qaj's Profile
Rod Dee Porter Square: Progress?
Dinner was really, really tasty (my choices have been well covered on the board already), but here's the kicker: they fry little donuts to order for dessert, dust them with a bit of sugar, and serve them piping hot with a milk-and-honey sauce. YUM.
How far can $50 stretch at Oishii?
Thanks for the help, everybody! I'll have to figure out whether the Chestnut Hill Oishii considers itself a separate establishment--- my gift certificate points, ominously, to the South End. Such a good suggestion about lunch! It's such an annoyance when restaurants don't list prices on their websites.
Need help for Anniversary - First Post!
I've never understood why it doesn't get more play on the boards, but my husband and I celebrated our last anniversary at Salts. It was lovely, thoughtful, intimate food. Less bombastic than Craigie but in their league, I think. If you go the Salts route, know that the duck for two is much more rustic than the rest of the menu (not better or worse, just different).
Does this kind of place exist?
If you happen to catch it during the mid-morning or late afternoon, Crema Cafe in Harvard Square is perfect. The food is delicious, they have wi-fi, the environs are comfortable if a tad bit on the cozy side. But aside from those rare quiet interludes, the place is completely packed, rendering it un-library-like. Packed for a reason, but packed nonetheless.
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Crema Cafe
27 Brattle St, Cambridge, MA 02138
How far can $50 stretch at Oishii?
I find myself in possession of a $50 gift certificate to Oishii. What's the best way to use it? My DC and I are looking to have an experience and we don't need to leave full. Thanks!
ISO: Maine Root Pumpkin Soda
As of a few days ago, Montrose Spa in Cambridge (on Mass Ave. btwn Harvard and Porter squares) had it.
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Montrose Spa
1646 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA
Suggestions for a Family Dinner near Harvard Square on a Friday night?
Second Russell House. Also, Harvest, especially if it's nice out and you can sit out back.
Korean dry fried chicken wings! Where are they?
Has anyone found a place for spectacular Korean dry fried chicken wings? For the former Bay Area folks, I'm looking to scratch a San Tung itch. And for any Boston folks bound for the Bay Area, make sure you go to San Tung (in SF's sunset district, between 11th and 12th on Irving, off the N-line) and order nothing but Original Dry Fried chicken wings, potstickers, and perhaps dry fried green beans. Be prepared to wait, but it is completely, absolutely, incredibly worth it.
Craigie or Oleana?
Both are delicious, but I think the food at Craigie has more finesse, like the chef is aiming higher. The dining room at Craigie is quieter, more formal, and the service is more refined. My parents are in their early 60's, and my dad is a bit hard of hearing. I always forget how easy it is to overwhelm conversation with background noise in restaurants. If that's a consideration for you, I'd definitely do Craigie.
Looking for a farm to table style restaurant for my 30th birthday?
Another contender is Salts. Doesn't get as much play on the boards as some of the other posts, but definitely in same league as T.W. Food, etc..
New-ish to Cambridge and really tasty: Canteen
Last night, I grabbed a quick bite at Canteen, a charming new little sandwich/salad shop between Harvard and Central squares. Everything was really tasty and made with care. The sandwiches were especially good: they had lots going on, but everything on them was there for a reason and the balance of flavors was spot on. The people who worked there were supremely nice. For both reasons, I want to go back, and I'm really rooting for this little place. Thanks, MC Slim JB, for the write-up in the Phoenix!
'Burb favorites: Tell me where to eat tonight!
Thanks for the quick replies! I guess I should have been more specific... How about an hour in any direction?
The thing that'd be the most exciting is something like, "when I was a kid, I used to get this amazing thing at this amazing place... and now I can find it here, and it's just like I remember..."
But of course, it's always hard to pass up amazing ethnic food, too...
'Burb favorites: Tell me where to eat tonight!
We have an itch to get out of Boston tonight and sample some local favorites, especially local specialties. But we're clueless west coasters who need help! Any suggestions? Many thanks!
Ravioli Recs
Also not the North End, but the ravioli at Rialto are exquisite, and the atmosphere definitely nice and quiet.
Fresh herbs in Cambrige/Somerville?
I'm looking for cut herbs, but there's no reason I can't buy a little plant and cut from it myself. Good thinking! Thanks for the advice.
Fresh herbs in Cambrige/Somerville?
Does anyone have any advice re: where to get a wide variety of beautiful fresh herbs in Cambridge or T-accessible Somerville? I'm looking for chervil in particular... Thanks!
Best cookbook for beginner?
It's not as expansive as many of the books mentioned here, but I love The Splendid Table's How to Eat Supper. It's very thoughtfully put together, each recipe is a different lesson in how to be a better home cook. It's more contemporary and less staid than The Best Recipe, but it has a similar quality in that it teaches you much more than what's found in the individual recipes. It's also very savvy about how to be kind to the pocketbook without sacrificing quality or taste--- mostly this is accomplished by honing simple techniques.
Chicory coffee?
Thanks so much for the advice! I'm eager to give the Community Coffee a try.
Chicory coffee?
Does anyone know where to buy coffee that's been blended with chicory? I'm really looking for beans/grounds, but a nice cold glass of chicory coffee sounds perfect right about now, too. Thanks!
Curious about Sensing
My experience completely resonates with yours, litchick. I went there during restaurant week, tried to like it, but was pretty disappointed. The gory details are in this thread:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/694608?tag=highlight-5488437;post-content-5488437#5488437
I know judging a restaurant by their RW performance isn't always fair, but a well-run kitchen just shouldn't fall this flat, especially at this price point.
Dinner at Sportello--- suggestions
Did brunch at Sportello months ago and I'm still thinking about the bigoli carbonara--- perhaps the best pasta I've ever had. Now I'm looking forward to dinner there later in the week. I'd love to explore the menu, but will likely need a compelling reason not to seek a repeat of the carbonara experience. Suggestions?
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Sportello
348 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02110
2010 Winter RW Report
We went to Sensing last night and ate off their RW menu.
Sensing has gotten mixed reviews on Chowhound, and I'm afraid my optimism got the better of me. Our experience at Sensing fell smack in the center of the great muddy middle. In the end, what we sensed most at Sensing was disappointment in being $100 poorer for no good reason.
To be fair, I think the kitchen was having a hard night. Our poor waiter had the look of a man who'd been yelled at all evening, and started comp'ing us wine before we even noticed anything was wrong. I point this out because much of our disappointment came in the execution of the food, so maybe on another night things would have been different.
I love being intrigued by what I eat, but I'm happy to settle for properly done food that's really tasty, especially at New American-ish restaurants. If our "teaser" empanadas had been crispy, and the "teaser" mushroom creme brulee had indeed been brulee'd, I would have been tickled, if not teased. If any part of my entree (pork chop with brussels sprouts and apples) had been seared, it would have been pretty darned good. These dishes aren't inspired culinary experiences (something Sensing's pretension suggests you'll get there), but if they'd been given some love in the kitchen, they would have been satisfying. And we did have one really outstanding entree. Here's the breakdown of the meal:
Cocktails: My husband was impressed, which is high praise, because he enjoys being unimpressed by cocktails.
App's: I had the beet risotto. It was fine, if kind of flat. My husband liked it. I thought it needed salt and pepper. Cheese wouldn't have hurt either. My husband had the butternut squash soup with dollops of various things. The soup was very squashy, which is good in my book, but the dollops (banana, avocado) were confusing. Mix it all together and you get a fall-flavored soup with nuggets of tropical mush that is a marvelously unappealing color and texture.
Entrees. My husband's beef "cottage pie" (quotes theirs) was outstanding and beautiful, delicious and interesting. It made beef pie into something delicate and ethereal. Lovely. My entree was the pork chop that I mentioned earlier. Props for a nice juicy chop and a smooth and savory apple sauce. Too bad about all the mushiness, though.
Dessert. I love dessert so much I will generally make myself sick eating too much of it. But we abandoned our poor mango tarte tatin. Again, the caramelized top did not deign to make an appearance. This made us feel misled. The caramelized top is the signature of a tarte tatin, after all, AND THE BEST PART. Also, it turns out that cooking mangoes does them no favors--- it destroys the brightness of their flavor and color. We also had a deconstructed chocolate-orange-ginger thing. The ginger sorbet was dynamite, the rest was OK but not as delicious as a rich chocolate thing should be. We couldn't find any orange. Undo the deconstruction by mixing it all together and it's better, but still a let down.
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Sensing At The Fairmont Battery Wharf
Three Battery Wharf, Boston, MA 02109
Temple Bar and Spiced Pear Opinions?
I've eaten at Temple Bar several times... It's fine. Perhaps it can border on tasty. Temple Bar doesn't feature cooking inspired by new ideas or the chef's personal take on classics. The food isn't seasonal or prepared with particular love or attention to detail. It's pretty heavy. The menu feels rote. But it's fine. Stay away from the cocktail list though--- out-of-the-ballpark sticky sweet!
