Boston Restaurant Blog -- December, 2010

We get a lot of reader posts on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site, including reviews of restaurants we haven't been to yet, answers to questions we ask, and comments about blog entries. Many, if not most, of the posts are very interesting and informative, with some resulting in our trying restaurants we have never been to. But there are other posts that stand out for other reasons, be it humor, sarcasm, oddness, or simply because they are posts that stick in the head long after they have been read. Ten such posts are shown below, all of which were added to the site over the past year, and even though they are numbered, they are really in no particular order, though the last one seems like a good way to end the list.

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1) Now THAT'S a Dive Bar!
The following post came from a reader earlier this year, in response to a question we had about best dive bars in Boston. We're not sure this bar in Chinatown would qualify as the "best," but it sure does sound interesting.

"[This bar] def. fits MC Slim JB's definition, esp. on the 'threat of implied violence' end of things. It's where I learned that pimps both do and do not dress like pimps."

2) Maybe They're Grading on a Sliding Scale.
This post was a review of a Brazilian restaurant and Cafe a bit north of Boston. The review is succinct and to the point:

"I hate this place and it is the worst."

So what makes this review so interesting? Well, the reviewer gave it TWO stars. Perhaps there are different levels of "worst."

3) Beer -- A Temporary Solution (to Eating Out of Dog Bowls).
The post below was in response to a question we had about a barbecue joint south of Boston. To be honest, we can't really tell if the poster likes the place or not, but we're hoping that at the very least, the dog bowls get replaced every now and then.

"They are fair...but it's a bit disturbing to have food served in plastic dog bowls....I guess if you drink enough beer it won't matter."

4) Tell Us How You Really Feel!
Here is a post that focuses on a restaurant in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. Once again, another "succinct and to the point" review, and what's funny is, this poster also decided to give out two stars rather than just one (see #2 above).

"...I will never go there again unless it's for a property auction."

5) Definitely Too Much Information.
This is a review of a hot dog joint in the South Coast region of Massachusetts. The person gave it an ok review, though perhaps the place might have been docked a star or two back in the "old days," based on this post.

"It [used to be] called Dirty Nicks cuz then-owner would line up the dogs up the underside of his arm."

6) Well, Maybe It IS a Dump.
Sometimes we have infighting among our posters, with some posts never making it to the site because of the sheer level of ugliness. But this confrontation is a bit amusing, because the second poster, in a sense, lends credence to the argument that it may, in fact, be a dump. [By the way, I personally like this place, which shall remain unnamed here.]

POSTER #1: "[The place] is a dump. Pulling the area down...."

POSTER #2: "I dare you to walk in there and call the place a dump."

7) Something's Rotten in Denmark....
As much as we'd like to, we never truly know who is posting on our site, and when an "anonymous" poster puts something up, it is probably best that we really study what has been posted, as can be seen with this first poster ("anonymous") and a response by a second poster.

POSTER #1: "I have been going [here] since I was a child. I am now 47 yrs. old. I love it there. The food is always good...."

POSTER #2: "The anonymous poster's comment is odd. [The restaurant] has only been [there] for 9-10 years."

8) I'm Goin' Off the Rails on a Quest for Steak Tips.
One of the most popular questions on our site is one that centers around marinade for steak tips. And after, oh, about 5 million people giving the "official" NewBridge Cafe (in Chelsea) recipe for steak tip marinade, one poster finally wrote what a lot of us were thinking.

"You people are insane...Keep this crazy train on the tracks!"

9) A Secret We'd Rather Not Know About.
One thread within our questions and answers section deals with recipes for bar pizza. A reader of ours responded, saying that he/she had the recipe from a popular bar pizza joint south of Boston but could not give it out because it had been in a family for a long time. A second reader responded, wondering why the original poster would even bother responding if he/she wouldn't give out the recipe, at which point a third reader sided with the second reader by stating the following:

"I do agree that if [the original poster] is not going to answer the question, he/she should not comment. Anyone could say they have [the recipe] but won't give it out. Hell, I once slept with Lady Gaga, but I can't give out the details."

10) An Old-School Review of an Old-School Restaurant.
Breaking away from humor and silliness for a bit, this rather sweet and sentimental reader review of an old-school Italian joint in a Boston neighborhood made me think of what some of these great places were like a couple of generations ago. This is actually taken from two different reviews by the same person.

"Uncle George was your bartender for how many years. My wife...and I stop in every time we are in [the area]. It is amazing [the place] is still there. I don't visit up there much anymore because all the old folks have passed on, no need to go there anymore. I will stop by some day to say hello....Ok, keep the pizzas coming, see you in the future."

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Well, that's about it for now. Surely there will be many more interesting reader posts in 2011 (possibly from some of you reading this right now!), so check back in, oh, about another 365 days or so.

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on December 23, 2010.
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