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Blogston Proper is your thrice-weekly roundup of Hub-related food writing from all over the Internet. We read the blogs so you don't have to. But you should anyway, just to be nice.
•No more Hooters in New England! [Metaboston]
•Sort of kind of kosher food at Boston Public Meats! [Food Writer's Diary]
•Spanglish chatter at Viva Mi Arepa! [Universal Hub]
[Photo: Flickr: wallyg]
•MP: Chicago was quite the aesthete this week with looks at an a booze cruise spotlighting Chicago's architecture and a restaurant that shares its name with a very stylish chair.
•MP: Philadelphia found beauty in the everyday with some gorgeous fish and chips and the news that Starbucks will be introducing a line of salads, news that will be lovely to those who like to pick up their lunch with their morning cuppa.
•MP: San Francisco showcased some especially pulchritudinous olives and a stunning plan to help female culinary entrepreneurs.
Diner's Agenda is ready to set sail.
Friday, June 29
•There's something sort of fun about eating seafood on a boat, right? It sort of makes you feel like you're a big fish. No? Just us? Even if you're not overimaginative, tonight's Steak and Lobster Dinner cruise aboard the Schooner Liberty Clipper sounds pretty great. Feast on the fanciest of proteins (along with blueberry pie!) while sailing around the Hub. The ship sails at 6:00 and tickets, which cost $70, may be purchased by calling (617) 742-0333. [Liberty Fleet]
Saturday, June 30
•You know what we like even better than wine tastings? Free wine tastings. Show up at Brookline's Wine Gallery between 3:00 and 6:00 for a sampling of All-American wines. Patriotic! [Boston Magazine]
•After the tasting, why not stick around The Wine Gallery and attend a chocolate class taught by Caroline Yeh of Temper Chocolates at 7:00? It only costs $18! Call (617) 375-2255 to save your spot. [Temper Chocolates]
Sunday, July 1
•Have you been reading Diner's Agenda over the last few weekends and weeping quietly because you don't have a car and, thus, cannot attend any of the chowder cookoffs we've been mentioning each weekend? Cheer up! This weekend, as part of Harborfest, the 26th Annual Chowderfest will be taking place at City Hall Plaza from 11am-6pm. Admission costs a mere $10 for adults and $7 for children and no reservations are necessary. [Boston Harborfest]
Rialto gets B:
no longer simple enough
and too many peas.
Mmm, Petit Robert.
South Enders really love it
and you can as well.
Chef Frank McClelland
shares recipes for the Fourth.
They sound really good.
As we've all learned from the reaction to Top Chef's recent gourmet barbecue challenge, barbecue means very different things to different people. When we were growing up in Boston with parents from Michigan, we referred to any time the grill was set up as "having a barbecue." The first time we said as much to a Southern friend in college, they snapped rather firmly at us that what we meant was a cookout. A true barbecue, she informed us, involves slow-cooked succulent meats. We were just grilling. In the intervening years, we've had the opportunity to taste quite a bit of good Southern-style barbecue and, while we still enjoy a grilled hamburger as much as the next girl (and still refer to making said burger as barbecuing), we must in this case bow to the superiority of other parts of the country. Fortunately, it is still very possible to get great Southern-style barbecue in the Hub. Below, four of our favorite spots.
•Soul Fire Barbecue is certainly the best bet in Allston. Get a pulled pork platter delivered and enjoy it with a good strong beer. It's a meal that pairs well with watching Top Chef.
•The barbecue at Mitch's Traditional BBQ boasts a Cajun influence. Make sure to try the New Orleans BBQ shrimp.
•Redbones is thought by many to serve up the best 'cue in the area. Pair the authentic Southern barbecue with local New England ales for an exceptional match. Who'd have thunk it?
•We're a little reluctant to tell you this because we don't want the secret to get out, but what the hell, we're service-oriented, right? For our money, the best barbecue in Boston can be found at Roslindale's BBQ Town. The pulled pork sandwich is very near perfect: mindblowingly moist and tender meat on fluffy bread. Mmm. Tastes like summer.
[Photo: All Favorite Recipe]
La Verdad: the truth:
great by Lansdowne Street standards
but quite hit or miss.
The Boston Brickhouse:
simple, good food in Rozzy,
but needs more waiters.
Rocca's patio:
better than the restaurant,
at least as of yet.
Over the past few days, we've been following a thread on Chowhound with no small amount of interest. Two New York hounds just moved to Boston's Financial District and inquired about the city's best neighborhood restaurants. Dozens of posters stepped in offering their favorites. Several restaurants were mentioned by multiple posters with Neptune Oyster, Toro, East Coast Grill & Raw Bar, O Cantinho, Antico Forno, Franklin Cafe and Metropolis Cafe seeming to be the most popular. That's certainly a richly deserving list and enough to keep even the most dining-out-inclined foodie busy for a good while. We couldn't help, however, but think about a few of our favorite neighborhood restaurants: places that are cozy and intimate, have great service, and are worth a trip, but still appealingly area-centric. Here are our suggestions for a few of Boston's best.
•Not everyone is a fan of the communal seating at The Daily Catch, but we think it's more than worth it for the perfect black pasta and the best red sauce we've ever had. In a North End increasingly filled with either subpar, overpriced dishes or intensely sleek rooms, the crowded conviviality of The Daily Catch is wonderfully refreshing.
•Ten Tables is, to our mind, nearly a platonic ideal of a neighborhood restaurant. The service is stellar, the atmosphere is lively without being loud, and the seasonal and local food is sensational.
•We are very proud of our Roslindalian provenance and Sophia's Grotto is very much our favorite neighborhood spot in Rozzy. The outdoor courtyard is perfect at this time of year: a taste of a small town a mere fifteen minutes from Copley.
•No list of neighborhood restaurants in the Hub would be complete without at least one pub. We, and many of our friends, are awfully fond of Atwood's Tavern. There's little more relaxing than meeting up with some friends for hangar steak and one of the many beers on tap.
What do you think? What's your favorite neighborhood place?
NY Chowhounds just moved to Boston - what are your neighborhood favorites? [Chowhound]
[Photo: Boston Experiential Environmental Education Program Directory]
Yesterday, we received word that the Columbus Ave branch of small plate and wine emporium Piattini will be closing after Saturday. Few details were offered in the email, which simply states that the proprietors were "unexpectedly approached by someone interested in taking over the space." Owner Josephine Oliviero is not dismayed: "I’ve been so busy with our new projects that it made sense. This will allow me to concentrate on the expansion of the Newbury Street Piattini concept." The email further offers that new locations, as well as specialty food and import items are in the works.
We know what you're probably thinking. "What about Class in a Glass, Piattini's Monday wine tasting series that currently takes place at the Columbus Ave location?" Good question. At the moment, all Class in a Glass information has been taken off of the official site. When we called to ask, we were told that nothing would be decided until next week. For the sake of Boston oenophiles, we hope they continue the series. In the meantime, we guess we'll have to nibble on our carpaccio while staring at Newbury Street fashionistas instead of the South End baby brigade.
The South End's Rocca:
it's all "quite enjoyable"
but less than stunning.
Yum, La Sultana:
Colombian bakery
makes very good treats.
Hitachino Ale:
the prettiest of bottles
and the best of tastes.
Recently, we received what was either the best or worst fortune cookie message of all time. We were hoping for something as awesome as our two favorite fortunes of all time ("You will be invited to a karaoke party" and "Your stupidity will be your downfall") and found a little sheet of paper with the familiar pink lettering. It read, simply, "The weather is wonderful." The weather is wonderful? That, friends, is not a fortune. That is a non-predictive statement (not to mention a statement that was not even particularly true at the time, unless the writer meant that weather, in and of itself, is a marvelous thing). As we pondered what sort of person might have wanted to share their awe at the weather with us, we became curious about who writes fortune cookies. It was time for a mini-investigation.
As you probably already know, fortune cookies, though they are served almost exclusively in Chinese restaurants, have pretty much nothing to do with China. Although there are multiple theories on their origins, it is probable that they were invented in 1909 San Francisco by Makoto Hagiwara, a Japanese man. Although the world's largest manufacturer of fortune cookies briefly operated a factory in China, it closed quickly. As vice president Richard Leung opined, "Fortune cookies are too American a concept."
So who writes the messages in these American cookies? Turns out, it's a mixed group, including students, retirees, freelancers, and random employees of Wonton Foods. Now, if only we could find out who was so insistent on spreading their joy with the weather...
Fortune Cookie [Wikipedia]
The Secret History of Fortune Cookies [Columbia News Service]
Cookie Master [The New Yorker]
•...for a table at the Cheesecake Factory. [Platinum Elite]
•...for some ice cream from JP Licks. [Martin's Musings]
•...for the arrival of The Upper Crust to signify that the South End is truly over. [On Common Ground]
[Photo: Flickr: gmack24]
Oh, those crazy New York chefs! If it's not one thing, it's another! Today's entry in the Chronicles of Chef Craziness comes from the New York Times, which reports that chef Rebecca Charles of Pearl Oyster Bar is suing chef Ed McFarland of rival restaurant Ed's Lobster Bar for intellectual property infringement. Prior to opening Ed's Lobster Bar, Chef McFarland spent six years as the sous chef at Pearl Oyster Bar.
Chef Charles claims that Ed's Lobster Bar copies "each and every element" of Pearl Oyster Bar, right on down to the oyster crackers in the place settings. The charges are further detailed on Serious Eats, where Charles tells writer Ed Levine that "thirty-one of the 34 dishes on [McFarland's] menu are simply lifted from Pearl." Now. This is certainly a startling fact. However, a quick glance at the menus of both restaurants reveals that many of the dishes that McFarland allegedly "lifted" are seafood shack basics like clam chowder, PEI mussels with a dijon cream sauce, and lobster rolls. Is Summer Shack ripping off Pearl Oyster Bar as well? What about the entire state of Maine? Charles' case is further undermined by her major point of contention: that the "Ed's Caesar" item at Ed's is identical to her "Pearl's Caesar." The Times article reveals that not only has Charles not sampled McFarland's salad, but that she herself got the recipe from her mother who "extracted it decades ago from the chef at a long-gone Los Angeles restaurant." Hmmm.
We're inclined to agree with law professor Mike Madison, who thinks that Charles' case is "thin gruel." To mix our food metaphors, it seems awfully like a case of sour grapes. We have no doubt that what McFarland is doing is rightfully annoying to Charles, but it is by no means unlawful.
Chef Sues Over Intellectual Property (The Menu) [New York Times]
Pearl Oyster Bar [Official Site]
Ed's Lobster Bar [Official Site]
Rebecca Charles Is Mad As Hell and She's Not Going To Take It Anymore [Serious Eats]
All The IP You Can Eat [madisonian.net]
[Photo: Roadfood]
Diner's Agenda thinks wine and Wednesdays are a match made in heaven.
Wednesday, June 27
•We don't know if you've noticed, but it's really disgustingly hot and humid outside. Cool down at Sel De La Terre's Wine Wednesday at 7:00. This week, attendees will sample a variety of cool (both as in temperature and as in hipness) wines paired with a five course meal. Not too shabby for $45! A little birdie told us that there are only a few spots left, so call (617) 720-1300 to save your spot now! [Sel De La Terre]
Thursday, June 28
•Another hot and humid day. Some Belgian white beer would help cool things down a lot. What? What's that you say? You say there's a Blue Moon beer party at Lucky Strike Lanes? You say it's free and there will be prizes? And that it starts at 7:00 and there's no need to RSVP? Count us in! [Lucky Strike Lanes]
Summer dining guide:
sangria and patios
and markets, oh my.
Oxford Raspberry:
fruit beers are not just for girls,
speaketh the Ahlströms.
We have to be honest with you: even when we went home last night, we couldn't stop thinking about Jell-O. On the subway? Jell-O. While making some pasta? Jell-O. While watching last night's Big Love? Jell-O. To be fair, that last one could probably be attributed to the Wikipedia article we read alleging that heavily Mormon parts of the United States are known as the "Jello Belt."
Finally, we were able to contain our curiosity no longer. We logged onto YouTube hoping to find a video of someone eating celery Jell-O. Sadly, no such video was available. We were desolate for a moment until we found a video so baffling, so trippy, so flat-out weird that we simply had to share it. Behold, the characters from Disney's Alice in Wonderland shilling for the wiggly stuff.
Jell-O? Hell No! [MP: Boston]
Jello Belt [Wikipedia]
Alice in Wonderland Jello Commercial 1954 [YouTube: captainhowdydoody]
We've always had an unusually strong aversion to Jell-O. It's the wiggling. So creepy. We realize, however, that we're in the minority on this issue and that for most people, Jell-O is a cherished childhood food memory. That's fine. We're not entirely infallible on matters of the stomach. Just mostly.
We are willing to speculate that even the most devoted Jell-O enthusiast, however, would be hard pressed to defend celery-flavored Jell-O. This dastardly creation was introduced by Jell-O in the 1960s to be used in salads. Disgrossting!
This celery Jell-O business started us thinking. What other gross flavors of Jell-O have tried and failed to succeed in the marketplace? A quick glance at Wikipedia revealed that not only can one currently purchase egg custard flavored Jell-O pudding, but Jell-O has unsuccessfully tried to peddle gelatin in flavors like mixed vegetable, seasoned tomato, and our personal favorite, "Italian." Our curiosity piqued, we next headed to Flickr, to see whether we could see any of this in action. We cannot recommend doing a search for "gross jello" nearly enough. The winner? This stunning shot of a lime Jell-O creation stuffed with ham, celery, and pimento olives. Just think of it as your diet aid for the day.
Disgusting Flavors We Never Got a Chance to Love [Mental Floss]
Celery and Tomato Flavored Jell-O [Diet Blog]
Jell-O [Wikipedia]
Gross Jello [Flickr]
[Photo: Flickr: janespeed27]
When last we checked in with the debate regarding differences in the way that male and female chefs cook, the London Times was spouting a bunch of sexist nonsense and New York Times food critic Frank Bruni had been accused of being less than fair to women in the kitchen. Now, over a month later, Mike Weiss has published a provocative cover story in the San Francisco Chronicle's Sunday magazine looking at the differences between dishes produced by chefs of different genders.
White's story is much more thoughtful than the similarly-themed piece in the London Times. While the Times' Shiela Keating assumed automatically that female chefs are less innovative than those risk-taking chefs of the male persuasion, White examines why he tends to prefer meals cooked by women. Given that he is writing for the Chronicle, he focuses his investigation on the San Francisco cooking scene, which is, by all accounts, something of a haven for female chefs. During his exploration, Weiss visits chef and author Joyce Goldstein who opines that there are two kinds of cooks, "mama cooks," who aim to satisfy eaters, and "show-off cooks," who are there to dazzle you. Goldstein claims that while there are mama cooks of both sexes, show-off cooks tend to be exclusively male.
While its true that the most widely known show-off cooks (from Wylie Dufresne of wd-50 to Ferran Adria, the granddaddy of molecular gastronomy to Top Chef contestant Marcel Vigneron) are men, we find it doubtful that there are virtually no women interested in that sort of cooking. Our theory? Goldstein is correct that there are two types of chefs: those who aim to comfort and those who aspire to awe. Rather than being gendered divisions, however, we suspect that they're based on some combination of personality and philosophy. That's our theory, at least. What's yours?
What is it about the cooking of WOMEN CHEFS that makes it more memorable, more comforting than that of men? [San Francisco Chronicle]
Take the Serious Eats 'Mama' vs. 'Show-Off' Cook's Test [Serious Eats]
SF Chronicle on Women Chefs [Serious Eats]
Barstool Sports brings us the inspiring story of Wisconsin's Beer Belly Two, a two mile run to benefit children's charities. That sounds pretty good, right? Two miles isn't too terribly much of an overexertion and everyone likes helping the little ones. But wait! It gets so much better. Rather than downing glasses of water and/or sports drinks, participants chug beer along the way. Awesome! Racer Doug Burmeister expected to take an hour to complete the race since "you know, there's a lot of beer stops." Another participant, Mike Marin enjoys the race because "This way the wife allows me to have a couple of beers because you're doing something."
Barstool Sports wonders what the Boston Marathon would be like if racers fueled up on Sam Adams instead of oranges and H20. We don't think the serious marathoners would be down with that, but a two mile beer-fueled dash sounds like our kind of sporting event.
Cheeseheads Chug Beer Instead of Water at Road Race [Barstool Sports]
Beer Belly Run Raises Money For Charity [The Cheese-O-Sphere]
Beer Belly Two [Official Site]
Recently, we had the opportunity to spend a day on the set of Blue Ginger chef Ming Tsai's cooking show Simply Ming. Over the next few weeks, we'll be bringing you interviews and stories from our time at the show. Today, Corinne Trang, who the Washington Post has called "the Julia Child of Asian cuisine," talks to us about Vietnamese food in the United States.
MP: So I know your specialty is Vietnamese cooking. Is there a difference between different regions of Vietnamese cuisine?
Corinne: There is, actually. You have the northern region of cooking and then you have the central, then the southern region of cooking. In the north, the spicing tends to be mild and in the south, it tends to be very spicy, with lots of curries. In the north, you might be familiar with pho, la soupe Vietnamien, which is what the French would call it. And it’s basically the rice noodle soup with the beef broth and the beef is cooked in the broth and its served with the fresh herbs. Since it’s from the north region, it’s mild. They also have beef seven ways. The reason they have so much beef in the north is because they had enough land for the cattle to graze, whereas in the south, they didn’t have that option. So you have the spice in the south and mild in the north and in the central region, especially in the city of Hue, which is the imperial city of Vietnam, or used to be the imperial city of Vietnam, you’ll find small morsels similar to Chinese dim sum. Very delicate morsels, where the presentation is beautiful. So, it’s sort of flavors taken from the north and from the south, sort of fused together and it’s served in a very elegant style. Imperial cuisine.
MP: That sounds really good. It seems like a lot of Vietnamese restaurants, in the United States at least, in Boston and to some extent in New York specialize in what you referred to as sort of the more Northern cuisine. Where can you get really good Vietnamese regional specialties within the US?
Corinne: Probably you’re only going to find the pho houses, the noodle shops. Those are the most popular. And on the menu, you’ll also find spring rolls, which are the fried ones, and then the summer rolls, goi cuon, which is the fresh version, the thicker version. You might find also grilled lemongrass marinated pork chops over rice or rice noodles. I found myself that when I travel in different cities in the US looking for different Vietnamese restaurants, I always find that the menus are very similar. You’ll have your ten items that are exactly the same, maybe a difference where you go to, you know, a noodle shop, and you’ll find maybe 10-12 variations on pho. So where the traditional has you cooking beef, you might find it with seafood, with grilled chicken, with pork, with different parts of the cow. But in general terms, you’ll find that the menus are very, very similar. Why? Because it’s easy to prepare and because it’s about volume. In each restaurant, there will probably be one or two ladies making spring rolls and that’ll be their job and that’s all they do all day is make spring rolls. So it’s everything that you can put out very quickly. One thing that’s come out over the past maybe five years now is banh mi, which is the Vietnamese sandwich. You find it everywhere now. It’s a great sandwich and this is where you find the French influence, with the beautiful baguette and what I call sliced Vietnamese bologna, the pate. Sometimes there'’s grilled meat, again, marinated with your typical fish sauce, palm sugar and lemongrass and garlic, and a little bit of chili sauce and some cilantro or mint leaves, pickled carrots and cabbage and the pickled carrots will be basically rice vinegar and sugar and salt combinations as far as the pickling liquid is concerned. So, very very simple. Unfortunately, the other types of Vietnamese foods, unless you go to Hanoi, or Hue, or Saigon, what’s called Ho Chi Minh City, you’re probably not going to get any more than what I just mentioned. It’s just the typical stuff that sells well. It’s what people want and it’s also what’s popular.
MP: Is it also, though, that most Vietnamese Americans are from a certain part of the country or is it really just about volume?
Corinne: I think you’ll find that a lot of the so-called “Chinese Quarter”, even if we talk about France or Paris, the Chinese Quarter is actually Vietnamese cuisine, done by Chinese folks because they’re the ones who were transplanted in Vietnam and then came to France during the war and opened up the foods that they grew up with. So even though they were Chinese, they had grown accustomed to cooking Vietnamese foods at home with a Chinese twist. Coming here, I think you’ll find a lot of Southern Vietnamese people from, basically, Ho Chi Minh City, more than the north and though their specialties are, specifically curries and you’ll find curries on the menu, of course, and spring rolls, they’ll also have that soup, the northern soup, because that is really, really popular everywhere in the country in Vietnam and so they brought that with them too.
MP: So, to switch tacks a bit, how did you get into working on cookbooks?
Corinne: Back in 1995, I started working with Saveur Magazine on a couple of issues as a freelancer. Eventually they hired me full time, so I was with Savuer magazine from 1995-98, first as a producing editor, sort of traveling and putting stories together, working with photographers and on visuals, sort of styling with them, working with them. Coming as a producing editor, they put me in the kitchen because they realized I had a deep knowledge of classical French cooking, as well as Chinese cooking, Chinese cooking being sort of the founder of all Asian cuisines, which is the premise of my Essentials of Asian Cuisine book where I talk about the history of various Asian cuisines based on the traditions of Chinese cooking. You know, the hot and cold food system, the yin and yang, balanced opposites. So that’s how I came out writing cookbooks, from being an editor at Saveur magazine, to being the test kitchen director there. I started testing recipes for a lot of different chefs when they were featured in the magazine. And then eventually, I left the magazine to write my first cookbook. My first cookbook was Vietnamese Cooking, where I talk about the French influence and the Chinese influence in Vietnamese cookery. My second book was Essentials of Asian Cuisine, where I talked about, like I said, how the Chinese really influence all other Asian food cultures and I covered eight cuisines there, including Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Cambodia, the Phillipines, and China, of course. My third cookbook is The Asian Grill. My goal there was really to introduce Asian cuisines and Asian ingredients to a wider audience by introducing all these different ingredients through a cooking technique that is familiar and loved by everyone and that is grilling. So, how do you sort of kick it up a notch? (Laughs) To use Emeril’s words. At the grill, rub it with some chili sauce, add some lemongrass, add some kaffir lime, maybe some fish sauce instead of salt, maybe some palm sugar instead of maple syrup or honey and you’ve got yourself a nice little combination of flavors in the Asian style. That was the third cookbook and then I came out with Curry Cuisine, which was a collaboration with David Thompson . It’s about world curries, basically, so Curry Cuisine was the last one and this year I’m coming out with another Vietnamese cookbook.
MP: Oh my goodness! You’re busy.
Corinne: I’m very busy. A couple years from now, I’ve got an Asian noodle book that I’m working on now.
MP: That’s huge right now, the whole noodle thing.
Corrine: Yes! Well, we hope! (Laughs)
Corinne Trang [Official Site]
Books by Corinne Trang [Amazon]
[Photo: Corinne Trang]
As regular readers of this blog have probably gleaned by this point, we are unapologetically fond of meat. More specifically, we are thoroughly devoted to pork. Who would have thought that just one delicious meat could simultaneously prevent us from being vegetarian, kosher and halal? Truly, the mind boggles. Anyways. In an ideal world, we like to eat as much pork in as many varieties as possible in one sitting, because, you know, gluttony is how we roll. If you, like us, are a pork fanatic, odds are that you too will fall deeply in love with the Alsatian dish known as choucroute garnie.
Choucroute garnie is, essentially, a plate piled with good hot sauerkraut, potatoes, and several types of pork products. There is sausage! Three kinds, in fact. There is bacon! There are ham hocks! There is smoked or boiled ham! There are sometimes ribs! There can even be hot dogs, if you so fancy! We cannot use enough exclamation points to emphasize the true and intense awesomeness of the finished product, which is traditionally served with Riesling and a variety of mustards.
From what we can tell, Brasserie Jo and Sandrine's Bistro are the only restaurants in the area offering authentic choucroute garnie, so might we suggest using one of these excellent recipes and making it at home? Your tummy will thank you. Unless, of course, you happen to be vegetarian, kosher, or halal.
Brasserie Jo [Official Site]
Sandrine's Bistro [Official Site]
Choucroute Garnie a l'Alsacienne [Global Gourmet]
Choucroute Garnie Recipe - Jacques Pepin [Food & Wine]
Choucroute Garnie [Epicurious]
[Photo: Global Gourmet]
Blogston Proper is your thrice-weekly roundup of Hub-related food writing from all over the Internet. We read the blogs so you don't have to. But you should anyway, just to be nice.
•Dirty jokes and ramen at our favorite Faneuil Hall restaurant. [On Common Ground]
•Drinks and brunch at Om. [A Passionate Foodie]
•BBQ and more BBQ at the Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party. [Everyone Loves a Boston Girl]
[Photo: Flickr: Guz]
A recent email from a reader...
Dear MenuPages
I was wondering if you have been to Mamma Maria in the North End. A friend of mine got me a gift certificate from DineGift and I saw that it was on the list. Also, if you have any suggestions for other restaurants I should try on that list, I'd appreciate it. I have $100 to spend.
-Jerry, Boston
Gift certificates, especially the sort that work at a finite variety of restaurants, can be a sticky situation. On the one hand, yay free dinner! On the other hand, boo for limited choices. We've never been to Mamma Maria, but we've heard good things. Mamma Maria seems like a good choice, but there are a few other restaurants on the list that we find mighty tempting. To wit:
•Davio's is justly renowned for its stellar wine list, but the food is excellent as well, especially the pasta selection. With $100, you could treat yourself to the chef's five course tasting menu.
•Harvest boasts some of our favorite local and seasonal cuisine, not to mention a truly great patio. Use your gift certificate to treat yourself to the $42 roasted veal chop with morels, fava beans, "chubby carrots" and horseradish rosti.
•There are not enough restaurants in the Boston area serving great Alsatian cuisine, so we're very thankful for Sandrine's Bistro. The restaurant offers a five course tasting menu with wine pairings for $100. Sounds like a pretty great fit to us!
Have a question about Boston dining that's burning you up inside? Ask us!
dinegift [Official Site]
Mamma Maria [Official Site]
Davio's [Official Site]
Harvest [Official Site]
Sandrine's Bistro [Official Site]
Diner's Agenda likes a good sake flight.
Monday, June 25
•Mondays can be so difficult, no? Relax in the plush environs of Morton's, The Steakhouse with a selection of Italian Reds at tonight's wine tasting at 6:00. In addition to the vino, there will be appetizers aplenty. Call (617) 266-5108 to save your spot. [Morton's, The Steakhouse]
Tuesday, June 26
•The week's best deal can be found at Gargoyles on the Square's Tokyo Tuesday. For a mere $15, you can receive a bento box prepared specially by chef Jason Santos. For an additional $10, you can add a sake flight. Whoa! Better call (617) 776-5300 to reserve! [Boston Chefs]
The Boston City Council recently made news for a proposal that would ask local bars to offer plastic covers for cocktails. Councilor Stephen Murphy proposed that bars hand out specialty coasters with covers that can be peeled off and stuck to the top of a glass to prevent drinks from being drugged with roofies or other date rape drugs. Users could drink their beverages by sticking a straw through the cover. The video of the meeting where Murphy presented his proposal is very much worth watching (the cocktail cover discussion starts around minute 35). Murphy, who admits that he got the idea from Dateline (next up, Councilor Murphy Catches a Predator), can hardly keep from giggling as he gives his idea. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the proposal has been met with plenty of mockery from folks ranging from Murphy's fellow Councilor John Tobin, who jokingly suggested giving everyone fanny packs in which to store their drinks, to Bostonist, who derided the measure as "late-night talk-show-host fodder."
While we don't see the harm in, say, offering incentives for bars to give out the special cover-coasters instead of regular coasters, it seems highly doubtful that anyone would actually use them. Drink-tampering is a very serious issue, but no one likes to look like they're drinking a mojito out of a sippy cup. We suggest keeping your eyes and hands on your drink at all times. What do you think?
Boston City Council [Official Site]
Lids for Cocktails Inspire Critics [Boston Globe]
Cocktail Condoms? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Cocktail Condoms! [Bostonist]
Imagine sippy cups with little paper umbrellas in them [Universal Hub]
Serious Eats brings us what is, perhaps, the most delightful video of musical foodstuffs yet. This inspired clip comes courtesy of the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra, an Austrian group that makes instruments out of vegetables. There's a carrot recorder, a leek violin and a pepper trumpet, among many others. It might sound like a joke, but the music they make is for real. We, for one, are highly impressed.
The Sounds of Celery [Serious Eats]
The Vegetable Orchestra [Official Site]
Blogston Proper is your thrice-weekly roundup of Hub-related food writing from all over the Internet. We read the blogs so you don't have to. But you should anyway, just to be nice.
•The 6 House, recently the site of a murder, is closing for Whitey Bulger's sins. [Bostonist]
•Little does the licensing board know, it's actually a yuppie bar. [Boston Brat]
•Is any of this good for Southie? [Platinum Elite]
[Photo: Flickr: jennanicole]
•MP: Chicago food-traveled around the world with a look at roti and the state of Chinese food in the US.
•MP: Philadelphia stayed local with some Philly bar drama and the best/worst food item ever.
•MP: San Francisco took on the national scene with a consideration of a bold proposal and a great moment in political advertising.
Diner's Agenda is mad for summer festivals.
Friday, June 22
•Looking for an excuse to go to Watertown? No? What about a reason to eat a ridiculous amount of Greek food? That sounds better, yes? Head on over to the Hellenic Cultural Center for music, dancing and lots and lots of food during the Watertown Grecian Festival, which runs today through Sunday. [Taxiarchae Archangels]
•Everyone's favorite local enigma, the Phantom Gourmet, is hosting his BBQ Beach Party at City Hall Plaza this weekend. There will be more barbecue than you can shake a stick at, a beer garden and a Ferris Wheel! Get your tickets at the door. [Phantom Gourmet BBQ Beach Party]
•Chefs in Shorts is the best one-line pitch since Snakes on a Plane. Mosey down to the Seaport Hotel's Eastport Park at 7:00 tonight to see chefs from restaurants like Prezza Fine Dining and Sel De La Terre get their grill on. In shorts. Tickets go for $60 and may be purchased at the door. [Boston Chefs]
Saturday, June 23
•Get your Mark Strand on at Feast in A Field, an event to benefit Les Dames de Escoffier's scholarship programs. Local and seasonal food will be served under a lovely tent at Brookline's Allendale Farms. Tickets, which cost $125, may be purchased by calling (978) 470-3406. [Boston Chefs]
Sunday, June 24
•Another weekend, another chowder festival down the Cape. This one is hosted by the awesomely named radio station 106 COD and involves free ice cream in addition to the chowdery goodness. All the excitement will be going down at the Cape Cod Music Tent from 11am-3pm. Tickets cost $10 in advance or $15 at the door. [106 WCOD via Boston Magazine]
Flat Iron gets B:
"The food couldn't be better",
so why so empty?
Jasper White's cookbook:
so much more than just a book,
it's a lifestyle.
Scallops from dbar:
lemony and delicious.
So nice for summer!
In summer, we tend to alternate between wanting chilled, incredibly light foods (we usually spend August subsisting on heirloom tomato, basil, and feta salads) and perversely craving substantial, hearty meals. It is in the latter spirit that we've been thinking a lot recently about caldo verde. This Portuguese kale and potato soup usually comes dressed with chorizo or another type of sausage. The dish is full-bodied, rich, and delectable. Though it's incredibly comforting in the winter, the soup's appeal does not diminish much in the warmer months. The secret? Although caldo verde is hot and hearty, it's also not overly dense. All of the area's caldo verde options seem to be limited to Inman Square. Below, three of the best caldo verde options.
•Good local kale can be difficult to obtain, so many area restaurant substitute collard greens instead. Not Casa Portugal Restaurant. Enjoy your soup in the restaurant's super-pretty dining room.
•The caldo verde at Muqueca Restaurant comes loaded with not only the traditional collard greens, potato and sausage, but also bacon. Because what's the most successful way to make any dish better? Bacon.
•At Portugalia Restaurante, the caldo verde is served slightly deconstructed: collard greens and linguica (a milder chorizo) atop a puree of potato.
Casa Portugal Restaurant [Official Site]
Muqueca Restaurant [Official Site]
Portugalia Restaurante [Official Site]
[Photo: Tudo Gostoso]
Phuket in Westie:
exemplary spicy Thai,
with U.S. desserts.
Go, Star Fish Market!
Shrimp and fish and clams, oh my!
Tasty, but no grease.
This week, The Next Food Network Star finally hit its stride. There was drama! There were tears! Unfortunately, just as the show finally became truly entertaining, we bid a fond farewell to hometown favorite Tommy Grella. Truly, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Below, some highlights and thoughts from this week.
•The big drama this week came from the also-eliminated Colombe. The episode's second challenge involved the contestants making stadium food for attendees of a New Jersey Nets game. They had 45 minutes to go shopping and, at the store, Paul left one of his bags behind. The cashier gave it to Colombe, who then left it at the store. Later, when Paul realized he was missing a bag, Colombe straight up said she hadn't seen it (!!!) before sheepishly admitting that she had, but hadn't thought to give it to Paul. Paul was angry, Amy confronted Colombe about it, Colombe got an attitude, it was drama drama all around. You would have thought you were watching America's Next Top Model for a minute there. Awesome.
•In news of our favorite non-local contestant, Paul continues to be adorable and funny. The judges want him to tone down his energy, which we're worried means "be less gay." His tagline is "Keep it simple and keep it fabulous." We would totally watch his show.
•Crazy contestant quotes from this week include: Amy's “I think that working with chocolate is an important skill for a Food Network star because you’re not always totally familiar with an ingredient that you want to teach somebody else.” We have literally no idea what she is talking about. Amy also informed us that “If you’re a Food Network star, you have a lot of responsibility because people see you as an authority on food.” Indeed. Our favorite moment of the week, however, comes from a forlorn Colombe, standing at the spice rack during the episode's first challenge: “Where might I find cinnamons? They’re all alphabetized.” We have no further comment.
•Tommy and the very good-looking Adrien spent the week deep in the throes of a bromance. They were BFFs because they both missed their wives and children. When Tommy was eliminated, Adrien cried, remarked "You’re one of the greatest people I’ve ever met, Tommy. Ever!" and vowed to win the whole thing for Tommy.
•The Tommy love didn't stop with Adrien. During the judging, Bob Tuschman remarked : “I feel like the Tommy we know and love hasn’t been with us this week. ... It was a disappointing week in terms of not getting all the Tommy we want. And we want our Tommy!”
•Unfortunately, we realized Tommy was a goner less than two minutes into the episode when they showed an extended sequence of him talking about how homesick he is, which included a heartbreaking shot of him tearing up while on the phone with his wife. His cocoa-encrusted pork tenderloin with squash and banana ravioli didn't look particularly tasty and he failed to connect with the camera during his demo and his meatball sandwich was too "Grella-sized" to be eaten easily. When he was sent packing, he didn't seem especially sad. His fellow contestants, on the other hand, seemed fairly despondent. Goodbye, Tommy Grella! We will miss you, Methuen man.
Sage: "new-found secret".
The food is exceptional
and service, friendly.
Roslindale's Geoffrey's:
great food, prices and portions.
What is not to like?
Sushi Teq: so fun.
A chic and pleasant surprise.
Who woulda thunk it?
Hey, remember how J P Licks is offering free iced coffee anytime the temperature reaches 81 this summer? Sadly, that's not going to happen today, since the projected high is 80. (Also, there's a 30% chance of rain, so we hope you brought your umbrella.) However! Enthusiasts of iced coffee and free stuff need not fret! In celebration of the first day of summer, Bruegger's Bagels will be offering free iced coffee from 2pm-4pm this afternoon. Free! Iced coffee! 16 ounces worth! From Vermont's Green Mountain Coffee Roasters! Mmm. Caffeine-y.
Bruegger's Bagels [Official Site]
Bruegger's Bagels [MenuPages]
In our recent interviews with Ming Tsai and Ken Oringer, both mentioned the same dish among their lengthy lists of favorites: miso butter ramen from Sapporo Ramen in the Porter Square Exchange. Indeed, the ramen is delicious. If you've only ever had the cheap-o Oodles of Noodles "ramen" from the grocery store, you've never really had ramen. The real stuff features wonderfully doughy noodles, a broth with a truly astounding depth of flavors and fabulous toppings. The miso butter ramen from Sapporo features two kinds of pork (!), bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, scallions, nori and a perfect pat of butter, which makes everything smooth and almost unspeakably delicious. Don't believe us? See for yourself.
You Are What You Eat: The Star Chef [MP: Boston]
You Are What You Eat: The Local Legend [MP: Boston]
Sapporo Ramen [MenuPages]
[Photo: Flickr: Lucahjin]
Blogston Proper is your thrice-weekly roundup of Hub-related food writing from all over the Internet. We read the blogs so you don't have to. But you should anyway, just to be nice.
•Another Ground Round bites the dust. [Universal Hub]
•Meanwhile, in Eastie, the restaurant scene enjoys something of a rebirth. [The Hubster]
•We told you before that marzipan was adorable, but really, we had no idea to what extent. [Slashfood]
[Photo: Flickr: GloriaWandrous]
Many Bostonians seem to be mightily confused by the precise location of Inman Square. It's a great neighborhood, but it's just a touch of the beaten path. It lies just northeast of Central Square and though it isn't the most convenient neighborhood in terms of the T, it's relatively easy to reach via either the red line from Central or the 69 bus. It might be a bit of a schlep to get to Inman Square, but it's worth the travel. It's really one of Cambridge's more pleasant neighborhoods: plenty of pretty Victorian houses, little shops and, oh yeah, great food. We've created a small guide (with accompanying map!) to the best dining in Inman.
•The Inman Square branch of 1369 Coffee House is the original branch of this mini-chain (the second location is in nearby Central Square) with a truly excellent friendly neighborhood vibe. The coffee is the best in Cambridge and the baked goods are great as well.
•We've discussed our deep obsession with the Druid Restaurant's shepherd's pie before, but our admiration for that dish should in no way minimize how great the entire menu is. The fish and chips, in particular, are exemplary. All of this great food is served up in one of the area's coziest rooms.
•Inman Square and its surrounding environs have more than their fair share of Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants, but O Cantinho stands out among the pack for its truly great sandwiches and small plates. Make sure to try the stewed fava beans in season.
•While it's certainly not the place to go for late night dining (it closes by 9:00), City Girl Cafe wins raves for its outstanding pizza and the ridiculously friendly staff.
•Justly lauded for its informal atmosphere and great food, East Coast Grill & Raw Bar is notable for its decidedly creative takes on seafood in a city dominated by Legal conservatism.
1369 Coffee House [Official Site]
Druid Restaurant [Official Site]
O Cantinho [MenuPages]
City Girl Cafe [Official Site]
East Coast Grill & Raw Bar [Official Site]
Diner's Agenda does enjoy a good Solstice party.
Wednesday, June 20
•In this space, we tell you about a whole lot of wine dinners. Wine dinners are all well and good, but you know what's even better? Champagne dinners! Experience one tonight at Meritage, where chef Daniel Bruce will be serving up a delectable five course meal accompanied by Laurent Perrier champagnes. Things get underway at 7:00 and tickets, which cost $130, may be purchased by calling (617) 439-3995. [Boston Chefs]
Thursday, June 21
•Happy Summer! Thursday marks both the first day of the hottest season and the Summer Solstice. In celebration, 75 Chestnut will be hosting a Summer Solstice Lobster Fest. There will be lobster! There will be "refreshing solstice cocktails!" There will be a raffle of Sox tickets! The party runs from 5pm-11pm. No reservations are necessary. [75 Chestnut]
Eating at rock clubs:
look for less dirty venues
is the moral here.
Smuttynose Maibock:
so "deliciously malty",
but it packs a punch!
We know, we know. When you think Dunkin Donuts, the first thing you think of is troubled British supermodels, right? No? Oh, then it must be emo pseudo-indie actor/directors, yeah? No? Us neither. That's why we were so very surprised to learn that Naomi Campbell will be starring in a Zach Braff-directed ad for the D. Now. Naomi Campbell is truly one of the world's great beauties, but she is: a) not from anywhere near Boston (damn you, Rachael Ray for opening the non-Masshole floodgates!), b) probably not a regular consumer of donuts and/or calories, and c) quite possibly best known by those who don't follow fashion as "that lady who threw a phone at her maid." Meanwhile, Zach Braff is a very proud Jersey boy and involved in a string of increasingly more tiresome movies. Are these really the people we want representing our state's favorite brand?
You know who wouldn't hit their assistant or make The Last Kiss? Fred. To cleanse your DD-related-palate after too much thought about Naomi and Zach, here's Fred's finest 34 seconds.
Typecasting [New York Post]
Dunkin' Donuts "Whips Up" Deal With Daytime TV Host Rachael Ray [Dunkin' Donuts]
The Last Kiss [Internet Movie Database]
It's Time to Make the Donuts (Classic) [YouTube: Dreamer2TV]