Coming from NYC -- Sat night -- One meal I couldn't get down here?

[nathanjones]

Any ideas?

Love to get something hard to find or poorly done down in New York...

[wittlejosh]

Moved to Boston from Manhattan a few years ago.

I second the reccos for OLEANA and EAST COAST GRILL, as unique experiences. Yes, Neptune and B&G are good, but Pearl and Mary's Fish Camp are just as good.

RADIUS is also up there in terms of food you won't get in NYC. Michael Schlow does the low-temperature-everything technique, and the slow-roasted ribeye is one of the city's best dishes.

[lisa13]

I hate to sound...snooty? but is the food THAT great at floating rock that it's worth going to Revere for it? I just always come away from Kelley's feeling like the food was not worth the trip - the beach is SO fricken dirty sometimes it makes me want to cry. If I only had one day in Boston, Revere Beach area is one of the last places I'd want to go.

I don't personally have any recs - NYC has the best of everything! If you could drive up the north shore a bit, some of the lobster shacks offer great regional cuisine, but I haven't found many places in town that offer that kind of authenticity - sweet fresh caught lobster, expertly fried clams and oysters, the ocean view, the windy decks...heaven!

Neptune really is fantastic, as is Peach Farm

[yumyum]

Yep. It's THAT great ... especially since the OP was asking for food he can't get down there. It's totally not glamorous, and it's a schlepp, but it's a real gem.

[beetlebug]

I agree with YY and pluziam. I love that spicy pork dish (would love it if it were kicked up a couple more notches though) as well as the long beans, fish cakes and tiger's tears. There is a fried noodle dish that I like, but am blanking on it. It's hard to go wrong at Floating Rock.

Be forewarned though, service can be a little slow. Something I find frustrating when I am so hungry that I am ready to chew my arm off. The dishes are cooked to order and brought out when finished.

[Aromatherapy]

Re FR: Be aware that they close at 8, and stop serving before then. Best to get there by 7. Personally I go for the squid salad over the tiger tears, but it's close.

[Luther]

Maybe worth going once, on a lazy day when you've got a few hours to kill (assuming you're coming from Boston or further south). Also, if you're a Thai/Cambodian food enthusiast, you may well want to return. Otherwise, no.

[pluziam]

It's the Revere Beach T stop, Tigers tears are a must at floating rock, while in this area you could also try the a roast beef sandwich and fried clams at Kellys which isn't too far down the beach past the Wonderland stop.

[yumyum]

Thanks pluziam -- I agree about the Tiger's Tears -- you just gotta do it. I also like the catfish soup with jackfruit, their excellent fish cakes, the spicy pork dish (HOT) and the long bean salad.

[Chris VR]

I don't know if there is a different chef or what, but when I tried Tiger's Tears this week it was fine, nothing earthshattering, and not like I've read it described here, Beef was not crispy, no intriguing mix of veggies/herbage, just basil, chilis and red and green peppers.

[yumyum]

No. No. Please -- say it aint so!!!

[Chris VR]

I hope not- maybe I just got them on a bad day or they thought we were too white to appreciate the real stuff- I don't know. But what we had wasn't the trancendent expereince everyone else seems to have had. I went back and read old posts to be sure and it didn't sound at all like what we ate.

[nathanjones]

Oh Cambodian. Dayum. AIn't no good Khmer down here. Where is Revere? I will be on foot. Or rickshaw.

[yumyum]

It's easy to get there by T -- Blue Line, not exactly sure which stop, I hope someone will chime in here as I always drive. It's a hole in the wall in a semi-sketchy neighborhood. And it's GREAT freaking food.

[yumyum]

Friends who visit from the big city always lament there's nothing like Floating Rock (Cambodian in Revere) where they come from. They also rave about the specialties at Peach Farm Seafood, which apparently is better than similar offerings in NY's Chinatown. And finally, East Coast Grill in Cambridge never disappoints. Search the board for specific recs at any of these places.

[nathanjones]

Ok, 4 people have rec'd Helmand to me -- do I need to get reservations? I want to stuff my face with pumpkin!

[MaineRed]

reservations are def. recommeneded on a Saturday

for beers before hand, try the beers at Cambridge Brewing Co. in Kendall Sqr (10-15min walk from Helmand, same 'hood). Sooo much better than Heartland and more crafty than Brooklyn (the pumpkin is awesome)

[DoubleMan]

Well, asian and french are certainly out.

The portuguese spots in and around Inman Square, Oleana for eastern mediterranean cuisine, and maybe a spot like Helmand for Afghan food would be good bets. Frankly, there are few things consistently done better in Boston than in New York, with the exception of maybe fried clams and roast beef sandwiches.

[Bob Dobalina]

Double, your comment re: roast beef makes me scratch my head...

I thought people consistently COMPLAINED about the lack of quality deli sandwiches in Boston, in which I figured roast beef would be included.

Are you referring to Kelly's? Where else do you feel does up this animal well?

[DoubleMan]

Kelly's and the like. I guess it's more of a North Shore than Boston thing, and it's more of a guilty pleasure than must-have dining experience.

I'm partial to Nick's in Beverly.

[Bostonbob3]

Well, Clio is great, but it's no Per Se or Daniel. And it's not like you can't get super Italian at Il Molino or Babbo. So I'd do a seafood meal. I'm partial to Neptune Oyster on Salem Street in the North End. Wonderful selection of oysters, great lobster roll, some excellent shellfish/pasta combos. B&G Oyster in the South End is also quite good.