bookdwarf's Profile
Local Asparagus
Good question! I called Russo's this morning and they only had California asparagus. There's the Cambridge/Somerville/SOWA winter markets this weekend but will there be any?
Local Asparagus
Has anyone seen locally grown asparagus yet? Is it too early? I've only seen stuff from California so far.
Has anyone tried Catalyst yet ?
Three of us went to Catalyst last night for the first time. We were planning on trying out Area Four for dinner but didn't realize it's closed on Sunday nights.
I found the interior gorgeous though the restaurant was only a quarter full at 7 pm. We sat at the comfy bar and split a bunch of dishes. The bartender was polite but not overly personable. Cocktails were pretty good--Corpse Reviver #2 and Mexican Sand. I got the bartenders choice which was fine except she neglected to tell me what she gave me.
From the bar menu we tried the Crispy Pork Rillettes, which were indeed crispy and delicious and had a shallot grape jam that paired well. We also split the Crystal Valley Chicken Wings with Tatziki Dipping Sauce. The wings were excellent and came in a little pot covered in a sweet and spicy sauce. The tatziki was a little sweet but nicely countered the spiciness of the wings.
From the main menu we tried the Caramelized Onion Soup with Raclette Toast and roasted cipolini onions which was sort of like a pureed version of French Onion soup. It was very delicious especially once the raclette toast soaked up some of the soup! We ordered the Garganelli, Chicken Oysters, Bacon, Black Truffle Butter which could have used a touch of salt & a bit more bacon but the flavors were outstanding nonetheless. The chicken oyster meat was falling apart and tasty! We split the Lightly Pickled Vegetable Salad, Peppercress, Crispy Onion that we all enjoyed and perhaps the winner of the night was the side of potatoes, pearl onions, roasted with "drippings", if my memory serves me correctly.
We split the Chocolate Fondant dessert which came with Caramel Glaze, Hazelnut Streusel, and Banana Coulis.The three of us all really really liked it. It's my kind of dessert, salty and sweet.
They seem to change the menu often. I checked online this morning to help me remember the names of some dishes but they weren't on there.
Which cooking school is better?
It depends on what you want. Like hotoynoodle said, do you want a degree or just to take recreational classes? I'm at CSCA for a degree and have found it excellent so far. I've had a lot of friends take the recreational classes and really enjoy them too. The instructors are all enthusiastic about food and great teachers.
Scampo - carb-o-licious
Ditto this. I don't go there often but whenever I do, I check out the entire menu but just end up with the spaghetti with cracklins. Just so darn good.
CSA Rating
Another Parker Farm subscriber here. This is our 5th year? Again, it always varies. I've had some of the best corn of my life from Parker. This year is pretty good. 3.5?
Review: Abigail's in Kendall Square
My husband and I went to Abigail's on 3rd st. in Kendall Square with a friend this evening and had a really great evening-- it's exactly the sort of addition the neighborhood needs. Loved the decor. Husband thought the grout-work on the tile was really thoughtfully-chosen, and admired the steam-curved arch of wood that was artfully un-decorated.
Drinks: Nice beer & wine selection, and a short list of very well-thought-out cocktails. Mr. Grant was a Manhattan-like concoction including Rye, Amaro Meletti, and Carpano Antica Formula vermouth; a gin-St.Germaine-white wine mix was refreshing; and they had a fun gin-grapefruit highball with a salt rim that we liked as well.
For the actual food: Fried oysters came on their own shells, nestled in a spicy tartar sauce. Hot, delicious, light-- we nearly ordered another round. Panzanella was full of big flavorful tomatoes and basil and some nice mozzarella. The cucumber salad had tomatoes, too-- but not the same tomatoes as the panzanella, which I thought was interesting. They've obviously put some care into their choice of ingredients.
A corn bisque was deliciously flavored but lighter in texture than we expected a bisque to be. It was more of a corn broth, enhanced with a little cream. Actually kind of great, but sort of mismatch of expectations.
The burger was excellent. Not too huge, not too small. Cooked properly, juicy. I didn't much like the special house sauce, but that's just me not liking it, not it being bad.
The mussels were a little salty and one or two were slightly gritty, but certainly disappeared quickly, along with the bread and the Pernod-spiked broth.
We split a sweet ricotta tart for dessert, which was nicely flavored and had a good crust, but was also kind of dry. Not that we didn't eat every last crumb of it. But you know, have to nitpick. :)
Service was friendly and attentive- we could tell that more than one person was stepping up to make sure there were no holes in service and that everything was working to plan. The manager or maitre-d' helped bring out the food, which kind of made me smile, too: Glad to see the guy in the suit doing his share of schlepping and expediting and being a team player.
We'll definitely be back-- there's a lot more on the menu we want to try.
Little Q Hotpot Truly Superb
The husband and I went to Little Q last night in an attempt to beat the heat. I like the simplicity of the decor. We had a nice bottle of sake, the pan fried pork dumplings, and some hot pot! Everything was great. We got the summer cooler (at least I think that's what it was called) and the mala broth. I had the angus slices, he got the pork combo and some beef tendon. The mala broth is outstanding, spicy without being too scary and it had so much flavor by the end! The husband couldn't stop eating! We definitely plan on going back with a lot of folks so we can try more. And I want to try the take out.
I should also add that the service was pretty great too.
The site of the old Marino's restaurant in Cambridge?
I live several doors down from Marino's on a side street. I wish something would move in there! They just redid the sidewalk in front, but the building itself needs some help. This is unsubstantiated but I heard a Rwandan coffee place had a tentative plan but just fell through. because of lease terms or something.
I want a place like Highland Kitchen or Trina's to open there! We need a good neighborhood restaurant up there.
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Highland Kitchen
150 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143
Bergamot - outstanding!
My husband and I ate at Bergamot on Saturday night. It was fantastic! We ended up sitting at the bar because we liked the bartender so much (Amy?). We had the beet thing and the sardines for appetizers, the rabbit dish and the monkfish for entrees, and the carrot cake and the chocolate dessert. The rabbit dish was the star, in particular the parsley pasta. I loved that the portion sizes were completely reasonable. We were able to eat every bite of each course, not something I usually manage. I can't wait to go back there.
Rafiki Bistro?
I was there on Friday night, but just for drinks, so I can't speak for the food. The bar is nice as are the bartenders. I had issues with the decor and the music though. I felt like I had stepped into the 90s. My friend said the same thing. Perhaps the food makes up for that?
Temple Bar and Spiced Pear Opinions?
I ate there last night for the first time in years. I was pleasantly surprised. I had read about the new chef and people are right. The new menu had lots of stuff. My vegetarian friend was also pleased by the amount of things she could eat. I had one of the pizzas with house made sausage and fennel plus a side of asparagus. She had the White Truffle pizza. Both were excellent. I'm definitely going back soon.
Orecchiette, where are you?
I've definitely bought it at at least two different Whole Foods--River Street and Fresh Pond. Think I got Barilla brand, but can't remember.
Help deciding between Rendezvous, Troquet, Salts, EVOO
I'd second EVOO. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the entire area. The tasting menu is a good deal---they usually slip in an extra plate in there.
Cane Sugar
Does anyone know where you can buy cane sugar? Is this something you can get at Whole Foods or do I have to go to a specialty store? Thanks for any help.
Hell Night report
I just posted this on another thread, but will post it again:
I went on Monday night with my boyfriend. We started with the "asswings", as they were written on our check----the spiciest thing I've ever eaten. I hear they were spicier than the pasta, but we didn't get that. I had the Habanero tequila and it was indeed an experience. I decided to just go for it as my mouth was burning from the wings anyway. Things calmed down a bit with the entrees we ordered: Ferocious Fried Scallops and West Indies Pork 3 Ways. The scallops were delicious plus the sides were excellent as well, some of the best green beans I've ever had. The pork dishes were not quite as good. Nothing was too spicy, but after the wings, it was hard to tell.
Hell night recs?
Went on Monday night. We started with the "asswings" as they were written on our check----the spiciest thing I've ever eaten. I hear they were spicier than the pasta, but we didn't get the pasta. I had the Habanero tequila and it was indeed an experience. I decided to just go for it as my mouth was burning from the wings anyway. Things calmed down a bit with the entrees we ordered: Ferocious Fried Scallops and West Indies Pork 3 Ways. The scallops were delicious plus the sides were excellent as well, some of the best green beans I've ever had. The pork dishes were not quite as good. Nothing was too spicy, but after the wings, it was hard to tell.
Penang craving in Harvard Square?
I remember reading in an article that the menu won't change for a month or so. The owners of OM bought Penang, renamed it Rendang, but kept the chef. He said he's excited because he can make spicier food than was on the Penang menu. Wish I could remember where I read this---possibly that restaurant gossip column in the Globe magazine. My point is that the menu is exactly the same , the food is still good and is also one of the better lunch values in Harvard Square.
looking 4 indian fine dining
Hmm, I'd be surprised if they were owned by the same people. I know a group owns Diva, Kashmir, and Mantra, but I can't find any info on who owns Namaskar.
looking 4 indian fine dining
I'd second Tamarind Bay. Also Namaskar in Davis Square has nice decor and great food, though not as fancy as Tamarind Bay.
EVOO - rw?
EVOO is in my top 5 restaurants in the entire Boston area. I've also had great luck with the tasting menus. I'd consider this place one of the secret great restaurants of Boston.
Another great Gargoyles experience
I've always loved Gargoyle's (they have one of the best bartenders around). My only complaint is the lack of vegetarian options. I'm an omnivore, but my herbivore friends have a hard time eating there. Overall, I still think it's one of the better restaurants in the Cambridge/Somerville area.
Berkshire Mountain Bakery
Does anyone know where the Berkshire Mountain Bakery sells bread? Last year they sold at the Union Square farmers' market, but they weren't there when I went 2 weeks ago. Has anyone had confirmed sightings of them? I miss their chocolate bread!
Weekend farmers' markets
I love the Berkshire bakery (they have this amazing chocolate chip bread), but when I went to the Union Square farmers' market 2 weeks ago, they weren't there. Toscanini's was there selling bread though.
Hong Kong Restaurant --- Harvard Square, Cambridge
I really love the green beans. They're usually crisp and the sauce is spicy and not thickened, though the last time I ate there (about 2 weeks ago) they were not as good as normal.
