An Epicurean Rendezvous with Andrew

Union Oyster House - Boston, MA
http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/
  

     Coming from the west coast, Andrew was on the hunt for some good clam chowduh. I hadn't a clue where to go, but after doing some research he had decided Union Oyster House was to be our final destination. Established in 1826, Union Oyster House is America's oldest restaurant and is nestled in a little cluster of restaurants and bars that line Union Street next to Feneuil Hall. I had walked by numerous times after they had closed and all I could see was a small counter up front by the window covered in cracked oyster shells, cut lemons, and oyster shrapnel. Finally... I got to ago inside. Unbeknownst to me, this place actually had three floors. Or two and a half rather. Andrew and I were led up to the second floor where I instantly felt like I was on a ship crossing the Atlantic in the 1800s. The ceilings hung maybe a foot above my head and wood beams crossed the length of the room over head. All of the booths were tiny. Fit for 4 at most. The place also seemed almost dark because it was so dimly lit. Small yellow jar-like lanterns hung above every table just barely illuminating the small space. Pictures of old ships and shipping paraphernalia hung sporadically on the walls. The whole mood this place created was magical and seemed to transcend you to a different time and place.

 
     We were here for clam chowder, and that cornbread I had seen in pictures online. But I couldn't find the cornbread on the menu. I was about to get fussy. Finally we were greeted by a big soft spoken woman with a heavy Boston accent. Perfect. You would've thought the gates of heaven had opened when she asked, "Would you both like some cornbread?" YES. Ohyesohyesohyes. It came to our table nice and warm. After shooting a quick picture we dug in.... and time stood still. This was not your normal cornbread. Oh no. This cornbread rose to a completely different level. Super moist, sweet but not too sweet, lightly crisped edges. Though it wasn't necessary, the cornbread was perfected complimented with a little butter. . We had to have more. She brought us each another huge chunk before our chowder even came.

     The chowder was deeeelish! They weren't skimpy on the clam meet (always a bummer when that happens), the potatoes were nice and soft, I think it had corn in it, and it was just downright stellar. OH! And if you broke off a piece of cornbread and let it soak in the chowder for a minute... well you might as well have just died and gone to heaven. Once we were finally done and Andrew had broken his gluten free diet, we were about to head out. But not without more of that cornbread. Our lovely waitress sent us home with two free chunks of cornbread and recommended we grab a recipe for it at the front desk on the way out. Victory. Five stars Union Oyster House.

Saus - Boston, MA 

http://www.eatfrites.com/

     Soooo we walked right out of Union Oyster House and right into Suas next door. Since Andrew spent so much time in Belgium I had to take him to this place called Saus. I've blogged about it before. Saus supposedly has Belgian style street food, including mainly twice fried fries and waffles (however Andrew says the ones we got weren't Belgian). We got a small batch of fries and 2 different sauces. One was their own homemade mayo which was actually pretty delicious. Different that the Hellman's you buy in the store. Maybe more of a bite? I'm unsure. Yummy though. The second one we got was a truffle ketchup. Weird. Good, but weird. Can't say I've ever had that truffle-y flavor mixed with ketchup, and can't say I'd definitely get it again. Andrew did get a really tasty ginger ale there though. It was light. Not overly sweet like most. Completely refreshing. 

Mike's Pastry - Boston, MA

http://www.mikespastry.com/

     We're terrible. I know. Right out of Saus and right into Mike's Pastry. Since I've drooled over Mike's cannolis before, I'll make it quick. I got 3 things. A florentine cookie chip thing. Basically butter, honey, sugar and almonds... dipped in chocolate. A little piece of heaven. I also got a pistacio cookie that was pretty sweet. Maybe too sweet. Not as good as the one I got at Modern Pastry just down the road. Mike's chocolate sandwhich was good though. Two simple shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate, surrounding a little splooge of chocolate in the middle. 

     Andrew got a chocolate cannoli and a lobster tail. Not a real lobster tail, but rather a puff pastry filled with this amaaaaazing cream and covered in chocolate. It was a little bomb of delicious. This was our view while eating th

Marcy's Breakfast and Lunch - Portland, ME

     It was cold, and Andrew and I hobbled in to Marcy's on the corner of Oak and Free. The place was tiny but packed with the locals. On a mantle that circled the room sat lava lamps, old telephones, trolls, coffee mugs, and pretty much anything that didn't have to do with anything else. A scrawny middle-aged lady just workin' to pay the bills and loving it was our delightful waitress. She loved us. Why? Because we ordered a lot of food. Maybe she loved everyone, because that just seemed to be her personality. First of all, as we waited for a table Andrew and I know we had to have one of their homemade muffins. The huge explosions of fruit and grain sat perched above the counter on display for hungry people such as ourselves. Our waitress suggested we get them grilled and butter. By all means, please make my muffin even more unhealthy for me. What the heck. It. Was. Amazing. I got blueberry and Andrew got raspberry and we split them. Both were fabulous. You know how sometimes when you eat muffins you save certain parts for last because they look like they might be the best bite? Well, in this case, the entire muffin was the best bite. Perfectly crisped on the edges from the grill, with just a perfect amount of butter made these muffins a success. Great success.
 
      For the meal I got one of their specials. It was a pot roast hash. It was the bomb (underused phrase). I don't care if it was their lunch-leftovers-from-the-night-before-gone-breakfast. It was fabulous. Potatoes, carrots, onions and huge chunks of roast topped with 2 eggs over easy and an english muffin. I wiped that plate clean....and then ate some of Andrew's hashbrowns, and ham... and eggs... and crack blueberry pancakes. He was "so full" and looked like he was going to fall asleep. Those of you that know Andrew know the look I'm talking about. Marcy's was cheap, friendly, and most of all, delicious. Definitely make it a breakfast stop if you ever head to Portland.





Standard Baking Co. - Portland, ME

     After cruising the shoreline for a while, Andrew and I needed a warm break. We headed into Standard Baking Co., a brick building tucked back from the street, for a little treat. It was warm and smelled like amazing breads and pastries. And everyone was so friendly. But then again, why wouldn't you be friendly if you worked at a bakery. I'd be so fat and happy. Anyway, there were too many delicous options. I wanted them all. I went with what was called a chocolate cork. It literally was a 4 inch tall chocolate cylinder. It was going to be good. It had chocolate. It was like a brownie smushed into a tube shape. The chocolate was dark, dense, and sweet and rich. So good. Not sure if I could have eaten another, which is saying a lot coming from me. It was one of those things where you stop, close your eyes, and savor the taste of every small bite. So great. Andrew got something called pain au chocolat. It was a big croissant that was filled with small chunks of what we think was dark chocolate and perhaps something else. The pastry was light, sweet, and flakey, while the chocolate was rich and so delicious. Standard Baking Co., you are far from standard. You are extraordinary.

Pizzeria Regina - Boston, MA

http://www.reginapizzeria.com/index.php

     It was our last free night to do whatever. Andrew was no longer gluten free, so we hit up Regina's once we got back from Portland. He needed to try this dough. We were seated almost right away (much different than the time that Malcom and I went) and ordered a 10inch (trying to be responsibele) #11 - The Giambotta. It had pepperoni, Regina sausage, salami, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and Mozzarella cheese (with anchovies on half). It was fabulous! I absolutely love the Regina sausage, their mushrooms are always fresh, the salami had such a great flavor and the veggies were just barely cooked. Still a little crisp/hard like I like 'em. The anchovies were different, but we figured we'd give it a try anyway. They were really salty (understandably so), and I don't think I'd get anchovies on a pizza again. Still glad I tried it though. Pretending we were full, we scooted out of there on the hunt for some dessert. Oh... and we forgot to take a picture of the pizza until after we had eaten it all. Oops. 

Bova's Bakery - Boston, MA

http://bovabakeryboston.com/

     Another location Jimmy and I had indulged in once before. Home of  "The North End's famous Italian Bread." I took Andrew and got this little square pastry that was made of phyllo dough and housed a bunch of candied pecans in the center. So much sweetness and goodness . I could've eaten the paper it was sitting on. Andrew got a baklava but said it wasn't the best. Oh well. On to gelato!

Gigi Gelateria - Boston, MA

http://www.gelateriacorp.com/

     Finally, a new place. I'm no gelato connoisseur, but I want to be. We headed to Gigi Gelateria in the north end to get in those last few cals our bodies were needing (joke). The place was quiet. Almost creepy quiet and you could tell the workers just wanted to go home. We didn't care. There were so many choices, but finally we settled on a simple chocolate and lemon. The chocolate was so smooth and rich and creamy. Just what I was looking for. The lemon was refreshing yet sweet and sour. The perfect end to a perfect food exploration week with Andrew.

Regina, who are you and are you looking for a roommate?

Bazaar - Allston, MA
http://www.bazaarboston.com/

     For my post 6k treat I went back to Bazaar, the Russian grocery store I fell in love with not too long ago. I was on the hunt for a potato. Not your normal potato. I asked the ladies behind the counter what was in it. They conversed back and forth for about a minute and came back to me with "cocao moose thing." I said, "I'll take one." It was a painful ride home. I wanted to wait to eat it. In my first bite I knew there was something in here they weren't telling me about. Rum. There had to be rum. I swear. The chocolate tower was super dense. More dense than chocolate moose, but less dense than fudge. Ok, that's a rather large range... but still. The outside was covered in slivered almonds and on top there was a dollop of a sweet cream with what I think was a white chocolate/chocolate swirly chip thing resting against it. The cream was so delicious. I kind of wish there was more of it. It was a nice light, sweet contrast to the dark, dense chocolate it was on top of. I have no idea why this was called a potato. Maybe it's time for some research.

Tasca - Brighton, MA

http://www.tascarestaurant.com/

   I've always heard so much about tapas, but I've never had it before. Basically, tapas are small plates of food originating from Spanish cuisine. This sounded ideal to me because when I go out to eat, everything on the menu always looks so good and I hate deciding. This way, you get to order lots of different things in smaller portions. Malcom knew the bartender, so we were hoping for a sweet deal. 

     Simply walking into Tasca was a treat. The lighting was very very dim (I couldn't really take pictures) beautiful music played in the background, Spanish style paintings and decor adorned the wall, and all the classy people really set the mood. For drinks we started with Sangria. I'm not a wine person, but seriously... this was the best sangria I've ever had. This had red wine in it and was even better than the white sangria from Ecuador. It was deliciously sweet, but not too sweet. Chunks of apples and oranges floated on the top. Malcom got nearly all the fruit though. Unfair. Ann continued refilling out mishapen clay pitcher over and over (and we didn't pay a dime). 

     Onto food! There were 34 options to choose from. I am not kidding when I say every single dish sounded mind blowing. To start, we knew we had to get the Gambas al ajillo. It had mini shrimp that came in a sizzling tiny cast iron skillet. The shrimp were drowning in a garlic oil with slivered garlic cloves and a red chili pepper. It sounded amazing. Smelled more amazing. And tasted even more amazing. There was so much flavor in each little shrimp. I'm sure it all had to do with the heavenly liquid they had been cooked in. We kept dipping bread in the oil and topping it with chunks of garlic. Sensual breath ensued.

     Another dish in our first round was the Confit de pato; fall off the bone succulent roast duck leg served over braised red cabbage and apples. The meat was so amazingly moist but not greasy and.... well... fell right off the bone. Not sure what it was braised with, but the red cabbage and apples added a slight sweetness to each bite of duck. Definitely the best duck I've ever had, even thought I haven't eaten much duck. 

     Grilled brie. Who has ever eaten grilled brie? I wouldn't have ever thought of it. A mammoth chunk of grilled brie was served with a homemade raisin and apple chutney and a grilled baguette. Supposedly the chutney was something the chef just came up with one day and decided it was so delicious, that it is now served with numerous dishes of theirs. It was sweet, cinnamony, and was delightful when you topped it on a smooshed chunk of brie on the bagette. The brie took on a whole different taste and texture than any other brie I've had before. It was warm (warm cheese, weird? naw) and slightly gooey, yet held a rather solid consistency. Easy to spread. Mmm...

     At this point, it was time to order more. I had delicious escargot at Clarkston Cafe in Clarkston, MI once, but I hadn't tried it anywhere else. This dish was called caracoles and was just as amazing. I love the little dish it comes in with the tiny hole. I also love salt. The escargot were baked in a garlic herb butter with cognac. I can't say I knew there was cognac in it at the time so that flavor wasn't too prevalent. The garlic however... very noticeable. And you can never go wrong with butter. Each little guy was just a flavor bomb. 

     Our next dish was a sort of flank steak in a red sauce. Not your typical pasta sauce though. It was creamy and full of onion slices and portobella mushrooms. Truth be told, nothing super special about the meat other than it was so tender. The mushrooms were actually my favorite part. Mmm fungus. 

    Two more. Another dish we got was the Pulpo a la Gallega. Octopus. I thought I had octopus before, but once the tube feet started falling off the meat into my mouth, I knew this was a new experience. This had definitely never happened before. It was served with olive oil sauteed potatoes. There was a slight "smoked Spanish paprika" flavor but not too much. The meat seemed a little bland (especially in comparison to all the other things we had eaten) and seemed to be missing something. Once we added the lemon juice it was a little better. My favorite part was, however, the chewing on the little tube feet. 

      The final dish was the lamb sausage because... well I love lamb. You can never go wrong with lamb. It came in the form of a long slice. I think it was the type of lamb you get when you order a gyro and they shave it off that block of lamb meat. What's that called? Either way, this was different. They edges were a little crisped. It gave a little burnt/browned flavor. There was also an AMAZING mint paste or something on the meat. The freshness of the mint mixed with the lamb was simply phenomenal. I seriously couldn't believe what was happening  in my mouth. The lamb was also served with an Israeli couscous. It was different than normal couscous in that each little call was larger and more mushy. Sounds odd, but the flavors they added into it were delicious. Let me tell you... I feel like some serious science of flavors and thought was put into this dish. Perhaps jesus himself was an influence. Had to be. 

     Overall.... ABSOLUTELY AMAZING RESTAURANT! Ann gave us such a great deal, I was full, I had tried a million different things, and everything was downright delicious. Five stars Tasca. 

Treats on Washington - Brighton, MA

    A muffin from Dunkin wasn't going to cut it. I started off on a walk down Washington looking for a cafe with a nice pastry selection. I happened upon Treats on Washington. My dreams of a muffin quickly vanished as soon as I saw their cinnamon rolls. They had one covered in icing, but I went with the sticky pecan one. The nice man behind the counter warmed it up for me. It was so amazing! I noticed there was something different about it though. Turns out there was some sort of orange zest/marmalade in it. It added such a neat citrusy taste to such a sweet roll. Inventive! 

    I also got a peanut butter cookie, but it was dry. No big deal. 

Cafenation - Brighton, MA

http://www.cafenation.com/

My muffin hunt turned more into a cafe hopping adventure. Believe me, I was satisfied... but I had to walk across the street to Cafenation. The place was jam packed and I had to see what the deal was. Looks like they made some bomb breakfast sandwiches and crepes, but I got some rosemary roasted potatoes. They came steaming hot and were cooked perfected. Not too done, yet slightly crispy on the outside with a hint of rosemary. Carbo-load. 

Boca Grande Taqueria - Brighton, MA

http://bocagrande.ypguides.net/

    I'm telling you... I gained six pounds in a day and a half due to my post 6k weekend. And it was worth every pound. Finally had to try the homemade tamales from Boca Grande everyone raves about. Generally, when I think of tamales I think a tiny tubular things with a pork paste in them. Still delicious, but nothing like what I was just about to consume. I asked for the red pork chili tamale. The man pulled out a small football shaped tamale out of the steamer, unwrapped the string tied around each end, cracked open the corn husk, and cut down the center of the tamale. Instantly heat and aromas escaped the cornmeal covered pig. I was pumped. Inside was an abundance of what looked like shredded pork. He proceeded to pour on a mild salsa different than a normal salsa. It wasn't chunky really. More liquidly than anything. On the side he added some diced tomatoes and onions or something. The cornmeal surrounding the pork was literally a good inch think. Thousands of calories I assume. But when you mixed the cornmeal, pork, salsa and a little dollop of sour cream.... mmm! Ridiculous.   

Pizzeria Regina's - Boston, MA

http://www.pizzeriaregina.com/

    Finally! Pizza time! I could've gone a million different places. But this had to be good. It had been eons since I had pizza, and I had wanted to go to the original Reginas in the north end since the first week I moved here. The original opened in 1926 and is considered the original curbside to go pizza place. It was 2pm on a Saturday, and the line wrapped around the building and I thought I may not make it in time for work. Malcom and I were literally almost at the back of the line and there were HUGE parties in front of us. We thought we'd never get in. After about 25 minutes, one of the workers went down the line looking for the next party of two. We got to cut in front of, I'd say.... 30 people. It was sweet. 

     We quickly ordered the Sausage Caciatore. It had sliced sausage links, mushrooms, roasted onions and peppers and fresh parsley over their own marinara sauce with pecarino romano and mozzerella cheeses. THIS WAS THE BEST PIZZA I HAVE EVER EATEN. Hands down. How do I even describe this?? Hmmm well, the crust wasn't super thick on the bottom, but the crust around the edges was nice and thick and full of bubbles. I love the bubbles. Supposedly they're still using their 80 year old recipe with a special natural yeast. Whatever it is, it's godly. The sauce was mildly sweet but had a great zing to it at the same time. The sausage slices were huge and plentiful. One thing that made this pizza stand out more than any other pizza I've ever eaten was the size of the peppers and onions. They didn't cut them up small... at all. Sometimes the pieces of pepper were large enough to be considered a full bite in itself. On one piece, 5 chunks of onion were slightly fanned out spanning the entire slice. The whole milk mozzerella cheese was just full of flavor and seemed to have melted differently than most cheeses you see on pizza. Everything about the pizza was amazing. I had to pick up each slice by sliding it onto my hand. My hands have never been so dirty  from eating pizza and I was 100% ok with it. It was completely possible to just get lost in each bite. So many great flavors and textures. Regina... who are you and are you looking for a roommate?