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!!!!

All Chinese food is not created equal

Golden Temple

1651 Beacon Street

Brookline, Ma 02445

617-277-9722

Menu: Upscale Chinese

Atmosphere: Sophisticated, Fun, Intimate, great for celebrations, special family dinners

Kid Friendly: Sure if your kids eat chinese

Prices: Expensive so you might want to wait for a special occasion, but worth every penny.

I don't know where the tradition of getting Chinese food for Christmas Eve and or New's Year's Eve came from, but I think it is one of the better ones.

This year, I mentioned, my parents came to Boston to experience Christmas with Lou and I. We followed tradition by going to church on Christmas Eve and then heading to Golden Temple in Brookline for Chinese.

Before I get into Golden Temple, I have to give a shout out to the guy who sang at Mass Christmas Eve. I don't know what his name is, but he was unbelievable, so good in fact, Lou wanted to ask why he wasn't signed yet. So if you're reading this guy who sang at St. Bridget's 4 pm Christmas Eve Mass, go after that record deal!

Now back to the food. Ever since I can remember, my dad has questioned, why pay more money for Chinese food at one place as compared to another? Isn't it all just the same? I agreed with him for years until I went to the Temple.

Golden Temple has been in Brookline for years. From their website, I can't tell how long it has been around, but Lou says he remembers going when he was young, so lets say at least 20? When you walk into the building you would never think it has been there as long as it has. The dining areas and bar are always maintained beautifully. All tables, chairs, bathrooms are up to date. If someone told me this was a new place, I wouldn't question it.

The main dining room is a work of art. When I sit in it, I feel like I am inside a beautifully carved, Asian inspired ship. It doesn't look like a ship, but the influence is definitely in the design. If this is your first time at Golden Temple, ask to sit in this main section. The second dining room as the bar in it. It has a double duty, dining room by day. E Room by night. The E Room it transforms into has a DJ, and small dance floor. This room also has the ship influence in the form of large round areas on the wall and a half circle shape. It has higher ceilings, and movable tables so the feeling is not quite as intimate as the other side, but the architecture is equally as stunning.

When you go to Golden Temple, it would be a poor decision not to start with one of their libations. Their Mai Tai's are the best I've ever had, and if you like something with a bit more juice but the same bang, try the Goombay Splash. One of these and you will ask your date why he/she is talking so funny. They also offer the "No Whammy" versions of their drinks. My mom got a really tasty fruity concoction that she loved. Sorry Golden Temple, I can't remember the name!

I have to admit, this trip to the Temple with my parents was a long time coming. Lou and I go there a few times a year, and every time we say we've got to bring my parents there. Mainly we wanted to debunk my dad's Chinese food theory, and it looks like we were successful.

This trip we got:

Crab Rangoons, only rangoons I have ever tasted with REAL crab in them.

Pork Pot stickers steamed. Six come to an order, and they are perfect everytime.

The Scallion Pancake, okay JP Seafood wins hands down for this, but Golden Temple's is a close second.

General Tso's Chicken, big pieces of tenderly juicy chicken. Best General I have had.

Vegetable Tempura, theirs is always light and fried perfectly with a good array of veggies, and my mom had us try ,

Gai Kew With Shrimp. This dish was Shrimp and Chicken sautéed with shittake mushcrooms, snow peas and Chinese Vegetables in a light oyster sauce. This is definitely a dish we will be ordering again.

So what really sets Golden Temple apart? To sum it up I would say a commitment to excellence. The ingredients they use are always fresh. The food comes out within minutes of ordering it. We've never ordered a dish we didn't love, and duck sauce, soy sauce, and hot mustard are served plentifully on the table in a fueng shui array of bowls. The wait staff is on top of every detail at your table, from filling up water glasses to changing out dishes between courses. The dining area is a work of art to sit in and even the glassware is beautiful. Is it a little more expensive? Yes, but it is worth every penny.

Don't wait for the eve of your next holiday to enjoy Golden Temple, it's open all year!

Dalia's Bistro & Wine Bar

Dalia's Bistro & Wine Bar

http://www.daliasbistro.com/

1657 Beacon Street

Brookline, MA. 02445

617-730-8040

Menu: Meditteraneun inspired, something for everyone

Kid Friendly: Get a baby sitter

Atmosphere: Shabby Chic, Romantic, Intimate

Price: Reasonably priced for a special night out. One app. and two entrees $48 this visit.

Lou and I went to a Dalia's last night in Washington Square, Brookline. The first time we tried Dalia's was New Year's Eve several years ago. We are notorious for not making plans, and like a couple of geniuses we decided we would go to Golden Temple and get Chinese. Chinese on New Year's? What were we thinking? The 4 hour wait had us knocking on Dalia's door a few shops down. Luckily Dalia's could squeeze us in, and we sat in a corner booth. If you have read my Henrietta's Table review, you know Lou and I often get put in corner booth's. This visit was probably the first time we were sat in one. I don't remember what we ate that night, but I do remember we loved it. The odd thing is we have only been back to Dalia's once before we returned last night. Our second meal was great too, so you would think, we would return more often. I guess some of it is the thought of so many restaurants, so little time, but I think the main reason is there is something special about Dalia's that I like, and I don't want to wear that feeling out. The decor of Dalia's is shabby chic done well. The walls are grey with different shaped mirrors on them and a beautiful garden of silver flowers painted on one wall. The booth seats are covered in a grey valor with white piping on the edges. Grey valor pillows accent one side of each booth. These small details add to the intimacy and romance of Dalia's.

Although Dalia's is a Wine Bar, Lou and I don't usually drink wine with dinner, so we stuck with our usual water, and went straight to eating. For an appetizer, we ordered the Meditteranean Eggplant cakes with a walnut and herbed yogurt sauce. At first a salad with goat cheese was delivered to the table in error. When we called the server over it was apparent she had accidentally written the wrong thing down for our appetizer. This caused about a 10 minute delay in getting it, but it was not big deal. The eggplant cakes, once they arrived, were very good, the walnut herbed dipping sauce was the perfect compliment. There were two 3 inch dia. cakes. They were light, crispy and flavorful.

For dinner I ordered the crusted pan seared veal which was supposed to be served over risotto, but in the middle of our appetizer, the server informed me they were out of risotto. The substitution was mashed red bliss potatoes. I love mashed potatoes, so I was the perfect person for this to happen to. Anyone else may have not been as happy. Lou order the mushroom ravioli. If you read my review of Narcisse, Montreal, you may remember he ordered the same thing there. Since I just started writing this blog, I thought, NO YOU CAN'T ORDER THE SAME THING! Thank goodness sensibility spoke up before that came out of my mouth. Instead I decided, what a good way to compare dishes:) When the veal arrived there were two generous portions sitting atop red bliss mashed potatoes with a light white wine sauce drizzled across the top. The sauce was delicious, the potatoes were yummy. Although the flavor of the veal was good, the meat was tough to cut and chew. This was disappointing because I have gone to Dalia's so many times and loved it, but this time I was writing about it! I was hoping Lou's meal was better. The mushroom ravioli dish was comprised of 7 or 8 round raviolis in a white wine sauce as well. I had to have a bite so I could compare it with the ravioli Lou got at Narcisse. I have to say Dalia's mushroom ravioli, held its own. The difference between the two was the sauce. The sauce at Narcisse was more of a Marsala sauce. The sauce at Dalia's was a white wine sauce. I could taste the wine more strongly in Dalia's sauce. It was different, but did not disappoint in the least.

We opted against dessert last night, mainly because we are trying to eat healthy lately, but dessert was never offered to us. The bill came immediately after the meal. Dinner for two, appetizer and meals, but no drinks or dessert came to $48. I think that is very reasonable for good food and great atmosphere.

I promised myself when I began writing this blog a couple things. I would write about every place we ate at for a year, and I would to try approach every review objectively and honestly.
With that said, this review of Dalia's might not be seen as entirely positive. The wrong appetizer came, the veal was tough, we weren't offered dessert. I love Dalia's, however, and we have had 2 great meals there in the past. The atmosphere is incredible. The staff is friendly, and I can't find a dessert menu on there site, so who knows if they even offer it. I honestly can't remember from past visits...so maybe being objective will be harder than I thought.

Zaftig's Delicatessen

Zaftigs!!!

335 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446-2907

(617) 975-0075

http://www.zaftigs.com/

Menu: New Jewish-style Delicatessen, with a lot of traditional favorites, but new dishes as well, this is not a kosher delicatessen.

Kid Friendly: Kid's menu, Highchairs

Atmosphere: Bustling Family environment

Prices: Average for Boston/Brookline. Expensive for students

Lou and I went to brunch at one of our FAVORITE places this weekend, Zaftig's Delicatessen. Zaftig is a Yiddish term meaning; buxom: (of a female body) healthily plump and vigorous.

After eating all the wonderful food here, any woman will feel like a Zaftig. Zaftig's is what you would call a 'new Jewish'-style delicatessan. They have the traditional offerings like potato pancakes, matzo ball soup, and hot corned beef, but Kosher it is not.

When I was doing some research on line before writing this, I noticed there were A LOT of people who have blogged about the food at Zaftig's. Going there on any weekend for brunch you can see how popular a place it is by the crowd gathered outside waiting for tables. Don't let that crowd discourage you though. The longest we have waited for a table is 15 minutes. There are about 125 seats in the restaurant. This includes a small lunch counter, and the turnover happens fairly quickly. There isn't much room inside for waiting other than a small entrance, so many families wait outside. Recently I noticed, Zaftig's installed a speaker system they can call through their phone to outside, making it easier to call names of people waiting out there.

Lou and I mainly hit up Zaftig's for brunch, but their lunch/dinner menu are just as delicious.

Breakfast is served all day and some of our favorite's on the menu are:

The Banana stuffed French Toast $9.95

In a bourbon-vanilla batter with date butter and berries,

Banana-Walnut Pancakes $8.95

With date butter,(strawberry butter is also available for pancakes) and

San Francisco Joe’s Special $10.95

House made ground turkey hash, mushrooms, onions, spinach and egg, topped with grated asiago

It isn't an inexpensive breakfast but is a delicious breakfast! Parents with kids going to college in Boston, this is a great treat for those weekend visits!

The service at Zaftigs is always efficient and friendly. As long as we remain in Boston, it will be a neighborhood favorite of ours.