My itinerant MA existence has dictated that I spend both last weekend & the one upcoming in Chestnut Hill, and I’m wondering if there’s any spots in the general vicinity that I should know about. Last Friday I ended up trying takeout from Esperia Grill in Brighton and it was fine–good moussaka (better’n the Greek Corner in Cambridge) and garlicky roast potatoes. Standard chopped iceberg lettuce and bad winter tomato salad. The gyro my gf got seemed solid. I think this place falls into the “good neighborhood restaurant” category, where it’s not super special or worth a trek, but if you live nearby it’s great for basic comfort food.
I’ll be there again this weekend, though, so I’m wondering if there are any gems in the neighborhood. Would prefer the immediate Chestnut Hill or Brighton area–I know there’s Allston and Brookline with lots of choices, but I’d rather do somewhere I don’t really know.
Anyone got anything? All I have heard about the Frank Pepe’s branch is disappointing. The Daikanyama at Bloomingdale’s seems promising. Would love to hear any other spots people might consider if they were in this range. I feel like there were some Brighton places in the past at CH that I might be forgetting.
Across the street from Esperia is MDM Noodles. They specialize in noodle bowls and lamb. The unappetizing sounding Boiled lamb with hand pulled noodles is absolutely phenomenal.
The Frank Pepe’s branch was not disappointing when we went. Our pie was outstanding, even slightly better than the one we had at the original New Haven location. I have a hard time thinking of a better cheap eats 1-2 punch than Frank Pepe’s followed by a gelato upstairs at Morano.
BTW, you didn’t mention what kind of gyro you got at Esperia, but the pork gyro specifically is great there (like I would go back just for that). The other dishes we had were fine but unremarkable.
ah, this is good to hear. most of the reviews i have seen of the C. Hill Frank Pepe’s were pretty lukewarm. I love the original place, so I have avoided it thus far. Maybe I’ll reconsider!
Both Thai North and MDM Noodles were Brighton places that I couldn’t remember, too. I did some Google searching last weekend and failed to rediscover either of these. So thanks to everyone in this thread, I’ll maybe choose one or two of these options and will try and do a writeup after this weekend. Hungry Onion queries can pay off.
I did end up eating MDM noodles on Friday. It was pretty fantastic. Got the lamb soup with hand pulled noodles, and it was great. Really delicate broth, nice chewy noodles and the square chunks of lamb really stand out when you bite into 'em. Loved the little cilantro stems and what seemed to be occasional goji berries (?) too. This is a great meal.
Also tried the ma la vegetable soup, which wasn’t as great but still nice. Good amount of sichuan peppercorn in the broth, lots of assorted vegetables in what I assume was mung bean noodles, and a total bargain at $6.50. I can totally see subsisting on this if you’re a student, it’s a great deal.
Also had scallion pancakes which were average, but on average I just like scallion pancakes so that was fine. In any case, I’d love to come back here next time I’m in the area, it’s a real gem.
I had meant to go to Thai North on Saturday for lunch, but I came down with a nasty cold so that’ll have to wait. Thanks again to everyone for the area suggestions!
Glad you enjoyed MDM. I know it’s not what you were asking for, but you mentioned scallion pancakes, and the absolute best I’ve ever had can be had at the China Rainbow near the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown. It’s an old school American style Chinese restaurant, but they do everything very well, and their scallion pancakes are crispy, not greasy, and delicious. They also have a killer Mai Tai for only $8!
