Bostonbob3's Profile
Football Season: Favorite Take & Go Tailgate Item
Haymarket Pizza has excellent fresh dough for a buck a ball.
Is Purity Cheese Closed?
Yeah, the owner has to do a few years in the slammer, unfortunately (I loved their subs).
But there's a new cheese shop (called The Cheese Shop I think) on Fleet Street where Tutto Italiano's used to be.
Football Season: Favorite Take & Go Tailgate Item
Well, it was a typo, but it's also true. Abby just puts the dough on the grill and throws on toppings. The man secret is to let one side cook for a while, flip it and then add the toppings.
Manly, yes, but she likes it too.
Pomodoro Name Dispute (Moved from Boston board)
Kouzina in Dedham is better than the other Kouzina, so I give it a legal pass.
"Members of the jury, please try this piece of Spanakopita. If the taste don't fit, you must acquit."
RIP Zon's.....
Exchange Street Bistro. That's the place "with the WOW factor," right?
Football Season: Favorite Take & Go Tailgate Item
I'm going to be doing grilled pizza at my tailgates this year ($1 a ball from Haymarket Pizza). The man secret is to grill one side of the dough before turning it over and putting on toppings. Simple stuff: sauce, buffalo mozzarella, basil. Maybe a quail. (Kidding.)
Pomodoro Name Dispute (Moved from Boston board)
I know, It seems hard to believe that, "I didn't know that there was another restaurant named Pomodoro."
BTW, I'm opening a pizzeria soon in Middleboro called Pizzeria Regina. I hope you'll give it a try.
family dining in North End?
Antico Forno on Salem Street in the North End would fit the bill. Good, solid food, reasonable prices, child-friendly.
A little more upscale (and a little more expensive) is Marco (upstairs on Hanover) on Sunday evenings. They do family-style meals from 4:00-9:00 that are quite good.
Wedding cookout
I realize it's not exactly the location you're asking for, but my best buddy and his wife had their reception on Thompson Island. Catered, tented, fun.
Where to buy the best dry scallops besides Whole Foods?
Savenor's scallops are amazing. Pricey of course (like everything there), but gigantic and fantastic. Actually, they have a very small seafood selection, but the quality is absolutely first-rate.
o ya last night.
//the seeming contradiction of "we created our own omakase" made me giggle//
I know, it makes no sense. But it also does, sort of, in a "how a chef's choice can be made by the diner" sort of way. Anyway, you get what I mean.
Don't go to Serino's in Hyde Park
You know, I've found that experiences like that are incredibly annoying at the time. But come on, your post is hilarious, so it was worth it in the long run, right?
Nicely written.
o ya last night.
Every once in a while, and it's not often, you have a truly great food experience. Truly great. I can still remember the first spoonful of wild mushroom soup at Daniel in New York. It, in some ways, changed my very life.
Last night at o ya may not have achieved quite that psychological level, but it was superb, fantastic, and memorable. And you can't ask much more from a restaurant than that.
I went with the lovely Abby and a very good friend who's visiting from Sydney. And Sydney has some of the best seafood and sushi outside of Japan, so this was a risk for me to recommend.
As the stubborn Chowhounds we each are, we created our own omakase. I don't have time to list everything, but highlights included o ya's (rightfully) famous Foie Gras with balsamic chocolate kabayaki, raisin cocoa pulp and an unbelievable sip of aged Sake. The foie was spectacular, but I have to say that sip of sake made the dish complete. Ricey and a kind of sauterne sweetness and noble rot that blew me away.
Other marvelous moments included the Wild Bluefin Maguro Tuna with soy-braised garlic, the baby geoduck (even sweeter than the larger version) with yuzo soy, meyer lemon and hojiso, Santa Barbara Sea Urchin with valencia orange, homemade soy (who the hell makes their own soy, but it was great), and fresh wasabi.
I could go on for hours, as we did last night. Heck, even the salmon skin was the best I've ever had. Torched to a crispness that made Abby bleed. Now THAT's the kind of eating I think we like here. X-games food.
The sake selection was excellent, and Peter from Australia ( and a regular at Toyko sushi spots) is an expert on the subject, so we drank well. o ya's service was so kind, friendly, unassuming yet knowledgeable, it was in itself a revelation.
A spoonful of wild mushroom soup changed my life. Even if o ya didn't achieve that level, I'll give it this: it made my night.
o ya suggestions
Well, hello there everyone.
I've been a very bad (and very busy) boy.
Anyway, going to o ya Thursday with a friend from Australia. (Oh, and Abby.) Anybody been recently? Any new, exciting dishes?
North End Bummer
Yes, Barmy, same one. And yes, I think I've done very well.
Thanks for all the good wishes, folks.
And Pegmeister, why don't you stop by tonight. I''ll buy you a glass of WolfBlood or HoundsTooth or ChickenTalen, or whatever that house wine is.
North End Bummer
Thanks Prav and Marc. She's gonna be fine, but she's pretty banged up right now.
North End Bummer
In my professional wrestler days, I went by "Bobster Fra Diavlo."
BTW, Pagliuca's (IMO) is very hot-or-miss. As MC said, it always helps to know any joint's specialties, or at least what they do semi-well.
Was at Pete's/Durty Nelly's last night, and had two tourist couples asking me where to go for "old school North End, but nice." Whatever the heck that means. Gave them a few suggestions and they ended up at Rabia's. They really liked it a lot, so I got a couple free drinks later.
Not that anyone cares, but sorry for my absence lately. I moved (only a block, but still a huge pain), I'm planning a wedding, work has been crazy, and my fiance had a terrible accident the other day and was in the hospital.
Haven't forgotten about you folks, just haven't had much food-related things on my mind.
Going to the North End Friday Night For Dinner. What's your favorite?
Kind of depends on your definition of "a traditional Italian meal."
And "moderately priced."
Red sauce kind of place?
Under $100 per person with wine?
Uncle Pete's
SATURDAY afternoon actually (my internal clock is waaay off ever since they started replacing the water pipes on my street. 6 am to whenever, 6 days a week. Jackhammer heaven.) . Were they open Sunday? If so, I would have gone back.
ISO *good* boxed red wine in Boston
Daniel Boulud's "boxed wine" is probably best in class. Haven't found it in Mass. yet, but pick it up sometimes when I go to NYC. You can email them though and see if it's available anywhere around here, or if they ship.
http://www.dtourwine.com/index.html
Uncle Pete's
Was there with Biffy Dittmeyer yesterday afternoon. Lots and lots of ribs, several sides, and great conversation about Pete.
Only the good die young.
Italian Best Picks in the North End?
Yeah, Marco's quite good. The chef, Marc Offaly (get it? Marc-O? Heh) is very talented.
Who has the best fried calamari in the Boston area?
I love the salt & pepper calamari at several places in Chinatown, especially at Peach Farm and New Jumbo.
Far better than the usual Italian versions, IMO.
Uncle Pete's
Going with Biffy Dittmeyer tomorrow, late afternoon. Last call at Uncle Pete's.
Pork ribs marinated in tears.
New Chicken Place in Chelsea
A central american phenomenon that's related to Qdoba? Kinda like Daniel Boulud teaming-up with KFC.
Weird, but I'll try it.
Italian Best Picks in the North End?
Taranta is very good. Peruvian/Italian fusion that actually works.
Other than that, just search North End.
New Chicken Place in Chelsea
El Pollo Loco, probably. A So-Cal-based chain of pretty decent citrus-marinated chicken.
Used to frequent them during my Los Angeles college days.
Uncle Pete's
Hey, we should have a "hound outing to Pete's on Saturday (preferably late afternnoon, because I'm a lazy weekender).
Anybody?
Uncle Pete's
I weep.
Best ribs in New England. Best explainer-of-smoke-ring. Not a bad Thai salad.
The biscuits sucked, but maybe James Beard will give Pete a few pointers up there.
Spring 2009 Openings and Closings
Well, they did have to wait for the adobe bricks to dry. :)
