ginafly's Profile
L'Espalier Fantasy Tea - Long
So glad for your detailed report on this! I have wondered about their tea for many years and never gotten around to going. Sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon with my mom or a friend! Glad it is also so affordable!
chow crawl with a teenage boy?
At Inman with a bit of walking, you could have small plates East by Northeast, then oysters or BBQ at East Coast Grill, ice cream at Christina's..oh, maybe top off for something at Tupelo. Also Punjabi Dhaba is great fun.
Date night restaurant in Cambridge
Ha, yeah, right...coming in from the 'burbs....of course they will have a car. =) Area Four also super easy on street parking.
Favorite Salads in Boston?
I think I've loved every salad I've ever eaten at Za. Their beet salad never fails, but I also love the one they do with avocado and black beans, and the kalamata, cucumber, tomatoes over garlicky potato salad.
Date night restaurant in Cambridge
Hungry Mother (book as soon as you can!), Bergamot, or EVOO...none are super close to Central (maybe a quick cab ride would be needed), but I think they are all better than Central Kitchen (lately), Rendezvous, or Green Street. I also love Area Four, but it might not feel quite as 'date night.'
Sunday brunch ideas???
I would also consider Eastern Standard or Brasserie Jo. Both are large spaces. I believe Brasserie Jo has a private room that might fit the bill. You could also inquire about the special lounge (Lava Lounge?) room at East Coast Grill.
But I do think that almost any place would require a phone call for a reservation that size.
Jiangsu Cuisine
They ALSO have one called homestyle, in a brown, milder sauce, I am pretty sure. I definitely know they have multiple whole fish preparations.
Jiangsu Cuisine
Thanks for the correction on the duck at Fuloon! I am always forgetting the name of it. Thankfully they have that picture menu. =)
Birthday dinner help--choosing between Esca, Scarpetta, and Gramercy (dining room)
The only one on your list that I actually ruled out was Per Se. I simply don't have the desire to spend that much money on a meal. I've had enough amazing ones at half or a third of that price point to know that I can find my happy there. In the decade or so we've been eating at good restaurants, my husband and I have found that for us, the most expensive is not always the most enjoyable. I would spend the meal thinking of all of the other things I could buy or do with the money. It is simply a personal preference/priorities issue. I think if we ever do decide to blow 800 bucks on a meal, it would likely be at Alinea in Chicago, or in Paris. And it would likely be for something more exciting than just turning 33. =)
We also tend to not seek out Asian food for our 'fancier' meals. I think this is because we know less about the cuisine, and cook it less, so we tend to have less desire to spend a lot of money on it. For me, a birthday meal simply must include a cheese plate, also. I do love higher end sushi once in while, but tend to avoid it more and more for environmental reasons.
Still, I will look into some on your list, and I thank you for the list! Not living in a city puts one out of touch with the scene at large.
Oh, I definitely looked closely at The Modern, actually, and decided I would rather try it for lunch sometime, since it is right in the museum and lunch is less of a high stakes gamble and would fit nicely into a museum visit.
Jiangsu Cuisine
Some of the stuff on the menu at Fu Loon might fit the bill. I think they have a dish called Jiangsu duck (sweet sauce, pancakes, does that sound right?). Also, they do a 'homestyle fish' that is very similar to what I had in Yangzhou (in Jiangsu province). They also have a Yangzhou style fried rice and I think even lion's head meatballs. Wonderful place, anyway, very pleasant owner.
50th Birthday Dinner?
The best meal I've had in ages was at Bondir, in Cambridge. Absolutely stunning. Can't recommend it enough. I am also a big fan of T. W. Food. Both are smaller, more intimate spaces.
We also really enjoyed Market at the W, but that was a while ago, so I can't vouch for it as readily.
Birthday dinner help--choosing between Esca, Scarpetta, and Gramercy (dining room)
Thanks! I appreciate the help. It does seem to be a recurring theme that people enjoy the tavern more than the main dining room at GT. This has made me really hesitant! Nothing worse than a Michelin-starred disappointment in my book. :(
Birthday dinner help--choosing between Esca, Scarpetta, and Gramercy (dining room)
Hi NYers,
My husband and I are headed to NYC (from Boston) for my birthday next month and have narrowed it down to these three. I've gathered some assorted thoughts on these places from the boards, but I'm looking for a little more help with very recent feedback, and comparisons of the overall vibe/feel of each. I would say our previous two top meals in NYC were at Felidia (so I am up for trying another Bastianich place) and in the Tavern at GT (so I am interested in trying the dining room). Both were several years ago.
We value: a lot of vegetarian/pescetarian selections, effective but friendly servers, a room that does not look dated (I'm studying interior design and I am easily annoyed), and creative combinations of flavors, craft cocktails before the meal.
We dislike: Overly precious platings (i.e. two gnocchi over here, one kumquat there, truffle foam in between, all on a hexagonal plate for 40 dollars), servers who are snooty (looking at you, guy at Mesa Grill--you do realize you are standing in front of a giant cowboy mural, lay off the 'tude), and restaurants that insist on having bacon or pancetta in everything (I hate asking for something to be left off).
We are comfortable spending ~350 for our meal, but will be very annoyed if we feel afterwards that we could have had a better time somewhere else for half that much.
Thanks for your help!
3 days in DC.
My husband and I absolutely loved Zaytinya...one of my favorite meals of the year. Enjoy! You must save room for the walnut ice cream.
We also had a great time at Oyamel. Great ceviche there, and mole fries are to die for.
One more recommendation for a special dinner PLEASE!
I think this may be a controversial suggestion, but check out Lolita in Back Bay. I've been there twice now in a group of 6 or so and really enjoyed the food both times. They have some great tacos and an excellent brewed-just-for-them beer on tap. Both times I was there, we all ate and drank with abandon and the tab was 40 pp including tip.
Wegman's- looks like it's really happening?
Oh, no. Uh uh. I went to school in Ithaca and adore Wegmans. I now live right near the Medford Stop and Shop and shop there all the time. Although the renovation was good, it still simply cannot COMPARE to Wegmans. No. They shouldn't even be referred to in the same breath. Wegmans has cheeses, breads, breads with cheese in them, various on-site dining options, dry cleaning (!), sushi, desserts. If Stop and Shop and the River St. Whole Foods were magically in the same building, then I might be able to start to draw comparisons to Wegmans. Also, while the Ithaca one is great, the Wegmans in NJ near my in-laws is downright AMAZING. They sell Riedel stemware there! They stock multiple kinds of duck breast! Please. Stop and Shop has a long long way to go. They can't even keep their 4 self serve produce scales all working at the same time.
Looking for a Lolita update.
I've been in twice (the most recent outing being just last week) and have really enjoyed it both times. I think the cocktail list reads better than it tastes, so have decided to stick with their Lolita Craft Brew, which is solid. I was in on busy nights with a party of 6 both times and we had friendly and responsive servers. I can't say we were relying on them for a lot of knowledge. The food is clearly not attempting to be authentic Mexican, but it is pretty yummy. I liked the taste of a friend's ceviche that I had, and several of the tacos are downright impressive. The tacos sort of blow La Verdad away (not that that is hard). It gets loud, for sure, but I had a great time both trips and the total tab ended up being 40 per person with food and drinks each time. The interior is pretty fun, too.
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La Verdad
1 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215
Visiting for the first time... where are the best places to hit up for...
Drinks: I 2nd Craigie and Green St but also must give a mention to the basil lime gimlet at Via Matta.
Brunch: East Coast Grill in Cambridge is my hands down favorite (bloody mary bar!), but I like Eastern Standard, too, and Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro. I love Soundbites, but think of it as breakfast more than brunch.
Italian: Coppa or Via Matta, but have heard great things about Sorellina and Sportello.
Coffee: I just love Cafe Vittorio in the North End. I don't think there's anything super special about the coffee, but I love the experience of having coffee and dessert there.
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East Coast Grill and Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Via Matta
79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116
Sportello
348 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02110
Sorellina
1 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02116
Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118
New chef and menu at the Independent
Makes sense now. I was surprised to see the title at first, because Cina's menu at Stoddard's had virtually *nothing* for vegetarians.
New chef and menu at the Independent
Tremendous news. Loved his food at Stoddard's. AND I really missed eating at the Independent over the past year or so after the food took a nosedive. Now I am so excited to go back!
They have the poached salmon and romaine salad from Stoddard's! Helloooooo best lite weeknight meal in town!
Where can I get pink peppercorns in Somerville/Cambridge?
Saw them there yesterday! Do not recall exact pricing, but think it was similar to Penzey's.
Boston - 4 days
Great list. Well, I haven't been to Taranta, but the rest are great. So happy you are making it to Hungry Mother. I think they will love it. I had a great meal with *my* parents there. It has a good vibe. Also, don't feel bad about missing Craigie---I honestly feel that for the same price point, Hamersley's is superior. T.W. is definitely one to keep in mind for next time. It is pretty out of the way compared to the others on your list, though.
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Hungry Mother
Cambridge, MA, Cambridge, MA
Three great restaurants in Montreal and three in Quebec City
Bummer! We visited in August 2009. Time flies, I guess!
Central Kitchen
Long-time Central Kitchen fan. They do a great steak frites--have the boy just get that. I love the chicken fricasse that they sometimes have in the winter. Ultimate comfort food. They also do a nice grilled octopus and chicken liver mousse. The restaurant has been VERY consistent over the years. Oh, I particularly love their wine by the glass selection.
Ah, now I see you went Monday and it is now Wednesday.... How was it????
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Central Kitchen
567 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Looking for bistro-ish dinner Friday-- Back Bay/Kenmore area
Hi all. I'm looking for a place for dinner Friday for two. We are on a schedule and therefore need a reservation. Eastern Standard, my first thought, is booked. So basically, I still want something in that vein (doesn't need to be be strictly French...something more American bistro-y with Italian and/or French influences is fine). We're in the mood for trying a new-to-us place, also. It seems there are some new options in that 'hood, but nothing I've heard raves about.
I've thought of:
Towne--It seems pretentious but Lydia Shire's lobster pizzas are always a welcome treat
City Table--I've read some decent things and the menu look fun--anyone been?
Sel de la Terre on Boylston--Been to the original location many times...some meals better than others
Post 390--fun space, but does anyone like the food?
I'd welcome your thoughts on the above and any other suggestions!
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Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215
Sel de la Terre
774 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199
Three great restaurants in Montreal and three in Quebec City
In Quebec, L'Utopie and Toast!
In Montreal, Toque.
Such great food cities, both of them.
Is Hungry Mother still good?
Haven't been since the spring...but went in April for dinner with my parents and in May for bar menu with my husband. On both visits everything was fantastic. So it's still quite high on my list.
Any recent Stoddard's experiences?
Wow, such a bummer to hear about these experiences. Our waitress was named Katie, I believe...I think I have seen her mentioned by name and praised either here or on Yelp. So maybe we just got lucky.
The food really *should* be good judging by where Mark Cina has worked. So I'm sorry to hear it is so inconsistent across the menu!
Any recent Stoddard's experiences?
My husband and I visited last weekend with the buywithme vouchers (yay!). We had an excellent meal. We started with a cheese plate...great selections there...aged cheddar + pumpkin beer = happiness. The lobster-scallion hushpuppies were somewhat disappointing--I expected so much more flavor. However, everything else was great. Salmon and grilled romaine salad was excellent--I will go back some weeknight and order as a meal. My husband's ribeye was beautifully cooked. I ordered duck, which had excellently rendered skin, and was served with a sweet sticky corn polenta cake and creamed spinach. We were really impressed with the food and service overall. Our waitress was cheery and helpful. We each had two beers on draught and the total tab was 124 before tip. We will DEFINITELY be back. As an interior design student, I really appreciated the beauty of the space and history of the place as well.
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Stoddard's Fine Food & Ale
48 Temple Pl, Boston, MA 02101
'Burb favorites: Tell me where to eat tonight!
Need a bit more about what you're looking for...I'm having a hard time thinking what local specialties are available in the suburbs but not Boston proper...also, how far from Boston are you looking to go?
I might recommend pizza by the water at Bianchi's in Revere, but pizza is hardly a 'local specialty.'
Also, downtown Wakefield has some okay restaurants and you could walk around the lake after dinner. I wouldn't normally consider it a destination for food, but if you are craving a nice small town feel, it is good for that. They also have a kickass Italian bakery, inside the Farmland grocery store.
A lot of my favorite restaurants in the suburbs are ethnic: Habesha and Fu Loon in Malden, Mexico Lindo in Melrose... But Kelly's Roast Beef, the ORIGINAL, in Revere might fit the bill, as that is in the suburbs and sort of a special local gem (they have great fried clams, too).
Good luck!
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Habesha Restaurant
535 Main St, Malden, MA
