• Brookline’s Golden Temple is a late-night, multi-dish odyssey, a holdover from the glory days of Chau Chow City and Kowloon. Marvels Ike DeLorenzo: “As if rejuvenated by some forbidden blue tiki-drink,” it “still struts with sex appeal after 50 years in business.” Here, “The lounge area is a conflation of Indiana Jones and Skylab”; as for the food, “low expectations are pleasantly surpassed.” Behold the Schezuan eggplant, for example: “tender, firm, and marvelously ungreasy.” [Globe]
• Stuff’s Dining Awards issue is out: Downtown Crossing’s regal Marliave nabs the coveted “June Cleaver Nostalgia Award,” while Southie’s Local 149 gets the “South End 2000” nod for helping to make over that neighborhood. We’re not going to tell you who won the “Mike Tyson” honor. [Stuff]
• Robert Nadeau patronizes the new Five Horses Tavern, which took over Sagra’s space in Davis Square. He doesn’t “get the name,” but he gets the concept: “36 taps of craft beers, a bunch of TV sets showing sports, and food to go along, which means a fair ration of salt and pepper, but some neat surprises as well.” Kentucky fried cornish game hen, for instance, and a profusion of tater tots alongside a $9 grilled cheese. Skip the vegan pad thai, though. [Phoenix]
• Redbones’ new truck gets a mention by Ariel Shearer in the Phoenix, which “plays easy in the soul food” but still manages to churn out some of their “precious sides,” namely a cole slaw that’s “not slimy.” Meanwhile, their dirty rice “involves chicken livers (Cajun rice with chicken livers, ground pork, peppers, and spices) and is more delicious than the pilaf at any Middle Eastern spot in town.” [Phoenix]
• B.N. Lee gives four stars to the South End’s El Centro. Here, the “atmosphere practically vibrates with goodwill.” Order the sopa de tortilla, made dense and delicious by “various chilies, twice-fried with garlic” and a house-made chicken broth. [Improper]
• After munching on one too many carpaccio watermelons, Donna Garlough wonders if Boston’s still a great food city, even though it’s not a trendy food city. Tony Maws and Tiffani Faison get the last word. ““There’s only a handful of people in the world who are truly innovative with food. Everyone else, we’re craftsmen who are trying to make people happy,” says Maws. “We have Harvard and MIT! There’s intelligence and money coming in from all over the world,” Faison adds. [Boston]
