lipoff's Profile
Where can I buy fresh burrata cheese
I know this is much further afield, but the Panzano Italian Market in Southborough has excellent, fresh burrata. I forget whether it is imported, althogh I believe that it isn't, but it is really excellent. They have them with several different spices/herbs added as well.
Vernor's in Boston????
I have not seen at Hi-Rise.
If you're at Wegman's again and like deeply flavored Ginger Ale, I would strongly recomend Saranac Ginger Beer. It is not a spicy, Jamaican-style ginger beer, but a more mild and smooth ginger beer with a great depth of flavor. I would consider Vernor's a strong ginger ale, and Saranac a light ginger beer, which means their pretty similar on that spectrum, but I think Saranac is a lot tastier.
As an aside, I love it when a ten year old thread makes a come back!
Chow-worthy in Nonantum?
I am a big fan of Antoine's Pastry Shop, especially their almond macarons. I think it is much better than anything in the North End, even Modern Pastry.
Nudo Gelateria replaced Bobalicious. I really miss Bobalicious a lot (especially when it was operated by the original owners), but I have to say that Nudo is quite good, and run by a very enthusiastic young Italian man.
I really do not like Fiorellas.
Chung Shin Yuan is excellent for Taiwanese brunch on weekends, but I would skip it during the week when it reverts to ordinary, Americanized Chinese food.
Cabot's is not exactly in Nonantum, but it is close by and I do like it a lot. Not for their ice cream (Richardson's) per se, but they make fun, old-school sundae creations, good ice cream sodas and lime rickeys, and they have excellent chicken salad sandwiches. Black raspberry is my favorite ice cream flavor there. They also make quite good dairy free frozen "yogurt" if you're so inclined. And yes, I did grow up literally around the corner, and even attended Cabot Elementary School, around the corner. If you're willing to go to Cabot's, George Howell's Cafe in Newtonville is worth a visit too.
Finally, Max & Leo's for pizza in Newton Corner, right near Nonantum.
Biryani Park - Sri Lankan in Malden
Indeed, one time I was there with a friend and we were trying to on a final dish to order. We were asked what we were looking for, and my friend said that he really wanted raw vegetables. What came out was an absolutely delicious "slaw" with some cooked potatoes and finely chopped cabbage, carrots, scallion, and more all bound together by wonderfully strong spices. Every time I go there, I end up trying something new and delicious.
L'Espalier Fantasy Tea - Long
Cynthia Gold is terrific --- I had done several wonderful tastings with her at the Park Plaza over the years, and am very glad she is doing well at L'Espalier.
I would like to tell you about the food at Orinoco (Brookline)
For a casual restaurant when it's not full on a weeknight, I think an inflexible policy is unacceptably inhospitable. I like the food, and I like the location, and I'll be back, but I'm not as much a fan because of their overall attitude towards hospitality.
I would like to tell you about the food at Orinoco (Brookline)
I like the Harvard Square location a lot --- better than I remember the South End version was a couple years ago anyway. Never had this problem there, although last time I was there the owner refused to seat the three members of our party of four who had arrived. Had the restaurant been totally full, or if it were early on a Saturday night I could understand, but they were maybe two-thirds full, several four tops were open, and it was 7:30 PM on a week night. After the three of us stood in the doorway awkwardly for twenty minutes she relented after I promised our fourth was on his way. The arepas are fresh and the fillings are very flavorful. Our party of four ordered one of every arepa and the trio of empenadas and had a feast for a bargain price.
Chowdown at Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
Sorry I missed this one, but here's another few photos from Gene's two days earlier. The off-menu items sound delicious!
Anyone know where to get salt cod in the Boston area?
I like the salt cod in Seabra Foods, a small market in Somerville, on Somerville Ave.
O Ya… Consistency whittled down to the dull art of repetition; or One and Done
You have to be kidding. Unless it's opposite day, since on another thread you pronounce Menton's sauces "inedible".
Cafe Sushi is a medicore neighborhood sushi place. Slightly better than Takemura, it's only sushi competition in that neighborhood. If I still lived in Harvard Square, I would rather walk to Koreana in Central or Blue Fin in Porter. Cafe Sushi is definitely not in the top ten in the Boston area.
There are a slate of (relatively) low-priced places for quality sushi in the Boston area, ranging from take-out sushi at Sakanaya in Allston, more traditional Japanese places like Toraya in Arlington and Sushi Island in Wakefield, to more modern places like Fish Market in Allston. Even Oga's, a fancier sushi restaurant in Natick, or AKA Bistro in Concord, are doing something quite different from O Ya. Those are all quality places, but they take a different approach and use ingredients at a different price point.
If you're point is that O Ya is not the only quality, serious sushi restaurant in Boston, you're absolutely right. The Oishiis and Uni, Oga's and AKA, Toraya and Sushi Island, and more, are all serious places at a variety of different registers. If you're point is that you don't find O Ya a good value, that's absolutely your opinion. I respect Troquet, for instance, but I don't find it a good value for me. But to compare the quality of the meal at O Ya with Cafe Sushi is like saying Frank's Steak House in North Cambridge is as good as Menton.
The *NEW* East Coast Grill
I just want to put in a plug for the Windmill hot sauce from Barbados at Tite's Tropical (the little bodega on Norfolk St between Inman and Central Square). It's the best version of the West Indian hot sauce that I've ever had. Very hot, but not as spicy as Inner Beauty.
Dinner at Troquet
I really like the food at Troquet a lot, but I find the menu is just too expensive for what it is.
I don't drink wine, but I gather that their wine is list both excellent and very well priced, so I suspect Troquet is a much better value for people who do drink wine. I also realize that often the opposite is true at most restaurants --- the wine markup may have the effect of subsidizing the food. So if that's all true, I'm happy to give the oenophiles this one. ;) But I do want to explain why I don't go there very often, but your description of that duck and my memories of their soufflé are tempting me.
Returning to boston after 3years away.
Craigie is still firing on all cylinders, other places in Cambridge like Bondir, Ten Tables, Salts, Catalyst, Bergamot and Hungry Mother having a not dissimilar vibe and level of cooking. All are highly recommended.
I second (or third!) S&I Thai and Thai North (only for their chalkboard list of Northern Thai specials). Dok Bua is good too, but I would prefer those two.
Banh Mi Ba Le in Dorchester is wonderful for Vietnamese sandwiches.
You may also enjoy Strip T's in Watertown either for inventive lunchtime sandwiches or interesting dinners.
Biryani Park has incredible Sri Lankan food in Malden. Moroccan Hospitality and Fuloon are just as good Moroccan and Chinese in Malden as well. All are board favorites for good reason.
And if you like bagels from Finagle, please try Rosenfeld's in Newton or Katz' in Chelsea. Finagle makes fine rolls with holes, but they are not bagels. :)
Chinatown Bakeries: Best Pineapple Bun
Really, I've yet to have a good pastry from Maxim Coffee House, so I've stopped trying.
For Pineapple Buns, as for most Chinese pastries, I would head instead to Yi Soon Bakery in Allston. However, I did have an excellent Wife's Pastry (lao po bing) at Great Taste Bakery in Chinatown recently. Didn't notice if they have Pineapple Buns.
Let’s make a list of obnoxiously loud restos
I love, love, love the food at Highland Kitchen, but I find it obnoxiously loud. Also, dbar on Showtunes Tuesdays was unbearable. I now realize that it's a weekly thing there, and so avoid going there for dinner (I think only a late dinner would run into the showtunes) on Tuesdays, but still, the first time I was blindsided by it.
Inexpensive Salads -- Need Panera Alternatives
Sebastian's (the cafe in the Broad Institute building in Cambridge, but with a separate entrance) has a nice salad station, as does Cosi nearby in Kendall Square. I also like Quizno's salads, and Whole Foods have excellent salad bars. Finally, California Pizza Kitchen's BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad is one of my absolute favorites. Maybe a touch more expensive, but obviously not very expensive and just wonderful.
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe, Chelmsford
I can't believe it took me so long to get up there. Shaanxi food is some of my most favorite in all of China, and even if this is a hike from Cambridge, I am so excited that this place is here. I'll be going back this weekend. =)
The lamb stew is one of my favorite dishes, ever, and this version is so much better than what used to be served at the now defunct Beijing Star in Waltham. As good as I've had in Xi'an.
The hand pulled noodles are really remarkable too, freshly made, each bowl a little different, each so tasty.
I was actually not, however, a fan of the "flatbread" sandwiches. I found the bread that worked so well when torn up and bathed in the lamb soup just didn't work as well as a sandwich. I only had the beef version, but I found the cumin almost indetectable, the beef cut too thick, and the red and green bell peppers a truly odd addition. I was also surprised that there was no lamb version of these. There's nothing like really good rou jia mo, but these didn't hit the spot for me.
The cumin lamb skewers, however, were wonderful. Not super-strongly spiced and pretty thick for this style (in China one often gets skewers from street vendors that are thin little scraps of meat that have been coated thoroughly a spice mixture and so one gets a different balance of taste and texture). I have to say though, that I really like Gene's way too.
So happy about this place.
Strip T's increasing funkiness
Also went to Strip T's last night. And had great meal as usual.
I had the skirt steak with chimichuri. My only minor complaint is that the meat itself could have been warmer --- my same minor quibble last time I had this dish. They've since changed the plating and some of the accompaniments. I'm still surprised by the raw watercress under the steak, but I still like it in a slightly challenging way. One DC had the Strip T's Burger, which I helped her finish. Terrific burger, with a really strong, serious miso taste, and excellent french fries, which I ::ahem:: also helped her finish. My other DC is a vegetarian, and I was a little worried when we sat down and looked at the menu that there wasn't much for her. Fortunately, the only vegetarian main dish (i.e. that's not a side order) is the outstanding Japanese eggplant banh mi. We also had the mushroom mix and the grilled sweet peas for the table. I'm sure the cauliflower or the fennel could have been made vegetarian as well. I liked them both, although a few of the peas were grilled too far.
When I saw it on the dessert menu I was perplexed why the mocha chocolate cake was only $4 while the other two desserts were twice as expensive. We ordered the cake on our waitresses recommendation (downselling? I would have ordered the doughtnuts otherwise) and I saw why. It was just a simple sheet cake with some simple icing atop. The kind of thing your mother might bake . . . if your mother happened to be a pastry chef. This cake was made with care and attention, even if the form of the dessert was very simple and very traditional. So it's not an elaborate plated dessert, and usually I like elaborate plated desserts, but this cake personified something about Strip T's to me --- elevating a little neighborhood place with care and attention and heart.
It is a little funky, like paper napkins combined with cleaning resetting the table with proper flatware; serving homemade marshmellows as dessert petit-fours and also plunking down a cup of coffee without a word and earnest but slightly confused waitstaff. New tables and refreshed walls, combined with a basement restroom that's no Ten Tables JP. I like it all though.
I hope the funky basement restroom stays, although I feel for people for whom its an accesibility challenge. It's also nice to chat briefly with the guys cleaning and cutting the mushrooms in the basement. I wonder if they realized what they would be in for when they applied for a job at a little neighborhood place tucked into a niche in Watertown!
Japanese style hot dogs in Ctown: Fei Fan Eatery
Hi all,
Apologies for my absence from the board for a while, and the poor photo quality here, but I hope this gives you an impression of how large they are. They are pretty large indeed. I will admit to an unreasonable fondness for Japanese style hot dogs, so perhaps it will be no surprise that I really enjoyed them. I think it's an excellent dog, but the point of these hotdogs isn't the taste of the hotdog itself, but the taste and texture of all the toppings together. Think of like a Korean/Japanese-Chicago dog in that respect.
I was really sad when they were inexplicably closed at 9 PM on a Friday night last week, but they were open at that time on the Tuesday three days earlier.
Two hungry people could split three dogs (and try more toppings!) but I think one dog, especially when paired with a bubble tea from the Juice Bar around the corner, and a "wife's pastry" from Great Taste Bakery across the street, would satiate even a Chowhound. =)
alpaca meat in or near Boston?
I would call first to double check, but I believe this can be had all the time at Frio Rico, the Peruvian grocery story in East Boston. Frozen, of course.
Who makes the best oatmeal?
I'm not an oatmeal person, but a friend visiting from New Jersey is. We usually go to Hi-Rise for breakfast for their oatmeal, but I'm wondering if there's another place I can suggest that is at least as good.
Searching the board, it sounds like Johnny D's has good oatmeal, but I've never been there before. Is it still good? Will a non-oatmeal person (me!) be happy with brunch there too? Is the live music nice, or does it make conversation impossible?
We'd need a place that's open around 9 AM on Sunday, but location is not important.
Buying rendered duck fat?
I've bought it from Savenor's before --- really excellent.
What is the superlative taco and where to find it in the Boston area?
I really love the various beef variety tacos at Taqueria Jalisco in East Boston.
For fish tacos, I still like El Pelon the best.
Best place for Offal?
Craigie on Main is having their annual "Road Less Travelled" dinner tonight --- last year's version included lots and lots and lots of offal.
Anticuchos (grilled Peruvian beef hearts) are excellent at Rincón Limeño in East Boston, and one of the better dishes on the otherwise generally mediocre menu at Machu Picchu in Somerville.
Taqueria Jalisco also has a number of offal fillings for tacos available every day, including beef head.
Abbondanza in Everett makes a terrific Roman-style (beef) tripe stew.
Many Chinese restaurants have good offal --- Red Peppers in Framingham has excellent beef larynx as well as more typical Sichuan offal offerings such as the fu qi fei pian (beef tripe and tendon in a spicy sauce).
There's lots of excellent Korean offal too, often in soups, but Myong Dong 1st Ave in Brighton also has tasty salty, fried chicken giblets.
When is a Banh Mi not a Banh Mi?
I saw a tweet yesterday proclaiming that Myers + Chang has a tea-smoked duck Banh Mi for lunch, and the idea really sounded very good, and it was lunch time. I got a terrific parking space, the restaurant was maybe half-full for lunch, and those soft white chairs at the tables (not the counter seating) are really, really comfortable.
There are four different types of Banh Mi on their lunch menu, for $8 each, and the tea-smoked duck Banh Mi was a daily special, which turned out to be $12. I ordered that, and a mint-lime rickey ($5). The Banh Mi arrived with a few "prawn crackers" and a kind of slaw of marinated mild peppers.
I feel like I should be putting "Banh Mi" in quotes throughout though, because what I got was a tasty, even delicious sandwich, but it wasn't a Banh Mi. The bread wasn't Banh Mi bread, the filling wasn't Banh Mi filling, the two different sauces inside the sandwich weren't Banh Mi sauces, and the accompaniments aren't served with a Banh Mi. I don't mean to be a stickler for authenticity when the Banh Mi itself is a relatively recent product of French/Vietnamese fusion, but since when did "Banh Mi" become "sandwich with Asian filling"?
Actually, this sandwich was really quite delicious, and nothing like a Banh Mi, so it seems unfair to compare a $12 sandwich and a $5 soda (so a ~ $21 lunch, including tax and tip) to a $3.50 Banh Mi and a $2.50 bubble tea from nearby Chinatown. However, if they keep calling it a Banh Mi, it's hard not to make that comparison, and in that comparison their value doesn't compare well. As a tasty smoked duck sandwich on a crusty, pressed roll, served in comfortable surroundings, it holds its own.
Xian Famous Foods in Boston-- A conversation with Jason
Oh my, you've made my heart jump!
Best place for Offal?
The Haven in Jamaica Plain is a Scottish restaurant that of course has Haggis!
cuttlefish at a fish market or restaurant?
Mulan also serves three-cup cuttlefish, which is a common Taiwanese preparation. I am not entirely sure if Mulan and Jo Jo Taipei observe a 100% clear distinction between cuttlefish and squid, since the same word in Chinese (魷魚) is often used for both.
