dinner near the Opera House (recs?)

a friend and I are going to the opera house this week and we'd like to have dinner nearby. it's a matinee show so we'll probably be out around 3. I'm pretty open to trying things but my friend is a little fussy. so it'd be nice if there was someplace that could accomodate both of us

[gardgen]

Kingston Station is scheduled to open this week. Its a three block walk.
The menu is on-line. American Bistro style food.

[gyppielou]

If you're going to see Wicked, shows are a 2pm and break at 4:45. Teatro is a favorite or a stroll to Via Matta in Park Square could be nice, or a stroll up Beacon Hill to Grotto which opens at 5. Montien has great thai onStuart Street. Ginza has great Sushi, and some pork and chicken teriyaki options for the less adventurous.

The Opera House is a couple of blocks from Chinatown.
There are many threads devoted to Chinese and other Asian restaurants in Chinatown in this conference.

And most of those restaurants are open straight through, so you would have no problem getting served around 3:30. The fancy dinner places mostly don't open until 5:00.

A fun presentation of ingredients that are not too exotic might solve your problem. Go to Pho Hoa, 17 Beech St., and order Seven Courses of Beef, a dinner for two that will cost you all of $30, plus beer or wine (I don't remember whether they have a full license). Some of the courses you cook at your table, wrap in rice-paper and enjoy. Others are brought out completely cooked.

This is a slow meal, so after a matinee is the perfect time to try it.

any suggestions in Chinatown...something somewhat nice and mainstream. either Chinese or Japanese?

Our favorites are Jumbo Seafood and Xinh Xinh. Jumbo is terrific seafood obviously, but a big menu, bustling place, we are always happy there. Xinh is smaller, even more casual than Jumbo, interesting mix on the mene

We have come to love the Shabu Shabu at Kaze - it is brand new, sparkling clean and the food and service are great- you cook your own delicious food in your choice of "soup" base - tables for two are brought a dish divided down the middle so each of you can have your own choice. They bring fresh vegetables and spices and you can add extras (we love the enoki mushrooms) We get the beef usually but there are fish and chicken choices available as well as your "main course" As mentioned in the previous post this is a meal that will take more than an hour - a great way to chat and enjoy hopefully the performance you just saw!
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For "nice and mainstream" in Chinatown, some possibilities include: Penang for Malaysian (something like Mango Chicken for your friend, and whatever looks good on the menu for you); Montien for Thai; Ginza for Japanese (has good Teryaki dishes for the non-adventurous eater); I don't think Apollo opens until 5:00 these days, but it's good Korean/Sushi/Japanese.

Two of the Chinatown board favorites, Taiwan Cafe and King Fung Gardens are both tasty and cheap, but not really that "mainstream"- Taiwan cafe would be the "nicer" of the two. The shabu shabu (either Kaze or Shabu Zen) suggestion is good, but I don't know how your friend feels about cooking her own food at the table.

Here's some non-asian suggestions that would be open and serving at 3:00pm: Jacob Wirth for German, California Pizza Kitchen (although it's not very chowish, I like it), Silverstones for "american comfort food" might not be so crowded at that time.

[twitchcraft]

How a bout a rec for a place for drinks and pupus near the Opera House? I was thinking of something kind of swanky- the lounge at the Ritz? Teatro? Make the 7 block hike to the Bristol Lounge?

[hsquare2southend]

My favorite place to go pre-Opera House is Locke-Ober! Cut through the alley, and you're right there at the OH. Kind of a special-er occasion place, though. But lots of steak, so your friend would probably be fine if you wanted to splurge.

[kweesee]

penang, its malaysian but westerners love it. its great
japanese - ginza.