One of the more popular items on the menu I’m told is the Fried Chicken and Buttermilk Waffles ($14). Light and dark meat are provided, and, for the uninitiated, yes, it is simply fried chicken sitting on top of waffles. It’s a Southern-thang that should not be questioned. Just enjoy the buttermilk-brined chicken in its craggy sheath and the fluffy golden waffles. OK? The lot comes with a jalapeno syrup that provides just what both elements need: sweet and spicy.
A side of Sweet Cornbread ($4) helps complete this entrée, and I can almost guarantee that there’s no better cornbread to be had anywhere else in Boston.
In sandwich land, Trina’s offers burgers, and the one to take note of is prepared Starlite-Style ($7). This is a double cheese burger, roughly 8 ounces of meat, maybe more, with the patties resting on top of a pile of slaw and a handful of fries. And don’t forget the special sauce and American cheese garnish––2 slices. This is a solid burger, enough said.
There is also a shrimp Po’ Boy ($11) worth exploring. 
Topped with a spicy siracha remoulade, this is the point of the evening where I effectively developed mayonnaise envy. Fried shrimp and mayonnaise is hard to beat, and when made portable by the cushion of two buttery, toasted buns, there’s not much else necessary for perfection. The shrimp is crispy, and its flavor obscured by little more than lettuce.
Dessert:
Dessert is a rotating menu of pie or cobbler or other, based on the season. 
We enjoyed a blueberry pie with whipped cream. Easily understood, straightforward, and good, and an appropriate ending to the meal.
Assessment:
Trina’s addictive vibes position it keenly as a place you’ll one day be bringing your grandkids for fried chicken and beer. The staff is as kind and friendly as the chef is talented, which is saying a lot. So if it’s a dimly lit bar, retro décor, neighborhood comfort, and food sprinkled with Southern drawl you’re after, the Starlite may just be the brightest star in the sky.
Address: 3 Beacon Street, Somerville MA 02143
Phone: 617-576-0006
Website: http://www.trinastarlitelounge.com/index.html
Cuisine: Southern inflected pub fare
Price: appetizers $4-$16
Hours: Open Nightly from 5pm to 1am; dinner served until midnight; Brunch Mondays from 12pm-4pm
Features: Monday industry brunch, great cocktails, and inspired beer list
Recommendations: Starlite burger, cornbread, fried chicken and waffles
Parking: Street
Payment Options: all major credit cards
it was light on the “pudding” and heavy on the “bread,” a large cake-like mound with cushiony layers, a warm interior, a powerful cocoa taste and a high dollop of cream. It wasn’t overly sweet, and I’m guessing that owed to all the antioxidant-rich cocoa, making it an appropriate – and dare I pretend healthy?—accompaniment to my remaining red wine.
and surrounded by whipped cream. This is typically one of our favorite desserts, but I think it was accidently burned because the rich and decadent flavor of the chocolate was missing, and we left more than half of it on the plate uneaten.
I always expect the cut in steak frites to be a little chewy, but not in this case. The flavorful meat was expertly cooked, and the savory rich finish of the sauce was wonderful with the meat. The fries were dense. I prefer mine crunchy and almost over-fried, but my companion loves steak-cut fries and he said these were the some of the best he’d ever had.
I love that Aquitaine Dedham is cognizant of the fact that they are located in an outdoor mall and thus make the prices reasonable but are also dedicated to bringing high-quality non-fussy food to the suburbs.
As a result, it had a tremendous, beefy flavor and came right off the bone, and the medium-rare preparation provided the perfect pink interior. Also, be sure to try this steak with a bottle of Abe & Louie’s signature steak sauce, a tomato-based blend with a piquant flavor owing to cider vinegar and horseradish.
($8). It was good, though not spectacular – it’s something one could prepare pretty easily at home, whereas it’s always nice to try dishes in a restaurant that require a chef’s deft touch. But it was a nice healthy accompaniment to all of this rich food.
The consistency was smooth and creamy, and I could definitely taste the cheese, though it wasn’t overwhelming (I actually wished it had been stronger). Other sides on the menu include a jumbo-baked sweet potato with brown sugar, fresh asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and sautéed mushrooms (all $8).
a special this evening, was accented with premium ice cream and a sprig of mint. The berries oozed out of its warm, flaky crust, and while it wasn’t overly sweet, it had a nice bit of tartness. And that a la mode ice cream could have been dessert all on its own – creamy, dreamy and luscious.
make this a spot you should be sure to visit.
in my companion’s dish were very thick cut and served topped with crispy sweet potato strings and asparagus, which added color and texture to this Italian classic. The sauce was heavy, but very tasty and seasoned perfectly. My dish was also delicious, with al dente homemade noodles (my favorite!) and a hearty, salty Bolognese. The texture of the tagliatelle is something I still cannot get out of my head!
we were very excited to see the dessert menus. I ordered the nutella bread pudding and my date ordered the chocolate lava cake. Both were decadent and served warm, but my companion’s choice was definitely the winner (mine was a bit too sweet for my liking, which I should have anticipated since it’s made with nutella). And, as I mentioned earlier, they both went very well with our sweet and creamy end-of-meal martinis.
and their care and attention to detail when it came to the preparation of their dishes. Although they just opened this past May, I found some amateur reviews online from diners who seemed displeased with their food and overall experience at the new location in Dedham. 
I walked in expecting a mediocre night, and was blown away by the layers and subtleties of flavor each dish had, the beautiful presentation, the attentiveness and kindness of the wait staff, and the extensive drink and food menus. Overall, it was a great night out and I’m looking forward to trying their Somerville location soon to compare!
drive and determination to do things right at Stoddard’s is rewardingly matched only by the enthusiasm and satisfaction of the customers.
The preparation of the scallops was excellent – they were nicely seared on the outside but still soft and moist throughout – not always an easy feat. Given the exquisite presentation and the five bulging scallops, the dish was very fair pricewise, compared to the increasing scallop prices one often finds in restaurants of dbar’s caliber.
The lightly battered shrimp was cooked absolutely perfectly and served with what I can only describe as a “gremolata” of Chinese herbs and flavors—scallions, ginger, etc. These jumbo shrimp were heavenly—juicy, savory, and absolutely perfect with the Mumbai salsa. I could’ve eaten another ten plates of these.
These soft wedges of potatoes, served with a soy chili garlic sauce and garam masala, were just plain wonderful. The potatoes came bathed in this sweet, sour and spicy sauce, and were perfectly cooked with just the right mealy texture.
tossed in dry chili, garlic sauce and cashews. Now this is how you get kids to eat their vegetables. My favorite dish of the night, the sauce was sweet and savory, balancing with the sweetness of the cauliflower. The cashews brought out the rich nuttiness of the cauliflower and the batter was just perfect. Both the cauliflower and the potatoes had similar sauces—thick, but neither heavy nor overpowering.
These crispy triangles with tandoori reminded me of an Ethiopian favorite of mine, sambusas. The crispy skin was certainly Chinese, as were the baby corn, carrots and fungus, but the flavors were more Indian than anything I’d had so far. The curry flavor was prominent and these went wonderfully with the Mumbai salsa.
The chicken is described on the menu as being infused with fresh herbs and chilies, and I’m usually skeptical about that when it comes to battered chicken. A lot of restaurants tend to hide the flavor and spices in the batter rather than infusing it into the chicken, but not in this case. The lightly battered chicken was full of flavor without the sauce, and the sauce was potent with smoky chilies and sweet notes from the green and red peppers and the onions. We also tried the Hakka Chili Paneer ($16.95). This was the same sauce as the chicken, and the same Chili Paneers from our amuse bouche. While we found both delicious, we did find the prices for these entrees a little high compared to the rest of the menu, though appropriate for Newbury Street.
Besides the fact that the food is city quality with suburb prices, the dining room is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before—part old Boston, part India and part modern. 
And the extremely polite and attentive customer service doesn’t hurt, either. I would highly recommend Mumbai Chopstix to anyone looking to try something a little new but well within our comfort zones.
I ordered the deviled eggs as my side, and was pleasantly surprised! Deviled eggs are one of my all-time favorite dishes and I was so excited to see these on the menu, and even more excited to find that they were so tasty.
($6.50), which includes three daily cupcake flavors. On the night we were there, they had a vanilla cupcake with strawberry buttercream frosting, a dark chocolate cupcake dipped in chocolate ganache and filled with peanut butter, and finally, a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. The red velvet was phenomenal and definitely my favorite!
yummy with the sweet and salty nuts topping classic vanilla ice cream. Along the same vein, I’m sure the milkshakes are delicious ($6.50, your choice of vanilla or chocolate). We were also intrigued by the coconut layer cake ($7) and the two pies (flavors change daily with the seasons) they had the menu that evening.
I would have appreciated some more seasonal dishes. My companion and I were impressed with Brennan’s interesting take on classic dishes.
there’s more than just bruleed sugar to be savored here. The flan is a pure concentration of passion fruit, and finishes off a meal layered with chiles and spice like no other. The oaky edge of Milagro Anejo Tequila pairs well with the bright desserts, and cleanses the palate.
we started with the Rhode Island calamari ($8). The squid rings and tentacled critters, as well as the banana peppers, were all medium-breaded and then flash-fried. It was a crispy and spicy mixture, enhanced by the chunky marinara sauce, a zesty mayonnaise and a squeeze of lemon.
lightly fried and cut into four giant wedges. They were soft with a smoky grilled flavor, and I really liked teaming them with the spicy salsa brimming with chopped tomatoes, onions and parsley. “These quesadillas are the bomb,” my dining companion declared, and I had to agree.
The meat was awash in a brown steak sauce and smothered with sauteed onions and mushrooms. With an accompanying pale ale, it was the ideal upscale version of burgers and beer.
The brownie had hunks of chocolate inside and was drizzled with delectable house-made caramel and chocolate stripes. A mound of vanilla ice cream was the perfect complement, while the thick Chantilly cream dollop was a delicate treat.
classic takes on American and British cuisine and commitment to building community are all great reasons to add Townsend’s to your neighborhood restaurant rotation.
were easily some of the best I’ve had at a sports bar. They were crispy yet mealy inside, and well-seasoned. The lobster roll also came with a fried pickle, which I fell in love with. So often, fried pickles are a bit wet when battered and fried, so the batter doesn’t fully cling to the pickle and you end up with hot pickle juice dripping down your arm and the batter hanging off of the pickle. But not in this case—the batter clung to the pickle just right, so the pickle was chewy and crispy at the same time. My only complaint with the dish is that the bread was a bit too soft for my tastes. While it seemed toasted, it wasn’t toasted enough.
is deep fried then wrapped in a sweet slice of bacon. I could not believe how filling it was, yet I couldn’t stop eating it. It’s kind of a no-fail recipe when you say “deep fried mac ‘n cheese wrapped in bacon,” but it still exceeded my expectations.
Oreo and cream mousse with a cookie crumble, garnished with mini Oreo cookies. Due to the nature of what Oreos are (did you know that Oreos have no dairy in them? That scares me…), Oreo-based desserts often have a chemical taste to them. There was no such taste to this. The mousse, bursting with Oreo flavor, was fluffy without being too soft, and the Oreo fudge cake was dense and wonderful. The homemade whipped cream was perfection, with just the right peaks and not too sweet.
There’s a real sense of humor in Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill, from the aptly named Green Monster appetizer ($35) with 18 Buffalo wings, six sliders, cheese fries and onion rings, to the clever Evil Empire Cheesecake ($8). With large portions and decent prices, I can guarantee that Boston sports fan or food fan won’t be disappointed.
Chef Southern explained that he liked to make this dish differently by using tenderloin instead of the traditional filet because all the flavor and fattiness of the tenderloin made his tartar sweeter, tastier, and have a rounder flavor profile. The meat, mixed with spring onion, capers and organic egg yolk was served with toasted brioche. After trying Chef Southern’s tartar, I think I’m officially converted to tenderloin! I was skeptical at first, always having been an enormous filet advocate, but his tartar was so succulent and tasty, standing up against the strength of the onion and the capers, where filet always tends to get lost. Although the risotto was my favorite, I was truly impressed by this dish.
The enormous sea scallops were, notably, cooked perfectly, with crispy outers and translucent centers and the sweetbreads and foie gras portions were generous and also cooked well. Overall this dish was a little rich for my liking – I love scallops, but prefer them to be a lighter, more summer-oriented dish, which brings out the tender and subtle sweetness of the scallops. This dish was very good, but the creaminess of the sauce and the fattiness of the sweetbreads and foie gras didn’t allow the impressive scallops to truly shine.
This dish is refreshingly light, clean, and flavorful.
Their crispy exterior, oozing warm cheese center, and earthy truffle aroma makes them irresistible. If you find yourself stationed at the bar for a couple of drinks one night, be sure to order a few plates of these.
Also known as the infamous molten chocolate cake, JGV invented this cake by accident, and its success speaks for itself. A rich, mostly flourless chocolate cake hides the lava-like chocolate center. While many versions of this cake exist, the quality of ingredients and technique set this one apart with a deep, sinful chocolate punch. Vanilla ice cream, albeit really good vanilla ice cream, is provided to cleanse the palate.
($8). Served with a praline crunch and clever salted-caramel ice cream, this dish screams balance between salty and sweet like no other.