EAST COAST GRILL

She says:
While visiting Cambridge this past weekend, Downtown Boy and I brunched at East Coast Grill. It’s a hip, casual spot in Inman Square that focuses on seafood, which is evident not only in the dinner menu, but also in the funky (and fishy) décor. Aside from the raw bar, the brunch menu was not very fishy. Instead it had a strong Cuban influence.

I started out with a fantastic cup of Columbian coffee, and then tried the cornbread crusted French toast with orange marmalade. I wouldn’t say that the French toast was out of this world, but it was as tasty as most, and I appreciated the contrast of the maple syrup with the subtle bitterness of the marmalade.

He says:
My Tortilla Rellanas weren’t quite as good as Uptown Girl’s selection. In fact, they were kind of disgusting. Shredded duck had been stuffed inside a green chili with cilantro and jack cheese to create an over-spiced, yet tasteless brown mush. The sweetness of the sweet potato mash was nicely tempered by a healthy dose of salt, though the garlic-seared greens were slightly undercooked.

I can only hope this dish was an aberration because in the past I have had some truly excellent breakfast burritos at East Coast Grill. At least the fresh-squeezed orange juice was as light and refreshing as I remember.

We say:
Outfitted with a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar, East Coast Grill is a fun spot for breakfast with friends. But choose your dish wisely! The foodies in us may prefer their seafood dinners.

For brunch:



For dinner: TBD

East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA
http://eastcoastgrill.net/

FINALE

She says:
Every city has its up-scale, ultimate-date-spot dessert restaurant. For Boston, this is Finale. After a long day of walking around the city, Downtown Boy and I stopped at their Coolidge Corner branch (there are two other locations at Harvard and Park Plaza). The first floor was filled with smartly-dressed Bostonians, but we were quickly ushered upstairs to sit among the other sneaker-wearing tourists. Hmph.

The place reminded me of a 1970’s lounge, complete with plush red bench seats and carpet to match. And the waitress didn’t help to put us at ease with her strict rules about what we could and could not order (no ordering from the display case downstairs).

Fortunately, Finale’s desserts were fantastic: they were delicious, complex, and gorgeously presented. I ordered the Manjari Mousse, a rich bittersweet chocolate mousse layered with chocolate buttermilk cake. Yum. It was served with a napoleon of blackberry cabernet sorbet and strudel dough, and to top it off, a delicate stick of crystallized sugar. The waitress assured me that the sugar stick is completely edible, but as you can see in the photo, it’s just really pretty.


I think that Downtown Boy was also thoroughly enjoying his cheesecake, but I was too deep in my chocolate bliss to pay much attention.

Did I mention that I ate the leftover mousse for breakfast the next morning? Not only is Finale a delicious way to end the day … it’s a pretty good start to the day as well.




Finale
1306 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446
http://www.finaledesserts.com/

THE EARL

He says:
The Earl is a grungy bar in East Atlanta, the type of place where hipsters on laptops and 300-pound bikers in head-to-toe leather sit in adjacent booths. The paint-chipped walls are covered with the sort of tchotchkes you'd find in your crazy uncle's garage: plastic Mr. T busts, rusted tricycles, decapitated dolls ... you get the idea.

I had heard the Earl had one of the best burgers in town, and I wasn't disappointed. The Guacamole Burger was a simple yet superb creation: the creamy avocado and zingy cheddar blended perfectly with the juiciness of the Angus beef. What I like about the Earl is the attention paid to the small details. The toasted hamburger bun with a light spread of butter. The wondrously crunchy beer-battered onion rings, large enough to fill you up but not so large they feel like donuts. The waiter noticing how Uptown Girl and I were halfway through our Cokes and bringing out a fresh pitcher.

She says:
And the tasty cranberry dill sauce that came with my sweet potato fries. It's a great dipping sauce--Downtown Boy couldn't stop raiding my plate.

The black bean burger I had was fine, but nothing special. At least it wasn't mushy, which is important in a black bean burger. There were two other vegetarian options that could be worth a try someday, but honestly, I think I'd rather just go to the Vortex.

We say:
The Earl isn't trying to reinvent bar food, but it does get the little things right.

He says:



She says:



The Earl
488 Flat Shoals Road, East Atlanta, GA. 30316
http://www.badearl.com/

NAM

She says:
Atlanta publications have consistently rated Nam the best Vietnamese restaurant in the city, so it has been on our hit-list for months. We finally made it there this weekend, but in my opinion, the jury is still out on this one.

Nam is a strikingly attractive restaurant. Red lighting warms the room’s white walls. Slender tapestries displaying sketches of a woman’s profile stream down from the ceiling. A bamboo theme is subtly carried through in the cutlery and the glasses. And the waitresses, dressed in long, fitted red tunics, only add to the polish of the setting.

Nam’s elegant simplicity is reflected in the menu, an enticing mix of seafood, meat, and vegetarian dishes. Unfortunately, with the appetizer, this translated to bland. The Vietnamese crepe we ordered was supposedly stuffed with bean sprouts, scallions, shrimp, and pork. The half that Downtown Boy and I split with our friends was stuffed with… nothing. Even dipping it in the accompanying clear sweet sauce didn’t help, as it slid right off the oily crepe.

He says:
I found the Basil Duck that followed equally disappointing. The thin medallions of duck breast sautéed in basil and garlic were tender but unremarkable. Not to be cliché, but it actually did taste just like chicken. Nam had unhappily removed the fat, a cardinal sin since that is where duck’s distinctive richness derives from.

She says:
I liked the Basil Duck although it’s true; the dish isn’t anything to write home about. The most flavorful entrée was probably the Shaking Tuna. The marinated tuna was cooked “shaking style” (shaken in a wok with very hot oil) with garlic and onions, with yummy results.

He says:
I agree, the Shaking Tuna was the best dish of the night. I’ve had similar stir-fried beef and chicken Vietnamese dishes, but using tuna cubes was an inspired twist. The tuna’s exterior was perfectly seared while the interior retained the delicate texture of sashimi. However, our asparagus and scallions vegetable platter was a dull and forgettable dish.

We say:
Is the hype around Nam warranted? Did we order the wrong things? Nam appears to be an impressive restaurant, but in culinary terms the scales tip towards mediocrity.

He says:



She says:
TBD. Am I a cop-out for not assigning forks? I feel that despite our mediocre dinner, the potential for a great meal here is high, and so I’ll withhold my final judgment until a later visit.

Nam
931 Monroe Drive Suite A-101, Atlanta, GA 30308
http://www.namrestaurant.com/