Review: The New Alchemist Menu!

Long-time readers will know that I really want to like the Alchemist. And there are already some legitimate reasons to like it–the service is great, the atmosphere is nice (particularly since they seem to have curbed their habit of playing music with the express purpose of deafening diners), and it’s close enough to where I live to feel close, yet far enough away to be lazy and drive, which I also like.

But in the past we’ve experienced some real food flops there, not least of which being the really limited options for vegetarians (never mind vegans). While they’ve always had at least a couple of things for veggie-heads to order, they’ve often fallen into the trap of offering multiple veggie dishes with the same main ingredient–say, both the appetizer and entree featuring mushrooms, or a big pepper, or tofu chunks.

In fact, the last time we went–and this was quite a while ago–we filled out a comment card to that effect, and our server came back to the table to tell us how firmly she agreed with our sentiments.

So imagine my delight when I got an email from the Alchemist mailing list informing me that they were unveiling a new menu–one specifically designed with more options for vegetarians.

Review: Cambridge One

Let’s just get this out of the way: it is sort of silly to name a place Cambridge anything when that place is not, in fact, located in Cambridge.

That said, I friggin’ love Cambridge One.

Review: Dogwood

I know I reviewed the Dogwood pretty early on when I started doing reviews, but I thought it was time to revisit since I’ve gone back and will probably return a lot more in the future, now that I live much closer to Forest Hills.

The Dogwood is pretty awesome. You have the great neighborhood feel of a place like Doyle’s but with better food, a similarly great beer menu, and a slightly classier atmosphere (although you can still watch Boston sports from the bar—we watched the Celtics trounce the Lakers from the bar).

In the food department, I’d like to recommend the pizza. It’s hard to go wrong with any of the choices, and you’ll generally have plenty left to take home with you. I’ve had some appetizers that were sort of duds—the broccoli bites come to mind—but then the wings have also made me salivate from several tables over. Desserts are divine, and as I mentioned, the drink menu is stellar. The bartenders are extremely friendly and helpful if you want something but don’t know quite what, as at the aforementioned Celtics viewing when one of my friends wanted “a nightcap.” (She ended up with something that involved kahlua and Bailey’s, and said it was delicious.) I have a secret longing to try all the fruity (as in gay, not necessarily fruit-flavored) cocktails they offer, as the caramel appletini was quite tasty. And potent.

All in all, I rate it “every time I want a beer and I’m tired of Doyle’s, or else whenever I feel like a fancy pizza and a quality beer.”

Review: Doyle’s

If you don’t like Doyle’s, you’re probably an asshole.