We never made it to No. 9 Park, but did have dinner at Mamma Maria, (excellent, and surprisingly uncrowded on a Thursday night, as was the rest of the North End excepting the usual line outside Giacomo's.) We stopped at the Modern for cannolis afterward, they're as decadent as always.
Blumie, Sportello was a great suggestion, thanks. We probably walked by it twice before even noticing it, I have to admit I'm overall really underwhelmed by the sterile gentrification of the Seaport area, but it was a good stop for a nightcap on the way back to the Renaissance. Otherwise I could have driven to North Dallas and gotten the same experience as what's gone on in the "New Southie."
Bouchee, on Newbury, had a great lunch, attentive service and a reasonable facsimile of a French bistro. We split a bowl of herb garlic mussels I'd compare to anything I've gotten in Paris. Then two mains, a couple drinks each, one coffee. Less than $50.
What a let-down SDLT was. We had originally booked a res for the Back Bay location, but after walking by it the day before we thought it had too much of a "hotel" feel. They graciously moved our res to waterfront location, and the character was a lot better....service and food, not so much. I might have accepted (if not appreciated) the "We're the hot spot in town" attitude we got most of the night from staff if it hadn't been a Friday night 8PM res with the dining room never more than two-thirds full. Decent bottle of wine , charcuterie platter, boullabaise for me and some kind of salmon salad for Mrs. ND, (her standard resto order), two glasses of port and a shared creme brulee, all average at best....$200 AI. I tolerated a bunch of snotty s*&t at Balthazar in NY several years ago because it really was the "hot place" at the time. At least then the food was actually fabulous, and the bill wasn't much higher.
Yankee Lobster was a terrific lobster roll, decent if a bit thin chowder. It was the closest reminder to my days of going to the Fish Pier as a kid when it really was the Fish Pier, when you could go down there at 6:00AM to catch the fishing boats coming in, and buy directly off them. I'm a 13th generation New Englander, and I guess it's just not "Your Fathers' Boston" anymore.
MagicianSampras, we never made it anywhere into the South End, so we'll try some of your recommendations next trip.
and they came back with an amazing cocktail. Some drinks though were heavy on the simple syrup. Food (light apps) was outstanding...the dates wrapped in bacon and on a bed of goat cheese was fantastic and very powerful.
