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Boston and Vicinity
This Bostonian native decided that I was long past due for creating a list of places I've reviewed in the Boston area!
35 Places
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Susan’s 4-star review: We hadn't even planned or thought of going to Nespresso Boutique Bar. Yet, as we found ourselves walking up Newbury Street on a Friday evening in search of Georgetown Cupcake, we spotted it and on a whim decided to get some coffee. I'm not much of a coffee drinker but my husband is. I figured that I would find something that I would like---and I was right! When we walked in, we weren't sure how things worked. There were some tables and we noticed that servers attended to them. Then we noticed the bar and decided to sit there. The barista behind the counter gave us menus but we didn't need them as there was a list of various drinks and what they cost that was put on a wall at the bar. He brought over 2 glasses of water, then we gave him our order. I wish that they had a menu online so I could check if I have the correct name of the drink I ordered but I think it was called "iced salted caramel latte". It sounded good, so why not? When I ordered it, the barista pointed out that it had salted caramel ice cream in it and asked if that was okay---of course it was LOL! My husband ordered a cup of cappuccino. I watched as my drink was made and noticed that they use Blue Bunny ice cream (I don't know---I just figured that they would use a pricier ice cream). When I got the drink, I was given a spoon and a straw. Once receiving the drink, I noticed that it had to be mixed well before drinking since the coffee was on the bottom followed by the ice cream. This was a tasty (and no doubt high calorie!) drink. I had to make myself slowly savor it. My one criticism---I tasted no salt, just caramel. My husband enjoyed his cappuccino and said he would have it again. Before the tip, the cost was $14. We would go again next time we're in town :) -
Susan’s 4-star review: Wow! From looking at the reviews, I see that there isn't a lot of love for this place. I suppose I can see why---it must really be a zoo at the beginning of the semester with students buying textbooks and dorm supplies. All that said..."Yay! I'm a fan" and in part it has to do with these 2 words---alumni discount. It's a 10% discount for alums when you show your alumni card and I'm always glad to get any discount. The first floor has a Starbucks and we've enjoyed stopping in to get a drink and sit a while. Also, on that level is where you find most of the BU branded clothing for sale. I say "most" because they've moved around the "alumni" clothing more than once, which is frustrating. This last time it was on the first floor but apart from the other stuff. The second floor is like a typical Barnes and Noble bookstore with books and magazines on various topics. I like that there are plenty of places to sit down and read for a while---something not found too much at other B&N stores. The third floor is where dorm room supplies are found plus other BU branded items. For a time, that's where alumni gear was located as well as shirts for the various schools within BU. This time around, they had shirts for the various BU sports teams. Another floor has textbooks but I haven't explored it, as I have no need to do so lest it just might trigger one of those dreams where you discover it's final exam time and you haven't attended any classes. Then you wake up and you are so relieved LOL! For me, no trip to Boston is complete unless we make a visit here. Every time we're here, we don't go away empty handed. This BU bookstore is far better than the one that existed when I went there (many, many moons ago). Back in the old days, the bookstore was in the basement of the student union and was a rather depressing place. So it's really nice to see how much improved it is now. -
Susan’s 2-star review: As it says when you click on 2 stars, "Meh, I've experienced better", that about sums up the meal and the whole dining experience here. This was not on our must-try restaurant list for Boston. However, we got into Boston incredibly late due to our flight being delayed 3 times. Yes, 3 times. We were all set to board on time when we were told that the FAA delayed the flight by an hour. An hour came and went, then we were told it would be delayed yet another hour. Finally, we boarded, taxied out to the runway for take off, when the pilot said we had to go back to the gate because the plane was low on some type of fluid. An hour after that, we finally took off and had the fastest flight ever to Boston. We landed to pouring rain, at this point, past 10 p.m. After getting to the hotel and being really hungry, the restaurant in the hotel was open until 1 a.m. So...it was either get a bite there or eat nothing. We checked into our room, then went to the restaurant. But I digress. This was a Friday night and the restaurant was filled with rowdy people celebrating the Bruins win. We were seated and given menus, then watched as servers kept passing our table. My husband asked one if this was her section, she said "no". Finally, my husband found the manager who came to our table, apologized and took our order. A few minutes after taking our order, a server showed up. She said that they were short-staffed that night. That was the only time we saw her. The manager ended up bringing our drinks and food. The kitchen was extremely slow. We both ordered their turkey sandwich which, in addition to the turkey, consisted of watercress, roasted tomato, baby Swiss cheese and basil mayo. It was edible but very lackluster. My husband had a beer while I got a mixed drink. I can't remember what it was but it was strong. When the manager brought the check and we paid, my husband told him he should keep the tip because he was the one who waited on us. The manager said that he was going to give it to the server. I know that restaurants tend to not allow managers to accept tips. But still... Normally, if we were seated in a restaurant and no server showed up in a reasonable amount of time, we would just go elsewhere. However, given the horrible weather and the late hour, we were a captive audience (of sorts). This restaurant also serves a weekend breakfast buffet which is expensive. And, no, we didn't try it. So...I would say give this restaurant a pass. If you stay at the Boston Long Wharf Marriott, this is the restaurant that does room service. My advice would be to nix the idea of room service here unless you, for some reason, have no other choice. -
Susan’s 3-star review: I like the concept of this place. They sell all kinds of party favors plus baked goods. It's great because it's one stop party shopping. I'm surprised that more independent party favor stores haven't thought to offer up baked goods. That said, we stopped in here to buy some cupcakes. The cupcakes come in 2 sizes---really huge and really small (or as they refer to them "petite"). We decided to get 4 "petite" cupcakes as it would be a good way to sample different flavors. I told the clerk that we wanted 4 small cupcakes and she looked at me like I had 2 heads. "Small? What do you mean by small?", she asked. My husband pointed to the spot in the display case where the cupcakes were and she said, "Oh, you mean petite". Okay...whatever. Once that was settled, we chose 1 vanilla, 1 key lime, 1 red velvet and 1 Boston cream. Later in the evening, we tried them. The vanilla, which was garnished with a vanilla wafer had good vanilla flavoring and wasn't overly sweet plus the vanilla wafer wasn't stale. The key lime was garnished with a fresh lime slice. My husband bit into the slice thinking that it was a piece of candy and was surprised to find that he was wrong. He thought that the frosting had good lime flavor. The red velvet one had buttercream frosting and only a faint hint of cocoa. As for the Boston cream, the top looked like a Boston cream pie but that's where the similarity ended, as there was no custard underneath the frosting. Overall, there were some hits and misses but basically, these cupcakes are "A-OK". I'm sure that they would appeal to kids. If you are in Coolidge Corner and crave a cupcake, these will fit the bill. However, it's not worth making a special trip for them. -
Susan’s 3-star review: This Chart House has been in existence since 1961. It is housed in the 4 story Gardiner Building which dates back to the 1760s. It once housed the offices of John Hancock and is the oldest building still in use on Long Wharf. Back in its early days, The Chart House was once considered to be one of Boston's fanciest restaurants. One has to remember that back then the dining scene in Boston was nothing like it is today. As a kid, I have a memory of my parents getting dressed up to go to dinner at the Chart House with another couple. Of course, they left us kids at home with our grandmother and told us that the Chart House was not a restaurant for kids. How times have changed! Not only do you not have to dress up to go to The Chart House but there are much better seafood restaurants in Boston. Don't get me wrong---the food at the Chart House isn't bad. It's just that it shouldn't be your first choice for seafood in Boston. That said, it wasn't on our list of must-try restaurants this trip. However, we had spent the bulk of the day in Western MA at a family gathering. This was on a Sunday night and when we got back to Boston around 9 p.m., there weren't many restaurants open at that hour and were near our hotel. Since the Chart House was practically next door to our hotel and was open until 10 p.m. plus we were hungry... At that hour, most of the restaurant's business was in the first floor bar which had outdoor, as well as indoor seating and it was quite busy. The restaurant is on the second floor and there were only a few other diners there at the time. Our server was very friendly and prompt. We started off with our drink orders. I ordered a mango mojito while our daughter got a luxe mojito and my husband had the Chart House's take on a Bloody Mary, called a "Willie Mary". I was impressed with the mango mojito as the mango flavoring came through quite clearly. My husband's drink was made with a pepper-infused vodka and he said it was very spicy. Our daughter liked her luxe mojito (and I forget exactly what was in her drink). Next, we all had soup. My husband and our daughter both ordered clam chowder which they said was creamy with a generous portion of clam. They both enjoyed it. I had the lobster bisque. It, too, was creamy and I was pleased that the sherry flavoring was faint as it didn't overpower the delicate lobster flavor. That said, there could have been a bit more lobster added to it. All in all, a decent, if not mind blowing bisque. Oddly enough, we all ordered the same thing for our main course! We all got baked stuffed scrod (stuffed with crabmeat). It came with mashed potatoes, 2 broiled asparagus spears and a broiled half of a plum tomato. The fish was properly prepared as it was flaky and tender and the crab filling was decent. The mashed potatoes were nothing to write home about and the broiled veggies were decent but the portion size was really stingy. We left feeling full but not ready to explode, and contented with our meals. While we don't regret dining there, it wouldn't have been our first choice for seafood. So, we did wish that we could have eaten elsewhere. However, our daughter wanted seafood and we agreed on that and as I mentioned, given the hour and the options available, the Chart House did fit the bill. -
Susan’s 4-star review: The cupcakes we had here were some of the best that we had in Boston. We stopped in here after eating dinner a few doors down at Neptune Oyster. Lulu's is a small shop. In addition to cupcakes, they have a small selection of retro candy. It was fun looking at the candy but in the end, we didn't give into temptation. Instead, we each got a cupcake. The woman behind the counter was very friendly and patient as we looked over the selection. I chose a red velvet one while my husband got a cherry bomb. We both enjoyed our cupcakes. The red velvet had buttercream frosting and the cake part was dense and moist. The only thing that needed some improvement---the amount of cocoa in the cake part could be bumped up a bit. My husband liked the cherry bomb. It consisted of chocolate cake and chocolate frosting. In addition, it had a cherry jam filling. Again, the cake part was moist and dense. My husband found the cupcake to be just right---not too rich and with good flavor. We would stop in again at Lulu's next time we're in town! -
Susan’s 3-star review: 3 1/2 Stars ------------------------------ The owner of Cakeology, Victoria Donnelly, is a two time winner on Cupcake Wars. With such accolades, I figured that we would be eating some of the best cupcakes we ever had. So, I eagerly looked forward to trying them. Even though Province Street is a very short street, we still managed to walk right past the place as the signage is poor. Instead of being on top of the doorway, it is on a small recessed wall on the right hand side by the door. When we finally found it, my husband told the woman behind the counter that it wasn't easy to find them. She then said that they were going to move to Washington Street, which is a good idea as it is a far busier street. After looking over the selection, the maple pancake caught my eye as I've never seen such a cupcake before. I wondered if this cupcake would be overly sweet but the woman behind the counter assured me that it wasn't. So, that's what I chose. My husband chose a lemon blueberry one. Later in the evening, we tried them. The maple pancake one was whimsically decorated as it had a tiny fondant sunny-side fried egg on top. It also had a nice maple syrup smell to it. Yet, when eating it, very little maple flavoring came through. The cake part was a vanilla cake but what surprised me was that there were a few chocolate chips in it. In fact, I was pleased that they didn't overdo it with the chocolate chips so they didn't overtake the cupcake. The one odd thing about this cupcake---even though I could barely taste the maple syrup, after eating it maple syrup flavor lingered in my mouth. My husband said that the blueberry on top of his cupcake was fresh. Yet, he could barely taste the lemon flavoring. Both cupcakes had good density and moistness to the cake part and were sweetened correctly. It's a shame that the flavorings weren't better. All in all, I expected much better from a two-time Cupcake Wars winner. While the cupcakes weren't bad, I've also had much better. That said, I would be willing to give them another try next time we're in town. Perhaps, some of her other cupcakes have better flavoring. Still, if that's the case, with 2 wins under her belt, all her cupcakes should be equally good.
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Susan’s 3-star review: We stopped at this Naked Pizza at 3 p.m. on a rainy weekday. At that hour, there was only one group of customers ahead of us. The guy manning the register was also making the food, so he was taking orders, then going back into the kitchen to prepare the food. At that time, the only other employee we saw was the delivery guy. Still, I give the sole employee lots of credit as he was very friendly and clearly knew what he was doing. The dining area is very small with only a few tables and some countertop seating. We ordered 1 slice of cheese pizza for each and 2 soft drinks. The soft drinks were in bottles in a refrigerated case. So once you paid, you helped yourself to the drinks. It didn't take long for our pizza to come out as the slices basically just needed to be heated up. They tasted like they hadn't been sitting around very long, which is good. While eating our food, I read the signage on the wall that explained just what Naked Pizza was all about. What I learned is that their food is "all-natural, no freaky chemicals". Another sign said "Naked means: Ten grain crust, all-natural sauce, probiotic, pre-biotic agave fiber, hormone-free meats, No sugar or hydrogenated oil". In addition to pizza, they also offer up some pre-made, pre-packaged salads which looked attractive. We were pleasantly surprised with the pizza. I guess that we were expecting ten grain crust to be not so good. However, it was quite decent. The sauce and cheese also had good flavoring. Was it the best pizza we ever had? No. However, it was far from the worst. We were happy with what we got which was a decent slice of pizza that made for a good, quick snack---and would consider stopping into a local Naked pizza sometime. At $3.75 per slice, the price is right! -
Susan’s 3-star review: 3 1/2 Stars -------------------------- We were looking for a place to have dinner in Chinatown. After doing some research, we agreed to try East Ocean City. As its name implies, their specialty is seafood. In addition to seafood items, they do offer up some beef, poultry and pork dishes. However, given that their specialty is seafood, I would say that your best bet is to go with that. We were here around 6 p.m. on a Thursday night. At that time, several tables were occupied yet plenty more were available. We noticed that many of the customers appeared to be locals who were regulars. We were greeted politely, given menus and taken to a table that was literally right next to a fish tank filled with Barramundi. Having never sat right up against a fish tank, we found this to be, well...unusual. That said, we didn't order Barramundi for dinner. After being seated, a waiter came to our table with a complimentary pot filled with hot jasmine tea. This was a nice touch, especially on the chilly, rainy night. With both the regular menu and the special menu each being huge, it took some time to look it over and decide what we wanted. It helped that we both were focused on the seafood items which made it easier to decide. For starters, we both ordered a small bowl of roast pork wonton soup. When I saw that there were soft shell crabs on the special menu, I chose soft shell crabs with "homemade sauce". My husband chose scallops in pepper sauce. Our waiter asked if we wanted some rice and we said yes. Chinese restaurants in MA charge extra for rice so when the check came, we weren't surprised to see this on the bill. The kitchen was really fast. Our soup came out piping hot. Each bowl had 3 small wontons in it. When I bit into the first one, I was very surprised to see that in addition to the pork, there was a small shrimp in it, too. Before writing this review, the more I thought about it, I decided that it was wrong to not mention that there was shrimp in this soup. Given that there are people with shellfish allergies (which I don't have), it is unacceptable that the menu makes no mention of the shrimp. Our main courses came out while we were still eating our soup---that's how fast the kitchen is! I was surprised that my dish had 3 soft shell crabs in it. The "homemade sauce" came in a bowl. To me, it tasted like a plum sauce that had a bit of kick to it. This dish was tasty. The crabs were properly prepared and well battered. The "homemade sauce" worked very well with this dish. My husband was surprised at the generous amount of scallops in his dish. The pepper sauce was only mildly spicy, tasting of ground black pepper. The scallops were properly prepared. In addition, his dish had a large portion of steamed broccoli in it. So, in summing things up --- Service was on point---very efficient and polite. The kitchen was impressively fast and the food well executed. However, I can't give them 4 stars as the soup wasn't properly labeled on the menu. That concerns me because that may come back to bite them someday. I hope that they do correct the menu. -
Susan’s 5-star review: As for me, in order for a restaurant to get a 5-star rating, it has to be a place that I dream about returning to again and again. Mr. Bartley's fits the bill. My husband and I have eaten here several times through the years and every time we plan a visit back home, we always say that we will go to Mr. Bartley's. Mr. Bartley's is a hole-in-the-wall kind of place that has a small dining room with very cramped seating plus no bathroom. Sometimes, when dining there, one can end up eating at a communal table. However, it's all worth it in exchange for a superb burger. The burgers here are splendid in their simplicity. They are made using only ground chuck that is an 85% lean/15% fat cut. Only a little kosher salt gets sprinkled on top. When the burgers first hit the grill, a weight is put on them just long enough to char the outside on both sides. By doing this, it seals in the juices. The result is a tasty burger. The burgers, for the most part, are given unique names. Some are named after people. Others have quirky names like The People's Republic of Cambridge. I had "The Gabriel Gomez" which was topped with bacon, American cheese, grilled onions and jalapenos. While they are heavy-handed with the jalapenos, it is easy enough to take them off and then add how many you want. My burger also came with fries. Be sure to wear a napkin when biting into these burgers because of their juiciness! My husband had the "supreme" burger. This is topped simply with lettuce, tomato and red onions. He also added Swiss cheese and substituted onion rings instead of fries. Mr. Bartley's makes great onion rings. They are made by first dipping freshly sliced onion into evaporated milk, then dipping them in cornmeal. The result is a crispy, tasty onion ring that has you wanting more! Another plus --- Mr. Bartley's also has lime rickeys and raspberry lime rickeys. Growing up in MA, it was easy to find lime rickeys in the summer months. These days, fewer and fewer places offer them up on their menus. Thus, it is always a treat to find them. They are made properly here with just the right amount of flavoring. Guy Fieri was here on Triple D. Here is a link to the segment where you can watch the burgers and onion rings being made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJk-U9xddko If you are in the Boston area and want a great burger, you can't go wrong by going here. Just note---at peak meal times, the lines often are out the door! -
Susan’s 4-star review: Isabelle's Curly Cakes is brought to you by Chef Todd English, who named it after his daughter. Having heard that the cupcakes are worth trying, I made it a point to stop in with my daughter in tow and pick up some. The shop is small as is the cupcake selection. Sometimes, too small a selection is just as bad as too large a selection because you can find yourself having a hard time deciding just what to get. That's what happened to us. Finally, we settled on 2 Heath bar cupcakes and 1 Boston Cream one. These did turn out to be good cupcakes. The cake part had good density. It was moist and held together well. The Heath bar one is topped with milk chocolate frosting with a nice, gooey toffee filling in the middle. On top of the frosting were some bits of crumbled Heath bar. The flavors were well balanced with the cupcake being just sweet enough. My husband tried the Boston Cream one. This cupcake consists of vanilla cake filled with vanilla pastry cream. It is then topped with chocolate buttercream and dipped in dark chocolate. Upon first biting into it, my husband found it to be a bit disconcerting because, given its name, he was expecting a Boston cream pie in a cupcake form. However, he found himself liking the flavorings as they all worked well together. His cupcake was also moist with good density. As it turned out, of all the cupcakes we tried during this trip to Boston, these were our favorites. We would most definitely stop in again next time we're in town! -
Susan’s 2-star review: Well...their website is Kickass. Not only do they give you their address but they give great directions for both public transportation as well for driving. We took the T to get there and the website gave very detailed directions on how to get there after you get off the train! With such a promising start, then the cupcakes should live up to their name, right? Wrong! We went on a Saturday night. The shop itself is clean but very drab and even a bit depressing. However, the people working there were friendly and helpful. We decided to get a half dozen, figuring we would eat some the same evening and refrigerate the rest to have the next evening. Our order consisted of 2 Lucky cupcakes, 1 funfetti, 1 vanilla, 1 red velvet and 1 chocolate. They were all attractively decorated and certainly looked good. However, looks can be deceiving, as we were soon to discover. Back at the hotel, my husband had a Lucky cupcake. This cupcake consists of lemon cake with white chocolate buttercream frosting and candied ginger on top. Before being boxed, a fortune, like one found in a fortune cookie, is put on top. He said that his cupcake had virtually no flavor. I tried the red velvet, which as it turned out, was the Saturday flavor of the day. My cupcake was also flavorless. The cake didn't even have a hint of cocoa and the frosting was nothing to write home about. Our daughter tried the funfetti and echoed that hers had no flavor. In addition, we all agreed that the cake part of our cupcakes was dense and dry. After finishing her cupcake, our daughter said that she didn't even want to eat other one the next day. Still, I did refrigerate the remaining 3. The next day, she reconsidered and said that she wanted to try the chocolate one. So, we all had our cupcakes. Here's the interesting thing ---weirdly enough, overnight refrigeration actually helped improve the flavoring! While they were still dense and dry, they appeared to have a bit more flavor! On paper, these cupcakes sound so promising. Their website tells you that they are "artisanal bakers" and "bake from scratch everyday in small batches". They "use only the best all natural ingredients" --- no hydrogenated oils, no trans fats, no artificial flavors or preservatives. Further, they add this: "We think that butter is the yellow brick road to happiness" and that they never use shortening. With such a description, one would expect superb cupcakes. Sadly, they are far from it. IMO, it's not worth a trip to Somerville for these cupcakes. -
Susan’s 5-star review: If you like roast beef, then you'll love Roast Beast! Roast Beast is a little hole-in-the wall kind of place. It is in the basement of one of the ubiquitous prewar apartment buildings that line Commonwealth Ave. It's easy to get there --- take the green line, specifically the BC/Comm Ave. train and get off at Packard's Corner. Cross the street and backtrack a bit and you will find it. When you find it, you'll be glad that you did. It was founded by D.J. Lawton who has as employees, BU students and alumni (Go Terriers!) The menu is simple---Step 1---choose your meat: Boar's Head roast beef, oven gold turkey or jerk turkey. Then choose the size of your sandwich---regular, large or mega. Step 2---choose either a deli roll, onion roll or wheat roll Step 3---choose your toppings. There is a myriad of sauces, as well as lettuce, tomato and onion. If you want to choose one of the many cheeses available, there is a 50 cent charge. Drinks include water or sodas---among the sodas is a large selection of IBC sodas. There is Arizona iced tea and Nantucket Nectars. You have your choice of chips---Cape Cod brand or Utz. Spicy pickles cost an extra 50 cents. My husband and I both ordered regular roast beef sandwiches on an onion roll. For our topping, we both added horse radish. We watched as our roll was lightly grilled. When it was ready, we were given an extra side of horse radish for no charge. We both chose IBC sodas plus shared a bag of Cape Cod chips. Seating is very limited as the place is small. What seating they have is in the form of a rail-like counter top. While you eat, you can look at the photos of those who attempted and won their challenge of eating a mega-sized roast beef sandwich with the hottest of their hot sauces. The roast beef is superb! It's like Roy Rogers on steroids! Rare, tender, moist and flavorful. This a sandwich to slowly savor. As for the horse radish---I think next time we will just ask for it on the side as the sandwich maker was a bit heavy-handed with it. Still, it wasn't so bad that we were guzzling our soda. The staff was very friendly and you could tell that they enjoy working there. We will be back. This is the kind of roast beef sandwich that we'll dream about having again! -
Susan’s 4-star review: This most recent trip to Boston, we decided to go to Durgin Park because we wanted to relive our childhoods. I'll explain---growing up in MA, a local tradition was to have franks and beans for Saturday night supper. Ask any of your classmates what Saturday night supper was and more often than not, the answer was franks and beans. During our previous visit to Durgin Park, we had considered ordering that but instead opted for other menu items. This time, we decided to have a late breakfast/early lunch and went there when they opened at 11:30 a.m. on a Saturday. We were immediately seated and our server was prompt getting to our table. She was a middle aged lady and very clearly a native Bostonian. When it was time to order, we noticed franks on the menu but it was in a section of entrees that said all the entrees came with potatoes and a vegetable. My husband asked if we could have franks and beans and pointed out what was on the menu. She said that was what the franks came with. When we told her we wanted to relive our childhoods, we ended up having a nostalgic conversation with her with all of us talking about how that's what our mothers served us on Saturdays. You can get the franks either grilled or boiled. I chose grilled while my husband chose boiled. When they came to our table, we were both surprised to see 3 franks on the plate! A normal Saturday supper was 1 frank! It was good to have a trip down memory lane! My franks were perfectly grilled and, as usual, the baked beans were awesome. I still think that Durgin Park has the best baked beans. Here is a clip from "Bizarre Foods" (there's nothing "bizarre" about baked beans, LOL!) The only thing I take exception in the video is this---Durgin Park existed a long time before 1927! http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/bizarre-foods-delicious-destinations/video/boston-baked-beans Do give Durgin Park a try when you are in Boston! When we took our daughter there 2 years ago, she became the 4th generation in our family to have eaten there. Next up---getting the grandkids there to make it 5 generations. -
Susan’s 4-star review: Will the real Mary Chung please stand up? The reason I ask...after reading many reviews that say the spicy dishes are extremely spicy, we deliberated a while before deciding to take the plunge and order one mild and one spicy dish. We started out with wonton soup and were quite impressed not only with the size of the wontons but with the quantity. Not only that but they were quite tasty, too. For the mild main course, we chose Moo Shi Pork. I was going to order Moo Shi Chicken but the waitress said it had all dark meat in it. The Moo Shi was very flavorful and I was impressed with the amount of pancakes that come with the dish. Most places only give about 4 pancakes which are never enough. My only complaint was that the pancakes were a bit on the dry side. Now...for the spicy main course. We ordered Ma Po Tofu (I know it's spelled differently on the menu but forget exactly how). When it came, we both tried it with some rice. Yes, it was spicy---spicy enough to make our noses run but not so spicy that we were guzzling water trying to put out the fire! It struck me as a truly authentic dish. I have a Sichuan cookbook at home and make this dish sometimes and found that Mary Chung's version was almost exactly like what I make. Mary Chung's had a good deal of Szechuan peppercorns in it which is quite impressive. My only complaint was that the tofu was too soft. I think that a firmer tofu works better in the dish. So...what's going on here? Did we go on an off-night, was that why the food wasn't burn-your-mouth spicy? Or are other yelpers just not used to spicy Chinese food? Or has Mary Chung's recently started toning down the spiciness? Or are Mary Chung's spicy dishes more spicy than other local Chinese restaurants' spicy dishes? So...which is the real Mary Chung? We would certainly go again next time we're in town. The food is priced right and you certainly get your money's worth. However, even though we went when the place wasn't too busy, waitress service was still on the slow side. So I wouldn't recommend dining here if you are in a rush. If you have lots of time to spare, then give it a try! -
Susan’s 5-star review: La Summa has always been one of those restaurants that I daydream about going back for another meal. However, this time I debated as to whether to leave it at 5 stars, or not. My husband and I talked about it and agreed to keep the 5 stars. This time, instead of soup and/or a salad, we started out our meal with a caprese salad. We had eaten a big lunch and wanted to keep dinner on the light side. The caprese was good but not mind blowing. The tomatoes could have been riper but the mozzarella was good quality. For my main course, I got my favorite dish on their menu, papardelle e melanzane. The papardelle is freshly made in-house. While the freshness of the pasta came through clearly, the sauce seemed a little oilier than usual plus the eggplant was cut into larger pieces. My husband got his favorite dish, Gamberi. This dish consists of linguine plus a generous portion of shrimp. He thought that his dish was up to par and enjoyed it. One thing we noticed that was different on the menu --- some main course items had an asterisk next to them. That meant that the pasta was freshly made. The linguine in the Gamberi wasn't freshly made. I think that we should have stuck with the soup of the day. The soup here has been wonderful with fresh homemade flavor. However, it is almost a meal in itself. The restaurant owner and founder, Barbara Summa Sullivan, often is the one doing the cooking. The recipes she uses came from her grandmother, a Sicilian immigrant. However, this time, we saw her exit the kitchen and leave before our dinner was made. I'm thinking that's why the cooking wasn't quite up to snuff. As usual, service was good. The dining area isn't large but the tables are well spaced which gives it a nice atmosphere. So...we still really like La Summa and have recommended it many times to others. Those who went on our recommendation have been happy that they did so. Perhaps, we hit them on that off night---or a new person was in the kitchen. Too bad the owner wasn't there. Not only would she have been doing the cooking but sometimes she even brings out the food to you. We will go back next time we're in town.
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Susan’s 4-star review: I'm updating my review of Neptune Oyster. It seems that their popularity has really grown. We always knew to get here at an off peak meal time in order to be immediately seated. That's no longer the case. We were very surprised when we showed up at 3:30 p.m. and there was a 25 minute wait for a table. What is different is that you don't have to stand outside blocking the entryway as you wait for a table. They take your phone number and call you when a table is available. What I want to strongly point out is that Neptune Oyster has slipped when it comes to food. It's still good but to us, it's not great anymore and not worth a long wait for food. We found out why it has slipped. Apparently, the head chef left to open his own place in the Encore Hotel and Casino in Everett. That's good to know. I'll have to keep an eye on his new place (first I have to find out what it's going to be named). We both had lobster rolls. In the past, they were largely made up of lobster tail meat. The rolls were strong enough to withstand the lobster and the dressing. This time, we saw a mix of both claw and tail meat. The rolls were weaker and the meat was overdressed making for a soggy roll. Next time we're in town, we will come having done some research to find out where we can once again get a truly top notch lobster roll. -
Susan’s 5-star review: Recently Yelp friend, Darren W. told me that my string of 3 star reviews made him sad. So...it's time for a 5-star review! This is the original Regina's and has been in this location since 1926 and continuously owned by the Polcari family. They have opened other Regina's in the Boston area but only the original one makes their pizzas in a coal-fired oven. While their other shops make a decent pizza, they don't come close to the original. Many are dismissive of Regina's and say it's a tourist trap, and only tourists stand in the long lines that form at peak meal times. Yet, by being dismissive, they miss out on some great pizza. Once Regina's appeared in a Food Network throw down with Santarpio's and Santarpio's won. I've never been to Santarpio's. (I know---a native Bostonian and I've never been there, tsk, tsk!) I should try it once to see how it compares to Regina's but...what if I go and it doesn't measure up to Regina's? So, given that we don't visit "home" very often and with so many restaurants, so little time, when we want pizza, Regina's wins out. We always go for a very early dinner to avoid the long lines. This past trip to Boston, we went around 4 p.m. on a Saturday and there already was a short line. The thing about those lines---they move fairly quickly. We had our daughter with us and wanted her to taste Regina's pizza. Upon entering, you are hit with that wonderful smell of pizza baking in a coal-fired oven. We, as usual, got a large cheese pizza. With the first bite, I just about had tears of joy in my eyes as I thought to myself just how much I missed this pizza. It has a thin crust with that char that happens from baking in a coal-fired oven. It comes to your table piping hot. Combined with flavorful sauce and a generous portion of mozzarella, well, this is pizza heaven! Some things to know---the dining room is small and when busy, you may find yourself at a communal table as the staff makes every effort to have all seats occupied. Some say the staff is rude but we've never experienced that. Polcari family members serve as well as make the pizzas. If anything, the servers can be business-like and efficient. Once when we were there when it was a slow time, one of the servers asked us how everything was. We told her that the pizza was delicious. My husband said to her "It's been around since 1926, do you really have to ask?" She said, "I need reassurance." Do give Regina's a try if you are in town. True old school pizza places are few and far between these days. If you don't like waiting in long lines, be sure to eat during an off-peak time. -
Susan’s 3-star review: Before our recent visit, we did some research and found that Finale was recommended for dessert. We were even advised to go to the Coolidge Corner location since it's the least crowded of the three. So, we went on a weekend night around 7 p.m. and were seated immediately. We decided to try one of the shareable dessert plates. What was on offer was nothing like what was mentioned on the website. Some of the shareable plates were similar but not exact. We ended up trying one that had flan, creme brulee, Boston cream pie, a custard with coconut and cairphirina (sp), a fruit tart, 2 miniature whoopie pies with raspberry sauce and a couple other items that I can't remember what they were. We thought the portion size was just right for two. However, we also thought that the flan and creme brulee were strangely flavored. I guess that was deliberate in that it was the chef's spin on things. In the end, I guess we were expecting better after reading all the hype. It wasn't bad yet, for us anyway, it was nothing to rave about either. We don't regret going but doubt we would go again...
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Susan’s 4-star review: When I first heard about Vejigantes, I was excited to see that there was a Puerto Rican restaurant in Boston. After looking at their menu online, I bookmarked it and told myself that we would go next time we were in Boston. Since we weren't very familiar with the South End, I had to find out how to get there. Much to my surprise the T has a trip planner on their website. I found out that we could take the orange line to Back Bay station and Vejigantes is about a 4 block walk away. For those who are wondering---when you get off at Back Bay station, exit at Dartmouth Street and make a left. Walk down Dartmouth Street and eventually it becomes West Dedham Street. We set out to go on a Saturday night with the plan to arrive there around 5 p.m. Yelpers mentioned making reservations but we decided to take our chances. Well...we got there and the place was incredibly busy. The man at the host stand told us it would be a 45 minute wait but said that we could wait at the bar. Figuring that we came all that way, it would be best to wait at the bar. Turns out that the bar is very small with only 4 seats and it is right at the entrance to the kitchen. The bartender was a nice young woman who was very welcoming. My husband ordered a beer while I ordered a Vejigantes mango margarita. The drink was well made with the mango flavoring clearly coming through. It was suggested that we order an appetizer while waiting. So we chose pastelillos con queso. Figuring that we were in for a long wait, we slowly sipped our drinks. When the pastelillos arrived, we were about to dig in when the host came over to tell us that our table was ready! It turned out that the wait was only about 15 minutes. He helped us by carrying the pastelillos to our table. Seating is really cramped here as it is a small dining area. We bit into the pastelillos and were surprised to find that there was more than cheese in them. There was also some onion and tomatoes. What also hit us was that they weren't true pastelillos---nor were they empanadas. Rather they were somewhere in between. They lacked the thin, flaky crust of a pastelillo but weren't as thick as an empanada. It was an interesting and tasty take on pastelillos. After finishing the pastelillos, our server, Cindy came to take our orders. She was friendly and knowledgeable about the menu items. I saw that there was pollo frito on the menu and figured that it was best to ask what they considered to be pollo frito. She told me that it was chunks of chicken with bones that had a spice rub. Okay---I'll try that. I also chose a side of arroz con gandules and a side of platanos maduros. My husband got what he always gets in PR restaurants---bistec encebollado. He surprised me this time by getting a side of platanos maduros. At this time, the restaurant got busy again so it took a while for our meals to arrive. When they arrived, we noticed how huge the portions were. Ah...but I should have known! PR restaurants are all about large portions at reasonable prices. The pollo frito wasn't conventional pollo frito. Conventional pollo frito is basically fried chicken with a crispy skin and moist interior with an undercurrent of PR flavors. This pollo frito was moist and flavorful but it lacked any skin. Still, I did enjoy this take on the dish. The arroz con gandules was actually the conventional version with plenty of pigeon peas (gandules) in it. The one drawback---it was a bit on the dry side. The platanos maduros (sweet plantains) also were conventional and properly made, thus a pleasure to eat. My husband's bistec encebollado (steak with onions) was the real deal. He said that the meat was tender and moist. He enjoyed it but thought the portion could have been smaller. We were both way too full to finish everything. If we lived in town, I would have taken it home for later. We explained to Cindy that despite not finishing everything, we did, indeed, like our meals. I told her how nice it was to be able to go to a PR restaurant as in the DC area if I want PR food, I have to make it to myself. All in all, we both were glad we went. That said, we both agree that making a reservation is a wise idea. The restaurant is in a PR enclave in the South End and lots of locals were dining here. Plus some came in for takeout orders. With friendly, welcoming staff and great (if not always conventional food), we would certainly return! The decor reminds me of the Island. Sitting there eating, it was easy to forget that it was a chilly night---until we stepped outside! -
Susan’s 4-star review: The Daily Catch had long been on my must-try list. This past trip to Boston, we made sure that we finally got there. We chose this location because it was a short walk from our hotel plus it is a lot larger than the original North End location. Although we made a reservation for a Sunday night, it turned out to be unnecessary. We got there around 5 p.m. and the place was just about empty. The staff was welcoming and friendly. Our server was prompt, attentive and efficient plus he knew the menu very well. We started out with drinks. My husband got a Bloody Mary that had pepper vodka in it and proved to be a very spicy drink. I had a pomegranate cosmo which was very well flavored. For starters, my husband had a cup of clam chowder and I had a cup of Sicilian fish stew. My husband enjoyed the clam chowder as it had a generous amount of clams and potato chunks. Yet the bacon in it was a stingy portion. He later admitted that he likes Legal Seafoods' clam chowder better. I enjoyed the fish stew. The menu said it had "flaked fish". In reality, it was chunks of some white fish plus tuna. The broth was tomato based and had a generous portion of mixed veggies. It was topped off with a small piece of crusty garlic bread. My husband chose broiled scallops for his entree. This dish consists of 8 or 9 sea scallops that are breaded. It's described this way on the menu: "crispy topping, olive oil, garlic, romano, bread crumbs". This dish is served a la carte so he ordered a side of penne with red sauce. He really enjoyed the scallops saying that they were properly cooked and very flavorful. As for his side dish, the penne was cooked al dente and the red sauce was on the spicy side as it was seasoned with red pepper. The portion was very generous and could have been served as a main dish! I chose a 1/2 portion of "black pasta" which consists of: "fresh homemade black linguine made with squid ink". The style I chose was "Puttanesca" which consists of: "mushrooms, peppers, onions, olive anchovy butter". I also (for an extra charge) added calamari to the dish. This was my first time having squid ink pasta. When you order pasta dishes at the Daily Catch, they are served to you in the pan that they were cooked in. I have to say that when the dish arrived, it looked like a hot mess. Don't let appearances put you off---this dish was delicious! The pasta had that fresh, homemade taste and was cooked al dente. The Puttanesca sauce was tasty. I worried that the anchovy butter would overtake the dish but that didn't happen. Instead, all the flavors melded together quite nicely. I was glad that I added calamari as it was perfectly cooked and very tender. We were given a basket of Italian bread that was the real thing---not some cheap imitation as often happens in DC area Italian restaurants. All in all, an enjoyable meal and well worth the money. We are glad that we finally got to go there! -
Susan’s 4-star review: Over the years I've noticed a trend when this question is asked in Boston travel forums, "Where's the best place to eat in Chinatown?" More often than not, Peach Farm gets mentioned. This trip we figured that it was about time we gave it a try. We got there around 5 p.m. on a Friday night and were seated immediately. Peach Farm, despite its name, specializes in seafood. The restaurant is in the basement and has a fairly small dining area. The decor is nothing to write home about but you're there for the good food so it's easy to get past the decor. Our server was prompt getting to us and brought a complimentary pot of tea, which we thought was a nice touch. He was friendly and knew the menu very well. We both started with soup. I ordered wonton soup while my husband got hot and sour soup. I really liked their wonton soup. It had 3 good sized wontons that were generously filled with pork. Plus there was some pork slices in it. My one complaint was that some of the sliced pork was on the tough side. Otherwise, the broth was flavorful. I tasted some of my husband's soup. The broth was very thick with plentiful stock plus it was on the spicy side. We had looked at the menu online and I was interested in trying one of their lobster dishes. I looked at the Yelp photos and it appeared that this dish wasn't difficult to eat. So, I chose lobster with scallions and garlic. This dish consists of a whole lobster that is cut up and left in the shell. Instead of being cut finely, the ginger was in large slices. The scallions were more thinly sliced. Photos can be deceiving---the lobster wasn't that easy to eat. You have to use your hands as it isn't easy to just pull out with a fork. Plus, the way it was cut, I found an occasional piece of shell in with the meat. Still, it was an enjoyable dish. The sauce, while stingy, did impart great flavor and the lobster was properly cooked. All that said, if we were to go again, I would give the lobster a pass due to its being messy to eat. My husband had shrimp with mixed veggies and enjoyed it. The shrimp portion was generous and there was a good variety of veggies. This is a mild dish. Each entree comes with a small bowl of white rice. If you order a fish entree, the fish is really fresh. By really fresh I mean this ---the people in the table next to us ordered barramundi and the server came to their table with a large bucket. In the bucket was the live barramundi that was about to become their dinner! He wanted to show them the fish before it got cooked. Peach Farm is worth a visit if you want to eat in Chinatown. It's not far from the Chinatown T station on the orange line. The T's trip planner on their website gives good walking directions from the T station. -
Susan’s 3-star review: Well...I finally tried Georgetown Cupcake...but...I had to go to Boston to do so. Every time I would be in Georgetown and walk by the original location, there was always a huge line. Yes, I know you could order ahead but I actually want to look at what's on offer before buying. All that said, it was worth trying but yet, not worth waiting in a very long line to get them. We were here on a Friday night around 7 p.m. and there were only 2 customers ahead of us. After looking at what was on offer, I chose a salted caramel cupcake and my husband chose a pumpkin cheesecake one. They were boxed up and we were given a bag upon request. The staff was friendly and efficient. As for the cupcakes---I liked the cake part of mine. It was moist with good flavor but the main flavoring was in the frosting. The frosting was a bit too sweet and while the caramel flavor was there, not even a hint of salt was to be found. My husband liked his pumpkin cheesecake cupcake, saying that the cake had good pumpkin flavor. However, he thought the cheesecake frosting was too sweet. So..when it comes to cupcakes, we've had worse and we've had better. We have no regrets when it comes to trying Georgetown Cupcake. One more thing to check off my bucket list :) -
Susan’s 5-star review: Christmas in New England is part of a chain of stores owned by Christmas and City. In addition to Boston, they have stores in NYC, Miami, Baltimore, Hollywood, CA and recently added Niagara Falls, ON and DC. Each store offers up ornaments that are geared to the particular city that the shop is in. We were walking through the Quincy Market when I spotted the store and told my husband that I wanted to take a look. He didn't want to go in so he waited outside. Upon entering, one of the first ornaments I saw was a lobster with jingle bells in its body. On its tail was painted "Boston 2015". I knew our daughter would like that one so I picked it up and went browsing. The store is huge---it's on 2 levels! You know those pop-up Christmas stores that show up in the malls? Well, they pale in comparison. Whatever your interests are, you will find an ornament that suits you. Like sports? You will, for example, find all the Boston (or whatever city you're doing your shopping) sports teams. To be honest, the amount of choice is overwhelming. You can easily go hog wild and do too much impulse shopping! I restrained myself and only ended up buying 2 ornaments. There is an employee who will gladly personalize any ornament you want. Although I noticed that many of the ornaments were painted with "Boston 2015". When I went to pay for them, the sales clerk was very friendly. Plus she carefully wrapped each ornament in multiple layers of tissue paper. If you come across one of these stores in your travels, by all means, stop in. These ornaments make great souvenirs and gifts! I gave them 5 stars because when it comes to Christmas items, well...yeah..."Woohoo! As good as it gets!" -
Susan’s 1-star review: Being Marriott Rewards members, we've stayed in several Fairfield Inns. This one in Dedham, by far, is the worst. When we approached the place, we realized that it had, at one time, been called Hotel 128. That hotel was built years ago. Now, as the Fairfield Inn, it looked like a dump. At the check-in counter, we waited while a family told the desk clerks that they needed a new room because the one given to them reeked of pot---so much so that the husband said if he stayed in the room, he would get the munchies. Yikes! We got our room and had trouble figuring out exactly where it was. Yeah...the layout of the place is that bad. I even ran into other lost guests, so it wasn't just us. The room was small and really cramped. As usual, we checked for bed bugs before we even settled in. The bathroom had a tub that was original to the hotel. The toilet was really low to the floor. The whole hotel had a musty smell to it. The smell was so bad that when we checked out and went to another hotel (we divided up our trip so as not to drive for long stretches), I pulled out my nightshirt and it had picked up that musty smell. One day, I took the stairs to the lobby and smelled cigarette smoke. I let them know at the front desk. Also, I told them that we have never experienced anything like that in other Marriott properties. Then I asked one of the clerks, Nathaniel, if this hotel was considered to be a party place. No, he said, but they get tour groups staying there as well as construction workers who get put up there by their companies. I can understand the latter being a problem. However, we've been at hotels while tour groups are there and never experienced this problem. So...due to this, we got extra reward points from Marriott. Nice but...it doesn't solve anything. If we have to stay in Dedham again (quite possible as we have family in the area), it won't be at this hotel. Plus, we learned our lesson---always check the reviews. -
Susan’s 4-star review: We're big fans of Legal Seafoods so, for us, having dinner here was the perfect way to end our Boston vacation. When we go out to eat, we try to avoid peak dinner times so we were here at 5 p.m. on a Tuesday. The person at the host station promptly seated us at a two top that was at a long banquette. That was fine since the place wasn't busy. Our server was excellent. He was prompt, friendly and efficient. For starters, my husband had a cup of fish chowder. He has always liked their fish chowder. However, Legal seems to take this item on and off their menu. Once when we didn't see it on the menu, our server (at the now closed Legal at the Tysons Galleria) told us that just because it wasn't on the menu, didn't mean you couldn't get it. I wish restaurants didn't do things like that. Either keep it on the menu or just don't have any "secret" menu items. Anyway, my husband was pleased with his chowder. Also, we got, for a starter, "Blackened raw tuna 'sashimi' " which consists of: "sesame chili vinaigrette, seaweed salad and wasabi". It was tasty, if a bit on the overly spicy side and the portion size was just right for the two of us. For our entree, we both got "Anna's baked Boston cod". This has been on legal's menu for a long time. Anna was a Legal Seafoods cook who created this dish, hence the reason for its name. We were surprised that it was "baked cod". For years, it was "baked scrod". Of course, there is no fish called scrod. Scrod stands for "select catch received on the day". Calling a fish "scrod" gives a restaurant the leeway to use whatever white fish they happen to have at the time. Thus, our surprise at seeing "cod" in the item description. For a time, cod was being over fished. Perhaps, it is now more plentiful. Anyway... This dish consists of: "seasoned crumbs, roasted tomato, jasmine rice, butternut squash". The fish was nicely baked and flaky. The sides were perfectly prepared. This is a nice, filling dish---and a popular one at Legal. All in all, a great meal. Usually I give Legal Seafoods 5 stars. However, we weren't all that happy with some of their menu changes. For example, Legal used to allow diners to choose the sides they want for most entrees. We miss that. I also miss their cream of crab soup. Still, these things won't stop us from going to Legal. -
Susan’s 3-star review: Roche Bros is in the spot where the long gone Filene's Basement used to be. Going there for me brought back memories of my mother dragging me along on a Saturday while she pawed through stacks of clothing looking for the right size. As a kid, I was able to tolerate that because she would say that when she was done, we would go to lunch, which for me at the time was the best part of the trip. Ah...but I digress. The first floor of Roche Bros is mainly items like a prepackaged meal for one plus other to-go items. The grocery store was downstairs, in the basement. I give them credit, they do pay homage to Filene's basement with two enlarged of photos of the crowds rummaging around looking for just the right article of clothing. The first time I went there, I just browsed their offerings. I found the store to not be logically arranged. When it was time to leave, getting out, when you're not buying anything, is complicated. I ended up asking a security guard how to get out. He opened a gate near the up escalator and told me he wasn't supposed to do that but would do it this once for me. Lesson learned. The second time I went there, in a fit of nostalgia, I wondered if they had any Hoodsies. Hoodsies, for those who don't know, are small cups of ice cream that's made by Hood, hence the name Hoodsies. I was all excited to see that they did have some, even if it's in the form of a 6 pack of them. That's okay. We had a fridge with a small freezer in our room. Hoodsies once came with small wooden spoons for each cup. That's no longer the case. So...I had to buy plastic spoons. Back to things not being logically arranged---at first I could only buy fancy plastic spoons, which weren't cheap. Then, I browsed some more and came across the cheap ones. I ask rhetorically---why can't they put them all in one spot? Paying for your groceries means getting into one long line. When you get to the head of the line you wait for an automated voice to stay something like "proceed to register number (whatever number)". At each register there isn't much room to place your items to get rung up which slows down the process. All that said, one thing I did like --- while standing in line, there are cold drinks like water, soda and juice. It made it easier to just add them to your shopping cart. I discovered that stores in Boston no longer give out plastic bags, just paper which is fine but each paper bag costs 5 cents. So...when shopping in Boston, be sure to bring along a bag with you. The best part about going? --- The Hoodsies plus the homage to Filene's basement :) -
Susan’s 3-star review: While walking up Washington Street, I came across Legal Crossing. They had a menu on display so I had a look. While it has items in common with the regular Legal Seafoods, there were some different items. A couple of days later with my husband in tow, we stopped by in the late afternoon and asked if we would need a reservation if we wanted to eat there that night (a weekend night). We were told that, yes, a reservation was necessary and the only times available would be 4:30 p.m. or a few hours later. We asked for a 4:30 reservation, which at the time, was an hour away. We returned at the appointed time and were seated at a 2 top in the bar area. The tables are close together. Our server, Nancy, was friendly, prompt, efficient and had good knowledge of the menu. For starters, I got the lobster bisque and my husband got a shrimp cocktail. With the shrimp cocktail, you choose as to how many shrimp you want as you pay individually per shrimp. My husband chose to have four of them. The lobster bisque, quite frankly, was terrible. While lobster bisque has some sherry in it, Legal Crossing went extremely heavy handed with it to the point where the sherry was all I tasted. There was a small biscuit that was placed in the bisque. It had some shredded lobster in it. The biscuit was tough and just about impossible to eat. My husband enjoyed his shrimp cocktail saying that they shrimp were delicious and he liked the cocktail sauce as the horseradish gave it just enough kick. To drink, I had a "raspberry beret". I don't remember the exact ingredients but I had asked Nancy to recommend a sweet drink and she recommended this one. I did like it. My husband had a Heineken beer. For my main course, I had "everything tuna", a dish I've enjoyed in the past at other Legal Seafoods restaurants. This dish comes with: "tzatziki, roasted red pepper sauce, "cauliflower risotto style". The tuna was properly prepared as it was rare. The cauliflower risotto was forgettable. I also didn't care for the 2 sauces. One sauce would have been sufficient as I didn't think those 2 sauces went well together. My husband had "sea scallops with sweet potato 2 ways" which consists of: "sweet potato purée, purple potato hash, boudin noir, tomato chutney". While he found the scallops to be properly prepared, he didn't care for any of the accompaniments. We were too full to consider any dessert. This was a pricey meal and we were expecting better. We were disappointed that this wasn't up to par with the regular Legal Seafoods. -
Susan’s 4-star review: We were looking for a new spot to try in The North End and came across LoConte's. From looking at the reviews, it seemed that a reservation would be necessary. We made one for 5 p.m. on a Weekday. When we got there, it was apparent that no reservation was necessary at all that time of day. There was only one other occupied table. We got seated in a side room and got a table by the window. The furniture is on the rickety side. Still it was nice to have the room to ourselves for most of our meal. Our server was prompt and efficient. We started with soft drinks. Both of us had ginger ale. We liked that LoConte's has a section of old school Italian dishes. It was from that section where we selected our meals. We both started our meals with their house salad which consists of: "Fresh romaine lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, served with a side of our homemade creamy Italian dressing". This is a simple but flavorful salad. The peppers were yellow ones and all the ingredients were fresh. We were give a bread basket which had real Italian bread in it. The bread had a nice crust with a soft interior and had that nice, yeasty smell to it. For my main course, I chose "Ravioli in a plum tomato sauce with fresh basil". I asked our server what was in the ravioli and he said ricotta. This dish was great! While I enjoyed it, I just couldn't finish it all. It was one of those times where you wish you could bag up the leftovers, take them home and eat them the next day. My husband chose sausage cacciatore which consists of: "Italian sausage cooked with green & red peppers, onions & mushrooms, served over fresh ziti or linguine". He said he chose penne but I think it was actually ziti. This was a unique take on cacciatore. He said that the sausages were sweet ones. If he could have had his way, he said he would have had both sweet and hot sausage in it. Still, he actually managed to eat all of his dinner, enjoying every bite of it. We were too full to order dessert. I don't remember the exact amount that the meal costs but, before the tip, it cost around $70. It's on the pricey side but we thought it was worth every penny! -
Susan’s 4-star review: After we had dinner at LoConte's we walked a block up the road and went to Bova's. It was actually busy when we were there. The thing about Bova's is that their selection of pastries is huge---so much so that it can be overwhelming when deciding what to order. I had read that the best things to have at Bova's is either their tiramisu or their cannolis. We ordered the tiramisu and took it back to the hotel to eat later. As for the tiramisu, we found it to be overly booze soaked to the point that it was all we could taste. We didn't think it lived up to the hype. Yet I'll give them 4 stars due to their massive selection plus they are open 24/7. Next time we're in town, I plan to go back and try something else.
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