8/16/10; EGGPLANT, How Do I Love Thee?Let Me Count the Ways

[opinionatedchef]

So, I will start with some of my favs:

Toro- Escalivadas( Eggplant Salad) the one dish that keeps me going back
Eastern Lamejun- Baby Eggplants Stuffed with Rice and Pine Nuts
Mary Chung- Deep fried Eggplant Sandwiches filled with Pork
Town Diner- Deep fried Eggplant spears(essential to have with lemon wedges)
Sevan Bakery- Eggplant and Mushroom Salad( w/ tomato and garlic base)
that Pizza restaurant in No. Cambr. brick building - Eggplant Parmesan
La Fe (Lynn)- Dominican stewed Baranjena(Eggplant) with Pork (alternates daily with fab. okra[molandrone])

As I'm compiling this, I am realizing that I have not seen eggplant dishes in Mexican cuisine.hmmmm...
I am anxious to learn of your favs!

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Mary Chung Restaurant
460 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139

Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

Sevan Bakery
599 Mount Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472

La Fe Restaurant
189 Union St, Lynn, MA 01901

Town Diner
627 Mount Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472

[opinionatedchef]

bump.I recently had a great thai eggplant w/coconut milk and cashews that accompanied the asian scallops entree at Maxwell's 148. And in Allston, Azama Grill and Garlic 'n Lemons have a delic eggplant/tomato chickpea mousskaa(sp.)

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Maxwells 148
148 East Central Street, Natick, MA 01760

Azama Grill
54 Harvard Ave, Boston, MA 02134

Garlic 'n Lemons
133 Harvard Ave, Boston, MA 02134

[bartleby]

Had a really, really (no, really) tasty eggplant parm panino at Gran Gusto today. Almost like a calzone in a Neapolitan shell (i.e., thin, but with snap and chew). Lunch menu only, I think.

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Gran Gusto
90 Sherman St, Cambridge, MA 02140

[opinionatedchef]

well,b, their 'eggplant parm' is the best i have had outside of rome, so i completely understand your joy.

[bartleby]

Well, until I get to Rome, then, this is probably going to be at the top of my list!

[AnjLM]

Crunchy eggplant appetizer at Via Matta
Eggplant parm and roast lamb with marinated eggplant sub at Artu
Eggplant with basil at Taiwan Cafe
Eggplant pizza at Picco

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Via Matta
79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116

[phoebek]

Baingan Bhartha at Punjab in Arlington

[veggielover]

Moussaka at Kouzina

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Kouzina
1649 Beacon St, Waban, MA 02468

[lulu806]

Pasta Market, Malden - Eggplant Parm (it's a special only and the best I've ever had)

Tangierino - Moroccan-Sicilian Eggplant Tagine

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Tangierino
73 Main Street, Charlestown, MA 02129

Pasta Market Cafe
237 Ferry St, Malden, MA 02148

[Aromatherapy]

Minced eggplant w/garlic at FuLoon (special order)
Grilled eggplant sub at Bob's in Medford (but NOT on the "french" bread)
Begun dolma (sweet & sour) at Bengal Cafe
Gran Gusto's pizza (Sorrentina?) w/smoked mozzarella, halved cherry tomatoes, and fried eggplant batons
Moussaka at the Arlington Greek festival
Not really special for the eggplant per se, but the eggplant pita rollup at Cheddar's in Fresh Pond is a nice blend of Greekish salad (mesclun & other stuff) and crunchy fried eggplant

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FuLoon
375 Main St, Malden, MA 02148

Gran Gusto
90 Sherman St, Cambridge, MA 02140

[teezeetoo]

spicy eggplant schwarma at garlic 'n lemon

[bizkat]

Has anybody tried the eggplant pizza at Coppa?

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Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

[galangatron]

eggplant rollantini at alia in winthrop
eggplant with basil at taiwan cafe in chinatown
eggplant parm at vinny's at night in somerville
beguni (indian eggplant fried in chickpea batter) at bengal cafe in cambridge
hunkar begendi (pureed eggplant with braised lamb) at brookline family restaurant in brookline
bargary baigan (indian eggplant in sesame peanut sauce) at kabab and tandoor in waltham
khayantheenut (asian eggplant in peanut sauce) at yoma in allston

i would also suggest any of the thai and cambodian dishes featuring pea eggplant and thai eggplant

[StriperGuy]

Nice.

So very different, but I love those tiny thai eggplant.

[bear]

Ooh, I forgot about the eggplant in sesame peanut sauce at Kabob and Tandoor. Soooo good.

[LStaff]

I don't know what they call it, but they do a nice eggplant dish on the buffet at K&T - just seems like garlic, cumin, chilies and ghee with onions and tomatos - and sometimes green pepper. Most times its just merely good, but every once in a while its out of this world.

[Nab]

I've been in an eggplant state of mind lately, and need to check out these, particularly numbers 4, 5 and 6 on your list. Khayantheenut is an excellent dish, one of my favourites at YoMa. And while not necessarily eggplant-forward, the Joyful Eggplant is another nice and homey dish at YoMa (pic attached).

Was discussing the Thai roasted eggplant salad "yam makeua" on another forum, and realize I have not had this dish at any Boston restaurants. Does anybody make it ?

Another one that I've grown up with, and which I have not had in town is "baingan raita" and also curious to know who's doing a good version.

Tis the season.

[Spike]

family style eggplant at Sichuan Garden...mmm (and it's not spicy for those it matters to)...

[litchick]

Though I never see it on menus in this part of New England, I love eggplant with black bean sauce. The nice folks at Zoe's and Qingdao Garden indulge me when I ask the kitchen if they'd be kind enough to make it for me, and it's always terrific.

I do sometimes get funny looks from the waitresses, though, that seem to indicate that only a crazy person would want to eat eggplant with black bean sauce. The first time I asked the lovely woman who is usually on the floor at Qingdao, she furrowed her brow at me an asked with concern, "is that good?" I have no idea if there's something about the marriage of eggplant and black bean sauce that somehow goes against Chinese cooking philosophies, but it was a common dish on menus in New Haven in the late 1990s, so maybe it's just a regional dish that isn't usual here. Or maybe I'm committing food heresy. Either way, it's delicious.

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Qingdao Garden Restaurant
2382 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140

[jpcat]

One of my favorites is the eggplant parmigiana appetizer served at Trattoria Il Panino. It's baked pie-like in a light crust . Big enough for an entree.

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Il Panino
266 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

[Pegmeister]

I really like the eggplant parm appetizer at Il Panino as well, but I'm not sure I would say it was large enough for an entree. The last time I was there I was tempted to get a second order. What makes it different for me is that it's built up in so many layers. Definitely one of the better versions.

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Il Panino
266 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

[GretchenS]

Eggplant parm at Francesca's Kitchen in East Arlington. And a second vote for the eggplant at Helmand, truly amazing.

[babka eater]

I agree with a lot of postings above. I would add bedenjal mechoui from Baraka Cafe.

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Baraka Cafe
80 Pearl St, Cambridge, MA 02139

[Luther]

Baba ganouj at Sevan

[Taralli]

Jo Jo Taipei & Mulan's eggplant w/garlic sauce or eggplant w/basil.

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JoJo Tai Pei Restaurant
103 Brighton Ave, Boston, MA 02134

[Luther]

If you haven't had the Taiwan Cafe version I'd go so far as to say it's much better.

[bear]

That TC eggplant is terrific, and the aroma of the garlic and basil is unbelievable.

I also love the eggplant parm at Artu, the Bella Vista and the Saraceno, all in the North End.

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Saraceno Restaurant
286 Hanover St, Boston, MA 02113

[Parsnipity]

Baba ganoush from Garlic & Lemons in Allston is great. Thanks for the tip, 'Hounds.

[Jenny Ondioline]

The mousaka there is excellent too: it's nothing like the similarly-named Greek dish, just a simple cold salad of perfectly-cooked eggplant chunks in an onion and tomato sauce.

[Gabatta]

Vinnys at Night eggplant parm.

[nasilemak]

the marinated eggplant that is included in the roast lamb sandwich at Artu.

[teezeetoo]

any eggplant dish from Brookline Family Restaurant, particularly imam baldi

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Brookline Family Restaurant
305 Washington St, Brookline, MA 02445

[Luther]

The sultan's delight is a particularly notable eggplant dish there.

[trueblu]

Not exactly the most stellar thing ever, but the egg/eggplant sandwich from the clover food truck deserves an honorable mention.

The best aubergine dish I've ever had: my wife's eggplant/tomato thingamijig...pure heaven.

tb

[yanz]

eggplant at Helmand...deliciously done with yogurt sauce to balance it out.

[BostonZest]

Chili Duck on Boylston across from the Pru - Spicy eggplant with chopped chicken (laab style)

And, a dream of a stuffed eggplant dish that Ana Sortun made in a cooking class at BU a few years ago. If this ever shows up on one of her menus. I'm there.

Penny
http://www.bostonzest.com/

[StriperGuy]

Spicy eggplant and pork at Shangri-La, possibly the best eggplant dish I have ever had.

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Shangri-La
149 Belmont St, Belmont, MA 02478

[maillard]

Taiwan Cafe- eggplant with basil

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Taiwan Cafe
34 Oxford St, Boston, MA 02111

[pamplemouse]

Via Matta - Crunchy Eggplant app... so crunchy on the outside, so creamy on the inside.

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Via Matta
79 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 02116