Amanda "AmandaBanana" M.'s Profile

When it comes to Restaurant Week, I always feel a little apprehensive about upcoming reservations. I know that the restaurants are serving a slightly different menu and sometimes the service suffers. But not true with Pigalle!

I arrived a little early for my 6:30 reservation but the host took my coat and sat me at the bar and made some small talk. The bar tender took my drink order (gin and tonic) and recommended a cocktail much the same but with a splash of St. Germain. I recognized the upsell, but he was charming and polite and I took him up on his offer. Delicious.

My friend arrived and it was starting to get crowded. They were fully booked for restaurant week but we were seated just shortly after 6:30, so at least they weren't running behind.

Our waiter was fantastic! He had a gorgeous accent and knew a lot about food. Again, there was an upsell on the foie gras (add $4) but I had already made my mind up on getting it as soon as I saw it.

There were so many choices! More than your standard 3 choices per course restaurant week menu.

Apps:
I got the foie gras served with apples four ways including a nice apple sorbet. My friend got the duck liver mouse on brioche. We each shared a few bites and both were very well done. The foie was cooked perfectly and that toasted brioche was something else.

Entrees:
I got the cassoulet and she got the roasted duck. SO much food. Great portion sizes and so filling. My cassoulet was amazing with housemade sausage, pork, and a crispy duck leg. The crispy duck my friend got was also amazing and so pretty she almost didn't want to eat it!

Dessert:
I got the apple and pear popover. It was a bit tart for my tastes but not bad. My friend got the coffee cake napoleon (our waiter apologized for not having a duck dessert).  Again, not stellar but not bad.

The atmosphere is cute and cozy and I loved the staff. The food could have been terrible and they would have made it amazing. I will definitely be back!

Punjab Palace was a really fun place to visit for a recent family outing. My sister and I are both January babies, so we tend to have our birthdays combined. We made a reservation for the two of us, our parents, grandmother and our boyfriends. It's small, so we literally took up about a fourth of the restaurant, but I liked how cozy it was.

We ordered several dishes to go around. I really enjoyed the chicken tikka masala and the lamb vindaloo. The vegetarian platter appetizer was also quite good. I was also pleased to see coconut ice cream on the menu for dessert - one of my favorites!

When they say their dishes are spicy, believe them. The waitstaff was so friendly and helped us pick out a good variety of dishes. They knew exactly how much food we should order for our party, everyone was satisfied and we didn't have too much left over.

I will definitely be back, the location is so convenient and this is as authentic as you can get when it comes to Indian food in the Allston/Brighton area.

I went in for dinner with my parents while visiting them in Franklin and was not impressed. For a Wednesday night there was a 30 minute wait, and when we were seated it was at a hightop next to the bar.

When this place was Applebee's there was TONS of seating... but now it's mostly made up of the bar, the layout is terrible and leaves little room for seating. There were people practically on top of us standing around and drinking because we were so close to the bar.

My mom ordered the lettuce wraps with shrimp and said they were enjoyable. My dad's veggie burger was fine but a bit bland, and my fish tacos were overseasoned and served with too many raw onions.

For a "British" establishment, they only have four dishes under the "British" section of the menu... I don't think we'll be back.

The restaurant's only saving grace was our waiter, who was really personable and a good guy. He was prompt and on top of beverage refills.

This is my favorite takeout/delivery establishment when it comes to Asian food. Specifically for the curries. The portions are gigantic and always full of flavor. The green curry is my favorite (and the spiciest) and the red curry is a close second.

My one complaint is that the beef they use is really low quality. I recommend getting either chicken or shrimp instead.

Other dishes of note are the pad thai, which I really enjoyed and the spring rolls which make a great appetizer.

I've never actually been into the place, but their delivery service is great. They are usually right on time and quick. All of the drivers have been very polite and walked up to my third floor apartment rather than forcing me to walk down. Hey, I'm lazy, and I'm paying for it!

I had yet another snow day from work, and while working from home I got a craving for Thai. My usual go-to, Bamboo Thai, doesn't deliver until 5:00pm, and it was only noon so Foodler recommended Thai Place.

I ordered the red curry with beef and the wonton soup. The curry was pretty gosh darn good. Not too spicy but lots of flavor. Red curry is my favorite of all thai foods and this did not disappoint. I also was glad that they delivered it with the rice separate from the curry which makes the leftovers better since the rice can't get mushy.

The soup was just so-so. Not a lot of flavor going on and the wontons fell apart far too easily. It could have used a bit of salt and more stuff in the broth.

I would go back for the curry but skip the soup.

What a fun bar!

Coin flips for beers on Thursday nights? Coming from a city that doesn't allow happy hours or bar specials, I'd never even heard of such a thing and I also lost all of my flips - but I sure had fun.

The atmosphere was great. Good for dancing and the music selection was fun but not so loud that you couldn't hear the person next to you. In an attempt to feed me as I had been traveling on a plane all day and without food, my group of friends ordered me some chicken fingers which were the quintessential bar food. Filling enough to settle your stomach while drinking.

We had an absolute blast and I hope to return next time I visit.

I stopped in with a group of co-workers for margaritas and had a great time! Maybe I've been drinking in Boston too long to believe that bars actually serve alcohol in their drinks sometimes because I was shocked to find that these were good, strong margaritas.

The bar atmosphere is great for a group of friends and the bar tender was really friendly and attentive. We also split some orders of quesadillas which were slightly greasy but also seriously delicious.

JetBlue intrigued me with $7 (yes you read that correctly) each way flight between Boston Logan and DCA. I've been meaning to visit DC for years, I have friends in the area, and with fares that low, I had no excuses left.

The landing was a little shaky, which I attribute to a combination of bad weather and restricted air space. But once we were safe and sound at the gate, everything was great. The terminals are easy to navigate, the metro station could not be more clearly marked (people unfamiliar with Logan searching for the 'T' will understand what I mean) and food/beverage/tacky tourist options are plentiful.

Upon my return trip, I realized that security is also a breeze here. I was expecting security to be more painful considering how close this place is to the White House, but it was very efficient and quick.

Above all else, the location of Reagan is perfect. Such a short drive from the city, MUCH easier than Dulles/BWI.

Takeoff was, again, bumpy, but what can you really do about air space restrictions?

I will definitely continue to use DCA for future trips to the area - and it doesn't hurt that I'm also a huge fan of Mr. Reagan.

When my friend knew I'd be visiting DC, she snagged a Groupon for Pitazzi since it's just a quick walk from her place.

$10 for $20 worth of food. We spent an extra $2 when all was said and done for 2 calzones, a soda and a Snapple. The calzones were good, very filling and we probably could have split one between the two of us.

Overall this place is cute: green-yellow walls and modern-style tables and chairs. It's small and tucked away in the basement, but the guys behind the counter were nice and they seem to know what they're doing.

A solid three stars. A friend and I went in for dinner before an attempt at seeing a movie based on the recommendation of another friend.

Two iced teas and burgers later and we were pretty happy with our meal. For a Friday night, it wasn't as busy as I would have expected, so I was surprised when they sat people in the tables immediately around us rather than a bit more spaced, but the servers were very polite and just the right amount of attentive.

I had the tuna burger and my friend had a classic hamburger, we both opted for a salad over fries. Everything was good but maybe a tad overpriced for what it was.

Service slowed a bit toward the end of our meal and it took longer than it should have to get the check.

The food wasn't bad, but their pricing isn't what it should be and the service doesn't make up for it. I'd go back again in case it was a slightly "off" night service-wise to give them a second chance though.