The Critics Gorged on Tinned Seafood and Burgers This Week

The Boston Globe’s Ted Weesner stops in at Saltie Girl in his review this week to sample some tinned seafood. At the intimate Back Bay spot, Weesner finds the delicacy of the canned treats "is hard to deny," and the food "unassailably excellent." The Point Judith calamari is expertly fried, the scallop ceviche delicate, and the hamachi loin sublime, he writes, though the dishes come out at a rate that induces a "frantic gastro-Whack-A-Mole." However, Weesner says, "everything is so scary tasty, we ate and enjoyed and swallowed the entire mismanaged experience." The toasts are powerhouses, the salads hold their own, and on a second visit, Weesner times out his ordering to give each dish "its leisurely, brilliant due."

Meanwhile, the Globe’s Sheryl Julian visits the newly opened Haley.Henry wine bar. "I’m not sure I have ever been in a restaurant where everyone is so happy," she says. She devours boards of cheese and meat, sandwiches, tinned fish, and wine, of course. The sardines from Lisbon are "meaty and loaded with ocean flavor," and layered on a potato chip with a squeeze of lemon, "you have something perfect," Julian writes. She samples lamb tartare toast, braised greens on toast with goat cheese, and heavenly tuna in olive oil, along with the panino of the day: a baked chicken sandwich with tomato jam, chive aioli, and arugula that is "deeply savory."

Finally, Kara Baskin stops in at Mainely Burgers in Central Square, where she digs into burgers, hot dogs, and frappes. There are beef, chicken, and veggie burgers available at the restaurant, and they are either served on regular or gluten-free buns or in bowls. The signature version, called the "Mainah," comes with sauteed onions, apple slices, cheddar, bacon, and maple mayo. There are also two decked-out hot dogs, and there are truffle fries, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or hand-cut Maine fries for sides.

• Yes, Tinned Seafood at Saltie Girl Is a Deluge of Pure Delight [BG]
• Haley.Henry: A Few Glasses of Wine, a Few Tins of Fish, and a Happy Place [BG]
• Mainely Burgers, But in Massachusetts [BG]