In Search of Higher Ground - Tasting South Carolina

From the summit of Grandfather Mountain, NC

Immaculate Consumption - Columbia, SC
http://immaculate-consumption.com/

     This winter was brutal here in Boston and my travel bug was itching something fierce. I needed mountains. So I hopped on a plane and headed down to South Carolina. I had been before a couple years back with rowing, but this was my first spring break trip with no obligations. No rowing. No diets. No real plan. Ethan and Dan both live in SC, so the plan was to fly in to Charleston, rent a car, drive to the west side to see Ethan for a few days, hike some mountains and drive back to Charleston to see Dan. This isn't a travel blog, so I won't write about the whole trip. But, I did eat some delicious foods while I was there.

     To start... Immaculate Consumption. That's how it always begins (teehee). On my way west, I had a few extra hours, so I stopped in Columbia, home of the University of South Carolina, to check out the campus and fill my tank (my food tank). I had to go to Immaculate Consumption simply because of the name. Duh. The scent of this tiny cafe hit me as soon as I swung open the door. It smelled like antiques and old wood and strangely like my aunt and uncle's house in VA. It was this really cool blend of hipster and farm - classic. Frank Sinatra was on the radio, and the walls were decorated with tapestries and antlers. Weird, right? I've never seen anything like it. The waitstaff was charming and I thought everyone was leaving the restaurant with an open cup of beer. No no... it was sweet tea. Everyone drinks sweet tea. Welcome to the south.
   

Turkey Tarragon Sandwich

     For lunch I got their Turkey Tarragon sandwich which was sliced turkey breast with tarragon/balsamic marinated mushrooms, lettuce, tomatoes, swiss cheese and dijon mustard. The turkey was the best part. Of course. It was so far from a deli meat. More like real fibrous, sliced turkey breast that fell apart, rather than being all held up by whatever junk they put in deli meat. The mushrooms were sopping wet with that balsamic and it was fabulous. It was a serious punch to the face, but was so good. That marinade made the mushrooms kind of chewy too. To smooth out the power of the mushrooms and dijon, they added some swiss. It was perfect on toasted pumpernickel.

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Cupcake Down South - Columbia, SC
http://www.freshcupcakes.com/index.htmld

            After walking for a couple hours through Columbia looking for little shops and such, I came upon Cupcake Down South, which is a small bakery that has a bunch of different locations in Columbia and Charleston. At first I was just going to walk in to see what they had (yea... right) and also to see if they had samples. I was in luck because they did have samples, and those samples won me over. I got the death by chocolate cupcake (of course) which was a chocolate cake with chocolate chips inside and a tall swirl of rich chocolate buttercream frosting. For the cake, they found the perfect middle ground between a brownie and a cake. It was much more moist and substantial than most cupcakes. The frosting ... oh my lord... the frosting was stupid stupid good. So creamy and smooth with just a little bit of air in it, but not like a whipped textured frosting. It was ideal. Definitely the best gourmet cupcake I've ever gotten before. Sorry Georgetown.

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Sunny's Donuts - Gaffney, SC
https://www.facebook.com/SunnysDonuts

The containers for filling. So smart. 

I ate the blueberry donut too fast (on the left), but
this is the massive apple fritter. 

       For my last morning in Boiling Springs with Ethan, he wanted to take me to experience Sunny's Donuts. Shoot. We headed to Gaffney (where the Nestle plant he works at is located) for an apple fritter experience that was apparently unlike any other. In my 26 years, I had never had a better apple fritter experience than that of Dandee Donuts at home, but I was willing to be adventurous. Apple fritters are my favorite.
     First of all, Sunny's Donuts was just a little tiny shop built into the same building as a gas station convenience store. From the outside, it really was nothing special. But the inside boasted racks of freshly made donuts and quite a few different tubs of filling for some on-demand stuffage. Yes. You pick the donut. You pick the filling. They fill it for you. GENIUS. WHY DON'T MORE PLACES DO THIS?! Anyway, the sweet old man behind the counter gave me my apple fritter and a buttermilk blueberry donut. OH and these donuts holes. These donut holes make Dunkin Donuts munchkins seem like dog food. For real. The slick, thin glaze was perfectly sweet and literally just melted in your mouth to reveal the plain, soft, almost chewy dough. It was beautiful.
     Blueberry donuts are my second favorite to apple fritters and this was 100% the best I've ever had. This donut was made with buttermilk, and split at the top (from all the cream?) like a sour cream donut does (those are my third favorite). I love when it does that because it just means more surface area. More surface area = more crust = more glaze. The browned outside crust of this blueberry donut was thick and it had a thick glaze. It was unlike any other donut I've really ever had before. The dough was pretty dense, but there were some great contrasting textures going on.

     The all-star of the show, as predicted, was the full hand sized apple fritter. Lord have mercy on my soul. It wasn't just a donut that had an apple-y flavor. It had a TON of soft apple chunks in it, and throughout the dough there was this applesauce-like filling. Not like a jelly or cream, but like cinnamon applesauce. It was incredible! It took it way above and beyond not just any other apple fritters, but all other donuts. Oh gosh there were so many nobby edges that had their thick fried crust and were coated in glaze. Just like those donut holes (but x 100000), this donut melted in your mouth. I would physically put it in my mouth and feel it melt. It was a magical experience. I wish there was a Sonny's north of the Mason Dixon Line. Ethan, I am forever indebted to you. 

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Hyman's Seafood - Charleston, SC

http://www.hymanseafood.com/

Coleslaw and hushpuppies. Just look at how dark those puppies are. 

     It's ok to laugh at the name. I did too. And at the half naked mermaid in the stairway. And at the fact that Martha Stewart sat at our table. Hyman's was recommended to me by one of Ethan's friends. Since it was one of the only Charleston recommendations I had gotten, I was going for it. Plus, she mentioned something about hushpuppies and well... that's all it really took. Hyman's has some historical significance in that it started as a little shop within the warehouse district back in 1890, but they added the restaurant portion back in 1986. They've been recognized everywhere. All over the food network, travel channel, you name it. They're a Charleston favorite. 

     This place was huge. They had room after room after room of celebrity dining photos and dark wooden tables filled with people.  As a complimentary appetizer, they served boiled peanuts. I had only had them at Hailee's house when we were kids and they were good, but these were great. The primary reason? Salt. Oh man they were so salty. If you've never had boiled peanuts, you ought to. A lot of little roadside stands sell them down here too.
     The hushpuppies came first and were BY FAR the best I've ever put in my mouth. They were much sweeter than others I've had, but don't think they were like donuts or anything. They had a sweet onion flavor, with little strings of onion in them. They had a great, dark brown thick crust with the gritty, dense, cornmeal insides. I could've eaten them forever... or at least until I felt l like death. So phenomenal. 

     The other appetizer they served was coleslaw, which was delicious. It was heavier on the vinegar and lighter on the mayo. Don't get me wrong... me and mayo go way back, but I like the healthier feeling coleslaw better. This one was perfect and light with carrots and red cabbage. 

Fried catfish, collard greens and more hush puppies.

     For my meal, I got the fried catfish. It came super hot, with a thin breading, which was good. I don't like when the breading overtakes the actual fish. This breading had more of a gritty texture to it too, but was a little softer than I would've liked. However the fish was cooked perfectly. It was flaky and juicy and was served with a sweet bowl of collard greens. I wanted that southern meal, and I got it :]

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King Street Cookies - Charleston, SC

http://kingstreetcookies.com/

            

     There will never be a cookie shop I don't go in. King Street Cookies was located on King Street in downtown Charleston. This cute little shop had all white and orange decor with 2 huge, tall king-like chairs in the front. When I walked in, I was one of three people. When I left, there was a line almost out the door. I'm convinced I started a cookie trend. This place had 33 kinds of cookies (I counted) of all varieties. Literally. There were flavors like red velvet cake, berries and cream, and the three kinds I got: Ms. House, Georgia Peach, and Peanut Butter. I've got to say... that peanut butter cookies was in a whole league of its own. It was love at first bite... and not just because I love peanut butter, but because this provided all of the satisfaction a cookie could provide. The center of this cookie stayed fat, so it was done just right so that it wasn't gooey anymore. The top was a little crinkled and sprinkled with a tiny bit of sugar, and all of the edges had a slight crispness to them. It was incredible. It seemed so delicate. Nothing could've made it better. For real. 

Peanut butter (top),  Ms. House (middle),
Georgia Peach (bottom)

     The second one I tried was the georgia peach. It had peach chunks, toffee, cinnamon and white chocolate chips. It was definitely tasty, but almost a little too sweet for me, if you can believe that. Maybe it was the white chocolate. I think I'm beginning to learn that I'm not all that into white chocolate. The third cookie was called Ms. House and was a basic, chewy oatmeal cookie with chocolate chips and chunks. It tasted very much like your homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but baked by someone who had done it a time or two and knew how to nail the timing down. 

     The best part of this whole deal was that, when you purchase 3 cookies ($6), you get a cup for unlimited milk and get the option of skim milk, whole milk or chocolate milk. I sure milked that opportunity. Got all 3. 

(see what I did there?)

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Triangle Char and Bar - Sumerville, SC

http://trianglecharandbar.com/

Avondale Nachos

     Dan introduced me to boxing, so whenever we get the chance to go, we go. After trying out a new Title gym, he wanted to take me to this place called Triangle Char and Bar. Clever name. Char and Bar = Bar and Grill, but unique. It reminded me very much of a Boston type restaurant in that they focus on using local ingredients and give you information on the menus about how the animals used for their meats are humanely raised. It's pretty neat. Everything inside was bright and colorful, but also very simplistic, in a country way. It fit in with the local, trendy, inventive vibe one experiences in Cambridge. 

Pad Thai Tacos with Sweet Potato Fries

     Dan said if we got the Avondale nachos we might not need to get a meal, so we got the nachos... and then we both got meals. Good. Those nachos were insane. Absolute madness. They were like a loaded baked potato made into nachos. Instead of tortilla chips, they used their homemade potato chips (which were perfection and I'd pay $20 for a bag if they were sold in grocery stores). They were topped with chunks of salty bacon, jalapenos, tomatoes, green onions, a bunch of real melted jack cheese and ranch dressing. It was a sodium overload but it was incredible. I'm generally not too into eating ranch dressing, but in this case it was a really unique take on adding the bit of cream to nachos instead of sour cream. Dan was right. We didn't need meals, and I'm proud to say that I only ate half of my Pad Thai tacos when they came. Go me. The two tacos came in big soft shells and were loaded with grilled chicken, peanuts, peanut sauce, and onions. The chicken was a little peppery and spicy (but in a good way) and the warm peanut sauce went surprisingly really well with the chicken. Seems like such a weird concept in my head, but it worked out. I probably would've been better off with something more mild and lighter after the nachos, but you don't see pad thai tacos often. Oh plus they were served with sweet potato fries sprinkled with salt and some seasoning (maybe paprika?). They were some of the best I've had. I really liked that they were skinnier and I loved the sauce they were served with. It was some sort of dipping sauce that was a dark red but tasted like applesauce and cinnamon. I still have no idea what it was, but it was delicious. 

     Needless to say, my shoes were a little tight the next morning, and my soul was content. 

A Donut A Day

Life Alive Cafe - Cambridge, MA

http://www.lifealive.com/index.html

     Life Alive is a place that is totally up my alley, and it really shouldn’t have taken me this long to get there. Joan and I met there one evening to catch up and the line was out the door from the moment we got there. Behind the counter, the shelves were lined with herbs, spices, and teas, and all of the workers totally gave off the hippy vibe. I loved it. It was awesome to see such a focus on health from their menu, hear the fresh juices being pressed and watch people enjoy whole, healthy foods. Life Alive strives to "renew your energy and connection to life by soulfully serving you the most fantastic, vibrant, organic, therapeutic, whole food you could ever imagine in an inspiring environment that honors local artisans, the community, and our global ecology." That might sound a little lofty to some, but it touches on a lot of things I have a passion for. 

The Swami

   For my meal I ordered The Swami. As a base, they served brown rice unlike any rice I've seen before. It was more round and sticky than normal rice. Much like little footballs. Tossed on top was a mix of tamari almonds, raisins, shredded carrots, broccoli, dark greens, & pearl onions all saturated with their sweet curry miso sauce. All of those ingredients fall within my list of favorite things. I loved the sweetness that the carrots and raisins brought (especially mixed with the sweet curry), but I also enjoyed the balance the rich greens and broccoli brought to the dish. As an added bonus, they sprinkled the dish with some nutritional yeast which I have only had once before on some kale chips Joan had one time. I really like the flavor of nutritional yeast! If you haven't tried it, don't be afraid. It's got a little bit of a cheesy flavor, even with the slight sharpness that some cheeses have. I enjoy it.

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Brandano’s - Everett, MA

Don't judge me for my half eaten ice cream photo

     After an hour of some serious bounce time at Skyzone, I suggested ice cream to David and Michael, and they were all in. We headed to some place in Everett called Brandano’s. They had it all. Ice cream, soft serve, slush, sundaes, Spanish flavored things. It was crazy. Now one of my favorite cereals ever is Grape Nuts, so when I saw a Grape Nut custard, I had to have it, and it was fabulous! It had the rich and smooth flavors of custard, but also had these literal grape nut nuggets dispersed throughout. The nuggets had softened up a bit, so it wasn’t the stark contrast in texture between smooth custard and crunchy nuts. Ya know? Those things are normally super hard. After experiencing Grape Nut custard at this place, I’ve since seen it at one or two other places. How did I not know this was a thing?!

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Union Square Donuts - Somerville, MA

http://unionsquaredonuts.com/

They're bigger than they look

     Anytime you see an article for Best Doughnuts in America, Union Square Donuts is bound to be on that list. Everyone and their mother in Boston raves about them, and I’ve been meaning to try them

Oh how convenient... 

someday. Well… one day I needed to make a Post Office run from work, so I went to where I the Post Office used to be in Somerville. At first I was so mad when I discovered it had moved. However, when I arrived at the new location, I was no longer mad. Why? Directly next door to Union Square Donuts. It was a message from the universe. It was time. I went in and immediately consumed 3 donut holes. Best donut holes I’ve ever had. How can one perfect a donut hole? Not a clue. But the rich buttery nugget melted in your mouth, and the slightly thicker than normal glaze caressing the fried outer shell sealed the deal... literally.

See... enormous

    The actual donuts themselves are literally twice the size of your average Dunkin’ Donuts donut. They’re wider, taller and fatter. I went with the toasted coconut, and it rocked my world. I swear I sat wide-eyed at my desk for 15 minutes in shock. The flavor in these donuts was powerful. I’m not sure how to describe it. But in comparison to Donuts with a Difference in Medford, the flavors were on another level. Much stronger and richer. The texture of these donuts were lighter and more airy than Donuts with a Difference, so they squished down a bit more. I think I truthfully like when my donut holds it’s shape a little more, so in that respect I favored Donuts with a Difference. However, taste always trumps texture, so in that case USD takes the cake (or the donut for that matter). 

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The Druid - Somerville, MA

http://www.druidpub.com/

Toasted cheese sandwich and the best fries ever

     Ok, I’ve been to The Druid in Inman Square a couple times but never really blogged about it because I’ve never ordered a meal. I’ve always just picked at other people’s plates. It was my last payroll, and Frances and I had a post payroll date. It was time for my formal introduction to the famous Druid (it’s an authentic Irish pub and half of the people at Gentle Giant are Irish). The inside is pretty dark, with dark woods surrounding the bar and a creepy celtic light statue that hung from the ceiling. It’s all very mysterious and fairytale like. Something that needs to be experienced rather than explained. 

     We started with some Old Fashioned drinks which I have never had before. It was really tasty, but I wasn’t even 3/4 of the way through it before my face started to feel a little tingly. Frances said they may have a heavy hand when it comes to pouring her and her party's drinks (she’s good friends with the bar tenders there). 

     I think The Druid may have won two titles for Best of Boston in my opinion. One… is their fries. They’re incredible. They’re the perfect texture (you know, crisp on the outside, soft on the inside), but it’s their flavor that takes them to a new level. Rosemary is the key ingredient here. Rosemary and pepper I believe. The spices just make them so fragrant and savory. It’s outrageous. I can’t believe that the fries from Saus keep getting named as the best fries in Boston when you’ve got these babies kicking around. 

     The second title I think The Druid should get is the Best Bread Basket (I know that's not an actual title, but it should be). They serve some sort of darker Irish soda bread. It’s incredibly moist and chewy inside, but the outside has the texture like that of a scone. It seems dry, but the inside is such a treasure and treat. It’s not sweet or rich as though there’s butter in it. It’s just hearty yet simple. Plus they serve their bread with room temperature butter, which always earns a gold star in my book. 

     For my meal I went with the toasted cheese sandwich WITH bacon (Frances said it was a necessity). It was melted Dubliner cheese (which is the best), tomato and bacon on simple white bread toast. I did wish the cheese was a little bit more melted, but they dropped my first sandwich, so I think they felt bad that I had to wait and tried to rush the second one along a little. Either way, you can never go wrong with a grilled cheese, especially from an irish pub. Best Irish place in Boston I say :]

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Sunset Cafe - Somerville

http://thesunsetcafe.net/

     This was date number two for Frances and I my last week at GG. I was ok with getting food, but sad that it was my last week. Sunset Cafe is a decent sized place on Cambridge Street that literally never has anyone in it. The entire time we were there, no other customers came in. Sunset is a Portuguese and Mediterranean restaurant that is fairly fancy inside with a creepy painting of a man that seems to stare at you no matter what angle you look at him from. Shortly after we sat down, the one waiter brought over this beautiful plate of olives, pickled vegetables, butter and an oil and balsamic dip for this basket of what seemed like fresh baked rolls. Considering they probably get one customer every other day, I’m sure it couldn’t have been freshly baked, but I was still impressed at how delicious it was.   

Fried calamari

     As an appetizer we ordered the fried calamari. I’d say it was just mediocre. It was overcooked, making it difficult to chew and there was a bit too much breading for me. It kind of took away from the flavor of the calamari. Overpowering if you know what I mean. 

     For the meal I ordered a sandwich (that I can't remember the name of) which was literally marinated and grilled pork on a french baguette. The pork was delicious, the baguette was delicious, but the two together seemed a little silly. I think maybe the addition of some veggies, some sort of sauce or some other completing component would’ve made the sandwich more substantial. Like I said, the parts had great flavors. The pork was moist and rich and the bread was fresh with crisp edges, but together they made nothing splendid. Regardless, it all came at a great price. For five dollars, I got the delicious bread basket, the plate of olives, dips, and veggies, and an enormous sandwich that I had to take home to finish. Frances got a huge sandwich called the steak bomb with steak, prosciutto, mushrooms and cheese on a baguette all for eight dollars. You really can’t beat that. I’d definitely recommend Sunset Cafe if you’re looking for a decent amount of food for your money, but as far as an authentic Portuguese experience, I’m not sure if this is the place. That being said, we didn't order the standard authentic Portuguese dishes. Nah I'm sayin'?

Can You Ask The Chef Please?

The Pier Patio Pub – Old Orchard Beach, ME
http://oobpier.com/

Old Orchard Beach. The pier Patio Pub was at the end. 

     But really…who builds a waterpark in Maine? Finally… a Sunday in Maine that didn’t have rain in the forcast. Meagan and I had been waiting forever for this day because it meant we could try out Splashtown Funtown. I bought this groupon for the waterpark eons ago because… well, who doesn’t like waterparks? We really had no idea what to expect. It was a beautiful drive up, but after about an hour and a half in the tiny park in cloudy, cool and windy conditions, we called it and headed to the beach. Old Orchard Beach. Similar to Salisbury Beach in that it’s a super long beach and the surrounding area kind of reminds me of the Jersey Shore. There were tons of restaurants, arcades, ice cream shops and even a ferris wheel. One thing that was kind of funny was that the beach was packed! It was not a warm day, it was not sunny, and the water had reached Arctic proportions. These people were crazy… or just confused.

My lobster roll and rings :]

     Either way, we had warmed up a bit, so we walked out on this long pier that was full of shops and food stops and happened upon The Pier Patio Pub. It wasn’t anything fancy by any means, but it was perfect and exactly what we had in mind. We sat on the very end of the pier looking out into the ocean with waves crashing under our feet. It was beautiful. The oldest Hanson brother (in my opinion) was our waiter.
     To start we both ordered a Seadog Sunfish beer which, we both agree, was quite possibly the best beer we have ever had. It had grapefruit and peach flavors in it, but didn’t have the sweetness that some fruity beers sometimes seems to have. It was so refreshing and delicious. For dinner I ordered the lobster roll (when in Maine…) and onion rings. Everyone had the rings. I needed them. They were so good too. Medium sized slices, battered and fried to oblivion. It’s been a while since I’ve eaten something that took that many years off my life, and it was worth it. The lobster roll may have been the best one I’ve ever had too (not that I’ve had many). It wasn’t loaded up with mayo like most are and it was served with lettuce in the bottom of the bun. While the lettuce may seem insignificant, I think that’s what put it above the other lobster rolls I’ve had before. It made the roll complete. It made me complete.

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Gingerbread Construction Company – Winchester, MA
http://gingerbreadusa.com/muffins.html

   

Look at all the varieties!

     So now that I’m not rowing anymore, I’m finding fun ways to still stay active. One way I make them more fun is by including delicious rewards at the end (or the middle in this case). Zack had mentioned that Gingerbread Construction Company in Winchester was deadly and not too bad of a bike ride if I wanted to make a trip out of it. Genius idea. So I did it a couple days after he told me about it. I hopped on my bike with the intention of biking up to the Middlesex Fells reservation, tooling around a bit, grabbing a muffin and heading home. A 2 hour round trip I’d guess. Well… thanks to Google Maps thinking I could ride my road bike on hiking trails, I got a little lost, made some wrong turns, and finally made it to Gingerbread Construction Company two hours after departure. In all honesty, it was a great ride, I had great tunes, so all was well. I was just hungry and thirsty.

Look at all this fruit

Stupid good, stupid looking

 

Raspberry Blueberry muffin, Double Chocolate Chunk
Cookie and Oatmeal Raisin Pecan Cookie

     I’m pretty sure my jaw hit the ground when I walked in because I was blown away with the kajillion different varieties of muffins staring me in the face. Some with crumbles, some stuffed, some with icing. The line only got longer and longer the more time I spent debating and asking the lady behind the counter a million questions. In the end I chose the raspberry blueberry muffin and two cookies. This muffin wasn’t even a muffin. Of all the muffins I’ve had before, there has never been anything like this. It was super soft and moist inside, but not sticky or tacky on the outside. It had an awesome crust on top and was loaded with fresh juicy berries. I wanted another. I wanted 5 more.           

     Thankfully I had the world’s best cookies left to eat. I’m not kidding. Gingerbread Construction Company had the best cookies I have ever had in my life, and I’ve had a lot of cookies in my time. What was so good about them? I’m sure they were loaded with butter, and they literally melted in your mouth. The flavor of the oatmeal raisin pecan was so rich and nutty. I love the flavor pecans give to cookies. This was the one I could really feel melt in my mouth. Oatmeal cookies. I can’t get enough. The double chocolate chunk cookie had these enormous chocolate chunks in it as well as big white chocolate chunks. It was just oozing love. The 2 types of chocolate chunks plus the cocoa in the cookie itself all had different flavors and made each bite unique.

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Bella Vista – Boston, MA

   

It's grainy, but there were basically no lights on in the
restaurant, so I had to make do. This was my Chicken Villanese

     These posts aren’t in order, but I do not care. I forgot to write about the Italian place we went to when Marissa and Jess visited! It’s hard to pick a place to eat in the North End because they all seem the same. I mean… I guess they kind of are. Anyway, Bella Vista looked promising, and we’re easy to please. The place was really dark, tiny and cute (minus the party bathroom Marissa accidentally discovered in the basement). The walls had your typical fake ivy hanging from them and catholic pictures and statues sat situated all around you. Our waitress was an old Italian lady who I’m sure has worked there since the dawn of time. I always like seeing that because it makes me feel like the place is more authentic. I’m sure that’s what they aim for though.
     

     My main meal was great, but my favorite

The first of two incredible, warm bread baskets. 

part may have been the rolls with butter. The rolls were big and football shaped and came to the table nice and hot. They were soft on the outside, but had a thinner crust that you could easily tear. I had at least 3 … maybe 4.
     For my main course I ordered the Chicken Villanese because I didn't feel like eating a ton of pasta. It did come with a side of spaghetti and tomato sauce though, which was a bonus. That was a little bland though. The Chicken Villanese was two flattened chicken breasts with shrimp, mushrooms and clams in a white wine sauce. Normally I’m hesitant to order things in a wine sauce, but I was feeling adventurous this day. Oh and it was such a great choice! The bite that I normally associate with wine wasn’t prominent at all. The white wine sauce was light and thin, but gave all of the seafood and the chicken a powerful flavor. It almost had the sharpness of wine, but not that rotten taste I dread so much. I was so pleased that it went well. I was nervous. The mushrooms were another unique element of the dish. They were a couple different varieties of wild and meaty mushrooms with a hearty chewiness. They were like sponges for that sauce. Bella Vista did not disappoint :]

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Grafton Street – Cambridge, MA
http://graftonstreetcambridge.com/

    

BBQ American Lamb Pizza

     Jimmy and I can’t help it. When we get a butter dish that has a unique flavor and little red specks in it, we will look like morons trying to assess the flavors. And we will not hesitate to ask the waitress to ask the chef what’s in the butter. Grafton Street in Harvard Square had some tasty butter with lemon, red pepper and cumin to go with their awesome sliced chewy and sticky bread. After a big upset about not making it to Veggie Planet before they closed on their last day of existence, Jimmy, Meagan, Liz and I headed to Grafton Street to take advantage of their really nice outdoor seating area. To start we got a pitcher of Sangria which was one of the best red sangrias I’ve had. Since I’m not a big fan of red wine, sangria made with it often makes me want to hurl. I think this had more juice in it or something… or whatever else they put in sangria that isn’t wine.

     For my main meal, I stuck with the pizza idea since that was what I had set my mind on when Veggie Planet was in my future. Grafton Street had a awesome sounding BBQ American Lamb Pizza. This was completely different than I expected. I thought I was getting a normal thick crust pizza with tons of cheese and bonus shredded lamb on top. Instead, this crust had a light smear of tomato sauce and was sprinkled with smaller sized lamb chunks, equally sized chunks of feta cheese, and cilantro. So each bite you took had to have some strategy for fear of not getting a little bit of each topping and of them tumbling off. It was served on a beautiful, thick wooden cutting board and was quite pretty. I loved the savory and salty flavors of the lamb and feta balanced by the fresh cilantro. That cilantro was essential. Parsley would've been good too. It was very simple and tasty, but not filling. I love lamb, so there wasn't really going to be any way I would've been dissatisfied, but I would've liked some more meat and cheese.

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No Name Restaurant - Boston, MA
http://www.nonamerestaurant.com/

     After spending the day out on Spectacle Island in the Boston harbor, Meagan, Madalyn, Jimmy and I were in the seafood mood. I had heard about No Name before, so I thought we might as well give it a try. It’s in a super odd location though on a wharf amongst what looks like a bunch of other fishing loading docks within a brick building. It wasn't quite the waterfront, open air dining experience we were looking for, but it was apparently the first restaurant in Boston to start serving seafood back in 1917. The inside resembled an old seaside restaurant with sea-worthy wooden furniture and art.

Sauteed Seafood Plate

     To start, they sent over a garlic bread basket. I was starving so it tasted good, but it honestly was just like the pre-made garlic bread you can get in the store that already has the garlic paste spread over it.
     For dinner, I went with the seafood platter with sautéed veggies. I was so happy with that choice. I wasn’t ready to feel the post-meal misery of a fried seafood plate, and I really enjoyed being able taste the simple flavors of the sautéed scallops, shrimp, swordfish and calamari. The swordfish was my favorite part of the dish. So simple and tender.  This also came with a heaping side of great coleslaw that I couldn’t finish.

Look at that coleslaw mountain

     I shared Jimmy’s seafood chowder and it was excellent. With a bunch of different types of seafood in the chowder, it had tons of different flavors, and it was the perfect consistency. I’m not a huge fan of runny chowders, nor am I fond of the super thick ones. This was right in the middle and allowed for a rich flavor without being overbearing in consistency. Jimmy’s broiled Scrod was simple and delicious because of the light buttery flavor and slightly crisped up edges of the fish. They cooked it perfectly without drying it out at all. Overall, a decent place, but not one of the better seafood experiences I’ve had here in the city.

Rekindling My Spontaneity

Surfside at the Pavillion at Salisbury Beach - Salisbury, MA
http://www.surfsidesalisbury.com/

Salisbury Beach

   

If I was an arcade game...

     One thing I've started to value more this summer is spontaneity. I'd consider myself a very spontaneous person, but I've lost quite a bit of that in the past 3 and a half years since I've been here in Boston. This is undoubtably due to my elite rowing lifestyle and lack of free time. But this summer I've definitely opened things up a bit more and allowed myself to say "This is what I want to do, so I'm going to do it."
     When Zack mentioned the idea of heading up to Salisbury beach for the afternoon, I threw all my other plans to the wind and jumped on board. It was awesome. I had never been to Salisbury beach before, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The beach itself stretched on for miles and included some of the Massachusetts shoreline as well as the New Hampshire shoreline.

Lobster Grilled Chee
   

   
          After getting tossed around by some decent sized waves, we decided to check out the "little" town of Salisbury. This cute beach town was packed, and there were tons of things going on. It kind of reminded me a little of the Jersey Shore (at least what I've seen on TV). There was a band playing along the water, tons of little shops, bars, ice cream stands, and arcades. Lots of flashing lights. Lots of noise. But it all fit the fun-in-the-summer bill.
     For dinner, we snagged a table on Surfside's deck that faced the ocean. The deck had an absolutely gorgeous view, was super spacious and had an huge dance floor that must be kickin' at night.
     Being on the water like that always makes me want seafood (as with 95% of the rest of the population)... so seafood it was. To start, we shared the mussels which were in a wine, herb and butter broth. I'd say they were mostly in butter, and I was 100% ok with it. I really liked the way these mussels were prepared because it was so simple. Sometimes it's nice to have mussels bathing in a ton of spices, vegetable based broths, or coconut milk. But other times I like something more simple like this wine and butter because it lets the salty mussel flavor shine though.
     For my meal I went for the lobster grilled cheese. I don't think I had ever seen that on a menu before, so I was definitely gunning for it. First of all, I dug the bread. Why? Because it was just texas toast, slathered in some kind of butter or oil and crisped up on the grill. Since the bread is so thick, it's easier to get the crisp outsides of the bread and maintain a soft interior. The sandwich was basically just huge hunks of delicious lobster meat held in place by melted cheddar. Again, very simple but almost gourmet because... have you ever had a lobster grilled cheese? Didn't think so.

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Kelly's Diner - Somerville, MA

http://www.kellysdiner.net/

     I'll say... this whole weekend was just great. Saturday turned into a beach day, and Sunday I had a ticket to the Mad Decent Block Party with some big names in electronic/trap music such as DJ Snake, Flosstradamus, and Diplo. I had been geeked out of my mind for months. I was going with a bunch of my coworkers, so a few of us met up for breakfast first at Kelly's Diner in Somerville. Kelly's is super cool because it started in 1953 as a two piece dining car in New Castle, Delaware. Now it sits become one of the top diners in New England and has been seen on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. It's one of those diners that looks like a big long toaster from the outside. The walls and the ceilings seem like the same colors they must've been painted the day they opened their doors; a salmon pink and turquoise. 

#2: Two eggs, homefries and Scali toast

     I wasn't outrageously hungry, and didn't want to stuff myself (for once) so I just got their #2 with 2 eggs, homefries and toast. The eggs were... well... eggs. Can't really screw those up. The homefries were cooked until perfectly tender, and there were those few fought over crisp potato pieces that I would've been battling Jimmy for if we were sharing. I also learned something new that day. I opted for the Scali bread when asked which kind of toast I wanted. I had never heard of it before, but apparently it's an italian style braided loaf that's covered in sesame seeds. It was delicious! Admittedly, it was basically a type of white bread with a little bit of a different flavor, perhaps from the sesame seeds. The only downside was the same downside you'll find at 99% of restaurants out there. The "butter" on the toast. I want butter. Not margarine. Not any kind of spread. Just real, plain and simple butter. Still searching.

Such a riot. Note: Not a clue who these girls are in the front. 

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Lemon Chia Seed Muffins - My Kitchen, Cambridge, MA

     Well... I'm not quite so sure I've ever failed this much at muffins. Muffins are generally fool proof. They're not difficult. But I apparently think I can alter entire recipes without repercussions. On that note, these little buggers sure were delicious! My main issue here was that I decided to replace the oil with applesauce. Generally you can do this when baking, but I was using paper cups for the muffins rather than a greased muffin pan. So literally all of the bottoms of each muffin had to be cut off and thrown in the trash because there was paper stuck to it. I'd definitely suggest replacing the oil with applesauce as long as you're a) not using paper cups or b) you spray the inside of each paper cup. I think using the applesauce made these muffins very moist. That being said, I wasn't all about the chia seeds. I think I'd rather have the poppy seeds because they provide such a unique flavor. Lasty, I'd like to note that these aren't super sweet, so if you'd like sweeter muffins, feel free to up the sugar addition. 

     From: The Corner Kitchen . Makes 9-12 muffins.

Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil (or 1/2 cup applesauce)
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup lemon Greek yogurt (I used plain yogurt with a little extra lemon juice)
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tablespoons chia seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Add 9-12 liners to a standard-size muffin tin and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil/applesauce, sugar, yogurt, and lemon juice and zest, until fully combined. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix thoroughly.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two additions, stirring until just combined.
Fold in the chia seeds.

5. Add batter to the muffin liners, filling 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick comes out clean after inserting it into a few muffins.

6. Remove from the oven. Cool and enjoy as soon as possible!

Hey... It Was My Birthweek

The Rattlesnake Bar and Grill - Boston, MA
http://rattlesnakebarandgrill.com/

Poe's Nachos

     FINALLY… this trip was 3 years in the making. Don’t ask me why it took me so long. I don’t have an answer. I have wanted to try the antelope tacos at the Rattlesnake since I moved here and first discovered them. If you recall, I also went on a run a couple years ago (titled it "Nacho Average Run") and scoped out all the places in the city that apparently had the best nachos. The Rattlesnake is on the list. Poe’s Kitchen at the Rattlesnake has a really unique menu and gets great reviews, especially for its roof deck. I had decided well in advance that this was

Jimmy and Catherine on The Rattlesnake's roofdeck

to be my birthday celebration destination. No ifs, ands or buts. Since my birthday was on a Wednesday this year, I wanted to get dinner with some friends the weekend leading up to my birthday. One of the best parts was that my good friend Kelly from MSU Crew just moved to Maine and was able to come down to join us! Meagan, Jimmy, Karl, Dave, Catherine, Joan, Lauren and Zack all made their way out to join, and I was so grateful. We were able to snag a nice big table on the roof and ordered some delicious drinks to start. I ordered the Thai Mojito which was by far the best mojito I’ve ever had. It was the standard rum, lime and soda water mix, but they threw in some lemongrass syrup too. Big fan of the lemongrass addition.
     Since we were all dying of starvation, we ordered Poe’s Nachos. These chips were loaded with

We all wore teal and were pretty excited about it :]

shredded beef, pepper jack cheese sauce, refried beans, lettuce, black beans, asparagus, corn salsa, minted tomatillo salsa, salsa fresca, cotija cheese and sour cream. This was definitely the most unique plate of nachos I’ve ever had. I loved how they did the steak. It was moist and full of a deep, spicy flavor. The cheese sauce was really unique too. It wasn’t at all like the regular processed “cheese sauce” you’d expect on nachos. I could tell that it was clearly a homemade cheese sauce and it easily covered all the chips. The cotija cheese also added such a great flavor. It’s a harder cow’s milk cheese, and since it’s a little bit more powdery and crumbly it blended in nicely with the cheese sauce and juices from the salsas in the bottom of the dish. I know that may sound weird, but it made for some excellent flavor combinations. The three different salsas had their own awesome unique flavors. Some spicy, some sweet. Plus … with the addition of chunks of asparagus and baby greens… this nacho plate was far from average. I did feel a little bad though when I snapped at the waitress who tried to take away the dish when it still had some of the juices left in the bottom.

Antelope Tacos

Birthday brownie with chipotle ice cream

     For my actual meal I ordered the long anticipated antelope tacos. There were three to a plate, and they came in fried corn tortillas. The antelope meat wasn’t as game-y as I had expected, but boy was it good. I had trouble discerning whether or not the incredible flavor was from the antelope meat itself or from the fact that it was infused with duck fat. Also stacked within each taco was smoked fresno chile, Chihuahua cheese, jalapeno, and bacon ranch (not sure what that is). The all-star of the taco was definitely the meat, and they made sure of it by not overloading it with too many other flavors. The Chihuahua cheese, however, did add a mild and slightly sour flavor. By the end of the third taco, I wished there was a fourth… and a fifth, but all good things must come to an end right?
     For dessert, Meagan and Kelly (not so) sneakily told them it was my birthday, and they brought a big fat brownie with a scoop of chipotle ice cream on top. The brownie was nice and toasty warm (and tasted like freezer to Jimmy). The ice cream was really unique and had that smoky ,spicy chipotle flavor. It was pretty odd, and I definitely couldn't sit down and have a bowl of it, but it was fun to try!

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Rangzen Tibetan Restaurant - Cambridge, MA

http://rangzenrestaurant.com/

     My birthday lunch was on my friends in the accounting department at GG, but the choice was up to me. I had been wanting to try Rangzen for a while (ever since I've lived in Cambridge really), and I truthfully had no idea what Tibetan food would be like. They had a lunch buffet, so I was all in.

 


 Rangzen is a tiny little place on Pearl Street next to Pepper Sky's. The inside was so beautifully decorated with tons of fabrics, unique lighting, and art covering the walls. The food was even more beautiful, and therefore I had to try it all. It's nearly impossible to describe everything because I didn't know what half of it was.

     They served chicken curry (Chhasha Curry) that was different than the Indian chicken curry you may be used to. It had potatoes, onions, tomatoes and spices up the wazoo. It was in a slightly thinner sauce that was less creamy and less powerful in terms of the curry. They also had a chickpea curry dish that was a pretty thick mush of chickpeas, curry and lentils maybe? I'm not positive on that one, but it was one of my favorite things of the whole meal. It was delicious alone or wrapped up inside some of their steamed bread (Phaley). The bread they served reminded me of the bread served at Ethiopian restaurants except that it was a tad less spongy and didn't have that slightly sour flavor. Other dishes included their chicken and mushrooms in a teriyaki sauce (Chhasha Shamo) and Shypta which was basically just pan fried shaved beef with hot green peppers. Both of these were tasty, but nothing too fancy. I get bored of teriyaki easily, so I didn't go for seconds of that.

"Kindly, Please Respect the food and
Do not waste it." Amen. 

     They also had dumplings called Tsel Momo that I believe had spinach, cabbage, tofu, ginger and garlic in them. We all agreed that they needed some sort of dipping sauce (maybe there was one), but we weren't sure what half of the things at the buffet were. The noodle dish they served was called Tsel Chow. It had tofu, spinach, cabbage, carrot, red onion, scallion, ginger, garlic and a little soy sauce and cilantro. I loved the noodles that were in it. I'm thinking rice noodles? They were those kind of translucent ones that are bouncy in your mouth.
   
     As far as side dishes go, they had a lot of really unique salads and steamed veggies like bok choy. One of the salads had mango, green apple, tomatoes, onion, cilantro and lime. I can't say I was a huge fan, but it was totally worth a try. Lots of different flavors that didn't really go together well. They also had a cucumber and yogurt salad, and a bunch of different slaws and pickled dishes, some spicy and some sweet. Everything was very unique and nothing was described well (which is totally fine), so you really had to be up for some experimentation at this buffet. All around I was very please, left full, and got a taste (literally) of what real Tibetan food is like. I love eating in Boston :]

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Bisuteki Tokyo - Cambridge, MA

http://www.bisutekicambridge.com/

All the goods... and an onion volcano.

     Sometimes I'm too cheap for my own good. But other times, I'm pretty excellent at seeking out

and taking advantage of free food when I can. After crawling the interwebz in search of free birthday meals, I found the perfect one. Bisuteki Tokyo is literally directly across the street from Riverside, and it always smells incredible. I've had this big idea to just walk over there one day after practice and get dinner, but it's one of those "maybe tomorrow" kind of deals. Well... apparently you can go on your birthday, and you get a free entree. So that's exactly what I did. I met Meagan there after my workout, and we sat at a table overlooking the river. If you're unfamiliar, this place is one of those Japanese Steakhouses where they cook everything on a flat topped grill called a teppanyaki grill in front of you. Generally you choose an entree consisting of some sort of meat, and it comes with a salad, soup, appetizer, and veggies. 

      I absolutely love the salads they serve at these types of restaurants as well as sushi places. It's some sort of bright orange ginger dressing. I don't know what makes it orange, but it's got such a light and refreshing flavor and is a great way to prepare your palette for your meal. The soup is generally a miso soup, and I really enjoyed this one because it came with large fresh mushroom slices in it. 

      After we finished up our soup and salad, our chef wheeled his little cart over to the grill and started with his fancy knife work. He clinked them, he clanked them, and he made weird noises with his mouth. He built a volcano out of onions, poured oil in the middle, lit it on fire and had a toy boy "pee" on it. He wasn't enthused. I was. Mission accomplished. It was all a show, but it was more hilarious than impressive. Because the entree was supposed to be free, at first I thought I must be slightly confused. I mean...some of the entrees were $30. I thought that there would be no way you could get a lobster, filet minon, and scallop entree for free. No way. But... you could in fact choose any entree you'd like. I wanted the filet minon and scallops. Great choice. He cooked the filet nice and rare like I requested, and the scallops were perfect too. The appetizer

that came with our entrees was a couple shrimp which the chef cooked on the grill with some soy sauce and teryikai. We topped a bed of sticky rice with the meats and a bunch of grilled squashes, sprouts, carrots, and onions. Everything had a slight soy flavor and was super simple. I'd love if I could whip up a meal that quick and perfectly with such minimal clean up. Next Christmas, grandma, I'd like to have a teppanyaki grill installed in my apartment. Thanks!

     As a party of two (and someone who is receiving a free meal), I think our waitress was fairly unamused, as was our chef man. No one squirted Saki in my mouth like they did for Zack. No one banged a gong or sang when they delivered my free birthday cheesecake at the end of the meal. I'd say I was upset, but I wasn't. It had been a great day with lots of good food and great company. I couldn't have asked for anything more :]

    

     

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The Glenville Stops - Allston, MA
http://www.glenvillestops.com/

     Malcolm is a great dude. And not only because he likes good food. He couldn't make my birthday gig at
The Rattlesnake, so we decided to head over to one of his favorites called The Glenville Stops over in Allston. The original building had been around as a bunch of small stores since 1922 until a fire took it out of commission in 2012. After some renovations, it reopened this year and is quickly building quite the name for itself. Something I learned that I thought was really neat is that in their basement they've preserved a ledge of boulders that date back 10,000 years. I don't believe the public is aloud to go down into their cellar, but I still respect the efforts.

Day Boat Scallops

Mushroom Baguette

     This place is also unique because it sits on Glenville Ave in the middle of a completely residential street and has no sign on the outside. It says the name on the door, but it's barely visible, and a passer-by would never guess there's a restaurant inside. As a family run establishment, the Glenville Stops boasts a great atmosphere and a pleasant, polite and polished wait staff. Everything was simple, clean and elegant yet casual.
     Malcolm and I were both starving, and we like to try new things, so we started with a few small plates. The first dish we got was called Day Boat Scallops, and it was two scallops in a mole chocolate sauce with jicama salsa (mexican yam) and grilled mango. You could taste a subtle hint of chocolate, and the sauce was pretty thin with a rich roasted pepper flavor. The scallops were cooked perfectly and had those brown crispy edges you aim for. We also ordered the mushroom baguette with cold seared oyster mushrooms. The oyster mushrooms were so much more dense and chewier than regular button mushrooms. On the base of the baguette was a delicious lemon aioli and basil. So creamy. The dish would've been completely different without it. They threw on some fresh purple sprouts for a little flair.
     They also served a couple slices of soft bread with crunchy exterior. It came with a type of hummus that had a rich and heavy olive oil taste but no bite like that of tahini. I absolutely could've eaten it with a spoon... and I did.

Lamb Meatballs

Roasted Beets

     For the main dish, my first choice was the lamb meatballs. They were simple and juicy like a sponge. The juices would ooze out when you pressed the meatball with a fork. They sat in a bed of tzatziki that was thinner than most, making it taste a little lighter. I liked that much better because the flavor took a back seat to the lamb flavor. Baby greens and sliced mini cucumbers were thrown on top with toasted bulgur. The menu says harissa oil was used, but I can't say I noticed that. Maybe I wouldn't notice? Harissa oil is chillies and rose water, and I'm sure I have no idea what that would taste like.
     Per Malcolm's recommendation I wanted to try the roasted beets too. These were red and yellow beets on a bed of a whipped feta and surrounded by a light dill dressing. The feta had a somewhat smoky flavor, but I couldn't pin it. I wonder if they added some smoked peppers to give it the red color and flavor. It was so smooth and creamy. Everything was topped with small pieces of fried shoestring potatoes and celery leaves. So many textures in this one dish.
     Malcolm ordered the sticky pork riblets which were small 1-3 inch rib pieces served covered in a chunky sweet, peach sauce. This was a delicious alternative to standard barbeque. They were served with hunks of roasted almonds and shishito peppers that weren't hot but gave the brown dish a burst of bright green color. The pork was perfectly tender and took no effort to pry from the bone. The edges of the meat were crispy while the inside was still juicy. Oh the magic of slow cooking.

Sticky pork riblets in a peach sauce.

     Don't judge us. We also ordered the mussels which were soaking in an awesome and unique lemongrass coconut broth. The sauce was so fresh tasting yet rich because of the coconut. Slices of pink pickled ginger were tossed on top along with some green and purple sprouts. The mussels came with two big slices of sourdough bread toasted with what seemed like a form of pesto. The olive oil and herb mix had soaked into the bread like a sponge and crisped up on the edges. That bread was to die for. I'll take the whole loaf please and thank you. The way the oils and herbs separated from the bread once in your mouth was great. So much flavor.

Bar Harbor Mussels

     We almost got out of there without dessert, but then we spotted the drunken goat cheese plate. This came with two huge hunks of a very unique goat cheese. It was different because it is made in a wheel and was much harder than normal goat cheese. It had less of a bite and had been soaked in some sort of wine (hence the drunkeness).  They topped it with roasted almonds and honey and served it with crostini bread (just little crisp slices of olive oil soaked bread) and slices of mango. The perfect arrangement was the crostini with a little piece of cheese and a wedge of mango on top. It was delicious. The savory olive oil taste from the crostini, the mildly sharp flavor of the goat cheese, and the sweetness of the mango was a combination from heaven.

Drunken Goat Cheese

     I love when you can go to a place like The Glenville Stops and try new things that someone has clearly spent so much time experimenting with and inventing. It's truely art, and I enjoy eating things that get my creative juices flowing too.