Beantown Cravings

Walking into Douzo, I had little trouble imagining what Tokyo airport must have looked like in the 1970s, despite the fact I have never been to Japan nor was I even in existence until 1981. The massive wooden lighting blocks hover menacingly over the two-tiered dining room, and there's nary a fixture, panel, or tablecloth that's not either gray or brown. As the popular new kid in town, Douzo swells with coiffed Back Bay business types and legions of soggy shoppers fleeing from Copley.

I arrived at 7pm to wait it out for a table and would have liked to watch some sports on the high-definition television at the sleek silver bar if it hadn't already been brimming with other impatient patrons. The sour-looking hostess understandably wouldn't issue me a beeper until our entire party of five had arrived, but then later sat the four of us anyway. Make reservations if you're not one to wait an hour for the food.

Appetizers at Douzo come in many forms, and all that I tasted were excellently arranged but some lacked sufficient quantity or taste. Delicately fried eggplant tempura ($2) nearly melted in my mouth; over-sized calamari rings were equally supple and benefited from a creamy aioli dip. Genevieve ordered a small dish of what she described as Japanese ceviche, but it seemed nothing more than imitation crab meat and a few vegetable sprigs bathing in broth.

I am not a sushi connoisseur and therefore cannot attest to the technical quality of the sushi (or sashimi, etc.). I can only remark on its taste, which was overall, very very good. Shortly after our appetizer dishes were cleared, a stark white platter displaying our well-crafted spider, alligator, douzo, and spicy tuna rolls ($11-17 each) was set before us. The deep-fried softshell crab burst out of the tightly packed spider roll and the tangy mayo was a delicious lubricant to the rice speckled with tiny fish eggs. Shrimp tempura stuffed inside the alligator roll ($17) was complemented nicely by the tender eel and over-ripe avocado. The signature Douzo roll (crab, asparagus, tuna, salmon; $12) was filling but forgettable, for the individual flavors were eclipsed by the massive concoction. Last, and actually least was the tuna roll, which by nature always seems too cold and dry for me, although maybe it's just a personal prejudice.

Servers at Douzo are definitely on their toes, subtly replacing slightly dirty plates with clean ones at every course and gently appearing at the very moment you empty your wine glass. The whole restaurant hums (loudly) with expectant energy, and the staff are continuously rushing back and forth between a line of chefs in the open sushi bar and tables that are placed slightly too close together.

Dining at Douzo was exceedingly pleasurable and didn't set me back monetarily as much as I had anticipated. There's room for improvement, and I wouldn't be surprised if Douzo became a front-runner after weathering a few growing pains. In a month, I'll check back to see if the sushi is still remarkable and the service commendable. It would be a pity if the explosive success prompted the owners to kick back their heels.

The Info
Douzo
131 Dartmouth St., Boston
617-859-8886

Some days you just feel like foie gras.

Such was Sunday, so a few friends and I finally took up our pal David's offer to treat us to his 50% employee discount at Eastern Standard, a French-American bistro in Kenmore Square.

I can't properly comment on the service, as all of David's colleagues understandably gave us excessive attention, but I would like to put in a good word for the general ambiance and food of Eastern Standard, which has taken quite a licking in online reviews for its spotty service and "just okay" cusine.

Eastern Standard's cavernous interior is adorned with large-scale 20s and 30s photographs and railroad montages and a sea of tables and booths are scattered beneath towering light fixtures. A long bar perfect for sipping cocktails sweeps the far side of the room while over-stuffed armchairs and cushioned benches frame a smaller outdoor dining area. Although I rarely comment on waitstaff uniforms, I am compelled to agree with one online reviewer who commented on the cuteness of the waitresses' skirts.

The menu immediately impressed me with its reasonably-priced (even without the discount) exquisite French and seafood dishes. Well-crafted sandwiches like the cheeseburger on a toasted brioche and salads are under $12 and more complex entrees up to $28. Standard lunch and light dinner options include a mixed greens plate with sweetbreads and a poached egg and the seared tuna salad.

Eastern Standard also rotates a series of daily specials like Rabbit Pot Pie and a daily charcuterie plate. The waitress's glowing description of the suckling pig, Sunday's special, won me over, and I resided myself to trying the roast chicken with spaetzle another time. My plate of pork was masterfully presented in four ways: homemade sausage, loin cuts, fillet strips, and spiced pulled meat resting on a thin layer of pureed cauliflower. With the except of the sausage (too fatty) all were wonderfully tender and well-seasoned, with the pulled pork deserving of special accolades. Sunday's characuterie plate included two pates, duck proscuitto, and cornichons with a side of toasted mini-baguette and mustards.

And, how could I forget the dish that prompted this excursion? Eastern Standard's remarkable foie gras ($14), which can only be described as organ meat in butter form. David tells me the hearty portion served over roasted lentils is priced such that the restaurant barely makes a profit because the owner is so devoted to having its patrons give it a try.

Dessert was less satisfying, for my "banan split" ($7) turned out to be a few small quarters of flambeed bananas with a meager portion of brown sugar ice cream. A few bites of my neighbor's citrus cheesecake were similarly unimpressive.

I certainly satisfied my longing for foie gras that night and I'm certain to return to Eastern Standard for roasted chicken and rabbit pot pie. We'll see then about the quality of service, but, given the meticulous attention given to all patrons' dishes, I'm confident the food will remain up to par.

The Info
Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
617-532-9100

Eating Indian food, like sushi, was once considered an inevitably expensive venture. Even cheapie, hole-in-the-wall joints charge between nine and eleven dollars for palak paneer or chicken tikka masala, and even more for thali plates and complex tandoori dishes.

When I was young and restless I spent two summers in India being chased by rabid monkeys, snatching up ridiculously cheap clothing, and devouring plates of delicious korma, dhal, and biryani. Last week, after reading over email my nostalgic laments for puris and pappadums, my friend Amy decided that we should have dinner at Gourmet India's Brookline location.

The menu at any Gourmet India is hardly as diverse and innovative as Newbury Street's Kashmir or Cambridge's Bombay Club but all the old standbys are there and can be paired with other entrees or appetizers for pleasing combination platters ($6-8). I opted for the Combo #2, choosing saag paneer, chicken korma, naan, and a samosa ($7), while Amy selected chana masala, chicken korma, naan, and a sweet lassi ($10). All food is served cafeteria style and diners carry loaded trays to slightly improved Burger King style plastic seating. But that is exactly the point at Gourmet India, which prides itself on serving "gourmet food fast" and providing quality straight-forward Indian cuisine for low prices.

It certainly wasn't the best Indian food I'd ever had, as the samosa was a bit bland and cold and the saag paneer lacking the kick that comes from meticulous slow cooking and seasoning. The korma sauce was creamy but not too heavy, and the meat wonderfully tender and mildly spicy. The real star of the show was the freshly baked naan, slapped hot and steaming on my tray straight from clay oven on which it was cooked.

Indian food connoisseurs craving parathas, delicate dosas, and other fine dishes might turn their noses at Gourmet India but there's certainly no better place to kick your chicken tikka craving for under $8.

The Info
Gourmet India
Prudential Center
800 Boylston St., Boston
1335 Beacon St., Brookline
www.gourmet-india.com