Jess H.'s Profile

I love Herrera's. It's some of the best Mexican fast food in the city, and I find it's usually grossly underrated. I've never gotten anything here I didn't like, and I've tried the burritos, taco salad, Mexican rice bowl, and both specialty juice drinks (mixed tropical and strawberry lemonade). I really, truly have no complaints--I've never had a bad burrito here, steak or chicken, and the amount of spice is just right for me. The taco salad is amazing (I recommend the cilantro dressing, there are plenty of veggies, and the crispy shell just makes my day) and the juice drinks are a little sweet, but still good.

The ladies behind the counter are friendly at both locations I've been to (Transportation Building/City Place and the one in Downtown Crossing). They do accept credit cards now, and the prices are fair. I direct people here as opposed to the nearby Boloco if given a chance, because the food is much better.

I went here with a group of coworkers on Friday. The staff allowed us to pull a bunch of tables together, which was cool of them. In general, it was a little too loud inside to have good conversations without yelling, but it wasn't too crowded and the patio looked pretty awesome.

I wasn't drinking this time, so no comments on that, but my coworkers seemed happy with their drinks. The Strawberry Blonde apparently tastes like "alcoholic yogurt" and the sour appletini (which I did have a sip of) was good. There's also a pretty good beer selection.

Regarding food, I really enjoyed the sliders. My turkey club was way salty, which is my main reason for the lack of stars. Friends report that the pizza, summer ravioli, and chicken panini are good. My boyfriend felt that his cheeseburger was too small to be worth $10, and I think that's a fair assessment. The french fries were tasty.

The place was clean in general, including the bathrooms. The atmosphere was nice, the seats comfortable, and the people seemed pretty cool.

Our server copped major attitude regarding splitting the check, which couldn't be done at the end of the meal. Fine by us, but don't be rude about it or assume that we were supposed to know. She also took forever to check on us each time and walked away at least twice when I was trying to ask her for something (due to the the loud music, perhaps?). We were a large party and we probably should have called ahead, but I still expect politeness and attentiveness from my server even when circumstances are not as s/he anticipated.

I had a pleasant night at Dillon's, but it's far from my favorite place in the city. I'll go back with a group if someone really wants to go, but I doubt I'll return on my own.

Rev Rock now hosts the before- and after-parties for The Boatonian booze cruise, so I stopped in before our cruise on Thursday. My friends weren't there yet, so I mostly just hung around outside, but the music sounded good and there weren't too many people. Whenever someone came out, he or she was very friendly.

After the cruise, we all went back to Rev Rock. This was at about 10 PM. The place was basically empty (which I kind of like), and there were less people there than there had been at 6 PM. There was no line. We got free pizza thanks to The Boatonian, and it was really tasty. My friends had nachos and they seemed satisfied. There were a bunch of big screen TVs showing the Celtics game and comfy couches and bar stools. The bartenders and the other patrons were super nice. I can't comment on prices because somehow all my drinks wound up paid for by other people (thanks, other people!). The long island iced tea was good and didn't seem watered down at all. I left that night happy, full, drunk, and having made some new friends.

I also liked the music, the decor, the ambiance, and the lyrics on the ceiling. It's a tad cheesy, yes, but it was a lot of fun to read them with my other rocker friends. The whole place was clean, even the bathrooms, and the temperature inside was pleasant.

All in all, good night at Rev. I have no real complaints, which is surprising after reading all the negative reviews on here. I'll probably go back during a non-Boatonian night to see what it's like normally.

When my boyfriend wanted to go to Ruth's Chris for his birthday, I was initially a little resistant. "You really expect me to spend that much on a steak?" I asked, a question which he met with an exasperated sigh and the promise that "it'll be worth it." I remained unconvinced but went along with the plan because, well, it was his birthday.

First off, the online reservation system was quick and painless. I received a confirmation email, we arrived on time, and we were seated right away. The hostess was slightly condescending (as others have mentioned regarding the staff), but our server was very polite and patient.

Bread was supplied to begin the meal, and we added before-dinner drinks and split the Vine Ripe Tomato & Buffalo Mozzarella Salad. My whiskey sour was mixed perfectly (and nice and strong). My boyfriend, who does not like tomatoes, was amazed at how much he enjoyed the salad (and is, in fact, still talking about it a couple of days later). It was the perfect beginning to our meal--the flavors worked together perfectly and the mozzarella in particular tasted rich and fresh.

He handled the wine, so I didn't even look at the list, but the folder in which it was contained was much thicker than the menus. We wound up with a lovely Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon, and I loved it. (Although, as always, $130 for a bottle of wine is a bit of a stretch!)

For the entrees, I ordered the chef's special 6 oz. filet with Caribbean lobster tail, and my boyfriend had the regular filet. The food arrived quickly after the salad plates were cleared, but with plenty of time for us to ready ourselves for the next course. The steak was cooked to perfection--I would say it's probably the best steak I've ever had, but I'm certainly no steakhouse connoisseur. The lobster tail was just the right amount of spicy and perfectly portioned. It was also easy enough to remove from the shell without making too much of a fool out of myself in public.

We ordered the sweet potato casserole and the broccoli au gratin for sides. They provided the perfect blend of sweet and salty and I would say that the sweet potato casserole tops my list of best side dishes ever.

Also, since it was his birthday, they provided us with a complementary dessert. We opted for the creme brulee to share, and although it was a little sweet for my boyfriend's tastes (as creme brulee is apt to be, I'm sure), he still ate his half and enjoyed every bite.

The bill was no higher than I expected it to be, and both food and service were top-notch. We left full, almost bursting, and definitely satisfied. Although I don't like paying so much for a single dinner for two, I recognize that the penny-pinching part of myself won't change and that I'd best get used to high prices if I want to have some fun every once in awhile. (Hence the decision not to remove a star for prices, as I originally planned.) And, overall, it was just that--a pleasant, enjoyable evening in the city at a restaurant I'd love to return to for another special occasion. And the experience was indeed worth the price (or, at least, it came very close).

I'll admit flat-out that I'm a Dunks girl. But that's neither here nor there, and rest assured that this review isn't biased. After all, every now and then, even a Dunks girl craves a tasty latte with funky flavors and lots of espresso, so she'll stop in at Starbucks on the way to work and fork over the extra $3. (Starbucks is too expensive in general, but that's something I have against the company, not this location.)

Unfortunately, every time I've been to this location, it's been a total mess behind the counter. Lots of miscommunication between baristas, resulting in error after error. I witnessed at least three mistakes this morning while waiting for my coffee.

Also, oddly enough, my pumpkin spice latte and my gingerbread latte tasted like exactly the same drink.

But, the baristas are nice, and I noticed that they do learn regulars' names pretty quickly.  Hell, I'd be stressed out too if I had to serve angry businessmen coffee every morning.

I have indeed had better habachi fare before, but that in no way means that Bisuteki isn't good. I've been twice and the wait was almost non-existent each time, the hosts and servers have always been attentive and polite, and while both chefs I've had have indeed lacked the charm that some other chefs exhibit, that doesn't make the meal bad.

The layout is somewhat small and cramped, but it's a Sheraton hotel restaurant; you can't really expect that much. The decor is nice, if a bit dull, and I enjoy the atmosphere.

Yes, it's a bit pricey, but you get so much food when you order the full dinner: soup, salad with a tasty ginger dressing, three complimentary shrimp, whichever meal you ordered along with a hearty serving of rice and vegetables, and ice cream. The cost is definitely worth it for the amount of food you get.

They also have sushi available, in rolled or sashimi form. I always get two pieces of unagi (eel) on the side (it's about $6.00), and while the serving is a bit smaller than in some other Japanese steakhouse-type restaurants, the fish is fresh and tasty. My companions each ordered the chicken teriyaki and I had the scallops; no one had any complaints, we left full, and there weren't many leftovers. Our chef tried to crack jokes, although he certainly wasn't the funniest man I've ever met, and he was very attentive: he carefully followed special requests and ensured we got the meal we ordered how we wanted it.

My one complaint is that they serve white rice, not fried rice, with the dinners. In most other habachi places I've been, they've at least offered us the option of white or fried. I much prefer fried rice to white, and I'm always disappointed when the nice Bisuteki server comes by with bowls of white rice and I remember, "Oh, right, they don't do fried here." They do offer soy sauce and ginger butter, as well as dipping sauces, to spice it up a bit, though.

The drink menu gave us plenty of options. My boyfriend had sake, and my roommate and I each tried a different cocktail; they were all very tasty. We were carded, even on a Tuesday night.

Overall, I've had overwhelmingly positive experiences at Bisuteki. It's not somewhere that I frequent, but it's nice on occasion when we'd like some good habachi food but would rather not drive to Lawrence, MA or Salem, NH for it.

I agree with Sara S. that the building is strange, but the location itself is great--when I went to Suffolk, I'd stop in every morning after getting off the Blue line at Bowdoin. The employees have always been friendly and one of them got to know me by sight, called me "honey" (she's a lady, so it's not creepy), and remembered my drink and its variations every time. The same homeless man has indeed been sitting outside on a milk crate for ages, but he's always very friendly and polite.

The food and drinks are, well, the same as they are at every Dunks. The employees are efficient and move the lines through quickly during the morning rush, but the credit card/gift card machine seems to go down here more often than at other DD locations.

There's a small counter along the window and you can stand there to spread cream cheese on your bagel or stir your coffee, but there's no seating.

It simply is what it is--a small Dunks, convenient for commuters and students, but nothing special.

The front desk staff is very polite, and they laughed at my jokes. The place is clean, we were able to get an appointment quickly, they saw us on time, and they accept Care Credit (which most Boston-area vets do not seem to do). There's plenty of parking and the location is accessible.

However, we had a horrible experience here and never went back. We were faced with an unintended kitty pregnancy (we'd only adopted her the week before, and she was apparently four weeks pregnant--of course, the previous owners either didn't tell us or didn't know), and the vet and vet tech treated us like it was our fault for not getting her fixed (which we did as soon as the kittens were weaned--at North Shore Animal Hospital in Lynn, which I highly recommend). They were rude, disrespectful, and intensely judgmental, even though there was no way I could have prevented the pregnancy and I did everything I could to ensure a healthy litter of kittens despite never intending to be in such a situation. (They did, however, correctly refuse to give Mama Cat her shots until after she'd given birth.)

To top it off, when I called a couple of weeks later for advice on cat labor, the vet was not only condescending, but he gave me inaccurate information.

I would never, ever go back to Pine Banks. I've never been treated so badly for something I couldn't control, and I felt insulted and uncomfortable. Mama Cat didn't like them either--she fought them like mad when they tried to take a look at her, but she's incredibly sweet and docile with our current vet. (Who, by the way, is polite and willing to explore options with us even if she doesn't necessarily agree with us--just like any good vet or doctor!)

I recommend staying far, far away if you love your pets and your sanity.

Average. I've always been partial to the Walkabouts (which are pretty much just wraps, so I'm not sure what the difference is). The Chicken Caesar is great, as is the Southwest Caesar ($5 special on Tuesdays!). I wasn't a huge fan of the Mandarin one, but it's because the oranges were watery and they made the whole thing taste weird. I also didn't like their burritos--if you really want a burrito, walk a couple of blocks to the Transportation Building and go to Herrera's in City Place!

I haven't tried the soups or the salad, but based on other reviews I guess I should. The menu is a bit small, but there are daily specials and a baked potato bar.

The staff is friendly and the location is good. It's not always the cleanest place ever, but I usually manage to find a tidy table. It does get very crowded around lunch time, and the prices are my main reason for the imperfect rating--but really, they're comparable to a lot of the other places around.

I've been going to Dr. Kalil ever since my pediatric dentist said I was too old (*tear*), but I've been completely satisfied with my experience there almost every time. I had one terrible visit a few years ago with a dental hygienist who completely ravaged my gums, but I haven't seen her since so I don't think it's anything to worry about.

The office isn't often crowded and I've always been seen within five or ten minutes of my appointment time (although there are plenty of magazines to peruse if the wait is longer than expected). It's a very clean, organized facility, but not sterile-looking enough to be scary. I've never dreaded going to the dentist here, and I've also never had a cavity. The schedule is flexible, the staff friendly (they know me by name, still, even though I don't go as often as they or I would like), and the visits are generally quick and efficient.

I leave each time with a little goody bag containing a toothbrush, floss, and a pack of Stim-U-Dent plaque removers. The location is convenient; it's right down the street from the Loop shopping center, and there's always plenty of free parking.

As far as I know, they accept both Delta Dental and MetLife. I'm not sure what other dental health insurance plans there are out there, but I've never had problems with either of those.

All in all, Kalil Dental is a great place and you shouldn't hesitate to entrust them with your teeth's health.