Boston GNR's?

Is there anything similar to the Chicago GNR list or LTH forum for Boston?

Check for "Food Blogs Boston" on Google. There doesn't seem to be anything like LTH, until you start it. In an emergency, you can try Chowhound.

Any specific neighborhoods you're looking for? When I lived in Boston, I used Chowhound, which at least was better than the Phantom Gourmet, but still far behind LTH in every regard.

GAF wrote:There doesn't seem to be anything like LTH, until you start it.

Don't tempt me

An LTH-style forum would be nice for Chicagooans visiting Boston. For the most part, though, Boston doesn't hold a candle to Chicago in scope & breadth of restaurant choices. There is absolutely nothing even decent in Mexican cuisine. And the pizza is not good IMO.

However, its southern Italian/Sicilian choices are excellent & plentiful (every Bostonian has his/her favorite), the Mediterranean food (Greek, Syrian, Persian, etc.) is surprisingly solid & of course the fresh seafood is pretty close to unrivalled.

But the ice cream. The ice cream! I dream about Boston ice cream!

And I crave the fried oysters and lobster rolls.

GAF wrote:But the ice cream. The ice cream! I dream about Boston ice cream!

And I crave the fried oysters and lobster rolls.

This is true. I've found no place anywhere near Chicago that can hold a candle to Toscanini's ice cream in Cambridge.

Best,
Michael

We're doing just fine here, there's lots to eat. Until Dmnkly gets the Boston board up and running ( ), I'll do my best to share stuff here on the LTH.

(cue up comparisons to every other major city in the world and how Boston sucks in said comparisons )

tatterdemalion wrote:We're doing just fine here, there's lots to eat. Until Dmnkly gets the Boston board up and running ( ), I'll do my best to share stuff here on the LTH.

(cue up comparisons to every other major city in the world and how Boston sucks in said comparisons )

You won't get any such negative comparisons from me. To this day, I have yet to have better oysters than I did at Neptune Oyster. I dream about those oysters. Their "lazy man's lobster" was pretty damn good too...I wish I'd asked for bread to sop up that creamy, delicious sauce. Four years later, my buddy (who lived on Beacon Hill at the time) and I still talk about that meal, and plot ways to get back there to recreate it.

The oysters I had at The Publican were almost as good, in the same way that a BCS-champion team is almost as good as a Super Bowl-winning team...or a Mercedes S63 is almost as good as a Maybach 57S...I'll stop with the analogies now, before I inadvertently pull the topic onto a non-Boston tangent by comparing something controversial, like pizza Let's just say the oysters at The Publican were awesome, but the oysters at Neptune were a whole other category of awesome. Super awesome. Awesome-squared.

I also ventured, alone & clad head-to-toe in Michigan gear, to Bell-in-Hand Tavern (at least I think that's where I was) to watch the Michigan-Notre Dame game. I was a bit hesitant about walking into a bar full of ND fans, but within 10 minutes of grabbing a stool, I was adopted by the group next to me & spent the next few hours jokingly trading insults, chatting it up, high-fiving like drunk meatheads & buying each other pints.

I'm pretty sure the fact that Michigan lost that game helped make the walk from the bar to my buddy's place an incident-free, almost pleasant one (if not for the drizzle & gloomy weather)

I'd love to go back, preferably when the forecast doesn't call for five straight days of rain

We here in New England are trying to get a critical mass of LTH-ers together to make some forays into fried clam and chowda terrritory - i.e. Boston, Ipswitch as well as Portuguese New England- i.e. Fall River and New Bedford. Stay tuned!

You can also try searching on Roadfood.com Alot of roadfooders live in the northeast corrider, so there are alot of posts about that neck of the woods.

Any restaurant older than 150 years is surely a GNR.

Vital Information wrote:Any restaurant older than 150 years is surely a GNR.

That's a bit of a leap, don't you think?

Vital Information wrote:Any restaurant older than 150 years is surely a GNR.

I'd have to disagree with this. For example, Union Oyster House is 183 years old, but I was quite unimpressed and would not support its hypothetical GNR nomination. I got the feeling that it may have been great at one point, but had devolved from greatness to gimmick as it became more & more of a tourist attraction.

I happened to have oysters & "lazy man's lobster" at both Union Oyster House and Neptune Oyster, and as I mentioned above, Neptune Oyster was playing in a whole different league, while Union was so-so.

And...you absolutely cannot beat a fresh, broiled piece of haddock at any number of Boston, New Hampshire or Maine restaurants. I've had it deJonghe-d (they call it 'scampi'), fra Diavolo-d, Limone-d, Puttanesca-d, and maybe my favorite is quickly broiled in light bread crumbs with lemon.

When it's the daily catch, it's hard to screw it up.

Any restaurant over 150 years old with the same owner is definitely a GNR.

jnm123 wrote:And...you absolutely cannot beat a fresh, broiled piece of haddock at any number of Boston, New Hampshire or Maine restaurants. I've had it deJonghe-d (they call it 'scampi'), fra Diavolo-d, Limone-d, Puttanesca-d, and maybe my favorite is quickly broiled in light bread crumbs with lemon.

When it's the daily catch, it's hard to screw it up.

I happened to be at The Daily Catch this past weekend with some tourist relatives, and the broiled haddock stole the show. TDC has found itself firmly planted into the league of what tourists believe to be non-tourist spots, but I can't say they've missed a beat in the game of execution. They still deliver like they always have. Most def'y a GNR in every sense.

I returned to Boston a few weeks ago for the first time since graduating from BU in '07. I only had a quick weekend with some pre-planned social obligations (2 words, no explanation: Beer Olympics), so food options were narrow, but I had my heart set on one thing: lobster roll.

Before I got to my precious lobster roll, I found my way to Clear Flour Bakery, which I would without a doubt consider on my own personal Boston GNR list. Down a tiny sidestreet in Packards Corner, the best bakery in Boston (imho) quietly churns out the most delicious bread in Boston. The store itself is tiny, humid, and irresistible. A rack of pastries on the left, baskets of rolls on the right, and featured in the pic below, beautiful array of today's breads in the middle:

Not to miss are the positively addictive olive rolls -- fluffy, airy insides with a thin, chewy exterior and thumbnail sized chunks of massive green olives throughout.

It's also worth noting that Clear Flour is pretty much across the street from Super 88. I don't think this would make my personal GNR list because I never had anything truly unique or phenomenal, nor would I recommend it to visitors for pretty much the same reason. But it was indispensable while I was there. Super 88 is a chain of Asian grocery stores, and certainly that was one main attraction. Fruit at reasonable prices, and often lesser-known produce, as well as the usual appeal of aisles full of unfamiliar and foreign treats and staples. But I spent most of my time at Super 88 in the food court area, where 7-10 stalls each specialize in a different ethnicity or region. Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, etc-- all good to have close by and all putting out serviceable and even great options, especially the Chinese booth with it's BBQ meats. But you could usually find me in front of the dim sum station. Dim sum, available all day long, on the way between where all my friends lived (in Allston) and where I lived (on campus). Dangerous. Most of this is made to order and they had a pretty decent selection as well. I used to be a sucker for their shrimp rice noodle. Unfortunately I didn't stop in on this visit, but I was able to snap a pic before I headed to the bakery. Not that it's hard to miss...


The lobster roll from James Hook Lobster Co is the epitome of food in Boston for me. Yes, because it is a product that stands on it's own as a worthy example of that stalwart of Northeastern regional eating. But also since food affection is often tied to a more extended and habitual experience, I equate these with some of my best afternoons at college--a beautiful day necessitated a long, leisurely walk up along the esplanade to the North End, then over along the harbor for one (or two...) of these sumptuous beauties. Plenty of outdoor seating within a 5-10 minute walk (especially now with the new greenway). For this Midwesterner, I just don't get tired of sitting next to the ocean (an ocean!!), eating a lobster roll, watching the boats and watertaxis putter around.
James Hook is mostly a wholesale operation. If I remember correctly, the lobster roll is the only prepared food they sell. Their retail store, more appropriately trailer since their store burned down a few years ago, is tiny and strongly scented. I like James Hook for the product, for the atmosphere, but also for the value. At $12 it's probably one of the cheapest in Boston, which might be a bad sign to some. But don't worry-$12 does not buy you a paltry scoop of overly mayo-ed, celery-bombarded, shredded claw meat. It buys you a heaping New England split-top hot dog bun (don't even get me started on these travesties) filled with lightly dressed chunks of tail and claw, with tiny pieces of diced celery for texture.

Listen, I understand it's not the prettiest belle at the ball, but it has a great sense of humor. I love the massive hunks of lobster that make me feel like I'm eating lobster and not just a very unique chicken salad.

One place I wasn't able to get to this time but remember very fondly is Japonaise, a Japanese-French Bakery right off the C line, near the Brookline/Boston border. An adorable little bakery and coffeeshop, I thought the pastries and cakes could get a little pricey, but the bread pudding was worth it every time for me. Their shoku-pan was an ideal vehicle for pb&j--it was eggy and dense while somehow avoiding being too heavy. But my favorite at Japonaise was their ham and egg roll, where a slice of ham was baked into a light, buttery flat roll and topped with a creamy egg salad mixture. They also had tasty doughnuts and (I'm too lazy to look up the real name right now, sorry) those triangles where a filling is stuffed inside of dense, gooey sticky rice and then wrapped in seaweed.

I've missed a lot of things from Boston. I've missed having an entire social circle within a 20 minute walk, I've missed (often literally) tripping over history, I've missed looking out my window while the sun rose and seeing crew boats full of well-bred Ameri-Teutons slice through the Charles. But for as much food flack as Boston gets, there are plenty of restaurants and dishes I'll miss as well. These are just a few, hopefully I'll get a chance to go back again soon, and share some more.

Clear Flour Bakery
178 Thorndike St.
Brookline MA 02446
(617)739-0060
http://www.clearflourbread.com/index.php

Super 88 (Multiple Locations Exist, this one is the only one w/ a food court, I believe)
1 Brighton Ave
Allston, MA 02134
(617) 787-2288
http://www.super88market.com/index.htm

James Hook & Co.
15 Northern Ave
Boston MA 02210
617-423-5501
http://www.jameshooklobster.com/

Japonaise Bakery & Cafe
1020 Beacon St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 566-4963
http://www.japonaisebakery.com/index.html

skess wrote:It's also worth noting that Clear Flour is pretty much across the street from Super 88. I don't think this would make my personal GNR list because I never had anything truly unique or phenomenal, nor would I recommend it to visitors for pretty much the same reason. But it was indispensable while I was there. Super 88 is a chain of Asian grocery stores, and certainly that was one main attraction. Fruit at reasonable prices, and often lesser-known produce, as well as the usual appeal of aisles full of unfamiliar and foreign treats and staples. But I spent most of my time at Super 88 in the food court area, where 7-10 stalls each specialize in a different ethnicity or region. Thai, Chinese, Indonesian, etc-- all good to have close by and all putting out serviceable and even great options, especially the Chinese booth with it's BBQ meats. But you could usually find me in front of the dim sum station. Dim sum, available all day long, on the way between where all my friends lived (in Allston) and where I lived (on campus). Dangerous. Most of this is made to order and they had a pretty decent selection as well. I used to be a sucker for their shrimp rice noodle. Unfortunately I didn't stop in on this visit, but I was able to snap a pic before I headed to the bakery. Not that it's hard to miss...

I just moved here myself, skess... thanks for the info.

Unfortunately, while I hate to be the bearer of bad news, scuttlebutt is that Super 88 at death's door. I'm unfamiliar with the full story, but apparently they're having organizational problems with a capital P. Reports abound of spoiled produce, empty cases and bare shelves... including one person who stopped by only to discover that they were out of soy sauce. Whenever you next visit, I wouldn't count on them being there.

I doubt I can visit Boston again without a trip to Burdicks. That hot chocolate alone is almost a meal.



I consulted this thread mostly
Haymarket...um...Market: Or, Haymarket Squared: Boston
and am adding the link here for easier searching till Dom puts the GNRs up


Empire Garden was quite a dim sum setting! The food, wasn't the greatest but the day/crowd and our table location likely contributed to it meeting less than high expectations. The place though was quite something.



Not a restaurant but Formaggio Kitchen is pilgrimage worthy. What you can get there will suck the breath out of you and the money from your bank account.


Burdick Chocolate Cafe
52-D Brattle St,
Cambridge, MA‎
(617) 491-4340‎
http://www.burdickchocolate.com‎

Empire Garden
690 Washington St,
Boston, MA‎
(617) 482-8898‎

Formaggio Kitchen
244 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA‎
(617) 354-4750‎
http://www.formaggiokitchen.com‎

Burdick's is based in Walpole, New Hampshire with a shop/cafe on Brattle Street in Cambridge. They ship all over the country, and is one of the best artisanal chocolatiers in the US.

We were in Boston a few weeks ago and had a wonderful time being history nerds. Didn't break much new ground from the existing posts on Boston except for this place in Salem. I had the apple and brie crepe and it was absolutely delicious. I think it was a buckwheat crepe but not totally sure. Anyway, it is a nice place to hangout with all sorts of coffee drinks, teas, and different beers available. It's on a main drag in Salem so you can work it in if you're sightseeing on the red line. It's very un-touristy, more collegy/artsy.

Gulu-Gulu Café
247 Essex St, Salem MA. 01970
phone: 978-740-8882
Hours: Mon & Tues: 10AM – 11PM | Wed - Fri: 10AM – 1AM | Sat: 9AM – 1AM | Sun: 9AM –11PM
http://www.gulu-gulu.com/index.asp

We also went to the Nashoba Brook baker in West Concord. This is a bread shop and sandwich place. You can see the bread being made through windows so kids would be entertained here. This was a nice place but it was a bit farther out of Concord than I realized so you are looking at about a ten or fifteen minute ride over. Normally this wouldn't be an issue but there is so much to do around Concord and Lexington that this made me a little nervous at the time.

Nashoba Brook Bakery
152 Commonwealth Ave, West Concord, MA 01742
phone 978 318 1999
http://www.slowrise.com/

We also stopped at the Main Street Cafe in Concord. Since this is right next to the tourist information center, it's a handy place to stop. I think we got coffee and some croissants or something there, but they had all kinds of sandwiches and everything looked good. I would have gone back there for lunch if I hadn't already planned for the Nashoba Brook place.

Main Steet Cafe
42 Main Street
Concord, MA 01742-2515
http://www.mainstreetsmarketandcafe.com/

We went to Legal Seafood a few times. While I can see that it might get old if you lived there, I really, really enjoyed it. It was kind of funny because there literally were busloads of European tourist there both nights (a bus was parked outside and loading as we left). Food was still good though.

If you go to the JFK Library, find somewhere to eat other than the cafe there if possible. Not-very-good packaged sandwiches were about all they had. Too bad because the site on the water is stunning.

One week was definitely not enough for the Boston area. This was a really great destination.

I have used http://www.hollyeats.com/NewEngland.htm as a reference for the east coast. I can recommend Kelly's Roast Beef in Revere Beach

I know how you guys roll, and I haven’t done a dissertation on Cantonese restaurants, nor have I been to every other seafood-centric restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown, but I think Peach Farm Seafood meets your definition of a Great Neighborhood Restaurant. It is the one place that consistently “delivers a reliably excellent dining experience for that type of place.” By that type of place I mean one that excels in simple preparations of the live seafood in tanks -- one that can consistently please out of town visitors and locals alike. It is a place where you can get giant creamy steamed oysters with black bean sauce, geoduck sashimi, eels quickly stir-fried with xo sauce or a steamed whole fish with ginger and scallions. The crew at Peach Farm have a dab hand with land-based dishes as well. For a special meal, say a Lunar New Year banquet, you can and should pre-order a whole chicken stuffed with sticky rice which arrives hacked up and super-schmaltzy. Peach Farm will provide a food experience that is distinctly “better than the rest”. It is, simply, a restaurant where you can take anyone for a meal and know they will leave happy.

Having had the opportunity to share a superlative meal with Josephine and tatterdemalion, and having studied the definitions of a GNR in Chicago, I am pleased to nominate Peach Farm Seafood as a Boston GNR. Of course I realize the program doesn’t yet exist in Boston but a girl likes to be prepared for when you go nation-wide.

Forthwith a few examples of Peach Farm’s offerings (with huge thanks to Josephine for the photos):

Let’s start with the sweet live shrimp plucked from the tank and quickly fried. I asked the server to fish out the smallest he could find and we were presented with a platter like this:


Money shot of the little guys ready to pop into the mouth:


As the name suggests, it is the seafood that really shines here. This is a dish of garlicky surf clam over vermicelli in the shell. Impeccably fresh and almost scallop-like in their sweetness:


But wait! It’s not just about the seafood. PFS is also recognized for expertly fried salt and pepper shrimp, squid, pork, shoes… here is the pork. Greaseless and always served piping hot, with little slivers of jalapeno for a little kick:


I always get some kind of simple greens -- the staff will tell you what is best that night. This night it was the verdant pea pod stems:


Peach Farm also does a very respectable Peking duck, and it doesn’t require ordering in advance like other places in Boston. The lacquered skin is served separate from a simple stir fry made with the duck meat and bean sprouts:


* For an over the top treat, wrap a bit of pork in the duck skin and call your cardiologist.

A little of the stir-fry nestled into a piece of crispy skin. So snugglie:


I’m hoping Josephine and tatterdemalion will throw their support behind my nomination. I respectfully submit Peach Farm Seafood for your consideration.

Peach Farm Seafood Restaurant
4 Tyler St
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 482-1116

Welcome, porklet!

porklet wrote: I know how you guys roll, and I haven’t done a dissertation on Cantonese restaurants

No? You could have fooled me! You nailed the ordering the night we ate there and now you nail the descriptions of what we ate. If Cantonese restaurants had been my dissertation topic, the writing would have gone a whole lot faster. That's "live and learn" LTH-style.

Here in Hartford I am starved for good Chinese, but even so, Peach Farm Seafood knocked my socks off. I was reminded of a great meal at Grace Gardens outside Baltimore with then-Maryland resident Dmnkly, who now resides in your fair city. (Does Dom know something that we don't? Is he holding out on us?)

Thanks, porklet for the report. And keep 'em coming. We have far too little Boston information on the board.

I ducked out of a conference twice last week for lobster rolls at James Hook, which are described and pictured upthread (in 2009). As pictured, the Hook lobster roll is packed with good claw meat. So simple and so good - they went down fast. It is little more than a stand with some picnic tables in front, but it is just outside downtown and and easy walk from many of the big hotels. If you are in Boston, this is probably an easy place to hit.

I also saw they have crab rolls on the menu. Next time.