Lunch in Boston on Friday afternoon...suggestions please.

The Parish is good. I also like Fig’s. It’s a Todd English restaurant that has upscale pizzas. It’s located on Charles St., just across the Public Garden from the Arlington T stop.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

UES Mayor's family coming to Boston from Hawaii for a visit!! Your top 10 places

Here are a few of my favorites:

Mistral
Meritage
Mamma Maria - great Osso Buco
Bricco - I like the Zucchini Flowers stuffed with truffle ricotta cheese and tempura fried)
Troquet – Great wine list and desserts
Oishii – My favorite sushi place, but I have not tried O Ya
Formaggio Kitchen for BBQ (Cambridge Location) – They do a BBQ on Saturdays, and it is the best BBQ I’ve ever had. It’s take out only, so it may not work well for you.
The Harvest
All Star Sandwich Bar – Casual but good sandwiches
Regina Pizzeria (North End Location Only)

-----
All Star Sandwich Bar
1245 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

Formaggio Kitchen
244 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Troquet
140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

Bricco
241 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113

Meritage Restaurant
70 Rowes Wharf, Boston, MA 02110

Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

headed to nyc from boston and want to eat somewhere

Whenever I do that drive I like to stop at the City Limits Diner in Stamford, CT. It is just off I-95. It might not qualify as great food, but it is a good upscale diner with more modern food than what you might expect at a diner.

Dan Boston in Southern New England

Two Chowhounds from Canada - Boston April 16-22

I second Troquet. If you go there save room for dessert. Although Erbaluce has its supporters on this board, I was not as big of fan of it. For Italian I prefer Mamma Maria (their Osso Buco is outstanding) or Bricco (I like the Zucchini Flowers stuffed with truffle ricotta cheese and tempura fried) in the North End, or Sorellina in Back Bay. Regina (North End location only) is my favorite Pizza. It can be touristy, but I think in this case the tourists are justified in going there. A lot of people like Santarpio's pizza best. I just have not had a chance to try it. Mistral is great for dinner. I have also just discovered their brunch, and it is now my favorite brunch in Boston. If you go to Toro get the grilled corn with alioli, lime, espelette pepper and aged cheese. The alioi on the corn is the same as the alioli on the “messy” burger, but I think the corn shows off the flavors of the alioi better than the burger does. For a more casual sandwich place I recommend the All Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge. If you like spicy food I suggest their Atomic Meatloaf Meltdown. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays they have a sandwich called the Texas Ruben, which is also very good. They also have new specials every day that are interesting and innovative. For bakeries I would also add Clear Flour in Brookline. It is entirely a takeout place, but their morning buns with walnuts are great. For North End bakeries I am a fan of Modern over Mike’s.

-----
All Star Sandwich Bar
1245 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Troquet
140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

Bricco
241 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113

Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

Sorellina
1 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116

Erbaluce
69 Church Street, Boston, MA 02116

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Looking for a dining "experience"

Tasting menu at No. 9 Park. It is probably my most memorable Boston meal.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Toro Burger

I was inspired by this thread to try the burger “messy”. I’ve been Toro before, but I have never tried the burger. I thought it was generally a good enjoyable burger, but I felt there was some room for improvement. I the patty was great. It was nicely charred, pinky and juicy in the middle, and rich due to the fact that it was made from short ribs. I liked the pickled red onions. They added a nice tanginess and crunch to the burger. I love the lime and pepper alioli, and I thought it did a nice job of cutting the bite from the pickled onions. But ultimately I did not think all the components worked perfectly together. I felt like the use of short ribs made the burger too rich for the alioli, as some of the subtle flavors were lost. The burger had a slice of American cheese, which really did not add anything except a slight plasticy texture. I think a stronger cheese, like a sharp cheddar, would have been better. Or just skip the cheese altogether if you get it “messy” as suggested by MichaelB. I also was not a fan of the bun. It was a simple, light, Wonderbread like bun. I get the appeal of this kind of bun if you are having a simple cheeseburger with ketchup and mustard at a cookout in the summer, but for this rich burger I would have liked something more substantial like a semolina roll. It was a good burger, but I don’t think I would go back just to have the burger. I think Toro has better options on their menu. Wild Willy’s is still my favorite burger.

-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Wild Willy's
46 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Sorellina tonight

It’s been almost a year since I ate there, but the dishes that I remember enjoying the most are the beet ravioli and the maccheroncelli with kobe beef meatballs. All the secondi are very good.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Visiting from NYC looking for restaurant suggestions for a group of 10

My first thought for a combination of kid friendly atmosphere and adult friendly food is the East Coast Grill. You may want to check out Masa too.

-----
East Coast Grill and Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Masa
439 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Visitor from SanFrancisco

I ate once at Troquet, and I was very impressed. They have a great selection of wines by the glass. If you choose to eat there, save room for dessert. They are wonderful.

Regarding the Italian restaurants; all of them have many non-pasta options, and the osso buco at Mamma Maria is truly fantastic.

-----
Troquet
140 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116

Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Visitor from SanFrancisco

Mamma Maria is one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Boston. Their osso buco and wild mushroom ravioli are both among my favorite things to eat in Boston. Another good North End Italian place is Bricco. I love the zucchini flowers. If you want a more modern dining room, Sorellina is a very good Italian restaurant near Copley. Mistral is a modern French Restaurant in the Back Bay/South End, and I’ve had great food and service every time I’ve eaten there. Also I love the prune stuffed gnocchi and No. 9 Park.

-----
Bricco
241 Hanover St., Boston, MA 02113

Mamma Maria Restaurant
3 North Sq, Boston, MA 02113

Sorellina
1 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Recent Burgers

About $10 with fries, but to be honest I would not recommend the fries. While the dinning atmosphere is casual it is not really a fast food burger. The ingredients and quality of the burger are far superior to any fast food place.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Recent Burgers

I’m a fan of Wild Willy’s in Watertown. It is in no way a gourmet burger or restaurant, but it is not entirely fast food either. You place your order at the counter, a waitress brings the food to your table on a tray, and the burgers are wrapped in tinfoil. The burgers themselves are not the humungous burgers you get at R.F. O’Sullivans, nor are they thin fast food patties. I’d guess they are about 6 oz. You have a choice of the standard patty or a grass feed beef. I always opt for the grass feed, and it’s juicy and delicious every time. I order it medium rare and it’s never overcooked. There is a wide selection of toppings, including Vermont cheddar and in the summer they even offer locally growth tomatoes (organic I think). There is nothing particularly noteworthy about the burgers. They are not made of short ribs, stuffed with foie gras, or topped with truffles. It is just really good solid burger for $6-$7.

-----
Wild Willy's
46 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Special occasion Italian

I recently had a great experience at Scalini Fedeli. I thought both the Gnocchi and Red Snapper were as good as any I’ve had. I wrote more a more extensive review that you can read if you click the link below.

http://www.chow.com/restaurants/13649/scalini-fedeli

-----
Scalini Fedeli
165 Duane Street, New York, NY 10013

Dan Boston in Manhattan

Must Go To Boston Restaurants?

BobB, As you are someone who is familiar with the original Legal I’d like to get your opinion and on thier fish and chips. Fish and chips is one of my favorit comfort foods, but I’ve always found the batter at Legal to be doughy. I prefer a crunchy exterior. Has this always been the style at Legal or have they changed?

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

ISO elegant and delicious in Manhattan

Consider the Union Sq. Café. I like the food there better than EMP, and it is generally less expensive. It is an a la carte menu, so it depends what you order. I’ve eaten at the bar and it is an enjoyable experience if you’re eating on your own. If you are still considering EMP despite the price, you may also want to consider Veritas and Gramercy Tavern. Both are about the same price as EMP, but I think they have better food. Gramercy Park will be more lively around the bar. Veritas will be a quieter dining experience.

-----
Gramercy Tavern
42 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003

Veritas
43 East 20th St., New York, NY 10003

Dan Boston in Manhattan

Weekend before Passover -- family visting, need to take the adults out for dinner

Myers + Chang is loud, and seating for a group that large will not be easy there. I don’t think they have any round tables. Rialto may be a better choice. It will be quite, there are good vegetarian options, and parking will be easy (it is in the Charles Hotel in Harvard Sq.), but you might break the $75/person limit.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Monday night sushi Boston/Brookline/Cambridge for $50pp?

Super Fusion in Brookline is good. A step down from Oishii, but not a bad choice when Oishii is closed. I ate at Douzo once over a year ago and I remember being impressed, but I think it is a bit more expensive than Super Fusion. The two restaurants offer different dining experiences, but the food is good at both. Super Fusion is very casual. It has a very small space. Just 3 or 4 small tables and a few seats at the bar. Douzo is more upscale, and has a big modern dining room. It is almost like comparing the Chestnut Hill Oishii to the Back Bay location.

-----
Super Fusion
690 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02446

Douzo
131 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA 02116

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Suggestions for Coppa

First of all I want to thank everyone for their recommendations. Now let me share my impressions of the restaurant. I write the following with some trepidation, as I have read and heard nothing but good things about Coppa, but I was not blown away by the food.

The dining experience was enjoyable, but I thought the food was forgettable. The service was good. I found the staff to be friendly, welcoming and helpful with the menu. Also the mixed drinks were great. In fact the mixed drinks were my favorite part of the meal. They were innovative, interesting, and refreshing.

None of the food was bad, but I did not taste anything that I would describe as great or memorable either. I have heard and read nothing but raves about this restaurant, and there is regularly a wait of two hours or more for dinner. I really am not sure what all the fuss is about. I'd be happy to eat at Coppa again, but I would not make a special effort. I would certainly not wait hours in line to eat there. I found the food at Toro to be much more interesting. I realize Toro is Spanish and Coppa is Italian, but there is still a comparison to be made.

Am I crazy? Does anyone out there agree with me? I am prepared to draw the ire of everyone.

All that being said I thought the food was a good value. All the food listed below plus 2 mixed drinks cost $60 pre-tip.

Below are my thoughts on the specific dishes I tried.

White Bean Crostini – A white bean puree served on crostini. Perfectly adequate, but a one note dish. Not a lot of complexity. I’ve had white bean purees that come complimentary with the bread that were just as good as this dish. The crispy sage leaf on top was a nice touch.

Fluke Crudo / Grapefruit, cherry pepper, and perilla – This was a light, delicate, refreshing dish that worked well on a warm spring evening. I would have like more seasoning, particularly more cherry pepper.

Farro Salad with cucumber, radishes, and lemon – This dish just did not do very much for me. The main flavor component was cucumber. The flavor was not objectionable. Just boring.

Arrosto di Peppe / Roasted sweet peppers with Turkish spices, feta, and aged balsamic – This dish was enjoyable, but I could picture something just as good coming from the antipasto bar at Whole Foods. I really had to concentrate to find the “Turkish spices”.

Ravioli / Calves Brain ravioli with radicchio, brown butter and garlic puree – This was the most impressive dish of the night, but I’ve had much more memorable pasta in my life. The pasta itself was perfectly cooked. The filling did not bring much flavor to the dish, but it did add nice creamy texture. Most of the flavor came from the brown butter sauce and garlic puree.

-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Fantastic brunch at Mistral

I’m not exactly sure, because there were two other people and drinks. The total was $80 pre-tip. I think my appetizer and main course were $20-$25 pre-tip.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Must Go To Boston Restaurants?

I just tried Mistral’s brunch for the first time, and I can’t say enough good things about it. It is my new favorite brunch spot.

Panchy, I don’t know if you can fit it in, but I highly recommend it.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Fantastic brunch at Mistral

I just had brunch at Mistral, and I can’t remember the last time I was this excited about a meal that I’d eaten in Boston. Lately I have been feeling like the Boston restaurant scene has gotten a bit tired, particularly for brunch. I’ve been to many of the highly regarded brunch places, and this morning I was struggling to think of a place that I was eager to go to for brunch. I was reviewing some of the recent CH posts and saw the recommendation for Mistral. I’ve been there for dinner and always been impressed, but for some reason I’ve never gone for brunch. So I decided to check it out today and I left the meal feeling elated and rejuvenated. I now have a new favorite brunch spot. The menu had a well rounded mix of brunch classics, new innovative dishes, and some dishes that were both. And the service was excellent.

I started with Riesling Poached Seckel Pear. The pear was perfectly poached. It was soft and juicy, but not at all overcooked. It was served on top of honeyed ricotta which helped cut the sweetness of the pear and added richness and depth to the dish. The pear was topped with a ginger galette, which added a nice crunch verses the softer textures of the pear and ricotta.

For my main course I had the duck confit. It was topped with three eggs sunny-side up, served on top of small cubes of what I believe were root vegetables, and there were a few roasted cherry tomatoes on top of the eggs. This would have been the perfect dish last weekend when it was cold and raining. Nonetheless, on this sunny day it was still exceptionally good. The tomatoes were well seasoned and bursting with flavor. The egg yolks were still soft, so when I cut into them the yolks oozed out on to the duck and vegetables below. The duck was succulent, moist, and full of flavor. The seasoning on the vegetables along with their natural sweetness (carrot and possibly turnip) created a delicious sweet and salty combination that complimented the flavor of the duck perfectly. Further vegetables cut the richness of the duck and egg combination, and added a slightly crunchy texture to the dish.

I will definitely be returning to try the many other tempting dishes, including the dropped egg appetizer served on toast with asparagus and parmesan cheese.

-----
Mistral
223 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA 02116

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Suggestions for Coppa

Thanks

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Suggestions for Coppa

Not going to be a big group. Probably one other. I am not planning on ordering everything I listed. I just listed the things that sounded best, although I missed the arrosto di peppe. They sound great. Are you suggesting we skip the crostini entirely in favor of other items? I should have mentioned I don’t eat pork. I noticed you did not mention the arancini, skirt steak, crispy chicken, or local fish under a brick. Do you know if any of these worthwhile? Thanks.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Suggestions for Coppa

I’m planning to check out Coppa (possibly tonight), and I was wondering what dishes are not to be missed. Some of the dishes that caught my eye are the Chicken liver crostini, Arancini, Bruschetta de Cannellini, Italian tuna belly, Zucchini pesto crostini, Buratta, fennel salad, Skirt steak, Crispy chicken, Local fish under a brick, Cavatelli di Pollo, and Rigatoni. I welcome all thoughts. Thanks.

-----
Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Best Pasta in NYC?

I just tried Scalini Fedeli last week and I was very impressed with the Gnocchi. It was possibly the best Gnocchi dish I’ve ever had. There were also plenty of non-fish choices, although the red snapper was amazing. I wrote more extensively about this restaurant on this site (see the link below).

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/695272

-----
Scalini Fedeli
165 Duane Street, New York, NY 10013

Dan Boston in Manhattan

Boston and beyond. College Visits for daughter, fun food for mom.

I've never been. I’ll have to give it a try. Thanks for the recommendation.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Boston and beyond. College Visits for daughter, fun food for mom.

Toscanini's Ice Cream is good, but for ice cream in Cambridge I’d give the edge to Christina’s. It has recently overtaken JP Licks as my favorite ice cream in the Boston area. It’s next door to the East Coast Grill.

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area

Best burger - need some advice

For a gourmet burger I’d go with DB Bistro Moderne, but I would not call it greasy. If you are willing to do something more casual I’m a big fan of Burger Joint in Le Parker Meridien. It is definitely not gourmet, but it is a great, greasy burger. Closer to Union Sq. Paul’s (131 2nd Ave near 8th St.) is good, but also not gourmet.

-----
Burger Joint
118 W 57th St, New York, NY 10019

DB Bistro Moderne
55 West 44th Street, New York, NY 10036

Dan Boston in Manhattan

Boston and beyond. College Visits for daughter, fun food for mom.

I would also add Toro to the Tapas recommendations. While not entirely authentic, the food is great. It does get very busy on the weekends. Expect to wait if go don’t go early for dinner.

-----
Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Dan Boston in Greater Boston Area