Tag Archives: boston

Mooo Restaurant, Boston

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Ever since we found out that Mooo had a Kobe beef steak on their menu G had planning on celebrating his MBA graduation there.  So, we made reservations for the Saturday in question and were looking forward to a nice celebratory dinner.

We were the first of your party to arrive for our 6:30pm reservation.  The restaurant is located on Beacon Hill with as side entrance that faces a parking area.  Once you enter you take a small step down into a modern, sleek room decorated in white and gray.  The soft, warm lighting makes the room feel inviting and comfortable.  We were seated at our table while we waited for the others and looked over the menu.  The menu is typical for a steak house with various cuts of beef for entree choices and side dishes which can be shared for the table.  The wine list is extensive without being overwhelming.  They offer a nice variety of choices though most were beyond our price range.  The waiter was helpful with our menu questions and also guided me through the wine list.  I particularly appreciated that he respected my request to stay within a certain price.  After some discussion, we decided on the Mount Veeder Winery, 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was delicious!  A beautiful big, bold, full bodied, smooth cab!

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O Ya, Boston

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Rarely does a restaurant live up to the hype generated by the media but in this case it certainly did.  Since being named the number one ‘Coast to Coast, Restaurants that Count’ 2008 by the New York Times’ Frank Bruni, O Ya has been on my radar.  We had wanted to try it for quite sometime however, given the expense felt we needed an occasion.  We decided it would be a perfect place to celebrate our 8 years in Boston and the last night in town before we flew down south.

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Locke Ober, Boston

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For our March NRT gathering we decided to take advantage of Boston Restaurant Week and try Locke Ober.  During this week participating restaurants offer prix fixe menus for $20.09 at lunch and $33.09 at dinner.  It is nice chance to try a restaurant which you might otherwise reserve for an occasion.  Every year we try to test out a new place during this week and have found some favorites which we return to often.

Locke Ober is one of the old guard restaurants which are synonymous with Boston dining.  The room is magnificently elegant with warm mahogany, huge plate glass mirrors, decorated tin ceilings, and graceful chandeliers.  You almost felt as though you have stepped back in time.  We were seated and were looking at the wine menu as we waited for the rest of the gang.  We selected a bottle of Pinot Noir and the waiter returned telling us they were out.  Then we selected another and they were out again.  Finally, they had our fourth choice.  This was a bit disappointing as they only had about eight Pinots to choose from.  But, more disappointing was our waiter’s lack of interest to help us find a wine they had.  Instead he just said no to each one we selected.

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Clink, Boston

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A few weeks ago a friend of ours was in town for a meeting and was lucky enough to be staying at the new(ish) Liberty Hotel. I have been curious about this hotel and the restaurant in it, Clink, so we met him there for dinner. The hotel is in the building which used to be the Charles St. Jail. It is a gorgeous, modern renovation in which you can still see the detail of the jailhouse. Clink is located on the second floor of the hotel. As you come up the escalator the landing is a large, trendy bar area which was quite crowded. You pass the bar to come to the hostess for the restaurant. The space is well designed keeping some of the elements of the jail such as the cell bars yet making the space modern and sleek. The menu is fun with snack items, cheese, charcuterie, appetizers and entrees. The emphasis on smaller items makes it perfect for sharing and grazing. We did just that and tried several items including; skinny fries with harissa aioli, veal meatball sliders, tuna tartare with citrus, seared sea scallops, and the hand cut pappardelle with lamb ragu. The tuna tartare was excellent with a clean citrus finish and the handcut pappardelle was wonderful, rich and hearty! Overall, all of the dishes were well prepared and tasty. It is a perfect place to meet friends, chat, and relax with some great food! I definitely recommend going to check out the wonderful renovation which maintains the integrity of the old jailhouse while still being modern and fun.

Clink Restaurant

http://www.libertyhotel.com/clink/index.html

215 Charles St.
Boston, MA
617-224-4004

L’Espalier, Boston

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Elegantly perfect! When I found out that L’Espalier was going to move out of their current location to the new Mandarin Hotel we decided our anniversary would be a good excuse to try this restaurant before the move. I wanted to try this Boston institution in the location they have been for some 20 years rather than a fancy new hotel.

We arrived a little early for our 7:30pm reservation and were taking pictures outside. The hostess came out and asked if she could take a picture of the two of us, so kind! Then we walked into a lovely long corridor and she asked for the name on the reservation. I told her and she said she would get the maître d’. When he came to seat us he greeted me by saying, “Good evening Mrs. X, Happy Anniversary!” How nice!

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