Date Night at B&G Oysters

On Saturday night, we went out for a classic "dinner and a movie" date night in Boston.  Over the years, we've been working our way around Barbara Lynch's wonderful restaurants (she just won the James Beard Award for Best Restaurateur for good reason). We've had fabulous dinners at Menton, No. 9 Park, Sportello, and Drink, so the next spot on our list was B and G Oysters in the South End. 

Now that spring is officially here, their back patio is open for business, and we were lucky enough to be seated out there under strings of white lights and overhanging trees. We started with local oysters, shrimp cocktail, and rose wine. Is there a better combination while sitting outside on a warm evening? Their cocktail sauce was a bit horseradish-y for me, but the seafood was perfect.

For my entree, I went with homemade pasta with fresh Jonah crab meat which was very good though a tad under-seasoned. My husband opted for tile fish served alongside some of spring's finest vegetables: fiddlehead ferns and ramps. After our plates were cleared, we lingered over the last of our bottle of wine, enjoying the nice evening.

After dinner, we walked to the movie theater rather than taking the T. It was a good night for a stretch of the legs. From the brownstones and brick sidewalks of the South End to the towering Hancock tower around Copley Square to the sidewalks around Boston Common,  we soaked in the views of this beautiful city that we've come to love so much.  It was a pretty great impromptu date night out on the town. Though you really can't go wrong with an evening spent at a Barbara Lynch restaurant. She would never lead you astray!

An Old Friend Comes To Town

When I was little, my mom used to sing me a song. It went, "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold." It's so cheesy, but it's true! While it's wonderful to make new friends, there's something special about those who have known you your whole life. One of those for me is Philip. He lives in Manhattan these days and took the bus up to Boston last weekend. We had a blast catching up! Our adventures began in Salem on Saturday morning. 

What we did:
The Witch House - The only house left standing with a direct tie to the witch trials. Built in the 1600s, it was the home of a judge who condemned the witches. It's an interesting (and quick) self-guided tour.
The Burying Point - This old cemetery would be creeeepy after dark. Lots of historical graves, including a Mayflower pilgrim who died in the 1690s and relatives of Nathaniel Hawthorne.
Ye Olde Pepper Candy Companie - Said to be the country's oldest candy company and home of the Gibraltar, a hard candy with two flavors: lemon and peppermint. They also boast an impressive array of chocolates (I loved the dark chocolate-covered dried apricots).
The House of the Seven Gables - As a book worm, I couldn't pass up a chance to see the home perched on the Salem waterfront that inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's The House of the Seven Gables

Places I want to go next time: Peabody-Essex Museum, Derby Square Books with its towering piles of books (sadly, it was closed the day we visited)

After wandering around Salem without spotting a single witch, we drove up the North Shore for fried clams at Woodman's. I'm so glad they're open year-round, because even in the colder months, I still need fried clams, clamcakes, and clam chowder!

Saturday evening began with drinks at Backbar, one of the last bastions for craft cocktails around town that we had yet to try. Located down an alley, through a subtly marked door, and down a hallway, you're served delicious cocktails and some fantastic spicy-sweet popcorn. My favorite drink of the evening was a rum hot toddy that my husband ordered -- it arrived in a dainty china teacup! We'll definitely go back to this place (and next time we'll be coming for one of their steaming bowls of ramen).

Our dinner that night was the highlight of the weekend: tapas at Casa B! Seated in their cozy downstairs dining area, we shared the chef's tasting menu. A steady stream of tantalizing small plates were brought to the table throughout the evening. Bacon-wrapped yucca-stuffed shrimp, ceviche, serrano ham piled high on potato slices, yucca gnocchi with tender pot roast, sauteed mushrooms, crisp roasted brussels sprouts, wedges of butternut squash, the plates kept coming. Each one was a surprise, and not a single plate disappointed. And I haven't even mentioned the sangria yet! Please do not pass up a chance to order a pitcher of their sangria!

Sunday morning we trudged through the rain for brunch at Coppa in the South End. Once we were out of the rain and I had an Aperol Spritz in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other, I was a much happier girl. I was even happier piling spoonfuls of scrambled eggs with peekytoe crab on buttered toast. And they totally had rutabaga home fries -- who has ever heard of that? Such a good idea!

Our last outing was a tour of the Taza Chocolate factory, where they make "bean-to-bar" Oaxacan-style stone ground chocolate. We donned hair nets (and beard nets for poor Philip) and set out to learn how they work their magic!

Taza uses stones called molinos to grind cocoa nibs (roasted and shelled in house) with sugar, turning it into a beautiful chocolate paste that can be poured into molds or mixed with numerous flavors such as cinnamon, almond, orange, roasted chiles, etc before it's molded and wrapped. It's not as smooth as traditional European chocolate, but it's every bit as delicious. And what a treat to see how it's made (and to taste samples at every turn)!

What a fun weekend reuniting with Philip a very long way from our little hometown in East Texas! Thanks for coming to visit!

Island Creek Oyster Bar + The Hawthorne

Way back in October, my husband and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary with dinner at Island Creek Oyster Bar followed by drinks right across the Hotel Commonwealth entryway at The Hawthorne --  two fine establishments without ever having to walk outside (during the Boston winter you can't beat that). It's basically a fancier version of the uber convenient date night combo Central Kitchen + Brick and Mortar. I know it's super late to be telling you all this, but the food! The drinks! The convenience! You need to know!

So let's start with Island Creek Oyster Bar. Their menu focuses on local oysters and seafood (you didn't see that coming did you?). We were seated in the formal dining room rather than the bar area which was buzzing with the after work crowd. Since we were in a celebratory mood, we began with glasses of bubbly.

We also ordered a couple different oyster varieties and a few shrimp cocktail (Island Creek and their sister restaurant Eastern Standard have the best cocktail sauce. I don't know what their secret is, but it's ridiculously good). For our entrees, my husband got fresh fish while I tried their popular Lobster Roe Noodles. The homemade pasta has an orange tint from the lobster roe, and the fresh noodles are tossed with generous hunks of lobster meat, brasied short rib, mushrooms, brussels sprouts, and grated pecorino. It's incredibly rich, but I powered through and cleared my plate. Delicious!

After dinner, The Hawthorne was stellar, us usual. Their cocktails and chic, cozy atmosphere are hard to beat. Being a weeknight, the place was relatively quiet, which we prefer (we're getting old). We sunk into arm chairs, leisurely sipped our drinks, and made googly eyes at each other like we were a couple of newlyweds. Shown below is the highly drinkable Naked and Famous with mezcal, Aperol, Chartreuse, and lime juice.

All in all, a great way to celebrate three wonderful years together. Here's looking forward to many, many more!

New Year's Eve at Sportello

Happy New Year! I know I'm a little late, but 2014 still feels pretty new! We rung in the new year with a low key date night. We actually flew into Boston on New Year's Eve, so we came home, dropped off our suitcases, traded our travel clothes for date night duds and jumped on a commuter rail train into the city. We were going to Sportello!

Over the years, we've been slowly making our way to each of Barbara Lynch's restaurants. We love No. 9 Park, Menton, and Drink, so we were excited to finally try her more casual Italian dining outpost. We pulled up a barstool at their countertop to look over the menu. Homemade pastas are their specialties -- perfect for a cold snowy night!

We started with the Burrata appetizer -- warm creamy mozzarella served on toasted bread and topped with speck and dried figs. And since it was New Year's, we ordered a bottle of bubbly. We had a great time watching the chefs cook up orders on the stoves lining the back wall. We even spotted Chef Barbara herself for the first time! Our entrees arrived next, pasta piled high and steaming in their white bowls. I think I "won" dinner this time around with my Strozzapretti pasta tossed with braised rabbit and picholine olives, but my husband's Tagliatelle with Bolognese was no slouch.  After a little dessert and coffee, we braved the cold to head back home where we spent the rest of the evening cuddled on the couch in our PJs until it was time for the ball to drop and to clink glasses of champagne! Cheers, 2014!

Sunday Morning in the South End

Sunday was bitterly cold with gusting winds, but my husband and I intrepidly ventured out of our home and spent the morning exploring the South End, a part of town that we don't make it to very often. It's quintessential Boston: gorgeous old brownstones, tree lined narrow streets, and cute little shops and restaurants tucked into every nook and cranny. 

The first order of business was breakfast at Mike and Patty's.  It's a tiny place, and it was packed. The one six-seater table was full, and the rest of us piled on top of each other in front of the counter, happy to be out of the cold. The phone was ringing off the hook with call-in orders, and the cooks were making sandwiches as fast as they could manage. The wait was 30 minutes, which apparently was a pretty slow Saturday morning for them. 

We're normally not fans of crowded spots, but we loved this place. Everyone pitched in to help. People with free hands passed sandwiches from the kitchen to folks at the table. A gentleman standing by the coffee station was on cardboard sleeve duty, passing them over as customers got their coffee.  Those who lived in the neighborhood got their sandwiches to go, while the rest of us waited for seats to open up at the table. We finally squeezed into a spot just as our sandwiches came out of the kitchen. This beauty is the breakfast grilled cheese: salty bacon, a runny egg, and cheddar and american cheese all between two buttery pieces of toasted white bread. This might be the perfect breakfast sandwich.

After finishing our sandwiches, we gave up our coveted seats and headed over to a new shop called Farm and Fable, specializing in kitchen antiques and vintage cookbooks. We had so much fun poking around the shelves, flipping through the books, and admiring all of the pretties. 

I came home with a set of green cut-glass glasses. Aren't they lovely? I can't wait to use them for Thanksgiving!

Across the street from Farm and Fable is the South End outpost of Formaggio Kitchen.  This place is a treasure trove of local and imported food and beverages. Shelves are packed with honey, jam, chocolate, pickles, spices, pasta, wines, craft beers, you name it. One case holds delicacies like foie gras mousse and duck confit while a case in the back is filled with wheels of cheese. A person could spend hours in here!

We sampled a couple wines and cheeses, stocked up on some rare beers, and picked out drinks for Thanksgiving (a Spanish white wine and cider from Normandy). Then my husband dragged me out of there before I could try to buy the entire store!

We then headed back home, spoils from the morning's excursion in tow. It was a fun morning, but we were glad to come in out of the cold. We spent the rest of the day where it was cozy and warm: on the couch watching football!

Lone Star Taco Bar

Sunday was a beautiful day in Boston. It was warm but not hot, blue skies, and breezy. We were headed to Fenway for a Red Sox game, but we needed lunch first. Since we wanted to park along the Green Line, I had a stroke of genius. Why not drive over to Allston, a rather inconvenient location for us normally, and check out a new-ish restaurant called Lone Star Taco Bar?

I read about it a while back, a little spot opened up by a Texan and a Californian (the same folks that own Deep Ellum next door, named after a neighborhood in Dallas), serving up tacos and margaritas. They had me at "tacos." And at "margaritas." Always missing the flavors of home, I had been dying to give it a try! We walked in to the relatively obscure spot (there's no real sign -- just a star jutting out from the top of the building and a chalkboard on the sidewalk) and grabbed two seats at the beautiful pewter bar top.

We browsed the menu, and when our eyes landed on the "Chili con Queso", wide smiles broke out on our faces. Because if there's one thing that's kryptonite to a Texan, it's queso. When our order arrived next to a pile of homemade tortilla chips, we dug right in. Now, as much as I love the classic combination of Velveeta and Rotel, this was next-level queso. Made with real cheese and chock-full of chiles, it was perfectly cheesy and spicy and delicious.

Next we each ordered a Carnitas taco and a Dallas Spicy Beef taco along with margaritas. My house margarita was just a touch sweeter than I like, but it's still the best margarita I've had in Boston (outside of our own kitchen).  My husband's breakfast margarita, a creative twist on the original, was fantastic with St Germain and grapefruit thrown into the mix.

Our tacos were even better than the drinks, served along with two homemade hot sauces (the green sauce with agave was a bit too sweet, but we really enjoyed the sweet potato habanero sauce). The Carnitas tacos were fall-apart tender and paired perfectly with tangy salsa verde and queso fresco. The Dallas Spicy Beef were gloriously messy and spicy on lightly fried corn tortillas.

Lone Star Taco Bar gets four whole-hearted thumbs ups from my husband and I. If you close your eyes, you can almost imagine that you're back in Texas, because it tastes like home. If I could give the owners a big hug, I most definitely would. We're already dreaming about when we can go back for another taco fix!

Birthday Weekend

Sunday I turned 28 years old. I think this means I am now firmly in my late twenties, no longer able to say to myself that "27 is still totally your mid-twenties." We spent the weekend celebrating, and knowing how excited I get about my birthday, my husband made it such a special weekend for me!

Friday, we snuck out of work for lunch and cheese shopping in Concord. At Trail's End Cafe, we loved the meyer lemonade and basil limeade, and their roasted portobello mushroom sandwich with olive tapenade, goat cheese, roasted red peppers, and arugula was fantastic.  (Just don't bother with the peach gazpacho)

After lunch we drove over to The Cheese Shop, cheese-lovers heaven with towering stacks of cheese wheels, wine, crackers, and other imported goodies.  The shop owner helped us choose a Sao Miguel cheese from the Azores off the coast of Portugal, a Brillat-Savarin triple-creme from France, and a firm French goat cheese whose rind is rubbed in Jurancon white wine called Tomme de Chevre au Jurancon.

After work we opened a bottle of wine and teamed up in the kitchen to make Grilled Flank Steak Chimichurri Pinwheels (recipe to follow shortly). 

Then to continue the celebration, we curled up on the couch, popped some champagne, and had cheese for dessert using my pretty new Laguiole cheese knives (an early present to go along with the birthday cheese). Such a fun evening! 

Saturday we drove up to New Hampshire to visit Kurt and Nina. We spent a laid back afternoon in the pool, grilling, and eating birthday cake, my husband's famous gooey butter cake (fulfilling a promise he made about 3 years ago to make me one for my birthday. Better late than never!).

That evening, we went to the Southern New Hampshire Brewers Festival hosted by White Birch Brewery in Hooksett, NH. We were happy to be back for the second annual festival! 

White Birch is a relatively new brewery that's seriously doing it right. The highlights of the festival were the White Birch Berliner Weisse, a sour German wheat ale on cask, a cigar tent thanks to 7-20-4 Cigars, and a smoked (whole) pig served up as delicious tacos from Burrito Me.

The next morning was officially my birthday! And when staying in Manchester, NH there is no finer way to start your birthday than with breakfast from the Red Arrow Diner!

I had their famous pork pie, hash browns, and over-easy eggs. And of course diner coffee. I'm not sure why diner coffee always tastes so good, but boy does it.

After breakfast, we bid Kurt and Nina farewell and drove back to Boston. It was finally time to open presents! I felt truly blessed with so many thoughtful gifts. My husband got me a beautiful new Chemex coffee maker and pourover coffee kettle (the Hario V60 Buono) that I can't wait to play with!

After an afternoon taking to family on the phone and watching a Firefly marathon on tv (it was so nice of the Science channel to schedule that in honor of my birthday), we headed into town for a very special dinner at No. 9 Park.

We love No 9. Park, one of Barbara Lynch's fabulous restaurants (we also have her to thank for our once-in-a-lifetime experience at Menton and for Drink, recently voted as the World's Best Cocktail Bar). We started with their most popular (for good reason) appetizer of prune-stuffed gnocchi with seared foie gras. It's rich and decadent and heavenly. Finally, once all the plates were cleared, we couldn't possibly eat another bite. Full and happy, we took a stroll past the State House and through Boston Common on our way back to the car.What a wonderful birthday weekend, made so special thanks to notes from friends, calls from family, and finally, that dear sweet man I'm married to.

Shakespeare and Planning a Picnic

Last night, we went to see the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company perform "The Two Gentlemen from Verona" as a part of  Shakespeare on the Common. They put on a different Shakespeare play each summer, and it's something I look forward to every year. In fact, it's another one of the many reasons I love summer! 

They usually place the story in an unusual modern setting and always do a fantastic job bringing Shakespeare's words to life. This year the setting was 1960's-era Las Vegas, and performances of Frank Sinatra classics were scattered throughout, tying in with the story. Basically, it was Shakespeare re-envisioned as a musical, and it was so much fun! (If you're in the Boston area, you have until this coming Sunday, 7/28, to catch a performance!)

This is also a prime opportunity for a picnic in Boston Common! I had so much fun planning the meal, and I loved the spread we put together this year. Some of these may seem like no-brainers, but here are my essentials for an awesome picnic:

1) Good Food (that travels well)

I like to pick a variety of items that play well together and travel well.  I try to keep a little variety and have fruit, vegetables, cheese, starches, etc. Here are the recipes I used for this year's menu (many of which can be made ahead of time and actually improve if given a night to marinate).

Tortellini Salad : Cheese tortellini, salami, peppers, red onion, and fresh basil dressed with red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and olive oil. I love this recipe.

Bean Salad : I tweaked this recipe a bit to put together a salad of green beans, chickpeas, edamame, fresh green peas, and slivers of red onion tossed in a vinaigrette of oil, white vinegar, and lemon juice (note: lemon juice and plenty of salt were key for me. I found the original recipe a tad bland).

Marinated Feta : Large cubes of feta marinated in olive oil with rosemary, thyme, garlic, and crushed red pepper. 

Rosemary Lemon White Bean Dip : An alternative to hummus, this white bean dip is so flavorful and great with fresh pita or toasted pita chips

Fresh Fruit : I brought sliced nectarines, which served as a nice, simple dessert

2) Refreshing Drinks

This year I made a pitcher of White Sangria. I used a bottle of Pinot Grigio, 1/4 cup of Cointreau, 1/4 cup of simple syrup, and slices of 1/2 grapefruit, 1/2 orange, 1 peach, 1 nectarine, and a handful of strawberries and grapes. Snacking on sangria-soaked fruit is an added bonus here.  

For something non-alcoholic, I really love this Watermelon Limeade recipe or this classic lemonade. It's also a good idea to bring along some water as well, something I forgot this year.

3) Blankets (or old tablecloths) To Sit On

I use a couple old tablecloths that I inherited from my mom for picnics. My favorite is an old red and white one.  Any blankets or tablecloths you have laying around (that you don't mind getting a little dirty) will work. Or you could splurge and buy a pretty new one like this one from Terrain.

4) A Big Bag (or Picnic Basket)

I use a large insulated bag, which works great, especially for cold items, but I swooned when I saw this beauty from Anthropologie.

5) Support Equipment

No picnic is complete without packing the necessary support equipment. Don't forget plates, utensils (for both eating and serving), cups (I go for sturdy Tupperware cups), plenty of napkins, cute straws (optional, but who doesn't like cute straws?), ice packs/bags of ice to keep things cold, and something to hold any post-picnic trash (I use a gallon ziploc bag). Finally, I bring extras of everything because you just never know what's going to happen when you're eating outside.

It's also not a bad idea to bring some sort of bug repellent, whether it's spray, one of these Off! fans (they totally work), or a set of tiki torches (I kid).

6) Umbrellas In Case of Rain

Even when the forecast calls for 100% sunny skies, as it did yesterday, an unexpected rain cloud can always blow through, as it did yesterday. As soon as we found a spot to spread out our blankets, it started raining! We huddled under a shared umbrella with the lids on all of our food, laughing at our good luck. It only lasted about 10 minutes, just long enough to soak our pants and our blankets (but not our spirits)!

Happy Picnicking!

Reasons I Love Summer

1. Farmer's Markets! 

Medford's is back in full swing this summer, and we're loving the beautiful produce. We also discovered a local salsa maker that we have fallen in love with. Finally someone in New England who gets salsa! She is from New Orleans and lived in Austin for a while (she's a fellow Longhorn). If you see NoLa's Salsas, buy them!

2. Community Events 

Like Medford's Circle the Square, featuring local businesses, the farmers market, food trucks, and even a little beer garden overlooking the Mystic River. 

I also want to checkout Assembled: Somerville's Weekly Arts Market.

3. Food Trucks 

They're popping up at markets and community events. 

I was especially excited to see Vesta Mobile Wood-Fired Pizza back in Medford!

4. Ice Cream Outings. 

Our group at work takes a couple outings each summer to get a little sunshine and ice cream at lunch. 

Local favorites are Kimball Farms and Bedford Farms

5. Peaches

Because peaches mean Peach Cobbler.

6. Refreshing Drinks 

Like Watermelon Limeade, Lemonade, Pimm's Cups (pictured below), 

Rose wine, and Dark and Stormies (with homemade ginger beer).

7. "Pick Your Own Fruit" 

I love driving out to local farms like Tougas Farms to pick fresh fruit like strawberries or peaches!

8. Grilling.

It keeps the house cool in the summer, we get a little sunshine in the long evenings, 

and the results are delicious.

9. Sunny Strolls 

Walks around the neighborhood, hikes in The Fells or around the Lower Mystic Lake and Mystic River, or strolls along the Charles River

10. Trips to Clam Shacks 

A short drive up to the North Shore yields trays full of beautiful fried seafood.

 Pictured below is Woodman's of Essex, but we also love J.T. Farnham's and Clam Box of Ipswich.

11. Baseball

Warm summer night, bright ballpark lights, Fenway Franks, 

the crack of the bat, cheering fans, and a cold Sam Summer. I love baseball games at Fenway.

12. Okra

Whether it's fried, boiled, or pickled, nothing makes this southerner happier than seeing the rare basket of okra for sale at a New England farmer's market.

13. Real Barbeques

A real barbeque means smoked meat (grilled meat = a cookout). Meats rubbed with spices and smoked low and slow on a lazy, hot summer afternoon -- it's practically heaven on earth. Just add a cold beer, potato salad, cole slaw, beans, or some mac and cheese and you've got yourself a meal.

14 Shakespeare in the Common

Each year a different Shakespeare play is put on free of charge in Boston Common.With a blanket and a picnic, it's a fantastic way to spend an evening in the city.

15. Picnics

What list of summer favorites would be complete without picnics? Whether you fix up a humble or elaborate spread, there's nothing like taking a meal outdoors. Summer is rife with picnicking opportunities: the Fourth of July fireworks, hikes in the Fells, Shakespeare in the Common, or a random Saturday afternoon.