Salchicha!

Babbo Pizzeria - Boston, MA
http://babbopizzeria.com/

Salsiccia

     So I swam across the Boston Harbor for an event called Sharkfest. It was wavy, salty, nearly a mile across and therefore exhausting, especially after not having swam more than 30 minutes all year. David and his mah, pah and sister came to watch (which was super sweet of them), so naturally, the next course of action post-race was an afternoon feeding. Babbo opened back in 2015 and is owned and operated by world renowned chef Mario Batali. As soon as it opened I put it on my food bucket list. It was finally time.
     After the race we all headed over to Babbo. It is a very large space on the main floor of one of the brand new skyscrapers down in the seaport. With bright lighting, marble countertops, and crystal wine glasses on all the tables, Babbo had a very vibrant atmosphere that was on the fancy side. We were maybe a little underdressed but no one seemed to mind. There were two small open kitchen areas where people were making pizzas, slicing meats and roasting things. I had never seen bar chairs  and place settings surrounding the open kitchens anyplace except sushi restaurants, so this seemed to add a little bit more of a casual element.
     I was so excited for pizza and a little nervous that it might be on the smaller side because it was more upscale, but I was proved wrong. First we ordered the chopped salad to split, which was surprisingly amazing. It was full of different ingredients including "Bibb, Radicchio, Mortadella, Prosciutto Cotto, Castelveltrano, Ceci, Montasio" or in other words bibb lettuce, radicchio (a purple leafy vegetable), Italian sausage, Italian cooked ham, olives, chickpeas and Montasio cheese. It was lightly and evenly dressed and was full of goodies rather than mostly greens. Everyone loved it.
     Now for the pizzas. We got the Margherita pizza which was phenomenal. It was very light and fresh, and I loved the sauce. Because Margherita pizza is only tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and basil, the sauce really needs to be on point, and it sure was. It wasn't sweet but was full of fresh tomato flavor. I also loved that they put full basil leaves on it rather than the little strips that seem to be the norm. The second pizza was the Quattro Formaggi which had four types of cheese including mozzarella, gorgonzola, smoked mozzarella, and grana (an Italian hard cheese similar to parmesian-reggiano). I honestly couldn't say I could detect more than three different cheeses. I definitely could taste the mozzarella, and the smoked mozzarella seemed to be a little overpowering, but perhaps because I'm not a big fan of the smoked flavor. I couldn't find the gorgonzola, but I definitely could taste some sort of other nutty flavor that I'd guess was the grana. Either way, the cheeses brought such a rich flavor to the pizza, and went perfectly with the eggplant and summer squash.
     Then came the Salsiccia (or "Salchicha" as David called it because he says everything with a Spanish accent). The third pizza was my favorite mostly because of the fennel sausage. You can always tell my sausage is homemade because it's done right. It's more like little sausage exploded balls on top of a pizza, and it's not greasy. It has a very simple flavor and a simple feeling in your mouth. This sausage was amazing and was nestled atop buffalo mozzarella (yes... apparently "Mozzarelle di Bufala" is made from an Italian water buffalo...haha), basil leaves and fennel pollen. You could see the pollen sprinkled on top, but I didn't notice its flavor. Either way, this pizza was amazing. All of the pizzas were amazing. I loved the organic wheat crust. It was thin on the bottom but the edges had a little chewiness to them that was awesome. It seemed to have a little bit of the sourdough zing. I don't think I was making that up, and I hope they do that on purpose because it was great.
     Everyone left not feeling gross after four slices of pizza, but rather feeling satisfied and enriched with a new culinary experience. Definitely try out Babbo if you're down in the Seaport. Mario won't disappoint.

----------

Grass Fed - Jamaica Plain, MA

http://www.grassfedjp.com/

Strange looking, but delicious - The Cali

     Every time I do a job down in Jamaica Plain I get real excited because I think maybe we might get to stop for lunch, and I can go to one of the kajillion amazing looking restaurants down on that side of town. This day was my lucky day because the house we were moving was right near Grass Fed, a burger joint that uses 100% grass fed meat from Walden Local Meat Co in Carlisle, MA. Happy cows, happy planet. 

     The restaurant itself is rather small with only a few tables and bar stools along the windows, and they have a chalkboard menu with doodles everywhere. I knew right away I wanted the Cali, which had a grass fed beef patty, spicy avocado spread, mesclun, pepperjack cheese, red onion, and cilantro-lime mayo. I asked them to keep mine a little pink, and they did just that. It was perfect. The burger was a little small (as I anticipated) but it had that homemade, hand pressed burger feel. The meat was juicy, not greasy, and rich with flavor. The best part about the patty was the crispy edges. Sometimes when you grill a burger at home, the juices and fats come out and form little crispy nubs around the edges of the burger that melt in your mouth when you eat them. This burger had a little skirt of these nubs. It was fabulous. And my two favorite elements to compliment the patty? The red onions and the cilantro-lime mayo. That mayo was sooooo good and light and delicious. I don't know what it was about the red onions but I loved them. Maybe because they were really thinly sliced, and I wasn't pulling huge onion chunks out? The mesclun was a cool deviation from the normal lettuce too. I liked that. Oh and let's not forget the bun. I have never had a burger bun like this before. It was a little bit sweeter than most (not nearly dessert-like), but its texture was so different. It was compressible kind of like a croissant, and chewy and moist almost like those Hawaiian sweet rolls (again not nearly as sweet). It was delicious. The whole thing was exceptional and left me feeling not gross (unlike the burger I ate at TGIFridays a couple weeks ago. Big mistake). 

----------

Blue Ribbon Barbeque - Arlington MA

http://www.blueribbonbbq.com/

The kind of beautiful presentation you get when you
order take out. Pulled pork, mashed taters and cornbread.

     I'm not sure if I should write about Blue Ribbon yet because I didn't get the full experience. But for Karl's post birthday celebrations, Kevin ordered some Blue Ribbon as take out and we all got together and ate it. It was delicious. I was starving. Maybe those two things are related. Either way, we got some pulled pork which was some of the juiciest pulled pork I've ever had. With our take out orders they gave us three little bottles of different vinegar-based sauces for the meat (apparently these sauces are more typical of those found in North Carolina). These were definitely my kind of sauce because they had powerful flavor but weren't sweet, thick or syrupy. I hate those store brand types of bbq sauce. Get out of here with that. These were much thinner, and my favorite sauce was the Blue Ribbon Gold which had a subtle hint of heat. We also got a tub of mashed red potatoes (the one and only best kind of potato to use) which definitely had the dairy and the butter one always wants in some good quality mashed potatoes. And the cornbread. I've got a new #2 best cornbread I've ever had. Dave, your cornbread has now slipped to #3 on my list. Sorry. This cornbread had great moisture preventing it from crumbling to pieces, and it had the perfect amount of sweetness. Amazing with butter. Amazing without. 

     I feel like I'm doing Blue Ribbon a little bit of an injustice simply because I can't write about their physical restaurant and because I didn't have full exposure to the menu and options, but this will have to do until now. Until next time...

See Ya Never

Anthem - Boston, MA
http://www.anthem-boston.com/

Orecchiette with roasted veggies and steak

     The Boston Marathon came and went... and so did the all you can eat pasta deals. Sad face. This was the second year that David and I (as non-runners) took advantage of the all you can eat pasta deals that restaurants in the area offer the night before the race. Last year we went to Bambara, which was honestly better than Anthem. Even though it's pretty pricey, Anthem has a beautiful, modern-rustic space in the heart of Quincy Market, and it's often teeming with tourists.
     For the marathon, Anthem had an unlimited pasta deal, but you had to pay extra for meat with each additional bowl. So we got steak added to the first bowl, which was delicious, and we were sad for the rest of the bowls. However, I really liked the combo sauce made of marinara and pesto that they added to the orecchiette pasta. It gave the pasta a much more rich flavor than straight marinara would have. They also mixed in some roasted squash, zucchini and carrots. Bonus.

----------

BISq - Cambridge, MA

http://www.bisqcambridge.com/

Bazz Hook-Up Board

     After work/school, Zach and I met up for our bi-monthy feeding. We both wanted to try out Bisq, which is a tiny, hip, "restaurant and wine bar" that recently opened near GG. Bisq seems to be semi farm-to-table and focuses on unique, natural, whole ingredients, similar to Commonwealth (which Zach and I also went to once). It's a wooden furniture and mason jars kind of place that serves up a non-Spanish version of tapas, or small plates. 

Top: N'Awlins shrimp toast, Bottom: Lamb ribs

     The waiter sold us on the Bazz Hook-Up Board, which is their head chef's version of a charcuterie board. They had three homemade meats: something similar to a procuitto, a blood sausage like variety, and another resembling salami. All of them were served with toast and absolutely delicious. Salty, melt-in-your-mouth meat. The board also had a chicken liver patte topped with house-made granola, kale and (what I think was) a pomegranate sauce. Crazy combination, but it worked. There was also a glob of lard that was whipped with cinnamon sugar. Yes I said lard. I think it was cinnamon sugar and it was strangely sweet, but delicious, especially when spread on the toast. THAT was melt-in-your-mouth because it was straight fat. That's ok, right? Lastly, they had a few small pieces of house-pickled okra and a whole grain mustard. I liked the pickles because they helped cut the fat in your mouth after eating the other board items. I wished there were more. 

     For the meal we ordered the lamb ribs... obviously. I don't think I've ever had lamb ribs, and these were incredible. I don't know how they even got them onto the plate without the meat falling off the bone because it was out of this world tender. They were super succulent and topped with small pieces of crispy kale and a sour orange glaze, adding some unique texture elements. That glaze was a surprisingly fabulous addition to the lamb. The sweet but sour flavor was delicious with the savory flavory of the lamb. As the second dish, we order the N'awlings barbecue shrimp toast which was mind-blowing. It seems next to impossible to deconstruct this. It was served as two pieces of toast with a thick, rich, cheesy layer that had grilled small shrimp in it. It wasn't barbecue as in the tomato-based barbecue sauce you're probably thinking of, but rather it's considered barbecue because it was cooked on a barbecue. On top they drizzled another slightly sour but sweet glaze and some "sexy scallions." So good. 

     These types of restaurants are difficult to describe because the flavors of things are so intricate and complex. It beautiful. I couldn't believe that lamb. It was so good. Like mind-alteringly good. 

----------

The Banshee - Dorchester, MA

http://bansheeboston.com/home/

Black angus burger and pub fries

O'Malley's Gaelic fries

     After a year and a half at UMass Boston, I finally hit up The Banshee, the local, favorite bar of a lot of my classmates. After my last grad GIS class I was teaching, all of the students and I went out for some food and beers as our final farewell. I anticipated standard bar food, but this was far from. The Banshee was a cozy little dark Irish pub with a really chill vibe. I loved it, and the menu was so much more than I expected with a little bit of everything from pizzas to burgers and bangers and mash. I'm still in this I-need-a-burger-everyday phase (where I'm not actually eating burgers everyday but I want them) so I ordered their black angus burger that was served with sautéed onions, peppers and mushrooms on a brioche roll. The burger was beautiful. Thick and juicy and the sautéed goodies were the perfect addition. It was served with a side of great salty fries...some soft, some crispy, some a little burnt. I ate half of it all partially because it was 9pm and partially because I destroyed a plate of their O'Malley's Gaelic fries. These were their pub fries topped with cheddar cheese, butcher's cut smoked bacon and a drizzle of ranch. It was stupid good. Stupid good and stupid artery clogging I'm sure but that cheese though...

----------

The Linden Store - Wellesley, MA

http://www.bisqcambridge.com/

The Linden Special

     There aren't many surprises in my life that are more exciting than when customers offer to buy us lunch when we're working. This time we were doing a job out in Wellesley and the wifey offered to get us some deli sandwiches from The Linden Store. It was their favorite local deli. My lightweight days made me appreciate a deli sandwich I can sink my teeth into more than the average person, so I was pumped. I ordered the Linden Special which was mortadella, prosciutto, salami, provolone cheese, marinated peppers, tomatoes, and oil. It was simple, but delicious. There were so many delicious salty meats that paired so well with the marinated peppers, again that cut the fat of the meats. I think it would've been a little better with some more greenery. Maybe some spinach or arugula. But it was still tasty. A step up from Jimmy Johns for sure. 

----------

Greenhills Irish Bakery - Dorchester, MA

http://www.greenhillsirishbakery.com/

Irish Breakfast Roll

     A pro to working with such diverse crews is that a lot of them often know where to get great food from their home countries. We finished an onload far too quickly down in Dorchester a couple weeks ago and Mark knew just the place to stop for second breakfast. There's nothing wrong with second breakfast. It was this hopping place called Greenhills Irish Bakery serving up a variety of pastries, breads, and INCREDIBLE breakfast sandwiches. I got their small Irish breakfast roll which was a homemade buttered roll that nuzzled a fried egg, Irish bacon (which is more like what we consider ham but better), Irish sausage and black and white pudding. I couldn't believe how good the sausage was. It was 100% different than the type of sausage you normally buy here in that it was less greasy, more meaty and tasted like it had more spices in it. It was the same story with the blood sausage/black and white pudding. The blood sausage had an incredible flavor partially due to the caraway seeds, which are not a commonly used spice. In both sausages, I really felt like I was tasting the meat itself rather than fillers or fat. Throw it all together with the salty Irish bacon and the egg and it was something dreamy. 

It's Hard To Hold Back When You Know

Frank's Suffolk Diner - Revere, MA
http://www.frankssuffolkdiner.com/ordereze/default.aspx

FEAST

     Go to Frank's Suffolk Diner. This is the cutest, nicest, most delicious diner I've been to in Boston. Maybe ever? David and I were on a quest to use up my free coupon (yes another coupon) for a stack of Ihop pancakes but the line was so far out the door and we didn't have time for that (literally... I had a plane to catch). So we headed back to Frank's Suffolk Diner, which we had passed on the way. Frank's is in this little tin box with red accented windows. It's adorable. Inside, it's your standard red, white and black diner colors and is kind of shaped like the inside of a train car. The kitchen was right behind the counter, so you could see them prepare all of your food, which I thought made it feel extra home-y. The staff was also super friendly right off the bat, and our waiter was actually the owner. She wasn't Frank, but she bought the place and fixed it up, as it had been closed for 4 years or something.

Banana chocolate chip pancakes

     Anyway, they had an incredible breakfast menu with some really unique things. I ordered the Airport Special... well... partly because I was going to the airport and partly because it sounded great. It was two eggs any style with bacon, homefries and a "short" stack of banana chocolate chip pancakes. First of all, the bacon was great. It was meaty, thin, and crispy just like I like it. The homefries smelled so good and really were HOMEfries. By that I mean that they were cut there (as opposed to coming frozen in a bag), they had the skins on them, and they were cooked on their grill. Some places deep fry them and I think that's just silly. I think my favorite part was the stack of pancakes. They were not "short" as described. They were fat and fluffy (but not too dense like a buckwheat pancake), full of freshly sliced bananas, and had the perfect amount of chocolate chips in them. Sometimes too many chips make it feel too much like dessert, but these were still light, sweet and didn't even need syrup.
     David got some tasty items he let me try too. His Tex-Mex omelette was HUGE and full of beans and ground beef. Uh. Yum. Protein. His s'mores stuffed french toast was insane. They took two slices of bread, dipped in egg and GRAHAM CRACKER CRUMBS, stuffed chocolate and marshmallow between the two and cooked it. Simply madness. It was delicious, but super sweet. A few bites was plenty. I wanted to put peanut butter in it.
     As I said, go to Frank's. Even though it's not owned by Frank. This lady knows what she's doing.

----------

Earl of Sandwich - Boston, MA
http://stores.earlofsandwichusa.com/massachusetts/boston/boston-common.html

     Right after finishing the Walk for Hunger (my first walk for hunger) I thought... eh, 20 miles wasn't that bad. Within a few hours of stopping however, I realized I was in for more pain than anticipated. Regardless, once we finished, the Gentle Giant gang broke up and I headed straight for Earl of Sandwich to use my free sandwich coupon (love the coups) I got for signing up for their email list. I went through a newsletter binge a couple months ago and signed up for all the different restaurants that give you things on your birthday, but many of them require you sign up well before the actual day.

The Full Montagu

     Earl of Sandwich sits in the middle of the Boston Common (America's first public park) in a octagonal concrete building. It's odd. I wonder who Earl is. Anyway, you just walk up to the window to order and can go watch the goofballs play Quiddich is the field behind it (I DO NOT UNDERSTAND). To get the full bang for my lack of bucks, I got their Full Montagu which had roast beef, turkey, swiss, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and mustard sauce (not sure what that really means). Now I figured this sammie would be pretty standard. Maybe like a step up from Subway, but not as good as the mom and pop deli down the street. It was much better than I expected though! They did something genius I've never seen before. So I have two meats and two cheeses right? They put one type of cheese on one side of the bread and topped it with the meat. Then did the same thing on the other side with the second meat and cheese. In the middle the put all the veggies. Why was this great thinking? Because then when they went to grill it, the cheeses were the closest to the heat source (whether flipped or not), while the veggies were in the middle just chillin' and staying cool. So smart! I could tell the deli meats weren't super high quality, but the construction of the sandwich was just so impressive.

----------

Met Back Bay - Boston, MA
http://metbackbay.com/

Short Rib tacos, Pork Carnitas taco, and chips & salsa

     Every now and then Malcolm and I like to get together and catch up since we don't live together anymore...which is sad. It was a Tuesday, and apparently he's a big fan of the Taco Tuesday special Met offers. So I headed down to this swanky, dark joint at the corner of Darmouth and Newbury St, felt really out of place and just all around not fancy enough for an evening on Newbury. Either way, the inside of Met was really unique. In the downstairs area, there were two bars. Hanging from the ceiling around each bar was a glass case with goodies inside. The larger bar had bottles of liquor sitting inside the glass, and the smaller bar had mason jars full of veggies and other pickled things. Also hanging near the smaller bar was an enormous leg of meat that looked like it was aged. I have no idea if it was real or not, but it sure was strange. This second bar was definitely meant to give off a sort of butcher/wine & cheese/farm vibe but in a classy way. I dug it.
     For Taco Tuesdays they do 3 tacos for $6, so we got two different kinds and split them up for maximum flavor experience. I ordered the pork carnitas tacos which came in a grilled, soft shell and had a pleasantly surprising amount of carnitas in them. This meat was very different than other carnitas I've had before in that it was much more juicy and stuck together, rather than being moist to dry but fibrous and breaking apart. This also had a slightly smokey flavor from the chipotles. The best part was the roasted pineapple chunks they threw in. The caramelized edges added a sweetness that went perfectly with the spicy meat. Malcolm ordered the short rib tacos, which were served in a larger than normal crunchy taco shell. Inside, they stuffed their short rib meat that was apparently braised or marinated in coca-cola. Yes. Coke. I've never heard of that before, but it makes sense! It probably tenderizes the meat and breaks it down. I knew there was a slightly sweet taste I couldn't pin point when I was eating them. I also loved the charred onions they added in this one. They lent a nice roasted flavor that went well with the jalapeños.
     We also ordered chips and salsa which was excellent. The chips were definitely homemade and if you've read any of my nonsense about chips before, you know that gets a restaurant a big high five from me. I was also in love with the salsa. The chunks of tomatoes and onions were on the bigger side and roasted, but the tomatoes had the consistency and texture of stewed tomatoes which was different. This salsa didn't have the fresh, cilantro lime flavors you'd normally experience in a salsa. Instead it had a darker, roasted and rich flavor that was really excellent.
     Not only were our tacos $6, but they have a meatball bar on Sundays and $4.99 burgers on Mondays. So obviously that needs to happen because their burgs and fries looked deadly. Can't wait.

----------

BurgerFi - Boston, MA
http://burgerfi.com/

BurgerFi build your own burger :]

     BurgerFi went in on Comm Ave last summer maybe? I'm not sure, but I've wanted to go since I first laid eyes on it, regardless of the fact that it's a chain. David made a good point that it's very similar in look and feel to Shake Shack. They both serve burgers, dogs, custard and brews, and use the same color palette and look. Also, they both are focused on the principle of revolutionizing the world of fast food, cooking from scratch, using fresh and quality products, and instituting sustainable practices within their businesses. How can you not support that?
     Anyway, Meagan and I had planned to go together, but it never happened, so one day on my way home from work I called Eric and asked if he wanted to meet me there. The inside of BurgerFi kind of has that clean, modern industrial feel with a lot of wood, metal and simple light fixtures. It's pleasing to me. I decided to build my own burger with 2 patties, lettuce, tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and pickles. As I ate the burger, I was comparing it to the Shake Shack burger and came to many conclusions. 1) The veggies on the Shake Shack burger were much fresher and more crisp, which is huge for me. 2) The burger patty at BurgerFi was much less greasy and more satisfying. 3) The pickles were a big deal sealer, leading me to conclude that the BurgerFi burger was better. Shake Shack's fries were better though, in that they were more crispy and salty. I like the hand cut, real potato look of the BurgerFi fries, which made me think I'd like them more (that's generally how that works), but they weren't done enough and needed some more salt. Kind of just ... meh.

The concrete was pretty solid

     For dessert (never forget), we got a concrete which is custard mixed with a ton of stuff. This economically makes so much sense rather than that self serve froyo because you pick your custard flavor (chocolate... duh) and can mix in as many toppings as you want. We got a bunch: oreos, brownies, chocolate chips, reeses pieces and whipped cream on top. It was overkill, but incredible. I just wished it didn't melt so fast. You can't screw something like this up. It was spot on.

----------

Kowloon - Saugus, MA

http://kowloonrestaurant.com/

     So then I went to Kowloon. I went to Kowloon, and I was sad. It looks so cool on the outside though, and actually really cool on the inside too with fountains, volcanoes, and boats everywhere. But the food was definitely some of the worst asian food I've ever had. We went after Catherine's graduation with David's family, so at least the company was good. 

"Who ordered the Pu Pu Platter?"

     Now, I love some good mediocre asian food, but this didn't even hit that mark. For starters we ordered two platters of meat. One was the Pu Pu platter (haha) including things like ribs, chicken fingers, egg rolls, crispy wontons and fried shrimp. But really it was all nearly fried... and all made you feel awful. The best part was the flame in the middle. The ribs were actually decent (they were the only thing that wasn't fried), but I'm curious as to what they were marinated in or what the sauce was. Tasted like applesauce. I'm doubtful that it was. 

     For the rest of the meal we got a couple different combinations of chicken, shrimp, rice, lo mein and other random meats like SLICED DELI HAM or hard dry peas. I don't understand what was happening. Things were covered in some sort of slime. The flavors were partly blah, partly awful. However, the sesame chicken was good. I will say that. It was just intensely fried chicken strips coated in a tasty sauce and sesame seeds. That's the kind of mediocre asian food I like. Thank goodness Catherine ordered that, or else it would've been nearly a complete failure. 

      On their website, they have tons of awards listed for "New England's Best Chinese Food" and such and the hallways within the restaurant were lined with celebrity photos. I do not understand. What was I missing?!

Monster Trucks trump Chocolates

Fatima's - Worcester, MA

(In a clockwise order from the top) Beef stew, eggplant and cauliflower, beans, spinach/potato/peas,
goat stew,chicken stew, and (in the center) cabbage/carrots/potatoes

     Chocolates are nice. Flowers are nice. But monster trucks are even better! For Valentines Day, David and I drove out to Worcester in a blizzard to go to this monster truck rally. It was our first

rally. I could go in to detail about it, but just know that they're awesome and watching enormous trucks fly through the air is probably more exciting than the average person might think.
     Anyway, David and I were talking about Ethiopian food the day before, so I decided to find an Ethiopian restaurant around there for before the show. We stopped at Fatima's Cafe in Worcester, which was this tiny little restaurant that just looked like a converted pizza shop. No frills about it. No fancy tables, no signs. Just a couple ladies and a little kid running around feeding their only party of two. For $15, we got their Ethiopian bread with 5 different stews and some beans. If you've never had Ethiopian before, they basically serve you this really strange thin bread that's like one enormous flat pancakes filled with bubble holes. It's really spongy and, to me, there seems to be a slightly sour taste, but David didn't think so. I know there are a few friends of mine that have been a little less than enthused about the bread.
     So when they bring the bread out it's in a big bowl, or on a big plate and they throw on a bunch of scoops of whatever stew you want. You take the bread and use it (kind of like a pita) to scoop up or pinch some stew. Everything thing is supposed to be with your hands. At Fatima's we got a beef stew with red peppers; chicken with red peppers and onions; a vegetable stew with potatoes, carrots, and some cabbage; another vegetable stew with spinach, peas and potatoes; a third vegetable stew with eggplant and cauliflower; and finally a goat meat stew with carrots and onions and such. First of all, not a fan of goat. Maybe it was just the cut of meat or the way it was cooked, but it was really fatty and almost felt oily in your mouth. Plus it was really hard to chew. That gets frustrating for me because I just want to move on and eat more things but can't. I need food patience.

Son of a Digger at Monster Jam 

     The beef stew was probably my favorite, with the cabbage stew second. I love cabbage. Most of the stews had similar flavors, probably because of the spices they use, which generally consist of a bunch of curry, chili, garlic, cumin and some others. Towards the end, the bread got really soggy and was really difficult to use as a scoop, so we had to resort to forks. Oh well. Fatima's was worth the stop, all the ladies working there were really sweet, the price was great, and I was happy to support a local business like that.

-----------

The Local - Wellesley, MA
http://www.liveeatlocal.com/

Classic wings and fried pickles.

     I finally tried skiing! Not downhill skiing, but cross country skiing. Alyse, Meagan, Eric and I were climbing big snow hills here in Allston, when Alyse said, "We should go skiing." So up we got and went (and met Kevin there). It was AWESOME! I ate it on all the hills, though. Gotta work on that. Anyway, afterwards we went into Wellesley to The Local to get some food. It was beautiful inside! Lots of dark woods and iron looking light fixtures, but it had a classy side. We felt almost a little under dressed, but our hunger helped us push through the potential social discomfort.

The Local burger

     As an appetizer we ordered fried pickles with spicy mayo, which were both done really well. Because pickles are so juicy, sometimes I think restaurants have difficultly frying them and keeping the breading crispy, but The Local did a great job keeping the breading thin and crisp. We also got buffalo wings which were great. It's hard to mess those up. I just prefer that they're clean and don't leave me feeling like a grease bucket, which these didn't.
     For the meal, I ordered their local burger, made with locally sourced "prime beef", It was cooked absolutely perfectly with a little bit of pink. It was also great because it was very lean and not greasy at all. Definitely quality, fresh beef. It came on a big, fluffy brioche bun with their hand cut fries. The fries were tossed with coarse salt and parsley, giving them a great herby flavor. They were done fabulously with a thin, crisp outside. All around, absolutely no complaints. And the speed at which they refilled our water glasses was incredible.

----------

Paris Creperie - Brookline, MA

http://pariscreperie.com/

Helen & Paris crepe from Paris Creperie

     I was on this job the other day with Christian and James, and my packed lunch became history once they started raving about this place called the Paris Creperie. It wasn't until I got there that I realized this was the same place that had the crepe truck I've seen around. I don't think I had ever had a crepe before (other than the ones Andrew and I made at home), but I was pumped. Paris Creperie was a tiny little shop in Brookline that served both sweet and savory crepes, providing some seriously tough choices. 

     If you've never really had a real crepe before, it's basically a very thin pancake that they fold over a few times to encase a bunch of goodies, which, in the sweet category, can include things like fruits, nutella, peanut butter, butter, etc. In the savory sector, you see herbs, vegetables, and sometimes meats. I decided to go with the savory option and chose the Helen & Paris. It was a mint infused crepe with chickpeas, feta cheese, kale, roma tomatos, kalamata olives and a cucumber mint relish. First of all, I was so delightfully surprised how big it was! It was stuffed and the crepe itself (when unfolded) must've been 50% bigger than a standard (American) dinner plate.
     I loved the chickpeas in it because it gave it some substance and was filling. But the best part was the feta cheese, kale, olives and tomatoes. Wait and the cucumber mint relish. Well... that's the whole rest of the crepe. There was the perfect amount of feta in it too, because too much warm feta would've made it too creamy inside and would've taken away from some of the freshness of the whole crepe. The kale was perfectly steamed and wasn't the stiff kale I seem to always end up with when I shop for it myself. The warm tomatoes and the salty olives (I'm working really hard on liking olives and it's working!) were so tasty. I think the olives may have actually been my favorite addition to the dish! I feel like it would've been completely different without them. The little burst of salt was so good. While some of the crepes were a little more expensive than I'd want to spend on a lunch, I still would love to try them all. Especially some of the sweet ones now. 

----------

Pumpkin Spice Bagels - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

     So I figured I'd try my hand at these Pumpkin Spice bagels that I've been looking at for over a year on Ambitious Kitchen. She made them with a whipped honey butter, but I opted not to simply because I'm lazy and figured buttering the bagels and drizzling some honey on them would be basically the same thing. For the bagels, I used that homemade pumpkin puree I made a month ago or whenever that was. I figured they'd be nice and pumpkin-y, but honestly, they're more just like flour with spices. Granted, I nailed the texture, which I'm pretty proud of. I was most nervous about that because bread never really seems to work out when I try it. I always screw up the whole rising process. Oh and the kneading. So much kneading. I think my bagels just needed a little more pumpkin flavor, which could be due to my puree being less fresh and from not so flavorful pumpkins? I don't know. I also wanted a little more sweetness. Meagan tasted the pumpkin and likes them though. I'm probably just being too critical. Boo. Maybe I'll try again some day.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

1 cup of warm water (110° to 115°)
2 teaspoons yeast
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
3 1/2 cups of bread flour + more if necessary
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
Olive oil
1 egg, slightly beaten

1. Place warm water in a large bowl and add yeast and brown sugar. Stir and let sit for about 3-5 minutes. Add in pumpkin, spices, salt, and 2 cups of bread flour and begin to stir together to form a soft, sticky dough.

2. Transfer the sticky dough to a lightly floured surface and add in another cup of flour. Begin to knead dough by hand until all of the flour is absorbed. Add in another 1/2 cup of flour and knead again until all of the dough is absorbed. Knead dough for about 8 minutes. The dough should not be sticky, but smooth and elastic.

3. Place dough in a bowl coated with oil, and cover the top allowing it to rise in a warm place until dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

4. After an hour, punch down the dough and shape into 12 balls. Roll each dough ball into a rope, about 8 inches long. Push your thumb through the center to form a 2 inch hole and stretch the dough to form an even ring. Place the bagels on a baking sheet (greased or lined with parchment paper), cover again with plastic wrap and let rise for 15-20 minutes more.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

6. Fill a large pot with a couple inches of water and bring to a boil. Drop bagels, two at a time, into boiling water. Cook for about 45 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. 

7. Place on baking sheets, brush with egg wash, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool on wire racks.

----------

Apple Cinnamon Granola - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

     My sad pumpkin spice bagels made me sad (and I had sunflower seeds that I discovered on my shelf), so I decided to make Stef's apple cinnamon granola from her blog Energy Neutral. I saw it a long time ago, but psyching myself up to make homemade granola is hard. It's tough to make and I get nervous I'm going to ruin it again. I liked Stef's recipe because it used applesauce instead of oil. Most have a ton of oil and a ton of sugar, lending to it's crisp and crunchiness, but I don't need that or want all the extra cals. Not that it really matters anymore, but I'm still conscious of it. Anyway I was actually pretty impressed with how crunchy this actually got considering I didn't add any oil. I didn't add the protein powder she suggests in her recipe though (which honestly may have greatly altered the flavor)m and I just used all rolled oats as opposed to some rolled oats and some quick cook oats. It's really tasty and light and I don't feel like I'm eating handfuls of sugar, which is good. I love how cinnamon-y it is.

Apple Cinnamon Granola

2 1/2c rolled oats
1/4c sunflower seeds
1/4c chopped almonds (this can be done in the food processor)
1/2c apple sauce
2tbs cinnamon
1/4c maple syrup

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. In a large bowl, combine apple sauce, cinnamon, and maple syrup to make a slurry. Add oats and stir to coat. 

3. Press granola mixture into a greased pan and bake for 30 minutes, stirring at 20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven, let cool and enjoy.

Burrito Tetris

Lulu's Restaurant and Bar - Allston, MA
http://lulusallston.com/

Lulu's Burger     

     This Head of the Charles was definitely my favorite to date for two main reasons. 1) The number
of old teammates in town and 2) the food. Because I wasn't racing lightweight (and honestly wasn't sure if I would be racing at all because I was a spare), I was able to partake in activities I normally wouldn't, like spending hours and hours walking around the course, getting dinner and drinks with friends and staying up until 4am. I just really enjoyed the relaxing weekend of endless and spontaneous fun. I could write a novel with all of the stories from this weekend, so I'll try to stick to just the food.

    The first new place I tried was a restaurant/bar called Lulu's here in Allston. Meagan and I had both heard this place was good, and it seemed like the perfect, relaxed atmosphere we were looking for. So Jim, Cory, Kevin, Courtney, Meagan and I walked over and happily took the table reserved for our man Dennis who failed to show up for his reservation. They sat us at their "VIP" table tucked away in a little corner with its own private tv. The dining area itself was a darker, open space that gave off a modern, hipster vibe. The table we were seated at was one irregular shaped, thick slice of a tree. Such a beautiful piece of work.

Mexican Cheetos

     I was really impressed with their menu too, as it was much more intricate and unique than I expected from an Allston bar. In a way, this restaurant seemed a little out of place (but in a good way). Dissecting the menu options was difficult and fun, and we tried many things. For an appetizer, I was debating between the curry, caramel popcorn with pumpkin seeds and the Mexican Cheetos. I ordered their Mexican Cheetos. Never have I ever heard of someone making their own homemade cheetos, let alone a restaurant offering them. To be truthful, they were definitely a little weird. They weren't as flavorful as regular cheetos (obviously because they weren't chocked full of chemicals), and while the texture was crispy and airy like a cheeto, they didn't taste like much more than a lightly powdered, cheese covered air. They came in the shape of pumpkins and were served with a spicy hot sauce called Tapatio. Definitely worth a try, but I wouldn't get them again. Upon further investigation, I just realized they were vegan. Perhaps that's why I was only slightly more than unimpressed. Hmm...

     I opted for the Lulu's burger. It just looked so good as I walked in. Natural beef with herbs and butter, local cheddar, secret sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions on a brioche roll. The burger was a little too well done for me, so I wanted some more juice to the whole ensemble, but it was still delicious. I loved the herb-y flavors, and I was also a huge fan of the brioche roll. It was really different in that the outer layer of the roll seemed almost separate from the insides of the roll. I compared it to a soccer ball being wrapped in wrapping paper and no one understood my analogy. It was a big, wide, warm roll, so it was nice to not fear of running out of bread. You know how sometimes the buns are so small and the insides get all pushed around? This was not the case here. The burger was served with their hand cut fries which were stellar. They reminded me of the fries from b.good, but were less crispy, and that was fine. Just very irregular shaped and sized and dusted with coarse grains of salt. So tasty.

     Friends who love food are great because they always let you try their food. So Jim let me try his herbed tots, which were super crisp on the outside and salty. I love love loved them! And I loved the garlic mayo they were served with. His short rib mac and cheese was tasty too. It was definitely a homemade cheese sauce, making the whole dish seem less gut busting.

     Lulu's had so many delicious looking and sounding dishes coming out of their kitchen that I'm definitely coming back. It helps that it's right down the street from me too. Can't wait!

----------

Totto Ramen - Allston, MA
http://tottoramen.com/

Look how happy and cute Jim is with his ramen.

     This New York ramen joint just recently moved to Boston, and I had never even heard of them until Jim suggested the place in response to an evening Asian craving. I've only had ramen once before in Portland, and I loved it. Jim and I both loved this experience at Totto Ramen so much that we came back two days later with seven more people :] Not only was the food delicious, but the wait staff was super friendly and the food came out quick.

Pork buns

     In contrast to a lot of other Asian food restaurants in Allston, this one is pretty modern and doesn't give you much of the Asian vibes you might get in a more traditional restaurant. Or maybe this is more representative of a younger and more modern Asian dining experience.

     Anyway, in our first trip, we ordered the pork buns as an appetizer. These are really simple. The put a thick slice of what I think is pork belly in a steamed flat, folded bun with some lettuce and tartar sauce. The pork had such a great, salty (and fatty) flavor, and the bun was soft and spongy. It seemed more like a dumpling texture. During our second visit, I ordered the congee which is basically rice cooked in chicken broth that had a texture similar to that of porridge or oatmeal. On top they cracked an partially fried egg and shredded scallions. When I cracked the yolk of the egg, however, I was really confused because the yolk itself was ice cold. I have no idea how they got the whites of the egg cooked and warm while keeping the yolk cold. Either way, using one of those big scoopy spoon things, you'd get the best bite when you got a little rice, egg and some scallions all together.

Congee

     For my meal on both trips, I order the Paitan Ramen, which included their long homemade

Mochi

noodles cooked al dente style in a whole chicken and soy sauce based soup. It was topped with scallion, onion and a nori (dried seaweed). The first time I added the Kikurage Mushrooms, which were actually harder than normal mushrooms and came in these short brown shreds. They were good, but didn't add much to the dish overall. I was much happier the second time when I added the fresh seaweed and the seasoned soft boiled egg. The seaweed was soft but chewy, and I really liked the soy flavor that permeated the white of the egg.

     For dessert, I tried many different mochi balls. If you're unfamiliar, mochi ice cream balls are a Japanese dessert that consist of a ball of ice cream covered in a soft, pounded rice layer. I love that rice layer. I could eat just a
ball of that. We tried the red bean (which was the sweetest of all), the black sesame (which tasted like sesame seeds... duh), vanilla (meh), mango (sweet but refreshing,) and the green tea (refreshing and light). Green tea and red bean were my favorite.

----------

Commonwealth Restaurant and Market - Cambridge, MA
http://commonwealthcambridge.com/

   
     Well... I've got to say that it's honestly been nearly 3 months since I blogged, and even since I touched this one post specifically. So I'm jumping in, head first, attempting to remember my food life.

     Zach and I went to Commonwealth forever
and a year ago, but that doesn't by any means mean that I don't remember it. Commonwealth is near Kendall square by MIT in cambridge. I found it unique because even though it's situated within a very modern, technology-centric area, walking in the front doors transports you to a more rustic, farm or marketplace atmosphere. With the mission to provide local produce and farm fresh eggs and dairy, Commonwealth's entrance boats a little market area with a bunch of fruits, vegetables, grains, and treats scattered among a bunch of beautiful antique stoves, chairs and desks. It's adorable.

     When we were led to our seat, we headed into a room where the walls and ceiling were made out of wooden pallets and had large-bulb incandescents hanging from them. It looked so cool and gave the room such a fun ambiance. The food was nothing short of spectacular either. To start, they brought out this tiny ramekin with fluffy pull apart bread. It was so soft and warm inside, and the sweet butter was delicious. I seem to recall they make their own butter. As an appetizer we ordered these pork short ribs that were to dieeeee for. They were probably my favorite part of the whole meal. It was one of those dishes were you can't possibly pinpoint all the flavors because so much is going on. They had some sort of spicy light brown sauce on them, but wasn't like a barbecue sauce at all. I want to say there was a chili taste, with lime and cilantro. But there was also some sort of caramelized sweetness to it, and they were dusted with a cashew dust. Weird, right? But so so good.

   
     For the entree, we got one and a bunch of sides to split because we wanted to try all the things. This place is a little pricey, so I was hesitant at first, but then I gave up. Zach was in the same boat. He was super pumped about the duck before we had even gotten there, so we ordered the half Long Island duck with cranberries. The meat was really tender and juicy, and I loved the complement of the cranberry and... mint? There was an herb in the cranberry mixture on the side and it was fabulous with the duck. We both agreed at the end that while it was delicious, it wasn't worth the $25, especially considering how small the portion was.

Duck Fat Fries (top left), Oyster Mushrooms (top right), Mac n' Cheese (bottom right), Long Island Duck (bottom left)

     For me, the mac n' cheese side was non-debatable. It was GREAT. It was definitely a homemade
mac n' cheese and boasted a unique blend of local New England cheeses. It was thicker too (which I like). You know... like velveeta thickness but actually cheese and delicious. (That comparison should be considered a sin. Shame on me.) Anyway, it was a very, very rich dish with a special touch of some sort of toasted cracker crumbs on top. I love that additional texture within creamy mac n' cheese.
   
     The duck fat fries though. My second favorite. If you're confused, what I mean by duck fat fries is that they cook these thick cut wedge fries in duck fat. Don't ask why... just know that they'll be some of the best fries you ever eat. They were very rich, heavy feeling, and salty. Oh so salty. It was lovely. They came piping hot and crispy on the outside, just as every fry should be. These could be a meal in themselves.

     The last side I ordered was their oyster mushrooms. I'm not sure I'd had that variety before, and they were awesome. They were soft and chewy, light and garlicy. A necessity, I think, after all the other super rich dishes.

     We weren't going to get dessert... but then we came to our senses. Their dessert menu is cool. You pick an ice cream, pair it with a building block of sorts, and add a sauce and/or another topping. We got the butter pecan ice cream with a blondie as the base, topped it with "notorious P.I.G. tracks" (chocolate peanut or chocolate almond clusters maybe?) and a peanut sauce. Health. It was stupid good. That blondie was so warm and a tad gooey still, the clusters added a nutty crunch, and that ice cream was probably some of the best butter pecan I've ever had. Smooth and simple, but rich. They make their own homemade ice cream here, and now that I think of it, that was the original reason I wanted to come here. Now I want their breakfast. I want it all.

----------

Cactus Grill - East Boston, MA
http://www.cactusgrillboston.com/

   

     Cactus is David's happy place. I've never met a man who loves burritos as much as he does, and it's endearing. I had a steak quesadilla from there once, but there was no photographic evidence, so I didn't write about it. Regardless... it was so juicy from the steak and so cheesy it pleased me (rhymes).  This time, David brought me home a burrito, and I'm proud to say I'm on the Cactus bandwagon. Easily the best burrito I think I've ever had in my life... not just in Boston. Look at the photo. You see how the rice and the vegetables are around the entire burrito and the steak is in the middle? I have no idea how they do that. But either way, it ensures that each bite gives you a little bit of everything so you're not stuck playing burrito tetris and strategizing your next bite. The steak inside was just like the steak from my quesadilla; all super juicy and flavorful. Oh... and the deal sealer... was the grilled tortilla outside. They don't just wrap it up and send you on your way. They press it, so the tortilla has a thin, browned exterior. This isn't only delicious, but it also seals in your burrito contents so the tortilla doesn't go exploding and releasing the tsunami of innards all over your pants. Props Cactus.

----------

Sushi Station - Mission Hill, MA
http://www.sushi-station.net/

     Writing about sushi is sometimes obnoxiously difficult. If you've ever eaten it, you can pretty
much assume why. Anyway... Meagan, Jimmy and I went to Sushi Station in Mission Hill a couple weeks back because I had this restaurant.com gift card, and I chose to take it there. Sushi Station is a mini restaurant with only a couple tables. We were the only people dining in there the whole time, but the waitstaff was super friendly and offered us complementary edamame! Bonus! I love seaweed salad (mainly because of the texture), so I got that and shared it. I love its sweet and sour flavors. Reminds me of my grandpa's three bean salad he used to make with vinegar and sugar. We ordered a bunch of different rolls to hit out $25 minimum. Honestly, I'm not all that sure which rolls we got, but they were all great. We got a range of spicy and mild rolls, a few with shrimp, crab, and tuna. I don't think they were as fresh as they could be, probably because of a slower stream of customers in the door, but it was still delicious, cheap and we left stuffed, satisfied, and it didn't break the bank. Definitely worth it if you're looking for a good bang for your buck!


Spike's Junkyard Dogs - Allston, MA
http://www.spikesjunkyarddogs.com/

Spike's Junkyard Dog

     Spike's was (admittedly) one of the first restaurants I wanted to go to when I got to Boston. A restaurant that sold mainly hot dogs was different, and I could only imagine how good they had to be if that was basically all they sold. After the Relient K concert down at Paradise Rock Club, David and I were walking home hungry. We kept walking and walking and he was getting impatient, but I assured him I had a place in mind (I always have a place in mind).  I didn't realize that Spike's sold more than hot dogs though! Apparently they have burgers, chicken fingers (which we got and are pretty good) and a few other things. I had to get the dog though. I ordered the junkyard dog, which is their main act. It came with Spike's mustard, tomato, hot pepper rings, and chopped scallions. Wowiezowie. This was goooooood AND huge. The hot dog itself was really thick and plump with juicy (got ahead... laugh), and the bun was like a soft baguette with little grits of cornmeal dusted around the bottom. It was like a real bun, not the standard one ounce white hot dog bun you normally get. The hearty bun and thick dog made just one hot dog pretty filling. That didn't mean we didn't get chicken fingers too. It felt so good. It felt amazing to be able to just want to eat something late at night and do it without remorse (<<< reflections on my lightweight days).

Found: Boston's Best Nachos

@Union - Allston, MA
http://www.unionallston.com/

Carbohyrates please...

     I love being able to say yes to spur of the moment brunch outings. Even when it comes to a $4 glass of fresh squeezed OJ. Seriously... fresh squeezed is the way to go. The other stuff shouldn't even be called orange juice. Anyway, I met Kevin for brunch at @Union one Saturday because I hadn't seen him yet since he moved to Boston. I've heard this place was good and it seemed decently priced and close to home. Right in the heart of hipster Allston, this place boasted big open windows, a bunch of tables, and a bright and colorful atmosphere. Their menu was pretty extensive too and they had a decent selection of specials. I ordered the orange blossom french toast, which was very simple and actually rather light. It didn't have much of an orange flavor other than from the orange wedges I squeezed onto it. However, the mix of the orange and a little syrup was delicious.
     I also ordered their homefries because yelpers said they were awesome. They were right. Nice big hunks of potatoes that were grilled, not fried, with some veggies. All great things.

----------

Joe's American Grill - Braintree, MA
http://www.joesamerican.com/
   

Spinach and artichoke dip

     Joe's exists many places throughout the city, but I had never been. After some siiiiick F1 racing for David's sister's birthday, we headed over to Joe's for dinner. It kind of had a similar fancy but casual feel to places like Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs. We sat outside on their beautiful patio as the sun mutated my ghostly skin. As an appetizer we ordered their spinach and artichoke dip which was amazing x 1000. Super creamy and salty (in a good way) and cheesy. They served it with tortilla chips and these crisp parmesan cheese chips. So good. I could've eaten just that for dinner. We also got their chips, guac and salsa, but it was pretty standard. The salsa was strange though.

Turkey burger

     For the meal I ordered a turkey burger. Big, fat juicy guy with fresh greens, tomato and onion on a buttery toasted bun. It was super satisfying, as was the salad that came with. The dressing on the salad was stellar too. It was a sort of lemon vinaigrette but was a little sweet.  I wanted some in a to-go bottle.

----------

Wolfe's Tavern - Wolfeboro, NH
http://www.wolfestavern.com/


 
  I'm going to write about this little place a) because I'll probably never be in this area again, and b)
because this french onion soup was delicious. It was super loaded with cheese that poured off the sides and melted to the edges of the pot. Crispy cheese always wins in my book. That is all.

----------

Pavlova - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

My pretty pavlova :]

     Frances told me a long time ago that Pavlova was her favorite dessert. So naturally, I wrote it down, lost it, and had to ask Melanie what the name was again when her birthday finally came around. This was my first attempt at a type of meringue and it was incredibly difficult. First of all, I didn't have white wine vinegar, and the only white vinegar that Trader Joe's had what white balsamic, I figured it would do, until I added it to the egg/sugar mixture and the whole thing smelled and tasted strangely like mushrooms. I thought I had ruined the whole thing, but put it in the oven anyway, hoping that the vinegar taste would cook out. 

     The kicker I think was that you're supposed to let it cool over night in the oven WITH the oven door cracked. I didn't know that the oven door was supposed to be cracked, and therefore when I got to my pavlova in the morning it was sticky. I attempted to bake it a little longer, but as you know that baking is all chemistry, that didn't really help me achieve the ideal texture... but I decided it would do. Honestly, it seemed to work out quite well. The sweet, melt-in-your mouth flavor of a meringue was there, and you really couldn't go wrong with the homemade whipped cream and fruit on top. It was a big hit, and Frances loved it. That was all I wanted :]

Pavlova

4 large egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar (I put mine in a food processor for a few minutes)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, whipped
Mixed fruits, such as raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, kiwis, bananas or whatever your heart desires.

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a tall bowl, beat egg whites and salt together until glossy peaks form. With mixer running, add sugar in three additions, beating until meringue is stiff and glossy. Sprinkle in cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Fold to combine.

3. Mound the meringue in the center of a cookie sheet liked with parchment paper. Using a spatula, evenly spread meringue out towards the edges, forming a circle. Transfer baking sheet to oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

4. Turn off oven and let meringue cool completely in oven with the door cracked. When meringue is cool and completely dry (overnight is preferable), top with whipped cream and desired fruits.

----------

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce - My Kitchen, Allston, MA

     Hayley mentioned the idea of a roasted butternut squash pasta sauce a long time ago, so when Meagan had extra leftover squash, I offered to make some sauce with it. I found this recipe on a blog called Teeny Tiny Foodie. I was really excited because roasted squash is great, and I could only imagine what would happen when you add in a bunch of herbs and some creamy ricotta cheese. It was just as good as I had expected, and then some! The only thing I would've done differently is I would've added a little bit more of the noodle water to thin it out a bit. It was pretty starchy the first time around. In my second serving though, I added some water to thing it out and it become a little easier to eat. While it may seem a little complicated, this was a great way to use up some butternut squash when you get a big one. Super tasty too. 

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce

½ roasted squash bulb, peeled and cubed
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 small onion, diced
1½ cups arugula
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
¾ teaspoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 lb pasta of choice
½ cup reserved cooking liquid from the pasta
Olive oil, shaved parmesan or romano cheese and red pepper flakes, to taste

1. Over medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic and red pepper flakes with a pinch of salt until the onions are golden. Stir occasionally.

2. Add the arugula, another pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

3. In a food processor/blender/with an immersion blender blend the ricotta, squash, onion-arugula mixture, salt and pepper. Process on high for 1 minute or until it is smooth.

4. Add the reserved water from the cooked pasta, ¼ cup at a time, until your desired consistency is reached. Taste, and adjust seasonings.

5. Pour the sauce over the cooked pasta, mix and top with grated parmesan or romano cheese and enjo

----------

21st Amendment - Boston, MA

http://21stboston.com/

I give you Boston's best nachos!

     Knocked another one of Boston's best nacho places off my list! My mom and Jay came to visit a couple weeks ago and I met them downtown to walk around and show them the sights. I'll say... I wasn't upset when they asked if there was a pub around. They were thirsty and hungry, and I was (as always)... hungry. We were up by the state house, so immediately I thought of 21st Amendment and their nachos. IT WAS TIME. The moment had come and I'd get to try them. The inside of the 21st Amendment is very dark and old style pub-y. It reminded me of a place politicians downtown would come to. The local watering hole. The building itself was constructed in 1899, and the pub has been through a few different names, but it was a local hangout for some of the state workers.

Momma and I!

     So for the nachos. These were definitely THE best nachos I've had in Boston. Let me explain... The winning factors here were the mile high piles of guac and sour cream. I kid you not that had to be 3 avocados worth of guacamole and an entire tub of sour cream. It was amazing. The chips were great too. As I learned from a previous experience (I called them a couple years ago to see if they made their own chips), they were hand cut and fried corn tortilla chips. This made all the difference. The chips stayed nice and crisp regardless of the fact that these loaded nachos were piled high with melted cheese, grilled chicken, jalapenos, scallions and another generous helping of their fresh tomato salsa. Sometimes I don't like when salsa is added to nachos because it's generally pretty juicy and put the integrity of the chips at risk. But this salsa wasn't juicy, and had some great fresh flavors adding to the nachos. 5 star nachos. No doubt. 

----------

Russell House Tavern - Cambridge, MA

http://russellhousecambridge.com/

     Russell House Tavern is one of those restaurants I think about going to every time I think about going out to a restaurant. But then I remember I'm poor, and I choose someplace else. Honestly, Russell House Tavern won't completely break the bank, but I'm on a student budget. It's one of those restaurants you let your parents take you to when they come to visit. So that's exactly what I did. 

     It was too bad it wasn't warmer out because Russell House Tavern has a beautiful patio in an alleyway next to their restaurant. The downstairs definitely has a classy tavern vibe, with a lot of large incandescent light bulbs, bricks, and black and red accents. Very swanky looking place. We were seated upstairs near the bar, which kind of stunk because it was really loud. Either way, I was too excited about the food to care. 

     For an appetizer, we ordered their charcuterie board that had chicken liver pate (my favorite... love liver...so smooth),  smoked pork fillete (came cold under a layer of fat... a little strange), smoked fish rillette (my least favorite... too fishy), a sweet berry jam, and a few of their house-cured meats. All of these came with crispy, thin slices of bread (they have a technical term, but it evades me at the moments). While it was fun to sample all the different cuts of meat, a lot of them seemed to blend together, in that I couldn't tell the difference between them and couldn't recall the descriptions the waiter gave.

Charcuterie Board

     It was national pierogi day, and I was dead set on their wild mushroom pierogi, but they were out. Boo. Instead, I ordered their Smoked Lamb Belly Meatballs. These two precious meatballs came soaking in a roasted tomato sauce and topped with taleggio cheese and crispy sage. I always love the lamb-sage combo. They just compliment one another to well. The meatballs were super juicy, and the taleggio cheese was new to me. It had a mild, but almost fruity tang to it. It was delicious with the savory flavors of the meatballs.

Beet salad on the left, smoked lamb meatballs on the right.

 

     

    

     I also ordered their beet salad, which was another winner. It was very different than I anticipated, in that they had cut up the beets and mixed it with Vermont chevre (goat cheese as a binder) that allowed it to be formed into a patty. It came topped with candied pistachios, sprouts, dried cherries and stringy greens. I love goat cheese and beets together. Add a little sweetness from the cherries, and it's a winning salad. The whole thing was resting in a pool of a clear, bright green sauce, but I can't remember what it was (these are the moments I kick myself for not having written about places like this until weeks after my visit). Oh! They also served some sort of bread basket too and I hate that I can't remember what it was like. I do recall that they offered it with a small cup of what Jay and I swore was truffle oil. But the waiter said it was just garlic olive oil. I don't believe him. It had a different flavor, almost like that of oysters. Super interesting and delicious. I could've drank it (that's a lie). 

     I surprisingly said no to dessert, but I am glad Jay persuaded me out of that silly decision. We got the sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream, a toffee sauce, and "bruleed fig", which apparently is burnt fig. I can't say I pinpointed that flavor when I was eating it, but I also don't think I was aware of its presence. The toffee pudding was great though. It was served warm, and had a very rich and sweet toffee flavor. I was glad we split it. Great choice  :]

My mom and Jay with our Sticky Toffee Pudding  :]