Sam LaGrassa's!

Went to the Artisan Bistro at the Ritz today for Restaurant Week lunch. Really good! We had a tasty/tangy salad, wonderful salmon, and upside down apple cake. Very nice and imaginative preparations.

Everyone is going to think I'm crazy, but here goes: the Greek salad at Mr. Bartley's Burgers in Harvard Square is fab. The dressing is incredible and lots of great ingredients in the salad.

They serve lunch on weekends only.

The food court is gone. But there's lots of good hot pot. You can't go wrong with any of them: Shabu Zen, Q, Hotpot Buffet, Kaze Shabu Shabu.

I went to this new restaurant tonight with a friend. I enjoyed the novelty of it, since there were so many things on the menu that were new and unfamiliar: fufu, moi moi, kuka, etc. We ordered a variety of things and shared everything: a goat pepper stew that was very spicy; fufus (fat, doughy dumplings) filled with cassava or yam or other fillings that you dipped into a stew; stews made of dried okra and one made of a tomato sauce with spinach. My friend was not bowled over with the food. But I quite enjoyed it and am looking forward to trying other unrecognizable dishes. Except not the nkwobi (spicy cow feet).

Here's a nice review that details the menu. http://www.pescovegtimes.com/http:/ww...

I went to a chef's tasting this past Saturday night and the food was great! That was the consensus among my friends, too, who also attended. It will be worth going back when they really open up sometime in early Feb. Although I must say I am confused by whether they are going to be a savory menu or a dessert menu or both.

It seems to me like an after-hours savory thing. Never been, but I am going to try their tasting menu this weekend. They are doing it for a few nights. It's only $10.

Has anyone tried the 'after hours' Whisk at Fiore's Bakery. What's on offer? Is it good?

I went to the Andover Inn once and it was fantastic. Sadly, it's no more and I don't think anything else has taken its place. Here's hoping!

I went with a group of friends last night to Pigalle to enjoy the free apps I heard they serve Tues-Thurs after work. We were so pleased. We had some great drinks and each of us was served 3 plated apps! We had falafel, carrot soup and another app whose name I forgot. Nice.

Anyone try it yet? I am going asap!

Been there numerous times and really like it.

The Meat House on Beacon St. in Brookline has some great balsamic. Also, When Pigs Fly bakery.

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The Meat House
1285 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446

Same owner. By the way, the atmosphere is one of the best aspects of the place. Really diner-y!

I went on opening night -- Labor Day -- and had a really nice meal. There were four of us so I got to try many things. I am not a vegetarian, but I enjoyed the offerings. I had a hearty mushroom burger accompanied by a tangy, tasty cole slaw. My friends tried the seitan, a fried tofu dish and an omelet. The pastry chef is very talented. The desserts are all vegan. I have no idea how she got them to taste so good. A wonderful coconut/citrus layer cake was my favorite. The cheesecake was also very good. Veggie Galaxy opened at the right time in the right place. It was slammed opening day and even had to close early because they ran out of so many dishes.

Would LOVE the coupon. How generous of you. But, duh, can't figure out how to get in touch via member page. You can reach me by email via my blog: http://www.thegeminiweb.com/babyboomer/

For Restaurant Week, I visited La Voile on Newbury Street for dinner with 2 friends. Wow! I can't believe I hadn't been there before. The food, drinks, and service were excellent. Among the dishes we tried were a fish soup, endive salad, steak, chicken in a pot, chocolate mousse, and pear tart. The patio was very nice, too, as it allowed us to enjoy the balmy summer night. I am going back one night for more!

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La Voile
261 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02116

You may find this hard to believe, but Mr. Bartley's Burgers in Harvard Square has a great Greek salad. The dressing is to die for.

Has anyone tried Red Lantern? What's it like? Atmosphere? Food?

Yes, thanks for the spelling correction!

The chef at Terenga won TV's "Chopped" competition! This restaurant is wonderful. I feel it's a little-appreciated spot and I hope this win brings more clientele!

http://southend.patch.com/articles/so...

On second thought, if you go over to Coolidge Corner in Brookline, the Meat House is a really cool place with tons of cuts of meat.

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The Meat House
1285 Beacon St, Brookline, MA 02446

Not too many butcher shops in JP area, so I joined the Stillman Farms meat CSA. They deliver to JP.

Maybe Bernard's at Chestnut Hill. Does anyone remember the Great Wall by the State House in Boston?

I've been to Bubor Cha Cha in Chinatown several times, with very mixed results. Today, for instance, I had an eggplant/basil dish that was basically tasteless. What's good here?

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Bubor Cha Cha
45 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

Thanks so much for the recs!

It's going to be my birthday soon and I didn't want a big party, but a small group of people to go to dinner with me. The small group grew a little and now it's about 12. My goal is to have a seating scheme that allows everyone to interact. Tall order, I know, but one long table won't cut it. I want a good meal, so although John Harvard Brewhouse has a nice, big round table, I want a better place. Ideally, the North End, but I'm open. Ideas, anyone?

I had string bean popsicles from Super 88. They are probably available at any Asian grocery. They were good!