digga's Profile
First Soft Shell Crabs Sighting
I saw them today for $2.99 each at the Medford Whole Foods.
The Taco Truck food truck
Saw them yesterday Sunday on Mem Drive when it is blissfully closed to car traffic (I forget the cross street). I was running, so couldn't stop to sample.
Boston Fish Share
Our neighbors are doing the Cape Ann CSA and have been really happy with it. We are picking it up this week from Busa Farm while they're out of town. I'd be happy to report back!
Il Casale..and Bruins win!
Don't let my bad review dissuade you from trying Sweet Cheeks! Who knows - maybe a bad night for them. I just wanted to give my two cents. I am curious to know if others have experienced bad service at the bar...were we a fluke?
Il Casale..and Bruins win!
Fun early Sunday supper at Il Casale tonight. I read about the gnocchi dish in the Globe this morning and it was on my brain all day. We watched the first period and a half or so of the Bruins game at home, scooted off to Belmont and 10 min later, we had two bar seats right in front of the TV with the game on...I called to make sure it would be on (no audio so don't bitch about the TV people!) by 5:15 pm. Started with barbera d'asti and montelpulciano by the glass. Calamari and arancini were both good as always, as was the complimentary potato bread. Gnocchi were feather-light. Porcini cream sauce was perfect to me. Wish there were more ramps in there, though. Barely perceptible. B got the pasta e fagioli soup (huge and hearty). Sides of the cauliflower gratin and truffle, spicy green beans (good, but nothing special), and broccoli rabe were too much...we were busting out at the seams after another glass of wine each. We got out of there for $130 after tip and the Bruins won! The sous-chef came out periodically to check the score - usually the TV is facing the kitchen so they can watch the game, but they kept it facing to the bar so we could watch. Love a kitchen that loves hockey as much as I do! And it didn't hurt that the bar snacks were great! Attentive and unobstrusive service at the bar. And Dante's bro picked up my scarf when it fell to the ground and on another occasion, he filled our water and checked up on us. We love that attention to detail.
This was in HUGE contrast to truly shitty service at the bar at Sweet Cheeks this past Wed for our first Sox game of the season. The brisket that B got was DRY DRY DRY and thick (B went to UT-Austin for grad school and UT-Houston for med school so he's had some good stuff). Potato salad, black-eyed peas, collard greens and farm salad were good. But both bartenders really sucked in terms of customer service. At one point, the female bartender picked up B's water glass to refill it and she jostled his $$ beer, spilling some. Instead of topping him off, she said, oops, sorry and went on her way. B was too surprised to even say anything, plus it's not his style and I wasn't going to override him, though I urged him to say something. The two bartenders (dark-haired girl and bearded, bald-ish guy) seemed more interested in chatting with each other than in doing their jobs. Of course, when it's time to pay up, she called B "hon." WTF? We are good tippers but I think I left 15%. I didn't post because our experience just didn't merit it but our smooth service tonight reminded me that although we're low maintenance, we actually do like to be taken care of sometimes. We miss Cambridge 1 in that space, if only for the friendly, earnest service.
SF Hound Arriving 4/27 - Would appreciate advice
Uh...aren't parts of Lower Allston, such as N Harvard Street, like a mile away from the Paradise (believe me, I've done that walk MANY MANY times when I lived in Allston). To me, that qualifies as right down the street - a 15-20 min walk or a 5 min cab ride.
Rockport, MA, Gloucester restaurant recs
Ditto on the Lobster Pool (I had my wedding dinner there after all...picnic tables and peaceful views! Lisa the proprietor is great. Definitely pick up a cold six pack or a cold bracing white wine). Halibut Point State Park is right down the street so you could check that out beforehand.
No one's mentioned Madfish Grille in Gloucester. I really love that place. It screams summertime to me.
SF Hound Arriving 4/27 - Would appreciate advice
I'm biased towards Cambridge, although I used to live in Allston many moons ago...What about Central Sq for both live music (Middle East, TT the Bear's, ZuZu) and food (as you already mentioned, Craigie; Moksa, fun Asian tapas; Veggie Galaxy, veggie/vegan diner vibe with beer and wine; Central Kitchen, steak and frites-ish; Green Street, cocktails; Rangzen for Tibetan, I think they have beer; Cafe Baraka, North African but no alcohol - they are Muslim; Life Alive, for crunchy, healthful food, beer and wine; Miracle of Science, burgers, small and tight beer list, periodic table menu - welcome to MIT; Four Burgers; Koreana; Plough and Stars, lovely little pub (or is that technically Harvard Sq?)...anyway...lots of options!)? I think Plough and Stars has live music, too, right?
Toad, two T stops after Central Sq, in Porter Sq is great for live music and beer (no food and never a cover...it is truly TINY...the smallest stage you will ever see...and great), but Rod Dee Thai is right down the street. Christopher's is too, but I'm not a fan of either their food or service but they always have nice beer on tap. Cambridge Common is also close by for a pre-show meal (also not a fan, but it's adequate for soaking up beer) and good beers on tap. The Lizard Lounge downstairs has live shows.
The Paradise is awesome for big-time live shows. If there is a show in which you and your kid are interested, you can literally walk right up to the stage and say "hi!" Right down the street from LA (Lower Allston) and tons of food options.
Hope this helps, and doesn't confound. Have a great visit!
Picky in Portland
I wouldn't call them picky! I say "right on" to them!
Anyway, lots of good suggestions already. Pepperclub also has veggie/vegan offerings, too. In the same block as Rabelais, one of my favorite stops in Portland.
http://www.pepperclubrestaurant.com/index.html
http://www.rabelaisbooks.com/
Xian Famous Foods in Boston-- A conversation with Jason
No to the old Floating Rock space....Yoki (the sushi place in Medford) has claimed it. Big banner in the window.
Moksa Opening Soon
Lunch today at Moksa with 3 colleagues was better than expected. Miso eggplant steamed buns were slightly spicy with some jalapeno. Buns were pillowy soft and substantial enough for the slippery (in a Japanese eggplant delicious way) filling. Two good-sized buns to an order. I also had the lime chili tofu whole wheat roti – a refreshing, piquant bite of food. (Actually, two small roti piled high with filling.) Crispy jicama provided welcomed crunchy contrast. I had a taste of the twice-cooked green beans – slightly too salty due to fermented black bean. I wanted more wok char, but my friend cleaned the plate. Would be better with some rice, which we did not order. I also tried one of the fried shumai with shrimp and mushroom – fine, but nothing special. The shortrib roti topped with pickled cabbage looked really tempting and smelled great when they arrived. The last dish were the pork potstickers. Also didn’t try them, but they were gobbled up. One friend had ordered the lemongrass chicken bun (Vietnamese rice noodles), which they have taken off the menu. We still had old menus. The menu is still being re-worked and the server comped us for the price of the bun, which we thought was a nice touch. With three beers and a glass of wine, bill came to $85 and we were all full. I definitely want to check out more of the menu. Might be a nice place for after-work drinks, especially on the side patio, in front of the theater, which is kinda shielded from Mass Ave.
Boston trip report - March 21-25 (long).
Count me amongst those who miss your presence on the Boston board. An enviable itinerary!
I'm chiming in about Regina Allston...blech. We've given it plenty of chances and it has disappointed every time. EXCEPT for the game-watching situation and friendly service. The dough is not proofed or something. It tastes way too ordinary in Allston. Even the Meffa location is better, in our opinion.
Anyway, please come back to Boston anytime! Love your report!
Yet another short trip, long report...Portland
Have to do this quickly during Final Four games....Spent this past Friday night in Portland. After settling into the Pomegranate Inn (we're not B&B-types, but this place was blissfully chintz- and rule-free...funky and full of eclectic art and fantastical lighting fixtures), we had fun hoping for a Obama or Snoop-Dog sighting while figuring out where to eat. Enzo had two seats open at the bar...DONE! We had a couple of tumblers of spicy Italian red and the white bean and roasted tomato small pizza. We wanted slices, but that one was not offered as slices last night. Our first time getting a whole pizza at Enzo/Otto and unfortunately, it suffered from sogginess in the middle. Slices are definitely the way to go, I think. While walking off our pizza, we found ourselves standing in front of Fore St...What the hell, let's take a look. The bar was almost empty! We were told by a few people, including the wonderful bartender that they thought people were staying away from downtown because of Obama. We started off with a good Primitivo and a really delicious French syrah. 1/2 dozen oysters were fresh and expertly shucked. By then, we switched to a steely-dry Sauvignon Blanc that was fruity and from a small producer (2500 cases/year...I gotta call them tomorrow to get the name). We got ample samples of that before committing and the pinot rose from the same vineyard. We were quite full from the pizza, so just the grilled squid (great - cooked to perfection...took us back to a Grecian island) and sides of sun root mash, and parsnips. My god, those flavors totally complemented each other. And the complimentary bread is wonderful for sopping up juices. Breakfast at in the inn was prepared with love - asparagus and spinach frittata (I don't eat eggs...B seemed to like it), bruleed grapefruit, poached pears with granita, popovers and really good coffee. Walked all over the town but we were too full to have lunch in Portland. Sadly, no ramen at Pai Men or fish tacos at El Rayo this time 'round. Once we reached Kittery/Portsmouth, though, hunger pangs. We tried When Pigs Fly pizzeria for the first time (guess we were in a pizza mood this weekend). First of all, we drooled over the industrial, yet warm, pendant lights with the requisite hipster Edison bulbs. And the bar stools, tables, chairs - wow! The bar stools and chairs had wooden lumbar supports! And really neat hand-fabricated iron (?) frames. The bar had gears set into it...Tough to describe until one sees them for oneself. Can't we commission this stuff for our house?! Anyway, we started with rose wine (on tap) and an Oxbow farmhouse draft. Salmon steamed bun with grilled romaine and pickled veggies was great but sadly, only one to an order...for $7, a little pricey and we would order it again. The smoked mozzarella with cherry tomatoes was recommended by Tom and we loved it. The smokiness was not subtle, just like WPF bread....in-your-face delicious. Nice char on the underside (no need to ask for well done), no tip sag like we experienced at Enzo. This is my kind of pizza...crispy crust, but not cracker-thin and the heel has a nice chew to it. We were stuck between that and the broccollini...next time we'll try that one. Another beer...Stone Ruination IPA to top off the meal. Thanks as usual Southern Maine.
Kaju Sundubu
Sorry, Nab....You are having delusions about me reporting about the tofu at Chung Ki Wa, although I have enjoyed their sundubu chigae in the past! I don't know if it's house-made or not. Haven't been there in ages. Definitely sundubu chigae weather this week!
Kaju Sundubu
Rats! My parents were just in Boston yesterday but I am only seeing this post right now. Sundubu chigae would hit the spot on this chilly grey day. And that rice crust...gawd, my parents would cry tears of joy if it's as good as you report (and I'm sure it is). Thanks for the great post!
Moksa Opening Soon
Going there for lunch on Thursday. Will take your post under advisement.
We were going to go to Firebrand Saints...I wonder if we should stick with the original plan.
Need some suggestions for Boston dining
One place that I loved a few years ago (shared a lovely meal with ex-Boston hound tatamagouche, who expertly navigated the menu) was Pulcinella. Romantic-ish but not overtly so that two friends could enjoy a meal together and not feel out of place. In fact, most of the other diners seemed like well-heeled folks from the neighborhood. I have not seen any recent reports at all. Is it still good?
Family Injera - any info?
Early, like 8 am-ish. The smells were quite enticing, although I guess even bad bread smells good when it's baking.
List of Korean Markets in the Boston area
A similar thing happened to me when I first joined Chowhound. One of my nicknames had always been been Limster and thus, I chose that as my handle. Oh boy, did I ever get an earful!
To stay on post, to the OP, your list of Korean markets seems comprehensive enough. Ayer is rather outside of Boston, especially if one doesn't own a car/drive. I personally like Han Ah Rheum. As OP writes, it's a mom-and-pop business (the son owns and runs Hana Sushi in the same block) and the pre-packaged ban chan in the fridge are made by the mom and are delicious. I almost always find everything I need there. I avoid H Mart like the plague. It is the Walmart of Asian markets, in my opinion. Let's try our damndest to keep the small folks in business and to hell with the big boxes. But that's just me....
Diva Indian Bistro
LOL! Funny that this thread has been revived.
I don't think I was being particularly insightful about Namaskar's demise. Everytime we went, the place was almost always close to (depressingly) empty. And the service was uncomfortable (what felt like 10 young male servers over the course of a meal) but very similar to what we have experience in New Delhi. I am bummed that we didn't get one last meal there. Boss naan, the Gujarati dishes...my mouth is watering just thinking about them. If there is news about the owners opening anything new, please post!
Signed,
Digga (formally known as "a l i c e;" problems with my profile led to the name change)
Family Injera - any info?
Just a plain storefront with the blinds closed tightly. Maybe even if I had been on foot, I would've been hesitant to stick my nose in. There were definitely baking activities happening behind that unassuming storefront. I don't why I am being so shy about just calling/stopping in. It's become my "Davis Sq. bike path secret doughnut factory" mystery.
Family Injera - any info?
On my run this morning, I passed a new-to-me storefront from which delicious smells were wafting. Called "Family Injera." Does anyone know anything about it? If I weren't on a run, I would've popped my head in. Do they supply all the Ethiopian places in town? I wonder if they sell to the general public? How great would that be?!
There is a yelp entry (but no reviews): http://www.yelp.com/biz/family-injera-arlington
Where to get New Mexican food in the Massachusetts/NH area?
You should check out finlero's posts, ex-Boston 'hound. How I miss finlero.....
Savory Plate: Arlington - new to-go grocery/sandwich shop
So what did you have and did you like it? And I think your post title is a might mis-leading. It strikes me more as a catering/prepared food joint than a grocery/sandwich shop. They have pho, which I am curious about.
ISO Caterer/establishment specializing in brunch/breakfast foods in Arlington/Somerville/Lexington/Winchester area
There's a new place in Arlington Heights, Savory Plate. Have no experience with them but maybe you'd like to check them out?
Follow-Up: Two Weeks in S.F.
This is great! Next time hubby and I are in SF, can we hang with you?!?
We love this city! We always run out of time and stomach space...
Trip report (long)
Fri evening, midnight-ish
We find Katana-ya right down the street from where we are staying. Ramen sure did hit the spot. Totally packed but we managed to walk right in. Spicy veggie ramen (I chose the meat broth!) for me and the Katana-ya house ramen for B. I wish my broth was a bit more rich and a slurp of B’s broth was more what I was looking for (could it have been the slabs of pork and chicken katsu in his??). Pitcher of Sapporo draft which we couldn’t finish. Tab was about $40.
Sat late morning
We end up at Ferry Building. Hog Island is a zoo so we settle on Ferry Plaza seafood right next door. Mussels with Thai spices and herbs were ok but the broth needed more fat/coconut milk and it was too thin for our taste. The mussels themselves were plump and fresh. Salmon tacos were nothing special and my friend kept picking bones out of her smoked trout sandwich. $110 for food plus three glasses of wine and two beers. Oh well, B and I were happy to be sitting outside for lunch in Feb! Latte and cappuccino from Blue Bottle – I enjoy BB but honestly, I think the coffee from our local place, Barismo, is generally more nuanced and complex.
Sat dinner
Anchor and Hope. I refer you to my post on a different thread. Otherwise, this post would be pages long! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/834355
Sun brunch
We walk around the city after checking out the Academy of Sciences and decide to head in the direction of HRD. It’s about 11:15 am when we walk right by and it is not busy at all. Why not? Tofu kimchee burrito for me and the roast pork one for B. The “nice guy behind the counter” really lives up to his reputation. Attentive and seemed genuinely interested in delivering great customer service. Space is really neat – it must get crazy in there at the height of lunchtime. This was the first time we’ve ever tried Korean tacos and I was excited. However, maybe because I grew up eating bibimbap, I wasn’t bowled over by my burrito. B liked his crispy roast pork, but he’s an honorary Korean, so he also felt the same as I did. Don’t get me wrong – we loved the place and want to go back on our next trip to SF but I think I would try something else. The guy sitting next to me wolfed down his fried cod sandwich. He used to work down the street from HRD and that was his go-to order. THAT’S what I’ll get next time! B wants to try the Mongolian cheessteak. Less than $20 and we rolled ourselves outta there.
Sun dinner
We decide on Lers Ros. B and I think it’s the best Thai we’ve had in the States since eating at Pok Pok in Portland, OR a few years ago. We went with all the hits! Green papaya with grilled shrimp was almost too spicy for B and my friend so I ended up eating most of it. I haven’t had papaya salad this spicy (and delicious) since Thailand. The shrimp was limp and forgettable and definitely not grilled so I would skip that add-on next time. Duck larb was tangy and whetted the appetite for more of the wonderful Thai flavors that we love (I stole a bite of the onion and herbs). Whole fried trout lived up to all the reports here. Friend’s red curry was nothing special.. Same for the pad see-ew I haven’t seen the brown rice mentioned here at all and I must say, it’s some of the best brown rice I’ve ever had. I can’t explain it – chewy, nutty, cooked perfectly. A mix of two different varieties. I could’ve eaten just the rice alone. One of the best meals we’ve had in a long time here in the States.
Mon late morning
Latte, cappuccino, scone and muffin at Sightglass coffee. I can’t believe we’ve never been here. The space is so cool! We sat up on the second floor and enjoyed looking down at the baristas and the beautiful people moseying in for late morning coffees. We were planning on an early dinner with another friend (~6 pm) so we didn’t eat much the rest of the day, except for some curry fries at some Irish pub near the hotel.
Mon dinner
Don’t laugh, but we decide against Flour and Water and Gracias Madre and return to Lers Ros! The pork shoulder was a little too fatty for B and our friends, but it was still declared delicious by them. The fried tofu triangles tasted even better in the tum yum koong that my friend ordered. I found the soup to be boring, but throwing the tofu in there helped boost it a bit. Pad kee mow was nothing to write home about. And, of course, we had to get the whole fried trout again. And it was still delicious.
Tues lunch at SFO. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to have one last meal in the city. We settled on Burger Joynt near our gate. And it was pretty good! My veggie burger with grilled bun (we love that!) was topped with fresh tomato and lettuce. The thick-cut fries were quite tasty. The guy manning the grill really took time and care to put our burgers together – we’re definitely not used to that here in Boston!
Boston hound needs some advice for tonight
Wow. I had to wait til I got home before I could report back because I was so angry after dinner at Anchor and Hope - I needed some distance to cool down! Started off fine though I was rather turned off by the unfriendly host. She basically left me and B at the stand, waiting for our friends without acknowledging us. Then I asked her if she could ask our server to bring a dessert with a candle before the check. She was not welcoming at all. Server was great - really warm and we liked the room. We were happy with the food - puckery and tender ceviche (I liked it better than B did), grilled baby octopus was devoured (crispy edges, cooked perfectly - not at all rubbery) and so was the clam chowder (I didn't try those two). B and I had the cioppino (Acme bread dipped into it was superlative) and the Dungeness claws were sweet. Friend had the flounder which she dug into. Her hubby had the skirt steak (B and I stole some steak fries off his plate, which were meaty and really good). Bottles of Anthill Farms shiraz and Nita grenacha were both easy drinking. We passed on coffee and then I stalled a little to wait for the surprise cake. A cake with a sparkler and flutes of champagne approached and then went right by us to a neighboring table. Then came the check. Huh? I disguised my confusion by telling my friends that there was a mistake on the check. I approached the server and asked about the cake. She apologized and thought we had canceled it because we all declined coffee and dessert. Ok, well, please bring it, won't you? I also approached the host and asked what happened. She blamed the server. I assumed it would eventually arrive so I went to the ladies' room only to return to....another copy of the check on the table and no cake in sight. WTF?! B convinced me to bypass the cake. Friend went to ladies' room and I approached host stand and I expressed my disappointment at what had happened, that we had come from the east coast to celebrate a special night with a friend. We spent $275 before tip (we left the full 20% - no way am I going to cheat the kitchen staff out of the tip that is due to them) and they can't bring a piece of cake?! I understand about turning tables, but that was quite simply embarrassing for me. The fact that the host blamed the server was such a turn-off. If they wanted us to vacate the table, I would've been fine if they steered us to the bar for the stupid cake. She showed absolutely no emotion, nor did she try to fix the problem in any way. We would've happily stood at the bar, digging into dessert with a digestif. Later at House of Shields, I broke down and told my friends what had happened - they tried to cheer me up but she did admit that she thought the cake that went by was for her. So the four of us had some fun bad-mouthing the restaurant. To top it off, my friend got violently ill when we later moved to the Pied Piper. We thought there might be some king crab in one of the shared dishes since she has a very bad allergy to king but not to other crabs. Not the restaurant's fault and we don't blame them at all (it very well could've been something she ate earlier), but it just really ended the night in a bad way.
I am going to send this to Anchor and Hope as well as posting here. Honestly, I felt like I did everything I could to remedy the problem when we were there. I wasn't about to call attention to us by asking for a manager (maybe she was the manager?) - the night was about my friend, after all. By the way, we all arrived within 10 min of the reservation time (5:45 pm) and the second check had a time stamp of 7:50 pm. So I really don't think we over-stayed our welcome. I don't know what the hell happened this past Saturday. Sorry about the rant...The rest of our trip was great and I'll post soon. Thanks San Fran 'hounds!
Boston hound needs some advice for tonight
Thanks for the replies! Guess I'm not a big fan of Open Table so I was looking for places that don't use it. But it proved to be useful in this instance. My husband just grabbed a 545pm at Anchor + Hope. I think we're the mood for casual seafood. Not many recent reports so I'll be sure to report back. Four Seasons bar sounds great if the tired parents can make it that long tonight! Thanks 'hounds!!!
