mwk's Profile
nettles? citrus herbs?
We received a large bag of nettles in our first CSA box of the season, from Brookwood Community Farm. I had never eaten them before, so I was interested to try them. I have to say that unfortunately, I hated them. I like just about everything, but these tasted like I had crawled onto my front lawn and started grazing like a cow. Not pleasant at all. Oh well. I think Brookwood does sell at some local farmer's markets, so maybe you can find some there.
What is the appeal of Fox and Hound???
I had never been there either, until a couple of months ago. I have to say I was impressed. I wasn't expecting much, based on what I've read here, but we had an excellent meal and good service. I'm not sure what was wrong the night you went, and I had the Jambalaya, so I can't speak about the Lobster Mac. But my meal was very tasty and everyone else in our party was happy with theirs as well.
But this is why I suppose you never see a restaurant with 100% universally good ratings. I know I've heard great things about other places here, but I've been disappointed when I finally tried them.
Let’s make a list of obnoxiously loud restos
I agree with you there. The waiter there had to lean in and put his ear only inches from my mouth, so I could scream my order to him. After all that, the food was lousy as well. I won't be going back.
Dimsum up/down hill alert!
I haven't been to HLM in a while, since we favor Emperor's Garden for Chinatown dimsum. However, I will say that I do enjoy China Pearl in Quincy for their dimsum, which is fresh and tasty and has a wide variety of items. It's also nice that they have dim sum menus in addition to the carts, so you can order some specific items for those picky eaters in the group.
Eastern Standard Aging Gracefully
I finally made it to ES for dinner last night with a group of friends. I have to say it was one of the best dining experiences I've had in Boston in quite some time. Most of the food was fantastic. The Roasted Bone Marrow was delicious. I also was blown away by the mac and cheese with the guanciale as well as "daily offal" dish we had, which was raviolis stuffed with blood sausage. They were tender, creamy, a bit spicy, with that irony blood flavor in the background.
My only criticism was the Sunday Special pasta dish we had. It wasn't bad, per se, but it didn't live up to the level of the rest of the meal. The brisket was tough and a bit dry, and it was a bit too heavy with the salt.
What made the meal really special though, was the level of service. Those servers knew every detail of everything we ate. There wasn't an empty water glass, dirty plate or empty bread basket the entire evening. My favorite part was that we avoided entirely the "plate auction"...you know, where the waiter arrives and says "Who had the chicken?" The dishes went straight in front of the person who ordered them without any comment. I don't know that I remember that happening in a Boston restaurant in my recent dining experiences.
If that is what is meant by "aging gracefully", then ES definitely looks fantastic for its age.
Sher-A-Punjab: A wonderful new Indian restaurant in Quincy Center
I thought I'd write to tell you all about my dining experience at the new Sher-A-Punjab restaurant in Quincy Center. It took over the spot where Blue-22 used to be.
I went with a large group of friends last Saturday night for dinner. The space is very nice, although it still is a bit sparse. Service was very attentive for our group of 10, and for the most part we were well cared for (water glasses filled, plates cleared, orders correct, etc.). There was just my minor pet peeve of having the waiters ask the diners to identify their orders when they arrived, rather than knowing who ordered what.
What I liked about the menu is that it has some unusual offerings that I don't generally see on Indian menus around here. For example, I had the Pork Vindaloo. I haven't seen pork on an Indian menu, that I can remember. I ordered the Vindaloo hot, and it was suitably spicy. Not enough to make me gasp and grab for water, but definitely enough for me to sweat a bit. I also had a delicious appetizer of Paneer Pakoras, which were crisply fried and nicely spicy as well. We ordered some of the Garlic Naan, which was also very tasty with big pieces of garlic scattered inside.
Another of my friends had the Mango Chicken, which is in the "Modern Indian" section of the menu. It was one of the best dishes of the evening. A big bowl with nice moist pieces of chicken, chunks of Mango and vegetables in a lightly spicy curry. Very tasty. Another diner had the Tandoori chicken, which they raved about, being moist and tender and flavorsome.
Portions were well-sized, without being overwhelming. Prices are a bit on the high side, but generally in line with other Indian places in the area. They don't serve any Papadums with chutney as a free starter, like most other places, but I don't mind that so much. One of the nicest things is that they offer free delivery in Quincy, and they are open until 1am on weekend nights (midnight during the week).
Overall, I thought it compared quite favorably with the Punjab Cafe, also in Quincy. I liked the range of this menu more, however. They have many more dishes that I'd like to try, and we all agreed that we would return. I hope it does very well; I think it's a great addition to the neighborhood. There was a decent crowd at 7pm on Saturday evening, so that's a good sign, as well as the fact that at least half the people were Indian.
http://www.sherapunjabquincy.com
Quincy Restaurant Week
I had no idea that Quincy has it's own Restaurant Week, starting today through next Friday. I happened to see it on the city's web site.
http://www.tastequincy.com
Also, I see that the new Indian restaurant that moved into where Blue22 used to be, is open. The menu looks interesting; I'm definitely going to give it a try soon. Has anyone been yet?
http://www.sherapunjabquincy.com/
cuttlefish at a fish market or restaurant?
The deli at Kam Man Market in Quincy has large cooked cuttlefish hanging next to the roast ducklings. I haven't tried it yet, so I don't know how good it is.
March 2012 Farm Stands, CSAs, Farmers Markets news, and other local food sources
I wasn't very happy with the Stillman's CSA, and I was looking for another one that would be easy to pick up from, given that I'm in Quincy. I found the Brookwood Community Farm CSA. The farm is located in the Blue Hills Reservation in Canton. They seem to have a nice variety of produce they grow, so I thought I'd give it a try. Has anyone here ever used them?
February 2012 Openings and Closings
I read about a new Nigerian restaurant called Suya Joint, which just opened last night in Roslindale Square. I definitely want to give it a try. The menu looks delicious:
http://www.suyajoint.com/
February 2012 Openings and Closings
Looks like Blue22 is being replaced by an Indian restaurant called Sher-a-Punjab, according to the Ledger:
http://www.patriotledger.com/entertainment/dining/x58615755/In-Quincy-forthcoming-Middle-Eastern-Indian-restaurants-reflect-ethnic-influx
Quincy Peeps: Italy's Little Kitchen?
It is in the same building as Blue22, but the only entrance is in the back of the building. You need to enter the pick up/drop off area for the Quincy Center T station, and you will see it. It's next to the Dentist.
Little Panda Hot Pot and Szechuan House in Quincy, a great little hot pot place
I received a menu mailer from this place and decided to try it for dinner last night. We went about 7pm and there were a few tables filled. Cute little place, basic decor but typical for a Chinese restaurant. We were the only non-Chinese in the place. They have a TV going with some sort of Chinese programming, similar to the dining room at Hong Kong Eatery.
We started out with the lamb dumplings, which were delicious. Small dumplings with a big lump of lamb filling inside. Reminded me somewhat of the ones I get in NYC Chinatown when I'm there.
From there, we had the Hot Pot. It's very similar to the late, lamented Little Q (yes, I know they reopened, but not in Quincy unfortunately). They have the Chinese Mala, Herbal and Black Bone Chicken broths. I had the Herbal, which was delicious. You could smell it coming out of the kitchen. Each table has one large hot pot in the center, which can be split into two pots if you want to try different broths. They have combo platters, or you can order ala carte from a large menu of vegetables, meat, seafood and noodles.
We ordered some of the beef tendon, beef tongue and chicken breast, pork balls, lamb balls, and a pile of different vegetables. Everything came out quickly, was very fresh and delicious.
They have arranged for free parking across the street in the evenings. Over all, I am thrilled that they opened up. I won't have to travel far for my fix of hot pot any more. They also have a full menu of Szechuan dishes. We saw some of them coming out of the kitchen and they looked great. We will be going back to try some of that too. Or, they offer delivery so it's on the list for one evening next week.
Definitely give it a try. I'd like to see it succeed. It's in a spot that previously held a variety of nasty pizza and take out Chinese places.
They have a web site with some pictures of the place, and the menu/hours.
http://www.littlepandahotpot88.com/
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Little Panda Hot Pot
25 Copeland St, Quincy, MA 02169
Inexpensive dinner very near Lyric Theatre
Salty Pig is a good option. You can get a pizza and a charcuterie plate and it won't cost too much, if you don't go overboard with liquor.
Quincy Top Ten Inquiry
I've never had a bad meal at Hong Kong Eatery. I also happen to like East Chinatown restaurant, which feels pretty darn close to eating in Chinatown. The place you refer to, Ming restaurant on Newport Ave., used to be Fuzhou, but I was driving by yesterday and they have a big banner hanging outside now saying "Authentic Cantonese Cuisine". So, I guess you missed that boat. It might be good, though, give it a try.
Are you only looking for Asian? There's a new Korean restaurant that opened in Quincy Center. I haven't been there yet, but I've heard it's very nice. The Vietnamese place in Kam Man Marketplace, I guess has changed hands. It used to be quite good. Probably worth checking out. I also happen to like the Dim Sum at China Pearl which is also at Kam Man. It's got a wide selection and a mix of carts and menus so you can order specific items for the picky eaters.
By the way, inside Kam Man itself, they have a Chinese Delicatessen with prepared foods, and whole smoked duck and cuttlefish. It's really quite tasty, and cheap. I love going in there and checking out the different options.
If you like Mandarin, my favorite in this area is Mandarin King, which is on Washington St., just before the Fore River Bridge. Very tasty.
For Japanese, I love Kagawa in Quincy Center. There's also a new Teppanyaki/Shabu/Sushi place that opened at the South Shore Plaza, called Tokyo restaurant. It's very good, I've eaten there a few times.
Moving away from Asian a bit, Falafel King in Quincy Center is excellent. Great Schwarma and Falafel. Although I know there's some disagreement about it, I love Gennaro's on Quincy Avenue for good solid Italian. They have great calzones and pizza and the desserts are amazing.
Right across the street in the Pilgrim Plaza, is Webster's. It looks like a typical pizza place with no atmosphere at all, but they have really delicious Lebanese food. Shish Kebabs, Kibbe, etc. Very tasty.
Schoolhouse or Napoli, are my go to pizza places. Both in Quincy Center. Very good thin crust Italian/New York style pizza, not the greasy Greek pan stuff.
Korean Grille--Quincy Center
Great news. I love Korean food. Especially the Bi Bim Bap with the raw steak and quail's egg. I'll have to give it a try. Did you notice if they offer Korean BBQ? (did the tables have inserts in them for the grills?)
Eating healthy in Downtown Boston
I like Milk Street Cafe, their food is fresh and tasty, and they usually have "lighter" fare options like grilled fish, or salads. The portions aren't all out of control, either, which is one of the most important things to watch out for.
I also love Sebastians, for their made to order salad bar, and their options for sandwiches which you can build up yourself. They also have nice hot entrees and soups, which are usually fairly healthy with ingredients.
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Milk Street Cafe
50 Milk St Lbby C, Boston, MA 02109
Scholars
So I had a chance to try Scholars on Friday night. My friends and I were completely unimpressed, unfortunately. From the descriptions on the menu, the food sounded very nice, but the execution was totally different.
This place hit all of my pet peeves about restaurants, which isn't usually easy to do. First, it was so loud that we had to scream at each other across the table, and we needed the waitress to repeat herself while leaning down into the table.
Second, the first four things we tried to order from the menu, they were out of. I finally said to the waitress that it might be easier to point out what they did have for sale. Granted, it was 9pm on a Friday night, but this isn't some little mom and pop operation.
Third, we waited quite some time (maybe 20 minutes) for the appetizers to arrive, and they were stone cold. My friend sent back his Onion Soup because it was too cold to enjoy eating; the cheese on the crouton had started congealing already. Then, before his reheated soup could be returned, we were served the entrees. Again, all the entrees were room temperature.
Finally, portions were out of all control. The appetizers were enormous. I had what was described as "Braised Beef Tongue Sliders with Gremolata, Pickled Beets", which ended up being a large bulkie-sized roll, cut into quarters, and stuffed with thin slices of what I had to assume was tongue, but looked and tasted more like roast beef. It also came piled high with curly fries, and the beets were nowhere to be found. Since I had ordered fish and chips to follow, this was an unwelcome surprise. Also, since the fries were cold and soggy, it was a mess. If this had been good, it would have made a substantial meal in itself. Considering the $13 price tag, I guess I should have expected a large portion.
The Fish and Chips I had were advertised as "Jalapeño Breaded Haddock, Lime Parmesan Frites, Smoked Paprika Tartar Sauce". What came was a huge piece of fish, with a paper thin batter coating that looked like it had been sprinkled with paprika. There was no hint of any Jalapeno in this. The "Frites" were the same curly fries from the appetizer, with a sparse sprinkle of kraft parmesan cheese on them, and no hint at all of any lime. The "Tartar Sauce" was a plastic cup of what was obviously mayo squeezed out of a bottle and incompletely mixed with something that turned it a somewhat brick red color.
Oh, and did I mention that everything was cold and soggy? My friend ordered the steak and the pile of mashed potatoes was refrigerator cold in the middle. My other friend ordered the mac and cheese which was supposed to have linguica on it. There was an entire sausage dumped on top, partially sliced. No way was that linguica. It was kielbasa.
I'm sorry, but serving me disgustingly huge portions of completely tasteless food at a high price is not a way to run a successful restaurant. I predict that within a year, this place will have closed due to the "economy".
SELTZER HOME DELIVERY BOSTON
Add my name to the Sodastream bandwagon. For many years, I had an NSA home soda maker that I loved, but they went out of that business and I couldn't get the tank refilled anymore. I found out about Sodastream and bought one. It's great. The soda flavors I don't know much about because I just drink seltzer or put some fruit juice in the glass.
I get my refills at either Williams Sonoma or Crate and Barrel.
Nice places in Quincey
All the places on Hancock St. I mentioned are within a 5 minute walk of Quincy Center Red Line. Gennaro's is a bit further away from the station, maybe a 15 minute walk.
Nice places in Quincey
If you are adventurous, Hong Kong Eatery, as mentioned, is very good Chinese food. Another option next door to that is Kagawa, which is a very nice Japanese restaurant. On the other side of Hong Kong Eatery, if you like Brasilian churrascaria BBQ (all you can eat grilled meats), there is a very nice one called Terra Brasilis. They make a really good caipirinha as well. Prices at all these are very reasonable, and would easily fit an expense account budget.
Finally, there's a nice Thai restaurant called Siam House, that is another block further down on Hancock St.
All of the above restaurants are within a 3 block walk along Hancock St. in Quincy Center, along with a couple of Irish pubs and sports bars, which all can put out a decent hamburger and fries, if that's all you really feel like having. If you need to drive from where you are staying, there's a huge parking lot located behind Hancock St. that has free parking in the evenings, or you can just park for free on the street, if you find something.
If you like Italian food, I'd highly recommend Gennaro's, which is a small, family-run restaurant very popular with the locals for very good food and huge portions for short money. If you go there, you might want to consider sharing an entree, unless you want to bring doggie bags back to your hotel. Gennaro's is on Quincy Avenue, just south of Quincy Center.
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Terra Brasilis Restaurant
1506 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02169
Hong Kong Eatery
1510 Hancock St, Quincy, MA 02169
Rant: What happened to phone reservations in Boston?
I've found that the only time I can't get someone on the phone to make a reservation at a local restaurant, is when I call and an off hour. When are you trying to call? If the restaurant isn't open for lunch, for example, calling them at 1pm to make a reservation might be too early.
I usually try to call at the very early part of the dinner stage, like 5:00pm. I can't remember the last time I didn't get a human on the phone at that time.
Good food, if a bit expensive overall
Ah, I didn't think to look in that thread, thanks. Anyhow, I guess you liked it a bit more than I did. I'll probably go back to try something else, if friends want to go. I hope the place does well; it is a nice addition to Quincy Center, and maybe it will encourage other restaurants to open.
Good food, if a bit expensive overall
So last Friday, I went with some friends to try Remick's, the new restaurant in Quincy Center which replaced the late, not-at-all-lamented Finian's pub. Remick's is run by Marc Orfaly, who also owns Pigalle in Boston.
They did an excellent job renovating Finian's space. It's got a nice open feel, with modern clean lines, and dark wood. Very stylish, and warm. Many of the tables along the walls are banquettes, and we were seated at one, which was very comfortable. I also liked the fact that it wasn't horribly loud, so you could have a normal conversation with your companions.
The menu is all over the place, from German Wiener Schnitzel, to Japanese Ramen noodle soup, to steak tips. Appetizers ranged from OK to excellent. Excellent was a duck terrine which was outstanding. Light as air and delicate, with a nice spicy flavor, I believe was some allspice or mace perhaps. The fried calamari appetizer was also very good, a big platter of crispy, non-greasy rings and tentacles. Nothing particularly special about it, but it was tasty. I had a special appetizer of figs stuffed with blue cheese. This was somewhat disappointing. There were three very tiny figs on the plate with a crumb of blue cheese in each, and a tiny side salad. For this, I was charged $14, which we all thought was outrageous. I have to say it was my mistake for not asking the price from the server, but still that was a shocker.
For entrees, I had the Wiener Schnitzel, which was also just OK. It came with sides of red cabbage and what was described as "Herbed Spaetzle", although it didn't taste of any herbs and didn't look so much like Spaetzle. The pork cutlet was nice and crispy, but the lemon caper sauce again was just not assertive enough for me. I've had much better renditions of this dish.
My friends had the steak tips, which were well-received, tender and flavorful. Another friend had the roasted duck, which was OK, although not as crispy as he wanted, and again the promised tart cherry sauce was not really noticeable.
We had dessert as well. We ordered two orders of the Blackberry beignets. These were very tasty. Tiny balls of dough, fresh out of the fryer, stuffed with something that was probably Blackberry, but there was so little of it, it was difficult to tell.
Service was efficient and very friendly, and we had no complaints in that area. The restaurant was full when we got there around 7pm, but we were seated within 10 minutes, and when we left at 8:30, there was an empty table or two.
So, four people, each with one beer, three apps, four entrees and two desserts, came to $165 before tip. It's difficult for me to say whether I'd return or not. I love the fact that it's open in Quincy, and I really wanted to like it much more than I did. If I had friends that invited me to go to dinner with them here, I'd go and try some other items on the menu. I did have my eye on the suckling pig roast for 10 people, which I might do for a special occasion like my next birthday, perhaps.
I'd love to hear what others think of this place. I posted this review because I found almost no mention of it on here.
Where can I buy some skirt steak in Boston?
If you can get to Hilltop Marketplace butcher shop, they have the Skirt steaks and Flank steaks for $6.99/lb regularly, and on sale often for $3.99/lb. I still have one in my freezer from the last sale.
Grillo's Pickles truck at Park Street
I have a container of Grillo's cucumber pickles and another of pickled carrot sticks in my refrigerator right now. Love them. I buy them at the Whole Foods in Hingham.
New to Boston - the good and the bad so far
I worked in Bowdoin Sq. for 10 years, so I know the area somewhat. For lunch suggestions, you've already heard about some of my favorites: Zo, Cafe Latino, King and I, Fill-A-Buster, Villa Mexico.
Some others: (nearer to Downtown Crossing) Sam LaGrassa's, (great pastrami), Chacarero Chilean Sandwiches, Pita Kabob (great Persian kebabs), Falafel King. There's also Faneuil hall Food Court which has some good food.
One of my favorites of all is Sultan's Kitchen, which is on State St. near the corner of Broad St., on the edge of the Financial District. It's about a 10 minute walk from MGH. Fantastic Turkish food, with a big selection of items.
You are also very close to the North End, and you can walk over to Salem St. and go to Dino's for great pasta and fresh subs, or go to Cross St. to J Pace for their killer roast pork sandwich, or Ernesto's for pizza. Also, on Blackstone St. where Haymarket is, there's a great pizza joint, with really cheap slice prices. Also on Blackstone are two Halal places that have wonderful falafel or shish kebab sandwiches for short money.
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Sultan's Kitchen
116 State St, Boston, MA 02109
Fill-A-Buster
142 Bowdoin St, Boston, MA 02108
Villa Mexico
296 Cambridge St, Boston, MA 02114
Pita Kabob
2 Avenue De Lafayette, Boston, MA 02111
Chacarero
101 Arch St, Boston, MA 02110
Cafe Latino
2 Center Plz, Boston, MA 02108
Haymarket
Blackstone St, Boston, MA
April 2011 Openings and Closings
I walked by there about three weeks ago, and there is a "for rent" sign in the window. It didn't seem to last long at all.
Need recs for Chinese in Boston proper
You might want to consider the new "Q" restaurant on Washington St. They have plenty of room for a party that size, a full bar and cocktail menu with some great drinks, and good food.
TD Bank could replace Firefly’s Barbecue in Quincy
It could be worse...they could be talking about opening an Italian restaurant or a Sports pub, or a Chinese restaurant...although if it were an authentic Szechuan place, maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
I'm not sure about wanting to open a restaurant there, though. It seems to be one of those "cursed" locations. Since I've been living in Quincy, there's been 4 places in there.
