alexurzopia

The quality of crabs was very good as I remember, and I loved the electronic pricetag thing with each item. Was very impressed, though the spa definitely didn't fit in. Also, I know my grandmother complained that it took too much energy to get from the candy area to the seafood. Definitely better than the competition in the area.

two summers ago I bought some jarred, minced truffle, called a pate de truffe or something. I think it is basically black truffle with oil. The question is, what should I do with it? Put in on an omellete, what? Also, if it's jarred it's still good right? Thanks.

Clio is awesome, and apparently Ken Oringer's newest place, the tapas bar Toro is also really good. Any comments re toro?

re where to eat, i think the most famous restaurant there is la mere poulard (sp??) which is famous for it's GIGANTIC omelettes. frankly, i would go just to watch them make the omelettes (I was there awhile ago and it was great.)

no. 9 park is awesome, as is ana sortun's oleana. if u like sushi, u probably know oishii, but now theres one in south boston which is supposed to be great (if pricey). Also, tangierino is a great moroccan place in the charlestown.

Is Aujourd'ui a buffet? I was interested, but thought it was priced by each dish. (As opposed to a fixed price for a buffet.) Don't really know, because I haven't actually seen a menu. Is there someone who knows for sure if it is or is not a buffet? ← ya ive been there a bunch, the buffets always the same, but i think its really good. (sunday brunch only) btw i just had tea in the bristol lounge and i thought it was a great deal for all those little sandwiches/cakes/scones for just 26$.

in Boston theres a great lobster tempura at FuGakYu. its very similar to what you described. first they essentially make a roll of only lobster and peashoots. then they tempura fry that role. than they rap that in rice and another sheet of nori, then they fry that role. ITS SOOOOO GOOD.

well said. the only clarifications i need to make are re "refinement" and the celebrity chef scene in Boston. i in no way mean to suggest that a refined restaurant, is better or worse than any other restaurant. refinement, in my mind, is along the same lines as decor, service, or something else. no. 9 park is an excellent example of one of the more refined restaurants in Boston, however, it also represents one of the "best restaurants in boston" according to many critics, publications, etc... if I were to go to Alain Ducasse in New York, which is considered one of the "best restaurants" in New York, the level of refinement there would be higher than in Boston. You brought up an interesting point, that restaurants in places like Kansas City have little incentive to improve, or take their stuff up a notch. The only problem I see with that would be that many of the great restaurant cities in America were once Kansas City like places, until an amazing restaurant came in and suddenly a new level of cuisine was "the cool thing to do". A perfect example would be Chicago. Chicago was a restaurant made up primarily of steakhouses and less well known eateries, at least until 18 years ago, when Charlie Trotters opened. Since then, a bunch of restaurants debatebly up to par with Trotters have gathered, making Chicago one of the hippest restaurant scene locations. It takes a chef with drive not requiring material incentive, such as how much energy they NEED to put into the food, to draw followers wanting to raise the bar. These are all very rough draft ideas, just tell me what you think. Re the celebrity chef thing, i would say we can both agree that celebrity means only VERY partially signifies a good cook. When I mentioned celebrities, I didnt mean to say they were the superior chefs, just that they definitely had elements that could qualify for top chef. I have more to say but I'm tired of typing. adios

good point, let me rephrase. when i mean "best chef", i essentially mean, which one of the well known chefs in boston, who have not yet expanded their restaurants to other cities, would be most likely to survive in a more competitive restaurant environment, such as new york. as far as my thinking goes, i feel that Ana Sortum of Oleana has the level of food necessary, as well as the specific style of cuisine, to be successfull in New York. Chefs like Jody Adams I feel though, don't quite have what it takes to be successfull in New York. Even Ming Tsai I think, lacks the "refinement" necessary. generally, i almost feel like there is a vicious cycle which takes place, which limits reknown food from appearing at obscure parts of the globe. having just eaten in Kansas City, Boston, New York, and Paris, i can safely say that the level of refinement and sophistication taking place is occuring in reverse order of the cities i listed. Paris is ultimately more advanced overall. New York is trailing a couple of minutes behind, Boston following, then ultimately newcomers like Kansas City. This expansion of ideas and refinement can be seen in many things. Subtleties in service, plating of food, even how the menu is written. Ultimately too, the overall price has been an indication. The nicest meal one can buy in Kansas City will be inherently cheaper than its equivalent in Boston, and so on and so forth. Because of this, it seems that many chefs are gravitating to the concentric center of these levels of food. The vast majority of the big names always gravitate to places like New York and Paris, while Kansas City is a breeding ground for rising stars. I may be wrong, but i have been consistently amazed by the differing levels of high end, reccomended restaurants in many of these cities. Any thoughts?

I've been wondering who amounts to the best overall chef in Boston. We have our share of celebrities (Ming Tsai, Todd English), but we also have a bunch of great only-in-Boston chefs (Ana Sortum, Jody Adams, Ken Oringer). Also, why does it seem like so few chefs in Boston move on to New York? Also, how does our sushi rate with New York?? (Oishii, FuGakYu)

One of the most disappointing meals I've had in Boston was at Restaurant L, a few months ago. The service was horrendous (our server described the dessert menu as a "crap menu"), the food unremarkable (disgustingly overcooked gnocchi, oversalted main courses), and the entire atmosphere bizarre. Our server made the entire experience a rollercoaster ride through hell. There was no one else in the restaurant (Wednesday night), and I asked if it would be possible to see the kitchen. The waittress apologized, saying it was "too busy". I found this ridiculous because at all other restaurants I've been too, both more or less famous than Restaurant L, the hospitality had been exceptional, and a request to tour the kitchen had always been responded to with an "of course". It may have just been an off day, but it was a major disappointment for me and my friends. As far as brunch goes, Aujourd'ui in the Four Seasons is a reliable favorite buffet, and I've heard East Coast Grill has the best brunch in Boston. (Henrietta's table is decent)