celeriac's Profile
Where to find Wandering Aengus ciders?
I'm looking for a retail source of Wandering Aengus ciders. I fell in love with their Wickson Crab varietal cider at Queens Kickshaw (which has the best cider list I've ever seen) and am hoping to find a retail source for it. I can find a few mail order sources but would love to avoid going that route. Thanks for any help that you all can provide!
Must haves from Blackstrap and Sweet Cheeks BBQ
Wait, there's a new BBQ place in JP? Where? What's it called?
Redd's in Rozzie... Rough and Ready.
A word of warning to would-be-brunchers. My girlfriend and I were all excited for brunch a few Saturdays ago, after finding their website which says that they do brunch from 10-3 Sat and Sun. When we arrived, however, we were told that they were doing snacks for the Roslindale Open Studios but were not serving brunch on Saturdays anymore, since the farmers' market closed. What really irked me was that even after we mentioned that they ought to update their website, we were offered no apology for having misled us with bad information! A shame, because I'm really interested in trying their food, but that experience has us off to a rocky start.
finger limes
Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge has them!
-----
Formaggio Kitchen
244 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138
Fresh truffles covered in mold - ok to use?
I was given a gift of some fresh black truffles. They were unfortunately stored in a sealed plastic bag for several days along with a dry-cured sausage, and now they are completely covered in a powdery white mold (seemingly not unlike that which grows on the outside of salumi). I'm a bit heartbroken, as they tasted delicious prior to storage.
Can I assume that the mold is likely the same as that on the sausage, and harmless? Should I trim off the entire exterior (which would drastically reduce the amount of usable truffle I get)? Or is it somehow dangerous enough that even that isn't enough and I have to toss them?
I haven't been able to find any info searching, so any informed advice is much appreciated.
Where to find/buy Crabapples?
Hmm, unfortunately I don't know that the Chestnut Crab would be any good for those purposes, as it's more like a mini eating apple. But they had a few older apple varieties, so it's worth giving them a call to see what else they might have. If anyone happens to have any leads on local sources for crab varieties, especially those that are good for cider like Wickson, I'd be happy to hear as well.
Where to find/buy Crabapples?
There are many types of crabapples, ranging from those that are relatively large and good for eating, to those that are extremely tart and tannic, better for jelly, to those that are ornamental (and sometimes tasty, though often too tiny and bitter to be of much use). What type of crabapples are you looking for? What is the intended purpose?
The only ones I have specific knowledge of are from Keown Orchards, who sell at Copley and perhaps other markets, I'm not sure. They've had Chestnut Crabapples, which are amongst my very favorite for eating. Very sweet, crisp, aromatic and delicious. They are a bit bigger than a gold ball, golden and red with russeting.
-----
Crabapple's
553 Palmer Ave, Falmouth, MA 02540
Stovetop smokers available in Boston?
OK, after reading up on it, I see why you said that. Sounds like the stovetop smoker may not have the smoke output needed for bacon, though I have heard some folks say that they achieved good results that way. Hmm.
Stovetop smokers available in Boston?
Why would you presume that? I am planning to do a few things, including bacon.
Stovetop smokers available in Boston?
I'm thinking to purchase a stovetop smoker and would like to avoid mail-ordering it. Has anyone seen one in a shop around Boston? Thanks!
Spoon - New BBQ Truck in Roxbury
I just dropped by Spoon for the first time. It's a new food truck doing BBQ and burgers, located in Roxbury, in the shopping plaza on Warren St near MLK Blvd.
It's really good! Based on what I tried today I'd put it in the upper echelon of BBQ options in Boston. I had a BBQ bowl, a medium-sized takeout container with several layers -- beans on the bottom, pulled pork in the middle, then collards, and two crusty, salty hush puppies perched on top.
The beans were Navy, I think, cooked to a nice creamy texture. They had a nice, slightly spicy and tangy sauce, but was a little difficult to discern the sauce situation with the pork on top. The pork was quite smoky with an excellent texture -- chunks rather than strands, and lots of crispy bark and crusty bits. It definitely tasted fresh, as opposed to so many renditions that taste like they've been sitting in a tray steaming for hours. Way better than the pork I tried at BBQSmith, which i found unpleasantly mushy.
The collards were simple, chopped small and just done enough, to my taste, with a bit of bite (though they were still cooking, so perhaps they get softer). The hush puppies were intense - salty, oily, crunchy, loaded with scallion and just a bit of bacon. I'm glad they were there, and I'm glad there were only two. $6.50 for the bowl, which is just the right size lunch for me, although those with big appetites might want a bit more.
They also do plates with ribs and chicken, sandwiches, tacos and a nice-sounding burger. I'll definitely be back soon, can't wait to see how their ribs are... Website at: http://www.spoontruck.com/
posto in Cambridge
I don't really think that Posto and Coppa are in the same league either, and I don't even mean that in a bad way, really - I like Posto quite well as a pizza place.
While I haven't been there in a little while and another recent report seems to have a very different experience, I found Posto's pizza to far outshine that at Coppa in terms of the crust and structure, though Coppa's are much more interesting in terms of topping quality and originality. I am of the school that the (charred, crisp, chewy, not too crackery or crunchy) crust is by far the most important part of a pizza, and I enjoy the classics, so I prefer the pizza at Posto.
Other than pizza, however, I didn't find that Posto would hold a candle to Coppa. Their various meats, small plates, salads, pastas, and beverages are all excellent. I've also had somewhat cold service at Posto, and excellent service at Coppa.
-----
Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118
Lord Hobo: Any changes since new chef?
In the interest of accuracy, I was there tonight and while I didn't notice if it was on the menu, maybe people had ordered (and received) side orders of fries. So it seems that they are an option.
Lord Hobo: Any changes since new chef?
Oof. Yeah, eliminating the fries-as-side option is a really annoying move. We get it. You don't make a lot of money when people just order fries. Still, you're a bar.
Lord Hobo: Any changes since new chef?
I read somewhere (I think in their ad in the Dig?) that Lord Hobo changed over to a new chef sometime this summer. Does anyone have any feedback to offer on recent visits? In the past I thought it was best treated as a beer bar with good fries, a passable burger and a whole lot of other mediocre options. Given the quality of their beer list, I'd be delighted if that were to change.
-----
Lord Hobo
92 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02141
peachy peaches?
I've been trying to see if I can eat my weight in peaches this year (getting close) and then best ones that I have had thus far have been the white peaches from Stillman's (I'm not sure if they grow them themselves or if they buy them in from a local orchard, I suspect the latter) and the donut peaches from Farmer Dave's (ditto). Both farms sell at a number of markets, but I picked them up in the last week at markets in Jamaica Plain and East Boston, respectively.
That said, it's just a flat-out good year for peaches. Nearly every one that I've has has been good, though certainly not all were spectacular.
Best of Dorchester Vietnamese?
I'm spending more time in Dorchester lately, and I'm realizing that I've been neglecting to explore all of the Vietnamese food here. To guide my wanderings, I was wondering if folks would share their own hits and misses in the area? At this point I'm only well acquainted with Banhi Mi Ba-Le on Dot Ave.
If there are other past threads I should have found that I didn't, please point the way. I already know that there was a good recent one covering Dorchester Ave Banh Mi (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/798131 ).
Thanks in advance!
O Ya… Consistency whittled down to the dull art of repetition; or One and Done
We were offered dessert menus after finishing the omakase. As I understand it (please correct me if I'm wrong) the omakase is simply priced by adding up the ala carte prices of whatever you receive, so in that sense it doesn't "include" anything. That said, I certainly share the sense that for over $200, it's inexcusable not to include dessert.
O Ya… Consistency whittled down to the dull art of repetition; or One and Done
I have to say that after all of the talk about the prices at o ya, I took someone there recently and was somewhat pleasantly surprised. We basically did omakase (which as I understand it is priced at the same as the items would cost you a la cart) and named 125 pp as our ceiling. We specifcally said that we weren't interested in the high-priced kobe beef or truffle items. Not only was our server very gracious and reassured us that we could have an excellent experience at that price, but we were perfectly full long before meeting that ceiling, at under 100 pp. Then when I went to pay, I found that they had applied a $40 discount to the total price of items we'd eaten, essentially comping the drinks for no particular reason.
It's far from cheap, but if you go in knowing that you'll spend something in this area I think it's possible to have a good experience without even considering the exorbitant tasting menu.
Now, I did have criticisms of the food -- the hot items in particular -- but just felt the need to back up Boston Otter's comment.
Mission style burito & seafood
Nice. I haven't had every burrito in Boston (the gas station place is a notable gap), but I'd say Felipe's is the best I've had as well.
Mission style burito & seafood
Anna's is related to Gordo Taqueria in SF (same family, I think). Gordo is not in the Mission, but it does mean that your burrito there has an SF pedigree. Anyway, I second Luther's experience at Anna's - you need to know what you want and lay it all out quickly, but once I do that I've never had a problem. One personal preference tip - I usually get the refried beans in their burritos, as I find that the texture works much better. And I like the Chile Verde too.
All that said, I also second the Felipe's recommendation. I've only eaten there a few times but I think they basically take the Annas/Boca model and do everything better. Not surprising given that they have the same owners as Flat Patties.
-----
Flat Patties
81 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Coffee roasters
hckybg, I totally hear you on all of that... though I don't think that having a shop or two in Boston carry their stuff would put them over the top!
Coffee roasters
No idea myself, but I would venture to guess that it has to do with name recognition and price. It seems that there must be some economies of scale as roasters grow and source in larger volume, even if the retail prices are fairly consistent across these brands.
Coffee roasters
Indeed. I've said before, on these same boards, that it kills me to see Intelligentsia, Stumptown and Counter Culture popping up all over Boston when a very small number of shops are working with Barismo, a tiny world-class roaster that's right here. I remember being in Portland when Stumptown was first getting going, and the majority of the respectable shops and restaurants were proudly carrying their beans. It's that kind of local support that builds brands and allows them to grow and improve, and I wish we saw more of it for these guys.
-----
Barismo
169 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474
Coffee roasters
I'll echo all of these comments - #1 and #2 in the area are probably going to be Barismo and Terroir, respectively. I love love love Barismo, both for the quality of their beans and for their incredible service if you stop by the shop in Arlington. My one gripe is that not a single shop in Boston (vs Cambridge) carries their beans -- not a one! it does make it a pain to track their beans down, but I usually make the effort.
On the other hand, I rarely love Terroir. They do everything very well - sourcing, roasting, etc -- but the proof is in the cup, and I don't love it the same way. Freshness can also be an issue with them, and it never is with Barismo, though both are clearly marked.
In terms of outlets for non-local beans, many good ones have already been mentioned, but I will chime in to add that Pavement in Boston carries a decent range of nice, fresh Counter Culture beans. Also, I'll add that I've seen some fairly outlandish coffee prices at Formaggio, so be careful if you buy your beans there.
-----
Barismo
169 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474
Fresh masa?
Masa Harina is fairly easy to find - try any Market Basket, for example. I'm not sure where you're likely to find fresh masa though. I did recently go to El Charro, a great little market with a fairly exhaustive supply of Mexican foods in Roslindale (part of Boston). They have several types of masa harina as well as dried corn and lime to make your own masa from scratch, but that's amuch more involved project. I don't remember for sure if they had tortilla presses at El Charro, but it seems like they must have them.
-----
Masa
439 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116
Why can't more of these places be like Highland Kitchen?
Agreed. I have no problem with simple, basic burgers, and in fact prefer them to most of the oversized, brioched and aiolied monstrosities that pass for good burgers in higher end places. I do have a problem with the food I've had at CC, which has been categorically mediocre and poorly handled. It's simply about doing things right and paying attention, which doesn't have to result in a $15 burger.
Why can't more of these places be like Highland Kitchen?
I disagree. I've only tried a couple of food items at Canary, but they have been middling-to-bad. Their cheese fries were actually quite bad - limp, greasy, and with a grainy cheddar sauce. I mean, if you can't make me happy with a plate of cheese fries... I just don't know what else to say.
