Foods

Latest Articles

FRA’s Italian Gourmet

Beyond wonderful
Ever have that kind of day when you need to start your lunch with a chocolate chip cookie?
By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | October 29, 2009

Childhood memories, improved
A Boy and his Blob got its start as a 1989 Nintendo game designed by David Crane, who also designed Pitfall! . This 2009 remake features Miyazaki-inspired art and cel-shaded animation, giving the maps a storybook quality. Unfortunately, the story itself still leaves much to be desired; no further complexity has been layered onto the 1989 game’s backstory.
By MADDY MYERS | October 27, 2009

The Snack Bar and O Senhor Ramos

Soul-satisfying, authentic Azorean specialties — oh, and sub-shop fare, too
Despite frequenting East Cambridge, I’m abashed to admit I overlooked the Snack Bar for years.
By MC SLIM JB | October 28, 2009

Sofia Italian Steakhouse

Versatility and competence go a long way
I have to admit I giggled when I got a press release describing this restaurant as being located in the “white-hot West Roxbury-Dedham dining scene.” After all, the space had already killed a reasonably good steak house, Vintage, after a long closure in which it tried to upscale, then ended up downscaling by adding red-sauce Italian dishes.
By ROBERT NADEAU | October 28, 2009

Meat hands, and other truly disgusting Halloween treats

You might want to reconsider making your guests nauseous with these food choices before serving them tons of alcohol.
Remember Halloween back in simpler times, when Mom would bake bat-shaped cookies and trick you and your friends into reaching into a bag full of spaghetti “worms”? Good times.
By ASHLEY RIGAZIO | October 29, 2009

Bubor Cha Cha

Some call it inauthentic, but this is Malaysian fusion done well
I’m not an enthusiast of fusion food, but I do like the cuisine of Malaysia, where history has developed a four-way fusion cuisine.
By ROBERT NADEAU | October 21, 2009

Ducali Pizzeria and Bar

Good Italian-American pies and cheap drafts: any questions?
My old boss liked to say that people are happiest when reality exceeds their expectations.
By MC SLIM JB | October 21, 2009

Antonio’s Trattoria

Comforting elegance
The Knightsville section of Cranston is an undeniable haven for Italian home-cooking, where legendary portions (Marchetti's), chic hotspots (Caffe Itri and L'Osteria), and marquee chef/owners (Tony Papa's) have successfully rubbed elbows along a suburban Cranston intersection. But don't forget the little guy on the corner -- Antonio's Trattoria.
By CHRIS CONTI | October 21, 2009

Bon Savor

A gifted new chef prompts a rare critical reassessment
With so many worthy unreviewed restaurants out there, it’s difficult to re-review a place the Phoenix has already covered.
By MC SLIM JB | October 14, 2009

Seasonal sipping

Fall cocktails at local restaurants
If you’ve got special reason to drown or celebrate this fall, Portland’s mixologists offer several autumnal elixirs that take advantage of the flavors and clean-slate feeling of fall.
By DEIRDRE FULTON | October 14, 2009

Zooma

Traditional cuisine updated
Being a ristorante on Federal Hill is a lot like being just another olive tree in the grove.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | November 02, 2009

Punjab Palace

A quality Indian bargain spot deserving of multiple visits
Punjab Palace — by the same owners of Kenmore Square’s India Quality — “proves to be the kind of kid brother that would make any older sibling proud,” my colleague MC Slim JB wrote last year. That’s true, but this is also another second-tier Indian restaurant. So why do Slim and I like it so much?
By ROBERT NADEAU | October 15, 2009

Kabob and Curry

So many choices! So many flavors!!
You know you've come to the right neighborhood when you can smell Indian spices in the air instead of over-used French fry oil!
By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | October 07, 2009

Boston Kebab House

An oasis of fresh Turkish and American food in the Financial District desert
Dozens of lousy fast-food chain outlets dot the Financial District. (If I worked there, I'd frequent Chinatown for lunch.)
By MC SLIM JB | October 07, 2009

Spain

Iberia via Narragansett
It's not even 6 pm and the parking lot is packed.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | September 30, 2009

North 26

A Jasper White protégé branches out with great success
I never call chefs before writing a review, but if I did speak with Brian Flagg of North 26, I'd ask him if Jasper White has ever paid a visit.
By ROBERT NADEAU | September 30, 2009

Buddy's Truck Stop

That increasingly rare bird: the honest-to-goodness old-time diner
The modern truck stop typically sits in an interstate-adjacent service area with a parking lot that can accommodate scores of big rigs.
By MC SLIM JB | September 30, 2009

Down in the dumps

Business as usual at the Landfill. Plus, fun with Keven and a special menu
Your superior correspondents are shocked -- shocked! we tell you -- to see a front page story in the Other Paper indicating that there has been some sort of monkey business going on at the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, aka, the Central Landfill, aka "the Dump."
By PHILLIPE AND JORGE | September 23, 2009

Rino's Place

Old-school, groaning-platter Italian-American meets authentic Italian in Eastie
I often chat up local chefs about their favorite restaurants, usually over drinks at late-night watering holes.
By MC SLIM JB | September 23, 2009

The queen of Cambodian cooking

Her friends call her 'So Peep'
Makara Meng, co-owner of Mittapheap World Market, welcomed me to her relative's suburban house in South Portland for an authentic Cambodian dinner.
By LINDSAY STERLING | September 23, 2009

The Village Restaurant

Savoring the taste of Nigeria
I remember my click of recognition when I first saw a West African recipe for black-eyed-pea fritters with hot sauce, since my family in the South had always doused black-eyed peas with hot pepper sauce.
By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | September 23, 2009

The Stork Club

Jazz and soul team up to make sweet music
Remember Circle: Plates and Lounge? The Stork Club has succeeded that short-lived restaurant and bar, which succeeded Bob's Southern Bistro, itself the recast version of Bob the Chef's.
By ROBERT NADEAU | September 23, 2009

Community appeal

The Café at Pat's is a classic local spot
It is tricky to manage the transition from cult of personality to a rationalized institution.
By BRIAN DUFF | September 16, 2009

Andrew's Bistro

Posh presentations, reasonable prices
It's not hard for a restaurant to aspire to an upscale experience at downscale prices. What's hard is actually accomplishing it.
By BILL RODRIGUEZ | September 16, 2009

Saray Turkish Restaurant

Middle Eastern cuisine at its finest
Saray snuck in under my radar because the sign outside advertised halal meat.
By ROBERT NADEAU | September 16, 2009

Zo

An old friend in new digs still slings an outstanding gyros sandwich
There are many reasons to silently mourn the closing of Filene's in Downtown Crossing, but I know I vociferously wailed at the accompanying evictions of several worthy take-out restaurants that operated at the famed department store's sidewalk level.
By MC SLIM JB | September 16, 2009

Tupelo

A sweet convergence of Cajun comfort and perfect pies
Sweet storyline here: Magnolia's goes along for years serving inexpensive Southern-style food, then Hungry Mother opens to vast acclaim, perhaps stealing a few foodies away.
By ROBERT NADEAU | September 09, 2009

J.M.P. International Foods

An Indian food-court stall delivers the home-style goods
Hooking up with a great cheap-eats restaurant can be like finding romance: you can scour the wide world in vain, then one day discover something terrific right under your nose.
By MC SLIM JB | September 11, 2009

Junction Trattoria and Bistro

Peerless pizza and much more
On a recent rainy Friday evening, we were calling around for a place to eat dinner. One restaurant had no reservations till 9 pm (it's still tourist season); another was farther away than we'd realized, and we might end up eating at that same hour.
By JOHNETTE RODRIGUEZ | September 09, 2009

Dawat Fine Indian Cuisine

Exactly what you'd expect — and then some
Dawat does what all other Indian restaurants do — sometimes better — with newish things besides.
By ROBERT NADEAU | September 02, 2009

Today's Event Picks

[MUSIC] Clash of the Titans: Portishead/Velvet Underground edition

HOT TOPICS

Os Mutantes , Major League Baseball , Susan Collins , Ricky Gervais , Ken Burns , Barack Obama , Oasis (Band) , American League (Baseball) , U.S. Senate , Harvard University