Q Restaurant -Boston, Mass

http://www.thequsa.com/

Q is located just a two minute walk from the Boston Opera House and the Paramount Theater on Washington St. in Bostons Theater/Chinatown district. The main reason that people love Q is the Chinese Hot Pot. This a little more upscale then most places in Chinatown so its a great place to go before taking in a show.
Its a fun experience of you are one of those that likes to play with your food. Simone was under the weather so also a big pot of boiling broth was just what the doctor ordered. There are many different choices on the menu for your hot pot, but if you would rather not cook your own food then the Q has got you covered. Sushi and other popular Asian dishes are also available.



For our hot pot broth we went with a combo pot. One side Miso Broth and one side Basic Broth. Both are mild and very well flavored with vegetables and herbs. For our vegetables, we went with a veggie platter assortment, a wild mushroom assortment, and Chinese broccoli. For the meat, thin sliced Lamb and Sirloin, and for the starch, Udon Noodles. The Broth came out within two minutes of ordering, and the meats and veggies within another minute. This was quick service at its best. The broth quickly started boiling. Simone seemed a little confused and gave away our hot pot rookie status by asking for a fork to accompany our chopsticks so the waiter graciously explained the Hot Pot process to us.













Basically just drop your vegetables into the broth of your choice and cook them for as long as you desire, then at the last minute add the noodles and meat and cook for about ten seconds and at that point you are good to go. Scoop it all out into your bowl, add your condiments of choice, more broth if you want, and enjoy. The great thing about it , the more you cook, the better the broth gets as it absorbs the different flavors. And if you don't like the food well its kinda your own fault...you're then one that cooked it. That being said, our food was great ( because I cooked it). I'm not much of a soup guy but at least for one meal I changed my mind. Hot Pots can be a great meal on a cold night or just something if you want a healthier, fresh option when you go out to eat.

When we fished with our meal we had some Ginger Coconut Ice cream for Desert. It was cooling and smooth and hit the spot. Overall the Q was a bunch (or should I say bowl) of fun. They do not take reservations so go on a weekday or plan on arriving early or waiting. If you do need to wait they actually give you an I-Pod with games on it to keep you amused. This is definitely a strong four to five star meal and a place I would return to again.

Moody's Diner-Waldoboro Maine

http://www.moodysdiner.com/

Moody's Diner is located along Coastal Route 1 in Waldoboro, Maine. It is well known in these parts, mostly for the pie and (of course) seafood. Obviously we know which one I wasn't going to eat. I rolled in to the Diner at 4:00pm on a sunny Sunday afternoon. At this time of the day you would expect the place to be virtually empty, but to my surprise it was almost full. This was a good sign. On this outing, I was a party of one so I had no trouble finding a spot in a booth. Moody's is pretty large and also includes a motel (kinda) and a gift shop.  All that its missing is a laundry mat and gas station. Sometime soon I'm sure they will put one of these in, after all this is in Maine. So onto the menu.  I was really craving meatloaf in some form, and Mac and Cheese, however it was no where to be found ( no meatloaf in a diner..really?)  I then noticed a seldom seen in this century menu item called Chicken Croquettes with Gravy..and decided to go with those.  They came with the option of two or three and your choice of potato, vegetable, roll or biscuit.  I choose to go with a biscuit to start and then fries and coleslaw with the meal. While waiting for my meal I noticed a TV behind the register. Oddly, it was only playing advertisements for the diner itself. I thought this was a little pointless. Why advertise the place when I'm already here ? All I really wanted to see was some sports.

My biscuit arrived quickly and It was great. Warm throughout, flaky, buttery and light. One of the best I have ever had and I could have eaten a dozen of these if I was allowed. It was truly the best part of my meal. It didn't take me long to finish it off and soon behind it came the Croquettes. For those not from the 1950's a Chicken Croquette is basically every thing you would find on a roasted chicken dinner plate (Chicken, stuffing, potatoes, gravy) combined , breaded and fried to a golden brown. These were a bit bigger then golf balls and were very tasty and well seasoned..however they were only luke warm in the middle so that was disappointing.  The gravy worked well with the Croquettes and also helped to warm them a bit more. The fries although not homemade were good and crispy and worked well to mop up the extra gravy. The coleslaw was very good, and not overly creamy.  I finished most of my plate but saved some room for the famous pie. Moody's has about 10 or so kinds of pie... I had my heart set on a slice of pecan...once again my heart was broken. A diner with no pecan pie or meatloaf...not good.  So choice number two was a peanut butter cream pie, and I have to say this was also very good.

About an inch of peanut butter mousse is topped with about another inch of whipped cream all in a nice flaky pie crust. A good way to end the meal. To be honest I was hoping to be amazed with Moody's, however I was somewhat let down. Yes, it was good.. but for all the press it gets I was kind of expecting more.  The prices are also great ( my meal came to just $12.50) . So if you happen to be driving by and are looking to save a little cash and still get a good meal stop in, just don't set your expectations to high. 3.5 stars.