lambchopas's Profile
Rehearsal Dinner with Harbor view?
check out the exchange center on the fish pier. i've been to two rehearsal dinners and one bar mitz there. it's catered by legals (eh), but the view/convenience of it is remarkable.
http://www.exchangeconferencecenter.com/
Le Soir, Newton closed??
marc was most recently at the helm of bouchee, but it was short lived. not sure where he is going to end up next.
NYC-No $ Limit- Sat night- Adventure
Used to live in the city (3 years ago), coming back for 24 hours. Bringing along a friend who hasn't been in years. Want to do small bites at many destinations. Know I have to be in Meatpacking around 9p-- but will have a town car and willing to travel. Love the concept of hitting up blue ribbon for bone marrow, maybe a hit up the new tasting room for a few small plates. If you could plan a full-on BITES itinerary for 24 hours, where would it be??
Help! I can't remember the name of a terrific restaurant!
Tim Partridge was the owner, but not the chef at Perdix. That was Seth Morrison and he now runs the kitchen at The Biltmore in Newton.
Bostonian Restauranteur Hitting Miami Beach
DC (who owns a restaurant in Boston) and I are headed to Miami for a little recon trip. Any MUST hit spots? We're trying to get some inspiration for great drinking establishments. Also, any off the beaten path places would be equally appreciated.
Bin 26 Enoteca?
we were there this weekend. service was great, food was mediocre. waiter knew his stuff and was honest about what he liked and didn't on the menu. while i wouldn't rush back, I wouldn't say no to it if i was invited to join friends there again.
JP Eats
Headed to JP tomorrow night for a party and thought we would dine in the 'hood before. Haven't eaten there in years. Any suggestions?
Best Chinese in Brookline for Christmas Eve
Oy vey! I absolutely deplore Golden Temple. Not only is it TOTALLY overpriced, but I do not find the waistaff to be accomodating to those that want to take their time and enjoy the meal. I also find the food to be way too americanized. I am just generally suspect when anyone recommends Golden Temple for Chinese. It's like calling Bernard's at the Mall authentic Chinese.
While it may not be the best in Boston, Chef Chang's would definitely fit the bill. You can order a crispy peking duck to be carved tableside, a full bar, and a owner that will not rush you through the meal. There is also no attitude.
Where to buy duck fat
i just bought a quart of it at whole foods on cambridge street. it was in the frozen section. I would call first and if they don't have it, i am sure they can bring it in from the commisary.
if you're in a pinch, you can always make confit with a non-flavored oil like canola or veg. not ideal, but the rub should flavor it enough.
asian take out in south-end
having a hankering for asian cuisine--not sushi--more viet, thai or chinese. anyone have any recs for good take out in s.end? would like to avoid using dining-in.
Expensive sandwiches that are worth it?
funny, i had that sandwich last week and I found it entirely underwhelming with regards to taste. The beauty of traditional tonnato is that it has some fat in it w/the tuna sauce. The one at Neptune is sauce free (I think it is tuna tartare with sliced veal) and was bland beyond belief. It has quite the visual presentation, but it had ZERO flavor and was entirely overwhelmed by the brioche.
Pops going in the Perdix space
i so doubt that place will be serving $20 entrees. Perdix couldnt keep its head above water with same seating cap, same alcohol license and entrees at 25-30, with a fantastic chef..and $7000 rent. sounds like a bunch of rubbish to me. WHy hasn't anyone opened a killer burrito spot in the south end yet? It would do so well.
Searching for...spinach/feta pitas...help appreciated!
there are a few armenian markets in watertown/arlington (one is called arax) that sell those stuffed pitas.
yuzu
i read in the times that wholefoods is carrying yuzu. has anyone seen it? could it be that it is only carried in the NY stores? please report any sightings
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/11/dining/11yuzu.html?ref=dining
dim sum
where's the spot to go? i frequent china pearl and chow chow, but there must be something better. any idea for a boston proper dim sum destination?
thanks!
Orinoco -- Sat. night glitches?
we hit up Orinoco for the first time last night. during the 30 minute wait, we enjoyed a brahma (better for looks than taste) and el presidente beer. finally seated, but received little notice by the waitstaff. no silverware, no water, really no love. after 10 minutes, waiter finally came around and asked if we were being helped. sort of a strange question to already seated customers.
ordered the Reina Pepiada, shredded chicken avocado and cilantro, and the Pernil, slow cooked pork leg with mojo (thank you menu pages)arepas, the Maracuchitos, queso paisa wrapped in sweet plantains, and what was called a beef tenderloin special with crab and asparagus, but was clearly a hanger steak, not tenderloin.
lets start with the arepas. for a place that is muy famoso for the arepas, they should hit it out of the park... however, these were barely to first base. they were flavorless, hard to eat because they were SO DRY, and just blah. thank god for the beer and the tasty dipping sauce..'cause otherwise one would be hard pressed to get those arepas down. i have made arepas many a'time and they should be soft, flavorful, and all around yum. the ones are Orinoco were just disappointing. the reina pepiada, really a chicken salad, was okay, not great. the pernil was dry, no flavor and boring. i was really surprised.
the marachuchitos were great. sweet plantains and creamy cheese. these were quality. nice balance of flavors and texture.
next was the steak special. sold as a tenderloin, but i would bet my bottom dollar that this was a hanger steak. beef tenderloins are not the diameter of a hotdog and are not as sinuous. despite the misnomer, the steak had flavor and was prepared to our requested temperature. it was paired with a crab salad and asparagus which was unexpected but well executed.
here is my issue with the "tenderloin." since it was our first time at Orinoco, we asked the waiter to recommend his favorite principales. immediately he directed us to the specials. when the bill came, it turns out his favorite was also most expensive on the menu. while nothing is expensive here, "tenderloin" turned out to be $19, i am ALWAYS suspicious when a waiter suggests most expensive and does not reference the cost. $19 is nothing for a hanger, but when everything else on menu is less than $15, i would expect it to be pointed out.
finally, we had the molten chocolate cake. the cake was served in a disposable aluminum cup and was not properly cooked. the top was crusty but the rest of the cake was raw. molten should have a creamy center, but should be surrounded by a cake.
overall, for $76, i was disappointed with Orinoco. Probably will not return. Surprised about the hype. maybe we ordered incorrectly? thoughts?
28 degrees - dress code and cocktails
jeans are a definite yes at 28. they actually make a nice dirty martini there.
The food - really - at 28 Degrees
we hit up 28 degrees last night. started at the bar first.. had a very good dirty martini. waitstaff was very nice and agreed to seat us in a corner seat, usually for 3, eventhough we were two. ordered oysters, tuna tartare, gnocci, and a short rib special. the cilantro mignoette sauce was excellent and oysters were plump and tasty. tuna tartare was generic but well executed. gnocci was prepared with mushrooms and fresh corn. it was interesting, but needed more salt. the only disappointment of the night was the short rib special. it was almost inedible. it was almost as if they were running behind when making, therefore did not cook at a low enough heat to retain the moisture of the meat. it was served on a celery root slaw which was fine, the short rib was really disappointing. service was good. but i think we will stick with 28 for cocktails.
Washington Sq. Tavern, Ali's Roti, South End Buttery
i find this discussion somewhat tragic. Good burgers, those with a great amount of fat (at least 20%), are hard to buy commercially, so places must make them from scratch. This entails buying great sirloin or chuck or whatever meat they desire, grinding it in house, regrinding it with fat added and then hand shapin etc. If you are looking for a $4 burger, then by all means, buy a pre-made patty from grade C meat. I will happily pay $20 for a excellent hand made, hand ground burger. And yes, WST grinds their own AGED PRIME sirloin for their burgers and they are worth every penny.
yuzu
i was just out in cali and had some unbelievable sushi. one was a hamachi sashimi served with pink peppercorns and fresh yuzu. is there anywhere to get fresh yuzu here?
Hotel Bar Butter?
I believe vermont creamery makes it and you can purchase that brand at lionette's and also butcher shop. but i would make it because it is extremely simple.
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
put in cuisinart or in kitchenaid and process. wrap it in plastic wrap in log shape, cover in foil and throw in freezer.. cut circles as needed.
Johnny's Biltmore Cafe closed
The service at D&G was definitely friendlier and there wasn't the keno crowd at D&G, but I didn't spend much time there as I really only went to JBC for lunch..
Johnny's Biltmore Cafe closed
yeah, i work in needham and there aren't many places to get a non-fastfood burger or steak tips. I cannot vouch for their off menu specials, but the burgers and fries were pretty reliable. I was excited to hear about the Perdix infusion. I went there quite a bit and always was impressed with the food there. They did emphasize that the food would be still pub-like, not fancy south end.
Caffe Umbra
we went there a few weeks ago. both ordered burgers, medium rare, sat at the bar. burgers came out, one was medium other was medium well-- not sure how that can happen.. if the order is put in the same time, shouldn't the burger come out the same temp?? anyway, i found the bartender sorta rude. when i asked for the dessert menu, he looked at me and said "WOW. You sure you want dessert?" I was pretty much flabbergasted at the comment and found him to be standoffish from the get go. Laura was there, chattin' it up with some regulars. I sorta think that if the chef is gonna gab, her food/service better be spot on. I won't be returning anytime soon.
Johnny's Biltmore Cafe closed
Did it already close? I got to meet the new owners/managers at lunch last week. I understand that the some of the crew from Perdix is involved. Didn't get more deets...anyone else? Can't wait for it to re-open. I am bummed though---didn't realize it was closing so soon. It was my go to spot for lunch. Will keep my eyes open for more details.
