Boston Restaurant Weeks are behind us now and shan't return until the summer. Several restaurants are extending their deals, but for the rest, all we can do is look back and reflect. Predictably, Chowhound has been providing ample commentary on the various Restaurant Week menus. Below, a few highlights.

The Good: 'Hounder gini thought that dante was "one of the most enjoyable RW experiences I've had in the past few years", an opinion echoed by a majority of the thread's posters. Atos singled out Pigalle as "fantastic, great service." Olives won near-universal raves and, although Masa was chided for offering a reduced menu at Sunday lunch, 'hound Aphex thought it was "one of the best meals I've had in Boston."

The Bad: Rialto was called out for undercooked risotto and skimpy portions. Very sad, as we love Rialto like crazy.

The Decidedly Mixed: Sibling Rivalry was either excellent or just alright, depending on who you ask. Rocca may have sent out some lukewarm dishes, but lots of Chowhounders thought it was fun nonetheless.

What about you? Where did you go for Restaurant Weeks?

[Photo: Fish stew at Rocca, Flickr: kamico]

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?

People have been getting excited about Banq for some time now. Banq comes to us from the owners of Mantra and, like Matra, it combines French techniques with Indian flavors. Expectations have been high, so let's see how the actual experience is shaking out, shall we?

The Good: Chowhound luminary and Phoenix reviewer MC Slim JB very much enjoyed his visit to Banq: "Prices are better than I expected for a fancy South End place. ... The dining room is very attractive, soaring ceilings, pretty hardwoods, well-spaced booths. ... The wine list is a nice surprise, not overloaded with $100+ bottles. ... The food is mostly very good, few outright misses. ... Overall, a pleasant surprise so far." Kate of local blog The Dish also loved her visit to Banq: "WOW! Everything was spectacular! The cod was crispy on the outside and perfectly seared, and the lotus root was a delightful new side dish for my taste buds, while the generous portion of short rib was rich and sinful, eaten sans a knife of course. ... The entrees are under $26, the portion size is liberal, and the drink menu is unique and fun. Another very welcome addition to Boston's South End, a neighborhood that's simply bursting with flavor."

The Bad: Views on Banq's dessert menus are decidedly more mixed. 'hounder kron reports: "Went out on a limb and ordered the "banq tasting" dessert. Bad idea. This "tasting" included wasabi ice cream, blue cheese ice cream, a pineapple spring roll (?) and some sort of berry-sushi (um, no). Awful. Thought it had potential (well, at least we thought the ice creams had potential), but realized it is something probably best served at some mediocre new american-asian-fusion restaurant that's trying to be hip. We think Banq should take it off the menu asap." Yelper Dan O. concurred: "For dessert, we ordered the sampler, and it was a little disappointing. The bleu cheese ice cream was my favorite on the plate...the bleu cheese flavor doesn't hit you until the end. The wasabi ice cream was a little too weird. The pineapple spring roll was unimpressive, and the chocoalte sushi was disgusting."

Banq [MenuPages]
Banq [Official Site]
Banq - News/Comments/Reviews? [Chowhound]
You Can banQ on It [The Dish]
Banq [Yelp]

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]

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 is, after all, the first raw food restaurant in Boston and one of the city's few vegan eateries. More surprising is Grezzo's popularity with those not necessarily identifying as vegans or raw foodists. 'Hound enhF94 writes "parsnip soup for me! Maybe I'll double starters and also have the endive salad. This meat eater is excited!" The food has won wide praise, especially the vine-ripened tomato soup and the "cheesecake."

The Bad: There are plenty of gripes about the space itself. Bob Dobalina writes "It is a nicely decorated place, pleasing earth tones, some highlights of color, but the room is very narrow ... and so the tables are rather packed in and servers had some difficulty serving the patrons on one side of the wall." Yelper Katherine I. concurs: "Tables: One too many in the row. We needed more leg room." There have also been a few complaints about slowness. Chowhound's marilees writes that "they seem to have issues with timing still. My friend joked, 'I don't understand why our dinner is taking so long if they're not even COOKING the food!'"

The Nauseating: Here's something we didn't know until today: apparently, when you first try raw foods, you are likely to be ill, especially if you're also drinking alcohol. We counted at least seven reviews that mentioned extreme nausea a few hours after the meal. Grezzo makes all their food fresh every day, so we doubt it's anything they're doing and indeed, when Yelper Jasmine S. contacted the restaurant after being sicked by her meal, she was told that nausea and headaches are par for the course the first time you eat raw food and, apparently, it is best to limit your consumption of nut cream and alcohol the first time around. We can't understand why raw foods would make one nauseated (we don't get sick after, say, a salad), but it's a good warning nonetheless.

Grezzo [Official Site]
Has Anyone Been to Grezzo Yet?? [Chowhound]
Grezzo [Yelp]
Grezzo!! [Gone Raw]
Alissa Cohen [Official Site]

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?

Folks in Jamaica Plain are pretty excited about Vee Vee, the new bistro on Centre Street (it's located in the old Cha Fahn space). There sure seems to be a lot to like: the pedigree is great (owner Dan Valachovic comes from neighborhood favorite Zon's), it's reasonably priced (appetizers go for $6-10 and entrees will run you $14-20), vegetarian-friendly (always an important consideration in JP), and the menu is widely appealing (we're particularly intrigued by the wild mushroom pate and the linguine with goat cheese, caramelized onions, and walnuts...and the cornmeal-crusted skate wing...and the stuffed Delicata squash...okay, really the whole menu). The buzz so far is quiet but positive. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

The Good: Chowhound gourmaniac stopped by Vee Vee on its first night and had plenty of nice things to say: "The food is very good with moderate portions and prices. ... The cited food [two apps, two entrees, and one dessert] plus two glasses of Prosecco and an Oregon white beer and tip came to $90. All in all, Vee Vee is the kind of place I’ve always wanted to have within walking distance after a long, too-tired-to-cook day." 'Hound BarmyFotheringayPhipps seems hopeful as well: "There is not a single thing on that sample menu that I wouldn't eat, and at popular prices. Good graphic design, too. I am intrigued." Blogger D-in-Beantown also stopped by on the first night: "I had linguini, with goat cheeze, onions and pine nuts. It's perfect when the pasta craving can't be tamed. So much for dieting. They decorated in brick and shale colors, and it still had the feeling of the tiny little tea house. Dinner was good, staff was kind and relaxed, and the wine was delicate and perfect."

The Slightly Less Good: Per gourmaniac's report, the shrimp and scallop fritters are, in fact, one fritter and the beets in the beet salad "could have been roasted longer." These are clearly small issues. To our mind, the larger issue is that some folks might take a while to warm up to Vee Vee as Cha Fahn was such a favorite of many. We suspect, however, that Vee Vee is going to become an important part of the JP dining scene.

The Punny: From the inevitable DailyCandy writeup: "So, ur BFF wants u & the S.O. to take the T to J.P. for some V.V. Np, right?" We must say that here at MenuPages, the city editors typically communicate via instant messenger. As you might imagine, abbreviations abound. Recently, without thinking about it, we've begun to say "NP" out loud whenever someone thanks us. It is very embarrassing. In further pun news, the major Chowhound thread on Vee Vee is entitled "Oui, Oui to Vee Vee in JP". Shockingly, no one has yet said anything like "I'm v.v. excited about Vee Vee."

Vee Vee [Official Site]
Oui, Oui to Vee Vee in JP [Chowhound]
Notes from a Stroll Tonight [D-in-Beantown]
Cha Fahn is Now VeeVee (in JP) [Chowhound]
Short and Sweet [Daily Candy]

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?

La Voile, Newbury Street's newest bistro, has quite the back story. As reported in the Herald, the restaurant's staff, chef, decor, and menu all come directly from Cannes, where the original La Voile was open for many years. The menu is very traditionally French, which poses an interesting question: might there be too many classically French bistros in the neighborhood? Bouchee is, after all, only a few blocks away from La Voile and Gaslight and the South End branch of Petit Robert Bistro are well within walking distance as well. Our suspicion is that La Voile needs to turn it out and become the dominant bistro in order to make it. Early reviews suggest that this won't be much of a problem. Let's take a look, shall we?

The Good: In an overwhelmingly positive review, Yelper Suzanne M. writes that "What's to like about La Voile? For starters, the interior - the basement of the Newbury Guest House - is modern but classically elegant. The food is high quality although not extraordinarily expensive. ... La Voile was a great night out at a lovely new addition to the neighborhood." Happy Chowhounder lorpa very much enjoyed his or her meal: "I selected, for hors d'oeuvre, Les Petites Ravioles de Romans au Pesto/ French Mini Cheese-Filled Ravioli in a Pesto. This is a generous portion of ravioli served in a soup plate in a creamy sauce, subtly seasoned and yummy: French comfort food. My main course was La Marmite a la Marseillaise preparee en Bouillabaisse/ Fish Stew "Bouillabaisse" in a Saffron Broth: large, tender peices of halibut, seabass, shrimp, and mussels in a thick broth. Small slices of grilled bread along with 3 sauces accompanied this. It was superb. I was full and content. Philippe recommended a small dessert, L'Expresso Gourmand. This is a tiny cup of chocolate mousse, and one of creme brulee, along with 2 mini cookie-bars. Perfect." 'Hounder MaggieMuffin mostly agreed: "The food was EXCELLENT. In fact, this was some of the best classic French fare we have tried in town, and we have been to most French restaurants." Finally, Zagat enthusiast AndresR665706 very much enjoyed his meal: "Excellent food and service at this very French, French Bistro. ... Great atmosphere and good knowledgeable and attentive service added to the experience."

The Bad: The only element of La Voile that seems to have come under any fire at all is the service. Zagat-er TommyW0967 was quite dissatisfied with his experience: "cute place. great location. AWFUL SERVICE. Disrespectful Management. I live in back bay and I've never been treated worse at a restaurant. I was with two friends who were both vegetarian (group of 4 people) and the menu has two apps that are veggie-friendly and no main entrees. The kitchen's solution? Make a large cheese platter? After high expectations, we politely left after the server asked us if the menu was TOO expensive for us. WHAT? I understand your french, but you're in america and trying to open a new restaurant! I will never recommend this place to anyone nor will i return." MaggieMuffin also had some service issues mixed in with the stellar food: "The service to get us to our table was terribly disorganized: from deciding who would seat us to sorting out the menus. ... The waiter was French to the point that he barely understood English and was not familiar with American habits. For example, one of us ordered dressing on the side, but the request was met with a great deal of incomprehension. However, once our orders were in, the food arrive promptly. There was one mix-up with an order, but the problem was resolved quickly. ... They really need to work out some of the kinks in their service, as it was borderline disastrous, but the food quality suggest this place should do well."

The Bouchee Comparisons: As we mentioned earlier, Bouchee definitely looks to be La Voile's major competitor. Is a Newbury Street bistro battle poised to happen? If so, it would seem that popular sentiment is rooting for La Voile. Says Chowhounder tamerlanenj summed it up nicely with "I'm starting the official Bouchee deathwatch. too bad, so sad!" and "hahah, Bouhee indeed."

La Voile [MenuPages]
La Voile [Yelp]
La Voile---magnifique! [Chowhound]
Le Voile on Newbury Street [Chowhound]
La Voile [Zagat]

[Photo: American Sail Training Association]