Dining Out

Lobster Eggs Benedict – Ceia Restaurant and Bar, Newburyport, MA

March 27, 2015

Just a few weekends ago I had such a fantastic brunch at Ceia Restaurant and Bar.

What was I doing way up in Newburyport?

I was getting to meet Carrie and Liz!!!!!!!

I have been talking to Carrie for ages and ages on social media, but have never met, although we live a little more an hour apart. Carrie introduced me to Liz when she invited me to brunch. So much fun.

Liz picked Ceia Restuarant and Bar for our brunch as we decided to meet in the middle of all of us. Liz lives nearby and enjoys going there for drinks and dinner so it sounded like a great pick. And it was!

Carrie ordered a Kobe Burger ($16). It’s a burger on a buttered focaccia bun and topped off with Serrano ham, manchego cheese, and a slice of tomato. All of their sandwiches are served with Duckfat fries. OMG! I snagged some and they were fantastic. It was the first time I had Duckfat fries, and I’m hooked now. Plus, they serve a house-made ketchup that is sweet, smokey, and creamy. One of the best homemade ketchups that I’ve ever had.

Liz stuck with the breakfast dishes and ordered the pancakes ($13). The pancakes were studded with black walnuts and thinly chopped pear, and served with with fresh maple syrup. The pancakes were cooked in Candy Cap Oil, which is actually oil infused with forged mushrooms, but has a maple flavor to it. Pretty cool.

Carrie ordered a mimosa and I ordered a Bloody Mary as our brunch bevies. The Bloody Mary was good, but I felt it it was missing something, spicy maybe? Plus, I thought it was ‘weak’. Similarly, Carrie thought her mimosa was too.

I had considered ordering the Shirred Eggs entree but when I saw they had a Lobster Benedict ($18) I just knew it was the thing I couldn’t resist. I mean how could I?!?

Poached Lobster, poached eggs, and a thick slice of Tomato set atop an English Muffin. And then a Spicy Hollandaise was drizzled on top. Then some dressed arugula was piled on top all of that.

It all just sounded too good.

And it really, really was so good.

The serving of the lobster was generous and cooked perfectly. As well, the poached eggs were just about perfect. The addition of the tomato and arugula was enjoyable as they added to the flavor and texture of the dish. The arugula added a bit of a pop to it all. The only disappointing element of the dish were the English Muffins. It seemed that they had forgotten to be toasted, or if they were it was done so lightly that the insides still seemed doughy. Yes, I could have requested new English muffins but I didn’t as I didn’t feel that I missed out on the overall experience of the dish but leaving them to the side. Plus, there still was a great side of hash browns to be enjoyed.

The side of potatoes were amazing. I loved how crunchy they were. They were a great vehicle for the ketchup that was served along side of them. That ketchup was unreal. I typically notice a heavy molasses or vinegar taste in homemade ketchups but this didn’t have either distinct flavor. It was a great consistency and well balanced.

Brunch with great food and great company is always fantastic. I can’t wait to meet up with Carrie and Liz again. And I highly suggest going to Ceia in Newburyport to satisfy your eggs benedict craving.

Rating

English Muffin– 13/20 pts

Lobster and Tomato– 20/20 pts

Poached Egg– 23/25 pts

Spicy Hollandaise- 24/25 pts

Homefries and ketchup– 9/10 pts

Total: 89/100 pts

Ceia Restaurant and Bar

38 State Street

Newburyport, MA 01950

978.358.8112

Monday Munchies: Floramo’s Restaurant- Chelsea, MA

March 16, 2015

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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Price and I have only had a few ‘Date Nights’ since Autumn was born. I think 4, maybe 5 of them. And 2 of them were on the cruise that we took in January. And since then we have been talking about how we needed to get a babysitter so that we could have a Date Night soon.

As it was our first time using our sweet babysitter at night so we wanted to pick a place that was close by. We weighed our options and decided to go to Floramo’s restaurant, which is about a 3-4 minute drive from our house. We’ve lived in Chelsea for about 3 years now so we were excited to try a local place.

When we arrived shortly after 7pm we were told it would be able a 25-30 minute wait. We took our pager to a bench off the lobby to wait while discussing upcoming wedding stuff. But before we knew it a few minutes had passed and our pager began to go off. I’m glad our wait was much faster than originally predicted.

We debated getting an appetizer but once we checked out the Appetizers menu we decided we had try the Buffalo Fried Calamari ($9.95). We both really like traditional calamari that is fried and served with marinara sauce. Or the Rhode Island Style that has spicy cherry peppers.

But this was different as the crispy fried calamari was tossed in Buffalo wing sauce and blue cheese dressing was for the dipping sauce. It all worked together perfectly. A cool mashup between calamari and buffalo wings.

As Floramo’s is known for their steak tips and delicious meats, Price decided to order the Mixed Grill ($16.25) for his entree. It included Sausage, a Steak Tip, a Turkey Tip, Chicken a Tip, 1/4 Rack of Ribs. It was a good introduction to the selection of meats that they serve. All of their barbecue is meat that is cooked to your desired level of done-ness and marinated in Floramo’s secret barbecue sauce recipe.

Price really enjoyed everything on the mixed grill. He was really impressed by the amount of food served, although he wished there was more steak tips as the piece was really good. The piece of sausage was really big and grilled nicely. The slogan for Floramo’s is “Where the meat falls off the bone!”and it really is true as the meat on the ribs was fall off the bone tender.

As well, Price decided to get a baked potato, between his choice of fries, rice, mashed potato, baked potato, or pasta. It was served with butter and sour cream on the side.

I had originally thought I’d order steak tips, but once Price ordered a meaty dish I decided to check out their selection fish entrees. I ordered the Haddock Italiano ($13.95), which was lightly battered and sautéed haddock served over pasta with onions, diced tomato, spinach and crushed hot peppers in a wine based sauce. It was fantastic! I picked angel hair pasta and I think it worked well with the sauce. The 2 large pieces of fish were tender and very flaky. The sauce was spicy from all the crushed hot peppers in the sauce. It all just worked together really well.

Both of our dinners came with a simple salad. There were a handful of dressing to choose from, like ranch, blue cheese, Italian, but we opted just for oil and vinegar.

Even though both of us only had half of our entrees we were stuffed. I would have loved to have hung around and ordered dessert but we were just too full.

As the entrees were so large (for us) we enjoyed the leftovers the next day, making our dinner a great deal.

I’m so glad that we finally had a chance to make it to Floramo’s Restaurant. I’m already thinking about the next time we can go so I can have some of my own steak tips!

Floramo’s Restaurant

213 Everett Avenue

Chelsea MA, 02150

617-889-1330

Monday- Wednesday: 11-9pm

Thursday – Saturday: 11-10pm

Sunday: Closed

Monday Munchies: Mazzaro’s Italian Market- St. Petersburg, FL

February 16, 2015

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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When we were in Florida last month to go on our cruise we stayed with my Dad near Tampa. Prior to arriving my Dad kept telling me Mazzaro’s Italian Market in St. Petersburg and how he wanted to take us there for lunch.

I’m not about to resist good Italian food when given the opportunity so we went there after we drove around Tampa checking out the city. Sitting in a car for a few hours looking at palm trees, Ybor City, and beautiful blue sky works up an appetite. ha!

Aisles and aisles of the market are stocked full of imported tomato products, tomato sauces, crackers, desserts, and olive oils. There was a whole aisle of just olive oils. All areas of Italy is represented in the market.

While we didn’t need much in the market we browsed around checking out everything that they sold. Plus, the samples in the cheese room didn’t hurt.

The main reason we went was to get lunch we headed over to the deli counter to place our orders. I was blown away at the selection and the prices. The combination of meats. cheeses, and veggies on fresh sub rolls seemed endless, while the price was very affordable, ranging in price from $5.50 to $6.99. We all checked out the large menu overhead and placed our orders for subs.

I would suggest that if you are going for lunch that you stop by the deli counter first so you make the most of your time there as you can go shopping while they make your order.

The cases of pastries and gelato are packed full of brownies, cream pulls, mini pies, cookies, cupcakes, tiramisu, and other Italian favorites.

My dad ordered the #10, the Meatball sub with sauce and provolone cheese. It was jammed pack full of large meatballs

There is a sitting area in the market but there also a covered outdoor area.

As you head out to the sitting area outside you are to leave your cart to the side with an attendant (I found this kinda confusing from a bit a lack in communication) and then you pay for the food you are going to eat at a register before you pick a table. The reason they do this is so that you can keep shopping after eating and because the grocery items are taxed differently than the deli items.

Price ordered the Spicy Sausage Peppers, Onions, and Provolone (#9). Which at $5.50 was very affordable as it was full of spicy sausage, melted cheese, and hot tender vegetables.

I ate this whole sandwich and I’m not even ashamed about it. Okay, maybe a little but it was so good that I just buckled down and unhinged my jaw to take it all in. Just kidding!!

When I saw everything that was in the Hot Italian (#20) I knew it was the perfect match for me. It was stuffed full of ham, salami, pepperoni, shredded Romaine lettuce, tomato, Provolone cheese, banana peppers, and Italian dressing. It was all toasted so the meat was warm and the cheese was melted. The crunch of the fresh bread when you took a bit just made it even better. Plus it was also just $5.50!

Autumn really enjoyed watching cheese ravioli get made. The woman working has a nice even rhythm to it that was efficient and strangely calming. If we didn’t already had plans that night for dinner we would have picked some up to try. I swear it just means we need to get back there so we can try all their fresh made pastas that include angel hair, fettuccini, linguini, ravioli (meat, spinach and ricotta, or cheese), and manicotti.

The parking can be tricky at lunch time but I swear it is worth the effort in weaving around to get a spot. The market’s imported selections are unparalleled in the area and the food made on site is spectacular.

Mazzaro’s Italian Market

909 22nd Avenue N

St Petersburg, FL 33713

(727) 321-2400

Enjoying Brunch at Beats Brasserie with Boston Brunchers

February 13, 2015

Getting to share four great brunch entrees with 3 other wonderful Boston based bloggers is such a fantastic way to spend a Sunday afternoon. And I had the pleasure of doing just that a few weeks ago.

I attended a recent Boston Brunchers‘ event held at Beats Brasserie in Harvard Square in Cambridge. I was so excited to have the opportunity to enjoy brunch with a great group of local food loving bloggers.

Plus, I had heard great things about Beats Brasserie, from their food to the live music. And there are just somethings that shouldn’t be missed.

They have a really cool, creative brunch menu. Dare I say that their space is just as cool too. The menus and decor are the perfect sort of mish mash that makes it all work together. Take an egg dish and kick it up a notch. Tile a wall but paint poetry all over it. Things like that make Beats Brasserie special.

What better to kick off the brunch than a great Bloody Mary?!?

The Bloody Mary’s a classic brunch staple and they nailed it. It’s hard to resist getting excited when a big tall glass of boozy tomato goodness is set down in front of you. Ask for it spicy.

There are really times when I don’t want to share meals with people but there are times when it is the best thing ever as you get the opportunity to try new things.

This brunch is the exact reason why sharing is awesome.

I had never heard of Eggs Shakshuka ($14.5) but it sounded good and I was up to try things new with my table mates suggested it. Jackie, Dan, and Jessica are all big local foodies so when they suggest something you listen. Like they suggested to add the Merguez Sausage (+$3) to the dish of Poached Eggs, North African Tomato Sauce, Peppers, Polenta, and Pitas. I actually didn’t have any sausage but the rest of the dish that I did try was incredible as it was a great mix of silky textures from the tomato sauce to the polenta. Plus you can’t be virbrant spices that perfume the table.

I think that the Bowl Azteca has to be the most interesting dish on the menu. A beautifully thrown pottery bowl is filled with Spiced Quinoa, Tomatillo Salsa, Fresh Corn, Squash, Green Beans, Avocado, Baby Spinach. All of that is then topped off with a variety of offerings such as Poached Free Range Eggs ($17), All Natural Chicken ($17), and Skirt Steak ($19). We opted for the Blackened Shrimp ($18), which was a great choice as they were seasoned and cooked very well. Overall the bowl is a a complex collection of flavors, smells, and textures that work really well together.

When I first read over the menu I was pretty sure I would order the Braised Short Rib Eggs Benedict ($15.50) as eggs benedict is the way to my heart. If you nail it, I will be your friend for life. And it ultimately came as no surprise to me that Beats Brasserie nailed it with a perfectly toasted english muffin that was generously topped off with shredded braised short ribs, nicely cooked poached eggs, and a buttery Hollandaise.

And for our dessert we shared the Wild Flower Honey & Lemon Pancakes ($14). My heart belongs to waffles but these pancakes were awesome. They were light in texture and very flavorful. I honestly would order them again, which is saying a lot about these pancakes. It’s just that it’s hard to resist them, especially with the mixed berry compote and compound butter that tops them.

Everything that we enjoyed for brunch was fantastic. If you want to enjoy it for yourself then head over to Beats Brasserie between Saturday & Sunday: 10:00am – 3:00pm. And don’t forget that the Live Music starts at 10am. Go hungry!

Beats Brasserie

13 Brattle St

Cambridge, MA 02138

(617) 499-0001

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While I received this complimentary brunch in exchange for a review, all opinions expressed are my own.

Monday Munchies: Dim Sum at Myers & Chang- Boston, MA

January 19, 2015

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

I’ve slacked off on my Monday Munchies posts this past year. There are a few reasons but the main one is that we just don’t go out as much as we used to. We just don’t have the time or resources. I still love to share the great places that we enjoy in Boston and on our travels so I do want to keep up with this series, but I am going to switch it up and just post once a month instead of twice a month.

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To celebrate our 10 year anniversary on January 2nd Price and I decided to go out to lunch while Autumn was in daycare. We looked into a lot of places as there have been so many great new restaurants in Boston that we’ve been meeting to check out. You know, kinda busy now(!), but we kept coming back to a Boston staple that we have had on the ‘must’ visit’ list for a loooooong time… Myers and Chang.

When we got there we found out that they were doing Dim Sum instead of their normal lunch as a fun way to wrap up the holiday week. We had already scoped out their lunch menu and pretty much picked what we wanted but this was a fun change of plans as it gave us an opportunity to try a bunch of small things. Ah, variety!

They make ordering fairly easy if you have food allergies as they identify common allergies on the menu. They indicate which items can be prepared to address you dietary restrictions. Just ask how they can become: GF = Gluten Free SF = Shellfish Free
NF = Nut Free V = Vegetarian/Vegan

We scanned the options and then discussed what we would both really like to try. Everything sounded really good so it was tough to narrow things down. We picked a bunch of things as we were hungry and just so excited to finally be there.

Whenever we see fresh summer rolls on a menu we get them as they are some of our favorite things. So of course we got their Fresh Rolls with Spicy Peanut Sauce ($6- V, SF, GF, NF). These were a great start to our dim sum extravaganza! They were assembled neatly, soft, but not sticky. The veggies were fresh and shrimp was sweet. Peanut dipping sauce is a classic pairing with these rolls and this spicy sauce was a great compliment.

I love anything with vermicelli noodles so getting this Thai Ginger Chicken Salad with Rice Vermicelli ($8- NF, SF, GF) was an obvious choice for me. I loved it. So. Much. I loved the seasoning in the dressing and on the ground chicken that was hot compared to the chilled noodles. It was a great contrast of textures and temperatures. There was something crunchy that I should have asked what it was but I was too busy inhaling it to think to ask our server.

Our server did explain to us that they were making a big batch of stock using a big octopus when we inquired about what was going on in front of us. That’s why I love sitting right in front of all the action!! Dim Sum and a show!

And then Mama Chang’s Pork & Chive Dumplings ($6 – NF, SF).

Mama knows what’s up!! Oh man, these were great. I could have had a dozen of these. Maybe next time! ha! They were perfectly golden and crispy. The chives seasoned the ground pork with a sweet onion flavor that went so well with the dipping sauce. My general strategy was to get as much of the dipping sauce on the dumping as possible. I just love dipping sauces. They are a weakness.

We got two Bao’s because we had never had them before and were up to trying something new. Both the Nirvana Chicken ($5- NF, SF) and Asian Braised Beef ($5- NF, SF) sounded great to us so we got both and split them. Both of them were so good. I loved the chicken one as it had the pickled cabbage, which added great tart flavor and texture. The braised beef was super tender and the sauce on it was finger licking good.

Another one of our Asian go-to’s are Crispy Spring Rolls ($7) so we order them as well as the summer rolls. Kinda the same? Totally different! e 2 spring rolls were cut in half allowing you to peak inside to check out the stuffing made of vegetables, including swiss chard, and glass noodles. These were served with a rhubarb duck sauce.

Crunchy! Crunchy! Crunchy!

Wok Roasted Lemongrass Mussels ($7- NF) were also set down in front of us once we cleared off some of the dishes. Gotta make room!

The lemongrass broth was incredible. I contemplated just downing it all in a gulp at the end, but managed to restrain myself. Barely.

Oh how I loved thee, let me count the ways…

This Nasi Goreng, Pork + Pineapple, Fried Egg ($8- NF, GF) was our hands down favorite of the meal. We both loved it so much. I’m already plotting my next chance to get this.

The fried rice was seasoned well and had a great texture from it’s trip around the wok. But it wasn’t oily, which can quickly ruin a good fried rice. The pork and pineapple were such a great combination of flavors. The pineapple also help off set the heat from the sambal oelek that garnished the top of the rice. There were also chives and crispy, crunch fried shallots. And, of course, there was a fried egg on top. We broke that and cut up all up and gave it a quick mix through the fried rice.

We were pretty full but wanted a sweet treat anyway since it is a Joanne Chang restaurant after all!

We decided to finish off the meal with an anniversary celebratory coconut cream pie ($8). Stuffed but it was still so worth it. The crust was buttery and tender. The coconut cream filling was sweet, smooth, and the perfect amount of coconut flavor. It was delightfully topped off with a lime whipped cream.

The dim sum lunch was incredible. We were so glad that we finally got around to check out Myers and Chang. It was so nice that we got to try a new to us place, try dim sum, and celebrate our 10 year anniversary. It was so enjoyable all around. I can’t wait to get back and try their dinner. Or maybe just keep go back for brunch so we can keep trying new things. All the things! I’m so hooked!

Myers and Chang

1145 Washington Street

South End, Boston

617 542 5200

Cajun Pork Benedict- Top of the Hill, Chapel Hill, NC

November 12, 2014

When we were visiting Raleigh, North Carolina back in September we enjoyed some really great meals throughout Research Triangle area. There are so many wonderful places to eat that we had a blast. One place in particular had an awesome brunch.

Based upon some reviews and suggestions we went to Top of The Hill in Chapel Hill for brunch. Brunch is one of my favorite meals and obviously, my favorite dish is Eggs Benedict. And Top of The Hill, aka TOPO, did not disappoint!

Typically, we would not order a ‘starter’ of biscuits but Autumn can happily eat them so we ordered them. So, of course, we snagged some pieces of the light and fluffy biscuits too. Although they were buttery I felt it was super important to add some butter on top as well. Plus some jelly. When in Rome?

We also did get a cup of fruit ($3.99) for Autumn as well.

Sweet tea and a sweet baby.

Price ordered the Chicken and Waffles ($9.99). It is becoming the signature dish that he has been ordering lately.

He thought it was really good as the boneless chicken breast was really tender under all that crunch. The coating was on the sweet side, which went well with the belgian waffle. He remarked that he enjoyed how airy the waffle was. Two thumbs up.

Sadly, we arrived at right when they open at 11 and they don’t start serving alcohol until noon so we didn’t get to enjoy some brunch cocktails or their on-site brewed beers. The selection looked great so it was disappointing but you just can’t break state law!

I love Eggs Benedict but I love when restaurants change things up and play on the components of it. Which is exactly what TOPO did when they created the Cajun Pork Benny ($8.99). Their version included 2 cheesy grit cakes, Cajun pulled pork, 2 poached eggs, a beer cheese sauce, which were served on a bed of arugula, and lastly topped off with fresh salsa.

Each element was executed really well. I loved the spice and seasoning in the moist pulled pork. As well, the creamy, thick beer cheese sauce has a really nice spice to it. Of course it was made with theitr own beer. That went really well with the pepper arugula. I typically look forward to homefries but the arugula was nice instead as it added some nice crunch to each bite.

The best part of the Cajun Pork Benedict were the cheesy grit cakes. They were cheesy, creamy, and crunchy. Imagine croquettes but 10x better. The grits were cooked perfectly and they were formed into the cakes and gently fried. Be still my heart. I made sure I had a bit of the cheesy grit cakes with ever bite.

My eggs were bright and runny but just a tad over cooked.You might even say it was barely noticeable, but I do take note. However, I would always choose a slightly over cooked egg than under cooked so it wasn’t such a big deal. Plus there was enough of the cheese sauce to balance out some of the cooked yolk.

Rating

Grit Cakes– 20/20 pts

Pulled Pork– 18/20 pts

Poached Egg– 20/25 pts

Cheese Sauce– 23/25 pts

Arugla & Salsa– 8/10 pts

Total: 89/100 pts

And post brunch pics of elation and exhaustion.

Top of The Hill

100 E Franklin St #3

Chapel Hill, NC 27514

(919) 929-8676

Brunch is served from 11-2pm on Sundays

Monday Munchies: Highland Kitchen- Somerville, MA

September 15, 2014

As part of my Monday Munchies series, I will feature a different eatery for a review on the first and third Monday of every month. Hope you enjoy!

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I learned a very valuable lesson when it comes to having brunch at Highland Kitchen in Somerville, MA. When you read that brunch opens at 11am don’t just think “Hey! We’ll get there at 11 and won’t have a wait. Sweet!” Nope, no, no no. Wrong. Completely wrong. We pulled up at 11.04 and the line was insane. CRAP. We tried to come up with alternatives but knew that if Highland Kitchen looked like this we would have this problem elsewhere, plus the additional driving time to get to those places. So, we braved it out and waited 50 minutes instead. Oh, boy.

It was lame and annoyed but worth it. Oh, damn that was a good brunch. Such a good brunch. We had a blast while we enjoyed amazing food.

As we stood around outside (my mom walked Autumn all over in her stroller to kill the time) we peered through the opened windows and to check out what others had ordered. We saw several ordered of Beignets ($4.95) so we knew we had to get some ourselves. The order came to our table piping hot and covered with powder sugar. They were really light and fluffy but they did seem a tiny bit under cooked in the center, hardly noticeable.

I really think you can’t beat freshly fried Beignets and fresh brewed coffee. Plus, it doesn’t hurt to have an attentive waitress who keeps your cup of coffee freshly topped off!

Autumn even enjoyed herself during brunch. She tried everything we ordered and loved everything she tried. She also enjoyed throwing that lid on the floor about a hundred times. And of course, I picked it up and wiped it off every time. Babies…

Price and my mom enjoyed the Deviled Eggs ($3.50) and Bloody Mary’s. I’m just not a fan of deviled eggs, but they are so they each enjoyed halves that were loaded up with creamy, yolky goodness. We even gave Autumn some and she enjoyed it too.

Price thought that the Bloody Mary was good but very spicy with a lot of Horseradish. It was served with a wedge of lemon and a pickled string bean. The Blood Mary wasn’t very lemony but you could adjust that yourself, as you prefered. Sometimes we come across Blood Mary’s that are really thick and chunky, but it was very smooth. Price did think that it was quite weak and wished that he could have tasted more vodka.

My mom saw an order of Huevos Rancheros ($9.95) on another table and decided that she needed to try it. The serving was very generous and quiet tasty. The plate was really loaded up with its 3 fried eggs, large serving of refried black beans, scoop of rice, corn tortillas & queso fresco. It was all topped of with a ‘rojo’ sauce that had a bit of zip.

Typically, Price and I don’t order the same thing for brunch so that we can share but we each read the description of the Dirty Bird ($10.95) and we each decided to get it. No sharing. Ha! (I was debating ordering the Dirty Bird or the Shrimp and Grits ($10.95)… I’ll have to try the grits next time.)

This couldn’t have been called “The Napper” since you really would want a nap after enjoying this.

Holy Cow! or Holy Chicken. Or Holy Pig. I dunno. There were so much going on with this plate. You might just need to brace yourself when reading the components… get ready… Half of a buttermilk biscuit, topped with a fried chicken breast, a few slices of applewood smoked bacon, and a fried egg. That stack is topped off with the biscuit and the sausage gravy. It’s indulgent, rich, and breathtaking. This will take your breath away once it’s put in front of you, but once you take a bit you will be blown away. The chicken breast is juicy with a crunchy exterior and the biscuit is tender with a dense crumb to it. The gravy was thick and filled with sausage and was great with a bite of chicken, egg, of biscuit.

And this last picture is just to remind me that Autumn is just about as delicious as anything I could ever order. I could just gobble up those cheeks.

Get over to Highland Kitchen if you know what’s good for you! And be sure to get there EARLY so you don’t have to wait. Really, I swear, get there early because they don’t take reservations and there will be a line because the brunch is da-bomb.

Highland Kitchen

150 Highland Ave

Somerville, MA 02143

617 625 1131

Brunch 11am-2.30pm

Monday Munchies: Skaneateles Bakery- Skaneateles, NY

September 1, 2014

Okay, I took the summer off from my Monday Munchies post because the summer is always super crazy and I just didn’t want to half ass these fun posts. I wanted to share some great places while writing thoughtful, helpful posts about them. So I’m back! Enjoy!!

Whenever we head back to Price’s hometown for a visit I go to Skaneateles Bakery for some breakfast goodies. I love to walk down there so I feel like I’m off setting the donuts that I’m about to consume. All about balance people.

But really my mile walk down there and back is hardly enough to put a dent into the calories for the pastries I get. I just go there and act like a kid in a candy store and go ‘ohh, I’ll take a half dozen donuts!… and a scone!… and a rice krispies treat!… and a cinnamon roll!… and a bacon egg and cheese!” As I walk down the counter I see more and more things I want so I just keep going ‘and’ as I add more and more things to my order.

Trays, platters, and pedestals display a fun selection of baked goods that range from scones ($1.90), muffins, and cinamon rolls ($2.50). Price loves rice krispie treats ($2.50) so I always get him one of their massive ones to enjoy later on in the day.

Their Bacon Egg and Cheese is elevated from your typical B.E.C as its made with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Ciabatta. ($5.65) The cheese is melty and the bacon has a nice smoke flavor to round out the sandwich. The bread does a great job of soaking up the bacon grease and cheese too. Overall it’s a large sandwich so we end up splitting it as we are also enjoying a donut or two.

I love that you can watch them make their cake donuts from their front window. I love to watch the donuts happily floating in the oil in the machine before they get dropped off into the big catch basin for them to get topped. I always get a half dozen ($4.50) so I can get some variety in the box. They make a typical old-fashioned, powdered, glazed, cinnamon & sugar, as well as, glazed with cinnamon & sugar, chocolate-glazed, chocolate-glazed with rainbow sprinkles, and coconut.

They are light and airy with plenty air pockets under that slightly crunchy fried exterior. The donuts are topped with fresh toppings and are the perfect size for you to have easily have 2-3 of these hot from the fryer babies.

Sprinkles make everything better.

To round out a recent trip to the Bakery we enjoyed snacking on on of their home made raspberry poptarts. They make their poptarts with pie crust and their home made raspberry jam. It’s great for breakfast but also great to satisfy an afternoon sweet tooth craving. No matter when you enjoy it you’ll find that the homemade jam is the best filling for it.

The Skaneateles Bakery is a real treasure as it serves locals and area visitors with great breakfast and lunch pastries, sandwiches, and drinks. Be sure to stop by and have a fresh cake donut for me.

Skaneateles Bakery

19 Jordan St

Skaneateles, NY 13152

(315) 685-3538

Enjoying Brunch at Boston Chops with Boston Brunchers

August 13, 2014

I just love to go out for brunch. It’s the relaxed fit and feel of brunch that I love. I mean that I love that you can order whatever… eggs- sure, club sandwich- yep, pancakes- why not?, burger- definitely.I love that flexibility because I’m kinda horrible when it comes to making a decision to eat. More options might scare people but I like to have lots of options to at the last-minute, when the waiter is staring at me go “errr, ummm, I’llTakeTheChickenandWaffles! phew!”

I recently felt that same sense of delightful overwhelm mixed with a great sense of relief when I ordered my incredible brunch entrée at Boston Chops. I was out with a group of Boston Brunchers so I reigned in my indecisiveness and carefully narrowed down my brunch entrée to 2 things so I could just go ‘eeny meeny miny moe’ in my head at the last-minute. (yes, I am a child).

It’s just that they have such a great brunch menu that it was so tough to decide on what to get. Our waitress, Lindsay, was incredible as she was attentive and so well-informed that she was extremely helpful with the ordering process. Her passion for her job and food was clear as she described each element of each dish was inquired about. I couldn’t decide between the Croque Monsieur ($13-$17 w/ 2 eggs) or the Surf and Turf but from Lindsay’s descriptions of the Surf and Turf had me sold.

As part of the brunch we got some goodies to kick things off.

Homemade Sticky Buns! The mini buns ($7) were light and fluffy and the sticky bun sauce was sweet without giving you a toothache. I enjoyed

The table also ordered a dozen Island Creek Oysters ($29). The 2 plates of oysters were served with wedges of lemon, horseradish, cocktail sauce, and mignonette. I did not have any as I don’t like oysters but those who did have them really enjoyed them.

Homemade Donuts ($7) reminded me more of churros. They were crisp, crunchy, and sugary. The I could have drunk that velvety chocolate sauce.

I can never pass up an oportunity to enjoy a cocktail with bourbon, so I select the Maple Berry Smash ($11) as my brunch beverage. The mix of Bourbon, maple syrup, seasonal berries, and herbs made a lovely combination. The maple went well with the sweet and smokey nature of the Bourbon. The berries made it bright while the herbs rounded it all out to add the ‘wow’ element.

After everyone enjoyed the starters the entrees were served. Plates ranged from the Huevos Rancheros ($15) to the Turkey Sandwich ($13) to the “Surf & Turf” ($23). I was down right giddy when my Surf and Turf arrived in front of me. It was quite a sight to be hold with its 4 ounce beef tournedo, poached egg, lobster claws, asparagus, and Hollandaise Sauce.

The piece of beef so tender that I was able to use a butterknife to cut it. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare but I felt it could have used a bit of char to add more texture, flavor as I felt it was a bit underseasoned.

The farm fresh egg was cooked perfectly so that the white was firm and the yolk was bright and perfectly runny.

Alternating bites of the steak, egg, and lobster with the grits made for a lucious brunch.

Lobster Grits. Be still my heart.

There was actually a goof when they brought the entrée to the table- no grits! I was thinking ‘hmm maybe the grits portion is like the sauce, really rich so there is just a spoonful hidden somewhere under the steak?’ Nope, our plates were missing them so they rushed back and brought us these lovely mini dutch ovens filled with the grits. I’m actually glad that they were served separately, as they normally would have been placed on the plate with everything else on top, because this allowed for the complex layered flavors of the grits to shine on their own and not get muddled up with the egg yolk and Hollandaise. If I ever order this again I would actually ask for it this way.

Well, be still my heart. These grits were the best grits I ever ate! Maybe it was the lobster? The butter? The cheese? Oh God! They were so rich and creamy I gobbled up the whole thing. I just knew I wouldn’t enjoy them as much reheated at home so I just dug down deep and enjoyed the last few spoonfuls of the grits before leaning back in the booth in stuffed bliss. (I did a LONG walk with the dog later!)

This is why runny eggs and Hollandaise are my best friends. No wait, they are the devil and angel that sit on my shoulders. But who is who? I’ll never tell!

Houston, we have a problem.

Not only am I offended that this mirror is for jolly green giants but I’m offended as a designer. But who in their right mind thought it was okay to put the bottom of the miror at 4′-6″?? I would never think that was okay when I was designing it or installing it.

But don’t worry Boston Chops, I won’t hold the greatly mislocated mirror against you! I will be back and next time I’ll get a Croque Monsieur!

Boston Chops

1375 Washington Street

Boston, MA

617-227-5011

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While I received this complimentary brunch in exchange for a review, all options expressed are my own.

Mama Mia! That’s a good wine!!

July 30, 2014

“This is a very personal project for me. Hence the name ‘Mia’ which means ‘mine’ in Spanish.”

Okay, okay. I just got weird with a bit of ABBA & some Italian in my head, when I’m talking about a Spanish wine. But I couldn’t resist. Mama Mia!!!

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Wine and Dine Me: Chefs in Shorts 2014

July 5, 2014

Chefs in Shorts is a great charity based event that brings together local Boston chefs with beer, wine, and liquor companies to create night out that is as equally fun as it is satisfying.

Last month’s Chef’s in Shorts event marked the 17th year of this grill off. It brought over 40 area chefs together for a great night to help out a well deserving nonprofit. The money raised goes towards the organization called Future Chefs, which helps urban teens train and focus their skills in the kitchen to help them get jobs and become successful with restaurant careers.

We had a blast last year, so when I was invited again this year I couldn’t pass the opportunity up.

Here’s a little recap of all the fun things we saw and tried. Enjoy!

Two kinds of grilled chicken served with a fagrant seasoned vegetable rice from Mela created by Chef Jatinder Singh.

Oh Chef Mark J Pocaro (Top of the Hub), these tacos where killer. The fish was fresh and flaky and the slaw on top had such great flavor and texture.

They even offered different sauces to drizzle over the slaw. I tried the verde one that was made with tomatillos. The sauce had great heat without being too hot. Could have easily eaten 4 of these tacos, but I guess I had to share with others…

This fresh chilled gazpacho and grilled shrimp from Prezza (Chef Anthony Caturano) was a great a sip and bite. The gazpacho was slightly smokey and the shrimp was tender with a nice char.

Yep. Massive whole fish and pork tenderloins on the grill. NBD.

Be sure to use your drink tickets up so you can try various bevies. I enjoyed some wine and a killer rum based daquairi.

Such a cute way to present S’mores!

Little plates of yummy-ness from LTK (Chef Shane Queiros) and SkyBoKX 109 GastroSports (Chef Noah Gagnon)

It was such a fun time to try the different samples of food and drinks (beer, wine, and cocktails). We enjoyed the view and the beautiful weather.

I highly suggest attending Chefs in Shorts as you will enjoy helping out a great nonprofit organization, Future Chefs, while trying our dishes from over 40 great local chefs.

PS- Do not bring your super cute (and well behaved) baby with you. You’ll get kicked out by the hosting Seaport Hotel because it’s a 21+ event. I didn’t think a stroller bound 6 month old would be an issue but I was wrong. Lesson learned.

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While I was invited to attend this event, all opinions are my own.

Crab Cake Eggs Benedict @ The Cottage- Chestnut Hill, MA

June 5, 2014

Life with a baby certainly changes things. Obvious statement right there! I’m not complaining about it one bit since having Autumn has been that best thing ever but that meant that we missed going out for one of our best friend’s birthday festivities. We wanted to see him and celebrate so we figured out getting together for a brunch would work well.

Neither of us had been to The Cottage in Chestnut Hill, which is actually part of Boston, Newton, and Brookline. Weird little factoid there! It’s a cute village that has some great stores, some of which are in a newly redeveloped shopping center along Route 9.

The Cottage serves lunch and dinner and have a great selection of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees. They even have a wonderful gluten free menu that is more than just ‘can you please hold the bun on my burger’. As well, their brunch menu is a nice mix of breakfast and lunch options. Price had The Garden Fresh Vegtables Omelet ($13) and our friend had the Fish Tacos ($15). They both enjoyed each of them. But let’s focus on the best brunch entree ever (besides waffles)… Eggs Benedict!

Aside from my typical Eggs Benedict, I always like to get Bloody Mary’s. I like the savoriness of it and how it has a kick from the spice and the vodka. Mimosas are fun but I like how Bloody Mary’s come with accessories. Hello celery. Hello lemon. Good Bye Olives. Okay, so I don’t like olives but Bloody Mary’s are still so cool in my book.

This Bloody Mary has a nice crispy flavor from the house-made mix. I really enjoyed how much horseradish they used as well.

I loved the look and feel of The Cottage. I would love to come back in the winter to sit by the fireplace.

There are 2 Eggs Benedict options on the brunch menu. There is the standard Eggs Benedict, which is served with a Wolferman’s english muffin, canadian bacon, poached eggs that are topped off with a house-made hollandaise ($14). And then there is a Crabcakes Benedict, which has crispy crabcakes instead of the english muffin and canadian bacon for $15. Both come with homefries. I chose the later Eggs Benedict option since I enjoy crabcakes so much.

Man the thing I love about Eggs Benedict is that runny egg and that buttery hollandaise sauce that just soaks into the Eggs Benny base and the homefries side. This Eggs Benedict was perfection in that regard.

The crabcakes that the Eggs Benedict were built upon provided a great foundation for dish. The crabcakes were made with large pieces of crab and little filler allowing the shellfish to star at center stage. My only critique of the crabcakes is that they were not very crisp. I would have preferred for them to be crisper as the crunch was needed to balance out the interior crabcake texture as well as the runny egg yolk and the Hollandaise sauce.

The egg was the perfect kind of sunshine yellow that eggs should be. It was only slightly, every so slightly, undercooked (to my preference) where there was some clear albumin not fully cooked. It was slight but something that I had to pick out. Again it might not bother some but I’m a bit picky about the albumin not being fully cooked. Regarding the actual flavor of the egg, it was super fresh and the texture of the egg was lovely as well.

The homefries acted like a perfect little sponge to soak up any yolk that made for a quick escape. They were seasoned well, as nicely cooked with a tender center and crispy exterior.

I would order this again but might specify that I’d want the crabcakes to be very crispy. Kind of like when ordering hash and getting it extra crispy. uummm hash… Oh man, don’t even get me started on that.

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