The_Bayou's Profile
How's the pizza in Boston?
Not exactly Boston, but Stellina's on Main St. in Watertown makes a great pizza as a dinner. Thin crust, but not too thing, and with excellent toppings. I had one there a few weeks ago and it was the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this topic.
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Stellina Restaurant
47 Main St, Watertown, MA 02472
Eating healthy in Downtown Boston
As I try to turn a new leaf and eat healthy, I am always in search of tasty and filling dishes from the take out places in the Boston Financial District. I don't often bring a lunch and it is generally frowned upon to do so (don't ask, it just is). Currently my go-to's are the soups at Au Bon Pain (
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Cosi
720 Atlantic Ave, Boston, MA 02111
Where to find good slush (Italian Ice) in the Watertown/Waltham area?
Thanks Velda Mae,
I checked out Petrillos Market and even in the Winter they have more than 5 flavors available. I went around 4pm one day and was surprised to see how many school kids were there to buy Italian Ice in the middle of February.
CSA help!
Waltham Community Farm has a Sunday dropoff. Farm is next to Bentley, about a mile from Watertown.
Where to find good slush (Italian Ice) in the Watertown/Waltham area?
I just meant the italian ice variety. My wife tried to slide Icee's by as slush. Didn't qualify.
CSA 2009
I am a new member of Waltham Farms. Has anyone experienced any bug related problems with CSAs? I know they don't use chemicals, but are they able to adequately protect the crops?
Where to find good slush (Italian Ice) in the Watertown/Waltham area?
As the weather reached into the 40's today, I started to dream about the Spring and Summer, and that got me thinking about slush (Italian Ice). I am from the Merrimac Valley where small convenience stores selling 10+ varieties of slush are common, but now live in the Newton/Watertown/Waltham area and am not familiar with any such places. I know this area has a good Italian community, so I would expect there to be at least one great place.
Any suggestions?
Besides Harrow's, anywhere to get a good pot pie?
Good 25 miles out of Boston, but there is a very old English market in Methuen that is famous for its pub pies (many varieties) and makes great chicken pies. i buy the pub pies by the box and freeze them. The chicken ones are packed full of white meat chicken and make the perfect quick meal. I also recommend the pork pies.
Thwait's Market, Oakland Ave, Methuen
http://www.thwaitesmarket.net
Bagels in Waltham?
I recently moved to Waltham (off of Main St.) and have not had any luck finding a good bagel place. About 3.5 miles away is Bruegers in Belmont Center, but that is pretty far and the bagels there are ever shrinking. Newton Center is my next option, but again, pretty far. Any suggestions?
Is DineGift out of business?
I was at King Fish the other day and the specials menu had a note that the restaurant is no longer accepting DineGift gift certificates and that DineGift should be contacted directly. I went to DineGift's site and they are not issuing gift certificates, but instead say to check back after October 3rd (as of October 17, 2008 it has not been updated). I called the number on the site and that just rings out. Anybody know anything about this?
Massachusett's Attorney Generals office had no information on DineGift or its parent.
Robek's?
I have a Robek's next to my office in downtown, and go there pretty often. From why I understand, Robek's smoothies are a little healthier than Jamba Juice's, because it is all natural fruits and juices, with no sugar added.
They have a smoothie made of orange juice and fat free yogurt that I like.
Caterer Recommendations for Philly
I am looking for recommendations for a caterer to cater a wedding in Philly this spring. Please share positive experiences.
Unstated Specials Prices -- A Legal Analysis
Looking at this from a legal perspective is tough. I would think that in this case the doctrine of unclean hands would be used by the restaurant, in an attempt to show that you had no intention of paying full price, and as a result purposely did not ask the price.
Top Chef Season 3
GE manufacturers Kenmore. Kenmore is just a GE brand that they sell exclusively at Sears. GE also ownes Bravo.
Stone Crabs
Thanks Veggo, I picked up 6 claws last Saturday and they were great.
FYI, the rate was $24.99/lb, and they were about 5 claws to a pound.
Stone Crabs
Can anyone recommend a good fish market to buy stone crabs? I live in the Newton/Watertown area and don't recall seeing stone crabs in any of the local markets.
Seeking Early Bird or Senior Discount Meals
Yerardi's on Watertown Street in Newton has a great early bird special. I can't remember the details, but I remember it being a very good deal that included a full meal at a set price.
French Onion Soup - Where's it at?
The French restaurant at the new Millennium Hotel has great onion soup.
budget wine for a summer wedding
Andytee,
I had the same project last summer, and really enjoyed supplying the wine for my own wedding. My wife and I are wine lovers, and usually don't think twice about buying a $50+ bottle of wine for weekend dinner at home. But, there is no way we could afford wine at that cost for a 175 person wedding. The wedding was on Cape Cod, so we wanted wine that would be enjoyable in warm weather. A great choice for a white wine we also went with Spain, the Montecillo Rioja. It is a nice, light white that tastes very similar to a Pinot Grisio. And, because it only sells for about $5 a bottle. We also went with a chardoney for some people that prefer it, but I don't recall the brand. One red we went with was the Georges Dubœuf Juliénas Château des Capitans. Good wine for warm weather, and I think we paid less than $10 a bottle. We also went with a Pinot Noir that I don't recall.
Good luck.
Waiter asking you to cash out
It seems that whenever I am at a restaurant or bar after work, within a short period of time the waiter asks that I cash out (pay the bill) and start a new tab with the new waiter. I am guessing this is because a lot of places must have shift changes around 5PM. I understand that this is done so that the first waiter can receive a tip, but I would like to think that restaurants/bars would be able to find a way to split the tip between the two waiters at the end of the meal.
I am not complaining about this because I am lazy, but instead because I am often out on business with clients, and the paper work for charging a dinner through is more difficult when there are multiple receipts for the same dinner. I have attempted to explain this to waiters before, but the result is always the same, I need to cash out. I do so, but that ends my night and the restaurant loses out on any additional business that night.
Interesting Article on Corkage
In Massachusetts, it is illegal to bring a bottle of wine into any restaurant that also has a license to sell wine. If the restaurant does not have a license, the individual cities and towns determine if the restaurant is allowed to offer BYOB service. Most dry towns (towns that do not allow ANY sales of alcohol) allow for BYOB.
Alton Brown Shun Knives by Kershaw
I am curious to hear people's thoughts on these knives. I have not tried them but would like to.
Too warm - what to do? For a novice
I store wine in my basement that usually stays between 55 and 65 degrees, but sometimes hits 70 degrees when the boiler is running. I have started to keep the wine in styrofoam shippers to prevent rapid temperature changes. I don't know how well it works, but it makes sense that it would do a good job.
i buy wine through the mail, so i already have the shippers.
Le Creuset Dutch Oven...How to boil water
This may be an odd question, but how do you boil water with a Le Creuset Dutch Oven. I bought a 5.5 quart dutch oven yesterday, and although I own a few other Le Creuset products (wok, baking pan, skillet, etc...) this is my first dutch oven. I try not to use my Le Creuset (or any cast iron) on high heat.
So, I was boiling half a pot of water on medium heat last night, and after 30 mins it would not boil. So, for the sake of experimention, I inserted a probe thermometer and the temp was 96 degrees. I moved the heat up to 6 (out of 10), and after 10 more mins, the temp was 97 degrees. I kept doing this , but could not get the water to boil until I increased the heat to high (this was an hour after starting the process). Is this bad for the dutch oven? If so, is there anything else I can do other than not use it to boil water?
I want to note that I have a pretty good range, not Viking or restaurant BTUs, but not a weak range either. There is a noticable difference between each number 1 through 10.
Thanks.
Help me not to hate my cast iron cookware
Cook2day,
I just finished seasoning a cast iron wok, using the instructions provided by Le Creuset. Following are the instructions, I think they would translate to other cast iron cookware
Seasoning the Wok:
First was the wok in hot soapy water and scrub gently to remove any manufacturing residue. Dry thouroughly. Place it empty on a medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and rub this all over the inner surface. Continue heating for 10-15 minutes and then wipe off the excess oil with absorbent kitchen paper. Cool, and then repeat again with more oil. Wipe again and cool. The wok is ready for use.
Once seasoned, the wok should not be scrubbed or washed in hot soapy water - otherwise the process will need repeating. Generally, if it is rinsed under hot running water while still warm, any residue will be removed and harsher treatment will not be necessary.
If light scouring is needed, a Chinese bamboo cleaning brush or washing up brush may be used.
After cleaning, dry thouroughly by standing over a low heat for a few minutes. Store in a dry place.
I hope this helps.
Bayou
Trader Joe's Wine
I enjoy the La Boca Malbec. I think it sells for about $4, and it is actually decent.
How to get wine home with the new airline regulations
As a word of warning, try to find a shipping place that you can trust, not just one that wants your business. I shipped a couple of cases from Cartons and Crates in Napa on August 12th. One of the cases never made it, and the shipping company (UPS) has acknowledged that they lost the case. I had insured it, but everytime I call Cartons & Crates to see how the processing of my claim is going, the woman I speak to tells me that they are understaffed and she has a lot to do, but she will let me know when she takes care of it. So, all I am saying is that there is a chance something can go wrong, make sure you pick a shipper that will work to take care of making you whole if it does.
Wine Club?
I joined the Vinter's Collective's wine club when I was in Napa this summer. The first shipment is scheduled to arrive by the end of September. I will report back on what was received.
From their website:
Vintner's Collective is the first of it's kind in Napa Valley, a multi-winery tasting room that is home to twenty of the most experienced and talented winemakers in the Valley. The man behind Vintner's Collective is Garret Murphy, who dreamed of creating a place where wine lovers could taste the wines of some of the best winemakers in Napa Valley, and where smaller wineries without their own tasting room could showcase their wines and introduce them to consumers. With a little Irish luck and good intuition, the location for Vintner's Collective in the landmark Pfeiffer building made the idea a reality, and current changes and growth in downtown Napa made for good timing.
The wonderful, lively past of downtown Napa is alive again, and the Pfeiffer Building has a new and noble purpose: to be a tasting room for the wonderful wines of some of Napa Valley's most talented Vintners.
We are proud to work with the wonderful vintners showcased at Vintner's Collective, who are a wonderful group of people in addition to being wonderful winemakers. Their elegant, well-crafted wines are the tangible result of their experience, passion and commitment to quality. These wines are some of the most sought after wines in the world.
AP article on waiters and tips.
I have several friends that work in the industry, and they fully believe that tipping etiquette is no longer 15% - 20%, but AT LEAST 20%. No matter how many times I explain to them that as the cost of living goes up, the price of food goes up and therefore the tips, they don't want to hear it. Of course 2,500 waiters have joined this cause, they have nothing too lose.
On a side note, these friends of mine feel very insulted when they get "autograted" at restaurants. Where they normally tip well over 20+ (almost to make a point), they tip only the "mandatory" amount if the gratuity is included.
