Boston Eats

November 10, 2004, elsewhere, I had posted a note: “Due to some family, personal and professional obligations we did less ethnic food on the fly than we'd planned. We had our best meal (once again) at #9 Park and a surprising tapas tasting at Tapeo. Great Bay did well with the scallops but poorly with the fish, indeed good old Legal did better. And as for ethnic I loved the eel at Peach Farm but almost nothing at Khao Sarn…….”

This year, about the same time, we returned and here’s our score-keeping. We ate at Legal Seafood, for different reasons, on three occasions. The first, at the Prudential location, was quite good for the littleneck clams and mussels, so-so for the special fried flounder on foccacia, supposedly with aioli and poor on the flight of red Chilean wines (Bill= $61.74). Our second Legal meal was at the Copley location and while my littleneck clams and East Coast oysters were good (I am so used to Paris sizes, they must let them grow longer there, I was surprised), my boiled lobster had an almost burned (not in a good way) taste to it. Colette had an OK fish soup. Finally, leaving from Logan we ate at the one in Terminal C and once again I had great clams (this time cherrystones) but very mediocre Portuguese soup with a chorizo that was overcooked poor product, while Colette had the mussels again, whose sauce this time she was less impressed with than that at the Pru. (Bill=$64.04). For some reason, I think Legal has dropped off in quality for other-than-shellfish items, which remain of the top quality. Just so you don’t think I’ve lost my taste for fish, I will note that at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central a day later I had big (Paris-sized) oysters and an oyster pan roast that was as good as ever.

An interesting new place (for us, it didn’t exist during my college years) was the Antico Forno in the North End, which with the bringing down of the elevated highways, is no longer a city apart. I started off with a great assortment of fresh greens with Balsamic and EVOO, followed by a papillote of clams and linguine, really quite nice. Colette’s home-made fettucine and Bolognese didn’t meet the Luigi Buitoni standard, despite the Signora’s statement that American Bolognese was the same as Italian (I demurred: same carrots, veal and pancetta? I think not). (Bill= $65.80.)

Equally new to us was Gari, self-described as a Japanese-fusion maki-sushi place, near Coolidge Corner (once the burbs now the center). We ordered a wonderful wok-fried, interestingly-battered calamari dish with ample greens and (untastable lemongrass) and fine makis: spicy scallops and flying fish, yellowtail and scallions, and eel and avocado. In sum: one of the most innovative experiences we’ve ever had in Boston. (Bill=$58.85.) 

Tapeo was a complete disappointment this year – what has happened? – we liked not the tiger shrimp, chicken with (ephemeral ginger) and garlic and sausage (so so) with one good fig; dessert of rice pudding was good, however. Bill= $75.97.

Harvest (in Cambridge) was disappointing in a major way; despite their assurance to my pal that they had regular menu items at a Sunday lunch-time, the only way we could have selected individual items from the pricey brunch menu that did not even include coffee ($35) was to move from our table near the garden and sit in the dimly lit bar. So, we were cowed and ordered the brunch: the onion soup and the yogurt/fruit with too little honey were OK and the eggs Benedict and fried shrimp were better and the crème brulée and chocolate pot au crème were the best. At least we enjoyed the company of our friends. Bill= $94.69

For one dinner, we took the T (15 minutes only) to Malden, from where one of my college roommates hailed, to FuLoon, much loved on Chow Hound. Once again we were done-in by our upper-Manhattan memories of wonderful Szechuan food: the pork pancake was OK, the wok baked scallops and shrimp were OK and the Kung Pao chicken was (well, I’m sorry to say), only OK (Bill=$58.30).

Sonsie might be terrific for dinner but at lunch it’s largely soups and salads and sandwiches rather than “real food,” by my book. I had what was called a Cubano, and I guess I am scarred for life by the great Cuban sandwiches at W. 160th St circa 1959; what I was served was essentially an all-right croque-monsieur with pickles or a ham/cheese panino, but not as advertised – spicy pork was nowhere to be found (Bill=$34).

All prices above are net, with tax but sans tip.

Comments

[John Whiting]

My impression is that it's increasingly difficult in America to operate a restaurant that doesn't follow some sort of formula, whether ethnic, economic or gastronomic, and that it tends to be judged by the formula as much as by its realization. Correct me if I'm wrong.