Restaurant & Bar Reviews

Woodward is a happening spot for tasty food with an old feel, it is named for a tavern once housed in the Ames family home, Woodward is a modern-day tavern that incorporates local fresh foods and a dynamic beverage selection.

“Located at 1 Court Street and Washington Mall in downtown Boston, the Ames Building was designed by the architectural firm of Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge in Richardsonian Romanesque and paid for by Frederick L. Ames. It is the second tallest masonry load bearing-wall structure in the world, exceeded only by the Monadnock Building in Chicago, completed that same year.” (Quoted from Wikipedia)

I started with the Steak Tartar (topped with an egg, not a usual choice for me but the dish was delicious none the less)

The Simple greens salad was topped with pumpkin seeds, cucumber, dill yogurt and a cider vinaigrette, fantastic!

Also at the table we tried the Steamed mussels, pork belly, fennel, garlic and Woodward Ale! Unforgettable!

This is a common stop for us when we have people in town and want to show them a comfortable setting with deluxe food and as dressy as you want to make it. I highly recommend stopping into Woodward at the Ames hotel if you are in Boston.

If you are looking for a lunch spot, in the sun, next to the bay, look no further than 100 Atlantic Avenue and Joe’s American Bar and Grill. They have a great family friendly menu that also caters to the Gluten intolerant. The wine selection is fantastic for the diverse crowd this restaurant services. They even have a few unexpected gems on the menu like the Asian Tuna Salad (barley seared with a wonderfully light sauce on the side) this is a must have when I stop in for a bite.

New spot in Boston, big lunch time and after work crowds. Outside seating area is sometimes tough to get into because of privately booked events. With this being the most windy area in Boston I’d prefer to sit inside anyway.

I had the fish of the day which was excellent, a nice piece of Grouper on sautéed vegetables with a chorizo sauce

We also had the shrimp salad which unfortunately had far to much salt to be enjoyable.

I had a glass of the El Coto ‘Crianza’, Tempranillo (Rioja) and loved it!

Overall the service was a tad bit slow and we had a few issues with our order, they kindly comped us for these which made up for the distress. I’ll probably be going back but this spot is not on the top of my list, if you want to stop in make a reservation at TICO restaurant before showing up as it can get crowded fast with the work crowd.

If you’re looking for some history, with a bit of wine and slew of unique people in one of the smallest bars I’ve been in, then checkout La Carafe in Houston Texas.

A little bit about the building “The La Carafe building is listed on the National Register for Historic Places and is believed to be the oldest bar in Houston, and is the oldest commercial building still in use, in Houston. Built by developer Nathaniel Kellum in 1847, the La Carafe building has remained a two-story public venue since it’s construction.”

A little bit about the building”…made of old brick and wood around the window frames. The wood has been replaced, but the brick is original. When facing the building, one will notice a fairly new development to it’s left and an empty parking lot found at the building’s right. Because the building’s right side is exposed, the patchwork design of the building’s history through wars and remodeling is seen in the brick, concrete and wood found along this wall.”

New Address 1008 Prairie Street | Houston, TX 77002
Prohibition Website

Stopped by this place when it was next to the Galleria in hopes of getting into the sold out burlesque show via the waitlist. We were able to sneak a peak at the show (even though we didn’t make the waitlist)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a happening old time speakeasy style bar and restaurant. The bartenders have a dress code that identifies their skill levels: vest = first level, suspenders the next level, all black with suspenders = mixologist.

I started with a ‘Southern Lady’

It was a little to strong for my taste, moving on to some wine from their fun selection which also features the beloved Chimay!

We started with the Caprese Salad and the Wasabi Calamari

 

Finished with the Truffle Mac and Cheese (which left something to be desired)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surf & Turf (mostly turf with extra seasoning)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Crab Role without the roll! (Best Crab I’ve ever had!!!!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next time I’m in Houston I wouldn’t think twice to come back, we had a great time and were surrounded with a fabulous energy (reminded me of one of the SupersShag pole showcases a few years back great taste and good friends) I recommend you book a reservation at Prohibition or just show up at the bar and see what you can get!

Towne is the latest addition to the Lyons group of restaurants in Boston . It is located in Back Bay in the Hynes Convention centre.

The restaurant has not one but 2 of Boston’s celeb chefs, Lydia Shire and Jasper White.

There are 3 bars located on 2 floors and a great outside dining area.

I had the salmon which was excellent.

Deffo worth a visit.
To make a reservation

Sonsie is a Boston institution. Located at the funky end of Newbury Street this hip watering hole was very much the epicenter of Supershag,s formative years.

This was deffo the place to be scene

The restaurant became the place for the beautiful people of Boston to hang out but it also had really good food.

As I had not been there for about 5 years I was very interested to see if anything had changed.

So the menu has changed a bit but the peppercorn steak is still there.this was their classic dish and is really good.

I had the tuna sashimi which really is tuna tartar. It was fantastic.

The chicken was also very good.
Sonsie has free Wi-fi and it is great fun to sit in the front of the reatauant and watch Newbury Street go about it’s business.
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This branch of the Oliver and Bonacini group is located in the financial district of Toronto. The restaurant consists of a bar, sidewalk cafe, restaurant and outside covered dining area.

Light fixtures in bar are really funky.

Outside was also very pleasant.

Tuna was very good.

So was the salmon .
I also had brunch here which was excellent.
Once again the staff at all the restaurants I visited in Toronto were really good and mostly very funny. The guys here were great.
I will definately go back if I find myself in Toronto again.
To make a reservation

As in Buenos Aires ,Gusto , which opened in Feb 2012 is located in an old auto body repair shop.

The restaurant is located on 2 levels . Downstairs has an outside patio and indoor dining. Upstairs is totally open air.

The food while not gourmet was very good.

Octopus was very tasty .

Beef tartar was served with figs and was very different but very tasty.
The place is extremely hip and it seems that dress code is whatever you want.
I really enjoyed the place and re staff were excellent.
To make a reservation

The Wythe Hotel has been getting some rave reviews recently in magazines that matter. Located in Williamsburg it is a bit out of the way and not in the most desirable place .It is however well worth the trip for a couple of reasons .

The food is very good and very different.

Seafood salad was really good

Arctic Char was served sushi style with yoghurt giving it flavor . Sounded really awful to me but it actually really worked.

The lamb special once again had a lot of exotic combinations none of which I now remember but it was delicious.
The actual restaurant is very cool but unfortunately the acoustics are pretty awful.

The dress code is very casual. If however you did want to dress up you would not feel out of place.

While the wine list is good the beer list I pretty stellar.

If you are lucky enough to visit between Wednesday and Sunday you really do have to visit the roof-top bar.

The view of Manhattan is spectacular and the music is loud.
Definately check this place out if you are in Brooklyn.To make a reservation