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Showing posts with label Peachy's Picks Boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peachy's Picks Boston. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Top Peachy's Picks January 2017 Best Manhattan Restaurants & Beyond According to Whom You Know Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins


We definitely have always liked going to great restaurants and playing with our food!

Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:

For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at 









Top Peachy's Picks January 2017 
Best Manhattan Restaurants According to Whom You Know

-in no particular order-




























These met the following criteria:

They have outperformed their competitors, and their owners are among the most competitive, and are there in person and consistently demonstrate they care the most.  Additionally, they are nice people and you would want to visit them and their delicious culinary endeavors.  
We have reviewed them at least four times, in some cases many more and they all graduated from Terrific Takeout to Peachy's Picks and are in it to win it. They go beyond a single feature in Peachy's Picks and constantly strive to be better and better.  In most cases, they change their menu four times a year at least.  Paul of Kings' Carriage House changes his menu every day.

We have visited them within the last six months and first visited them prior to 2016.

There are other restaurants we enjoy, however, since we do not assign number ranks we believe you should know the best of the best on a qualitative basis.  Many restaurants come and go in Manhattan but these are here to stay we believe.

We are going to periodically come out with this kind of list and it is only coincidental that it the the start of a new year. This will keep owners on their toes and you in the know! Those listed here are absolutely on their toes and no one was made aware of the fact that this list would be released.  No one will know the next time either!

Honorable mention as newest to us in Manhattan: Auden at The Ritz-Carlton Central Park


Our cousin Kevin is our companion dining expert in Washington, D.C. and if you own a restaurant there, you have probably met him! We liked to pretend apple juice was beer so we have come a long way.

Best of Washington, D.C.: Anything by Ashok Bajaj and The Knightsbridge Restaurant Group including 701, Nopa, The Bombay Club, Bibiana, The Oval Room, Rasika; 
and Boss Shephard's


Best of Boston: Sonsie on Newbury Street and of course in Chestnut Hill the Boston College Dining Hall

Best of Delaware: Go Fish and Go Brit by Alison Blyth Best Fish and Chips in America

...and there are wait lists in more geographically desirable locations that you will be kept apprised of as the owners pass our review process.  Owners on the wait list know they are there and we will visit them someday!

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Friday, November 22, 2013

Peachy's Picks Boston: Durgin-Park in Quincy Market 340 Faneuil Hall Marketplace - Its Origins Are Pre-American Revolution Since 1742 - Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins


Patty and Peachy



The famous Yankee cut Roast Prime Rib of Beef.  

Peter Faneuil orders this from heaven, surely.


Patty Reyes, Regional Operations Manager of Ark Restaurants in New England and Executive Chef of Durgin-Park, Roberto Reyes (also, they are married!)

Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:

For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at 

The origins of Durgin-Park and its fantastic historic Yankee recipes go back to pre-Revolutionary days.  In 1742, Peter Faneuil (surely you've heard of Faneuil Hall...) -who in his time was considered to be a top merchant- built a market house near the waterfront.  Soon after a warehouse, which is the current location of Durgin-Park, was built where the second floor was an eating establishment catering to marketmen and crews of ships anchored in the harbor.  In 1742 this venue which would be considered a restaurant by today's standards was not formally named, but if it was it would be the oldest named restaurant in America.   Around 180 years ago it was named Durgin-Park, after the owners then.  Today it is officially Boston's second oldest restaurant.  It's the only place Peachy Deegan has eaten before a Bruins game, so it is a tradition for her.  She first went around the age of ten or eleven before Boston Bruins/Hartford Whalers games (she can't do that anymore but she w
as able to interview Kevin Dineen after the game).  Of all of the restaurants we've reviewed, Durgin-Park is the first one we've reviewed that we FIRST went to on a non-review basis in life (we went to others later).  Before your visit we'd say Bunker Hill and Revolutionary Summer are required reading.
When we saw the sign we were excited.
And we got closer.
If you noticed the 
Yankee cut Roast Prime Rib of Beef, visions of that were dancing in Peachy's head like sugarplums.  She's had it before and it is excellent.
Not only is the history alive and the Yankee cuisine the best around, but also Durgin-Park has achieved a feat that few restaurants, even restaurants that are far younger, have achieved.  It has been consistently excellent and committed to its roots.  Since it started, it has only four owners.  The third owners took over in 1976 and the 4th owners are Ark Restaurant Group, and they say they would not change a thing and not changing a thing is key to their success.

The atmosphere of history is in a word incredible.  You need to witness it for yourself.
Welcome to carnivore heaven:

There is quite a lot of space at Durgin Park.  We could not do a dinner review at dinner time as it conflicted with the opening faceoff, so we went in the middle of the afternoon and had the place to ourselves.  It seats 240 people over three rooms.
Here is the red room:
There is also the mid-hall inbetween, and then there is the white room:
Peachy picked the white room.  There is not a bad seat in the entire house, and also there is seating a floor above for 45 more in the Peter Faneuil room.
We were greeted with hot piping cornbread and creamy butter.

Thanksgiving, right around the corner,  will also make you nostalgic for this kind of food....
The menu is going to make you so proud to be a participant in the current history.
...and yes it's a clearcut possibility that your ancestors ate here as well.


Though we love Manhattan, we do not love Manhattan clam chowder.  Peachy Deegan absolutely could not wait for proper clam chowder which means NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER.  Uber-rich and super creamy, this was exactly what we had been waiting for. The fresh clams hit the spot and the seafood arrives fresh daily from Ipswich and Gloucester.  If you are reading us from the UK and these town names sound familiar it's because you settled us, silly!  Your ancestors probably ate here too however you know how the revolution wound up...we're all friends now so you need to go to Durgin-Park.


So, although we were so tempted by some of the amazing seafood selections on the menu, Peachy Deegan absolutely had to go for beef as an entree.  The Roast Prime Rib of Beef is absolutely LEGENDARY and it is available three ways:

*Durgin Cut, 32 oz, this has a bone in it and is Flinstonesque

*Yankee Cut, 16 oz, shown above, boneless

*Boston Cut, 10 oz, if you are less hungry than Peachy, also boneless

Words cannot describe just how succulent and juicy this Prime Rib is and we suggest ordering it medium rare as it is just perfection.  Peachy ate as much as she could, and then ate the rest at about midnight looking out her window at the Westin Copley Place after the Bruins game and it was just as good then.  The herbed butter is killer as well: fresh scallions, thyme, oregano, garlic, tarragon and parsley will wow you as an accent.


The parmesan spinach is a must as a side.  Popeye would be pleased and it is pure decadence.  If you don't like to eat your vegetables, trust us, your mind will be changed by this winner.
Executive Chef Roberto Reyes is the current talent of a historied line of Chefs at Durgin-Park and is a relative newcomer.  Roberto is the fifth chef at Durgin-Park EVER; Tommy Ryan was the fourth chef and he started as a cook and stayed for 63 years.

Herbed butter on the left, and fantastic fresh mashed potatoes will make the smile on your face even bigger.  If you are a meat and potatoes girl like Peachy, you will not want to leave.  Unless you're going to the Bruins game...
What was new to us was the John Durgin ale!  It was started eight years ago by Harpoon and is brewed locally of course.  John Durgin Ale is an interpretation of a traditional British pale ale. 

 A vibrant amber, John Durgin Ale boasts a medium malt body and cheerful hops that add character.  It would go with anything, and is an essential to your Durgin-Park experience.  You do not simply eat or dine at Durgin-Park: you experience it.  It would be cliche and trite to say it is unique and one-of-a-kind but it would also be true.  We think it should be a verb-forget about selfie being the new word of the year-what's old is new and hip again.  As in:
Peachy Deegan: "I'm Durgin-Parking before the Bruins game!"

The Yankee Cut insisted on some headshots.
We also toured the property and the spot is huge.  On ground level/first floor there's a bar:
In the cellar (below ground level), there is also a bar: 
We showed you the second floor first as that is where we dined.
Here's the Peter Fanueil room on the third floor:


You won't believe it but we even got to see the LAUNDRY.  We've never seen this before and we don't know of another restaurant doing their own:
The uniforms:
Patty Reyes is a legend in her own right and we loved her right away.  Patty rocks.  Today she is the heartbeat of Durgin-Park as the Regional Operations Manager in New England.  We won't reveal her age but we will tell you that like Peachy she is a bit older than she appears.  She doesn't really iron there: she's being a bit of a ham at our request.
For all of you New Yorkers-you should know Patty is one of you.  Since she was 16, she has worked for the Ark Restaurant Group.  She started at Columbus Bakery at 1st avenue on 52nd/53rd, she was a hostess at Bryant Park Grill and Metropolitan Cafe and by age 19 she was Assistant General Manager at Columbus Bakery and by 21 she was a General Manager.  A graduate of CUNY-City College of New York- Patty then moved to Connecticut where she was both a General Manager and Senior Manager of Operations at the Ark restaurants in Foxwoods for many years.  

Patty arrived at Durgin-Park in December 2012 and she's genuinely interested and committed to upholding the illustrious tradition here.  Everyone we met is pretty much a lifer at Durgin-Park: Laura Seluta who like Patty and Roberto is a total peach-has been there 22 years so perhaps we've seen her before!
Peachy pretended to fold as well...obviously we wore our Red Sox hat!

We couldn't leave without sharing some Boston cream pie and coffee!  
The cherry on top of the sundae, so to speak.




We are honored to work with Durgin-Park and it has earned our highest recommendation.

We miss it already.

This picture is captioned: "The two most important things you can do for somebody is to feed them and to make them laugh."


Just a Boy

Get to understand the lad, 
He's not eager to be bad. 
If the right he always knew, 
He would be as old as you. 
Were he now exceedingly wise, 
He'd be just about your size. 
When he does things that annoy, 
Don't forget he's just a boy.

Could he know and understand, 
He would need no guiding hand. 
But he's young and hasn't learned, 
How life's corners must be turned. 
Doesn't know from day to day, 
There is more to life but play. 
More to face than selfish joy, 
Don't forget he's just a boy.

Being just a boy he'll do much, 
You will not want him to. 
He'll be careless in his ways, 
Having his disobedient days. 
Willful, wild and headstrong too, 
He'll need guidance, kind and true. 
Things of value he'll destroy, 
But reflect - he's just a boy.

Just a boy who needs a friend, 
Patient, kindly to the end. 
Needs a father who will show him, 
The things he wants to know. 
Take him with you when you walk, 
Listen when he wants to talk. 
His companionship enjoy - 
Don't forget he's just a boy


A final note on the Beanpot-it belongs to the Boston College hockey team we say!

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Thursday, November 14, 2013

Peachy's Picks Boston: Sonsie on Newbury Street in the Back Bay Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins

Sonsie's Executive Chef and Co-Owner Bill Poirier

Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:
For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at 







Once upon a time there was a girl that would look out her window and see the amazing Sonsie on Newbury Street and she loved to eat there, however she moved away to New York which is not so convenient for frequenting Newbury.  She returned to Boston recently and did not forget what she loved and hoped she'd find everything just as good as she remembered.
Sonsie was not just as good as she remembered.
Sonsie was even BETTER than she remembered and since 1993 they've set the standard for fine dining in Boston.
What are the origins of Sonsie?  It's found in a Robert Burns poem titled Address to a Haggis:
"Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the pudding-race! 
Aboon them a' yet tak your place, 
Painch, tripe, or thairm: 
Weel are ye wordy o'a grace 
As lang's my arm."
As we are so clearly literary as well here at Whom You Know (we've published over 600 book reviews in Read This and the site itself is named after Peachy's 10th English class taught by Mover and Shaker Mr. McQuilkin-doing a pretty good job in this class got Peachy to Boston College where she first learned of Sonsie) we appreciate the name even more now since we know where it came from.  
Sonsie has an absolutely smashing wine list and narrowing it down was not an easy feat.  It is rare that Peachy Deegan meets an Italian red she doesn't like; she chose the Palazzo Della Torre, allegrini, veneto 2009 which proved to be an excellent robust companion to every course we delicately devoured with enthusiasm at Sonsie.   
Upon entering the land of the beautiful through the French doors at 327 Newbury, we were warmly greeted by Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Sonsie, Bill Poirier who is one of Boston's best chefs ever.  Bill hails from Cranston, Rhode Island and is the original executive chef.  Bill owns Sonsie along with Steve Coyle, Patrick Lyons and Ed Sparks and this winning team clearly has it all down pat from the best in cuisine, service, decor and that je ne sais quoi that is quintessentially Sonsie.  Simon Cowell, that means the X factor.
Before we had a chance to order and finalize our menu choices, Chef Bill brought out a Bone Marrow baked oyster for us to try,  Tremendously fresh, this boasted incredible flavor accentuated by the Bone Marrow of course and marks the first edible item in the history of Peachy's Picks Boston.  The menu at Sonsie changes four times a year and about 15% of their signature dishes remain constant throughout the year while 85% vary. 
Chef Bill continued to accentuate his creativity with the next item he had in mind for us: Hamachi crudo, granny smith apple, truffle oil (to die for!!!), lime and jalapeno.  Thin and refreshing, this was a bevy of alternating flavors and textures that married well combined.
The third item on the Chef Bill Poirier hit parade that we were welcomed with we liked the best of all: Pork Belly tacos, apple slaw and chipotle mayo.  The richness of flavor and delicious pork belly marked this as an item that is absolutely must-have for all of you reading.  And those of you in New York that don't think you like Boston, be quiet and eat this.  Your mind will be changed.
As a starter, Peachy Deegan was most enticed by the Warm mini buttered lobster roll with tempura tomato, quite an intelligent combination!  This endless summer for your stomach was super fresh and so succulent.  Sonsie makes the idea of a lobster roll an artisan concept and you ought to try it.
Deciding what to order off the American eclectic extravaganza of a menu is not easy because one of everything would not be a bad answer when you are at Sonsie.  The Sea Scallops with creamy parmesean quinoa, artichoke, and oyster mushrooms beckoned most convincingly to Peachy and that is what was her final answer for an entree.
Seared perfectly the fresh scallops and their soft texture literally melted in our mouths and the notes of parmesean are a superlative accent to this enticing dish.  The mushrooms were a brilliant accent as well.  Absolutely this would be ordered by Peachy again.  It only adds to the list of reasons why Sonsie is a must if you are in Massachusetts, and why you should even go there.  All the great food in the world is not only in New York.
The mashed potatoes were in a word a dream, and if we get to heaven we hope the clouds up there are made of these.  The stir fry green beans with ginger, garlic, chile and oyster sauce were crisp and added a lovely nutritional aspect to our experience.
Some "see and be seen" venues have mediocre cuisine; Sonsie is a see and be seen spot that excels in all culinary endeavors-you've seen the visual evidence so do try it out for yourself.  The atmosphere cannot be beat especially when those French doors open, and sometimes they even open in January if it is warm enough.  We were lucky it was warm enough on a November night to enjoy the lovely Boston breeze.  The tin ceilings are also wonderful and the decor is gorgeous.  If you are into knowing who goes there other than Peachy, know that recent guests include Seth Meyers (SNL) and Big Papi (Go World Series Champs!).   You may have read Peachy write previously that she could see Fenway Park from her Boston window when she was a resident-so you know if she also sees Sonsie from it, Fenway is not far at all.  Peachy remembers seeing Demi Moore there in the years she lived in Boston.  Currently, Big Papi loves the double order of duck at Sonsie we have heard.  Tom Brady and his wife dine at Sonsie.  So do Steven Tyler and Tom Cruise, plus if you remember Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and their first Academy Award win, you should know their celebratory party was at Sonsie.
Movies filmed at Sonsie include Fever Pitch, Ghost of Girlfriends Past, and many more.  Speaking of movies, Bill had a suggestion for us that we'll pass on to all our culinary friends: Jiro Dreams of Sushi.
The dessert menu is incredibly inviting and you should save space, or rather make space.  Above please meet the warm chocolate bread pudding with soft whipped dream and below, do make pals with the decadent white chocolate tiramisu with espresso crumbs.  Both were uniquely sensational and in a class by themselves, just like everything else in the aforementioned hit parade.  It is clear that Sonsie sets the standard for excellence when it comes to dining well in Boston.
Sonsie opens at 8am for breakfast you should know too with a closing time of 1am according to the website.   So in conclusion, Sonsie is still there, they are doing well in their ideal location and it is one HOPPING place.  Be there.  Peachy misses it already... 
Our esteemed panelist adds:
The Vietnamese vegetable spring rolls were light and refreshing and most satisfying. 
 Wrapped in rice paper, they were softened “just enough” and full of healthy, crisp vegetables, fresh herbs (mint) giving them much flavor and crunch! Dipped in a not-too-spicy-but-with-a-“kick” sauce, these wraps are a perfect combination and great appetizer choice. 
The 14 ounce sirloin was cooked as ordered, to perfection! Served with either a garlic ponzu sauce or blue cheese butter, the juicy steak was flavorful without either sauce but both were delectable. (I ordered both on the side.) 
 The ponzu was a combination of light, garlic tanginess just as the blue cheese butter sauce was fantastic – flavorful, but not an overpowering. 
The mashed potatoes were amazingly-creamy. There was nothing “too fancy” about them, which made them that much more delectable – classic, “light,” whipped, delicious. The stir fry green beans were sautéed to the perfect crispness with a savory blend of ginger, garlic, chile and oyster sauce.
Peachy Picks Sonsie.
Sonsie has earned our Highest Recommendation.


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