From Beantown to Bobo [Diner's Journal]
Radius [Official Site]

[Photo: Patrick McMullen/James Beard Foundation]

Located on and around Union and Blackstone Streets to the side of Fanieul Hall, Haymarket is where fruit and vegetable vendors come to sell their goods in a setting that can't be described as elegant. There's significant garbage, and yelling is par for the course. Haymarket is not your neighborhood Whole Foods, filled with diverse cashiers smiling while encouraging you to buy re-usable tote bags and magazines about how to incorporate yoga into your life. But if you're looking to save money like we are, Haymarket is the place to be.

Prices vary by each stand, but it's easy to find deals such as 6 oranges for $2, or 5 apples for $2. Fruits such as raspberries and blueberries run a little bit more expensive, but by expensive we mean probably $4 for a large container. If you're looking to buy a crate of something like mangos, of course the prices are going to get higher. But when you compare it to grocery store prices, it's practically a steal.

If you're willing to get yourself out of bed in the early hours of Saturday morning, then you definitely have the pick of the litter. That's when the produce is at its freshest, and choices are more diverse. But then again, the earlier you go, the more you'll be paying. If you want to wait until late in the afternoon when they're preparing to shut down, you can probably find significant deals even lower than those we mentioned above, but you're running the risk of having lower quality items to choose from. Either way, stay in the loop when buying your fruit, and head to Haymarket.

Map of Haymarket Area [Google Maps]

[Photo: Megan Johnson]

Ah, Grandma's house. The smell of mothballs, the endless supply of Kleenex stashed up her sleeve, the sofa covered in plastic to protect from impending Metamucil spills. Well as much as we miss our Grandma, we appreciate a living room with a more relaxed ambiance. Enter The Living Room, located in the Mercantile Wharf Building in the North End. Not only can you sink into their plush sofas and rest your drink on the community coffee tables, but this is one living room where eating and drinking on the furniture is encouraged.

Choose from their list of over 30 martinis ranging from flavors such as Tiramisu to Pomegranate. Our personal favorite, the Key Lime Martini, tastes just like a slice of grandmas key lime pie. But then again it's better, because it'll get you tipsy like Grandma won't. And with an extended dining room featuring a 150 gallon saltwater aquarium, plus a spacious patio that overlooks the beautiful waterfront, the living room proves to be the perfect spot for dinner and drinks. Just don't pass out on the couch after too many martinis. The bouncers will kick you out, and we're pretty sure Grandma wouldn't approve either.

The Living Room [Official Site]

[Photo: The Living Room]

Tia's is really a must visit for fans of seafood. If you get a chance this summer, we can’t recommend their patio enough for a nice lunch or a relaxing dinner overlooking the water. Tia’s exists to please and oh boy do they do it well.

With one of the richest, smoothest bowls of clam chowder we’ve had in the city, if you go in just to have this delectable treat, you will not be let down. Even on an 85 degree day, this bowl is really REALLY hard to pass up. Yeah, it is that good.

Of course, their seafood is incredible. The char-grilled marinated swordfish got a “Ooh…that’s some real good swordfish!” out of one of the folks we dined with. The Red Dragon Seafood Sizzler was just incredible, with scallops, shrimp, and the amazing swordfish with fresh corn and tomatoes, peppers, and onions, on skewers and covered with a hoisin soy-ginger bbq sauce that leaves you full, but still wanting more! But it doesn’t end there, the New York sirloin steak was not only perfectly cooked and served with some radical garlic mashed potatoes, but the portions were just insane! So go with an appetite and enjoy eating in luxury!

Tia's [MenuPages]
Tia's [Official Site]

Unfortunately, some Boston brunches can really break the bank. With some restaurants charging $10 just for your mimosa, it’s hard to stay financially afloat. But if you’re looking for brunch that will cost you that much in total, head to The Etc Cafe in the West End. Housed underneath the Charles River Park Complex, Etc. Café is a casual spot with no frills attached. You’re given your order on a cafeteria tray, and seating is of your own choice. However, the food is fresh, delicious, and inexpensive. Less than $10 buys an omelet, side of home fries, two pancakes, and a drink. There's also a smoothie counter available for some great concoctions that will really kick a nasty hangover to the curb.

Besides the plethora of food offerings, the Etc. Cafe staff are genuinely sweet and helpful people. If you just happen to spend three hours loitering in your pajamas with friends over stories of the previous night's escapades, they could care less. And for that, we can definitely all let out an Amen.

The Etc Cafe [Official Site]

[Photo: How Stuff Works]

Winthrop, which neighbors East Boston, has as much of an old-port feel as one will find in the city. Walking over the Winthrop Bridge (which straddles East Boston and Winthrop) a few weeks ago, we came upon Belle Isle. We had heard the place is first-rate, but what impressed us most was its appearance. It's a shack of the sort you'd find in an Atlantic beach town, with a disproportionately large specials board outside. (The day we stopped in it was swordfish prepared any way.) We got the Cajun tuna (a decision we wondered if we should feel bad about), served with cole slaw, tartar sauce, dinner roll, and rice pilaf that transcended the typical (a light cheese seemed to be the secret ingredient; it's not pictured here because we'd already devoured it). The place also has raw seafood for the cooking, and we're hankering to get some on our grills. Or, we might be just as happy to let the cooks at Belle Isle do the work.

Belle Isle [MenuPages]
Belle Isle Seafood [Official Site]

Okay, the lyrics claim this "city" was built on rock and roll, but we couldn't resist discussing a yacht named the Starship without a little mention of our favorite cheesy 80's lyrics. But in all seriousness, we hopped aboard the Starship yacht at their accessible South Boston waterfront dock, and found the experience to be delightful.

An $8 million, 600 passenger yacht fit for a party held by P. Diddy, the Starship has sailed up for the summer from its permanent home in Tampa Bay. Now open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch cruises, it's a great alternative to the traditional restaurant atmosphere. And with the beauty of the Boston harbor included with your meal, how can one resist?

If you like a strong ocean breeze with your cocktail, head to the front of the top deck (Ladies, don't wear thin dresses unless you want to give Captain Nemo and his crew quite the show. We learned from experience). Inside the ship, the extremely pleasant wait staff is eager to serve your every need. Luckily, there are bars on both floors, so our needs were pretty much met.

When it comes to food, a variety of seafood dishes from sauteed shrimp to mussels made us feel like we were truly on vacation. And if it's possible to escape reality for even just a lunch cruise, then we're definitely all aboard.

Yacht Starship [Official Site]

[Photo: Yacht Starship]

Someone recently tipped us off Galleria Umberto, a hole-in-the-wall sort of place at 289 Hanover Street in the North End. Fortunately, it's a pretty deep hole in the wall: a queue of 4 or 5 dozen(?) stretched out from the counter, all waiting placidly, all knowing the drill. Business casual types, cooling-and-heating types, and secretarial types united in the shared satisfaction of a first-rate and dirt-cheap lunch (Umberto's is open only from 11 until around 3, which is probably why we'd never been there). In line, we overheard the Sicilian pizza ($1.25/slice) likened to crack, presumably for its addictive qualities; upon trying it ourselves, we had to concur. The sauce was pleasingly sweet, the cheese, perfectly browned and greased (dabbing it off would have been an apostasy). The frequent patrons knew to order the arancini (meat or rice-filled fried goodness, $2.50/each) and panzarotti (small calzones, $1.25/each), and we vowed to do so next visit: For now, we just couldn't get over the pizza. Umberto's likely also offers the cheapest midday buzz: small glasses of wine cost $1.50-$2, but as for the quality, we cannot vouch for it.

Galleria Umberto [Chowhound]

[Photo: Galleria Umberto pizza/Bostonist]

Snappy Sushi, formerly Shino Sushi, is doing something a little different, and we love it. Sure, we here at MenuPages discuss sushi a lot, but boy howdy, Snappy Sushi is an all brown rice sushi spot. Yeah, that’s right, brown rice! The first time we walked in, the host and waiter made it clear to us that this was going to be brown rice and that he hoped we were ok with that. As a lover of sushi, we just wanted to get some into our bellies as soon as we could. Choosing to sit at the sushi counter, we got to see the chefs creating our pieces, and they definitely took time to create each nori or sashimi given to us.

The first thing that we noticed about Snappy Sushi was that the fish was fresh. Having been to many different sushi places over the years, it’s always great to be given a plate that just looks amazing, tastes amazing, and is satisfying (probably why we keep ordering sushi!)

The second thing, obviously, was the brown rice. Now, sushi is normally made with vinegared white rice, but this new brown rice way of making it has gotten us all riled up with excitement. It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s better for you, AND IT TASTES GREAT!

So if you are on Newbury Street or in Davis Square and are up for something different and refreshing, try Snappy Sushi, where you’ll get an awesome meal that could change the way you think about sushi for the better.

Snappy Sushi [Official Site]

We'd been hearing a lot about Xinh Xinh, a Vietnamese eatery in Chinatown just a few doors down from the more prominent pho spot, Pho Pasteur. On a recent afternoon chilly enough for soup to be enticing, we headed to Xinh Xinh. Evidencing pho's mysterious hipster appeal, no one in the restaurant was over 35, and no one was dressed for the office. The decor was spartan, but the menu, long, giving us ample opportunity to second-guess our choices (thin noodles? thick noodles? in-between noodles?). We were thrilled with the chicken curry pho, which proved to be the consummate chicken noodle soup for grownups: A deep yellow broth with floating bits of tender chicken, still on the bone, and mounds upon mounds of noodles. We couldn't finish half of it. Xinh Xinh has plenty of options for the daring (pig livers, for instance) and tofu-and-vegetable soups to keep non-meat eaters happy. If you want to make your soup extra-healthful, you can add a handful of the mung bean sprouts the waitstaff sets on the table. At any rate, we've made it our mission to try as much of the menu as possible (especially, next time, the avocado shake).

Xinh Xinh [Eat & Destroy]
Xinh Xinh [MenuPages]
Pho Pasteur [MenuPages]

Bold as we are when it comes to strange foods, we've always been a bit wary of ceviche. Blame it on the guidebooks that got us through South America, but the thought of raw seafood in any form also brought to mind hepatitis and unpronounceable parasites. Back in the safety of our home city, we finally thought it was time to give ceviche a go. So we headed to Rincon Limeno Restaurant, a recently reopened Peruvian favorite on East Boston's Chelsea Street. Rincon Limeno first caught our attention for its succulent, spit-roasted chicken and hearty yucca fries, back when it had more of a diner feel. Now, the waitstaff wears collared shirts, and the place is so immaculately clean that you could probably forgo the plates and eat right off of a table. But we digress. The restaurant offers a few ceviches: fish, shrimp, and mixto, meaning all of the above (plus squid). Naturally, we got the mixto, and found it was better than we'd hoped: the little sea nuggets in a clean and zesty citrus sauce, spiced up with aji limo (a chile often used in Peru). To delight us even more, we also got cancha -- toasted maize kernels that were a familiar snack in our south-of-the-border travels. Fortunately, our mourning for what we'd long missed didn't detract from our enjoyment in the present. But it did make us promise to keep coming back.

Rincon Limeno [Mouthfuls]
Rincon Limeno Restaurant [Official Site]

Openings

Boston: Potbelly Sandwich Works is opening in Boston for those of you looking for the perfect toasted sandwich and milkshake. [Craigslist]

South End: Rumor has it Stephanie's on Newbury is opening another branch where Garden of Eden was located. So now will they call it Stephanie's...on Tremont? [Chowhound]

Watertown Square: Comfort promises to provide, what else, comfort food. Sounds much better than eating Kraft mac and cheese in your sweats on the couch. [Zagat]

West Roxbury: The Local Scoop Ice Creamery will offer everything from low carb ice cream to specialties such as the ice cream pizza, which feeds 10 people, or one female recently dumped by her boyfriend. [Parkway Blog]

Closings

Downtown: James Hook and Co. unfortunately went up in flames on Friday. Luckily nobody was hurt, but 60,000 lbs of lobster was a casualty. [Boston Globe]

Back Bay: Boston Public, housed in the Louis Boston building, has closed due to financial reasons. Hundreds of European socialites are planning a memorial service. Designer sunglasses are mandatory. [Boston Globe]

[Photo: Edweek]

What is Pimm's? It's gin-based, with an otherwise top-secret recipe that features herbs and spices. The Pimm's Cup is Pimm's served with lemonade (or lemon soda, or ginger ale), cucumber, mint leaves, and lemon, orange, and strawberry. Very refreshing, we daresay, and it's fun to think that's what they sip at the Henley Royal Regatta.

We recently traveled to London, and were delighted to find that we could buy a bottle of our favorite British beverage when we came home. Pimm's, while not yet popular in the States after nearly 200 years, can be bought by the bottle in some liquor stores. What we were even more excited about was the fact that we could order it in some of our favorite bars and restaurants. Brilliant!

• Our first Stateside foray into Pimm's at a bar was where we learned that you can't ask just anyone for a Pimm's Cup. The senior bartender at the Milky Way Lounge & Lanes recommended a number of good mixers, and we settled on a Pimm's and Ginger, which was garnished with lime.

• Miracle of Science (by the MIT Museum, on Mass Ave) serves their Pimm's in a pint glass, garnished with a cucumber! Probably the closest approximation of a Pimm's Cup.

• We've applauded Silvertone Bar & Grill for their mac and cheese, but their British Isles motif is surely conducive to an enjoyable Pimm's-drinking experience. Bonus points to the bartender, who was apologetic for the lack of cucumbers.

Milky Way Lounge and Lanes [Official Site]
Silvertone [Official Site]

[Photo: The Publican]

Blogston Proper is your weekly roundup of Hub-related food writing from all over the Internet. We read the blogs so you don't have to. But you should anyway, just to be nice.

• In an effort to remove animal byproducts from her favorite cupcake recipes, Anali discovers Earth Balance. She also endorses Trader Joe's vanilla bourbon cake mix. We're sold. [Anali's First Amendment]

• What happened to the Sugar Bakery website? It's just been updated, and it looks awesome! [Boston Food and Whine]

• Finale moves in on prime North End real estate - right along the Rose Kennedy Greenway. [Boston Restaurant Talk]

[Photo: Newcastle University]

We are ashamed to say that for all the time we've lived in Boston, we didn't know that Food Not Bombs served strictly vegetarian (and a lot of vegan) food. All of the times we passed the volunteers in Copley Square, we assumed they had something simple and for omnivores, like chicken soup, in those giant buckets. As if the organization weren't positive enough! After taking this short video tour, we decided we may need to bike over to JP and help out someday.

Fresh Traveler (Boston) - Food Not Bombs [YouTube: FreshTraveler]

Wednesday, April 30
•Tonight, Tasca Spanish Tapas is having a Spanish wine dinner, featuring five wines paired with some of their signature tapas. At 7pm, the event costs $49. [Tasca]
•Umbria is also hosting a wine dinner, featuring wines from California's Coturri Vineyards, at 6:30pm, for $85. [Umbria Ristorante]

Friday, May 2
• Happy birthday, Cambridge Brewing Co! Why does it seem the celebration is for us? This free event is both Friday and Saturday, from 5pm to 1am. [Cambridge Brewing Co.]

Saturday, May 3
• Go to Vinalia for their Spring Wine Fest. The event lasts from 7:30pm to 2am, so plan accordingly! Tickets range from $79-95. [Vinalia]

After a long day at work, when we are world-weary and don't feel like cooking, all we can come up with for dinner is elementary school staple macaroni and cheese. Sometimes, it's true, we resort to the blue box we knew so well, containing cheese powder in the most fluorescent orange we have seen to date. We try no to do that so often. Aiming higher on occasion, we will have any of the all-natural brands that we turned to in high school, but alas, these things still come from a box. Really, there's no reason we can't go out for the same gooey comfort food we require. Here are just a few places that offer some of the classier mac and cheeses in the city.

•We recently went to a show at the Orpheum, and met at Silvertone Bar & Grill first. Everybody at the table ordered the bread crumb-topped macaroni and cheese. Not at all disappointing, and it comes with field greens on the side to make you feel better about yourself.
•Located between Inman and Lechmere, cozy Atwood's Tavern offers a lot of other warm comfort food, but the mac and Vermont cheddar cheese is tough to beat, with a choice of sides and the option to add grilled chicken.
•Veggie Planet Pizza does not only serve pizza! As the name would suggest, there is some health added to your guilty pleasure, which in this case is organic whole-wheat pasta with cheddar, tomatoes, scallions, and broccoli.

Silvertone [Official Site]
Atwood's Tavern [Official Site]
Veggie Planet [Official Site]

[Photo: Quarter Notes]

So much to report this week! What is going on over there?

Openings
Brookline: When Pigs Fly will be setting up shop in Coolidge Corner, but rumor has it that the bread will be baked in Maine. And our sources say Genkiya will be serving organic sushi in the old Nori space. On top of all that, Bottega di Capri sets up shop in Brookline Village. [Brookline TAB]
Harvard Square: A warm welcome to Crema Cafe, and the folks at Daedalus open a pizza place to add to the Harvard pizza wars. [Chowhound]

Closings
Back Bay: Panificio has left that lovely space on Mass Ave. Who will move in? [Chowhound]
Brookline: Yes, that's right: Nori is closing (to be replaced by Genkiya). So is Bottega Fiorentina (soon to be reincarnated as Bottega di Capri). [Chowhound]
Davis Square: Neapolitan eatery La Spina closes its doors. [Chowhound]

Reopenings
Back Bay: Ken Casey is opening a new baseball bar. Will he still have time to write a new Red Sox anthem? [Dropkick Murphys]
Downtown Crossing: Cafe Marliave is back in business, just in time to use their upstairs terrace! [Boston Real Estate]

[Photo: Kodachi]

We'll admit it. We're fully obsessed with pork bellies. The belly, for those of you who aren't total gluttons, is the part of the pig that, when cured, can be used to make bacon and pancetta. It can also be cooked whole for a vast variety of delightfully rich dishes. Below, three of Boston's best.

•Kaya offers a feast fit for a king with their Bo Ssam: steamed pork belly, napa cabbage and homemade sauce. The cabbage cuts the belly's unctuous richness just enough that you won't feel too decadent afterwards.
•The pork buns at Myers + Chang are very similar to those at New York's Momofuku Ssam Bar, but since they're also one of the world's most delicious substances, we'll forgive any lack of originality. Braised pork belly is tucked into steamed buns, along with a brandied hoisin sauce and cucumber for heaven in your mouth.
•At Radius, the pork belly comes out crispy and surrounded by bok choy, manila clams, mussels, cilantro, and a coconut nage. Clams and pork belly are basically the best combination ever, so the dish is a winner from the description alone.

Kaya [MenuPages]
Myers + Chang [Official Site]
Momofuku Ssam Bar [Official Site]
Radius [Official Site]

In this week's edition of the Tuesday Report, three restaurants take crucial steps to expand and Sweet Finnish has a not-so-sweet finishing. Do you have a hot tip about a restaurant opening or closing? Let us know.

Openings
Back Bay: Word on the street is that the owners of La Voile are planning to open a cafe and boulangerie on Newbury, near the current location. Developing! [Chowhound]
Dorchester:Dot-to-Dot Cafe, a soon-to-be coffee spot on Dorchester Ave has its sign up and has started interior work. [Lower Dot]
Downtown Crossing: Temple Place is slated to get another dining option when The Ivy's owners open Stoddard's Fine Food & Ale, a "classic American" restaurant. Look for a September opening. [The Beantown Bloggery]
Fields Corner: Shabu-shabu is coming to Fields Corner with the opening of Osaka Shabu, the first-ever Japanese restaurant to open in that part of Dorchester. Bostonians: just can't get enough of shabu-shabu! [Chowhound]
North End: Rumor has it that Finale is in discussion to open a location in part of the former Martignetti's site. Because there's not enough dessert in the North End? [Hanover & Prince]
North End: The Matarazzo Family Club, a "prestigous center comprised of a daycare, an all Italian restaurant and a shopping area" will be coming soon to Purchase Street. Will this move cause the stroller brigade to migrate from the South End to the Financial District's condos? Only time will tell. [Craigslist]
Post Office Square: Z Square continues its rapid expansion with a third location in Post Office Square (perhaps in the spot planned for Todd English's doomed burger venture?), slated to open this summer. [Boston on the Go]

Closings
Allston: It was not exactly a restaurant, but nonetheless, the Paradise will be deeply missed. [Bostonist]
Central Square: Gandhi Restaurant is no more. As one Chowhounder points out, it's difficult to imagine why a restaurant named after Gandhi would offer an all-you-can-eat buffet. Here's hoping for a more appropriately-named spot to take its place. [Chowhound]
Jamaica Plain: Sweet Finnish has closed after three years in business. Rest assured, there is still no shortage of JP bakeries. [JP Gazette]
Needham: Needham's branch of Pho Pasteur has closed and is being replaced by another location of Somerville's Tu Y Yo. [Chowhound]

Changes
Jamaica Plain: The Blue Frog Bakery might be hopping from Green Street to Centre. How fiendishly clever of them to do so just as Sweet Finnish shuts its doors! [Dishing]

[Photo: Flickr: kenziebella]

For the second year in a row, a Hub chef has been named as one of Food & Wine Magazine's best new chefs of the year. This year, the magazine has honored Tim Cushman of O Ya. Congratulations are in order for Chef Cushman who, at 55, is the oldest of the ten chefs so honored. Between this award and the restaurant's recent acclaim from the New York Times, it is shaping up to be a very good 2008 for Chef Cushman.

Meanwhile, last year's local Best New Chef winner, Gabriel Bremer of Salts, was hailed as an up-and-coming celebrity chef by Forbes Magazine. Congratulations to Chef Bremer as well! It's a good day to be a Bostonian foodie, no?

Best New Chefs 2008 [Food & Wine]
O Ya [Official Site]
O Ya [New York Times]
In Pictures: Up-And-Coming Celebrity Chefs [Forbes Magazine]
Salts [Official Site]

[Photo: Kinmedai at O Ya, Flickr: jkaw]

Despite a name that's descriptive as could be, the first time we had oxtail, we didn't realize that it was, literally, the tail of a cow. We're not sure exactly what we thought it was, but the idea of eating an animal's tail hadn't yet occurred to us. Now that we've tried it however, we can't get enough. Oxtail is richly meaty with a compelling texture after it's been slow-cooked. There's no shortage of oxtail in Boston. Below, three of the best options.

•Pot-au-feu is probably one of the world's few truly delicious boiled dinners. The Butcher Shop's version is filled with plenty of oxtail, a plethora of root vegetables and horseradish cream for kicks.
•At Mamma Maria, oxtail appears as a filling for the appetizer ravioli, which come topped with a cacciatore sauce. Not for the faint of heart, but thoroughly delicious.
•Sorriso Trattoria goes hearty with their slow-braised oxtail stew, served with parmesan polenta and pine nut gremolata. Meaty, cheesy, nutty: our kind of dish.

The Butcher Shop [Official Site]
Mamma Maria [Official Site]
Sorriso Trattoria [Official Site]

By today's end, temperatures should be creeping up to the mid-40s and before the week ends, we'll be seeing whole days in the 60s! Yes, spring is almost here and while we couldn't be more excited to ditch our winter coat, we're feeling a strange burst of preemptive nostalgia for winter's foods, especially venison. Venison, for the uninitiated, is deer meet (don't think about Bambi's mother!). It's extremely lean, which makes it a nice choice for the diet-conscious, yet when it's prepared well, it's quite flavorful. The Hub has plenty of gorgeous dishes to offer the venison enthusiast. Here are three of the best.

•Amelia's Trattoria serves up a plate bursting with the flavors of cold-weather New England: pan-seared venison tenderloin with parsnip puree, blueberry demiglace, and fresh bay leaves. Parsnips! We'll miss those as well.
•If you can manage to get into the very popular O Ya, treat yourself to an order of very briefly seared venison tataki, which comes with a porcini crema and a drizzle of ponzu oil.
•Venison gets raw at Via Matta, where it's served as carpaccio alongside freshly cracked black pepper and smoked ricotta, two ingredients that make everything better.

Amelia's Trattoria [Official Site]
O Ya [MenuPages]
Via Matta [Official Site]

[Photo: Novelty Guns]

We love watching people try roasted bone marrow for the first time. Inevitably, their faces quickly change from disgust at the sight of the marrow (which looks like...well, innards) to bliss at their first taste. Marrow is intensely rich and a little unctuous (in a good way) and just might be the ultimate comfort food. Best of all, it's a royal pain in the butt to make at home, so you never feel guilty about ordering it at restaurants. Try the following dishes, but take warning: once you try marrow, you'll crave it constantly.

•KO Prime serves their roasted bone marrow with our very favorite accompaniment: oxtail marmalade. Yes, that means that you're eating bread topped with beef topped with beef. Embrace it.
•At The Metropolitan Club, the roasted bone marrow dish is listed as one of the "eighth sins." It comes with whole-grain mustard and sweet hot pickles. Intriguingly unorthodox!
•Persephone, on the other hand, keeps things very traditional with marrow accompanied by a parsley/caper salad, Dijon mustard, grilled bread, and Maine sea salt. This last ingredient intensifies the marrow's flavor to such a degree that you just may find yourself making inappropriate noises of pleasure in the middle of the restaurant.

KO Prime [Official Site]
The Metropolitan Club [Official Site]
Persephone [Official Site]

[Photo: Amazon]

In this week's edition of The Tuesday Report, chains multiply like rabbits and West Roxbury suddenly has a busy dining scene.

Openings
Dedham: Today's Globe features a lengthy piece about Legacy Place, the mall coming to Dedham. It is CRAZY FANCY and will make the real Dedham Mall look even sadder than it already is. Aside from a Whole Foods (complete with cafe), the mall will include restaurants such as Ruth's Chris Steak House, Legal Sea Foods Finale , and b.good, as well as a new restaurant from the folks at the Aquitaine group. In contrast, the Dedham Mall that was referenced in The Departed will continue to hold it down with the nearby Pizzeria Uno. [Boston Globe]
Harvard Square: The Upper Crust is coming! The Upper Crust is coming! Harvard Square will soon have no less than ten pizzerias. Are we the only one who misses the pizzeria that used to be in the spot in the Garage now occupied by Crazy Dough's? They had delicious pies at very reasonable prices. [Chowhound]
Quincy: Guys, when Chipotle says they're going to enter a market, they mean it. They're getting set to open a Quincy location, which, if we're not mistaken (we wish the Chipotle website would stop crashing our Firefox!) will be the third new Boston-area location in as many months. [Chowhound]
West Roxbury: Something called Fresh Catch To Go is opening on Centre Street, near Holy Name. We're going to go out on a limb and guess that it will provide takeaway seafood. [Boston Food & Whine]

Closings
Brookline: Oh no! Taqueria Mexico, our second-favorite Brookline burrito spot, will be closing, to be replaced with a restaurant serving some sort of Italian-inspired sushi. We need a nap. And a carnitas burrito. [Brookline TAB Blog]
Newton: Yerardi's, the much-beloved Newton Italian restaurant, closed its doors on Saturday so that owner Fran Yerardi can focus on his burgeoning real estate career. [Newton TAB]
West Roxbury: Vintage, the high-end spot briefly helmed by Jeffrey Fournier, has closed, suffering the same cruel fate as the preceding restaurant in the location: Fontaine's Chicken, best known for their awesome neon sign. [Parkway Blog]

Changes of Plans
Charlestown: Looks like that third location of Petit Robert Bistro won't be happening after all. [Chowhound]

[Photo: Flickr: kylescollin]

Good Friday is tomorrow and for those observing, it's a time to abstain from meat. You could go vegetarian, but instead, we recommend fish, glorious fish. Good Friday is a time to keep it simple, food wise, so instead of defaulting to our usual endorsements of lobster stuffed with pancetta and truffles*, we've hunted down three relatively unadorned, yet excellent, picks from the sea.

•Visit Great Bay for the pan-seared Kona snapper with white rice risotto, roasted shallots, and baby carrots. It's delicious, but still earthy.
•All the food at Mare is organic, so you can feel good about treating the earth well. Try the sauteed halibut, which comes with preserved lemon, kalamata olives, and chantarelle mushrooms for a taste of the Mediterranean on a cold day.
•One of Boston's simplest and best fish preparations can be found at Yankee Lobster: a piece of salmon, broiled to perfection, and served unadorned, except for a wedge of lemon. Excellent.

*: Note: this is not, to the best of our knowledge, a real dish.

Great Bay [Official Site]
Mare [Official Site]
Yankee Lobster [Official Site]

[Photo: Tesco]

It's almost Easter Sunday and we all know what that means: time to eat and eat and eat. Also, Cadbury Creme Eggs will be on sale on Monday! In case you're not lucky/cool enough to be invited to our mom's massive Easter soiree in Roslindale and you don't especially feel like cooking for yourself, here are three very fine options for your Sunday meal.

•Meritage will be offering their standard brunch menu from 10:30am-2:30pm, featuring crave-worthy dishes such as smoked sea scallops with grilled red onions. Every guest will get a free glass of champagne for a festive toast. Brunch costs $65 for adults and $26 for the little ones. Call (617) 439-3995 to reserve.
•At Sel De La Terre, Easter takes on a distinctly Provencal flavor with an a la carte brunch menu featuring treats like an omelette of asparagus, chimay and basil; sweet pepper, onion and potato hash. Brunch runs from 10am-3pm and reservations may be made by calling (617) 720-1300.
•We've always felt that the ideal time for Easter dinner is 3pm, but oddly, most restaurants offer only Easter brunch. Leave it to UpStairs on the Square to rectify the situation. They'll be offering supper in the aptly named Soiree Room until 6pm featuring dishes like soup au pistou with dinosaur kale and chorizo. The meal costs $65 for adults and $32.50 for children. Call (617) 864-1933 to save your place.

Meritage [Official Site]
Sel De La Terre [Official Site]
UpStairs on the Square [Official Site]

[Photo: Flickr: The Gordons]

For the past three weeks or so, occasionally-controversial New York Times food critic Frank Bruni has been counting down the ten best U.S. restaurants outside of New York and the way he's done it has been fascinating. When he announced the feature, Bruni named the ten best restaurants but declined to give their ranking. Ever since, he's been spooling out the rankings, a few at a time.

We've been personally excited about Bruni's list since it was announced and we noticed that O Ya was on the list. Now, things are getting even more exciting for Bostonians as Bruni has announced his tenth-fourth favorite restaurants with nary a mention of the Leather District haute sushi spot. This means that O Ya is definitively in the top three. Could it be number one? We'll be waiting anxiously to find out.

Coast to Coast, Restaurants That Count [New York Times]
O Ya [MenuPages]

[Photo: Flickr: jkaw]

After the slow doldrums (slowldrums? Good lord, Daylight Savings Time makes us tired) of last week, we've got plenty to report this week, so without any further adieu, we'll jump right in.

Openings
•Well this is exciting! The Globe reports that Guy Martin, one of France's top chefs (which really means one of the best chefs in the world) will be opening his first-ever United States restaurant this spring in Boston! The restaurant, which will be called Sensing, will be part of the Regent Boston Hotel at Battery Wharf and will feature contemporary French cuisine with a focus on locally-produced foods. You can start counting down the minutes right about...now.
•The Boston Real Estate Blog brought us two interesting nuggets: the intersection of Mass Ave and Washington will be getting a Senegalese restaurant called Teranga. Senegalese food is delicious and underrepresented in the Hub, so this is quite exciting news. Further down Washington, Aroa, a "fine chocolates brasserie" is slated to open by month's end.
•The Newton TAB brings news that Bobalicious, a Vietnamese bubble tea shop, has opened in Nonantum. This is certainly something new for the neighborhood and we hope it succeeds, because who doesn't love banh mi?
•Word on the street is that the owners of Daedalus are opening a second restaurant. A call to Daedalus confirmed that the new spot will be a brick oven pizzeria and should open within a month, but no further details were given.

Closings
•Boston Restaurant Talk brings us the news that well-regarded North End spot La Brace has closed.
•The Hubster reports that East Boston's Caffe Italia is closing and may be turned into a Colombian restaurant. This last detail has caused quite a bit of controversy on the blog's comments. A call to Caffe Italia proved unable to provide a confirmation or denial.

Changes
•Coolidge Corner sushi spot Takeshima has quietly turned into Blue Ocean, a Korean and Japanese spot. Observant readers may remember that the Takeshima space was, at one time, set to be the home of Perpetual Oyster, the rumored Gwen Butler seafood restaurant.

[Photo: Flickr: monicamohindra]

Fort Point's reputation as a dining destination is rising, seemingly at the speed of light. Not only has the neighborhood housed standbys like flour bakery + cafe and the Channel Cafe for some time, but with the recent opening of Persephone and the Lynch Star's launch looming in the future, Fort Point is set to finally complete its decades-long process of becoming a super-hip 'hood. Why not start exploring the neighborhood now, before absolutely everyone realizes how great it is? We've created a guide (complete with map) to the area's top places to eat.

•Those who live and/or work in Fort Point are rightfully a little obsessed with the laid-back atmosphere and great simple food at Channel Cafe. The steak and mozzarella sandwich with caramelized onions is particularly delicious.
•Eastern Pier devotees rave that that the restaurant offers food as good as any spot in Chinatown but with significantly less crowds. Since Eastern Pier is right on the ocean, you probably shouldn't miss the ginger lobster.
•No matter where in Boston you work, flour bakery + cafe is worth the trek for lunch. Don't miss the luxurious BLT made on their excellent bread with applewood-smoked bacon, roma tomatoes, and Boston lettuce or any of their unbelievable pastries.
•Persephone may have just opened a few weeks ago, but the buzz is already killer and it's quickly establishing itself as the place to go for post-work drinks and dinner. Tuck into a few appetizers (may we recommend the crispy Maine shrimp) and a Desperate Housewife cocktail (sake, vodka, blueberry syrup, cranberry, ginger, and lemon).
•The Water Cafe by Wolfgang Puck, nestled in the ICA, has been quietly offering solid paninis and salads to the lunch crowds for some time now. The ham and manchego panini is particularly nice.

Channel Cafe [Official Site]
Eastern Pier [MenuPages]
flour bakery + cafe [Official Site]
Persephone [Official Site]
Water Cafe by Wolfgang Puck [Official Site]

"Help! I'm Trapped In..." is a semi-regular feature where we tell you how to make the most of being stuck in areas that are (fairly or not) regarded as culinary wastelands. You're welcome.

Government Center is really something of a mystery. Unquestionably, it is one of the neighborhoods most important for Boston's functioning, but it's also tremendously ugly (City Hall, we're looking at you) and full of very little good food. If you work in Government Center, however, there's no need to give up the hope of eating great lunches! All it takes is being a teensy bit flexible on what, exactly, constitutes Government Center. Below, a week's worth of lunches for the discerning bureaucrat.

Monday: J Pace & Son is downtown's leading lunch spot for a reason: the sandwiches are generously sized, delicious, and cheap. Many people don't realize that J. Pace's pasta is also good: try the gnocchi marinara.

Tuesday: People are always going on about Wednesday being Hump Day, but to our mind, Tuesday is much longer and more difficult to slog through. Reward yourself for making it this far by having a nice sit down lunch at Wagamama. After a repast of duck gyoza and chili beef ramen, you'll feel relaxed and ready to face the rest of the (seemingly endless) day.

Wednesday: Everyone knows that Grotto is a great spot for a romantic dinner, but the big secret is that their lunch is a very good value. Their excellent pastas go for a mere $11-16: we recommend the cavatelli with ground sausage, ricotta, fresh peas, mushrooms, cream and pancetta.

Thursday: After two Italian-style lunches earlier this week, it's time to give France its due, don't you think? Visit Kingston Station for an elegant meal: maybe the seared tuna Niçoise salad and the rather good steak frites? Yes, that sounds just about right.

Friday: You've been a good worker bee all week, so it's time to reward yourself with something decadent and wildly unhealthy. May we recommend a trip to Beard Papa? The impossibly airy cream puffs are as close to perfection as anything downtown and regardless of what your nutritionist may tell you, it's totally a valid lunch. Totally.

J Pace & Son [MenuPages]
Wagamama [Official Site]
Grotto [MenuPages]
Kingston Station [Official Site]
Beard Papa [Official Site]

[Photo: Wikipedia]

Even though we've definitely hit the point in winter when we're counting down the minutes until ramps reappear, signaling the beginning of the growing season, we're not immune to the charms of wintry vegetables. Case in point? Leeks. We adore this pleasantly punchy cousin of the onion and in the depths of winter, want to eat it as much as humanly possible. To assist you in your quest for leek-age (haha), we've compiled a list of five of the Hub's best leek dishes.

•Aujourd 'hui combines two of our obsessions with their dish of sea scallops served with truffled potato puree, melted leeks, and lobster sauce. It's a perfect treat for a chilly night.
•At Petsi Pies, leeks are paired with bacon and Swiss cheese and served in a deliciously gooey tart.
•Leeks vinaigrette is, of course, the quintessential leek dish. Petit Robert Bistro makes an excellent version, topped with grilled duck magret. It's pretty much all you could want from a lunch: tart and rich at the same time, not to mention hearty as all get out.
•At The Squealing Pig, braised leeks top a pizza, along with fried sage leaves, goat cheese, and puree of toasted squash. It doesn't look like much, but it tastes absolutely delicious.
•Stella makes comfort food decadent with their basil roasted chicken, served with potato leek ragout (a nice play on the standard potato leek soup) and crispy pancetta. Assembling a fork so you can taste each at the same time is one of the Boston dining scene's great pleasures.

Aujourd 'hui [Official Site]
Petsi Pies [Official Site]
Petit Robert Bistro [Official Site]
The Squealing Pig [MenuPages]
Stella [Official Site]

[Photo: Flickr: shaggyblog]

Welcome to The Buzz, a feature where we look at what the Internet is saying about brand new restaurants. It's too early for a review, but when has that ever stopped anyone?

Persephone offers many reasons to get excited. Part of the new multi-use development The Achilles Project, the restaurant is helmed by the justly acclaimed Michael Leviton of Newton's Lumiere and showcases local and seasonal foods, with an emphasis on sustainability and eco-consciousness. These are all worthy goals, but how's the food? Let's check out the early reports, shall we?

The Good: The venerable Pam of Cave Cibum stopped by and loved her meal. She writes on Chowhound: "Food is delicious. Like Lumiere, there is a focus on local, organic, sustanable product, although it's not a selling point of the menu. The Lucki 7 Farms Pork Ribs from the bar menu were awesome, delicately cooked with a slightly spicy hoison sauce. The Crispy Gulf Shrimp, from the "Small" section of the menu, were crispy and light - some people might be turned off, though, by the full shell on the shrimp, but they were thin enough to eat the whole thing. The Braised Veal Shoulder, from the "Extra Large" section, was so tender. I'm not a veal fan, but I would order that to share. Overall, good food and drinks at not outrageous prices."

The Bad: Interestingly, most of the commentary on both Chowhound and Yelp comes from people who haven't yet tried out the restaurant. Chowhounders, in particular, seemed resistant to Persephone pre-opening and it was derided as the sort of place that would probably offer $15 pomegranate martinis. These worries, however, have probably subsided as the restaurant is offering a drink awesomely titled "The Obligatory Chowhound $15 Pomegranate Martini" for a mere $9. Currently, the only mildly worrying comment from someone who's actually been to the restaurant comes from 'hound Fort Point who writes "We have been twice and had a sampling of dishes, all of which were very good, but for some reason we have not warmed up to the spot yet."

The Decor: Persephone shares its space with trendy clothing boutique Achilles, so the space's layout has been of some general interest. According to Fort Point, it's "one continuous space; there are no dividers between the store and the restaurant. However, at least at night the clothing is enclosed in see through modern containers and there is not a lot of it so it does necssarily feel like two different venues. The store is in the front so you walk through it to get to the restaurant."

Persephone [MenuPages]
Persephone [Official Site]
Persephone - Where Is It [Chowhound]
Pomegranates for Persephone [Cave Cibum]
Achilles Project [Yelp]

The fascinating thing about sea urchins is that it's hard to think of an animal that is so highly prized as a culinary delicacy, yet has such a small edible portion of its body. Sea urchins are not tiny creatures, but the only part we eat is the roe*. Sea urchin tastes incredibly rich and complex: the very definition of umami. Sea urchin dishes across the country are generally pretty pricy and Boston is no exception. The following four dishes may not be cheap, but they sure are tasty.

•Clio wins our award for "Most Decadent Use of Sea Urchin" for their sea urchin and lobster cassoulet, which comes with parsnips, crispy shallots, and candied lemon. We can't think of much we'd rather eat on a cold winter's night.
•At Neptune Oyster, the sea urchin is served raw and accompanied by fried chickpeas, grilled eggplant, cucumber, mint, and a vinaigrette, for an absolutely insane flavor profile.
•O Ya serves their sea urchin as sashimi alongside shima aji (yellowjack). It's topped with a ceviche vinaigrette and some cilantro, ssupertasters beware!
•The Japanese name for sea urchin is, of course, uni, so it's not surprising that Uni has an excellent sea urchin dish on its menu. The roe is served with ginger gelee and purple rice. Delicious and pretty!

*: This is, in fact, a misnomer: while the edible part of the sea urchin is commonly referred to as the roe, it's actually the animal's gonads on which we chow down.

Clio [Official Site]
Neptune Oyster [Official Site]
O Ya [MenuPages]
Uni [MenuPages]

[Photo: Wikipedia]

Welcome to The Buzz, a feature where we look at what the Internet is saying about brand new restaurants. It's too early for a review, but when has that ever stopped anyone?

We must confess to somewhat ambivalent feelings about Grezzo, the new raw vegan restaurant in the North End, operated by raw food expert Alissa Cohen. On the one hand, we find raw foodism suspect: while there are certainly uncooked foods we love (guacamole and sushi both come immediately to mind), we feel that basing your diet exclusively around the fact that raw foods are healthier misses the point that food is about more than simple nutrition (not to mention the fact that cooked foods are perfectly healthy in their own right). On the other hand, Grezzo is something entirely new for the Boston dining scene and, even if we don't necessarily agree with the philosophy behind its food, the dishes are fascinating. At any rate, most of the buzz seems to be pretty promising.

The Good: Grezzo's target audience (that is to say, raw foodists and vegans) is definitely responding well. In a post on the Gone Raw message boards, user jackiev writes: "I made it to Grezzo last night for Valentine’s Day and let me tell you…it was DELISH!! Alissa Cohen herself actually served us our salads…I thought I was going to pee my pants!! Although I don’t think my tummy can handle eating there everyday, I’m definitely going to be a faithful customer." Chowhounder Bob Dobalina concurs: "If you are a raw food vegan, this place is clearly the pinnacle, the Olympus of your philosophy. Go here now. ... If you are a vegetarian, vegan or raw food acolyte, RUN don't walk to this place. It is the best vegan food I have ever had " This is not terribly surprising. Grezzo