I had somewhat of a hard time deciding which restaurant should start off The Challenge. Should it be the Buttery, the place that started it all? Should I go alphabetically? Something fancy? Something casual? I had no idea.
Thankfully, the decision was made for me. Lilly, future Gastronomy masters student and Queen of All Things Fabulous, was in town and Jason chose The Parish Cafe as our pre-karaoke dinner destination. Whew.
Somewhat hidden amongst the handful of furniture & interior design stores in Boylston Street's 300's, as well as currently being partially obscured by scaffolding, it's not the most conspicuous of eateries. In the warmer months, there's ample patio seating out front, perfect for a leisurely pint and people watching.
Boston has its fancy places, but food that is simple, familiar and comforting is more this city's style. Like the sandwich. And that is what Parish is known for. Of course, these aren't your mama's PB&J or ham & cheese. Each sandwich is created by the best chefs in Boston. That said, no changes can be made to their creations. But trust me, you don't want to.
I love Parish because you can sample the cuisine of the best restaurants all over the city in a chill atmosphere for little money. The menu also changes seasonally so there's always something different (don't worry, old favorites are put into the specials rotation).
Choosing the sandwich for my review required serious deliberation: how do you choose when each sandwich expresses a completely different restaurant, cuisine and chef? There's the SDLT from Geoff Gardner of Sel De La Terre, an amazing smoked duck BLT with applewood bacon and caper mayo on rye. Or you have Rowdy's Famous Chicken Sandwich courtesy of Rowdy Bessey from Flash's, the crispiest, least greasy but moist breaded baked chicken with melted swiss and cheddar, chipotle mayo, bacon lettuce and tomato on a roll. And 10 others. Needless to say, I was torn.
Until the review gods smiled upon me. Chilling at the bottom of the menu was a sandwich created by the chef of Parish Cafe, Sean Simmons. The Chipotle Meatloaf Club embodies all the familiarity of mom's version but with a punch of smoky heat. Served on white with melted Jack cheese and chipotle mayo, it's the perfect blend of Southwest flavor with pure Americana. And of course there's the mandatory side of mashed potatoes, which are nothing special, with a beef gravy that's reminiscent of that powdered stuff from a packet. Trade them in for the potato salad (it's some of the best I've ever tasted), and you've got a winner.
Parish also has a great selection of wine & beer, as well as some fun martinis. Lilly was excited to see the Lulu B pinot noir, a hard-to-find-bargain-priced-yet-quality wine.
With limited seating and a shortage of waitstaff, service can be slow and confusing. You don't have a specific waiter; basically flag down anyone in a black apron and hope for the best. But once my sandwich arrives, I don't really care that my water glass isn't refilled more than once. These portable culinary creations are something I can't live without.
Parish Cafe & Bar, 361 Boylston St., 617-247-4777. Full menu until 1 am daily, last call 2 am.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Friday, February 2, 2007
The Challenge
A couple of weekends ago, Jason and I were on our way to Union for brunch (one of our old standards), and we popped into the Buttery for coffee on the way.
A little note on the South End Buttery. It is a place I always mean to go to more often. Nestled cozily on the corner of Shawmut and gorgeous Union Park, entering the Buttery is like walking into the middle of one of their delicious cupcakes. Walls are painted cake batter yellow and the ceiling detail is both ornate and whimsical, as if it was piped from a pastry bag. Everything about its aesthetic is warm and inviting, from the decor to its business cards. And so is the menu. The pastry case overflows with various cakes, tarts, muffins and its spectacular cupcakes. They also serve breakfast and sandwiches. And their espresso is arguably the best in the city. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Anyway, Jason and I were on one of our all too rare sojourns to the Buttery. As I was ordering a non-fat vanilla latte, I noticed a book on display by the register. It was the eat.shop guide for Boston. I had never heard of this series, but I was immediately drawn to its clean design and "luscious" (their word, but so true!) photography. The eat.shop guides feature 90 locally owned restaurants and retail stores (45 of each) located in the heart of the city. So of course I had to buy it. We drank our Buttery coffee and ate our Union brunch and then I headed home to immerse myself in the guide (both restaurants receive mentions, by the way).
Reading any sort of restaurant guide or review makes me crave its contents, but this one was different. Each entry gets a two page spread, the left page with the the vitals (name, address, hours, type of cuisine, price bracket, etc) and the right page with a paragraph or two of description, crisp photography and what you've got to try. It's extremely accessible and gives the reader everything she needs. And with only 45 restaurants and 45 shops, it's hardly daunting.
After having devoured the guide cover to cover, I decided to give myself a challenge. I am going to eat my way through eat.shop Boston. So by New Year's Eve 2007, I will have experienced all 45 restaurants of the eat.shop guide. I will post weekly reviews of the restaurants I visit on the Challenge.
For a list of restaurants I will be visiting, click here. If you'd like to accompany me to any of them, let me know. I'm always looking for accomplices.
For a copy of eat.shop Boston, visit The South End Buttery or click here.
A little note on the South End Buttery. It is a place I always mean to go to more often. Nestled cozily on the corner of Shawmut and gorgeous Union Park, entering the Buttery is like walking into the middle of one of their delicious cupcakes. Walls are painted cake batter yellow and the ceiling detail is both ornate and whimsical, as if it was piped from a pastry bag. Everything about its aesthetic is warm and inviting, from the decor to its business cards. And so is the menu. The pastry case overflows with various cakes, tarts, muffins and its spectacular cupcakes. They also serve breakfast and sandwiches. And their espresso is arguably the best in the city. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.
Anyway, Jason and I were on one of our all too rare sojourns to the Buttery. As I was ordering a non-fat vanilla latte, I noticed a book on display by the register. It was the eat.shop guide for Boston. I had never heard of this series, but I was immediately drawn to its clean design and "luscious" (their word, but so true!) photography. The eat.shop guides feature 90 locally owned restaurants and retail stores (45 of each) located in the heart of the city. So of course I had to buy it. We drank our Buttery coffee and ate our Union brunch and then I headed home to immerse myself in the guide (both restaurants receive mentions, by the way).
Reading any sort of restaurant guide or review makes me crave its contents, but this one was different. Each entry gets a two page spread, the left page with the the vitals (name, address, hours, type of cuisine, price bracket, etc) and the right page with a paragraph or two of description, crisp photography and what you've got to try. It's extremely accessible and gives the reader everything she needs. And with only 45 restaurants and 45 shops, it's hardly daunting.
After having devoured the guide cover to cover, I decided to give myself a challenge. I am going to eat my way through eat.shop Boston. So by New Year's Eve 2007, I will have experienced all 45 restaurants of the eat.shop guide. I will post weekly reviews of the restaurants I visit on the Challenge.
For a list of restaurants I will be visiting, click here. If you'd like to accompany me to any of them, let me know. I'm always looking for accomplices.
For a copy of eat.shop Boston, visit The South End Buttery or click here.
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