Dining Out

Monday Munchies: The Red Hat- Boston, MA

June 3, 2013

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!

____________________

Oh, man my Monday Munchies series has really taken a hit! I’ve slacked off since we hadn’t really been going out with having the dog to coordinate our outings around. Plus, Price and I have been so busy at work so we’ve just been keeping things simple and staying in. Or ordering take out- love you Foodler! I hate being off schedule, even if it is my own schedule so I’m starting things up again and I promise I’ll have some great shares in the upcoming months. 🙂

So here I am, finally sharing with you about a nice little lunch I had with Pricer at The Red Hat in Boston. We had a groupon so we got a fantastic deal on this lunch. Plus it’s exactly why we ordered so much. noms.

Santa Fe Egg Rolls- Egg rolls stuffed with Santa Fe sauced chicken and spring vegetables. Served with orange marmalade sauce – 6.99

These were really good but nothing too special. Plus, I have a feeling they were pre-made. I never would have thought of pairing spicy egg rolls with a marmalade sauce but it was a nice opposites attract sort of thing.

Buffalo Chicken Tenders- Breaded chicken tenders with accompanying sauces – 7.99

Do you see how big these tenders are?!? These were soooo good. And massive! The buffalo sauce was spicy but, as always, served with some celery and blue cheese dressing to cool it down. These would be great for a crowd to enjoy while watching a game.

Turkey Club Salad- Your favorite club without the bread. Spring greens topped with roasted turkey breast, tomatoes and red onions tossed with honey mustard dressing. Finished with crispy bacon bits – 8.99

Price ordered this salad since he loves club sandwiches and salads. It was a big, fresh salad piled high with toppings. The salad was served was a tangy honey mustard dressing, which went nicely along with the turkey.

Polo Grasso- Sautéed chicken, strips of bacon, Russian dressing and topped with mozzarella cheese-8.99

I loved this sandwich so much. I thought it sounded good and I was right. The chicken, bacon, and motz combo was so good. I also think it would be great with swiss, but anyway. It was a great combo tied together with the tangy Russian dressing. (Random factoid- I love Russian dressing on sandwiches, but not on salads.) It was served with a mound of seasoned waffled fries.

Some things were ordered were hits and others were misses but we really enjoyed the lunch over all. It was a great deal as we had plenty of left overs to enjoy the next day. Give The Red Hat a try for lunch as well. 🙂

The Red Hat

9 Bowdoin Street

Boston, MA 02114

(617) 523-2175

Monday Munchies: Pedro’s Tacos- Boston MA

March 18, 2013

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!

____________________

When my coworker told me that he had just been to a new taco place just a few blocks from work I knew that I had to give it a try. He was telling me about Pedro’s Tacos. A Cali transplant that has brought tacos to downtown Boston.

I’ve really enjoyed everything that I have tried and I just love the menu is on a surfboard! You can get everything from nachos, tacos, burritos, and combo plates with rice and beans.

Their classic taco is the Fish Taco. For 3.49 you can’t beat a taco made with 2 corn tortillas a fried fish fillet, fresh shredded cabbage, dressing, and salsa. I prefer the tacos without salsa but give it a try.

For just $1 more the Shrimp Taco is also a steal at $4.49. The tacos are packed with 5 or so shrimp

If you are looking for a vegetarian option then try the potato one, which is similar to the fish taco, but with a hash brown. It is basic but fun to load up with the different salsas that they have at their salsa bar. Verde is always a winner for me.

I also really enjoy the Lobster Tacos. Lobster at lunch any day of the week… love!!!

If you can’t make it to lunch and need a burrito fix as soon as possible then you should stop by. They open up at 7 so you have a whole 12 hours a day to visit Pedro’s slice of Cali here in Boston. Stop by for breakfast from 7-11 for some breakfast burritos.

I mean just look how big their breakfast burritos are!!

Oh, hello… this bean, egg and hash brown burrito set me back just a bit over $5 and it left me so full that I had a late lunch and very light dinner. Great start to the day. noms!

So grab some cash or your cell to use LevelUp to get some tacos or burritos. Satisfy that craving!!

** Join LevelUp with my unique invitation link and get $5 instantly!**

Pedro’s Tacos

55 Bromfield Street

Boston, MA 02108

(617) 482-8822

M-F 7am-7pm

Industry Brunch Review- Bokx 109, Newton MA

March 9, 2013

I really truly think Brunch is my favorite meal of the day. Anything goes then. Savory, Sweet. Coffee. Booze. Emphasis on that last one.

So when I was invited to check out Bokx 109‘s new brunch I did a little dance in my chair when I checked my email. I seriously love Bokx 109 (see this post and this post!) because everything there is incredible. I’m not just saying that because I got a free brunch. No, I’m completely serious. Incredible.

We headed over to the Hotel Indigo in Newton, MA, where Bokx 109 is located to enjoy our brunch. It was a nice snowy day but this place is beautiful in the summer. I would love to sit by the pool and enjoy a cocktail. Is it summer yet?

Shortly after we were seated a plate of Coffee and Doughnuts were brought over. These were homemade beignet doughnuts served with coffee pot de creme. The 6 doughnuts were served warm with the freshly sprinkled powdered sugar melting over the top of them. The coffee pot de creme was the prefect sauce to serve for the doughnuts to be dipped into. I would have liked for a spoon to have been paired with this dish to be able to eat all of the pot de creme as well as easily eat the chocolate garnish in there.

And then the best thing ever happened… the Bloody Mary cart arrived to our table.

They bring the cart over to bring the This week the Bloody Mary’s were paired with pepperoncinis, olives, pickles, celery, string cheese sticks, and mini Slim Jim’s. Slim Jim’s! I told out waiter that I didn’t like olives so he omitted that from my Bloody Mary.

I could have had 3 of these. I behaved though and only had 1 Bloody Mary.

I was like a giddy school girl telling our waiter how much I love the brunch already and how I love going to Bokx 109. I was also telling him that The Smoke Show special, that I had with dinner previously, was one of was most memorable things I’ve had in very long time. And ta-da! The General Manager brought out an order of the Pear and Mascarpone Sacchetti ($12) for each of us. Price finally got to see what I have been talking about with it’s handmade delicate, sweet sacchettis served with a chive fondue.

Not to already be out done, our entrees then arrived. Price ordered The Royalty ($12).The Belgian Waffle with Crown Royal Maple infused syrup dish was also served with a caramelized banana. The Belgian Waffle was a sweet, airy waffle which was then topped with whipped cream and chocolate balls. The chocolate balls would melt in your mouth as you ate your waffle. Price lamented that while a half of a banana was the perfect amount h wished he had a whole one because it was so good. The banana was caramelized and had a crunchy sugary layer, similar to a creme brule. All of that was topped with the strawberry compound and the boozy maple syrup that really had a kick!

You can get a basic waffle for $10 at the local dinner or you can get a The Royalty for $12. It’s an obvious choice for me with its layers of flavor and boozy maple syrup.

I debated ordered which Eggs Benny dish to order and ‘settled’ on the Green Eggs and Ham Eggs Benedict Entree ($10). Oh dear lord. This was served with local Prosciutto, grilled slices of Ciabatta, basil oil, sous vide eggs, and a bearnaise sauce. Between the 2 eggs were thick cut sliced potatoes that, like the ciabatta, served as a great vehicle to scoop up the runny egg yolk and bearnaise sauce. Don’t even get me started on those eggs. I had never had sous vide eggs before so this was a fun change-up from the typical poached eggs. There was a moment of silence after I broke open each egg as I watched the bright yellow yolk come running out. True Bliss.

On our way out we talked with Chef Stephen Coe and thanked him for the incredible brunch we had. We told him how all of the food was amazing and how we, as usual, had fantastic service as well. I told him that the only thing I would change to make brunch better was to serve a stronger serrated knife to make cutting the grilled ciabatta easy. You know, to be able to get the food into your mouth faster…

Price and I are constantly talking about the next time we are going back to brunch. The service and quality of food is always topnotch. Plus the prices for the entrees are very reasonable for the care put involved in each dish.

I’ll be back for their Bellini Cart next!

**While I received this complimentary brunch from Bokx 109, these options are entirely all my own. Plus I did tip well, I’m not an animal!**

Monday Munchies: Panera Cares

March 4, 2013

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!

____________________

A Panera Cares location opened up right by my office on January 23, 2013. Since then I regularly go in for a breakfast sandwich. A Mediterranean Egg White on Ciabatta (egg whites, roasted tomatoes, spinach, Vermont white cheddar & basil pesto on ciabatta) with extra tomatoes every time to be exact. Sometimes I get a hazelnut coffee.

Ummm, why am I writing about a Panera and what I get for breakfast?

I wanted to share about this special cafe. It’s not a normal Panera as it is their 5th Panera Cares location that is a non-profit community cafe. Well, what does that mean?

It is their mission these locations serve the community by providing people with meals if they are in need. No, I am not in need. I go there so that I can get a great breakfast and provide a donation so that others in need can get food there. They take cash and debit cards but don’t exactly have registers as they use donation boxes.

Here is where I get my coffee. You can also get your coffee here.

Panera provides a suggested donation next to each menu item. (The calorie count that is typically there is in a binder). This is the price that they hope you can provide for the meal you are getting. In my case I just round up to the next dollar so I let the ‘cashier’ know that when I am paying with my credit card. If you are not able to pay for the meal you pay what you can by putting what your available cash in a donation box. If you are not able to pay anything they hope that you could provide some of you time for an hour to help in the cafe.

I think this is such a cool concept because they are providing everyone with a great meal and letting people pay what they can afford. I think it’s great that these locations exist so people can have an opportunity to enjoy something just like everyone else when they are in need.

I hope that you visit the Panera Cares cafe if you are in the area to check out the cafe and help out other in need. As stated on the Panera Cares site: “The Boston Panera Cares team is excited to raise the level of awareness about the ongoing epidemic of food insecurity that affects one in nine residents of eastern Massachusetts.”

Locations:

3 Center Plaza
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 371-3991

Clayton, MO | Dearborn, MI | Portland, OR | Chicago, IL | Boston, MA

Monday Munchies: OSAKA Japanese Sushi & Steak House- Brookline, MA

February 18, 2013

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!

____________________

Are you looking for a great place for date night?

Then go to OSAKA Japanese Sushi & Steak House in Brookline. I am going to guarantee that you enjoy anything from the Dinner Menu but I have to admit that I stick with the hibachi. I love getting to enjoy fresh food with a little show right in front of you.

Hibachi starts with a salad. I love the ginger salad dressing. Creamy with a nice gingery spice to it.

I think I could eat their fried rice every single day. EVERY DAY. But probably not since there is a generous amount of butter and soy sauce in there. It is just so creamy, flavorful, and garlicky.

Volcano!!!!!!

During our most recent visit we enjoyed the Osaka Supreme which is over the top and includes chicken, fillet mignon, shrimp, scallop, and lobster for 2 people all for $59.95. Yeah, reread that… chicken, fillet mignon, shrimp, scallop, and lobster… it’s no joke! Everything is cooked and flavored to perfection. The steak was a tender medium rare. If you love filet and can’t get enough of that then just get that entree but if you love it all then the Osaka Supreme would be great for the 2 of you.

And Pricer got a great treat from our realty friendly and talented chef with some sake! ha!

Give Osaka a try to enjoy everything from sushi to Japanese entrees to hibachi or some killer drinks!

OSAKA Japanese Sushi & Steak House

14 Green Street

Brookline, MA 02446

617.732.0088

Monday Munchies: Firehouse Deli- Greenwich, CT

January 21, 2013

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!

____________________

Whenever I’m back home in Connecticut I try to get to the Firehouse Deli for breakfast or lunch because I love everything they make. Plus, a great deli sandwich is much harder to come by in Boston and I need my fix when I can get it.

When I moved to Boston back in 2003 for college I discovered that delis don’t exist in the same why that I grew up with. Especially since that within walking distance there were a few delis from my house. I always had a quick option for breakfast or lunch a short walk away. And then about a half mile away is a park and beach when I would sit and eat lunch in the summer. Bliss.

So while I have found some great delis in The North End I always love to head home to get my favorite sandwiches. Besides getting a loaded turkey or ham sandwich I love their hot sandwiches. Some of my favorites are the Hot Gobbler (hot turkey, melted swiss, and garlic dressing) and the FedEx (chicken cutlet, bacon, cheddar, and BBQ sauce). But my all time favorite is the Real Deal Holyfield, aka The Real Deal. Oh, that sandwich is just the best ever with its grilled chicken, bacon, fresh mozzarella, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard. Try it, I dare you.

But don’t worry if you can’t make it to the deli for lunch you can still get a great sandwich at breakfast!

Can’t pass on the classic Bacon Egg and Cheese for just $3.25. Don’t like bacon? Then have sausage, ham, or turkey. I’d always get a turkey, egg whites, and cheese sandwich when I managed to get up a bit early to swing by there before driving to high school. But the bacon, egg, and cheese is a great breakfast sandwich to enjoy from the Firehouse Deli since they layer cheese, egg, bacon, egg, and cheese again on a bulkie. Makes for a complete bite!

Every now and then Price and I will split a Montana on a roll. The Montana is a LOADED sandwich with its 2 eggs, ham, cheese, chili, and a hashbrown . The $4.99 sandwich is jam packed and finger licking good. I think the hashbrown layer is genius but the chili is my favorite part. No wait, it might be the hashbrowns AND chili. It’s quite possibly the perfect hangover cure. Ever.

Everything at the Firehouse deli is fresh, quick, and delicious. Give it a try if you are in the area.

Firehouse Deli

265 Mill Street

Greenwich CT 06830

203.531.002

Monday Munchies: Filiberto’s Mexican Food- AZ, CA, NM

January 7, 2013

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!

____________________

When Price and I were visiting his dad in Arizona for Thanksgiving we went out of lunch one day at one of the local Mexican places nearby. It was not the kind of place I would typically gravitate to but I’m glad we went. I just never think of places in strip malls. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a part of CT that didn’t have them & now I’m in a city, which also doesn’t have them. But I’m glad I didn’t something that I would not normally do since we had a great lunch (plus leftovers) from Filiberto’s.

Once we went in I knew I would love this place. I love casual Mexican places, since they often don’t care too much about the decor and flare, but focus on making great food. Besides that, places with picture menus have a special place in my heart. Like greasy, comforting Chinese food places that you can say I’ll have a #10 with an egg roll… this is exactly like that.

I ordered a #7- Tostada and Taco Plate ($6.39). When it was ready I was shocked at how generous the portion was, esp for the price! The side of the rice and refried beans was so large, and those were just the sides. The tostada was really simple with beans and cheese and topped with lettuce but was really good with some added vegetables. The beef taco was really good but not like I had ever had before. It seemed that they assembled a soft taco with a spicy, cooked ground beef and cheese prior to frying the whole thing crispy. I could be completely wrong about that but in all it all was super crunchy. I typically don’t like chunky tacos but this was so different and really good.

I also had the Horchata as well which was really good. I’ve been to places where it is sooo thin but this was the perfect consistency and flavor.

Tom had the #17- Two Chili Rellenos Plate ($7.09) and Price had the #13- Chimichanga Plate ($7.09). Both were large portions of food as well, enough for 2 people to share each one, which is why we had leftovers. I commented to Price how I prefer a chunky guac so it was good that I didn’t get a side, plus I already had a ton of food. He said that it was really good and that it, along with the sour cream, were really good toppings for the chimichanga. I’ll take his word on it since he really enjoyed his meal.

Filiberto's_salsas

We sat down to eat so we enjoyed the salsa and condiment station. I love places that have salsa bars since I love great salsa. There were 3 spice levels to the salsas so they could satisfy any palate. These went well with the complimentary chips that were available at the counter. As well, there were pickled veggies and peppers and onions. I really liked the pickled carrots, which was the first time having them.

This just proves it’s often a great idea to take a chance on something you would not normally do. Go visit a new place and I bet things will surprise you. Filiberto’s proves why

Filiberto’s

40975 N Ironwood Dr
Queen Creek, AZ 85140

As well as locations around AZ, NM, and CA. Check ’em out!

Monday Munchies: Monti’s La Casa Vieja- Tempe, AZ

December 3, 2012

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!

____________________

I love when I travel and I get to go to some great local places to experience some fantastic regional favorites. Just as much, I love to tell people my favorite places when they are visiting Boston or New England. But getting to discover new places always is the best. And thankfully, Price’s Dad, Tom, was so eager to show us around to his favorite places when we were visiting him in AZ for Thanksgiving. So after several hours strolling around the World Wildlife Zoo and Aquarium, we went to Monti’s La Casa Vieja in Tempe.

Monti’s La Casa Vieja has been around for over 120 years and is connected to a really pasts since it was first built in 1871. Charles Trumbull Hayden built the original adobe hacienda as a home when he settled in the area to establish a flourmill and a ferry service for crossing the Salt River. Over time that home transformed and grew into a hotel, blacksmith shop, post office, general store, and then a restaurant. After the Hayden family moved to a new home in the 1890s, they began referring to hacienda as La Casa Vieja – Spanish for “The Old House.” Originally, the community became known as Hayden’s Ferry, but in the late 1880s, the name changed to the Vale of Tempe, and few years later, the town’s name was officially changed to Tempe.

Since the 1890’s, a restaurant of some sort has been operated at La Casa Vieja as it was convenient to e to those who had traveled a great distance to use the flourmill or ferry service. It was run by the Hayden daughters until the 1930s. The details about the restaurants at La Casa Vieja are sketchy from the Great Depression through 1954 as it was run by several owners.

In 1954, La Casa Vieja was purchased by Leonard F. Monti, who had been operating a 13-stool diner in Chandler since 1946. Monti opened his new restaurant, “Monti’s La Casa Vieja”, for business in April 1956, after waiting for tenant’s lease to expire. Since then it has been run by members of the Monti family. Today, Monti’s La Casa Vieja serves approximately 500,000 customers annually.

Our server was pulling double duty be being out waiter as well as the bartender on the quiet afternoon. We didn’t get there until 3.30 from the zoo so it was during the afternoon lull so it worked out well that we got great seats by the window and fast service. The waiter was so nice and it didn’t hurt that it made a really great banana strawberry daiquiri.

It was so hard not to fill up on the bread that was brought out to us. It was similar to a focaccia bread but was less oily and was a slight bit denser. The bread was topped off with fresh rosemary and the the scent was perfuming the table as it was served warm. I could have eaten the whole basket, but thankfully I saved room for the real deal!

The reason why Tom brought us to Monti’s was for their filet mignons. He was raving about their filet lunch deal and how you get a great steak for a fantastic price. And it was not just about the price as they didn’t skimp on quality.

I had Monti’s Classic Lunch Filet for $12 which was a 5oz filet served with cheesy garlic bread, a side, and cheesy garlic toast. Price and Tom had the regular Arizona Raised 7 oz Filet Mignon for $22. Their dishes came with 2 sides, which they had a side salad and loaded baked potato. Either entrees could have been wrapped with applewood smoked bacon for an additional $2. I think that with a great cut of meat you don’t’ need to add a lot to it so I skipped the bacon.

The three of us split a side of onions and mushrooms. These went perfectly with the steak. Each bite was loaded with flavor from the juicy steak, caramelized onions, and the meaty mushrooms. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare with a nice char on the outside and a tender, juicy interior.

I highly recommend going to Monti’s for their filet’s. It was a great deal and, best of all, it was a fantastic meal.

Monti’s

100 South Mill Avenue

Tempe, AZ 85281

Monday Munchies: Saus- Boston, MA

November 19, 2012

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!

____________________

Crunchy fries. Inventive dipping sauces. Great beers. Sweet waffles.

Saus specializes in Belgian inspired street food. They serve up frites and waffles that are common place in Belgium, especially in street carts.

I love their space as it’s open and casual. There menus are written on chalkboards and there is a communal table in the front. They decorated the space with comics from The Adventures of Tintin, which was created by Georges Remi, a Belgian artist. (BTW-If you haven’t seen the Spielberg directed The Adventures of Tintin movie, you really should. Awesome!)

While poutine is really a Quebec based dish the team at Saus incorporated it into their menu at their frites make for the perfect base to build this dish on. Their french fries hold up to their thick gravy and staying crisp as you munch on fries and the cheese curd that tops it all off.

When they first opened their poutine was my least favorite menu item as their gravy was too thin. They have worked hard on perfecting their recipes, including their gravy, and now I really enjoy it. It now reminds me of the poutine that I had in Montreal.

If you like your fries plain then order from the pomme frites menu. They offer 3 portion sizes (small, regular, and big) ranging from $4.25 to $7.00. The fries are cut in-house and are twice fried and prior to them filling up your fry basket they are tossed with a flaked salt.

Saus specializes in their homemade dipping sauces. You can enjoy basic ketchup and mayo or you can get some of their creatively named and flavored sauces. Doesn’t ‘Saturday Night Chive’ with it’s fresh chives and sour cream sound great? Or how about ‘Vampire Slayer’ with roasted garlic, roasted garlic oil, and homemade mayo? If you like spicy you should try the ‘Green Monster’ with its jalapenos and habaneros peppers and fresh cilantro with garlic.

My go menu item is their Frikandel sandwich. A frikandel was created in the 50’s and is a handmade sausage that is similar to a hot dog, but since it does not have a casing on it is similar to a burger in that regard. The real kicker is that it is deep-fried so I treat myself to this occasionally. My favorite way to enjoy the sandwich is ‘Spicy’. The other kinds- Special, Burger Style, and Double Cheddar- are all great by my favorite is Spicy as the Frikandel is topped with house-pickled jalapenos and a spicy sauce.

They make Liege style Waffles, which are sweet, dense waffles that have pieces of pearl sugar in the batter that caramelizes on the edges in the cooking process. They serve the waffles with different sauces. I think that the can’t pass up sauces are Salted Caramel and Lemon Cream, which is their homemade lemon curd and cream sauce. Total yum.

Located near Faneuil Hall and Government Center, this is the perfect place to stop in and grab lunch. Or if you are out enjoying the local bars stop by for some late night eats.

Saus

33 Union Street

Boston, MA 02108

617.248.8835

Monday Munchies: Boloco

November 5, 2012

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!

____________________

If you are in the Boston area you know of Boloco for their ‘inspired burritos’. But if you are not from the Beantown area and that name sounds familiar it might be because you might have read about them in the news recently when Nutella issued a cease and desist order from using their name in Boloco’s Nutella Milkshake. What?!? That’s right, Nutella doesn’t want you using their rich chocolate hazelnut spread in frozen beverages. Anyway, so Boloco is figuring out what to do next but in the mean time they will continue to serve up some great burritos, like they have been doing for the last 14 years.

Four friends started a fast service restaurant in Boston centered around making traditional Mexican burritos as well as burritos using other unexpected, bold ingredients and fresh smoothies in 1997 by Berklee College. They became a hit and started to expand their menu and to other locations throughout Boston. I’ve been enjoying Boloco since I first visited Boston in ’03 when it was called ‘The Wrap’. Then in 2006 they changed the name to Boloco… BOston LOcal COmpany… Well, it was then that Improper Bostonian gave them one of their ‘Best of’ awards. Which award? “Stupidest Name Change” I had no problem with calling themselves The Wrap but I guess some people didn’t connect it to their the brand as they thought of cold deli sandwiches and not fresh made hot burritos. I don’t love the name but I do love what they serve, how they treat their employees, their mission to be green, and the charities they are envolved with.

So you won’t find you typical Chipotle style burritos here as they offer fun burritos like ‘Buffalo’, ‘Bangkok’, and ‘Tikka Marsala’ as well some kick you in the butt breakfast burritos. Plus they let you make up your own burrito combos using all the different ingredients they offer called ‘golocos’.

Boloco offers seasonal burritos as well. Since it’s the fall their current special is the ‘Late November Burrito’ which basically is your thanksgiving leftovers sandwich just wrapped up in a tortilla including house-roasted turkey, home-made stuffing, green beans, a tangy cranberry chutney, and served with a side of gravy. noms

My Teriyaki Burrito with Tofu, Cucumbers & Hot Sauce

While I enjoy lunch there my favorite time to go is in the morning for a smoothie or a breakfast burrito. It’s started to get too cold for me to enjoy my favorite Berry Blitz smoothie so I’ll occasionally treat myself to a burrito instead. My favorite is the Huevos Chorizo with its eggs, cheese, chorizo, and chipotle sour cream. Price’s favorite is the Truck Stop (eggs, cheese, bacon, and potatoes) with salsa.. Be sure to stop by before 11am to try one of their 5 options.

I do caution you to check out their nutrition facts as burritos can be sneaky caloric bombs. It’s just the way things are with burritos as flour tortillas are jerks with over 230 calories. I don’t even want to think about If you are watching your waist then I suggest sticking with the small burrito, which really isn’t too small, or a mini. Or you can just switch it up and go with a burrito bowl as you eliminate the tortilla.

Be sure to visit one of the 22 locations in Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and DC to enjoy a burrito and smoothie!

Check out this cool video about Boloco’s past 15 years. Awesome illustrations!

12 Courses @ BOKX 109

October 16, 2012

Last Wednesday night I was honored to be a part of a blogger’s tasting of the Fall Flavors Dinner at BOKX 109. I’ve had to been BOKX 109 at Hotel Indigo previously for events, and was always dying to go back to use the hotel’s pool when I was a resident of Newton. I enjoyed my visits then but I was interested to see what a new Excutive Chef Stephen Coe would have to offer.

I brought one of the General Contractors that I work with to the dinner with me. I’ve been working on this project for 18 months now and he joined the team shortly after construction started last summer. I’ve brought in baked goods and other goodies to the team at meetings and have told him about the fun blogging things I do so I wanted to share this experience with him. Obviously, Chris could not turn down a 12 course tasting menu with wine pairings.

-Course 1-

Pear & Mascarpone Sacchetti … aka ‘Smoke Show’ – sacchetti stuffed with pear and Mascarpone topped with a cream sauce, arugula, pickled red onion, and lemon.

This is called ‘smoke show’ as the sacchetti, purse shaped stuff pasta, were plated and then served under a large wine glass that was filled with hickory smoke. The presentation was incredible. Chef Coe removed the wine glass for me so I could take photos of the smoke billow out. The smoke provided a nice subtle taste to the dish. It added a nice contrast to the somewhat sweet tender handmade pasta delicately covered in a cream sauce. Once I took a bite of this dish I knew that the rest of the courses would be unforgettable. Knock your socks off first impressions.

This course was paired with Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc

-Course 2-

Grilled Oyster- local oyster grilled and topped with fennel pollen, tomatoes, panko bread crumbs, pancetta, and chive fondue.

I skipped this course because I do not like oysters. It’s a texture thing. I gave my dish to Chris, who really enjoys oysters. He liked both but commented on how overall they were salty. Also he noticed that the second one (mine) was less briny than his, which he preferred more.

According to Chef Coe, ‘Fennel Pollen has a flavor that is incredible–like taking the fennel seed, sweetening it and then intensifying it a hundred times.’

This course as paired with Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc

-Course 3-

Grilled Octopus- Octopus Carpaccio and grilled tentacles served with Arugula and pickled red onions finished with lemon juice, olive oil, and chives.

This dish has us stumped for a bit. We obviously knew there was grilled octopus put didn’t know what was below the grilled ocotopus. We were running through some of the ideas we had like hearts of palm or sunchoke. It was so thinny sliced and delicate! Well we asked Chef Coe and he explained it was octopus carpaccio, which is a dish of raw meat thinly sliced or pounded thin. Loved the play on 2 ways to prepare the octopus.

This course as paired with Deep Sea Chardonnay

-Course 4-

Tomato Heirloom Soup- Campbell style, tomato, garlic, onions, basil. Finished with Parmesan foam.

I could not believe that Chef Coe was describing his soup as ‘Campbell’s like’ as this was a hundred times better. I could see where he was going with this soup as everyone grows up with and reminds you of home, reminds you of warm coup after a cold afternoon playing outside. Bullseye. The soup was paired with a salad of fresh heirloom tomatoes and some fried cheese. While this was very good – basically a raw, whole soup – I still was wishing the soup was paired with a fun grilled cheese. I just can’t resist that pair.

This course as paired with Deep Sea Chardonnay

-Course 5-

Lobster Cavatelli- Lobster meat, shitake mushrooms, edamame, and finished with a chive cream sauce.

Such a big bowl, such a big tease. I’m honestly glad there was not too much of this as we were not even half way through dinner but if this was an entree I would need a massive bowl as this was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The fresh pasta was sauteed in the chive cream sauce and then combined with the mushrooms and edamame. Lobster was tossed in and then it was all topped off with some ribbons of ricotta salata. Did you get all that? Wow. Like I said, I only wish there was some more of it.

Did you know that ‘cavatellis are a type of pasta. The term cavatelli has two meanings: the most common meaning is small pasta shells that look like miniature hot dog buns. It is similar in shape to casarecci, but shorter in length. The name is less frequently used for a type of dumpling made with ricotta.’?

This course was paired with King Estate Signature Pinot Gris

-Course 6-

Decon Rabbit- Bacon wrapped rabbit with stewed butter bean

I skipped this course. I just can’t eat rabbit. I think of my pets and I just can’t. Thankfully my partner in crime has no mental blocks and enjoyed this dish. He liked it so much he stole some more off my plate. I should have just asked for the dish without the rabbit since the beans looked incredible. Dang it!

This course was paired with King Estate Signature Pinot Gris

-Course 7-

Sous Vide Veal Cheeks- Sous Vide Veal Cheeks with Tarragon Pappardelle and Parsnip puree

Oh this course, I spent the rest of the week and all weekend thinking about it. Fork tender meat on a bed of fresh pappardelle with parsnip puree. Every element of this dish was thoughtfully prepared. The veal was incredibly tender and seasoned perfectly. It was my first time having anything made in the sous vide technique and I am a firm supporter of it now. So tender! The fresh papparadelle was tender and lightly coated with a tarragon sauce. Now, I can’t believe I am saying this but I could have had a soup bowl full of the parsnip puree. I’m sure there is an obsence amount of butter/cream/magic in there but I don’t care as it was ah-mazing. The puree was fine and if you close your eyes you just imagine fall.

I was talking to Chris was I was taking photos as he began to eat. I was shooshed. He was haivng a moment with the veal cheeks. I then had my moment a minute later. I love when a dish leaves you speechless. Bliss.

This course was paired with Hogue Reserve Cabernet

-Courses 8 thru 11-

Dessert Plate–Blueberry & Prosecco Shooter, Strawberry & White Balsamic Jelly, Petite Tiramisu, Chocolate Cyclone

Every element on the plate was unique and delightful.

The blueberry and Persecco shooter was a fun. I loved the presentation of it in the square shooter and tiny straw. I only wish there was more Persecco as it was a little thick for the straw, but the flavors were light and refreshing.

The jelly duo was a nice delicate dessert. The white balsamic was light in flavor and was a nice pairing with the strawberry jelly. I’ve had concentrated balsamic with strawberries in the past but the white balsamic is even better match.

The petite tiramisu was exactly that- a tiny bite of tiramisu. Very clear flavors, but not too intense.

The chocolate cyclone was so intense and rich. It was a chocolate cone filled with chocolate mousse and topped off with caramel corn. O.M.G. fun presentation and fun dessert.

-Course 12-

Pop Rocks- Frozen Lemon Soufflé with pop rocks

This was such a fun way to end the dinner. The poprocks added a fun, whimsical end to it while the lemon souffle was like last hurrah. The frozen lemon souffle, which was not too frozen, reminded me of lemoncello, which is an after dinner Italian drink. Fun!

I enjoyed all of the wine pairings we had during dinner. From light fruity wines to richer reds, this covered it all and were paired nicely. All were new wines to me. I would try them all again while shopping for some wines to pair with dinner.

I loved this evening at BOKX 109. It was a very special dinner as it was at the chef’s table and a custom 12 course dinner for the group of bloggers. However, Chris and I watched the dishes coming out of the kitchen and we were dying over some of the things we saw coming out for the dinner service. There was a trio of beef that got higher as was arranged on the plate. Trio of beef!! Oh and don’t get me started on this dish with that started with a bed of potatoes, then asparagas, and then a cut of beef (fillet?). That was covered in hollandaise and then topped with lobster. I could die happy after that.

BOKX 109

Located inside Hotel Indigo

399 Grove Street

Newton, MA 02462

*While I did receive this complimentary meal from BOKX 109 these opinions are entirely my own.

____________________

Thanks for visiting. Please leave me a comment to provide some feedback. I appreciate all the comments I receive.

Monday Munchies: Katz’s Bagel Bakery- Chelsea, MA

October 15, 2012

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!

____________________

While Price and I were in the process of our house this spring, we saw a special on Chronicle about Chelsea, which added to our excitement about the city that we would be moving into. It gave us a lot of information about the history of the tiny city just outside of Boston as well as some great places to go to in Chelsea to see or eat. One place in particular was Katz’s Bagel Bakery. Who doesn’t love a great bagel? (Carbophobes- just stop reading…)

Katz’s Bagel Bakery (pronouced Kate’s) has been open in the same location since 1938 and has been run by 3 generations of Katz men; Harry to Richard and now Jimmy and Jeremy. They make bagels the authentic way by boiling them, letting them dry in a dryer, and then baking them. This process is applied to all of their varieties of bagels. The time, care. and quality ingredients they put into their bagels, and other bakery products, really shows.

So whenever we are in town we go to Katz’s bagels for breakfast on the weekends. I love bagels but I love really good bagels. Bagels from Katz a crusty on the outside and chewy on the inside. When split open you see a perfectly worked dough that has lovely air pockets giving it an all around great texture.

Katz’s is home to Pizza Bagels. Harry Katz came up with the idea in the 70’s to close a bagel and flatten that out a bit and use at as the dough. This makes their ‘pizza dough’ thick, chewy and the perfect base for a cheesy individual pizza. I did the biggest blogger faux pas and didn’t take a picture of my bagel pizza. I heated it up and it was so amazing looking I just dived in. once I was staring a an empty plate… oh crap! picture!! So here’s the deal, trust me when I say their pizza bagels are awesome and just go to get one.

No matter if you go for bagels, pizza bagels, bagel wrapped hot dogs, muffins, or eclairs (Friday & Saturday) you will have a great product, for a great deal. In this particular visit, I walked out of there with a bagel, cream cheese, pizza bagel, and a very large bag of bagel chips for just $8.

Check out Katz’s on a Chronicle segment.

Katz’s Bagels

139 Park Street

Chelsea, MA 02150

617.884.9738

Closed Mondays