What favorite Places do you go to because of Chowhound

[Blumie]

After a great meal last night at India Quality, and last week at New Bridge Cafe -- both places I likely never would have visited had I not read about them on this board -- I was thinking about the places people go to primarily because of Chowhound. What are your favorites places that you discovered primarily because of Chowhound?

[NOTE FROM THE CHOWHOUND TEAM: Thanks for starting this thread, Blumie! We hope you don't mind that we're going to sticky this thread to give it more prominence, and adopt your idea for our other boards.

Now that we've introduced our new Places feature http://www.chowhound.com/faq#linkmean , we'd love to hear about what restaurants, markets, or other great food vendors you've discovered because of discussions you've read here on Chowhound. Let us know, and while you're at it, try out the Places feature to add your favorite Places to the Places database.

Once you've made your post, we hope you'll go back to the Place entry and help populate it with information. If you've got a website address, info on whether they accept credit cards, parking tips, best time to call for reservations, etc., we hope you'll add that info to the Place entry to make that information much easier for all interested hounds to find.

If you have any questions/problems about this new feature, please post to this thread http://www.chowhound.com/topics/417583 Thanks! ]

[Gabatta]

Definitely second New Bridge. Salts is another place I never tried until reading about it here. Kebab Factory is somewhere I NEVER would have tried, but am glad I did.

[litchick]

A lot of the time CH points me toward menu items I never would have otherwise tried at restaurants I'm already familiar with, but recently I discovered Mulan and Shangri-La thanks to CH, for which I am eternally graeful! ;)

[three of us]

I second Shangri-La. Also, Kariboo for African off Moody in Waltham.

[litchick]

Oh, wow, three of us, I somehow had missed Karibu on the boards... I will have to try it! Thanks for listing it here.

[jpcat]

Trattoria Toscana. Thanks!

[Trixie Too]

Zalek, Thai Moon, Prezza, Taranta, too name a few...

[Allstonian]

Ken's Ramen - four blocks from our house, and I don't think we would have tried it if not for the raves here.

Lots of other places we've tried because of CH recommendations, and lots of places I'd *like* to go to more often than we do, but we just don't eat out often enough! I'll second Trattoria Toscana among that group; we also had an excellent RW dinner (I know, I know...) at Beacon Hill Bistro based on recommendations here. That's definitely a place I'd like to get back to again! I'm sure I'll think of others.

[Allstonian]

You can't add a place link when editing an already-posted post...

[rlh]

Just tried Armando's pizza in Huron Village Cambridge yesterday as a result of posts here -- wow -- this may be the best pizza on that side of the Charles! Both the regular cheese and Sicilian slice were perfect. We're likely to become regulars here.

Catch in Winchester is a place we have this board to thank for as well.

[Alcachofa]

Armando's is a place I would not have tried sans Chowhound. I agree the sauce they use is awesome. I wasn't nuts about the crust--rather ordinary. I loved that it smelled like the pizza places of my youth when I walked in.

Also wouldn't have heard of Shangri-La, many other places as well.

[Dreamworks]

Third for Armando's. Thanks CH for allowing a New York City kid to fall in love again with a neighborhood pizzeria.

[Bob Dobalina]

Have you been recently? There have been a couple of reports lately of ordinary to substandard pies.

[Aromatherapy]

Lots (and the "to try" list is even longer). A few: Pinocchio's for Sicilian slices (first rec I followed, IIRC), J&J, Kebab & Tandor, Shangri-la, Beijing Star, Floating Rock, Taqueria El Amigo, Qingdao. The first and last are hidden in plain sight; the others I probably never would have known existed.

[AnnieP]

I think for me it's the burritos at Grampy's Gulf near MGH. I work right there, but I don't think I would have tried it without Chowhound. I was in this week; she has a new green salsa out for tasting with the chips. I believe she called it "guacasalsa." She said she is going to be offering it. I really liked it a lot.

[ritcey]

Seconded - I don't know if I would have given Villa Mexico a shot w/o reading the reviews here - the gas station location just put me off. I'm now a big fan (but still awaiting the opening of Anna's =)

[007foodieusa]

That place is delicious- and good for her (she's a nice woman) for opening in an unconventional spot (although great that it's so close to MGH and beacon hill)

[SaraASR]

Yes!! Villa Mexico is amazing! I hope Anna's doesn't take too much of their business.

[Rubee]

Nice topic - and brings back some great memories over the years I've been on this board. So many, but to name a few favorites...

Grotto
MuLan
Dok Bua
Taiwan Cafe
Floating Rock
Peach Farm
Volle Nolle
Sichuan Gourmet (Billerica) - forgot to link so here's the website
http://www.laosichuan.com/en/menu.php...
Most recently this year - Flat Iron Tapas, and O Ya

[bsantoro]

Best Pizza, anywhere, I mean including Naples too, is Regina's Northend Boston, hands down, best restaurant, Anthony's Pier 4, Boston Harbor

[Bob Dobalina]

I don't think you went to Anthony's Pier 4 because of chowhounds.

[Boston Scene]

I send that my experience at Anthony's Pier 4 was subpar.

[BobB]

Mine was so far below par I'd rank it one of the worst dining experiences of my life!

[finlero]

Several board favorites I either wouldn't have found on my own, or wouldn't have had the chowdar to stop and check out:

Baraka Cafe - outstanding squab b'stilla and rose petal-spiced lemonade

Wangs - good homemade dumplings, open late

Mei Sum Bakery - love the spicy beef banh mi, a terrific bargain at $2.50 too

Caffe Italia - a great Italian caffe/restaurant outside of the North End tourist vortex

Vinny's at Night - excellent, casual Italian hiding in the back of a convenience store

[chowda]

Wang's has pretty good scallion pancakes too!

[limster]

Canto 6 and Suvarnabhumi Kiri are two of the more recent ones for me. There's tons of great places that I wouldn't have found elsewhere.

[Chris VR]

Great topic! I've been posting here for so long that pretty much ANY restaurant I try is one I saw here. But here are a few favorites I probably wouldn't have gone to if I hadn't seen them mentioned here:

[pollystyrene]

Prezza!

More importantly, Mike's lobster tails. I knew about Mike's but was missing these delicacies. They alone make up for the few places I've tried and found to be overrated on Chowhound.

Like someone else mentioned, I think an even greater value of this forum is learning what a restaurant's specialties are and what items to avoid.

[Baiye]

Lana Thai Diner.

[steinpilz]

I discovered Chowhound when I moved to Boston in the fall of 2005 so many of my restaurant choices derived from this site. Some new favorites include: Neptune, ClamBox, B&G, Publick House, Bukowski's, Burren, All Star Sandwich Bar, Miracles of Science, Clio, Eastern Standard, Washington Square Tavern, Soul Fire.

[MickeyG]

One I discovered, one I re-discovered:
Discovered Ashmont Grill - consistently wonderful, always a great meal and great service. My wife and I are addicted to the Flat Iron Steak.
Re-discovered Grumpy Whites - used to go there frequently about ten years ago, but, thanks to Chowhound, we've starting going again. The best reasonably priced comfort food on the South Shore.

[Bob Dobalina]

Second Ashmont Grill -

Also Dok Bua, Neighborhood Restaurant, May's Cafe, Hei La Moon, Restaurant Cesaria, O Cantinho and Taiwan Cafe come to mind.

My mind blurs between what I "discovered" and what I derive from the board. I like to think that I have a pretty good idea of the landscape, but the hounds' attention helps me select one choice over another.

[Pia]

Tu y Yo and Canto 6, my favorite sources for Mexican and baked goods (respectively) in the area!

One of my favorite applications of Chowhound, though, is when I'm in an unfamiliar neighborhood and I catch sight of a place I've only read about. Non-chowhound friends are always mystified about how I can know where to eat in a place I haven't been before!

[pamalamb]

Agreed! Whenever I'm driving around with friends, at least once I'll say "Oh, that's where that is." and they'll look at me, amazed.

Grotto was the first rec I took off this board, and it's become one of my favorite restaurants.

[bobot]

The biggest find for me was Wang's - I lived right down the street from it for six months before I saw it here. Now it's rare that a week goes by without my wife or I picking up some dumplings from there.

[italyinmind]

Eastern Standard and Greek Corner. I knew about both of them, but reading reviews got me to actually try them out.

[aventinus]

I probably would not have gone to these out of the way places...
Deep Ellum (a personal favorite)
Qingado Garden (great dumplings, not a huge fan of anything else)
Blue Ribbon BBQ (the bomb)
True Grounds (my favorite coffee shop)
Floating Rock (awesome)
Santarpio's (Not my favorite but...I'd like to go back right now!)
Fasika (not DC Ethiopian but I dig it)
YoMa (superb)
Tu y Yo (best Mexican in the area)
Oishii (great fish quality)
Shangri La (perhaps my favorite Chinese in the area)

Of course Chowhound led me to some duds too.

[makonna]

Brookline Family Restaurant. Kebab sandwiches. Sherman's in Union Square. Best scones ever!!!

[suzyf921]

I second your vote for Brookline Family (TURKISH!!!) restaurant. delicious and reasonable. I don't know why they don't announce more widely that they are Turkish since that is one of the world's greatest cuisines....IMHO.

[smtucker]

Wangs. I dream of dumplings, and he brings them to me. Perfection.

Tried Armando's pizza in Huron Village based on chowhound, but it didn't seem that special to me. A decent pizza, but not destination quality.

Namaskar which was great with a larger group. The black lentil dish is worth a return alone!

Pini's Pizza in Somerville. We have taken the chowhound advise and picked up instead of relying on a delivery person. A good go-to pizza since we live close by, but again, not destination quality.

My list of "to try" places is much longer but we generally don't eat out more than once a month or two, so I need more time to try them all.

[bobot]

Because of the conveyor belt oven, a good trick with Pini's is to turn your oven up to 500 when you leave to pick up the pie, put it in the hot oven for five minutes when you get home, and enjoy your perfectly baked pizza. That conveyor belt thing always undercooks the pizza, IMO.

[Aromatherapy]

Or just ask for it "well done."

[bobot]

does that work? I've asked before and watched them put it in the conveyor belt for the same amount of time as any other pizza I've got there...

[Aromatherapy]

Works for me. (I pick up.)

[chowfamily]

Neptune Oyster
Grumpy White's
Little Q - the rest of the chowfamily saw it driving by and I read about it here, and a family favorite was found!
ECG Hell Night
Anise back in the day
Hingham Lobster Pound
Punjab Cafe
Hook Lobster - already loved the place but glad it gets mentioned
In Terre Haute, Indiana - the Farmer's Market, Saratoga Bar and Restaurant, Sushi Umi (excellent] , Stables, Java Haute.
Other venues - will have to check my notes but this site has enhanced our recent experiences in DC, San Antonio and Bandera, Texas.
It is great for up- to- the -minute information locally, and invaluable for travel.

[Northender]

more than I can remeber - but here are a few:

Dok Bua - thanks Galley Girl
Trattoria Toscana
Grotto
Taranta
Neptune Oyster
Bob's in medford
One's I still need to go to because of Chowhounders:

Union, Franklin, Orinoco, Brown Sugar, the Paddock.... and many more.

[BobB]

Carlo's Cucina.

[yumyum]

Like so many others, too many to name. But one that I never would have had the guts to check out was the Paddock. Close to my house and intimidating. An intrepid group of hounds as company made the experience doable and delightful!

[Rubee]

Oh yes! How could I forget the pizza at the Paddock? That was a great time.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/344864

[Bostonbob3]

Crikey! I still have that menu we all signed. Uh...I'll scan it eventually and post the pic, I promise. (I'm blushing in embrassment.)

[gini]

Chowhound has the wonderful ability to help users match their palate with others' and thereby make pretty well-informed dining decisions. By figuring out whose tastes mine match with, I've had wonderful meals at:

Trattoria Toscona
Baraka Cafe (going for the first time tonight!)
Grotto
MuLan
Dok Bua
Taiwan Cafe
Fasika
Floating Rock
Peach Farm
O Cantinho
Prezza (Rubee, I owe you one after you pointed out the amazing Godere a Due deal)
Fred's Franks (I would never eat hot dogs if it weren't for Chowhound, actually)

Chowhound also helped me get over my fear of Chris Schlessinger-owned spots.

[Taralli]

Be sure to have the rose petal lemonade.

[chowda]

FYI, they have that lemonade at Shwarma King too!

[OriginalJenn]

Thanks to everyone who recommended Grotto. My husband and I were in Boston a few weeks ago and met a friend for dinner there. I'm sure parking would be luck of the draw - it looked like all street parking - but we had been taking the T everywhere, so we just walked down from the station. My friend and I ordered the nightly fixe - she had the tomato salad and I had the spinach salad. She loved hers, but the dressing on my salad could have used a little more flavor. That was my ONLY complaint though - both salads were delicious. My husband ordered the crab ravioli and was extremely quite while he ate the whole thing and used some bread to finish up the sauce. The quieter he is during a meal, the more I know he's enjoying it. (And usually he offers to share a little with me - not this time!)

My friend and I each ordered the short ribs and potato gnocchi as our second course, and they were outstanding. The gnocchi were soft and pillowy, and the short ribs were tender and melted in your mouth. Unbelievable. My husband ordered the grilled beef tenderloin with the reggiano risotto which was equally divine. His steak was cooked perfectly - medium rare - something he is very very picky about. He also said the risotto was one of the best he's ever had, and this time I was smart and asked to try his. It was as good as he claimed.

For dessert, my friend and I again got the same thing - the melting chocolate cake. My husband passed on dessert, but we enjoyed ours immensely. The cake was moist, rich and deliciously warm and melting. The perfect way to cap off the meal.

[Bob MacAdoo]

My list is more strictly defined than Blumie's. These are places I'd never heard of prior to CH.

Grotto
Charcarero
Zalek
Sully's at Castle Island (a true Hound find, especially in October and March when they sell Kayem dogs for something like $1 each.)
MuLan
Taiwan Cafe

Of these, my experiences were:

Great!:

Taiwan Cafe
Charcarero
Sully's

Good:

Grotto (wish it was great - but the volume of food for the price is amazing.)

So-so:

MuLan - food was good, service a problem

Needs Improvement:

Zalek - I've been twice and experienced major delays. Price point is right, but the food is just 'eh'.

Still on my 'to-try' CH lists are:

Paddock (can't believe I've lived in this city for three decades and have never been.)
Volle Nolle
Mangia Mangia (has that been mentioned here yet?)
Floating Rock
Coast Cafe

[itaunas]

FYI, on a recent visit to Mangia Mangia the Phantom producers indicated they would be coming in in the next few months to shoot something on their burgers.

[asha]

I moved here in August 2003, not knowing a soul. So all I learned about restaurants in the first 6 months was from Chowhound. The huge standout is Mary Chung - we go there weekly. But equally wonderful are the Clam Box, Helmand, Mei Sum, and Greek Corner. A friend said recently, in love with the mapo tofu on his first visit to Mary Chung, "We almost never met!". This is how I feel about these restaurants, and I am so glad we met! Thanks Chowhound community!

[finlero]

Have you been to Baraka Cafe yet? Just down the street from Mary Chung. Based on your list, I'd imagine it would be right up your alley.

[maillard]

Verna's, Chacarero, and King Fung. Most restaurants I go to I go because of Chowhound. But those three are favorites of mine now and I almost certainly never would've found them on my own.

[Infomaniac]

Thanks Chowhound for leading me to:

Trattoria Toscana
Carlos Cucina Italian
Peach Farm
The Floating Rock
Tacos Lupita

[kparke30]

Sichuan Gourmet Framingham, Eastern Standard Kenmore Sq, Himalayan Bistro West Roxbury

[Delhiwala]

EVOO in Somerville. Great food, great wine list, nice service, and parking nearby is not a problem. Everybody that I take here loves the place.
Also, Speeds in Boston for the best hot dogs known to mankind.

[trufflehound]

I never would have tried Oriental Pearl in Framingham for dim sum. Saves me a trip to Boston. Or Kanes Donuts mmm...donuts

[ftc]

Lanna Thai Diner in Woburn. It's what Chowhound is all about: local, owner-operated, excellent food, reasonably priced. It's also got great atmosphere: pleasant lighting, good temperature (cozy in the winter, not too much AC in the summer), spotless plates and silverware, clean bathroom, tasteful Thai decor. It's also not overly crowded, at least on Saturday nights. My wife and I have eaten there at least 20 times in the last year (I'm not kidding). I want others to know about this place for selfish reasons: I want it to thrive so it's always there for us!

[AnnieP]

Finally went to The Biltmore last night. Never would have seen or hear of it if not for Chowhound. We loved it. The waiter was great, friendly without being annoying. He asked if it was our first time, and how we found out about it. When I told him Chowhound, he mentioned someone from the board who comes in a lot, and recently celebrated her birthday there. To start with, I had the blueberry gimlet (thanks, CH), which was great. My husband was unsure about a heffeweizen beer, so the waiter offered him a sample. He ended up liking it. We started with corn chowder, the soup of the day, which was one of the best I've ever had. It was thick without being overly rich and creamy (e.g. thick from corn and potatoes). My husband then had a caesar salad, which he liked, and for entrees, he had the meatloaf, and I had the roast chicken with the bread salad. The chicken was good- enough to bring home half. It was a little fatty, but can't really be avoided with a leg/thigh combo. He liked his meatloaf, but said the corn was just ok ( a little undercooked). For dessert, we had this amazingly simple, but delicious grilled poundcake, with blueberries and whipped cream. More than enough to share. Bill was $68 before tip. We would definitely go back.

[Jimbosox04]

Pizzaria Regina !!

[Ladycale]

I can't even remember how I stumbled upon Chowhound, but boy am I grateful!

A lot of good places already mentioned. A few more that I go to that haven't been mentioned:

* Wing's Kitchen in Chinatown - wouldn't have even known it was there without Chowhound
* The Super88 Food Court - probably would have skipped over it without recs from people here
* Mexico Lindo
* That Korean BBQ Place in Burlington that I can never remember the name for...

[Chris VR]

New Jang Su.

[Eatin in Woostah]

Oh, me too! We just went last night and it was absolutely great. Best bulgogi I've ever had. Wondeful!

[Chicky]

Without CHOWHOUND I would never have found the lobster roll at BELLE ISLE SEAFOOD on the Winthrop/Eastie line. It was one of the highlights of last summer's LOBSTA SAFARI.

[taxi]

Pasta Market and Tivoli's in Malden.

[buffet king]

Izzy's in Cambridge. I have been there twice so far. I like their roast pork sub, beef turnovers, fried plantains and montanero plate. I never would have known about Izzy's if it wasn't for Chowhound!

[I QUE]

Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham. Was great to find authentic ethnic flavors out here in Metrowest.

[2peasinapod]

Speeds Hotdog Cart!!! It is by far the best hot dog I have ever had. Not only is it smoked, it is also grilled. The special sause is sooooo good. Thank you chowhounds for the great find!

[nasilemak]

Wangs for their dumplings and Thai Moon for just about everything!

[catsmeow]

I "refound" M+M again for their ribs and wings. I didn't know they were still around after leaving their Columba Rd lot years ago.

[Dr.Jimbob]

Qun Li's two previous joints, Rice Garden in Washington Square in Brookline and New Taste of Asia in Coolidge Corner. Went to these places before I was even a regular chowhounder (courtesy of alanr).

FuLoon. I owe Lipoff and Limster an enormous debt of gratitude for this place, arguably the best real-deal Chinese restaurant in the greater Boston area. Too bad it's in Malden Center and convenient to nothing in the rest of my life.

Grotto
Gargoyle's

[autopi]

yes, definitely fuloon. would NEVER have found that otherwise.

ditto for angela's.

qingdao garden in cambridge, the boiled spicy fish in particular.

the polish deli (euromart or something?) out in dorchester.

[fredid]

And how could we not add Angela's???

[catsmeow]

Yesterday, I was cutting through East Boston when all the posts about Angela's crossed my mind. It was easy to find. Excellent food and a very friendly staff.

[catsmeow]

Tried Angelas in East Boston a few weeks ago. I also posted on the Florida Board and took their advice when I visited there last week. Tomorrow I'm trying Centro in Lowell after finding out abot it here. A while back, I tried the meat pies at the stand on Centre St in J. P. a few blocks past Hyde Sq. I also tried Strip Ts in Watertown and got a mahi mahi buritto that was excellent. Geoffreys and El Pelon too ...I know there have been others....

[drewames03]

Just moved from Charlestown to Coolidge Corner. Wanted to thank Allstonian and BFP for all their insight into Harvard Ave. & Allston/Brighton. I never would have known about Gitlos and Shanghai Gate.

[catsmeow]

I finally made it to Artur's in Chelsea for corned beef. I can't believe I didn't know about it before reading it on CH. Definitly the best corned beef in the Boston area. I still have to try Maxi's in Stoughton, but was very satisfied with Arthur's. It's the real NY style stuff.

[MrsCheese]

Moulton's
Green Tea 2 for dim sum
Hudson Super Buffet (no way I would have ever known about this place)
Szechuan Bay (RIP)
Pho Viet
Xinh Xinh
Wang's for dumplings

and probably tons of others I'm not thinking of right now. But these are places we've gone on a fairly regular basis after learning about them on Chowhound. I owe a lot to the people on this board for steering me in the right direction!

[purple bot]

Definitely Ten Tables. For some reason it took me a while to get over there despite living in JP for many years. Went again on Saturday night and remembered how much I like it. I had the house-made pasta and my date had the salmon, which she loved. Enjoyed a really nice bottle of a southern rhone red (the details are fuzzy, it was a fun night!)

[edgewater]

Mango II in Tewksbury.......wonderful food and great hospitality. Thanks.

[foodiefromfl]

Sichuan Gourmet in Framingham
Casey's in Natick

[teezeetoo]

shanghai gate, gitlos, trattoria toscana, fuloon,angelas, gran gusto - all board recommendations and all on my "faves" list now

[yummieeee]

Amarin of Thailand in Newton. Just had lunch there for the first time. I had beef satay. I asked for it extra hot and they brought me out some spicy sauce.Hot with good flavor. I had a very good pad thai. It's a nice clean place with very good service.