Devra_First: Hi all. Today we'll be chatting about restaurants and food. I'm sitting here with my giant vat of coffee, ready for your questions. Want suggestions for where to wine and dine your vegan friend or your visiting picky in-laws who only like chain restaurants? Need a recommendation for a place with reasonable prices but great food? Send your questions my way.
joboy__Guest_: I went to the restaurant the Met Bar and Grill in the newly renovated section of the Natick Mall and thought it was terrible...any thoughts?
Devra_First: Ugh, sorry to hear that. I think it's best to stick with the burger bar there. The rest of the menu is pretty hit and miss, but the burgers (not the minis -- they get dried out) are usually pretty darn good. You can create your own from a huge array of toppings. Though recently I tried to get a kimchi burger and, they said, they had just run out of kimchi a minute before. Who just runs out of kimchi? Met Bar & Grill is what it is: an above-average mall restaurant.
m_m____Guest_: What are your thoughts on Aujourd'hui for a special occasion dinner?
Devra_First: I think it could be a good choice. The room has that special feeling. What's the occasion? Are you looking for traditional fare, or something more innovative?
bailey__Guest_: Hi Devra. Rhode Islander here. Your thoughts on the dining scene here? thx hds
Devra_First: I love to eat in Rhode Island. I think Providence has a number of small restaurants with interesting ideas behind them -- I'd compared the dining scene there with that in Portland, Ore. There's a similar sort of eclecticism. The lower rents also mean restaurateurs can sometimes take chances they might not in Boston. Outside of Providence, I love the clam shacks, coffee cabinets, and the "gaggers" (a.k.a. hot dogs). OK, I don't really love the gaggers. I feel like every time I explore Rhode Island, I find new, interesting, off-beat places: the cheese and wine shop owned by the guy who ran for governor, the seasonally driven, high-quality bistro... What are some of your favorite places?
c__Guest_: What are your thoughts on Grezzo, that new North End vegan place?
Devra_First: I have to confess that I haven't tried it yet! I've had the flu for weeks and have been completely out of commission. Have you? What did you think? I love the idea behind it -- I'm always excited for something different on the restaurant scene. Interest in raw food is burgeoning. I do wonder about the choice of the North End as a location. Raw food seems like destination dining, in that people might drive in from elsewhere, and the North End isn't exactly a bastion of free parking. And a lot of people head there thinking "pasta pasta pasta."
m_m____Guest_: Occassion is post-wedding dinner (bride and groom). Looking for romantic meal with top-notch food.
Devra_First: Congratulations to the bride and groom. Aujourd'hui would be a good choice. One other suggestion I'd offer is L'Espalier. It's moving from its current location into the Mandarin Oriental this summer (don't think the recent fire will affect its move date), so it might be time to take advantage of its brownstone setting while you can. They have a number of excellent tasting menu options, and I think it's one of the most intimate, romantic restaurant settings in Boston.
jimmy_bottoms__Guest_: hello?
Devra_First: Well hello! Got a dining question?
Devra_First: Hey joboy. I just accidentally deleted your thanks message. Oops, sorry! Anyway, you're welcome.
tubbs__Guest_: What restaurant do you think is way past it's prime on trends, etc. and who do you think is up and coming?
Devra_First: Well, people seem to be less interested these days in eating huge planks of proteins next to piles of carbohydrates, yet upscale steakhouses keep opening and doing well. (I myself would advocate for no new steakhouses for a while.) I feel like we're also pretty saturated on new sushi places, and yet my favorite restaurant in Boston right now is o ya. It's like a sushi/sashimi temple, with small plates riffing on cooked Japanese dishes. I think there aren't hard and fast rules about trends -- if a restaurant does something well, it should withstand the test of time. That said, as I mentioned above, I think vegan and raw food are up-and-coming trends that have long been de rigueur in California. Grezzo in the North End is tapping into that. I think the local/sustainable trend has a lot of life left in it -- it may be on its way to becoming a default setting rather than a trend. The small plates/tapas trend is another we'll be seeing more of. A place like Stix, where most of the food is served on flavored sticks, seems like a self-invented trend that might not stand the test of time. What are your thoughts?
taco__Guest_: Hi devra. Have you tried Picco in the South End? I find it to be the best Pizza/Ice Cream in the city.
Devra_First: I have. Picco is a fun place to go for birthday gatherings and the like. That Alsatian pizza is pretty rocking. For pizza, I also like Emma's and Cambridge 1. For ice cream, I'm all for Christina's.
bailey__Guest_: Mikes Kitchen- best polenta and calamari you'll find anywhere, Angelos, Flos Clam shack, Mills tavern and Apsara for SE Asian. hds
Devra_First: I also love Apsara. I feel like I could eat there every day for a year and not try everything on the menu! I'm really looking forward to clam shack season.
taco__Guest_: I love your column. It's the best food/dining column I have read for a long time. As a chef I find it so interesting how you infuse your work with so much love and humor. Thanks for keeping me on my toes!!!
Devra_First: Thanks! That's really nice to hear, particularly from a chef!
cw__Guest_: Better Burrito: El Pelon or Herraras? That "Best Burrito" entry was a joke
Devra_First: Best burrito: Get on Silver Line. Head to Logan. Board plane to San Francisco. Take BART to the Mission. Eat till you can eat no more. I don't actually eat burritos that often (crunchy beans make me mad!); I'm more of a taco person.
Devra_First: That said, I am fond of El Pelon. I used to work near there when it first opened and there wasn't much in the neighborhood, and it was a godsend.
eatneat__Guest_: I saw Frank's steak house on Phantom Gourmet and want to get the "sizzler" steak, have you ever eaten that steak??
Devra_First: I haven't eaten that steak, but I love Frank's. I used to there all the time to hear Preacher Jack play boogie woogie piano and preach his UFO-related gospel. It's a great place with lots of atmosphere. If you go, let me know how the sizzler is!
Tami__Guest_: I was at an Arlington restaurant and was served butternut squash that was underdone to the point where my companions and I thought it was inedible. When the waitress asked if everything was all right, I mentioned (non-accusingly) the squash being underdone. She disappeared into the kitchen and then came back to say that the chef said that was the way he prepared it and he was sorry I didn't like it. Is this a new food trend I'm not aware of? I can see al dente green beans, but butternut squash? Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Devra_First: Al dente squash!!!!! Sorry, I am laughing to hard to answer! That is not a trend I'm aware of and sounds rather unpleasant. The joy of squash is its well-roasted texture, in my book. Unless it was shaved into ribbons or something nontraditional. At any rate, the waitress should have just whisked it away, offered you something else, or comped you if it was a major component of the dish. I'm guessing that would have gone a long way toward fostering your good will (and a desire to return and try the place again).
SpicyMeatball1227__Guest_: Have you tried Deep Ellum in Allston?
Devra_First: I have. Great cocktails! I haven't eaten there for a while, so I can't speak to the food. It was less-than-great the last time I ate there. Have you been?
Devra_First: OK, so this chat ends at 1 and there's a big ol' queue of questions waiting. I'll answer the ones here, but I'm afraid I have to cut the rest of you off. I'll be chatting every other week, Wednesdays at noon, so tune in then or feel free to e-mail me in the meantime: dfirst@globe.com.
Masticator__Guest_: What are your top 3 choices for Restuarant Week?
Devra_First: For Restaurant Week, I would simply try to pick places that still have room, that I haven't tried before, or haven't tried in a while, whose menus look interesting. Not sure who still has room, so I don't want to recommend specifically! Sorry, I know that's not the most satisfying answer.
ford__Guest_: Is Summer Winter in Burlington on your list yet? I'm a big fan of their restaurants in Maine and am interested in your thoughts.
Devra_First: Definitely on my list! Have you tried it?
foodie25__Guest_: In December I dined at a new and much heralded French restaurant on Newbury Street. The chicken entree was described as being a naturally raised, hormone free product however because I eat Bell & Evans and other hormone free poultry products almost exclusively, I knew that the restaurant was not telling the truth. The chicken was definitely Perdue quality or lesser. I was confident enough to bring my concern to the waiters attention who in turn brought the manager to our table however they did not respond to my inquiry. Do you ever bust restaurants for not telling the truth about their product sources?
Devra_First: They didn't respond? What did they say? Obviously, lying about product sources would be a major concern, ethically and possibly for health reasons as well.
Devra_First: Sorry people! I'm afraid we're out of time here, and I didn't get to all your questions. Tune back in every other Wednesday at 1, or send your questions via e-mail to dfirst@globe.com. In the meantime, happy eating.
Devra_First: Oops, at 12. Apologies for any and all typos.
