Parish Cafe

rude waitperson. We had seen this restaurant noted as serving good vegetarian food. Visiting the city during a heatwave, ready to cool off and have a drink or two and an early dinner, we entered the cafe. We waited for the hostess, asked to sit near the window, said that we would head to the restroom first. When we emerged, we were chastised for not waiting for the hostess and told that next time we came we should do so. Hot and thirsty, we ignored the rudeness and dirty screen at the window, and sat. The waitperson threw menus at us, and stalked away without taking drink orders. We left.

She may have had a long hot day, but so had we and her crankiness was not something we chose to deal with. We found a great place down the street and left a hefty tip for their great service.

Avoid Parish Cafe -we will.…

Two Words: Beer, Zuni. I am going to start this off by saying this is one of my favorite places to go, if not my favorite place to go in Boston. I was born and raised in this city and in my opinion, I have had one of the greatest sandwhiches here.

The whole concept behind this place is just cool. They have executive chefs from different restaurants around the area create a sandwhich for their menu. 9 out of 10 times its gonna be great. Which brings me to my favorite sandwhich.

It is called the zuni roll and it is amazing. It consists of Smoked turkey breast, bacon, scallions, dill havarti cheese, and cranberry-chipotle sauce wrapped in a flour tortilla and served warm. This sandwhich or wrap (whatever) kicks serious arse. This comes with potato salad or cole slaw (pick the potato salad). The funny thing is that it doesnt look all that big but it fills you up and I am a big guy (like 215 lb. big).

The other thing that really keeps bringing me back is the Beer Mug Club which I am a proud member of (working on my second...I know I drink too much but who cares?!!!!) For those of you who do not know what this is, it is an exclusive club of about 600+ people who have consumed 75 (78 when I started) beers from all accross the world and country and received a mug laser engraved for your accomplishment. Hmmm, I probably should of broken that really long sentence up. Don't forget you have one year to complete it. Anyways, the one downside is that a lot of these beers are very expensive but to do it once is truly a joy and a great experience. You get to try all different beers from around the world and really expand your pallet to the wonder that is beer. The mug is personalized with 20 characters or less and you keep it at the bar to drink from later. The mug is also 25oz but you still pay for a pint (that's 9 oz free!! well not really but I'll keep dreaming). Like I said before the beer is expensive and to get this mug you are probably gonna drop like $500+ over a year so be prepared to cry yourself to sleep a couple of times.

I'll end with this. If you haven't gone, go! Beer Beer Beer!…

gourment sandwiches, huge portions. I was introduced to the Parish Café by a few friends and former coworkers and the illustrious Phantom Gourmet. I don’t always believe the Phantom so the coworker recommendation held far more weight with me. I don’t normally get all jazzed up about sandwiches; I mean, how hard is it to make a good sandwich? Bread, a few toppings, go. Parish Café made me a believer that sandwiches can stand as dinner and hold their own against any gourmet meal out there.

This little gem, located on Boylston Street near the Common, prides itself on sandwiches cultivated from some of the country’s finest chefs. I noshed on ‘Rowdy’s Famous Chicken Sandwich’ and, while not exactly health conscious, it was amazing. Chicken cutlet, swiss and cheddar cheese, bacon (mmmm, bacon). I snagged a bite of a friend’s Zuni Roll (turkey, bacon, scallions, havarti cheese, some sort of cranberry goodness) and it was divine as well. I hear that’s one of the most popular in the restaurant. Make sure you get down there as soon as you can. It will rock your socks.…

Boston's Best between 2 slices of Bread. Somewhat hidden amongst the handful of furniture & interior design stores in Boylston Street's 300's, it's not the most conspicuous of eateries. In the warmer months, there's ample patio seating out front, perfect for a leisurely pint and people watching.

Boston has its fancy places, but food that is simple, familiar and comforting is more this city's style. Like the sandwich. And that is what Parish is known for. Of course, these aren't your mama's PB&J or ham & cheese. Each sandwich is created by the best chefs in Boston. That said, no changes can be made to their creations. But trust me, you don't want to.

I love Parish because you can sample the cuisine of the best restaurants all over the city in a chill atmosphere for little money. The menu also changes seasonally so there's always something different (don't worry, old favorites are put into the specials rotation).

There's the SDLT from Geoff Gardner of Sel De La Terre, an amazing smoked duck BLT with applewood bacon and caper mayo on rye. Or you have Rowdy's Famous Chicken Sandwich courtesy of Rowdy Bessey from Flash's, the crispiest, least greasy but moist breaded baked chicken with melted swiss and cheddar, chipotle mayo, bacon lettuce and tomato on a roll. And 10 others.

There's also a sandwich created by chef of Parish Cafe, Sean Simmons. The Chipotle Meatloaf Club embodies all the familiarity of mom's version but with a punch of smoky heat. Served on white with melted Jack cheese and chipotle mayo, it's the perfect blend of Southwest flavor with pure Americana. And of course there's the mandatory side of mashed potatoes, which are nothing special, with a beef gravy that's reminiscent of that powdered stuff from a packet. Trade them in for the potato salad (it's some of the best I've ever tasted), and you've got a winner.

With limited seating and a shortage of waitstaff, service can be slow and confusing. You don't have a specific waiter; basically flag down anyone in a black apron and hope for the best. But once my sandwich arrives, I don't really care that my water glass isn't refilled more than once. These portable culinary creations are something I can't live without.…