The Red House, Harvard Square

The Red House is on Winthrop St. off of JFK St. in the heart of Harvard Square. TRH is in an old house and its versatility of space has to be considered to fully appreciate it. This tiny house fits a cozy bar, a dining area small but perfect for the City, a private dining room near the entrance and finally a porch for when the weather is good. So you could go to TRH many times during the year for different occasions and sit in all different parts of the house.

The menu has just the right amount of choices. TRH's food is above average and their portions are generous where it counts. There was more lobster than one would expect in their lobster risotto and not one but two portions of striped bass. The duck sausage soup was generous, hearty and homemade through and through. Other nice touches were the crisp olives and decent bread basket with olive oil on the table. The only thing I did not like on the entrees were the artichokes as the garnish that was on most of the entrees, I would have appreciated some other garnish choices. Service was good and they left us alone to talk and knew we were low maintenance.

Wine list was decent and we had wine by the glass with a generous pour. TRH is not out to overpower you with its decor they have a very welcoming atmosphere with great food where it counts.
98 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138 (617) 576-0605

theredhouse.com

Sibling Rilvary

Located in South Boston, Sibling Rivalry is a bit off the beaten path from core Boston, just above Columbus street off of Tremont and Arlington. Parking is sparce and valet is $14.

I have a lot of good things to say about SR. First the design of the restaurant and use of space is one of the best I have seen. They have a bar, kitchen dining area and private dining spaces.

Once seated, the table is set with decorative plates and a pretty spectacular bread basket. It has a variety to choose from like moist corn bread, Tuscan style and raisin nut.

On the menu you will see a complete but not long menu. Unusual because it is split into two columns created by two chefs who are brothers (sibling rilvalry) sharing a common ingredient. The menu has a good selection of meat, seafood and poultry.

The amuse busche was a nice complimentary surprise along with a selection of appetizers like the sausage ravioli and asian dumplings were visually stunning but looked much better than they actually tasted. The sirlon was prepared well and a good choice. Breaded swordfish (like a fish cutlet) was overpowered by the breading but the salsa topping saved the dish. Decent wine list and wine by the glass. We skipped dessert but it looked very tempting.

The clincher for SR was the service. They had more than enough staff who congregated around the entrance when not busy. They were never far from a glance looking for something and they served the food, changed our plates and settings with efficiency. The manager also kept busy making sure that execution was perfect. You leave SR with a sense that they make service a high priority. Random staff help you with everything and even took my valet ticket as they cleared our coffee cups knowing the check was on the way.

Modern American cuisine may not be my favorite but succeeds in satisfying any group's varied taste. I would go back again and prepare myself for a good meal and excellent service.

Would recommend for: groups, private dining, business, singles, couples

http://www.siblingrivalryboston.com/
For details please see the restaurant website.

China Pearl Dim Sum

Located at 9 Tyler St. in Boston's Chinatown, this dim sum restaurant is a true hidden gem. Keep a sharp eye out for the restaurant name as that is the only indicator of its existence. The restaurant is upstairs on the second and third floor, accessed only by a solitary unmarked door. Many have passed right by but if you're observant, during the hours of 10am - 2pm, there is a line down the stairs, out the door, and clustered groups on the sidewalk waiting for their number to be called.

Driving and parking in Chinatown can be a nightmare, especially on a weekend morning. There are parking structures around for $15-20 but taking the T to Boylston and walking there is best.

Once up the stairs, you get a number from the host. Larger groups are almost seated immediately because they hold large round tables just for those large groups. Smaller groups of up to four will usually have a 15-30 minute wait if you arrive during the lunch rush.

CP is a typical Chinese restaurant with the typical wall motifs and decorations. Brightly lit, it's great for groups or even the solitary diner reading a paper as he eats. Lingering is never discouraged (even if they do look at your table a lot). If a good indicator that an Asian restaurant is good, judging by the mostly Chinese clientele, this restaurant is great. Go even if you don't speak Chinese (most of the staff has limited English). I don't speak any and can perfectly communicate with gestures and pointing.

I have had dim sum in some of the biggest US cities with large Chinese concentrations, including San Francisco, New York, L.A. and Honolulu. CP rivals any of those places. CP has servers pushing the ever present food carts around, filled with delicious har gow (shrimp filled dumplings), shu mai (port dumplings), char siu bao (bbq pork bun), crab claws, shrimp wantons, sticky rice in banana leaf, etc. On each level, there is also a self serve station where you can take your pick of various dishes. I go almost every weekend and never tire.

Casablanca Harvard Square

Casablanca can be hard to find since it is located in the basement level at 40 Brattle St. in Harvard Square. If you think you are at 40 Brattle, look down and you should see the stairs down to the restaurant. Once inside, don't let the somewhat dated decor fool you. This is one of my favorite casual dining restaurants.

The menu has a variety of dishes from rack of lamb, fresh fish and steak. They are accompanied by some not so usual extras like lentils, long grain rice with pine nuts and beds of spinach and peppers. What makes Casablanca special is that the food looks and tastes like it has been prepared with extra care and attention. You also get a nice side of olives to go along with the pita bread basket. My last favorite meal at Casablanca was the portabello and cheese on focaccia bread drizzled with pesto olive oil, served warm and lightly toasted.

get directions and see the menu at their website.
http://www.casablanca-restaurant.com/

Harvest at Harvard Square

Known as one of the top restaurants in Harvard Square, I can confirm that it is. Harvest is located in an alley or passageway inbetween Brattle and Mount Auburn streets. From the Mount Auburn side, the passageway is located in between the Post Office and Kinkos.

The decor and atmosphere at Harvest is warm and inviting. Service is excellent and the staff is well trained to let you carry on in your conversation or meeting. The bread basket is yummy with a mix of corn bread, artisan bread and dark bread. The menu is very simple and brief, offering fresh fish along with risotto specials and other choices. Presentation and portions are also simple and uncluttered. This simple approach delivers a great experience and wonderful tasting cuisine. Dessert is also worth trying with delights like souffle, ginger ice cream or creme brulee.

The Harvest for dinner often has Pri Fixe menu along with Sunday brunch which makes it easy to come back again.

The one secret Harvest has is that it is a consistent quality dining experience.
http://www.harvestcambridge.com/

Brown Sugar & Similans

By far, the best Thai food in Boston can be found at the Brown Sugar Cafe. With a location on Commonwealth and one in Fenway, this restaurant serves authentic Thai food in the Thai style. As you would expect from its name, each table has a small jar of brown sugar as well as a chili pepper shaker for those who like their dishes a little more spicy.

Coming from the California where there is an abundance of ethnic food to choose from, I searched for many years for a good Thai restaurant in Boston. Most typical Thai restaurants on the East Coast have altered their dishes for the American palate so that the dishes are the Americanized versions, a little bland and lacking in spices and spicyness. Brown Sugar is for those who want authentic and tasty Thai dishes.

Brown Sugar has an extensive menu from appetizers to salads, entrees and desserts. In the middle of the menu, you will even find an insert card specifically titled Thai style dishes. Anything you order from the regular menu is delicious on its own but those found on this insert are prepared in the authentic manner so be prepared for a great spicy meal. There are also combo plates available that come with rice, spring roll and an entree.

My favorite appetizers include their crispy spring rolls, the satay chicken and tofu triangles with sweet & sour dip. If you like peanut sauce and salads, try their special Brown Sugar Salad that comes with peanut sauce dressing. I always opt for the papaya salad with side of sticky rice...the perfect marriage of sweet/sour spicyness.

Brown Sugar also offers a build your own curry dish by choosing the main meat or seafood ingredient and curry type (red, green, yellow, massaman or vegetable). They also offer build your own entrees based on your favorite Thai ingredient, such as basil, ginger or bok choy and choice of meat or seafood.

At a Thai restaurant, you can never go wrong with ordering pad thai and here, there are several versions to try...all very tasty and garnished with fresh bean sprouts. Their basil fried rice or basil pad thai is very aromatic and the taste certainly lives up to your olfactory senses.

If you want the more authentic Thai style dishes, try the Kow Rad Moo Pad Prik King - pork with garlic chili paste and green beans over rice or the Kow Rad Gaprow Kai Dao - your choice of minced meat made with Thai spices and herbs over rice. A must try for duck lovers is the Tamarind Duck - sauteed sliced boneless roast duck in sweet Tamarind sauce with Thai veggies or Duck Choo Chee - the same but in a hot curry sauce.

Don't forget to order the Thai iced tea and dessert. Try the fried ice cream or one of their more exotic flavors such as ginger, ogura (red bean), green tea or mango ice creams. Top it off with a side of sweet sticky rice for that authentic taste.

Brown Sugar is for those who want a delicious and authentic Thai meal in a nice, clean and comfortable setting. For a more fine dining atmosphere, try their third location, the Similans near the Cambridge Galleria.

For more information:
http://www.brownsugarcafe.com/index.html

Ivy Restaurant

We had heard about Ivy on Phantom Gourmet and I was dying to go there and try the macaroni and cheese with truffles. We dropped in after a day of shopping in Downtown Crossing, Boston.

The Ivy is off of Tremont and Washington at 49 Temple. It has an unassuming exterior which we initially walked right by. The atmosphere is modern and clean. The restaurant stretches long and narrow, deep into the building with an inviting loft upstairs overlooking the bar. The bar is in front with nice booth seating. Dining is towards the back & upstairs as well.

Ivy specializes in tapas dishes (small portions) all around $10-12 with full entrees in under $30. We got the truffle mac & cheese, scallops, garlic spinach, caesar salad and cheese platter. The caesar was good and very large, more than enough for 2 or even 4. Other dishes were good, well done and tasty. Like most tapas the bill can add up so don't get carried away. For the price of $10-12 for each tapas dish, I was disappointed with how small the portions were (eg 4 scallops for $12). The garlic spinach should actually be named dangerously garlic spinach, good but be warned.

The only disappointment was that we had heard about complimentary gelato to finish the meal... we waited with anticipation but we only got the check. Both Phantom Gourmet & Ivy's website promote the complimentary gelato. Unfortunately, this kind of disappointment is not soon forgotten and we will enjoy our memories of our Ivy meal but probably will not return. The taste of being duped intentional or not unfortunately lasts longer than the good meal.
http://www.ivyrestaurantgroup.com/