beksis1's Profile
Designer Donuts? - moved from Boston board
I too LOVE the tres leches doughnut from the plant. It's a regular stop for me when in NYC. Two would be my limit though-I'm guessing the calorie count on one of those babies is over 500.-and definitely worth it.
Best brunch in Cambridge?
The B-Side serves a tasty brunch. My faves are the sweet potato biscuits and gravy, and the chipotle grits-YUM!
-----
B-Side Lounge
92 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139
Best bowl of chili
I had it last night. Not bad-spicy, lots of chunks of beef, and served with a decent piece of toasted cornbread
Anyone able to duplicate The Neighborhood Restaurant's Cream of Wheat?
I concur. Lemon zest (and sometimes whole chunks of the rind!) is an ingredient in this decadent dish. I always thought there was cinnamon in there as well?
Rest. Week overall
Ha, I couldn't decide between the duck and the halibut so the waiter surprised me. Luckily, the DC sitting next to me ordered the halibut and gave me a nice sized piece. It was sublime.
Pluots - What are these delicious things; Where have you been?
Wow! Thank you so so much for that link. We have a pluot tree in our back yard and I have been wondering why the fruit is yellow(all the pluots I see in stores are red). Unfortunately I've been waiting for the fruit to get ripe(red) and have let a lot of the fruit go bad/fall of the tree. I was able to pick a bunch last night and the taste is amazing. Tangy plum skin with juicy apricot flesh-delightful. Thanks again:)
Top 10 cities for foodies - Comments Chowhound?!
I concur! Montreal? absolutely, Vancouver? you bet, Toronto? Definitely not!
Best Basket of Bread
Oooh, I didn't get brioche for my rest wk visit, but there was a walnut bread that was pretty good.
Rest. Week overall
My RW was pretty tasty overall. It started with a fabulous lunch at KO Prime-they really aimed to impress(pic of the thai basil panna cotta). I was very amused when we got the itemized check-$6.69 for a steak! Service and food were both impeccable and I will definitely head back there soon to try that marrow butter!
Aura was next and while I wasn't at all impressed with the meal, the service was very good and we had quite a large(and finicky) group. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it or go back again, but I can't say that it was terrible-others in the group(of 15!) seemed to really enjoy their meals.
Sibling Rivalry rounded out my RW experience. They offered a very extensive menu and a group of six was able to order completely different combinations. I tried a lot of the food and it was all pretty tasty-the Halibut dish was exceptional and I was experiencing entree envy as my duck was overcooked. With so many great South End options, I may not go back anytime soon, but for a RW girls night out, it was perfect.
Best Basket of Bread
Sel de la Terre wins my vote for this. Their Anise bread is fantastic!
Where to get premium quality chocolate chips [moved from Boston board]
I couldn't agree more. I love TJ's choc chips and used to use the ghiradelli until I discovered TJ's.
Taste of Cambridge
Considering that all the proceeds go to charity, it definitely is worth it. Last year, the food was exceptional, the crowd was handled extremely well and it was basically all you can drink in the wine/beer lines! I've got my tix for tomorrow:)
PSA: avoid Rendevous
I agree that the pot pie is not worth the price. Last month, I went to Rendevouz with 5 DC's-all of which loved their food except for the "pot pie diner". While it wasn't a bad pot pie per se(I had a bite), it just wasn't worth the cost and was a small portion. But we felt that the rest of the food was exceptional so it wasn't a big deal.
D.F. - Zona Rosa
Same request here! I too will be in DF this weekend and am having a hard time finding local favorites.
Best place to reserve a lounge/bar w/ good apps/drinks?
I went to a party at Silvertone with over fifty guests and it was wonderful. The staff was very accomodating, the food (apps and large salads)was great, and the bartender was able to handle the crowd. I'm not sure about a minimum though-it's definitely worth pursuing.
Prove Me Wrong About Brunch
Oh Gio, the cream of wheat at the Neighborhood is truly remarkable, I made a die hard no-hot cereal eating friend try it, and he was hooked-I often go just for it and it alone(but their special options are usually quite good as well)
The Charms of Lechmere?
Welcome to the neighborhood!
All of the mentioned options are great. Helmand is one of my favorites-get the pumpkin dish and you'll be hooked.
Just a short walk up Hampshire is B-Side Lounge as well as Cafe Kiraz for very good sandwiches,salads and a huge serving of frozen yogurt with a large offering of mix-ins, including fresh fruit. I recommend apricot walnut!
Aceituna is in one of the office buildings(Genzyme perhaps?) and I believe is only open for lunch during the week but if it fits your schedule, they have decent specials as well as a very good shwarma with a delectable garlic spread.
Enjoy!
Grilled Octupus/and or Calamari?
Rendezvous has a very good grilled baby octopus app
Which snacks to beat pre-dinner munchies/diet sabotage?
I have this problem too. Some snacks I enjoy: celery and peanut butter, smoked salmon with a lite cream cheese, hard boiled eggs, carrots and hummus, I really like cottage cheese but know a lot of ppl don't. I think the key for me is to eat a good amount of protein in order to feel satiated. Good luck!
Aquitane?
I concur, they're fabulous-extremely rich, but definitely worth the calories.
How do you eat your smoked salmon?
Creme Fraiche/mascarpone blend, fresh dill, red onion and preserved lemon-to die for!
B-side comment
I was there last night after 11 and the bar area was full-quite a few booths were taken as well.
Best "Happy Hour" in Boston area?
Unfortunately, there aren't too many places in Boston with Happy Hour discounts. 28 Degrees in the South End has $1 oysters from 5-7 M-F, Grendel's den in Harvard square offers their entire menu at half off during certain hours, but their food leaves much to be desired. I'd say your best bet is probably McCormick and Schmicks as mentioned-not a bad burger and fries for 2.95 and several other decent pub food offerings.
B-side comment
I went to the B-Side for brunch on Saturday-their sweet potato biscuits w/gravy and chipotle grits will make a regular out of me-in fact, I went back on Sunday just for the grits! They make a very good spicy bloody Mary too- with tomolives-yum.
no reservations at neptunes
I walked in with 3 friends a few saturdays ago and had no problem getting a table. The fried clams are very good, the lobster roll is quite tasty, but the house burger is sub par-that's all I've ever had there, but the oysters are truly fabulous.
Whole Food seafoods rock!
Their frozen halibut is very good. In fact, for the most part, I've had better frozen halibut than fresh from WF!
Where is your favorite bread basket?
Last night I had an excellent piece of focaccia at Teatro.
