What have people enjoyed for delivery during COVID - Boston?

Question

We’ve been ordering quite a bit of delivery. Overall, we have been really impressed by the quality and service.

Are favorite places have been Celeste and Uni! Both traveled really well and compared in quality to when dining in.

Here are links to the blog posts I did on them (include what to order, where to order, and high level thoughts): Celeste: https://www.trybeli.com/blog/takeout-series-celeste
Uni: https://www.trybeli.com/blog/takeout-series-uni

I’ve been reviewing everywhere I’ve ordered, so if you’re looking for other places you can find reviews here (Saltie Girl, Stoked Pizza, Alive and Kicking, etc.): https://www.trybeli.com/blog

Would love to hear what other people have been ordering!

Answer

Another rave for Sarma. We got fried chicken, shrimp fried rice, potato salad, eggplant, greens and cornbread. It was ready and still hot at my scheduled pickup time, no other customers, very minimal contact. All delicious, and the rice reheats really well the next day. 

There aren't a ton of options for the car-less among us in this area, but this is a great one!

Answer

I'll pile on for Sarma - very good! This weekend, Giulia, also excellent. Several pastas and a pork loin entree that is still tasty. Am also doing ordering from Formaggio Kitchen, which now has an online order portal AND photos of every single shelf in the shop, so you can "browse!" You tell them when you want to pick it up (they also have delivery), and then call when you get there and they bring it out. Will also shout out for New Deal Fish Market, which is limiting the number of customers in the store, also welcomes orders called in ahead.

General notes: calling ahead is advised, I'm noting that a number of places sell out. Also, you don't want to stand around waiting. That said, as Sarma notes, most of these places have limited lines AND are getting some business, so it seems you have to be patient while calling and ordering.

Answer

I have ordered from Dumpling House in mid-Cambridge, for pickup early on in the shutdown, and delivery to work via Caviar earlier this week. I hadn't used Caviar before, and I was mightily impressed - the menu has more detail than the restaurant's own web site, including photographs of many dishes. And once the delivery person picked up the food, I had GPS information about location, so that I could figure out where and when to get the food (my work place has several entrances and exits, so this is a pretty significant plus). Their food retains its customary high level of quality; their spicy wok dishes, numbing hot fish filet, soup dumplings, basil eggplant, chow fun (sauteed flat noodles or 炒河粉), and New Year's rice cakes (sauteed rice cakes or 炒年糕) among others have been staples in my house for years, and all still outstanding. https://www.dumplinghousecambridgema.com/menu.aspx or https://www.trycaviar.com/m/dumpling-house-5931

(Can anyone comment about Caviar, btw? Are they actually a decent business or are they skimming off the top and exploiting their drivers and restaurants?)

I also did a takeout strike from Pasha Turkish in Arlington http://www.pashaturkish.com/ They took a phone call order, and did more or less curbside pickup. Their kebabs, the Ottoman specials, and the meze are also terrific and flavorful.

Answer

A couple other delivery places we’ve enjoyed are:

1) Coppa: Coppa never disappoints—one of our favorite Italian places in the city! Definitely don’t miss the pizza! A quick re-warm in the oven and it was as good as dining in.
What we enjoyed for delivery : Quatro Formaggi Pizza, Italian Grinder

Where to order : Caviar, Takeout


2) Mistral: We had a fantastic experience ordering from Mistral. The meal was delectable—the Lobster Gnocchi tasted like a lobster roll in a bowl! The food traveled well and was perfect after a quick reheat. They’re doing one menu for all the chg restaurants.
What we enjoyed for delivery : Lobster Gnocchi, Tuna Tartare, Beef Tenderloin Pizza

Where to order : Caviar

3) O.G. Craigie Burger at Craigie on Main
Where to order : Caviar, Takeout

Answer

Got great delivery from Gustazo Cuban Kitchen the other day. Food traveled well and reheated well. I ordered extra rice and beans to use later in the week for my own cooking. They even included a sweet handwritten card thanking me for my business. 

Up next: Highland Kitchen takeout burgers tonight!

Answer

Ordered from Moroccan hospitality last night in Somerville. Excellent meal. Lamb couscous, bastilla and the eggplant dish. Everything delicious. Plus they are just awesome people there who I want to see make it. Will be ordering from them again. 

Also pikliz is still firing on all cylinders. Oxtail as good as ever with their awesome black rice.

Answer

Over here in Waltham, we've been enjoying delivery from Domenic's on Main Street. This is their Speck pizza, with added Gorgonzola and caramelized onions. If you are in the market for bread flour, yeast, or starter, they are selling that as well. I ordered via Grub Hub, but I think you can call direct as well.

Answer

We were thrilled with the delivery from Juliet of the wonderful Día de los Muertos meal. The pozole and tamales were some of the best things I've eaten in a very long time. They added in a sugar skull and a tissue flower so we could start our own ofrenda. This was such a wonderful surprise and the quality of both was as superb as the meal was. The delivery was on time and we received very clear email instructions for heating it up....easy to do.

We liked it so much we are going to get the tamale dinner for take out...it's on the menu now but probably won't last long!

All of our many experiences of Juliet food have been over-the-top excellent with very high quality ingredients and preparation.

Answer

This isn't delivery, but we had a great takeout experience ordering from Pagu Market (http://www.gopagu.com/pagu-grocer).

We (two adults and two children) had the suckling pig for two, Childhood Fried Rice, kale and brussels salad, and spicy pork biang biang noodles. The pork was delicately flavored with sake and mirin, sliced up with skin attached, and crisped up nicely in the oven, though perhaps the bao-to-pork ratio could be modified. It was clear that no short cuts were taken for the fried rice, as our own childhoods would have included Maggi or spam, but our own mothers were not professional chefs. The accoutrements for the salads beautifully balanced out the bitterness of the greens themselves. The noodles had a nice "chew" and were definitely spicy!

We enjoyed the Guchi's Midnight Ramen Survival Kit the following day. The broth was ridiculously good, like umami to the third or fourth power. I contacted the chef, who wrote "It's an "awase" broth, meaning a mix of multiple broths. We cook each broth to its "best" point, e.g. pork and chicken bone broth, shiitake broth and kombu broth. Then we mix them together in the proportions we prefer. We also make shio tare to season the broth (it's a reduction of salted pork bone cooked with sake and ginger), vs. "just adding salt" or "just adding miso" to our broth. It's a labor of love, 12+ hours of preparation, but it's well worth the end result."

The other star was the umami oil, which I found extraordinary in its depth and complexity and compared to an aged Bordeaux in contrast with a fortified, processed red wine (I just discovered Lao Gan Ma chili crisp this year, which seems so oversweet and Day-Glo now). Again, from the chef, "We extract the dry shiitake stock and use it for the Guchi's broth as well as the Mushroom Ramen broth. We also use in a variety of sauces, in the dumplings, etc. With the remaining solids, we chop them up and use them in dumpling filling as well as in umami oil. The umami oil we do for takeout uses these and according to my husband Mark, is more like a mushroom tapenade meets a vegetarian XO sauce. Because we use three different chilis, including thai chili, it can be punchier than most chili oils/rayus/lao gan ma / chili crisps, etc. on the market. "

Rita's pork was also well-seasoned and flavorful (tip #1: I'd consider microwaving it for 5-10 seconds before placing into the bowl in order to soften it up further than the hot broth alone allowed). The eggs were flawless. Tip #2: carb lovers should consider adding an extra pack or two ramen noodles to their order :-)

We also enjoyed the pork belly bao kit, which was simple and quick to put together. Great marinade on the pork--sorry, we basically gobbled them down! Tip #3 and 4: leave out some bao in advance to warm up a bit and soften without tearing, and microwave the combo until the second time the pork fat "pops."

We tucked away a few frozen pizzas but look forward to our next order--I noticed that the hanger steak was very reasonably priced, for example. I'd also mention that the staff were extremely friendly and responsive to inquiries and feedback.

Cheers,

Young-Ho

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