Tag Archives: boston

Boston

Cheeseburger at Tasty Burger

Say "what" again.

Say “what” again.

There was something deeply satisfying about this particular journey to Tasty Burger. Maybe it was the fact that I’d been craving a burger for almost a week, but consider the fact that the particular burger I was craving was in fact a Shake Shack burger (I almost went as far to recreate the burger from Serious Eats’ recipe), I think it’s safe to say that this burger really hit the spot.

Much like Shake Shack, Tasty Burger doesn’t do overly fancy burgers, they charge a very fair price, and put out a damn delicious product. I asked for a cheeseburger with onions and pickles—in effect, “The Big Tasty,” but without their Tasty Sauce. I’m not a fan of it. It tastes too much like ketchup, which I absolutely despise. I posit that there’s absolutely no place for ketchup in the culinary world; it distracts from a good piece of meat, so its only purpose is to cover up a bad cut of meat, and nobody should eat bad meat. But back to my cheeseburger(s—yes, I ordered two. Yes, I hate myself for it). I really don’t know how much there is to say about cheeseburgers. They were really good. Juicy, flavorful, with the right amount of crunch from the veggies and melty-ness from the cheese. I think I’d rate Tasty Burger as my second favorite burger I’ve had in Boston, next to Shake Shack. The fact that their restaurants are Pulp Fiction themed—a pop art style Jules Winfield graces their walls, their menu offers a Kahuna burger I’ve never had, and they’re called Tasty Burger, as in “This is a tasty burger!”—certainly doesn’t hurt either. The only thing Tasty Burger is missing is Shack Sauce; hence why Shake Shack will always and forever be my #1. Until, perhaps, I finally try Atlanta’s famed H&F burger—one of my foodie goals on my trip home.

I realize this review is drifting further and further from the meat of the sandwich, something I promised myself I’d try to avoid on this blog, so I leave you with a glowing recommendation for Tasty Burger and an absolutely packed tummy.

Tasty Burger | 1301 Boylston Street, Boston, MA | (617) 425-4444 | Yelp

Standard
Boston

Original beef sandwich at Charcarero

So close to being really good.

So close to being really good.

Today was a day full of disappointments. Well. Let me explain to be a little bit less melodramatic. A friend and I were going to go on a duck tour (I’ve been in Boston for two years and never done one). Apparently, these tours are inexplicably popular, so we couldn’t go on one today. So we deferred the duck tour to tomorrow, and instead went to lunch at the Prudential Center food court. I try to avoid mall food courts unless Emily is doing something more awful, but the Prudential food court actually has some decent stuff. I’d read about a Chilean sandwich place  somewhere that had a pretty successful thing going downtown, and had expanded to the Pru. Said friend lived in Chile, so it seemed like a good idea to make up for the lack of duck tour with sandwiches.

Charcarero explains their sandwiches thusly (edited for grammar):

ACharcarero is a traditional Chilean sandwich. It begins with homemade bread that we make fresh daily. The main ingredient is either tender grilled steak or chicken (or both). Then with your main ingredient, we add steamed green beans, which gives it that authentic Chilean touch, munster cheese and fresh tomatoes. After that, we add an avocado spread, salt, pepper, and our secret hot recipe to complete the sandwich.

This sounded really good. It was okay.

First, the good: the flavors were fantastic. I can’t speak as to whether or not they were authentically Chilean as I’ve never been to Chile (side note: my friend said she’d never had anything like this in Chile, for whatever that’s worth). They were, however, delightfully spicy and everything went together really nicely, even the green beans, which I was skeptical of on a sandwich.

Unfortunately, the bread did not taste fresh, the meat was on the dry side, the cheese wasn’t melted, and the whole sandwich was room temperature. I think I went in expecting something more in line with a torta (it was, to be fair, still very similar to a torta). Now I’m not saying every sandwich should be grilled or toasted, because it’s not my place to force roles on a sandwich like that, but this sandwich would’ve been objectively better had it been warmed up, and were the meat just the slightest bit fresher.

I don’t want to give up this sandwich just yet, because it had the potential to be really good, and I’ve also yet to find a great torta place in Boston. I think I might go back sometime to their original Downtown Crossing location, and perhaps not during the middle of lunch rush, when they have a bit more time to dedicate the loving care to the preparation that this sandwich deserves. I’d also be curious to try the barbecue. I’m not sure what the difference is—I would’ve asked, but they were pretty busy, and I’m socially awkward.

Charcarero | 800 Boylston Street (Prudential Center Food Court) | Yelp

Standard
Boston

The Coppa and the Fried Shrimp Po’Boy at Parish

The Coppa at Parish, Boston

The Coppa at Parish, Boston

I really like the premise of Parish. Chefs from around Boston create sandwiches, Parish prepares and serves them. It’s a favorite on “Where chefs eat” and “Where bartenders drink” lists, and with good reason. Parish makes quality sandwiches at pretty respectable prices.

Emily, my girlfriend and sandwich-eating-partner-in-crime, ordered a Shrimp Po’Boy (one of my favorite sandwich concepts), and I had The Coppa:

A slow roasted pork belly sandwich on a sesame seeded bun topped with melted American cheese, Hellman’s mayonnaise, caramelized serrano peppers and onions, and raw jalapeño peppers.

Pork belly is an absolutely fantastic cut of meat. It’s tender and fatty and delicious, and isn’t quite as overwhelmingly “porky” as some other cuts. I think it was an excellent choice as a meat base for a sandwich, though Emily disagreed. I’m pretty positive she just doesn’t like pork belly, however, because I can certainly vouch for the quality in both this particular pork belly and the preparation thereof. The jalapeños added a lovely kick and crunch, and almost reminded me of a bánh mì in a way. The caramelized peppers and onions, while noticeable, were more subtle and complimented the pork belly quite nicely. This sandwich is totally rich, but in a melt in your mouth sort of way.

The sides that complement a sandwich are often almost as important as the sandwich itself, and while I’m usually not partial to potato salad as a side (it almost always comes off as an afterthought at best, or a plate-filler at worst), but Parish does a mean potato salad. They serve it with a few of their sandwiches, but it was the perfect accompaniment to The Coppa.

Shrimp Po'Boy at Parish Boston

Shrimp Po’Boy at Parish Boston

Emily liked her po’boy better, but I didn’t. A po’boy is a simple sandwich, and as such should strive to achieve a perfect ratio of shrimp to lettuce and tomatoes to remoulade to, obviously, bread. I felt the po’boy was breadier more than anything else, followed in turn by the shrimp and a disappointing, and finally almost nonexistent vegetables. Potato chips as a side are fine, but serving Cape Cod potato chips in Massachusetts is one of those things that seems clever the first time you see it on a menu, and then you realize every sandwich shop in the Bay State is doing it. I’d be willing to believe this particular po’boy was just a fluke, but I won’t be having it again, because I can make a better one myself and I want to try other sandwiches at Parish. Their menu changes slightly from month to month, and there’s always something new and exciting.

Parish | 361 Boylston St, Boston, MA | (617) 247-4777 | Yelp

 

 

Standard