Have gone by and I haven't posted. It's not as if I haven't been eating out or cooking, it's more that I haven't really found, okay, made, the time to get on the Mac and type in all my thoughts and opinions regarding what I have done in the land of food.
So, for the record, I have been to the following places in the past few months and here is my initial reaction. Hopefully, soon to be followed by a proper posting of the joint in question.
Craigie on Main- Since it moved from it's old spot, I understand that Craigie has made some mods. I wouldn't know, I never went out there before it moved. All I heard about it was that it was good, but expensive. If I want to spend a lot of money on American fare, i'll more than likely stay in the city. That being said, Tommy at the bar (he came from Eastern Standard) makes cocktails in the old style and that includes my fave, the Sazerac. Don't expect fast service from the bar. The food is good, if pricey. The burgers were nice, not bound together well b/c of a lack of filler (good thing, but really makes for a dense burger), the sweet potato fries were my fave.
The Garden at the Cellar- For anyone who's ever worked in the industry, family meal can be a hit or miss. On Sunday, it's all the crap left over from the week that's too old to serve the customers but not yet quite too gone over. This place has a family meal on Monday nights that runs 20$ a head (before drinks) and features okay service (I wonder if the server wasn't completely overwhelmed) but good food. The key here is to only eat upstairs and in the dining area. There's some oddness regarding the menus and the ownership of the place that means one only gets the good stuff in the upstairs dining room.
Suishaya- It's both a Japanese and Korean kind of place in Chinatown. This is a place that I used to hit up when I worked at Union. We'd get out fairly late, head on out there and eat a disgusting amount of sushi coupled with all the typical Korean sides and sickening amounts of Soju. Haven't been there in years, but finally hit it up again. They've changed the space, added an upstairs and seemingly rid themselves of the barley tea that I loved. Still have Soju, but only one type, and it wasn't cold. It's good, and there's always something to be happy about when one can get both decent sushi (not a fan of the nori that they use, it's a little too chewy. I have been spoiled by Oishi) as well as pretty good BulGoki.
Thaiation- The new Thai joint that filled the space left by Brown Sugar when they closed up shop in the Fenway. It really doesn't look any different than it did, even the menu seems the same. I understand that they still have the same chef from the old place. It was nice and the food was fine, but for the money that we spent, I would probably not head back there. I'm more likely to bring something back from The Similans than walk over to Thaiation for a bite of curry or bbq ribs.
Aquitaine- Still one of my favorite salads in the city. The Cobb subbing out the bleu cheese for a goat. They didn't have the wine I wanted, however. That's the second time in a row it's occured. A bit of a fail considering they are more a wine bar than a cocktail place.
Kaze Shabu- I like being able to cook my own food at my table. I have to admit that I was a fan of The Melting Pot, only the court bouillion, however. So, being able to enjoy a nice bottle of sake while watching my food turn from bright pink to grey is a good thing.
There is more than that on my list, I do keep the reciepts to jog my memory, and expect a more fully fleshed out opinion of all of the above.
