Tuesday, December 21, 2010

WHOA!!!!

How do 21 days go by and I don't post once?!?! Could it be the holiday season? Those calls I get at 6 pm which last until 6 am for work??? Maybe I am just lazy????

Well It is going to be another few days before I get back to posting, but I have a lot to talk about. So stop by after Christmas to find out about......

My next installment of Diner's Driveins and Dives a.k.a the Peterborough Diner.
Boston's Best, or so they say, Thai restaurant, Montien
and the Big "O" The restaurant at the Opeche Spa in Belmont NH.

and much, much, more!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Diners, Driveins and Dives/ Victoria's


I was watching Diner's, Drivein's and Dives over Thanksgiving. Lou and I are waiting for Guy Fieri to drop dead from a heart attack during one of the episodes from all the grease he is eating, but the food does look damn good at these places. I used to think he only ate a few bites of whatever he was eating, but after watching the marathon, he is chowing!

Anyway, this is my own version of Diners, Driveins and Dives!!! or just Diners, or rather Diner...

I have written about Breakfast at Victoria's Diner in Dorchester before, but I have never written about dinner.

Lou and I have come to appreciate Victoria's for more than just the 24 hour breakfast. We now go there for dinner too!

Lou's dinner usually consists of breakfast, but sometimes, like the other night.... He gets something different!


This last time at Victoria's we tried the Eggplant fries. Basically fried eggplant that looks like fries. I am sure this would contribute nicely to Guy Fieri's hardening of the arteries, but they are very tasty, and need no dipping sauce. Although I think marinara or ketchup would be a nice addition as well, we ate them plain. I get it Guy, I am working towards my own heart attack if I keep eating these, but this batch was work the extra cholesterol.
Moving away from the breakfast for dinner theme, Lou got this gigantic Cranberry and Walnut salad with Mandarin oranges above.
I got my equally large standard chef salad which comes with real freshly sliced turkey breast.
All salads also come with Pita bread which I love, love, love. I don't know why when I was growing up in NJ no salads came with pita bread. I didn't see this phenomenon until I moved to Boston. Maybe I just never ate salad back then...

Dinner for two at Victoria's is usually well under $30 and you get more food than most restaurants. The menu is the typically diverse Diner Menu with lots of choices for everyone, and they are open 24/7. Where was this place when I was in my 20's?

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Cheesy Boy! Cheesy Boy! Cheesy Boy!


Cheeseboy
South Station Train Concourse


If Squirrel only knew.... those of you from Bryant College years circa 86-90 may remember our friend, Ed, making his "Cheesies" in the bottom of dorm 2 late at night for the munchie crowd. He even had a hot dog cart umbrella to add to atmosphere!

Well 20 years later looks like another cheese master has decided to cash in on his own grilled cheese making. This kid's idea had to be born in a similar late night college dorm.

Cheeseboy is the brainchild of Michael Inwald, a guy who loved grilled cheese in college and who's friend's thought he had a knack for making them. Mark believed in his concept so much he left his Yale MBA program last year to invest 20K and go on the road selling grilled cheese. After obtaining outside investment, he was able to open the first Cheeseboy in South Station.

Read some of the naysayer's reviews and they will tell you grilled cheese consumption in restaurants is down, but Michael is being smart about it. He has a small, to go only stand in South Station, and his prices are extremely affordable. A classic grilled cheese is only $2.99
There are three main choices on the menu for low maintenance ordering, or you can mix and match bread cheese and fillings to customize your grilled cheese, from the choices below.

Choose your bread: Italian, rye, multigrain, or wheat
Choose your cheese: American, Cheddar, light swiss, Muenster, or Provolone,
Choose a meat: Turkey, Bacon, Ham Pepperoni
Choose some Veggies: Tomato, Basil, pickles, onion, spinach, roasted red peppers, Jalepenos

Cheeseboy also offers the tried and true grilled cheese pairing, Tomato soup!

Lou and I went to South Station last week to check it out.

I decided to got with Italian bread, Cheddar, Tomato and Basil for my sandwich
Lou got the Italian, Cheddar and Pepperoni

It took about 5 minutes to get our grilled cheese and they each came in their own sturdy to go box.

My verdict? The grilled cheese was tasty, and grilled to perfection with a golden brown evenly toasted and perfectly buttered crust. The price is right, the take away box is convenient and staff if quick with a great grilled cheese suggestion, like adding the basil to my sandwich.

I think this place will do well with commuters, and the nearby lunch crowd. It is affordable, and quick and who doesn't love grilled cheese?

I am not completely sold that anyone will go out of their way to stop by for a grilled cheese though. We did because we wanted to check it out, but unless I am being extremely lazy, I can probably make the same quality grilled cheese at home. Never the less, I don't think I am Cheeseboy's target audience, and I see a lot of grilled cheese eating commutes in Boston's future.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Thanksgiving in Boston Pictures and Recipes

I think I may have cooked the best turkey I have ever cooked in my life this Thanksgiving. It was completely by accident and I don't know if I will ever replicate it, but it was like butter. My husband who hates turkey found himself going back for seconds.

How did I do it? Somewhere between putting the turkey in the oven at 325 degrees at 9 am, and 11:30 am, the oven got turned off. I have no idea how or how long it was off, but when I noticed, it was only at 199 degrees! oops! I put the oven back on at 350 degrees. The turkey was at a safe edible temp by 2:30, we let it rest out of the oven for a half hour, and damn that was a good turkey! Even the leftovers are moist.
Lou's family came to dinner this year. There were 9 of us all together. Lou's mom brought a honey baked ham and green beans. Aunt Shirley brought her famous pound cake and mac and cheese, and Lou's dad brought a pumpkin cheese cake and a bag full of bread for leftover sandwiches!
Lucky for me I have a neighbor who was away for the day and let me use their stove, and a husband who remembered to take all these pictures when I first put the food out. Otherwise I never would have gotten everything out hot, or had pics for the blog:)
Two recipes I have never seen anyone make the or at least make in the same way are my grandmom's stuffing and my grandmom's turnips. Here are the recipes.

Stuffing
1 loaf of bread
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced onion
Poultry season to taste, which usually amount to half a spice bottle of it.
Mix with hands, and then stuff the bird with it.

It is so good, it doesn't have meat or pineapple or anything fancy, and sure it has a lot of butter, but for once a year, it is a treat!
Turnips
One large yellow turnip peeled and cubed
One half onion cut in thin rings
7 slices of bacon

Boiling the turnips until tender, set aside. Cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove from pan and crumble. Reserve about 4 Tbsp. of the bacon fat in the pan. Cook the onions in the bacon fat until they start to turn transparent. Add the cooked turnips and the bacon, saute until blended and hot. Serve. I make them a day ahead of time often and they taste even better the next day, just microwave to heat up. Turnips are in the for front of the pic below.
Enjoy my pics and I hope everyone who was celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend had a great time with family and friends. Now get out there and work those calories off!




Friday, November 26, 2010

Shopping Detour at Spruce Pond Creamery

Spruce Pond Creamery and Franklin Flatbread Pizza
www.franklinpizza.com
370 King Street
Franklin, Ma
508-520-7900

Menu: Pizza, Pasta, Sandwiches, Salads, Ice cream
Atmosphere: Casual pizzeria and Ice creamery
Kid Friendly: If Ice cream is ever not Kid Friendly, then it is being served in a bar.

I wanted lunch, and why my husband wanted to check out a place called Spruce Pond Creamery made no sense to me. I was hungry though, and hunger for me means severe loss of brain power so I went along with his idea.

We were on our way to the Wrentham Outlets when we took this detour. This was not a case of twisting my arm. I am not a shopper. In fact, I pretty much loathe shopping except for maybe 4 times a year, and there is nothing that makes me loathe it more than crowds. When I saw the line of cars meandering off the the exit to for the outlets, there was no chance I was staying in it.

Lou knows me so well he actually said it before I did. As soon as he pulled into the back of the line he asked, "You want to get some lunch instead of shopping?"

It took me a second to process it, then I saw the same line on the other side of the highway getting off the opposite exit going to the same outlets. My worst nightmare! All I could think was, "Get me the heck out of this line before we are on the off ramp with no option to get out!"

Lou quickly pulled back onto 495 and we were out of there. We took out Lou's iPhone and used the app, Around Me, to see if we could find a restaurant nearby. Lou picked the Spruce Pond Creamery. I don't know what made him think they would have food, but it was only about a 1/2 mile off the next exit on 495, so we checked it out.

This is the first thing I noticed. This place looked like a very colorful ice cream stand to me, and it was getting a little chilly out. Lou looked at the main sign, however, and it said they had flat bread pizza, so we went in to check it out.
It turns out the Ice Creamery has an inside seating area, and a wood burning stove where they make some delicious pizza. They also have sandwiches, salads, and pasta dishes, various bakery treats and of course homemade ice cream.

Lou was excited when we sat down because he spied this cream soda in the display case.
For lunch we got the flat bread because it was the highest thing billed on the menu, and it looked really good on our neighbors table. We chose to split our pizza in half. One side was the Lightning Rod-hand-made herb & garlic sausage, organic tomato sauce, blend of organic cheeses, sautéed organic green peppers, sliced organic mushrooms & balsamic-splashed sautéed organic yellow onions.
The second side was Ben's trip to France- Organic eggplant & organic Roma tomatoes over organic garlic-infused extra-virgin olive oil base, with grated Reggiano Parmigiano cheese and balsamic-splashed organic yellow onions
I don't really get the name choices, but I guess I should thank Ben for going to France and coming up with this original pizza choice. It was a delicious blend of ingredients.

The staff at Spruce Pond was friendly. The ordering was a little unorganized. There was a line at the counter when we walked in, and several parties sitting down, but it wasn't clear if you should stand in line, order and then sit, or sit and wait for a server. We went to get in line and we must have had, "We are ordering lunch and sitting down written all over us, " because as soon as we stepped in the back of the line, we were told to sit and wait for a waitress.

A sign saying, "Seat yourself for eat in", would have been a huge help.
We didn't get ice cream, but the line for it was steady the entire time we were there, and it wasn't a very hot day, so it must be pretty good.

Outside the Creamery has a beautiful landscape rolling down to what can only be the Spruce Pond. I can imagine a lot of families hear hanging out on the hottest of summer days. It is a little far for us, but if I ever make the foolish decision to head to Wrentham on a popular shopping day, I will know I can always detour it to Spruce Pond Creamery.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Thanksgiving Feast Part I The Menu


I sat down last Wednesday and put together our Thanksgiving menu then went shopping Thursday night. Here is the feast.

Turkey- I make it simple and just rub olive oil all over it. This year we have a 20 pound bird.
Stuffing- It's my grandma's recipe, bread, onions, celery, butter, and a whole lot of poultry seasoning. I stuff it in the bird and it comes out moist and delicious.
Mashed Potatoes- The only secret I have is the blender. I use a whisk attachment to mix them.
Carrots, Celery, and Walnuts- Sounds strange, but is a yummy combo
Turnips- an old family recipe which includes onions and bacons, very simple and guests love them.
Savory bread- This is my mom's recipe. I don't know where it came from it is a mix of spices parsley and onions on bread. I absolutely love it. This one is for me!
Sweet potato casserole- This one is for my husbands family who always have sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving. I hope I don't screw it up.
Mac and Cheese- Courtesy of Aunt Shirley
Pound Cake-Also Shirley's. One of these days I will have to talk her out of her recipes:)
Baked Ham-My mother in law is bringing this, yes we are going to have a ridiculous amount of leftovers!
String Beans-Another in law favorite courtesy of Lou's mom.

I am also going to throw an Apple Pie, a Pumpkin Cream Pie and a Pecan Pie into the mix.

Come back for pictures and recipes!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Turkey Time

It's curtains for you Pal! Curtains!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Not So Friendly Toast

Dear Friendly Toast,

You should change your name to Not So Friendly Toast, Unfriendly toast, Anything but Friendly Toast. I hated that you were understaffed, I hated that your staff was rude. I hated the music you had blaring at 11 over my head. The music sucked, the food sucked. I hated the server who came to our table to "help" deliver the food and kicked a chair out of his way only to hit another patron with it. The best part is he barely turned around and muttered under his breath a snide, "Oh, sorry".

I hated most of all that I was too exhausted and hungry to get up when I realized how much I hated this place.
Here are the pics, the waffle, gross.. The onion rings below were the only good part. Dishes seemed old and dirty. Water tasted like you took it out of a rusty spigot.
Take note of my other posts Friendly Toast. I rarely hate a place, and even if I had a bad experience try to find the positive.

The only positive here was leaving. I only wish I did it sooner.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Stats On My Blog



In September I visited my good friend Kristin in Columbus, OH. She is a blogging force, writing www.cbusmoms.com (a blog about great activities to do with your kids in the Columbus area), www.glassofwhine.blogspot.com,( a more personal blog sharing stories about her home life) and contributing to various others, she has made a name for herself in Columbus as someone who knows how to work the blog. She has even been asked to speak on the subject.

I had been blogging off and on for the last year, and was seriously considering changing the format of my blog when Kristin pointed out some of the new features on Blogger. When I got home, I decided to try to take advantage of some of the new designs and change some of my format, but I became obsessed with checking my Stats!

The Stats show you which of your posts are getting the most reads, what country people reside in who are reading your blog, what search strings they used to find your blog, and what sites are pushing people to your blog.

I find it completely fascinating that my most looked at post is one on Ethiopian food and Boston Cream pie. Coming in second, Jelly pudding pops! My husband who is the straight guy in our relationship would probably love to know 96 people have seen him making his Bill Cosby face while eating our version of the pudding pop. My third most popular? Fuddruckers! They do have some damn good burgers. Fourth, I am proud to say is the entry I wrote about Lou's grandmother Mother Dear. She is 92 years old and still makes the best cream corn in the south.

The other thing I find fascinating is where my blog is getting hits from! South Korea, Germany, Spain, Russia, The Phillipines, UK, Canada, Bahrain, Japan, Ukraine, China and the Netherlands are all countries with people who have visited my blog. I feel honored. Even if you hit it by mistake, the fact that you saw it is just so cool;) If you were one of the spammers who hit my blog, do me a favor and at least click on an ad next time so I can at least get something out of your visit than an inane comment I need to delete.

Thank you to Quay Po Cooks for commenting on my Lyndells post all the way from Malaysia! If I could send you the black and white cookies and know they would be intact when they got there, I would get them right out to you. Heck I should do it anyway:)

I haven't gone anywhere new lately because my day time job has been eating up all my time, no pun intended, but this weekend we will be heading out to one of Boston's most famous Pizzeria's, Pizzeria Regina. We will be having brunch on Sunday and dinner out Sunday night, so stay tuned more posts to come, and thank you for stopping by:)


Friday, November 5, 2010

The Barefoot Contessa Comes to the Natick Collection!

A good friend of mine, Erin, hipped me to a book signing at the William Sonoma in the Natick Collection last Friday. The one and only Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten was coming to Natick to do a book signing between 12 and 2.

I have a completely unpredictable job, and Natick is about 35 minutes away, so I had to make a game time decision that day as to whether I was going to brave the crowd to meet Ina and get a book signed, or stay home and wonder what could have been. At 11 am I decided to call, and the store told me there were still some books left, but the line was already really long. If I didn't get there soon, I might not even get a book!

My whole reason for going was to get the book for my sister, she LOVES Ina and was the first person to get me watching her show. Suddenly my schedule cleared for the afternoon, I saw my window of opportunity, so I took off to try and meet Ina.

When I got to the William and Sonoma store front, the line had already wrapped into the mall and back on itself. There had to be about 800 people in it. I thought, how am I going to pull this off? I need to get back to work? This is going to take hours! But I was already there, and decided, let me at least buy the cookbook, and see how quickly the line starts to move once Ina has arrived.

As I stepped into the back of the line, I heard something that always makes me smile, "Krisburke! What are you doing here?" Anyone who calls me Krisburke has to be an old friend from college, and in this case it was my APK sister Carlotta!!! Turns out Carlotta was slightly more prepared than I was and got to the mall very early that day. Anyone reading this who knows the two of us, is not surprised by me winging it, and Carlotta being early to this event, but we do have one thing in common we share a birthday, and Carlotta was there for a similar reason. She was getting the cookbook for her mother because her mom is also a huge Ina fan.

Carlotta was only about 100th in line and she had convinced the women around her to let me jump the line and stand with her. In the end, I met Ina, got 2 cookbooks signed,(I got one for Erin too), I got to hang out with my dear friend Carlotta, and I was out of the mall in about 40 minutes. It was a huge blessing because my work got nuts for the rest of the day. I never would have been able to wait. Thank you Lottie!!!!!

Even Ina knows how awesome Carlotta is. Here she is asking Carlotta advice on how to roast the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.
and here is Ina signing Carlotta's cookbook. I think Ina wants to be an APK girl now....
Ina is still on her book tour, check to see if she will be coming to a place near you!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Telegraph Hill

Telegraph Hill
289 Dorchester Street
South Boston, MA 02127

Atmosphere: Brand new local bar, GREAT place to watch any game. Not a bad seat
Food: Bar apps, Entrees, Burgers, Salads, New England inspired, New Orleans inspired, even some California inspiration. Something for everyone.
Prices: Lot of good food at a fair price.
Kid Friendly: Come on now, it's a bar.


Unlike most Dear John letters where the guy is being told to get lost because you found somebody new, I want to write a Dear John letter to John Lovett, owner of Telegraph Hill to say, "Please don't go anywhere!!!"

Telegraph Hill is the new bar and restaurant in town and they opened just a few blocks from our house. The block they are on is not the nicest one in Southie. In fact, it is filled with vacant store fronts and run down businesses, but John saw what we all want to see, promise, and he built a beautiful place.

Lou and I stopped by on Halloween to grab a bite to eat. It was an early dinner/ late lunch, around 3 and the bar was empty, so we got to choose where we sat. There were 11 flat screens filling the walls. There isn't a chance you will miss a game no matter where you sit.

Besides the bar, there are hightops scattered throughout which can sit 4 people comfortably. I have to admit, I have never seen a bar without low seats and booths. It isn't too large in here though and I imagine they wanted to be able to pack a bar crowd in, so if that is case, the seating makes sense.After being seated our waitress, Erin greeted us immediately. There was only one other couple in the whole restaurant, but it was that in between time so, I thought that made sense. Lou and I aren't huge drinkers, so we just got water, but Telegraph Hill offers a great selection of draft and bottled beer.

For our in between meal, I got the shepard's pie and Lou got a burger. I took the picture above when our meals first arrived. Both dishes were massive, so I took the two below to try to show some scale.

My shepard's pie was really tasty, with a cheesy, potato crust on the top. They cook it in the same bowl they serve it in, and because of that, it took a while for our food to arrive. At least that is my theory. It was delicious, but I can see the shepard's pie throwing off the kitchen on a busy night.
Lou's burger was really good as well. He loved that they had a California burger with avocado on it. That mound of fries is not only plentiful, but they are fresh. I caught a glimpse of one of the cooks preparing the fries in the kitchen.

The menu at Telegraph Hill is diverse. They have some typical bar food, some with a bit of a twist, like the fried mac and cheese. Most dishes seem like a mixed influence between New England, and New Orleans, with choices like the Southie Po'Boy, Battered Cod, onion strings, house slaw, garlic mayo, serves with the house fries. They have a raw bar, and they also have Sunday Brunch. The most expensive thing on the menu is the Black and Bleu which is a 12 oz sirloin for $19. I would say perfect price points for this neighborhood.
This is Lou after somehow finishing the majority of his giant meal. The reason I really took this picture was the flowers. I loved them. I thought they were original with a nice fall theme. They were fake, but didn't scream fake, but the most interesting part to me was the water. The water was fake too! I like when restaurants come up with an interesting way to keep atmosphere, but make it simple on themselves. Telegraph Hill could have these pre-made vases for every season.

As we neared the end of our meal, the Patriots game started and a few more people began to file into Telegraph Hill. I was a little disappointed to be honest because I expected a bigger crowd. This is a GREAT place to watch the game. There literally is not a bad seat in the place, and the interior is beautiful. The walls are all custom wood panel, and the wall of windows in front can open to the street on warmer days. The bathrooms are newly renovated, and overall it is really clean. I know it's new, but sometimes even new places have signs of uncleanliness. Best of all the service was awesome from the minute we walked in the door. Erin gave us the type of service where she was always available, but in no way pestering us. She even said to Lou at one point as she cleared my plate,"Please don't let me rush you." The whole experience was pleasant.

When we left, I drove past two other bars where people watch the game, Stadium which is around the corner, and Stats which is up the street hoping they had smaller crowds, but both of them were packed. I am hoping it is because Telegraph Hill is new and not too many people know about it yet.

Come on people of Southie! Get out there and check out Telegraph Hill!

Let's be honest, John Lovett did a great thing by opening this beautiful place in a less desirable block. I hope people realize it is there, that it has great food, service and atmosphere and frequent it. I also hope it inspires other future business owners to invest in Southie as well.

Dear John,

Please don't leave!



Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Bella Vita Caffe

Bella Vita Caffe
30 Charles St.
Beacon Hill Boston, Ma 02114

Food: Coffee, Soups, Salad, Sandwiches, icecream pastries
Atmosphere: Laid back Coffee shop
$$$$: Not too bad for this part of the city.

Who needs a web page when your one of a small few cafe's on Charles Street and Carolyn Meehan is your mayor? That would be your mayor on foursquare.

Apparently Bella Vita Caffe knows this because they don't have a webpage and they seem to be doing just fine.

Don't know who Carolyn Meehan is? If you have a business you are trying to promote you should. She is a social media maven, and President of The Keyturn, a unique digital solutions provider that specializes in the development and deployment of integrated, online and social media marketing strategies.


Between a location on Charles Street in Beacon Hill and Carolyn bringing clients in for meetings over cappuccino what more could you ask for in terms of exposure when you don't have your own webpage?

This place isn't sheik, it doesn't have all new furniture, or a hip atmosphere. It just has great coffee, yummy pastries and cakes, and a few choices for soups, salads and sandwiches. It's also got, gelato, free wi-fi, lots of tables which can be pushed together for bigger parties, and a book trading book case in the back.
For some reason Lou and I always find our way here in the winter after trekking around the city shopping. I like to get a warm drink, sit by the window and watch the people on Charles St. as the bustle by.

If you are high maintenance, trying to impress, like superb service, this place probably isn't for you, but if you are laid back, want to take your time with a latte, have some good conversation, and great people watching, then check it out.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Cardullo's Harvard Square

Cardullo's
6 Brattle St, Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA 02138-3711
http://www.cardullos.com/sandwiches.php

Lou and I have motto on the weekends which proves to be true over and over. The best plan, plan is the no plan, plan.
Last Saturday, we headed out to find some lunch with no plan and found ourselves in Harvard Square. Not the best place to be last weekend to avoid crowds as it was The Head of the Charles and the city swelled with another 90K in people, but it was a no plan, plan day, and those days, things just seem to fall into place. Case and point we found a spot on the street right as we drove into the area. We headed out into the crowds to find something to eat. As we walked past Cardullo's, I saw a group sitting outside eating amazing sandwiches. We had found our lunch place! We headed inside to order. I got an Italian sub and Lou got the Alpine club. It takes a few minutes to get a sandwich made in Cardullo's but the Deli guys are slicing the cold cuts fresh. Trust me it is worth the wait.

The Italian was just how I like it thinly sliced Italian cold cuts, provolone, sliced tomatoes, diced red onion, sliced pickles, hot pepper relish with olive oil on a fresh baguette, and if you read my blog religiously, LIKE YOU SHOULD, you will know I repeat what my dad always said, Great bread=a great sandwich.
The Alpine Club was a healthy helping of Smoked turkey breast, speck, arugula, cheddar cheese, sliced tomatoes and Ranch dressing with whole grain mustard on a ciabatta,
These sandwiches look so mouthwatering people stopped several times to ask us, "Did you get those in here???" Yes we did, and they taste does not stray from their appearance, they are amazing.

Cardullo's bills themselves as a Gourmet Shoppe, and they fit that bill. There are shelves and shelves of gourmet mustards, spreads and chocolates. One of my favorite items was the Himalayan block of salt that came with a mini grater as if it were a block of Parmesan cheese. I could have spent an hour scouring their shelves. They even have a mini selection of wine in the back left corner. I was starving though and our sandwiches were done!

True to the no plan plan day as we walked outside with our sandwiches, a table on the sidewalk outside the door had just opened up. It was an Indian summer day in Harvard Square, and with all those people in town, there was tons of people watching to be had. We really enjoyed the grifter dressed as a Harvard grad telling people someone stole all the money out of his wallet the night before. Really pal? Then why do you still have the wallet? I also enjoyed the guy who drove up in his fiery red hot rod and parked illegally for no apparent reason smoking a cigarette. Turned out the grifter and he seemed to know each other. I guess there should have been no surprise there.

Now that we know Cardullo's has these amazing sandwiches the next trip won't ever be a no plan, plan, but it will be worth it.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Jeni's Ice Cream

Jeni's Ice Cream
1 w. Bridge St.
Dublin, OH 43017

I was in OH, about a month ago, and am just getting around to posting this. It is the menu board of sundaes at Jeni's Ice Cream in Dublin. Some of the most original flavors I have ever come across.

If you can't read it from my picture, check it out on the site http://jenisicecreams.com/

and if you are in Dublin, stop by!

Warrior Dash and Turkey Legs!!!


Korean BBQ at Koreana

Koreana
154-158 Prospect at Broadway,
Cambridge, MA
617-576-8661

Food: Korean, including Korean BBQ
Atmosphere: Social, lively, simple, casual, clean
$$$$$ Average for a night out in the city. Apps start at $5 entrees avg $20-$22

www.koreanaboston.com


Just realizing how inconsistent I can be with my posts. Sometimes I am so official, I write about what type of food, the atmosphere of a restaurant the price... Not lately though. I even keep forgetting to label my posts so they fall into categories.

Oh well, you want to know the atmosphere on a post I don't specify it on? Look at the pictures and figure it out! Price? Click on the website! and for now, unless I have my own bambino or talk about my friend with a four year old coming out with me, you can assume, these places probably aren't kid friendly.

I am just being a wise ass. I will try to be better.... but tonight I am lazy, and I just want to write about my fun time at Koreana.

Koreana is a Korean BBQ restaurant in Cambridge. This type of dining is great for people who like to share dinner. Also a great conversation piece, great for large groups. It is very social.

There are individual dishes on Koreana's menu for anyone who wants something a little different than the BBQ, or for someone who doesn't like to share like Joey from friends. The dish below is one of those that our friend Carolyn ordered. I am not saying Carolyn doesn't like to share though. She got this so we would have the full experience of BBQ and a tasty dish. Unfortunately, I don't remember what it was called! haha, so I am going to say it was Bokembop! Korean style fried rice with a vegetable variety, your choice of beef or chicken, and kimchee! Honestly I don't think it was Bokembop, but it sounds good, and it looks good too! Whatever you choose at Koreana, you are going to get variety that's for sure.
The BBQ dishes all come out the same way. Beef,chicken, pork, shrimp or tofu are delivered to the table and placed on the BBQ by the server. The start the cooking process but leave the tools for you to finish it off. The BBQ is served with 9-10 side dishes which include various small salads like the most popular KimcheeKorean BBQ is also served with slivers of garlic, peppers, soy paste, a bowl of rice and large sesame leaves to place the items in and eat with.

Koreana is located in Cambridge on the corner of Broadway and Prospect. If you are in a car, you aren't too far from Harvard Square and can check out the area.

The atmosphere is social but it was a little cold the night we were there. If it is cold outside, I would request to sit away from the door. The staff is nice, and efficient. If you like to interact with your friends and not the wait staff, this is the place for you. We did wait for a table for a few minutes, there isn't a great area to wait in and again it is by the door, so it can be a little cold.

In all Koreana is pleasant, unique, and social for large groups. The food is good, and our friend Carolyn tells us it is some of the most healthy cuisine around.





Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Al Fresco ULA Style

ULA Cafe
284 Armory St.
Jamaica Plain, Ma 02130

Atmosphere: Laid back, cafe and coffeehouse, indoor and outdoor seating, Dog Friendly with lots of rings to tie your dog outside and free doggie biscuits!
Food: Lite sandwiches, soups, salads, pastries and lots of varieties in hot and cold beverages.
Price: Is Right. 4 drinks, a salad, a popover and 3 cookies was all under $20


I have been in search of the perfect Al Fresco Casual Dining experience, and I think I may have found it in the ULA Cafe. Last week Lou was craving a popover but instead of driving an hour to our favorite popover place in Portsmouth NH, I googled "popover Boston" and found the ULA Cafe in JP.

Our good friend Kat was visiting from Maine and having lived in J.P. previously she knew the cafe was by the Sam Adam's brewery, and that it was fairly hip, so we headed on over.

Not only is the ULA cafe near the brewery, it is attached to the brewery. When we entered the parking lot, a nice surprise was standing there. Lou's dad! He was waiting for Lou's younger brother Harold to get out of a practice for the Nutcracker, so we asked him to join us.
We were mainly there for Lou's popover, but Kat got a curry chicken salad and mixed green salad along with a Raspberry Izze. Mac got a few cookies.I got a pot of Assam tea which is just fancy for English Breakfast. I love when a place gives you a pot. You get two cups for the price of one and can sit and enjoy a little longer.
ULA Cafe has indoor and outdoor seating, but it was the ultimate Indian summer day, so we opted for the patio. The J.P. vibe is laid back and friendly and made for a relaxing afternoon tea, and snack break.

Black and White Cookies at Lyndell's

Lyndell's
720 Broadway
Somerville, Ma 02144

They also have sites on Hanover St. in Boston and Prospect St. in Cambridge.

Food: Traditional Bakery, breads, cakes, cupcakes, cookies, wedding cakes, pastries

A few weeks ago we went to Soundbite's in Somerville for breakfast and stumbled upon Lyndell's Bakery. I will write about Soundbite's too, but Lyndell's takes precedent on my delicious meter today.

Lyndell's is the kind of bakery I remember going to as a kid after church. Where the icing is sugary as can be, and the cream donuts are packed with the creamy white filling. Each bakery box is wrapped traditionally with string, and I love the nostalgic feeling I get when I walk into this place.Lou and I went for the Black and White cookies. I always think it is funny these are called cookies because they are really flat cupcakes with icing on top. Lyndell must think that too because they call them Half Moons. They also make them all chocolate, all vanilla, chocolate cake with vanilla frosting, vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. The entire line the call Moon Madness. Who needs all the cupcakeries when you have the Lyndell Moon which is twice as big and three times as yummy?

If you are in the area, check it out, we have already been back a few times!

How Does One Family Get All The Talent? Alma Nove

Alma Nove
22 Shipyard Drive
Hingham, Ma 02043

www.almanovehingham.com

Food: Blend of Italian and Mediterranean cuisine
Atmosphere: Upscale, but not stuffy, by the water, open, near a boat launch, outside seating with fire pit
Kid Friendly: Leave the kids at home and go here for a date at night or business meeting during the day
Pricing: Average for a nice dinner out.

I was listening to Mix 98.5 a few weeks ago when I heard the movie "The Other Guys" was having its premier in Hingham. Hingham? Who has a premier in Hingham? It all made sense when Alma Nove was mentioned.

Alma Nove is a restaurant owned by Chef Paul Wahlberg. Have you made the connection yet? If you are in your mid to late 30's I am guessing you have, but let me make it easy. Paul Wahlberg is the brother of Donny and Mark Wahlberg. Mark is in the movie, "The Other Guys", what better way to promote your brother's new restaurant than to have the premier at the movie theater located on it's doorstep?

Alma Nove is named for the Wahlberg matriarch
Alma, and Nove, for her nine children.

This past weekend, while on an adventure, which included our good friend Banks, we made our way over to the Hingham Shipyard, where Alma Nove is located and gave it a try.

We arrived at about 3:30pm and the kitchen was in between lunch and dinner, so the hostess told us we could only sit at the bar and have a limited menu. My initial reaction was disappointment, but then we asked to see the menu, and limited is probably not the right choice of words. There was still a great selection of food to choose from, so we opted to sit down at one of the high tops surrounding the bar.

Being relegated to the bar, could have been a second chance to
disappoint me, but Alma Nove has an open floor plan, with lots of windows. I love natural light and being on the water. The only thing that would have been better is if I were able to sit outside on the patio. I also am not a big fan of the bar high top. Usually I find sitting up that high uncomfortable, but Alma Nove has extremely comfortable leather chairs, and the wall separating the bar from the dining area has a glass sound buffer. This makes the restaurant feel as though it is one big room, and made me feel in no way was I in less desirable seating.

Within a half hour of our arrival, I noticed every high top in the bar was taken as well as all seating around the bar. That is pretty amazing for the in between lunch and dinner time at a restaurant.

For our in between meal,which was really more of an early dinner;), I opted for the Spaghettini, Banks got the Orecchietti, and Lou the Grilled Sirloin Burger.

The Spaghettini came with mizuno pesto, pistachios and wood grilled chicken. The portion was perfect. The blend of the pesto, and pistachios was simple yet so flavorful, and the chicken was moist and tender. I loved it.

Banks let me taste her Orecchietti, and I felt the same way. It was a blend of rapini, panchetta and Romano cheese. This was also a simple dish, but packed with flavor, and the perfect portion.

I think the most telling dish as to whether Alma Nove is a really good restaurant was Lou's burger. The first thing I noticed is it was all about the burger. The bun size to burger size was absolutely perfect. Paul Wahlberg must have grown up on the "Where's the beef?" commercials and vowed to do better. The bun also looked freshly made. I have said it before and will continue to say it, "Good bread, good sandwich, good burger." Lou loved it.

We were so satisfied with lunch, we decided we had to continue on with dessert. Looking at the Alma Nove website, the dessert is different than what they had listed the day we were there, which means they do seasonal desserts. This also means ingredients are fresh, and dessert invokes the atmosphere of the season. I personally love this. It is only a shame I can't credit the pastry chef because I don't see the name on the website. We chose two very seasonal desserts, the pumpkin cheesecake with ginger snap crust, and the
ginger cake with caramel sauce and fresh brandy whipped cream. Hopefully I described those right. I do know I got the brandy whipped cream right. Here's a little secret. Want to spruce up that pie at Thanksgiving? Make fresh whipped cream and add a tablespoon of brandy to it. You will be asking people if the want pie with their whipped cream. It is delicious, and the desserts at Alma Nove were outstanding.

I have to admit, Alma Nove exceeded all my expectations. The service was great, the food was outstanding. The atmosphere was perfect, and I have to say it was aptly name. With all the talent floating around in the Wahlberg family, it's good to see Alma Wahlberg recognized. She sure did something right.