Ideas for a St. Germain / elderflower syrup?

I made some St. Germain - flavored syrup for Mothers' Day French Toast, and now I've got a cup of the stuff. Any suggestions for use?

Thanks in advance and Happy Mothers' Day!

Imby in Home Cooking

Where can I buy fresh duck?

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions!

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Where can I buy fresh duck?

I think that says it all. Where can I buy fresh duck in the Boston area? Ideally, I'd love to know where to get it and not pay an arm (wing?) and a leg.

And if someone feels great about their frozen duck source, I guess I'd like that idea, too.

Thanks in advance!

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Cooking for a Cause Fundraiser, March 30 2012

Last night was the Cooking for a Cause fundraiser for East End House of Cambridge. Highlights, in no particular order:

1. Surprisingly good pulled pork sandwich from Tremont 347. ECG Cuban pulled pork at the next table wasn't nearly as good (and we love ECG).
2. Island Creek Oyster Bar had some kind of lobster roe / orzo / puree of something that my wife raved about.
3. Hawthorne was mixing a variation on the French 75 cocktail that had me thinking I ought to visit. Craigie on Main had a decent cocktail as well, though I'm not remembering what it was...
4. My overall favorite may have been the "caramel corn cake" from Area Four. A brown sugar mini-cupcake, with popcorn-infused buttercream frosting topped with a single, homemade crackerjack. Unreal.
5. Superb meatball from Il Casale/Dante. And Chef Dante was polite enough to take my dirty plates when I had been unable to find a disposal area. For me, anyway, a big part of the experience is seeing the extent to which the chefs and owners are going out of their way to ensure folks enjoy themselves and to promote the cause.
6. Decent lamb kibbeh (sp?) with tzatziki from Grill 23
7. Took more generosity than effort to open bottle after bottle, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Pretty Things was pouring Jack d'Or and St. Botolph's Town.

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Gen Sushi, Belmont

Recently opened, right next door to Golden Garden on Concord Ave.

I'm not a sushi expert, nor especially adventurous. Benchmarks for us in the mid-tier are Bluefin (Porter), Fugakyu and possibly even Whole Foods (since we live in Belmont, this is partially an evaluation of possible convenient takeout).

Appetizers of edamame, miso soup, steamed gyoza and tempura shrimp were all similar quality to those benchmarks. Tempura shrimp maybe a bit better.

Salmon, tuna and hamachi nigiri also similar quality to those benchmarks. No problems, but certainly not to be mistaken for a super-premium sushi place (I’m thinking Yasuda in NYC as my benchmark for that).

They had a “tuna taco” special of tuna, avocado, cilantro, onion, lime and hot sauce on some kind of crispy shell. We all enjoyed it, though it was more about the combination of the flavors and textures than the fish itself.

Dining companions were pleased with their udon bowl (with chicken, shrimp, boatload-of-veggies) – it was enormous and beautiful to look at, I can attest – and the chicken teriyaki. The latter was a very large portion, good quality and respectful of non-sushi-eaters.

Service was over-the-top good. They bent over backwards to satisfy us, and it was appreciated. They brought out some complementary things as well (possibly in part due to it being a birthday dinner for my daughter). It took a bit long for the main courses, but not terribly so. Hard to conclude anything, but given the small space and staff, I could imagine them getting overwhelmed on a weekend.

The space is small; our party of 6 barely fit. But it’s also nicer than I would have guessed from the outside; even the bathroom is newly modeled and super clean.

Certainly good enough to warrant take-out attempts and a return visit when we want some respectable sushi.

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Fugakyu Cafe
621 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776

Golden Garden
63 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478

Gen Sushi
61 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Who makes the best french fries in Boston?

Il Casale does have french fries, and they're superb. They're a side dish, listed as being topped with some kind of cheese, but I get them without.

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Is There an ETA for Gustazo in Belmont?

Got take out last night. My observations:
- They still have some operations work to do (e.g., no take-out menus yet, AmEx swipe wasn't working), but were appropriately apologetic that they didn't have it all nailed down yet and aiming to please.
- Ultimately, the order worked out fine - my ropa vieja was ready in 15 minutes, just like they said it would be.
- The Ropa Vieja itself was good, but only 2 maduros (one of the sides, along with rice and Cuban-style black beans) was disappointing, especially for $16.95.
- Overall, the menu was more formal and more expensive than I expected. Sure, there were about 5 or 6 hot apps (e.g., camarones al ajillo, masitas de puerco (sorry for bad Spanish)) and 5 or 6 cold apps, and maybe 4 sandwiches (including a Cuban and some other pork sandwich in the $10-12 range, but the entrees were all in the $16-19 range for some kind of meat with rice, beans and plantains. All good stuff, I just expected / hoped it would be less. That's Belmont, I guess.
- The space itself is very small, cozy and more upscale than I expected - seems like a nice place to eat-in!
- Oh - in case it wasn't clear, they are in fact open for dinner (there had been an earlier suggestion of lunch-only)

All-in-all, glad to have them opened and looking forward to trying more from the menu.

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Outer Cape report

First, thanks to the Cape Hounds who responded to my post "Outer Cape Questions" last week - the responses were very helpful!

Here's my report (YMMV), which in some cases expands beyond the Outer Cape.

Breakfast

PB Boulangerie, Wellfleet - the lines start even earlier than last year, it seems - getting there at 6:45am had me roughly 8th in line at opening, twice (Sunday and Friday). Croissants and pain au chocolat once again a hit. LOVED the apple tart "Normande."

Moonakis Cafe, East Falmouth - our crowd was, as usual, more than satisfied with the pancakes (esp. Lemon Poppyseed), Corned Beef Hash and other breakfast basics. Get there early or expect to wait.

Lunch and Dinner

Arnold's, Eastham - My wife found the Lobster a bit off, not as fresh as usual, but everything else was on target, so hopefully it was just one bad lobster. Onion rings very good as always. Oysters seemed fine to me, though I'm only a recent convert and no expert. We will be back, to be sure.

Mac's Shack, Wellfleet - Very good all-around experience, though not amazing or better than what you can get closer to Boston. I'm not above telling the family to be ready to eat at 5pm, so we didn't have to wait. Service was excellent, even with kids more fidgety than usual. Appetizer highlight was tempura pickles. Edamame and miso soup were helpful to get the kids something they liked. I had the hanger steak, it was good but not spectacular. Sashimi platter was good and fresh, though no better than what you can get at good Boston-area places. One of the better restaurants I've been to on the Cape, overall.

Patio, Provincetown - The look of the place screamed "they don't care about food quality," and we only ended up here because of the power tool noise at Lobster Pot (dealing with "emergency water damage repair"). But what a pleasant surprise! Lobster roll reported to be very fresh. Gazpacho a big pleaser. "Chop Chop Salad" a tasty and filling lunch. Rosemary potatoes a side dish that I anticipated would be perfunctory, but was quite good. Drinks are good, and they don't skimp on the pours (confirmed by a return visit to the bar later in the week). If you can sit at the bar, Flo and Thea are friendly and entertaining.

Seafood Shanty, Edgartown (Martha's Vineyard) - we ducked in at 11:45, tired from the drive to Woods Hole and the Ferry, and afraid we would have trouble getting into a better place for lunch. Definitely an overpriced tourist trap ($9 for edamame appetizer!!). Food was OK, not special, and service was good and accommodated kids. Not a disaster, but not my proudest hound moment.

Fairway, Eastham - It was a lazy choice but food was decent. Nice to have a place that's busy but not mobbed. Service was good. Chicken parm sub was solid. Fishermans platter decent as well. Kids well-treated. Not a revelation by any means, but if you're in the area with young kids, it's nice to have this as an option for once per week-long visit.

Mahoney’s Bar and Grill, Orleans – I had considered this an under-the-radar gem, but we had a sub-par lunch. Burger was flavorless. The wait from order-to-food was more than 30 minutes. Might consider going back but very disappointed (for once – we’ve been pleased there before).

Other

Truro Vineyards - Lovely setting, obviously unique to the area. Nice shop and pavilion for tasting. Tastings ($8 for 5 healthy tastes and a souvenir glass) are scheduled and tightly managed. I didn't enjoy this aspect of it (I'm used to NoCal wineries), but it's understandable given the economics.

Ice Cream - plenty of local options. Nauset Ice Cream (on 6, next to Friendly Fisherman), Arnold's, Nut House (Provincetown) and Mad Martha's (Vineyard) all pleased. None particularly stood out but all pleased.

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Mahoney's Atlantic Bar & Grill
28 Main St, Orleans, MA 02653

Patio American Grill
328 Commercial Street, Provincetown, MA

Arnold's Restaurant
3580 State Hwy, Eastham, MA 02642

Fairway Restaurant & Pizzeria
4295 State Hwy, Eastham, MA 02642

Moonakis Cafe
460 Waquoit Hwy, East Falmouth, MA 02536

Mad Martha's
7 N Water St, Edgartown, MA 02539

Nauset Ice Cream
4550 State Hwy, Eastham, MA 02642

Seafood Shanty
PO Box 3450, Edgartown, MA 02539

PB Boulangerie Bistro
15 Lecount Hollow Rd, Wellfleet, MA 02667

Imby in Southern New England

Outer Cape questions

1. Suggestions for best scallops - fancy or otherwise- between Chatham and P-town?

2. Please recommend a special occasion place (also Outer Cape) that's ok for kids? We don't need chicken fingers on the menu, we just don't want to be uncomfortable or a problem for other guests.

Thanks in advance, I will post a report at the end of our visit!

Imby in Southern New England

Quality business dinner not too far from 128 b/t Burlington and Newton

Looking for suggestions for a group of 8, ideally private dining. Location ideally not too far from Burlington area of 95/128. Quality important, but not to be overly fussy, formal or expensive.

To give you an idea, our first choice was Blue Ginger, but their private rooms are fully booked the night we want.

Anything else in Wellesley? Waltham? Burlington? Lexington? etc?

Thanks in advance, hounds! And have a great weekend!

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Blue Ginger
583 Washington St., Wellesley, MA 02482

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Grill Questions: Infrared and BGE

New house, bigger deck. The fat lady is singing for my little city-life Weber Q.

When the weather is decent, we'll grill (chicken, steaks, burgers, vegetables, etc.) 4-5 times per week. Convenience is pretty important, so a gas grill is probably the direction we'll go.

Two gas grill questions:
1. Do I want one with an infrared "searing" burner? Am I really missing out if I simply go with a Weber Genesis 320-ish grill? I'm pretty comfortable technique-wise, so I was perfectly happy with "fire under grate" methods. But these infrared things are all over the place - are they really going to add to my enjoyment if I can find a sturdy, decent BTU-output grill?
2. What are the benefits of going from the Weber Genesis line to the Summit line? Is it just nicer gadgets for the purpose of price discrimination (like a slightly slicker igniter) or is it really an overall quality upgrade?

Secondly, we do love BBQ and at some point would love to do some smoking. Big Green Egg is very, very tempting, but between the charcoal and the small cooking grate (which has to be removed if I'm not mistaken), the convenience barrier might be too high for now. Question:
3. We have a raised wooden / composite deck, not a concrete patio. Is it still advisable to have a charcoal grill/device (e.g., BGE) that requires a chimney starter on a deck rather than a patio? Should I just suck it up, give up on the romance/authenticity factor and get an electric smoker?

Thanks in advance, grill hounds!

Imby in Cookware

Fork Fest Edmonton

This was going to be a response to my original post asking for Edmonton help, but since there's this Forkfest thread, I thought I'd report my experience at Culina Mill Creek (NW 89th Ave) this evening. For $35, they had the following:
- Choice of Gazpacho or...a salad, I think (Gazpacho was solid. Small, but I wouldn't have wanted more)
- Choice of Lamb Steak or Arctic Char, each with fingerling potatoes, chard (IIRC) and mint chutney (Lamb Steak was from the shank, so not the tenderest, but well executed medium rare and well-seasoned)
- Dessert was shortbread with berries and lychee whipped cream. Berries were in solid shape and they didn't skimp on the cream, so thumbs up here.

Thanks to the Edmonton hounds for suggesting Culina!

Imby in Prairie Provinces

Three nights in Edmonton - what's essential?

Thanks to everybody who's replied, this is exactly the sort of advice I was hoping for. I will report back if I have any interesting experiences.

Imby in Prairie Provinces

Three nights in Edmonton - what's essential?

Will be visiting Edmonton for three nights (Mon-Tues-Wed), staying on Whyte St a few blocks east of U of A. What's essentially or uniquely Edmonton or Alberta? What's memorable?

I live in Boston and have access to something reasonable-to-good in most genres, so I'm not looking for anything particular other than where you'd take a guest who you wanted to enjoy Edmonton.

Thanks in advance, Edmonton hounds!

Imby in Prairie Provinces

Espresso Machines: Are my requirements irreconcilable?

I would love to buy an espresso machine. Not sure where to land on the semi-auto--auto--super spectrum. Here are my requirements; are they really irreconcilable?

- I don't have a ton of space, and we want to be able to make coffee as well (same machine or both machines need to be small-ish)

- I don't want a plastic-on-the-inside Piece-of-You-Know-What

- Some kind of scheduled auto-on would be nice...at least for coffee

- The idea of some level of control of espresso-making would be nice

- Milk steaming / frothing definitely something we'll be doing

- Not interested in pods

I feel like the auto-on and coffee-and-espresso requirements point to a super-automatic, but are they so restrictive and pre-programmed (e.g. how much water, how much time) that if you don't like their programmed way, you're screwed?

If I get one of the less expensive super-automatics (i.e.

Thanks in advance, coffee-hounds!

Imby in Cookware

Montreal Dining Experience...with young kids?

Will be staying one night at the Embassy Suites at 208 St. Antoine Ouest; any suggestions for a dinner that is truly Montreal but can handle a nursing/crying baby and a 3-year old? Tourist traps not desirable.

Merci in advance!

Imby in Quebec (including Montreal)

Seeking Chow in/near Lakeland

Greetings Florida hounds,

I'll be working in Lakeland for a little while and would love some suggestions within, say, a 15-minute drive (though if you have a "must-try" closer to Tampa, that's fair game, too). Any chow-ish suggestions are good, but specific bonus points within the following categories:

- BBQ (Carolina)
- Caribbean / ethnic
- Taqueria
- Sushi
- Thai
- Sports bar

Thanks in advance!

Imby in Florida

Taquerias, etc. near Santa Rosa

Thanks everybody. We found Antojitos La Texanita at 1667 Sebastopol and had a great dinner. We tried a whole mess of tacos - carnitas, chorizo, al pastor, cabeza and the fish tacos, as well as the sopes picadillo. Especially memorable were the tortillas on the tacos, the carnitas and the sopes. And it's a very chowhound place in a very foodie city.

Thanks again!

Imby in San Francisco Bay Area

Taquerias, etc. near Santa Rosa

First, I'm hoping someone can clear up some confusion. There are multiple threads and links about Antojitos La Texanita in Santa Rosa, and some say the address is 250 Sebastopol Rd while the group chowhound outing says the address is 1667 Sebastopol Rd. Which is it? Are there two different restaurants or something?

Also, if any folks have other cheap Mexican eats suggestions in or near Santa Rosa, this Boston hound would much appreciate it.

Thanks in advance!

Imby in San Francisco Bay Area

Santa Rosa/Sonoma in July: Zazu? Where else?

We had a very satisfying meal at Zazu last night. Their "butcher's plate" appetizer of house-made charcuterie and various vegetables and cheese was a big hit. The small plate was more than enough for two of us and would probably be a decent app for four (or more, if paired with another app). Wife pronounced the Arctic Char a success (very crisp skin; served last night with harissa chickpeas) and my grilled lamb entree (with grilled artichokes and rosemary from their backyard) was generous in size and exceptional in flavor - none of the lamb-i-ness that turns off some people.

One nice touch - the wine list included 2 $5-per-glass options (though that's not what we had). Anyway, I thought the place was high quality and very Sonoma. Thanks to other hounds who recommended it on other threads.

Imby in San Francisco Bay Area

Yasuda - OK to just do lunch?

Thanks to those who responded. We had a wonderful lunch. Highlights included the shimaaji sushi (a type of yellowtail, IIRC) and the toro.

Though, as my wife said, "this is like flying business class; after this, I don't know how I'll eat at a regular sushi place again for a while."

Imby in Manhattan

Catering in South Lake Tahoe

What we're looking for:
- Dinner for 20-odd folks at a vacation house
- Flexibility to handle a vegetarian or two
- Italian, seafood, new/interesting would all be acceptable characteristics, though none of those is required

Thanks in advance!

Imby in California

Yasuda - OK to just do lunch?

Thanks to all of you, that's exactly what I was hoping to hear about the food.
We'll have a 3-year old with us so I don't know how relaxed it would be even if we were the only ones there :-)

Imby in Manhattan

Yasuda - OK to just do lunch?

Planning to do a "treat" meal at Yasuda but given certain constraints, currently planning to do a lunch there. Does this create any unpleasant limitations on selection or quality?

Thanks in advance.

Imby in Manhattan

Some specific "OK to bring a toddler" requests

We'll have a 2.5 year-old with stroller. Close to Times Sq would be nice but quality is more important. Having said, that, we'd love some suggestions in the following genres that bring the Chow, are OK with the kid and ideally not chains.

1. Sushi
2. Steak Frites
3. Greek

Thanks in advance NY hounds!

Imby in Manhattan

Orleans, MA - Best Food Shopping

I can see quite a few restaurant recommendations for the Orleans area and the Cape in general, but since we'll be staying in a house, I'd love to hear recommendations for quality and/or interesting food shopping. Extra points for a good place to buy live lobsters. We're a mile or two north of E. Orleans proper, near the town cove.

And if you have any new restaurant suggestions, feel free to throw them in, too.

Thanks in advance hounds!

Imby in General New England Archive

What to order in Petit Robert bistro?

My beans were fine, too (New Years Eve), though there wasn't much of a crust. More like a few bread crumbs sprinkled on and served immediately.

The special salad of Bayonne ham and hearts of palm was pretty good, and they were good about our 17-month-old.

IMHO, the Boston restaurant scene is clearly better off w/PRB.

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Best burger in Boston ????? any successors to Tim's on Columbus Ave

We went to Miracle a couple of weeks ago and my wife's cheeseburger was flat (i.e. looked pre-made) and completely uninspired. Did something change there? Random bad night? Substitute cook?

The steak tips (I forget what they call them) were great as usual, which made it even wierder.

Imby in Greater Boston Area

Harvard Square for Lunch - Where to Go?

If you go to Flat Patties, be sure to get an order of onion rings :-)

Imby in Greater Boston Area