Monday Munchies

Monday Munchies: Bamboozle Cafe- Tampa, FL

June 20, 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!

Bamboozle Cafe is one of my favorite lunch time spots to give me a chance to escape the clutches of my desk and have a great lunch. I am additcted.

I first visited Bamboozle when I interviewed in Tampa last September. I needed a place to grab lunch and was encouraged to check it out as it’s a local favorite. As soon as I dug into my Tofu topped Noodle Salad, I was hooked and have been a fan since.

My favorite dish is the Noodle Salad. It’s a ginormous salad that is packed with green leaf lettuce, Vermicelli noodles, thinly sliced cucumber, pickled daikon & carrots, fresh mint, bean sprouts, crushed roasted peanuts, roasted shallots and a side of our zesty chili dressing. All of that together is amazing with the different flavors and textures.

The zesty chili dressing is s packed with flavor. It has fish sauce (no vegan!) so it has a nice salty umami flavor profile to it.

I typically get the salad with their lemongrass tofu or their lemongrass beef. I love the lemongrass marinade. I swear I would eat a shoe if it had that on there. Okay, I wouldn’t but you get the point.

The Cafe Salad is just as good as the Noodle Salad, but a bit lighter and with some flexibility. You get to select 3 of their freshly prepared veggies to add to bed of green leaf lettuce, cucumber, carrot match sticks.

Personally, I suggest getting some fruit like mango in there to have some contrast in flavors in there.

If you love super fresh, delicious, large Fresh Rolls, then you have come to the right place. I swear that that they are all so good.

They have several rolls that you can just pick from, like their BBQ Pork that is stuffed with picked daikon and carrots, cucumber, red bell peppers, and fresh cilantro. Or their Lemongrass Beef that is accompanied with red bell peppers, cucumbers, jicama, and roasted shallots that is served with a soy sauce vinaigrette.

Or you can just pick your protein and pick whatever 4 veggies you want to add to your roll. When you have options likes mango, jacama, Thai basil, pineapple, and chives, and cucumbers, the possibilities are endless!!

All of their rolls are served with various dipping sauces like their zesty dressing and peanut sauce. So good.

Don’t feel like a salad? Then get a Banh Mi Sandwich!

Banh Mi’s are a classic Vietamese sandwich that is served on a toasted baguette. That bread is slathered with mayo and topped with green leaf lettuce, cucumbers, pickled daikon & carrots, jalapeno, cilantro. Traditionally it is served with pate, which they offer, but you can get it with tofu, beef, chicken (pictured), or pork.

I am always so amazing with how fill the sandwiches are packed! I think it would be great to shared a Banh Mi with sides of soup or srring rolls with a friend.

There are a few sides that you can get to that are great to accompany your meals, if you have room. Both the Baked Vegan Spring roll and the Baked Chicken Spring roll are great. I love how they are so crisp even though they are baked. They have a great crunch to them.

I swear, no matter what you get you will love stopping in to dine in the dark, mellow restaurant, or at the outdoor seating

Their Pho Soup Boat is one of the most comforting soup I have ever had.

How can you resist a warm, soup that is has a broth that is made from slowly simmering star anise, cloves, and other spices for hours? That is then packed full of the protein of your choice, rice noodles, thinly sliced red onions, and cilantro, with bean sprouts, a lime wedge, slices of jalapenos, and basil on the side. And don’t forget the hoisin & sriracha sauce!

Like the other dishes you can enjoy this with Chicken, Beef, or Tofu. My favorite is the tofu as I love the texture and flavor of it. The tofu version is vegetarian and vegan. There are so many vegetarian and vegan options for people!

Please try to say Pho correctly. I know it’s tricky since you want to say it like Faux but imagine you are about to swear F!$& but don’t say the CK at the end. Got it!?

If you happen to want to add some heat to your dishes, then try out the different sauces they have to offer. I love a lot of heat so I will add so much that sometimes I will actually sweat from it. The heat is addicting.

If you are looking for something great to eat in Downtown Tampa, then check out Bamboozle Cafe. And be sure to let me know so I can meet you there since I will never turn down a chance to eat there. YUM!

Bamboozle Cafe

516 N Tampa St

Tampa, FL 33602

(813) 223-7320

Monday Munchies: Fat Heads BBQ Stand

May 16, 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 believe that you can get some really great food at road side stands. The food has to be good to keep people coming back since there really is no service or decor to help keep people coming back. When you drive by a stand and see people laying food out on the roof of their car and chowing down right there, you know it’s good.

Thankfully, there are plenty of road side stands near where we have moved to here in Florida. They dot the side of the road and are stationed in dusty parking lots.

My current fav is just a few miles away from us. Yes!

Besides the food itself, the thing that I love the most about Fat Heads BBQ Stand is that it is so fresh. They make your order when you order it. No, you don’t chill out in a plastic chair next to the smoke for hours waiting for your pulled pork to smoke, but they make everything to order. It’s take out but it’s not exactly quick, but I appreciate that.

Meaning, they cut the ribs, quarter the chicken, scoop the sides all the order. It’s not just hanging out there for you, it’s made for you with your order. So good.

The father and son duo that run it are so nice and talented. Stan Sr. and Stan Jr have been running the stand for over 5 years but have many combined years of experience of making great food.

I have tried it all and let me tell you everything is wonderful. Just wonderful!!

When ordering the pulled pork, you are asked if you want the sandwich wet (sauce mixed in) or dry and what bbq sauce you want, mild or spicy. I personally prefer it wet with mild sauce. The hot BBQ sauce is good but it’s very spicy. Proceed with caution if you don’t like things that spicy.

Just look at that smoke ring!!!

Their beef brisket is also so wonderful. I love the smokey flavor and the tender texture of the thin sliced brisket.

I think that everything is a great value, but their Family Value Dinners are the best option when you want to try a bunch of things, have a bunch of leftovers, or actually share with your family and friends. There are 2 options, the Fat Head sampler for $23, which ended up being 4 servings for us so that was a great value. The larger Dinner Meal for 4 for $40 which is very generous so be ready for some leftovers for lunch or your midnight snack.

The cornbread is not included in the samplers, but order it… it’s good.

As well, ask for buns when you get the sampler for the pulled pork so that you can make sandwiches.

I’ve enjoyed all the sides we have tried from our various visits. The collards and beans are my favorite. I love collards and enjoyed the sweet tang in their collards. My daughter likes the mac and cheese, which I thought was a little dry one time, but great the other times. I am picky about potato salad but I really liked their’s.

Be sure to stop by Fat Heads BBQ Stand when you have a chance. The quick 25 minutes drive south from Tampa is worth it. I swear!

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Fat Heads BBQ Stand

5813 N US Highway 41 (at the intersection of Big Bend Road)

Apollo Beach, FL 33572

Saturday and Sunday 11-7pm

813.731.5256

Catering available, accepts Debit/CC

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.

They opened a second location along the East Boston waterfront in the summer of 2012 which has a fantastic outdoor seating area that is packed during the summer. You just can’t beat hanging out with friends while drinking great beers, eating Aussie Pies, and playing corn hole.

Their signature dish are their Meat Pies, the unofficial national dish of Australia and it’s part of the national identity of New Zealand.

A meat pie typically is a hand-held take-away dish that consists of a meat filled pie that has a pastry crust on the bottom and a puff pastry crust on top. Most often it is topped off with some ketchup prior to enjoying.

KO serves several pies, including Classic Beef ($6.35), Beef with Cheese ($6.60), Curried Vegetable ($6.00), Irish beef stew ($6.85) and Braised Lamb Shank ($6.95), and a Pie of the Month ($TBD). All of which are fantastic and have such great different qualities about each of them from their flavors to their textures of the different kinds of tender meat and vegetables.

The crew at K.O. often hosts pie throw-downs when they invite local innovative, creative chefs to create pies that are signature of their restaurants to battle it out to get fun bragging rights and get featured at KO.

You can also get a Pie Floater, which is any of their pies that is topped off with a scoop of mashed potatoes, gravy and mushy peas for and additional $6.50. It’s their awesome spin on the traditional pie floater that actually is a pie ‘floating’ in a bowl of pea soup.

It’s very important to note that there is a proper way to Eat a Pie, which they so helpfully (and playfully) diagram out for meat pie newbies!

You can pair their pies with their potato wedges ($6.50). The crisp wedges are seasoned right out of the fryer and are served hot with a Sweet Chili Sauce & Sour Cream. I can’t resist getting these. The only issue now is that my daughter loves them as well so we have to share with her as well… ha!

My husband enjoys their sandwiches most often. He worked near by for about a year at a satellite office for a project and went there quite often for lunch either by himself or with a group.

Like with their pies, they have a variety of sandwiches from burgers to chicken sandwiches to fish sandwiches. Everything is made to order and is really fresh and flavorful starting with fresh breads that cap off marinated meats that are topped off with zesty sauces.

The only sort of crummy situation is that their sandwiches change every now and then and I had to hear bummed my husband was when they changed out the chicken sandwich that he fell in love with.

I highly suggest grabbing a sausage roll ($3.75) when you are ready to cozy up under a blanket and watch a good movie. Or to take to the nearby park to nosh on while you watch your kid run around. Or take it along with you for a beach picnic, just like Australians do.

I love that KO brings everyone together around great quality food. Our 2 year old daughter is a big fan of their meat pies as they are easy to eat with a fork (or her hands!), not too spicy, and at just plain ol’ delicious.

While the meat pies are awesome there, my absolute favorite thing to order their Spicy Shrimp on the Barbie entree($13). It’s a loaded rice and salad plate that is topped off with grilled shrimp. They provide a generous serving of 6 of very spicy Chermoula marinated shrimp that are grilled to perfection. In all, I love the fresh combination of the flavors and textures from the sweet corn and grape tomatoes, salty crumbled feta, crunchy cucumbers, and zesty lime.

It should be noted that things can add up quickly here, but I have found that most times I take things home or I will skip dinner after a filling lunch. But it can definitely sing our wallet when you go out for lunch and drop $30 on 2 pies, potato wedges, and drinks, but without a doubt the quality is top notch. It’s not like you’re just grabbing some fast food burger and fries.

But don’t forget to leave room for dessert!

They have Lamingtons ($3) and Anzac Biscuit Cookies ($2) for dessert giving you the true experience of the land down under.

I highly suggest checking out KO Catering and Pies for your next lunch out, office luncheon, or party. From take-out to catering, you can’t go wrong with fantastic hearty meat pies, fresh salads, and sausage rolls.

I’m quite serious when I suggest KO, I made a point of going as often as I could and even went the last weekend in Boston to get one last pie fix before heading to Florida. Love it!

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KO Catering and Pies at the Shipyard

Boston Harbor Shipyard

256 Marginal St | Building 16

East Boston, MA 02128

617.418.5234

KO Catering and Pies- South Boston

87 A Street

South Boston, MA 02127

617.269.4500

Monday Munchies: Dinner at Joe’s- Fall Feasting at Not Your Average Joe’s

November 16, 2015

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

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I’ll never forget my first time.

Nope, I’ll never forget my first time ripping that piece of focaccia bread in half, taking it and swirling it into the cheesy olive oil dip, and taking a big bite of that spongy bread that absorbed that earthy, rich oil.

When I was younger, I tagged along with my dad once from CT to MA on a work trip. We needed a dinner spot so we went to Not Your Average Joe’s. That night started my love with NYAJ’s and their infamous bread.

I recently had the fun opportunity to visit the new Waltham, MA, that opened just a few months ago, for great blogger dinner. They invited local bloggers to check out the new location and the new seasonal menu.

They used to have weekly specials but have not refocused their menu to have seasonal specials that compliment their menu staples. This way diners can try more options throughout their visits in the season.

Besides their new menu approach, they are creating a new look a feel to their restaurants that feature different table styles- booths, tables, communal dining tables, and high-tops. Plus, they have elongated their bar. But don’t worry, it’s not s sports bar! They have TV’s so you can check the score, but it’s not about that. They really want the emphasis on the dining experience to be about your food, drink, and company.

Our night started out at the bar where we gathered as a group to meet new friends and to catch up with old blogging buddies, like Erica, who I went to a New Kids on The Block concert with this summer!

I enjoyed their Cucumber Mule ($8.99) that features hanson hand-made organic cucumber vodka, elderflower liqueur, fever tree ginger beer, and muddled limes. It’s served in the classic coppper mug. I loved it so much that I had another at diner!

Unfortunately, it had rained the night of the event so we didn’t get to enjoy their fire pit. But I swear I am going back one day to hang by the fire pit to sip on a cocktail while snuggling under one of their flannel blankets for guests to use.

While I always appreciate the work that goes into creating a great menu, but I love to check out restaurants for their use of design elements, as I am a designer. Shoot, I’m currently working on a project that uses the blue glass pendant that is hanging over their bread prep station, pictured above. So fun!

We then headed into the kitchen to meet some of the kitchen staff and to see them in action preparing the food from french fries to their flatbreads to grilled chicken.

Our family style dinner started with Deviled Eggs, Mango Shrimp Rolls, Buffalo Caribbean Chicken Tenders, and Butternut Squash Flatbread.

I skipped the Deviled Eggs as I am not a fan of them in general and there was plenty of other starters to choose from.

The mango shrimp rolls were a lot of fun. I felt they could have used a bit more mint and cilantro in the roll as they were pretty mellow, besides the mango, on their own. With the sauce, they were great, but I would have preferred a bit more zing from the fresh herbs.

Butternut Squash Flatbread ($9.99) was a perfect seasonal dish that featured rich autumnal flavors from the squash to sage to brussels sprouts.

To me, this would be a great dish to share with a group while you enjoy their Harvest Sangria or a Bourbon Smash, or any of their other drinks from their drinks menu.

Besides having an inventive cocktail menu, they have 20 beers on tap that feature Massachusetts-made”Backyard Brews”, and an extensive selection of award-winning wines that you can order by the glass.

The Spaghetti Squash Bolognese ($15.50) is one of their Seasonal Selections that was naturally vegetarian, but was so hearty that you didn’t even ‘mind’ it. The bolognese was meat free, but had substance from a variety of mushrooms. All of that was topped with sauteed spinach and freshly grated Parmesan. A perfect 10 for vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

Super Crunch Salad ($14.99) is another great vegetable based dish. It is served with chopped grilled chicken, which can simply be omitted for a vegetarian version. Most importantly, enjoy the crunch. It’s a great crunchy salad that features quinoa, apples, pistachios, and more with an orange-sesame dressing.

Cranberry-Teriyaki Roasted Chicken ($16.50/$14.50) with butternut squash and ricotta filled cannelloni was another well received dish of the night. As we had a vegetarian diner with us, we received the vegetarian version that omits the chicken, plus you get another cannelloni. I enjoyed the flavors, but I loved the substance of the dish as well. So filling and comforting.

Besides the bread being infamous at NYAJ’s, their Mustard-Crusted Chicken ($14.99) has been a long time staple. It’s a simple chicken dish, but executed really well. Sometimes you just can’t beat thin breaded chicken cutlets that you can dip into a lemony aioli. One might argue that it’s pretty plain but I think it’s a great comfort dish as it’s served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Rosemary Skewered Scallops ($24.99) was my favorite dish of the night. Hands down favorite. I almost didn’t want to share and skip the rest of the other dinner entrees we could enjoy. I loved the sear on the scallops and the israeli couscous salad it was served with. I couldn’t get enough of the textures and flavors. It was a perfect combination of everything from the earthy rosemary to the insanely fresh vegetables in the salad.

Admittedly, I didn’t even try the new Vietnamese Salmon ($19.50) as I don’t love salmon and I was so freaking full already with all the bread and delicious entrees, and I was really trying hard to save a bit of room for upcoming dessert.

Dessert was a real treat as we were presented with 3 wonderful options.

‘Joe’ is known for the Peanut Butter Thing ($7.99) which is an ice cream pie dessert. If you love peanut butter and chocolate that I et you will love this dessert. You won’t be able to resist the peanut butter and chocolate chunks that are folded into vanilla ice cream that is then rolled in Oreo Cookie crumbs. Plus, it’s then finished off at your table by your server as they drizzle hot chocolate and caramel sauces over it. Hot Damn.

I had never had this before has I always, always fill up on bread at the start of the meal so we always skip dessert, but I was really impressed with it so I’ll really try to resist the carb loading at the start of the meal to make it to dessert. Maybe. Hopefully…

Goji Berry Apple Crisp ($7.50) that was served with ice cream was a fantastic dessert to feature classic fall flavors and ingredients. I thought it was fantastic and fun with the goji berries.

Wrapping things up was their Gluten-Free Carrot Cake ($7.50). The real kicker was that gluten free, but you honestly would never had guessed that as it was so incredibly moist. I have had plenty of gluten free desserts so I have had plenty of dry desserts, but this was awesome. It was incredibly sweet from the cream cheese frosting, but I feel that is signature of carrot cake in general.

So it should be no surprise that I loved this dinner. Duh.

I went home satisfied from a great dinner and from great company of other bloggers and the great folks from Not Your average Joe’s.

I highly suggest taking a night out to visit your local Not Your Average Joe’s in Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Virginia. Or watch your favorite football team there while you enjoy one of their great deals. It’s always a great time at Joe’s!

Not Your Average Joe’s– Waltham

56 Market Place Drive

Waltham, MA 02451

781.966..5637

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While my meal at Not Your Average Joe’s was part of a local blogger event, all opinions are completely my own.

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WIN at $50 Not Your Average Joe’s Giftcard!
Gotta have their infamous bread and Peanut Butter Thing dessert!

ENTER HERE!!!!

Monday Munchies: Tasty Burger Food Truck

August 17, 2015

I love Tasty Burger!

I love food trucks!

Tasty Burger Food Truck = LOVE! LOVE!! LOVE!!!

Tasty Burger is a Boston area burger joint that has damn good burgers. They have juicy, flavorful, hearty burgers that are paired so perfectly well with fries, onion rings, or their tots. Or skip the burger and grab a chicken sandwich or hot dog. No matter, it will be wonderful. A cold beer washing it all down doesn’t hurt either. It’s just that kind of place with that kind of food.

They have 5 locations in Boston and Cambridge, in neighborhoods like Fenway, Back Bay, and Harvard Square. Each location is great. Their Fenway location, which we frequent most often, was an old gas station that was reworked and redesigned so it went from changing oil to frying in oil.

But what happens if you work downtown and you start craving a burger? Well, have no fear! They have a food truck that you can visit or even rent out for events. Cool!

Thankfully, the truck stops at City Hall plaza on Thursdays. So just a short walk and I am in burger nirvana! Sometimes Price and I have burger lunch dates so we can split tots ($6+) and a drink ($2.75) while we munch on burgers. The City has new summertime seating which makes kicking back for lunch a real treat.

On a recent trip, Price had the Bacon Cheeseburger ($5.85), that he thought was a great combination of a perfectly cooked burger (medium is standard) with salty, crunchy bacon, and fresh lettuce and tomato.

Tasty Burger prides itself on the products they produce and sell as they strive to source their ingredients from the best places. They create 1/3 pounds burger patties from steers that eat a “100-percent vegetarian grass and grain diet.” They visit the pastures where the cows are grass fed, purchase their hot dogs from local butchers, and get their buns from local bakers. They are hands on with sourcing their products and produce and in the end the quality shines through.

They have the best eco-friendly packaging for their burgers. I love peeling back to wrapper to reveal the burger.

I love their Spicy Jalapeno ($5.75). It has just the right amount of kick with burger that is topped off with a spicy cheese sauce and then roasted jalapenos.

Besides their delicious burgers, they also serve vegan & gluten free veggie burgers ($5.75), Fenway Park Sausages ($6), bowls of chili ($3.95+) that you can load up with toppings. And lastly, they have 1/4 pound hot dogs ($3.95) that can get piled high with toppings like bacon, chili, sauerkraut, or their cheese sauces. Such epic food.

I’ll be honest, their lunch can set you back pretty well as their burgers average $5 and then a plain tot is $6 and a soda is ($1.75 or $2.75). And if you get loaded tots it is now $9, but that is exactly why Price and I make this our special lunch date. Great large portions to share and it saves on getting a sitter!!

Grab a friend, grab a chair, and grab some Tasty Burger for a great lunch. Then head back to work with a naughty food coma! ha!

Be sure to try the Official Burger of the Boston Red Sox’s at one of their food truck stops or at one of their 5 brick and mortar locations, which has much more elaborate menus that include chicken sandwiches, the most addicted thinly sliced onion rings, and brain freeze inducing milkshakes.

Tasty Burger

Food Truck Menu (check for schedule HERE)

Monday Munchies: Zo – Boston, MA

July 20, 2015

When I was in college I took an Architectural Preservation class that involved a 10 day trip to Greece. It was one of the best experiences I could have asked for. It was the perfect combination of a bunch of relative strangers in a foreign country touring world heritage sites, eating amazing food, and drinking great wine. There was no debauchery at all… nope, none…

Well, when I came back I was really missing the food I had in Greece. Freshly made salads, great sandwiches, and of course awesome juicy gyros.

Zo in Boston has filled that void in my heart and stomach. I was giddy when they opened their first location just outside my office building. And I was twice as excited when I took my first bite of a gyro.

Let’s take a moment to talk about how to properly say ‘GYRO’. It is NOT like the spinning top gyroscope. I hear this the majority of the time it it makes my hair get prickly. You correctly say gyro as if you are saying ‘year-o’.

Anyway, they have authentic, fresh food.

I enjoy everything from Zo, but my hands-down favorite is their Chicken Gyro ($8). I always order it with extra tzatziki sauce on it.

I’m pretty sure that their tzatziki sauce is the only thing that I eat with dill. I really, really dislike dill, but their tzatziki sauce is so luscious and incredible I completely forget my hatred of dill when I’m eating it. Really, I love it so much that I ask for extra sauce on my gryo. Incredible!

They also make their gyros with lean pork ($8) that has been roasted on the traditional rotisserie, which is how the gyro got it’s name as it translates to mean ‘turn’.

You can get their chicken or pork on their salads too. I love that they make them fresh to order as I don’t like olives, but I love their Greek salads, so I just ask for it without olives. Their different salads ($6 – 7.50) are made with fresh greens, vegetables, and cheese. You can add meat for $2.

I also really enjoy their Spanakopitas ($5). The spinach pies are tender, flaky, and stuffed full with spinach and feta. They shape their pies in squares which I think is awesome as so many places make them triangular and then you end up with 2 points that are just phylo and no filling. This way you get the spinach filling in every bite.

They also serve up several soups ($5 for 12 ounces, $6 for 16 ounces). I love the Greek classic Avgolemono, which is a lemony chicken and rich soup. It’s very, very salty but very very rich and good. It’s so comforting in the long brutal winters up here. My friend swears by their lamb chili and vegetable lentil soup. All of their soups and stews are served with a side of their fluffy pita.

And don’t then you can treat yourself to some Baklava! You can get a sweet Greek dessert for just $3. Sometimes I just skip lunch and get some to have for tea when I’m having ‘just one of those days!’

Both of their locations are small so it’s best to get your order to go. In the summer their are tables set up outside their Center Plaza location. I really suggest that if you stop by their State Street location that you grab your lunch to go and take a short walk over to the Rose Kennedy Greenway to grab a seat on a bench or just grab some grass.

If you’re in Boston I strongly suggest that you visit Zo for lunch. It will transport you to Greece for your lunch break. Enjoy!

Zo – Authentic Gyros

Government Center Location

3 Center Plaza

Boston, MA 02109

617.227.0101

Faneuil Hall Location

92 State Street

Boston, MA 02108

617.227.0707

Monday Munchies: Home Sweet Home Doughnut Shoppe- Great Barrington, MA

June 15, 2015

This is an extra special edition of Monday Munchies! All because Price and I are now married! Ha! Well, the last 48 hours have been wonderful, but it’s extra special because we served doughnuts, stuffed croissants, quick breads, and breakfast sandwiches from Home Sweet Home Doughnut Shoppe at our Post-Wedding Breakfast.

Back in early March we went to a luncheon at Crissey Farm, our venue, which allowed us to check out different shops in the area. Almost across the street from the hotel we would be staying at during the wedding weekend, we noticed the Home Sweet Home Doughnut Shoppe. We stopped in there to check them out as an option for our Post-Wedding Breakfast.

We enjoyed our doughnuts that we grabbed that day that we decided that they would be a great fit for the Post-Wedding Breakfast. So I began the process of working with John, the owner, on creating a wonderful Post-Wedding Breakfast.

Through an exchange of emails we settled on 3 dozen donuts, a dozen of their stuffed croissants, 4 quick breads, and 40 breakfast sandwiches. I was so excited for the breakfast!

Autumn and I stopped by the morning of the wedding to confirm and pay for our order. She was treated to some doughnut holes. Such a treat!

Autumn enjoyed the doughnut holes, running around the adorable shop, and checking out their doughnut themed books. Totally adorable. She loved it all.

And just as much, everyone loved the Post-Wedding Breakfast too!

I added some fruit and yogurt to the mix as well, but the shining stars of the breakfast were the goodies from Home Sweet Home Doughnut Shoppe.

As Price and I were doing our final visits with family and friends, we didn’t get to really sit down to enjoy breakfast then so we took the bit of extras home with us to munch on Sunday and Monday. It was perfect how we didn’t have to stop for lunch on the ride home or worry about dinner. Donuts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! HA!!

They had a wide selection of donuts including the classics like Glazed, Boston Creme, Chocolate Glazed with Sprinkles, but that’s just scratching the surface of their flavors as they also have a Salted Caramel, Key Lime, and Blueberry Sour Cream. From the plain cake donuts to the stuffed ones to the bite sized doughnut holes, they have it all!

Everything that we had was really awesome. The texture of the different kinds of doughnuts from the yeast based ones to the cake ones. The flavors were just as awesome. The Salted Maple was my favorite as it was a light doughnut that was covered in a generous layer of maple glaze and topped off with a sprinkling of salt.

The sweet and savory stuffed croissants really incredible too. I was really blow away with how stuffed they actually were. I’ve had stuffed croissants before when there is some chocolate in them but these were jam packed full with chocolate in them. Plus, there was a chocolate drizzle on top. OMG, can’t beat it!

And the Zucchini Walnut and the Triple Berry quick breads got rave reviews at our breakfast too. I loved the fresh flavors in both but the crumble on the Triple Berry Bread was what made it my favorite.

I love places like Home Sweet Home Doughnut Shoppe. Cute, down home places that create amazing products. Doughnuts are simple, but it means that you can’t hide behind anything. What you see is what you get! And when you shop here you get yummy donuts at an affordable price!

While they don’t have a website, you can like them on Facebook or check them out on Yelp. They have some really great reviews!

When you’re visiting the Berkshires be sure to stop by for a doughnut. You’ll love it!!

Home Sweet Home Doughnut Shoppe

258 Stockbridge Rd

Great Barrington, Massachusetts

(413) 717-4144

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

Monday Munchies: Piroshky Piroshky & Rachel’s Ginger Beer

April 20, 2015

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

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I had the amazing opportunity to visit my best friend in Seattle last month. It was so great to see her, see Seattle, and eat so much great food during that long weekend.

We really enjoyed some amazing meals, like our dinner at Revel in Freemont. Oh boy, that was so good. I can’t stop thinking about their short rib dumplings!

But at the same time I can’t stop thinking about the wonderful lunch we had from Piroshky Piroshky and Rachel’s Ginger Beer. Yep, you read that correctly, 2 places!

We got our food from Piroshky Piroshky and brought it over to Rachel’s Ginger Beer for some drinks and seats. It was a perfect marriage of things as Piroshky Piroshky does not have tables and Rachel’s is BYOF… Bring Your Own Food! They supply the drinks and the tables. Thankfully, they are fairly close to each other so it made for a great lunch.

Piroshky Piroshky (pi-rawsh-kee) has been servings Russian hand pies since they opened at Pike Place Market in 1992. They blend traditional recipes with local flavors and ingredients. They have both sweet and savory pies that will satisfy your every craving.

The different piroshkies are pictured on their menu that is posted to the wall that you wait along making it easier to be prepared to order when you arrive to the register. Plus, there are always the once you can check out in the display case.

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the piroshkies getting made by hand as well. There was such a nice rhythm to their movements as they worked the layered doughs or while they stuffed the pockets.

I grabbed 2 piroshkies as I couldn’t make up my mind as the Beef and Cheese piroshky and Mushroom, Onion, and Celery piroshky both sounded so good.

I could easily see why the Beef and Cheese is their top seller! It was a packed full of a juicy mix of seasoned ground beef and Columbia Valley Sharp Cheddar. I thought it was a great combination of flavors and textures. Plus, whenever you can see oozey cheese on the top you know it’s just going to be great.

How cute is it that the Mushroom, Onion, and Celery piroshky was shaped like a purse!?!?! I thought it was a great vegetarian offering. It didn’t feel plain and flat for just being vegetables, it was nicely filling.

Emily enjoyed the Smoked Salmon Pate piroshky. It thought that it was adorable that it was shaped like a fish!

We also grabbed a Marrionberry Cream Cheese Vatrushka to share later for dessert. It was a great sweet piroshky made of a sweet pastry base with a beautifully piped topping and then topped off with the marionberries. I had never had a marionberry before so it was nice to be able to try something new, and local to the Pacific Northwest.

We brought out lunch to Rachel’s Ginger Beer, just a short walk away from Piroshky Piroshky. They create

Rachel’s is a pretty large space filled with various sized tables to accommodate all sizes of parties enjoying food that they brought in to enjoyed with their drinks.

Rachel’s makes artisanal ginger beer from locally sourced ingredients from Washington State farmers whenever possible. They have an Original (plain) Ginger Beer and then they have a lot of other varieties of flavors, even some that rotate with the seasons. I enjoyed the drink I got but I was so torn prior to ordering as they have such cool flavors like Blood Orange, White Peach, and Guava.

I really enjoyed how the ginger beer is sweet but not too sweet and still has some bite from the tart ginger. It all worked together so well. I really admire companies that work hard to achieve a well crafted product.

I enjoyed their seasonal cocktail special, the Peppermin- Pear Moskow Mule. I was in love. It was really bright and refreshing. It did pack some punch, or I would have ordered another. I just didn’t want to be stumbling around the rest of Pike Place Market and Seattle for the rest of the afternoon.

The thing that I most admired about Rachel’s Ginger Beer was how just beautiful the place was. The subtle palette and full wall of windows makes it bright and welcoming. Plus, it makes the fun, happy colors of the different varieties of ginger beer stand out. They really make the place pop! It pops with pop! <<< I’m corny.

I loved every bit about lunch. The food was wonder, the drink was refreshing, and my company was great as always. I couldn’t have asked for more!

As you can order and ship from both places, I am already scheming about making orders to both Piroshky Piroshky and Rachel’s Ginger Beer. I need some awesome hand pies and some ginger beer by the jug!!

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Piroshky Piroshky

1908 Pike Place

Seattle, WA 98101

Rachel’s Ginger Beer

1530 Post Alley

Seattle, WA 98101

Monday Munchies: Floramo’s Restaurant- Chelsea, MA

March 16, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Floramo’s Restaurant

213 Everett Avenue

Chelsea MA, 02150

617-889-1330

Monday- Wednesday: 11-9pm

Thursday – Saturday: 11-10pm

Sunday: Closed

Monday Munchies: 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

Monday Munchies: Highland Kitchen- Somerville, MA

September 15, 2014

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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