Restaurant critic Devra First took your questions
September 17, 2008
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Are you curious about dining out in the Boston area? What's affordable? What's new that's not to be missed? Devra First, the Globe's restaurant critic, took your dining-related questions and comments on Sept. 17 at noon. Miss the chat? Catch up here.
The transcript follows.
Devra_First: Hey everyone. Let's talk food.
baba__Guest_: hi,what do u think is the best italian restaurant in the north end?thanks
Devra_First: I really like Prezza and Taranta. How about you?
Hungry_for_ideas__Guest_: Help! I have out of town guests coming this weekend. Would like your advice on a good place to eat lunch in JP - they want to do the Sam Adams brewery tour so we would probably eat before or after it. Nothing too fancy but nothing real cheap, either. Thanks!
Devra_First: Do you like sushi? JP Seafood Cafe would be one option. You could try Centre Street Cafe; they do a great brunch.
Hungry_for_ideas__Guest_: Also, what is your favorite restaurant in the North End and why? If your favorite restaurant is really expensive, can you name a couple of good moderate ones ($20-ish/entree?)
Devra_First: See above. For slightly less expensive, you could try Vinoteca di Monica or Trattoria di Monica, or Pomodoro. Or Pizzeria Regina!
Devra_First: Antico Forno is also a good option.
briun__Guest_: where's a good place to go fine dining, or somewhat fine dining with a young child?
Devra_First: Have you tried Eastern Standard in Kenmore? It's already loud, and they have grilled cheese!
hungryhippo__Guest_: hi devra, i have an odd question for you - i was recently in geneva and they sold these small cinnamon flavored cake. do you know the name? i'm dying to find a recipe. thanks!
Devra_First: They sound delicious. Any more description you could offer? Are they crumbly, doughnut-like, pound cake-like? Do they have a topping?
hungryhippo__Guest_: or, a boston area bakery that may sell them? thanks!
Devra_First: There's a place in Reading called Swiss Bakers: http://www.swissbakers.com/
Devra_First: Maybe they would be able to help you.
hungryhippo__Guest_: no topping. they are pretty crisp and then you open (or bite into them) and its fluffy inside. i think they are more french than german, since i didn't see them as much in zurich. thanks!
Devra_First: They sound good. Maybe Hi-Rise or Japonaise Bakery would have something similar? Sorry nothing is coming to mind. Does this pastry ring a bell for anyone?
briun__Guest_: I like grilled cheese.....you ever have the grilled cheese at Delux?
Devra_First: I like it too. It was my favorite (with tomato soup, of course) as a kid. My dad burned it once and gave it to us anyway, calling it "chocolate cheese" because it was brown. After that, we always clamored for chocolate cheese, not realizing it had been a mistake. I don't think I've ever had the Delux version, though I've long been fond of the Delux itself (and particularly now that it's not a small box of smoke). What's it like? If you haven't tried Eastern Standard's, it's pretty darn tasty.
BeatownHound__Guest_: What info do you have on any new restaurant openings? (Bina from the Bin 26 people, Drink from Barbara, and her other space in Southie)
Devra_First: Drink should be soon. They were shooting to be in there (though not open) this week, mixing cocktails and breaking in the setup. I just fired off an e-mail to them asking if they have an exact date, so I'll let you know when I hear back. I sometimes post these things on our blog: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/dishing/
Devra_First: Info on the other space is pending, but I'll keep you posted on that as I find out via the blog. I don't have a date on Bina yet. New Franklin opening in Southie, too.
hungryhippo__Guest_: thanks a bunch. have you checked out the new bbq venue by publick house folks?
Devra_First: No!! I haven't been yet. It's been a hectic few weeks, little time for unscheduled dining, alas. Any reports?
Bostongirl__Guest_: Hello, my question for you is how did you get to become a restaurant critic?
Devra_First: I was a journalist who was passionate about food, working as an editor at the Globe and writing about food and restaurants on the side. I was lucky enough to get slots in the rotations for the Cheap Eats and Sauce columns, and when the previous restaurant critic, Alison Arnett, left, I applied for the job.
liketoeat__Guest_: Hi Devra, Is there any kind of food that you haven't tried yet? If so, why not?
Devra_First: Hmmm. I haven't eaten many bugs (at least not on purpose). I haven't had tried the full panoply of African cuisines, beyond the more common ones found in this country. No haggis either, or lutefisk -- just haven't had the opportunity. I did eat fried whale blubber once in Japan, where I taught English for a while, mostly because a bunch of drunken schoolteachers were so convinced I wouldn't try it. It wasn't very good.
Devra_First: How about you? Any foods you haven't tried but would like to? Any foods you just categorically would never try?
secrets__Guest_: Were any of the secret ingredients featured in today's article in the food section surprising to you? Would you have guessed some, or any, of them? Do you have any good secret ingredients of your own? Thanks.
Devra_First: Not necessarily surprising, but interesting. I use a lot of fish sauce, like Alison Hearn. I'm a big fan of nuoc cham, the condiment she talks about. I also use Aleppo pepper a lot, and sherry vinegar. Korean chili paste is a really good one, and sriracha. Hmm, mostly red stuff from me. How about you all? What secret ingredients do you rely on in your cooking?
tomatoes__Guest_: Hi, I have a bunch of tomatoes still left to pick (the last, I'm sure). I think they'll all ripen at one (in the next week). Any unique suggestions for what I can do with them besides making salsa?
Devra_First: I'm a gazpacho addict. Simple recipe: 8 really ripe tomatoes, 1 green pepper, 1 cucumber, 1/2 red onion, 2 cloves garlic. Blend them all together and season with 1 Tbs olive oil, 1 Tbs vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. It's total summer vegetable simplicity, but when you let the flavors blend in the fridge, it takes on complexity. Sometimes I swear I can taste cumin in there. (Possibly a side effect of aforementioned sherry vinegar?)
Devra_First: You can also make a tomato jam, boiling them down with sugar and (if you like) chilies, or candy them in chunks. With the green ones, you could make a tart with phyllo, bake them till they caramelize, and top with crumbles of soft goat cheese, salt, and pepper.
Devra_First: Or just make the simplest tomato sauce and freeze to use in the dead of winter.
mkap21__Guest_: hey Devra, im new to the Allston area and there are so many diverse places to choose from, what are your go to markets, restaurants, and other hidden jems in the allston village area.. are there other places to find fresh reliable meat, other then super 88 and shaws?
Devra_First: Allston is a great place to eat and shop. I do love Super 88 and the food court -- try Ken's Ramen, not in the food court but next to it. There are some good Russian markets around the intersection of Harvard and Comm. Ave. Shanghai Gate, Saray, YoMa are great places to eat.
PMac__Guest_: What are your favorite "boutique" seafood restaurants in the city? (No chains)
Devra_First: B&G for oysters. Neptune for everything. Does O Ya count?
hungry_for_ideas__Guest_: thank you for the ideas, appreciate your help!
Devra_First: Mais oui, my pleasure.
PMac__Guest_: Do you need any guinea pig dining partners?
Devra_First: Sure, but we'll have to wear disguises. Do you have a gorilla suit or a Nixon mask?
Bostongirl__Guest_: I would never try Natto, which are fermented soybeans, a quite famous dish in Japan. The idea of something fermented sounds just simply gross.
Devra_First: Well, I have to say, I think natto is pretty gross! I'm not a fan of the slime genre, and that includes okra, which I keep trying to like, as well as all those Japanese yams. Combine the slime of fermented soybeans with a raw egg, how they are often eaten, and -- yeah, not my thing. Many Japanese people can't stand natto, either.
PMac__Guest_: I could borrow Theo's gorilla suit.....
Devra_First: Great. I'll be the one in the clown nose.
emily__Guest_: I was recently diagnosed with a gluten allergy....kill me now! Im so upset about this. I LOVE to eat out, go for drinks, try new places...etc. Have you heard of any more restaurants embracing gluten-free choices on their menu?
Devra_First: Sorry to hear that. I won't give you too much of a pep talk, because I'm sure you've already heard it, but the world is getting friendlier and friendlier for the gluten intolerant. I have lots of gluten-intolerant friends who manage to eat out pretty happily much of the time.
Devra_First: So: Hungry Mother is very good about the gluten thing. Many of their dishes are or can be made gluten-free. Lots of things are battered in pure cornmeal. They even have a gluten-free beer.
Devra_First: Along the same cornmeal lines, a few of the clam shacks in Essex are gluten-free. They even have separate fryers; ask first to make sure. I know Woodman's does this.
Devra_First: Asian food is a great option -- lots of rice noodles. You have to be careful with certain soy sauce, etc. Sushi is a great option; you can bring your own wheat-free soy, and avoid the pickled ginger, which I understand can have some gluten-y component in it.
Devra_First: Elephant Walk, P.F. Chang's, Legal Sea Foods, Myers+Chang all have gluten-free menus.
Devra_First: For more, here's a link:
Devra_First: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2008/04/23/gluten_free_dining_out/
Devra_First: Good luck with it, and do not despair.
allstonian_2__Guest_: For mkap21 - some other great Allston places include Jo Jo Taipei, Cafe Brazil, Suvarnabhumi Kiri, and Gitlo's dim sum. Deep Ellum is a great bar, and the last time I visited I was pleased to find that the food was much better than it used to be. Shaw's is quite good for meats, for a supermarket. In the recent renovation they opened a small full-service butcher counter so you don't have to buy pre-packed, and their fish counter is VERY good for a supermarket.
Devra_First: I have to get back to Gitlo's. I didn't love it! I know, I know -- heresy.
foodie__Guest_: What restaurant in Boston has the best clam chowder, in your opinion?
Devra_First: Great Bay, Neptune, O Ya. I hear Marliave's is good, though I haven't tried it yet.
PMac__Guest_: I took a date to O Ya and spent $350, then had to get some pasta for dinner after!!!!
Devra_First: Ouch!
Aja1__Guest_: Hi Devra, any thoughts on T.W Food in Cambridge or Salts in Central square? I'm trying to choose an anniversary spot that my wife will like.
Devra_First: I really like them both. What kind of food does your wife like, or what are some of her favorite restaurants? What kind of atmosphere do you want? Salts is a little more traditional/cozy, T.W. Food more open and airy.
craving__Guest_: Hi Devra, I read your review today and I'm now craving Chinese food. Any other good suggestions in Quincy or Boston? Thanks.
Devra_First: Any particular cuisine? I like Shanghai Gate and JoJo Taipei in Allston, Little Q for hotpot in Quincy (I *think* it's still open, but call first to check), and Peach Farm, Taiwan Cafe, Gourmet Dumpling House, King Fung, and many more in Chinatown.
CCGG__Guest_: Do you have a favorite pizza place?
Devra_First: My sentimental favorite is Sal's in Mamaroneck, N.Y. The pizza of my youth. A corner slice of Sicilian, please! Barring that, I do like Pizzeria Regina, Emma's, Picco, and Cambridge 1. In West Roxbury, Tony's actually makes a pretty good New York-ish style pizza. How about you?
nferenc__Guest_: Can you suggest an affordable, romantic restaurant in the city? I'm looking to take my new husband out for his upcoming birthday?
Devra_First: Any kind of cuisine, price range, neighborhood, etc.? What places do the two of you like to go together for romantic occasions?
badfood__Guest_: have you ever made a meal that you thought was just the worst meal you could have possibly made?
Devra_First: I'm sure I have, but I've blocked it out!! How about you?
PMac__Guest_: I think ChowHound is losing its effectiveness because the moderators are too strict and the posters are too much of a clique. Any thoughts or opinions?
Devra_First: Interesting. I think it is a lot of the same people who post, and sometimes seasoned users get a bit snappish with newbies, which might be offputting. I think it's useful for what it is: one source of information among many, the best source being your own palate. Do you post?
PMac__Guest_: The fresh raviolis at Prezza eased the pain...
Devra_First: That would help! The first time I took people to eat at Grezzo, the raw food restaurant in the North End, I was expecting to eat dessert at Pizzeria Regina (and kinda looking forward to it). But we were all way too full -- lots of fiber!
Aja1__Guest_: Craigie St is our barometer - I guess French influence, but small and quaint atmosphere is good too. But ultimately we'll remember the food and service.
Devra_First: I think you would like them both. T.W. is a little more experimental -- chef apprenticed at Michelin-starred places in France. Have you eaten at either before? If so, try the other one. I would pick T.W., myself.
CCGG__Guest_: I haven't had any luck finding a favorite. I tried Pizzeria Regina last weekend and was so disappointed!
Devra_First: That's too bad! What style pizza do you like?
PMac__Guest_: Yes, I post on Chowhound, but the moderators take most of my posts down. I eat out most nights and they don't like the fact that I have so much "inside" information. Very annoying.
Devra_First: Hmm. It's hard to know, as an observer, what gets taken down. That's too bad, because inside information is useful when neutral.
nferenc__Guest_: Any kind of cuisine really, we're open to mostly anything! I don't want to spend more than $150 on the meal, and we've been to Fireplace, Wagamama's and Lineage recently. We never plan on a place with a romantic atmosphere, but I'd like one for this!
Devra_First: Hungry Mother is fun, reasonable, fairly romantic. Sage in the South End might push the limit a bit, but it can be done. The Helmand in Cambridge has Afghan food and a fireplace.
PMac__Guest_: The new Chef at Bina from NYC sounds very promising. Have you met him yet?
Devra_First: No, and I won't. It's a sad side effect of my job that I can't hobnob with chefs, whom I admire and like talking to. Except when I'm wearing my gorilla suit, of course.
chowknopfski__Guest_: What did I miss?
Devra_First: A bunch, but I'll post the transcript from the chat on the Dishing blog later in the day when I get the link. Thanks for the chat, everyone. Fun and edifying as always.
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