Susan "The Urban Muse" J.'s Profile

Just returned from the first-ever wedding ceremony at The Place - what a fun, creative idea!

This "place" is legendary for unpretentious cooking in a casual outdoor setting. Picture clams, mussels, steak, corn on the cob, veggiebobs, and chicken roasted in a large fire and patrons sitting on tree stumps.

This interaction pretty much sums it the simplicity of it all: a friend asked, "What would you recommend with the steak? Can I get some sides?" "Uh, no, there are no sides," said the waiter good-naturally. "Just the steak." (We gorged on roasted corn on the cob, though. So good!)

As other reviewers have noted, it's BYOB and they don't accept credit cards. All in all, very fun!

I discovered this little gem while staying with friends in Manhattan. I'd heard it was tough to find a place with free wifi, but I walked by Subtle Tea and decided to have breakfast and catch up on email.

It's perfect for freelancers or travelers who need a spot to plug in their laptop or charge their iPod. The vibe is friendly and modern and unlike many other businesses, they don't shoo you away for lingering. I had the yogurt parfait with strawberries, almonds, and coconut, and I would have loved to try other yogurt combos.

**This review is based entirely on a recent brunch experience.*

We originally planned to go to Tremont 647, but they had to close their kitchen early due to ventilation issues. They suggested we go to Pops instead, and since I hadn't been here yet, I decided to give it a try.

Really glad we did.

At first glance, the decor is delightfully old-fashioned, but I noticed as we were seated that the black and white photos are actually part of a digital picture frame, so the pictures change every minute or so. Somehow I found this juxtaposition of old and new endlessly fascinating.

Then there was the food. I ordered the brioche French toast with Nutella, bananas, and pecans. This unexpected combination was a delicious variation on traditional French toast. I could have done with a little less Nutella (love it, just in more moderate amounts), but the bread was sweet, softy, and gooey, just as French toast should be.

My brother had the pressed goat cheese sandwich, which was also really good. Both were $9 for heaping plate of food, and he was very impressed by the value (he's living in DC and says its pricier there). Overall, a really satisfying brunch experience that made me wonder why I hadn't tried Pops sooner.

Overall, I enjoyed my wine and food. They've done an impressive job of transforming the Greenhouse's kitschy decor into minimalist chic. And the curry apricot cheese spread was AWESOME! But then my waitress asked if I was done or if I wanted more bread and, of course, I said "bring on the bread!" to accompany my cheese dip. Then the bill came and I thought it was kind of tacky that they charged me for extra bread without mentioning the charge (I admit, if you're the server, it's awkward to bring that up). I can't really complain because it was only $2 extra, but next time I would stretch my bread a little further rather than ordering more. It's reasonably priced, but they do charge for extras so in the end, it probably evens out.

NOTE: I only had a cup of tea and it's virtually impossible to screw up tea, so I'm not critiquing the food or drinks. This review is solely based on ambiance, because after all, when I take my laptop to a coffee shop I'm not going for the delicious pastries or the organic coffee.

I'm going because I'm a freelancer with cabin fever. I'll order the cheapest thing on the menu just so I'll have a cool space with free wifi and an atmosphere that is somewhat conducive to work. Atomic Bean delivers on both those fronts.

I went on a Monday morning and started the week off with a huge spurt of productivity, which is worth a lot more than the $2 I spent on tea. I like that it's not super-crowded and has ample electrical outlets. And that the staff doesn't give you the evil eye for hanging out with a laptop for a few hours. All in all, a very freelance-friendly establishment.

I have to disagree with those who hated the faux cheese - I think it's pretty incredible what they do with nuts and coconut milk! In fact, our waitress (an incredibly patient, friendly, knowledgable woman) brought us several cheeses to sample after one of my friends expressed skepticism about the cheese (she also mentioned that she'd read some bad reviews on Yelp, so the waitress was eager to give us a great experience).

We shared the banana crepe as an appetizer (basically a fruit rollup with vanilla and rosemary on top), and it was delicious. Then I had the ravioli (tomato slices stacked on top of each other with cheese in the middle), and my friends tried the canneloni and the gnocchi. We all tried different dishes for dessert, but my favorite was the "cheesecake." Yes, you can tell it's not real cheesecake, but it's still delicious.

This was my first experience with raw food, and I would definitely go back. It's pricey, sure, when you consider that you're eating a bunch of artfully arranged veggie slices and nuts, but Grezzo has a great ambiance and food that has much more flavor and richness than I expected. You can also get takeout of their "ice cream" and "cheeses," which my friends plan to do in the future.

Like Dave G., I really wanted to like Bon Savor. The sun-filled windows and Parisian-inspired decor certainly get high marks, but the brunch food was just so-so. I ordered the Veggie Omelet and my bf ordered some kind of sandwich. He claims the potatoes were freezer burnt, but they just tasted bland to me. We would have ordered a crepe for dessert, but our entrees were so underwhelming we decided against it. The prices are so reasonable and they have tons of veggie options, so I'd give them another try for dinner but I have a feeling I'd be disappointed again.

My first introduction to Rialto was through a Yelp event, and I eagerly returned to Rialto's bar a month later with the boyfriend. The antipasti was a great way to sample lots of delicious, savory dishes affordably. We tried the nuts with rosemary, the mushrooms (very nicely seasoned), and the ricotta with pesto (can you tell I'm vegetarian?).

Then we moved onto the risotto fritters (the ultimate breaded, fried, cheesy, amazing comfort food) and the Parmesan fries (good but not our favorite).

After all those starters, I was glad I had only ordered a salad as my entree! The boyfriend had the mini-Tuscan steak, and, in an uncharacteristic moment for him, almost couldn't finish it.

We finished with the honey ricotta cheese cake, which was divinely light and sweet. Not at all like the heavy, sugary sweet bricks of cheesecake at certain chain restaurants!

Service was extremely attentive (I'm guessing because of Yelp), and we had a great low key, upscale dinner.

My boyfriend and I have opposite tastes, so it can be tough for us to agree on a restaurant. I'm a vegetarian, and he loves a thick, juicy steak. But we could both find something good on the menu.

I had the Kaddow (fried then baked pumpkin) with eggplant and callow rice, and the BF even tasted some of the rice and pumpkin off my plate because it looked that good (normally he wouldn't touch veggie-based food unless it was fried and breaded).

It's usually crowded, but the atmosphere is warm and cozy, and the soft, warm bread is AMAZING!

Parking can be problematic, but the food is delicious! Rumor has it my boyfriend's coworker saw Tom Brady and Giselle dining here, so naturally the BF wanted to check it out. He even called my cell while I was in the lady's room and I thought it was another celebrity sighting. Nope. Just wanted me to know that the food had arrived, and he was hungry. :-p

The cocktail menu looks yummy, but I saved my money for the main meal. I had the porcini mushroom ravioli in fontini cheese and the apple bread pudding for dessert. Both were excellent. As we were leaving, we saw a sign for their new family-style Sunday night dinners, which is $25pp for adults (includes several courses, so it sounds like a pretty good deal). It's very cozy and romantic, and wasn't too crowded on a Saturday night (we went on the early side).