boston

Monday Munchies: KO Catering and Pies

March 21, 2016

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 had taken a winter break from my Monday Munchies series since it was just too dang cold out to go out. Just kidding. Well, sorta. It was cold, but the holidays are crazy and then from there we went into ‘moving mode’ and things got even crazier. But I’m back today and I have a great place to share with you.

Now, people typically think of Shrimp on the Barbie, ginormous steaks, and vegemite when they think of Australian food, but KO Catering and Pies educates Bostonians on what Australian comfort food is all about.

Since opening their first location in South Boston in October of 2010, they have selling out of meat pies left and right. Thankfully, I learned of the hole in the wall storefront soon after they opened so I have been a long time fan. At that point I was a decent 30+ minute drive to there from our house so I was fully committed when I would drive over to stock up on warm and frozen pies and sausage rolls.

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Butter Poached Lobster Eggs Benedict- State Street Provisions

January 21, 2016

You’ve just taken a sip of your mimosa, when your plate arrives. It’s placed in front of you and you take it all in. The luscious yellow river of Hollandaise over the dome of poached eggs that are sitting on top of crisp Canadian Bacon and crunchy, buttery English Muffin halves. But the real beauty is when you take your fork, turn it on its side, and gently press it into one of those poached eggs, making the sunshine yellow yolk pour out. Then you cut a piece and take a bite.

That is brunch for me. And that is pure bliss.

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Our Boston Bucket Update- 100 days to go!

December 22, 2015

We are currently 100 days out from when we are planning on closing on selling our house and moving to Florida. Yay!!!

I seriously can’t wait. To be honest, I’m really depressed now with a lot of things and the only thing keeping me from not doing this to Boston is looking forward to checking things off this list. It’s helping keep things fun when I just want to wear my pajamas 24/7 while watching every Meg Ryan movie ever over and over again while eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on Wonderbread. With wine.

That being said, we have been working on our Boston Bucket List! It’s been fun to visit places again or for the first time. It is keeping our weekends fun and busy.

Here is an update on our progress.

RED = Done!

BOLD= Still on to do list

~~CROSSED OFF~~= missed our chance

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Places/Events/Things

Attend the Head of the Charles

We had so much fun going to the regatta this fall (Post here!)

Visit Provincetown

We went this summer for the day and had a wonderful time (Post here!)

~~Duck Boat Tour~~

Missed our chance this summer. I had previously gone on one with my mom, but we wanted to take Autumn on one

Visit Martha’s Vineyard

Visit Nantucket

Go to the top of the Custom House

Visit Cape Cod… maybe even the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory Tour!

So crushed this one! We stayed for the week with my family in August. And even went to the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory (Post here!)

Plymouth Plantation

Walk the Freedom Trail (again!)

Boston Harbor Cruise

We sorta did this… I will say that we did as we took the ferry to P-Town (Post here!)

~~Go on a Whale Watch~~

Unfortunately, we were unable to go camping this summer, but honestly I think Autumn would have been bored. Bummer, but we did go once before a few years go

~~Shop at SoWa Market & eat at the food trucks~~

We missed our chance this busy summer but did other fun shopping at the Saturday market on the Greenway

~~Visit Boston Harbor Islands~~

Unfortunately, we were unable to go this summer

Candle Pin Bowling

Foodie Things

Top of the Hub (again)

Cutty’s Sandwich Shop – Brookline

Bamboo Thai Restaurant (one of our favorites)

Durgin Park

Moody’s Deli- Waltham

Rino’s Place- East Boston

Blackbird Doughnuts- South End

Kane’s Donuts- Saugus

Speed Dogs

Cheers Bar

Parish Cafe for Zuni Rolls (can’t have enough of these)

Went on Memorial Day! (Post here!)

Gruyere Cheese Croissants from Clear Flour Bakery

Autumn’s Firsts

~~Attends a Red Sox game and runs the bases at Fenway~~

Unfortunately, we missed our chance, but we did go to Fenway with her on Father’s Day

Take Autumn to Make Way for Ducklings Statues

We did it on Mother’s Day!!! (Check out our post here!)

Take Autumn to Salem around Halloween

We went early to beat the crowds and it was perfect! We had a great breakfast and had fun walking all around Salem (Post here!)

Mother’s Day Make Way for Ducklings Parade

We did it!!! (Check out our post here!)

Skiing with Autumn

Umm, where’s the snow?!

Go on the Carousel on the Greenway

And Beyond

~~Smorgasburg- Brooklyn~~

Sadly, didn’t get a chance to go to NYC in the summer

See the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center- NYC

Yes! So excited we did this recently, and I got to enjoy it with my family too! (Check out the post recapping our adventure here!)

Walk the locations of You’ve Got Mail around NYC

Visit Gma’s House at Maine

We went this summer over the 4th of July weekend (Posts here and here and here!)

Visit Cooper and Tara in Maine

Get a Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery- NYC

Dinosaur BBQ (Syracuse/Stamford)

Becky’s Diner- Portland Maine

~~Camping Weekend in New Hampshire~~

Unfortunately, we were unable to go camping this summer

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches from the Firehouse Deli- Greenwich, CT

Yes! When I was in Greenwich for an overnight for work and again when we were visiting to see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Delish!!

Garden Catering – Greenwich, CT

Chocolate Brioche Rolls from The Kneaded Bread- Port Chester, NY

Head of the Charles.2015

October 20, 2015

The 51st ~~running~~ rowing of the Head of the Charles was held this past weekend. Since it was our last chance to see it before we move, we went to check it and cheer along with other bystanders out along the banks of the River Charles.

Although both Price and I have been in Boston since 2003, neither of us had been to it. So when we were creating our Boston Bucket List, it just had to be included.

The day was beautiful, but brisk, so our visit wasn’t too long since the wind would sting your face a bit (poor rowers!). It was just long enough to walk along the banks, enjoy watching the races, and give some cheers.

We even got to check out a playground, where Autumn mastered going down the swirly slide all by herself.

The midmorning sun danced atop the ripples on The Charles and the vibrant fall leaves rustled in the wind. It made me so happy to be outside enjoying the sights and smells of fall. There is something so distinct about the smell of leaves that recently fallen to the ground and are being toasted by the sun. It is one of my favorite smells related to the season. I will miss it terribly next year, but knowing that there is a ‘last time’ for my experiences up here has made me much more aware of my surroundings and feelings than in previous years when I have taken this beauty for granted.

After we took in our fill of the regatta, we headed back to Harvard Square to enjoy lunch at Tasty Burger (I wrote about their food truck here). Then we swung into Sweet Cupcakes for an afternoon treat. Autumn helped picked them out for each of us, but still, magically, ate half of mine. Mainly, she was so fascinated with the street performer that she was almost too distracted to really eat her cupcake. She was pretty happy carrying it around to give the street performer a dollar.

It was such a great day together. I’m so glad that we were able to go to the Head of the Charles and cross it off Our Boston Bucket List. So fun!

So Fresh and Vibrant – The New Boston Public Market

July 31, 2015

Years of planning, development, design, funding, and building have come to fruition for Boston’s brand spanking new Boston Public Market. The hard work has paid off at the beautifully designed space is filled with amazing artisanal vendors.

I have been waiting anxiously for the 30,000 sq. ft. indoor, local-only, year-round public market to open ever since the first sign went up on the windows at the space at Haymarket Station. I’ve enjoyed my walks by to catch my bus home as I’ve had the chance to take peeks into the windows as the window signage has come down

They have various kinds of vendors from ones that sell baked goods, produce, prepared foods, and meats. You can find everything from fresh local seafood to freshly made donuts and ice cream to stir fry.

I had the pleasure of attending a preview event of Boston Public Market on Wednesday night. Getting to tour the space was so exciting.

We started off in The Hub of the space, which is the central spot in the Market where they have displays to feature different vendors, the schedule of what classes and programs are happening in The Kitchen.

Directly off The Hub is an area that the architects nicknamed as “Meat Street” as that is where the butchers and seafood vendors are located. There are several vendors that sell organic, pasture raised meats (beef, chicken, lamb, rabbit, sausages, etc) and locally sourced seafood.

Reds Best is a Boston based fish whole-seller and retailer that prides itself in providing you with fish days sooner and fresher than the fish you can purchase from your local grocery store, for the same cost. They track all of their fish with bar-codes and scanners so you can learn where exactly your seafood came from and who fished it. It really is a unique system that allows you to connect with their network of fisherman.

The Kitchen is a 4,000 sf test kitchen style space connected to the market which has a kitchen set up to allow people to gather around for informal free classes or to attend a class to learn how to make a specialty meal. They are in the beginning stages of scheduling their class programming, but they are aiming to providing classes and cooking demonstrations at 3 price points – Free, $5-25, and $25- $85 depending on the length of class, topic, and ingredient cost.

It can even function as its own space to host parties, book signings, or classes well past the closing of the market (8pm). It’s such a fun idea to take a class together to learn how to make the dinner you are about to enjoy. Such a fun date night idea!

I couldn’t get over the amount of fresh flowers that were throughout the space. They were just so beautiful. I can’t wait to get some flowers one day on my way home to brighten up our home. I was eyeing some stunningly beautiful boutiques for just $8. Awesome.

Union Square Donuts is a favorite of mine (previously reviewed HERE) and anyone who has tried their amazing donuts. They are going to be very busy with people coming in for a donut on their way into work!

Then we stopped by and chatted with one of the lovely owners of Mother Juice, an organic, cold-pressed juice, smoothie and plant-based cafe. They started as a food truck and then went brick and mortar in Cambridge and now they have their stall in the market. They serve vegan and gluten free foods that they locally source. Obviously, they don’t get their bananas locally, but they do the majority of their sourcing locally, even from the other market vendors.

I absolutely love that the Boston Public Market has set up is a Cookbook Exchange. You can exchange cookbooks from ones you have well-loved (or maybe they are collecting some dust!) so that you can constantly try new cuisines from the cookbooks that are currently ready for exchange at the market.

The market will be a buzz with people, but the outside will have plenty of great bees buzzing around the area, including the near by Rose Kennedy Greenway.

Boston Honey Company has set up a hive in their stall where bees can come and go as they please through a hatch along the facade on Hanover Street. Take a peak and look for the large blue and yellow stickers, which help them locate the hive from the outside of the building. I learned so much about bees in just the few minutes that we stopped by the stall.

Be sure to sample some of their honeys! They have a lovely selection of honey from their bees that are established in Massachusetts, New York, and Georgia. The bees winter in Georgia while it’s too cold in New York and Massachusetts, where they have hives to pollinate apple trees and produce honey.

I tried and loved the Galberry variety, which is from their hives in Georgia.

Hopsters, a Newton based brewery, has a 1,000 sf beer alley, where they will sell beer, hard cider, and liquor brewed, fermented, and distilled in New England.

In connection to The Kitchen, they will do pairing classes. But if you can’t make it to a class be sure to request a sample of their beers (with proper ID, of course!).

Nella Pasta is nationally recognized for their deliciously unique varieties of freshly made pastas. I previously took a cooking class from the BCAE (recap HERE) and was able to first hand learn about their pastas and taste their fun varieties of ravioli, like roasted butternut squash & sage, broccoli, feta & toasted cashew, and potato, leek & roasted garlic.

While there owners Leigh and Rachel were busy at work producing a gluten free variety.

One of my favorite stops was at Red Apple Farm, based out of Phillipston, MA. We sampled their freshly fried apple cider donuts and apple crisp. Those mini cider donuts are going to be trouble for me this fall! Highly addictive.

I also picked up a bottle for their Fire Cider ($25), a apple cider vinegar based digestive tonic. I totally understand its namesake. Man, a shot of that really packs a punch!

Care for some fudge?

There are 3 non-food vendors in Boston Public Market. One such vendor is American Stonecraft, which is a Lowell based company that takes field stones from New England farms and cuts and hones them into trivets, coasters, and bowls.

From stunning, vibrant blooms, in season produce, organic meats, freshly made to-go meals and baked goods, the Boston Public Market offers something from everyone. The first of its kind to offer products from locally sourced farms, it’s a really special place.

Boston Public Market

100 Hanover Street( above the Haymarket MBTA station)

Wednesday — Sunday 8 a.m. — 8 p.m

Monday Munchies: Cocobeet- Boston, MA

May 18, 2015

Guys!! Let’s embrace healthy eating!

It’s spring!! (Finally)

One of my favorite places in Boston for some healthy eats is Cocobeet. They nail the food, but their specialty is their cold-pressed juices. The store is simple, clean, and modern so the brightly colored juices lined up in the open coolers really make the store pop. It’s quenches your appetite while visually fulfilling your soul.

Cocobeet is a Boston based juice bar that offers over 30 fresh cold-pressed juices and vegan food that is focused on overall health and wellness of their clients. They offer unprocessed, GMO-free, organic, and locally-sourced juices and foods. They craft their products on-site daily in their store located right next to the Government Center T-Stop. They specialize in raw, vegan, and gluten-free juices and foods.

Their wonderful selection of pure foods includes fresh salads and sandwiches. The flavors are creative with sandwiches ($5.95- 7.95) like their Chickpea, Walnut, & Apple Sandwich, Sunflower Butter, Berry Jam, & Banana Sandwich, and Sundried Tomato, Kale, & Almond Hummus Sandwich.

While I was doing Whole30 I would get their Watercress and Fig salad as it was complaint and so delicious. I like the mix of tart watercress and sweet figs. Plus, there is half of an avocado. It’s healthy and hearty.

I make plenty of chia pudding at home, and it’s good, but it doesn’t event compare their Vanilla Berry Chia Pudding ($7.95). It’s so super creamy and silky. It doesn’t have a gel- like consistency, nor is it super thick. It reminds me of the consistency and texture of tapioca pudding, but even better.

They also have other sweet treats like Key Lime Tarts, Chocolate Coconut Truffles, Raw Brownie Bites. All of these as well are vegan. They use natural sweeteners like agave and maple syrup. As they have sweeteners they are not Whole30 complaint, but they are great options for a dessert or afternoon pick me up if you are vegan or following a Paleo diet.

I joking say that Cocobeet is great for your “Free” diet… Gluten Free, Diary Free, and Nut Free, Soy Free, etc. There are so many options for you to fulfill your dietary needs.

Are you unsure about that juice will taste? Well grab a sample!

Their juices are cold-pressed on site in the store daily. They strive to use organic fruits and vegetables for their juices and pure foods. They are great for a boost or for a cleanse. They offer custom cleanses in 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 day packages.

Aside from the Vanilla Chia Pudding, I like to treat myself with a Mocha Espresso ($9.50) or with their Kale Chips ($9.25). The Mocha Espresso has replaced my occasional Starbucks treat with this treat as it’s healthier and has more substance than just a Frappachino.

Would you mind if I wrote a love poem to their Kale Chips? Oh you would… never mind then. But I really do love their kale chips. They are ridiculously crispy. I love that crunch. Now, to be honest, I was nervous the first time I bought them as they have nutritional yeast on them and I had never it before. My nerves were put as ease as soon as I took a bite as it was

You can start your day off on a great note by getting one of the quinoa bowls or by picking up some granola. I highly suggest their Warm Quinoa Breakfast Bowl ($6.95 – 9.50), which is served with warm quinoa, maple syrup, cinnamon. Then you pick from a selection of nuts, fresh fruit, sauce, and nut or seed mylk.

If you are in the Financial District area then be sure to visit Cocobeet. You’ll find something that refreshes you from the inside out!

Cocobeet

100 City Hall Plaza

Boston, MA 02108

857.263.8598

mon – fri 7am – 8pm

sat 9am – 8pm

sun 10am – 8pm

Our Boston Bucket List

May 14, 2015

So that’s it, the cats out of the bag!

I had my yearly review yesterday and offically put in my request for a transfer in the Tampa office for next spring. Price put his request in a few weeks ago during his review so things will get in motion for both of us sooner or later. While Spring 2016 is a ways off, but it will be here before we know it!

Yep, we are looking to move to Tampa, Florida. Both my Mom and Dad live in Florida and it would be nice to live close enough to some family to regularly see them. And for the family that is still in CT, NH, & NH, they are just a 3 hour plane ride away. It will be nice to come back up for visits and I don’t think they will mind having a built in escape from the cold Northeast winters. (Shoot, I won’t miss these harsh winters at all!)

Price and I moved to Boston at roughly the same time in August of 2003. We met the following fall, made it official in January, and have been together since. We certainly have done a lot together in Boston and beyond. We love to travel but now that we are focusing on a big move in the next year or so, we have been talking about all the things we have, haven’t done in Boston, or things we want to do again.

It’s amazing to think of all the fun and memories we have created in and around Boston these past 10 years together by going out to great dinners, walking walks, going to museums, seeing sporting events, and attending concerts but there is a long list of things we still haven’t done.

So we have recently been discussing creating a “Boston Bucket List” to stay on track of getting it all done. Hhere is what we whipped up!!

Places/Events/Things

Attend the Head of the Charles

Visit Provincetown

Duck Boat Tour (I did one, but we want to take Autumn on one)

Visit Martha’s Vineyard

Visit Nantucket

Go to the top of the Custom House

Visit Cape Cod… maybe even the Cape Cod Potato Chip Factory Tour!

Plymouth Plantation

Walk the Freedom Trail (again!)

Boston Harbor Cruise

Go on a Whale Watch

Shop at SoWa Market & eat at the food trucks

Visit Boston Harbor Islands

Candle Pin Bowling

Foodie Things

Top of the Hub (again)

Cutty’s Sandwich Shop – Brookline

Bamboo Thai Restaurant (one of our favorites)

Durgin Park

Moody’s Deli- Waltham

Rino’s Place- East Boston

Blackbird Doughnuts- South End

Kane’s Donuts- Saugus

Speed Dogs

Cheers Bar

Parish Cafe for Zuni Rolls (can’t have enough of these)

Gruyere Cheese Croissants from Clear Flour Bakery

Autumn’s Firsts

Attends a Red Sox game and runs the bases at Fenway

Take Autumn to Make Way for Ducklings Statues (We just did it!)

Take Autumn to Salem around Halloween

~~Mother’s Day Make Way for Ducklings Parade~~ (We just did it!!)

Skiing with Autumn

Go on thec Carousel on the Greenway

And Beyond

Smorgasburg- Brooklyn

See the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center- NYC

Walk the locations of You’ve Got Mail around NYC

Visit Gma’s House at Maine

Visit Cooper and Tara in Maine

Get a Cronut at Dominique Ansel Bakery- NYC

Dinosaur BBQ (Syracuse/Stamford)

Becky’s Diner- Portland Maine

Camping Weekend- New Hampshire

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Sandwiches from the Firehouse Deli- Greenwich, CT

Garden Catering – Greenwich, CT

Chocolate Brioche Rolls from The Kneaded Bread- Port Chester, NY

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So the list is really ambitious but we wanted to set our sights high and aim to get a lot of things done in the next year. We love being active and this will certainly keep us busy. This will be so much fun!

Do you have any suggestions for us to see in and around 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

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.