• Devra First heads west to Concord and enjoys a meal at 80 Thoreau (which we talked about here). You’ll find a small menu that “lets the ingredients shine”; three main courses are “knock-your-socks-off, lick-your-plate delicious” and “mature rather than showy.” Don’t miss the “juicy and essential” soft-shell crabs or the “addictive” gnocchi. [Globe]
• Mat Schaffer reviews Temazcal, near the Boston Fish Pier (and home to tough-talking chef Todd Hall). Here, “waterfront dining doesn’t get any more fun.” Sip a margarita and order the whole suckling pig, “meltingly moist and delicious,” carved by Hall tableside. But do note: “Guac is good, but not $11-good.” [Herald]
• Sheryl Julian visits Pho Le Vietnamese Cuisine in Dorchester for a “traditional, hearty” version of its namesake, plus a “stunning” Vietnamese crepe filled with shrimp, pork, and loads of sprouts. You’ll also find “large groups and lots of children,” as well as a very helpful waiter named Edwin. [Globe]
• Robert Nadeau waxes philosophical on “mediocre” chocolate pudding at B Street in Newton; he’ll take middling pudding over a “great” vodka martini. He also praises an “unlikely” braised-short-rib quesadilla, inauthentic but “awfully good.” An apparently untrustworthy dinner companion also declares turkey meatballs “mediocre,” but Nadeau, the professional, after all, is quick to correct: They’re “actually bad.” [Phoenix]
• MC Slim JB enjoys himself at the “strikingly handsome” Avery Bar at the Ritz-Carlton, an “eminently civilized oasis” in the middle of the city. Here, he applauds the “admirably curated” Cheese Collection. We’re sold on the “phenomenal” Boerenkaas Gouda, which needs no accompaniment, thanks to “intense nuttiness and grainy saltiness.” [Stuff]
• Lindsay Crudele discovers a “neighborhood gem” in Inman Square: Bom Cafe. Go to this sunny Brazilian spot for the “exceptional” homemade desserts and a “simple and satisfying” linguica sub. [Phoenix]
