142452 Thu Jun 20 15:57:27 -0700 2002 10 12 Boston Area 0 761950 I recalled feedme's thread a while ago (as well as several other recommendations), and stopped by Burdick's this afternoon after a very garlicky but otherwise undistinguished falafel sandwich around Harvard Sq. Got a 4 piece tasting: (and an ice tea to cleanse the palate a bit) Lapsang Soochong - hard to catch the tea here, but the chocolate was very smooth and eloquent. It likely to be just me, but I think tea flavors can be very ephermeral. From past experience, teas seem to have lovely effect of subtly smoothing out the darker flavors of chocolate without announcing their presence, so it's likely that this was at work here. Clove - a clever and even hand with the dark spice. Just enough to get things interesting. Ginger - Sweet airy pipes from the candied root blended well with the chocolate. Cognac - a small taste-sized handshapped truffle. Cognac is subtle but it's there. Wish there was a more pronounced crackle from the shell. Comes side by side with another truffle radiating warm from caramel (I believe). I do profess a very personal preference for handshaped truffles with a bittery coat of cocoa, but these small molded chocolates seem just fine. The chocolate is very refined, smooth and well tuned, as are the flavors which complement instead of overwhelm. There's none of the mild soury aftertaste that one sometimes encounters. At $1 a piece, it's an extravagance, but a very pleasurable one indeed. Thu Jun 20 15:57:27 -0700 2002 0 Limster 1 761951 Glad you tried Burdick's. If you get a chance, my favorites are: - hazelnut - caramel - lavender $1 piece, ouch, that must be new. They used to just sell you as many pieces as you wanted by the pound and it was a bit cheaper then that. Thu Jun 20 16:02:04 -0700 2002 761950 0 FeedMe 2 761958 Glad I tried Burdick's too. :) I was getting a tasting plate of only 4 pieces for $4, hence at $1 per piece. It's a lot cheaper in bulk, but I can only eat so much of one flavor after lunch. Thu Jun 20 17:13:09 -0700 2002 761951 0 Limster 1 761971 Glad to see you've found a spot to indulge your truffle habit, Limster. Note to all you Boston hounds: Limster is notorious for his sweet tooth. If you go out to chow with him, be sure to leave room for dessert and/or make plans for a trip to a bakery or for ice cream afterwards. Fri Jun 21 12:45:55 -0700 2002 761950 0 Ruth Lafler 2 761973 Howdy! Burdick's was an easy find -- many mentions here on the Boston Board. SF Hound Stanley chimed in too. Now cannelles...that's going to be a tougher prospect. Fri Jun 21 14:18:19 -0700 2002 761971 0 Limster 3 761976 Cannelles? Is that Cannolis? If so, shouldn't be too hard to find in the North End. Modern Pastry and Mike's are the usual places people point to for such things. I'm not a huge cannoli fan myself but admit to enjoying one from Mike's every once in a while. Now, zeppoles, on the other hand.... Sigh. I've yet to have one anywhere in the Boston area, although I did see an little old man with a tiny booth and a handmade sign at one of the North End feasts. By the time I made it back to him, he was gone, sob. Fri Jun 21 15:42:45 -0700 2002 761973 0 Chris VR 4 761981 Alas, no. Cannelles (from Bordeaux I think) are a very different treat. It's essentially creme brulee, flavored with rum, and (very very importantly) baked in a mold that caramelizes the surface to a thin crisp dark brown shell. I used to have one or two every week. Yes, Big Dog already keyed me into Modern's cannoli (and I've already had 2 of them) - they're better than anything I've had in SF. Filling is awesome - slightly more lemony than Mike's, although texturewise, I prefer Mike's, which is slightly thicker (taste-tested two back to back yesterday). Of these two, Modern's easily a significantly better deal, going for $1.50 a piece vs. $2.25 for one from Mike's. (In a blind tasting, I probably couldn't tell the two apart.) Someone mentioned D'amore for good cannoli (did I get that right?) -- will be chasing that version down soon. Fri Jun 21 16:17:02 -0700 2002 761976 0 Limster 5 762001 for excellent cannolis without having to brave the big dig, try la contessa in david square. Sat Jun 22 08:51:14 -0700 2002 761981 0 lynn 6 762063 Also wonder if people realize that there is a Mike's (yes, it's the same as North End Mike's) in Medford Square. Mon Jun 24 11:59:56 -0700 2002 762001 0 SEH 7 762130 SEH, are you meaning Modern Pastry. There is a Modern in Meffa Square? I'm originally from Medford, and although I've moved to more norther burbs, still have la familia there. Where's the Mikes in the Square...Although I prefer Modern...hands down! Just curious??? Wed Jun 26 10:15:28 -0700 2002 762063 0 Who-E 8 762132 Opps! Yes, sorry, I meant Modern. Wed Jun 26 10:25:12 -0700 2002 762130 0 SEH