BlueTrain84's Profile
Mince Meat Pie?
Anybody know where I can get a fantastic mince meat pie for Thanksgiving around Boston? It's an old school flavor that I don't see much, but I'd really like to find a great homemade mince meat pie to bring home for my mum.
Let's talk about nachos, baby; let's talk about you and me.
Rattlesnake Bar & Grill on Boylston has fantastic nachos!
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Rattlesnake Bar & Grill
384 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116
Newport, RI--Half Marathon
Thanks! I am psyched for the race, and the meal after will be a bonus.
Newport, RI--Half Marathon
Hi hounds!
I am usually a Boston hound but am coming down to Newport for the half marathon in a few weeks. I need a casual dinner spot on Friday night for some pasta (thinking Brick Alley Pub, although I haven't been there, just read reviews) and then somewhere for a mid-day meal on Sunday after finishing the race. I'd like to go somewhere moderately priced that is unique to Newport--I've been there many times but haven't dined at too many places. I've heard Tallulah is fun farm-to-table but wasn't sure if it would be too fancy. Any ideas would be great, thanks!
Brighton Center bests?
I work right nearby, so I have tried a bunch of these spots. I second Gourmaniac on Esperia Grill, it really is a nice spot to have in the neighborhood. I've recently had some not-so-great meals at Devlin's, which is a shame because it had been decent all of the other times I went. Athans is farther down Washington St and has some great salads and sandwiches in addition to fantastic chocolates, pastries, biscuits, and gelato. I'm also partial to Jim's Deli for when you want a classic eggs, bacon and potatoes sort of breakfast, although I've heard their hot subs are also good.
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Jim's Deli & Restaurant
371 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135
Esperia Grill
344 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135
Another Great Meal at Tico
Hmm, we didn't notice that it was overly loud when we were there BUT we did have one of the window seat tables that are bordered by a small wall on one side, so I think that blocked some noise. We have been seated at those kinds of two-seat tables each time we've gone, so if we go back and are seated in a more central location, I'll circle back and compare the decibal levels.
If you're looking for a REALLY loud place to get latinish food, that was my experience with Lolita Cocina. My voice was scratchy after we left an hour and a half meal from all of the screaming.
Another Great Meal at Tico
Managed to snag a 7:15 reservation at Tico on Friday night and we had another lovely meal. We started with house margaritas on the rocks, which were good (strong!) but nothing terribly special. For small plates, we first ordered the steamed clams with garlic, cilantro and lime. These were just as good as the last time we ordered them, and I think they will remain on our short list for a while. We also tried the chorizo risotto and I will definitely be ordering this again. The risotto was perfectly cooked and had a nice bite from the chorizo without being oversalty, which is a concern I had going in. For tacos, I had the tender pork with cucumber and my bf had the shrimp with bacon and avocado. Mine had some nicely cooked pork that was indeed tender, and the cucumber added a good cooling crunch. I couldn't try his tacos, but he has ordered them every time we go and assures me that they are great. Overall, the meal was delicious and pretty reasonably priced (although I realize that it was a light dinner and the average diner probably orders more than us). One thing that we need to adjust when we come here is how we order, though. We have always ordered everything up front and then it always comes out too quickly and we end up being done and out the door one hour later. Next time we go, we are going to try spacing out the order a bit and see how that works--will report back.
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Tico
222 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116
June 2011 Openings and Closings
Went looking for a different spot to grab a drink last night and discovered that Whiskey Park closed June 1st. The sign on the door said that a new company acquired some starwood properties, with the park plaza being among them, and as a result whiskey park would close on June 1st.
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Whiskey Park
64 Arlington St, Boston, MA 02116
Peach Farm Tonight, What To Get?
I did see the hot and numbing bamboo shoots but I was afraid that they would dominate me haha. Dan dan noodles are pretty much pushing the limits for heat for me--how much hotter would you say the hot and numbing bamboo shoots are?
I can't wait to go back to new shanghai, it really was great.
Peach Farm Tonight, What To Get?
Update--ended up having a last minute location change and went to New Shanghai instead, which was great. We had hot and sour soup, spinach with ginger sauce, dan dan noodles (yay!), "special" buns (steamed buns w savory pork inside), ma po tofu, and some red bean cakes. Everything came out hot and delicious and I would definitely go back. The ma po tofu was incredible, probably the best that I have had in Boston. Hopefully I can go to peach farm another time!
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New Shanghai Restaurant
21 Hudson St, Boston, MA 02111
Peach Farm Tonight, What To Get?
Unfortunately, squid and octopus are actually members of the shellfish family :-( I can't do crab, lobster, any kind of shrimp, mussells, oysters, conch, scallops or snails. Sad face. I'll probably go with some of the peapod stems and soup, plus either fried pork chops or fried eel.
Peach Farm Tonight, What To Get?
How are the clams prepared, like chopped and sauteed? Or steamed with the sauce served over them? I'm very curious about the mechanics of the dish.
Peach Farm Tonight, What To Get?
Going to Peach Farm for the first time tonight and I need to know what to order. I searched around the board a little bit and found some popular dishes, but I am allergic to shellfish, which eliminates all the fun S&P dishes and many others. The one kind of shellfish I can have is clam, but I saw mixed reviews on the clams with black bean sauce. Any thoughts on what to order? Do they do dan dan noodles?
Thanks!
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Peach Farm
4 Tyler St, Boston, MA 02111
Lolita Cocina
Sampled a few drinks and plates at Lolita Cocina last night, and I have to say that it was better than expected. We showed up at 8 sans reservation and it ended up being a 35 min wait for a table of two, which wasn't bad at all. It also helped that they took our phonies number so that we could grab a drink up the street.
When we sat down, the first thing that I was struck by was the deafening noise. The club music in the background was loud enough that I had to shout for my DC to hear, and I later left with a scratchy throat and ringing ears. The decor is an interesting combo of bordello and lounge with a lot of red and black, and the lights are kept at a pretty low level. I don't think I'd want to eat lunch here because t would be disorienting to go back out to sunshine.
The meal began with a grapefruit and mint palate cleanser that seemed to be a granita. Very fresh and bright, and did I mention that they brought it out 'smoking' due to what I guess was dry ice or liquid nitrogen under the bowl?
We ordered the lolita and the diablo for drinks, the former being closest to a regular house margarita and the latter being a spicy sweet combo with fruity and jalapeño flavors. Both were pleasantly strong, too. Next out were chips with four different salsas/dips. Our favorite was one that tasted like a chipotle mayo of sorts, but all were pretty tasty.
For apps, we split mahi mahi flautas w/ an avocado dipping sauce, as well as achiote chicken tacos. The flautas were nice, not overly fried and with a pretty good kick to them (although I am sadly a spice wimp, so maybe not as spicy for some). The chicken in the tacos were well-spiced, although they could have used another topping, as they were pretty much chicken, tomatoes and a dab of crema.
The server brought out green apple cotton candy with the bill,and while it's a fun idea, the sweetness seemed like it wouldn't mesh with the spicy food I had already eaten, so I only had a bite or two. Overall, the food was pretty good and the drinks were strong and interesting. I would come here again for a drink and a snack, although not with a soft-spoken person.
Business Dinner/Copley Square/Mexican Preferred
Another vote for Zocalo here.
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Zocalo
35 Stanhope St, Boston, MA 02116
Looking for coffee / chicory blend
Trader Joe's has carried a "New Orleans" style coffee for the last year or two that is a chicory coffee, probably $7.99 for the container?
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Trader Joe's
1427 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476
Myers + Chang--Tasty but Frightening
To be clear, Joanne mentioned in her email that she would like for my bf and I come back to M + C as their guests, anytime that we want. I didn't want to get into specifics of her email because it was written as a personal note to me, not as a document to be distributed publicly, but rest assured that she has offered compensation.
Myers + Chang--Tasty but Frightening
They did! Joanne sent me an email with a picture of the new shape of the dumplings a few days ago. I think that this change will really provide an extra layer of safety, as servers and food runners can eyeball the plate and know exactly what's on there.
Esperia Grill- Terrific Greek-Moussaka and Pork Gyro in Brighton
I love Esperia Grill! They are a great option for a quick lunch around brighton center, and everything I've tried there tastes very fresh. My usual go-tos are the moussaka and the regular old Greek salad.
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Esperia Grill
344 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135
Allergy friendly restaurants
I wrote a whole separate post about the M + C incident, which has since been resolved. The restaurant is changing some of their procedures to ensure that what happened to me can't happen again, so I would still keep them on your list. I plan to return in the future, and i think that they are really dedicated to keeping things safe for intolerance/allergy customers.
Drinks near Sheraton Boston pre high school reunion
I'd say Towne or Sel de la Terre are my votes.
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Sel de la Terre
774 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02199
Drinks near Sheraton Boston pre high school reunion
What sort of vibe are you looking for? Sports bar? Irish pub? Upscale cocktails?
Myers + Chang--Tasty but Frightening
I absolutely think that M + C responded in the best way possible. I am completely satisfied with their handling of the situation and I really do think that it will result in an even safer environment for diners with food allergies, so really the net outcome of the incident is a positive. Additionally, alwayscooking is correct--it's a rare person with food allergies who is unaware of potentially hazardous types of cuisine. I think that one would be hard-pressed to find somebody with shellfish allergies who doesn't know its prevalence within Asian cooking.
Myers + Chang--Tasty but Frightening
Wanted to update everybody on the situation: I contacted the restaurant this morning and received a very quick, personal and thoughtful email response later this afternoon from Joanne Chang herself, cc'd to the management team. Basically, it was a perfect storm of a few procedures going awry that, had any one of the others not occurred, would not have resulted in the shrimp dumplings being served to me. She outlined the steps they will take to prevent this situation from occurring again, and I do believe that these measures will be effective. Their thorough response to my situation illustrates that Myers + Chang really does have an interest in serving diners with food allergy and intolerance issues, and I plan to return again in the future.
Myers + Chang--Tasty but Frightening
Oh, don't worry, I have benadryl and my epi-pen with me at all times! I completely agree that they can be life-threatening, and I'm just glad the dumplings didn't have one of the other kinds of shellfish inside to which I am more allergic.
Myers + Chang--Tasty but Frightening
My bf and I have lived in the south end for several months but hadn't had a chance to dine at myers + chang yet, so we made a reservation for 8:45pm last night and excitedly walked over. The dining room and bar were both very busy, and we got two ginjo gimlets made by Ramy at the bar while we waited. These were fantastic! Bright, fresh, and a nice balance of lime and ginger. Our table was ready within fifteen minutes and we were seated at one of the prime corner tables (score!). It was a lively crowd at the restaurant, but in a fun way, not an "i-can't-hear-a-word-you-are-saying" way. I asked the server for the shellfish free menu and explained my shellfish allergy, then we got down to business choosing what to order.
The order they arrived in was: scallion pancakes (heavenly, nice and fluffy, never ordering cheap scallion pancakes again), edamame and celery slaw (very fresh with a lovely sweet sesame sauce), braised short rib tacos (double corn tortilla and a nice heat to some perfectly braised pork) and then mama chang's pork dumplings. All I tasted in my first bite of these was a strong lemon flavor and so I asked my bf if his were also very lemony. He said he did not get that at all, so I went for a second bite. As I chewed and swallowed it, I realized the texture was frighteningly similar to shrimp, to which I am allergic. I told my bf, who tried a second dumpling on the plate and found that it was, in fact, the lemon shrimp. We had been served a mixed plate of dumplings, and his first one was pork. We alerted the staff right away and I luckily only experienced minor swelling that was calmed down by my benadryl. The staff continued to check on me and the server and general manager both came over to apologize and see how I was doing. In the end, they comped us a course and dessert, which was a delicious vanilla bean parfait with orange granita.
It's unfortunate that our evening was sidetracked by my allergies, as we had loved everything we had eaten so far into the night, and the replacement pork dumplings that they brought were in fact delicious. I am glad that my allergy to shrimp isn't too severe, as I had the expectation that they would be very careful about cross contamination based upon their nut-free and shellfish-free menus. We will probably return, as the food we ordered was great, but I will have to have other people at the table taste-test each dish for me first. Food allergies can be such a pain.
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Myers + Chang
1145 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118
Allergy friendly restaurants
The dumplings were the last course served to us stretched out over the night, so we had already had five or six items that were fantastic and that we loved. I'm going to do a full write-up later today when my benadryl fog goes away.
Allergy friendly restaurants
A place to avoid, based upon my experience tonight: Myers + Chang. I ordered from the shellfish-free menu and alerted my server of my shellfish allergy upon sitting down. We ordered the pork dumplings and were served a mixed plate of dumplings about an hour later, which resulted in me eating a shrimp dumpling. Thankfully, shrimp are the shellfish to which I am least allergic, so I popped a benadryl and experienced some localized swelling/discomfort but was fine and able to finish my dinner. They apologized profusely, comped us a course plus dessert and continuously checked on me, but I thank my lucky stars that it wasn't more serious. Just wanted to give you the heads up, as it can be scary dining out with food allergies, even at places that make a conscious effort.
Disappointing Lunch at Devlins
I met a friend for lunch at Devlin's in Brighton Center today and was fairly disappointed by the food. It's definitely not a place that I go to for creative or noteworthy good, but it's close to my office, reasonably priced and has always had decent food in my previous visits. My friend started with the french onion soup, which was "fine" according to her but was practically devoid of cheese on the top. I got the three grain veggie burger with a side caesar and she ordered the tuna melt special. My burger was the kind of mushy and tasteless patty that really turns people off to ever trying a veggie burger again when you try to convince them that non-meat burgers can be delicious. It was served with a bland tzatziki and sliced red onion that was quite mushy and clearly rather old. The side caesar was OK but some of the lettuce was beginning to brown, and the dressing was forgettable. My friend's tuna melt had an ominous fish scent and taste, to the point that we couldn't confirm or deny whether something was wrong with it, so she ended up sending it back and ordering a buffalo chicken sandwich. The buffalo chix was tasty enough, but it was not enough to save the lunch. I don't know if they had an off day or what, but the fact that both of our meals were subpar makes me hesitant to return again.
