• Boston magazine might have just lamented the death of the Mall at Chestnut Hill, but the Globe’s Devra First finds at least one thing to love there: Daikanyama, a Japanese restaurant improbably situated inside Bloomingdale’s. She enjoys the “buttery” cod and “skillfully cut” sashimi; plus, their wackier maki combos are creative without being “silly” or “pointless.” [Globe]
• Mat Schaffer joins the chorus of supporters applauding Cognac Bistro’s cuteness. The Brookline eatery, once a gas station, reinvents classic favorites like mussels escargot and goat-cheese-and-pear tarts; coq au vin substitutes Scottish salmon in place of chicken. Plus, there’s parking! [Herald]
• Ike DeLorenzo happens upon Lucy, a “gem” tucked above the Green Line’s Symphony Station. He’s often disappointed by Ethiopian restaurants but not this one: Veggie combination plates are “attractive,” and zilzil tibs (lean sirloin with seasonings) was “devoured in minutes.” Try the authentic Ethiopian coffee service on Friday and Saturday nights. [Globe]
• Eating too much fried food usually weighs us down, but the Improper rounds up some of Boston’s finest fried dishes in search of “transcendence.” Look for sublime onion strings at Trina’s Starlite Lounge, enjoy Estragon’s greasy-n-crunchy fried chickpeas … and if you’ve just gotten a raise, spend $14 for one solitary, magnificent buttermilk- and Parmesan-battered Kumamoto oyster at superswank O Ya. [Improper]
• Robert Nadeau declares in the Phoenix that reviewing Turkish restaurants is, for him, a “labor of lust.” He lusts after Somerville’s Bosphorus in particular, where borek is “irresistible,” haydari is “addictive,” and sliced rotisserie lamb and beef served over bread cubes are lapped with a “complex” tomato sauce. [Phoenix]
• Lindsey Crudele paints a vivid picture of Saus, the new Belgian frites place near Faneuil Hall. Get your frites topped with a fried egg and watch it bleed a “rich, goldenrod cascade.” (This sounds like the type of activity best reserved for late-night snacking.) The sauce list is “playful” and Liege waffles are “sweet and petite,” though we’re not sure what to make of the “clingy” mayonnaise. [Phoenix]
