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Wisteria {NOW CLOSED}

Nov 16, 2008 ·

UPDATE: Now CLOSED - replaced by Unique Dumpling in the same location. The Super 88 Allston location is still open

Wisteria is a Taiwanese restaurant that had been on Newbury Street for as long as I can remember. I think the first time I went there was in 1994 (!). Less than a year ago the restaurant closed its Newbury Street restaurant and opened up two restaurants - one at the Super88 Food Court and the other one in East Cambridge on Cambridge Street.

Initially I was really excited that Wisteria was finally moving to Cambridge. We always liked going there whenever we were on Newbury Street. They were one of the earliest Taiwanese restaurants in the Boston area (before Taiwan Cafe, Mulan, and Jo Jo Taipei opened). It was fun getting traditional Taiwanese dishes such as Three cup chicken, rice sausage, and peanut rice drink.

When it opened at Super88, the waits at that restaurant were super long, and yet we kept ordering food there. It was my favorite stall at Super88. I loved getting the pork and chive dumplings, sauteed veggies, and other Taiwanese specialties. I absolutely couldn't wait for the East Cambridge one to open, since that one would be even closer to my home.

The East Cambridge location finally opened last fall. We've probably been there a total of 5 times since it opened. I think the restaurant is a mixed bag. Some dishes are excellent. For example, I love the egg pancake and the Taiwanese style congee. Other dishes, such as the crispy seafood and oyster pancake, were greasy and bland.

I still really want to love the restaurant, since it would be so exciting to have a really yummy Taiwanese restaurant near my home. I will still continue to try it and figure out which dishes are my favorites. Any one have any suggestions?

I also heard that Mulan has been improving a lot, and it quite good now. Jo Jo Taipei has also been getting rave reviews. One of these days I'll have to do a full fledged Taiwanese food review.

We'll see - the elusive search for amazing Taiwanese food continues . . .

*Update*

We went back to Mulan last week, and this time asked our server (who I think is the owner) to recommend their best dishes. We ended up ordering the House special beef noodle soup, the handmade dumplings (boiled and pan fried), and a lamb stir fry dish (sorry, can't remember!). They also threw in twin lobsters (sauteed with ginger and scallions) for free since we ordered over $35.

This was definitely one of our best meals at Mulan. Even though it was still not amazing (especially compared to restaurants in California or Asia), it was still enjoyable. The House special beef noodle soup was tasty, and the handmade dumplings were pretty good too. The "guo tia" (pan-fried dumplings) are the the long-shaped kind, which I like. I also really liked the lamb stir fry dish.

As a side note, they do have some fun exotic drinks. They sell a whole variety of boba drinks, and they also sell a sentimental favorite of mine - peanut rice milk ("mi jiang" in mandarin, "bi lieng" in Taiwanese) - hot or iced!

Kiwiberry (passion popper)

Oct 11, 2008 ·

Has anyone every tried a kiwiberry? I saw them at Whole Foods the other day. Having never heard of it, I thought it would be fun to try a new fruit.

They are really good! Kiwiberries are like miniature kiwis with a smooth skin (so you can just pop the whole thing in your mouth). About the size of a grape, they are more flavorful than kiwis - they are sweeter and also more tart at the same time.

I thought they were really addictive. According to the website of the one farm that sells this particular variety of kiwiberries (called "Passion Poppers"), "[t]hey are unequaled in taste, blended flavors of super sweet kiwi and exotic melon."

The flavor is definitely unique - sweet, tart, and refreshing at the same time.

Here's another picture to give you a perspective on their size:

If you are interested in trying some, you probably should go to the market soon. They have a very short harvest season (like ~ 4 weeks during the fall between Sept 20 to ~ October 20).

Bulgogi

Oct 10, 2008 ·

This is an "award winning" crowd favorite that I often make for large groups of people (It won 2nd place for "best entree" at a church cook-off). I got this recipe from my brother-in-law, who is Korean-American. 🙂

Ingredients

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 tablespoon minced garlic
½ pear, mashed (preferably Asian pear, but any ripe pear will do)
2 medium sized onions, sliced
3 tablespoon sesame oil
12 oz thinly sliced bulgogi beef

Marinade
Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, pear, and onions.

Mix the marinade with the sliced beef, making sure all the beef is exposed to the sauce. Let marinade for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight (in the refrigerator, of course).

The next morning, add sesame oil to the mixture, stir, and let the mixture sit for a little longer - preferably at least 30 minutes. Finally, grill the marinated meat and serve. You can also cook on a stovetop grill or pan as well. Enjoy!

Taqueria La Mexicana

Oct 9, 2008 ·

One of our Texan friends raves about this place in Union Square, so we finally decided to go there for dinner on the way to Target last night.

On our way in, we noticed all these accolades: "Best of Boston 2000: Burrito; Best of Boston 2000 and 2005: Affordable Mexican."

Wow. We both thought the food was really good, and cheap too! Most of the appetizers and entrees were between $6-$9, with a few bigger platters costing $10-$12, and the most expensive mixed grill platter costing $16.

We ordered four dishes - three appetizers and one side (although it was a pretty big side).

Coctel a la Campechana ($8.95)
This cold ceviche-like dish came in a martini glass. It consisted of Maine shrimp, calamari, and crabmeat tossed with a citrus dressing over avocado crema. It was also tossed with fresh pieces of avocado. The dish was fresh, bright, and perfectly seasoned. Very refreshing.

Gorditas Mixtas ($7.95)
These were little cornbread "tarts" topped with avocado, marinated shrimp (and possibly other shellfish), and meat (pork, chicken, or beef). This was one of my favorite dishes. The tarts were fun to eat (I love anything corn, btw), and the mix of seafood, meat, avocado, and other flavors (tomato? lemon? I'm not even sure), was really good.

Chiles Rellenos ($3.75)
This is a poblano pepper stuffed with meat and covered with cheese and baked. For $3.75 it was an amazing bargain. Again, a happy burst of flavors - it was really good. You would think it might feel greasy, but it was not greasy at all. In fact, it felt pretty healthy, if you can believe that.

Guacamole ($5.95)
Their guacamole is different from what I usually see - the avocados are not mashed up. Instead, it resembles an avocado salad, with fresh cut pieces of avocados mixed with tomatoes, cilantro, and possibly lemon juice. It was a refreshing change from the ordinary, and of course, everything was fresh and delicious.

The ambiance is also quite pleasant. They recently opened up the new Cantina in July. This is an expanded dining area with a huge bar and plenty of seating. The waitstaff was very friendly, and the atmosphere was festive.

We're both really excited that we've found another cheap and tasty option not too far from our home. Seldom do I go to a restaurant, order 4 dishes, and genuinely *really* enjoy every single dish. We can't wait to go back and try more items on their menu.

Easy Homemade Hummus & Pita Chips

Oct 9, 2008 ·

I made hummus at home for the first time last night. It was so easy and relatively expensive! This is what I did:

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

⅓ cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of 1 lemon
½ cup water
⅓ cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Prep
1) Rinse the canned beans with some water and drain
2) Stir up the tahini (since it will most likely have separated into oil + sesame paste) before adding it to the food processor
3) peal and mash the garlic cloves

Process
Throw everything into the food processor and mix for about 1-2 minutes. Check the consistency after about a minute. You can add water to thin it out, or add some plain yogurt to make it more creamy.

Taste the hummus and adjust the flavors accordingly. Add some salt to enhance the flavor. Some people like to add extra lemon juice to make it more tart, and some people like to add lots of extra garlic cloves to kick up the flavor. Another idea, if you don't like the spicy kick of raw garlic, is to roast the garlic in the oven beforehand and then adding the roasted garlic.

When you are happy with the consistency and taste, scoop it out and enjoy!

Once you have the basics down, you can be creative and add whatever flavors suit your fancy. Some examples I've seen: mint, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and black pepper.

Homemade Pita Chips
One has to have pita chips to eat with the hummus, right? This is also another really easy, fast, and healthy snack food that you can make.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut up pita bread (plain works best, although whole wheat works OK too) into chip size pieces. Spread in one layer (preferably) onto a baking sheet. Spray both sides of the pita slices with olive oil. I use a hand-pumped oil spritzer so I can pick the type of oil I use, but you can probably use a commercial product like PAM. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the chips, and then bake for 10 minutes.

Perfect, warm and crispy pita chips at a fraction of the cost of store bought chips.

Enjoy!

Wagyu Beef - the Kobe of America

Oct 6, 2008 ·

It was Bryan's birthday today (Monday). As part of a weekend birthday celebration, we bought Wagyu beef at a local market called Savenor's and opened up a nice bottle of wine (2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve) for dinner on Sunday evening.

Wagyu beef prices range from $40 a pound to hundreds of dollars a pound. The pieces we got were relatively reasonable, at $40 a pound. You can see that these steaks have less marbling than certain pictures I've seen online, which may account for the lower price.

Some interesting facts about Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef comes from a breed of cows that originated from Japan. Called Kobe beef in Japan, the breed was exported to the US in 1992 under a trade agreement between the US and Japan. All "Kobe" beef outside of Japan is called Wagyu beef.

Wagyu beef is heavily marbled with fat that is very evenly distributed throughout the meat. Although Wagyu cows are already genetically predisposed towards marbled muscle, Wagyu breeders promote additional marbling by feeding the cows a diet of grains, beer, and sake and regularly massaging the cows.

Surprisingly, Wagyu beef is actually relatively healthy because its fat has an unusually high amount of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. In fact, Wagyu beef has a 2:1 ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fat. Indeed, even the saturated fat in Wagyu beef is better. 40% of the saturated fat in Wagyu beef is stearic acid, a fatty acid known to have little impact on blood cholesterol levels. Finally, Wagyu beef has higher amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid than normal beef.

The best way to enjoy a Wagyu steak is to simply grill the steak, preferably rare or medium rare. There is no need for marinades, steak sauces, etc. because the meat itself is so flavorful.

Ideally, the steak is at room temperature before cooking, although it can also be grilled straight from the refrigerator.

I typically rub olive oil on both sides of the steaks and season with freshly ground black pepper, white pepper, and a little bit of salt.

I heat my cast-iron pan until it is quite hot, and then I sear the steak for about 3-4 minutes on one side, and about 2-3 minutes on the other side. This particular piece of steak was about 1 inch thick and was starting at room temperature. Add a minute or so if you are cooking a steak straight out of the refrigerator. Additionally, if your steak is thinner, cut down the time significantly. Ideally, I would recommend trying to get a steak that is at least 1 inch thick.

After grilling, let the steak rest for a minute or so before serving.

The steak was absolutely delicious, although it created so much smoke in the house that we had to open the windows for about 5-6 hours to get the smell of steak out of our condo.

As discussed earlier, we enjoyed this with 2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Since the wine is still a bit young, we found that decanting it for about 2 hours was perfect. I also steamed some snap peas in the microwave (3 minutes) and tossed it with some oyster sauce, soy sauce, and salt. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.

All in all, an excellent meal.

Happy Birthday Bryan!

Pescatore

Jun 28, 2008 ·

I had read a very positive Boston Globe article about this restaurant in Ball Square (Somerville) awhile back, and have been meaning to try it for awhile. I finally had a chance to go tonight. I called at around 5 PM and was able to make a 7:30 PM reservation with no problems. We were also able to find metered street parking pretty easily.

Our over all impression? Pretty good, although we're not sure if we'd come back again.

Why? Honestly? We kept comparing each dish with similar ones from Basta Pasta and continued to judge the ones from Pescatore inferior. Granted, you can't completely compare the two restaurants. Pescatore is full service, sells wine, accepts credit card, and has much better ambiance. However, the food is clearly several steps below Basta Pasta. I will describe each dish we ordered below:

Arancini ($5.95)
These are deep fried arborio rice balls filled with cheese and accompanied by a tomato dipping. The arancini balls here were pleasantly crunchy on the outside, but had bland flavor inside. The cheese flavor was not very noticeable, and the peas inside did not add much. If Basta Pasta's arancini was an "A," these would be C+.

Crab Cakes ($11.95)
Again (this will begin to seem like a theme), "not bad," but also, as one member of our party said, "not the best I've ever had, although there are some nice big chunks of crabmeat."

Fusilli Amalfi ($16.95)
The reviewer from the Boston Globe strongly recommended this dish, stating that "it was so good it made our eyes roll." This dish was actually pretty good. Clearly these chefs specialize in seafood, and all the seafood was perfectly cooked - nothing was rubbery or overcooked. The homemade fusilli was pleasantly chewy (although still a few steps inferior to the homemade fusilli at Basta Pasta), and the broccoli rabe, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and shrimp in a white wine, garlic and oil sauce created a very nice blend of flavors. This was probably my favorite dish.

Gnocci Sorrentino ($12.95)
The homemade gnocci came in a ceramic bowl covered with cheese and tomato sauce. Basta Pasta actually does not sell gnocci dishes, so I cannot make that comparison. I thought this dish was OK (I like the one at Il Panino better), and Bryan said he liked it.

Cioppino
This Italian seafood stew was one of the specials of the day, and we ordered it. Like I had mentioned before, these people know how to cook seafood. Generally, I don't like fully cooked tuna because it is tough and flavorless. The tuna in this dish was extremely fresh (Catch of the Day). It had good flavor and a perfect, soft texture. The remaining seafood also were cooked perfectly. The sauce was good, and we enjoyed this dish.

Chicken Marsala ($14.95)
This was probably the worse dish we had, which further emphasizes the point that these people know how to cook seafood. The chicken was overcooked and was a bit dry and tough. The Marsala sauce had virtually no sugar nor cream, which made it taste differently from most Marsala sauces we've tried. The small dumplings that came with the meal were mediocre at best. We couldn't help but keep talking about how good the chicken marsala at Basta Pasta was, and how Reno (the cook at Basta Pasta), really knows how to cook a perfect chicken breast. As one member of our party says, "there's no one that can cook chicken like Reno does. I'm not sure how it does it." There was no comparison here.

Tiramisu ($5.95)
The tiramisu was actually excellent - layers of lady fingers soaked in a nice, dark espresso + rum mixture with light marscapone cheese in between. I even said at the end of dessert, "that was the best part of the meal." We all agreed that the dessert was really good.

To reiterate what I said before, the food here is quite good, and they definitely know how to cook seafood. The ambiance is also very nice. However, the over all general talent of the chef is still inferior to Reno's (of Basta Pasta) and those in North End. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a reasonably priced restaurant (most of our entrees ranged between $12 - $17), a nice ambiance, good food, wine, and seafood, this is not a bad option.

Gran Gusto

Jun 14, 2008 ·

I stumbled upon the name of this restaurant while looking for a kid-friendly place to take my college friends (who have 2 kids). We ended up going to Antico Forno in the North End with my friends since it was recommended as a great place in the North End for kids. While doing my research, I also learned that Antico Forno makes an excellent authentic neapolitan pizza. However, every time someone mentioned this fact, another person would pipe in saying that Gran Gusto had better neapolitan pizza. After reading this time after time, I decided I had to go to Gran Gusto to try this amazing pizza.

Gran Gusto is located in North Cambridge in the old Tartufo site, and has only been open for about 9 months. The owner is originally from Naples, and thus his food (like his pizza), is distinctly Neapolitan.

The service at this restaurant was excellent. The waiter was an older man who was clearly knowledgeable about the menu. He was kind, attentive, and friendly at the same time. He convinced us to try the special appetizer - (stracchino?) a creamy, very fresh Italian cheese that they fly over from Italy every so often. It has a texture somewhere between cream cheese and fresh mozarella. It was very rich and creamy (apparently 50% milkfat!) but interesting to try.

I ordered the Margherita pizza ($12), and Bryan ordered the fresh pasta dish ($17). The pizza crust was excellent - super thin and crispy and light. It was definitely well made, and one of the best thin-crusts in Boston. The flavors of the toppings were light, balanced, and flavorful. I would not have minded more tomatoes on the pizza. Maybe next time I'll try ordering a saucier/juicier pizza.

Bryan thoroughly enjoyed his pasta dish. The texture of the fresh pasta was chewy, and the sauce was well made. In fact, Bryan just told me he went back to Gran Gusto last week (by himself) and had pasta again.

All in all, we were quite pleased with the discovery of yet another delicious Italian restaurant so close to home. Best yet, this restaurant is a little off the beaten path and is also sort of still undiscovered. We went on a Friday night at 7 PM, and had no problems getting a table. They also have a lovely courtyard full of outdoor seating. It looks like a great place to have dinner on a warm, summer evening.

Parish Cafe

Jun 14, 2008 ·

Bryan and I went to Parish Cafe for lunch on Easter Sunday. It had actually been years since we visited this place, so we were not sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. The creative sandwiches are really good, and for Newbury Street, the prices are quite reasonable.

I ordered "The Alternative"($10.25), which is described as a sandwich containing "fresh tuna salad tossed with diced onions and a roasted red pepper mayonnaise. Served on toasted Tuscan
wheat triangles, topped with melted Monterey jack cheese and applewood smoked bacon." The presentation was sharp, the mix of flavors perfect (yumm, bacon), and the texture of the toasted triangles made the sandwich special. I really enjoyed the sandwich.

Unfortunately, it's been awhile since we went, and I can't remember what Bryan ordered. I do remember that we both left the restaurant thinking that the food was yummy, and that we would definitely come back.

I also remember looking on their wall and seeing that they had won Best of Boston "best sandwich" for many years in a row, but it all of a sudden stopped several years ago. It made me wonder what competing sandwich company came along and stole the glory - High Rise perhaps? Darwins? Flour?

Prezza

Oct 12, 2007 ·

Note: an updated post from 2009 on this restaurant has been written here.

We went to Prezza on Sunday evening as part of Bryan's birthday weekend celebration. We wanted to go on Saturday, but it was impossible to get a reservation at a decent time. Clearly, this place is popular.

I chose this restaurant for several reasons. First, it consistently had very positive reviews from various forums, websites, etc. Second, it was a classy, high-end restaurant - appropriate for a birthday celebration. Third, they make fresh pasta, which is very important for Bryan, since he absolutely LOVES fresh pasta. Finally, it had been recommended to me by a friend who used to live in the North End. This is the same person who had recommended Monica's, now one of our favorite North End restaurants.

Prezza did not disappoint. The waitstaff was very professional and knowledgeable. He recommended an excellent French wine (E. Guigal Hermitage 1990) to go with our meal and also was very attentive.

Since Bryan loves pasta so much, we decided to order 2 appetizers and 4 appetizer portion pastas. For appetizers, we ordered the butternut squash arancini with lobster, brown butter, and sage; and the spicy mussels in tomato fennel stew with chorizo polenta. Both were excellent. The arancini was lightly fried and was paired with a fragrant sauce. The spicy tomato fennel sauce was deeply fragrant and flavorful, and the mussels were fresh and tasty [though still not as good as the mussels we freshly picked from the ocean in Maine and grilled at our campsite right after].

We ordered four pasta dishes to try: the pumpkin ravioli with lobster, marscapone, brown butter, and sage; potato gnocchi with mushroom, rabbit, marscapone, and parmesean; corn raviolini tossed with toasted corn, pancetta, rock shrimp, white wine, and butter; and tagliatalli a la Bolognese.

We both agreed that the corn raviolini was fabulous. The mixture of flavors between the sweet corn, salty pancetta, shrimp, wine, and butter was beautiful. I even said that if we went back again, I would just order a plate of corn raviolinis and a glass of wine and be very content. The gnocchi was also very good. I typically don't like freshly made gnocchi because it is often too mushy and soft. I like my gnocchi with a bit of chewiness. The gnocchi here had excellent texture - just the right amount of bounce ("kwew" in Taiwanese). Bryan also really liked the Bolognese. It was much lighter than the Bolognese we are used to at Basta Pasta, but the flavors were nice and the pasta had good texture. The pumpkin ravioli was good, although the flavor was similar to the arancini that we'd ordered as an appetizer. Although we both liked it, we thought it probably ranked 4th out of the pastas that we had ordered.

Over all, an excellent meal. I would definitely recommend trying this place. They accept reservations on OpenTable and also over the phone. They got a Zagat's food rating of 27, which is pretty high. Next time we go, maybe we'll try some of the meat dishes. Although, I'm really tempted to just order the corn raviolini's and call it a day. 🙂

Grill 23

Oct 12, 2007 ·

Bryan recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that talked about how steak houses age their steaks. Ever since then, he's had a craving for really good steak. Well, we went to Grill 23 as part of his 30th birthday weekend celebration in Boston in past weekend.

I'm not much of a steak eater, so unfortunately I cannot offer as good of a review as someone who knows a lot more about steak. However, I'll try to give the opinions of everyone at the table.

Bryan ordered the kobe cap steak, one of the most expensive items on the menu ($59 for 10 oz steak without sides). One friend ordered the "Berkeley" which is a 16oz Dry-Aged Ribeye and comes with a twice baked potato and creamed spinach with bacon and cheese. Another friend ordered the Steak au poivre, and I ordered the filet mignon.

In fact, the restaurant was very accommodating to my needs. I told the waiter that I did not eat a lot of meat, and asked whether he had any recommendations. He told me he would sell me half of the "twin filet mignon" dish, which typically has two 4-oz filet mignons. I was very pleased. Doesn't the USDA or someone say we should only be eating 4 oz of meat with each meal?

We also ordered some sides - truffled "tater tots" and mushroom ragout. Although I don't love steak houses, I had this great memory of incredible side dishes that I'd ordered at Craftsteak in Las Vegas (MGM Grand). We had ordered this deliciously flavorful mushroom side dish (an assortment of roasted wild, exotic mushrooms - including hen-of-the-woods) and also the most incredible sweet corn side dish. I was anticipating something just as yummy here.

In general, all agreed that the steak was very high quality - well aged with good, solid flavor. The kobe cap steak was well marbled, and according to Bryan, it was really good. I thought my filet mignon was a bit flavorless, but then people say that filet mignon isn't that tasty. My friend's steak au poivre was flavorful, and the Berkeley was quite good as well.

Over all, the steak was good, but we were disappointed in other ways. Two people (in our party of four) had ordered medium rare steaks and had received medium to medium-well steaks. Half of Bryan's kobe capsteak was well done. The restaurant happily offered to re-cook the steaks, and both people who had returned the steaks thought that the second properly cooked batch tasted much better.

I was a bit disappointed with the sides. The tater tots were OK, but honestly, I think the tater tots and the truffle French Fries at Garden at the Cellar are so much better (and about half the price). The mushroom ragout was nothing more than sauteed button mushrooms with a bit of oil and salt. My visions of exotic mushrooms from Craftsteak quickly disappeared when the stir fried white mushrooms appeared on the table. Both sides tasted pretty ordinary.

People say this is probably the best steak place in Boston. If that's true, then Boston has a long way to go before catching up with the quality of steakhouses in bigger cities.

Craigie Street Bistrot (now Craigie on Main)

Oct 11, 2007 ·

We went to Craigie Street Bistrot for our anniversary dinner.

Craigie Street Bistrot is tucked away in a residential area about a 5-10 minute walk outside of Harvard Square. The chef, Tony Maws, has won countless awards, including America's top 10 new chefs by Food and Wine Magazine and also Best of Boston 2007 for General Excellence.

The food is French by cuisine, but the ingredients are all local, New England, fresh produce - at least for most of the year (winter is sometimes a bit tough). Every morning Tony collaborates with local farmers and picks out the best organic produce and meat for that day. He then designs the menus based on his picks. The menu changes every day, and is usually printed out right before the restaurant opens at 5 PM.

We decided to try the Chef's Tasting Menu for our anniversary. This is essentially a chef's whim type of tasting. "Tony will cook whatever he wants for you!" It's a 7-course meal plus another 3 courses of desserts. There's basically a regular version and a vegetarian version. We both ordered the regular version (both people at the table have to order the same tasting menu).

The food was absolutely fabulous. Tony Maws is an excellent cook. I won't go into detail describing each dish, because that would take forever (see below for the menu of what we ate). Suffice it to say - it's definitely worth trying the tasting at least once. This is a chance to try the best of what a chef can do - he is truly at the peak of his creativity. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Even though French cuisine is not my favorite, Craigie Street Bistrot is probably one of my favorite restaurants in Boston.

The Chef's Tasting Menu is not cheap. Ours was $115 a person plus the cost of wine. If you want to experience Tony's creativity for a little less money, you can try the Chef's Whim, which is available Wednesday and Sunday evenings after 9 PM. For either $39.99 (4 courses) or $55 (6 courses) a person, Tony Maws will cook a spontaneous meal for you. I've never personally tried this, but it sounds like a lot of fun and I definitely want to try it in the future!

There's also the prix fixe deal, which is $36 for a three course meal. It is available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday; and after 9:00 pm Friday and Saturday. Bryan and I have tried this once. Although it was fine, it did not compare to the complexity and flavor of the other dishes that he makes.

CHEF'S TASTING MENU

Assiette of Kona Kampachi Sashimi
melon, peanuts, green olives, salmon roe, ginger-chile vinaigrette

Salad of Farm Fresh Tomatoes and House Cured Anchovies
lovage vinaigrette, mizuna, salt-cured foie gras

Squid and Vegetable noodles
squid ink-dash sauce, trout roe

Slow-Cooked Farm Fresh Egg
summer succotash, Spanish octopus, chorizo sauce

Roasted Red Chile-Marinated Kampachi Kama

Roasted Beef Bone Marrow
smoked beef tongue confit

CSB Boudin Noir Stuffed Vermont Organic Quail
summer vegetables, smoked farro, black trumpet mushroom puree

Tea-infused Panna Cottas
rooibos, jasmine

Warm Sweet White Corn Grits
local blackberries, poached peach puree, anise hyssop ice cream

Market Fruits Crisp
walnut topping, buttermilk ice cream

Chille Mariposa Plum Soup
yogurt sorbet

Sushi Candy

Oct 10, 2007 ·

I was inspired by various foodblogs to make some sushi candy last night.

I made rice crispy treats according to the recipe on the Rice Krispies Cereal box. While the marshmallow rice mixture was still hot, I took half of the mixture and individually shaped the nigiri rice pieces. I then took the other half, flattened it onto a cutting board, and used a small cleaned out tomato paste can to cut out discs.

I bought Odense brand marzipan at Shaw's Supermarket ($7 a tube).

I mixed various portions with food coloring and then shaped the ebi, sake, maguro, and tamago pieces. I used a knife to "paint" on a chocolate ribbon for the tamago (egg) sushi.

I also made a green strip out of marzipan as the nori for the maki pieces. The wasabi is also marzipan.

I found marzipan to be pretty easy to use and pretty tasty with the rice crispies. I had seen versions of this dish online that used Swedish fish and fruit roll ups. The idea of eating rice crispies with fruit roll ups or gummies did not appeal to me, so I decided to try this instead.

Yum!

Berryline Frozen Yogurt

Sep 21, 2007 ·

Berryline is another Pinkberry-esque frozen yogurt place that just opened in Harvard Square this past weekend. It is located on Arrow Street, right off of Mass Ave in Harvard Square. I went there last night with people from my small group to try it out.

The place is owned and run by two biochemical engineering graduate (or ex-graduate?) students. The outside of the store is painted with whimsical colorful designs that make the place seem fun, casual, and inviting. Likewise, the two owners were very friendly, fun, and hospitable. The cafe sells coffee, fancy espresso based drinks, and frozen yogurt with toppings such as fruit, cereal, granola, and nuts. They plan on offering fresh fruit smoothies soon too.

Supposedly these two guys have spent the last year perfecting their recipe for frozen yogurt. When we went they had two flavors - original (which is essentially just simple yogurt flavor) and acai, which is a berry-like fruit from Brazil that has been quite popular lately with health nuts. The owner told me that the frozen yogurt was essentially fat free. Their goal is to offer healthy food, which is why they don't have boba. Instead, they plan to focus on fresh fruit smoothies, frozen yogurt, and coffee drinks.

We ordered the original flavor with pineapple topping. I thought the taste was pretty good. It had the fresh, tangy taste of yogurt. It was creamier (less icy) than the Pinkberry type yogurt. After eating many spoonfuls of the yogurt, I felt that it was a tad too sweet, and it was less enjoyable at the end. I was trying to remember what my last homemade batch had tasted like, and which one I liked better.

The owners were very friendly. We sat outside eating our frozen yogurt for quite some time. After about an hour, the owners came out and asked whether we wanted decaf lattes on the house. Bryan took them up on the offer and actually requested a caffeinated double shot latte. They happily obliged. They were eager for Bryan's feedback. He said that it was pretty good. They replied by saying, "please be honest with your feedback, cuz we want to make it better if it's not that good." He responded again by affirming that it's pretty good.

Berryline buys their coffee from a roaster in Hopkinton. Apparently the coffee that they receive has typically just been freshly roasted only a few days ago.

Anyway, we enjoyed our experience at Berryline and look forward to seeing what other new products they have to offer. They seem pretty open to suggestions. In fact, they said the number one request they've had so far is mochi topping. "We're working on that one" they say.

It looks like this place could be an awesome addition to all the other cool ice cream/dessert places in Harvard Square. Truly, you can never have enough ice cream places! So, if you happen to be in Harvard Square, you should definitely check out Berryline.

"Pinkberry" Yogurt Recipe

Sep 16, 2007 ·

I thought I'd try several recipes to see if I could make a good cup of frozen yogurt in the style of Pinkberry frozen yogurt.

Recipe 1
2 ½ cup Trader Joe's Greek-style yogurt (nonfat)
⅔ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Stir together all the ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hour. Then freeze in a commercial ice cream machine for about 30 minutes.

I tried this the other day and I thought it was way to sweet. I had already cut the sugar down from the original recipe. However, I could barely stand to eat it - it was so sweet. The texture was quite creamy, which is unlike the icy texture of Pinkberry style yogurt. The yogurt also does not freeze well. After sitting overnight in the freezer, it became quite hard - definitely too hard to scoop. It would have made a better popsicle.

Recipe 2
2 ½ cups 2% fat Trader Joe's Greek style yogurt
⅓ cup 2% milk
½ cup sugar
⅔ cup half and half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients and stir until everything is well mixed. Freeze in a commercial ice cream maker for about 30 minutes.

I tried this recipe last night and it got pretty good reviews from my friends. This recipe comes closer to achieving the icy texture of Pinkberry style soft serve yogurt, since it contains more water from the half and half and milk. I like the sugar level here much better as well. The frozen yogurt was light, refreshing, tangy (but not too sour), and slightly sweet. Because I served this immediately after making it, I was not able to check out its freezing capabilities. I'm guessing that it would become even harder, since it has more water content and still not enough fat. Nevertheless, if you plan on eating it within a few hours, it should have pretty good texture.

Recipe 3
1 quart Trader Joe's Lowfat Organic Yogurt
3 x 2.13 oz Yang Le Duo (yogurt drink)

I have not gotten around to this one yet because I need to buy the yogurt drink. I may be less inclined now since I really like Recipe 2. I'll update this blog entry if I ever make the third one.

Cafe Mami

Aug 20, 2007 ·

Porter Square is the closest thing that Boston has to a Japantown. A single building on Mass Ave houses a Japanese grocery store (Kotobukiya), a Japanese gift shop, a Japanese costume shop, a Japanese bakery, a boba tea shop, a sit-down sushi restaurant (Bluefin), and several casual food stalls specializing in various sorts of Japanese food (curry, ramen, and sushi, just to name a few).

We tried Cafe Mami on Friday night. Cafe Mami is tiny - it has a bar area that seats about 4 people and then two larger tables that fit 4-6 people each. That's it. Oftentimes, they will seat two parties at each of the tables.

The food at Cafe Mami was cheap and good. For a mere $8, you get a salad, miso soup, and an entree. Cafe Mami specializes in rice dishes, and sells familiar dishes such as katsudon, yakidon, and curry.

Bryan ordered the curry with beef and a fried egg on top (sunny side up) and I ordered the yakidon. Yakidon is a soy-based marinated beef that slightly reminds me of Korean BBQ. I thought the flavor of my yakidon was perfect - both sweet and salty in a perfect way that makes the dish horribly addictive. In fact, the flavor of my dish was so addictive that I ended up eating more than I had planned (in other words, I finished the entire dish).

Bryan's curry was also yummy. Accordingly to our friends, who go there often, the hamburger curry with the special tomato sauce is really good. The deep fried chicken tenders are also supposed to be amazing. The place really feels authentic, like you're sitting in a little Japanese food stall in Tokyo.

Apparently the place is very popular and it's often difficult to score seating. I guess we were lucky - we arrived early on a Friday night (around 6:15 PM) and didn't have to wait for a seat.

Over all, I thought this place was great. If you're in Porter Square, check this place out for yummy, satisfying, home-cooked and cheap Japanese food. YUM.

Cold Asian Cucumber Salad

Aug 20, 2007 ·

We have gotten a lot of cucumbers from our farm share lately. Here is a nice cool summer salad that you can make with the cucumbers.

Step 1: Cut cucumbers into ~ 3 inch pieces.

Step 2: Smash the cucumber with the side of a heavy cleaver. It may be easier to smash if you cut the cucumbers halfway down the center first.

Step 3: Add salt (about 1 teaspoon) and let the cucumbers sit for at least 20 minutes to let the water out (osmosis).

Step 4: Pour out the cucumber juices that have collected at the bottom of the bowl. Squeeze the cucumbers with your hands, add more salt, and let it sit for another 10 minutes or so.

Step 5: Squeeze the cucumbers again and remove as much water as possible.

Step 6: Add sesame oil, soy sauce, finely chopped or pressed garlic, sugar, and dried red pepper flakes to taste. I usually use about 1 garlic clove, a teaspoon of sesame oil, a teaspoon of soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of sugar. This is quite subjective, and feel free to play around with the amounts to taste.

Enjoy!

Jose's Mexican Restaurant

Aug 19, 2007 ·

Jose's is a tiny, quaint little Mexican restaurant in North Cambridge on Sherman Street, right in the middle of a residential neighborhood. We were intrigued with the place, partially because it won Best of Boston for "affordable Mexican food" in 2004, and partially because it was down the street from our friends' house.

The menu definitely has some authentic Mexican fare that you woudn't find at your typical burrito place. For example, Bryan ordered the Dona Reyna's Chile Rellenos ($10.95), which are poblano peppers stuffed with cheese and beef. I ordered pozole del dia ($5.95 small, $8.95 large), a chicken and white corn stew with cilantro, onion, oregano, and lime. The menu also has Mexican dishes with which you may be more familiar, such as enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, burritos, and chimichangas.

Over all, the food was pretty good, though not the best Mexican we've had in Boston (that might go to Tu y Yo, which I'll discuss at a later date in another blog entry).

The free homemade salsa was very good, and you get a choice of heat level (mild, medium, hot). The homemade chips were a bit on the stale side, but the salsa was so tasty we kept eating the chips regardless.

Bryan liked his chile rellenos dish. The poblano pepper together with the beef and cheese was tasty without being overpowering. Flavors were balanced, and the dish was satisfying.

My soup was too salty for my taste, and even too salty for Bryan (who has a much higher tolerance for salt!). I did think the puffy white corn pieces were unique and interesting. The blend of lime, cilantro, oregano, and onion gave the soup a fragrant and unique flavor, which would have tasted really good had the soup been less salty.

Supposedly, the restaurant is great for margaritas (they have 32 tequilas and 10 Mexican beers!) although we did not really try any drinks (except for the Corona) this time around. If you're in the area, it's worth visiting this place. The food is authentic, tasty, and reasonably priced.

Wagamama

Aug 19, 2007 ·

Wagamama is a ramen bar inspired chain that originates from the UK. It is wildly popular in Great Britain, and has now made its way across the "pond" to the US. Currently, the only two locations in the US are at Faneuil Hall and in Harvard Square.

Wagamama's philosophy is encapsulated in its logo, "positive eating, positive living," a phrase for which it actually holds a registered trademark. On top of various Japanese entrees, such as ramen, udon, chili noodles, curry rice dishes, and salads, Wagamama also has other "positive eating" options, such as fresh vegetable and fruit juices, salads, and appetizers, such as edamame and gyoza.

Bryan and I decided to check out the Wagamama in Harvard Square tonight. The seating arrangement in the restaurant is unique and similar across all Wagamamas. Long rows of tables and benches line the restaurant - you may very well be seated next to someone you don't know. If you've been to High Rise Bakery Cafe on Concord Ave in Cambridge, you know what I'm talking about. Anyway, we were seated immediately and a waitress came within a short time to take our order. They take all of their orders on electronic devices that send the order directly to the kitchen. They say that the food may come out at random times and not necessarily together, since everything is made to order and they serve it fresh to you the moment it's ready. (Bryan thinks that's a lame excuse since food is cooked to order at most restaurants)

Bryan ordered the chili beef ramen ($14.95) which was a big bowl of a fragrant soup (not really that spicy) with sirloin steak, lime, cilantro, fresh chilies, scallions, red onions, and bean sprouts. I ordered the ata-taka chicken salad ($9.95), which, despite its name, is actually chicken strips marinated with cumin, chili, cilantro, soy sauce, garlic, and lime juice sauteed with bean sprouts, red onion, and a sweet ginger sauce. The stir-fry was placed over a bed of baby spinach lightly dressed with Wagamama's house dressing.

Over all, we thought food was pretty good, but pricey for what you get. Bryan thought his noodle soup was OK, but said he would not come back. Le's (formerly known as Pho Pasteur) is just down the street and serves up hot piping bowls of Vietnamese pho and other noodles soups. Not only does Bryan like the noodle soup at Le's better, it only costs $5.95 for an equally large bowl. I personally liked how his noodle soup was very fragrant (many herbs or spices or something) yet not very salty at all. It reminded me of spa food.

I enjoyed my dish quite a lot. I liked how it was not very greasy at all and also not too salty. It was a small enough portion that I was able to finish the entire dish without feeling grossly full afterwards. The flavors were nice, and I felt satisfied in a healthy way after I had finished my meal. Over all, the food at Wagamama definitely seems healthy, very much in line with their motto. I was quite impressed with how they managed to make my chicken strips tasty yet very low salt at the same time.

The ambiance is trendy and chic, which may explain why they are able to charge higher prices for something as simple as ramen (which really does not cost a lot to make!). Over all, I think I liked the place more than Bryan did. For me, it fit a set of strict criteria that is hard for any restaurant to meet: close to home, not too expensive (on a absolute scale), healthy (the hardest criteria to meet), and yummy.

If you're in the area and are in the mood for some interesting healthy Asian (mostly Japanese) inspired spa-like food, check out Wagamama's and be prepared to spend around $10-$15 for your dish. Enjoy!

Mu Que Ca

Aug 13, 2007 ·

When I say Brazilian food, what does the average American think of? Most likely, the answer is Brazilian BBQ, which involves all-you-can-eat quantities of endless meats on skewers passed around. The mere thought of that makes me not want to eat anymore.

This is what makes the Brazilian restaurant Muqueca so special. Muqueca is not a grilled meat place at all. In fact, almost all of the food is seafood. This is because Muqueca serves traditional authentic food from a region in Brazil called Espirito Santo. Espirito Santo is a small state in the Southeastern coast of Brazil.

Muqueca is a tiny Brazilian restaurant on Cambridge street in Inman Square. It is owned byFatima (Fafa) and Antonio Gomes, a Brazilian couple who moved to Boston with the dream of showing America "Brazilian food at its finest . . . most principally delicacies from their state Espirito Santo."

They have definitely succeeded. Muqueca is a wildly popular restaurant.

One of our favorite dishes is the moqueca ($11.95 to $14.95), a seafood stew made with tomatoes, lots of cilantro, onions, garlic, and annatto seeds. Our favorite moqueca is probably the mussels moqueca ($12.95), although they are all very tasty.

The house salad ($5.95) is also very good. It contains interesting vegetables such as palm hearts, apples, olives, and corn. Bryan and I usually like to order one as a starter.

The seafood pie ($15.95) is also interesting and quite tasty. It has a conglomerate of seafood, (salt cod, crab, shrimp, mussels, and fish), all ground up and mixed with olives and eggs to create a pie that is baked in the oven. The blend of flavors is nice, not too overpowering yet quite flavorful.

The last time we went we got the deep fried red snapper ($18.95). Essentially, they take the entire fish, season it, and deep fry it whole. Although it takes a little work to pry the fish off the bone, the flavor of the dish was quite tasty.

We also like the interesting variety of authentic Brazilian appetizers and fruit drinks. They eat a lot of yucca, and thus have some yucca based appetizers. They also make interesting shakes, the most interesting one being the blueberry cashew shakes.

Both of the desserts they offer, the passion fruit pudding and the flan, are excellent and quite a bargain at only $3.

Essentially, almost everything we've ever ordered has been very good. You really can't go wrong with this place.

Well, there is one bad thing. The worse thing about this restaurant is the wait. It is a tiny restaurant (probably only about 7 tables) and super popular. Furthermore, they cook each moqueca to order (takes about 20 minutes) so the service is not what you'd call super fast. If you want to go, try to go at a non-peak time (week nights before 7 PM). Otherwise, you could easily wait an hour for a table.

I highly recommend this restaurant. The food is very authentic and very well made. Moreover, the prices are very reasonable and the people are very friendly.

http://www.muquecarestaurant.com/

May's Cafe

Jun 14, 2007 ·

May's Cafe is a tiny, family owned Taiwanese restaurant tucked in the middle of a purely residential neighborhood in Allston. The food is Taiwanese home cooking - and it's very good.

We arrived on a Thursday night around 7 PM. Surprisingly, the place was relatively empty and thus we were able to nab one of the two parking spots that May's Cafe owns. The decor inside is clean and pleasant. May herself ended up taking our order and serving us that evening.

Perhaps I'm partial to Taiwanese food, but I really enjoyed the food we had. For appetizers, we ordered the fresh steamed greens ($4.75), the egg pancake ($4.75), and formosa turnip cake ($4.75). The greens were delicious - a small plate of steamed leafy greens tossed in a garlicky-soy based sauce. The egg pancake was also very good. The formosa turnip cake was fine - a lot less greasy than the typical turnip cake you'd get at a dimsum place.

We ordered three dishes as well. An interesting fried rice which consisted of Chinese sausage, pineapple, cabbage, and pork sung ($9.95); Da Loo noodle soup (thick noodle soup with eggs, vegetables, and seafood) ($10.95); and shredded pork with bamboo shoot and beancurd ($11.95 entree/$8.50 rice plate).

The food reminded me of home cooking - which, essentially, is what it is. May Pan's parents do most of the cooking in the back. The cooking style is less reminiscent of large scale Chinese restaurant cuisine, which often involves deep flash frying meats and vegetables in hot oil. Instead, it's more like the stuff that you're Taiwanese mom would make for you when visit home - simple stir fry on a small wok. None of the dishes were overly greasy, yet all had very satisfying flavors.

I loved the fried rice, not only because of its awesome blend of flavors, but also because of the ratio of rice to "stuff." I'd say the rice was about 45% of the dish, which made it quite flavorful and fun to eat. The pork sung adds an interesting dimension to the dish. I think I'm gonna try that some time. The shredded pork with bamboo shoot and beancurd dish was also very tasty. It was spiced with chili oil to just the right amount of heat. The DaLoo noodles were also good. According to Bryan, it doesn't compare to California, but it's probably the best DaLoo noodles that we've had in Boston to date.

Finally, the kitchen went out of their way to accommodate the young child that was in our dining party. He kept requesting "tang yuan" (Rice balls). The waitress (May) kept telling him that they didn't have any. Finally, May's parents decided to hand-make some rice balls on the spot. After about 10 minutes, a piping hot bowl of red bean soup with rice balls appeared. The little boy was ecstatic.

Boston.com did a review on May's cafe back in October. According to that article, May cares a lot about healthy eating, and thus cooks with less oil and salt compared to a typical Chinese restaurant. She also offers Akai whole grain rice, fruit shakes and smoothies, herbal tea, and boba tea. Oh, and the bathroom was immaculate.

In conclusion, this is truly a hidden gem that's a bit hard to find. If you like simple, Taiwanese home cooking, this is definitely worth the visit.

Yenching

Jun 13, 2007 ·

We have always walked by this restaurant and have never walked inside. In general, we are skeptical of Chinese restaurants, and thus we do not venture in unless if we have received a recommendation from at least one other person who has tried the food.

We received a recommendation the other day to try this restaurant on Mass. Ave in Harvard Square. The menu looked slightly more expensive than typical Chinatown prices. Nevertheless, we thought we'd try it, since it was so close to our house.

Conclusion: it's alright, and most likely the best Chinese food in Harvard Square, which is not saying too much. It's definitely not as good as places like Shangri-La, Chung shin Yuan, and Taiwan Cafe. However, it's decent. I think I'd say it's comparable to a place like Royal East or New Mayflower.

We ordered the pan fried rice cakes (one of my favorite dishes in general), the Kuenming Duck, and the mapo tofu. Both Bryan and I liked the pan fried rice cakes the best. The balance of flavors was just right. We also liked the addition of egg, which we seldom see in this dish. It added a nice punch to the over all flavor. I don't really like duck, so I can't comment on the duck dish. Bryan thought it was OK, although it had some weird spice that he wasn't used to. Finally, the mapo tofu had decent flavor, although I thought it was too salty. I had to eat a lot of rice to enjoy it. It's nothing compared to my favorite mapo tofu in Boston, which is at Zoe's (where they use the real Szechuan peppercorns! YUM!).

I probably won't go back again for a full fledged meal. If I'm craving the fried rice cakes, however, I may just get take out or something.

Pacific Cafe

Jun 13, 2007 ·

Pacific Cafe is a small sandwich, bakery, coffeeshop in the first floor of Sid-Pac (Sidney Pacific), the MIT graduate dorm. It opened about a year ago, and is owned by a Moroccan family.

The sandwiches are freshly prepared, and in general, are very tasty. I really like getting the "Tomato Mozz," which, as its name indicates, contains tomatoes, fresh mozarella, and pesto in a grilled panini. It's quite good, pretty big, and a decent value at $5.95. In fact, most of the sandwiches cost less than $6. The specialty sandwiches cost around $6, and the design-your-own sandwiches are a bit cheaper, around $4-$5.

They also sell several hot dishes, which they call Blue Plate Specials. I've never tried one, so I can't comment on them, but if they are anything like the sandwiches, they will probably be pretty tasty.

The cafe also sells a variety of baked goods and fancy looking cakes. I've never ordered one, but they sure look nice.

I've also ordered cappuccinos and coffees there. The drinks are pretty good. According to my officemate, "Not as good as Starbucks, but pretty close." They also carry a pretty large variety of exotic teas, such as Morrocan Mint and Earl Grey. For those of us that work in the industrial part of Cambridgeport where there are virtually no restaurants around, it's a welcomed relief to have such a nice cafe within a couple minutes walk.

Pacific Street Cafe
70 Pacific Street
Cambridge, MA

Legal Seafoods

Jun 13, 2007 ·

This restaurant is near iconic in Boston, and is a "must visit" for Boston tourists and residents alike. Not only that, it has many locations throughout the city. Accordingly, I'm assuming every person who is reading this blog has eaten at Legal Seafood at least once, if not 10 times.

Thus, instead of giving a whole review on the restaurant, I will just comment on ways I like to enjoy Legal's without spending a fortune.

Lunch
Lunch is a great time to go to Legal's because the prices for a lot of the dishes are significantly lower. A favorite of ours is the tuna burger ($12.50). Tuna fish is ground up with spices and hot peppers into a flavorful spicy burger which is grilled. I also like to order the Alaskan Butterfish appetizer, which comes with a side of seaweed salad. The fish itself is buttery and sweet, and is prepared in an Asian fashion, not unlike Ming Tsai's famous miso-fish dish at Blue Ginger. I like this one because the portion size is relatively small, the flavor is awesome, and the price isn't too bad ($10.95). I also like the blackened raw tuna sashimi ($13.50), which is like eating sashimi that has been ever-so-lightly seared. It's the closest thing I can get to sushi here.

I once ordered the "Mediterranean salmon" off of the lunch menu, which is grilled salmon with a falafel crust. It was OK, but I wasn't terribly impressed. I've also heard that their fried clams are amazing, and the lobster roll is really good as well. As I've never had these, I can't really personally comment on them.

Raw Bar
Another fun thing to try are their raw oysters. We've enjoyed getting an assortment to try. Their oysters are fresh and very good. One surprisingly good value is the "Treasures of the Reef" which costs $29.95. It includes an entire boiled lobster, about 8 cocktail shrimp, ~6-8 mussels, and 6-8 raw oysters (various different kinds). Considering that a lobster alone probably costs around $20, this is an excellent deal.

Classics
Of course, the clam chowder is excellent, and the fish is always good. The salads are actually pretty good as well, and the mixed drinks are yummy, even though not cheap. They have some interesting drinks made from champagne, yum!

P.F. Chang's

Jun 13, 2007 ·

This restaurant has been around a long time in Boston (near the theater district) and I'd never tried it before. More recently, about two months ago, a new P.F. Chang's opened up at the Prudential Center in Back Bay. I went there with two other friends last week.

I was not sure what to expect. They market themselves as a "Chinese Bistro." I had my suspicions. Could a place that had things such as "lettuce wraps," "almond cashew chicken" and "salad with gorgonzola and walnuts" have good Chinese food?

I was pleasantly surprised, actually. True, they gave us brown rice as default, which is quite un-Chinese. However, the food was quite tasty and the prices were surprisingly reasonably, especially considering the ambiance of the place and the location.

We ordered three dishes: Spicy Ground Chicken and Eggplant ($9.50), Tam's Noodles with Savory Beef and Shrimp ($14) -- (translation - Chinese rice cakes), and Spinach stir-fried with Garlic ($5).

All three dishes were very good. I was especially surprised at the portion size of the $5 spinach dish - it was equivalent to the size of the other two dishes, and the flavor was delicious. The addition of sesame oil and white pepper to the garlic and spinach made for a perfect dish. The eggplant dish was very flavorful - spicy and fragrant. It was a bit oily, although that is to be expected of most eggplant dishes in Chinese restaurants, as eggplants are sponges for oil. The rice cakes were fine - nothing extraordinary, but pretty decent.

Over all, the total we paid (including tax and tip) was only $36, a pretty good value for a nice, sit-down dinner at the Prudential Mall. Also, there's validated parking at the Prudential Center Garage if you eat here.

Monica's Restaurant

Jun 13, 2007 ·

Monica's is a family owned establishment in the North End, and is our favorite restaurant in the North End.
The family that owns Monica's actually owns three establishments in the area. Monica's restaurant is the most upscale of the three. They recently remodeled the interior and added a whole new sitting area and a bar, which means it's easier than before to get a seat. There's also Monica's Trattoria, which offers a slightly more simple menu and a more casual atmosphere. Finally, there is a store, which sells their homemade sauces, fresh pasta, freshly baked bread, and a whole variety of Italian imported food.

The food at Monica's is top notch. They make fresh pasta on the premises, they use all fresh ingredients, and the flavors are absolutely amazing. They also have a good wine selection, and the waitstaff is very knowledgeable about both the dishes and the wines.

Appetizers
On this past trip, my favorite appetizer was the truffle mushroom salad ($22). A special for the night, the dish consists of a variety of different wild mushrooms sauteed and tossed together with truffle oil and salt. The result? Each bite burst with a complex concert of flavors from the wild mushrooms. The dish was absolutely heavenly. Bryan's favorite appetizer (off the regulary menu) is the Involtini di prosciutto e provoline al forno.

Provolone cheese, prosciutto, and tomato slices are baked in layers with basil oil and roasted red peppers. The appetizer is really good. My favorite appetizer off the regular menu is any bruschetta that they have. They pan grill the bread with olive oil and then put fresh, seasonal ingredients on top. The combination of the crusty, olive-oil infused bread with the fresh tomatoes (or mushrooms) on top is delicious.

Pastas

We almost always order pasta when we go, since that is one of Bryan's favorite foods of all times. We've been happy with everything we've ordered, in general.

July 2009 Update

We ordered the seafood with fresh linguini, shown above, which was excellent. Fresh, seafood flavors permeated the dish. And of course, the texture of the fresh pasta was incredible.

This past time Bryan and I ordered the special of the night, which was paper thin pasta tossed with truffle oil and sliced truffles. The dish was quite light (no meat), and very expensive (unpleasant surprise of finding out it was $38 a dish!), although pretty good. I have realized, however, that even though I LOVE things flavored with truffle oil, I think that truffles are only OK. They don't have that much flavor, in my opinion.

I've also ordered the gnocchi there. Bryan thought it was pretty good, although I thought it was a bit mushy and soft. I personally like a much chewier gnocchi - sort of like mochi or Chinese rice cakes. I've only been able to find one restaurant in Boston whose fresh gnocchi has the right chewy consistency that I like (Umbra). In general, I actually like frozen gnocchi better (such as the ones they serve at Il Panino Express or sell at Harvest COOP in the freezer section). So strange so strange.

Update: July 2009
Perhaps my tastes have changed, but I really enjoyed my gnocchi this time around. The texture was soft but definitely had a bit of a "bite." The sauce, a simple veal Bolognese, was perfect.

Over all, Monica's is an excellent restaurant in the North End. We think it beats out most of the competition (and we've tried a lot of restaurants in the North End!). We've highly recommended it to others, and everyone who has tried it loves it and continues to return. Definitely try to go out there for a special occasion!

P.S. They will validate parking at the Central Artery Garage (up to 3 hours for only $3!) That's cheaper than taking the T round trip! Plus you can stop by a pastry shop on the way home.

Originally posted June 13, 2007; Updated July 2009

Dabin

Jun 10, 2007 ·

Dabin is a Japanese/Korean Restaurant (seemingly staffed and owned by Chinese) in Lexington Center. I've only been there for lunch, so I can't really comment on the dinner menu.

Dabin is usually pretty empty during lunch on a Saturday, so it's a good place to go with a larger party. You will most likely be seated right away.

My favorite dish at Dabin currently is Chirashi. It only costs $13 and comes with a generous assortment of items on top of the roe-speckled sushi rice. My bowl of chirashi contained shrimp, tuna, salmon, tamago (egg), octopus, and crab stick. I thought the sushi rice mixed with tiny roe (fish eggs) tasted really good, and the toppings were really good as well.

I've also had the dosolt Bibimbop (bibimbop in a hot, stone bowl) which was very tasty.

Over all, a pretty good Japanese/Korean restaurant in Lexington.

Cafe Sushi

Jun 10, 2007 ·

Cafe Sushi is a sushi-focused restaurant on the edge of Harvard Square on Mass Ave, about a 5-minute walk from our home. One of its best kept secrets is the $1/piece Sushi special on Sunday nights. This makes Cafe Sushi one of the cheapest sushi places around (cheaper than Bluefin at Porter Square) and it serves very good sushi.

The restaurant is owned by Japanese people (unlike places such as Fugakyu, Ginza, and even Oishii!). It truly focuses on sushi, as it does not even offer a lot of other typical Japanese dishes, such as tonkatsu, curry rice dishes, and tempura. The restaurant also offers a few hot dishes, such as grilled fish, grilled meat, and various bento boxes.

As for the sushi, the fish slices are not particularly thick. I would equate the sushi to Bluefin. However, the ambiance is fun, the food is delicious, and the prices are cheaper (at least on Sundays, which is the only time we ever go). We've stopped going to Bluefin ever since they remodeled, raised their prices, and charge money for parking.

I really can't comment on any of the other dishes at Cafe Sushi, because we only order sushi when we go. If you're ever in the neighborhood on a Sunday, I would recommend checking this place out.

Qingdao Garden

Jun 10, 2007 ·

Wow, I'm falling behind on the food blogging. It's time to catch up.

Qingdao Garden is a small Northern Chinese restaurant in north Cambridge between Porter Square and Arlington on Mass Ave. We had heard that they had good dumplings, and thus decided to give it a try.

Conclusion: the dumplings are good, the appetizer we got was excellent, but we were disappointed with the stir-fry dish we ordered. We ordered a couple orders of dumplings - a vegetarian spinach dumpling, a pork and leek dumpling, and also their namesake dish, Qingdao Fried dumplings. We also ordered a pork, tofu, and vegetable stir-fry and a cold cucumber salad.

The cucumber salad was excellent. Slices of fresh cucumber tossed with a sesame-oil based sauce and garnished with cilantro. We both really enjoyed that dish a lot.

The dumplings were cheap (about $5 for 12 dumplings) and quite good. I liked how the vegetarian ones were flavorful without feeling too heavy. The meat ones were OK as well. We both agreed that the pan-fried dumplings were better than the boiled ones. The pan fried dumplings are among the best in Boston (which, according to Bryan, is not saying much - I guess he's comparing with California).

The stir-fried tofu and vegetable dish was uneventful. The flavor was a bit boring (salty soy-based gooey sauce) and the dish was a bit oily. We packed it up to go but ended up throwing it out because neither of us really felt like eating it.

Finally, the service was only average. There was only one waitress working at the time, which translated to slow service at times. The clincher for me occurred when I observed the following thing: We had opened the top of our teapot to signal that our tea had gotten cold and we wanted some hot tea. I watched the waitress go into the kitchen, pour the rest of our cold tea into the common tea maker, and then pour out some hot tea from the same container for us. I was a little grossed out by that.

Over all, Bryan said the food wasn't good enough for him to travel "so far" to eat there.

Oh well, it was worth a try.

FuLoon Restaurant

May 22, 2007 ·

On Friday night, based on my sister's recommendation, my parents, my sister and her husband, Bryan and I trekked out to Malden to check out this restaurant.

Our conclusion? The chefs at FuLoon know what they are doing. The food is authentic and expertly prepared. The local Chinese population attests to this - over three quarters of the diners were Asian. The restaurant specializes in a type of Chinese cuisine with which I am not as familiar - it's not your typical Cantonese fare.

We ordered a Jingdu pork pancake, a twist on the normal scallion pancake. Instead of scallions, the pancake is filled with little bits of ground pork. Most people thought this was very good.

FuLoon also makes an excellent Madarin style whole fish. The entire fish is lightly dusted with cornstarch, deep-fried, and covered with a flavorful sauce. The dish was well executed - the fish stayed crunchy while the sauce coated and flavored the individual fish pieces. This dish was several people's favorite dish out of all the ones that we ordered.

We enjoyed the stir-fried congxin tsai (hollow heart vegetable) with garlic, which was expertly executed.

Bryan suggested ordering the tea-smoke duck, which is one of his favorite dishes. The "smoke" flavor in this duck was particularly strong. My brother in law remarked that it smells like someone started smoking and blew the cigarette fumes onto the duck. I'm not sure if it was THAT strong, but the smoke flavor was definitely VERY intense. Bryan thought it was tasty. My mother (who eats pretty light in general) thought the dish was too salty.

The waitress had recommended the homestyle steamed pork shoulder, saying that it was one of their specialties. I actually did not try this dish, but several people thought the flavor was a bit bland and that they had tasted better versions of this dish in other restaurants.

Over all, the food at this restaurant was good. If you're in the area and you're craving some good Chinese food, it's definitely worth the visit. The food is authentic, refreshingly different, and well prepared. I've been told to order off the Chinese menu (the one with all the pictures). Apparently they also serve a lunch buffet, which is more Americanized and not as good.

http://fuloon-restaurant.com/default.aspx

Stone Hearth Pizza

May 22, 2007 ·

Stone Hearth Pizza was started by two MBA students last year. With an aim to reach the "underserved suburban markets," Stone Hearth Pizza has opened up in Sudbury, Needham, and Belmont. They buy fresh, local ingredients from nearby farms.

We went there recently with Bryan's parents to visit his aunt, who lives in Needham. We shared 5 pizzas were all very pleased with the food. The thin-crust pies are individual sized (they fit on a plate) and are quickly fired in the brick oven. What emerges is a delightfully crispy pizza topped with farm fresh ingredients. Many people picked as their favorite pizza the asparagus, arugula, and mushroom pizza (a special of the day). Another favorite was the "farm fresh" pizza, which contains fresh, local vegetables from the farm. Our farm fresh pizza had artichokes, roasted red peppers, arugula, tomatoes, and fresh mozarella cheese.

The restaurant has a decent choice of wine, beer, and even sparking wine as well (which is what I ordered). They also sell pizano (similar to a calzone) and gelato.

We enjoyed all the pizzas that we ordered at Stone Hearth. Although Bryan said he still liked Upper Crust better (and I agree), we still agreed that the pizza was very good and that if we were in the area, we would definitely return.

New Ginza

May 22, 2007 ·

We went to New Ginza this weekend with the extended family, who were here for my graduation this past weekend. It was a great dining experience, and I will definitely return.

Many members of my family ordered the Bento box, which was a steal at $16.95. Included in the Bento box are a bowl of miso soup, two skewers with grilled meat (beef and chicken), a salad, 5 pieces of sashimi (tuna and salmon), a few pieces of shrimp tempura, a California roll, pickled vegetables, and ice cream. I tried the salmon sashimi from the bento box (hee hee, neither my sister nor mom eat sashimi, so I helped them out 😉 and it was very fresh and tasty.

Bryan and I also ordered several different maki rolls. Ginza has several unusual and inventive rolls that you won't see anywhere else. For example, we ordered the Super Crazy Maki Roll, which had raw fish, cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, and several other ingredients (which I can't remember) all wrapped in a thin daikon sheet. All the maki rolls were expertly made and all were delicious.

The green tea ice cream that came with the bento box was good. We tried to order the fried ice cream, but unfortunately, they had run out.

Over all, I would highly recommend this restaurant. The prices were reasonable - typical for a nicer sushi restaurant.

The Garden at the Cellar

May 15, 2007 ·

update: click here for an updated post on this restaurant from 2009

Tonight Bryan and I tried out a new local restaurant and we both absolutely LOVED it. This falls into the category of a Basta Pasta type discovery. It's THAT good, and truly still one of the best kept secrets of Cambridge, I think. Best thing is, the prices are very reasonable for the quality of food, and the restaurant is about a 3 minute walk from our house.

The chef, Will Gilson, previously worked at Oleana (one of Zagat's 10 best restaurants in Boston for food) before coming to cook for The Garden at the Cellar. If you've been to Oleana, you may notice haunting similarities in the way the menu is set up. For example, there are small plates (like the pret a manger at Oleana), normal appetizers, salads, pizzas, and main entrees. The Garden is different in that the focus seems to be less Mediteranean and more of an eclectic mix with an American comfort food focus. For example, you can add a grilled cheddar sandwich to any of the soups for an additional $2.

Beet Salad

The food is excellent. As a start, Bryan ordered the pureed carrot soup with the grilled cheddar sandwich. The soup was very good, and portion size was enormous - probably about double a typical bowl size. We easily shared the soup and the grilled cheese sandwich, which was perfectly grilled and oozing with flavorful cheese.

Bryan ordered the grilled hangar steak (which comes over a bed of pureed parsnips and sauteed spinach). He said that the steak was expertly cooked (medium rare) and had good flavor. The portion size for that too, was very generous, and Bryan was only able to eat about half.

Oh, but I left out the best part! The rosemary truffle fries that came with the steak. Both Bryan and I agreed that these were the best French fries either of us had ever eaten in our lives! Not only was the texture perfect, the flavors were incredible. Truffle oil and rosemary is an absolutely delectable combination. Each fry, infused with this fragrant blend of flavors, provided a near-euphoric experience with each bite. We could not stop eating the fries. Bryan even decided to stop eating his steak to finish off the fries.

I decided to get the sample platter of the appetizers. Out of the four I ordered, the home-made tater tots were by far the most interesting. Unlike a typical tater tot, Gilson's tater tots are crunchy golf balls with creamy and fluffy insides. Imagine bighting into a lightly golden fried pillow of mashed potatoes.

I also ordered the parsnip puree, which was very flavorful and intense. Parsnips are naturally quite fragrant and sweet. When pureed with butter, the combination tastes almost as rich as caramel buttered popcorn. I thought it was delicious, although a bit heavy. I also ordered the roasted beats, which were fresh, flavorful, and good. Finally, I ordered the sauteed Swiss chard. I was not especially impressed with this dish. It reminded me of the collard greens that I've ordered at places like Cracker Barrel - overcooked leafy greens that resembled boiled vegetables sitting in a film of oil. It was OK, but not something I'd order again.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Over all, we thought the food here was absolutely amazing. Most of the appetizers range from $3-$10, the pizzas (flatbreads) are $10-$12, and the entrees are $18-$20. All in all, very reasonable prices for truly exquisite cuisine. If nothing else, go sit at the bar, order beer on tap, and get the French fries, which cost less than $5.

Boston Globe Review

Sandrine's Bistro

May 15, 2007 ·

Sandrine's Bistro is a French restaurant tucked away on one of the side streets in Harvard Square. We decided to go there because Bryan felt like having a nice, relaxing meal after our four hour walk from Lexington, MA.

It was Mother's Day, and thus the menu was Prix fixe only. I finally decided to order the lobster risotto with truffles as my entree and scallops ceviche (raw but "cooked" in vinegar or citrus juice). Bryan ordered the truffle foie gras appetizer and the grilled rack of lamb.

Appetizer
The food was very good. The warm French bread was crusty on the outside but soft on the inside. I couldn't stop eating it, even though I knew I was ruining my appetite. For a French restaurant, the serving sizes were very generous. I probably had about 25 baby scallops in my scallops ceviche. The scallops tasted fresh and had good texture. Bryan's foie gras was also the biggest foie gras I had ever seen at a restaurant. It was about ¾ inch thick and the size of a piece of toast. It came with a couple slices of toasted bread. I don't like foie gras, and personally, I couldn't taste the truffles. However, Bryan thought it was pretty good.

Main Entree
My lobster risotto was also very well made. Again, the portion sizes were very generous. My risotto was filled with fresh lobster meat and covered with slices of truffles. Although I was hoping for a stronger truffle flavor, the flavors in this dish were actually well balanced and blended together nicely. Bryan's lamb was also tasty, grilled to perfection.

Dessert
Dessert was heavenly. Bryan ordered the lemon tarte. Visually, it looked like the lemon tarts that I often see at company events catered by a hotel. However, this lemon tart was surprisingly different, and much better. The lemon portion of the tart was light and fluffy, not dense and custard-like. It was almost like eating clouds of cream bursting with lemon-y citrus bliss coupled with pieces of buttery cookie-crust. I liked it so much, I kept stealing some from Bryan. I ordered the flourless chocolate cake, which is similar to the molten chocolate cake offered at many fancy restaurants. The cake here was excellent. The center was warm and slightly gooey, and the cake itself had a dark rich flavor that wasn't too sweet. It was perfect. I couldn't stop eating my own dessert either! Again, back to what I said about generous portions, this was probably the largest molten chocolate cake I had ever seen in a fancy restaurant. Nevertheless, we polished off both desserts without a problem. We also both had coffee, which was good. It matched the desserts perfectly.

I guess it was a good thing we walked 10 miles that day. Otherwise, we'd be feeling pretty guilty about this excellent meal that we had.

Oleana

May 12, 2007 ·

We went to Oleana semi-spontaneously last Wednesday night after I received the letter saying that I had passed the Bar exam. Zagat's Survey recently rated Oleana as one of the top ten restaurants in Boston for food.

As there were no reservations available until after 9 PM, we decided to go sit at the bar. Unlike at Chez Henri (to be reviewed later), the "bar" at Oleana consists only of the stools surrounding the bar. (At Chez Henri the "bar" is a separate adjoining room that has a bar, but also includes several tables at which one can sit). Not knowing this, I sat down at a table in the room with the bar for several minutes before a waiter, upon finding out that I had no reservation, politely showed me the bar stools.

The food was, as always, absolutely excellent. Oleana's dinner menu is divided into several categories: Pret a Manger (small, snack-like appetizers, $4-$5), Appetizers ($10-$12), Grains or Greens ($8/$15), and Main Entrees ($23-$26). Additionally, they have a Vegetarian Tasting Menu, which consists of 5 mini-dishes and a dessert. They are famous for their Baked Alaska dessert.

Being one who loves variety, I decided to ordered the vegetarian tasting platter. The chef chooses the five vegetarian plates at her whim. These five items from the menu, and could be chosen from the pret a mangers, appetizers, or side dishes on the menu. Bryan ordered the special of the day, which was a parmesan encrusted pork loin with a fava and beet salad on the side. He also ordered an appetizer, the Walnut & Sesame Fatayer (a flat bread) with Homemade Mozzarella & Rhubarb Jam.

My 5 "mezzes" were absolutely excellent. I had two favorites. The first was the Asparagus, Green Almond Pesto, and Fava Puree appetizer. The asparagus was lightly grilled, and together with the pesto and the fava puree, created a perfect blend of flavors with each bite.

We also really liked my first course, which I think was the Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers. This spread was creamy and spicy and utterly addictive. It came with crackers, and we could not stop eating it. Very tasty albeit a bit salty. I would definitely eat it with bread.

I also got the Warm Organic Kalamata Olives with Rigani & Sesame Seeds, which was good.

My other two courses, Spinach Falafel, Tahini, Yogurt with Beets & Mâche and a rice noodle dish were my least favorite. The falafel was fine, although I did not think it tasted any better than a falafel from a food truck. In fact, it was a bit mushy and cold, so arguably not as good.

The rice noodle dish was weird. It was a fusion of normal rice noodles, but with an interesting flavor that I actually can't remember. All I could remember thinking was - I miss the fried rice noodles from the Taiwanese restaurants.

Bryan's pork was very well made - the inside was juicy and tender and the parmesan crust was delicious. The fava and beet salad also tasted fresh, healthy, and flavorful.

Over all, this is an excellent restaurant and a good place to try some innovative Mediterranean food. This is probably my third time at the restaurant, but I would gladly go back again and I definitely recommend going.

Note - the Deviled Eggs with Tuna & Black Olives is one of their most famous "Prets" (Pret a Manger) and is surprisingly really good. If it's your first time, you should order that. Oh, and if you like spicy, you should get the Whipped Feta with Sweet & Hot Peppers! Make sure to finish with the baked Alaska!

Il Panino Express {NOW CLOSED}

May 1, 2007 ·

Il Panino Express is a casual, Italian restaurant right across the street from our condo. The food is fast, consistently good, and cheap. If we're short on time, it's definitely our favorite place to eat. You order food at the counter and then they call your name when it's ready - which is usually within 5 minutes. There's usually plenty of seating available.

Sandwiches
Their sandwiches are very good only cost $5.95. Their namesake sandwich, the Il Panino, contains proscuitto (imported from Italy), tomatoes, basil, and fresh homemade mozarella. It is probably the sandwich I order the most often. If you're vegetarian, you can opt for the Il Panino Lady, which omits the proscuitto. Their chicken parmesan sub is awesome - probably my favorite chicken parm sandwich in the city. The tomato sauce that accompanies the breaded chicken is fresh and not too acidic, adding balanced moisture to the sandwich. The chicken is piping hot and also tender and juicy. It's truly an amazing sandwich.

Salads
We always get the same salad when we go - the tomato basil and mozarella salad (Insalata Caprese at other restaurants). It's a simple salad - sliced tomatoes, fresh basil leaves, their own fresh homemade mozarella slices, and olive oil. I absolutely love their mozarella. Sometimes I wish the tomatoes were a bit more ripe - it feels like they use hard, refrigerated tomatoes. Besides that, however, the salad is quite enjoyable.

Pizzas
They also have excellent pizzas. We actually slightly prefer their pizzas to those at Basta Pasta, another restaurant that we love. Our favorite pizza is the artichoke, proscuitto, and mushroom pizza.

Pastas and Main Dishes
Of course, the hot dishes are excellent. Our favorite meat dish is the veal calabresello, which is breaded veal, spinach, and fontina cheese cooked with a fragrant marsala sauce over pasta. It's very flavorful. We also like the pesto gnocchi a lot. The texture of the gnocchi is nice and chewy and the pesto sauce has good flavor. They also offer a variety of seafood, such as clams, mussels, and shrimp. We've had the mussels with liguini, which was good.

Their lunch specials are usually a good value at $6.25. Bryan will often get those when he is working from home.

Over all, Il Panino is a great place to get good food at a great value. Although they don't have fresh pasta nor waitstaff, we still enjoy going there because the dishes are tasty, the food comes quickly, and the prices are very reasonable . . . oh, and it's a 3 minute walk from our house. 😛

Basta Pasta

Apr 29, 2007 ·

Basta Pasta is a small, "hole in the wall" Italian place that I would have called a best kept secret a year ago, except now the word has really gotten out. The restaurant sits on Western Avenue close to the intersection with Putnam Avenue in Cambridgeport. An Italian flag with the word "OPEN" hangs right outside the door inviting customers inside. The restaurant is small, containing only 3 booths and 3 tables.

The restaurant is owned by Reno and Altin Hoxallari, brothers from Albania. Reno spent about 10 years working in some of Boston's well known high end restaurants before finally deciding to branch out on his own. His attention to detail and insistence on fresh ingredients is apparent in all the food at Basta Pasta. The Hoxallaris roast all their own peppers (nothing from cans or jars!), create their own soups from scratch, make their own dressing (the Caesar salad dressing is excellent), and cook all the pasta dishes one at a time to order. The proscuitto is imported from Italy, and the hamburgers are freshly made on the spot from ground beef. French fries are created from hand-cut potatoes.

If you're lucky, they will be featuring a special. Reno creates amazing specials, dishes reminiscent of the type he used to make in the fancy restaurants across the river. These dishes are usually priced well under $20 - truly a steal at that price. Examples of specials we've had include meat dishes, such as roasted leg of lamb with broccoli rabe and risotto and roasted duck with mashed potatoes and asparagus; pasta dishes, such as homemade lobster ravioli, pasta with shrimp and tomatoes and pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe; and seasonal dishes, such as butternut squash risotto.

If there is no special that day, ("everything's special!" according to Altin) you can still order off the regular menu. Most of the regular dishes range between $6-$11. The sandwiches are around $6 and the pizzas around $10. These dishes are excellent. Homemade fresh pasta is usually our favorite option. Our favorites include the squash olives (fresh pasta tossed with a lot of garlic, olive oil, arugula, tomatoes, and olives), the bolognese (meat sauce), and the baked stuffed eggplant (layers of thinkly sliced eggplant baked with spinach, breading, and cheese - excellent dish). The chicken with broccoli dish with olive oil is also delicious - we often ask them to add a little bit of hot pepper flakes to it to make it spicy. We also love the arancini (deep fried risotto balls filled with cheese) and the calamari (not fried - squid stewed in a flavorful tomato sauce). Many of our friends rave about the garlic bread. The pizzas are also very good. They have several creative flavors, including a proscuitto and gouda pizza and also a pesto chicken pizza.

We love this place and go at least once a week. We will often order food for dinner gatherings as well. They cater and are actually able to make food for several hundred people. They are very willing to tailor any dish according to your preferences. As an example, we went with a Singaporean friend who really liked spicy food. Reno and Altin whipped out their hottest pepper that they had imported from Japan. The dish was super spicy but very flavorful - our Singaporean friend was happy, although sweating quite a bit during the meal!

You might ask if there are any negatives to this place. Well, they don't serve alcohol (so no wine with dinner), and they don't have ice. Drinks come from a refrigerator that contains a variety of bottled drinks (Coke, San Pellegrino, Nantucket Nectars, Aquafina). If the drinks happen not to be very cold, there's no ice to solve the problem. The general everyday menu does not include a lot of the seafood dishes you would typically expect at a North End restaurant, such as mussels, clams, shrimp, and fish.

Over all, however, the restaurant is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. The atmosphere is casual. You go up to the counter, order your food, and then pick it up from the counter when they call your name. You essentially bus your own table and get your own drinks. We continue to return because we think it's totally worth it for the food. Did I mention that we didn't visit the North End for over a year after we discovered this place?

Other reviews of Basta Pasta
Boston Globe Restaurant Review
Boston Globe "Short Orders"
Boston Globe "Two for $20"

Texas Roadhouse

Apr 29, 2007 ·

Texas Roadhouse is located in the parking area in Everett near the Home Depot, Costco, and Target that we like to visit. The first thing you hear when you walk towards the restaurant is loud, lively country music. Large signs on the door warn "peanuts and peanut powder everywhere!" As you look around, it become apparent why the warnings are necessary. Each table contains a metal bucket brimming with peanuts with the shell. Peanut shells are strewn throughout the old, wooden floor. The ambiance is loud. Multiple TVs blast the Red Sox / Yankees game on TV while wait staff bustle around. After waiting about 15 minutes, we were seated. As we walked to our seats, we saw a line of waitresses dancing a choreographed country jig.

Texas Roadhouse clearly specializes in steak. At the front of the restaurant sits a large glass counter which contains rows and rows of raw beef cuts. The menu contains several steak selections, such as rib eye, prime rib, filet minion (called the Dallas Filet), steak tips, and sirloin. They also have other food, such as ribs, country fried chicken, roasted chicken, grilled salmon, and even a veggie platter, which consists of your choice of any four sides. The back of the menu contains burgers and sandwiches. There is also a sizable drink menu, especially beer.

Bryan ordered the 10 oz rib eye. Most of the steaks come in multiple sizes, such as 10 oz, 12 oz, and 16 oz. His first comment was, "this is surprisingly good for the price." Accordingly to Bryan, most cheaper steak houses will not actually cook meat "medium rare" when he orders it that way. They tend to overcook the meat. Here, the meat was perfectly medium rare and quite flavorful. The vegetable sides were also surprisingly good. The medley of cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots was not overly mushy and subtly flavored with a bit of butter and salt. The broccoli was slightly over cooked, but over, not bad. We ordered sides such as baked sweet potato, baked potato, chili and Caesar salad. I thought the chili and Caesar salad were rather average. The baked potatoes were fine, although how hard is it to bake a potato?

Over all, our meal (including two Corona's) was only $33. A pretty good value. We would definitely recommend this as a place to go if you happen to be shopping in the area and are hungry. The place is popular, but they do allow you do call ahead and put your name down on the waiting list, which is nice.

Dom's

Apr 29, 2007 ·

We went to Dom's tonight. It's a restaurant right off of Salem Street in the North End. We decided to go there because Zagat's gave it a 26 rating for food It also seemed to have plenty of seating available right away.

Over all, we thought it was pretty good. Dom's has an extensive menu. All of their pasta dishes come in two different sizes. Appetizer portions, which range from $9-$12, and entree portions, which average about $20. The entrees come with free salad and home baked bread. We decided to order a baked eggplant appetizer (baked eggplant, fontina cheese, and tomato sauce). We then ordered four appetizer sized pastas to share. Dom's has a wide variety of pastas from which to choose. For each dish, one can choose from a selection of dried pastas or fresh, homemade pastas. Since Bryan is a HUGE fan of fresh pasta, we only ordered fresh pasta. There was a choice of tagliatelle (a wide flat noodle), gnocchi (potato dumplings), or fusilli (coiled pasta). We ordered a 4-mushroom marsala-based fusilli, gnocchi with pesto, tagliatelle with meat-enhanced red gravy (Sugho di Pomodoro), and a lasagna-liked layered pasta dish with cheese, spinach, and a cream sauce. We both agreed that the fusilli was excellent. The texture of the noodle was perfectly al dente and the flavor of the mushrooms with the marsala sauce was excellent. The dish seemed to burst with flavor, yet it was not overpowering.

Bryan labeled the Sugho di Pomodoro as his second favorite, and I would agree. The sauce had a nice, smoky flavor and the meatballs were good. The tagliatelle was definitely homemade, although it was a bit overcooked and slightly soft - not al dente. When Bryan tried the gnocchi, he said, "it's definitely homemade, but I like Il Panino's better." He was referring to the Italian joint that we frequent near our home. The gnocchi was rather soft and had a bit of a grainy texture - kind of like mashed potatoes. I guess both Bryan and I prefer chewy gnocchi. The pesto sauce was pretty good. It had a fresh basil flavor and was slightly creamy. Finally, Bryan thought the layered pasta dish was pretty good. I'm not a big fan of cream sauces in general, so I didn't really like it.

The appetizer portion sizes are rather generous. For me, that portion would be more than plenty for a meal. Remember, you have to save room for dessert in the North End, whether it be at Modern Pastry, Mike's Pastry, or Cafe Vittoria's!

They have a decent wine list and also offer several types by the glass. Bryan ordered a house chianti and thought it was good.

Over all, we decided that the food was fine, but nothing to write home about. If I were to go a second time, I would probably just order the appetizer portion of the mushroom marsala dish and a glass of wine. I'd then save room for dessert at one of the cafes mentioned above.

Tiny Urban Kitchen in the Press and other Fun Activities

Jan 1, 2007 ·

Jennifer Che from Tiny Urban Kitchen - Photo by Lane Turner of the Boston Globe

March 24, 2015 - Featured on the front page of the Food Section in the Boston Globe "Tastes From Her Taiwanese Tradition"

Winner of Saveur Magazine's 2012 Best Food Blog Award
Best Restaurant /Dining Coverage

Grand Prize Winner of 2010 Project Food Blog: The Next Food Blog Star

15 Matcha Recipes That'll Help You Get In On This Trend - January 12, 2015
Halloumi Recipes: 9 Great Ways To Grill It - June 18, 2012
Chinese New Year Recipes That Will Bring You And Your Taste Buds Good Fortune - January 20, 2012

Get to Know Your BFBA Finalists April 17, 2012
Friday Cocktails, Citrus Saveur June 1, 2012

Nina Simonds on Celebrating the New Year Right January 21, 2012

"In the video, [Nina Simonds] and Jennifer Che from Tiny Urban Kitchen cook their way through some traditional Chinese new year dishes."

Blogger Spotlight: Tiny Urban Kitchen featured on CNN Eatocracy, June 28, 2010

Holy Eggplant, Is That the Pru? (article) December 16, 2010
Radio Boston Interview (listen) December 16, 2010
Boston: A Veggie Skyline December 13, 2010

Boston Globe: Battle of the Blogs November 16, 2010

Recipe Feature: Taiwanese Basil Chicken - September 2013 issue

Tiny Urban Kitchen is a Finalist for Saveur's Best Food Blog Awards Eater Boston, April 11, 2012

Watch Boston-based cookbook author and Chinese food authority Nina Simonds and Tiny Urban Kitchen's Jennifer Che make dumplings for Chinese New Year January 20, 2012

Tinyurbankitchen.com An Enormous Helping of Support

Photography
Jen's photography has also been featured in well-known publications such as Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Glamour.

A Special Chinese New Year Q &A with Jennifer Che, Founder of Tiny Urban Kitchen January 24, 2012

Workshop Speaker at 2012 and 2015 ITASA East Coast Conference

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University of Pennsylvania Feb 13-15, 2015

Georgia Tech, February 16-19, 2012

Jen Che Delights Readers with Her Tiny Urban Kitchen September 7, 2011

Wikipedia Entry
Tiny Urban Kitchen (added February 18, 2011)

Even the Web Can Be Delicious August 29, 2011

Time Magazine: 5 Ways to Get Oatmeal In Your Diet Deliciously October 29, 2010

(no longer available online)

Breakfast at your Desk: Have you ever had Dragon Fruit? April 2, 2010

5 Tasty Meals You Can Make with Taro January 29, 2012

Apartment Therapy

Make Eggs the Star: 5 Incredible Edible Egg Nests September 1, 2011

Featured as a "Delicious Link" for the following posts
Pizza flags December 3, 2010
Homemade hob nobs February 19, 2010
Indoor grilling September 16, 2009
Yogurt popsicles August 5, 2009

TasteSpotting

Pizza Food Flags of the World November 22, 2010

Food News Journal

"Best of Blogs" April 29, 2010

Smartblogs.com

June 4, 2010

When asked "Who are some of the top Foodbuzz bloggers?" Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, mentioned Tiny Urban Kitchen as one of the few blogs that he has "spent time on and enjoyed."

BostonZest

Tiny Urban Kitchen - Visit Our Friday Link

The Frisky
Play with Your Food Patriotically October 31, 2010

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (JSOnline)
Prevention Magazine; 'Kill It, Cook It, Eat It'; tinyurbankitchen.com January 11, 2011

The Foodie Blog Roll
Finest Foodies Friday Picks for October 23, 2009

ApartmentGuides.com
Top Five Apartment Cooking Blogs November 21, 2011

HelloKitty.fr
Recette : Hello Kitty aux céréales January 4, 2010

Online Degree Programs
100 Cooking Blogs for Students
100 Best Food Blogs for the Starving College Kid

Illusion360
Flag Pizzas October 30, 2010

Flavorwire.com
Tiny Urban Kitchen's Edible Pizza Flags October 28, 2010

Daring Kitchen

August 2009: Rice with mushrooms, cuttlefish and artichokes

October 2009 : Daring Cooks Challenge: Chicken Pho