Oh yeah, that was awesome. Is that a genre with no remaining examples?
I can’t think of any at this point, they’re all long gone sigh
I’ve no idea what “white tablecloth Chinese” is, but ignorance has never stopped me from dabbling (or babbling). Would Changsho in Cambridge qualify? There are no literal tablecloths, white or otherwise, but the room is spacious and grand. The food has many misses, but also the occasional hit.
Think waiters in crisp uniforms, water/wine service, few if any dishes served family style. Lux ingredients. Although I used to live around the corner from Changsho, I’ve never been.
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-1 for Changsho. No uniforms, so their crsiposity (@Parsnipity alert) is immaterial.
Not quite sure what this, but Changsho certainly has water and it is served to you, and (although I’ve never had it there) I feel that they offer wine as well.
+0.5 Changsho
+1 Changsho
Those always seemed fine, especially the bass with the ginger and scallion sauce, but since I’m not 100% certain of the luxuosness (@Parsnipity is this OK?) I’ll say:
0 Changsho
Adding the points I say we narrowly have a white tablecloth Chinese restaurant (without the actual tablecloths).
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You got me with bass in ginger and scallion sauce. I’m headed over 
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I should have elaborated on water/wine. I’m grossly generalizing, but … not just still or sparkling, snootily artisan water choices, a sommelier hawking a deep and/or trophy-laden wine list.
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Sir, I applaud you. A lesser writer might have gone with “luxuriousness,” but I ask you, did Lewis Carroll constrain himself to words that already existed? I think not.
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Would Sichuan Garden in Woburn qualify? Or how about Beijing in Lexington? At least Beijing has the requisite white tablecloths. Sadly, I do not know the answer because I’ve not been to either place.
This topic is near-and-dear to my heart. My first encounter with a white tablecloth Chinese was at Ming Garden in Kennedy Plaza in Providence (which was a rather rough area back then). My dad was friends with Bob Tow. My very young eyes were open to the possibility of fancy Asian restaurant food.
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I’m thinking Bernard’s in Chestnut Hill fits the bill.
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I’ve been trying not to go down this rabbit hole but after reading everyone’s posts most of my favorites have been mentioned… Rendezvous, Strip-T’s, Michaela’s, Daddy O’s , Brunch at Johnny D’s… Anyone else miss Magnolia’s ? It was a must to go for their crab dinners in August, Rosalie’s in Marblehead, Jason’s on Clarendon St. and Lenore’s in Porter Square on Mass Ave across from what was the Sears building… how to date oneself!
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Is that plaque still there? They should route the Freedom Trail past it.
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Wow. Rosalie’s takes me back!
There a year or two ago!
I did say rabbit hole for me ! Rosalie’s was a can’t miss special occasion restaurant.
Great callout. I think it does, or at least in did prior to moving a while back. I don’t remember if they do white table cloth in their newer digs
I’ll one-up your Magnolia’s with the Cajun Yankee. It was a good thirty-year stretch of Southern in that location.
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