Zut's Profile
November 2011 Openings and Closings
Per a boston.com article of today, the Other Side Cafe (by Mass Ave and Newbury) will close as of December 23. I'm a bit surprised it stuck around as long as it did. But, despite its dreadfully hipster vibe (with attendant terrible service), it, or at least its decent sandwiches and beer selection, will be missed.
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Other Side Cafe
407 Newbury St, Boston, MA 02115
Seven Stars Chinese Bistro has opened on Belgrade Ave. in Roslindale
After reading about this place here, I was very, very excited about the prospect of quality Chinese food in Roslindale. Having grown up there with Imperial Kitchen as the best local option, I had gotten used to the idea that good Chinese food was only available in Brookline, in town, or beyond. I finally got the chance to try it this past weekend, and I was most impressed. Their pork fried rice was some of the best I've had, rivaling (perhaps) Din Tai Fung in Arcadia, CA. The Chinese broccoli was great, and everything else (including the pan fried peking raviolis and the orange chicken) was solid. This is a great addition to Rozzie, and I do hope they get lots of business. I, for one, will be going back soon.
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Imperial Kitchen
50 Corinth St, Roslindale, MA 02131
Seven Star Street Bistro
155 Belgrade Ave, Boston, MA 02131
Bagels in Boston
I concur, Alcahofa. While I know excellent bagels are available in New York, they can be elusive. And Katz is up there with the best that I've had from there (and I've had a good number).
Let's make a list of bars without TVs
Ah, but The Behan does show the Sox (and other sports, including, I think, the Premier League) on a pull-down screen. So I don't quite classify it as a refuge from all sports.
Let's make a list of bars without TVs
The Delux Cafe has a TV - but as the TV, as a strict rule, is only turned to the Cartoon Network, I consider it effectively a bar with no TVs.
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Delux Cafe
100 Chandler St, Boston, MA 02116
Roast Beast (Allston)
After reading all about it here, I had to try this place. Not so much because I love roast beef - I really don't - but because my fiance does. She's been telling me forever that if I just got to try some decent roast beef, I would love it. So I was excited to try this place myself, to see if it could in fact inspire an interest for me in this form of beef. And I was very, very impressed.
First, the sandwich itself was just fantastic. The meat was so rare, and the griddled bun and sauce went so well with it, that it was just a delight to eat.
Second, the owner there was a wonderfully friendly guy. Very chatty, and had a clear sense of what he was doing.
Third, I thought his raspberry lime rickey was damn fine. As a former Brigham's counterman myself, I made my share of these back in the day, and realize that it can be an art form in and of itself. While not the best I've ever had, it was the best I've had in a long time.
Oh, and I brought the fiance along. And she loved it. Although she loves roast beef, she's very picky about it. She thought this was equivalent to her favorite ever. So that is something indeed.
I can't wait to go back.
Chef Chang's becoming Sichuan Gourmet?
The deal would appear to be done:
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/brookline/2010/01/chef_changs_house_closing_afte.html
Nduja in Boston??
With this article on ndjuda in today's New York Times reminding me of the quest:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/dining/23nduja.html?_r=1
I once again raise the question - anyone got any idea where to find some in or around Boston?
Thanks!
who sells the best homemade Italian Sausages
Second on Tony's. http://www.tonysmarketroslindale.com/
Montrealer in Boston for Columbus Wknd
This thread regarding another Montrealer's visit may be helpful:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/631653
Bars in Inman and Central?
As someone with perhaps a bit too much experience of late with drinking in Central (less so with Inman), I will throw in my two cents for the Miracle of Science. It's just a great place, both for eating (search the board and you should find plenty of raves) and for drinking. Drinking-wise, while it may not be the most interesting place around, its fantastic corner location allows for great people watching. Also, their breakfast (notwithstanding the weak coffee) is both fairly inexpensive and really good.
I'll also throw in a kind word for the Phoenix Landing. Don't stay there past 10:00 PM (when the DJs start spinning music of often dubious quality). But it's a fine place to drink the early evening, especially if you're interested in seeing a replay of a Champions League match. Plus, they have just recently redone their menu. I had sworn off eating their food, as it had previously been bland pub food. Though the new menu does not seem to be near the Miracle of Science nor the Druid in quality, I've been impressed with the quality of the ingredients.
Cambridge Pizza Delivery
Cinderella's for me. Its' quality is not *exceptional*, but the delivery is very fast (to Cambridgeport at least), very reliable, and the quality of the pizza is good. Again, though, it is pretty standard (if quality) pizza. It's not neapolitan or anything fabulous. So I'm looking forward to trying some of the other places that get mentioned here.
Nduja in Boston??
Anyone got any insight on this? I'd also love to try some nduja if it's available around here.
Why is Thai food in boston so bad?
A point which I'm surprised no one has yet made is that Thai food, per my understanding, came relatively late to the Boston area. I grew up here in the '80s and '90s and do not recall seeing a Thai place until the early '90s. I do not claim to be all-knowing in terms of restaurant development here - I easily could have just been overlooking (or too young to observe or eat at) numerous other Thai places. But when I moved to Chicago in 1997, I was duly surprised to see that city was filled with Thai places - yet had (relatively) few Chinese places. It seems to me that Boston in the mid-90s was a place that had innumerable takeout Chinese places, some quality Chinese places, and a few scattered Japanese and Thai places. Whereas Chicago (and other cities in the midwest and west?) had relatively few takeout Chinese places, but innumerable Thai places.
Anyone else agree with this assessment? Or does this really speak to the greater issue of growth of cuisine in Boston in general?
SF hound report back on eating in Boston
Thanks, winedude. I think this is a very reasonable assessment of things. I've been a mite disappointed with the analysis here (and the sweeping generalizations). And though I haven't spent enough time in San Francisco to truly understand why that fine city has so many great restaurants (and what those great restaurants are all about), you've made clear that Boston, at least in its current state, is not "food hell."
Cheap drinks outside
Do these places (Shay's, Thornton's, Jury's, or whatever else arises here) allow you to drink without ordering food? I ask because it seems to me that there is a lack of outdoor space for either eating or drinking round these parts, and to make the most of what they have, many places (I'm thinking of you Red Fez, and you Daedalus) require you to order food too. And sometimes, I just want to consume a nice alcoholic beverage sans food.
The little gem that is Trattoria Toscana
Yeah, I'm 95% certain they don't take reservations. And I think that even if they did, they may be reluctant to take on a table of more than six due to size constraints. And by 6:30 on a Friday they will likely already be very crowded.
Where around here might I find a place just like Trattoria Toscana . . .
But not Trattoria Toscana? That is, I, like seemingly everyone else in this town, adores the place. For it's got a great central location, pleasant service, fabulous prices, and, above all else, simple, fantastic Italian cuisine. Because they keep it small, sans reservations and with no bar, however, I find it increasingly difficult to go there.
Does anyone have any suggestions for a place fitting the above-listed characteristics, but one that either (a) takes reservations, (b) is larger and has a bar so that waiting is not a big deal, or (c) no one else has yet heard of?
Oh, and yes, I realize the simplest solution may just be to go to Tuscany. But with the exchange rate these days . . .
Roslindale bummers
Wow. I never thought I'd see the day when folks decried the end of the Rozzie Pub (more recently the "Game Day" Pub). I mean, I've lived through a lot of changes in the neighborhood and appreciate most all of them as great things. And as much as gentrification in general is a curse upon our society (don't even get me started on that one), the Rozzie Pub was not a palatable place. If not a haven for, umm, off the books activities, it was at least a shady and unfriendly place.
Not that "Robyn's" looks great, either. But it seems that making the effort to change is worthwhile.
Downtown/Waterfront after-work drinks?
I'm seeking a nice place for after-work drinks in a fairly broad swath of space: the Waterfront; the Leather District, the Financial District, and the North End. I realize there are probably numerous candidates for such things (it is the heart of the old city, after all). And frankly, I feel a little foolish not having any better ideas myself. But I don't know that area of town so well as I would like, at least in terms of places to imbibe (I know the restaurants better). More precisely, what I'm looking for is something within comfortable walking distance of South Station, that won't be insanely crowded on a Thursday evening, and that is neither a boring Irish pub (interesting ones would be cool) nor an uber-fancy restaurant that happens to have a bar. My normal drinking spots are the Brendan Behan or James Gate in JP, the Delux, Bukowski's, or Audobon - i.e. "faux dive" or places that aren't too expensive but are a wee bit glossy.
Apologies for my ignorance. I do hope you folks can help. Thanks in advance for any advice.
