The Big Deals: 10 More Value Dishes


Dining deals can be found all over our fair city. So, we set our intrepid staff on the hunt for the best-tasting and least inexpensive dishes available at local restaurants right now.  

Tanya Pai, Assistant Managing Editor
Dish: The No Name, $12.45
Where to get it: Grasshopper, 1 North Beacon St., Allston, 617-254-8883; grasshoppervegan.com
Why: I’ve been a vegetarian since I started college, and the only meat dish I missed was this amazing sesame chicken from a now-closed Chinese place back home in Texas. Imagine how stoked I was when I moved here and found something that tastes exactly the same but is completely veggie and comes in a portion huge enough to feed me for three days.

[sidebar]Katherine Brooks, Contributor

Dish: Steamed vegetable dumplings, $5.95
Where to get it: Gourmet Dumpling House, 52 Beach St., Boston, 617-338-6223; gourmetdumpling.com
Why: Ten freshly-made piping hot orbs arrive at the (occasionally sticky) table with a mini bowl of soy dipping sauce on the side (they’re good for takeout, too). The dumplings more than fill me up, because these babies are loaded: noodles, herbs, and greens so hearty, they’ll satiate a carnivore.

Katherine Brooks
Dish: Croque Monsieur, $9.25
Where to get it: Mike and Patty’s, 12 Church St., Boston, 617-423-3447; mikeandpattys.com
Why: You’re not only supporting a tiny (we mean closet-sized) mom-and-pop but you’re also getting a reliably excellent sandwich for less than $10. It actually makes a decadent breakfast sandwich or, for lunch, I like eating it with sliced Granny Smith apples to counter the richness.

Anne Vickman, Associate Editor
Dish: Lemon Ricotta pancakes (weekends only), $8
Where to get it: Uncommon Grounds, 575 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown, 617-924-9625; myuncommongrounds.com
Why: Straight value. Three of these outrageously delicious pancakes (Seriously. The. Best.) cost $8, and you can order a short stack of two (which is plenty; they’re huge) for $7. The place gets cranking on weekends and the staff is always patient, kind, and quick. The lemon flavor is light and the ricotta makes these cakes just a tad richer than the regular buttermilk variety.

Anne Vickman
Dish: Pisco Sour, $7
Where to get it: Machu Picchu, 307 Somerville, Ave., Union Square, 617-628-7070; machupicchuboston.com
Why: Quite simply, it’s stunning, and everything you want in a good, sour, egg-white drink: tart, foamy, with just enough sweetness.