manger un morceau -- boston meals big and small

the place: deep ellum, 447 cambridge st, allston
the date: thursday, 05.07.09
the plan: dinner

d and I always say we’re going to have dinner. but I’m super busy and he has a tendency to double-book, so I wasn’t sure this plan was going to happen. however, right after work I found myself heading to deep ellum and there he was, right on time, standing outside. it was a nice evening, but it looked like rain was on the way, so we grabbed a table inside and began catching up over food and drink.

drinks, of course: the bartenders at deep ellum mostly all know how to make mojitos, but every once in awhile when I’ve ordered them there, I’ve gotten a mint julep instead. and given my recent reminder that I don’t really like mint juleps, I didn’t want to risk it. so I went with the unexciting cranberry-lime rickey. it was tart and didn’t taste much of booze, but it was also refreshing and light. and, after three, I was ready for bed nice and early, which was an unexpected but perfect result.

the main event: my relationship with the food at deep ellum has been sort of up-and-down. I’ve had great meals there (a memorable brunch) and some terrible ones (an equally memorable brunch) as well as some that were just okay. I am in love with their pretzels and pub mustard, so I figured starting with that was a good bet and I was not wrong. I moved on to the big easy. a very meat-heavy sandwich that was definitely an unusual choice for me, but seemed like what I was in the mood for. it was several types of cold-cuts, provolone cheese, and olive spread of some sort. I don’t even like olives and I was completely enamoured. very tasty. I will not lie, by the time I got to the sandwich, I was a bit tipsy, but I think my enjoyment was sincere, even if I couldn’t finish the entire thing.

the conversation with a good friend I don’t see often enough was really the point of the evening, but I also quite enjoyed the food and drink. and I got an excellent loooong night of sleep thanks to the cocktails. well, and also the fact that I couldn’t convince anyone to go dancing with me after dinner, but I’m going to forget about that and just go with the drinks.

the place: tasca, 1612 comm ave, brighton
the date: monday, 05.04.09
the plan: birthday dinner

tapas always seems like a great idea for a birthday dinner. small, shareable, reasonably priced. but, somehow, every time I’ve been to a tapas birthday dinner, it’s been a disaster. either you leave feeling still hungry or you leave feeling like you overpaid or you leave feeling under-boozed. none of these are good. yet, I can’t avoid the things. so, I have to say that given my trepidations, I was nervous when my friend jb suggested tasca for his birthday. I like tasca, I’ve been there a lot, it being in brighton and all. and they have a great email list with cool deals if you’re into that. which is actually how the entire issue of birthday tapas was rendered moot— tasca was running a three-course prix fixe deal for parties that made reservations (for $16!). so we all ordered that instead of tapas and kept things neat and easy.

drinks, of course: sangria. I was early and started with a glass at the bar. then we had a few pitchers with dinner. red and fruity and very very summer-y despite the dreary weather outside.

to start: potato-spinach soup. which I ordered as the potato soup and desperately confused the waitress. still, after a rocky start, the soup arrived and was great. creamy and not-too-thick, perfectly seasoned, and a nice blend of the two main flavors.

the main event: for my main course, I had the fish option— a white fish, lightly fried, over a cous-cous like starch with a saffron-based sauce. the whole thing matched the summer feel of the sangria, while still feeling hearty enough for the weather. the fish was absolutely perfectly cooked, crisp and light, with a hint of olive oil.

a sweet treat: a duo of chocolate truffles. very rich, topped with a drop of whipped cream and a bit of mint. I ate a bit of the chocolate and then all the cream and it was a nice end to a nice meal.

all in all, there was nothing exceptionally special about the food, but the sangria and the ambience were warming and perfect for a celebratory, chatty evening. as is often the case at tasca, the service left a bit to be desired (it might be the one waitress— I’ve had her a few times and always been unimpressed, but I hear some of the other servers are more attentive), but not problematic enough to put any damper on the evening. perhaps this will help quell my instinctual hesitations about birthday tapas.

the place: 28 degrees, 1 appleton st, south end
the date: sunday, 05.03.09
the plan: impromptu cocktails

I know. I just implied I wasn’t going to be back at 28 degrees any time soon. but, I was sitting on the couch, catching up on the dvr, kind of casually bored when m called. she and le were at 28 degrees, did I want to join? twenty-five minutes later I hopped out of a cab on appleton street and found them at the bar.

drinks, of course: on friday, I’d tried the new spring rhubarb cocktail, but had been intrigued by the elderflower aviator, so that was my plan for this trip. I was briefly distracted by the frozen belinis since it was apparently “belini sunday,” but stuck with my first instinct. of course, I had plenty of time to be distracted by other options as the bartender made approximately twenty-four drinks before noticing me in my spot four feet away from him. the drink, once I finally got it, was refreshing and sweet and practically perfect. I had another before the night was over.

despite the questionnable service and the guys who felt the need to stand in my personal space for over an hour, I had a reasonably good time. there was a drag show going on and it’s not every day you can say you accidentally ended up a drag show, so at least there’s that. I’m still not impressed with the place, but clearly I am no longer quite so resistant to it.

the place: eastern standard, 528 commonwealth ave, kenmore sq.
the date: sunday, 05.03.09
the plan: pre-romcom brunch

the first time cspan ever came to visit me from indiana, it was july and she could not reconcile the idea of new england summer heat + new england lack of central air. I tried to explain that it’s not that hot that long and that all the buildings are very old, but she just stared at me and demanded we go to see a movie. the only things playing were a disney thing and reign of fire. if you’ve never seen reign of fire and you like bad cgi, bad accents, unintentional gay subtext, or weird cults, you’re missing out. that’s not the point here, though. the point is that matthew mcconaughey has a rather central place in our friendship. it’s weird, but it’s a fact. years after that fateful visit, we spent a lot of time walking around our shared apartment whispering “failure to launch,” and we were probably one of twenty-five people who saw fool’s gold opening weekend. so, obvs, we were planning to see ghosts of girlfriends past. especially because we also love bad romcoms (clearly), jennifer garner, and scrooge pastiches. we’ve also learned from experience that the best thing to pair with a movie confection like this is a fancy brunch. this time, cspan picked eastern standard and I was not complaining.

drinks, of course: romcoms require booze, even at 10:30 am. cspan had a harvey wallbanger, I had a pom-75. mmmm…booze in the morning. and coffee. always coffee.

the main event: we were each torn between the quiche and the blueberry corn pancakes, so we just got both and split them. the quiche had peppers and onions, and was deliciously light and just salty enough. the eggs were moist— almost too wet, actually, but just on the right side of the line. it came with a side of lightly dressed greens, which added just the right touch of bitterness. the pancakes, though, I think carried the day. they weren’t really that noticably corn-like, but there was a bit of a different texture. I don’t actually like cooked blueberries, so I tried to avoid them as much as possible, but when I did have them, I enjoyed the sensation of the warm fruit popping in my mouth. the pancakes weren’t overly sweet and while they maybe didn’t melt in my mouth like the best pancakes ever, but it was close.

the only complaint was that the service was not awesome. after the food came, the waitress never came back to offer more coffee or inquire whether we might want another cocktail. I always find that to be the cardinal sin of waiting tables because not only does it annoy me, but if asked, I will almost always have another drink and run up that tab. but to deny me a re-fill on my coffee is a large strike against any brunch spot. coffee is key, here, people. I’ve never had amazing service at es, but I’ve never really noticed it as bad enough to comment on, so I was definitely a bit disappointed. she tried to make up for it when cspan commented pointedly about my empty coffee cup, but it was probably a bit too little, too late. still, that’s certainly not enough to take away from the delicious food and the fantastic atmosphere— I always like the space and decor there, but there’s something about brunch in that space that’s just better than average.

the place: drink, 348 congress st, fort point
the date: saturday, 05.02.09
the plan: derby party

it is harder than you might think to find a good way to celebrate the kentucky derby in boston. ryan is from kentucky, and I have another good friend from louisville, so I’ve gotten used to celebrating the occasion with bourbon, hats (or talk of hats), arbitrary betting, and when possible, pie that is not called “derby pie” because that’s copyrighted. but this year, no one was throwing a party, so we had to find a bar. and the first place that we came across on the internets was drink. I’d been wanting to try the new bar with the “no menu/tell us how you feel” gimick anyway and this seemed like as good a reason as any. plus, they definitely seemed the kind of place that would know it’s bourbon. so, for $40, we got 3 drinks, apps, a souvenir glass, and the chance to look at ladies in funny hats.

in case you were unaware, there’s a very large sign outside the sportello/drink complex announcing that you are entering the rareified air of barbara lynch. I mean, I like her stuff, I do. and she just deservedly won a fancy award and I like the move into fort point. but really? the celebrity chef thing taken to the point of advertising yourself outside your restaurants seems somewhat off-putting to me. so, that complaint aside, let’s move on. there’s no sign for drink, just a small placard at the entrance to sportello, which seemed a bit irritating at the time, but which I’ve subsequently decided is actually enjoyably speak-easyish. the bar is in the basement and they don’t try to hide it. the bars are wide and wooden, the entire thing reminiscent of a high school chem lab that someone turned into an awesome bar. it’s a cool theme that doesn’t seem overly theme-y, if that makes any sense?

we were greeted at the door by a manager (who I swear I know from somewhere, but never followed up to find out) wearing a fantastic seabiscut-esque derby outfit who explained the party set-up. there were three drink stations— old fashioneds, mint juleps, and horse’s necks. we each recieved a gorgeous drink ticket for one of each and a souvenir julep glass commemorating a previous derby. those glasses can be hard to track down, so it was clear from the get-go that they had put in some effort. because we had come directly from an afternoon showing of wolverine (yes, we wore our derby finery to watch hugh jackman tear things up with his claws. let me tell you that the outfite that can go from a matinee of a summer blockbuster to a classy derby party and fit in at both does not exist) we were early and grabbed a seat at the old-fashioned station next to an older gentleman who chatted with ryan about bourbon.

drinks, of course: the bartender was as jauntily decked-out as the manager was pleasantly cheerful. he was chipping his ice off a large block which apparently is brought in from a pond in the ‘burbs somewhere. it was an interesting story at the time, I swear, but I’ve forgotten the details now. I am not usually a drinker of bourbon and whiskey, especially not as close-to-straight as it comes in an old-fashioned, but I will not lie, I was very very taken with that drink. I was surprised that it was my favorite of the evening. the ice waters it down just barely over the course of the sipping, the sugar and the bitters add a touch of flavor and the whiskey was incredibly smooth. next we got the horse’s neck and I’ve never turned my nose up at whiskey and ginger, so this combo of bourbon, gingerale, and lemon was well-recieved. my secret derby shame, of course, is that I don’t like mint juleps. I want to like them, I do. they look like a grown-up boozy snow cone. they have mint and sugar. but. I just can’t enjoy them. I forced my way through half of it, then added in some water and really pressed the mint in and managed to actually find the last half of the drink pleasant. still, I was happy to let ryan drink most of mine.

to start: hors d’oeurves were part of the price of admission and everything I ate was great. I’m not sure that drink actually has food service normally, but wherever the food came from, I was happy to sample it all. fried pickles and peanuts boiled with hamhock started off the southern treats. the pickles were sliced a bit too thin and so tasted greasy and bready— ryan swore they weren’t a good example of the fried pickle. the boiled peanuts tasted like ham. I was happy. that’s really all it takes, people. next were mini-ham sandwiches on herbed corn bread. I will not publically admit how many of these I ate, but they were phenom. I want to eat these every day. seriously. what I believe to be shrimp dip (not because of the taste, but the color and the southern-ness) with celery was tasty enough and the last food item delivered to our spot at the bar were pork ribs, which ryan and the others we met over the course of the evening all seemed to enjoy.

overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the bar itself and the event. so many funny hats! though, I really don’t understand why you would go to an event like this and not dress up at least a little. I definitely did not enjoy seeing the jeans-and-t-shirt people lurking among the spring dresses and seersucker jackets. also, while I like the bar-without-a-tv idea for general evening visitation, for a horse race, I would have preferred to see the event, especiall because the sound on the audio feed was less-than-awesome. I would definitely be curious to go back on a regular night and try out the gimmick and also see how the space works for an evening crowd— I couldn’t quite picture what it would look like. I think I can recommend the bar based on the even, but I can definitely recommend any event they put on— they definitely think it out and do it right. two tips for you, though, whether you go on a regular night or for an event— if you’re there for a while, you might want to stand rather than sit on the stools; they were not that comfy. and two, if you’re walking up to the bar, don’t stop on the sidewalk to adjust your outfit in any way because everyone in the bar is looking right at you through the street-level windows. follow that advice and think carefully about how you’re feeling before you head in and you should have a good time at this barbara lynch booze-fest.

the place: 28 degrees, 1 appleton st, south end
the date: friday, 05.01.09
the plan: pre-show cocktails and apps

it’s not every day that you go to a restaurant (or anywhere, really) that is exactly what you expected it to be in almost every way. 28 degrees is a place I’d never been, but always felt I understood completely. it would be hip. it would be aggressively, almost excessively hip. I’d looked at the website a lot while my ex was designing a website for a now-closed restaurant being opened by a friend of ours that strived to be a similar kind of hip, so of this I was sure. it would have a single-color theme (based on that same website, blue). it would be populated (both customers and employees) by that girl, her boyfriend, her too-drunk on cosmos girlfriends, and all their very gay friends. it would probably be good, but it would definitely not be comfortable. I hadn’t actually been actively avoiding the place, but it had probably been somewhere I’d chosen not to go more than once. but, when m suggested it for drinks and apps before our friend dane’s cabaret showcase, I couldn’t think of a real reason not to go there, so off we went. and, it was everything I had expected. the only difference from what I had imagined, was that I didn’t actually hate it.

drinks, of course: the new spring special drink had just been added to the menu that evening (so new the website hasn’t yet been updated to include it) and honestly, even if I really had disliked the place as much as I expected, I might have been won over by this cocktail. it was mint and soda and lime and vodka and rhubarb simple syrup. if you’ve taken anything from this blog, it’s that I like any variation on anything mojito-like. I also passionately love rhubarb (rhubarb is the only fruit pie I like). so, I was pretty excited. I had two. they were amazing.

to start: since I hadn’t eaten lunch and we had an entire evening of cabaret to get through, apps were definitely key. we split the curried crab cakes with pineapple-scallion salsa type topping and a “chipotle aioli”, the proscuitto-wrapped shrimp, and the fettuccini with ramps, bacon, and parmesan. the crab cakes were great, though I am never going to understand the appeal of the chipotle aioli. it’s on every menu, everywhere and I’ve never tasted it and thought “yes! I understand why this is the new trend.” the shrimp were okay, but ultimately made me think of hot dogs— the flavor was more complex, but the texture was almost identical. m didn’t like them very much at all. but the pasta! the pasta was definitely a surprise— the smoky bacon and the fresh ramps were in a creamy parmesan sauce and the pasta was light and tender and the whole thing just sang of spring. I was impressed.

so, the cocktails were enjoyable and the food was good. but the space gives me a headache. it’s excessively blue and the water theme is somewhat overdone— beyond the screens showing weird beach scenes, they have a panel of water above the bathroom ceiling. the entire thing made me feel a bit like I was at the bar on a cruise ship for hot singles. and the crowd was definitely exactly what I had pictured. oh, and the very sweet, but easily confused and oh-so-tanorexic waiter could have walked out of the imaginary 28 degrees in my head. all of the pieces add up to a place that I still wouldn’t choose to go to, but that I suppose I might stop choosing not to go to. if that makes any sense at all?

the place: sibling rivalry, 525 tremont st, south end
the date: wednesday, 04.29.09
the plan: post-meeting cocktails

you might be surprised to know that the board meetings of the boston ballet volunteers association can get a little testy from time to time. a lot of delightful ladies, very very committed to serving the ballet, all quite pleasant really. but, from time to time there are the occasional power struggles and disagreements over the way things really should be done. this month’s meeting was actually calmer than they have been of late, but afterwards, I was most definitely in the mood to unwind with a cocktail. or four. it didn’t take much convincing to get m to come with and when she suggested sibling rivalry, I agreed, despite not being a huge fan.

the thing is,sibling rivalry has a cool concept (dueling fraternal chefs!), and a great location (that corner is one of the more perfect spots for a restaurant ever). and I always hear great things about it. but, when I went there, I was kind of disappointed. which, when I actually talk to the people who tell me great things, tends to be a relatively common sentiment. the thing is, there are places you have a bad time at and you never want to go back, and there are places you want to give a second chance and sibling rivalry has always seemed like the second kind of place, so off we went and grabbed two seats at the bar next to a gentleman drinking what appeared to be a very dry martini and reading the new yorker. I started to worry immediately.

drinks, of course: my hesitance about the place was not lessened by the fact that it took our tom-selleck-stached bartender quite some time to bother with us despite not seeming to be that busy. once he finally stopped by, m requested a menu and we both ordered a white cosmo. the cosmo was sweet-tart and, I will admit, made me feel better immediately. as the evening wore on (yes, spoiler alert: it was actually enjoyable), I switched to something I think was called a pom 575 that consisted of pomegranate juice and sparkling wine. mmmm…bubbly and full of anti-oxidants.

to start: I was just there for the cocktails, having prepped myself for the potentially aggressive meeting with a burger and fries earlier, but m needed food. sibling rivalry had apparently extended the restaurant week concept into april, so there was a 3-course meal special. once m confirmed that everything could be ordered a la carte, she chose a salad which I urged because I wanted the fiddleheads that came with it and which she disliked (I wasn’t hungry, but fiddleheads! I knew I wouldn’t have a chance at those again this spring), and the tuna tartare (which looked quite delicious). the bartender then condescedingly went on about several items on the menu involving shellfish (m can’t eat that) and more duck (I don’t like duck). I found the whole spiel irritating, but it somehow convinced m to get a special involving duck (a perogi-esque item, I believe). I still can’t really judge the food as all I ate were the fiddleheads, but they were utterly fantastic— cooked just enough, tender, and peppery— so at least there’s that.

so, early on in the evening, I wasn’t impressed with the clientele or the service. but, after we’d settled in, the bartender suddenly became much friendlier (possibly he overheard m say she wanted to sleep with him?) and even taught us how to make the little lemon curls in our drinks.* also, we had some wonderful chats with the customers that came through — peter dubois, newest artistic director at the huntington came in for a quick drink during intermission of his play at the cyclorama and was beyond fabulous and I’m pretty sure his sheer existance talked me into subscribing to the upcoming season, a lovely older man who chatted about the sox and old-time boston stories, and even new yorker dude proved more interesting than first glance. all-in-all, I’m still not sure my opinion of the restaurant (overrated) has changed very much, but I will definitely have more positive feelings about the place from now on due to a fun night and some decent cocktails.

*(a clever shortcut I’d never heard before— boil the lemon, cut off the ends, hollow it out completely, fold it up in a curl-shape, toothpick it and chill it, then slice to get perfect curls. as the selleck-a-like noted, this doesn’t work when you actually want a lot of lemon flavor due to the boiling, but it definitely works for a simple garnish.)

the place: church, 69 kilmarnock st, the fenway
the date: 04.10.09
the plan: pre-show dinner

after multiple cocktails at eastern standard, ryan and I headed out for dinner. since we were seeing a show (the fantastic sarah borges) at church and I’d been wanting to try the food there, we figured it seemed like a convenient combination. and, it turned out, a tasty one.

drinks, of course: I was perhaps more than a little bit tipsy when we arrived, so I skipped the cocktail which was certainly a strange choice for me, I’m not going to lie— perhaps I have hidden depths of responsibility I don’t even know about. however, I all seven of the cocktails on their deadly sins cocktail menu were tempting even if the “church” theme is maybe a bit heavy-handed at times. for wine, I had a glass of irony pinot noir, which I’d had a bottle of while bitching about exes with cspan once and knew to be good. I do not remember what ryan had. frankly, given the level of intoxication, I’m pretty impressed I remember my own meal.

to start: chances are, if there’s a beet salad on an appetizer menu in this city, I’ve tried it. it’s possible that the beet salad trend is overplayed these days, but, since I love beets like I love candy, I’m not really complaining. church’s version is roasted beets with hazlenut, an herbed feta, and acid from both oranges and a citrus dressing. well done, still absolutely no complaints.

the main event: baked mac and cheese seemed absolutely perfect for the rainy not-yet-spring weather that had started outside on our walk over. I love that they offer it in both small and large portions. the breadcrumb crust was crispy, and the pasta was cheesy— all as advertised. ryan had the special, which definitely involved monkfish wrapped in bacon and was apparently delicious. see? even through my drunken haze, I remember bacon.

the space is really nice and the gothic church theme makes it kind of dark and cozy on a rainy day. it might feel a bit opressive in nicer weather, but they have outdoor seating, so I’m sure that solves that problem. I definitely intend to go back when I’ve had less to drink so I can enjoy the taste of things a bit more, but it was a fun place with good food in an area that doesn’t actually have as much of that as I would like.

the place: eastern standard, 528 commonwealth ave, kenmore sq.
the date: friday, 04.10.09
the plan: post work cocktails, maybe a snack

work is inexpressably frustrating these days, so practically every evening, I am desperate for a cocktail. so, though dinner and a show were on the agenda for later in the evening, I couldn’t turn down the offer of a drink to fill the hours in between. since I had to be in the fens later, it seemed like a great reason to go to eastern standard, since I hadn’t been there in awhile. the bar was pretty crowded, but there was space outside and though it was drizzling, it wasn’t actually that cold, so we settled in on the patio.

drinks, of course: I generally tell people that eastern standard has the best cocktails in the city. I feel pretty strongly that this is true. they have a great menu that mixes classic and innovative, the ingredients are good, the drinks are well-mixed. still, all of that said? I get the same thing every time: the old cuban. when trying to describe it’s basic essence, I sum it up as a mojito with champagne. which, of course, makes it the perfect drink for me. it’s rum, lime, mint, and champagne and heaven. that last part might not be true, but after one (or three), it certainly feels like it. le had her usual cosmos and seemed pleased, m had some fantastic periodistas, and ryan went with a whiskey smash when he joined us, most likely because it reminded him of his beloved mint julep. everyone was happy.

to start: m wanted a snack and the fact that I had had two drinks and no lunch made me inclined to think that might be a good idea. we went with the calamari and the cheese plate. I honestly didn’t think to note the cheeses (I never do; it’s a problem), but they were all delicious, particularly the soft goat cheese selection. the calamari was cooked to perfection, crisp but not greasy and very flavorful. I feel like calamari is on every menu in the city and is rarely actually enjoyable, but this was really quite good.

after the third cocktail and some spirited attempts to flirt with the older guys sitting next to us (they wouldn’t have it, even when we were cute and witty and offered to lift a chair over our heads for them), we ceded our prime real estate to a group of not-so-nice grown-up frat boy types and headed off for futher adventures. it’s too bad that I remembered how much I like eastern standard right as red sox season is starting and it’s about to become impossible to visit at least half of the nights in a given month.

the place: gaslight, 560 harrison ave, south end
the date: wednesday, 04.08.09
the plan: cocktails and apps

my official acquitaine group communique (i.e., newsletter update) told me that gaslight was offering a selection of $6 cocktails during certain weekday hours in april along with some sort of appetizer. clearly, a happy hour was in order, so I snuck out of work a few minutes early, grabbed a drinking buddy and hopped in a cab to my favorite boston restaurant.

drinks, of course: oh my. the selection of cocktails all seemed so tempting. so, of course, we just went ahead and tried almost all of them. unfortunately, I didn’t pull out my little journal and write down all the names and since they’re not on the regular list, I can’t find the names now. however, my first was gin and lemon and a champagne float. it was refreshing and tart and made my lips tingle. the second was vodka and something sweet and made me a little dizzy. in the end I went back to the first, but only by mistake (the names, whatever they were, sounded the same). the others sampled included one rum based and one with apple liquer. all tasty, I promise, dspite my lack of specifics.

to start: the sppetizer offered with the cocktails was a cute little amuse trio. olives, something that was probably a pate, and a stuffed mushroom. I immediately also ordered escargot because I think that if I went to gaslight and didn’t order escargot, I’d be suspect to some sort of fbi probe to see if I’m really me. then I let the non-gaslight fanatic choose our second round of apps, which lead to the asparagus salad (amazing, topped with an egg)and frites. a lovely dinner and somehow enough food to absorb all the booze in those very strong cocktails.

the idea of discounted cocktails during low-traffic times isn’t novel, but somehow it always seems new and exciting. we’re definitely going to go back before the month is over (hopefully paired with dinner at estragon), so I’ll be sure to write those cocktail names and ingredients down next time.

the place: the parish cafe, 361 boylston st, back bay
the date: saturday, 04.04.09
the plan: post-poetry lunch

in case you are unaware, april is national poetry month. (do yourself a favor and read a poem a day from this year and past years at http://april-is.tumblr.com/.) to celebrate, the boston public library holds a poetry festival featuring an all day long reading with many poets, both known and undiscovered. some were fantastic, some should perhaps have remained undiscovered (I have three words for you: bear rape fantasy. I’m sayin’) but it was definitely a nice, slightly pretentious time. and of course, the best way to match that kind of afternoon activity is to spend a ridiculous amount of money for pretentious sandwiches of varying quality at the parish cafe.

drinks, of course: I almost went for the special, some delightful concoction of kiwi and booze, but ended up being unable to resist my favorite combination of strawberry and basil. I made the right choice. I had two. it was amazing. the rest of the group experimented with pears and vodka and wiskey and honey, all classic taste sensations.

the main event: the thing about the parish is that it’s totally a cool idea. ask local chefs to create sandwiches. it means you’ll probably get some cool ideas, some unexpected flavor combinations, and a clever gimmick. it all also means you can charge unheard of amounts for a sandwich. so the only way I can go there is to commit fully to spending that crazy sandwich money and make that part of the experience. so, once I finished thrilling at the prices, I actually considered all the sandwiches. I narrowed it down to the zuni roll and the schlesinger and ultimately decided to go with the sweeter and more unusual schlesinger and I totally made the right choice. melted cheese on banana nut bread, with a pile of ham and mango chutney on the side. it was delicious and I enjoyed every bite. it came with a side of pickled cabbage, which I didn’t expecttolike, but actually did.

I definitely wish it hadn’t been a bit rainy, because sitting outside is one of the best parts of the parish, but you take what you can get and sun in april in boston is a rare treat. sort of like a visit to the parish, actually.

the place: common ground, 83 harvard ave, allston
the date: thursday, 04.02.09
the plan: dinner before darts

we needed to grab a quick dinner in allston before heading to the silouhette to play darts, drink pbr by the pitcher, and mingle with hipsters, so common ground was the obvious choice. a reliable standby, rarely too crowded, and generally speedy enough.

drinks, of course: mojito. it really hasn’t been warm enough yet, but. I can’t resist.

to start: every time I go to common ground and they have the goat cheese and carmelized onion dip on the menu, I want to try it. apparently, I’ve had it before, but I always forget. so we got it, on the premise that I wanted to try it, and as soon as I tasted it, I remembered “oh, I’ve totally had this before.” heh. and it’s not very good. I mean, it’s not bad. but it’s not (clearly) memorable. I’m going to attempt to recall this next time.

the main event: beef and brie salad. I’d tasted it the last time I was there and was thrilled to have it all to myself. the brie was warm and melty, the beef well-done but tender, and the lettuce and grape tomatoes fresh and sweet. every bite was delicious. and I ate a lot of the beef (for me, at least, I don’t really eat red meat very often) and there was still a ton left, so it’s definitely a good portion of protein.

the food was exactly what we wanted and then it was off to darts. and it may have nothing to do with the amazing salad, but I did throw four bullseyes in one game that night. so all-in-all, I was pretty happy.

the place: craigie on main, 853 main street, cambridge
the date: sunday, 03.29.09
the plan: brunch

oh, I have been waiting for this one. I never managed to make it to the much-beloved craigie street bistro despite ryan and several other friends being devotees. I’m very impressed by maws’s commitment to local and fresh— I think it’s the best option both for taste and for health of people and the planet. so when I read that the new version would have a full bar (with cocktails by the cocktail genius formerly of eastern standard), more seating, and brunch, I was inexpressably excited. and finally the day came when I was actually headed over there for a pre-movie (bromance I love you, man which was enjoyable) brunch.

for whatever reason, we skipped the breakfast cocktails and just made do with coffee. probably related to the rain and coldin some way. the space is absolutely gorgeous with the bar and open kitchen each dominating their side of the restaurant. for brunch, the open windows let in enough light to make the space feel light, open, and airy despite the grey and dreary weather. the host, servers, and (I think) manager, all helped us get to our table (we got separated due to parking issues) and our waitress was absolutely delightful, super cheerful and offering recommendations. the entire experience was off to a great start and we hadn’t even eaten anything.

the main event: the waitress recommended the pancakes if we were thinking sweet and the corned beef hash for savory. these actually happened to be what we were leaning towards anyway, though we did go back and forth a bit before settling on those. we also added a side— the potato galette. the waitress said that the pancakes (with the stewed bananas) melted in your mouth, but I didn’t really believe that because it seemed a ridiculous thing to say about pancakes. except they totally did. it was amazing, though a bit of a weird sensation at first. they were so light. hands down the best pancakes I have ever eaten. the house-brined corn beef also met expectations of greatness. and the potato was light, not greasy, and absolutely perfectly seasoned.

we were early for the movie, and if I’d had my way we would have sat there for another hour just drinking coffee and enjoying the sounds of the expeditor calling orders, but clearly they need to turn over tables, so we had to leave. but I’m already looking for reasons to go back, for dinner and to brunch again. oh, and also for cocktails. definitely for cocktails.

the place: union, 1357 washington st, south end
the date: friday, 03.27.09
the plan: cocktails and dinner

I ended up at union twice in one week and am pretty much okay with that. it’s definitely designed to be a neighborhood-y place and while I don’t love the food, I do love the vibe of the place and think they have great cocktails and apps. I was running late and had one of those cabbies who has a problem with intersections (“the corner of washington and union park” should be as acceptable as an actual street address, dude, so relax and start driving), so I was running late, but met up with m and le just in time to buy a round of cocktails.

drinks, of course: I started with a strawberry-basil martini. this is possibly my favorite drink in the world. well. okay, after the mojito. and anything champagne based. but really. if you have never considered the miracle that is combining strawberry and basil, you must stop everything and plan your summer around this flavor combination. (actually, I’m planning on making basil-infused vodka this summer and doing just that, so this isn’t some sort of do-as-I-say thing. I’m committing.) anyway, it was refreshing and delightful in every way and I finished just as it was time to be seated which I think is always a sign of perfect planning.

for dinner we ordered a bottle— a gruner that was dry and tasty, austrian, I think. it went well enough with all our meals. it was reasonably priced— mid-40s, I believe.

to start: unlike monday, I actually ordered a full restaurant week meal and started off with the spring pea soup. it was light and neither too sweet or too salty, though I believe there was supposed to be some sort of creme fraiche that I couldn’t quite detect. still, enjoyable. both the ladies had the asparagus salad and pronounced it good. most importantly, like every time I’ve visited union, we had an amazing waiter who took time to check on us, knew the menu well, had suggestions when asked, and was just an all-around delightful guy. and super-cute to boot. I would have declared eternal love to him, actually, had he not been wearing a wedding ring. but, that’s not the point here.

the main event: I had chicken, with some sauce and probably a vegetable component. it doesn’t much matter what it was because it was not-at-all memorable and too salty. I’ve had this problem a bunch lately — to the point where I’m wondering if it’s me and I’ve just become overly sensitive to salt. hmmm… I think m and le liked their meals, I know le had the pasta I had on monday (good but too salty, should you not feel like revisiting the review).

sweet treat: that smores bread pudding that I was looking forward to all week unfortunately left a lot to be desired. not enough amazing yummy smores-y goodness and the whole thing was kind of dry as well. I probably wouldn’t have been as disappointed if I’d just had it monday, but after thinking about it, I was a little sad. ultimately, unless a place is known for its desserts or there’s something I particularly know to be good, I think my experiences with desserts during the past week just reconfirmed my belief that it’s rarely worth the expense and the calories to have restaurant desserts. just have another glass of wine and be done with it.

so, it’s weird because I know I didn’t love the food, but I had a great time, I enjoyed the apps and the cocktails so very very much and I was so pleased with the atmosphere and service, that I’m definitely going back soon. sometimes it’s not so much about what you eat, even in an eating establishment, as it is about the experience you have. and union creates a great experience every time.

the place: rocca, 500 harrison ave, south end
the date: thursday, 03.26.09
the plan: restaurant week dinner

in my life, I’ve had 3 main restaurant week buddies— ryan, sharon, & the ex. ryan was busy with his current bf in town, sharon has relocated to the opposite coast, and the ex is, well, ex. so, it seemed there were to be no restaurant week dinners on my agenda this year. except than the ex said we should go anyway and I guess that falls into the category of things you can do when trying to be friends. and I’d been telling him he should try rocca for ages, so off we went.

drinks, of course: we had a reservation. we arrived on time. and still we hovered at the bar long enough to wait for someone to notice us, have a long conversation, drink a cocktail, and chat with a friendly man about olives. I think that reservations should lead to tables, not waiting. or, if there’s some really weird turn-over issue, then at least an apology and a short wait. this was very clearly a planned wait. the cocktails were fine— mine was fruity and tart with booze and whine, the ex’s was way too strong, all rum-all-the-time.

I honestly don’t remember the wine— I think he had a decent but uninteresting red (a san giovese, maybe) and I had a white that completely clashed with my meal. I know it’s my choice, but I’d like a waiter who is able to steer me away from something, especially when I note that I’m ordering it because it’s something I’ve never tried before.

to start: restaurant week menu had quite a few options, which is always nice. for an app I chose the scampi and recieved two plump, tasty shrimp (avec face, for those even more squeamish than me) which we both enjoyed. the ex got some gnocci with pesto which was fine, but bland. point, me. (not that we were competing or anything…)

the main event: I love salmon and yet I almost never order it. this is because I find that it’s most often available to me in one of two ways: wedding-style overcooked and practically raw. obviously, raw is preferable here, but if I wanted sushi, I’d be having sushi. still, the options on the menu were meat-heavy and I tend not to be a big meat-eater and I’d had the veggie option on my last visit (lasanga, highly recommended), so I went ahead and risked the salmon. and oh! perfectly prepared salmon nirvana at last! translucent and pink in the center, but actually cooked. and the sauce was flavorful as well. the ex’s pork short ribs, however, were probably the winner of that course.

sweet treat: I would prefer never to think of this dessert ever again, let alone write about it. so, in brief, orange passionfruit semifreddo that was intolerably sweet for me, boring and blah chocolate cake for him.

this was my fourth time at rocca and I’ve been slightly less impressed each time. I’m not sure I’ll be going back anytime soon. they started off with an impressive, very italian menu and I feel like it’s kind of become a bit more “americanized” and is now barely distinguishable from something like stella, but not as well done. what I liked about rocca at first can all be found at scampo now, though with a higher price tag. it’s too bad when a place starts out with such promise and ends up uninteresting, though perhaps that makes it the perfect place (metaphorically speaking) for dinner with the ex.

the place: mr. crepe, 51 davis sq, davis sq.
the date: wednesday, 03.25.09
the plan: quick dinner before a show

since mr. crepe opened in davis, replacing a beloved-by-others coffee shop, I’ve heard nothing but mixed reviews. m.st said she always enjoyed eating there, though, and there’s not an exceptional number of places to eat before a show in davis. well, actually, there’s anna’s and mike’s, but those weren’t discussed and I clearly forgot about them until now. besides, despite my negative experience at grendel’s (see yesterday’s dinner), I still like trying new places.

the place was busy, with all the tables full and both patronized and staffed by davis sq. hipsters. overall, it seemed to fit in the neighborhood well. I ordered an iced coffee and there was not one, but two, bottles of liquid sugar, so they can clearly hold their own with the trendy coffee shops in the area. the coffee was quite good, too. possibly one of the better iced coffees I’ve had in a bit.

along with the coffee, I ordered the super-fennel crepe. fresh moz, basil, spinach, tomato, and fennel. the crepe was a little thicker than I really like and a bit overcooked, but not enough to affect the taste. and the filling! it was absolutely a taste sensation. all licoricy fennel filled goodness perfectly complemented by the basil and tomato, with the cheese to provide a creamy cooling sensation.

I enjoyed absolutely every bite. while I can see that it may not be the best crepes in the area, I think maybe some of the bad reviews are motivated more by missing the coffee shop that was there than by the actual quality of the food. regardless, I certainly liked my dinner and headed off happily into the night to groove with the hipsters to the suprisingly upbeat song stylings of the mountain goats.

the place: grendel’s den, 89 winthrop st., harvard sq.
the date: tuesday, 03.24.09
the plan: easy dinner and drinks

I hadn’t been to grendel’s den, but I’d always been curious about it, so when it was suggested while trying to find something in the halfway point between allston and somerville that is harvard square (thanks to my favorite 66 bus), I figured “I like new places. why not?” well. there are definitely a few reasons why not.

drinks, of course: there’s a $3 per person beverage minimum, which is a bit weird, actually, but not a problem for me. I had two magic hat #9s and at $4.50 each, easily covered that. unfortunately, the beers were not exactly up to par. a bit off in taste, possibly on the flat side, and yet, I ordered a second one because there wasn’t anything else on the beer list I thought would taste better. not awesome.

to start: the food is half-price before 7:30, so we ordered some nachos to start. they were tortilla chips with cheese and then a spoonful each of bean chili, salsa, gauc, and sour cream. none of this was particularly tasty and I managed to have a series of soggy chips break and leave stains on the table and my shirt. also, not exactly awesome.

the main event: one of the specials of the day was “sebastian’s sandwich” and it sounded like an excellent concept. ham with mango chutney and curried coleslaw. served on sourdough, but I substituted multi-grain because I’ve never been a sourdough fan. I was really looking forward to this, despite the disappointing beer and nachos. apparently, I’m not that smart. the sandwich was surprisingly flavorless. how you can combine chutney and curry and still not really taste like anything is confusing to me, but grendel’s managed just fine. three strikes on the not awesome front.

I had pleasant company and good conversation, so it didn’t particularly matter where we went and, thankfully not only was the food half-price, but the meal was covered as part of a concert ticket debt, so I didn’t really spend any money. however, between the vaguely surly waitress, the low-quality food, the off-tasting beer and the relatively non-inviting atmosphere, I don’t think I’ll be trying grendel’s again and I definitely won’t be recommending it.

the place: union, 1357 washington st, south end
the date: monday, 03.23.09
the plan: dinner with an out-of-town visitor

ryan’s boyfriend was in town last week, which is a too-rare and very awesome occasion, so to celebrate, ryan planned what turned out to be a great night at union. I was at first a bit disappointed about the location, only because when he was planning it, I was suggesting good american-type places (the bf’s in from germany and wanted the non-ethnic food of our people) and union is always great, so I suggested it before I remembered that I was headed there on friday. ultimately, it was worth the repetition of location for a variety of reasons.

drinks, of course: I started with the aloe cocktail. it’s vodka, and aloe juice and something else (probably citrus) that I’m completely blanking on right now, but it is delicious and sweet without being cloying. plus, there are some bits of texture in there— like a drip of gummy candy that I assume is related to the aloe that I surprisingly enjoy. had a glass of the sauvignon blanc with my salad and it was lovely, simple, nothing amazing. then I switched to the red that everyone else seemed to be drinking— a rhone blend from chateau ste. michelle. one thing in favor of the switch was how much the others at the table liked it, but in addition, I will always try anything from chateau ste. michelle— it’s one of my favorite wineries and I’ve never had a bad wine from there. for the record, their columbia valley gewurztraminer is my favorite.

to start: I think that union’s strength really lies in two areas— the service and the appetizers. I have never had anything but impeccable service there. everyone from the host to the bartenders are always attentive and friendly, the waiters are knowledgable, accomodating, and efficient. on top of that, most of them are pretty cute. I will say, the waiter on monday knew two of the members of our party from their days as regulars there which, combined with how empty it was may have made him a bit chattier than usual and slowed things down a bit, but since it was a pretty festive night, it blended in.

the other thing I’ve never had a bad experience with at union are the apps— every visit has started off with a perfect blend of flavors in that opening dish. and this visit was no exception. I had the grilled romaine salad and it was great. the poblano dressing was incredibly flavorful, the pumpkin seeds were a nice touch, and while I could have done without the sweetness of the cornbread crutons, they certainly didn’t detract from the dish. the rest of the table had either the risotto or the tuna tartare and all seemed to enjoy their choices.

the main event: for my entree, I ordered the orichette carbonara off of the restaurant week menu because I am pretty much incapable of resisting the word “pancetta.” the pasta was perfectly cooked, and the combination of the strong parmsesan and tender peas tossed together in a light sauce was wonderful. and of course, pancetta. I did think it was a bit salty, especially towards the end, but I tossed that up as a danger of providing me with that much pancetta and I can’t really fault anyone for that. as for what everyone else had, I know there were some steaks and some tenderloin and everyone seemed happy enough, but nothing sticks out.

sweet treat: after a bit of internal debate between the restaurant week s’mores bread pudding and the banana cream pie, I went with the pie and a cup of coffee. the coffee was unremarkable and, unfortunately, so was the pie. it looked pretty— a tiny circle of pie, chocolate smeared across the plate and a lovely light yellow color, but the taste didn’t really justify the calories or cost (which are the qualifications I use pretty much only when judging desserts).

while the food was good, more than anything, this was a night that was about the company and the conversation and union is a perfect setting for that kind of night out. the soft, black leather banquettes and not-too-dim/not-too-bright lighting set a great scene and the sound is absorbed very well without any overly distracting background music. the excellent service made the evening smooth and allowed us all to focus on chatting with the bf and friends new and old. I didn’t love every single bite, but I love the restaurant itself, because sometimes it’s about more than the food.

the place: regina pizza, 11 thacher st, north end
the date: thursday, 03.19.09
the plan: pizza, obvs

a quick dinner with the girls in the north end was a great end to an unexpectedly stressful day. I ended up taking a nap right before and having to cab it over from allston, but as I got out of the cab and walked down the narrow little street, the sun was pushing out from behind clouds and everything was glowing yellow which provided the perfect lighting for an idyllic little boston moment. so clearly, the day was destined to get better.

drinks, of course: nothing fancy, I went in on a pitcher of sam white ale. it complemented the pizza in that perfect way that only beer can.

the main event: we did two pizzas for the table, the restrictions being no meat, no mushrooms, no olives, and red sauce. this lead to the fiore di latte (mozzarella, tomato, and basil with a traditional sauce) and the pomodoro broccoli (broccoli and cherry tomatoes, garlic sauce and red sauce). the booth was really cramped with the five of us and with two pizzas and all the glasses and pitchers on the table, it was kind of hard to eat, so we had to just eat the pizza that came on top first and then the second. so we started with the fiore and moved on to the broccoli. I sort of feel that my pizza experience would have been better if we could have reversed that order, but that’s my only complaint. the fiore was incredibly flavorful and was as close to melting in my mouth as pizza can be. the pomodoro was completely covered in broccoli and tasted fresh and a little salty. there wasn’t a bite left on the table when we finally finished the last of our beers and were waved out by the typically charming waitress.

never a bad time at regina’s. and, I got to hear a story about meeting leonardo dicaprio there, so clearly it has quite the clientele.

the place: gaslight, 560 harrison ave, south end
the date: wednesday, 03.18.09
the plan: cocktails, apps, and dessert

tuesday was, as they often are, an utter disaster of a day. and all day, I fixated on cocktails and beignets from gaslight as the thing that would fix the day, but I couldn’t fit a visit into my schedule. so on wednesday, I dragged m (fresh off the plane from the midwest and dying for a return to city civilization) along to help sate my craving. and really? there is nothing about this experience that leads me to believe gaslight isn’t the solution to any bad day.

drinks, of course: oh, the drinks. I started with the fleur de lis, which was apparently also our waitresses favorite. violet liqueur, gin, peach, white grape juice, and champagne all add up to a martini glass full of happiness and slicked with ice. absolutely everything I wanted when I started thinking about these cocktails the previous day. m had the l’acolyte— essentially a deliciously orange sidecar. next round, m switched to wine and after some great input from the waitress went with the white grenache which was exactly what she wanted— think a bit drier and not quite as fruity as a reisling. excellent. I stuck with the cocktails, this time having a boston common, which is an adorable little mint-green thing made with vodka, elderflower liqueur, and basil. it was sweeter than I was expecting, but the basil helped cut that and keep it on the refreshing side. with dessert, I had a glass of muscat and it was sweet and jewel-like and the perfect ending drink.

to start: we did apps instead of dinner, but definitely didn’t skimp. we started with two things we weren’t particularly interested in sharing— m had the garlic soup which was incredibly tasty and somehow extremely garlicky, but also very light. I loved it, but the protein component was mussels, which aren’t my favorite. besides, I had more important things to attend to— like eating escargot like it’s my job. now I’ve the escargot at gaslight before and I do not remember it being this good. gaslight is my favorite french restaurant in the city, but I’ve always felt that sandrine’s had the best escargot. I may have changed my mind. these were tender and garlicky and buttery without feeling greasy. there was enough butter/herb/garlic liquid in each cup when the escargot was removed to dip one bite of bread, but not so much that you felt like you’d been drinking butter. I don’t know how they achieved that balance, but it was absolutely heavenly. each snail was transformative. I was blown away.

for our second course of apps, we split the frites with aioli and the crispy goat cheese salad that was on the restaurant week menu— they were serving all the components of the prix fixe menu a la carte, which not all places do and was a really great way to extend our apps options. the frites there are good, maybe not as good as brasserie jo, but I haven’t been there in a while. the aioli wasn’t too heavy and I enjoyed it. the salad wasn’t anything to write home about, but was tasty and serviceable with a light and tart dressing that perfectly balanced the goat cheese.

sweet treat: and then there was dessert. m almost didn’t get anything, but then decided on the champagne sorbet with blackberry and a parisian macaroon, again from the restaurant week menu. I cannot explain this sorbet. it was light and fizzy and sweet the way you’d expect from champagne, but it was so much more. we could not stop eating it. or talking about it. it’s possible that sorbet could bring about world peace if everyone could just try some. I don’t know how they did it. and the cookie was nothing special and should have been an afterthought, but was actually so unexpectedly good that it made m angry. I debated for a bit between the orange cranberry bread pudding on the restaurant week menu or the chocolate beignets I’d been thinking about for almost 48 hours at that point. I went with the beignets. except, they brought me the chocolate cake. I couldn’t find the waitress and I was in such a great mood I decided it was fine and just ate it. I mean, it’s good, but it’s still another flourless chocolate cake. so I mostly just stole bites of m’s sorbet and enjoyed my wine. however, as we were paying, the waitress noticed my plate, realized what had happened and insisted I take the order of very warm chocolate beignets that she brought me to go. so that was breakfast on thursday. mmmmm… perfection.

on top of all the perfect food and drink, I always love the space and the atmosphere at gaslight. it’s so casually indulgent and really brings that neighborhood brasserie feel into play. and the service there is impeccable. the hostess took m’s suitcases without even a frown, the sommelier chatted with us several times, and the waitress was one of the best I’ve had in ages, even before the to-go dessert— I wish I had gotten her name, but she was sweet and funny, knowledgable about the food, wine, and cocktails, and attentive without being overbearing. I haven’t needed a fun, pampered night out as badly as I did this time and it couldn’t have been more perfect. definitely one of the best restaurant experiences I’ve ever had.

the place: herrells, 155 brighton ave, allston
the date: tuesday 03.17.09
the plan: coffee and a snack/early dinner

obviously I can’t write about every coffee I buy in the city because then this blog would need to be updated about six times a day and would be not only dull, but too much work. but. I also ate at herrells and I find that people are occasionally surprised to hear how good the food is. so, along with our medium hot and large iced coffees (spring-like weather continues!), we decided to get some sandwiches.

j had the tijuana waitress, which if I recall correctly was some awesome blend of hot sauce and bacon and some sort of veggie thing. it looked good and he looked happy and let me steal some bacon, which is really the way to my heart. I had my very favorite sandwich in the world— the monkey love. peanut butter and banana on grilled white bread. it comes with either marshmallow or strawberries and I prefer neither, but they messed up and gave me marshmallow and it didn’t really negatively affect my experience. it’s just a little sweeter that way and, as j pointed out, it downplays the banana flavor— for him a plus, for me not so much. still, the sandwich made me happy in the way that any food that makes me feel like a five-year-old having an after-school snack always does. and there’s nothing bad about that.

the place: soul fire, 182 harvard ave, allston
the date: monday, 03.16.09
the plan: all you can eat wings

wings, again. not much different to report than last week’s visit, other than that boys are kind of gross and it’s weird how they make eating into a competition. watching adam eat 28 wings may have been the most disgusting thing I’ve done in awhile.

wings and highlife, as usual. the wing flavor of the week was teriyaki. at first, it was good, but after a few, the teriyaki was just so thick and heavy that it was nearly impossible to eat. for something like wings, where you’re eating several of them in a row, I think the sauces need to stay on the lighter side. that said, the other flavors were less strong this week— I couldn’t quite tell the spicy honey from the pit boss and I really should be able to. but, it may also just be a side effect of too many all-you-can-eat wings nights. which is where the post title comes in— I think it’s time.

the place: deep ellum, 447 cambridge st, allston
the date: sunday, 03.15.09
the plan: cocktails and fries

as already detailed, this was the weekend of the hangover, and by late sunday I was feeling pretty tired. but I couldn’t waste the gorgeous day, so ryan and I did some walking around before he had to head to the airport. I wanted a cocktail, ryan wanted fries, so we decided on deep ellum and after some questionable parking shennanigans, we made it and got the table in the window.

drinks, of course: usually I go to deep ellum for the beer (specifically, the aventinus weizenbock, which tastes wonderfully of spice and makes me think of gumdrops), but they also have a way with cocktails, and neither of us could handle beer after two days of drinking. so casey, the delightful hipster bartender, provided me with the aviation and ryan with the summer in sau paulo. I don’t drink tequila and find that the cachaca tastes more of tequila than rum, so I didn’t sample ryan’s, but it looked refreshing and strong and later reports were that he fell asleep at the airport, so I imagine it did the job. the aviation is part of my ongoing attempts to increase my enjoyment of gin and it definitely worked— lemony and cold with just a bit of the bite of gin underneath. delicious.

to start: oh the fries. I once went to this fantastic sandwich place in portland (called duck fat, if you’re in portland, don’t miss it) and the fries are served, as they are at deep ellum, belgian style in the cone with a choice of dipping sauce. I had the truffled ketchup and I really wanted not to really care about the truffle oil addition one way or the other. but, of course, I am a person who cannot resist that deep earthy taste, especially when added to something tart and vinegary. now regular ketchup always feels a little disappointing. at deep ellum, they offer “fries 4 ways” and we chose the truffle mayo and parmesan option. sprinkled with bits and larger shavings of paremesan, the fries themselves were crispy and salty and fantastic. the truffle oil does something different to the mayo, already rich and thick, than it does to ketchup, but I wasn’t complaining— still tasty. especially when also dipped in the ketchup.

we left the bar around 6:40 and I spent the rest of the evening in, so it was really the perfect end to a gorgeous afternoon that made me finally start to believe that spring is actually coming soon.

the place: common ground, 83 harvard ave, allston
the date: saturday, 03.14.09
the plan: dinner, cocktails, and dancing

before anything else, I would just like to note that common ground has one of the worst restaurant websites I’ve ever seen. and I don’t think they update it more than once a year. but, not the point.

I was wretchedly hungover (for further info: see previous post on breakfast) and our girls’ night out was cancelled, so the remaining girl and I decided to rally and go dancing on the local. common ground was hosting love night (80s) vs. the pill (britpop), my favorite dance night, so we figured, grab dinner there to avoid the cover charge and then dance the night away. didn’t quite go as planned, but the dinner part worked.

drinks, of course: it seemed kind of spring like this weekend and I really wanted it to be summer, so that means mojitos. the ones at common ground are always muddled, no simple syrup, which makes me happy. sweet and minty and refreshing, two sips and any remaining hangover was gone. (we don’t need to discuss what that means for me). then we swapped it up and m had a mojito— ginger flavored this time (we later learned they use ginger ale for that, which doesn’t make it taste too much of ginger, but really lightens the sweetness) and I had what she had been having— the morning glory. gin, cucumber syrup, and soda, garnished with a cucumber slice. it was also refreshing, though not at all sweet. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it, but I could only do one. after that I went back to the mojito. after cashing out and moving to the dancefloor, I switched to the allston usual — two highlifes.

the main event: continuing the summer in the city theme, I went with a cesar salad with grilled chicken. tasty, though could use a little more dressing. which is actually not something I say very often about the cesar salads I encounter. simple, tasty, etc. however, m had the beef and brie salad and I don’t even really like beef and I was thrilled. large but thin pieces of brie, well-cooked beef, greens and tomatoes, and a creamy buttermilk dressing. this is absolutely what I’ll be getting the next time I go there.

not that it matters so much, but the dancing was hampered first by a lack of people to dance with (st. pat’s kept them all downtown, I suppose) and then by two dance floor injuries, so I bailed for a magic hat #9 at harry’s and then sleep. still, I’m marking it down as a successful common ground visit.

the place: bagel rising, 1243 comm ave, allston
the date: saturday, 03.14.09
the plan: “breakfast” at 2pm

friday was brutal. there was an extended happy hour, then several high lifes, some unanticipated friend drama-rama and then after hours until 5am. I am too old to be drinking for eleven hours, but I do it more than occasionally. and since that’s the case, I am so glad that I have bagel rising to get me through it.

the tequila sunrise (in my case, with only one egg and no onions) is the only sure-fire instant hangover cure that doesn’t contain alcohol of which I’m aware. any bagel (I choose whole wheat), egg, bacon, tomato, pepperjack cheese, and most importantly, jalepeno cream cheese. it opens the sinuses, clears the fog from the brain, and makes you feel something remotely close to human again. pair that with a slightly-too-sweet iced coffee and some water and you too can keep living that immediate-post-college lifestyle long after you should!

the place: sunset cantina, 916 comm ave, boston
the date: friday, 03.13.09
the plan: post-work drinks with the co-workers

I’m documenting it all, so I’m writing about it, but it feels sort of unnecessary. the cantina is like the mcdonalds of my life. I don’t really like it, but it’s really convenient. I work on that block, all our post-work happy hours are there, including this goodbye party for a good friend. so, I go, I eat, I endure the intolerably slow service and the always weird crowd and then I try to forget about the place until the next happy hour or lunch meeting.

drinks, of course: three magic hat #9s, three sam white ale. I do love the sam white and it’s not around that long, so I’ve been enjoying it fully since it appeared in taps across the city a few weeks ago.

to start: I don’t usually eat there, but I knew I had a long night of drinking ahead, so I got the fiesta nachos with the chicken chili. they were okay, but not too hot and started to congeal quickly. the usual.

I like a few of the bartenders there— they know us and they treat us well— but overall the service is terrible and this night was no exception, especially with the large pre- and post-bu hockey game crowds. usually there are a lot of college groups, but this time it was all unpleasant smelling pasty middle-aged white men surrounding us. I think that’s actually worse, which is saying something. and still, all that and at the end of the evening, I’d say I had a pretty good time.

the place: bamboo, 1616 comm ave, brighton
the date: wednesday, 03.11.09
the plan:awkward dinner date

my favorite thai place in boston closed years ago. I honestly don’t even remember the name, but it was on the corner of comm ave and agganis way where there’s now a qdoba. I can’t even talk about how tragical that is. so, I replaced that by fully embracing brown sugar in it’s comm ave location. I work right down the street, so I ate there at least once a week for the last four years. unfortunately, there’s been a few failed health inspections recently and coworkers have seen more roaches than I like to know about in a place I eat. (if you’re curious about health inspections, check out boston.gov’s mayor’s food court, but be careful— there may be information you’d rather not know.) I have a very healthy understanding of the fact that most restaurants are dirtier than it may be good for me to know, but once I know, I have a hard time going back.

so, the upshot here is that I have been missing thai food like burning. it’s a bad scene. no pad thai, no yellow curry, no chicken w/ cashew nuts, and on and on. thai food it my favorite and it was becoming a problem. so, when I had to plan a potentially awkward dinner date, I figured I may as well at least get some thai out of it, so we went to bamboo.

drinks, of course: I haven’t found many asian beers that I really like, but the japanese hitachino nest white ale that I had at bamboo was fantastic. typical white ale, cloudy and citrus-scented, spicy (coriander, I think, not so much cloves), and just very light and refreshing. I don’t know if it really paired well with the thai food, but the beer itself was definitely something I’ll be looking to find whenever I find a liquor store to replace marty’s. (single tear)

the main event: since I’ve been jonesing for the thai food, I had a hard time picking what I wanted. for the date, I suggested the soy duck with pickled ginger, which he ordered and seemed to like, though the duck was tough to eat and bit fatty or grisly or something. I ended up choosing the stir fry with chicken, spicy basil sauce, and chowfoon noodles. the sauce was good, though I would have liked a bit more basil flavor, but it was pleasantly spicy without being overwhelming. the noodles were perfect and the chicken well covered in the sauce. my only complaint was the vegetables— they were a little sparse for my taste, primarily onions and chinese broccoli. I definitely missed the bounty of vegetables to be found in brown sugar’s food.

for the record, the evening ended up turning out well with only minimal awkwardness and the good food we both had probably helped at least a bit. it’s still not quite ready to be pronounced my favorite thai food replacement, but it’ll do until I can find a more solid contender.

the place: jj foley’s, 117 e. berkeley st., south end
the date: tuesday, 03.10
the plan: dinner and trivia

this was my second time on a new trivia team that plays in the weekly stump game at jj foley’s. I felt much more comfortable after proving myself at least a little useful at the last game, so when ryan and I arrived and sat at the reserved table (they’re clearly the bar’s favorite team), I was much more able to think about drinks and food than the last time.

drinks, of course: the place is very typical irish pub, feels very homey and I was duly impressed that after only one visit, mary our waitress remembered I’d ordered a bass. so of course, I went with another one. I stuck with that over the evening and had three. the rest of the team had either guiness or g&t.

to start: ryan and I were early and hungry enough that we split an order of mozzarella sticks. the sticks themselves were the usual, could have been in any bar in the city, but the sauce was particularly weak— it tasted like canned tomatoes rather than marinara and we were unimpressed.

the main event: I asked about the veggie burger and apparently it’s the staple go-to entree of the girls on the team, so I figured I may as well fit in. I ordered it with carmelized onions and the usual lettuce and tomato. it was really quite good— the texture was squishier than I normally like, but really smooth and it was tasty, so I got past it. and the carmelized onions were a great addition. I think this will become my go-to as well. and the fries there are nice, though nothing amazing.

since the team came in second with my help, I think I’ll be invited back and the place is comfortable enough and the service so utterly friendly it makes up for anything that might be lacking in the food.

the place: soul fire, 182 harvard ave, allston
the date: monday, 03.09
the plan: all you can eat wings

the third monday installment of all you can eat wings at soul fire was a success. and this time I actually ordered the wings. over the last three weeks, I’ve somehow gone from “I don’t like wings” to “well, maybe I’ll try one…” to “wings, yes!” it’s been a weird and surprising transformation for a not-so-meat-inclined girl like me.

drinks, of course: it’s allston. I had a high life. actually, I believe I had four. they were fizzy and delicious and hipster-crap-beer-tastic as always. the rest of the table had the same, schlitz, pbr, or red stripe (that was josh, classing up the group).

the main event: we had a big group again this week and went through three or four platters of wings. I myself had about 7. normally, they bring each person a sampler of the four flavors and then you order additional, but as experienced regular-types, we skip this step and order a large platter of pit boss (the soul fire bbq), spicy honey, and the flavor of the week since none of us like buffalo. this week’s flavor was honey dijon and it was awesome. I also love the spicy honey, but have no real interest in the pit boss. I also had a side of mac & cheese — it’s not actually the best mac & cheese ever, but the decision to crumble barbecue potato chips on top was absolute brilliance and should probably lead to some sort of nobel or something.

the cook knows us at this point (I think bringing standout-in-a-crowd types like ogre helps) and instructs the waitresses to just keep our wings coming, so I’m sure this will continue to be a regular thing until soul fire discontinues the offer.

the place: mantra, 52 temple place boston
the date: sunday, 03.08, 10:30ish
the plan: industry night, cocktails for amy’s birthday

I’ve actually had dinner at mantra before and I had no inclination to go back. I hated the space, I didn’t like the food. but, a friend knows the guy who runs the industry night, so there was a vip table and it was an excuse to wear a dress, and it was a birthday, so when I got the last minute invite, I got the dress and tights on in 7 minutes flat and headed out.

all the center tables are removed for the club night, and actually, the cavernous white marble filled space works a lot better in this context than it did for dinner. the scene was pretty typical — what looked like bu grads, a lot of atheletes, some music industry types, cute girls in cute tops and cute jeans, and a handful of complete hoochies.

the music was pretty good— contemporary hiphop/pop and some eighties mixed in here and there with no song lasting more than a minute or so and some cool transitions. I didn’t get the dj’s name, but I’m trying to figure it out because I would check him out again.

drinks, of course: I had a $12 grey goose and tonic, not large, not strong, but acceptable. then I had a gratis vodka cran from the bottle that came with the table. nothing special— it was too crowded to really have a chance to sample any of the interesting cocktails on their menu.

I didn’t hate it, but I probably wouldn’t go back. I spent most of the night heading outside with friends to smoke and left early. but it was all worth if for the best cab ride ever— the cabbie completely rocked out with us to elton john’s “rocket man” and it was epic.

the place: buttery bar and bistro, 314 shawmut ave, south end
the date: monday 02.09.09
the plan: dinner w/ the co-worker ladies

this was the (very rarely actually) monthly gathering of co-workers past and present this time consisting of myself, one of the senior project managers in my dept, and a former coworker for whom I was once-upon-a-time an admin. I’d been dying to try this place and was all set to absolutely love it. as a bonus, another co-worker is friends with the owner, so we got to meet him and get a little of the history behind the buttery’s expansion from bakery and coffee shop to full-fledged 2-story restaurant.

the bakery is on the front and was empty when we arrived. to the back, there was a cute bar area with a few small tables. we were led downstairs through a small room with several tables and into the main dining area. the entire place was tiny in that way that real estate agents describe as cozy. we were the first guests of the evening and got the best table— a corner table with a banquette strewn with pillows right next to the fireplace. yes, fireplace. the space was completely charming with the original stone and brick of the basement it used to be and supple coppery leather on all the benches. it was absolutely wonderful for the first fifteen minutes or so. unfortunately, as soon as the dining room filled up, the problem with all that charming stone became clear — no sound absorption at all. it was like eating in one of those rooms full of birds at the zoo. if the birds were actually old ladies, lesbians, and gay couples, of course. I felt like I was shouting all evening and that is one of my biggest restaurant pet peeves.

drinks, of course: co-worker L loved her dirty martini. I had something with bourbon and grand marnier that was great, but really boozy— unfortunately I didn’t write the name down and the drink list isn’t online. the cocktail menu was cute and interesting with several choices. the wine list is on the small side, which makes sense for a place of this size, but there’s a nice variety of both wine and prices and we were able to settle on a chilean sauvingon blanc that was tasty.

to start: I was tragically disappointed to hear that the potoato leek soup on the menu had been replaced with a mushroom soup, but did really enjoy my salad of greens, pumpkin seeds, cranberry and delightfully large portion of goat cheese. co-worker A had the arugula salad and said it was quite good as well.

the main event: the drinks and salads had set the stage for a good dinner, despite the noise, but the entrees didn’t live up to that promise. my chicken and risotto was a nice concept and well cooked, but tasted like someone had lost the cover to the salt shaker. the sauce covered the entire dish and it was very difficult to eat, especially in combination with the drier wine. A’s penne with pumpkin pesto apparently tasted fine, but the choice to coat both the pasta and the roasted vegetables in the very green pesto made it seem like she was eating something out of dr. suess, which was disconcerting enough to make the taste an after-thought. L’s duck was apparently servicable as she had no complaints.

sweet treat: the buttery is famous for their cupcakes, winning best of boston several times. so really, while they have a few items on the dessert menu what everyone wants is cupcakes. the list we’d seen online was full of cool ideas completely designed to tempt a cake-whore like myself. but, the buttery apparently doesn’t keep any extra cupcakes in reserve for dinner and only has available was was left at the end of the day, so we were restricted to chocolate w/ chocolate icing, vanilla w/ chocolate icing, and carrot. the carrot was by far the best, but the chocolate was quite good as well. still, it was disappointing not to be able to try the signature items we’d been hoping for.

all in all, I think the concept of the restaurant is good, they just have some kinks to work out. they’re clearly shooting for a neighborhood restaurant feel and they seem to be doing decent business. the only thing that may not get better over time is the volume of the dining room, which even more than the somewhat disappointing food, is the the thing that makes me hesitate to return.