Kabir "Plaidypus" H.'s Profile

I attended an outdoor event here last night and it couldn't have been more amazing. It's one of the best views of the city during the summer as you get to watch the sun set behind downtown's buildings while boats and water taxis zip around. The only downside is having to go through security to pee, but the interior will leave you in awe. I'm looking forward to attending more events here, and if you're looking for event space in the $5k range, you'd be hard pressed to do better.

Get off my lawn, you %!@!#$@ kids!

After a hectic day and just before a night on the town, I needed a  quick filler to fuel my drunk antics. I called up Beauty's, asked for two slices, grabbed'em and headed home completely ravenous, only to pop the top to see THIS: http://www.yelp.com/bi...

SERIOUSLY.

They're also the nicest folks ever. While shooting a sweded version of Spaceballs, we needed a solid base for the Pizza the Hutt costume, but nothing we found worked. In the end, I decided to try my luck at Beauty's, not knowing if they'd tell me to piss off or quit wasting their time. Instead, they happily loaded a pizza box with their perfectly floured, uncooked dough and charged us pennies for it!

And the fact is, this kind of loves shows in everything they touch. Check out their lovely website and it's tough to pick a pie, since every description is through and through mouthwatering. Moreover, the online ordering setup is the most versatile I've encountered, letting you select toppings for each side of your pizza. The one topping you won't find on the menu is love, because it's already in everything they make.

Awesome addition to the area, and to Cambridge! I tried the carribean waffle, with pecans and bananas, as well as the salmon eggs benedict. Both were fantastic, but to be real, the salmon eggs benedict at Brookline Lunch is better and less than $7. And I love that the menu doesn't ignore vegetarians, with tofu scramble available as an option.

The staff were friendly, especially for working at 9am on a rainy opening Sunday and the space is fantastic. There's a comfy waiting area and if they had wifi, I'd probably just get coffee and hang out there. There's still a lot of "under construction" to the space, with a whole section being closed off and they didn't even have iced coffee available yet, but you can't hold that against them.

Kitschy decor and big, fat diner options can easily devolve into Denny's territory, but Friendly Toast handily avoids that trap while serving up the goods on so many fronts. I'll be a regular.

Upstairs proves again why it's my hands-down favorite spot in the square! The staff were stellar, but I expect nothing less at this point, since they always give their all. And while the menu could have consisted of a cocktail or two, they rounded that out with a couple choice wines that paired well with all the dishes. The entire spread was phenomenal, and I'm glad I had a chance to finally see the Soiree dining room; another small treat. And the best treat? Tarragon blondies. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to stop in for one everytime I'm near.. or far.

And it was nice to be able to thank everyone in person, including Mary-Catherine and their executive chef and bar manager, all of whom were present. When you do something you love, it shows, and Upstairs is a prime example.

Thanks Leighann!

I'm not sure what happened between my first, mostly uninspired, *** star visit here over a year ago and last weekend, but serious kudos are deserved! On this outing, my salmon was cooked perfectly, the tuna tartar messed with my tastebuds, and the wine brought me back to Sonoma. Seriously.

I LOVE a good piece of fish so you better believe I ate every bite of salmon, skin and all. The orange demi-glaze was perfect, not syrup-y or sacharine at all. The tuna primi was served with a corn tortilla, but what seems like an odd pairing makes for two amazing tastes. Sans tortilla, you've got hints of spice and wasabi; avec tortilla, you've got something bordering on a fishy version of salsa. It's nice not having to choose. We paired this with a nice Riesling that was everything a Riesling should be; dry and sharp but really easy going down. Just how I love'em.

The decor is nice; I'm always a fan of booth seating, but they've got straight up couches to get cozy at your table! Combined with high ceilings and a back wall racked with wine bottles begging to be used as a photo backdrop, and there's not much room for improvement.

Shit yeah, I've got a new go-to spot in the Back Bay!

Dear Jody,
I like you. Do you like me?
[ ] yes.
[ ] yes.

Longingly,
Kabir

I thought I had this down; I've handled elite events before, weekends in vegas, indian weddings, irish wakes, and being unemployed with my resolve to keep drinking fully intact, but last night..

Via Matta and Yelp handed me my ass. Talk about going above and beyond the call! The staff at Via Matta genuinely exceeded the role of humble hosts. I can't imagine what it must have been like pushing through that crowd with a tray of apps or sitting behind that bar, but they managed it with aplomb.

And I love our community; what an amazing, talented bunch. And I'm not even referring to our ability to drink everything in sight.

Tabula rasa--I've never been to the Craigie Street Bistro, so this review lacks all the "back in the day" pretension, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't positively giddy at the prospect of another fine dining establishment in Central Square..

Craigie on Main delivers. The venue is gray and the fiberglass ceilings are hard to conceal, but it's still spacious and warm. I watched the bar spill over from the opening night crowds, but it was never obnoxious or claustrophobic. In fact, the bar space rocks! I'm convinced my bartender must moonlight as a superhero on his off nights. I've never seen anyone move with the quickness and his sixth sense came in handy, since he knew exactly where everything was on OPENING NIGHT. Hell, I walked in and he was swinging two shakers over his head at once. Clearly not a man to be fucked with.

I wanted to sample the cocktail menu my first time out and I wasn't disappointed. They hit all the high notes and your favorite intoxicant is surely represented, dressed in a lovely number, and ready to please. It's always interesting to order a drink and ask the bartender if they'd recommend something else. It's a quick way to cut through the filler and find the gems on a cocktail menu, but it's even more interesting when they won't do it--an act I'd compare to asking a parent which is their favorite child. I went with the stock Champ de Elysees, which rocked. If brandy, chartreuse and lime do it for you, there's no reason to walk by Craigie on Main.

And that's how I'll end it; I'm so looking forward to revisiting until I feel comfortable handing over that fifth star and I have no reason to believe Craigie will disappoint.

Adieu, B-side!

You'll forever hold a place in my heart for warm brunches of those delicious caballeros eggs, listening to yellow submarine while sipping on a man's ruin or the best coffee this side of Broadway. Thank you for teaching me that Bud isn't a 4 letter word. Thank you for your easy, unpretentious women, apt at lifting my spirits in those times when I carried my heart in my hand.

And for cocktails! For bringing them back, and making the aviation a staple on every cocktail lounge menu;  that which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Adieu, adieu!