There’s a spirited fight discussion currently raging on the local Chowhound board regarding Bina Osteria, the newish Italian eatery opened in Downtown Crossing by the folks behind Lala Rokh and Bin 26 Enoteca.

No one’s taking issue with the quality of the food itself: Indeed, when Chowder sampled the menu a few weeks ago, every morsel was exquisite, perhaps even some of the best cooking going on in the city right now, courtesy of (super-young) chef Brian Konefal, who did time at Atelier de Joel Robuchon and Eleven Madison Park, two of Manhattan’s finest restaurants.

The issue is the cost. Are the prices outrageous? (more…)

Tis the season… for drowning our financial sorrows and holiday woes in expensive, complicated booze. That’s what it seems like, anyway.

While we at Chowder can imbibe with the best of ‘em, we’re starting to wonder how much of this cocktail-obsessed madness we can take. First the Art of the Cocktail party at Drink, then the Repeal of Prohibition anniversary party at ESK, then more Drink.

And now this: Tuesday’s cocktail-making seminar for local bartenders, hosted by Svedka Vodka at The Beehive. (more…)

Last night, bartenders and imbibers from around Boston gathered at Drink to celebrate renowned cocktail maker Dale DeGroff’s latest book, The Essential Cocktail. Small samples of Manhattans (made with rye whiskey or bourbon) and Cosmopolitans flowed freely as DeGroff worked the room.

Before we sampled one to many of his libations, we talked to DeGroff about what he recommends you serve guests this holiday season.

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When Bob’s Southern Bistro vacated its Columbus Ave. digs in 2007, I’ll admit I mourned the loss. Sure, owner Darryl Settles went on to give us the Beehive, but, having lived around the corner from the former boite, I’d miss Bob’s casual attitude—and its fried chicken.

A year later, the spot’s been resurrected as Circle Plates and Lounge, a spot featuring “fine dining at comfort-food prices,” according to owner Malcolm Aalders. And while it lacks the come-as-you-are vibe of Bob’s, owner Aalders and GM John Williams have ushered in something else: really good food for a pretty low sum.

And with that, I’m coming around. (more…)

As the old adage goes, you eat with your eyes first. Chowder believes this doesn’t just apply to the dish before you, but also the ambiance. Some interior designs enhance the theme—take Redbones as an example—but even if a strategically placed set of lights does nothing for our seared tuna, we don’t have many deal-breakers.

But we did discover one the other night while grabbing a drink at Max and Dylan’s. We call her Berry Thong.

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Chowder may be talking turkey a lot these days, but one meat is our always-and-forever, and that’s pork. And while we’re all about the booming “snout to tail” movement, which puts everything from guanciale (smoked pig cheeks) and boudin blanc (an intestinal-looking pork sausage) to whole suckling pig on local menus, our first love is a big, honkin’ plate of falling-apart ribs.

Alas, this is New England, not Dixie. And while we’re blessed with a couple of standouts (Blue Ribbon, the Best of Boston winner, Redbones, and Poppa B’s), the pickings are still pretty slim. So I’m always stoked (sorry) when a new pit-smoked BBQ joint comes to town, and on Saturday night I finally made my way back over to Washington Square’s Roadhouse. (more…)

As everyone around me knows, I’ll soon be leaving my current digs in JP and moving across the city. And it’s starting to stress me out a little—not just the idea of packing and hauling all my stuff, but the fact that I still have a lot of eating to do before I go.

While I won’t miss that chicken smell, I’ll be leaving behind plenty of Chowder faves: Canto 6, Ula Cafe, City Feed, Bella Luna (which has a newish chef, Jacob Zachow) the Behan pub, etc.

And, of course, there’s the Alchemist. (more…)

It’s safe to say that Boston chefs are ingredient-obsessed. You hear about mozzarella di bufala being flown in twice a week from Italy, sushi so fresh it was swimming yesterday, and farmstand veggies just plucked from the dirt.

Boston bartenders, too, have gotten in on the act. With the return of classic cocktails, everything’s fresh-squeezed and muddled to order. (Frankly, methinks most club-type bartenders are sick to death of making mojitos.)

But Drink, uber-chef Barbara Lynch’s new cocktail-centric venture in Fort Point Channel, is taking things to a whole other level: they’re busting out the gourmet ice. (more…)

Considering the fact that we end up at the same eating and drinking establishments time and time again (see: Eastern Standard, Toro)—we at Chowder are always looking for the next great place to imbibe, preferably within walking distance (or an under-$7 cab ride) from our Back Bay office. So last week was a boon to us, as we got not one, but two new places to throw back a cocktail and some grub. (Well, one’s a chain and the other’s a renovation, but whatever. We’ll take it.)

First up: the new Sel de La Terre at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. (more…)

I stopped by Craigie on Main—the future (bigger, fancier) Central Square home of Craigie Street Bistrot in the former La Groceria space—on my way to work this morning. Or, rather, I stopped by the work site that will become Craigie on Main in about seven weeks. Tony Maws was there, going over plans, and he gave me a quick tour.

If you’ve eaten at Craigie, you know how tiny that space is, and how subterranean. If you’ve ever seen the kitchen (my closet is bigger), you’ll understand why people talk about it in terms of lemons and lemonade. Nevertheless, I’ve always enjoyed Craigie’s coziness, and felt a twinge of nostalgic regret when I first heard about the move.

But having seen the new place, I’m counting down the weeks.

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