I never understood the appeal of Mike's. Much like Little Italy in other Northeast cities, notably NYC, North end is feeling more and more like Vegas. Good for tourists and not much else. Who wants to elbow to the counter with a whole bunch of tourists for overpriced american italian desserts? Packed, small, crowded and not much else.

Rocca used to be cool back when it was new and hip, and everyone wanted to check out the space.. The time has long gone and the place is operating on smoke and mirrors. Drinks are terribly overpriced and meal service is also overpriced for the quality or I should say inconsistency of the food. The turnover in staff hasnt helped.

I used to come to Silvertone's all the time when I lived in Beacon Hill. It's a little hard to find at first, since it's in the basement. When you do discover it, you realize how much you like the cocktails and the food. It's not fancy but consistent and a good way to get something in your stomach especially when you are bar hopping on a weekend or even after work. Location cant be beat. My only complaint is that it can and does get quite loud and the waitstaff are ofter stretched thin when they get full. Which is often!

Consistently one of my favorite restaurants/bars in Boston. Hats off to the staff for making this place time and time again great. I never hesitate to bring an out of town guest or come to Franklin for a special meal. The menu is not huge and there are no desserts, however almost everything that comes of the kitchen is done right. My only complaint is that you have to come early. They dont take reservations and if you expect to be seated right away, opt for an early or late dinner. Keep up the good work, Franklin!

I was gitty as a school girl when I finally got to sit myself at the bar at the former B-Side Lounge space, aka Lord Hobo. The place has got a lot of buzz since its opening and I was eager to see it for myself. First thing you notice is the enormous selection of brews on tap. They are not kidding here. If you dont like beer, skip this part. For the rest of you, good heavens! You'll let me try them? What do I like? The options vary to what you quickly reveal reveal to the barstaff, which will hold your hand through the sampling process. Well, almost. Definitely not ""can I have a bud"" place. The food is good. I wouldn't say great since it looks like the menu was written with gastropub flair that seems a bit pricey. I am giving it some room here for opening establishment menu re-jigging, which is inevitable in the first 3-6 months as the place finds its rhythm. Fried oysters were a hit as well as truffle fries. The deviled eggs were also a good starter. All-in-all, more remains to be tried and I will be back to try the dinner menu, after another beer consultation. Lord Hobo, revancha awaits.

Ok. So I just wrote that this place is small and at it often has long lines. That should be a sign that it's good, and it is! I grew up in Brookline, practically within a 5 minute walk of Clear Flour Bread and I wish this place was around 20 years ago. It would have forced me to go to Paris that much sooner. The smells and sights are all there. The locals and restaurateurs alike love Clear Flour Bread for its dedication to its craft. They truely do make fresh baguettes to foccacia to croissants chocolate, plain.. you name it. They ran out often and on the last visit I settled on pain aux raisins and a hot cup of coffee. It's a touch hard to find, (good) and claustrophobic (bad).. but worth the wait.

OK. I'll admit. I'm not shabu-shabu novice and went with a group of folks who wanted something different to the usual Chinatown fare. This sister location of the Allston Shabu-zen was full on my visit and we had to wait for a table. Once seated, the menu is relatively straightforward, or so I thought. My co-diners wanted seafood and meat so thats what we ordered. The idea is that you need to know how to build flavor while not nuking your food. Though I cook regularly, I had trouble controlling what i wanted to drink hot (soup) to cooking in broth, to ordering raw meat and fish. Frankly, as I said outloud, If I wanted to work for my meal, thats not what I would be doing. I know, i know ...this takes getting used to. But only few things work well in this formula, assuming you like them all boiled, which I didnt.

How do I describe Trina's? Stick to your ribs goodness that's lick your bowl clean. The formula here is old fashioned southern goodness meet bar food meet great cocktails meet keep it simple. It's usual abuzz with locals who cram in it's 2 bars. That's right, 2 bars in case one is full, which it ofen is . The kitchen stays open till midnight that appeals to locals and industry folk alike. This does feel a bit like Cheers for the Cambri'ville residents that walk here like to Rome. And we all know that all roads lead to Rome. So, come to Trina's and come hungry and thirsty. Oh and try the ""fallen angel"". Be prepared for a second one before the food arrives, its yummy!