Barismo Coffee Roasters

This weekend on our way home from lunch at Lone Star Taco Bar (yes, it's so good that we went two weeks in a row), we stopped in Arlington for an after lunch pick-me-up at Barismo, a local coffee roaster. They sell their beans at various spots around town (and even have a bike delivery service), and while we usually grab a bag when we see it on the shelf, this was our first visit to their "home"! They've recently expanded, enabling them to serve their coffee with a few tables inside and a patio out front.  

While they also offer espresso-based drinks, we opted for pourover coffee using V60 ceramic drippers. The barista carefully tested the water temperature and slowly poured over the freshly ground coffee in little concentric circles.  While she poured, we browsed the shelves of coffees, teas, and brewing equipment and took a peek at their roasting setup. Once it was ready, our coffee was served in cute mismatched mugs and saucers.

We took our mugs outside, as it was a beautiful day, and we made ourselves at home at one of their new patio tables, surrounded by planters of happy little yellow flowers. We sipped slowly, trying to enjoy the warm weather before summer gives way to chilly fall. 

Barismo is a small space that's not too much to look at, but if you want quality coffee brewed not 20 feet from where it's roasted, it is most definitely worth a trip to the suburbs. Thankfully for us, it's just a couple miles away!

Cocktails, Coffee, and Restaurant Week

Spring is here at last, but someone forgot to tell New England.  We celebrated the last official day of winter with yet another big snow storm, and we're expecting more snow tonight.  Our family and friends in Texas are already basking in sunny warmth and spring wildflowers. But here in Boston? It's the end of March, and it's still snowing.

There is one silver lining here, though. Work was canceled on Tuesday thanks to snow!  We had dinner plans with friends in the city that evening, so knowing we would have to face the elements regardless, we bundled up and made our way into town a little early for pre-dinner cocktails at Drink   The walk from South Station was brutal; we were battered by wind, snow, and sleet.  But once we stepped into Drink, ditched our wet coats, and sidled up to the bar, we knew that it was well worth the walk.

I've raved about Drink before, and I'll probably rave about it again.  I just haven't found another spot like it.  We snacked on pimento cheese with toasted sourdough and let a few rounds of drinks warm us up from the inside out. My favorite was The Martinez, a gin and sweet vermouth cocktail, a predecessor to the martini, that I've been trying to make at home lately (theirs blew mine out of the water).

Next door to Drink is a coffee shop, Barrington Coffee, serving coffee and espresso brewed from beans that they roast themselves,right here in Massachusetts (Lee, MA to be exact). We stopped in for a pick-me-up before dinner. I ordered the espresso with milk and was tickled pink by the pretty foam art. Beneath the pretty foam was a delicious cup of coffee.

The snow had finally stopped as we made our way to dinner. A group of friends invited us to join them at Mistral for Boston Restaurant Week, going on right now from March 17-22 and March 24-29. If you've yet to participate, it's a great opportunity to try out many of Boston's nicest restaurants at reduced prices.  You choose from a three course Prix Fixe menu for $38 per person. While prices went up this year (from $33) it's still a good deal, and it's a fun excuse to get dressed up for a night on the town.

This was our second trip to Mistral, and we enjoyed it just as much as our first visit.  For my three courses, I chose the mushroom bisque, a roasted cornish game hen, and the meyer lemon pot de creme. We split a bottle of wine amongst the group and sampled bites here and there across the table. The bisque, served in an adorable individual soup tureen, was rich and comforting -- ideal for a snowy night. The cornish game hen was spatchocked with tender meat and perfectly crisp skin.  The meyer lemon dessert, pairing sweet with tart, brought the meal to a nice close.

Now here we are on Thursday, almost through another week. This evening, we have very good friends coming into town that will be staying with us for the weekend. They're visiting from LA, and I can't wait to see them and to show them around Boston!

Around Kendall Square

We have house-guests this week, so between hanging out with our guests, our anniversary, other friends visiting, and busy schedules, we've been going out to eat a lot more than we usually do. I miss cooking our nightly dinners, but at least I've gotten to try some cool new (to me, anyway) spots!

First, I happened upon a coffee shop called Voltage Coffee and Art. I arrived at Kendall Square about an hour before I was supposed to meet friends for dinner.  I saw that Voltage Coffee was on the way to the restaurant, so to kill some time, I stopped in for coffee. I didn't expect anything special, but something special was what I found. They serve espressos and pour-over coffee made with beans from local roasters. They have the most creative (and crazy) latte menu I've ever seen. They serve local loose leaf teas. And to top it all off, the colorful walls are lined with art and photography by nearby artists. This place is cool. Really cool.

I got a steaming mug of pourover coffee made with Ethiopian beans. I don't know what it is about this method of brewing that gives the coffee so much flavor and texture, but it's a tangible difference. I found an open table and happily spent the next hour with my nose in a book.

I eventually headed down the street for dinner at Helmand.  It was a lovely, cozy restaurant with a warm and welcoming staff. We scanned the unfamiliar menu items (we were all new to Afghan cuisine) as they brought us baskets of flat bread served with three sauces: a yogurt mint sauce, a hot pepper sauce, and a cilantro sauce. My favorite was the cilantro, which could make even the driest cardboard taste good. 

The waiter was patient, smiling as we stumbled through pronouncing our orders. I opted for the Showla, which is a spinach and cheese-stuffed poblano pepper served with a side of rice baked with mung beans, black eyed peas, tomato, and onion. It reminded me of a Chile Relleno, but with such unique flavors. The baked rice and beans were actually the highlight of the dish -- this must be what Afghan comfort food is like. I loved Helmand and can't wait to go back and try more.

Davis Square

Alright, I'm going to say it. I like Davis Square (in Somerville, MA). It took me a while to get there, but it has happened.

First it was Diesel Cafe. I started going here with a friend to get hot apple cider (usually served in a pint glass, strangely enough) and lunch. The cider is so good that I almost cry when the warmer months come around and it disappears off the menu (this from a girl whose favorite season is summer). The food is light and fresh. The staff is almost weird enough to make me feel like I'm back in Austin. The coffee is good and full of caffeine (and they sell bags of  Intelligentsia). Their pots of Rooibos tea are perfect to share with a friend (or to hoard all for yourself). 

(photo from Diesel Cafe Facebook page)

Next we happened upon the Somverville Theater during a special showing of James Bond movies on the original 35 mm film. How cool is that? I seriously can't find anything bad to say about a theater where you can buy beer AND ice cream to enjoy during the show!  And while we're talking about something non-food related, I also really love this quirky little shop, Davis Squared. 

(photo from Bosston Style blog)

When we finally ventured into Dave's Fresh Pasta it was all over. There is no easier dinner than a dozen of their fresh raviolis with one of their homemade sauces (and maybe a loaf of their super buttery garlic bread). The Arugula Almond Pesto with cheese ravioli is the stuff dreams are made of, but you can't go wrong with any choice here. And I could poke around in their grocery section for hours!

If you're a beer geek like us, look no further than the extensive tap and bottle list at Five Horses. For something a little nicer, sister restaurants The Painted Burro and  Posto are also pretty darn good, serving up highfalutin' Mexican food and wood-fired pizzas and pasta, respectively. Also, don't miss the housemade chili oil at Posto. *swoon* Once we entered the impossibly cool speakeasy atmosphere of Saloon and cuddled up in a corner booth with craft cocktails (the Pimm's Up is where it's at), I thought for sure we had finally found the last hidden gem in Davis Square.

There's still more though! Just last night, I went out to dinner with some awesome ladies, and we decided to try Flatbread, attached to Sacco's Bowl Haven. (We didn't get to bowl, but I think some candlepin bowling and a big cheesy pizza to share would make for a pretty fantastic date night) We tried four pizzas: the Kalua Pork, the Homemade Sausage, the Jimmy's Free-Range Chicken, and the Homemade Pepperoni and Mushroom.

My go to pizza topping combo is pepperoni and mushroom, so I was shocked when I actually didn't care for their homemade nitrate-free pepperoni. Maybe I like the nitrates?  Either way, my favorite was actually the Kalua Pork. Holy crap was it good. Big chunks of slow roasted pork shoulder with caramelized onions, goat cheese, and mozzarella made for one seriously delicious pizza. We practically licked the pie pan clean on that one.

Davis Square, I'm glad we're friends.