What favorite Places do you go to because of Chowhound
After a great meal last night at India Quality, and last week at New Bridge Cafe -- both places I likely never would have visited had I not read about them on this board -- I was thinking about the places people go to primarily because of Chowhound. What are your favorites places that you discovered primarily because of Chowhound?
[NOTE FROM THE CHOWHOUND TEAM: Thanks for starting this thread, Blumie! We hope you don't mind that we're going to sticky this thread to give it more prominence, and adopt your idea for our other boards.
Now that we've introduced our new Places feature http://www.chowhound.com/faq#linkmean , we'd love to hear about what restaurants, markets, or other great food vendors you've discovered because of discussions you've read here on Chowhound. Let us know, and while you're at it, try out the Places feature to add your favorite Places to the Places database.
Once you've made your post, we hope you'll go back to the Place entry and help populate it with information. If you've got a website address, info on whether they accept credit cards, parking tips, best time to call for reservations, etc., we hope you'll add that info to the Place entry to make that information much easier for all interested hounds to find.
If you have any questions/problems about this new feature, please post to this thread http://www.chowhound.com/topics/417583 Thanks! ]
Blumie
Jul 07, 2007 05:55AM
Definitely second New Bridge. Salts is another place I never tried until reading about it here. Kebab Factory is somewhere I NEVER would have tried, but am glad I did.
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A lot of the time CH points me toward menu items I never would have otherwise tried at restaurants I'm already familiar with, but recently I discovered Mulan and Shangri-La thanks to CH, for which I am eternally graeful! ;)
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I second Shangri-La. Also, Kariboo for African off Moody in Waltham.
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Oh, wow, three of us, I somehow had missed Karibu on the boards... I will have to try it! Thanks for listing it here.
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Trattoria Toscana. Thanks!
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Zalek, Thai Moon, Prezza, Taranta, too name a few...
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Ken's Ramen - four blocks from our house, and I don't think we would have tried it if not for the raves here.
Lots of other places we've tried because of CH recommendations, and lots of places I'd *like* to go to more often than we do, but we just don't eat out often enough! I'll second Trattoria Toscana among that group; we also had an excellent RW dinner (I know, I know...) at Beacon Hill Bistro based on recommendations here. That's definitely a place I'd like to get back to again! I'm sure I'll think of others.
1 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134, USA
130 Jersey St, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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You can't add a place link when editing an already-posted post...
25 Charles St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Just tried Armando's pizza in Huron Village Cambridge yesterday as a result of posts here -- wow -- this may be the best pizza on that side of the Charles! Both the regular cheese and Sicilian slice were perfect. We're likely to become regulars here.
Catch in Winchester is a place we have this board to thank for as well.
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Armando's is a place I would not have tried sans Chowhound. I agree the sauce they use is awesome. I wasn't nuts about the crust--rather ordinary. I loved that it smelled like the pizza places of my youth when I walked in.
Also wouldn't have heard of Shangri-La, many other places as well.
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Third for Armando's. Thanks CH for allowing a New York City kid to fall in love again with a neighborhood pizzeria.
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Have you been recently? There have been a couple of reports lately of ordinary to substandard pies.
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Lots (and the "to try" list is even longer). A few: Pinocchio's for Sicilian slices (first rec I followed, IIRC), J&J, Kebab & Tandor, Shangri-la, Beijing Star, Floating Rock, Taqueria El Amigo, Qingdao. The first and last are hidden in plain sight; the others I probably never would have known existed.
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I think for me it's the burritos at Grampy's Gulf near MGH. I work right there, but I don't think I would have tried it without Chowhound. I was in this week; she has a new green salsa out for tasting with the chips. I believe she called it "guacasalsa." She said she is going to be offering it. I really liked it a lot.
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Seconded - I don't know if I would have given Villa Mexico a shot w/o reading the reviews here - the gas station location just put me off. I'm now a big fan (but still awaiting the opening of Anna's =)
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That place is delicious- and good for her (she's a nice woman) for opening in an unconventional spot (although great that it's so close to MGH and beacon hill)
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Yes!! Villa Mexico is amazing! I hope Anna's doesn't take too much of their business.
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Nice topic - and brings back some great memories over the years I've been on this board. So many, but to name a few favorites...
Grotto
MuLan
Dok Bua
Taiwan Cafe
Floating Rock
Peach Farm
Volle Nolle
Sichuan Gourmet (Billerica) - forgot to link so here's the website
http://www.laosichuan.com/en/menu.php...
Most recently this year - Flat Iron Tapas, and O Ya
37 Bowdoin St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
228 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
411 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02446, USA
34 Oxford St, Boston, MA 02134, USA
144 Shirley Ave, Revere, MA 02151, USA
4 Tyler St, Boston, MA 02111, USA
351 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113, USA
119 Merrimac St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
9 East St, Boston, MA 02122, USA
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Best Pizza, anywhere, I mean including Naples too, is Regina's Northend Boston, hands down, best restaurant, Anthony's Pier 4, Boston Harbor
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I don't think you went to Anthony's Pier 4 because of chowhounds.
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I send that my experience at Anthony's Pier 4 was subpar.
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Mine was so far below par I'd rank it one of the worst dining experiences of my life!
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Several board favorites I either wouldn't have found on my own, or wouldn't have had the chowdar to stop and check out:
Baraka Cafe - outstanding squab b'stilla and rose petal-spiced lemonade
Wangs - good homemade dumplings, open late
Mei Sum Bakery - love the spicy beef banh mi, a terrific bargain at $2.50 too
Caffe Italia - a great Italian caffe/restaurant outside of the North End tourist vortex
Vinny's at Night - excellent, casual Italian hiding in the back of a convenience store
80 Pearl St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
509 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145, USA
40 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111, USA
150 Meridian St, Boston, MA 02128, USA
76 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145, USA
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Wang's has pretty good scallion pancakes too!
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Canto 6 and Suvarnabhumi Kiri are two of the more recent ones for me. There's tons of great places that I wouldn't have found elsewhere.
3346 Washington St, Boston, MA 02130, USA
90 Harvard Ave, Boston, MA 02134, USA
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Great topic! I've been posting here for so long that pretty much ANY restaurant I try is one I saw here. But here are a few favorites I probably wouldn't have gone to if I hadn't seen them mentioned here:
390 Main St, Malden, MA 02148, USA
54 Newmarket Square, Boston, MA 02118, USA
509 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145, USA
142 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906, USA
124 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906, USA
10 Riverside Park, Malden, MA 02148, USA
120 Lincoln Ave, Saugus, MA 01906, USA
199 Mystic Ave, Medford, MA 02155, USA
35 Riverside Ave, Medford, MA 02155, USA
390 Quannapowitt Pkwy, Wakefield, MA 01880, USA
26 Province St, Boston, MA 02108, USA
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Prezza!
More importantly, Mike's lobster tails. I knew about Mike's but was missing these delicacies. They alone make up for the few places I've tried and found to be overrated on Chowhound.
Like someone else mentioned, I think an even greater value of this forum is learning what a restaurant's specialties are and what items to avoid.
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Lana Thai Diner.
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I discovered Chowhound when I moved to Boston in the fall of 2005 so many of my restaurant choices derived from this site. Some new favorites include: Neptune, ClamBox, B&G, Publick House, Bukowski's, Burren, All Star Sandwich Bar, Miracles of Science, Clio, Eastern Standard, Washington Square Tavern, Soul Fire.
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One I discovered, one I re-discovered:
Discovered Ashmont Grill - consistently wonderful, always a great meal and great service. My wife and I are addicted to the Flat Iron Steak.
Re-discovered Grumpy Whites - used to go there frequently about ten years ago, but, thanks to Chowhound, we've starting going again. The best reasonably priced comfort food on the South Shore.
211 Sea St, Quincy, MA 02169, USA
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Second Ashmont Grill -
Also Dok Bua, Neighborhood Restaurant, May's Cafe, Hei La Moon, Restaurant Cesaria, O Cantinho and Taiwan Cafe come to mind.
My mind blurs between what I "discovered" and what I derive from the board. I like to think that I have a pretty good idea of the landscape, but the hounds' attention helps me select one choice over another.
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Tu y Yo and Canto 6, my favorite sources for Mexican and baked goods (respectively) in the area!
One of my favorite applications of Chowhound, though, is when I'm in an unfamiliar neighborhood and I catch sight of a place I've only read about. Non-chowhound friends are always mystified about how I can know where to eat in a place I haven't been before!
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Agreed! Whenever I'm driving around with friends, at least once I'll say "Oh, that's where that is." and they'll look at me, amazed.
Grotto was the first rec I took off this board, and it's become one of my favorite restaurants.
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The biggest find for me was Wang's - I lived right down the street from it for six months before I saw it here. Now it's rare that a week goes by without my wife or I picking up some dumplings from there.
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Eastern Standard and Greek Corner. I knew about both of them, but reading reviews got me to actually try them out.
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I probably would not have gone to these out of the way places...
Deep Ellum (a personal favorite)
Qingado Garden (great dumplings, not a huge fan of anything else)
Blue Ribbon BBQ (the bomb)
True Grounds (my favorite coffee shop)
Floating Rock (awesome)
Santarpio's (Not my favorite but...I'd like to go back right now!)
Fasika (not DC Ethiopian but I dig it)
YoMa (superb)
Tu y Yo (best Mexican in the area)
Oishii (great fish quality)
Shangri La (perhaps my favorite Chinese in the area)
Of course Chowhound led me to some duds too.
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Brookline Family Restaurant. Kebab sandwiches. Sherman's in Union Square. Best scones ever!!!
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I second your vote for Brookline Family (TURKISH!!!) restaurant. delicious and reasonable. I don't know why they don't announce more widely that they are Turkish since that is one of the world's greatest cuisines....IMHO.
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Wangs. I dream of dumplings, and he brings them to me. Perfection.
Tried Armando's pizza in Huron Village based on chowhound, but it didn't seem that special to me. A decent pizza, but not destination quality.
Namaskar which was great with a larger group. The black lentil dish is worth a return alone!
Pini's Pizza in Somerville. We have taken the chowhound advise and picked up instead of relying on a delivery person. A good go-to pizza since we live close by, but again, not destination quality.
My list of "to try" places is much longer but we generally don't eat out more than once a month or two, so I need more time to try them all.
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Because of the conveyor belt oven, a good trick with Pini's is to turn your oven up to 500 when you leave to pick up the pie, put it in the hot oven for five minutes when you get home, and enjoy your perfectly baked pizza. That conveyor belt thing always undercooks the pizza, IMO.
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Or just ask for it "well done."
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does that work? I've asked before and watched them put it in the conveyor belt for the same amount of time as any other pizza I've got there...
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Works for me. (I pick up.)
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Neptune Oyster
Grumpy White's
Little Q - the rest of the chowfamily saw it driving by and I read about it here, and a family favorite was found!
ECG Hell Night
Anise back in the day
Hingham Lobster Pound
Punjab Cafe
Hook Lobster - already loved the place but glad it gets mentioned
In Terre Haute, Indiana - the Farmer's Market, Saratoga Bar and Restaurant, Sushi Umi (excellent] , Stables, Java Haute.
Other venues - will have to check my notes but this site has enhanced our recent experiences in DC, San Antonio and Bandera, Texas.
It is great for up- to- the -minute information locally, and invaluable for travel.
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more than I can remeber - but here are a few:
Dok Bua - thanks Galley Girl
Trattoria Toscana
Grotto
Taranta
Neptune Oyster
Bob's in medford
One's I still need to go to because of Chowhounders:
Union, Franklin, Orinoco, Brown Sugar, the Paddock.... and many more.
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Carlo's Cucina.
131 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134, USA
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Like so many others, too many to name. But one that I never would have had the guts to check out was the Paddock. Close to my house and intimidating. An intrepid group of hounds as company made the experience doable and delightful!
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Oh yes! How could I forget the pizza at the Paddock? That was a great time.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/344864
249 Pearl St, Somerville, MA 02145, USA
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Crikey! I still have that menu we all signed. Uh...I'll scan it eventually and post the pic, I promise. (I'm blushing in embrassment.)
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Chowhound has the wonderful ability to help users match their palate with others' and thereby make pretty well-informed dining decisions. By figuring out whose tastes mine match with, I've had wonderful meals at:
Trattoria Toscona
Baraka Cafe (going for the first time tonight!)
Grotto
MuLan
Dok Bua
Taiwan Cafe
Fasika
Floating Rock
Peach Farm
O Cantinho
Prezza (Rubee, I owe you one after you pointed out the amazing Godere a Due deal)
Fred's Franks (I would never eat hot dogs if it weren't for Chowhound, actually)
Chowhound also helped me get over my fear of Chris Schlessinger-owned spots.
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Be sure to have the rose petal lemonade.
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FYI, they have that lemonade at Shwarma King too!
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Thanks to everyone who recommended Grotto. My husband and I were in Boston a few weeks ago and met a friend for dinner there. I'm sure parking would be luck of the draw - it looked like all street parking - but we had been taking the T everywhere, so we just walked down from the station. My friend and I ordered the nightly fixe - she had the tomato salad and I had the spinach salad. She loved hers, but the dressing on my salad could have used a little more flavor. That was my ONLY complaint though - both salads were delicious. My husband ordered the crab ravioli and was extremely quite while he ate the whole thing and used some bread to finish up the sauce. The quieter he is during a meal, the more I know he's enjoying it. (And usually he offers to share a little with me - not this time!)
My friend and I each ordered the short ribs and potato gnocchi as our second course, and they were outstanding. The gnocchi were soft and pillowy, and the short ribs were tender and melted in your mouth. Unbelievable. My husband ordered the grilled beef tenderloin with the reggiano risotto which was equally divine. His steak was cooked perfectly - medium rare - something he is very very picky about. He also said the risotto was one of the best he's ever had, and this time I was smart and asked to try his. It was as good as he claimed.
For dessert, my friend and I again got the same thing - the melting chocolate cake. My husband passed on dessert, but we enjoyed ours immensely. The cake was moist, rich and deliciously warm and melting. The perfect way to cap off the meal.
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