fleur de lis's Profile
First visit to Pops
Thanks for the great write up, and glad to hear that you enjoyed!
Just a quick question on the eggs at brunch issue -- my recollection is that there were several egg-based dishes, but no eggs benedict or scrambled eggs option (favorites of my SO). Did I overlook these on the brunch menu (which would be great news because I loved the line up of savory options)?
Pops in the South End?
We tried out Pops last night. Overall, a very favorable first impression. I really like what they've done with the space. They've created a bar on the right side of the room (which would be good for solo dining), and included a lot of nice decorative touches (such as rotating pictures of historic and current Boston on small flat panel televisions embedded as "pictures" in the wall).
The food was quite good, and very reasonably priced for the neighborhood. Entrees top out at $20, and they have 3 sandwich options for $12 each (the Pops burger with carmelized onion, mushrooms, bacon and cheddar, a crispy shrimp sandwich, and a lamb souvlaki sandwich). The menu tends towards heavier comfort food (pappardelle with a lamb bolognese, kobe meatloaf on the lunch menu, Rhode Island stuffies on the appetizer menu, lobster and cod cakes as an appetizer, gnocchi in a cheesy cream sauce), but has several relatively lighter Asian-influenced dishes (such as a salmon with a crispy skin, cucumber noodles, and black sticky rice). The wine list is also reasonably priced. Glasses of wine start at $7, and bottles at $25 (with several options in the
We had the burger and pappardelle. The burger was quite good (I particularly enjoyed the sauteed mushrooms), and served with skin-on fries. The lamb bolognese was also well prepared -- a rich sauce with chunks of lamb was perfect on a slushy night. Service was very friendly, and good for opening week.
We took a look at their lunch (served daily) and brunch menus as well. The lunch menu has an expanded list of sandwich options, and the brunch menu is more wide ranging than the typical South End options (including numerous savory options). One potential issue with the brunch menu is that it doesn't include the standby egg brunch dishes (eggs benedict, scrambles) featured at the other South End brunch destinations, but it certainly looks worth a shot if you're heart isn't set on those dishes.
Overall, Pops seems like a great addition to the neighborhood (particularly if the menu remains at its current prices) and is an excellent option for a cold winter night.
Pops in the South End?
Thanks for the review, Jody! I'd love to try Pops tonight, but called and the phone wasn't working (I assume jules127 and I called the same number -- 617.456.1250 from a Restaurant Week ad).
Two questions if anyone happens to know:
1. Were they doing a Valentines prix fixe, or will it be the regular menu?
2. Do they take reservations (and, if so, does anyone know the phone number)?
Thanks!
Oishii Boston
After months of anticipating its opening, we also had dinner last night at Oishii 2. Although the food was quite good, the experience was a let down on the whole. While I assume that Oishii will end up being successful on Washington St., it never will – nor does it aspire to – replicate the special experience of dining at Oishii in Chestnut Hill.
Oishii in Chestnut Hill has always been a treasured place for me. Based on recommendations from this board, I first visited it before it received widespread acclaim (in Zagat and the like). As a graduate student living in Cambridge without a car, I made the long trek out to Chestnut Hill to be rewarded with some of the most remarkable Japanese food – sushi in particular – that I had ever tasted. Over the ensuing years, I have become a loyal fan. While at times the wait seems unbearable, I have always appreciated the process of scribbling my name on the pad of paper, waiting semi-patiently as they move down the list, and finally securing my lucky spot among the roughly 20 people that can dine at any given moment. Sitting at the sushi bar in Oishii is a special feeling indeed – one that is often rewarded with a culinary adventure that one remembers long after the evening concludes.
While I was hoping – and expecting – that Oishii’s South End location would expand on this spirit, Oishii 2 seems to represent an entirely different concept. This difference was noticeable from the moment we entered. While we were initially impressed by the sleek (and large) restaurant, this was quickly replaced by the shocking realization that the hostess had never been to Oishii in Chestnut Hill (“I hear it is good, but much smaller.”). In fact, this became a recurring themes– few employees we interacted with seemed ever to have set foot in the original Oishii.
We quickly realized that Oishii 2 was Oishii in name only. As my wife suggested, a far more appropriate name would have been “Sobu” – SOWA meets Nobu. The food was admittedly quite good and the wine list expansive (ranging from $29-200 bottles). Similar to Duozo, Oishii 2 offers skewers and tempura by the piece, and will prepare favorites from the original Oishii (at a 25-50% markup over Chestnut Hill prices).
On the whole, however, I doubt I’ll be heading back soon. I’d prefer to think of Oishii as a special hole-in-the-wall in Chestnut Hill rather than the newest hip entrant onto the SOWA dining scene. While many will flock to its new South End digs, I look forward to returning to Chestnut Hill and dining at a restaurant that is truly special to me.
