Went there for a late lunch this afternoon.

Very nice changes to the decor. They cut some openings in the walls, so you can see portions of both dining rooms and the bar. The seating is very comfortable and the banquet seating along the wall (between the bar and first sitting room) are a comfortable alternative. And it has a fresh and open feeling to it.

Husband always wants boneless spare ribs. They were nicely grilled and not greasy. I was concerned they might be a touch dry but my husband said he enjoyed them very much. Since they are his favorites, I don't need to debate him on it.

We shared the Xiang Le Fish. It's very spicy and I took a risk with this dish because I don't typically eat very spicy things, but it tasted very good. It wasn't too spicy for my husband, but he's got a high spice tolerance. When I eat the leftovers I'll probably have a side of sour cream or blue cheese dressing on the side :-)

Along with that, house special fried rice. Included baby shrimp, chicken, egg, ham and onion. Done well, not too sticky or clumpy.

House tea is lighter than Chang's. With maybe a hint of orangish flavor? I didn't ask what kind of tea it was. And no sugar packets on the table. I'm sure we could have gotten sugar if we asked, but this tea seemed okay without it.

The pickled veg that we got, included some chili peppers. Eh, interesting idea, but I wouldn't have minded trying that w/out the heat.

Our bill was about $32.00 (before tip). I'd like to go back and try some of their other stuff.

We had the same concern as tweetie. I just can't imagine how a restaurant can handle the clean water issue. Certainly not what our economy needed. Though we were thinking about places like fried fish shacks that serve on paper plates?

We will spend today grilling up food (we can avoid having to hand wash pans) to reheat as leftovers for the week. And probably get easy to clean vegetables like zucchini and corn on the cob.

Symphony Sushi http://www.symphonysushi.com has never disappointed us, especially the lunch menu.
There's another place, Betty's Wok and Noodle. http://www.bettyswokandnoodle.com. I'm really conflicted on it, I've never really cared for it, but a lot of people I used to work with really enjoyed it.
And as far as college hang outs go, the quality of food at Connor Larkins is much better than Our House East. Lunch at Connor Larkins is a decent deal.
Symphony 8 http://www.symphony8boston.com this was rather newish when I went for my first time last summer. And I only had dessert and coffee. You might want to search these boards to see if there's a proper review for it.
But these are places right within walking distance of Huntington and Gainsborough.

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Symphony Sushi
45 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115

Our House East
52 Gainsborough St, Boston, MA 02115

Symphony 8
8 Westland Ave., Boston, MA 02115

Have you been in touch with Wilton? http://www.wilton.com You may have to call them directly to confirm there is a class in the area. Their online catalog shows sugar classes in a different state, but they might have something in NE that's not on their website.

I'm not familiar with Cannoli cake. When I googled it, I discovered it's also referred to as "Cassata Siciliana" and google turned up Maria's Pastry Shop and Mike's Pastry. That seems to be the phrase where you will find it?

hahaha, I just read the "Fabulous Cake for 50" thread, so I guess we all found out the same thing. LOL

Went on Saturday evening. A nice place, with an interesting interior and very friendly and welcoming waitstaff.
Thanks to other hound tips, we did go with fried cheese grits for an appetizer and they were great.
My husband got the catfish and I ordered the seafood jambalaya, which was one of the specials. It had crabmeat and mussels. But I found it to be a bit lacking. It tasted like canned tomatoes heated up. And there wasn't much to it. My husband's catfish meal was very good.
We shared a piece of banana cream pie that was very well done with caramel sauce and three fresh raspberries.
I'm not sure this will be a regular place for us, it seemed kind of pricey for what tasted like basic food. I'm probably having difficulty with it because I've spent a considerable amount of time in New Orleans and the cuisine and I kept comparing it. Maybe if I view it as food with a Southern theme vs. authentic NO cuisine, that would be different.

We always shop the Somerville one. But we make it a point to get up early to get there at 7 a.m. when they open, to avoid the crowds. We've never noticed a problem with products or expiration dates.

Exhibition Kitchen at Northeastern University. http://www.neu.edu/campustour/xk.html
Sorry I don't have a number, but I think they are managed by Dining Services?

To get to McGoun Square, besides the 80 bus out of Lechmere, you can also take the 89 bus out of Sullivan station, it runs on Broadway Street. The 89 runs two buses, Davis Square and Clarendon Hill, and both of them will drop off at that area. There is a bus stop at the Salvation army, at the intersection of Medford and Broadway.

I'm going to second sushidad's suggestion with Chef Chang. No problem hosting a party of 11, right across from the Green Line St. Mary's stop and also has street / meter parking. And I've never been disappointed with what they've served.

I, too, grew up in Newburyport and never cared for Michael's Harborside. We used to think it was an overpriced tourist trap. It wasn't a bad place to go for lunch, but we would never go there for dinner.
We always enjoyed Starboard Galley on Water Street

I'm disappointed in it. When it first opened, I took myself to lunch and ordered one of the curry dishes. I wasn't all the pleased with it, but I was thinking that may have just been my reaction to a curry style dish, maybe it wasn't a good choice for me that day. The place is very clean, the waitstaff courteous so I figured I'd give it another try.
My husband and I went there for dinner this evening. There are only two four top tables next to the window and the rest of the tables are two tops but they are very small and uncomfortable for two. We were going to ask to move to one of the four tops, but there was only one left with people coming in to be seated. It really didn't seem right to ask, so we remained where we were. If we were going to order sushi, the table would have accommodated the meal. But we ordered dinner to share and tea. No space for regular size dinner plates. Didn't feel like a place you could be comfortable and relax.
Ordered spicy beef, stir fried vegetables and pad thai. Food was okay, vegetables cooked crisp and not soggy, but it seemed expensive for the amount of food we had. Anytime we split entrees at Chinese places, we have leftovers to bring home. Not tonight.
This may end up being a place I go for sushi, but I'm probably giving up on this place.

Yes, the Brazilian bakery (I think it's called Modelo) in Somerville is located on the corner of Lowell and Medford Streets in Magoun Square. We purchase items from them frequently.

I agree with Tom, Lil' Vinny's in Somerville on Medford Street.
For Chinese we like Chef Chang's House Brookline http://chefchangshouse.com/ right next to the St. Mary's stop on the Green Line C train. There's also parking.

I wasn't all that impressed either. For some reason, it seems to be the favorite "out to lunch" spot with the people I work with. Ugh. And they rave about how great it is.

They do have interesting items, and it's not horrible, I just don't have the same enthusiasm as the co-workers.

When I used to work at BU (up to last year) O'Leary's was one of our regular places to go. Food was consistently good and the atmosphere always quiet and pleasant. I don't recall anything on the menu being a disappointment.
And it was convenient to be next to the T when we were ready to go home.

We had no trouble finding a goose at our supermarkets. Shaw's, Market Basket even had some.

My Brazilian husband refuses to return to Sal e Brasa. The Saturday we went there, I swear the feijoada was made with corned beef or pot roast. It was quite odd. I have gotten used to the traditional pork (including the pork parts of feet and ears) and Sal e Brasa's was disappointing. My husband (who is from Minas) made a sarcastic comment that these people must have used a recipe from Bahia. Oh well.

I think Moqueca in Cambridge was pretty good, but it's not a bakery.

We still go to Modelo, though I wished they had stayed on the other side of the street. We pick up pao de sal (?) white bread rolls. Great for sandwiches or toasting with slices of cheese with coffee. Oh my.

I think Midwest Grill is a good place to take North Americans who haven't had the Brazilian barbecue experience. And bilingual staff to make it more comfortable.
My Brazilian husband refuses to go as he thinks it's overpriced for the quality. But then again, he would prefer to cook at home.

Thanks for this tip though, it sounds interesting.