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.