Not thrilling...but a relaxed and decent dining experience
Written: Mar 07 '02 (Updated Mar 07 '02)
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Pros: Something for everyone on the menu; extensive beer list; fireplace.
Cons: Food can be uninspired; tables are close together.
The Bottom Line: Christopher's is comfortable and you will have a decent meal there.
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| lapook76's Full Review: Christopher's |
On a cold and raw winter night in Boston, there is nothing nicer than to sit by a fireplace, warm and cozy, filling your stomach with comforting foods. This is what has pulled me back to Christopher's time after time, despite the fact that the food is not as interesting as one might find in other restaurants in my area.
ambiance and decor
Christopher's is located in Cambridge in Porter Square, right across from the Porter Square T stop. I would describe it as a yuppified brew pub/tavern-y kind of place. It is warm, darkish, and rather crowded. Half of the first floor is taken up by a bar, and the other half has tables, and the aforementioned fireplace. The tables are rather small and close together, unfortunately. There is also seating on the second floor, but for some reason I am never seated up there, so I don't know what's up there. Hm. What are they hiding from me?
It is a very casual place. You will feel perfectly comfortable wearing jeans or whatever. The clientele is usually a combination of preppy and earthy-crunchy twenty- and thirty-somethings. It seems to be perfectly fine for kids, and I assume that there is a kid's menu. If there isn't, there are plenty of items on the menu that your average kid would be content to eat (burgers, nachos, turkey sandwiches, etc.)
service
The service can be a bit slow, and the waiters can seem a bit harried, but everyone is friendly and helpful and willing to accommodate adjustments or other requests.
Christopher's is a busy place, but I have never had to wait more than ten minutes to be seated, even at prime time on the weekend. So reservations aren't necessary.
food
On to the food...
What sets Christopher's apart from your average brew pub is the menu. There is something for everyone, and it is extremely vegetarian friendly. There is a sign outside of the restaurant that claims it to be the best vegetarian restaurant in Boston, or something to that effect. There's plenty for carnivores, too. Basically, this is a good place to bring a large group or a picky person to- they will inevitably find something they like to eat.
drinks
Christopher's has a full bar and a very large list of beers on tap and in bottles. I'm not a beer expert, but it seems like there is an excellent variety, both domestic and imported.
appetizers and salads
I usually order the "assorted nachos" for an appetizer. They have cheese, beans, jalepenos, and guacamole, and come in three sizes ($4.95, $6.95, $8.95). The small size is perfect to share with another person. The tortilla chips are baked fresh in the restaurant.
When I don't have the nachos, I generally order the clam chowder ($3.95), which is creamy and clam-filled and quite good.
Other appetizer choices include chicken quesadillas ($6.95), avocado quesadillas ($5.95), Bruschetta ($4.95), a middle eastern platter with hummus, tabbouleh, feta cheese, and olives ($7.95), buffalo wings, which are very spicy and good ($5.95), fried calamari (also good) ($6.95), pizzetas ($6.95-$7.95), various other soups, other types of nachos, or just chips and salsa ($2.95).
Christopher's offers a number of salads, including a cobb salad ($7.95), a mesculin and goat cheese salad ($6.95), and caesar salad ($5.95-$6.95).
entrees
The rest of the menu is split into various sections:
pastas
Christopher's pasta specials are usually the best bet. Recently they offered pumpkin ravioli in a cream sauce with a touch of nutmeg, and it was delicious. The lobster ravioli, when available, are also quite good.
I haven't tried any of the regular pasta options, but they include porcini ravioli in a sundried tomato cream sauce ($10.95), chicken and broccoli over penne ($9.95), and mussels over black petter linguine ($12.95).
Christopher's favorites
These include grilled salmon with a citrus vinaigrette ($13.95), shepherd's pie ($10.95), and New York Sirloin grilled with a garlic and dijon peppercorn butter ($17.95).
Stir fry
Sadly, I have found the stir fries to be a bit lacking. I think that they try too hard to be healthy, or something. The last time I was at the restaurant, I ordered the tofu stir fry with Red Thai Curry sauce. Now, I am actually a pretty big tofu fan, and usually enjoy tofu stir fries a great deal, believe it or not. This dish came with a huge mound of tofu and very crisp veggies in a sauce that didn't really taste Thai over a mound of brown rice. I'm not really a brown rice fan, and the sauce was basically tasteless. Plus, the tofu was flavorless. I ended up bringing it home and throwing most of it away. Bummer.
Tex Mex
Christopher's tex mex dishes are pretty good. I would recommend the enchiladas verdes, which are two enchiladas with spicy chicken, cheese, and green salsa ($8.95). The black bean and goat cheese enchiladas ($7.95) are also good. All tex mex dishes come with vegetarian beans and mexican rice.
Christopher's fajitas are also quite good. You can order them with chicken, shrimp, beef, just veggies, or tofu. The shimp fajitas ($10.95) are my favorite.
Burgahs
Say it with me now... BUR-gahs. Don't say the final r. You're in Boston, now, remember...
The burgers are probably the best thing on the menu. There is always a burger of the day, which can be anything from turkey to beef to buffalo. Burgers are $5.95, and there is a long list of possible toppings, all of which cost $.50 more. My favorite combo is boursin cheese and caramelized onions. Yum. The burgers are big and meaty and juicy, and come with a generous portion of thick-cut french fries and a pickle.
sandwiches
The sandwiches include a chicken pesto sandwich ($5.95), veggie burger, voted "Best of Boston," ($5.50), grilled portobello (also good with boursin cheese), ($5.95), reuben ($6.95), club sandwich ($6.95) and smoked turkey ($7.95). All sandwiches come with fries.
Other stuff
Depending on when you get to Christophers, parking can be a pain. There is not a parking lot or valet parking, and you will most likely get towed if you try to park at the Star Market across the street. There is scarce on-street metered parking on Mass Ave., or you can try your luck in some of the residential areas behind the restaurant. Your best bet, if possible, would be to take the T in. Of course, I am a wimpy driver. You might fare better than me...
Final thoughts
Christopher's is a good, dependable place where you can feel comfortable and get a fairly decent meal. It's a great place to take a group of friends to hang out. As long as you aren't looking for a restaurant that will knock your socks off, you will most likely have a good time.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
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Epinions.com ID:
lapook76
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Location: Arlington, MA
Reviews written: 61
Trusted by: 40 members
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