Tag Archives: Dining

Wake up… Get up… So where will you brunch today. Do tell.

Ming Tsai’s new restaurant Blue Dragon is rumored to be opening their doors today. His restaurant is the first since Drink and Sportello opened to get my attention.  For all the fanfare about restaurants opening in Fort Point Channel and Seaport, few seem to be memorable, but I feel that could all change with Blue Dragon.

Ming Tsai is one of my favorite chefs in the United States and unlike many celebrity chefs who rely on their name to carry their brand as they open one restaurant after another, Chef Tsai has diligently cultivated a large and faithful following at his Wellesley restaurant Blue Ginger since it first opened in 1998.

Adding to the appeal of the new restaurant is news that one of my favorite bar tenders in Boston will be pouring drinks for Ming Tsai. John Drew has picked up a following of barflies like myself from his days at Anchovies in the South End. While I’d love to have him in my n’hood pouring drinks, Ming’s new restaurant is close enough that I know I’ll be able to get a chance to see more of him.

324 A Street – (617) 338-8585

Are you a serial bruncher? Is that even a word? Where are some of your favorite restaurants to grab brunch (include your city if you mention restaurants outside of Boston).

Boston Chops now lights up the corner of Washington and Union Park Street in the South End with the restaurants newly installed signage.  For those familiar with previous tenants, the dining space has been completely reconfigured, moving the bar from the front of the restaurant to the left side (Union Park Street).  The bar will be among the largest in the neighborhood boasting 30 seats.  In addition to the 110 seat restaurant a 20+ seat patio is also planned to allow patrons the chance to sit outside along Washington Street.

Zagat Boston indicates Boston Chops is targeting Tuesday, February 5th to open, but who can really say with any certainty? Thanks to friend and fellow blogger, Julian, for forwarding the Zagat post.

For those of you who have the day off tomorrow, here is a suggestion. I wish I could join you but I’ll be up far earlier and working through the day. However, if I had the day off – I’m sure you’d find me here.

At this point in my life I feel as if I can read a French, Italian, Spanish or Portuguese menu with little confusion.  However, I have to admit there seems an inconsistency in many American restaurant menus serving these cuisines.  I can’t figure out why chefs print an English menu but randomly insert words in the native language of the cuisine they cook. Do they think by printing pollo the chicken will seem more authentically Italian? By reading fromage will I feel like I’m at an outdoor cafe in Paris?

I can appreciate that restaurants serving cuisines from other countries are always trying to prove how authentic the food will be for patrons, but more often than not, it seems either patronizing or just confuses their clientele.

Food tastes great when the ingredients are fresh, prepared correctly, and served so it is visually appealing. If chefs think printing menu ingredients in another language makes their plates seem more authentic they are just fooling themselves and probably losing business from customers too timid to inquire about the menu item(s) in question.