$35 Prix Fixe Menu
Every day, 5-7 p.m.
Sage
Even after restaurant week, guests can enjoy a $35 three-course prix fixe menu at Sage every day from 5-7 p.m. that includes first-course choices like confit duck, squash flan, braised veal breast, or stuffed spicy calamari, and second-course choices like, avatelli with sausage, spaghetti Carbonara, baked Fazoleti with veal, or Artic char. And you can choose between four different desserts.

Unlimited Prime Rib
Every Mon. & Tues., 6-10 p.m.
KO Prime
Beef lovers, get ready to “meat” your match. On Mondays and Tuesdays for only $25, guests can indulge in unlimited prime rib. The deal kicks off the day after Restaurant Week ends.

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Ever on the lookout for restaurants that tweak our preconceptions and beguile our palates, we at Chowder must admit that—especially on unseasonably bitter March nights—we sometimes have a weakness for places that simply coddle us to the core.

Such a place is the newly opened Stephi’s on Tremont, the South End sibling to see-and-be-seen bistro Stephanie’s on Newbury. The premeditated coziness starts with the BFF-ready “Stephi” on the sign and continues through the warm chocolate-and-cream décor and plush banquettes (here the humble bistro chairs get padding, too), but really kicks in when it’s time to order. (more…)

With Restaurant Week filling up tables on otherwise empty weeknights at our favorite neighborhood spots, what are we to do if all we want is a few cocktails and a bite to eat, and not a three-course gorge fest?

We have you covered. Grab a seat at the bar post nine-to-five and take advantage of the many specials we’ve rounded up, many of which include inexpensive drinks and free bar bites, or even $1 oysters, 50-cent tapas, and $2 tacos.

Or you can check in at local spots that aren’t on the Restaurant Week kick instead, to see what kinds of deals they’re offering up. This new web feature will live on Bostonmagazine.com from here on out, and we’ll be constantly updating it with the latest specials at your favorite places.

We’ll have the best after-work dining deals listed all year long. Who needs Restaurant Week?

View the Slide Show.

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All right, people, get excited. While we’re not out of the woods yet (see: the April Fool’s Day blizzard), all signs point to spring. I’ve spotted window boxes full of freshly-planted pansies in Charlestown, crocuses coming up in JP, and a few rogue bulbs sprouting up in my own backyard. (I’m hoping they’re ramps, but I’ll settle for daffodils.)

Which has me thinking about spring veggies. I’m having visions of a brimming Copley Square Farmer’s Market, trips to the newly rebuilt Verrill Farm stand, and—soon, I hope—the forthcoming greenmarket in Dewey Square. (more…)

When I left Manhattan for Boston several years ago, there were a few things I missed immediately. Among them, restaurants that delivered and intersections where pedestrians did not have a “DON’T WALK” sign in both directions.

At least, about six months ago, I thought I’d finally found my antidote to Boston’s dearth of delivery, at least: Foodler.com, a website that, primarily through the service Night Owl, offers delivery from dozens of restaurants around the city. And not just the usual pizza and fast-food Chinese, either. When you log in, the interface automatically brings up an entire list of restaurants—organized by category—that not only deliver, but do so at your particular address and at the particular time you’re logged in. No more haggling with a chaos-addled phone answerer about how “…the guy came this far last time, no problem”!

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This morning, I had lard for breakfast.

Grossed out? So were some of my colleagues. But this was no ordinary lard: It was the now-famous “pig butter” from Bina Osteria, the newish, Italianate eatery in Downtown Crossing. A combination of rendered pork fat, crunchy sea salt, crushed peppercorns, and fresh green herbs, it is, in a word, delicious. Spread on thick, crusty rye bread? Auummmgggh.

But the whole linguistic trickery of the stuff got me thinking. (more…)

Your Chowder hounds have sniffed out the best culinary events in town. Check back every Friday for your weekly prix fixe of freebies, dinner deals, wine tastings, and more.

$23 Bottles of Wine at Grill 23
Every Sunday and Monday, 5:30-10 p.m.
“The 23 List” is a list of excellent wines culled from Grill 23’s award-winning wine collection, and priced at $23 every Sunday and Monday. There are dozens of bottles available, and they come from France, Italy, Spain, and the United States.

Local Lobster Festival
Mar. 6, 6 p.m.; Mar. 7, 1 p.m.
Summer Winter
Taste why lobster’s better during winter. Chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier host a two-day celebration, including an $85 four-course chef’s dinner on Friday evening, and on Saturday, there’s a $48 four-course luncheon and cooking demonstration.

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Call it a big-budget (or bigger-budget, anyway) sequel to a cult favorite: The recently debuted sister location to J.P.’s tiny Ten Tables keeps its star—David Punch’s top-drawer European bistro fare—while adding new cast members like L’Espalier vet Nico Herregodts and higher production values in the form of an expanded menu and a much larger, freshly renovated space in the former Craigie Street Bistrot spot.

Like any good sequel, Ten Tables: Part II is also looking to build its audience; judging by what Chowder saw during its opening week, it’s on track. (more…)