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Great Eat: The Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar, Boston, MA

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Admin of TBJ

Oh little slice of heaven on Boylston Street, I’m so glad I found you! Closer to the residential area near Fenway Park in Boston is a small gastropub called The Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar (or “the Citizen” if you will) that you should definitely visit next time you’re in Beantown. Charming, small, with a bar that circles not only very friendly bartenders but also a clear view of the fresh seafood you’re about to eat (or you can tuck in to the sumptuous booths), this pub is a great new eatery for the Fenway/Kenmore area. The chalkboard specials – butternut squash soup, anyone? – reflect local and seasonal ingredients, and the mains – while pretty heavy on the meat (duck, ribs, steak, tuna) – are exquisite. And the apparently roast whole pigs, so thus the pub’s mascot and logo is a pig. The Citizen pumps a mean soundtrack while good times are had over board servings of artisinal cheese and pork, the cocktails are fun and heady. Of course I have to talk about the oysters – DIVINE. Large, shucked right in front of you, and served with some house-made horseradish concoction that had me drooling. Non-carnivores will revel in the creative salads and inventive sides, like polenta fries. You’ve got to check this place out; it’s one of Boston’s many MANY great eats.

Filed under: Great Eats, North America, Uncategorized | Tagged: bar, Boston, butternut squash soup, cheese boards, cocktails, daily specials, duck, Fenway, fresh seafood, friendly folk, great eat, Kenmore, local meat, MA, Massachusetts, meat boards, oysters, polenta fries, ribs, salads, seasonal vegetables, steak, tuna, United States | Leave a Comment »

Great Eat: Gracie’s, Salt Lake City UT

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Admin of TBJ

Famed as one of the only “gastropubs” in Salt Lake City, Gracie’s has the inner decor of a sport’s bar but the menu of a boutique restaurant. Your cheeseburger might be made of Kobe beef and contain Gruyère cheese instead of cheddar, and your fries might be cooked in duck fat, but, otherwise, the menu is basically full of old favorites done up in some slightly different ingredients. The bar area on the bottom floor is a jolly area, but the upstairs area, complete with pool tables, has the high-backed bench seats you see in good pubs and any Irish bar. The service is prompt and the folks are friendly, and for an in-land restaurant, the Ahi Tuna roll was one of the best I’ve ever had. Ribs, pho, and spumoni all share the same menu at Gracie’s, which is a short walk from Temple Square; next time you’re in SLC, you won’t be disappointed if you tuck in a bite at there.

Filed under: Great Eats, North America | Tagged: ahi tuna, bar, beef, big menu, downtown Salt Lake City restaurants, gastropub, good eat, great eat, great eats, Gruyère, hamburgers, Kobe beef, pho, pool tables, restaurants near Temple Square, ribs, Salt Lake City, seafood, SLC, spumoni, UT, Utah, vegetarian, wide variety of food | Leave a Comment »

Great Eat: Linger Lodge Restaurant, Bradenton, FL

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Admin of TBJ

You’re on what used to be a winding backroad on the Gulf side of Florida, outside of Sarasota and deep into Manatee County. There are subdivisions and suburbs around you, but not much else. Suddenly, you make a left and there, tucked in the mossy trees, is a relic from the past – the Linger Lodge Restaurant (and campground and RV park, just so you know). It’s hokey, with stuffed animals from the property (it’s been a campground since 1945 and a lodge since 1968), including an alligator with a fake leg in his mouth, but you can’t beat their fresh Florida grouper. Or the “gator bites” (they do serve alligator and became the first place I’d ever tasted frog legs); this place has all the fare you’d expect from a fish house but better and in a totally bizarre atmosphere – Al Roker named the restaurant one of the top five “Weirdest Restaurants” in the United States – but the people are friendly and there’s a mix of ol’ folks and families and young people, and the service is great. The full bar is also pretty nice, and there’s a great patio. The ahi tuna was delicious, but I loved the hushpuppies more; check out the Linger Lodge next time you’re in the Bradenton area – you’ll leave amused.

Filed under: Great Eats, North America | Tagged: 5 Weirdest Restaurants in the country, ahi tuna, Al Roker, bar, Bradenton Restaurants, family friendly, FL, Florida, Florida grouper, fresh fish, fresh seafood, friendly folk, frog legs, gator bites, great eat, hushpuppies, Linger Lodge Restaurant, Manatee County, patio, Sarasota-Bradenton area, strange decor, taxidermied animals, United States of America, USA, water view | Leave a Comment »

Ocean Isle, NC

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

My mother’s side of the family is large, with multiple cousins, aunts, uncles, second cousins, siblings, etc., and they all like to get together every few years or so, en masse, in Ocean Isle, NC. As a consequence, many of my childhood beach memories center around Ocean Isle, a rare strip of beach front property that isn’t taken over by condos, hotel chains, and kitsch stores. Ocean Isle has rental properties and two hotels – that’s it – and the end of the island is a gated community. There’s no shortage of sand for your sunning and swimming desires, and you can easily grab beach gear at Surf Unlimited or any of the revolving-named stores near the bridge. It’s easy to rent a bike and tool around the island that way, or you can easily stroll from where you’ve decided to stay (cheaper rentals are on the inlet/intercoastal waterway) to the “town” area, which has a couple of bars and restaurants (Sharkey’s = no, the Giggling Mackerel = maybe), an ice cream parlor, and a putt-putt course. There used to be a water park, but if you’re looking for that sort of beach-shabby-chic, check out the arcade and boardwalk area. Grab an ice cream cone at the Ocean Isle Creamery, then take a walk on the quiet beach. A leisurely walk to the Shalotte Sound offers a great opportunity to watch crabs scuttle about the muddy sand, but if you get too bored, you can always take a plane ride over the area – it’s cheap, it’s scary, but it’s something one can do. Ocean Isle is calm and sedate, and it’s one of the quietest beaches at night. If you’re looking to party, head south to Myrtle or Sunset, but if you’re looking for relaxation, not much beats Ocean Isle.

Filed under: North America | Tagged: arcade, bar, beach, bike, boardwalk, crabs, Giggling Mackerel, ice cream, intercoastal waterway, NC, North Carolina, Ocean Isle, Ocean Isle Creamery, pub, putt-putt, sand, Shalotte Sound, Sharkey's, sun, Surf Unlimited, swim, walk | Leave a Comment »

Great Eats: Risorante Zeppelin, Orvieto, Italy

Posted on October 21, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

In the heart of Orvieto, Italy stands the beautiful Ristorante Zeppelin; if you don’t know Italian, just look at the menu and point, or, better yet, ask the waiter to chose for you (they’re super nice) – you can’t go wrong at Zeppelin. As you enter the restaurant, you’ll pass a small area with a beautifully polished wooden bar with various black and white prints on the walls, with small tables that are always crowded with locals and full of lively conversation. If it’s nice, ask to sit on the terrace outside (if it’s open) or just go up through the little arched doorway into the larger dining area. Order yourself a bottle of the house red (Orvieto Classico – at six Euros a bottle it doesn’t get much better) and dig in to the freshly-baked bread basket as you pour over the menu. You can order different “surprise” dishes, which may or may not include the standard Italian dishes like gnocchi or antipasta, but if you’re into being particular, get the bunny. I felt terrible about the death of a rabbit for my palate (ooh, a couplet – watch out, Petrarch!) but I didn’t know what it was until after I ate it – it was delicious all the same. Everything on the menu is delicious, but the desserts are insanely decadent – skip the tired old tiramisu routine (which is really good at Zeppelin’s) and go for the blood orange sorbet. Buy a bottle of wine to go and drink it with friends while leaning over the Orvieto city walls – if you’re not bursting from happiness between the wine, food, and scenery than you might want to check your pulse to make sure you’re still alive.

Filed under: Europe, Great Eats | Tagged: antipasta, atmosphere, bar, blood orange, blood orange sorbet, bread, cheap, city walls, gnocchi, great eat, great staff, Italy, Orvieto, Orvieto Classico, patio, rabbit, Risorante Zeppelin, surprise dishes, tiramisu, traditional Italian, Tuscany, Umbria, wine, Zeppelin's | Leave a Comment »

Great Eats: Seviche, Louisville, KY

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Admin of TBJ

If you’re roaming around Louisville looking for food, there’s plenty of great spots to chose from; the city’s refugee population has influenced the city’s variety in terms of food, so you can find everything from Indian dishes to Vietnamese and Ethiopian cuisine, but one of the best spots in town is Seviche. Not only has chef Anthony Lamas earned the 2010 LEO award for best chef in the city, but the restaurant makes a big effort to buy local (notably Kentucky Bison) and use fresh, organic ingredients. The fish dishes (ceviches) are some of the best I’ve ever had, and I’ve had fresh Panamanian ceviche; the salmon and ahi tuna are to die for. The menu can change depending on local ingredients, but the tilapia and sea bass are primo, and the chorizo and shrimp are divine. Red meat lovers will love the beef tenderloin, but I’d encourage sticking with the seafood – the mussels (mejillones en caldillo) will make you moan with delight. There’s a full bar, and, on the whole, for the quality of the food you’re getting, you won’t spend too much. Check out Seviche next time you’re up for Derby – you’ll be amazed that such terrific food is buried next to the Ohio River.

Filed under: Great Eats, North America | Tagged: 2010, ahi tuna, Anthony Lamas, bar, bison, ceviche, chorizo, Derby, fish, fresh fish, great eat, Kentucky bison, KY, LEO, local, Louisville, mussels, salmon, seviche, wine | Leave a Comment »

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Great Eat: The Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar, Boston, MA

Great Eat: Gracie’s, Salt Lake City UT

Great Eat: Linger Lodge Restaurant, Bradenton, FL

Ocean Isle, NC

Great Eats: Risorante Zeppelin, Orvieto, Italy

Great Eats: Seviche, Louisville, KY

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