A trip to the Fenway neighborhood to do some errands was the perfect excuse to have lunch at Tiger Mama. We've been neglecting our list of new restaurants to try, and this one was high on that roster.
Lunch for two gave us the opportunity to try the Crispy Braised Pork & Pate Banh Mi that Penny had spotted on the online lunch menu. The description reads, "Garlicky pork spread, banh mi veggies, scallion vinaigrette."
We say, "Yes but you should have mentioned the roll that was a perfect match for this traditional Vietnamese offering." Often Banh Mi sandwiches are made with bread that is too substantial to allow the flavors of the fillings to shine.
We added the Chilled Salmon Chopped Salad. The menu describes it as, "Ginger garlic poached and chilled salmon, spicy greens, avocado, little potatoes, spicy peanut ginger dressing."
The lunch portions are large, as the excellent bartender warned another set of diners at the bar. They had ordered a lot of food to try. We heard and, even with two dishes, took some of the salad home for later snacking.
In this photo from the Tiger Mama website, you see the tables for six with a Lazy Susan to facilitate sharing. We can't wait to come back with four friends to fill that turntable with shareable items from the dinner menu.
Like Sweet Cheeks Q, another favorite of ours from the same team, this place is full of interesting details from a wall of greens …
To a fabulous piece of word art that contains proverbs in three languages. (Ask your server for a translation.)
Tin ceiling panels and wire lamps just seem right in this setting.
We follow the lead of our favorite food scout, MC Slim JB, so Tiger Mama went on our list as soon as this review appeared. Our first visit took far too long but our next one will be soon.
Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Dad to a meal out on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, 2013. Unlike many special occasion days, more restaurants are featuring their regular menus for Dad with a few specials added in some places.
Our picks: We looked at our selections from last year and think they all still stand.
On chowhound, one contributor said that, “Island Creek is the one to beat these days…” We agree. In our opinion, Island Creek Oyster Bar sets the standard for relaxed, comfortable dining with outstanding food and great cocktail and wine programs. We haven’t given them nearly as much coverage as we should, considering how much we like the place. Here’s a post from their early days, and they continue to set the bar high. So, if you want a table there, call right now.
Sweet Cheeks Q in the Fenway may seem to be just for the meat lovers in the clan, but they put out some great veggies and a tray of hot and cold scoops (as they call them) with a remarkable farm salad that will put a smile on any one with a preference for vegetarian fare. And, remember to order the crazy-good biscuits. (You may want to treat Dad to a doggie bag of them for the rest of the week!)
And, if you’re going to Dad’s house, consider ordering take out from Sweet Cheeks. We had our first take out from there recently and were very pleased. Ask Dad to turn on his oven for a quick reheat the right way and arrive with great food in hand.
Another great spot to share a meal, any day of the week, is Coppa in the South End. You can even top off your meal with a quick shopping trip to South End Formaggio across the street. We always do! And, that will let you create a super take-home gift that Dad can help select. Need more convincing? Take a look at:
And, for the best gift, let Dad choose something from his Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card. And, if he doesn’t shop online, offer to sit with your Dad and take him on an Amazon Shopping Trip.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Dad to a meal out on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, 2013. Unlike many special occasion days, more restaurants are featuring their regular menus for Dad with a few specials added in some places.
Our picks: We looked at our selections from last year and think they all still stand.
On chowhound, one contributor said that, “Island Creek is the one to beat these days…” We agree. In our opinion, Island Creek Oyster Bar sets the standard for relaxed, comfortable dining with outstanding food and great cocktail and wine programs. We haven’t given them nearly as much coverage as we should, considering how much we like the place. Here’s a post from their early days, and they continue to set the bar high. So, if you want a table there, call right now.
Sweet Cheeks Q in the Fenway may seem to be just for the meat lovers in the clan, but they put out some great veggies and a tray of hot and cold scoops (as they call them) with a remarkable farm salad that will put a smile on any one with a preference for vegetarian fare. And, remember to order the crazy-good biscuits. (You may want to treat Dad to a doggie bag of them for the rest of the week!)
And, if you’re going to Dad’s house, consider ordering take out from Sweet Cheeks. We had our first take out from there recently and were very pleased. Ask Dad to turn on his oven for a quick reheat the right way and arrive with great food in hand.
Another great spot to share a meal, any day of the week, is Coppa in the South End. You can even top off your meal with a quick shopping trip to South End Formaggio across the street. We always do! And, that will let you create a super take-home gift that Dad can help select. Need more convincing? Take a look at:
And, for the best gift, let Dad choose something from his Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card. And, if he doesn’t shop online, offer to sit with your Dad and take him on an Amazon Shopping Trip.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Dad to a meal out on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16, 2013. Unlike many special occasion days, more restaurants are featuring their regular menus for Dad with a few specials added in some places.
Our picks: We looked at our selections from last year and think they all still stand.
On chowhound, one contributor said that, “Island Creek is the one to beat these days…” We agree. In our opinion, Island Creek Oyster Bar sets the standard for relaxed, comfortable dining with outstanding food and great cocktail and wine programs. We haven’t given them nearly as much coverage as we should, considering how much we like the place. Here’s a post from their early days, and they continue to set the bar high. So, if you want a table there, call right now.
Sweet Cheeks Q in the Fenway may seem to be just for the meat lovers in the clan, but they put out some great veggies and a tray of hot and cold scoops (as they call them) with a remarkable farm salad that will put a smile on any one with a preference for vegetarian fare. And, remember to order the crazy-good biscuits. (You may want to treat Dad to a doggie bag of them for the rest of the week!)
And, if you’re going to Dad’s house, consider ordering take out from Sweet Cheeks. We had our first take out from there recently and were very pleased. Ask Dad to turn on his oven for a quick reheat the right way and arrive with great food in hand.
Another great spot to share a meal, any day of the week, is Coppa in the South End. You can even top off your meal with a quick shopping trip to South End Formaggio across the street. We always do! And, that will let you create a super take-home gift that Dad can help select. Need more convincing? Take a look at:
And, for the best gift, let Dad choose something from his Wish List. Get an Amazon Gift Card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card. And, if he doesn’t shop online, offer to sit with your Dad and take him on an Amazon Shopping Trip.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 12, 2013.
Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2013 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)
If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!
For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 12, 2013.
Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.
OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.
Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.
As more great Boston Food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!
For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.
Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.
If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.
And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.
Details: Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photo: istockphoto.com
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 12, 2013.
Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2013 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)
If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!
For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 12, 2013.
Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.
OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.
Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.
As more great Boston Food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!
For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.
Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.
If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.
And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.
Details: Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photo: istockphoto.com
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 12, 2013.
Keep in mind that this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Simmons College, Emmanuel College, Fisher College, Emerson College, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2013 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)
If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!
For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 12, 2013.
Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.
OpenTable always does a great job of guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.
Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from their members.
As more great Boston Food sites publish their recommendations, we'll post updates here! Follow us on Twitter ( @BostonZest ) for notice of those additions!
For a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat-and-taters brother, and the family epicure.
Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.
If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood in a big, comfortable room with reservations and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.
And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.
Details: Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photo: istockphoto.com
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Would your Dad love to get his hands into some great BBQ at Sweet Cheeks Q?
For Father's Day dining ideas, here are two excellent lists of restaurant suggestions.
Open Table always does a great job guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.
Boston Chef's has a special list from their members. Updated info: June 10th!
Our picks:
On chowhound recently, one contributor said that, "Island Creek is the one to beat these days…" We agree. In our opinion, Island Creek Oyster Bar sets the standard for relaxed, comfortable dining with outstanding food and great cocktail and wine programs. We haven't given them nearly as much coverage as we should, considering how much we like the place. Here's a post from their early days, and they continue to set the bar high. So, if you want a table there, call right now.
Sweet Cheeks Q in the Fenway may seem to be just for the meat lovers in the clan, but they put out some great veggies and a tray of hot and cold scoops (as they call them) with a remarkable farm salad that will put a smile on any one with a preference for vegetarian fare. And, remember to order the crazy-good biscuits. (You may want to treat Dad to a doggie bag of them for the rest of the week!) Check out our Sweet Cheeks posts:
Another great spot to share a meal, any day of the week, is Coppa in the South End. You can even top off your meal with a quick shopping trip to South End Formaggio across the street. We always do! And, that will let you create a super take-home gift that Dad can help select. Need more convincing? Take a look at:
And, for the best gift, let Dad choose something from his wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card. And, if he doesn't shop online, offer to sit with your Dad and take him on an Amazon shopping trip.
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers’ comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often, those add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Keep in mind that in Boston, this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Emmanuel College, Boston Conservatory, Fisher College, Emerson College, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2012 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)
If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!
For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are three excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 13, 2012.
Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.
OpenTable always does a great job guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.
Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from list from their members.
With a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat and taters brother, and the family epicure.
Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in with the food. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.
If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood, in a big comfortable room, with reservations, and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.
And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.
Details: Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino Photo: istockphoto.com
Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
Looking for porky goodness? We found it last weekend at Sweet Cheeks in the Fenway. We had to pick up an item at the Landmark Center, so we checked our "restaurants to try" list for that area and decided on lunch at Sweet Cheeks. Smart move!
We grabbed two seats at the bar and put ourselves in the very capable hands of Rich who guided us through our meal, and saw that our every wish was granted two seconds before we thought of it. Phenomenal food with fantastic service. This is our kind of place.
The menu calls for decisions. Ed was too hungry to make many of those, so he went for the pulled pork sandwich on a bulkie roll (rather than Texas Toast) and added a hot side of collard greens. They were served in the blue mug.
Here's a close up on that pulled pork.
Penny went for the tray of ribs and chose her hot side as BBQ beans, and her cold side as the farm salad. There were also two slices of white bread and a pickle pile on the tray.
If this photo is not one of her best, it's because the aroma of those ribs were a serious distraction, and she was trying to hand the camera off to Ed so she could pull that pork off those bones. Ahhhhh! Smoky, sweet, salty, pork candy.
And, that salad! As those of you who follow BostonZest know, Penny is not a salad person. She seldom orders one, but this promised brussel sprouts and she does love spouts. It was a delight and might be a side she would return to Sweet Cheeks for, even if they didn't have all that incredible BBQ.
It may be dangerous that this place is within walking distance of our home. Having Marshall's Fenway Farm Stand a few doors away will only add to our excuses for a replay. We're already planning a table for 8 to fill one of the big hightops and to try the rest of the menu.
This is a Fenway spot, so get out there and enjoy it before baseball season has many of us staying away from anything in this area. Make it a winter of warm, wonderful BBQ from Sweet Cheeks.
Tomorrow, Ed will tell you about his beer and how it matched both meals right down to dessert. If you came in later, here's that post:.)
Here are a few follow up visits to Sweet Cheeks Q:
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Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card. And, if he doesn’t shop online, offer to sit with your Dad and take him on an Amazon Shopping Trip.