pete "-rman (check out channel 9!)" k.'s Profile
Date1 Previous Review:
-
4/3/2012 First to Review
There's a great trend of new businesses in Acton that is gaining momentum.. and its answering one burning question - "what's for dinner?" (or lunch). Bueno Y Sano is a very welcome addition to the slowly growing list of restaurants in town. Anticipation for it was escalated by many UMass'ers who swear by its sister restaurants.
We gave it a shot during the first week - later on a Saturday evening (well, late as far as Acton goes, it was almost 9!). It is awesome to have another option besides pizza after 8. Having recently returned from a trip to Mexico, I've been on something of a kick for tacos lately. Tacos are just more to the point than burritos, in my opinion. More tasty stuff, less gut busting.
Parking is likely the biggest issue this restaurant has right now. In a word, the parking situation is awful. On the corner of a very busy intersection, its pretty tough to get in and out. The spaces are pretty limited, especially considering the demand. (Unofficial) TIP: park at the Bank of America kiosk next door.. cause really, who uses BoA anymore?
Our order: Buffalo chix tacos, steak tacos, chipotle chix tacos, and the grilled jalapenos. I was bummed to find that the tacos are just.. skinny rice-less burritos cut in half. In my head I had a burning vision of Taco Bell soft tacos.. which I can (joyously) eat a pile of. Two Bueno tacos is a decent meal - for insanely cheap (like $4!).
The buff chix was the winner by far - richest flavor of the three. The chipotle chicken didn't have much flavor (perhaps it wasn't chipotle) and the steak was pretty bland. However, the toppings were all very fresh - the pico de gallo was delicious. Not much cheese, but the sour cream helped hold things together nicely. The tacos were fresh and filling, but.. not 'great'. That's where we lose a star here, (though yes my fault for craving tacos at a renowned burrito joint). The jalapenos were great treat, however. Cream cheese filled and supposedly with chopped mushrooms. One of the 3 was hot, and friggin fantastic - the other two were mild, creamy, and delicious. A little rice comes with them, as well.
To wrap this up.. (no pun.. really). I'll be back. No question. This place is an awesome quick bite factory - take out, or eat in (its BYO!). Its cheap, fast, and fresh. Burrito update will be coming.
Wow. For years I've heard the hype of this place.. and have seen the crowd of people waiting. Finally got in for lunch, thanks to call ahead seating. Its a nice enough looking place - checkered table covers and dark. Lunch clientele? Old. Very old. Very, very old.
Service was fine - attentive and quick. Portions - huge. Cost - cheap.
That's about all I can say. Table shared some garlic bread, I had a salad and rigatoni with 'house made' sausage. Garlic bread.. is slices of fluffy (why does Mass love this stuff so much) sesame/scali bread. We got the cheesy one - covered in mozz and soaked in butter. Not what I'd call garlic bread, but anything soaked in butter and covered in cheese will taste good.
The salad was pre-made, but still decently fresh. The pasta.. bland, over cooked. The sauce, watery, flavorless, even a little bitter. The sausage.. flavorless - hard to believe it is homemade. Sure, this was a huge meal for $7, but if you bought these ingredients in the store you'd be out.. $3, happier with your meal.
You'll almost definitely have leftovers, but I don't see a reason to take them home.
I have never really been interested in yoga - nor did I understand it at all. Our classes were led by Gwen, who emphasized there that you "can't do anything wrong" in her classes, which was a relief for someone like myself. Fortunately I wasn't the only beginner - but it is clear that there is a strong local interest with some very experienced yoga-ers - which looks great for Revolution. No one makes you feel bad about taking a break, and Gwen was very helpful if you got mixed up while setting up a position (by you, I mean ME).
The facilities are very nice - brand new, with a retail side and a studio side. The retail area is a little empty at the moment, but they will be building it out soon. The studio is great - well equipped with mats, straps and blocks. My mind was constantly racing trying to figure out the right positions - but in the end you will come out as relaxed as can be. The classes emphasize that.
So from a complete beginner who knows nothing about yoga, I think its a great place, and a fantastic addition to the town. They offer many options in classes and class times - and the staff is all very friendly.
The pulled pork was great. Crazy tender, nice flavor and good smoke. Served on a really nice sized bun too - bonus points there. Slaw was great, and went well on the sammich.
The rib(s).. however.. ugh. I was so, so bummed out by the rib that it almost cost them the 4th star on this review. It looked good - well rubbed and dry (a good rib should never need sauce). However.. it took all of my strength to get the meat off of dem bones! What the deuce? That thing was either not slow cooked - or had been under a heat lamp for days. It was so disconcertingly dry and tough that I have to go back and try again. I don't believe a real BBQ joint could serve a rib like that. So - that 4th star may go away.
How'd they keep the star? Well.. they have sauces. Lots, and lots of sauces. From vinegar to NC mustard sauce - and a few nice regular ones in between. Serve yourself, meaning you can get all kinds of saucy. Added vinegar to my pork , and dipped it in the other sauces to test. The mustard and the "hot" ones were great. Standard house sauce was decent. I was very happy with the sauce.
Another perk here - great atmosphere. Plenty of seats, and a very smart serve-yourself beverage setup. They also have some good beers to choose from, which I unfortunately could not test at the time. I certainly wish I had a place like this in the 'outter' burbs.
Tempura was fresh and crunchy. Sashimi was very fresh and tasty (tuna and salmon). The box also included miso soup, salad, rice, teriyaki chix, gyoza, and some some california maki. I was very pleased and stuffed at the end. The chicken was the weak point here, a little bland and a little dry.
West Acton, MA 01720
(978) 263-8743
The Local Table
Categories:
Specialty Food,
Restaurants,
Caterers
We checked it out last week, and were very pleased. The menu is very simple, focusing on some appetizers, pizzas and burgers. There are a few other items too - soups on special, etc. They have some good local beers on tap - HUGE bonus - and a nice selection of wines (did not sample). Wachusett Green Monsta was my choice for the evening.
Edamame gyoza were surprisingly great. I had the New England Burger (baco, cheddar, homemade bbq sauce, on brioche) and Kim went with a Tuscan sandwich (prosciutto, pesto, tomato, mozz on ciabata). Both came with fries. The burger was actually very good - something I rarely say about a restaurant burger. Cooked perfectly to my liking as well. Tuscan was a tasty sandwich - all ingredients were fresh. Fries were a big soggy.
Dessert was a nice surprise - real cannolis from the North End.. very good ricotta filling and fresh, crunchy shells.
Service was a bit slow, but our orders came out in a timely fashion once we got them in. This isn't a knock-your-socks-off kind of place, but it could be with a bit more traction.. they have a slick looking bar, and a good sized dining room. Things feel a little bland in there, and this sleepy town doesn't "get out much" so it doesn't seem too busy. I am hoping they can draw some of the NYAJ crowd in - but closing at 8pm makes it tough to compete. Looking forward to going back - maybe they can earn that 5th star.
North Andover, MA 01845
(978) 655-4735
Jaime's Restaurant
Category:
American (Traditional)
We got a couple apps that were.. meh. Good to sop up some of the beer in my belly, but not worth getting excited over. If in the area, I'd go back - just gotta keep expectations a bit low. Its totally ok for a bar to serve kinda crummy food, in my opinion.. but the problem with Jaime's is they are trying to be a bit more than a regular bar, so the food really needs to get improved, especially with Burtons not far away.
Brookline, MA 02445
(617) 505-1844
Cutty's
Categories:
Coffee & Tea,
Sandwiches,
Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Brookline Village
And oh my.
I've been to Vietnam and somehow missed the brilliancy that is Banh Mi (was too obsessed with spring rolls and noodles).. but I have now redeemed myself. Granted, the airy, crusty, amazing Iggy's bread is not quite "french" - I could live off of that stuff, so it made this sandwich better than I could have hoped. Its not a giant, sloppy, drippy sandwich. It's neat, its clean, and it is mind-blowing delicious. The pork, sauces, veggies, all meld perfectly. The bread contains everything while adding its own culinary delight. I could not stop eating this sandwich - except for taking breaks to dive into the Roast Beef 1000.
An sandwich with "1000" in the name. How can you not want that? Oh, and its house-roasted beef, on a grilled brioche bun, with crispy fried shallots, sharp cheddar, and flippin *homemade* 1000 island dressing. This is not your typical roast beef sandwich. The flavors that come together with each bite make you picture that scene in Ratatouille, when he's trying to describe to his brother what is so great about food.. blah blah blah. It's just.. fantastic.
And then back to the Banh Mi. God damn, that's equally incredible. The two sandwiches are worlds apart, but at the same time.. both out of THIS world.
Oh - and they sell pork fat. Someday..
I am smitten with Cuttys.
2 Previous Reviews:
-
8/10/2011
Dang, Margaritas, you make bad decisions.
This location is officially doing away with all of their good beers. They previously had a pretty good selection of drafts, like Dales and Dogfish Head. They are now cutting all beers back to the same crappy beers you find.. everywhere. Down to two stars for this idiotic move. -
7/19/2010
What can you say about Margaritas? The food is fine - on par with other Margaritas - not bad, not stellar.. but servings are large and tasty.
Given this one's location, it gets a little credit considering there are very few other dining alternatives within a couple miles. That said, it is generally a GD mob scene.
Service is.. hit or miss. Seems like the dining room gets trainees all the time, while the bar side of the restaurant gets the more seasoned pros.
Parking. Lets talk about parking. Nightmarish.. ridiculous.. comical.. and non-existent. A critcal oversight by Senior Juan here - despite the "free valet" band-aid (no strangers get to drive my car, sorry), getting a parking space is generally a complete hassle. There are a couple hotels in the same strip, so plan to drive around them before finding a place to leave your car.
And once you leave -no left turn onto 225 is an added hassle.
I waited a couple months before writing this, hoping service would.. "mature" a bit. Sadly, it is still pretty rough unless you sit at the bar. With that and the parking nightmare, it is tough to rate too highly. I'd go with a 2.5, but given the lack of other dining options and decent food, they get a solid 3. Oh, and they do have a couple decent beers on tap - including Dogfish Head, surprisingly!
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Acton, MA
Yelping SinceJuly 2007
Things I Love Find Me Inclothes, usually
My HometownNJ
My Blog Or Website The Last Great Book I ReadKitchen Confidential
My First Concertuh, like 3rd grade, i played trumpet.
My Favorite MovieSuper Troopers and or Office Space
My Last Meal On Earthi'm still ON earth.
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...what?
Most Recent Discoverythe Concord Rotary must die.
Current CrushOrange, what else?
And... wow, it could not have been more boring. Complete lack of spice, and not a sign of 'BBQ' in there. Rice and beans filled the wrap, with a little chicken here and there. After several bland bites (and peeling away the excessive flaps of wrap), I added their signature 'pump-your-own' hot sauce.. to no avail.
For $8 I was full, but found absolutely no pleasure in the meal. Just.. constant disappointment with every bite - the burrito only became worth eating when I brought out my own private stash of hot sauce and sour cream.
Kim went with the buff chix again - since they were the best of the bunch on our first trip in. Sadly, even those lost their luster, leaving her with a "smokey" aftertaste.. the kind of "cigarette butts". I didn't notice the burnt flavor - since I didn't notice ANY FLAVOR. Very bummed.
Sorry Bueno.. but no me gusta. No bueno.