Category Archives: South End

Restaurant review: Mela

Posted on January 3, 2012 | 1 comment

Once upon a time if you wanted to eat Indian in Boston you had to go to the Back Bay, which is home to more curry houses than any other neighborhood.  Fortunately a few years ago a successful local management company that owns several Indian restaurants in Boston opened Mela in the South End.

Mela consistently cooks flavorful dishes at a reasonable price.  Dinner including an appetizer, main dish and dessert (no drink or tip included) will cost $20.00 – $25.00 per person.  However, if you are like me temptations like Samosas and Naan will lead you to order more than you can eat and result in bringing home extra food. Mela recently added a limited organic menu featuring locally sourced ingredients, which I didn’t try on this visit but wanted to mention.

Tomato & Coconut soup – $5.00  and  Vegetable Samosa – $4.00

For our main dishes we ordered chicken tikka masala, a tandori-style plate cooked in rich tomato cream sauce.  We also ordered baingan bhartha which is a house specialty that includes baked eggplant with onion, garlic, ginger and spices.  Both meals were extremely satisfying and flavorful.  Not depicted below is the large bowl of jasmine rice which accompanies all entrees.

Chicken Tikka Masala $15   and   Baingan Bhartha $13

Mela is open for lunch as well as dinner and is relatively easy to get a table except during peak hours on weekends when a reservation are recommended.

Mela is in the South End at 578 Tremont Street  Tel: (617) 859-4805

Mela on Urbanspoon

1 Comment

Posted in Restaurant Review, South End

Tagged , , ,

Siena Farms South End

Posted on December 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Last week Siena Farms opened their first year-round, micro farm store in Boston.  I didn’t want to write about the cozy little storefront until I had the opportunity to visit it in person.  The space is located next to the popular Barbara Lynch restaurant, The Butcher Shop.  In addition to having fresh produce which comes from their Sudbury, MA farm, they sell Iggy Bread and select baked goods from the Cambridge bakery, Sofra.

Siena Farms South End storefront offers residents another alternative to the SoWa Winter Market which is hosted each Sunday and which I wrote about last month here.   I’m happy to see another small business opening their doors in the South End and wish them luck.  I’ll stop by next week to pick up some produce, and I hope you will too.

Siena Farms – 106 Waltham Street, Boston

Tuesday – Sunday, 12PM – 8PM

Leave a comment

Posted in South End

Tagged , ,

Verna + 28 degrees = fun

Posted on December 4, 2011 | Leave a comment

Much loved Boston drag queen, Verna Turbulence will be spreading holiday cheer as only Verna knows how at 28 Degrees tonight from 7:30 – 10:00PM.

Verna and a few special guests will be performing to get you in the mood for the holidays.   What could be better than ending your weekend with a delicious martini at 28 Degrees while watching Verna vamp it up?

28 Degrees is at 1 Appleton Street

Leave a comment

Posted in Gay, South End

Tagged , ,

South End restaurant gossip: Jamie Bissonnette

Posted on November 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

The Boston Restaurant Talk blog is adding more fuel to the rumor mill that Columbus Cafe is closing shortly with their recent post from Wednesday, November 23rd.

On my walk by Columbus Cafe this morning to the South End’s newest coffee shop, Render Coffee, I saw the Columbus Cafe filled with brunch patrons.  While I would welcome another restaurant by Jamie Bissonnette (this would be his third in the South End neighborhood). I would be sorry to see Columbus Cafe — a solid cheap eats, casual restaurant — close its doors.

From Boston Restaurant Talk
“We had written about an upcoming breakfast and lunch spot from the chef and one of the owners of Coppa on Shawmut Avenue and Toro on Washington Street (both of which are in the South End), but have not been able to confirm where exactly the eatery may open. It was mentioned on the chat that the space where the Columbus Cafe currently resides might be where it opens, but no definitive word on whether this Columbus Avenue restaurant is even closing for sure (we had also written about their possible closure awhile back).”

Leave a comment

Posted in Dining, South End

Tagged , , , ,

SoWa winter farmers’ market each Sunday

Posted on November 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

The SoWa Winter Farmers’ Market is an extension of the SoWa Open Market which in recent years has grown to include a Farmer’s Market.  Unlike the SoWa Open Market which runs from Spring through the end of October, this market will provide South End residents with food products from the New England region through the winter months.

Market Location: Held indoors at 485 Harrison Ave, Boston MA

Days and Hours of Operation:  Every Sunday from 10AM-2PM through through April 29, 2012. Excluding December 25, 2011 and January 1, 2012.

There is ample free parking.

Leave a comment

Posted in South End, SoWa

Tagged , , ,

Columbus Cafe future in question

Posted on October 25, 2011 | 1 comment

Rumors that Columbus Cafe was sold and would be closing at the end of November in recent months have been so pervasive that one could hear candid (albeit hushed conversations) every time you walked into the restaurant and bar so earlier this month I wrote about the pending close, bemoaning the loss of another great cheap eats in my October 14th post, Columbus Cafe to Close in November.

Imagine my surprise when I see Columbus Cafe issuing a GroupOn valid through early next year! Was the talk of a sale a gimmick? Did the sale fall through or has the place been sold and the new owners plan to retain the name of the popular neighborhood restaurant?

UPDATE: The riff between the owners of Columbus Cafe has escalated and without going into details my source maintains the property has been sold.

1 Comment

Posted in Dining, South End

Tagged , ,

South End chocolate chip cookie tasting

Posted on October 25, 2011 | 2 comments

At the risk of expanding my waistline, I enlisted two friends this weekend to help me evaluate where the best chocolate chip cookies are sold in the South End.

The result of this sampling which included a weighted ranking system evaluating taste, appearance and size as key factors from three cookie connoisseurs may surprise you.  None of the locations were tipped off that this sampling was going to take place and cookies were randomly selected by the unsuspecting purveyors of chocolate chip cookies.  The locations included (alphabetically): Appleton Bakery, Flour, Francesca’s, Jaho, South End Buttery, South End Formaggio and Wholy Grain.

Although photos show the cookies labelled, during the tasting the labels were not visible.  Without a doubt the absolute best cookie (unanimously agreed upon by all) was from the bakery at Appleton Cafe with a ranking of 79.5.  This cookie scored high in all three categories: taste, appearance and size, and was soft with plenty of good chocolate chips. I had to fight the urge to dip it in my milk. The cookie from Flour bakery was the runner-up scoring 71 points.  In my opinion the chocolate used in this cookie was superior to all giving it a rich flavoring.

Listed below is the complete ranking of those bakeries and cafes sampled along with the cost of purchase and final score earned by each cookie.

Much thanks to Ben Samson and Ryan Losey two South End residents and chocolate chip cookie aficionados who helped in the blind tasting.

*Amsterdam Cafe, Berkeley Perk, Blunch, Greenlight Cafe, and Stella Cafe were not included either because they were not open or did not have chocolate chip cookies available at the time of purchase.

2 Comments

Posted in Restaurant Review, South End

Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Pops restaurant closes

Posted on October 18, 2011 | 2 comments

Boston Restaurant Talk is reporting the South End restaurant Pops on Tremont Street closed its doors over the weekend.

According to a source within the Boston media, Pops Restaurant on Tremont Street shut its doors over the weekend. A call placed to the eatery yesterday evening could not go through as no one was answering, and OpenTable is no longer taking reservations for the place.

I’m sorry to see the restaurant close it’s doors even if I’d stopped going. Earlier this year I wrote about my frustration with Pops in my post, Pops continues to lack consistency.  Hopefully the space will not remain vacant for long.

2 Comments

Posted in Dining, South End

Tagged , ,

Columbus Cafe to close in November

Posted on October 14, 2011 | 8 comments

Earlier this spring the South End Patch and local blogs reported that the Columbus Cafe had been put up for sale.  Although, I’ve not had a chance to talk to Jim Contreras, I learned this week that the unpretentious cheap eats restaurant, which has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can recall will close at the end of November.

I’ll be sorry to speak of Columbus Cafe in the past tense, as I’ve been a long time fan of the affordable comfort food and casual dining experience that this place has come to perfect.  The space will not remain vacant for long as I’ve been told a new owner will be opening a restaurant, presumably under a new name and with a new menu shortly after Columbus Cafe closes.

Want to check out Columbus Cafe before it closes its doors? You can find the restaurant in the South End at 535 Columbus Avenue – no reservations required.

8 Comments

Posted in Dining, South End

Tagged , ,

Union Bar and Grille

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Union Bar and Grille, a signature fine dining restaurant owned by the Aquitaine Group, will be introducing a new menu that may take some by surprise and delight many.  This is not the typical summer to fall menu change Boston diners are seeing around the city as chefs substitute plates with ingredients more in line with the season.

The new menu which will roll out later this month will include more small plates and a lower price point. Why the change? Why now? Contributing factors are likely the soft economy and the fact that small plates is a dining trend that remains popular; especially in the South End.

Union has been a destination restaurant almost since its first day, but the landscape in the South End has changed and revamping their menu is a smart move. This foodie will be excited to sample the many new options and if you live in the area – I’d encourage you to do the same.

Union Bar and Grille is located at 1357 Washington Street in the South End.

Leave a comment

Posted in Dining, South End, SoWa

Tagged , , , ,

South End cheap eats

Posted on July 3, 2011 | 4 comments

The South End is not a restaurant district, but it certainly has many options for Foodies and in my opinion some of Boston’s most interesting dining establishments. Unfortunately, it may cost you more than $50 to have a meal if you don’t know where some of the South End’s best cheap eats are located.

I thought I’d make a list of a few cheap eats that do this neighborhood proud. I only considered restaurants that are open for dinner and have table service.

ADDIS RED SEA is an authentic Ethiopian restaurant located in the heart of the neighborhood on Tremont Street. Ethiopian cuisine is surprisingly flavorful and a bit exotic at least by my standards. Main dishes range in price with most falling between $8-$15; sharing dishes will make a stop here even more affordable.

ANCHOVIES is nestled discretely on Columbus Avenue and it serves up good home style Italian-American cooking. Main dishes for dinner all come with bread and a house salad and range from $12-$15.

Columbus Cafe is located on the corner of Columbus Ave and Claremont Park. The cozy restaurant and bar also has a small street side patio for al fresco dining. The menu is filled with comfort food all reasonably priced with main dishes ranging from $11-$19.

ORINOCO is a rustic Venezuelan restaurant on Shawmut Avenue, just a few blocks up from Mass Ave. Their coooking nicely blends flavors I normally associate with Latin American and the Caribean cooking. If you are lucky, you can snag a seat outside at one of the few tables they have. Main dishes range from $8-$19.

PICCO Just across the street from ADDIS RED SEA is the Pizza & Ice Cream Co. (PICCO). The menu is mostly pizza, sandwiches and pasta. This place has a large patio that also provides excellent people watching. Main dishes range from $8-$14. For an even cheaper option; split a large pizza and delicious dessert. (I like the brownie sundae.)

What are some of your favorite cheap eats for dinner?

4 Comments

Posted in Dining, South End

Tagged , , , ,

Restaurant Review: Stephi’s on Tremont

Posted on June 12, 2011 | 1 comment

Almost without fail, every Sunday I go out for breakfast. It’s a routine that I very much enjoy and thanks to the neighborhood that I live, there are plenty of options all within just a few blocks.

Ever since Stephi’s on Tremont opened in March of 2009 it’s been embraced by the neighborhood. It was a welcome replacement to the predecessor, which had become run down. Stephi’s owners (also the owners of Stephanie’s on Newbury) transformed the space into a 60+ seat restaurant that is always busy.

The weekend brunch menu for Stephi’s will appeal even to the pickiest of eaters with an even number of breakfast and lunch options ranging in price from $10-$16. Portion size is large no matter what you order and service is consistent. If you make a reservation and don’t want to sit on their sidewalk patio, I always recommend requesting one of the oversized booths at the front of the restaurant that provide you a birds eye view of the pedestrian traffic that never seems to end and often is great for people watching.

My preferred breakfast item is Stephi’s 3-egg omelet filled w/ smoked salmon, fried capers and a side of home fries. I also ask for the cream cheese on the side (otherwise they stuff that in the omelet too – and its just too much for me).

Smoked Salmon Omelet from Stephi’s $12.00


Stephi’s on Tremont is located at 571 Tremont Street in the South End
Reservations: Not required but suggested (617) 236-2063
Stephi's on Tremont on Urbanspoon

1 Comment

Posted in Restaurant Review, South End

Tagged , , , ,