Jolyon Helterman's Profile
St John USVI 2011 Recap
I had a terrific experience at the STJ Fatty Crab in early February. We ordered roughly 15 plates, and there was hardly a dud in the mix. The weird thing about all the Fatty Crabs (NYC too) is the insistence that you order everything at the beginning of the meal. I get it from a kitchen standpoint, but I'd rather sit at the bar and graze at my own pace with this sort of food.
N.B.: Green Mango Papaya Salad is supposed to use unripe fruit. That's the dish. It's basically a vinegary, fish saucy slaw laced with thai chilies. Ripe fruit doesn't work in it. It's not for everyone, but certainly not incorrect.
O Ya… Consistency whittled down to the dull art of repetition; or One and Done
The JBAs, generally, seem to take a fairly conservative view of a restaurant scene; the winners tend to be not white-hot, in the heat of their star rise, but rather, those enjoying some staying power.
To call either Jamie Bissonnette or Matt Jennings a "very weak contender" strikes me as a ludicrous observation. But good for a puzzled laugh.
Just on a side note: O Ya has no PR organization.
Menton, Clio, or Craigie? Tasting menu blow-out for family. Recent expeiences?
Gotcha on the too-expensive-to-risk part, and yes, I've had meals like that, unfortunately. :(
Looking forward to reading your blow-by-blow report.
Menton, Clio, or Craigie? Tasting menu blow-out for family. Recent expeiences?
@opinionatedchef: Sorry you had a bad experience—maybe it was an off night? I'm especially sorry, given that my recommendation may have figured in to your decision to give it a try. I will add your experience as yet another data point in my views about the place.
That said, I'd be hesitant to become a zealous detractor of the restaurant after only one disappointing meal there. Clio has validly earned its way into the pantheon of Boston's top restaurants (whatever they think of the current incarnation, you won't find many people who will deny that, at least...). For that reason, categorically steering people—especially out-of-towners—away from the place seems a little unfairly harsh to me. Especially given your loyal following ’round these parts! :-)
CRISPY GINGER, SCALLION CHINESE LOBSTER
I had a great version at Dumpling Cafe a couple of days ago. I also think East Ocean City does a nice job.
Restaurant Week Boston, Winter 2012 reports?
I love that buttery-buttered potato butterfest at Oceanaire, but there's a definite strategy.
(1) First off, we order the à la Oceanaire version, in which the Tabasco, onions, and smoky bacon actually—surprisingly—serve as a buffer/respite to the butter barrage.
(2) Second, my DC and I each get two trips into it with the shovel.
(3) After which: We ask the server to please remove the remainder from the table. That way, we can enjoy the fresh fish and oysters and whatever else we ordered without spending the balance of the meal stealing jittery glances at the cast-iron vial of crack. It works for us.
Boston trip report - March 21-25 (long).
Excellent report. That bone marrow pizza is one of my favorite dishes anywhere.
Menton, Clio, or Craigie? Tasting menu blow-out for family. Recent expeiences?
Agreed that Menton could hardly be considered stuffy or old-fashioned.
I think both Menton and Clio are at the top of their game lately. The wine list at Menton is among the most interesting in town, and the staff (not just the sommelier) know it inside and out.
I enjoy Troquet, but I think the restaurant isn't in the same league as the three the OP named. Not even close.
I think O Ya is on par with Menton, and even if you're not into their superb sake list, the wine list is well curated and well-tuned to the stellar food (I am fond of ordering a bottle of fine white Châteauneuf-du-Pape there...).
Bar/lounge near Myers &Chang?
If you require seats at the bar, then yes, a lot of these places will be difficult. But part of the fun at Butcher Shop is getting your place (marked by a place mat) around the butcher block and people-watching. Toro and Franklin have a festive crowd, if standing-room-only.
To each his own re Gaslight, I suppose. I don't find it particularly Disney-fied or in-your-face-Frenchie.
I like drinking at Via Matta.
Help With My Wife's Return to Boston
I'm a fan of all those places (except for Cafe at Taj, which I haven't been to):
If it were me, I would do lunch at Myers + Chang and B&G (I don't share other posters' disappointment with it, and moreover, I'd rather pay the markup on its intriguing wine list than not have the opportunity to sample such compelling bottles), and dinner at Coppa (which I think isn't as special at lunch).
Unless I were feeling flush enough to do dinner at O Ya!
Bar/lounge near Myers &Chang?
Some of my favorites (for lively scene + decent drinks):
The Gallows
Gaslight
Toro
The Butcher Shop (great wines by the glass, no liquor)
Agree with Franklin rec.
Grill 23 Restaurant Week
I feel the pain of restaurateurs during these weeks, but yeah, I totally agree with that last sentence. Hear, hear.
Grill 23 Restaurant Week
I believe Gaslight also serves Brandt beef—at least for their bavette steak. At least they used to.
Bar/Restaurant with great whisky selection
Sweet Cheeks has a nice selection of American whiskeys, and terrific food.
http://www.sweetcheeksq.com/menu/BigCheeksMenu_dinner%2012.07.11.pdf
Best ceviche in town?
The ceviche at Tico is the best I've had in the city (and I'm not the biggest fan of Tico overall). The scallop ceviche is truly, truly special, but all the versions I've had there are excellent. Good balance of chili, citrus acidity, and fat. Someone knows what they're doing.
Guchi's Midnight Ramen
French Laundry: three friends (who were going to be meeting up with us in Wine Country), four phone lines, flexibility for the week (ended up getting it on our second day trying). The meal absolutely blew me away. :)
Guchi's Midnight Ramen
[just responding to the whole thread, in general]
I agree with those suggesting that there isn’t anything wrong with being strategic or "calculating" as far as creating buzz for a restaurant, or a limited-edition special event. Restaurants aren't goodwill organizations or cafeterias; they're businesses, and, in many instances, showcases for a chef's culinary passions and interests. The notion that potential patrons are somehow *entitled* to be allowed to participate, or to have the restaurateur offer them the experience on a convenient silver platter, strikes me as wrongheaded.
As for complaints that access is so limited that the phenomenon isn't newsworthy, or that covering it involves some sort of backroom, pay-for-play collusion between journalists and industry folks: pure nonsense, IMO. The fact that there are 115 posts on a thread (plus whatever's been deleted by the mods) on an important board like Chowhound means the buzz is there, and it's something people are talking about. The buzz, plus the burgeoning opinion that the ramen is pretty darned good (not to mention the debate on its relative merits) makes it a slam-dunk for a food journalist, as well as for gastronomically inclined readers who want to stay in the loop about what's new on the dining scene. (Though I agree with MC Slim’s comment that knowing whether it’s Toro hard, or French Laundry hard, would be a key element in coverage of the phenomenon.)
Finally, in terms of the velvet-rope ploy, it's an age-old trick that, yes, can fool the clamoring public. That said, the French Laundry, Le Comptoir du Relais, and David Chang's bo ssäm feast are just three of many "velvet-roped" food experiences I've had wherein—upon finally getting through—the experience was worth the hassle.
Where to buy grits (uncooked) in the Boston area
Is there a retail store in the Boston area that sells good Southern grits? I'm craving them!
Delicious appetizers for 21st Birthday Party for 35 in Cambridge or surrounds
I'll vouch for the food quality at Russell House Tavern.
My first thought when I read your subject line was Catalyst, which also should have enough room. (Area Four, also good, might be harder to squeeze 40 revelers into.)
What's good at Scampo?
I hardly ever order a pork chop at a restaurant; the one Scampo is superlative.
I also love the cracklin's pasta.
Get Your Goat @ Westborough Korean Restaurant
this is next on my list—thanks for the great writeup
Post Your Three Favorite Things You ate in Boston in 2011
This was a hard one; the problem with perennial favorites like Coppa, O Ya, Erbaluce, and Myers + Chang is my failure to branch out from the handful of dishes I've been obsessed with from the beginning.
Plus, the amnesia factor. And I can't narrow down to three.
Four favorite things I ate for the first time in 2011
• Mustard-crusted bluefish with salsa verde and roasted radishes @ Area Four
• Scallop ceviche @ Tico
• Crispy duck salad @ Bergamot
• Chickpea-guanciale-avocado salad @ Butcher Shop
My apologies to any dish I overlooked. I'm positive there's something.
Authentic food in St. Thomas?
Well, I'm a fan of Craig and Sally's, so I may not be your best advisor.
That said: Cafe Amalia, near the touristy shopping/harbor area, serves fair to pretty good Spanish tapas. However, they have a chorizo-stuffed burger—topped with manchego cheese and olive tapenade, and served on a buttery bun, crisped on the cut side—that was so mind-blowingly delicious I returned to get another one the very next day. They'll even cook it medium-rare.
I don't see it on the online menu, so maybe it's a lunch-only thing?
http://www.amaliacafe.com/
Mistral advice
Agree that Mistral is an excellent restaurant. They've often had a "whole" fish on the menu that's deboned and cleaned, of everything but the head and skin (and, well, the white flesh...). One of my favorite fish dishes in the city—along with the grilled sea bass at Bistro du Midi and the mustard-crusted bluefish at Area Four, among others.
Yeah, it's pretty pricy for what you get. But I've had flawless meals there, too. You can definitely dine there well for well under $500.
Also: It's one of the best-looking dining rooms in the city, IMO. Jamie Mammano's restaurants tend to be gorgeous.
ISO: Davis Square restaurant- Sat. lunch, good for conversation
One vote for sticking with the baked or grilled things.
Any grocery stores in greater Boston open on Thanksgiving Day?
Just found out that Wilson Farm in Lexington is open 8am to 1pm
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Wilson Farm
10 Pleasant St, Lexington, MA 02421
Any grocery stores in greater Boston open on Thanksgiving Day?
Just wondering how confident I need to be that I'm done.
Quick bite near Symphony Hall
Agree with Symphony Sushi—quite solid with all of their not-so-ambitious offerings.
