Logan to Lexington

[marinade]

In the middle of May, I'll be at Banjo Camp North in Groton, Mass. It's a weekend where a few hundred 5-string banjo players get together with weapons of mass distraction (and yes I've heard the banjo jokes before). I'll be in Boston the day before and thought I'd do the Gaughain in Tahiti exhibit. There’s something about French Impressionists in Hawaiian shirts that I happen to think is kinda cool. Anyway back to the grub, I’m looking for a place to eat around the Boston Museum before the exhibit. Then I’ll be picking up another player at Logan and we’ll be heading out to Lexington for a pre-camp concert. Looking for decent joints along the way. No problem with good bar food. I screech breaks for ethnic eateries (especially Turkish) and/or BBQ. Any recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

Jim

(Copy edit on last line)

Edited April 15, 2004 by marinade (log)

[galleygirl]

The two best barbeque spots in Boston are Blue Ribbon, and Uncle Pete's....There are two BR's, luckily, one is on Mass Ave in Arlington, which is in the direction of Lexington, certainly not out of the way..Better at pulled pork, briskit, and burnt ends.....Sides to make a vegetarian weep. make sure you get the champ if they have it, collards sauteed in garlic, and mixed with mashed potatoes...All the ambiance of a roadside stand, BYOB.

Number two is Uncle Pete's, about 3 minutes North of the airport, at the Day Square (East Boston)exit off Route 1A....Better for ribs, their sides suck....An actual sit-down restaurant, with beer and wine...

Also in Day Square in Rincon Limeno, a Peruvian joint with the best ceviche, on big platters, that I've ever tasted...get the mixed seafood, altho the octopus salad is really good too...Their fried yucca is worth every greasy calorie...Anything fried is good.

There's not much good near the museum...Sigh...About 1/2 mile closer into Boston, on Huntington Ave is Boston Shwarma King(or maybe Shwarma King) which has great felafel,

kebabs, Middle eastern treats....Dive..... A block away is Moby Dick, more Turkish, more kebabs, but they even have bestilla(?)....Great swordfish kebabs....Still, a dive.

Across the Fenway from the museum is Brown Sugar, Thai that is middling, at best...Also, El Pelon, Boston's best (IMHO) taqueria...But, that's not saying much...They do a great (for Boston) fish taco....

When I go to the museum, I stop for snacks in their basement cafeteria, which has a great (really!) salad bar, sandwiches, and cookies, and then go else where before or after for real food...

Edited for typos....

Edited April 15, 2004 by galleygirl (log)

[marinade]

Great stuff galley girl. I'm heading out of Philly around 7:00 that day and may try to get into Boston around 1:30. Shwarma King looks like a nice possibility for lunch. I would definitly dive bomb into Rincon Limeno if I were on my own, but I don't know the eating preferences of my passenger. I'll mapquest directions to some of your recommendations. Thanks again! BTW, what's the spin on East Coast Grill and Redbone?

[galleygirl]

East Coast Grill is fabulous, in fact, I'm going there Saturday nite with a few friends(BF's brother and his wife!)...Their 'que is up there with the best,(they're probably tied for 2nd, or third) but they aren't really a barbeque joint...It's a moderate, funky, sit-down restaurant, great martinis, wonderful fish specials, but I always have the world's best tuna, a house-butchered filet-mignon size hunk, grilled black(on the outside) and blue (on the inside)...Lots of meat specials, and pulled pork, briskit, ect, you can get a whole barbeque plate...I have friends who'll get a single rib as an app when they're ordering something else...They also have great hotter'n hell sausage...Plus raw bar...Plus great tuna tacos...

Chris Schlesinger (Thrill of the Grill, et al) does great rubs, salsa, etc with his daily specials.

Redbones is a really fun place, great atmospere, lots of micro-brew choices...It hasn't been a the best in Boston-area barbeque for quite awhile, but that doesn't stop them from resting on their laurels...I think their rep was built when they were the *only* game in town, and loyalty and word of mouth

still out...And, they pull a great Guinness...

East Coast Grill Menu

[galleygirl]

Also, the Gauguin show is great, and its huge...allow lots of time....

You *must* buy tickets for specific times in advance, do you have them?

[marinade]

Got the Gauguin tix about a month ago.

I'd like to do East Coast as a benchmark. I've always enjoyed Schlesinger's stuff. Their brunch menu maybe the thing to do if I break camp early Sunday. Redbone keeps coming up on the radar. Got me thinking about a driving up the night before just to play. Once I'm in camp, it's tougth to do commutes back to Boston. Thanks again

Edited April 15, 2004 by marinade (log)

[alithea]

Redbones comes up a lot in discussions, I think, because the atmosphere is really lively and fun and it's much more accessible than Blue Ribbon or Uncle Pete's, both of which are hard to get to without a car. Redbones is where to go to have a good time, but if you want ribs stick with UP/BR.

Well, if you really want ribs, you're better off in another town.

You could also read other threads for discussions on E.C. Grill...

[bigwino]

I'll second the recommendation of Blue Ribbon over Redbones. I also concur on the East Coast Grill rec. That place just kicks ass every time.

I wasn't an Uncle Pete's fan, but to be fair I bet I haven't been in almost 10 years.

If you enjoy Turkish, perhaps you might try The Helmand for Afghani food. It's been a while since I've been but I still hear good things. It's in Cambridge and wouldn't be too far off your path after Logan.

Enjoy your trip.

[vbmontana]

If Pizza fits your bill then adjacent to Logan is one of the best Pizza parlors in New England. A local bar that has pizza and grilled sausage or kebabs and that's it.

Santarpo's is adjacent to the entrance to the Sumner tunnel to Boston. A bit hard to describe the route, but you need to end up on the opposite side of the entrance highway that would take you to Boston. Exit just before toll booth.

[pattimw]

If Pizza fits your bill then adjacent to Logan is one of the best Pizza parlors in New England. A local bar that has pizza and grilled sausage or kebabs and that's it.

Santarpo's is adjacent to the entrance to the Sumner tunnel to Boston. A bit hard to describe the route, but you need to end up on the opposite side of the entrance highway that would take you to Boston. Exit just before toll booth.

I love santarpio's...pizza is so good, and cheap, but be forewarned...it is lacking in atmosphere and cleanliness, so if that matters to you....

I love going there with a big group, drink cheap wine and eat the pizza. fantastic.

[marinade]

Hey gang, thanks for the food hits! I found out over the weekend that the player I'll be picking up at Logan is in concert at Lexington that evening so it will be a straight drive outa town. The recommendations will probably be channeled into my lunch choices(which cancels out ECG). Is there anything edible in Lexington?