Chowhound "Yum" Steer

[Bob MacAdoo]

A couple of months back, I posted a thread that got some traction on 'bum' CH steers. Well, today's fun is focused on "Yum" steers, i.e., places you were directed to via a fellow hound or were able to direct others too that were especially yummy.

Here's a recent list for Yum Steers given, and taken:

Yums Given

Souper Roll Up, East Camb. - Best place that gets no love on CH board.
New Deal Fish, E. Camb. - Touting this place since 2007. I love Carl Fantasia's fish monger heaven.
Fuloon - A benefit of living on the near north shore.
Uburger - Free Uburger in 2009 that is. I'd recc the U any time, but speecially when they are giving UCheeses away.
Sessa's - Best Italian sandwiches in Eastern MA. Still.

Yums Taken (best of many!)

Craigie on Main - Crispy pig tails! Burger too. Thanks hounds.
O Ya - Still paying the tab, but worth every penny
Tupelo - Southern love
Highland Kitchen - Oh man, thank you!
Angela's Cafe - Muy gracias!
Taranta - Peru? Italy? Who cares!
BBQSmith - Damned if that special smoked pork, kale, sharp cheese creation I ate back in August doesnt rank as my best sammy of '11.

Thanks hounds!

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O Ya
9 East Street, Boston, MA 02111

Highland Kitchen
150 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143

Sessa's
414 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02144

Craigie on Main
853 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02139

Uburger
636 Beacon St, Boston, MA 02215

Souper Roll Up Cafe
726 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02141

[Mike5966]

Places I would likely not have tried were it not for specific recommendations on CH:

Gran Gusto pizza
Il Casale's Fiat tasting menu
Pho Hoa
Bergamot
J.J. Foley's steak tips
Sakanaya, really nice botan ebi and hamachi I had there once
Toraya
Bell Isle Seafood (though I now dislike their burnt-bread lobster roll)
Bondir

I am a vocal supporter of the following favorites which I hope a few people have tried on my recommendation:

El Chalan's Peruvian rotisserie chicken (my favorite in a showdown I did between three places)
Flat Patties' cheeseburger (my second favorite, after the Fake Shack one I make at home)
The Gallows' cheeseburger (my third favorite)
Hillstone's loaded baked potato (the best I've ever had anywhere)
Dumpling Cafe's thin-skinned XLB, exemplary hot and sour soup, and other dishes
Roy Moore's lobster in Rockport
ICOB's Rocky Nook oysters (like an Island Creek but with all flavors amped up just a little)
Union Bar & Grille's and ESK's roast chicken (both much better than Hamersley's, easily, IMO)

Finally, a shout out to the memory of the not-so-recently closed Ken Ramen, for which I had the strongest feelings and desire for others to try among all other placed I've ever recommended in Boston. Not a grand slam, but still a home run by Boston ramen standards.

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Toraya Restaurant
890 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

Gran Gusto
90 Sherman St, Cambridge, MA 02140

Flat Patties
81 Mount Auburn St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Hillstone
60 State St Ste P, Boston, MA 02109

J.J. Foley's
117 E Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02118

Bondir
279 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139

Sakanaya
75 Linden St, Boston, MA 02134

[opinionatedchef]

I forgot all about the Peruvian chicken crawl we did last yr. I came away agreeing w/ you, and Devra First's team- that my fav was from El Chalan because of the particular spice coating. Macchu Pichu is still a close second, and our usual choice because we can also get those tremendous roast pork and sweet potato sandwiches and the huge pork stock infused tamales.

[Parsnipity]

Many good ones already mentioned, but without Chowhound I would never have ventured into Trina's Starlite Lounge for dinner and I love their chicken and waffles.

From the Greater New England Hounds, thanks for the steer to Baba Louie's pizza in Great Barrington. I mention it here because if anyone's headed out that way it's worth checking out.

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Trina's Starlite Lounge
3 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143

[Taralli]

Moroccan Hospitality and Habesha in Malden. http://habeshaethiopianrestaurant.com/

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Habesha Restaurant
535 Main St, Malden, MA

Moroccan Hospitality Restaurant
188 Salem St, Malden, MA 02148

[three of us]

Our current best loved yum steer is Little Q in East Arlington. There is something relaxing about cooking some food, eating, talking, cooking some more food, eating, talking . . .

[Boston_Otter]

I'll second this. I probably never would have tried this place without raves from Chowhound. The Ma La broth is a wonder to behold.

[Tonality666]

CH has taken me on delightful journeys through the tunnel to Angela's, Belle Isle, and Scups (R.I.P.) :-(

[little.tiger]

Golden Garden (when it opened, I thought it was just your standard American Chinese glop -now it's our regular frozen dumpling haul)
Istanbu'lu
Toraya
the yogourt at Sophia's in Belmont (I've never purchased anything else there, but the yogourt is worth the trip)
Great Taste Dim Sum and Bakery

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Toraya Restaurant
890 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

Great Taste
201 Main St, Milford, MA 01757

Golden Garden
63 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478

[StriperGuy]

Gosh, guess we have similar taste. Think I was the first poster on GG, Sophia's Yogurt, and GT.

Though I think someone else might have beat me to it on Sophia's.

[Bob Dobalina]

It's hard to respond to this post - the list of restaurants would pretty much encompass everywhere I have dined out in the past five years.

[Matt H]

Same here, I basically owe eating well in Boston to this board since moving to the area. A few do come to mind though:

Yoma, Taiwan Cafe, Mulan, Darbar, Angela's Cafe and Snack Bar. Chances are I may have never tried those if not mentioned on the board or it would have at least taken me alot longer to track them down.

[gourmaniac]

agree. My Quality of chowing is mostly dependent on this site in Boston and anywhere I travel in fact. Yum steers received (OMG class): Angela's, Rincon Limeno, Neptune, S&I Thai, Mulan, Darbar, ICOB. Yum steers given: can't think of many "firsts" but have encouraged a few: Esperia, Dumpling Cafe, Great Taste, Cafe de Lulu, Euromart.

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Rincon Limeno
409 Chelsea St, Boston, MA 02128

Euromart
808 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02125

Great Taste
201 Main St, Milford, MA 01757

Cafe de Lulu
42 Beach St, Boston, MA 02110

[powerfulpierre]

Excellent Thread, Thanks! I don't post much but C-H is my daily go-to for good info. Without you folks I wouldn't have found:

Mounir's and 3 Dogz Diner in Lawrence

Tavern at the end of the World (a gold star find!)

Trina's Starlight

Lester's BBQ in Billerica

China Star and Pho 88 in Lowell

Thanks again!

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Pho 88
1270 Westford St, Lowell, MA 01851

Mounir's Restaurant
34 S Broadway, Lawrence, MA 01843

[FoodDabbler]

I owe Chowhounders a lot. That's why I stay, despite my deep reservations about the immoderate moderation policies on the site. The people here are excellent, and their recommendations have improved my life. Here are FoodDabbler family staples that we came to via you guys:

Shangri La
Golden Garden
Tamarind Bay (second look thanks to Prav)
Taiwan Cafe
Strip T's
Neptune

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Tamarind Bay
75 Winthrop St, Cambridge, MA 02138

Golden Garden
63 Concord Ave, Belmont, MA 02478

[teezeetoo]

I owe you Shanghai Gate, Jo Jo Taipei, Esperia, Mulan and Strip T's and many others. Don't know what I may have offered first but have no reservations about my raves for Yo Ma, Toro, Erbaluce and The Spot.

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Shanghai Gate
204 Harvard Ave, Allston, MA 02134

Toro
1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

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

Erbaluce
69 Church Street, Boston, MA 02116

[hckybg]

I doubt I would ever have found Tavern at the End of the World if not for chowhound suggestions, nor Galleria Umberto. I could probably say that about a lot of places, come to think of it.

[opinionatedchef]

FD, couldn't agree with you more on the immoderate moderators.

But so many great CH tips these last few years, for which we are most grateful:
La Verdad- fish tacos and carne asada tortas
Pho Viet beef banh mi
Mitsano- unagi bi bim bap
JoJoTaipei -frozen pork and shrimp dumplings
Aziza
Garlic 'n Lemons
Boston Kabob Company
Mixx- taro and passion fruit and honeydew fro yo
Buk Kyung II
Neptune Oyster
Island Creek Oyster Bar
Otto Pizza
Fulloon
Oleana
Esperia Grill- pork gyros and moussaka
Myers +Chang
Winsor dim sum
East Coast Grill brunch
Rendezvous
Dave's Pasta -cubanos
Biryani Park
Kebab Factory
All Star Sandwich Bar

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All Star Sandwich Bar
1245 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

Neptune Oyster
63 Salem St Ste 1, Boston, MA 02113

Oleana
134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA 02139

The Kebab Factory
414 Washington St, Somerville, MA 02143

La Verdad
1 Lansdowne St, Boston, MA 02215

Pho Viet
1095 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215

Oleana
134 Hampshire St., Cambridge, MA 02139

Buk Kyung Restaurant
151 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134

Esperia Grill
344 Washington Street, Boston, MA

Esperia Grill
344 Washington St, Brighton, MA 02135

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

Island Creek Oyster Bar
500 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215

Biryani Park
105 Broadway (Route 99), Malden, MA 02148

[LeoLioness]

-Prezza, especially the egg yolk ravioli (when it's on, I'm in heaven!)

-Island Creek Oyster Bar. Not sure I would have thought it any more than just another glossy seafood place if I hadn't read so much about it here.

-Angela's Cafe.

-the bar at No. 9 Park.

-burger at Craigie.

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No. 9 Park
9 Park Street, Boston, MA 02108

[Bob MacAdoo]

I forgot about the Prezza egg yolk ravioli. Another great yum steer, thanks!

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Prezza
24 Fleet St., Boston, MA 02113

[yumyum]

This is so much more up my alley than the Bum Steer thread, which just made me sad with all the people yukking each others yums.

Just a few places I wouldn't have known about but for the Boston hounds:
Biryani Park
Mulan
Esperia Grill
Serbian festival (not a place but a happening)
Magouns!
Best Lil Restaurant
Fuloon
..... and about a gazillion others....

Thank you hounds.

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Esperia Grill
344 Washington Street, Boston, MA

Biryani Park
105 Broadway (Route 99), Malden, MA 02148

[FoodDabbler]

"This is so much more up my alley than the Bum Steer thread, which just made me sad with all the people yukking each others yums"

If it was the bum steer thread, don't you mean "yukking each others bums"?

[viperlush]

My first experience w/ the Boston Board was when I came up to Boston a few years back to scout out the area for a possible job relocation. Research on Chowhound led me to Paramount in Beacon HIll for breakfast, Euno in the North End and Teatro on the Commons. All great meals.

Other restaurants/ shops that I frequent due to Chowhound:

Maria's in the North End

Russo's in Watertown

El Pelon

Food Court @ Super 88

So Thank You!

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Teatro
177 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111

El Pelon
2197 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton, MA 02135

[Gabatta]

Thanks for Monica's Mercato

[Northender]

Second the "Yum steer" experience for both Taranta and Highland Kitchen and would add Rincon Limon in Eastie to the list. Great rotisserie chicken.

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Highland Kitchen
150 Highland Ave, Somerville, MA 02143

[Taralli]

Love cerviche & Jalea at Rincon Limeno and the birria at Jalisco.

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Rincon Limeno
409 Chelsea St, Boston, MA 02128

[Luther]

carnitas