lescaret's Profile
Looking for great food outside of Boston
La Carreta Restaurante Mexico serves pretty good Mexican at reasonable prices. It's next to the Framingham Post Office in a building that once might have been a Brighams (or something similar). Atmosphere leaves something to be desired but the food (what I've had) is worthwhile.
Looking for good Back Bay restaurant with comfortable bar for solo diner
I'm not sure what NapaTj's criteria for "comfortable" is, but the bar at the Beacon Hill Bistro is really, really small. I would say "cozy" is being generous. If you have a drink, some bread, a salad plate, a dinner plate, and water glass, you're going to be encroaching on those sitting beside you.
Which is not to say that the Beacon Hill Bistro isn't a fine place to eat and drink, it is. I just think that eating at the bar would be pretty tight.
Looking for good Back Bay restaurant with comfortable bar for solo diner
Brasserie Jo is a great recommendation. The food is consistently good, the drinks too, and the mood is just right for solo dining. Plenty of room, handsome decor. I've eaten there solo on a number of occasions.
Disappointment at Chez Henri
It makes me sad to write this because Chez Henri has always been one of my favorite restaurants in the Boston area. I have fond memories of celebratory repasts there over the years. However ..... the last two times my DC and I have gone there we've been thoroughly disappointed (both times within the last 8 months).
The food has been indifferent. My steak frites, while admittedly not the most creative dish to begin with, was little more than a well-grilled piece of steak and a mountain of uninteresting french fries (pre-cut, prepackaged?).
A bigger complaint, however, has been the service. Each of the last two visits we've had unskilled, indifferent waiters; the kind of waiter who would be more at ease in a Bertucci's or an Olive Garden. We asked about a particular dish but the waiter had nothing informative to say about it. The cocktail we asked about, he was unfamiliar with. The 1st bad waiter experience was the kind where we spent an inordinate amount of time throughout dinner looking for him in vain; we ended up flagging down a busboy and the hostess.
The 2nd bad waiter experience was more of the same. He apparently hadn't tried anything on the menu and had nothing beyond the blanket "it's good" when we asked about a specific dish (I forget which one). When we ordered our entries (me, the aforementioned steak), I asked that he bring me a glass of cotes du rhone when he brought my steak. He didn't. Then he disappeared and I was halfway through my meal before the wine appeared. Very disappointing.
So something seems to have happened there. After the most recent disappointing dinner (December, 2011) my DC and I resigned ourselves to confining Chez Henri to the category of "Once Beloved Restaurants That No Longer Deliver."
Has anyone else noticed how amateur and lackluster the staff has become there?
Where to dine between Cambridge and Ayer, MA?
31 Main and the Wholesome Cafe are both in Ayer. 31 Main is better for atmosphere and drinks while the Wholesome Cafe has delicious organic & veggie-style fare.
In Groton, try the Gibbet Hill Grill which is outstanding (though comparable in price to 80 Thoreau).
Hey, in Arlington, you couldn't go wrong eating at Za's.
December 2011 Winter Markets, CSAs, Farm Stands & Other Fresh, Local Sources
We're enjoying Cape Ann Fresh Catch (though we only do the every-other-week delivery). Our pickup is in Bolton.
www.capeannfreshcatch.org
This is our third or fourth season with them, highly recommended.
Recurring Dream - Bar or Lounge with Fireplace - North of Boston
Not exactly as you describe but there's a fireplace and sort of cozy bar area at the Gibbet Hill Grill in Groton (which is more west/north than strictly north).
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Gibbet Hill Grill: Restaurant
61 Lowell Rd, Groton, MA 01450
Thanksgiving in Central MA
A little outside your specified range but you might consider the Bull Run in Shirley. If you know the Bull Run from years gone by, you might shrug your shoulders and roll your eyes. I would have too. However, they've changed chefs, approach, & philosophy in the last year or two and these days they are quite good.
That said, I haven't ever eaten Thanksgiving there but, given their new direction and commitment to fresh, local food, I'm betting their T Day dinner wouldn't disappoint.
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Bull Run Restaurant
RR 2 Box A, Shirley, MA 01464
Chatham Report October 2011
Hey phelana,
Thanks for the complimentos. We stayed at the Chatham Guest Houses: http://www.chathamguestrooms.com/
I don't know whether it was ABBA or me but it just felt off as soon as we stepped in the door. The waiter was definitely annoying (that wasn't just me). I will say, though, that the seared foie gras appetizer we had was excellent, as was the bluefish pate.
Chatham Report October 2011
My partner and I spent a quick 36 hours in Chatham over the long weekend (Friday and Saturday nights) and undertook what might seem to be a pretty predictable dining agenda as we based our eating somewhat on recommendations and comments from this board. The breakdown:
- two breakfasts at Hangar B
- Friday dinner at Impudent Oyster
- Saturday lunch at the Chatham Fish Pier
- Saturday evening at ABBA in Orleans
Hangar B - awesome both days. Having read that the place can be crowded on the weekends, my partner and I got there each morning when they opened (7:00 a.m.) and, needless to say, had no trouble getting in. In fact, we were the first party there each morning. Both breakfasts were outstanding! Lemon ricotta pancakes with fresh berries, buttermilk waffles also with fresh berries, a side of red flannel hash (made with beets among other things and topped with a creamy horseradish sauce), chocolate croissant French Toast, delicious French roast coffee .... all beautiful to look at as well as to eat. The Chef/owner chatted with us Sunday morning in a friendly and interested manner and the wait staff both days were gracious, cheerful, low key and welcoming. We absolutely LOVED the place.
Impudent Oyster - Outstanding food, off-putting waitress. I asked about a cocktail menu and our waitress looked at me a little funny and said they didn't have one but that they'd make anything we wanted. My partner wanted something with gin and asked for recommendations but the waitress manifested impatience. "A French 75, perhaps?" I said to which the waitress said "Where are you from?" in a manner that suggested we were acting like Manhattan bankers or something, a real put-down attitude-wise. Whatever. The food (we both ordered seafood, my partner a local cod dish and me a spicy pasta dish with pancetta, peas, scallops and shrimp) was interesting and delicious (not to mention bountiful).
Chatham Fish Pier - Fried seafood on the waterfront, take-out, we had a Fisherman's Platter, a huge portion of fried scallops, shrimp, clams (bellies & just strips) and haddock, all super fresh and perfectly cooked. Enough for two people! The only drawback was how long it took - a good 20 minutes of standing around the parking lot waiting for our name to be called to the take out window. But once we got it, we enjoyed it thoroughly. A good, easy lunch option.
ABBA - we decided to go a little further afield and traveled to Orleans to eat at ABBA. What a disappointment! We had early reservations (6:00) and arrived on time to a reasonably empty restaurant, a freezing one at that. I don't know what put me off immediately, but I felt, as soon as I entered the door, like the place was all about pretension and sheen and attitude. It felt like Miami Vice in restaurant form. Because our waiter had no other tables at that point, he hovered over us, at times awkwardly. I'm not kidding when I say that not a minute went by without him circling around and seeing if we wanted anything or needed anything or were ready to order something more. How annoying! If we'd been on a romantic date, this would have been a nightmare.
The thought of eating an entire dinner there gave me the creeps so we ended up just ordering two drinks and appetizers. When we then asked the waiter (on his 33rd visit to the table in 15 minutes) for our check, he turned instantly passive aggressive and did not say one more word to us. Not one. He cleared the table in petulant silence, returned with the check which he placed on the table in silence, then came around and got it in silence - weird!
My final carp about the place - the chairs were those wicker seat chairs with high straight wooden backs , the kind that do not let you sit in any other position but straight up. Exceedingly uncomfortable and, for a restaurant obviously aspiring to the upper echelon of dining establishments, oddly lowbrow. A classic WTF touch.
Needless to say, we won't be heading back to ABBA anytime soon.
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Impudent Oyster
15 Chatham Bars Ave, Chatham, MA 02633
Casual dinner recommendation in Acton/Concord/Maynard?
Hmm, well, that's never been my experience. Trotliner, you say you've "always" had bad service - how many times is "always"? And if it's more than twice, why did you keep going back?
Casual dinner recommendation in Acton/Concord/Maynard?
You'd do well to visit Helen's in Concord. It's casual, efficient, and serves delicious food.
http://www.helensrestaurant.net/
Tomatoes at Small Farm in Stow
Thumbs up to Small Farm - either myself or my partner passes by it every day of the week and during the summer we stop almost daily to pick up corn for dinner.
They used to have a communal recipe box that you could contribute to or take from - we tried a carrot souffle recipe (of which we were skeptical at first) and it was delicious!
As someone above pointed out, it's a pretty low key place - more of a farm stand than a farm, really.
Chowhound "bum steers"
Indeed. Went to Antico Forno with high expectations and was completely disappointed. Truly mediocre food, and terrible service.
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Antico Forno
93 Salem Street, Boston, MA 02113
Grilled pork chops
I like to whisk together some maple syrup and soy sauce, then lay the pork chops in that for a couple hours before grilling. Chopped rosemary & good salt & pepper goes well with that too. Then just grill them to your desired state of doneness.
Note - an alternative I also enjoy is olive oil & balsamic vinegar (w/ salt & pepper & rosemary as well).
ISO blackening spice rub
You might check with Penzey's Spices in Arlington Heights. (781) 646-7707.
1293 Massachusetts Ave
Arlington, MA 02474
Shad Roe
Interesting. I was just in a Whole Foods in Massachusetts and they had shad roe. I asked the same thing, "isn't it a little early?" and was told that the roe they're selling comes from the Chesapeake Bay & Hudson River.
The Hudson River origin contradics what someone elsewhere in this thread mentions, that that fishery is closed. So who knows? Definitely not northeast shad roe, that's certain. There are no shad bushes in bloom on the banks of the Connecticut River this time of year!
Nevertheless. Cooking-wise, one thing I do first is place the shad roe in a bowl and pour boiling water down the side of the bowl (not directly onto the roe). This causes the roe casing to firm up and it becomes less likely to tear when pan frying.
Lightly coating in flour and pan frying in butter & garlic is good, then splashed with fresh lemon juice.
First Time in Miami, Have A Full Day For Food Fun, Game For Anything, Can You Help?
My DC and I have a full day to explore in Miami next week. We're both snowbound New Englanders, food enthusiasts, adventurers of all sorts, and also basically ignorant of what to do, where to go, and, most importantly, where to EAT in Miami.
We're not looking for the "best" of anything - I've been reading through the various Miami-related posts, many of which are a bit older, so I've gleaned some names, ideas - but are looking for ideas that might result from any of the queries below.
- What do people think of as a 'quintessential Miami eating experience?'
- What areas/neighborhoods should someone go for interesting markets/food shops/restaurants/watering holes, etc.?
- Is there an artsy/quirky section, somewhere with galleries, bookshops, bars and the like?
- Where would you recommend that someone simply wander around exploring & looking to get a feel for the 'real Miami'? (That's a deliberately subjective question, everyone's 'real Miami' is different, I know).
Any ideas/comments/recommendations that might address any of these questions, or questions like them, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Can't wait to come down and explore a totally new city.
Fitchburg area restaurants/dinner suggestions
I recommend the Bull Run in Shirley. It's an historic place, been around forever, went through some years of uninspired blase New England Inn fare, but in the last year or so has hired a new chef and completely revamped their menu. Now they do mostly local sourcing, pay attention to procuring quality, organic food, use grass-fed, hormone-free meats, and offer innovative and delicious lunches and dinners.
http://www.bullrunrestaurant.com/Home.html
They have a very nice dining room with a fire place and a comfortable bar as well.
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Bull Run Restaurant
RR 2 Box A, Shirley, MA 01464
San Juan
The Cafe St. Germain in Old San Juan on Calle Sol is a delightful French-style cafe and wine bar that serves really nice local salads (including a delicious ceviche), fresh inventive pizzas, terrific basil mojitos, excellent sandwiches and more. Their menu changes according to seasonal availability. The young owner (I didn't get his name) is very personable and happily chats about his establishment (they've been open four years) and the dining scene in general.
Because the Cafe St. Germain is in the upper, or residential, section of Old San Juan, the place had a real welcoming neighborhood feeling about it. Definitely recommended.
Any Recent Dominica Experiences to Relate?
Eating on Dominica is always good, whether you buy & cook food on your own or purvey the local restaurants, snack huts, and "Shacks" (as in the food stalls near Ross Medical School).
In my case this time, my companion and I enjoyed terrific meals at the Papillote Wilderness Retreat outside Roseau. Papillote is one of the prioneering eco-resorts and the food they serve in their restaurant is always fresh and local.
Ditto for the excellent fare at Jungle Bay at Pointe Mulatre on Dominica's southeast coast. The visionary developer of Jungle Bay, Sam Raphael, insists the resort practice a "three mile perimeter," meaning that they source their provisions within three miles of the eco resort, thus keeping things local.
Both places offered Dominican style meals - fresh fish or chicken, "provisions" (yams, dasheen, plantains, kush kush), rice, beans, shredded salads, big flavor tomatoes.
If you hike to Victoria Falls from the small trailhead in Delices, be sure to have lunch at the little dirt-floored snack hut after the hike. Totally delicious ital vegetarian rice and provisions served out of a calabash and eaten with coconut shell scoops. Rustic surroundings but a vegetarian meal that would win praises in high end vegetarian restaurants from Cambridge to Bangalore.
Because we visited over Christmas time, fresh sorrel juice was available. A bright red juice similar to cranberry juice, sorrel juice is made when the sorrel plant blossoms. Because that happens around Christmas, sorrel juice is associated with the winter holidays.
Any Recent Dominica Experiences to Relate?
Am returning to Dominica for the first time in a couple years, has anyone been recently? If so, how was the visit? Where did you eat? What are your culinary impressions of the Nature Isle?
better chestnuts
Does this method ensure the easy removal of the thin layer of brown skin from the chestnut flesh?
Also, do you pierce the skin so they don't explode in the oven? If so, I assume you do so after steaming?
Help Quick! World Cup Dining & Viewing in Middlebury, VT?
It turns out that I'll be in Middlebury, VT this Saturday and that coincides with the USA/Ghana World Cup match. The thing is, I know nothing of Middlebury, it's on a lark that my wife and I are going there (we're from the Boston area), so we're clueless as to places where we might catch the game and also grab a decent bite to eat and a cold beverage. Any suggestions anyone?
Best Hamentashen in the Boston Area?
I was recently in St. Paul, Minnesota and had the good fortune of eating fantastic hamentashen from Cecils Bakery & Deli. I'd love to find a good local source for these delicious (if unassuming) Jewish baked goods. Anybody have any ideas?
Note - I've had the ones from Whole Foods and they're mediocre at best.
Boston Chowhounders Visiting the Twin Cities, Looking for Suggestions
Thanks again for all the great suggestions. My wife and I decided on Heartland, where we went Friday night the 12th. They offered a fixed price menu of three options: Forest & Prairie, Rivers & Lakes, and Farms & Fields (the vegetarian selection). All three offered an amuse-bouche, a first course, second course, cheese course, and dessert.
The short version? Fantastic! What a fine restaurant, and what a terrific dining experience we had. The word that kept coming up for my wife and I was "balance." Each dish, regardless of the mix of ingredients, seemlessly came together in a balance of flavors. For example, the vegie amuse-bouche of white bean puree w/ candied sweet potato and hazelnut tuile was magnificent, as was the (also vegie) winter squash lasagna w/ braised kale, buttered leeks, preserved chanterelle mushrooms and tomato coulis (the second course). Lovely diverse tastes that, in the mouth, blended together beautifully.
Standouts? In addition to the above mentioned, the second course of the Forest & Prairie was a beef tenderloin w/ cultured foie gras butter, caramelized crimini mushrooms in a port wine sauce. Though it sounds somewhat standard, there was a glory to the sauce, slightly sweet with a rich depth that really enhanced the very beef-flavored beef (not at all a benign bland filet one sometimes gets in lesser caring establishments).
The first course of the Forest & Prairie was also fabulous; grape wood smoked poussin (chicken leg & thigh) w/ preserved cranberry poultry glace & fingerling potatoes roasted in rendered duck fat. Loved it!
My cheese course came with a slice of Scotch Egg, something I'd never had before; it was a wedge of hardboiled egg encased in a spicy sausage 'crust.' The shaved slice of Roelli Cheese Co 'Dunbarton Blue' paired nicely.
Finally, though I'm generally not a dessert person, I confess to going weak at the knees upon tasing the dessert that came with the vegie meal: Roasted Iowa chestnut pot de creme w/ a sorghum chantilly cream topping. OMG. My wife and I clashed spoons over it!
The only complete miss was the first course for the Farm & Fields menu: A "cognac-fortified caramelized sweet onion soup" that, as near as we could tell, wasn't at all fortified and was actually weak and bland. Salt sort of helped but didn't save it. But that was the only thing that was only mediocre. Everything else was exquisite.
The restaurant itself is unremarkable to behold from the street (it's across from a gas station convenience store a few blocks down the street from the St. Cloud Broiler, a classic old diner-like grill joint of no particular distinction). Inside, however, it's beautifully done with simple light wood, an open dining room, and a view of the chefs.
My wife and I compared it favorably with a similar restaurant in the Boston area, Craigie on Main, an establishment that, like Heartland, is committed to using local provisions to craft a highly creative and superbly-executed menu. All you Twin City Chowhounders, if you come to the Boston area make reservations at Craigie on Main and enjoy a wonderful dining experience.
Finally, Yes, we went to Al's Breakfast in Dinkytown. It was everything that was said in this thread: quirky, small, busy, and delicious. We lucked out and went around 8:00 a.m. Saturday morning and waited only a few minutes before the very last two seats at the far end of the counter opened up. We scored them and, because we were already all the way against the wall, didn't have to shift down as everyone else did at one point to accommodate a new group. Later on, when we left the nearby bookshop around 10:30, we noticed that the line at Al's spilled out the door and sputtered down the sidewalk. We're psyched we went early and got to experience it!
My wife's whole wheat pancakes w/ blueberries and walnuts (recommended to us by the young man sitting beisde us) were light and fluffy. My dish of poached eggs on homemade corn beef hash was delicious too.
So thank you all for your opinions & suggestions! Consider these two Bostonian eaters well-guided and well taken care of. And both of us highly recommend Heartland, that place is a real gem.
Boston Chowhounders Visiting the Twin Cities, Looking for Suggestions
Outstanding suggestions, everyone. Gad, only one night to dine and all these possibilities!
kevin47, indeed I will report back. I always enjoy reading the follow-up to these sorts of suggestion posts so sometime after that weekend I'll let the board know where we ended up and what our impressions were.
But let's not consider this thread done. If others want to weigh in, by all means do so.
Boston Chowhounders Visiting the Twin Cities, Looking for Suggestions
My wife and I will be in the Twin Cities over Valentine's Day weekend to attend a Saturday wedding. Friday night, though, we're free and are excited about going out to eat, either in Minneapolis or St. Paul.
We'll be staying at the Radisson University Hotel in downtown Minneapolis but we'll have a car so getting around shouldn't be a problem. Both of us are adventurous eaters and enjoy all manner of food as long as the ingredients are top notch and the meats natural (preferably organic).
Does anyone have any suggestions where we should go? Any Twin City favorites or establishments that are always good? All suggestions welcome, whether it's for a hole-in-the-wall ethnic gem or a old school tried-and-true fave.
Townsend, MA
31 Main in Ayer is good. They're fairly new (maybe a year?) and are a fine addition to an area somewhat devoid of good dining options.
That said, I'd also highly recommend Fihlo's Cucina on Main St. in Groton. Outstanding Italian, very reasonable, and it adjoins a nice wine shop so you can buy your wine next door and then drink it with your dinner. Fihlo's is small, though, and much of their business is takeout so it's not exactly the 'fine dining ambience' that makes it special. It's the food and the prices/value.
One other suggestion - if Korean is to your liking, there's a humble but excellent Korean place in Ayer called Woo Jung. Definitely worthwhile.
Food Spots Broadcasting the Tour de France
Definitely check out Brasserie Jo. They've been celebrating the Tour for years and they're a great place to hang out and watch the coverage. They actually offer special menus of regional dishes that match the areas of France where the riders are. Today (July 8th), for example, the race is in Languedoc and the Jo is offering a cassoulet special.
http://www.brasseriejoboston.com/
