Some quick hits from the current Connoisseurs Corner run…heard daily on CBSBoston Radio, 1030am WBZ:
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| Waiter, more everything! |
1. The Street in
Chestnut Hill
There’s a new dining destination, and you don’t have to head
to downtown Boston to find a wide variety of choices. “The Street” in Chestnut Hill is really
gaining traction.
On the site of the former General Cinema and Macy’s at
Chesnut Hill, you can choose from Bernards for upscale Asian cuisine, Legal
Seafood, which speaks for itself, Davios, The Cottage, Del Frisco’s Grill, and
for the burger fan, the more casual Shake Shack.
With a Showcase Superlux theatre, the developer has really
made it a destination outside of Boston, with plenty of free parking and with
none of the traffic problems. Why run
into Boston, when you can walk the Street in Chesnut Hill?
2. Oga’s
I have never been a fan of sushi. I wouldn’t know sashimi from a shimmy, or
sushi from a shag rug…but I can’t be the Critical Palate without an expansive
palate, so over the past year, I’ve been introducing more sushi in to my diet,
and I’ve discovered a fabulous place.
Oga’s in Natick is a giant fish in a big ocean.
I tend to stay fairly mainstream with my fish choices. The varieties of tuna and salmon, and
veggies. But Oga’s takes things to a new
level…my kids really enjoy the miso soup and tuna sushi and sashimi, but the
big winner for us is a special item on their appetizer menu-spicy tuna
tostada. It is described on their menu
as Spicy tuna on a
crisp tempura rice ‘tostada’ with nori topped with watercress, red onion, and
red chili pepper. I could eat this all
day..
In
addition, they served a variety of cooked food, as well as udon noodle soup and
large custom sushi platters…do yourself a favor and try Oga’s in Natick…right
on Route 9 West at the intersection of Route 27.
3. El Recreo coffee
You people know I love my coffee, and I like it strong and
rich (like my women…), and I’m pleased to talk about a great new coffee spot
right on Centre Street in West Roxbury-El Recreo Estate Coffee.
We had the pleasure of having the owners, Miriam
and Hector in studio, and this is not some ordinary coffee. It is a company dedicated to bringing premium
Nicaraguan coffee to the States while practicing social and environmental
stewardship. It’s a single origin coffee
from a family farm in Nicaragua that’s Rainforest Alliance certified and you can find it at
Market Basket and other local shops. But these just aren’t coffee growers, roasters and brewers…they are teachers,
inviting other farmers to the coffee plantation to teach them growing methods,
while providing schooling and health care to them and their children while on
the farm. For the owners, it’s all about
giving back to their community, while bringing delicious coffee that you can
feel good about drinking. I really
encourage the listeners to stop in at El Recreo at 1876 Centre Street in West
Roxbury, or visit them at http://www.elrecreoestatecoffee.com/.
