Saucy Girl

One of my favorite places to eat is the East Coast Grille in Cambridge - The chef, Chirs Schlesinger is a genius. They have many fish offerings nightly, as well as BBQ. There is a tropical feel to the menu (the fried plantains served with home made guava ketchup are out of this world), as well as to the restaurant. There is an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs do their stuff. They have a large bar with a generous offering of cocktails, including a ULTRA SPICY, TRY IT IF YOU DARE, Bloody Mary. THey also have quite a raw bar too. The wait can be outrageous - on a Sat if you don't get there by 6ish, you may have a 2 hr wait. It is worth it......

If you'd like a steak house then go to the Grille 23 - it is a wonderful place, much better than the Capital Grille. If you want to branch out a little, there are a ton of restaurants - it's just a matter of what type of food you'd like to eat???

In JP there is a fine offering of food as well- Dining in JP may be a good choice, considering it is convention week.... All are on Centre St..... 1) Bukhara: Reasonably priced, very good Indian food 2) JP Seafood Cafe: Japanese, Viatnamese and Sushi - excellent and again, reasonably priced. 3) B'an Chaing House: Thai - delicious! Great Pork ribs and fabulous Nam Plaing (I probably butchered that spelling) - it is a fish fillet served w/ little pieces of pork and fermented beans. 4) Wonder Spice Cafe: Thai - very solid Thai food, but the service is only sub par. For a little bit of more fine dining experience, also on Centre st you can find: 10 Tables - Excellent! One of the best dining experiences in town. There are 10 tables with an open kitchen. The food is contemporary w/ Italian and French influences. The portions are reasonable. On Tuesday evenings they do a wine tasting dinner - 3-4 courses, each paired with wine. You get a tutorial on the wine you are drinking and get to take home a sheet that describes the wines you consumed. THe food is exceptional. I recently ate dinner there and had a Vanilla-Reiseling Carrot soup to start, and a Roasted Salmon served with a Sabayon. It was incredible. They use as much local, organic produce as they can. I believe that they take reservations. Arbor- very pricey, but again, worth it for the dining experience. The place is always packed. I ate there last Feb 14th, and the food was great- contemporary, american, hearty. Good Luck!

Thanks so much for your reply Steve - I truly appreciate your raw honesty. PS - my son's name is also Max (he's 2 yrs old), and he loves to eat Parmigiano Reggiano, right off the block - like mother, like son. Thanks again!

Good afternoon Steve, I am a big fan of yours - I have the Cheese Primer and reference it often. I love cheese, but I am currently struggling - I am 5 months pregnant, and the recommendation is to only consume cheese that is derived from pasturized milk. I am under the impression that most imported cheeses are derived from non-pasturized milk - am I correct in that assumption? BTW, I live in Boston and frequent Formaggio Kitchen - have you ever visited the shop? Thanks for the opportunity to pick your brain! Sharon

I have to agree about the East Coast Grille - go there! It is excellent. Other places that are good are for Mexican, the Ole Mexican Grille, in Inman Square, and Henrietta's Table, at Rialto, which also is a great spot - Jody Adam's place. Food is wonderful.... Have fun!