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Restaurant Reviews

Buttermilk Fried Chicken at Estelle’s Southern Cuisine

Food Coma
In food-nerd circles, the question of authenticity is a loaded one.

By: MC SLIM JB | March 12, 2013

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Oyster Stew at Steel & Rye

Food Coma
Pity the poor would-be restaurateur in the city of Boston.

By: MC SLIM JB | March 01, 2013

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Provençal fish stew at Sycamore

FOOD COMA
For food geeks accustomed to dining in urban Boston, it's easy to be a little dismissive of suburban restaurants.

By: MC SLIM JB | February 13, 2013

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Lamb belly at Puritan & Company

Food Coma
By about the end of 2011, restaurant-industry PR people had already worn out the phrase "farm to table."

By: MC SLIM JB | February 01, 2013

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Porchetta arrosto at Cinquecento

Food Coma
As a South Ender, I find it easy to admire the smooth professionalism and crowd-pleasing instincts of the Aquitaine Group, which operates six of its eight restaurants in the neighborhood, including Metropolis, Union, Aquitaine, and Gaslight.

By: MC SLIM JB | January 18, 2013

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Grilled Lamb Skewer at Daddy Jones

Food Coma
If there's a word that annoys me in restaurant reviews, it's "authentic," as the writer is usually assuming some authority on the cuisine that is probably unmerited.

By: MC SLIM JB | December 11, 2012

Pat Woodbury’s roasted clams at BoMA Restaurant + Bar

Food Coma
Boston's South End is in the midst of a renaissance as a dining destination: recent hits like Kitchen, Yakitori Zai, and Vejigantes are soon to be joined by newcomers Cinquecento, Boston Chops, Five Horses Tavern, and Estelle's.

By: MC SLIM JB | November 26, 2012

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Buta Ramen at Yume Wo Katare

Food Coma
At Yume Wo Katare, a new thimble-sized Japanese joint, you can expect 90-minute waits for one of its 15 or so seats. Is it worth it?

By: MC SLIM JB | November 16, 2012

Slow-Roasted Brisket at Park Restaurant & Bar

Food Coma
Park Restaurant & Bar manages to overcome the drawbacks of its underground space via clever decorating.

By: MC SLIM JB | October 30, 2012

Shrimp Capellini Egg Nest at Shōjō

Food Coma
Many Bostonians have specific ideas about Chinatown dining.

By: MC SLIM JB | October 16, 2012

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Roast Duck Breast at Farmstead Table

Food Coma
How does a suburban restaurant compete with urban hotspots like Boston's Seaport, with its slew of chain outlets with big marketing budgets, easy interstate access, and abundant cheap parking?

By: MC SLIM JB | October 05, 2012

Mofongo Tradicional De Platano At Vejigantes

The South End is one of Boston's great dining destinations, but its luster has been dimmed in recent years by a series of closings highlighted by splashy failures like Ginger Park and Rocca.

By: MC SLIM JB | September 18, 2012

Bootstrap compost goes to business bootcamp

Trash: Interrupted
I'm standing in an alleyway behind American Provisions, a specialty grocery shop in Southie with a cheese display that's borderline pornographic, watching Andy Brooks shove his hands into a barrel of future compost.

By: ARIEL SHEARER | September 12, 2012

Five great gazpachos

Eat these now, before the tomato takes a winter break
Yes, we know it's tragic, but summer is on its way out.

By: CASSANDRA LANDRY | August 29, 2012

Review: BonChon

The real KFC (Korean fried chicken)
What am I doing in this basement in Harvard Square, reviewing the second location of a multi-national franchise chain?

By: ROBERT NADEAU | August 10, 2012

Review: Carmelina's

Old-style North End meets new-style cheffery
After a good run with "Italian tapas" under the name Damiano (a play on the given name of chef-owner Damien "Domenic" DiPaola), this space has been rechristened as Carmelina's — after the chef's mother and his first restaurant, opened when he was an undergraduate in Western Mass — and the menu reconfigured to feature more entrées.

By: ROBERT NADEAU | July 25, 2012