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ritcey's Profile

staff appreciation holiday gathering

Agreed - I've had work functions at SDLT before and they've been great (I'm talking waterfront - no experience w/ the new location).

Where to take a French class for a cheap(er) dinner?

To add to the chorus, yes on PRB, both for the price & for the size - they can handle sizable groups downstairs, if you let them know in advance (I've seen multi-generational [presumably] French families doing Sunday dinner down there).

CSA Surpise

It was from Pleasant Valley Gardens CSA, btw - http://pleasantvalleygardens.com/

Venue ideas for 25-30 Downtown Boston?

Lucca and Bricco also have private rooms

Venue ideas for 25-30 Downtown Boston?

It's been a little while, but I think the private rooms at Sel de la Terre and
Caliterra are big enough. I haven't eaten at Caliterra in forever, but SDLT is a favorite.

Good Food before Red Sox game?

Indeed it is ;-) group birthday dinner + old friend in town + knowing the bartender = yikes!

Good Food before Red Sox game?

Huh - take my entry with a grain of salt, then, as my ceviche experience is limited, but I had been way over-served the night before and the ceviche was just a perfect way to recover =) Dunno if it makes a difference, but we probably had the first bowls of the day, as the server had to check to see if it was ready yet (and they were indeed 'bowls' - quite a large portion)

Good Food before Red Sox game?

I had the ceviche and steak tartare 2 weeks ago and both were excellent...

Flying in the face of "Chow Wisdom"

I love Spirit & it's temptingly close. The staff is awesome & it's great for those of us with a Sox problem. They revamped the food in the last year and they can turn out some solid items, like the PBT (but you're right in that the execution can vary). Damn fine burger too (but Temple Bar has the best I've had in the area).

2 Nights in Boston

Incidentally, I hit Mooo for the $35 3-course dinner a couple of Sunday's ago - really great deal. I ended up going off the main menu, but my DC went w/ the prix fixe - salad to start, full-sized steak for the main, full-sized side and dessert. As far as we could tell, it was a choice of items straight off the main menu. If you're a Sunday/Monday night diner, it's worth a look. Free valet too, if you're driving.

Italian restaurants near TD Banknorth Garden?

I have yet to have good food at Nebo and it certainly isn't traditional red-sauce Italian. I'd say nay, assuming there are other choices. The late-night aspect may be the only thing going for it in this case.

Italian restaurants near TD Banknorth Garden?

Romantic == Mamma Maria.

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Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

Dj's near the Garden. Any reports?

A shame - they started out pretty well but I'm guessing the realities of that area have led to it becoming just another bar...

Dj's near the Garden. Any reports?

I moved out of the area a few months ago, but unless things have changed, your options are quite limited. If folks are down on DJ's, The Hill isn't terribly far and is usually quite tasty.

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Hill Tavern
228 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114

Lunch at Sportello

I went with two others and they stuck us on the corner, which was fine - they mentioned they try to keep the corners for groups larger than two. The buffalo milk mozzarella with black olive crostini was just awesome.

It all started with chicken liver.

The chicken liver crostini on the Via Matta cafe menu is delicious, with a bit of a spicy kick to it.

Best sandwich... ever?

It's Cafe Podima; I believe they're Turkish, actually (pretty sure that's a pic of Ataturk on the wall).

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Cafe Podima
156 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114

Need help - private room for 20-30 people

The private room at the other Sel de la Terre could handle that crowd as well, I believe. Closer to XV Beacon too.

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Sel De La Terre
255 State St, Boston, MA 02109

Who has the best set of taps?

Agreed - way too many beers to keep the quality consistent. A friend of mine worked there and he'd just run the tap for awhile if someone ordered something that he knew wasn't constantly selling, in an attempt to clear the old stuff out of the lines (he did that for me, at any rate =). But even then, who knows how long that keg has been sitting there?

Where can I find some bizarre foods resturants in Boston?

I passed to pic onto a friend of mine who's a big foodie and I thought his response was hilariously descriptive: "am very familiar with it but while I have never known for sure what organ it is, I have always thought it was the pancreas. It usually shows up in tripe or beef tendon noodle soup, and I always just push it to the side because the texture is awful. The outer skin is often too tough to chew through, and the meshy inside part doesn't really take to being chewed either, so it sort of just compresses between your teeth leaving you with basically a spongy compressed hairball you want to spit out. "

Favorite Bar/Pub on a Snowy Night?

No fireplace, but I dig Spirit - the big windows up front will let you observe the snow and talk yourself into having just one more before facing that... =)

Where can I find some bizarre foods resturants in Boston?

Now I'm curious - some google-fu seems to indicate:

The "ngau bong" stuff is either the spleen or the pancreas. I'm not too familiar with the names but I'm certain it is either of those two.

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=579348

but later in that thread:

I am not sure if I interpreted it correctly. "ngau bong", in English, is Burdock - a plant and not animal. If it's testicles, it would be "ngau bin"

I get a couple of other google hits saying that ngau bong is burdock.

If I get sick, I'll kill you or don't judge a book by its cover

Indeed, Villa Mexico has the best burritos I've had in Boston; off-putting location, but not actually scary:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=02114&ie=UTF8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&ll=42.360805,-71.068529&spn=0.001201,0.002481&z=19&layer=c&cbll=42.361095,-71.068427&panoid=Ba2uJ6hHuhVxBsO24n4IvQ&cbp=12,170.65827220077074,,0,19.79077145338206

drinks b4 prezza?

Agreed - good sized bar area with both barstools and small bar tables w/ couches/easy-chairs. It can be somewhat low-key, but I've had a good time there.

High-End, Destination Restaurant

I suspect the omakase at O Ya would be an unforgettable dinner-gift

Inexpensive Liquor Stores in Boston Area

excellent - thanks for the leads

Inexpensive Liquor Stores in Boston Area

Have moved to Davis from Beacon Hill a few months ago, I'm shocked by how expensive the two liquor stores here are, especially for wine. It makes no sense to me that it should be so much more than even the little Capitol Market on Beacon Hill. Here I was expecting a price drop when I moved :-/

Boston bars facing closure

I finally stepped foot in Mary Ann's last year - believe me when I say it's head and shoulders above Punter's (which is sorta-kinda the Northeastern version of Mary Ann's).

Upscale Dining in Back Bay?

I'll add a thumbs-down for Morton's - I'm 0-for-3 there, expensive, bad steaks each time. A&L is solid, but "just" a steak place. I haven't been, but I'm thinking maybe Locke-Ober might be just the ticket for you - it's certainly a high-service place that your husband should be comfortable with. Reviews here are certainly good.

Villa Mexico already feeling the squeeze?

Awesome - just rode by it last weekend on my bike & was wondering if it was worth a visit. I'll likely hit it this weekend or even tonight - website says they're open until 9. http://www.mariabonita-restaurant.com

I'm missing VM for sure tho =)