Devra_First: Hi everybody. Send your questions my way.
mitch__Guest_: Why was black truffle and foie gras on everyone's menu this past winter?
Devra_First: To make diners feel like they're eating in luxury. The price of truffles went through the roof this year, so they really were eating in luxury! What are your feelings about those ingredients?
huey__Guest_: The Globe review on Gitlo's Dim Sum was spot on. Gitlo has been so busy lately, he had to close the past couple of days to catch up on his offerings that were sold out over the weekend! The Globe review brought him a lot of customers. Have you tried it yet?
Devra_First: I tried it a few months back, and honestly I was kind of underwhelmed. I clearly need to revisit, because so many people are wild about the place. Maybe I went on an off day. I'm intrigued by the chef. I saw signs had said they'd run out of food. Hope they can keep up!
Jill__Guest_: Do you think there is any way of stopping servers from addressing a party of men and women as "guys". I'm not picky generally but I find this annoying, particularly when it's my husband and I.
Devra_First: I think it would be difficult to erase that particular strain of perkiness/friendliness (depending on your point of view). You may just have to content yourself by coming up with sarcastic comebacks. How do you deal with it now, or do you just ignore it?
mitch__Guest_: Black Truffle is nice --- but I have hard time "getting" how it's lux...They are sought after because they make you feel like you are eating something rare: Once whole foods starts to carry them in bulk though I'd argue that the fad will show itself.
Devra_First: Bulk truffles! That would be moth heaven in the bulk bins.
nickelanddime__Guest_: Can you help a poor college student from the Bay Area find quality dining in the Hub for less than what I pay for tuition?
Devra_First: Don't despair! There are so many fantastic budget options in this city. Is there a particular kind of food you like? Is there a particular neighborhood you're more inclined to dine in? You can check the Globe's Cheap Eats section here: http://www.boston.com/ae/restaurants. Another good resource is Chowhound: http://www.chowhound.com/boards/12.
mitch__Guest_: ...what about suburban sprawl? Do you think that the uptick in places like burlington will continue as the economy gets shakey?
Devra_First: I think restaurants will continue to expand in the suburbs, though at a slower rate than they would if the economy were booming, of course. In many suburbs, rent and other costs are cheaper than in the city, and the market's been demonstrated by early comers such as Coriander and L'Andana. I'm interested to see what will happen in the city.
food_lover__Guest_: hi
Devra_First: Hello. Do you have a question?
Jill__Guest_: I'm much too wimpy for confrontation so I just ignore it.
Devra_First: Maybe instead of viewing it as "wimpy" you can think of it as "Zen."
Sam__Guest_: That was a very good article abouto Shabu-Shabu, I enjoyed it very much. Do you have any opinions on any locations offering shabu shabu in the nearby suburbs (west of Boston, Rte 128 area)
Devra_First: I don't actually know of any. There are a few new Japanese places in Lexington, but I don't think they offer shabu shabu. Shabu Zen in Brookline Village might be the closest option, though I think others are better. Anybody else know of a shabu shabu place in that area?
mitch__Guest_: where will you dine the first day it hits over 65 degrees?
Devra_First: In someone's backyard, with the grill blazing! Or outside at Oleana in Cambridge, Orinoco or Hamersley's in the South End, or at any kind of seaside shack that's open. There's also Speed's hot dogs, dangerously near the Globe office in Newmarket Square off Mass. Ave. How about you?
nickelanddime__Guest_: I live in Cambridge but would pretty much travel anywhere (t accessible, of course) for a really excellent meal at a good price. I' m always on the lookout for great Mexican
Devra_First: For great Mexican, I'd recommend Angela's Cafe, 131 Lexington St., East Boston. It's not burrito joint cheap, but entrees top out around $12-$13, and it's very worth it. In Cambridge, there's cheap Indian at Punjabi Dhaba in Inman Square; you eat on metal trays while Bollywood music videos play on the TV. In the Porter Square Exchange building, there are a lot of very reasonably priced Japanese places; Bluefin has not-bad sushi for not-bad money. Chinatown is full of reasonably priced goodness. And Allston is one of the best eating neighborhoods around, with Burmese (Yo Ma), Cambodian (Suvarnabhumi Kiri), etc etc (Super 88 food court, many many kinds of food -- try the banh mi).
Sam__Guest_: Thanks...I'm definitely not scared to venture into the city (I'm not one of those people!!) I was just wondering if I could possibly try shabu-shabu for the first time during the week, closer to home (since all the places are surely crowded on weekends). I'd been turned off by the whole 'cook-your-own-food' phenomenon since a poor experience at a fondue restaurant years ago, but your article has changed my opinion on the subject, because I LOVE all Asian cuisines.
Devra_First: Try it and let me know what you think. I hope you like it! I've never had to wait very long at Little Q in Quincy, and Chinatown seems a bit crazier than Allston.
EL__Guest_: How can one become a food critic?
Devra_First: These days, the quickest, easiest way is to start your own food criticism blog -- instant gratification! Also, if your blog is good, not a bad way to get recognition that can put you on the road to food criticism as a career. You can also pitch food stories to local newspapers, magazines, websites, etc., and build a reputation that way.
jdoc__Guest_: I like shabu zen but had a horrible service experience at the new one. They gave us the wrong menus (lunch specials on a holiday). After we ordered they said we would ahve to pay the more expensive prices. When we demurred, they huddled then announced (to us) that if we didn't pay the full price it would come out of the hostess' paycheck! It went downhill from there. Have you ever had that sort of experience and hwo do you deal with it?
Devra_First: If the owner is reading this, he is crying and ripping out his hair. After I wrote the review, I called him to check a few facts, and we had a long discussion about how important he feels service is. That's pretty dismal: It will come out of the hostess's paycheck! And then downhill... If I get really bad vibes from servers and my order hasn't been put in yet and I'm not eating for a review, I might just leave and go elsewhere. What did you do?
mitch__Guest_: Clio's tasting menu is perfect for springtime
Devra_First: And any other season. :)
lw__Guest_: Have you ever given a restaurant a 4 star review?
Devra_First: I haven't. We revamped our star system a few months back to make 0 stars "poor" instead of "fair." Before that, I gave o ya 3 stars; with the current system, I would give it 3 1/2, possibly 4. I look forward to giving a restaurant 4 stars.
zimmer__Guest_: Any favorite, inexpensive restaurants in Brookline?
Devra_First: Lots. To name a few: Dok Bua, Sichuan Garden, Brookline Family Restaurant, Shiki, and Rami's for falafel. How about you?
headcold__Guest_: where's the best value meal in inman square?
Devra_First: Punjabi Dhaba's up there. I like City Girl Caffe. The Druid has pretty satisfying pub food. What places do you like?
zimmer__Guest_: What do you think of O Ya being named the best new restaurant in the U.S. by the NY Times food critic?
Devra_First: I think it's great for them -- they've worked hard and took a risk opening in a neighborhood that gets a bit dead after dark, serving the kind of food they serve without a big name like Nobu or Morimoto attached. o ya was also on the "long list" for the James Beard awards in the best new restaurant category, but they didn't get nominated. I'd say good call by Bruni, but I haven't eaten at most of the other restaurants he mentioned.
jdoc__Guest_: about shabu zen -- we stayed (had already ordered, had hungry kids who had been looking forward to trip, didn't know there was another shabu place across the street!). We gave them every chance to back down, but they didn't. We eventually tried to pay the full price (seemed like the hostess probably needed the cash more than we did), they wouldn't let us and insisted (repeatedly) that she had to pay. One of my dining companions got so fed up she handed the hostess $20 as we left. Don't think we'd go back 9although I really liked the food).
Devra_First: That's the kind of experience that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth. I don't blame you. Try the one in Chinatown sometime -- parking's harder, but the service is more experienced.
zimmer__Guest_: We don't go out to eat a lot, and mostly go to higher end restaurants when we do. Like the Thai restaurant in Coolidge Corner and the Vietnamese across the street (both on Harvard Street).
Devra_First: If you like Japanese, try Shiki. The beautiful kaiseki lunch is a steal.
Devra_First: The chat officially ends at 1, so I have to sign off now. Apologies to those whose questions I didn't get to. Tune in again at noon the week after next.
