NoAddedSweetener's Profile
Anyone study at Cambridge School of Culinary Arts?
I attended Newbury's day 4-year culinary program for 2 years before I switched to hospitality administration. I also took some weekend classes. It was my experience that the professors were knowledgable and very willing to help, however the equipment was older than should be allowed. Now this was about 3 years ago, I am not sure if they found the funding to upgrade or not.
I have a coworker currently attending le cordon bleu, and she is disappointed with how unmotivated the student body seems to be.
Restaurants everyone seems to HATE but you love
I second the Publick house in a big way!
Roadhouse...not so much.
unusual ice cream?
hmmmm I am getting flashbacks to a wasabi icecream that I once had at JP licks in Brookline. It didn't have the burn, but the color and flavor were right on! A very unique experience... not something i would load up in a waffle cone. :)
Learning to Love the Haymarket
I'm not sure if it is the same guy that you are talking about... but last summer when I was there, there was a 'gentleman' that keep telling young passers-by that "I'll give you something to grab!" and other unmentionably worse things involving meat.
I do enjoy the challenge of the Haymarket however. It was great fun to successfully leave with 2 pounds of mushrooms that the stoned booth attendant accidently sold me for 50 cents.
Best Mac & Cheese
I second the Publick house, it is a bit mild on it's own but with some caramelized onions and mushrooms the mac and cheese is to die for! I will admit that it has come out a bit on the dry side from time to time, but last snowstorm I went down there and it was fabulous! I think the high volume of people ordering comfort food ensured that it was fresh and gooey.
On the other hand, Roadhouse's mac and chee was generic and uninspired.
Brunch in Coolidge Corner area?
I am always an advocate of Paris Crepes on Harvard for a quick brunch. They have a wide variety as long as you want something encased in a crepe :)
They can sometimes be pretty packed though, with a narrow sardine-esque space.
Fenway Restaurant fires
noooooooooooooooooooooooooo.....not my little fenway nook!
Thank goodness I live within minutes of New Rod Dee...but I had a coupon for the fenway Umi! :(
Poor El Pelon, their fried plaintains were aweful but they didn't deserve such misfortune.
I was also starting to get into Thortons, as much of a grease pit as they were, there was a lot of cheap veggie eats.
RIP...and may they alll rebuild themselves stronger, wiser, and more flame resistent!
Gloucester/Rockport/Cape Ann-Ethnic?-Vegetarian?
My recent trip to Jalepenos was less than memorable. We waited an hour for a table (granted it was Friday night) but once seated it took at least 10 minutes for drink orders to be taken. After that we were barely visited by our server, which is a shame for them because we would have liked to order more drinks.
Our group of 7 went through 2 bowls of their tasty pico before the server showed up.
I also found their prices a bit higher than I would expect for staples such as quesadillas, but fortunately I was so full of salsa by that point, we all shared plates.
Note: I as well as my boyfriend are both veg, and admittedly there were lots of options.
Current consensus on best "everyday" sushi?
When I am really restricted by budget I like to hit Minato in Washington Square Brookline. They are fairly reliable, and great for "to go".
Current consensus on best "everyday" sushi?
Its actually cleveland circle :)
I went to this Fin's location when it first opened some time ago and found the rolls to be huge and poorly wrapped. The quality of fish seemed fine but strictly in terms of presentation and functionality I was not impressed.
What's your "secret ingredient?"
Here are some of my staples:
Spicy chili sesame oil for anything stir-fried (a little goes a looooong way)
White Truffle oil lends an unsurpassed richness to many foods
A dash of cinnamon in pretty much any dessert
What's your "secret ingredient?"
I absolutely love rosemary, although maybe it's pine-like aroma makes people equate it with certain brands of soap. For me any dessert containing lavender instantly makes my taste buds scream "soap!"
sushi tonight?
How does the pricing match up with other sushi places around the area? ( I went to Mr. Sushi the other day for reliable/somewhat affordable fare)
What are your favorite products at Trader Joes?
Oh there is so much to love!!
I especially love their:
goat milk brie
trader Joes O's cookies
Veggie Burritos
Most of their dry pastas (spinach, sprouted wheat, whole wheat)
Alfredo Sauce,
Pizza Dough
All varieties of their Indian food pouches
Spinoza Wheat Bagels
Smoked Salmon...
Ok now, this is turning into my weekly shopping list! Ha...I will stop there.
La Morra for Restaurant Week?
I searched the board for topics having to do with La Morra in Brookline Village but the last thread was from 2005.
I checked out their upcoming Restaurant week menu and it looked pretty appetizing. My boyfriend is Veg and I lean that way myself, which narrows our choices a bit.
La Morra seems to have a lot of veggie-friendly options and is in my Brookline neighborhood. I also love the idea of getting antipasti, primi, secondi, and dolci all for the same $33.08
The menu is as follows:
Dinner: $33.08
Wine Flight: $15.08
Choice of:
Greens and reds
Panzanella-Bread Salad with cucumber, tomato, red onion and black olives
Wood grilled potato salad with green beans, pesto and mozzarella ($2 supplement)
Arugula and zucchini salad with shaved parmiggiano
Bruschetta with tomato and pesto
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Choice of:
Linguini with cherry tomatoes, herbs, fresh chili and garlic
Fettucelle with zucchini, lobster and basil ($6 supplement)
Tomato Risotto
Pasta alla Norma with penne
Corn agnolotti in corn brood with locally foraged chicken mushrooms ($5 supplement)
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Choice of:
Spit roasted pork ribs with peppers, roasted potatoes and rhubarb mostarda
Eggplant baked with tomato, basil and ricotta
Half Wood grilled Cornish hen under a brick with zucchini and tomato
Wood grilled hanger steak with locally grown Russian red kale, potato-ricotta gratin and salsa verde
Wood grilled duck scallopine with farro risotto, grilled peach and aged balsamic ($6 supplement)
Pan roasted striped bass with cornbread panzanella, smoked beets and lemon marmellata ($6 supplement)
Wood grilled chatham bluefish with potato puree, corn ragu and fresh herb sauce
Chefs mixed vegetable plate with seasonal vegetables
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Contorni ($4.25 supplement)
“Wards Berry Farm”
Corn ragu
Beets with aged balsamic
Potato puree
Zucchini and tomato with summer savory
Green beans with dragoncello
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Dolce
menu subject to change
(It is unfortunate that they don't list the dessert offerings, I suppose I could call ahead and see what they have.)
New BBQ Restaurant opening in Brookline.
I can definitely see your point as far as proximity is concerned. I live 5 minutes away from the Publick House, probably why I venture there so often.
New BBQ Restaurant opening in Brookline.
I have never experienced really terrible service at the Publick House. Most times the servers are fairly attentive considering the circumstances and the enviornment. Many times I have watched them duck through massive crowds of people standing in the "don't stand here" aisle by the bar. I can imagine it must be frustrating.
Also, I don't think that there are many servers with a snobby attitude, perhaps one or two bad apples are causing a misperception.
Maybe I am just too content with with my good beer, good friends, and comfort food to notice. I definitely never leave the Publick House with a chip on my shoulder.
New BBQ Restaurant opening in Brookline.
I am so excited about this bbq! It is located right up the street from me and everyday I notice the small amounts of progress being made at the site (they finally added the word 'barbeque' to the signage on the front. The crimson letters on the black paint give it a very surreal look). I am a Publick House fan, although I am very annoyed that the Publick House Provisions gourmet shop STILL does not have their license to sell beer. Lets hope the Roadhouse doesn't run into similar issues.
Food at Publick House a total disappointment
I visited the Publick House on Tuesday, and had a pretty standard experience. I have to say that although the wait long and food can be unpredictable, my boyfriend and I keep going back. We live right down the street and love the beer selection/atmosphere of the place.
I had my favorite veggie panini and it was quite delicious with portobellas, artisan cheese and a garlicy spread. My boyfriend got the veggie burger and our guests each ordered a cheese plate.
I feel like my continued relationship with the Publick House has become an exercise in patience. The wait was about any hour but that gave me time to stroll over to Atans and sip a cappuccino while I waited. Our server (who we have had many times and is usually attentive) seemed too busy for us that evening.
Ironically, at around 9pm when we were finally seated, the place had all but cleared out.
Lesson of the evening: If you don't want to wait at the Publick house on a weekday, go right when they open around 5:00, or wait until 9.
sushi tonight?
All of the positive feedback that Toraya is getting is really giving me a hankering for some sushi! Is this place T accessible at all?
Your thoughts on the Bluestone Bistro
My Hospitality sales class actually worked with the new owners as a project last year to help them create the new menu design and critique them on how to draw a bigger "dine-in" crowd. I am not sure if our input was every actually considered however I did get to enjoy my share of free pizza at bluestone. I like the barbeque chicken with caramelized onions despite its powerful sweetness.
I had never eaten there prior to that experience, but it is possible that it was better as a greasy dive than a generic house of pizza?
What will replace Alexander's in Brookline?
Wow, that is sad to hear. I lived on Cypress for two years and my roomates and I relied on Alexander's for sandwiches all the time. Perhaps it was more the convenience factor than anything else, but it is sad to see a familiar local shop close. Hopefully the change will be a positive one.
delicious local vegetarian?
Thanks a lot, those are some great suggestions (and I love the public house veggie burger!)
I am mostly looking for every day, although one or two upscale restaurants would be good for special occasions :).
I have heard mixed reviews about the Thai Vegetarian Cafe myself, its a real shame too because the concept and location held such promise!
delicious local vegetarian?
After much soul-searching my boyfriend and I have decided to take the plunge back into vegetarianism (Well...technically I am a "pescetarian" since I could never in 1000 years give up sashimi). Does anybody have any recommendations for good Veg food in the Brookline/Brighton/Allston areas?
Thanks!
