Finishing Our Boston Swing at Five Napkin Burger - CLOSED

Five Napkin Burger

105 Huntington

Boston, MA 02199

It was our last day in Boston, and I had four restaurants left to try, but only one meal left on our vacation. I knew that I wrote down too many places to eat, but I thought we had an outside shot at getting to them all. So it came down to what was closest to the Prudential Tower, and the winner was Five Napkin Burger.

Five Napkin Burger has six locations, three in New York City, one in South Beach Miami, another one in Atlanta, and this one in the Back Bay area of Boston. The gourmet hamburger place is all the rage right now, and I could not be happier about that. I love a good burger, and with a wider array of toppings and condiments, it makes every new burger experience a treat.

We made it to FNB on a Sunday morning, just before noon. The restaurant was half empty, but filling up by the minute. By the time we left almost all of the tables were taken. The decor was minimal, with the dominating feature being the lighting hanging from meat hooks. Even with the lack of big splashy decor, this place had a sleek, hip feel to it. Since we were here on a Sunday, we had the opportunity to order off of their brunch menu. Let's see how that worked out for us.

We started with a Stack of Cornmeal Onion Rings. These onion rings were fried to perfection, and not as greasy as I would have thought. The cornmeal was a different twist which was good. The rings were served with blue cheese dressing and 5N sauce. The blue cheese dressing was a bit off for me. The 5N sauce, which is a little less prickly than a thousand island dressing was okay, but I preferred ketchup and ranch dressing to either of these sauces for the rings.

Katie did not want another chance to go by without having lobster, so she ordered the Lobster Roll Sliders. These sliders featured Maine lobster, with 5N mayo, cucumbers, and scallions. She was very happy with these sliders. She felt these were not too rich, but still very flavorful. She also thought Five Napkin really got the mayo to lobster ratio right on.

This good looking burger is the Brunch Burger. The fried egg is quickly becoming one of my favorite things to put on a burger. Here the fried egg is accompanied by ten ounces of ground beef, American cheese, ham, and 5N sauce. I asked for this burger medium, and it was cooked exactly the way I wanted it. All of the condiments combined to make this a great burger. I would have liked to of substituted the ham for bacon, but it was still good the way it was served. This burger was also served with fries, which were seasoned well. 

I did enjoy my time at Five Napkin Burger. The service was fair. Not too friendly, but efficient. There were more gourmet burgers on the menu that caught my eye and would love to try. The Lamb Kofta Burger and the Original Five Napkin Burger with rosemary aioli sounded great. I have the feeling that this will be the kind of restaurant that could work in more cities, hopefully, some on the west coast. Just a little bit of a hint for you guys at FNB. 

Out of five Bostonians, (because for the week we were in their great city, they really made both Katie and I feel at home), five being best to zero being worst, Five Napkin Burger gets 3.5 Bostonians. 

For more information on Five Napkin Burger, click here: http://5napkinburger.com/

Classic Diner Faire at Mike's

Mike's City Diner

1714 Washington

Boston, MA 02118

Sometimes when you are planning a trip you see places on a map, and think they are pretty close. Then you get to the city, and you find out that they are not as close as they seem. Once I got the lay of the land, I knew it was going to be a little bit of a journey to get from Cambridge to the South End, but I also had a feeling it was going to be worth the trip, and it was.

The object of our quest was Mike's City Diner. I had of course seen this place on the show Diner's, Drive Ins, and Dives. From the show I learned that this place is known for big servings and turkey dishes. Unfortunately, we were here on Saturday, and they only serve breakfast on weekends. So, no turkey dinner was coming my way, so I had to adjust my order.

We made it to Mike's at about noon. There was a line almost out the door. A very good sign that there was good food ahead.. This diner is run by a guy named Jay, who we had the pleasure of meeting while we were here. What a great guy, and he is very passionate about food. I knew his passion for food would lead to great things on our plates. Let's check out what they cooked up for us.

This picture does not do this Turkey Hash with 2 Eggs justice. The hash which was located under the eggs was great. Kind of had a stuffing feel to it, but without the bread. Very comforting taste, and when combined with the runny egg, it was made even better. Katie was very happy with this excellent comfort food.

I saw Emergency Room Breakfast on the menu, and of course I leaned toward it. With the ER breakfast you get two eggs, three bacon, home fries, and toast. All of these were cooked well, but were over shadowed by the pancakes above. At Mike's you can add fruit or chocolate to any pancakes for an extra $2. In my case I added both chocolate and bananas. The result was delicious. One of the best pancakes I have ever had. They tasted more like banana chocolate chip bread than pancakes. I was very happy with this breakfast.

Not only was I happy with the breakfast, but I was also very happy with Mike's Diner. The food was priced well here. My emergency room plate was just over $8, and Katie's hash and eggs was a steal at $7.50. Not only was the food great, but the service was great as well. Our waitress Victoria, was the ultimate diner waitress. She was bubbly, without being way over the top. Both her and Jay really made us feel like friends when we were leaving the diner. Well worth the trip, even from Cambridge.

Out of five saxophones, (because Bill Clinton has eaten here before, and he famously played the sax), five being best to zero being worst, Mike's City Diner gets 4 saxophones.

For more information on Mike's City Diner, click here: http://www.mikescitydiner.com/

Seafood of the Gods at Neptune Oyster?

Neptune Oyster 

63 Salem Street

Boston, MA 02113

When you are headed to New England for vacation, you definitely have to have lobster sometime during your stay. Like lots of people, I love lobster but do not have it as often as I like. One of the reasons being that I live on the west coast, and it is not readily available. The other reason, of course, is the expense. We were on vacation though, so we decided to splurge. We heard great things about Neptune Oyster, so that is where we headed.

Neptune Oyster is a very popular restaurant as we found out when we got there. It was an hour and a half wait when we got there at eight on a Thursday night. Since we had nothing else to do for the night, and I really wanted to eat here, we waited in the bar across the street. They got our phone number and gave us a call after about an hour.

Neptune is a very small restaurant, in the North End of Boston. A part of the city that is renowned for its Italian food. If you blink you are going to miss this place, it is that tiny. The tables are very close together, so it is easy to meet your neighbors. They do have an oyster bar, but we were here hunting for the crustacean known as the lobster.

Of course, man does not live by lobster alone, and up until this point of our trip, I had not had any Clam Chowder. I rectified that here. This is your classic New England chowder. It was really good and flavorful, but I would have liked this a little more on the creamy side. They were very plentiful with the clams here.

This classy looking appetizer was Katie's choice, a Buttermilk Johnnycake. I was a little shocked that Katie would order this, but it was really tasty. It is a buttermilk cake, with honey butter, smoked trout tartare on top of that, and then topped with Little Pearl caviar. We could have easily eaten three of these. The elements of this all combined in an unexpected way and the result was delicious. The smokiness of the trout, along with the sweet from the cake, and the saltiness of the caviar enlightened our senses. One of Katie's best choices on our trip.

Now on to what we came here for, lobster. We had lobster in the form of a Maine Lobster Roll. They serve two kinds of lobster rolls here. You will see mine next. Katie opted for the roll served hot, with just butter added. This sandwich definitely did not need to be dressed up more than that. This rich sandwich was overflowing with lobster. I actually liked this one better than mine.

My Maine Lobster Roll was not bad by any means, just different. I went with a cold roll and had the lobster dressed up with some mayo. This was another rich sandwich. It had a tuna fish sandwich feel to it, but with the buttery taste of the lobster. I liked the warmed lobster better, but by just a little bit.

Neptune Oyster was well worth the hour wait. Both Katie and I were glad that we chose to have our traditional New England seafood here. The service was nice and polite, the prices were very good for the amount of food we got. The lobster rolls were $25, but they really fill you up on the lobster. I am guessing there was a half a pound of meat or more on these sandwiches. Plus you get the bonus of not having to crack open the shells by getting the lobster this way. Glad we got our lobster fix here.

Out of five tridents, (because Neptune, the Roman god of water and the sea, held a trident), five being best to zero being worst, Neptune Oyster gets 4 tridents.

For more information on Neptune Oyster, click here: http://www.neptuneoyster.com/7cg19egpgi4o214bldvm8hyuc9icbe

Sandwich Heaven in Boston

Sam Lagrassa's

44 Province St. 

Boston, MA 02108

The west coast may have weather on its side, but the east coast definitely has sandwiches in its favor. Just as plastic surgeons dominate in LA, east coast cities have an equally good number of great delis.  So when we made the trek across country, I knew we would have the opportunity to have some excellent sandwiches on our journey. One stop I had planned out was Sam Lagrassa's.

Sam Lagrassa's has been around since 1968, and in that time they have gained quite a reputation as a great sandwich shop. They have changed names numerous times, but have had their current name since the mid 90's. I heard of them on-line, and also on Diners, Drive In's and Dives. I have had some good experiences with restaurants that have been on this show, and some real disappointments with others. I was really hoping this would be a great experience.

We got to Sam's at the odd time of 2 pm on a Thursday. Lucky for us we made it an hour before they closed, and as a bonus we missed the lunch rush, so there was plenty of seating. I can imagine this place getting packed for the lunch time. Ordering is done at the counter, kind of assembly line style. After getting through the line, this is what we came up with.

Starting us off was Katie's choice, the Jumbo Reuben. This is your classic Reuben sandwich with, Russian dressing, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and corned beef, all on a pumpernickel. Katie felt the corned beef was great, and the condiments on this sandwich complimented the meat well. The meat was velvety smooth, and was definitely the star of this sandwich. She also liked the bread, because it was good tasting and held the sandwich together well. Very solid sandwich here.

When I was watching Diner's, Drive Ins and Dives, I saw them make this sandwich, and I knew I had to have one. The Chipotle Pastrami sandwich combined Cole slaw, pastrami, chipotle mustard, and Swiss cheese. Like the corned beef in the Reuben, the meat here was front and center. Spiced well, and sliced thin it really was great pastrami. I did not get as much flavor from the chipotle mustard as I would have liked, but it did not detract from my enjoyment of this sandwich too much. The Italian bread was very sturdy, and fresh, while the Cole slaw added a great texture to the sandwich. One of the best sandwiches I have had in a long while.


So, Guy Fieri did not steer me wrong this time. Sam Lagrassa's was every bit as good as it appeared on the show. The prices were not out of control crazy either. True, the sandwiches will run you $10 to $11, but they are on the big size, and the quality ingredients really make this a decent value. The restaurant was clean, and well run. They got the sandwiches out in a timely manner. If I lived in the area I would be very excited to explore their menu more. They have some great sounding sandwiches. Glad we made the trip across country, now I only wish Sam would open a franchise on the west coast.

Out of five cobblestones, (because some streets in this Beacon Hill area are paved with cobblestones), five being best to zero being worst, Sam Lagrassa's gets 3.5 cobblestones.

For more information on Sam Lagrassa's, click here:http://www.samlagrassas.com/index.php

Stopping By Boston's Legendary Regina's

Pizzeria Regina

11.5 Thacher St.

Boston, MA 02113

After walking the Freedom Trail all day, we decided to treat ourselves to an early dinner. There was not really much doubt where we would be eating. I had wanted to try Pizzeria Regina ever since I saw them win a pizza battle on Food Network's, Food Feuds. On that show they beat Santarpio's Pizza. So needless to say I was very excited to give them a try.

Walking into Regina's was like stepping back in time. This is definitely an old school pizza joint. I half expected the Fonz, Laverne or Shirley to come around the corner at any minute. We hit Regina's at a good time. I have heard the stories of hour long waits, but we were eating at an odd time, 4 PM on a Wednesday, so we were sat right away.

Regina's has been around a long time. 85 years to be exact. Now on its third generation of owners, the Polcari family, they are still going strong. They now have 21 locations spread out across New England. Some of these locations are quick service establishments located in malls, some are full service Italian sit down restaurants, appropriately named Polcari's. We, however came to the original restaurant in the North End. After looking at the menu, this is what we came up with.

Katie went a little unconventional with her choice of pie, the Formagio Bianco. This white pizza combined four cheeses, mozzarella, pecorino Romano, ricotta, and Parmesan, along with a garlic sauce. Katie loved this pizza for a lot of reasons. She liked how the cheeses complimented the basil. She also was very fond of the thin crust here. The pizza was a little too mild for my taste, but we both agreed that the garlic sauce was good, but not too rich.

Not exactly the most flattering picture of the pizza from Regina's, but I really was rushed because I was so excited to try a slice. I should have waited though, because this pizza was served piping hot, and I almost burned all of my taste buds off. Luckily I had a few left over to taste the pizza. The crust here is really good. It held the toppings well, and let the cheese and toppings be the star of the show. I guess the brick oven is the way to cook pizza. The cheese was good and flavorful. The toppings were good, but not the best I have had. Combined though, this could be one of my top pizzas I have had in awhile.

I really enjoyed my time at Pizzeria Regina. The service was a little gruff, but mellowed while we were here. Even though the restaurant was old school, it really seemed clean and well run. Prices were not too bad for the pizzas we got. Glad we hit them at an off time, so we did not have to wait an hour or two to eat. The pizza gave us enough energy to finish off the Freedom Trail.

Out of five silversmith's, (because Paul Revere, was a famous silversmith, and from the North End of Boston where Regina's is located), five being best to zero being worst, Pizzeria Regina gets 3.5 silversmiths.

For more information on Pizzeria Regina, click here: http://www.pizzeriaregina.com/

Detouring Off the Freedom Trail to Mike's Pastry

Mike's Pastry

300 Hanover St. 

Boston, MA 02113

What better way to spend our very first full day in Boston, than walking the Freedom Trail and making a quick stop at Mike's Pastry. Before we left for Boston, everyone told me that I had to stop at the venerable pastry shop in the North End. I heard over and over, "best cannoli in the US". With all this praise, it definitely had a lot to live up to.

We got to Mike's at about 3 on a Wednesday afternoon, and the place had a constant stream of customers throughout our stay. The long lines that I expected never materialized, we ordered and had our cannoli's within three minutes of walking in the place. The bakery case was a little overwhelming because I wanted to try almost everything. But, I knew we would be eating again soon, so I limited myself to the thing I came here for a cannoli.

Katie wanted the signature item at Mike's and went with a Hazelnut Cannoli. She called this the best cannoli she has ever had. The hazelnut flavor was a little subdued, but present. The flaky outer shell had a great texture and could be cut with our plastic forks.

The Chocolate Chip Cannoli was my choice. I will admit to not being a cannoli connoisseur, but this was really good. The filling was smooth, while the crispy outer shell added texture and a nice crunch. The chocolate chips were a good addition to help vary the taste of the filing. I agree with Katie, this is the best cannoli I have ever had, although I have not had too many.

Mike's Pastry was all it was said to be. I did want to try one of their Boston cream pies, but they were not selling them by the slice that afternoon. I did not learn about Mike's rival, (Modern Pastry),  in the cannoli wars until I got back from our trip, but I will have to give them a try on our next trip. Also, on our next trip, I will have to save more room for other treats at this upscale east coast bakery.

Out of five bricks, (because this place was steps from the Freedom Trail, which is paved with red bricks), five being best to zero being worst, Mike's Pastry gets 3 bricks.

For more information on Mike's Pastry, click here: https://www.mikespastry.com/