Showing posts with label Downtown. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Downtown. Show all posts

Mediterranean Grill, Downtown, Boston

Mediterranean Grill in the Financial district in Boston is another good sandwich shop in the area. I went there for a late 5PM sandwich. Of course, at that time, it was one of the few sandwich places open, besides subway.

At that time, they had a choice of Pizza and cold sandwiches. I choose the latter and went with a Chicken Kabab sandwich. The server was friendly and soon I was enjoying my sandwich which had a little too much cheese but I liked it. I will visit it again in the next few days.

Movie Shoot at South Station

This morning a big crowd gathered near South Station and part of Atlantic Ave was blocked. Though I did not get to see any celebrities, I heard from one of the passersby that they were filming Mel Gibson's Edge of Darkness.

Duty called, and I had to leave in a hurry.

The South Station Trumpeter

After a tough day at work and all the dismal financial news this week, this guy brought me back to life with his trumpet. Thanks Mr. trumpeter!

Lunch at Subway: Chicken Pizziola

This was one of those days I decided to 'eat fresh'. Seriously, I felt the urge for marinara sauce and decided to have the Meatball Marinara at the Subway nearby. One rarely goes wrong with Subway.

When I saw the Chicken Pizziola, I decided to try it. Well, the foot long was just $5 but it was not the best that Subway had to offer. It was OK, but I should have just stuck with the Meatball Marinara. The new Chicken Pizziola is not much to write about.
The Macadamia nut cookie, also bought at Subway, made my little desert and was delicious.

Max's Deli, Downtown Boston

Max's Deli in Boston's Financial district is yet another good sandwich shop in the area. This was another place I had never tried before last week.

A mere $6.50 gave me a large delicious Chicken pull sandwich which the freindly server managed to spice up, just for me with chilli sauce. The deli is a small seating area and the servers are courteous and friendly. I'll be back there to pay them another visit.

Jane's Salad Buffet, Boston

274 Franklin St
Boston, MA 02110 (617) 737-1193

Despite the fact that this place is almost next door to work, I had not tried it until last week. Jane's Salad buffet serves a variety of salads, but my favorite is the sushi bar.

The choices are plenty: The salmon, the tuna, the california roll, the avacado role, the cucumber roll, etc and the quality is great too. Whatever type you choose, you only pay by weight.

Worth a lunch visit is my verdict.

Lannan Ship Model Gallery High Street Boston

I thought that this was the most appropriate article for Sept 19th, the International Talk Like a Pirate Day.

Boston's Financial District, an urban jungle of financial institutions and restaurants is the most unlikely place for an antique store, especially a Ship Model Gallery. However, this is where Lannan Ship Model Gallery is located, and seems to hold fort with its offerings. If one were to look into into windows, one would see a lot of its 'Ship' paraphernalia but also a dearth of customers, most of the time.

The store owners do not seem to be too concerned. The sign on the door says that they are open by appointment only. However, as I walked into the store, the sales person was quite amicable and let me in to take a look. My guess is that Lannan has a debonair clientele that makes appointments ahead of time and knows what it wants from the store.

Inside the store are a lot of models of ships, paintings, compasses, scopes and 'nautical' items', all steeply priced. The sales person told me that they are brought in from several places. Most objects looked clean and well maintained, and exquisite. This is a great place to window shop, while on a lunch break.

Restaurant: Susan's Deli

Today, I did something, I had never done before. I had lunch at Susan's Deli. What kept me away from this place, so close to where I work for so long? It was the bland decor that is visible from outside.

The walls are white, no pictures, no posters, nothing inviting either on the entrance or on the menu. Everything inside is plain. Still, I made it in today.

I ordered the Chicken Kabab meal which came with rice and salad. My choice of the salad was Russian. The portion was OK for the $6.75 Chicken Kabab meal.

About the taste, well it was pretty much like the decor. It was bland.

Umbria Restaurant

A few moons ago, we had a team dinner at Umbria, one of the fancier Italian restaurants in the Boston area.
Sure, the ambiance was good and its brick panels gave the place a lot of elegance. OK, now for the rest.

What is it about these restaurants, that they have to design their menu only for supermodels? The meal was good, but don’t ask me if it was worth the steep price. I ordered the Ravioli d’Aragosta which came in a bowl of flavorful sauce and had a few pieces of ravioli. The interesting part of the meal was desert which was delicious and a cross between yogurt and ice cream.

Apparently, the trick is to wine and dine your client or (supermodel)date in a place like this and then pickup a burger at Wendy’s on your way home. Your stomach will have plenty of room for it. (Wish I could say the same about your wallet.). Rajiv’s verdict: Enough said!

Viga Restaurant

Viga Eatery located on High Street is a decent sandwich shop close to downtown Boston. I tried their Chicken Parmesan on Fuchsia with extra sauce based on somebody's recommendation. I'd say it was good, not great. All Parmesan sandwiches seem to taste the same (or maybe my taste buds may have been taking a nap. )I'll need to make a few more visits to formulate an opinion.

Demonstration In Downtown Yesterday

I got a glimpse of this Verizon demonstration while heading back from work last evening. It was a fairly large crowd. Only NECN reported the event.

Guess it was lost with all the 'Manny' buzz.

Burrito Express, Downtown Boston

86 Bedford St.
Boston, MA 02228

I tried this place, near downtown crossing, a few days ago. The spicy chicken enchilada I ordered was a bit too oily but packed great taste and came with ample filling, salsa, lettuce and guacamole. It was a bit more expensive than other places.

I'll probably revisit the place for a breakfast burrito which has been glorified in the Boston Globe.

Flour Bakery

The flour bakery situated near the Children's Museum is a chic little sandwich shop with a neat decor. I visited it this week for an early dinner and ordered the roast lamb with tomato chutney & goat cheese. They were all sold out of their trademark sandwich, the grilled roast chicken with brie, arugula, roasted red peppers & caramelized onions, the one everyone swoons for.

Though a bit on the expensive side, this sandwich was worth every penny. The meat was medium rare and the goat cheese added to the incredible flavor. This sandwich is easily among the best I've tried. The accompanying homemade raspberry seltzer and trifle that packs ice cream and cake into a cup was satiating. The latter was an excellent desert.

Boston Kebab House

This is another eatery near Post Office Square in Boston's Financial District. It has a nice seating area and is buzzing with activity during lunchtime. Patrons get a dollar-off coupon for each visit. Not a bad strategy. I was there a couple of times in the last couple of weeks.

Its decor was like any other typical Middle-eastern restaurant.

I tried the Chicken Kabob with Basil sauce. I had mine with Turkish bread. The portion was good and the taste was good, with the subtle taste of Basil

The second time I tried the Buffalo Chicken with Pita bread and it was good too. Worth the visit is my verdict.

Here is their official website.

PS: Their Shish Kebab is worth a try too.

Restaurant Review: Pressed Sandwiches

I decided to try the Phantom Gourmet approved Pressed Sanwiches close to Post Office Square for lunch a few times last week. Well, they're not kidding when they say 'Pressed'.

With my spicy tooth, I decided to try the 'Salsa Chicken sanwitch'. It was small, but surprizingly filling.

The next day I tried the Terriyaki Chicken sandwich which is good, but a little too sweet for my taste. The day after that, I tried the Cuban Chicken which was on the blander side. However, on the whole, worth the visit(s).

Chacarero Chillian Cusine

This is yet another utopia for sandwich lovers. Chacarero features spicy mouth-watering sandwiches at a reasonable price. You can choose Chicken, Beef or a combo. All come topped with tomatoes, string beans and on a bun, generously enhanced by a spicy Chillian spread.

Unlike Al's it's customers stand in line and pass through a 'sandwich assembly line where they watch each worker perform his or her task of spreading the spread, placing the meat or topping the sandwich with tomatoes and string beans. It has a small sitting area which is totally inadequate to service the constant inflow of hungry customers. This is another great eatery in Boston's downtown district.

Al's State Street Cafe

Al's State Street cafe is one of the most well-known sandwich shops in the downtown area. It's bustling lunch time activity could put any stock floor to shame. With the deluge of people Al's caters to, it is no surprise that there is no sitting area.

It is a wonder how the servers retain their sanity and even remain courteous amid such chaos. It tried their signature State Street Cafe Special made
with prosciutto, mozzarella, basil and plum tomatoes. It was outstanding and unlike any other sandwich I tried before.

The whole experience is worth the trip.

Dinner in Seattle -Part 2

Taking the advice of the concierge, I payed a visit to Seattle's only Indian restaurant, also close to the corner or Pine and 2nd.

The decor was the chiched look of an Indian restaurant in the US., the dim lighting, elephants in the tapestry and Mugal paintings on the walls.

I tried the Pabla Lamb curry. It was delicious and tender. Well worth the visit.

Dinner in Seattle Part I

Mae Phim is a tiny Thai restaurant near the corner of Pine and 2nd, next door to the farmer's market. It has won several accolades like one of Seattle's top 10 restaurants and has a Zagat rating(Apparently size does not matter). It is easily one of Seattle's Hidden Jewels. The decor is ordinary ,the waitresses amicable.

Both times I had dinner there the bill was a under $10 for an entree, ice cream.
The first night I had the Gang Penang Chicken. Despite the word 'Penang' in the dish, the dish had a rich Thai flavor. The second time I had the Curry Chiken soup which tasted like a delicious curry one would serve with rice. The soup did have noodles in it and had a rich spicy flavor. Both times I was impressed. I'll definitely visit it.

Seattle4

Seattle stands between two mountain ranges, the Olympic and the Cascades. From atop its high rises I had the luxury of viewing the Olympic Mountains that stood majestically next to the Pacific. They looked gigantic even though they were a 100 miles away.

One thing that struck me as I was walking in downtown is that except for the restaurants and a Walgreen's, most of the stores close by 6PM.

My humble place of stay was the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. 'Swanky', as my colleague Andy puts it, aptly describes this hotel. The decor is debonair, with posh stores near its entrance and two awesome restaurants inside it. High ceilings and Chandeliers decorate its halls. My room was large with a king size and on a corner giving me a glimpse of two downtown streets. It is close to where I want to work and thus very convenient.

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