BostonCookieMonster's Profile
Any info on Happy’s Bar & Kitchen
We went and were disappointed to say the least, but I was waiting to see if anyone else had any feedback. I'm also curious about the chicken soup, but I did not see any pastrami or "etc." (in terms of deli food) anywhere on the menu at all. Ordered lemony roast chicken and got a single teeeeensy piece of chicken in salty, sort of cornstarchy-seeming gravy. It's not their fault I am not that much of a gravy person, or that I don't like olives, which the orzo side dish was completely full of. But it was still just ... not good. Guy at the next table got the "TV dinner" and it too looked kind of gross and gloopy and like, well, TV dinner. I honestly felt as if some kind of prank were being played on us. And I am really not that fussy.
They do seem to take reservations, though. Let us know if the promised pastrami ever materializes on the menu, or do you have to say the secret password ... ?
Peterborough St restaurants returning in June, plus Speed's!
Great news! Rod Dee is now open. It had looked thisclose since around Thanksgiving--thought I was going to lose my mind.
Best Gingerbread Ever
Gramercy Tavern Gingerbread (recipe on Epicurious) is officially the Best Gingerbread Ever.
Trattoria Toscana Tonight- Suggestions?
The ribollita can't be beat on a cold night, I must say.
Looking for a gingerbread cake with a moist pudding like consistency
Not sure exactly what you're looking for, but this one(second recipe on the page) comes with its own sauce baked in--it's delicious.
http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/food_3335664/double-walnut-meltaways-sticky-top-gingerbread-wit.html
Fenway El Pelon is open!
Since no one seems to have shared the good news yet, I will. Stopped in for tacos last night--same as it ever was.
Angela's coal fired pizza openig second location?
Their pizza, I can take it or leave it, but my love for those chicken wings verges on the embarrassing.
Is Eastern Standard's Food Suffering?
Audubon Circle in general doesn't seem to get mentioned much, but we ate there yesterday (on the patio!) and were reflecting that we have NEVER had anything bad there. They had a new striped bass on the menu (at least new since last time I was there, whenever that was) that was just about the most tasty healthy goodness $16 can buy.
Good options in Beverly?
I have a weakness for Super Chicken, but I've only ever had the fried chicken, which I guess you can't eat every day (I get my hair cut down the block 4x a year and rarely go to Beverly otherwise, so it's rationed). Also on Rantoul St. is a cozy little place called Cravings or something like that--have only had coffee and a brownie, but the omelets and sandwiches looked good, despite the cheesy name. I also like the mini pastries at Cassis, especially those little chocolate potatoes, mmm.
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Super Chicken
289 Rantoul St, Beverly, MA 01915
Does having a sweet tooth make someone any less of a chowhound?
I agree--I feel like people are sort of showing off how far beyond childish pleasures they are when they claim they'd rather have cheese and port for dessert. Frankly, I don't see why anyone should get more gourmet points for not being interested in sweets. I mean, it's not as if we sweets people go around all "Oh, I'm sorry, I really only eat cookies." I love savory things. Just not for dessert.
Scrapple
Oddly enough, there seems to be a mini Scrapple Zone in Concord--I've found it at the old-fashioned grocery store in West Concord and also the fancy wine and food shop across from the ice cream place (sorry to be so vague, I don't remember what either one is called--this is not in downtown Concord but, argh, is there a train station? if so, it might be near there). Less convenient than Savenor's but probably cheaper.
Coldstone Creamery...........First & Last Visit
I'm another one who remembers the original Steve's! Thus, it absolutely offends me that Coldstone has the chutzpah to open in Boston. I think their ice cream is gross and I agree about the weird consistency. Maybe I'd eat it if I lived in some ice-cream desert, but we have SO much good ice cream here, and in many other parts of the country, I just don't get why this place needs to exist.
Back Bay Sports Bar w/ decent grub
A little farther but definitely in walking distance, the Corner Tavern on Mass Ave. Mellow, cozy, plenty of TVs, the food is way better than at the other places mentioned (in my opinion). I mean, it's not a sports bar per se, but I've only ever gone there to watch a Sox game.
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Corner Tavern
421 Marlborough St, Boston, MA 02115
Bergamot - outstanding!
I agree, we also had a great dinner there last weekend! Had (between two) the quail, pea shoots, lamb, halibut, and chocolate dessert. My only complaint was with the ratio of ice cream to dense chocolate slab, and that it was so busy it was a little stressful watching everyone race frantically around! (We were sitting at the bar.) They took the dessert off the bill because they had just run out of several dishes we tried to order, which seemed completely unnecessary and nice. The halibut was REALLY good--the sauce made from onions or something? Mmmmm. We had some fiddleheads, too.
Ice Cream Recommendations in Merrimack Valley?
Are you talking about Great Brook Farm State Park? It's in Carlisle, not Tewksbury, but the cows, the trails, and the ice cream all match.
[Edit: I was TRYING to reply to Eatin in Woostah. Argh.]
Mystic Mint Cookies....still around?
Ohhhh, this is the cookie of my childhood! Summers on the Cape lying around the living room eating Mystic Mints and watching game shows! I haven't seen them in years, and I regret to say that neither the chocolate-covered mint Oreos nor the Girl Scout Thin Mints are even close.
What are your favorite apple varieties, for pie and for straight eating?
Linda, which orchards sell Roxbury Russets? I've always wanted to try them--I can only find Golden Russets, which are interesting but a little too sweet and soft for me.
I don't know where you are, Visciole, but I second the nice variety of apples at New England farmers' markets. Earlier in the season, I love Macouns best (and Macintosh at the very start of their season before they get mushy). My most favorite later on are Baldwins and Stayman Winesap. I'm too lazy to make pie, but for crisp, I just throw in whatever apples are lying around losing their crispness.
I'm Afraid of Indian Food.
OK, as long as the Indian-food-phobes are coming out of the closet, let me say that I enjoy spicy-hot food within reason but I fear Indian food because I hate cumin. Hate, hate, hate, loathe, cannot stand. I think it's pretty much the same for turmeric and that whole sweaty, musty, musky spice family. Don't like cilantro either. Any recommendations? I think I had a homemade Indian dish with lamb and ginger once that was delicious but I have no idea what it was.
That said, I may be coming around because I've tried random spoonfuls of this and that when my office has ordered Indian takeout. I think it is not destined to ever be my favorite cuisine, but I'm often with people who like it, and I live near an Indian restaurant that I know is supposed to be good (India Quality, for you Bostonians), so I'm open to suggestion.
U.S. Food Festivals
There's still time to schedule your visit to the Marshmallow Fluff Festival!
http://www.unionsquaremain.org/committees/Special%20Events/flufffest09.html
Corner Tavern and Cafe 47 Back Bay
Forgot to report that I finally checked it out. Very nice! Something about a bar with no music is so gemutlich to me. The food was pretty good, especially the roasted potatoes that came on the side. Excellent for Sox watching.
Low key dinner ideas in Boston
Coda, Hungry Mother, Green Street, Tupelo?
Though the latter three are in Cambridge and not Italian.
Grotto (haven't been for years, so maybe I'm all wrong now)? It's kind of wintry and I don't know about cocktails, but otherwise fits the bill.
Midcoast Maine Meanderings
To reply to myself, we stopped at the pie place in Bucksport. On our way into the house, we crossed paths with a man in a much-decorated Navy uniform and a big grin as he made off with what turned out to be the last strawberry-rhubarb pie, waaah. So we bought a raspberry pie. I don't get it. Maybe I'm not really a pie person at heart, but it seemed just OK, and certainly not worth $17. Crisco crust totally devoid of flavor. Filling was tasty enough. Oh, well, live and learn.
While we're in the neighborhood being negative, probably everyone knew this already, but do NOT go to Dos Amigos. What a depressing experience.
Farther afield and more positive, we went to Francine in Camden and Cafe Miranda (? Matilda?) in Rockland and had really great meals.
New chef at Coda, apparently
Maybe this is old news, but went to Coda the other night with thoughts of turkey meatloaf in my head, and the menu was totally different. (No burger, even, though apparently they will still make you the same great burger if you know to ask.) Lots more fish, more local produce. Waitress said something about a new chef, but I didn't catch who it was. Anyway, despite the lack of the longed-for meatloaf, it was FANTASTIC. We had a tomato salad, zucchini fritters (so so good), and I had a special of herb-crusted haddock with creamed corn and roasted little potatoes all on top of bacony kale. Haddock is not the tastiest fish in the world, but this was out-of-sight delicious. Could dial down the salt a notch or two, though.
Breakfast at Night...
I third the Friendly Toast, but the Victoria Diner is AWFUL in my experience! One of the most depressing meals I have had in Boston. Was I just unlucky?
The Trident Cafe on Newbury St. also has decent breakfast food at all hours.
Casual dining/take-out/delivery in Beverly
Super Chicken on Rantoul St. is a guilty pleasure of mine. Super nice people, too.
And the best corned beef hash I've had in the Boston area is from...
The Trident Cafe has surprisingly OK hash. Not the best I've ever had, but surprisingly OK.
I really like the Town Diner hash too, but I agree with the view that it's not exactly hash. It's not crispy, more like heated-up leftover corned beef. Which I would totally eat all day if I had leftover homemade corned beef, so no complaints.
A (different) Apple a Day.................!
This probably isn't your apple because I'm in New England, but I found some crazy yellow-skinned, (BRIGHT) pink-fleshed apples at Nashoba Valley WInery in Bolton, MA. They weren't among the approved pick-your-own varieties but I smuggled some into my bag and they were really good. I never figured out what it was called either. Was yours yellow on the outside? And fairly small? The flesh was like the color of pink lemonade.
I love McIntosh at the very start of their season before they get too soft, and also Macouns and Baldwins. No one's mentioning Baldwins--I love them!! They may really just be a New England apple.
I would like to try this Black Twig, but I'm often disappointed in the heirloom apples with the wacky names--so many seem kind of mealy and with a taste that reminds me of the Hated Red Delicious. I also want to try Roxbury Russet but I can only ever find Golden Russets, which are all right but a little too sweet for me.
Midcoast Maine Meanderings
Oh, your report on Chase's Daily makes me so happy we're going back to Belfast this summer. And I knew nothing about that pie place! I may have to kill you later.
I noticed the sign about Just Barb's LAST summer, so I guess no one's really going for this. Is it still open, does anyone know?
Tupelo in Cambridge
We also went for the first time a couple of weeks ago and liked it a lot. The little fried squares of grits, I could eat them all night. The other highlight was the strawberry rhubarb cobbler, YUM. I had the fried catfish, which was fine but didn't change my life. He had the crawfish boil thingy and realized he didn't really know how to eat crawfish. Asked the waiter, who proceeded to demonstrate by actually snarfing one down! We were a little taken aback but do not hold it against him.
