The Best of the West of Boston

Blink and you will miss the small storefront on Beacon Street that is Rod Dee. It is tiny, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in the taste category. Here they have Thai food served up fast for takeout, delivery or casual booth dining in their store.

Some more discerning diners may be put off by Rod Dee's old-style fast food menu board, but rest-assured that this is not an area Mickey Dee's. They have a well rounded menu ranging from traditional dishes like fried rice and pad Thai to Drunken Noodles and steamed vegetables. They have a nice variety for both vegetarians and carnivores which makes this a great lunch spot for picky eaters.

The counter help at Rod Dee is super friendly, but you may want to get the food to-go to avoid sitting in the cramped dining area that is both noisy and uncomfortable. They do serve your meals on china though if you do get it "for here", which is a nice touch. To-go orders are prepared with special care though, so you really can't lose by taking one home to enjoy out of the earshot of the blaring Thai music that is constantly playing in the kitchen at Rod Dee.

Rod Dee has surprisingly delicious food for such a casual environment. The dishes here always contain fresh ingredients and never taste greasy. Prices are about average for this type of cuisine in the area (about $10/entree). It is definitely worth the stop if you are looking for a quick casual meal that is great tasting.

The Fireplace is a very nice restaurant located in the heart of chic Washington Square on Beacon Street in Brookline. It is one of the few restaurants in the area that is as nice for casual Sunday brunch as it is for romantic evening dining. With the kitchen's focus on comfort food and the warm ambiance created by the restaurant's interior decor, this is one of the best places to go on those cold winter nights in Boston.

The Fireplace pays great homage to its namesake with a large edifice loaded with kindling crackling away along side diners on the first level and bar area. Though most of the dining area is on the second level, the warm glow of the fire is picked up nicely in the orange and red tones in the decor throughout. It is the perfect place to go for a special occasion or social gathering.

This restaurant specializes in gourmet comfort-food. The chef here serves everything from mashed potatoes, steak, green beans and other home cooked favorites with a touch of elegance. Dinner entrees range from about $15-$25 and the portions are plentiful—no chi chi presentations with two green beans per plate! They have an excellent deal on every other Thursday where they offer a tasting menu paired with different wines for about $30. It's an excellent bargain and an interesting way to learn about new libations.

Perhaps the best thing about The Fireplace is their brunch that is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings. People line up around the block for the Challah French Toast! They also have a nice assortment of lunch and traditional breakfast items like omelets and burgers. Brunch prices are reasonable at about $15 per meal, but be warned to go early or endure the wait.

The service at The Fireplace is always professional and friendly no matter how busy they are. The food is prepared with much attention paid to details, and the bartenders mix some great cocktails. This is one of the best restaurants in the area and one of the reasons to head west to Brookline from Boston!

There aren't too many high quality restaurants located in Westborough, MA that are not chains. The Naked Fish is no exception - having outposts in several other Massachusetts locals. I don't know if this is just a northeastern restaurant chain, but the only place I have seen The Naked Fish before is in New England.

True to its name, The Naked Fish serves mostly seafood and seafood-based dishes. If you do not like seafood, there are little to no options for you in the entrée section of The Naked Fish's menu. Being a vegetarian, I do not like going to these types of restaurants because there is nothing that can be substituted for the meat in the courses on their menu. I dealt with this during my visit by ordering a few sides and a salad as a meal, but I really think this restaurant's menu may be too focused and rigid.

The Naked Fish in Westborough is a very nice restaurant itself. The interior is split into bar and dining areas where patrons can meet for a drink after work or formally dine. The low lit interior is pleasing and the decor is peaceful and in good taste. Upon entering the restaurant, patrons can look into a picture window that overlooks the kitchen to see the food being freshly prepared. Steering and flambe techniques are on display for all to see.

The Naked Fish easily accommodates large parties with either long rectangular or huge round tables. The waitstaff is very friendly and knowledgeable and has no problem making recommendations to large parties about how many appetizers to get or what have you. They also give great details about their specials (even though their specials are again only seafood typically).

Prices for The Naked Fish entrées seem a bit high, especially given the restaurant's suburban location and chain appeal. Most seafood dishes cost between $20-$30 with the higher end items like lobster (at $26) not being much higher than the plantain-crusted tuna ($22). Salads and appetizers are also higher than one would expect given this restaurant's location. I tend not to think of Caribbean inspired seafood as being expensive, but the Naked Fish seems to be the exception to this.

All in all, our dining experience at The Naked Fish with a group of coworkers was a pleasant one. I probably wouldn't have picked this restaurant for myself and probably won't go back again given my dietary restrictions, but it did make for a nice choice for the rest of our party. Everyone (with myself as the exception) thoroughly enjoyed their meals and was raving about the quality of the seafood.

I have probably eaten Thai food on 90 percent of my adventures to the Brookline/Brighton/Allston area—it is so readily available and most convenient. Ubiquity aside, one of my favorite places to eat in this area happens to be the Brown Sugar Café, a Thai restaurant on the border of Brookline and Boston.

The Brown Sugar Café is possibly one of the best Thai restaurants in the metro-Boston area. The line that forms every night out the door is testament to that statement. The last time I had an opportunity to eat there on a Saturday night, we had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated and the restaurant and small bar area were filled to capacity. They do not take reservations for the more crowded times either, which means it might not be great if you have plans afterwards and can’t stand to wait to be seated.

Servers are very friendly here and will help to explain anything on the standard Thai multiple-page menu. I almost ran into an issue when the server informed me that all the dishes on the “vegetarian” portion were cooked in fish sauce with chunks of fish in it (I am a pretty strict vegetarian who does not eat fish). She then pointed to the steamed vegetable selections on a different part of the menu and helpfully explained that those could be ordered “vegan-style” prepared with soy sauce instead. What a relief! I took some issue with the menu ingredients being misleading, but it was very nice of the server to pay attention to these dietary restrictions and help me through the process.

The small dining room is subtly decorated with traditional Thai plants and Buddhist statues. The low lighting and warm-toned walls add to a pleasant but bustling ambiance. It is always very busy here, but never does it feel too loud or like orders or servers are being rushed. During our dinner on a busy Saturday night suddenly the whole restaurant turned pitch black. The staff surprised one table with a birthday treat and the rest of the restaurant helped sing “Happy Birthday”. I thought this was funny, but nice. I liked seeing how much attention the staff here paid to the patrons though they were extremely busy.

The food at the Brown Sugar Café is fantastic. You can get any of the traditional Thai food dishes with red, yellow, or green curry. They also have fabulous Pad Thai that is crispy and delicate on top with the correct creaminess in the sauce for the noodles underneath. Though I have been regulated to the steamed vegetable portion of the menu, they have a very nice dish with a sweet and sour mélange of veggies that comes with pan-fried tofu.

I highly recommend the Brown Sugar Café. In this traditionally college-based neighborhood, it breathes life into the Thai food culinary scene for the area by adding class and sophistication. Boston could use a few more upscale Thai restaurants like this!

I had been to many swanky bars in Boston by the time I dared to venture west into Brighton, Mass. Imagine my surprise when I found a bar that could compare to the downtown Boston (Boylston Street) nightlife outside of the city center! Soho in Brighton is just such a bar.

Catering to mostly mid-20-somethings to early 30-somethings, the most striking feature of Soho to me was the line that congregated in front of it on a Saturday night to get in. I couldn't believe a bar outside of Boston had generated such a buzz! To avoid this line (and the possible $10 cover that they occasionally charge to get inside), I would recommend going to Soho by 9pm. Otherwise, bundle up if it's cold out- it might be a long while before you get in.

Once inside, the interior of Soho completely impresses. There are 2 very large screen TVs that are always showing whatever popular sporting events happen to be on (typically Red Sox baseball, college sports, or Patriots football). If you are able to divert your attention from the screens, you will notice the large bars that wrap around the upstairs level of this club. The dark wood and elegant decor definitely help keep the atmosphere upscale. There is also a small dining room that serves good appetizers and brunch.

The upstairs of Soho surrounds a subterranean club below. The large open floor plan makes this club seem larger than it is and you might spend the evening searching for your party if you have unfortunately become separated. Soho is the only club I have ever seen that makes you wait in a line once you get in the bar! To get downstairs to the dance floor and bar below, you might have to wait an additional half hour until the bouncers think the club is at the right capacity to let people go downstairs. This was a little ridiculous if you ask me- I would just as soon stay upstairs if my friends had not disappeared somewhere below.

The crowd at Soho is mostly new college graduates and a few older people. No underage drinkers here! Patrons come dressed up- very few jeans and t-shirts, but not too dressed up- very few little cocktail dresses as well as is common in other chichi bars. The dance mix is pretty lame- late 90s pop and rap, but otherwise innocuous.

The drink prices at Soho are pretty much in line with those in downtown Boston. You won't get much in the way of deals on cover or happy hours here even though it is off the main financial district drag. Also, parking in the area is difficult, but not impossible. Definitely designate a driver if you go- T access is very limited in the area and the cab rides back to the city could run up to $60!

Overall I would recommend Soho if you were sick of the same old thing in Boston.

It’s the biggest game of the year and you’re thousands of miles away from your alma mater that is taking part in it. Where do you go to watch? Well, if your school is anything like Ohio State for the 2006 Ohio State vs. Michigan game, you arrange an alumni function at the fabulous Boston sports bar Game On!—conveniently located on the Boston/Brookline border.

Game On! is fantastic as far as Boston sports bars go. Located near the heart of Boston’s downtown sports mecca Fenway Park, across the street from the infamous Cask n’ Flagon, Game On! brings a much needed dose of class to the Boston sports bar scene. The upstairs is very nice–clean bar, plasma screen TVs, and a nice but casual dining area. Downstairs is where the more raucous crowds gather to watch games on the large screens with the area more open and ready for plenty of standing room.

The menu upstairs at Game On! is very good for casual American food. They have a very diverse selection to satisfy even the sports fans with special dietary needs. Veggie burgers, sweet potato fries, sandwiches, and other comfort foods make this a good place to eat before going to Fenway Park or going downstairs to enjoy an alumni event or other sports viewing party.

On the days of big games, get to Game On! early if you want to get a seat downstairs, where the majority of the TV screens are and where cocktail servers cater to smaller tables. If you aren’t lucky enough to get a seat, plan on standing 3 to 4 hours for the duration of the event. My friends and I did not get a table when we attended an event here, but were still able to find a comfortable area to stand without getting pushed around by the packed crowd.

Another note about Game On! is that they keep the downstairs at capacity during events by only letting people in once another person has left. If you get to an event late, you can plan on waiting upstairs for the better part of an hour until you get to join the crowds downstairs.

Game On! hosts many alumni association-organized events every year for college sports. If your school is miles away with an NCAA Division 1 team or two that are good, you should see if they might have an event scheduled here that would be geared to your alma mater. The staff at Game On! do a great job showing their school spirit and dealing with rambunctious crowds at the same time. Game On! also offers comprehensive local pro-sports coverage, showing all Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, and Celtics games. Seeing a game here is the next best thing to having the stadium experience, in my opinion.

Boston is not a primary destination for a lot of rock bands - it has only produced a handful of talent for the rock scene in recent years and thus falls under the radar and is skipped on many-a-tour. Still, Bostonians are not completely out of the loop when it comes to great live music - they have the Paradise Rock Club to tide them over.

The Paradise is a small club with standing room only. It has a dank and dark feel with patrons typically crammed from wall to wall or clinging to posts to gain a better view. There is a large balcony area, but unless you get a front row standing position this does not provide much better a view. The stage at the Paradise is low to the ground, so that rock stars are almost on the same level with their audience. It creates an intimate feel for the shows, but some artists might not feel this is best to reach their full audience.

The Paradise and next door bar both serve drinks and beers at standard prices for the area (between $4-$7). They still sell bottled beer which is surprising (since they don't serve glass bottles at a lot of venues these days), but is convenient for beer selection. Bartenders are friendly, but are stuffed in the back corner of the concert-area; making them difficult to get to and a bit of an after thought.

The interior of the Paradise could definitely stand for an upgrade. The last concert I attended there, nobody stood in the middle of the room because a water pipe was leaking on everyone's heads there. They definitely should look into getting that fixed!

The Paradise gets very good acts from all over the world. Most shows cost between $10-$20/person to attend. Tickets can (and should) be purchased ahead of time through ticketmaster, as they most times sell out ahead of time for any of the more popular bands. Most groups that play here are signed to an indie production label - though they aren't played so much on the radio they are usually the best live acts in the business to see.

The last time I went to the Paradise was for a sold out "Camera Obscura" show. They are a Scottish band who very rarely tours the states - what a great opportunity to see them live in my own hometown! I am glad the Paradise remains in business and brings such great talent into Boston - talent that otherwise might not have an outlet in this town.