OUTDOOR PATIO
Ristorante Quartino is big on toppings and delicious crust. Our pizza was covered, literally, with arugula, squash, fresh mushrooms, eggplant, asparagus, and onion. I have had better sauce, (not enough flavor for me), but with so many nutrients and a nice chewy crust, I choose not to complain.
Moving on to the prize-winning salad. My eyes followed an enormous array of leafy greens chock full of crisp, exotic, and vibrantly colored vegetables in a delightfully enormous portion as the dish was placed in front of me. Music to my mouth!
This place is the real deal. Love at first try with the funky artsy environmentalist feel. An extensive, comfortable, candlelit outdoor seating area adds to the warm and fuzzy atmosphere (potentially due to the number of enticing drink concoctions we felt compelled to try).
Immediately upon entering, college bar aroma invades the nostrils; do NOT be deterred. The food and drinks are sophisticated, super fresh and quite remarkable. They use as many of their own organically grown ingredients with exception of the ingredients they can’t grow fast enough --for which they outsource to local organic farmers. We each ordered salads that had many delicious herbs, veggies, and crisp leafy variations that were unmistakably fresh. My palate was left with a satisfying tingly buzz from fresh spicy ingredients without having added any dressing. I would nominate these for some of the best quality salads in the city. Our main courses were outstanding; the fish a light, evenly distributed crisp on the outside with a perfectly textured moist and flaky inside. The vegetables, though cooked, still had the crunch of freshness approval. I could have done without some of the unnecessary greasiness, as usual. The caramelized onion cream sauce, although we had it on the side, caused us to basically lick the dish. The duck was very tender and tasty and the goat cheese spread beneath the veggies was an absolutely wondrous compilation. Mmm. We had to pass on half price bottles of wine Wednesday since there were so many other intriguing options. The Skrumpy’s Apple Cider Brew was 22 oz. of blissful dessert beer. The house made Uncommon Bloody Mary had a nice spice and balanced bloody taste. The sangria was good and the basil infused bourbon was very smooth although the basil flavor wasn’t very prominent. All the other infused liquors tasted like rubbing alcohol and I wouldn’t recommend them. Uncommon Ground also has live music leaving yet another reason to return.
Opening at 4 pm tonight, walking into the George Street Pub will give you the choice of nearly 50 beers - 16 on tap and 30 bottled - as well as what UrbanDaddy calls "New Orleans-tinged seafood" (like fish and chips, a fried walleye sandwich, and jumbalaya), burgers, and an assortment of fried appetizers. Your taste buds will surely thank you once you mix your meal with the perfect brew, and it's definitely possible with as many choices as there are available. The place isn't huge, but it offers a cozy atmosphere - with high-ish ceilings that help you not feel claustrophobic when the space gets a little crowded. Just in time for baseball season, you can catch the games on one of many televisions or take your food and drink outside to the patio once this brutal winter finally morphs into spring. Cheers!
If you never have been to this Boston gem, you’ve been missing out. The Parish Café and Bar started in the Back Bay when Gordon Wilcox approached all the top chefs in Boston and asked them to create a sandwich for the menu. That is the reason why this restaurant is always flooded with people. Sit inside by the bar or outside on the patio. The Parish Cafe is so good Wilcox opened a second location in South End and never strayed from the formula. He offered the same favorite menu of oversized sandwiches.Trying to find a favorite chef on the menu will be easy since each sandwich is named for the chef and the restaurant they come from.
It’s not just the Parisian lamps, classic French zinc top bar or the spectacular outdoor patio that spells love for Bouchee. The best of this vintage French feel is the authentic French brasserie cuisine. Lunch or Dinner, Bouchee, serves the favorites including steak frites, duck confit, and cassoulet. They offer an ice raw bar and an outstanding wine list with ever-changing world-class international selections.
The Moules a la Provencal appear a few times on the lunch and dinner menus with good reason. The mussels are steamed with tomatoes, white wine, garlic, herbs and crouton. The sauce is more like a broth which you’ll want to dip whatever is edible on the table. Of course the cassoulet is a must amid baked beans with meltingly braised bacon and a chuck of fresh pork, a full leg of confit duck, and a fine lean lamb sausage. And don’t forget to not hold back on the dessert. There is a Crème Brulee with your name on it.
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