a l i c e's Profile
Looking to open my parents' eyes...
Korean BBQ might fit the bill. It's fun to cook your own and the price should be right (although it's more pricey than the equivalent in NYC, Chicago, or LA). Many of these places (for example) have sushi/fish/noodle dish alternatives.
Dinner near Fresh Pond?
Striper - Since you brought up Belmont, how do feel about Patou Thai? We never quite make it out there.
New "foodie" restuarant on Providence's West Side
I concur - I think that's one of the great things about the Providence eating *scene* ( I cringe at that word). Life is just more laid-back and cooler than in Boston or NYC down here.
Platitudes aside, I think particularly if you go early-ish, I would be so surprised if you had a problem. And if anyone gives you trouble, send 'em my way! ;)
Best frozen margaritas?
Rudy's does do a nicely boozy on-the-rocks version. Now that school is out of session, we may head over there more often than we usually do for drinks and their passable version of fish tacos (they need to ratchet down the raw scallions) for an easy weekday meal.
Tricia's Tropi-Grille
I hear ya! Last year there was a small TV in one corner, but they wouldn't turn the music off so we could hear the audio (even though we were the only ones there at the time), which was kind of a bummer.
Tricia's Tropi-Grille
We really like this place (same owners as Chopmist Charlies). For us, it's the perfect, post-Beavertail-catch-some innings-sit outside kind of place. We usually sit out in the tiki bar, munch on fish sandwiches (I would steer you to whatever is the catch of the day - quite often it is locally-caught bluefish), which come with sides like beans or sweet potato fries. Beer is cold, people are friendly and the patio is really pleasant. We're not looking for much more than that in our shorts, flip-flops, and wind-swept hair.
Cecina?
Nope, not me...B did. He loves the stuff!
Maybe a chowdown in the near future at Maria Bonita?
Soft Shell Crabs/Chinatown
Sounds delightful - sour mustard greens or sour mustard sauce-form? Whatever the permutation, it's got my mouth watering.
Cecina?
MichaelB - I think there are some vague similarities between cecina and machaca (at least they are distant cousins). Please refer to this link: http://cookingfire.com/?p=11
Machaca can be found at Maria Bonita in North Cambridge, on Mass Ave. We went to this wonderful place on a last minute whim on a cold, miserable evening after work last week and had a wonderful machaca burrito, elegant and bright ceviche tostada, thick chips and flavorful guacamole (La Verdad could learn a lesson), fish taco (lightly fried and properly served with two corn soft tacos, lovely crema and cabbage) with Negro Modelo and Pacifico to wash it all down. Our meal was about $25.
Is the friend nearby (Harvard or Davis Sq.)? Otherwise, it's a bit out of the way. I am happy to provide transportation! I just love the people who run this joint and want them to succeed!
Loui Fuller or Local 121, Providence
Both restarants are most definitely open. Stopped into Local 121 on Saturday for some drinks only. It is a stunning, beautiful space, with an eclectic crowd. There is no drink menu, so we tried to order Dark and Stormys and a Jack Rose. No ginger beer and bartender didn't know how to mix a Jack Rose. We got beer and Sidecars instead. Tasty Sidecar. We perused the menu - can't recall any items, but we will definitely be back for the food.
I doubt Loie Fuller (or Local 121?) will ever have a website...I don't believe Lili Marlene has ever had one (same owner). Which I frankly love. People just need to show up to the restaurant without having done mounds of research into the menu, or forming any pre-conceived notions. I think it forces people to enjoy the experience of discovering the menu first-hand. I've not been in yet, but from a purely aesthetic point of view, it looks gorgeous, like the kind of place that you just can't wait to try out.
Local 121, 121 Washington
Loie Fuller, 1455 Westminster
Gatehouse Providence/Waterman Grille? Anyone have the scoop?
I don't consider Waterman Grille a "chowish" kind of place, but I needed a restaurant with a broad menu - the kind of place where mom and dad would be happy. We (three of us came in from out of town for the occasion) were there this past Saturday night, right on time for a 7pm reservation that I made a week in advance on opentable. The waiting area is non-existant and awkward. Several minutes go by - we are told that our tables are being put together. Then we are told that the party we are waiting on has their check. 15 minutes into our wait, the hostess speaks to my mom in a patronizing way, that we are getting a "better" table for our trouble. After another 5 minutes or so, we are finally told that we could wait in the downstairs bar and get a drink...downstairs bar? Thanks for telling us sooner. We are told that someone would come down and get us as soon as the table opened up. We order drinks and wait some more. Finally, at 7:30pm, I go upstairs to find out what is going on. The hostess acts surprised and says, oh, the table has been ready. We have been waiting for you to come back up. Huh? I expressed my displeasure and told her that we were clearly told that someone would get us when the table was ready. My brother had already settled the bar tab by the time I got downstairs.
Food was what I expected. Nothing innovative, but everyone seemed either happy or really hungry (one of us wasn't too happy with the portion side, which was on the small side, but I didn't mind). Entrees are a la carte, so in addition to our 5 mains (2 grilled salmon, grilled rare tuna, chicken pot pie, and grilled pork chop - the kitchen did a really nice job with the grilled seafood..not dried out at all), we ordered 4 sides (ordinary mac and cheese; grilled asparagus, which was rather pathetic on the plate - a few stalks on a plate; wild mushroom fricassee - a little salty, but tasty; and steak fries - on the mealy side and didn't seem "hand-cut" as advertised). No beer on tap, but the guys were happy with Otter Creek Lager and Trinity IPA. I found the wines by the glass a little pricey, so I stuck with the cheap local Sakonnet Vidal Blanc.
It was an okay evening otherwise, venue was right for the type of dinner we were seeking. It's too bad it was marred by such bad customer service right off the bat. I emailed the restaurant on Sunday and have not heard anything back. I will follow up with a call or a letter. We are not looking for a free meal - we all agreed that at the very least, the bar tab while we were waiting should have been picked up by the restaurant.
PG Tips loose tea?
That would be Whittard of Chelsea on Newbury. We bought some whole coffee beans there a few weeks ago. The coffee is, eh. Beans lack the rich, oily appearance that we look for in our beans. The tea selection was much wider. yumyum might have better luck with the small market in Davis Sq. which is Indian-owned but isn't there a sign for English or Irish foods in the window? You probably already checked out Shalimar market in Central Sq. since you were already at the Harvest?
T.W. Food
Thanks for the candid review - I was considering bringing my family here, but I think we'll stick with stinky Korean food.
Best bar to eat dinner @
The one time we ate at Douzo was at the bar on a very slow Sat afternoon. B got a roll with "soft-shell" crab, promptly bit down hard on a piece of shell (which was neither soft nor edible). Both I and the bartender heard it. Bartender was like, "whoa, what was that?!" and B told him, "I just bit down on something." The bill arrived and we weren't comped for the roll - I hate to quibble, but do others find that disconcerting (we had several other rolls and wine and beer, as well)? We were too surprised/polite/dumb to ask about it.
Cambridge - Corner of Concord Ave and Walden St
Was wondering if anyone has made it over to TW Food yet (did they open on May 10 as planned?). Thanks.
Saturday bruch in Providence for a group of 15-20?
Nick's has good bloody marys (I think Julians' bloodys get the slight nod). I don't think either place could accomodate your group, but it's worth calling to ask.
Other options include: Trinity Brewhouse (outdoor patio), Red Stripe, or Taqueria Pacifica with it's nice big plate glass windows (you'll need to give them some fair warning; they may not be able to accomodate either).
La Verdad (with pics)
Quite frankly, I was taken aback that there weren't two tacos/serving the one time I was there. In my old (Mexican) 'hood in Chicago, there were ALWAYS two tortillas. I was really bummed out that I had to partly eat the shrimp filling before eating my taco due to tortilla insufficiency.
Maria Bonita, Sichuan Gourmet
Maria Bonita helped me out of a jam on Saturday (should have been cooking for a Cinco de Mayo party but simply ran out of time). They gave me enough machaca, chicken, ceviche, and rice for 10-12 people (and hopefully kept enough for themselves to not sell out of anything). Did not sample the machaca or chicken, but I heard they were delicious, with the machaca a bit more flavorful and spicy. I did eat the ceviche, and to my tastebuds, I found it to have just the right balance of tangy and bright, but not puckery. Really nice folks who saw the desperation in my eyes and came through big time. We will be back to sample ceviche, carne asada, chorizo, and pescado tacos (they also have beer which is always a draw for us). Pleasant space, too!
Thanks Maria Bonita for saving my sorry a%$!
Vegetarian Tofu Dishes Cambridge/Somerville
There is a tofu with dry black bean sauce at Mulan that I'd like to try next time I'm there. I shared a whole fish with that same "sauce" (not at all liquid-y; more like a crust of firm or dried beans) with some friends a while back that I found positively delicious. The fish underneath was flaky and moist, much like a salt crust-encased fish. I wonder if the same treatment with tofu would be equally tasty. Not sure if that sauce or the tofu version is strictly veggie, though.
Limster - Sadly, I have not had any agedashi tofu since a really flavorful one in Kyoto a couple of years ago. I think it's time to try some around town.
Chow in Northampton this Weekend
Sorry - Thought sryder and I stressed enough that Dirty Truth is a beer bar. Sorry you didn't try the food - I was looking forward to a report!
BTW, it hasn't moved - I guess to me, that WAS across the street from Iron Horse. We also ate at La Veracruzana when we were in Northampton last summer - we had a great meal of fish tacos and local brew on tap.
Cafe D, JP
Finally made it over to Cafe D to try out the fish tacos (thanks yumyum et al.). Saturday night around 8:30pm at the bar. Shared the salmon tartare starter that was better than the tuna tartare that I had at Gargoyles last weekend (saltier than usual). Sesame flavor really shone through. We decided to split the provencal tuna burger and a full order of fish tacos. I was initially surprised by the price of the tacos ($12.50 for two; $6.50 for one taco) but it made for a great, casual Sat night-at-the-bar type of dinner. Flavorful fish, expertly fried, encased in two corn tortillas, with cabbage slaw, and delicious creme. Side of beans were okay, nothing special. Tuna burger was nice - a little more baseball-shaped than I like, but cooked perfectly (a bit on the rare side and still juicy) and the olive tapenade topping was really good. Could have benefitted from a sturdier, tastier bun, though - I found the bread pretty lame, like a cheap cook-out burger bun when you were a kid. Large, hand-cut steak fries were eaten quickly and completely. We had Harpoon Refsvindinge Private Stock (Danish Farmhouse Ale) on tap that packed a wallop - yum. JP Licks for Green (Monster) Tea ice cream followed.
La Verdad--3 out of 4 is pretty damn good
I had a michelada as well (Dos Equis beer with fresh lime juice, splash of hot sauce with a salt rim) and had the same reaction. Also, way too much ice for my taste (I'd rather take it with no ice at all - who likes drinking beer out of a straw? Not I!). I expected it to be more like a lime shandy.
Vegetarian Tofu Dishes Cambridge/Somerville
I'm curious about this dish (and I recall thinking so after your original post) - is it similar to agedashi tofu or something quite new and different? Sounds wonderful - sorry I missed it!
La Verdad--3 out of 4 is pretty damn good
We headed to La Verdad Sunday, 'round 7pm. VERY quiet in there - we had our choice of bar stools. We just wanted a pre-dinner snack, so we ordered 4 tacos. B had the carne asada, I had the shrimp, and we both had the fish. Carne asada came out first - we both were taken aback by the small-ness of the portion (we thought it was some plate of condiment at first). He found it tasty but lacking something. Shrimp came next - too much sauce. I had to eat some of the filling with my fork before even attempting to hoist it to my mouth. Tasty flavors, though. Honestly, I would eat that over rice any day rather than in a taco. Then we both got the fish - very nice hand with the deep fryer in the kitchen. Sprightly lime cream with subtle heat (could've used a bit more). Good-sized chuck of of white fish (type?). I was a little disappointed that the tacos were not served with 2 tortillas/serving. We'll give them another try soon, maybe before our next Sox game (Thursday).
Chow in Northampton this Weekend
I would recommend the Dirty Truth, which is across the street from the Iron Horse. We stopped in late one night and the kitchen was closing but we vowed to return next time we were in the area. They gave us fries, which were thin and crisp and served with aioli dipping sauce - delicious! We both enjoyed our fresh, clean-tasting beers (we both had local IPAs, I think). It's a beer bar with upscale-ish pub food in the same vein as Deep Ellum in Boston or maybe AS220/Taq Pacifica in Prov. Same folks who own the Moan and Dove in Amherst and great beer selection! Check their hours, though.
24 hours in Portland, 24 in Portsmouth
That sounds like a fantastically fun weekend! We tend to hit Portsmouth Brewery for an easy, brewpub dinner (I love the veggie jambalaya) but you and your friend will probably want something a little less pub-esque and more cocktail-centric, especially on a Sat night. I recall reading about some wine bar, but it's slipping my mind right now. Will have to look it up. (Something like "43 North?" have they gone out of business?) Anyway, I look forward to hearing about your trip - so jealous! :) They are two of my favorite towns anywhere!
Hope springs eternal..
I know the Scollay Square group *fixed up* Tavern on the Water last year. Has it improved (food- and fromage-factor wise) or gotten even worse? It's such a wonderful spot! We've played hooky before and gone when no one else was there on a sunny summer afternoon with a day ball game on. Great secluded views, yadda yadda, but that didn't hide the food from being one step from inedible (I guess a few beers in the sun will do that to you). Just curious. I fear the onslaught of the after-work meat market!...
Moving to Porter Square
Depending on which part of Porter you are moving to...
Pizza - One CHer has often heralded Newtowne as having good, Paddock-like bar pizza. I remember a warning to take out only, since the clientele can be a bit rough, but I think you could handle it! Di Mio is awful (and the customer service we got one time was really bad). Bad crust - I found it pretty flavorless, thin.
Pubs - Thirsty Scholar is okay. I've been happy with the mussels and the curry fries. Hard to mess those up. The music can get really loud and cheesy, though. Don't forget about Toad for free live music and a friendly crowd (no food, though). Not a fan of the food at Christopher's or Cambridge Common. Spirit, while winning no prizes for food either, also has all the major sports packages with audio and is a friendly place. You could do worse than to sit at the bar on a Sunday afternoon to catch a football game (the taps are pretty awful, though, both selection-wise and cleanliness of the lines...I'd stick with bottles).
Right down the street, the KFC/Taco Bell has mercifully closed recently - no idea what is coming in, but keep your fingers crossed! In that same area, beetlebug is right - there is an Afghani place, but I would be surprised if it lasts much longer...it is perpetually empty.
I have been told numerous times to avoid Kaya.
I guess technically, Harvard Sq., but Forest Cafe has the audio for all Red Sox games - fun to sit at the bar and nibble snacks while catching a few innings. Always an interesting crowd.
The Market Basket seems perpetually a zoo. We go by it almost every morning on our way to work, and it never fails to amaze us how packed the lot is EVERY day. Great deals, though. Sharpen those elbows!
Farther afield, and probably technically Davis Sq., but Capone Foods just opened last weekend. Do they do sandwiches in the Union Sq. location?
Candles - Either that artist co-op shop next to Emack and Bolio's or Cambridge Naturals. :)
Gargoyles table v. bar
Are they still doing "Tokyo Tuesdays" (bento box paired with a sake flight)? I still haven't tried it but sounds intriguing.
