Boston Men's Shops - Page 5

Go to Louis

1. It's an institution and the store itself is worth seeing
2. I go there often. I think they were in a rut a year or two back. They are not what they were but I think that's by design and it's fine. I think there current selection is really good.
3. If you're looking for stuff that's a little edgier than what they used to carry (e.g., Zegna Brioni) you'll find it with Marni, Dries, Barrett. If you want stuff less edgy, there's Kiton, Belvest (with particularly nice, and exclusive, cuts)

You can shoot across the street to Borrelli or Loro if that's what you're after. Stels is worth a visit too.

It is Hamid Karzai's brother.

- B

No offense, Vox, but if you can't find good Indian in London, then I think it's safe to say you don't like Indian.

The best I have had in the Boston area is Tamarind Bay, by the way.

Coincidentally, I was in Boston earlier this week for the first time in nearly 20 years.
Visited Louis and the Andover Shop.

Louis:
A huge disappointment. I had been there before, and to their short-lived
New York branch. My taste runs semi traditional and I favor tweeds and
the like. I am a former Chipp and Norman Hilton customer but in recent
years have bought Isaia, Belvest, and Battistoni- all with natural shoulders.
Louis is a airy, sunny store with very little inventory. Compared to Wilkes
Bashford, which may be going under, it seems empty. Most of what I saw
was summer/casual. They couldn't show me a Belvest suit in 44R - not
an exotic size. Most off-putting was the sales-person... a skinny stubbled
youth of indeterminate gender wearing torn jeans and a T shirt.
Not the type who should be selling tailored clothing. Reminded me of the
creeps who staff the San Francisco Barney's.

Andover Shop (Cambridge):
A tiny establishment crammed to the rafters with "Ivy League"
stuff, and bolts of tweeds from which I could imagine fifty different jackets.
I have been getting their catalog for about 15 years and have
purchased a couple of sweaters but have never been in the shop.
I felt like a Catholic (which I am not) visiting St Peters for the
first time. I was in awe, (at first), but the experience was a bit
surreal. I asked to try on a sport coat to check out the cut so
that I might order one, or perhaps do MTM from California when
the fall merchandise arrived. Note: The store was all summer clothing,
as in poplins, madras, seersuckers, etc. The salesperson explained
that none of the jackets in stock were the same model as one I
might wish to order in the fall. He encouraged me to return
the following day with one of my jackets so that he could guess
whether I would like their fall sport coat model(s) for MTM. I did
not follow up since I was leaving the next day and would
not, in any case, risk ordering a jacket MTM without
actually trying on the model.

I refuse to believe that, like I refuse to believe that I will never have a fantastic meal at Le Bernardin.

Don't get me wrong: I enjoy even modest Indian food. But I haven't had an, "Oh wow!" experience with it other than observing a friend of mine at the very first Indian meal that I ever had get a ferociously hot vindaloo on his fingers and then accidentally rub his eyes.

To this day, we refer to this as, "vindaloo eye."


Yes, it's very good. Have you eaten at restaurants of that type in India itself?

I've never been to India.


- B

It's a time machine, and unless they like or respect you, you risk being jettisoned from the capsule.

Since you survived, you passed throught the first gate.

- B

Me. I hate that store.

This thread has just started to make me hungry :-(

Sounds like you will never be satisfied, nor should you be, but next time in London go to Amaya (Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street SW1X 8JT) if you have not already. It is Indian like I have never had it anywhere else. Lots of chutneys and spice powders. Almost like tapas.

I have never been to India myself. My British colleagues tell me that the best Indian restaurants are in London, as they would.

The best Indian food in North America actually tends to be Pakistani food:

1. Shalimar on Jones St. @ Taylor in San Francisco (in the Tenderloin) (no relation to the Shalimar in Central Square, Cambridge, MA)
2. Lahore Tikka in Toronto (literally a complex of trailers attached to a raging kitchen)
3. House of Curries on College Ave. in Berkeley, CA (5-10 min drive from UC Berkeley Campus)

This blog is awesome if you're looking for good Indian/Pakistani restaurants:
http://pakistaniat.com/2006/09/24/be...i-restaurants/

Updated list:
http://pakistaniat.com/2008/07/21/pa...staurant-best/

While we're at it - two places in NYC that should be mentioned (both cabbie spots) -

- Lahore Cafe on Crosby just south of Houston for non-veg punjabi food (excellent milk-heavy chai and the best biryani in the country if you go after 10pm).
- Punjabi Deli on Houston between 1st and A (north side of the street) for vegeterian punjabi food (excellent spice-laden chai, fresh sweets and very light spinach, chickpea and vegetable dishes; really good rotis as well).

Awesome. Can't wait to try next time I'm in Manhattan.

Me, too.

I mean, +1.


- B

From an email I put together a while ago.

Hanpulnoodah & dumps
- Lan Zhou Hand Pulled Noodles [144 E. Bway]. Hole in the wall; sign is yellow w/ red Chinese.
- Super Taste (26 Eldridge St). Noodles here are a little thicker and soupier.
- Prosperity Dumpling [46 Eldridge] or Vanessa's Dumpling [118A Eldridge] for Northern style dumplings.


Snacks
- Golden Carriage Bakery (right next to the F stop; range awning). Thin vermicelli wrapped around ground pork and chives. This is usually morning fare, hence it only being sold at this bakery. There may be better versions of this elsewhere. I've yet to seek them out.
- Yummy Cafe Inc (28 Canal). Turnip Cakes and Watermelon Ice Smoothies around the corner
- Ling Kee Beef Jerky (12 Canal). Fucking delicious. Better than the shop on Bayard St.
- Xinjiang Lamb Skewers cart (Forsyth at Division). He had chicken hearts there last time I went.

As long as this thread has been hijacked into a discussion of ethnic food
in Boston and the rest of North America, I thought I put in my two Afghanis*.
I ate at the Helmand in Cambridge the other evening. The food was quite good
but the ambience was shabby bordering on filthy. Frankly, the place was
in dire need of a good vacuuming. The high point of the meal was the
entrance of Alan Dershowitz ( "Professor Torture") accompanied by two
very attractive young women. My wife speculated that one or both are his
daughters. Fortunately, neither resembled him.

On a postiive note, we dined at Rocca in the South End.

roccaboston.com

We were with my cousin, who is local, and seemed to
know everyone on the staff, so we received special
attention. An excellent restaurant !

*Afghani- Unit of currency of Afghanistan, Duh!