I Want to Toast a SINGLE Piece of Bread

I had a cheap-o Sunbeam toaster for almost 10 years and it always did both sides evenly, even if I was only doing one piece of toast. Never had to interrupt it, flip it over, or put the bread in upside down. Now about the time it turned 10 years old, it started to pull this cute trick where it would toast my husband's toast a nice even golden color, and would blacken mine to a crisp at the exact same darkness setting, so this past Christmas it was honorably discharged from service and replaced by a two-slice-toaster-slash-egg-poacher-and-sausage-cooker my husband had been coveting for years, and it too does a decent job of toasting one slice at a time as well as hard-boiling 4 eggs at a go and making breakfast sandwiches.

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Flying in the face of "Chow Wisdom"

Mr Plumtomato liked it into his mid-late 20s, when I got a hold of him and introduced him to better places. He tried to take me there for lunch once but thankfully they hadn't opened for the day yet, and I looked in the window and said "nuh-uh" and steered him away.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Flying in the face of "Chow Wisdom"

We went with some native-Quincy friends last year or the year before and the service was a little inattentive and my friend's wine glass hadn't been properly cleaned, but I thought the food was not the worst I've ever had. I had either eggplant or chicken parm, I can't remember which.

I have decided though that for good Italian food I am going to shop the entrees at Alfredo's on Franklin Street and cook at home. Their stuffed shells were toooo delicious! And shockingly affordable, no where near what I was expecting.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Restaurants everyone seems to HATE but you love

I had an absolutely awful, badly served seafood dinner with some out-of-state friends at the Porthole Restaurant on the Lynnway. None of the entrees came out at the same time, and the ones that did come out at the same time were either cold or rubbery. It was a Sunday evening and our group was practically the only people in the restaurant. We got there around 7 and didn't get out til past 11, and all we ordered was apps for the table and one entree each (clam chowder, some fried plates, some fish al diavolo and baked stuffed sole among the items we ordered).

The appetizer was a daily special, clams casino, and it was actually piping hot and perfect. Not sure how the entrees fell so flat back in the kitchen but they did. I'd like to know if anyone had a good experience there, just because it seemed like a nice place and I'd hate to know that my experience was the norm.

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Clash of the Ash, Quincy?

UPDATE: Rocco's is gone and now it's a Brazilian restaurant!

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Clash of the Ash, Quincy?

Jen I noticed this too and have been jealously watching since last spring for them to open! Sometimes there are lights on inside but there doesn't seem to be much other activity. :(

I noticed the "new management" sign at Finians as well, but haven't been there. It isn't Mr Plumtomato's sort of place.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Going Where No Chowhounder Has Gone Before: Louis' Crossing, Hough's Neck

SHRIMP SCAMPI PIZZA?????? I'm on it, Peg! Is it garlicky? If so Mr Plumtomato will be on it too.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Going Where No Chowhounder Has Gone Before: Louis' Crossing, Hough's Neck

I have been driving past the Fox & Hound for years now and I always say, "I should eat there." We almost had our rehearsal dinner there last year, but we ended up at Alba on Hancock Street, which is walking distance from the church. I have a feeling that now that I will be living in HN, my parents and Mr Plumtomato's parents will be especially game for sampling the nearest restaurants.

I blog about restaurants and recipes at plumtomato.wordpress.com. If I get out to F&H I'll try to remember to circle back here and let you know, but if it slips my mind it will definitely crop up on the blog.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Going Where No Chowhounder Has Gone Before: Louis' Crossing, Hough's Neck

I am moving from West Quincy to Hough's Neck later this month...HB, I hope they're still as good as you reviewed! Mr. Plumtomato and I will have to peek in once we settle. Great review! Thanks for sharing!

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

What's your favorite thing to dip french fries in?

Baked fries at home: malt vinegar; garlicky mayo; occasionally tartar sauce.

Fast food fries: McD's sweet and sour sauce! Really. It cuts the excessive saltiness and is yummy at the same time.

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What's your favorite thing to dip french fries in?

BBQ sauce and ranch together, or separately?

Because they both sound tasty!

plumtomato in General Chowhounding Topics

Restaurants everyone seems to HATE but you love

Love Border Cafe in Harvard! Mmm, sangria. And quesadilla with marinated chicken! DH tried to order the popcorn crawfish but they were out of crawfish (Saturday night, Celtics playoff -- not really surprised but he was disappointed anyway).

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Need a recommendation for a small (~20) family post wedding lunch or dinner

If you would be willing to explore the Quincy area, we had the rehearsal dinner for our wedding in the wine cellar at ALBA in Quincy Center...about 24 people, our meals (which included salad, entree, and dessert) were between $30 and $40 per person. I chose two entrees for people to choose from, salmon and steak with shrimp, but one member of my wedding party is vegetarian and allergic to tomatoes....I called the restaurant a few days beforehand and let them know my special request, and they accommodated to a T at no extra cost. They're a Mediterranean steakhouse, if that helps you guess the cuisine, but I think your "conservative" eaters will be happy. My dad is very picky but tucked right it. He doesn't like shrimp so his crustacean went to my mother. And the ages of my party went from my husband's nine year old niece to his eighty year old grandmother, with a bunch of our thirty-something friends and fifty-ish parents in between. Geographically our guests ranged from Las Vegas to Pennsylvania to Boston, and the cuisine appealed to them all.

I think they would have let us order from the full menu if we had wanted, but choosing limited entrees helped us keep the costs down! Even with such a small party.

Good luck!

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Quincy favorites?

Thanks for this article. It has a lot more information than I've heard to date. I didn't know about the Granite Trust Building. My jeweler is in that building, I hope they don't force him out!

Lots and lots of changes...that will take lots and lots of time... I'll believe in it a lot more when I start to see it...

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Quincy favorites?

The sushi place that used to be in the food court outside Little Q closed a couple of summers ago. Steve the sushi chef there said that the building was going to be seized by eminent domain? I don't think that place has found somewhere to reopen either, which makes me REALLY sad because they were the best. The Holy Ground on the other side of the street was also seized by eminent domain, as was the building the framers shop used to be in. I think there's going to be some construction there before too long -- dunno what's going in though.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Clash of the Ash, Quincy?

As a side note, we considered booking the rehearsal dinner for our wedding at the Inn at Bay Pointe. The fish came highly recommended, but we had steak tip salad and crab cakes for lunch instead.

Two thumbs up on both fronts. So, four thumbs up total. Which works out, since there were two of us. The remoulade with the crab cakes was faaaantastic.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Clash of the Ash, Quincy?

We tried Beni Cafe once when I still lived in North Quincy...None too bad, didn't have the same friendly neighborhood atmosphere as Sushi Time Too had once, and if we're going to trek across town for sushi, we might as well go all the way and go to Snappy Sushi in Boston. They used to be Shino Express but I think the name changed this past summer. Still excellent quality food and great service. Nearest T station is Copley, and they're right around the corner on Newbury (nearer the Commons). If you're feeling a little adventurous, we recommend their Tuna Gone Wild fancy rolls.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Clash of the Ash, Quincy?

Culinary cousins, perhaps!

There was a Sushi Time Too in the food court of the building that used to house the RMV and the $2.50 movie theatre...Steve the Sushi Chef was excellent, and the price was just right. I think we've been to Kagawa once, with some of DH's friends from his old workplace, and while it was neat to have a private little room, the quality wasn't as superb as Sushi Time Too and the prices were ridiculous. They closed up Sushi Time Too when the building was slated for destruction. We've been at sea ever since, and what is now Snappy Sushi on Newbury Street in Boston is our sushi place, though not convenient geographically.

I've been to Fuji once. Wasn't over the moon about it.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Cela's Restaurant--the "old Alba" location, Quincy

Just curious...Any luck yet?

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area

Clash of the Ash, Quincy?

It's now Rocco's Something-or-Other Roast Beef & Seafood. Hubby and I haven't been yet, but he went when it was Ken's and wasn't impressed.

And, all the restaurants in Quincy Center are changing or disappearing. First the Holy Ground, now Sarsfields...and our fave sushi bar has been gone for a year now, we still haven't found a suitable, nearby replacement.

plumtomato in Greater Boston Area