visit. The daily soup with fungus was fine but not a destination choice - it came with the lunch.

Takeaway was the second experience - delicious shrimp and veg dumplings, great chicken noodle soup with wontons, and OK pork with bamboo tips (though mostly just heat, not a lot of flavor). Hot and sour soup was the only letdown - not bad, just bland and boring.

Eager to try more of the menu and really glad that it's within easy walking distance! We need more of this type of place in the Heights - not a Panera clone or a new Uno's...oops, that's for another thread.

I am one of Toraya's biggest fans, and the cooked food is good, but is not anything remotely resembling izakaya in my experience (my definition stems from Vancouver experiences) - Toraya is a quite small (yes, expect to wait in line for at least 30 minutes at peak times - no reservations), generally very quiet place open pretty limited hours serving a relatively limited and conventional Japanese menu with a single very skilled, dedicated and warm /friendly sushi chef (owner, I presume?) and efficient, friendly service.

I have wished many times we had some kind of izakaya option in Boston (why not in or near Chinatown?) - I may have to make to Shiki soon...

The bar at Radius is quiet enough if it isn't too crowded, and Tavern Road has space but is pretty lively at that hour - I met there with four others at 6p on a recent Friday and enjoyed it - very good (easy enough to access the bar, too) drinks and animated (standing) discussion, but I would not have attempted business or serious conversation.

Ditto on Bergamot chef - never disappoints and frequently surprises in a really great way - solid service and bar program as well!

I am pretty sure that Iggy's by Fresh Pond sells a really close equivalent of placek but does not call it by the name - usually in tart cherry, cranberry-blueberry, and other flavors - whatever it is, it is really rich and delicious with loads of almond paste - no babka I am aware of available there...

Awesome details - thanks!

Now I have a quest fhe Amazon Fruit product - I have been paying quite a premium to order (very good) bottled passion fruit syrup from Hawaii for tiki drinks - but I want to make my own and didn't think Goya/La Fe really measured up in terms of taste.

Thanks to all. ICOB or Eastern Standard are definite contenders to add to the list (and two of my personal all-time) favorites (I also love The Hawthorne but think it's a bit too "old feeling" for her first night of legal cocktails...both bars on either side are also great).

I should also elaborate that the party of 4 includes her chowish (but neither young nor hip) parents from out of state, so hopping from place to place is probably out (reservations / easy or valet parking will be a must), and Cambridge is most likely "too far" in spite of my love of most of the options mentioned there.

I will report on the selection and experience in late April.

Where would you celebrate a young woman turning 21 who has a sophisticated palate and has grown up dining out very, very well thanks to chowish parents - food and cocktails need to be tasty and service smooth but not necessarily high end and formal (e.g., Menton is over the top in this case) - any thoughts on Legal Harborside 2nd Floor vs. Mamma Maria vs. Mistral these days? Other options? It will be a party of four. There is time to make a reservation in advance.

What are the names / locations of your favorite Brazilian markets around Boston/Cambridge/Somerville to find this frozen passion fruit puree? I have tried random stops into shops without success so far.

Don't see any mention of Quebrada in Arlington (and I suppose Belmont and Wellesley) - if you order a custom cake, it's freshly baked, simple, rich and delicious. I generally don't go for chocolate, but their ganache frosting is amazing. Be careful about picking up one already made in the shops - they are not always as fresh as if you order it for a specific day.

If you're in the suburbs (e.g., out for a trek on the Minuteman Bike Path), the Peet's in Lexington Center consistently makes terrific lattes and cappuccinos

Pricey with a small but very fresh, high quality selection is Wilson Farm - GREAT Atlantic farmed salmon, scallops, and cod - nothing exotic - check the expiry dates to select the freshest there.

They were one of the (very few) best things about the Vault but it seems to be turning into something else now.

Not a big surprise, but the ones at Smith & Wollensky on the waterfront were DELICIOUS (and expensive as everything there tends to be - don't recall the exact price) - I will order them again.

Always feel very lucky that Wilson and Trader Joe's are our most local food shoppoing - options - we get virtually all produce at Wilson (their citrus is always as good or better than WF and frequently costs less - and their not-Olivia's baby spinach, carrots. and fresh herbs are the best around), as well as eggs, sliced deli cheeses (always fresh).

Soups and other prepared foods are definitely hit or miss and pricey - we do like the kale / white bean soup and the sauteed broccolini.

Their chickens are better than most and reasonably priced. The seafood choices are limited and expensive but shockingly and consistently pristine (scallops and salmon never disappoint - just look for the latest expiry date as they do vary).

The bakery is the most disappointing part of the store - the fresh breads are warm but flavorless in most cases, like the nice-looking pastries in the display. The muffins and cakes are overly sweet and seem made with too many processed, maybe even artificial ingredients and flavors. The scones are huge and tastes too much like flour, not enough like butter, blueberries, etc.

They are so friendly and helpful we don't mind the parking lot chaos during peak times (it just takes patience - there really ARE enough spots for everyone - no need to stalk or hoard - just keep moving slowing and there will be an open space), and that's when there are the most samples out as well. If you go really early or really late in the day there is more room to move.

I have gotten in at prime time to ICOB by being on the cancellation list - they DO follow up on it.

That said, Toro is totally amazing and worth waiting for if you have the time, and their bar is really noisy and crowded, but the drinks are always great (and I am happy to now know Coppa takes reservations, as I just assumed they did not)

Fish Pier location got very disappointing and erratic as of a couple of years ago - may have improved since - switched my default to New Deal and never looked back

Do try calling Island Creek directly - I am pretty sure they don't book all their tables via Open Table that far in advance, and they are always very friendly and nice on the phone.

They are also quite large and take walk-ins (I believe ALL of the tables in the bar area are seated this way - and there are many), though usually with some to a lot of waiting depending on when you arrive, but they have a terrific large bar (Vik is outstanding if there) and The Hawthorne is right next door - they will call you or come get you - and it is a highly worthy destination for a special cocktail on a rare night out in the city - this is probably my favorite drinking and dining combo available in Boston now.