Which of the Indian restaurants is known for its kebabs and naan? I'm hoping for a simple tandoor meal of killer (lamb & beef) kebabs, fluffy naans and cold beer to wash it all down. A good rasmalai or faluda at the end would be bonus. Is Maharani BYOB? I don't care about the price, but at the same time I really don't want to have another over-priced, mediocre Indian meal in the islands (on Maui currently).

TIA for your kind replies,
-T

Has anyone been to the Moana Surfrider recently for Afternoon tea? I can only find really old reviews here on CH. Googling around brought up a very helpful blog (honolulueats.wordpress) comparing the Kahala and Halekulani (i commented there too). The last time I had Afternoon Tea at the Surfrider, the service and food was just ok. I love the setting and the ambiance, but they gave us teabags and the scones were not fresh. I really like the food and service at the Kahala, but i want to stick to Waikiki this time. Has the Surfrider improved? Is Halekulani the better bet?

TIA for your kind replies
-T

what about Bella Italia, Gulshan 1? It's a small place opposite the Pizza Hut, but clean and had quick enough service for me not to complain. They consistently made decent thin crust pizza and flavourful bolognese sauce. The pasta was real, not noodles. :) I liked the eggplant pizza too. There were salads on the menu as well, which i didn't get to try. I haven't been home in a year, so i hope my post is still relevant and that Bella is still churning out good food.

Also props to El Toro for their excellent grilled meat tacos. Lonely Planet gave them a shout out a while ago and I'll add that it's hard to find such decent Mexican food made with fresh ingredients for under $5 anywhere.

I love the limu ahi poke at Safeway in Kahului. So fresh.. ruby pink chunks of tuna glistening with a light shoyu, highlighted with pearly, crunchy slivers of sweet maui onions with just the right amount of fresh seaweed for added texture. Wash it down with chilled beer for cheap dinner in paradise. Another local gem, if you're going all the way up to Pukalani for lunch local style, is Hana Hou cafe. My favourite picks there are Haiku Salad - fresh greens, crumbly blue cheese, tender orange chunks - add a side order of grilled ahi for a good portioned lunch. Also love the "Hawaii plates" there which is your choice of lau lau, kalua pork & cabbage, chicken, squid lua or lomi salmon all served on a wooden plate with rice, poi & mac salad. The desserts are made fresh, and i can attest that the french chef's profiteroles are up to snuff.

-T

In Harvard Square - Cardullo's (various items) and LA Burdick (mostly choc & dessert items). Both have web sites or you can walk in, and place the order. They will deliver or you can pick up the basket yourself to take down to Yarmouth. There's also Pemberton Farms (fruits, cheeses & bread type)..

-T

[NOTE: this discussion was moved from this thread on the Boston board: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/420157 -- The Chowhound Team ]

If you can find Golden Curry sauce mix in one of the Asian grocery stoes, you can make it yourself easily at home too.

-T

Home Maid Cafe in the Azeka Plaza (the one with South Shore Veterinary, US Post, Ace) fries up fresh dessert dough every day.

Tiki Grill is very close to you. Ok for food, good drinks and views.
Sansei - decent, if you like sushi.
Lulu's - for breakfast, if you are early enuf, you may not have to deal with the lines.

As you've probably gleaned, Waikiki is very touristy, ie big bucks, mediocre food. The above places I think are just ok, considering you will be walking and won't have car to drive out further.

You know, i never make it to Martsa's. I come off Alewife Brook Pkwy from work and head down Holland, so I always just stop off at Tibet. I will have to break the habit (combo momo, tea and spicy chicken) and try something new on Elm.

Off the top of my head;

North End eateries.
South End - I love Dish.
Newbury - just remembered Piattinis. Also, i like 209 Boston. I've been going since they were Club Cafe and i really like the food and the ambiance (just don't use the restrooms).
Davis Square - Orleans.
.

1. Croma: good pizza & great martinis. Won't break the bank, food won't suck = nice evening.
2. Bouchee: as above.
3. Tapeo - if you can get a table.

Kashmir - nice location. Bad, expensive food.
Sonsie, Stephanie's - want to like, but just can't. Erratic service, noisy. Not worth the trouble.
Armani - good for dessert and coffee on a Sunday afternoon when it's not likely to be packed. Avoid taking out-of-towners.

Have you tried House of Tibet? Ethnic, really good food, small place (can be romantic when it's not crowded), and affordable. Combo momo platter + salty chai...mmmm.
Rangzen is also pretty good, try the lunch buffet sometime.

Also, I was just talking to another poster in the NE forum - I like Machu Picchu in Union Square - has great Pervuian food.

I had the throat constrictor (i'm allergic to pistachios, but i love the the pista fro-yo flav here) last fall. Really, the Beacon Hill location is gone? Maybe you are thinking of the Cambridge location? Podima, Kiraz, Miraz..name changes, finally closed maybe?

Not Southeast NE, and maybe you know them already, but since u mentioned trekking, I think you may like Machu Picchu up in Union Square, Somerville. This is a Peruvian restaurant with an extensive list of ceviche entrees. Link to menu: http://www.machupicchuboston.com/menu...
The Mixto and Camarones are my favourites. I lived with a Peruvian gf for many years, and we always came here, as this was her favourite place for "home cooking". I don't know of and have not frequented any other Peruvian places in New England, and i am not a ceviche gourmand, but i liked what i had at MC, compared to say Cuchi Cuchi, Bomboa, etc. Some of the MC's ceviches tend to be a bit on the acidic side, but that could be my palate. Loved the yucca too.

Other than that, can only think of Brazillian Grill on Main street and Naked Oyster. I've never made it past the buffet at BG and the raw bar at the latter, so can't recall seeing ceviche on the menu, but it comes to mind as a possibility.

Looove Cafe Podima's frozen yogurts with fresh fruit toppings.

I would suggest Burdick in Harvard Sq too, but only if you like hovering over the other patron's heads with a scalding cup of hot tea. It's not comfortable for you, either.

My odd favourite is Trident Booksellers on Newbury. I don't find it as crowded as Burdick and there is something calming about being able to drink tea in a book store. They have the usual selection of black/green/smelly loose-leafers. Dunno how Cafe Zing, Porter Sq Books compares yet.

Peet's has decent teas, i don't particularly care for the ambiance of Harvard Sq location.

If you venture out, there was a review about Dorset Cafe in the Globe last year. I haven't gone, but it's on my list for Afternoon Tea.

BostonBean,

I 2nd the recommend for Star Market in Kihei for produce, meats and cheeses. Their daily lunch offerings are pretty neat and contain a lot of fresh, local foods, hot and cold.

Try Eskimo Candy on Wai Wai Street (across from Goodyear, by the school, Kihei) for fresh poki.

Otherwise, i suggest you go into Kahului and try one of the local fish stores for fresh catch. I get my fish from Valley Isle Seafood on Hukiliki Street (off Dairy Road).

You could rub a little curry powder & salt to the sliced rounds and then saute them on the pan in a little oil. Sprinkle a little fresh cilantro, squeeze a twist of lime - you have a basic Indian eggplant fry.I usually add a good pinch of chilli powder too. If you have fresh cumin seeds, toast and grind that up into a powder and add to the 'spice rub'.

The Colonial Inn Concord is quite good. I didn't like their sandwiches particularly because they were more f the croissant type, filled with sliced cheeses and meats. That was just my experience there, they may have changed sandwich selection.

When i lived in Tyngsboro, I would sometimes go to Crumpets Tea Room in Andover. They had a wonderful 3-tier tray with mostly tea sandwiches, and a scone or two with preserves. I think it was Queens or Princess or something service.

In Boston, I would recommend Intrigue @ BHH (harbour setting, ok tea, great food) and Cafe Fleuri's Afternoon Tea service (more traditional room, decent teas, good sandwiches). For a more casual, quick tea, Copley library's Novel is good. The room is very high-domed and i liked the setting, but the acoustics were awful. They serve in good china and silverware, but food was just ok. Still, i was glad for the respite on a rainy day.

How about a ME date cookie from Alfanoose? They've moved their little shop from Fulton to a bigger space on Maiden Lane. Hopefully the cookies (and the sandwiches) are still as good..

Hmm..you're probably right .. I was envisioning a Dirty Martini and using it instead of olive juice. With mint and enuf sugar on the rim, i'd drink it anyway. It might work better in a Bloody Mary though..

Bristol: worth it if you get a table by the window, overlooking street. Food is good (esp the sweets) though overpriced, tea selection mediocre. I've had great (altho after a slushy, freezing trek through Commons, what warm living room wouldn't be great) and so-so experiences (rushed service or completely awol staff) for Afternoon Tea here over the years.
BHH: i've been going to the Intrigue for a few years now and it's definately my top choice for tea in the city. The food is good, although i like the Bristol's tarts better. The sandwiches were better at Intrigue. To me it's not a traditional tea setting, but I love it, esp in the summer when you can watch the boats, and the price is fair, esp compared to Bristol.

p.s. The Boston Park Plaza actually has a tea sommelier. I don't like the venue, but they have a great selection of teas.

Don't know about you all, but sounds like good martini material to me!

I can think of Carluccio's Cafe in the Fenwick store. Short walk away from Grosvenor Square. There's a lebanese kebab joint in the area that i liked, wish I could rem the name. I would also suggest Rocket off New Bond - the apps are around £5-7 and most of the entrees are under £15 (yea, that's cheap). The Golden Hind is further away, on Marleybone - fish & chips, BYOB.

I don't remember Mayfair having anything particularly cheap. I'm sure there's a Pret neaby. Also, The Living Room off Regent Street was nice. I got taken to brunch there on a Sunday so I don't know what the main menu is like. Brunch was good, even though menu was not very varied. Prices were "cheap" for London - under 10 quid per brunch entree. So i assume the main menu is reasonable. I could be wrong. Maze has a set lunch menu - not cheap, but probably as cheap as one can get for 'gourmet' dining, if you wanted to do that. Just my 2 cents (which didn't get me very far in London).

I don't have Jaffrey's book, but the one we make at home has all of her ingredients as well as: crushed papadom (adds texture), boiled egg (quartered), sliced green chilies, and a couple of tblspoons of tamarind juice.

Ugh..CharBuck$$$..they must have crack in their beans becoz i've ordered a Grande Non-fat Capp w' 1 pump sugar-free hazelneut every day for the last 92 days in a row!
That's a plane tticket to somewhere...

You can make cookies..there are several recipes online if you google "almond paste" + cookies..macaroons would be easy enuf to make too.

Havent had lunch at Inaho either, only dinner. Husband and i go to Misaki for lunch and dinner. I def agree Inaho is more $$. Everytime I've had dinner at Misaki, the bill comes round to $70. For similar dinner, I find the sushi @ Inaho much better, and the bill will come around to $90. I find the extra $20 or so better spent @ Inaho. Husband is fond of Yings, I really didn't care for it. I ordered the pad thai there once and i like the one at Thai House better. Just my 2 cent-tastebuds. :)

Doesn't Fug have a Sudbury location? I've never been to, and don't know if Sud location has kaiten, or if you're near Sudbury...just thinking out loud. :)

I'm a regular at Jacques (atleast 2x a week) - at their sushi bar (closed on Mondays). If you do go for the sushi, try the Hawaiian roll (tuna, avo roll with mac nuts), brazilian roll (hamachi with mango & shiso leaf) and the Paia roll (hamachi, papaya). Jacques has the most creative, non-mayo'd out rolls - i love the above 3 so much i haven't had the desire to move on to the "lollipop" (tuna, salmon rolled up in cucumber and sliced into pinwheels) yet.

Now, things i love on the regular menu:

1. Pumpkin-coconut-seafood soup
2. Fresh catch of the day with brown rice and veggies - usually prepared with different some butter and herb sauce, the veggies are usually sauteed to perfection.
3. Fish curry (bananas, oranges, vegetables & spices in a coconut flavoured sauce) - ask for extra spice, trust me.
4. The North shore salad with tuna sashimi, avocado and greens - just plain yummy.
5. Tiramisu.

Food is fresh, entrees are between $10 - $18, good service - these are the consistent things about Jacques and what makes this a "regular" joint for much of the North Shore crowd, windsurfers and surfers and locals alike. Very casual, beach-bar type setting. Friday nights there is a DJ after 10pm (when kitchen closes). The owner, Jacques, is always present and overseeing the restaurant, nightly. Unless you have a large party, you don't need reservations.

Hope you enjoy.