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FIRST BITE: RISTORANTE DAMIANOPosted by Donna Garlough on 11/24/2008 at 4:10PM | 6 Comments
On a recent Friday, Hanover Street’s new Ristorante Damiano appeared to be just my speed: somewhat frenetic, very loud, and entirely fun. READ MORE |
WHAT’S THE DISH?Posted by admin on 11/21/2008 at 12:54PM | No Comments
Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.
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FIRST BITE: ASANA AT THE MANDARIN ORIENTALPosted by Jolyon Helterman on 11/20/2008 at 1:56PM | No Comments
They must whip up eggs barigoule and intricate oatmeal-bowl extravaganzas for the power-suited traveler. They’re obliged to turn uncontroversial lunchtime fare into the appropriately fancified likes of Kobe Burger Three Ways and Deconstructed* Caesar Salad (more often than not “*with three grilled Santa Barbara spot prawns, add $18“). Hours later, the balancing act becomes even harder. The corporate accountants want to lure in the expense accounts seeking steakhouse standards. The marketers want dinner plates that resemble minimalist still lifes that square up with the glitzy multimillion-dollar dĂ©cor and $40-a-pop price point. The chef, bless his palate, just wants to create magic. It was amid such a cacophony of mandates and mantras and focus-group-addled wisdom that Chowder first sampled the cuisine at Asana, the Mandarin Oriental Hotel‘s “signature” restaurant, a bustling, undeniably swanky scene on the ground floor along Boylston Street. A restaurant that, through no fault of its own, is doomed, from the outset, to play third fiddle to Chef Frank McClelland’s adjacent (and one floor up) L’Espalier and Sel de la Terre, two beloved known-quantities that have a ready-made fan base. READ MORE |
MIXOLOGIST DALE DEGROFF’S HOLIDAY DRINK SUGGESTIONPosted by Amy Derjue on 11/18/2008 at 12:10PM | No Comments
Before we sampled one to many of his libations, we talked to DeGroff about what he recommends you serve guests this holiday season. |
GOT (MEAT) BALLS?Posted by Donna Garlough on 11/17/2008 at 3:13PM | No Comments
Boy, was there meat. Lots and lots of meat. READ MORE |
BUZZ: MARC ORFALY TO OPEN EATERY AT LOUIS BOSTONPosted by Donna Garlough on 11/14/2008 at 3:22PM | No Comments
We at Chowder still aren’t sure how we feel about mixing food and fashion (apart from our love for billowy trapeze dresses, which let us put away a seven-course tasting menu with no telltale bulge). We like Michael Leviton‘s Persephone, which shares space with the Achilles Project and all its upscale wares. But we were never entirely sold on Boston Public, a.k.a. the boite in Louis Boston, which shut its doors in May (presumably for nonpayment of taxes). So we’re intrigued by a bit of buzz that came our way today: that chef-about-town Marc Orfaly will be taking over the indie retailer’s now-empty restaurant. Apparently, all outstanding tax issues have been resolved, and they’re ready to get cooking. READ MORE |
WHAT’S THE DISH?Posted by admin on 11/14/2008 at 3:20PM | No Comments
Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie festivals, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.
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A RAW DEAL (OR: CRUDOS…AND DON’TS)Posted by Jolyon Helterman on 11/13/2008 at 1:29PM | No Comments
And therein lies the trouble. In the restaurant world, some of the hottest trends of years past have been adopted broadly and enthusiastically, with mostly harmless results—pomegranate, Okinawan taters, Kobe absolutely-everything. While “Kobe mini-burgers” may be missing the point entirely, there’s certainly nothing unappealing about scarfing down overly pedigreed sliders. Other foodie fads, however, fall more into skinny-jeans territory. Meaning, not everyone’s got the goods to make them shine. The worst current offender? READ MORE |
BARBARA LYNCH’S NEW LUNCH SPOT IS OMG! GOODPosted by Amy Traverso on 11/12/2008 at 3:59PM | 1 Comment
Which is whyI held off for all of four minutes before completely losing my mind at Sportello, Barbara Lynch’s ohmygodit’ssogoodyouguys new Italian lunch counter in Fort Point’s FP3 building. |
REPURPOSING YOUR HALLOWEEN CANDYPosted by Amy Derjue on 11/11/2008 at 12:56PM | No Comments
It’s a fun project for the kids, and we get a change of pace. |
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Like most people I know, I don’t go to the North End seeking gastronomic epiphanies. I go for 
Taste of Cape Cod Holiday Festival
Hotel restaurants serve many masters.
Last night, bartenders and imbibers from around Boston gathered at Drink to celebrate renowned cocktail maker Dale DeGroff’s latest book, 
When I was in college, a friend of mine had a class in the Agriculture school called Meat Science, and his textbook was a brilliant tome called 
That’s the thing about hot trends, fashion or otherwise: They’re so popular, everyone wants in on them.
Whenever I hear about an exciting new restaurant, I try to remember that, as a professional food editor, it’s important to maintain a critical distance, to stay skeptical, and keep the consumer in mind.
Plastic shopping bags full of snack-sized candy bars have been cropping up with alarming frequency at the Chowder offices since Halloween. Far be it from us to turn down free candy, but why not transform the extra goodies into yet another treat?
