Somewhere to dream about...

Maybe for a post-baby date-night (so that I can enjoy the wine pairing)... a NEW restaurant in Boston by Barbara Lynch-- Menton!

Burrrrrrrito Wars

Most Bostonians can easily answer the question, "Boca Grande or Anna's Taqueria" without pondering for even a second. I used to say, Anna's, hands down! But, after a recent last minute decision to actually perform a true comparison, I am now confident that the better Burrito is at Boca. Shocking, I know...

A couple of weeks ago, we bought two burritos. To make things fair, we ordered the same basic chicken burrito at both establishments. Regular tortilla, rice, pintos, extra 'salsa', hot sauce, cheese and chicken. Also, we got extra salsa for each.

We took these giants home, cut them in half, and devoured. As it turns out, not only was Boca the cheaper Burrito (about $7 versus about $8, with a salsa side for each) but it was the tastier one. It seems there was something smoky and yummy about the tomatoes that just was missing in the Anna's burrito. Overall, although Anna's burrito was yummy (and I will continue to eat them), we realized why we are always ordering extra salsa to go with it... It's sort of bland without it. The Boca burrito, on the other hand, was notably more interesting in the ole boca.

Kind of like the breakfast war in Somerville, the burrito war is a real thing.

According to the ever-trusted authority, wikipedia:
"Boca Grande was founded in 1986 by Mariko Kamio. The restaurant was modeled on Gordo's Taqueria, a successful San Francisco restaurant owned by Kamio's cousin. Mariko's brother, Michael Kamio, briefly joined the restaurant before founding his own chain of restaurants, Anna's Taqueria."

"The first Anna's Taqueria was founded by Michael Kamio and located in Brookline's Coolidge Corner in 1995 after a disagreement with his sister Mariko Kamio."

Rumor has it that the family feud continues. But, the competition, I can appreciate. My taste buds are pleased :). Either way, it's s gastronomic success-- just remember extra salsa at Anna's!! Oh yeah, and one extra bonus point goes to Boca Grande, where you can use a credit card. Anna's, on the other hand, remains a cash only business.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Breakfast Wars

One thing I LOVE about weekends is the opportunity for going out to breakfast. Today we tried a "new" place, which is the second establishment of a New Hampshire hot spot right in the heart of Kendall Square-- The Friendly Toast. We had been meaning to go here for a while, and had tried to last October after the Breast Cancer walk, but it was WAY too crowded. As we are no longer college students, we have no trouble getting to breakfast earlier and earlier, so we decided to hit the Friendly Toast for a 9:30 AM Sunday breakfast. Indeed, the waiting list was only just forming when we arrived and the tables were filled with families enjoying their Sunday morning treats. We were fortunate to be a "party of two" and did not have to wait even one second for a table.

The decor is on the ridiculously kitchy side, each table even having its own animal-shaped 1970's ceramics class figurine sugar bowl. The staff is best described as edgy (in the style sense, not the unfriendly sense, because indeed, the Friendly Toast staff is friendly).

The menu was a little tough to read, in my opinion, because it's filled with graphics and varied fonts. While we probably should have gone for the more "signature" dishes, we decided to go for a breakfast staple-- which helps with comparing various breakfast joints in the city and around. We ordered (to share, as we often do at breakfast to allow for both sweet and savory satisfaction), three slices of french toast made with homemade cinnamon raisin bread, and an omelet of our own creation (artichoke hearts, fresh basil, sun dried tomato, and provolone-- they did NOT have mozzarella, but had nearly every other cheese you would want in an omelet). The omelet was served with, what I would consider, the best home fries you can find. A mix of red and white potatoes, chopped in varied fashion, with onions and a bit of spiciness to it. REALLY SUPER GOOD! The omelet was also served with slices of homemade bread, and I chose the "anadama," which was quite good as well. The toast slices are more than generously thick... and that's a warning on ordering french toast! We did not realize this and ordered three slices, which were gargantuan. Nonetheless, we managed to eat it all.

While the homemade bread was impressive, the best french toast in the Boston area is maybe a tossup between Zaftigs, where they invented (I think) the stuffed challah french toast, and Ball Square Cafe, which I maintain is the best all-around breakfast. Ball Square does a few things especially wonderfully - (1) Omelets with the mashed-potato style home fries -- the variety of fresh ingredients is awesome, (2) Waffles piled high with fresh fruit including mango, kiwi, watermelon and berries!, and finally (3) French Toast. SoundBites used to get the best breakfast award, but since they moved next store and went big, they just are not the same. For the old Sound Bites experience, go to it's old location and eat at Ball Square.

Finally, the BEST pancakes IN THE WORLD can be found right in Melrose. No kidding. Cappa's Trackside Kitchen on Grove street is unmatched. Don't even bother eating pancakes anywhere else. The blueberry are great, the banana are fantastic, and even the plain will knock your socks off. It's a traditional neighborhood greasy spoon -- no fancy ingredients like fresh basil or mile high fresh fruit waffles, but these pancakes are worth every calorie and worth the wait. They are the lightest and fluffiest and most delicious. But remember to order them sans butter (unless you want to have immediate cardiac arrest) because they'll bring it to you with a monstrous glob of butter.

For those that don't know the true breakfast war story, here is a link. If you are feeling adventurous one weekend, go ahead and try both spots-- one on Saturday and one on Sunday. I recommend getting to SoundBites such that your 35 minute wait for the table allows you to eat at 12 noon, and enjoy a Bloody Mary. Otherwise, get there on the early side (before 10AM) or be prepared to wait quite a while for a table-- and prepare to wait in the cold (though both allow you to bring some hot coffee outside to take the edge off!).

A great place to celebrate great things

I finally got my notes back from Delaware, where my notebook had been left in August! So, here's a belated (per the usual schedule) post...

After finishing the marathon that was the July Bar exam, and to celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary, there was no better place to celebrate than Clio! DELICIOUS.

Of course, for such an occasion, we opted for the tasting menu. FANTASTIC.

Rather than do the wine pairing, which can land one in a ditch after just a few courses, we opted for a bottle of a really excellent 2005 Burgundy-- Chambolle Musigny Conrtolee Jaboulet-Vercherre. We had asked the waiter to recommend a good bottle that would take us all the way through the main course, and he did not disappoint. Excellent service, indeed.

The Amuse Bouche was a tomato-water martini. What is that, you ask? Tomatoes strained through cheesecloth, so that you get all of the flavor and no color, served cold with a big, pickled caperberry. It was dazzling, and defintely whetted the appetite for the gastronomic success that was about to ensue.

Next, onto the yellowfin sashimi w/ garlic oil, then smoked salmon (best ever) with mustard and scallion. Both were delicious dishes, but the salmon stuck out as really amazing in my book. The very next course was the most creative-- a "shades of red" dish that was made up of many different textures of beets and huckleberry. It looked like a sweet dessert, but was actually savory and wonderful. The beet foam was my favorite-- a surprising taste from what looked like a raspberry sorbet.

Yet another dish before the main course followed - butternut squash soup with creme freshe, cranberries, and some kind of toasted nut. As it was August, I enjoyed this so much because it reminded me that fall was coming -- and it would be, thankfully, my first fall without law school stress hanging over my head! The soup was followed by slow cooked cod with saffron broth, then by seabass with eel and crispy blue honey and mushrooms. The crispy honey added a very creative touch. Next, of course, no tasting menu should go without, fois grois. This time served with whikey foam and a poached peach. I loved it, tasted like a fireplace-- in a good way.

Finally, we had braised shortrib with quince and apple puree. I am not a fan of shortrib, but this was good, though my favorite parts of the meal were the fish courses. Oh, and not to be forgotten were the perfectly warm and yummy dinner rolls - I have a note here that "M liked them real bad."

All in all, this tasting menu was fantastic. It may be even our top tasting menu experience in Boston thus far.

A couple of Gastronomic Busts

Please accept my sincere apologies for not posting!! I know I owe MANY updates-- I've had quite a few gastronomic successes in the past couple of months, but have been lazy about posting. And, I left some notes in Delaware by accident, which I should have back in January. Nevertheless, I figured that I might as well take a few minutes today to note two gastronomic BUSTS! (A first on this Blog).

First is Erbaluce. This restaurant is near Flemings in Boston, and looked very promising. But when M and I dined there, his final comment after the disappointing meal was "I don't know what is Italian about this place." The food was mediocre at best, and for the price of dinner for two (XXX (to be filled in when I check at home)) was totally not worth it. My brussels sprouts appetizer was alright, but bland and lacking anything interesting. I cannot even remember my entree at this point, but I just remember thinking I never wanted to eat it again.

Second up is a small French restaurant in Kenmore Square that also looked promising - Petit Robert. Terrible. The ambiance was terrible-- the tables were so crowded together we felt involved in everyone's conversation and the waiters' butt was in our face when he served the people next to us. The host seemed to not want to let any words leak out of his mouth and mimed us over to our table-- it was tough to understand what was going on. The food was way too rich, but not in a good way. Although M's french onion soup appetizer was tasty, I can't say that this would be a difficult dish to make well. M's lamb special entree was oversized, overhot, and very heavy. It also came with the same boring vegetable of the day that was served with my scallop dish, but his green-beans and carrots were baked right into the lamb dish. My scallops were cooked alright, but were drowned in a crab sauce that was too buttery and the vegetables were unimaginative and the dish came with unremarkable mashed potatoes. For a >$20 dish, I can't say that's worth it. As far as French food goes, I'd return to Gaslight and pay double rather than go to Petit Robert. (We did return to Gaslight a couple of weeks after our Petit Robert flop, and truly enjoyed our experience there-- this time, I got what M had last time because the beet salad was AMAZING, and M one-upped me by ordering the Nicoise Salad that was the hit of the evening).

Maine, the way life should be.

This post is long overdue! We visited Maine during Labor Day weekend - and realized what those signs on the highway saying "Maine, the way life should be" are talking about. It was a great weekend on so many levels. So, let's talk about the food (that's why you're reading, right?!)
As it is a Top-40 restaurant according to Gayot, and it is nearby (relatively, compared to the rest of the list), I requested that one of our next Fancy Fridays be a trip to Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, ME. This turned into a whole weekend of gastronomic success!

First, we ventured North late Friday afternoon and checked into B&B number 1 in Ogunquit, the Gazebo Inn, which, as it turned out was the friendliest, nicest, coziest, and most fabulous place to stay! More on our Ogunquit B&B experience after the food...

Dinner at Arrows - We headed up the street to Arrows, which is about a mile outside the heart of Ogunquit. In fact, you sort of feel like you are going into the middle of nowhere when you are driving there, because it's in a very residential and quiet area. The restaurant itself is in an old farmhouse and has a very substantial garden in the back. If you get to dinner early, you can grab a glass of whatever and wander through! We did not know this in advance, so we arrived right on time for our reservation.

We were greeted outside the restaurant on the path way to the door by a white-clad chef, who left her outdoor wood-fired grill to offer us an amuse bouche (a fresh vegetable spring roll) before we even reached the door. It turns out that Arrows is big on fresh vegetables, and they grow up to 90% of the produce they use right there on the premesis!

Inside, we were greeted and seated by one of the owners (but, sorry to say, we did not realize this at the time). The atmosphere was truly unique. The farmhouse retains its farmhouse feel with its wood-plank floors, but there are "Asian" touches, with a Buddha statue and big trees with branches overhead dotted with candle lanterns. Surprisingly, this combination really seemed to work nicely. There is a large dining room with tons of windows overlooking the garden, which, after dark, has some pretty lighting. Had I known, I would have asked for a table near the window when making the reservation. We sat in a smaller dining room, at a table that was just a bit too big for a romantic dinner for two and lit by candlelight that made it a bit too dark as well (a woman next to us even needed a flashlight to read her menu!)

I must first comment on the strange service we received. First, the wait staff was just a bit odd. They were not unfriendly, but nobody seemed really excited to be there. At times, I wasn't sure that they were 100% on the up-and-up with respect to the menu. They didn't do much to describe the dish as they placed it in front of us, and at times seemed to mutter (I couldn't make out what they were saying at times). Also, as they "cleaned" the table after each course, they often missed big pieces of food on the table - making it more of a silly and awkward formality. The wait staff's outfits were a strange shade of grey-green with some rainbow striping, and they looked like some sort of Eastern traditional garment (maybe Japanese?).

The first thing we were offered was water service -- it was almost laughable when they offered us two different local bottled waters. The waiter could not articulate any good reason we should choose any of them, never mind one over the other. We opted for tap, with ice. The next "interesting" service option was the "butter service," during which we were offered our choice of at least 3 different butters (from France, from Vermont, and probably from Maine, from this cow or that cow). Whatever -- I guess I'm not a connoisseur of butters because I could have cared less. We declined the butter service.

We each began our meal with six lightly smoked Pemaquit Point oysters in lettuce "cups" (meant to be eaten by hand) with a garlic chive relish, jicama and lime. I was not impressed by the oysters, but the garnish was delicious. I guess I am a purist when it comes to my oysters, and I'd rather have them raw.

The next course made it worth the drive to Maine. The salad! This was no ordinary salad (again M and I ordered alike). The menu described this course as "First of the season orchard apple and garden lettuce roll salad with creamy Lady apple dressing, garden radish and turnip salad and house made tofu with apple ponzu." Wow. It was more a piece of art than it was a salad. I have not seen or tasted a more spectacular combination of vegetables, fruits and sauces. I would return to Arrows for just a salad. The apple was actually wrapped up in fresh lettuce (the type I am not sure of, but it was really super tasty!) The tofu was a wonderful texture and I could have drank gallons of these sauces. Everything worked so well together. I cannot say enough about this salad. . .

For the main course, M ordered the Surf and Turf - grilled noisettes of beef tenderloin with a ragout of lobster and (yuck) crispy sweetbreads, puff pastry and a gremolata sauce. I ordered the roasted king salmon with creamed summer squash and a house made pancetta vinaigrette and barbecued king salmon with pickled watermelon chutney and a potato-bacon hash cake. We were surprised at the size of the entrees, expecting "fancy restaurant" portions, but were instead confronted by double the expected portion. In fact, each plate was divided into two regions-- it was like two separate meals. I cannot say that this pleased me, as I would have been happier to be served half, in particular, I would have rather only had the barbecued salmon. Having both on my plate just confused me and my pallate, and the two different preparations did not seem to mesh into one coherent meal. While the summer squash was good (I'd not describe it as creamed, but instead as thinly sliced, buttery layers of yellow squash and green zucchini), I could have done without it and without that extra portion of salmon. The second portion was really wonderful. The barbecue sauce made the edges of the salmon deliciously crispy and tangy and the pickled watermelon was out-of-this-world yummy! Overall, in both portions, the fish was cooked to perfection-- just rare enough to be moist and soft, but cooked enough to flake properly. I left that part of the meal very happy, but a bit over-stuffed because I felt obligated to eat a good share of both salmon portions.

M's surf and turf was not as much of a success, but was still good. It was just not very interesting... we were expecting more out of a Top-40 restaurant, I suppose. The steak was cooked nicely, but we were constantly avoiding the sweetbreads with our bites (as neither of us can really get over what that actually is!) The pastry was an unnecessary addition to the dish, making it far more heavy than necessary. The dish was almost like an inside-out Beef Wellington. This was just a mistake in ordering, we both agree.

For dessert, our cappuccinos were delivered to the wrong table, and had to be re-made. We ordered a trifecta dessert, which had a donut-like fritter (too heavy for my liking, but M loved it), a tiny chocolate milkshake (YUMMM-- we fought over the last sip), and tiny blueberry pancakes (unimpressive, but we are spoiled by Cappa's (which someday deserves its own post)).

After dinner, we had a conversation with one of the chef-owners-- but did not realize until 2/3 of the way through this chat that this was who we were speaking with. We left bemused by the giant portions, but in complete agreement that the salad was so interesting and delicious, that we would some day come back for another go-around. Perhaps we would try the tasting menu next time.

The Gazebo Inn - This place is heaven on earth! The bed was super-comfortable and the room was spacious, yet cozy. We had our own giant Whirlpool tub and steam-room shower, though we declined to fill the tub feeling it was just too wasteful. They do have two hot-tubs as well on the premises, but we were too tired to partake. Instead, we watched a DVD from the awesome collection from the comfy bed and rested up for our trip the next day up to Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor, ME. The proprietors of the Gazebo Inn (Scott and Bruce) are truly personable and welcoming. One of the best parts of this weekend, and a surprise gastronomic success, was breakfast at the Inn. I woke up sniffing the scent of freshly baking blueberry scones (don't I wish I could wake up like that every day!) And the breakfast did NOT disappoint! It was an amazing spread of brioche french toast and Maine maple syrup, Maine blueberry scones, raspberry scones, fruit, yogurts, home fries, hard-boiled eggs, bacon, and a few different coffee selections! Wow.

On Saturday morning, we headed out just after breakfast for an Acadia National Park adventure. We arrived around lunchtime and headed down the west side of the park to Bass Harbor, where we found Thurston's Lobster Pound!! What a great find (M deserves the credit for this, and for the whole awesome weekend, really). We had GIANT soft-shelled lobsters, which, I was surprised I had never heard of despite my New England upbringing. These are apparently bigger and sweater, but there is less meat-per-pound. Add to that deliciousness a blueberry beer, buttered corn on the cob, and some cole slaw and you have yet another gastronomic success. We ate all of this right over the water and watched the boats in the harbor while we ate.

For dinner on Saturday, we ended up at another really great restaurant. In Bar Harbor we ate at Cafe This Way. It was a casual environment, but a great deal and great food. More on that later - but it deserves a shout-out here.

Mmmmmm dinner

Another week, another fancy Friday. Fancy that!

We went to Craigie On Main in Cambridge, a place we've been meaning to try out for a long while. The first thing that struck M, was the fact that they told him the dress code was "jacket preferred" when he made the reservation, yet, we dined alongside a girl in jeans and a tye-dyed t-shirt. Humph! She must not have realized it was fancy Friday.

The menu had so many fantastic options, I did not know where to begin. So, I chose the 4-course market menu prix fixe ($75, not including wine except for a pairing with dessert). They also offer a 6 and 10 course tasting, and allow you to substitute any of the appetizers or entrées you want to into the 4-course prix fixe! Now, that's accommodation, though I did not take them up on it this time around. I noticed a small footnote on the menu regarding peanut oil, but stupidly forgot to ask about this when I ordered. Luckily, prior to receiving my entree, I remembered this and asked the waiter -- indeed, they often cook with peanut oil and had to change my dish a bit. So, peanut allergy people (like me) should be wise to this. They were happy to change things for me, though. And, thankfully, I saw the note and said something before it was too late, and fancy Friday did not turn into freak-show Friday.

Anyways, I began with a pre-appetizer of striped bass ceviche topped with caviar. It was fresh and wonderfully salty-- but not too much. Next, I had the Ragoût of Local Bolete Mushrooms, Radishes, Baby Turnips and House-Made Venison Sausage, served with a deliciously runny farm-fresh egg (to be sopped up with bread from the basket that was also notably both flaky and soft), zucchini-calaminthe purée, and a really beautiful sprinkling of edible herbs and flowers. It was probably the prettiest dish I’ve ever seen. M had the tuna sashimi, which was also presented thoughtfully and was quite delicious with a tangy citrus sauce.

Here is a picture of my beautiful appetizer!
For the main course, I opted for the swordfish, served with a mussel and leek ragout. I am very fond of ordering fish when dining out. I tend not to cook fish often enough at home because I never like how the fish looks at the grocery store, and I can’t ever seem to get my butt in gear to get the good stuff at New Deal. The fish was cooked to perfection. My dish arrived with two large pieces of fish, cooked so the center was just a bit opaque, and the whole piece was not yet flaky. It was moist and delicious, and the sauce was buttery and smooth. M opted for the flat iron steak, which was notable and cooked perfectly. We had a side of local corn (from Sharon, MA—no kidding! I wondered if it was from Wards Berry Farm! Right near my Dad’s old house). The corn came on the cob (much to M’s chagrin, on fancy Friday), and was roasted with a buttery garlic sauce and bacon, which, I must say, really adds something!

Dessert was two cups of cappuccino (very velvety and very good), and a berry cobbler, which M and I shared. Despite it’s delicious crispy-gooey-goodness, M and I decided that fancy Friday’s should NOT always involve dessert. Somehow I have a hard time stopping myself though. They allowed us to substitute the two cappucinos for the wine-pairing that accompanied my Market menu prix fixe.

Oh, for wines, I began with a Riesling (as I often do these days) and then followed it up with a medium-bodied and delightful red. I am sorry I did not write down the names (I am clearly a newbie to food blogging). It was a something Papese… next time I’ll remember to write it down. At least this time I got a picture to share!!! (M was a bit embarrassed when I insisted on taking a photo of my food).

We sat near the windows, and could every-so-often feel the red-line trains rumbling beneath us. The atmosphere was surprisingly casual and did not feel stuffy at all, despite the price and great menu. I highly recommend Craigie on Main for a very filling, well-presented, gastronomic success. Next time, we may try sitting at the bar, where you can view the open kitchen in action.

Next up: A trip to Ogunquit, Maine to Arrows on our way to Labor Day weekend in Acadia National Park!