Boston

Quack Quack: Make Way for Ducklings Parade- Mother’s Day 2015

May 11, 2015

Along one of the paths in Boston’s Public Garden, there is a Make Way for Ducklings Statue in honor of the children’s classic by the same name. When Robert McCloskey was studying in Boston in the 1930’s he would often sit in the Public Garden. That inspired him to write and illustrate the book about 10 years later. It won awards at the time and has been popular ever since.

The statue was installed in the 1987 in honor of the book. Families and kids love visiting it so much that the 9 bronze statues never have to be polished from kids petting and sitting on the ducks. Throughout the year the ducks are decorated with things like scarves in the winter, jerseys for champion sports teams, and hats for Mother’s Day!

In 1978 the first Duckling Parade was held on Mother’s Day. Since then large crowds gather to take part, and to watch, adorable little kids march through Boston Common and along part of the route that the ducks took into Boston Public Garden.

As we were unable to attend the parade last year, I was really looking forward to going this year for Mother’s Day. I was so excited to get a little outfit for Autumn as well. We didn’t want to get her a duck costume in case she hated it, or it was too hot, so I stuck with something she loves… tutus!! Loved it.

It was such a fun day together.

Even if Autumn rubbed her sunblock in her eyes and looked like she was crying for most of the day. Awww poor babe!

After we took photos at the statues we headed over to the area around the bandstand on The Common to check into registration, get a goodie bag, and play.

Awww, my loves.

There was one thing after another for her to explore and play with from balls to bouncy horses. She enjoyed how these were so many other kids around and so many things to play with. Even random picnic blankets to crawl on. ha!

However, Autumn did not enjoy getting to meet the big duck. She was okay in line and quite excited watching him meet the kids in front of us but when it was our turn she quickly decided he was scary and not to be trusted. ha!

Thankfully, the kind members of the Harvard Marching Band were a quick distraction to the horror of the big duck.

Right before the parade started we even got to meet Mayor Marty Walsh!

The parade was so much fun for those walking and those watching.

After the parade we headed out to lunch at Parish Cafe, one of our favorite spots in Boston. Autumn was on her best behavior allowing Price and I to enjoy our awesome Zuni Rolls (I swear the best sandwiches in Boston). Plus, I had delicious blood orange mimosas. Win!!

We enjoyed our walk back to the car through the Public Garden and Boston Common as well.

Mother’s Day was really wonderful this year.

It was so much fun for us all. We enjoyed the time doing the activities and participating in the parade together. So much to do, so much to tire you out!

I am thankful to be Autumn’s Mom. She has brought so much joy to my life. I am constantly in awe of her intelligence, charm, sweet personality, and fierce stance on things she wants. The last 17 months have been amazing. I’ve enjoyed watching her grow so much and I know that the best is yet to come.

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

A Sweet Treat: The Boston Chocolate Workshop

January 5, 2015

I’ve lived in Boston for over 10 years and I’ve done my fair share of exploring around the city. Price and I spent a Saturday years and years ago being hometown tourists walking the Freedom Trail. I’ve been to a lot of festivals, I’ve shopped the markets, taken a duck boat ride, but I haven’t done any food tours. I’m missing out!!!

I recently heard of Boston Chocolate Tours and how they host tours taking people all around Boston’s Back Bay or South End to sample different chocolate delicacies. That sounds awesome but it’s the dead of winter now so that sounded delightfully horrible… brrr cold!… so next best option is their chocolate making class. Yes, please!!

Held one Saturday a month in a private function room of the Elephant and Castle, you take a 2 – 2 1/2 hour class where you learn about where chocolate is grown, how it’s made, enjoy hot chocolate (different than hot cocoa!), and you get to make your own truffles too!!

While I say you learn so much, it’s not boring, like being back in school, since the teacher keeps it fun, light, and not too technical. No slides or power points to fall asleep to, but you won’t leave scratching your head either.

Like, cocoa nib are just raw dried cocoa beans that have been broken up. We got to ‘make’ cocoa nibs and test out cocoa butter, which really is a wonderful moisturizer.

The class was taught by Chef Dorian McCarron, who has over 15 years experience as a pastry chef. As well, he competed on and won on the 2nd season of Sweet Genius, a Food Network competition similar to Chopped, but with sweets as the main focus.

His passion for chocolate is a pure as the chocolate we used in class. For example, he explained that REAL chocolate only has 5 ingredients in it – cocoa butter, cocoa liquor, sugar, soy lecithin, and real vanilla- and how a lot of chocolate companies don’t sell real chocolate. This really stuck with me as I have been doing a lot of baking recently and I have noticed that the chips I get from various companies have a different quality to them. If you are looking to use the best stuff then get Ghirardelli, Lindt, Green and Black’s (also organic!), Godiva, and Baker’s. And even Trader Joe’s sells the real stuff! However, Hershey’s and Nestle isn’t the real stuff… sad face. But lesson learned so I’m only getting the good stuff from now on! Thanks Chef McCarron!!

As well, I learned the ins and outs of tempering chooclate, in a pretty simple way.

I always took it for granted, but learning the science behind it has opened my eyes to why it’s so important. It makes me want to get a tempering machine. Just kidding! Those babies are like 3K! Whaa? But not to be discouraged, you can temper chocolate yourself as home with a heat safe bowl set upon pot with some water in it. The water CAN NOT touch the bottom of the bowl! You need a space for the steam to swirl around in between the surface of the water and bottom of the bowl. And a whisk. And your arm. Just start moving that chocolate- yes, even before it’s melted- and don’t stop! You’ll need to add more chocolate in when the chocolate is melted and at the right temperature. Chef McCarron broke it down in an easy to follow way that makes me want to really give it a try. And make more truffles!

Fellow Boston based food blogger Taryn attended the class as well.

She went with her mom, which is such a great idea. I think this class would be great for mothers and daughters to take. As well, it would be great for couples. A fun, sweet date.

There was various options for you to roll your truffles in or on after you dipped them in the tempered chocolate.

I generally just rolled my chocolate and them rolled them in the toppings- toffee, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, toasted coconut, and powdered sugar- as dipping them in the tempered chocolate was quite stressful to me. I was so afraid that it would fall off the dipping fork and them mess up the tempered chocolate, ruining it. I’m just a ball of nerves for no real reason when it comes to stuff like that, as there were a few kids (I’d guess 8 years old?) and they had no problems with this task.

One of the 3 dozen tuffles I made.

This baby is hanging out in some powdered sugar. It’s important to coat the ganache after you rolled the balls out so that they don’t stick to each other. Either you coat them in a topping like the powdered sugar or in tempered chocolate.

See those lovely chocolates, those are Taryn’s. I told you her’s were so pretty. And she packaged them so beautifully too.

If you want to learn about chocolate and make some truffles of your own then I highly suggest attending their class. It was so much fun and it really opened my eyes to buying and working with chocolate. A sweet treat indeed!

I was invited by Boston Chocolate Tours to attend their Chocolate Workshop ($75) for the purposes of this recap and review. All opinions are my own.

Feasting with Saint Anthony

September 4, 2014

I remember going to Feast of San Gennaro in New York City when I was going up. IT was always so much fun. I loved the hot pavement underfoot that I skipped along while taking in all the sights and smells of the Feast. I enjoyed it so much so I look forward to taking Autumn to cultural food festivals as she grows up.

Well 9 months old is the perfect time to start that tradition!

This past weekend my mom, Autumn, and I ended up at St. Anthony’s Feast in the North End as we were going into Boston to do some produce shopping at the Haymarket vendor’s market. Instead of going at the crack of dawn, like I normally do, we ending up going later in the day so we could enjoy the Feast as well.

The North End is such a fun place to go to in Boston. It’s the Little Italy of Boston. Italian restaurants, bakeries, and import shops line the streets. It’s best just to wander as you discover sandwich shops gelaterias. There are some much hyped about places, such as Mike’s Pastry, but every place has a special place in every Bostonians’ heart.

We did some browsing around the whole festival when we first arrived, which is when it first started, at noon. Of course, my mom couldn’t resist playing a game of darts to win Autumn a little prize.

People pin money to Saint Anthony in hopes that their prayers will be answered.

Ah, the real reason we came! THE FOOD!!!

We checked out all the different vendors that served Italian favorites. My mow was nostalgic for a Sausage, Pepper, and Onions sub so she grabbed one of those for her lunch. It’s just such a classic.

And then my mom spotted a stall that sold fresh sucked shell fish. She was commenting on how it had been ages she had little necks so she couldn’t resist getting some of those.

And once she polished off her first plate of little necks she turned right around and got another 6 of them ($8). The guy loved her enthusiasm so she gave her an extra on that plate. Even better!

I debated getting a slice of pizza or an Arancini ($7), but I ultimately decided on the arancini, a risotto rice ball stuffed with a filling and served with gravy (marinara sauce) and Parmesan cheese. I knew that I would be sharing with Autumn so I thought the arancini would be the best bet for her.

I was correct! Autumn couldn’t get enough of the Arancini. She basically ate half of it! Her little hands would flap around in between bites telling me she wanted more. So cute!!

And to round out the indulgence we got some fried dough ($5). I am still soo very sad that the vendors here in Boston don’t make Pizza Fritte, let alone that some of them have never heard of it. ugh. But thankfully this was so good so it momentarily had me forgive them for not making the best street food ever.

St Anthonys Feast-20

Once we had our fill we started to make our way over to the Haymarket produce market, but on our way we stopped by the fountain on the Rose Kennedy Greenway. I have always loved watching the kids playing in the fountain so it was great that Autumn had her first time trying it as well.

St Anthonys Feast-17

I accidentally put on shorts that were so simailar to Autumn’s pants (just about the same color with pink details- mine embrodered anchors, her’s printed bikes). As soon as I came down stairs Price gave me a ‘really, you’re dressing the same now?!’ and so I ran back up and tossed on some blue Vineyard Vine shorts and all was right in the world. For a very brief moment.

No bathing so, no problem!

This little boy was running around in the fountain too. He ran over and asked to be in our pictures. Okay, well, why not? Everyone becomes friends while playing in the fountain!

It was such a great afternoon!

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.

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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Rating

Crab cake– 32 pts

Poached Egg– 23 pts

Hollandaise Sauce– 25 pts

Hash-brown and Greens– 8 points

Total: 88/100

The Cottage- Chestnut Hill

Boylston Street

Chestnut Hill, MA

Monday Munchies: Fajitas and ‘Ritas- Boston, MA

March 17, 2014

Fajitas and ‘Ritas has been serving Boston with fun Tex-Mex food since 1989. Enjoy Texas favorites from Nachos to Tequila Wings, Fajitas to Barbecue, and Chili to Burritos. That’s 25 years of amazing lunches and dinners serving up some delisious food and drinks!

Price had worked near Fajitas and ‘Ritas years ago so we would occasionally meet there for lunches or drinks after work. It was a great place for affordable meals and drinks to help you get though the rest of a rough day.

It had been ages since we went but going back for lunch recently brought back the memories of the great food and margaritas we enjoyed together and with friends among the mural covered walls.

During our recent visit, we had planned on starting with the Build Your Own Nachos. Basically, you start with a plate of tortilla chips with melted cheese ($3.74) and then you pick the toppings you would like. I like that you can make the nachos exactly how you enjoy them with steak ($3.74) or chicken ($2.15) or chili ($1.64) and topped off with things like sour cream ($.75) or jalapenos ($47). Nachos were on my mind but since a basket of warm tortilla chips with salsa were put in front of us the moment we were seated we decided to enjoy those and pick other starters when we ordered our drinks.

I ordered the Mexican Sunrise ($6.07). I wanted something fun and it sounded like a great pick with it’s Lunazul Reposado, Grenadine, lemonade, orange juice, fresh lime juice, and ginger ale. It had great bite from the tequila and the lemonade and was such a pretty color from the Grenadine. I liked the slight effervescence from the ginger ale as well.

Price enjoyed the house margarita ($5.37). Fresh citrus and a hearty amount of tequila always makes for a great drink. Plus, the affordable price doesn’t hurt.

Ultimately, we decided on starting with the small order of 8 tequila wings ($8.18). Price loves wings so this was his pick. He was excited to dig right in when they were set down in front of us and the scent of the wings rose up with the steam coming off the hot wings.

The tequila wings were juicy and really flavorful without being too hot. The tequila adds a really nice flavor. I would have preferred the skin to be crisper but I’m honestly really picky about wings since I don’t actually really like wings. shhh… I prefer tenders but I have to say I did have one of these and it was really good. Loved the flavor from the sauce.

The wings were served with a zesty blue cheese sauce and, of course, celery. I loved the blue cheese sauce as it was really creamy and flavorful. I couldn’t resist dipping some tortilla chips into the sauce as well.

I picked out the special of Jalapeno Poppers since they are some of my favorite appetizers. I love the combo of spicy pepper with cooling cream cheese and the crunch from the crisp coating. These poppers were a perfect combo of that. Plus crazy fresh from the fryer, which is a must with poppers as you want a hot filling and crisp coating.

The jalapeno poppers were served with the same zesty blue cheese sauce as the wings.

Fajitas and ‘Ritas has several zones in their restaurant. It makes for flexible seating when it comes to avoiding loud crowds or for hosting a party in an area.

For my entrée, I ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas ($10.28) because I couldn’t pass up the signature dish in which the restaurant is named.

The fajitas are served with fresh guacamole, chopped pico de gallo, sour cream, and 2 warm flour tortillas.

I loved it all. It was a large portion of vegetables with steak and 4 shrimp. The steak was lean, flavorful, and tender while the shrimp had a nice blackening to it from the heat of the cooktop. The steak was cut into strips so it was easy for stacking into the tortillas.

Because we enjoyed 2 starters, I saved half of my fajitas to have for lunch the next day. It heated up well in the microwave as the veggies were still a bit crisp and the steak was not too well done in the first place so it didn’t get tough and chewy after it was reheated.

Price picked the pulled pork platter ($9.35). The platters are served with a corn muffin, cole slaw, beans, and a side of BBQ sauce. The typical hearty Texas meal!

Price really enjoyed the 12 hour smoked pork that was smothered in BBQ sauce. The thick sauce was smokey and sweet and a great compliment to the beans. A bite of pulled pork followed up with a bite of corn muffin was a great combination.

We both really enjoyed the cole slaw as it was really crunchy and lightly dressed. For us, texture is a big factor in a good cole slaw and this style of cut (like a dice, not ribboned) makes it extra crunchy.

While Price was enjoying his entrée, he had a CoronaRita ($8.41). What’s a CoronaRita? Well, it’s their house frozen margarita served with an upside down 7oz bottle of Corona in it. As you drink the margarita you pull the Corona out of the drink to release more of the beer so it mixes with the ‘rita. yum!

Besides the margaritas, they also serve wine and margarita like drinks with a vodka base instead of tequila. The Texas Sipper ($6.54) made with Titos Handmade Vodka, St. Germain, Grapefruit Juice, soda has my name all over it for next time.

I had been hoping to enjoy some dessert but we had filled up too much on our meal. Only means we need to go back for some Sopapillas (One for $1.64, Three for $4.40) and, of course, more ‘ritas!

And a big THANK YOU to our waitress who gave us awesome service, as well as being super sweet to Autumn. Just the sweetest thing ever!!!!!! Love the extra attention for our little one. Made my day.

Fajitas and ‘Ritas

25 West St #1

Boston, MA 02111

617.426.1222

*While a portion of my lunch bill was comped by Fajitas and ‘Ritas these opinions are entirely my own.

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Monday Munchies: Brunch at Local 149- Boston, MA

March 3, 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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Oh man, I love going to Local 149.

I love the food. I love the drinks. I love the decor.

I’ve gone for work outings. I’ve gone for birthday celebrations. I’ve enjoyed dinner and drinks. And for brunch and drinks. Ah, drinks. 🙂

I had been thinking about going to Local 149 for the past month. I was craving a good brunch and had been thinking of Local 149 since I had gone there back in October with my mom when she surprised me when we came up from Florida for my baby shower.

On this recent brunch outing Price and I enjoyed some Bloody Mary’s. The Bloody Mary ($10) has a homemade horseradish tomato juice base. They came garnished with an olive, a slice of pepperoni, and a peppadew pepper. Their Bloody Mary is really good but I like mine with more lemon juice- just my personal preference.

I am looking forward to the next time I go and trying the Irish Breakfast ($10). The Irish whiskey, cereal milk, amaretto, and cold-brewed coffee sounds irresistable. I just love whiskey and amaretto. And combined… sign me up!

I had suggested that we kick off brunch with the Mac and Cheese Fritters ($7) but Price suggested the Crispy Beignet Bag ($7). Being so close to Mardi Gras I was sold on the idea of some beignets!

These are not like the beignets we had at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. Those were big pillowy beignets, but these were little beignet nuggets. Very different than what we were expecting but still very good!

As soon as these little beignet nuggest are out of the fryer they were tossed into a bag with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. Then to take thing to the next level, they were given a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar before being served to you. So yummy.

Price had an order of the Chicken and Waffles ($17). A huge crisp sweet waffle made for a great pedestal for some crispy, crunchy fried chicken. The chicken breast, thigh, and drumstick were all very juicy and tender. But what tops it off is that the Chicken and Waffles are served with warm maple syrup, a warm nutmeg butter, and apricot jam. The nutmeg added a bit of spice to the butter.

The best way to eat this is to cut a piece of syrup drenched waffle, then put a bit of butter and jam on the waffle. Okay, got that? Then you rip off a piece of chicken and stab your fork through the chicken and waffle and take a big bite. Enjoy!

Now the thing that I had been craving was the Texas in Southie ($12). It all starts with a slice of buttery texas toast that is surrounded with a generous portion of corned beef hash, that is packed full with seasoned homefries.All of that is then topped off with a fried egg and hollandaise sauce. Glorious.

The dish comes with a sunny side up egg but I prefer mine over-easy so I requested that instead. The egg was so runny, soo sunshine yellow happy. Mixing together the runny yolk with Hollandaise and then scooping up some hash and swooping it through the sauce is such a perfect bite. Try it, trust me.

Now that was an awesome brunch!

Be sure to arrive right after Local 149 opens at 11 if you don’t have a reservation, or just be flexible to wait. And just maybe, you can try to snag one of the tables by the fireplace! I’d totally request that when making a reservation.

Local 149

149 P street

South Boston, MA

617 269.0900

Brunch on Saturday and Sunday 11am-3pm

Tip Tap Benedict @ The Tip Tap Room, Boston MA

October 1, 2013

For one of our monthly date days I took Pricer out to brunch at The Tip Tap Room here in Boston for their Tipsy Brunch. We have loved Chef/owner Brian Poe since we met him years ago when he became the head chef of The Rattlesnake Bar and Grill. I knew that brunch would be a hit here because of how awesome everything from the The Rattlesnake, and here at the Tip Tap Room, has been over the past few years.

Tip Tap Bloody Mary

our spicy homemade Bloody Mary with a candied bacon rim. $10.00

Obviously, brunch = Bloody Mary’s. While I love a mimosa, I can thow together some oj and champange/ perseco myself so I go I will order a Bloody Mary 9x out of 10. I’m always just so interested in how everyone makes their Bloody Mary base mix and how they finish off the glass with garnish. And this candied bacon rim was a winner. Sometimes I struggle with a bacon rim because it will be super smoked and I think that can just be too intense for the spicy sharp flavors of the Bloody Mary. So this slightly sweet bacon rim was really enjoyable.

Muffins and Stuff

Chef Poe’s blend of fresh breads with breakfast caramel butter $6.00

We started with the Muffins and Stuff to see what kind of fresh breads they offered. The chocolate bread was to die for. To-die-for. everything was incredible really with the moist breast, toasted English Muffins, and crunchy pastries. Plus, there was a caramel infused butter served along side of the bread basket. I wanted to sneak this ramekin into my purse. It was heavenly with its soft consistency and a sweet flavor that had toasty notes that went really well with the sweeter breads.

Corned Beef Hash

Topped with a poached egg $11.00

Price ordered the Corned Beef Hash entrée. It honestly surprised me because 1) he doesn’t covet Hollandaise like I do and 2) he doesn’t love runny eggs. So I had guessed he would pick something like the Belgian Beer Waffles or the Steak & Egg entrees.

So when he picked the Corned Beef, and loved it, I was really shocked. But he really enjoyed combining the in homemade shaved corned beef with the home fries and scooping up a bite of the Hollandaise sauce covered egg. It was that really balanced bite that he really enjoyed. The runny egg yolk was not too intense for him because it was mixed together with the Hollandaise sauce, and ultimately mixed together with the salty meat and crisp potatoes. A real play on texture and flavors.

Tip Tap Room_Corned Beef Hash_02

I think that I have to give this a try next time.

serious noms.

Tip Tap Benedict

Butter Fried Smashed Potato Cake dusted with English Muffin Crumbs, Cured Ham, Poached Eggs, Beer Cheese Hollandaise $12.50

Of course I ordered the Eggs Benedict dish. duh.

I did consider some of the other entrée offerings, but only for a split second since I can’t resist Eggs Benedict and this once just sounded so incredible.

I was really intregeted by the Fried Smashed Potato Cake because I was wondering how it would taste and if it would have a chunky texture. I was thinking of the post- Thanksgiving leftover creations I make up. But I discovered this was not at all like my leftover mashups. (Thankfully!) This potato cake was soo light, fluffy, and very smooth. The English Muffin crumbs on the outside were super fine and a lovely golden brown color. Oh yeah, there might have been some butter going on.

On top of the potato cake was the cured ham, which was just like Canadian Bacon, and then the egg and the dreamy Beer Cheese Hollandaise sauce. I repeat… Beer Cheese Hollandaise. Yep, can’t have a tipsy brunch without some beer in your Hollandaise sauce. Plus it was cheesy too! So it was not like any other Hollandaise I had before since I’m sured to the more traditional sauce that is pretty lemony. The play on the sauce was really interesting. It was really think, creamy and all around amazing.

Under all that Beer Cheese Hollandaise sauce were the loveliest poached eggs. I love when they don’t look that uniform, like someone cut off the edges with a scissor. Besides that they were cooked well. The yolk was super runny and there was not too much (gross) runny white surrounding it.

I wanted to lick this plate clean to get every bit of the egg yolk, Hollandaise sauce and infused oil off the plate and into my stomach. But I had some self control and managed to resist myself.

Rating

Potato cake– 20/20 pts

Cured Ham– 18/20 pts

Poached Egg– 23/25 pts

Hollandaise Sauce– 25/25 pts

No side*– 0/10 pts

Total: 86*/100 pts

*There was no side, like home fries or a side salad, which I rate because its pairing is just as important. Also, I can’t just ignore a bad side when looking at a whole entrée. So while there was no side (knocking it 10 points from my rating) it was a hearty enough Eggs Benedict that I didn’t feel like it was lacking, especially with the big potato cakes.

The Tip Tap Room

138 Cambridge Street

Boston, MA 02114

(857) 350-3344

Tipsy Brunch: Sunday 10:30am—3pm

Monday Munchies: Angela’s Cafe, Boston MA

August 19, 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!

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I’ve been so horrible about sharing great eateries in Monday Munchies series. It’s just that I’ve been a lazy blogger recently. Really lazy. Oh, pregnancy and summer. Double whammy. Plus, ever since we’ve found out that The Bean is on its way we have been watching our spending. Oh hey, did you know that daycare is expensive… FML.

So anyway, I’m finally back with Angela’s Cafe, an amazing Mexican restaurant in East Boston. We’ve enjoyed going to Angela’s for a few years now. It all started when I was watching a co-worker’s dog and they suggested a few places in the area in case we wanted to go out. One of which was Angela’s, which of course was a big hit.

This hole in the wall neighborhood joint features the best of homemade Poblano Cuisine you can get. Fresh ingredients are prepared in dishes as simple as the Flautas starter ($7) to complex entrees like the Mariscada ($22). It has been widely recognized for the true flavors they serve from being written up in the Boston Globe to being heavily awarded to being featured on Diners, Drive In’s, and Dives.

When you go you receive a complimentary basket of chips with 2 kinds of salsa. They are generous about refilling the basket so dive right in while you peruse the menu.

I suggest that you start with an order of their regular size Guacamole ($9.50), which is made to order in a molcajete. The bigger size is worth it since you won’t be able to resist it. Plus it will go quickly if you are with others.

Also suggest their Queso Fundito ($9.00) as an appetizer. It is so good. Cheesy. Spicy. Dippy. Take a bite with fresh tortillas and you won’t regret it.

I’ve always enjoyed everything we’ve ordered for dinner ranging from burritos ($7.95) to quesadillas ($7.95- $9.85) to Chilles Rellenos ($17).

When Price’s dad was in town we took him here as it is becoming a go to destination for us when family is visiting. It’s just hard to resist not sharing great food and amazing fresh margaritas ($9.50) with them. It wouldn’t be fair not to share this gem with them.

Price ordered the Enchiladas Salsa Rojas ($15) with chicken. The dish is either served with a red sauce or green sauce, and either way is a big hit with it’s hand rolled enchiladas. These are not the typical cheesy enchiladas you order out but a lighter version that is stuffed with your choice of shredded chicken, pork, or vegetables. The trio is topped with a duo of Mexican cheeses, sliced onions and radishes, and some wedges of fresh avocado. As well as being served along side yellow rice and beans.

I ordered chicken Mole Poblano de Angela ($17). The chicken is lean and topped with a complex sauce made of the chocolate, nuts, and a variety of chilies. The spice to the dish is subtle but the flavors are powerful. I enjoyed pieces of the chicken in pieces of warm homemade tortillas that was served along side of yellow rice and black beans.

We were so stuffed during this recent visit that we skipped dessert but I can assure you that the flan ($5.95) is amazing!! If you happen to save room then I say go for it. The caramel topped custard is rich a so creamy.

Stop by Angela’s Cafe in East Boston for some amazing Mexican food and imagine yourself slipping away while you sip on your fresh margarita!

Angela’s Cafe

131 Lexington Street

East Boston, MA 02128

617.567.4972

Monday – Thursday: 8am – 9pm

Friday & Saturday: 8am – 10pm

Sunday: 8am – 3pm

My city

April 16, 2013

Boston (and the surrounding towns of Brookline, Newton, and Chelsea) has been my home since late August 2003. I am approaching my 10 yr anniversary of when we packed up my stuff into a u-haul and my mom and step dad moved me up to my cute studio apartment at Beacon Street and Mass Ave. I left everything I knew behind in CT to go to a new to me city to attend Boston Architectural College.

I was setting forth on my own little adventure in Boston.

I always joke/whine that Boston is not a city all because of its size and my long-standing relationship with NYC. But it is a great little city that has captured my heart. I love to wander around the different neighborhoods when we have time to. While I joke how small it is, I also enjoy that it is so small and you can practically walk end to end taking it all in.

It is well-known that I do not like winter but when the snow is lightly falling on The Common or at the old cemeteries across from where I work I can’t help but smile as the city gets a new white start that day.

Then in the spring as the magnolia blossoms are opening wide along the Commonwealth Avenue Mall I take that in. I loved it the first spring I was here and I love it still. I push the limits and wear flip-flops far to soon but love the warm days that are woven between the days that still have a chill in the air.

My favorite season is summer with heat radiating off the pavement and my hair sticks to my neck from the humidity. The city is alive with events and people all around soakng up the summer sun. I can’t miss an opportunity to sit on the greenway and watch kids run through the fountains while I enjoy a lunch from a food truck.

And the fall is lovely in New England so it goes without a doubt to say that Boston has a special feel about it when the air gets crisp and cool again.

I’m still quite in shock when I think about the attack on Boston yesterday along the Boston Marathon route. I find attacks like this cowardly. How dare you harm innocent people cheering on family and friends doing something they love? How dare you?!?

As much as this incident is horrible, horrific, and senseless, I am reminded of how much good there is in the world as I hear stories and see images of people helping out at the explosion sites or by opening their homes up to people who couldn’t get back to their hotels.

This will only make us stronger.