couldn't agree with frankie and ccweb more....

and who relly cares how good his technique is or isn't, his deception is reason enough for me not to return. boston is a small dining community and it was foolish "business sense"

as for the "Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery" comment, the only thing i have to say is that may be true but dishonesty is is nothing to admire..

wow... the first mention of westmalle this far down. i think the dubbel is the best out there

"vibrant fruit flavors, good acidity, and discernable minerality"? or candied renditions of their fruit counterparts, malo acidity, and discernable wood tannin?

you can probably find some emidio pepe montepulciano d'abruzzo around that wouldn't be too expesive. one of the coolest and "interesting" wines out there and on the shelf.
a little va on my last bottle but worth grabbing and sitting on for a little

way too many wines for half the price...

joseff schmid makes a blend called "pepino" (chard, gv, riesling, muscat) i think. 13-15 retail
schoffit makes a blend for the same on the shelf
rocca bernarda does a chard/sb/friulano blend - same price

much better $$ options than the conundrum

seriously... mc slim gives the franklin way too much credit. but, it is more than a bar that serves food SLIM. come on.

first off... for the chowhound praise, the question "Why do places like this thrive in Boston? Are our standards really that low?" is perfect.

the franklin cafe gets way toooooo much positive press.

the only redeeming quality other than having dennis, is the fact that they serve late. but they do that with such regret (as the staff and service suggests)...
"but at the end of the day it's still a loud, dark bar with food"
if that were the case, i'd be happy paying 16 bucks for steak frites, and not 16 bucks for smoked mozzarella with fig jam. what "bar" serves this kind of food??
slim, you have to convince me in other ways.... this aint no "dark bar with food"
and if it is, i'm going to the waltham tavern.... ha

and can you imagine that gewurztraminer??????

the cocktails

agreed whiner... late 90's the wine was fine. the 21st century took over

that begs the question... why grow it all?

that's the disaster. muscat has it's place in alsace and in the pfalz

i've seen a few positive mentions for "conundrum". are there others here who find this wine to be as unappealing as i do?

i find it to be another california disaster.... the last time i tasted it, it was sappy, out of balance, lathered in cocoa butter.... and the second sip was worse.
what gives?

you may be hard pressed to find any stuff at the smaragd level for less than 15 but i agree gruner veltliner would be a good choice..

i must agree.. i heard excellent things about scarpetta. while i thought the food was good, and the cocktails were decent, the staff at the door, bar and the servers were less than mediocre.

have to say... dinner at the bar @ #9 the other night. tasting menu was outstanding. definitely no corners cut there. there were no small portions at all. i barely was able to finish the last couple of courses. and of course the quality was there as well.

for a little bit higher-end for brunch i say mooo at the ix beacon (beacon hill).. the best kept secret in town. clearly not the most fun spot in town but without a doubt the best cooked eggs in town!

"keep the discussion focused on restaurants in the Boston area"

i think it is completetely relavent... if not, suggest another board for this discussion. people are curious as to the downturn and its effect on restaurant quality in boston with specific examples noted.

any new updates on this?

thats good to know... well not about the wine by the glass. although that seems to be the case with a lot of restaurants

he has been with #9 group for some time in the front of the house... should be great

oleana - cambridge

i used to live in the south end and would frequent this spot. still good?

didn't see the article but what i understand and as the name suggests, that this will feature northern italian cuisine but lombardia and piemonte in particular?? looking forward to this new italian place opening!

""Mediocre merlot is the pits, whereas mediocre sangiovese is just fine."""

mediocre is mediocre....

i think fsome got bit by the sideways bug and don't know it

thank you!

t anthonys makes the best good ole diner slop. go to the counter and order and then go sit and look around at all the bu sports junk (and thats good junk) on the walls. great spot! on comm corner of babcock

or zaftigs for great jewish deli style breakfast. harvard ave

i think the "americentric" problem is well documented...

thank you bangordin...

i wasn't suggesting an exact match....

that movie is called "mondovino"

not a deal breaker for sure... they solicite and charge for something they publish in their magazine. isn't that just the same as advertising?