text:
El Centro: Awful. Boston, terrible food city.
Terrible. Had tacos al pastor and 3 other tacos. Overstuffed tacos with wet bland goop. All of them tasted the same - soggy.
Wife had beef in molacetes. Very salty and with oddly dry beef floating in a onion tomato sauce.
Michelada was the high point. Smoky and spicy with right amount of lime - the beer, to its credit, was cold.
Overall a terrible mexican meal.
However, not surprising - this is Boston after all. On a related topic, I've lived here since 2008 and I've had only four meals worth the parking expense - Strip T's 2X and Ribelle, maybe erbaluce. This is just an awful food city. I lived in Philly and Bklyn before. Great restaurants in every neighborhood, at least one gem. I have no idea why a city with this much wealth and relatively cosmopolitan culture can breed such awful middling cuisine. I'm done. I'll eat out every 3 months when I can travel back to NYC or Philly.
Haha, sucks about the bad Mexican meal, but you're about to get blasted for coming on here and saying such inflammatory stuff about Boston and its food as a whole, especially comparing it to NYC. ;)
So, I'm willing to bet there's at least "one gem" in every neighborhood in Boston/surrounding area, too. What have you tried that's been so awful?
Can't wait to see this.
I would not look for great Mexican food in Boston. That said, there is an incredible variety of great food to be had in the restaurants in this city. Boston is a great food city!
re: c oliver
Correct spelling is molcajete. It is the Mexican version of a mortar and pestal that is heated to over 400° and filled with chicken, beef,chorizo, Mexican cheese, nopales (cactus) peppers and onions in a delicious sauce spiced to your preference. It is usually served with home made tortillas and rice and beans. I live in California and there are several restaurants in the are that serve this dish. It is delicious, and if your in the Salinas area try the version at Casa del Saizon. That said I am a frequent visitor to Boston and the food scene has never disappointed me. Returning this summer after a 2 year break and already making my list. Will be wearing my Boston sweatshirt tomorrow and hoping for a safe marathon.
re: villadeste92
Have a wonderful day tomorrow!!!!!
I'm familiar with molcajete :) Just checking with OP. Love it. We live a Tahoe and have a great place for the dish in Reno. Thanks for the Salinas rec. Boston food is terrific.
re: c oliver
If the restaurant this guy went to used that spelling no wonder his meal was so terrible. Thanks for the tip on Reno. If you have a chance pass the restaurants name along. Can you believe all the responses from this post. My email has been blowing up with all the notifications. I'm in California so did not run today. Just wore my shirt to support a city I love. Cheers.
sak, i have no interest in throwing daggers or anything. and i am sorry you had such a bummer experience. I have long been a vociferous critic of Mexican food in boston, and i am a big fan of Ribelle(as are many Boston CHs.). But i must say- i wish you had picked some other restnt to instigate your rant. I myself have posted, non-glowingly, about El Centro, and iirc there was one very positive and other not so positive CH reviews of same. Did you not do a CH search before eating there? If not, then it would be an obvious comment that you played into your own demise, yes?....
As critical as i can be about the Boston dining scene, I am perplexed how your experiences over 6 years could only have been good at Ribelle,ST's and Erbaluce. Can you rattle off a list of well-reviewed restnts that have been awful? or is it possible that you have not been reading CH and/or other reviews, and simply choosing badly?
or maybe you haven't eaten out much in boston?....I see that you live in one of Boston's many hinterland/suburban culinary wastelands. Well, I do too (up north in winchester) but am fortunately closer to Somerville/Camb/Boston than you.Still, we have to drive 30-45 minutes, on average, to get to our fav places.
Good restnts are a joy for most of us and it would be a shame for you to continue to feel so badly about the food in your current home. Hope we can help you with some Boston spots you may like.
You have a number of Metrowest posts. Yes, Metrowest certainly can be a food wasteland ( see the Acton thread!) but it's the suburbs, it's not Boston. Second, don't trash an entire city based upon one crappy meal! Here's hoping you were just po'd after the crappy meal and just had to let fly one rant.
Let's help the OP out (no, I don't mean "out of town.") by starting a list of neighborhood gems. The rules: you actually eat there and you love it enough to travel to it and park. Here's mine:
Allston, Shanghai Gate, JoJo Taipei, S & I Thai, Carlos Cucina
Brighton, Esperia
Brookline, Ribelle, Lineage, Washington Square Tavern, La Morra
East Boston, Angelas
South End, Myers and Chang, Toro
North End, Prezza, Taranta
Back Bay, Asta, Erbaluce, DeuxAve, L'Espalier
Chinatown, Xian Xian, Q, Windsor, Best Little
Dorchester, Shanti, Lucky's Chinese Barbecue, Pho Le, Sunset Café
Kenmore, Eastern Standard, Island Creek, Hawthorne Bar
Cambridge, Catalyst, Alden and Harlow, EVOO, Oleana
Don't know JP or West Roxbury too well, or the Beacon Hill Area but I'm sure other posters do.
re: teezeetoo
Ill add a few more:
North End- Regina, Neptune
Chinatown- Shojo
Downtown- JM Curley
South End- Toro, Myers and Chang, Picco
Cambridge- Hungry Mother
Somerville- Highland Kitchen
re: phatchris
Somerville - Sarma, Bronwyn
re: teezeetoo
Add ons for Eastie:
Taqueria Jalisco
Rincon Limeno: http://www.rinconlimeno.com/
Everyone is being so polite.
OP, I have no idea what your position is on seafood but neither Philadelphia or Brooklyn (or for that matter Manhattan) have anyplace that can touch Island Creek Oyster Bar, Row 34, B&G Oyster, or (if you can deal with the 'tude) Neptune Oyster.
re: Blumie
Blumie, care to elaborate?
re: Carty
I'm a big fan of ICOB, and not a fan of Boston-bashing (for a small city there are fantastic restaurants if you know where to look, which it sounds like the OP very willfully doesn't), but if we're including Manhattan, are you really trying to argue that Aquagrill "can't touch" ICOB? Or that ICOB could touch Le Bernardin?
re: cjd260
can we just get over this already? We aren't New York, we are Boston. Some of us used to live in New Orleans, Chicago, San Francisco, New York, whatever. Some of us have visited great restaurants in China, Malaysia, Tokyo, Spain, India, etc. Some of us know real barbecue because we grew up in NC, Texas, TN, whatever. And we have a really really short growing season, and we can't get some ingredients here.
I live in Boston because I am glad to be here for many, many reasons. And the food scene is so much better than it was, say, in 1989. We have Watertown and all the Armenian stores, we have little ethnic enclaves where we can find lots of stuff if we search for it, and if you need a huge amount of blackberries for a great Italian custard dessert, and you can't afford Whole Foods, there's Haymarket. We have great bread. We have some great cheese shops. We have some great seafood markets.
Maybe I'll move to Toronto some day, but for now, I love living in Boston. I still miss NC BBQ, and lots of other stuff. I make my own Mexican and I"m glad I can find the chiles here.
Let's help each other find we what want and need...retail and restaurants...
re: Madrid
YES, madrid, YES! A rational voice in the crowd.....
re: cjd260
Are ICOB and Le Bernadin even in the same price range? I had always assumed that Le Bernadin was in one of those rarified price points, reserved for extra, special occasions.
re: smtucker
bernadin is a 3 star michellin restaurant and is in a different league than icob in price and standards. That said, i like ICOB; there is a place for both in my heart.
If you're out in the burbs, you're missing Sycamore and Lineage before getting out your grave digging shovel.
Go to Antojitos in Waltham and try the Gorditas or the tamales. And get the heck out of Metrowest where the food really does suck.
Heck, try Shangri-La, Taiwanese, in Belmont, or Gustazo for Cuban.
I think that nearly every neighborhood in Boston can equally claim to have great restaurants and, often, gems. I've had terrific meals in Boston and awful meals in NYC, and vice-versa. I'm sorry that you've had poor experiences, but although NYC has some of the greatest food in America, Boston is the furthest thing from an "awful food city".
If nothing else, at least in Boston, I can use credit cards when I eat out :)
having lived in Chi-town and gone to school - for a very long time - near SF, The East Coast is for some reason not great for Mexican food.
That said, there are some good restaurants - Uni Bar, Craigie, Helmand, East Ocean Seafood.
Hey, Boston is no NYC but there are some reasonable places. If i am looking for high end, I spend my money in NYC (or Chicago or SF).
re: cambridgedoctpr
"having lived in Chi-town and gone to school -for a long time - near SF, The Eas Coast for some reason not great for Mexican food"
I don't understand what the significance of where you used to live or went to school would be why Boston doesn't have a lot of good Mexican food, other than maybe you just like opening post this way?
re: Infomaniac
i had opporunity to eat mexican food in chicago and in SF and have had the chance to compare it with what is available here in Boston and NYC.
re: cambridgedoctpr
I still don't get what any of that has to do with why there is no good Mexican in Biston, and why wouldn't you rec what you consider the best new restaurant in Boston, ASTA?
re: Infomaniac
i do recommend ASTA.
This information was added to compare the Mexican restaurant scene in NYC and Boston with that in Chicago and SF. From reading Bourdain's book, Kitchen Confidential, it appears that there are lots of Mexican cooks - at least in NYC - why the Mexican scene is not better is a conundrum, which has been mentioned on the NY board.
Folks, we realize the original post is pushing people's buttons, but we'd really ask that you either skip the thread (you're not obligated to offer suggestions to posters you don't like) or keep the focus on the food, rather than on calling out the OP for hating on the Boston food scene. Thanks.
re: The Chowhound Team
The poster isn't asking for suggestions, the poster is making a pretty deliberate rant.
Kinda unfair to penalize those who react to a rant designed to provoke reaction, and not the provocateurs themselves.
re: cringle22
Except the mods generously let the discussion go on largely unfettered. I agree that the OP's initial broadside carried a distinct whiff of trolling, but I still thought there was plenty of useful discussion from Hounds who chose to interpret the OP's intentions as sincere.
i realize number of posts made by an op have no bearing on how much browsing time has been spent on here, but the dearth of good mexican is a common lament. we simply have too few mexican immigrants for that food niche to take hold.
but... am thinking you don't read or do much searching on here at all.
so your crap meal (at a place hardly anybody likes) must mean all the food here sucks and you should piss in everybody's cheerio's on patriot's day. well done.
have a nice day.
Obviously playing the provocateur. I would agree, however, that El Centro is not a good dining experience based on my meal there. Although Boston has much to recommend in the way of restaurants, I do place it behind both Chicago & New York as a restaurant town.
re: carneyvore
re: hotoynoodle
So, just because a city has more people means its food scene will be that much better/more diverse?
If that's the case, Jacksonville is not discussed enough...
re: BuildingMyBento
I dunno, this seems a little disingenuous. A much larger population isn't a guarantee of a better food scene, but it DOES increase the chances of 1) having enough people with enough disposable income to better support a wider range of spendy restaurants, and 2)having enough people of (fill in the blank) ethnic group to 2a)start some good (fillin the blank) restaurants and 2b)support same. That seems like a valid generalization. And then, if you're getting down to a specific type of food, then maybe you will find other reasons why it's not well represented in a particular city (as with Boston and Mexican food). If a lot of Mexican people decide to move here, I'd expect that to change, but meanwhile, it strikes me as being moany about something that's the way it is for a perfectly understandable reason.
re: LilBrownBat
as i mentioned above, there are plenty of mexican cooks, at least in nyc, so what is going on?
i like tenoch though wish there were more specials.
re: cambridgedoctpr
this is not nyc and i know i have answered exactly this from you before. our kitchen workers tend NOT to be from mexico but from south and central america. colombia, brazil, peru. el salvador, guatemala, honduras. i have worked with very few mexicans.
re: hotoynoodle
I'm glad you said this. I thought this was the case in NYC also. If one looks at a map, it's pretty easy to see that immigrants from Mexican are less likely to wind up in the NE USA.
re: cambridgedoctpr
Um...NYC isn't Boston? What am I missing here? I'm really not trying to be dense, I just don't see what you're getting at. This is Boston. It does not have a substantial Mexican population. Why would anyone expect it to be a good city to get Mexican food? I also don't look for Burmese or Indonesian or Scandinavian food in Boston, for the exact same reasons. Does this not make sense?
re: LilBrownBat
Although ironically, there used to be an outstanding Burmese restaurant here, until they inexplicably decided to go vegan.
re: Jenny Ondioline
Throw the daggers all you want, but i would not use 'outstanding' to describe that burmese restnt, and that is based on the n=2 that includes the place in San Fran. on Clement (or that area.) Moot point anyway.
re: LilBrownBat
Does every tourist/student/local in the Boston area know that it doesn't have a substantial Mexican population? Even if it doesn't, does that mean good Mexican food can't exist? Would you eat at a touristy restaurant in Mexico City?
Guess I should stop getting a slice in Manhattan because I can't recall the last time Italian was spoken in one of those places...
re: BuildingMyBento
When traveling I try to play to a destination's strengths not weaknesses. That's why, when in NYC, I'll go for Salvadoran rather than Mexican.
re: BuildingMyBento
I'd think that anyone who didn't just fall off the turnip truck can figure out fast enough that Boston doesn't have a large Mexican population, but isn't that beside the point in any case? Suppose you don't figure it out. Suppose you travel to an unknown city, pick a restaurant purely based on its serving a cuisine you like (with no information whether that specific restaurant is good, bad or indifferent), and have a not-great meal. Are you going to be disappointed and angry because you figured you could pick a restaurant, without any information whether it was any good, and have a good experience? Or is this the time to say, "Hmm, maybe that wasn't the best way to pick a restaurant", shrug and get over it?
re: LilBrownBat
I love this. My parents, adventurous eaters but not always discerning, always maintained that you could do this in NYC-- walk in anywhere and have a great meal. Several visits to the city in my 20s were very disappointing for me until I realized how ridiculous this premise was. Thank god we live in the age of the internets where you can walk around a new area and do your research at the same time!
re: LilBrownBat
i think that ASTA is attempting to do new Scandanvian food and is doing it well.
The chowhound board in NYC also complains about the lack of good mexican - with less justification - it seems to be an East Coast issue as Anthony Bourdain has said that there are plenty of Mexican cooks in NY. That is what makes it so puzzling.
re: cambridgedoctpr
your entire premise is based on one kitchen "represented" in a 14-year-old book? what is your obsessive insistence about mexican kitchen help?
re: hotoynoodle
my obsessive insistence about mexican cooks is why in nyc without all those mexican cooks is mexican food not better.
or perhaps you are right and bourdain is out of date and mexican cooks have moved on.
there are mexican american neighborhoods in nyc, and i think that by and large NYC offers the best restaurant experience in the country.
re: cambridgedoctpr
"Just a generation ago, Mexicans were a rarity in the Big Apple.
But now they are New York City's fastest-growing Hispanic group, numbering well over 300,000 and comprising more than 12 percent of the city's Latino population."
"Hispanics and Latinos make up 27.5% of New York City's population. According to the American Community Survey, there were 2,287,905 Hispanic or Latino Americans residing in New York City. The Hispanic/Latino population is categorized with four groups, "Puerto Rican" (785,618 or 9.4%), "Mexican" (297,581 or 3.6%), "Cuban" (42,377 or 0.5%), and "Other Hispanic or Latino" (1,165,576 or 14.0%)"
"more than 60% of Mexican New Yorkers reside in Brooklyn and Queens." (are they ALL commuting to manhattan to work in restaurants?)
"Spanish Harlem has the largest Mexican community in Manhattan, around 116th Street and 2nd Avenue, though it is still small compared to the area's predominant Puerto Rican population"
the mexican population in nyc is a drop in the bucket compared to puerto ricans and dominicans. even so, to support your theory, nearly all of them would be boh restaurant workers as opposed to also filling trades like construction and hotel work.
14 years ago, bourdain may have had mexicans working in his kitchen. friends/siblings/cousins got each other jobs. that happens. your extrapolation from one book and one kitchen is badly clouding your judgement when statistics clearly show you are mistaken.
as far as boston:
most zip codes in the ENTIRE state have under 1% of their population as mexican. i have written on this very board, to you, countless times that there simply are not very many mexicans working in kitchens because we don't have many mexicans. it's that's simple.
when those few mexican immigrants become more financially stable and secure in the language, do you really think they all want to open restaurants? or perhaps move on to work that is less grueling and also provides greater financial security?
re: hotoynoodle
Relevant metric: 2013 GDP ($MM). Cities in Boston GDP range. Bureau of Economic Analysis
7 Philadelphia–Camden–Wilmington, PA–NJ–DE–MD MSA: 364,009
8 San Francisco–Oakland–Fremont, CA MSA, 360,395
9 Boston–Cambridge–Quincy, MA–NH MSA, 336,232
re: sak2011
SFBA has a population of over 6.7 million.
re: hotoynoodle
Well, Portland ME is smaller than all these places and I would rank their food scene right up there. I'm not sure the population size argument is the best one.
Oops...I just continued reading this thread and realized I repeated winedude's comment about Portland.
re: ac106
Yes, that's my opinion - Portland can definitely hold its own against NYC and Chicago. Almost uniformly, I have had some great eating weekends up North. Of course, I love the food in NYC and Chicago (lived there for 4 years in a Mexican neighborhood, which had spectacular mom-and-pop places).
I've eaten very well in both Tokyo and Hong Kong (never been to Italy) but I wasn't making that comparison. Those cities are cut from completely different cloths than US cities, food-wise.
I don't want to detract from the original discussion...
re: hotoynoodle
To further support hn's point:
Wiki v helpful w/ statistics:
<This is a list of communities known for possessing a community or a large number of Mexican Americans. About 61 percent of Mexican Americans live in just two states, namely California (36%) and Texas (25%).[1] According to the 2010 census, the distribution of Mexican Americans in the United States by region is: 51.8% live in the West, 34.4% in the South, 10.9% in the Midwest, and 2.9% in the Northeast.[2]>
I pretty sure that a similar thread can be found on all the regional boards. I think we just get bored with where we live and what is offered. Maybe people need to travel more and relocate more often to really appreciate what they have at home. I know my yearly visits to the Treasure Coast of FL make me very grateful of what we have in Boston, nostalgia makes me miss England, NJ, Bmore, DC and a couple weekends in Chicago made me jealous.
re: viperlush
those of us who remember Boston in the 1960s/70s/even 80s (and, for that matter, who remember NYC) have no cause for complaining about Boston's status relative to other cities. As a New Orleanian, of course, I have a view that I suppose could be called jaded.
re: Bellachefa
The only way to pay for parking at Strip-T's is to get a ticket for parking illegally, like in front of a hydrant.
re: MC Slim JB
Sometimes in Boston it's difficult to find even an illegal parking space.
re: Bellachefa
If you're the sort of person who lives here for six years and finds almost no worthwhile restaurants, you might also be the sort of person who drives into Bay Village expecting to find parking.
re: MC Slim JB
and ... we're done being polite.
If you can't find great meals out in Boston, you're not getting around enough.
On one level, I empathize with your disappointment in the scene here and can relate to the feeling when I'm traveling in another city at one of their "best" restaurants and think to myself, "why can't Boston be at this level?"
That said, there are bad restaurants in every city around the globe, hence the need for food guides, local friends with good taste, and websites like chow, yelp, etc. Further, bad restaurants outnumber good ones. That's just the facts of life for a food-lover. The majority of people just don't care that much about food as most of us do and most people can't be bothered to either research or go out of their way to get the absolute best.
I've had good to great meals at Strip T's and Ribelle but if those are the only two places that you deem worthy, it's not that you're a snob, it's just that you clearly haven't gone to very many restaurants in Boston.
There are a lot of mediocre, overpriced places in Boston as there are in SF, NYC, London, Paris, Singapore, etc. and DEFINITELY Philly (granted their food scene has improved dramatically since I left almost a decade ago).
The point is, no matter where you go in the world, you have to research if you want to find great restaurants, and even then, you're going to eat at a few duds. If you can't be bothered to research and instead expect every restaurant you go to to blow you away, good luck to you, that's an expensive, losing proposition.
I agree with the general response here that the post is a bit of a mish-mash of topics, as it somehow conflates bad Mexican food with Boston being a "terrible food city."
I'm not a big defender of Boston as a food city. It has disappointed me many times, alas. I have high standards, having lived in SF and NYC (and this *is* relevant, despite what others say here, because, at least in my case, it reflects that I had ample opportunity to "tune" my taste buds without simply sampling the highlights that may be frequented by well-heeled visitors).
And it's not just a size of the city or income thing. I don't know what it is, actually. But I do know that Portland Maine has way more good restaurants, at all price points than Boston, and I have no idea why that is, except they seem to have hit a critical mass of folks who care.
Having said all of that, there are many more good places than the OP states, including Ten Tables, Sycamore, Catalyst, Bergamot. Picco, Regina, Area Four, Helmand, Toscanini's--all places that I'll brave the parking to visit.
re: winedude
Portland Maine is an *amazing* scene, and perhaps per-capita (or something) blows Boston and most other major cities away but "I do know that Portland Maine has way more good restaurants, at all price points than Boston" strikes me as hyperbolic.
re: hotoynoodle
Where? Where? Did you post about them on the Northern NE board?
Ohh I have to go check.
Apologies to those I have offended on today's Patriots Day, particularly on this emotion laden anniversary marathon day. As some of you rightly guessed I was pretty steamed after spending a rare "date night" on the abomination that is el centro (… hyperbole is my specialty). And that did trigger a less than nuanced critique of the boston dining scene – a rant, if you will.
Although worded inartfully, the post does capture the degree of frustration I feel as a dining consumer in Boston. What I could have said was: At a mid tier price point (i.e. not Menton or Daniel in NYC, etc.) I think the probability of having an awful dining experience in Boston is higher than in other cities (vs. for example, Brooklyn or Philadelphia). That's more accurate in the particulars, though not in sentiment.
Which is to say, there are of course great dining experiences to be had in Boston- you just have to pay for it in expense of the meal or investment of time in research. On the higher (but not highest) end, you could get the same quality of dining experience in my comparators at a lower cost (again in dollars or effort).
So you can have a lovely meal at Erbaluce among the top tier of Italian dining here in Boston, but that same quality can be found at a neighborhood joint in Park Slope – which in my case was Al di la or Convivium Osteria. These are not the Babbos or Del Postos of NYC, just neighborhood restaurants that don't take reservations and that you can walk into. It's not an event – it is (or was) a routine night out.
Or you can have a banging slice at Otto in Cambridge, but that's like 1 of maybe 5 places that serve a decent slice (another emotional /controversial topic, no?). I have to drive into Cambridge to get it and avoid the Greek pizza monstrosities that abound. Back home in New York…. well you know… great pizza falls from the sky like manna. Not really, but I'm talking about the relative measure.
On the personal side, many of your comments were on the money. I'm in Metrowest and have to drive into the city. Like many folks, I spent my formative foodie twenties and early thirties in the "City" and returned to the burbs to breed (like a salmon). I never lived in Boston as the "city", just experiencing it as a harried suburbanite with toddlers.
I don't have time to surf Chowhound to find the best find. My expectation is that if I find a place with decent enough reviews from the established sources (El Centro was the 2013 & 2012 Boston Magazine winner for best Mexican, which I now gather is like being voted the prettiest Hansom Brother); I have a fairly high probability of not being underwhelmed. Indeed…. I don't want to work for it, because based on my experiences in more adept "foodie" cities – I shouldn't have to.
So when I say "Boston is a terrible food city" I simply mean that enjoyment per unit of effort/resource is lower than in other cities. And that I'm annoyed that I have to invest more to achieve the return I am accustomed to. Just doesn't' have the same ring to it, does it?
That's just my two cents, or buck fifty given the angst this has all caused.
re: sak2011
We're retired, have loads of time and travel a good bit. I get almost every rec, any place in the world, from CH. The other things are sometimes LCD (lowest common denominator) food.
re: c oliver
thanks for the nicely written apology, especially given the timing.. I too have trouble with the high prices for a great meal ratio and tend toward local places (north of boston), but I am happy with pedestrian blandish food if done well..and I have family in Metrowest and cant ever figure out where to eat with them.. but I would suggest to you that if you are going to take the time to read Boston Mag. reviews and drive to Boston and find parking, that you may find a much better time investment in checking out reviews here or other places with tastes similar to yours.. I find it helps to find a review of a place that you are in total sync with and search their other reviews to see how in sync your tastes are and pick from their places.. It might be a smaller but more lucrative amount of time that you spend to get closer to what you want.. Also, if you give a little list of meals you have loved, we could play match game and try to tell where we have had similar.. btw, we have a new Ottos practically next door, so now I will have to try it..Good luck!
re: sak2011
The places you listed tend to be outside my usual price range (or at least firmly in the 'special occasion' category), but here are a few of my favourites that I hope can bring some joy - and maybe even save you a bit of cash in the process!
* L'Impasto (Cambridge/Arlington border): Spectacular homemade pastas at a weeknight-affordable price. If you're looking for that neighbourhood-Italian joint like you mentioned above, give this a try immediately. It's small and doesn't take reservations, but I've never had a problem during the week.
* Tupelo (Inman Square): Our second home. The food's delicious and the service is awesome. Their Thursday night 'date night' specials are fantastic too: two people share a starter, app, main, and pie (oh, the pie) for $30. It's absolutely enough food for two (we often don't even make it to dessert, and we can eat), so it's a great way to have a treat dinner for not much more than the cost of a pizza and salad. Also: brunch.
* Alden and Harlow (Harvard Square): A new addition, and at the higher end of what we can pay (verging into special occasion for sure), but ohhhhhhhhh so good, and such a beautiful space as well. Scelfo killed it. I would count this as destination dining for sure.
* Sichuan Garden (Brookline): It's been on my radar this week because of another CH discussion, and I'm realising I haven't been in WAY too long. The Sichuan/Szechuan dishes are incredible; avoid the rest of the menu, but that's not hard. Get the dan-dan noodles and dance around with joy.
Some other thoughts: I grew up in Boston but moved away and spent 11 years in one of the world's great food cities (Sydney... god, the neighbourhood Thai places alone...). When I unexpectedly had to move back, I spent some time on CH as a way to get to know the city again. It didn't take long for me to work out who my most trusted posters were, or how to use the site as a resource. Four years later, CH has introduced me to many of my favorite restaurants and spared me from many more bad experiences. I know you said that you don't have the time to put into researching; but given the amount of precious date-night time you spent at a disappointing restaurant, and time you've spent being unhappy about it since then, I reckon the early investment would have paid off. It has for me, over and over. (BTW, the only 'established sources' - read 'publications' - that I trust are MC Slim in his various journals and some of Devra First in the 'Globe'. And since Slim posts here all the time and Devra's quoted here all the time, I find it's easier just to come straight here.)
I know that the Boston food scene has its limitations, but I would argue that good food at reasonable prices isn't one of them; the trick, as with most cities, is knowing where to go and doing some math about what the local specialties are likely to be based on regional food availability, ethnic populations, etc. This is one of the reasons that complaints about Mexican food in Boston can be a sore point: there's no reason there *should* be good Mexican food in Boston, because the population factors that would nurture a Mexican food scene don't exist. The fact that we all keep being disappointed by it is more on us. But we do have, for example, a significant Sichuan Chinese population; and our food scene has reaped the benefit. We also have a strong farm culture in the area, and there are a lot of chefs whose goal is to highlight those beautiful, fresh ingredients. And thanks to all the local dairies, we make the best ice cream in the world (and I will NOT hear arguments against that, y'all. Don't even try).
I hope your experiences are better from here on in. There really is good stuff here that won't break the bank, and the small amount of time it takes to track it down will pay off in deliciousness over and over.
re: TimTamGirl
what an awesome post TTG, thanks.
re: sak2011
As a born New Yorker who has lived here a fairly long time at this point, I'll just say: give up on Pizza. Don't eat it here, eat it when you go to NY. It's a special occasion food. You'll be a lot happier that way.
I will also say this: I used to feel a lot of frustration with the Boston food scene too. Throwing random darts at Boston restaurants ends in a lot more heart break than delicious eating. But CH has been an amazing resource on this front, and directed me to places I never would have found on my own and kept me from places that were terrible. Half of the underwhelming restaurants you would have been steered from entirely.
One thing that has made me much happier is to direct almost all of our eating out towards lower end ethnic restaurants and not pub type places. A few of the ones that keep us happy:
Kaju Tofu House
Garlic & Lemons
Golden Garden
Qingdao Garden
S&I Thai
Rod Dee (mostly because this is local for us)
Xihn Xihn
You'll notice this is pretty Allston heavy. That's because dollar for dollar, Allston is the best food neighborhood in the city.
On the higher end of the spectrum, there are a couple of my favorite places it seems like you haven't visited yet. May I recommend:
Myers & Chang
Come spend some more time in Allston, Cambridge and Somerville. The food is better, and the parking's cheaper.
re: VintageMolly
Hell yeah Allston. Do you have a favorite Rod Dee?
Some requested specifics. Here you go, for what it's worth.
On the list of the underwhelming:
Sorrelina: Bland, expense account dining
Craigie on Main: Overdoing it with the pork fat (Oooo I'm going to really get it for this one…)
Westbridge: Great. Egg in a jar… then what. Worst desert experience ever
Mei Mei: Eh. Still basically truck food despite the efforts. I knew about the lack of wine license but still lame.
Moo: Soggy Beef Wellington.
Persephone: Now closed. Among my first bad Boston experiences in 09 and a marker of things to come.
On the list of the good, but not delivering on the value (too high a price for the level of enjoyment derived):
Bistro du Midi:
Bondir: delicate. But kind of bland.
Erbaluce: down graded from "great w/o reservation" after thinking about Al di la.
Island Creek – don't remember anything too innovative. Simple good seafood – paid through your nose.
List of the great with no reservations:
Strip Ts
Hungry mother: just remembered. Awesome.
Sycamore: if we're including Newton
A volatile topic. There are many here that feel Boston is a dining destination. The sad truth is, it's not. People cite many places ICOB, Neptune, blah, blah, blah. But in reality at best, Boston is a step over mediocre. Biggest problem with Boston is service. Service as a whole on Boston is fetid wasteland of insipid college students with nose piercings recommending Chileans reds to go with cod. Even if they're not a student the service is hostile, bordering on cruel. Boston is not a dining destination, not even close. For the money charged I refused to deal with the amateurish staff, the bizarre menus and the pathetic service. Portland Maine blows the doors of off anything Boston has to offer..
re: jjbourgeois
Okay, I'm confused. Given that I live here, why do I care if Boston is a dining "destination" or not? I don't understand why I'm supposed to care if people travel to eat here. Or is that not what you mean?
re: Jenny Ondioline
I think you made a really good point. There are cities that are CH-centric and those that aren't. Cities one go to for other wonderful things and the food is secondary. And the opposite. Thanks for pointing that out.
re: c oliver
I can't even imagine having the combination of leisure time, disposable income, and nothing better to do that would cause me to travel to a city primarily for the food.
re: LilBrownBat
Well, I don't claim to have limitless :) by far disposable income.... But there are cities I've been to often enough that now it may be the food first and other things second. San Francisco comes to mind cause we used to live there and now visit family in the area. Once you remove the granddaughter ! from the equation, it's about the food. Same pretty much with NYC. And Seattle. We spend a couple of weeks in Rio every year and after a few years we've done the non-food part pretty much.
re: LilBrownBat
re: LilBrownBat
Really? Because there are literally millions of people, restaurant professionals like myself, who do exactly that, all the time. Why did I go to ______ last month? To eat and drink. End of story.
re: jjbourgeois
wow, jj, i have long been a fan of both portland and the portland food scene, but 'blows the doors off anything boston has to offer'? That I do not get. Plse name names.
re: jjbourgeois
I don't have enough experience with the Portland scene to make any sweeping generalizations, but I'll say that my best meal of 2013 by far was at Hugo's in Portland. And 2013 was a year that included meals at several of LA's best restaurants, WD-50 in NY, and some truly top notch performances by Ribelle and Oleana.
re: VintageMolly
re: Carty
I have to say that I don't love the new set up at Hugo's like I did the former. The food's still great, but I don't like the way everything comes from behind you at the bar. Next time you're there, try Central Provisions. Excellent food and drink, another worthy addition to the Portland dining scene
re: kimfair1
after plenty of ch and local media raves we had dinner at central provisions a few weekends ago.
the ill-informed waiter was a trial for my patience, despite his earnestness.
the tuna for the crudo was sub-par.
my cocktail was so overshaken it was mostly water.
the MUST-HAVE bread and butter dish... really?
portland sucks. nobody should eat there. ever.
re: hotoynoodle
I'm enjoying the sarcasm, but man, that bread and butter was sooooooo good!
re: kimfair1
meh. the egg part was great but the butter at troquet is WAY better.
re: hotoynoodle
We don't even call Troquet by it's name, we call it Butter. As in, should we go to Butter soon? Yes, that dish would be improved by using Troquet's butter, but I loved the egg sabayon.
re: VintageMolly
OT i know but (vm, I can't remember if i wanted to cry or rant after WD40 a few yrs ago. I do admire Wiley but there was little to nothing to relish in that meal.)
re: opinionatedchef
re: WD-50, I can still taste the ice cream everything bagel with crisp cream cheese and salmon strings that we had there. Also I loved the guys who were seated next to us and their disappointment that the "beef" course was an intense beef broth with gnocchi, and not a slab of steak!
re: kimfair1
Ha! I greatly enjoyed WD-50, although can't remember the specifics of any particular dish. It was amusing, though, to watch the non-fish eater at the next table try to negotiate the menu. It was clearly a preference, not an allergy and she wouldn't just come out and say "I don't eat fish." It was clearly pushing the limits of the waiter's patience. I'm sure there are several scenes like that every night.
re: jjbourgeois
Can you give an example of what "cruel" service would be? I am seriously at a loss.
re: LeoLioness
maybe the staff walks around with platters of complimentary bites of tuna and lobster and caviar and then turn to you with nose in the air and say, "oh no, these are only for our special guests?" flip their hair and turn their back and gloat on everyone in the restaurant but you?
re: LeoLioness
maybe the old salt waitress at the local diner realizes that your hungover and says, "I'm sorry, we just ran out of coffee"
re: LeoLioness
The server tells you, "Your hairpiece is ill-conceived and obvious, and the same goes for your wife's implants."
re: LeoLioness
Acknowledges your late-night decaf order, serves you caf anyway.
re: MC Slim JB
Story of my life! I don't think I've ever actually been served a real decaf in all my days, and I've even come to recognize the distinctly mischievous look that will pass over a waiter or barista's face when they realize that they'll have to choose between a "white lie" and disappointing a customer... Even at the finest restaurants, a "decaf" will have me buzzing like a fridge till 4am.
re: LeoLioness
inspired by Slim's musings: telling your date they're much more attractive than the last 3 you brought in (I sort of had this happen, where i was the date, but not in Boston)
re: LeoLioness
The soup nazi can be cruel.
oooops, my bad, that's NYC
re: Bellachefa
Slim, there's just no way to compare Boston cruel service to New York cruel service. If I really want to experience cruelty, I go to New York. I've given up on it here in Boston.
re: newhound
On that note:
Lets you order and eat without telling you that this is Boston, so there's just no point in dining out here and you should save your money for your four trips a year to New York.
re: LeoLioness
Smirks faintly when you order wine, over-enthusiastically says, 'Excellent choice!"
re: LeoLioness
Comes by every three minutes, makes as if to grab your entree, asks, "You still pickin' at that?"
re: MC Slim JB
Refuses to cut your sandwich in half for it to be shared with your dining companion because it doesn't "fit the chef's vision". (oh wait, that actually happened!)
re: LeoLioness
Manages to whisk every one of your drinks away when each clearly has two sips left in it.
re: LeoLioness
There was this pretty shabby, mostly takeout sandwich-and-sub-and-hot-dish-of-the-day place on Lincoln Street back in the day. The guy taking orders would greet each person who came to the head of the line with, "You, what you want?" If you hesitated or said, "Uhhh..." while peering at the menu, he'd go straight to the person behind you: "You, what you want?" Cruel?
re: jjbourgeois
re: jjbourgeois
In eight years of eating out in Boston and vicinity, at both small places and high-end restaurants, I have never received hostile or "cruel" service. Once in a while, I get servers who are new, bored, exhausted, careless, or even borderline incompetent. But I've gotten the worst service of my life in NYC -- at a very very popular restaurant. So, sorry, but I completely reject the idea of Boston being some sort of haven of universally poor service.
re: Boston_Otter
I think that even a lot of the restaurants that are noted for having bad service don't always deserve their reps. We've eaten recently at both Durgin-Park (with a non-CH friend who just wanted to go someplace touristy near her hotel) and the NE Regina, both of which have decades-long reps for surly waitstaff. Our waitress at D-P was perhaps not Ms. Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows, but she was congenial and efficient, which is all I ask. And as always, I found our Regina waitress perfectly charming and downright sweet, especially considering that this was on the late side of a slammed Friday night.
re: jjbourgeois
Caring about whether Boston is a "dining destination" is like caring whether other people bought the same car that you did.
re: jjbourgeois
Service issues--a good point that no one has pointed out. I didn't grow up in Boston, but have lived here for 30 years. Still can't get used to service. (Which correlates with driving conventions, don't even get me started.) I'm always refreshingly amazed, when traveling either to other US cities or abroad, how welcoming and warm the service is, like they really want your patronage.
re: rosiebcook
I still contend that a major issue with service in Boston is that we don't have as many people going into service as a career. It's mostly bored college aged students trying to get their weekend drinking money. There's no service culture here, like in great service cities like San Francisco.
re: kimfair1
I agree that we've got broad service issues in Boston compared to some cities, but how many of the worthwhile fine-dining places in town have their front-of-the-house staffed with college kids? I don't really see that here. There are plenty of quality career servers here, just not enough to staff the second- and third-tier places.
Another aspect of this discussion comes back to the fact that Greater Bostonians, of a certain economic class, (one, i think that is required for sustaining a thriving restaurant culture) just do not eat out that much.
One look at the offerings in Sherborn, Dover, Wellesley, Weston, even Newton, some of the highest income brackets (and tax rates) in the country and the places you can get food past eight oclock at night,(if at all) are slim to none.
In fact having just eaten in the "Black Cow" in S.Hamilton the other night, a town i can only guess at its median income, I have to say, if this is the kind of muck the OP is encountering on a regular basis, he may well be right.
I have no proof of this, just observationally. As most of the places sited in the OP's list of "requested specfics" the average final tab's for two with drinks would be half my weekly take home pay, I do not frequent this level of establishment.
Nor, seemingly, do most of wealthy Bostonians.
I am more likely to be found happy with my Lions Head meatball from Shanghai Gate, astonished at a speciality dinner at Fiorellas in Newton, or Pointing and nodding at what the family at the next table at Red Pepper is having.
Is it high end? No. Is it good food? Damn, i think so.
Would I rather spend the money on high quality ingredients and cook myself?
Almost always. And there are some DAMN good amateur cooks in those wealthy towns out there, believe me.
The service thing is of little interest to me. Bring me my food, hot, and leave me the hell alone. This is not something I claim to know anything about. But if your level of expectation is high it sounds like its going to be a tough meal.
some of this has to do with market forces, at least as perceived by the restaurant owners and chefs.
For example, Tu y yo in Somerville, near Davis. DH and I used to go regularly years ago, enjoyed the complex sauces (mole and others), the house made chipotle adobo peppers, talking with the Mexican born staff.
Can't remember the year, but then they got lots of publicity, crowds upon crowds.
After that, when we found the heat and complexity gone way down, we were told by staff that that's how Americans like Mexican food. We asked about the chipotles in adobo, were told, no more, no one wants them. (I make them at home.)
They won't serve tortilla chips, burritos, or nachos, but the main dishes bear no resemblance to the former recipes.
We went once again in the last few months after several years absence, and found the dishes if anything, more bland than before.
Since these traditional Mexican recipes (as noted on the menu, old family recipes) depend on long simmered chiles, you can't just add heat with hot salsa to "correct" it.
I really miss the former Tu y Yo, but will never go back.
re: Madrid
Everyone I know has gone there exactly once (often with a Groupon), been sort of baffled by the incredibly bland, flavorless, and not inexpensive food, and never gone back.
Given that they serve cricket empanadas and frog legs, I'm not sure why they'd think chipotles are too weird for Americans.
re: Madrid
Yeah, Tu y Yo is sad. We went once and figured we ordered wrong. Went back just recently - again, sooooooo bland. We asked for hot sauce and got something processed by Heinz. Blech. The coconut tamales were good. So was the Sangria.
A friend of mine who lives in Orlando posted this article in outrage on fb today, which made me think of this thread. http://www.orlandomagazine.com/Orland...
We can quibble about the quality of the Boston scene, but at least it's not a place where anyone would rate P.F. Changs the best chinese, Cheesecake Factory as the best desert, Rainforest Cafe as the best place for Kids, Mellow Mushroom as the best pizza, and a whole bunch of other chain restaurants all over the best of list.
re: VintageMolly
Had to check best cocktails, yep, almost 100% sweet vodka concoctions. Yuck!
Oh man, that is funny and sad at the same time. My mother, who is an otherwise CH-worthy person, likes PF Chang's. As I tell her to get her all riled up, PF Chang's isn't Chinese food. It isn't even food.
On topic, Boston should be thankful it isn't some true culinary wasteland like Orlando, so y'all, quit yer moaning.
re: Uncle Yabai
As someone who grew up in the midwest, I can definitely say that huge swaths of America-- the majority of it, really -- is what folks in big cities call a "culinary wasteland". Chains like Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, and PF Changs are, for many people, the only 'nice restaurants' they'll see unless they travel. And yes, it's food.
re: Boston_Otter
We were in Europe recently and overheard an American couple who were looking forward to their first dinner out when they got home. Yep, Olive Garden :)
re: c oliver
re: c oliver
It does make sense, because that's what's familiar for them. It doesn't really matter whether your familiar food is Olive Garden or Lineage, if you're away from it for a time, that's what you'll crave.
(spoken as someone who, while in Florida years ago, ate enough excellent shrimp cocktail to get totally sick of it)
re: LilBrownBat
i am entirely unsympathetic to americans who eat les big macs in paris.
re: hotoynoodle
I never did that. I did have something called "un hamburger royale avec fromage", though. Très French.
re: Alcachofa
with a knife and fork, oui?
re: Alcachofa
"Royale wit cheez."
re: LilBrownBat
what do they call a whopper?
re: hotoynoodle
it is, in fact, much sadder to see the French flocking to McD's. I assure you it isn't only American tourists who exhibit bad taste. There are plenty of articles about the sad demise of bistros as fast food joints take over in France. In fact, most of the Americans I meet when I travel, which is often, are feverishly looking for what's left of "local" cuisine.
re: LilBrownBat
Well, it's not what WE crave when traveling. We were with a group for most of the trip and found a great place for lunch. We dragged another couple along with us who were blown away by the wonderful Hungarian soup and (cheap) wine. They said "oh, we're not looking for food when we travel" but obviously were glad that we do :)
re: Boston_Otter
For one very long year, we lived in a town in North Carolina where the Shoney's was the only restaurant with table service. The amount of excitement when an Applebee's opened in the soon-to-be-built Walmart parking lot was astonishing. The nearest decent non-fast food restaurant, if you don't count the Shoney's, was over an hour away on winding back country roads.
A few of my formative yrs were spent in No.VA and Shoney's Big Boy was where i first encountered and fell in love with- onion rings (non-batter) and strawberry pie. Never found the latter up here sigh.
cd, the only way i have been able to come up with a rational reason that the presence of Latin-born cooks does not guarantee good food from their home country, is this:
What skills did those people practice in their home land? were they carpenters? cashiers? farmers? seamstresses? unemployed? And were they talented cooks at home?
Or are they cooking in the U.S. because it's possible to enter that labor market w/o a green card, or , even with a green card, it's easier to get a (low paying) kitchen job than other kinds of work, or that sometimes kitchen work can have more flexible hours that can allow for 'mothers' hours' ? Once they start kitchen work, they will likely be rewarded for hard work and dependability, by being promoted. That promotion doesn't necessarily mean that they have talents in cooking their native cuisine, but they may think it does and they may start their own place with confidence, even though you as a consumer do not think the talent is there.
Anyway, those are some of the scenarios i came up with.
Otherwise, I have no answer for why the Mexican and Salvadorean cooks at LaQChara- hand me a platter of tough-as-leather inedible beef, or raw plantains, or dry-as-a-bone grilled chicken....
re: opinionatedchef
The "only way" for "a rational reason"?
Is gender important for "those people" (or are they some sort of relatively homogenous, semi-processed biomass)? Like, which gender has historically done the cooking in "the home land"? Perhaps this gender has also learned from similarly gendered ancestors? Which gender typically emigrates earlier from "the home land" and starts working outside the home in the US earlier?
Perhaps the gender historically working in US kitchens and working their way up the job ladder is not the same one as has historically done the cooking in their native countries? Interesting that Anthony Bourdain doesn't seem to mention any female cooks of Central or South American descent in the NYC kitchens in Kitchen Confidential, as I recall.
Are there cultural reasons why certain gender-specific roles might exist for expected domestic duties and working hours? Are typical dining restaurant hours compatible with familial expectations, both in "those people" and even in many US households?
Sorry, just thinking out loud and being irrational. I really enjoy La Superior just about every time I go to Brooklyn, but I also like the tacos at Taqueria El Amigo, especially once I take the time and fuel consideration into account. I would like to try Beantown Taqueria, which I wish had opened while I still lived in Cambridgeport.
well, it may not help, but my experience with Boston Latin kitchen workers being mostly from central amer.(mostly Honduras and El salvador) and so. america (mostly Columbia and Brazil)- duplicates your experience. the mexicans i have met have been largely waiters or students.
as far as i know, i never mentioned gender, so i'm guessing that you are riffing with your own tangential thoughts? (OT: As to TB and women, T has made it quite clear that his life in kitchens was a Man's World. Except fpr his travel series, I have only seen him mention women chefs in the context of the media, but maybe his practicing chef contacts have expanded to include many female chefs. But let me be clear that i am nowhere near an expert on TB, though i do admire and enjoy many things about him.)
I confess that Ive eaten at Mikey D's in Venice and Copenhagen just for the hell of it.
And Dunkies in Barcelona ....
re: C. Hamster
I always enjoy poking my head into places like McDonalds and Dunkies when I see them overseas -- it's fascinating to see the differences and unique menu items. Burgers with beets & eggs on them in New Zealand, mango and green tea donuts in the Barbados...
re: Boston_Otter
yeah, and you don't have to eat there.
re: C. Hamster
I got a vanilla shake and pommes frites at a Mickey D's drive through way east of Paris and desperate for chow to stay awake for late night driving. I recall they were both pretty darn awesome.
re: C. Hamster
I had a green curry with fried chicken at a Bangkok KFC. I rarely eat fast food in the US but I try to check out a fast food place when I'm overseas. It's entertaining!
re: Hobbert
Fried chicken at KFC in Japan is more like tempura -- fascinating stuff. Really good!
Denny's is very popular in Japan, but it's not what you expect. It's an "American style diner" -- they have steak, spaghetti, and barbecue, and it's where Japanese people can go for the experience of eating with knife and fork, just for fun.
re: C. Hamster
I agree that checking out the "exotic" menu items in other countries is really fun. Would that they offer some of those here!
I did get a glass of wine at McD's in Paris just for the experience. There were a few days I needed a cheap, fast meal and I got the chili at Wendy's in Madrid where I was studying, until I figured out I could get a vegetable laden meal at the Cafeteria Iowa or the Cafeteria Nebraska. Took a bit longer, but that's how they eat in Madrid.
Of course, living on street food is also fun.
re: C. Hamster
On my first business trip to Kuala Lumpur, my local hosts asked where I wanted to go for lunch. I said I really wanted to try a Nyonya place [serving a sort of Malay-Chinese fusion cuisine not much seen in the States]. They: "Oh. We were planning on taking you to the Hard Rock Cafe." Seeing their obvious disappointment, I said, "No, that's fine!", silently cursing to myself and blaming Americans' reputation as timid eaters abroad.
Turns out that this was a big deal for them, a highly desirable place to dine on the exotica that was American food at the time, and better yet, on the expense account, as it was quite costly by local standards. I never saw people so ecstatic to be dining on chicken wings, nachos, and potato skins. (I managed to get plenty of local cuisine on the rest of the trip.)
re: MC Slim JB
That's amusing. It reminded me of the McDonalds in Playa del Carmen MX, with the large play land. On Sundays, many Mexicans make it a family affair and a splurge to spend a couple hours and many pesos there. They see American food as a treat.
re: MC Slim JB
That's very funny! Just goes to show how relative the idea of a "special meal" is. My in-laws are Malaysian, so I visit KL reasonably often, and the street food culture is so astonishing. Some of the best food I've ever had, eaten by all walks of life, on the street, for a few dollars at most. It's hard to imagine why you would eat anything else. But then, I can see why, if you are used to that, eating an expensive western meal at the Hard Rock would be an unusual treat (not one that I would be keen to repeat).
re: jodydavis
Agreed: a very rich food culture, with amazing street food. This was a few years ago; I wonder if it would be such a big deal in 2014. American fast food has certainly become ubiquitous in much of Asia.
re: C. Hamster
We've walked into more foreign McD's than I care to recall, only to get a burger for our incredibly picky son. And we're not talking a Big Mac, but a totally plain burger. Although he did discover steak-frites in France and salted Breton butter, which he still raves about.
re: C. Hamster
Grass fed beef, perhaps?
Wow, I have to say, to write off an entire city as being devoid of any good restaurants seems like either a huge generalization or at the very least, a little melodramatic. I am in Philly and NYC frequently and I've had some great meals in both cities... I've had some crappy meals in both cities, too. NYC has shear volume of restaurants going for it.
(if you throw a rock at a the side of barn, you're bound to hit something, eventually).
I'm not as enthusiastic about Philadelphia. Again, there are some great spots, but Philly doesn't bowl me over as some incredible culinary destination. After all, this is a city whose most famous contribution to the food world involves Cheez Whiz.
(Granted, Cheez whiz IS delicious)
I'm sorry you had a terrible meal at El Centro. I've never eaten there, so I'm going to take your word for it that the meal was basically inedible. Personally, my favorite places for Tacos are Tenoch Taqueria, Annas in East Boston and I like Dorado Tacos and Cemitas.
Perhaps if El Centro knew that the culinary fate of Boston was riding on the success of your meal they would have stepped up their game a bit.
re: UnclePH
The new Tenoch in the North end is really terrific.
re: Veggo
I'd feel better if the OP revisited that opinion after trips to Taquerias El Amigo and Jalisco.
re: MC Slim JB
Taqueria el Amigo's pork chili tacos are something to behold.
re: MC Slim JB
Agreed, especially El Amigo. They both carry good ingredients/fillings/garnishes for tacos, but El Amigo definitely does a better job with meat prep- their carnitas, lengua, and cabeza are much more tender/flavorful than Jalisco's.


text:
During a tour of New Orleans' devastated Ninth Ward last week, President George Bush uttered the words Louisiana residents have waited six months to hear: "I fully understand ' and I hope our country understands ' the pain and agony that the people of New Orleans and Louisiana and the parishes surrounding New Orleans went through."
More important, Bush added: "Congress needs to make sure that the $4.2 billion I requested goes to Louisiana."
That statement came the morning after the House Appropriations Committee unexpectedly stripped the $4.2 billion earmarked for Louisiana's housing recovery ' which includes Hurricane Rita-affected areas ' out of a $92 billion supplemental spending bill and put it up for grabs between Louisiana and other hurricane-affected states such as Texas and Mississippi.
The timing couldn't have been worse, as Bush's plummeting approval ratings have emboldened congressional Republicans and Democrats to more aggressively challenge the president of late, most notably by killing the administration's Dubai ports deal. It sets up a power struggle in the coming months between Bush and Congress regarding Louisiana recovery funds ' and the political clout of Louisiana's congressional delegation faces its toughest test yet. ' Scott Jordan
GAS-GOUGING CLAIMS YIELD â?¦ NOTHING
Attorney General Charles Foti's office was deluged with complaints about gas stations unjustly jacking up their prices during last fall's hurricanes, but the subsequent investigations yielded nothing. Nearly 1,500 consumers statewide called or mailed in complaints to the office's Consumer Protection Section last year before and after the hurricanes, says Jennifer Cluck, an AG spokeswoman. "But upon further investigation, none of them rose to the level of where they would have violated that pricing statute," she says, referring to a law the Legislature passed last year to regulate such abuse.
The state attorney general is responsible for enforcing the law that prohibits providers of goods and services in Louisiana from increasing prices when a tropical storm or hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico. Attorneys and economists have slammed the law as vaguely written and difficult to enforce. While Louisiana was unable to find violators following the hurricanes, others did.
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer launched a three-month probe following Katrina and fined 15 stations a total of $63,500. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue oversaw 15 settlements resulting from Katrina gas gouging, including both consumer restitution and civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 depending upon the severity of the violation. ' Jeremy Alford
The Washington, D.C.-based newspaper Roll Call, a Beltway staple for political junkies, dished some dirt earlier this month on Congressman Bobby Jindal, a Metairie Republican. While worshiping at St. Peter's Catholic Church on Ash Wednesday, Roll Call reports Jindal "spent a great deal of time on his BlackBerry during service and prayer, both reading e-mails and sending e-mails." The paper also quoted an unnamed eyewitness: "I guess Rep. Jindal couldn't sacrifice his BlackBerry for God." ' JA
Another early retirement bill is making its way toward state employees. State Rep. Warren Triche, a Chackbay Democrat, will be pushing legislation during the upcoming session to decrease the number of state jobs by offering some workers early retirement options. In the past, early retirement has been offered as an alternative to workers who had a terminal illness or a spouse taking a job out of state. "But the hurricanes last year changed everything," Triche says. "Many people who want to go back to their jobs can't because the jobs aren't there any more." Others have also been displaced or have lost everything, he adds.
House Bill 45 is nearly identical to two other early retirement bills Triche has pursued in recent years. This year's version would offer early retirement to members of the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System who are at least 50 years old with 10 years of service. If a state employee decides to take advantage of the program, he or she would receive a retirement benefit equal to as much as 2 percent of their average compensation multiplied by the number of years of creditable service. Only one out of every three positions left vacant by the program would be refilled, Triche says, unless the commissioner of administration and the secretary of state civils service decide to retain the post. ' JA
The fight to clean up Lafayette Parish could get some added ammunition with two ordinances up for votes Tuesday by the City-Parish Council targeting litter-bugs.
By striking a deal to lessen the blow of health insurance changes on state workers, school employees and retirees, Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration lowered the volume of criticism but gave itself and local school boards a new budget headache.
With the airport tax coming up for a parishwide vote in about a week, the Broussard City Council and its mayor have come out in support of the proposal.
Protesters rallied peacefully in several Louisiana cities in the wake of the Missouri grand jury decision not to indict a police officer in the fatal shooting of Michal Brown.
US cities bidding on Olympics; Guard prevents more Ferguson riots; storm threatens travel and more national and international news for Wednesday, November 26, 2014.
Wednesday's Blogs from the Bog!
The U.S. rep billed LSU for work allegedly performed on the same days Congress voted on major legislation and held important committee hearings on energy and the ACA.
Abysmally low participation by the public has prompted the council to scuttle the 2014 survey with plans to simplify it and try again next year.
The village now says the ordinance will likely be overturned and authorities will more vigorously enforce existing leash laws.
Bill Cassidy cast an early ballot Tuesday, seeking to draw renewed attention to a race that has fallen off newspaper front pages and away from people's minds as they plan holiday meals and shopping schedules.
Battered all night by Baltimore's relentless pass rush, Drew Brees could feel his protection collapsing and Terrell Suggs getting ahold of him as he urgently unloaded a pass to the right flat toward tight end Jimmy Graham.
After a convincing defeat at the polls on Nov. 4, Earl "Nickey" Picard has decided to let bygones be bygones with his former right-hand man Brian Pope, announcing his support for his former employee's runoff bid to become Lafayette's next city marshal.
Saturday the athletic department did everything possible to ensure the 2014 Ragin' Cajun seniors remembered fondly their last home game. Rain and lightning never arrived but turbulence did in the form of the Appalachian State Mountaineers.
Even stranger than the Republican Party's decision to hold a "unity rally" earlier this month for Congressman Bill Cassidy in a Baton Rouge bar, Huey's Bar, was the fact that the establishment was named after Louisiana's most famous Democrat.
Bar Code is not a gay bar.
After failing to pass a medical marijuana bill last year, state Sen. Fred Mills, R-Parks, is telling supporters he will return in 2015 with legislation that focuses on different applications like oils and pills.
Voters, obviously, are not yet tuned into the 2015 ballot, despite the intriguing races it will host.
By now, the story of how longtime LSU coach Dale Brown discovered Shaquille O'Neal has been told many times: Brown happened upon a massive 13-year-old at an army base in Germany, stayed in touch with him and eventually became like a second father.
Fate simply wasn't ready to give the New Orleans Saints a break from longtime nemesis Steve Smith.
Lafayette Police have had a busy day.
Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration will use $130 million in patchwork financing from a tax amnesty program, insurance settlement, uninsured motorist penalties and other excess funds to close most of the state's midyear budget deficit.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu said she disagrees with President Barack Obama's actions on immigration, hoping the latest controversy doesn't worsen her campaign difficulties.
Gay-rights advocates challenging Louisiana's same-sex marriage ban announced Thursday that they have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review their case before it is heard by a federal appeals court.
Thinking himself the "son of God," the man charged with the 2013 killing of an officer of the Chitimacha Tribal Police will not stand trial following a ruling Thursday on his mental competency.
Either Saints coach Sean Payton doesn't want to tip Baltimore off as to who'll start in New Orleans' secondary on Monday night, or he really doesn't know yet.
NOV 26 Zach Kopplin, who we came to know and love when he was a Louisiana high school student lobbying for the continued inclusion of science stuff in science class, pens this post in The Atlantic about a "textbook" available for social studies instruction in Texas that discusses how Moses contributed to the Constitution. (Oy! Texas rednecks love Jews. Who knew?)
NOV 26 Finally, mad people on the interwebz is a good thing! World wide webby outrage has caused the village of Moreauville to reverse its plan to confiscate pit bulls and Rottweillers and euthanize them simply because of their breed, WAFB reports here. The plan? They're going to enforce the leash law. Well, that would have been a good place to start.
NOV 26 Jim Brown, like many of us Louisiana voters, seems fed up with out of town know-it-alls trying to tell us what to do. Bill Cassidy can't make it through the day without flying someone in to "tell us political retards" how to vote, he says.
NOV 26 Blogger Tom Aswell is writing about the behavior of the two finalists in the 6th Congressional District race: Edwin Edwards and Garret Graves. Edwards has come out swinging, but Graves' campaign seems bent on snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, Tom says.
NOV 26 Blogger CB Forgotston is confused, he says, because Governor Bobby Jindal said higher education wouldn't get cut, but it looks like it is being cut. CB's asking: When is a cut not a cut?
NOV 26 Unless you're in Virigina, you shouldn't count on seeing our Governor on Election Day. Mark Ballard writes in the Advocate's political blog that Bobby will be appearing at a GOP love fest of some kind there, instead of spending the day here.
NOV 26 This post on The Lens takes a look at the ongoing dispute in New Orleans over the banners about the upcoming tax election for the school system. The banners are hanging on schools, and some feel they are promotional, which is not allowed, instead of educational - which is allowed.
NOV 26 Not all college students are focused on football games and parties at this time of year. This post on DIG Baton Rouge recounts an LSU student group that tries to make sure that those who are hungry and homeless are not forgotten by those of us who aren't.
NOV 25 Edwin Edwards took off the gloves on Monday, this post on WAFB tells us. At a Press Club appearance, he wondered how his 6th Congressional District opponent, Garret Graves, could be an expert in all the areas in which he claims to be - when he has no college degree in anything. (Five years - FIVE YEARS - in college, but no degree. Huh?)
NOV 25 Blogger Mike Deshotels offers this primer on predatory charter schools and how they operate, specifically in Louisiana. They're not just profiting from our tax dollars, they're using children and shortchanging them to do so, Deshotels says.
NOV 25 Here's a link to the petition that has been created to save Zeus, a family dog who is targeted for death by the learned fathers of the Avoyelles Parish village of Moreauville. They passed an ordinance based on nothing that outlaws pit bulls and Rotweillers. As of Tuesday morning, the petition had more than 230,000 signatures - a number that's a wee bit higher than the village population of 929.

subset: commoncrawl


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Archive for the 'web 2.0' Tag
Social Media and the Naval History & Heritage Command
August 2009
By Jim Dolbow
The Naval History & Heritage Command has joined the ranks of military officials and commands utilizing Web 2.0 tools to reach new audiences.
If you are interested in becoming a fan of the NHHC on Facebook, following them on Twitter, joining their group on LinkedIn,viewing their bookshelf on Goodreads, or sharing bookmarks on Delicious, click below:
Goodreads (Goodreads is the largest social network for readers in the world)
Delicious (Delicious (formerly del.icio.us, pronounced "delicious") is a social bookmarking site for storing, sharing, and discovering web bookmarks)
Stay tuned for future developments!
Posted by Jim Dolbow in Uncategorized | 5 Comments
Tags: web 2.0
Recent Posts
- To Defeat ISIS, Hawkeyes Required
- The Independent Review of the Nuclear Enterprise
- On Midrats 23 November 14: "Episode 255: Commanding the Seas -the Surface Force with Bryan Clark from CSBA"
- A Magical Metrical Mystery Tour of Ineffective U.S. Drug Policy
- On Midrats 16 November 14, "Episode 254: John A. Nagl: 13 Years into the War"


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About the Show
CONNECT THE DOTS is a performance featuring some of the most provocative, insightful and humorous writings from Singapore, with diverse topics ranging from the Merlion and Singlish, through nationality, race and sexuality.
Directed by Ivan Heng and curated by Eleanor Wong, two of Singapore's most celebrated theatre makers, CONNECT THE DOTS will surprise, delight and offer an intimate appreciation and understanding of the obsessions and concerns of the Lion City's artists and denizens.
This physical theatre performance of 21 texts, culled from an eclectic body of celebrated and banned literary works, playfully invites an audience to make up their own picture of the Nation State, even as they reflect on their own and celebrate the connections (or lack thereof) between them.
Past Productions
12 - 14 January 2006
Fringe Theatre, Hong Kong
Written by
Curated by Eleanor Wong
Director by Ivan Heng
Set Design
Costume Design
Hair & Wigs
Lighting Design Teo Kuang Han
Sound Design
Tour Manager Pierre-Andre Salim
Production Manager Pierre-André Salim
Stage Manager Pierre-Andre Salim
Technical Manager Teo Kuang Han
CASTJonathan Lim
Chua Enlai
Gani Abdul Karim
Anne James Nepoans
Judy Ngo


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Automotive Privacy Protection Principles Don't Go Far Enough
How Significant is ARM's mbed OS?
Notable Demos from ARM TechCon 2014 and JavaOne
VDC Research is Attending ARM TechCon 2014 in Santa Clara October 1-2
Tasktop unveils new Tricentis offering
Will SafeNet Acquisition Lead to Growth in Gemalto's IoT Business?
IoT Lessons from the Russian CyberVor Hacking
VDC Research is attending Agile2014 in Orlando July 28-29
VDC Embedded Jama Software Webinar
IoT Necessitates Changes in Both People and Technology


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Mykonion Waterfront Aapartment (1)
Apartment | 2 bedrooms | sleeps 5
|Key Info
The Mykonion Apartment has 2 Bedrooms, 1 Bathrooms and sleeps 4-5 guests.
It is located within a villa of 6 independent apartments, each one with own balcony, bathroom, kitchen and view, separated from the other apartments and guests
The villa is located overlooking the VIP famous Kalo Livadi beach in Mykonos, one of the biggest finest white sandy beaches of the island,with crystal clear waters, that is 5 min walking distance from the house. Its build on the rocky side of the Kalo Livadi beach, overlooking the water, with an absolutely stunning view over miles of coastline to Naxos, Paros and Dragonissi islands.
There are day beach bars and restaurants along the beach. You can rent umbrellas and beds. There are also various water sports available with special prices for the (website hidden) is 10 min drive to the main town(10km),5 min drive to the town of Ano Mera (3 km), where you can find super markets, groceries, bank, restaurants.All the other famous beaches of the island are 10-15 min drive distance. The airport is 8 km or 10 min drive.
|Sleeps up to 5, 2 bedrooms
|Car advised
|Nearest travel links
|10 km
|No pets allowed, No smoking at this property
Features and Facilities
|Sea view
|Air conditioning, TV, Wi-Fi available
|Kettle, Toaster
|Cooker, Fridge, Washing machine
|2 bedrooms, 1 bathrooms of which 1 Family bathrooms
|1 Sofa beds, Double beds (2), Dining seats for 5, Lounge seats for 5
|Linen provided, Towels provided
|Balcony or terrace, Private garden, BBQ
Availability Your dates are available
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Home » News » Education
NH students tread water in statewide assessment test
Reading test results showed 79 percent of third- through eighth-graders and 11th-graders statewide proved themselves proficient (22 percent) or proficient with distinction (57 percent) on the New England Common Assessment Program (NECAP) - the same percentage as the year before.
Meanwhile, students statewide scored slightly better in math and writing than they did the year before, according to test results made public Jan. 31. Students who performed at proficient or proficient with distinction levels totaled 68 percent in math last fall, compared to 67 percent the year before.
A total 55 percent students performed at proficient and above levels in writing last fall, compared to 54 percent the year before.
The remaining students scored at either partial proficiency or substantially below proficient.
Manchester lags
Manchester students in grades three through eight and eleventh-graders collectively scored below state levels.
The percentage of Manchester students scoring proficient or better in reading last fall was 61 compared to 62 percent the year before; 50 percent in math compared to 51 percent the year before; and 44 percent in writing compared to 41 percent the year before.
But test scores show clear improvement when reviewed by grade level over the last three years, said Merry Fortier, school accountability consultant with the state Department of Education.
"By the time students got in eighth grade, their scores are still below the state average, but they are the highest (they've been) in three years. So they are trending in the direction you want them to trend in and that's true in reading, math and writing," she said.
Smyth Road and Green Acres Elementary schools had the highest reading and math proficiency scores, she said. Hallsville went from 62 percent to 69 percent reading proficiency, while Weston increased from 65 percent to 70 percent reading proficiency.
"Again, this isn't where they want to be. But they are moving in a positive direction," Fortier said.
Eleventh-graders at Manchester public high schools generally did not perform as well.
Manchester Memorial High School saw math proficiency fall from 30 percent to 24 percent and writing drop from 45 to 39 percent. Reading remained nearly unchanged: 70 percent to 69 percent.
At Manchester Central High School, reading went from 77 percent to 64 percent proficiency while writing dropped from 56 percent to 41 percent. Math remained nearly the same, going from 31 percent to 30 percent.
Manchester West High School saw gains in writing and math proficiency, 19 percent to 21 percent and 18 percent to 19 percent respectively. Reading went from 55 percent to 53 percent.
Bedford, Goffstown
The percentage of Bedford students who showed themselves at least proficient in reading, math and writing were 93, 87 and 71 percent respectively. This compares with reading, math and writing scores of 94 percent, 88 percent and 75 percent the year before.
In Goffstown, 84 percent of the students scored proficient and above in reading, 72 percent in math and 64 percent in writing in 2012. This compares to 84 percent who scored at least proficient in reading, 73 percent in math and 58 percent in writing the year prior.
Hooksett results
In Hooksett, 87 percent of students scored at least proficient in reading, 80 percent in math and 63 percent in writing in 2012.
This compares with 84 percent who scored at least proficient in reading, 81 percent in math and 63 percent in writing the year before.
State Education Commissioner Virginia Barry called the statewide 2012 NECAP performances "statistically the same" compared with prior years.
This is the eighth year NECAP tests were taken by third- through eighth-graders and the sixth year it has been administered to high school students, she said.
"Approximately 10 percent more students at each grade and in each content area are achieving grade-level standards than were at the beginning of the NECAP assessment program," Barry said in a statement.
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Your Turn, NH -- Mike Moffett: Republicans can win in 2016 with Kasich at the top of the ticket
On being American: A point for reflection


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Sir George Martin: 'Beatles At The Beginning Were Crap'
Picture: Four D.A. Millings Beatles suits from Madame Tussauds ($60,000/80,000) * THE EDGE DONATES MUSIC TRINKETS TO AUCTION U2 guitarist THE EDGE is donating music...
SIR GEORGE MARTIN thought THE BEATLES were "awful" and "crap" when he first heard them perform.
The legendary performer - later dubbed 'The Fifth Beatle' - auditioned the Fab Four after they had been rejected by label Decca. And he took a lot of convincing to take them on.
Martin says, "They were pretty awful.
"I wasn't impressed with their music. They were crap. I saw them in the Cavern after I signed them and they could hold an audience. What made me sign them was their charisma.
"They had this wonderful quality that when you were with them, you felt enriched by their presence and, when they left you, you felt diminished. There weren't many people who do that collectively."


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Clutch Side Matching Bar End Weight (ea).
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One of my series – .Visions.
more photos – www.giedrojcmichal.com
and check my facebook profile
beautiful, great work
Your images seem from an earlier time. You see very well.
I like images that I can look at for a long time.
You made one here…
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Brilliant series.
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David Walter Snyder, ŌĆ£The Duke,ŌĆØ 76, Punxsutawney, died Sunday, Aug. 28, 2011, at home.
He was born March 22, 1935, in Nescopeck, a son of the late Charles and Bernice (Laycock) Snyder.
He enlisted in the United States Air Force in October of 1954, and was trained as an aircraft mechanic. After serving his country for 20 years, he retired as a Master Sergeant.
June 20, 1957, he married the love of his life, Brenda Joyce Jordan, who preceded him in death Oct. 16, 2007.


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- 22 Resorts
- Consistent Snow
- Diverse destinations
- Resorts open before those of many other states
- Home to Vail, Beaver Creek, Copper Mountain
Enter your start location for step by step directions:
Big White Ski Resort is a great destination for all types of skiers and snowboarders, offering wide expansive terrain, light dry powder, short lift lines and modern facilities. The Big White Village is home to the most ski-in/ski-out accommodations in Canada.
Located in scenic British Columbia's Okanagan Valley, Big White is about 56 kilometers or 35 miles outside the town of Kelowna. The ski area is situated on the side of Big White Mountain and offers terrain suited to span the spectrum of ability levels. The resort is an excellent family destination offering a wide array of family-friendly activities, including snowshoeing, tubing, skating, snowmobiling, dog sledding, horse-drawn sleigh rides and Nordic skiing.
Kelowna International Airport (YLW) is serviced by many of the top Canadian airlines - Air Canada Jazz, WestJet, Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air, and Regional 1 Airlines. These carriers are partnered with many international carriers and fly non-stop to Kelowna daily from Toronto (YYZ), Vancouver (YVR), Victoria (YYJ), Kamloops (YKA), Calgary (YYC), Edmonton (YEG), Lethbridge (YQL), Red Deer (YQF) and Seattle (SEA). Airport hosts can be found in the arrivals lounge and are identifiable by their yellow vests. Daily frequent and efficient shuttle service is available between the resort and the airport.
Big White and Silver Star are the closest Western Canadian resorts to Toronto, though "close" in Canadian terms is relative. WestJet offers six non-stop flights per week, as well as daily direct flights from Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. Air Canada, and Air Canada Jazz flights in and out of Kelowna from Calgary and Vancouver are just 40 minutes. You could be skiing within 1.5 hours of arrival.
Take Highway 33 from Kelowna and drive just 35 miles Southeast to Big White. Use Highway 97C from points West into Kelowna and then resume on Highway 33.
Highway 97 from the South takes you along Okanagan Lake into Kelowna and then hop on Highway 33 to Big White.
Big White's Official Kelowna Airport/Big White Shuttle Service will transport you from Kelowna Airport to Big White Ski Resort in no time at all. Big White owns the shuttle service so you can book through Central Reservations (www.bigwhite.com/home_showSection_ID_11_subID_221.html). They will pick you up from the airport and drop you right off outside your accommodation.
You may also use Okanagan Shuttle (250-766-4280; www.okanaganshuttle.com) to and from the Kelowna Airport and hotels.
Big White TELUS Park Express runs between Kelowna and Big White. Details on schedule and pricing can be found at www.bigwhite.com/home_showSection_ID_11_subID_220.html.
There is an extensive on-mountain shuttle system serving skiers and riders with two stops per hour at each location. For details, click on www.bigwhite.com/home_showSection_ID_7_subID_625.html.
Taxi & Limo:
Okanagan Limo (250-717-LIMO; www.ok-limo.com)
Kelowna Cabs (800-375-9848)
Star Taxi (250-807-1111; www.kelownastartaxi.com)
Get email updates of snow reports, forecasts and conditions for Big White.
Get OnTheSnow on the go
Learn more
5315 Big White Road
V1P 1P3 Kelowna
Phone: 1-800-765-3101


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Recent Posts
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Daily Archives: November 8, 2012
Voters to Obama: Move Now on Palestine
by James M. Wall Joy and relief are evident on the faces of the Obama family, shown here arriving back in Washington, the day after the election. Obama's victory over Mitt Romney November 6, was also a moment of deep satisfaction for … Continue reading
Posted in Middle East Politics, Netanyahu, Obama, Politics and Elections, Romney 13 Comments


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INTERPRED, The World Trade Center, 36 Dragan Tsankov firstname.lastname@example.com
1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433
October 3, 2014 — The First Annual "Innovations and Good Practices in the Health Sector" Conference in Bulgaria brought together key policy makers and stakeholders to seek answers to these problems and discuss what can be done to improve the country's health care system. Read More »
- This project was launched in order to speed up convergence of living standards and to promote early-age inclusion of children from disadvantaged and poor families. Read More »
- Europe and Central Asia Continues to Set the Pace in Business Regulatory Reform Read More »
How can Bulgarian Students Score Better in Reading and Math?
Nov 14, 2014
Working Together to Boost Innovation in Central Europe and the Baltics
Nov 10, 2014
Portraits of Labor Market Exclusion
Nov 10, 2014
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Wondering on Wednesday
Find a Conversation
|Wed, 09-30-2009 - 2:55pm
Today is Wednesday, right? At least in the US? ;)
Do you think the recession is over?
CL of Budgeting, Debt Q&A, High Needs Infants and Toddlers
Do you need some budgeting support?
Have questions about debt, bankruptcy or foreclosure?
Do you have a High Needs Infant or Child?
|Wed, 09-30-2009 - 3:22pm
No! In our area, people are still losing jobs left and right and our economy is really hurting. I wish I could say otherwise, but I don't think the recession is
|Wed, 09-30-2009 - 10:24pm
Not sure, I know that there isn't a recession in our household at the time. Granted, some things are going to change in the next two weeks, so we may be then.
I don't worry about when the recession will be over, I worry about if people have learned from it. To live within their means, and have a savings. That if you have a job today doesn't mean you will have one tommarow. I just hope everyone has learned something!!!
|Thu, 10-01-2009 - 5:18am
Things have become so hectic that I'm having trouble keeping track of which day it is, although my computer tells me it is currently late Thursday evening here. Things should calm down in about three weeks which I'm looking forward to.
I don't know whether the recession is over, but I don't really keep track of what's happening financially in the world partially because I don't really understand the business/financial news and currently have more important things to focusing my time on than trying to figure it out. So far I'm concerned, as long as I'm able to make ends meet and continue to reduce my debt I'm headed in the right direction. Like others, I hope people have learned the importance of staying within your means.
|Thu, 10-01-2009 - 6:25am
Happy Wednesday, everyone! This question is one of my favorite pet peeves. We heard pundits (and friends and neighbors) insisting we were in a recession for two years before we actually had two consecutive quarters of negative growth - an actual recession. A recession doesn't start or end when we feel like it's starting or ending. We're still in negative growth. When we have a quarter of positive growth, we can say we're out of a recession.
Anyway, DH and I have decided not to participate in this recession and it's worked out really well for us! Attitude is everything when it comes to personal finance.


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Pompom dahlias, oo la la - perfect for a late summer wedding and in every color (almost) of the rainbow.
~Dahlia 'Tiny Treasure' / Beautiful Gardens on imgfave
Get gardening tips specifically for your region: www.bhg.com/...
Take advantage of seasonal sales at your local nursery, and stock up on popular plants. Keep them in their nursery pots, and display them in galvanized buckets on the porch until you are ready to plant them in your garden. Recreate this look with gerbera daisies, salvias, shasta daisies, daylilies, and sweet potato vines.
Gardening plans and tips that consider your individual needs and situation - compiled by the Garden Charmers blog network. ~ Some fantastic ideas including companion planting, permaculture, square foot gardening, a garden planning computer app, and more!


text:
Get latest weather reports from weather stations worldwide
The information comes from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's raw data source.
require 'rubygems' if RUBY_VERSION < '1.9'
require 'metar'
Hello World
This prints the latest weather report for Portland International Airport:
station = Metar::Station.find_by_cccc('KPDX')
puts station.report.to_s
List countries:
puts Metar::Station.countries
Find a country's weather stations:
spanish = Metar::Station.find_all_by_country('Spain')
Get The Data
station = Metar::Station.find_by_cccc('KPDX')
parser = station.parser
puts parser.temperature.value
Use Your Own Raw Data
= "KHWD 280554Z AUTO 29007KT 10SM OVC008 14/12 A3002 RMK AO2 SLP176 T01390117 10211\n"
raw = Metar::Raw::Data.new()
parser = Metar::Parser.new(raw)
Translations are available for the following languages (and region):
* :de
* :en
* :'en-US'
* :it
* :'pt-BR'
Thanks to the I18n gem's fallback mechanism, under regional locales, language generic
translations will be used if a region-specific translation is not available.
I18n.locale = :'en-US'
I18n.t('metar.station_code.title') # station code
By default, the parser runs in 'loose' compliance mode. That means that it tries to accept non-standard input.
If you only want to accept standards-compliant METAR strings, do this:
Metar::Parse.compliance = :strict
This version introduces a major change to the Metar::Raw class.
Previously, this class downloaded METAR data from the NOAA FTP site. The old functionality has been moved to Metar::Raw::Noaa. The new class, Metar::Raw::Data accepts a METAR string as a parameter - allowing the user to parse METAR strings without necessarily contacting the NOAA.
Alternative Software
Other Ruby libraries offering METAR parsing:
There are many reports (WMO) that these libraries do not parse.
There are two gems which read the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association's XML weather data feeds:


text:
New school! Website coming soon!
As you are probably aware, we have moved to our brand new school and it is fantastic! Please be patient with us as we update our information and build our new school website. Our school address is almost the same, with a change of postcode:
St. Paul's C.E. Primary School
Hibson Rd
Nelson, Lancashire
Keep looking out for our new website and other information about the exciting things we have coming up!!
Also, GREAT NEWS!! Click here to read our recent Church School Inspection Report- 2014 SIAS report
Stephen Crook, Head Teacher


text:
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text:
25 Years in, the Urge Still Selling Out Venues
By Melinda Cooper
The 100 Greatest St. Louis Songs
By RFT Music
"Music You Know" Draws Inspiration from the Familiar
By Allison Babka
Pokey LaFarge Signs to Rounder Records
By Daniel Hill
Miami Dolphins Is Not a Football Team
By Drew Ailes
Combating a Rash of Tour Van Break-Ins
By Brian Heffernan
Grammophone to Close, Reopen As Restaurant
By Joseph Hess
Playing for the Cause Helps Out Those in Need
By Joseph Hess
It's no knock on Frank Ocean's recent admission of a formative homosexual relationship, but the pairing of hip-hop and queer identity politics has never been more fun than at a Big Freedia show. The transgender woman born Freddie Ross has been the defining force in the New Orleans-style of frenetic, call-and-response hip-hop affectionately known as "sissy bounce." Like other bounce artists, she sings almost exclusively about booty-poppin' and ass-slappin,' and she demands the same from her fans, who are regularly called to the stage for competitive shake-a-thons. And when asses are shaking in joyful unison, it doesn't matter who you are or who you love so long as Big Freedia is leading the party with a spitfire mouth and pneumatic hips to match.
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Girl, Who You Playin' With: If you go, be prepared to back that azz up. Choose your britches accordingly.