ameria's Profile
best hamburger in beantown
no one has mentioned casablanca! their burger with apple smoked bacon and cheddar (whether you go for the fries or the salad to accompany) are still my favorite!
Fugakyu Alternative
i agree about shiki. it's going to be the most japanese of the choices in brookline (and pretty much the greater boston area). i think shiki's your best bet for an excellent japanese meal (sushi or otherwise).
if you like fugakyu, you might like gari. i'm not crazy about either. another choice nearby would be ginza (on beacon st). if you are not too far from chestnut hill, the original oishii is just off rt 9.
What's good in Kendall/Central Sq of late?
i just had a really amazing meal at rendezvous last saturday pm (didn't have reservations, but ate a bit on the later side and had a nice table). we ordered a scallop appetizer, the steak frites and the chicken w/moroccan spices- so good! the elderberry cocktail was really delcious, too. i'm also surprised no one has mentioned central kitchen. they are my standby nice place to have a meal. also, inman square is full of nice places and is in the central sq,/kendall realm. oh- how about oleana? haven't been there recently, but have loved it in the past!
EVOO Somerville - what do you think?
i've never had a bad meal at evoo. i used to live nearby though didn't eat there often due to the pricetag. it is worth it, though- they use very fresh. local, high quality ingredients and have an elegant, subtle touch. the crowd is a bit older, but that makes for a calmer, quieter atmosphere. elegant and delicious would be how i would describe the food and experience at evoo.
New Sushi Restaurant in Brookline
update:
i've been back a couple of times (when it was less crowded: late lunch, after dinner snacks and drinks)- the service was so friendly and good humored, and everything was prepared and served promptly... this _is_ a really nice addition to the area and i hope that first experience was the exception the the rule!
Mid-afternoon bite in Harvard Square?
casa-b serves a nice lunch till around 2:30 and then their cafe menu (nice little tapa-types stuff) till 5:30 when they serve their regular dinner (includes tapas) menu. it's a nice spot for a leisurely bite and the food's good.
1st trip to Boston, need food suggestions
For Seafood (and in the North End): Neptune Oyster.
For Sushi: Oishii Sushi (several locations) or Shiki in Brookline
I agree with bear that it would be helpful to know where you are staying for other recommendations. Enjoy your stay!
Kitchen on Common, Belmont
The lunchtime vibe is casual. The owner has small children... his wife and kids came by to drop off baked goods. Seems a very friendly, wholesome environment. The prices were reasonable for well crafted food from locally grown sources. I think lunch for 2 was in the $20-ish range.
Neptune Oyster
I was interested to note in Wednesday or Thursday's Boston Globe that Neptune charges less per oyster than many other (much less pleasant) Boston area raw bar restaurants.
Kitchen on Common, Belmont
I had a very nice lunch there and my parents had dinner one night which they enjoyed. The space is small...but has a nice vibe. My dining companion had a really delicious white bean burger and I had a very fresh, well balanced salad with salmon. the chef owner was hard at work in back. I think they are a really nice addition to the area.
New Sushi Restaurant in Brookline
First off, I have to say that the food at Shiki is just lovely...lovely to look at, to eat, to contemplate. However, I would also suggest that you never go there if you are in the remotest kind of hurry.....Shiki's chef is one of the best Japanese chefs in the Boston area- the dishes are all subtle, harmonious, lovely and delicious. They have an extensive, interesting sake selection and a nice little bar to sit to enjoy their sake tastings. Everyone is pleasant and the decore is really very nice. The dishes are creative and yet remind me of food I've had at some of the new trendy izakaya that are now popular in Japan (sort of the Japanese version of London's new "gastro-pubs....can I say "gasto-iz"?). The only cause for complaint would be that the service was so awe inspiringly incompetent. They were slow, disorganized (my miso soup came 2 1/2 hours after our initial order...bizarrely, my dining companions clam soup came mid-meal...). The restaurant is so nice and the folks so pleasant that even the frustration over a meal where each dish came 20 minutes apart didn't totally ruin my desire to return. I'm hoping others won't be turned against this very lovely addition to Boston's Japanese dining options.
Wood's Hole takeout
i second pie in the sky... it's pretty good and open later than many other places in the area. captain kid is another year 'round spot...i know i've taken out fish and chips kinda stuff there.
Japanese around Backbay?
ah..yes, osushi is a good recommendation. not crazy about the decore, but the service and food have always been excellent. thanks for the info about wisteria house... that's too bad. what is in the newbury st. location?
Matsutake at Whole Foods
i believe i've seen matsutake at russo's in watertown. can't remember the price, but definitely less than in japan!
Japanese around Backbay?
when you say japanese what kind are you thinking of? what kind of atmosphere are you looking for? also, what do you consider "walking distance"? i consider boston to be so walkable that many places are "walking distance" to me, but might not be for someone in a hurry. that said, when i'm in that area i *still* love wisteria house for taiwanese... it's not a great area for japanese unless you are willing to pay $$$ for uni (@ cleo).
New Sushi Restaurant in Brookline
on babcock, just off harvard st, right? my brother tried it an liked it alot... i intend to try it for lunch soon.
OM Restaurant
i've had some really great, creative dinnertime meals there (though, yes, the portions are not large... but is that necessarily a bad thing?)- however, the past couple of times i've been the bar has been loud and the food less than spectacular. the one time i had lunch it was just so so.
new place in belmont
I hear there's a tiny new restaurant in Cushing Sq. Has anyone tried it yet?
Ball Square - Sound Bites & Lyndell's
when i went a few weeks ago, the line was nowhere near the old wait at the former, smaller location. the service was a bit slower, however... but it is always worth it imo- the waffles with fruit, the eggs beni, and the tunisian (or is it moroccan?) eggs- are really yum!
Prose – Arlington, Ma (long)
you can purchase it at kotobykiya market in the porter sq. mall.
labor day weekend in oak bluffs - any tips?
if you go up island- larsens fish market in menemsha for fresh oysters and littlenecks on the dock. in OB, the fried clams are good at the lookout (near the steamship authority, over looking the water). enjoy!
Outdoor Seating in Boston - help add to my list
i guess Om in harvard sq. will be having some outdoor seating soon.
Anybody been to Craigie street bistro lately
haven't been since february, but have never had a bad meal there. i love that place! other nice places in cambridge are: rendez vous, central kitchen, and evoo.
Brookline, Breakfast
i seem to remember the washington square tavern doing brunch sometimes (not sure if that is current info, though)... also the fireplace serves weekend brunch. i concur with all the votes for the family restaurant. used to go there quite a bit back when it was in washington sq (the spot now taken by the fireplace).
What's up with Amelia's Kitchen?
that's too bad! i used to love the place 7 or 8 years ago..... i used to order a really delicious portobello mushroom sandwich. haven't been there in ages though.
Russian restaurants
thank you for the recommendation..... we did have fun- danced the night away with the russian partypeople. the food was...eh.... apps were okay: we had blini and perogies and some chicken in puff pastry. i thought the meat perogies were good, one of my dcs thought the potato ones were the best. my entree was disappointing.. very salty chicken and mushroom stroganoff. they had no kasha nor beef stroganoff or even mashed potatoes (though all those things were listed on the menu). one of my dcs had the eel and seemed very pleased, another had potato pancakes and ate every last bite. though i didn't love the food, i would definitely go back for drinks to enjoy the festive and friendly atmosphere!
Martha's Vineyard
during the "off-season" artcliff has some pretty great dinners as well. yum.
Amazing Buttermilk Pancakes at Eastern Standard
update: had to go back for a pancake lunch at johnny's... really only mediocre this time. my dining companion speculates that the other time was just luck....
Martha's Vineyard
oh... yes, and vineyard haven is also BYOB. infact, the only towns where you can get drinks are Oak Bluffs and Edgartown. though restaurants in the other towns will have a small corkage fee, you can bring your own and enjoy at a nice price.
