B&G on a Wednesday?
We'd like to take a colleague to B&G on Wednesday evening, but given that we're a party of 3, they don't take reservations.
Can anyone guestimate how long we might wait for a table if we arrived around 7:30-8:00?
(Note: I'm an out-of-towner, so I've never been to B&G, although I liked the Butcher Shop, and I'm eager to give it a try).
Thanks -
Rabbit.
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yumyum
Nov 30, 2007 04:55 AM
Well, I'm happy to report that dinner last night was just great -- in fact one of our party just called me to say how much she enjoyed B&G, so I think the kitchen was firing on all cylinders. Started with oysters and some shrimp cocktail, all of which were pristine. They had a diver scallop special with salsify, baby apples and pomegranate that was stunning on the plate and just delicous. I had the cod with lentils, cauliflower, and meyer lemons. Beautifully cooked fish and a pretty big plate of food for $24. Somehow I never feel swindled at B&G -- it's pricey but a good value, I think. Dessert for the birthday girl was probably the low-light, although I am no dessert expert. It was a pear something or other with puff pastry. Looked fine, but she just picked at it so it couldn't have been great. Had a couple of glasses of the wine that's bottled for the restaurant -- a california style white, didn't catch the name as someone else ordered the bottle. Really, my only nit about the place is the soundtrack -- the music is loud, and I don't mind that, but I always wish for more of a sexy feel -- Buddha Bar or Radio Paradise vibe, instead of the random techno that was playing last night. Hey, not a big deal, just my opinion. I'm glad that the restaurant was a winner last night for my friend's birthday.
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re: yumyum
lissy
Nov 30, 2007 06:04 AM
I'm glad to hear that you had a good meal there. As you know, it's one of my favorite spots! I never really enjoy dessert there either. You're better off going to Aquitaine for their warm chocolate pudding cake (or something like that), Hamersley's (their desserts change but I always enjoy them) or better yet, Butcher Shop for a cheese plate...that's my kind of dessert!
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re: Blumie
Rabbit
Dec 5, 2007 06:32 PM
Bah-ha! I don't really think the problem was "not getting it" - the problem was mediocre food on the night of our visit.
I loved the vibe, and I could have lounged about drinking champers all evening. But this isn't byzantine fusion food, and if a shrimp is kinda overcooked and small, then there's not that much to interpret.
Sounds like we hit it on an off night. I'm glad to hear this, and hoping that a second visit might be more satisfying.
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yumyum
Nov 27, 2007 09:31 AM
I'm sort of sad to hear these reports of B&G being flat lately. I am taking a friend there this week for her birthday (her choice) and I was looking forward to a delicious meal. Can anyone recommend dishes they've had lately that have pleased them? Or should I stick with the lobster BLT?
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BostonZest
Nov 5, 2007 07:53 AM
If you have your heart set on something you've heard about, call ahead. I wanted a lobster roll a couple of Sunday's ago and cabbed over only to be told they were out of lobster. That wiped out a big part of the menu!
My husband had oysters and we shared the beet salad and the Crab Beignets. The service, at the bar, was cold and impersonal and the music was tacky but at least it wasn't too loud.
I think that was our last trip to B&G. There was a time when we were regulars at both B&G and the Butcher Shop and recommended them highly. We will probably do the Butcher shop in the future but I can't remember the last time B&G made me happy.
The trip wasn't wasted, we renewed our cheese supply at South End Formaggio and grabbed a hanger steak at the Butcher Shop.
However, Neptune wins my vote for Boston's best Oyster Bar/ seafood destination.
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re: BostonZest
Rabbit
Nov 7, 2007 02:47 AM
We did go to B&G last night (ended up being a Tuesday, not a Wednesday), and getting a table was no problem.
But we found the food underwhelming. Nothing wrong with it, granted, but just not special in any way. The space is cute. Table was a bit squishy for three, but I liked the cozy atmopshere. And our service was fine.
Mr. Rabbit had half a dozen oysters, which he reported were good, but, as he said, it's an oyster bar, so he would have expected no less. He described them as "Legal's quality," which is not bad, but we might have expected better. I have a bivalve allergy (tragic), so I generally get a shrimp cocktail as a consolation prize. The shrimp at B&G were actually kind of sad and small. I would describe them as "sub-Legal's quality".
Mr. Rab's skate wing was reported to be very good. My goat cheese salad was dull, with the cheese being one of those rather uninspired fried balls. Our guest had tuna, which also looked quite good.
Desserts were mediocre... all sounded more interesting than they presented. Fig tart was way too much pastry, and we left most of it untouched. The goat cheese ice cream was interesting at the expense of being good. The semifreddo was OK. Just OK. We left much of it too.
Had a nice bottle of Spanish red. Mr. Rabbit was disappointed that they didn't have more sparkling options by the glass, and he found his prosecco too sweet (but he always says that, so I wish he'd stop his masochistic prosecco-ordering).
Flat. Nothing really wrong, but as BZest put it, the whole experience just didn't really make me happy.
Rab-bit!
www.rabbitreporting.com
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lissy
Nov 5, 2007 05:16 AM
I don't think I've waited much longer than 30-40 minutes and often I've waited less than their original estimate of the wait. What I usually do is give them my name and phone number and have them call me at the Butcher Shop where I'll have a glass of wine while I wait.
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