Can a Potato be Creamy? Brunch at Coppa

Coppa

253 Shawmut Ave.

Boston, Ma

http://www.coppaboston.com/

Atmosphere-Casual, Intimate, Enoteca

Food-Small Italian plates, unique wines and drinks, wood fired pizzas, pastas, exceptional ingredients

Kid friendly- We saw kids there for brunch, but there isn't exactly a kids menu. If you kids are world travelers like Brad and Angelina's bring them.

Cost- Dishes are from $5 for small plates to $16 for a pizza or entree. These are not the corner pizza shop's pizza's

Breakfast potatoes, they are so easy to get wrong. At least that is my explanation as to why most places have horrible ones. They are either over cooked and hard, or undercooked and hard. It is rare to find ones that I really like, and usually the only ones I like have been shredded into hash browns. This weekend, however, I found the perfect breakfast potatoes at Coppa!! Should I be surprised? Coppa is an intimate enoteca opened by Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonette. If you have read some of my earlier posts, you know Ken's restaurants are some of my favorite in Boston.

Enoteca is an Italian word which originally was used to describe a wine shop which catered to wine tasting and affordable bottles for its patrons. The word has grown to describe bistro style restaurants which serve wine and small Italian dishes.

Coppa pays homage to both definitions. Courtney Bisonnette the general manager at Coppa has put a drink list together which includes some of the most original bottles I have ever seen. It is no surprise she is a founding member of Ladies United for The Preservation of Endangered Cocktails. Marry her drink list with the menu of small plates at Coppa and the word enoteca is the obvious description.

Back to the potatoes though, I can't take credit for calling them creamy. I wasn't the first to taste them. My friend Stash did, and it was the first thing he said, "Wow, those are creamy".

The potatoes are pictured below in the back right with some of our other small plates. Not the best picture. They were roasted, bliss potatoes with rosemary and garlic, and yes, they tasted unbelievably, savory, light and creamy.

Also pictured below, marinated mushrooms with Eva's herbs, mixed olives with fennel, and marinated cauliflower with shallots, thyme and sea salt. Not pictured dishes we had are the warm salt cod crostini and endive salad with Parmesan anchovy dressing.

Most small plates are $5, antipasti, and brunch dishes $10 and wood fired pizza's $12 to $16
The olives were not really different than any other olives I have had, but what can you really do with whole olives? I love olives so I was happy with the variety that came to the table, Calamata, Gaeta, Sevillano, Calabrese and Manzanilla to name a few. Right now if you are thinking I have in depth olive knowledge, I don't. I have no idea what olives were in that mix sans the Calamata's, I just wanted it to sound good.

The cauliflower was also a nice variety. Nice colorful variety that is. I had no idea until I worked for Rachel Nason at D'Lish Intimate Catering that cauliflower not only came in white, there was also orange, purple, and green. The shallots and thyme gave it a nice flavor. Herbs also gave the the marinated mushrooms a little extra flavor.

The Parmesan anchovy dressing on the endive salad was heavenly.

Honestly, though, I need to go back and order more of a variety of small dishes. I don't think I did justice ordering the small plates because I was starving, and really wanted to get a full meal.

If you look at the menu on Coppa's website, you won't see the egg dishes which are available on Sunday's. I am guessing they were added later. We, Lou, Stash, and I all decided to get the poached eggs, on cheesy polenta with center cut bacon and forgive my ignorance in describing food, but that is a thin piece of toasted buttery Italian bread on the side. If it has a fancy name, I don't care, it was perfect. This dish was perfect. If you don't like thick cut bacon, then you may not think it was perfect, but this bacon is fresh and smoky. It reminded me of the bacon from Maresca's, a butcher shop in Sergeantville where I grew up. The poached eggs were fluffy and the polenta a savory cheesy blend.
If you are a the social networking type and use four square, check in to Coppa your first time there and you can get a $3 glass of Prosecco to toast your arrival.

Some things we didn't try that I need to go back for...the Man Mosa- which is a small bottle of prosecco, and a Pelegrino Aranciata accompanied by a large mug to mix them in, Salumi- cut on the coolest, sleekest, hand cranked meat slicer I have ever seen, I need to try another meal besides the brunch, and I definitely need to try one of their Dopo il Pranzo drinks. Describing a drink as sweet, medicinal and luscious certainly piques my interest.

In my book, Ken Oringer is batting 5 for 5 right now for great restaurants. I still need to try KO Prime, but it's looking very good.

Cheesy Boy! Cheesy Boy! Cheesy Boy!

Cheeseboy

South Station Train Concourse

cheeseboy.com

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.

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!

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.

www.thekeyturn.com

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.

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.

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.

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!

Just What I Was Looking For, The Style Cafe

Style Cafe

www.stylecafeonline.com

197 8th Street

Charlestown, Ma 02129

Menu: Basic Lunch and Breakfast items with a Brazilian influence, coffee and smoothies available.

Atmosphere: Casual, some outdoor seating under an overhang, near the water

Prices: Most expensive thing on the menu is the panini's at $6.50, pretty good for the city.

Sometimes the decision of where I want to eat is a lot like a kid looking into the full refrigerator and still declaring, "There is nothing to eat!" The real issue is I just can't decide. If I am hungry, I have an even more difficult time picking a place.

With a 180 mile bike ride looming ahead of us in a week, Lou and I have been biking and running a lot to get into shape. On Memorial Day after a 5 mile run, we decided we would try to find a new place to grab lunch. Not only was I hungry, but I was tired and hungry! A perfect storm, making it almost impossible for me to make a decision. All I knew was I wanted a new place. I wanted to be by the water, and I wanted the ability to eat outside.

I had heard of the Tavern on the Water in Charlestown, so we headed over that way. I had no idea there was a whole community back by the Charlestown Navy yard which was a nice surprise. (Sprawling parks, a pool,if you can sneak in, cafe's, and lots of places to stroll)

When I saw Tavern on the Water, it wasn't really what I was looking for. I know, don't judge a book by it's cover, but from afar it looked like if I was going to have a liquid lunch this place would be perfect. It just wasn't what I was looking for that day.

Then I saw it! Under the awning of the building before Tavern on the Water was The Style Cafe. This is the place I had in my mind! Tables out side, a new place, and a solid lunch menu. We went in to check it out.

Inside, it was really cute. Not enormous, but a few tables, also some outside, and a long counter along the window looking out to the harbor where you can sit and enjoy a quick bite. The atmosphere was immediately pleasant, and it was very clean.

The Style Cafe only has breakfast and lunch items on it's menu, but it is open until 7 pm most days and until 6 pm on Sunday. Judging from the amount of items on their breakfast menu, I am guessing they do a pretty good business.

For lunch that day we decided to try their panini's. Lou got the Navy Yard- Smoked Turkey Cheddar, Green Apple and Red Onions.
I got the Style- Smoked Turkey, Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Basil and SpinachBoth Panini's were grilled perfectly, and what I liked most is they didn't have a bunch of butter or oil on the bread. I am not sure if they had put anything on the bread before grilling them. All the ingredients were really fresh and flavorful, and they were toasted perfectly.

The lunch menu at The Style Cafe is basic. Simple Sandwiches and Panini's, some salads. They do have Burritos which adds a twist, but ingredients are basic as well. I am not saying basic is bad, in fact this place does basic extremely well.

The Breakfast menu has more of a Brazilian influence with ingredients like smoke Brazilian Sausage, and Brazilian cheese in some of the dishes. Their catering menus also offer some Brazilian flair with Brazilian Croquetes. The owners are obviously Brazilian, and have matched American cuisine with Brazilian influences to create a nice balance and delicious food.

After lunch we each decided to try some iced lattes. The espresso machine is the real deal, and not the automated machines you see in a lot of places these days. The coffee was flavorful, and the entire staff during our visit was very friendly.

I only wish this place was closer to our house so we didn't have to drive to it.

The Barking Crab

The Barking Crab

88 Sleeper Street

Boston, Ma

Atmosphere: Casual seafood dining in the open air, under a tent near the water. Music on the weekends

Kid Friendly: Sure but earlier in the night

Price: Reasonable for a tourist filled place by the water.

What does biking have to do with the Barking Crab? Not a lot, but I did build up an appetite.

Lou and I went on a 33 mile bike ride yesterday through Beverly, Hamilton, Wenham, Topsfield and Ipswich Ma. The first 11 miles were beautiful, and then Lou got a flat:( I admit it, we were unprepared without a spare and one cell phone. Luckily Lou had a lot of water and some snacks. Weighing our options, I took the phone and headed back to the car, and Lou waited on the side of the road until I was able to come pick him and his bike up.

In the end, I went on a 25 mile bike ride, and Lou went on an 11 mile bike ride. At least we learned our lesson and we won't head out again without a spare.

When we got home, our good friend Kat was in town for work, so we all decided to go out and eat. Kat has a recently discovered gluten intolerance so we decided to head out for seafood.

Yankee Lobster was our first choice, which I will definitely write about in the future, but it was closed this day, so we opted for the Barking Crab. Both restaurants are off of Northern Ave in the Seaport District.

If you have a lot of extroverted friends, you love eating outside by the water, and you want good food, but a casual environment, The Barking Crab is for you.

There are two parts to the restaurant, a tent dining area which is opened to the elements, and a closed dining area. Both areas are divided by the kitchen.

The trend these days for a wait in a restaurant is to give the diner an object, usually a large coaster, which buzzes when their table is ready. At the Barking Crab, they give you a lobster. It's cute and all, but a bit of a pain to lug around with you. We took our lobster and headed to the bar. One thing to note is if you put yourself on the wait in the tent at the Barking Crab, that is where you will be sat. If you want to sit inside, you need to put yourself on that wait. They treat the areas as if they are separate restaurants.

The tent area is made up of a bunch of picnic tables and no matter where you sit, unless you have a VERY large party, you will most likely be sharing your table with strangers. These are our strangers.

On the tables are plastic utensils, paper towels( these are your napkins) and large rocks to smash your lobsters, crab legs, or anything else you have to bust open to eat. In general, this is a very casual place.

This is our friend Kat waiting for her dinner.

We ended up sitting in the middle of the tent this night. We started our meal with the lobster and crab dip. It is a warm lobster, crab, and cheese dip served with tortilla chips. The portion was probably good for 5 to share, but we were starving so we devoured the whole thing. For dinner, Lou got the barking crab cake sandwich, I got the wedge salad with a side of two crab cakes, and Kat got a burger no bun (remember the gluten intolerance)

Lou liked his sandwich but I never did ask him if it was a good as the Farragut House Crab Sandwich. (See my past post on the Farragut House) My salad with the crab cakes hit the spot. The crab cakes were about a 3 inch diameter, and the salad was plentiful and fresh.

The Barking Crab is the quintessential, laid back seafood place on the water. Don't go here if you are looking for a relaxing or quiet dinner. The entire time we were eating, the guys next to us were smashing their lobster with the rocks. I guarantee any given night in the summer at least 20 to 30% of the Barking Crab guests are over served. Given their location by the water, it is surprising they haven't lost any patrons to the channel. Having a casual company outing? This is probably the place you want to be. Rowdy friends in town? The Barking Crab is for you!

It's a fun, laid back, beer swilling, decent food having kind of place.

Toro, Toro!

Toro

1704 Washington Street

Boston, Ma

617-536-4300

Menu: Spanish Tapas

Atmosphere: Rustic, Authentic, Casual dining.

Kid Friendly: I would be surprised to see kids here

Prices: $160 for four of us with drinks and dessert and as you can see lots of food.

Last Friday Lou and I hit up Toro in the South End with our good friends Zev and Maureen. I think we all had a long week and were ready for a great meal. Toro is mainly a tapas restaurant with a few large meals for sharing as well. It is owned by Ken Oringer, and if you read my post on Clio in the Elliot Hotel, you know I am a huge fan of all Ken Oringer restaurants.

Toro doesn't take reservations, so if you don't like waiting too long, you might want to get there early. Even on this rainy night, there was a 45 minute wait by 6:30 pm for a table of four. If you do run into a wait at Toro, it is worth every minute. While your waiting, try one of their original cocktails. I went for the Cold River Rickey. Besides being fun to say, it is a Raspberry Lime Rickey with Vodka in it. A drink that mixes two of my favorite drinks?!?!? How could I go wrong?

We had been quoted a 45 minute wait, but were seated much faster in about 15-20. There are two types of seating in Toro. There are stand alone tables in the front and along a banquet, and then there are long high tables in the middle of the floor which usually you end up sharing with other parties. I have sat at both and had a great experience each time. Sitting with people you don't know at a tapas place allows you to check out what they ordered and add to your choices!

On this trip we sat in the banquet and had our own table of four. The only complaint I have about the seating in Toro is there isn't enough!

One thing I love about Toro is the server station. There is a large wooden table in the back that looks as if you would prepare a meal on it or eat at it. This is where servers keep there silverware and bread for tables. It is clean, blends with the atmosphere, and speaks to the attention to detail Ken has within all his restaurants. There are no dirty bus tubs, or silverware trays. There is only the desire to make everything about this restaurant appetizing.

When we sat for dinner, I switched drinks from mixed to wine and got a glass of the Tempranillo at Maureen's suggestion. It was excellent and served in a glass which was a cross between a juice glass and a highball. I have a friend whose dad is off the boat Italian. He makes his own wine and serves it this way. I know, Italian not Spanish, but you can tell this glass choice was deliberate when creating the atmosphere in Toro. It's laid back, rustic, the kind of place you bring good friends to share great food.

This is what we ordered with some pictures to tempt you:

Datiles con Jamon- Dates stuffed with marcona almonds and blue cheese wrapped in jamon

Uni Bocadillo-Pressed Uni sandwhich with miso butter and pickled mustard seeds

Gambas a Ajillo-Garlic Shrimp

Croquetas de Bacalao- Cod Fritters

Maz Asado con Alioli y Queso Catija-Grilled corn smothered in a garlic sauce and covered in aged cheese. oh my I said smothered and covered like waffle house, but this is no waffle house!

Panza de Cerdo-roasted pork belly with sunchoke, escargots, fava beans and smoked maple crumble

Asparagus with pickled ramps and almonds

Costilla de Buey-braised short ribs with armagnac soaked prunes

Garbanzos con Chorizo- self explanatory

and for dessert we had Churos with dark chocolate for dipping!!!!

One final thing to mention about Toro is they have dishes to share and not just tapas. On this trip we vowed to return to share the paella!

Beehive and first impressions

Beehive

541 Tremont Street

Boston, Ma 02116

Menu: Eclectic upscale American fare

Prices: Reasonable for the area

Kid Friendly: I know I know we never go to kid friendly places sorry!

Beehive in the South End is a place we have checked out before, but we have never made a conscious effort to eat there. Last week during a long period of not eating and wandering around, we found ourselves outside Beehive at 5 0'clock and thought, we would try it.

As we looked at the menu outside along with another couple, a gentleman approached us from inside and said, " We also have a prix fixe menu so keep that in mind, it is a great deal." Lou and I decided to try it.

This is the part of my story that anyone working for Beehive should pay close attention to. We walked into the, then completely empty restaurant, and said to the two hosts standing there. "Two for dinner." They asked if we had a reservation, which a lot of restaurants in the South End do, no problem there, but the next statement from them was, " Just so you know, we are VERY busy tonight with reservations" Really Beehive? Your completely EMPTY restaurant at 5 o'clock is that busy that you can't offer two people a table for dinner? or suggest a seat at the bar to eat? and do you realize there is a guy outside your door barking people in for the prix fixe menu? The tone of the two hosts was annoyance as they began to look through their list of empty tables to see if they could "fit us in". I immediately said, "No problem, we will go somewhere else." What I was thinking was, "You have got to be kidding me with this first impression." We started to walk out, and if we had made it out the door, I doubt I would have ever returned.

Lucky for Beehive they had a third hostess who realized what was going on, and as we went to exit said, "Wait, we can sit two now."

What do I think they should have done differently? How about looking to see if they could seat us first, then if they were in fact that busy with reservations, saying, " I know it sounds crazy because the restaurant is empty, but we have a lot of reservations at (insert time), so we have to put you on a (insert time frame) wait."

Ok, so obviously our first impression was not good, but as soon as we were sat, the atmosphere and our server completely changed my initial opinions.

Beehive is two floors, our server told us it used to be the boiler room of the Cyclorama, which is home to the Boston Center for the Arts, and located next door. The structure is completely unique. It is as if a large building was cut into sections, and Beehive was left with this section to create a dining experience with. They have done a great job. The top floor has a large seating area with a bar A balcony overlooks the bottom floor where seating faces a central stage for performances. The walls are exposed brick. Small crystal chandeliers light the dining area throughout, and a tapestry, artifully hides the host stand and stairs to the bottom floor from diners. We sat across from the railing of the balcony which overlooks the bottom floor. There is an interesting area across from this railing where Beehive continually broadcasts a reel of burlesque type movies from what looked like the 40's or 50's. The wall looks as if there may have been two windows to the outside at one point in the past, and now the windows have been removed. The area between these two windows is approximately a 10x5 foot brick area where the movies are shown. I was thoroughly amused at the movies and what was considered risque for the time.

After we were sat, our server, Corey, approached our table. Corey was laid back, friendly, accommodating and had a hospitality that was noticeably not a result of growing up in the NE. Lou being the inquisitive guy he is, asked, and we found out Corey was from TX.

I started off dinner with a glass of Two Worlds Pino Noir from Germany. The wine list was extensive and this glass was very good.

Despite the prix fixe menu, Lou and I opted to order ala carte. We couldn't resist the Sage and Garlic Frites for an appetizer. It was a generous portion of fresh cut fries smothered in sage and garlic. We ate them all in about 2 minutes, and although we were really hungry, I think we would have finished them just as quickly anyway. They were delicious.

For dinner Lou got the Chicken Piccata with sage gnocchi and asparagus. Sage must be a favorite flavor of the chef as it was in several dishes. I got the Sole with mashed potatoes over a bed of wilted spinach. Both dishes were just as good as the fries and we had no problem finishing them off.

After a delicious meal like that, we had to try to dessert. We opted for the Maple Walnut icecream atop of warm maple bread pudding. At this point, or server Corey was starting to wonder where we were putting all this food. I also got a cappuccino which was perfectly prepared.

In the end Beehive redeemed themselves from the first impression of making me want to walk away. The prices were reasonable. With an app, two dinners, one glass of wine, and dessert, our bill came to $73. The atmosphere was unique and fun. There was no band playing while we were there, but could see they were setting up for a show, and our server Cory was excellent.

I forgive you Beehive hosts, we'll be back:)

I've gotten behind....

Cheesecake at Finale

Writing a blog has been much harder than I anticipated when I started. (Case and point, I started this entry a week ago, and I am just getting around to finishing it.) I began gungho posting every couple days determined to be the best food blogger in the universe, but then I realized a few things. Not every restaurant I go to has a wow factor, or great story. Sometimes I forget my camera and think without out the pictures the post will be lame. Sometimes I am too busy to post, and sometimes I would just rather play Farmville. I admit it, I am a Farmville addict.

With all this in mind, I thought I would sum up a few places into one entry. As Abraham Lincoln once said, and I take poetic justice on this, forgive me if it gets too long, I don't have time to write a shorter entry.

Best pizza we have found in Southie, and friendliest staff and delivery guys. Alfredo's 243 Dorchester Street. Closest I have found to NYC pizza in Boston, and every time I call in an order the guy affectionately calls me sweetie.

Applebee's. I know NOT ANOTHER CHAIN, how dare I? but it is a great place to meet for a quick lunch and they have a damn good Oriental Chicken salad with a grilled teriyaki chicken on top.

City Feed- 672 Centre Street, Local, Fresh, Organic, in JP. This place is hipper than hip and oh so green. They try to buy only from local vendors and support free trade. You country folks living in the city, don't let the outside fool you. I totally thought it was some kind of garden store, animal feed store, or grain storage. I know that sounds ridiculous being it's in the middle of JP, but I can't be the only one! Anyway, try the vegetarian egg sandwich here. You meat eaters won't think those Vegan's are so nuts anymore. You may want to go across the street to JP Licks for your coffee though.

Douzo- Swankiesh sushi 121 Dartmouth street. This is the place I most wish I had my camera at as I ate mini Octopus topped with a sesame oil. Oh how I wish I had lined them up like little soldiers for my blog. Alas, I forgot the camera. Douzo is good, a little expensive and I think you can get just as good sushi somewhere else cheaper, but it is a nice setting, and we were with nice friends, so we had a good time. Service wasn't the best, but we had been there before and the same guy was much better. I think it was just a bad night.

Finale- In the Park Plaza hotel. Want to impress someone over dessert or have dessert for dinner? Bring them here. They have combination desserts that cost as much as $25 but are big enough to share. The dessert bar craze may be all the rage, but these guys were first in the game. They do have some dinner items on the menu, but don't go for those. Live a little! Have your dessert first! or skip dinner all together. The Valrona hot chocolate with butterscotch schnapp's is the perfect warmer after a day of shopping on Newbury street in the winter. The Molten Chocolate cake is a house special. They do it better than anyone. Also outstanding are their creme brulee, and fruit tarts.

JP Hanlon's- This place is in Ayer and outside the city, get out and explore! It's an Irish bar, with Irish type food, and the best damn dipping sauce for sweet potato fries you will ever come across. Honey mustard and horseradish mixed together make up this tasty concoction. Sure you can make it at home, but everything tastes better when someone else makes it.

So there you have it, I am caught up. It's been a tough March and speaking to friends, I think we are all about as busy, but I promise to keep up with the blogging going forward.

Sea to You Boston Sushi School

Thanks to my friend Maureen last night I got to take a beginner's class in making Sushi!!!

The place was Sea to You Boston on the Brookline/JP border. If you go to their site and click on Sushi School, you can get all the details. There are 3 different courses, the beginner course basic Maki Roll Making, and then a level 2 Making Nigiri and Tamaki and level 3 Making Designer Rolls.

http://seatoyou.ipower.com/store/page14.html

The instructor was soft spoken, so if you take the class sit up front, or listen closely. He is really funny, and thorough.

The first hour we talked about safety, the art of making rice and the best places and types of sushi to buy. The content is a little boring compared to the sushi making itself, but very important so listen up!

The second hour was filled with rolling sushi! You can roll as much as you want. You learn how to roll rice in, rice out, and jumbo rolls. The costs for classes are on their site, but we were lucky enough to have a groupon which gave us a discount. Costs include all the materials in your sushi making.

If you already know how to make sushi and are looking for a place to buy supplies check this place out.

And now for the main event....

My master pieces!!!!

If you like Uno's you will love this Uno's

Uno Chicago Grill

1230 Commonwealth Ave.

Allston, Ma 02134

I say this often but since I have been writing this blog, I have realized a lot of things about my eating habits. For example, I eat at a lot more chain restaurants than I would have guessed.

I don't always like writing about the food at these places because #1 I think most people have visited them and #2 a lot of them have similar menus, or approaches to their menus. Places like Fridays, Applebees, Unos or Ruby Tuesday's consistently add and remove items from their menus, and they seem to always go with some old time favorite's ie. nachos, boneless wings, and artichoke dip, and then they add what's "in" ie. sliders in all flavors and small desserts.

In a way, they are operating like the fashion industry. There are the classics, and then there are the trends.

Since all the menus in these places are the same, I started to think, why do I choose one over another? Last night for example, Lou and I drove to our favorite Pizzeria Uno on the corner of Commonwealth Ave, and Harvard Ave in Allston. We like this one because the service always seems a little bit better, and they have a really cool staircase in the middle which descends into a lower area with great booths and a bar.

This has always been our pick for the Unos to go to, but last night it seemed even a little bit better. When we walked in, there was a manager at the host stand who helped to greet us. Everyone seemed a bit more friendly than usual. The place seemed a bit more cleaner, the booths seemed to have been redone, and were there more televisions?

We got sat in our favorite place downstairs, and the hostess let us pick any booth. After we were sat she introduced herself and the manager, Jackie. When our server arrived he too introduced himself, Matt and then the bartender as well, saying they would both be taking care of our table. All these introductions and formality made me have to ask, was this place under new management?

Yes, the server said, and her name was Jackie ( manager at the host stand) Apparently Jackie had been managing their location in Harvard Square but had been transferred to this location, and this server loved working for her, so moved over as well. He may have just said that, but it seemed pretty genuine. I figured he was her spy. All good restaurant managers usually have one or too making it seem they have eyes in the back of their head.

Our meal was great that night, there is a 4-7 and after 10 pm menu where you can get apps for $2.99 a pop, saving a lot of money. They are paired down versions of the full plates, but still fairly generous. There are also some great new menu items, like the pork sliders, and the mushroom flatbread pizza. We even got drinks at the server's suggestion, which we never do, but in honor of the horrendous weather we've been having, we each got a dark and stormy. Ginger beer, with dark and light rums.

Lou and I go to this Uno's about 3 or 4 times a year. As I said at the beginning we have always liked it, the service it good, the food is consistent, but somehow this new manager Jackie has made it even better.

It's a Restaurant People, It's All About the Food!

The late 90's was a time of abundance for everyone. People were making millions in the stock market, all businesses were booming, and it was a hey day for the "theme" restaurant.

Anyone who knows me, knows I started my career in the restaurant business and did a 5 year stint at Jekyll and Hyde, in NYC, so I know a little bit about what I am talking about.

One of the first theme restaurants was The Hard Rock Cafe. Centered around Rock and Roll and with units throughout the world in tourist heavy areas. The Hard Rock is still going strong. One of the strongest players of the theme restaurant heyday was The Rainforest Cafe. The buzz around this place was insane. Sitting in a fake jungle with fake animals you could enjoy average food surrounded by other parents with screaming kids. Fun! Other theme restaurants of the time were The Motown Cafe, The Harley Davidson Cafe, Mars 2112, Jillian, Dave and Busters, WWF, ESPN Zone and Planet Hollywood. These places were 25000+ square foot properties with some type of additional entertainment. Whether it be games, or music, or bowling, hollywood memorabilia, or a trip to Mars, each restaurant had some form of additional

entertainment, but like the Rainforest Cafe, the food was usually average and never the primary focus. Today you can still see some of these restaurants but many of their properties have closed, and it begs the question.. Will people keep coming year after year when you are serving average food because you've got some added entertainment?

Enter the Cheesecake Factory. In the late 90's I would say the Cheesecake Factory was just like all the other mega-themed restaurants. It was huge, it was centered around Cheesecake, sure they didn't have entertainment, but it looked the same to me. We even used to go into Cheesecake Factory to see what they did differently, and who we could recruit from their staff. It seems obvious, but the big difference between Cheesecake Factory and all those others, is, they focus on the food, and not how they can wow their guests with a plastic elephant in the corner.

I was in a meeting at work once and after a 3 day long seminar on Customer Service on "What the Customer wants" I heard the leader of the seminar say, "When people call support, they want to be helped!" How mind shattering! Was he kidding me? but then I thought about my own career when I was younger and I realized sometimes my focus wasn't always on the basics either. When people go to a restaurant, they want to eat good food.

Lou and I went to the Cheesecake Factory last weekend at the Atrium in Chestnut Hill. This place is always hopping, and always has a wait, so when we saw two seats at the bar open, we snagged them.

Our bartender/server was Brian, and he was on top of the service. He greeted us right away and set out place settings. I love that they place a napkin down as a place mat when they know you are going to eat. They also have very comfortable chairs at the bar. Bars aren't always conducive to eating, but this one is.

I decided on the Luau Salad as my meal and Lou went for the Catfish special. The Luau Salad has an Asian inspired feel with julienne vegetables, and crispy wontons, macadamia nuts and sesame seeds topped with sliced chicken breast.The portions are always huge at the Cheesecake Factory, so if for some strange reason you haven't been there, keep that in mind when ordering.

The Catfish special came with a crispy pecan crust and mixed vegetables that similar to a hot corn salsa.

Both our meals were excellent. I get the Luau Salad often when I visit the Cheesecake Factory, and it hit me while I was there. Out of all the mega restaurants, this place is always extremely consistent with the food. It's not easy to do when you've got 150 locations nationwide, and 8 in the Boston area alone. What is interesting about the Cheesecake Factory, is they had humble beginnings. Originally it was a Cheesecake business run by the Evelyn and Oscar Overton. Their son David is who turned the family business into a restaurant. Intuitively he knew what was most important, good, fresh food.

Lou and I finished our meal that night with a slice of Red Velvet Cheesecake. It is one of the Cheesecake Factory's newest flavors and it is a keeper.

I don't really like writing reviews on chain restaurants. I feel like most people have been to the majority of them. Especially when it is a place like Cheesecake Factory, but it is nice to know this place had humble beginnings and for the most part stay true to those in their service and food preparation.

Also I mentioned our bartender earlier in my review, Brian. I need to give this guy a shout out on the service. He was on top of it, pleasant, and was working the service bar the entire time. He also totally up-sold us on the delicious red velvet cheesecake.