fullbelly's Profile
mail order cheese?
Farmstead in Providence, RI does an excellent job: http://www.farmsteadinc.com/shop.html
Crazy knowledgable staff.
Gourmet versus Bon Appetit?
May not be a point of discussion for long, given the speculation of Gourmet being on "life support": http://www.thesustainablekitchen.com/skblog/?p=1910
Boston CHer heading to SF -- looking for some specifics
Sorry! I just saw a very similar post below mine, which answered some of my very questions.
Boston CHer heading to SF -- looking for some specifics
Heading to SF later this month and will be staying at a hotel in the Pacific Heights neighborhood. Have done the Ferry Building in the past. (Fabulous!) But am looking for steller foodie destinations. Any well stocked cheese shops within walking distance? A friend wants good fried clams, so we'll be looking for that too. Suggestions for true chowish eats that represent your city would be so appreciated.
And any feedback on these ideas? Yes? No?
for seafood: http://barcrudo.com/
Vietnamese style roasted dungeness crab at Slanted Door (Since I've been to the Slanted Door, I am definitely open to other Dungeness Crab ideas of any kind.)
http://www.sfcanteen.com/
for the sweet tooth in the group: http://www.tartinebakery.com/
nice??: http://www.perbaccosf.com/index.html
It all started with chicken liver.
East Coast Grill has chipotle glazed crispy chicken liver on the menu and they're amazing.
Lunch at Sportello
All counter. It's great for singles or a couple, but more than that, conversation can get difficult. There is a small metal table that they will pull chairs up to, but that didn't look especially comfortable. The baked stuffed maccheroni was wonderful.
End of the year Dining Chat [moved from Boston Board]
You are right, Limster. Very true. And she does cover them on occassion. Arnett would never have given a review of say Shabu Zen. First loved it. During her live chats, she frequently can rattle off multiple suggestions of ethnic joints for people looking for chow that's not limited to fine dining.
End of the year Dining Chat [moved from Boston Board]
I haven't gone back to rexamine her stuff, but I make it a point to read Devra's pieces regularly. She does like spicy food. Awhile back on her blog she had a photo of some seriously spicy crabs from Chinatown that she had finished off. Just because one dish is too spicy doesn't mean she doesn't like spicy food. Boston Mag just got it wrong. Heck, Hell Night is too spicy for me too, but I still love spicy food.
I also find Devra refreshing compared with Arnett. I think she reviews important culinary spots in our city, and still has room for some of the ethnic places that more and more people are willing to try. I find that I agree with her opinions on places far more than I disagree. And her journalistic ethics are very good. Not sure what stuff you are reading, Ruth, but there are a lot of reporters who work really hard to get it right. First is one of them. And never have I seen a Chow post verbatim in her stories. Not once. That's some hefty mud to be slinging, and clearly it stung her.
Anyone tried Wicked Bistro in Sharon?
We tried to go last week too, and saw the sign. Doesn't bode well for the place's chance of reopening, but we'll see. Haven't been to Clyde's in years. Something about their not being any windows at all bugs me, but you're right, that area of Rte 1 is hard to find good eats. Further up in Norwood, or Walpole center there are a few places. A tiny bit further south there's the new Patriot's Place too, which has a Five Guys Burger joint.
Sustainable foods: what do you avoid?
The movie about Nile perch is called Darwin's Nightmare: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwin's_Nightmare
New Petit Robert Location ?
I tried it for lunch, and to be honest, was not impressed. Service was intrusive and clumsy, and overall, not good. The quality of ingredients in the dishes our table ordered were were inferior at best, and we ordered a large variety. I went in really was hoping to like it, but no go. I wonder if the disparity in those who like PRB and those who don't has a correlation to when Jacky Robert is in the kitchen or not? Just a theory. Is he present at one location more than the others, and does that one location tend to get better reviews?
Leftover bits of cheese?
Wow! I'm so going to do this! And I love the group consensus! :)
Leftover bits of cheese?
I have lots of leftover bits of cheese from Christmas festivities the past few days. Any suggestions on how to use them up? They're a mixture: smoked gouda, ribolata, an alpine-like cow's cheese, some creamy blue cheese, a bit of aged cheddar and a few others. It's really a mishmash, so I'm not sure if it will all work together in a particular dish. Any ideas?
Which restaurants serve grass-fed beef?
Very good points.
Btw, for the original poster, here are some results: http://www.foodiebytes.com/search.html?q=grass-fed+beef&loc=Boston%2C+MA&t=item&x=0&y=0
Fresh Smoked Fish
These guys do mail order, and you can find their salmon in various speciality shops around too: http://www.nantucketwildgourmet.com/
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
I agree with the others, that you can get a much better steak elsewhere, but I will say this for Ruths' Chris: I love the space. I like the room with the big bar, and the downstairs dining room with the open brick and cool ceiling. But that's not enough to get me to go back if I can help it.
Mercury Toxicity in Fish
I was wondering if his mercury poisoning was due to fish of some kind. Is it, indeed, because of sushi? If so, it will be very interesting to see if his illness sheds more light on the plight of our fish.
Which restaurants serve grass-fed beef?
Wow. I did not know that, Almansa. So, by feeding them hay, it's still considered grassfed, regardless of how many cows are squeezed into the lot? Sounds a lot like cage-free, where the chickens can see the outdoors, but don't know how to go out.
Best Chef's Table
The new space at Craigie on Main means a table very close to the kitchen. It's not in the kitchen itself, if that's what you're looking for, but it would qualify for innovative French. Tasting menu is $80 for six course; $115 for 10 courses, unless you go after 9pm on Sunday nights and get the Chef's Whim for I think $40 or so.
Which restaurants serve grass-fed beef?
Actually, hamburgers made from grassfed beef aren't always significantly more expensive. The producers have no problem selling the more desirable cuts of meat, leaving them with a lot leftover, which gets ground into hamburger. If you're looking for grassfed and don't have the funds for the tenderloin, hamburger is a great way to go, and helps create a market for the farmer. And I'm with FastTalker, the taste isn't significantly different. It is somewhat different, but in a hamburger, I don't think you would notice that much.
La Voile lately?
Taking our pip squeaks (very adventurous eaters) to La Voile next Sunday before the Grinch show, but can't read a word of this website: http://www.lavoileboston.net/ (Is it my browser? Or their design?)
Hoping for Chow-suggestions on not-to-be-missed items here. Any board favorites recently?
Foods: once common, but now luxury
BigGuy, I was actually looking for items that fit the criteria within my lifetime. That's why lobsters weren't a fit, but bluefin tuna or wild caught salmon were spot on. I'm old, but I'm not that old. :)
Frisee in Boston/Cambridge?
Me too. Always find it at WFs (any location) and Russo's.
Craigie on Main, Eastern Standard, Dante
The "&" (ampersand) is part of ESK's celebration of the 75th anniversary of the repeal of prohibition. It's on the cocktail list with other 1920s/30s era drinks, and it's very tasty!
looking for a great couple's cooking class
Actually, the CCAE has a whole series of couples cooking classes. We took one and it was surprisingly fun, especially for my husband who does not cook. Ever. http://www.cambridgeculinary.com/recregister.aspx
best marshmallows in Boston?
There's a hot thread on making your own with lots of suggestions if you're interested!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/566516
