Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

I made this recipe -- it was pretty tasty. It took longer than I thought to reduce the cider (45 minutes?) to a half-cup, but oooooh was it tasty. Another tip -- if you don't have "old donuts" (the idea of stale cider donuts is pretty funny to me because they usually get scarfed up pretty quickly and have no opportunity to become stale), run your new ones through the food processor, spread out over a tray and bake at a low heat (225) for 20 minutes. This dries the crumbs out so they are crunchy bits in the ice cream, not soggy, dough chunks.

Is Christine Liu the same person who used to write the food reviews for Dig? Her reviews used to give me headaches.

Totally agree re: New Shanghai. I was there recently and the flavors were definitely off. The dan dan noodles were overcooked and too sweet.

Not Sichuan, but I do enjoy Shanghai Gate in Brighton. Try the Shanghai Soup.

In Boston:
- Shanghai Soup (lean pork, bacon, tofu and bamboo shoots in broth) at Shanghai Gate in Allston
- French pastries at Canto 6 in Jamaica Plain (waaay better than Flour)
- Hot lobster roll at Neptune Oyster Bar
- Datiles, arepas and pretty much any entree at Orinoco (Brookline Village location is roomier than South End location)
- Hot beef brisket sandwich at Michael's Deli in Coolidge Corner, Brookline
- a Dark 'n Stormy at Drink in Fort Point Channel

Congrats, Adam! I just got married last fall, and though while I love cooking and food, I too was overwhelmed by all the potential choices (not to mention the pushy "registry consultants").

What I kept in my mind during the process was this 2007 Mark Bittman article about equiping one's kitchen for cheap. While I knew that I wasn't footing the bill on my registry items, I think there's a lot to be said for not having useless stuff that you never use (no matter how cute, bad-ass, prestigious, envy-inducing it is, or how much it "matches" your other stuff). So while I don't agree with everything Bittman said, his stripped-down approach to the necessities was eye-opening.

I didn't do "china" because it takes up a lot of space. Urban apartments just can't take it!

Stuff I got that I love: a microplaner, a gorgeous 9-quart Staub dutch oven (I picked it over the Le Creuset because the lid knob wasn't plastic, and because it has self-basting dimples in the lid), and a killer bread knife. But remember several things about the proces: (1) despite all your efforts, you will still receive things you don't want (and that you may not be able to return); and (2) whatever you do get on the registry is stuff you're going to have to look at it your apartment for a long time. So if you think having a toaster oven wastes counterspace now, your mind isn't likely to change.

I also had good luck talking to someone at Sur La Table, where we did end up registering -- not pushy, and very knowledgeable.

Good luck, and congrats again!
Astrid

Todd English does something similar at Kingfish in Boston -- he has a "lobster grilled cheese" with fontina on brioche. I find it tasty, but as a New Englander I think there is something wrong and gross about melting cheese (particularly a funky one like manchego, which when it melts becomes greasier) on top of lobster meat which, when fresh, stand on its own in terms of taste. In reading your comment about lobster being "a little bland on its own", I wonder about the freshness of the lobster you have been eating. I think seafood on pizza works better with those creatures who are naturally complimented by the unctuousness and tang of cheese - littleneck clams or shrimp come to mind.