Michael "MikeTrap" T.'s Profile

The food here is good. But at a place you can pay $29 for a hamburger, they better get the service right. And here, they did not.

It started with a maitre d who asked if we had a reservation, then audibly harrumphed when we did not. This despite a room that was virtually empty. Strike one.

I sat down with a coat and hat, which no one asked if they could take when I put it down. Ball one, by a hair.

There is a soup and sandwich special on the menu, and when I ask what it is, the person who comes over to ask if we're OK has no idea what it is. Strike two.

After all that, they bring my entree while I'm in the middle of my soup. I truly hate that. Seriously. Should I dunk it, or what?? STRIKE THREE. Sit down, Casey.

Now.. none of these are tragic offenses. I don't even expect that level of service at Chili's. But the burger there is $8.99, and it's pretty damn good.

This is a family run sandwich shop on South Street in the Leather District.

I went there and got a great sandwich, and while I was there they offered me a free sample of the homemade lentil soup, which was (nearly) as good as my own.

If you want car-free drive-thru, this place is not for you. If you want a great sandwich from people who make it like they were going to eat it, you should check it out.

Ever fantasize about being a judge on Iron Chef? The good news is you can make your dream come true here. The bad news is that the secret ingredient is $$$, and The Chairman ain't buying.

We had the tasting menu, highlights of which were a fried Kuomamoto oyster with squid ink foam, 2 truly inspired mushroom dishes, and several creative and complex sushi and sashimi courses, each a more creative and compelling blend of flavors and herbs than the last. It's the kind of place where it's best to just put yourself in the chef's hands, because it's impossible to anticipate what anything will taste like from even the thorough and descriptive menu.

If you do, expect to come in around $250/head all in, even if without going overboard on cocktails or wine. That's a bit pricey even for greatness, and while the food here is an unquestioned 5, the gratuitous premium for me detracted from the experience.

Excellent food, great room, truly remarkable service. The bar was quiet when we arrived for an 8:30 reservation, as was the restaurant. But we sat outside on a beautiful summer night and had a great meal, served by a true professional. A notch below destination spots in the city, but a solid choice for a nice night out in the city.

If you're an exiled foodie living in Metro West, and haven't been to this absolute gem in Southboro, you're missing out. Don't let the one-step-above-a-strip-mall location fool you; Obvious care is taken in every aspect of this restaurant, from the ambiance to the hostess, the menu to ingredient choices, from the wine list and most especially the food preparation.

We started with a nice Prosecco and an assortment of wonderful, fresh apps, the highlight of which was a fried mushroom risotto ball. Crazy. All the pasta is handmade, I went with tagliatelle bolognese. First rate. Every other dish was good, our waitress was attentive and helpful, and by the arrival of the primi's we'd all forgotten we weren't in the city.

To an Italian, "fusion" is nice... for lesser cuisines. When I heard about Peruvian-style Italian restaurant - in the holy ground of the North End, no less - I must say I at first wondered where I'd left my torch and pitchfork.

But as The Great One, Mario Batali, once reflected, "There is no such thing as Italian food." Italy is defined by it's regional cuisine, and the concepts which unite those cuisines - respect for local flavors, artisan specialties, freshness, simplicity, natural presentation, etc. - could be applied to the output of any food loving region.

So what the heck. We trucked in from the suburbs, ready to broaden our minds.

The results were mixed. Rather than a pan-Italian preparation of Peruvian ingredients, Taranta brings Peruvian/Latin flavors into Italian classics. Sometimes this works... as in the case of the mussels other Yelpers have praised, which are rich with pancetta and a highly dunkable broth. Sometimes it's a triumph, the best example in our meal being handmade fusilli prepared with smoky and sweet flavors in a parchment pouch. Delicious, and original.

Other times, as in the Fred Flintstone pork chop with which we closed our meal, the result is less inspiring. Said double-chop was certainly a magnificent piece of meat, carefully prepared, but it left me intrigued more than satisfied.

In the end this is a great restaurant, and certainly worth a try. But your response to it might say more about you than the experiment it represents.

As for this old school deago, next time we're going to Prezza.

This place is great. Small menu of artfully prepared food, all of it good.

This place is off the hook.

Amazing, crisply prepared cocktails at the bar. Friendly, knowledgeable, efficient staff throughout the meal. The freshest local proteins and veges, prepared with care and dished up with a twist.

I had the prix fixe featuring a trout amuse bouche, a sashimi course that was out of this world, an organic pork dish prepared 2 different ways, and some kind of brilliant gingerbread thing for dessert.

One of the greats in Boston, a really special meal.

LOVED the room, liked the food. Service was very good, place was not busy.

A nice evening, I'd go back.

This place is awesome. The best fried chicken I've ever had... so good, I had a cold piece for breakfast the next morning. The head chef, Jasper, actually beat Bobby Flay in a throwdown with this chicken - it will rock your world.

I had the gumbo, it was similarly off the hook. Service was great, chef came out and said hello. Room is low key, but not kitschy; space is tight but feel is intimate.

This place is great, a fave among the locals that more than a few notches above your average local faves.