We had a reservation at Moeca but ended up sitting at the bar instead, which honestly made the…read morenight even better. The bartender was so friendly and super helpful when it came to picking out drinks, we felt taken care of right away. For food, we started with the Trout Belly Tartar special, which was incredibly fresh and flavorful. The Smoked & Cured small plate was another standout with the perfect mix of salty, smoky, and bright. But the star of the night was the Buttermilk Fried Monkfish. Truly the best dish we tried and it was crispy, tender, and packed with flavor. An absolute must-order. All dishes were timed perfectly so that there was only a short wait in between each dish. Moeca recently got Michelin recommended, and after this meal, I totally understand why. Cannot wait to come back!

Made a reservation here for a birthday on a Friday at 7:15pm, table was not ready until 7:25…read morehowever aside from that service at the table was great, consistently checking in our us to refill our waters and clean our table between "courses". They recommended 5 dishes for a party of 2 (3 smaller plates, 1 pasta, 1 large plate). We ended up ordering 4 of the smaller shareable plates and 1 large plate, as well as dessert afterward, and were absolutely stuffed. We would have been more than satisfied probably with just 3 smaller plates and the large plate. Drinks were good, not necessarily standout. Our favorite dish we ordered was definitely the smoked and cured shareable plate and would recommend this to anyone who visits. The monkfish large plate was well cooked but we weren't a huge fan of the sauce, which tasted like sweet and sour and kept you from actually tasting the fish itself. Seaweed sourdough I would skip next time, just tasted like regular bread. Seaweed taste was faint and if you put any butter on the bread wouldn't be noticeable at all. Chickpea pancake reminded me of a big fancier latke but regardless tasted good. Loligo squid was a dressed up version of calamari, no complaints there as we always love a good calamari. For dessert we had the baked Alaska which had a nice tang from the passionfruit jam, and came with a birthday candle for the occasion. Overall this is a nice restaurant for a special occasion. Reservations came be made online up to two weeks in advance.

I came here for the Nite Brunch experience at the end of the year and honestly loved everything on…read morethe menu--I wish I could have ordered one of everything. The standouts for me were the mini pancakes, the wedge salad with tomato jam (AHHMAZING), and especially the cornbread... you have to get the cornbread! The ambiance is super cute, filled with flowers and plants, making it a perfect spot for plant lovers. It's also quiet, intimate, and cozy--great for a relaxed brunch vibe. Definitely a memorable experience!

I've mainly only come for theme dinners (mushroom, tomato), and once for a work dinner off the main…read moremenu. The staff is accostumed to dealing with large groups and is very patient and knowledgeable about the menu. Service is always top notch, and the food is farm-to-table fresh and fun. Plenty of vegetarian options always on offer, too.

Ordered takeout on a rainy day from The Silk and did not regret it. I got the chicken noodles…read more(street style), chicken manchurian, and cauliflower manchurian - fantastic food! I got everything mild with sauces on the side and that was definitely the way to go. The chicken manchurian is quite hot/spicy even at the mild level so I was glad about the mild selection.

Went to this restaurant as in walking distance in Brookline. This is an apparently elevated Indian…read morefood restaurant. The food was interesting, the saag was blended to smoother creamy sauce with a hint of mushroom or truffle which was unexpected. The food was generally too spicy hot for mild. We are glad we didn't order spicier. naan was delicious. Salad was huge - enough for four to six people. Food tasted good. Good presentation. Staff could work on clearing plates earlier or using smaller plates. The table was absolutely cluttered unnecessarily. A few things stood out as questionable. Our waiter seemed a little spacy. Order didn't go in on time and then also forgot details. So maybe our food was spicier bc he forgot that we ordered mild. Also, I noticed water dripping from the kitchen ceiling and this kind of took away my appetite. Staff very apologetic for delays in our food order.

Walked in on a Thursday 7p, and it looked busy with a few tables open. This establishment clearly…read moredisplays a sign restricting guests to 70min. Street-side metered parking is easily accessible, and you are just steps from the Avon Hill mansions! Vibe: relatively casual with bar, dining, and outdoor seating options. promptly greeted, seated, and served. Food 4.5/5: - I applaud them for their ingenuity integrating Thai flavors into American fare! Everything was very accessible. - I had the crispy basil burger ($20): minimally spicy, perfectly juicy, nice runny egg, not overpowering in flavor but just what I was hoping for, would get again - my friend had the massaman curry burger ($20) which had more cinnamon than I was expecting; solid burger but not genuinely massaman flavored - we shared the larb parmesan fries ($12): great potato fries with spicy larb sauce, but not anything to dream about - real star of the night was the mango sticky rice sundae ($13): I've had my fair share of these; and this was among the most satisfying ones I've had We didn't get drinks, but they looked incredible. In short, if you're looking for a good, $20 burger with a Thai twist or a delicious mango sticky rice in a casual atmosphere, Black Ruby has got you!

When I was walking into my reservation for 7:15pm there was a long line of people waiting outside…read more(like 10-12). I was looking to go here for a while and thanks to my friend Erin, it came back into my radar. It's giving sleek but with character. Visually reminds me of the design of Krasi.The servers really are on your butt when it comes to ordering and everything to the point where I was like can yall chill please lol. In the first 10 minutes we were there, I swear they came to the table like 3-5 times. They are really trying to get people in and out which I get but maybe be a little less obvious about it. Otherwise, service was respectful and nice. The presentation of the drinks was also really nice. I got a pink float and that was like strawberry milk with a nice scoop of ice cream. It was so fun and childish I made sure to have every single sip. The person next to me even asked what I got. My friend got the thai martini and she said it was delicious and couldn't taste the alcohol which for her is dangerous lol. The burgers, which are what they are known for, were a site to see indeed. For the curry burger it essentially is a pool of curry with a split in half burgers sitting in it. I was afraid that the buns would be soggy and to my surprise it wasn't and was delicious with this nice mini crunch from the topping. I actually preferred my burger which was a Big Crunch and juicy with pickled mustard greens. I also realized my burger had curry sauce in it too. Special mention to the scallion fries, what came out was not what I expected but it was one of my favorites. We got two things listed as spicy on the menu but did not taste spicy above a level 1 or 2. In addition, the menu online does not list their drinks lol so make sure to look at the last page for dessert and the milk floats. The restaurant is right in Porter Square where there are also SO MANY other great options but would go again for food and fun drinks. Atmosphere 8 Food 8 Service 7 Thai Tea martini Pink milk float Scallion fries Mussels in red curry rice wine Khao soi burger Massaman burger

Definitely make a reservation, this place was very lively when we got there for our 6pm saturday…read morereservation. The seating is mostly tables and there were also a few people at the bar who seemed to be waiting for tables. We got the following: peruvian sunkiss, tahini colada, bossa nova, pal viper, bocadillo sour. The peruvian sunkiss was so refreshing. The Tahini colada was non-alcoholic and my friend really enjoyed it. Didn't get to taste the other drinks but everyone at our table enjoyed them! We unfortunately were only there for drinks but I would love to try their food next time because all the dishes looked and smelled so good.

My daughter's friend recommended this restaurant to her. We got a reservation for a party of 6…read moretonight. Our server was attentive and replenished our water for the table as soon as they were empty without our even asking. Food 5/5: every dish we ordered represented Sichuan flavors well, especially the spiciness of it! Our favorites were the eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, with the chengdu dry hot chicken and the string beans. The braised beef with Napa cabbage and mapo tofu were also delicious. Ambience 3/5: super loud. It wasn't even the music, it was that people's conversations were bouncing off the walls in a small space such that it was not possible to hear the other people in my group except who I was sitting next to. I saw several dates there and hopefully they could hear each other ok. Drinks: 2/5 overpriced and disappointing. My Negroni was ok but my husband's Manhattan tasted watery like it had been shaken instead of stirred and the melon highball tastes medicine-y. Overall a good experience because we were hungry and the food was amazing. We made up for not hearing each other well by taking an evening stroll and talking as we walked.

Was not expecting the food to pop off but everything was delicious. We had a reservation and came a…read morelittle late but were still allowed in. It was pretty busy and we were seated at the bar which was a little crowded. Loved the decoration, it was black interior with red lighting and interesting seating arrangement with tables down the middles and plants around. For drinks we got the Saigon Sunset which had a little sour flavor and was my personal favorite, the Gimme with an interesting flavor, and the Old Fashioned which is what you expect (old fashioned are not for me). The bartender was great, he was so patient even with how busy it was making sure to always check up. For food, the Goi Ca/Fluke was so good. It was flavorful and the texture. The peanut butter sauce wasn't too nutty and went so well with the fish. I ate every little piece up. We also ordered the Wagyu Viet Carpaccio which was also good. It was refreshing to eat and came with a large cracker for eat bite.

Ambiance was not too loud nor quiet…read more The appetizers included the carpaccio and the shrimp. The carpaccio was somewhat interesting taste profile leaning towards sweet. The eggplant shrimp not so interesting and relatively bland. The main course highlights included the beef short rib and black cod entrees. Both were very well received. So food experience was good overall. The service experience left a lot to be desired. The waitress seemed to be in a rush to get us moved on. No menu explanation or highlights.... nada. She was a little insistent for our whole order at once including drinks. Even though we placed our appetizer order and stated that we would place that a later she was back in 5 minutes (see below about timing) again looking for the main course orders. We waited 15 minutes for our reserved table but that wasn't a big deal. However, the appetizers arrived within 5 minutes of ordering which indicated that they were prepared and ready to go and hence zipped out so fast. I had to request the server to slow things down and he did help that a bit. However, we were done within 50 mins of being seated. So it was not a leisurely meal unfortunately. Perhaps the waitress was overcompensating for the last table going over their allotted 90 mins. I suggest it's worth a visit if you cannot get a reservation for your slot at another restaurant that you want to try. And don't be too surprised that the appetizers come at you before you can say boo! It may set the tempo for the remainder of your visit.

Staff was friendly and offered great reca…read more Lobster Roe Pasta with Lobster meat . Worth the $$$. GET IT!!!!! Ribs were super tender. Salmon neck could've used more char but still good. Tuna poke fresh. Matcha ice cream was nice.

*Limited Street Parking (Resident Pass Required)…read more The vibes is here are great, it has dim lighting and is pretty busy but small so I would recommend getting a reservation. They have a limited menu with some items being seasonal but the waiters are very helpful and will let you know. I strongly recommend the toro, it is on the pricey side for $55 but it is one of their most popular dishes and I would say it's worth it. One dish that was recommended by everyone that I was a little disappointed about was the lobster roe pasta. It was good but I didn't enjoy it as much as expected and it started become gummy like so if you don't eat it quickly, it may become like this. It is a little plain without the lobster meat but there is an additional $15 charge so that is up to you. We also got another dish, I forget the name I think it was some black bean octopus over rice. But this dish was great with a little spice to it. Enjoyed the sake flight as well, the menu is pretty descriptive so you can pick and choose which ones that look good to you.

We came for Sunday brunch and ordered three dishes:…read more - Crab Louie: This had a generous amount of crab meat and was light, savory, and refreshing. The dressing was the standout. We loved that it felt both healthy and filling, which isn't always easy to find on a brunch menu. - Loco Moco: We were on the fence about ordering this at first, but we're so glad we did. It was the best Loco Moco we've had in Massachusetts, thanks to the unique dashi gravy, which added a depth of flavor we hadn't experienced in this dish before. - Buttermilk Pancakes: These were the perfect sweet finish to our meal. The pancakes were fluffy, and the matcha soft whip was a delicious, unique touch. The restaurant got quite busy during brunch, so I'd recommend arriving early or making a reservation. The servers were attentive and friendly, and the ambiance had a clean, vintage-retro charm. It also wasn't too difficult to find street parking nearby.

You should know: the brunch menu does not have some of the most popular dishes (garlic noodles, the…read moreburger, mabo dofu), although there are still a bunch of very good options. That said... Amazing meal!!! We came for brunch and had some lovely cocktails to start. For food, we started with the fried Utsunomiya gyoza, which were perfectly crunchy and so so flavorful. My date had the loco moco, which is basically a brisket burger patty over rice with a delicious gravy. He added bacon, which was great, but next time I'd try it with spam. I had the cold sesame noodles and the Sichuan wontons, which were both amazing with just a bit of spice. Our server (Isaiah, I think?) was very friendly, and the owner also dropped by to say hi. Food also came out super fast. We'll 100% come back to try the full dinner menu!!!