Out and about Food Aficionado

Updating

2008-07-15T11:25:00.002-04:00

So I find that updating to Blogger a bit of a pain especially the photos aspect. I am trying out WORDPRESS.

afoodaficionado.wordpress.com

I just opened it last night so I am going to start it and I like I can update a bit more readily than this one.

Cheers and good eating!

Moved to new site

2008-04-21T12:40:00.003-04:00

Hello,
I have moved to "afoodaficionado.blogspot.com" due to lack of memory to upload photos (I maxed out.) So I have not updated this site for awhile.

There have been many great eats since I last wrote that I will need to add:

banq, Hungry Mother, Korean BBQ in Burlington, Winson Dim Sum... and many more places!

Once I get a chance, I will be adding more blog entries. Thanks for checking out my site. I am a simple person who loves food, checking out new places and enjoying these experiences with her friends and family!

Toki Shabu Shabu-new addition Allston's Packards Corner

2007-12-18T13:56:00.000-05:00

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nodame88/sets/72157603493089337/

Toki Shabu Shabu
121 Brighton Avenue
Allston, MA

Last night, I went with my boss and his wife to Toki Shabu Shabu the new addition to shabu shabu in the Allston, Brighton, Brookline area. Now you can get Shabu Shabu at three places without having to leave the area for Chinatown. There is Shabu Village on Harvard Street (towards Coolidge Corner) and a new Shabu Zen taking the old space of Greenfield on Brighton Avenue very close to Toki Shabu Shabu.

We were impressed by the modern decor which was softened to be a bit warm and not too cold as modern and contemporary decor can be. I loved the lighting and the walls. It reminded me a little of Gari on Harvard Avenue in Brookline a little. Being a Monday night, we were promptly seated. Service was good and attentive. Our tea cups were always replenished as well as our broths for our shabu shabu while eating our meal.

I must admit that the tables are not big enough to hold all the "big" plates that hold the food. We decided to have the tea and ordered a bottle of the Kaori Ginjyo 300 ml $30. We thought it was easy to drink and the description said the flavors remind you of muscat grapes and banana. We were given three small shot glasses and each got a few shots of this great sake. (We are not sake experts but it was a good cold sake that went well with our meal.)

So for Asians, there are different ways to have hotpot. The Japanese call it shabu shabu, Chinese Hot Pot and sometimes it is referred to Asian Fondue. Asians love to have hot pot especially in winter and it is very healthy as you cook your ingredients in front of you (especially fun for those who are "do it yourselfers"). For the uninitiated, you can get a set with a choice of thinly sliced meat, seafood or just vegetables. Every place has a variety of choices of broth depending on the restaurant. Toki Shabu Shabu had the choice of three broths-Gochujang-Korean Spicy (we thought it mild to our tastes in terms of spiciness), Tonkotsu Miso and Wafu (Japanese Style) the only style broth we did not have was the soy milk. Then you are given a choice of rice or noodles (usually a variety -vermicelli, udon, egg noodles etc). But at Toki Shabu Shabu it was just rice or udon noodles. Then you can get a bunch of condiments and accoutrements with your meal as well as vegetables (choices vary with the establishment) as well as fish cakes, meatballs, fish balls etc.

We opted for some appetizers to start and we loved them! The seaweed salad was prettily presented and was just right, not too vinegary or sweet. Next we got the kaki fried (fried oysters) and in one order you get 5 for $6. Presented in a cup with vegetables and served with tonkatsu sauce it was a hit with our table! We ended up getting another one! Then we got an order of agedashi tofu $6 fried tofu in dashi broth. The broth was just right and the tofu was great! Then we tried a kushiyaki stick $2 (varies with what you want) for the hatsu (chicken hearts) a favorite with patrons our server informed us. We enjoyed this one as well and got another one. (We thought of how in Brazilian BBQ you get chicken hearts too!) Our final appetizer was the white tuna tataki $12. It was pan seared white tuna over ponzu jelly. We enjoyed the contrast of the citrusy flavor in the ponzu jelly mixed well with the rich white tuna.

For our main meals, we got the sirloin $16, mixed seafood $17 and kurobuta baraniku (pork belly) $11. The extras to put with your serving sauces---choice of sesame, ginger and ponzu is limited. Also the scallions, minuscule amount of garlic, red chili flakes and one green pepper condiment was small. When we asked for more (three people for one small serving) we just got another small serving. The a la carte options were a bit limited. There was no sacha sauce and taro available. The seafood and meats were very fresh. The stove tops are electric so it takes a little time to heat up the broth. Then have fun and swish swish your food and dump in the stuff that takes longer to cook. The vegetable and other stuff place consisted of tofu, napa cabbage, mushroom-three types, noodles, carrots, daikon, tofu, and baby corn. The fatty pork belly was favored over the sirloin. The broths were light and good but we were not "wowed".

We ended our meal with black sesame and red bean ice cream. I loved the black sesame ice cream (not for everyone's taste) and I like the rich deep and heavy sesame flavor. The red bean was very light and you could taste the bit of red bean in the ice cream. Each bowl came with three small scoops of ice cream.

Service was great and attentive. We were never worried if our plates would not be taken away, our tea cups were constantly filled and our broth was replenished often (if we wanted it to be).

Everyone agreed that we loved the appetizers and drinks. Though the shabu shabu was fresh, the choices of sauces and a la carte items were limited. Plus the stinginess on the food stuffs to mix in your sauces was disappointing. It was a warming meal for a cold Monday night.

Toki Shabu Shabu is a welcome addition to the Allston/Brighton scene around Packards Corner (next to New Trendy Chinese Restaurant) and a few steps from Le's Vietnamese (former Pho Pasteur).

Decor and atmosphere : 9
Food: (appetizers) 9 (shabu shabu) 8
Service: 9

Overall 8 half forks out of 10 forks

Fromage heaven last night in the South End

2007-11-30T16:22:00.000-05:00

Lovely wine vendor with some great cheese samples too!

Left to right-Pecorino di Pienza (Tuscano, Italia), French mild Brie, French Clochettte

Last night, I visited the South End Formaggio which was a great place! I had to pick up some cheeses for a party last night around the corner. The counter person who helped me as great! I got three great cheeses at a reasonable price and all were enjoyed! Since we were not sure who was coming, I got a mild French Brie, Tuscan Pecorino (hard cheese from sheep's milk) and a French bell shaped (Clochette) goat's milk cheese. All were great and delicious! The wine vendor giving some wine tastings was very friendly and helpful! All the three wines she had me try were great and their prices were affordable! (I kept within budget and I loved having the different samples! The person who assisted me was awesome!) It was fun trying the various cheese and learning about a lot of different types and their tastes.

I love to take pics of wine labels of of signs about the foods I try. One woman behind me thought it was a great idea! She loves to try the various cheeses but always forgets the names. I said it is easier to take a pic than have a pen and paper. Plus it gives you a visual of the item you are trying to remember. (I am glad I helped someone out.)

The only other cheese shop I have been to is Cowgirl Creamery in San Francisco in the Ferry Building, I heard there is on in the Washington DC area.

L'Espalier Restaurant luncheon

2007-11-28T19:59:00.000-05:00

L’Espalier * 30 Gloucester Street, Boston, MA 02115 · 617 262 3023

* * *
Autumn Degustation
FORTY DOLLARS
Amuse Bouche
Duo of spiced pumpkin soup and Skip’s Island Creek oyster shooter;
aged sherry vinegar mignonette

First Course
Foie gras torchon with piccalilli and Sauternes gelée
or
House smoked salmon with white bean salsa and quail egg*

Main Course
Grilled tiger shrimp with fennel puree and roasted butternut squash
or
Braised short ribs with truffle pomme puree and autumn vegetables

Selection of Cheeses and Condiments

Dessert Tasting

__________________________________________________

This year L'Espalier's chef Frank McClelland won the well deserved James Beard Award-Best Chef Northeast. His lovely Back Bay Restaurant L'Espalier (which will be moving to a new location Summer 2008) is the place for special occasions and has been the place for many wedding proposals too. From the crisp white linens, attentive service, gorgeous dining rooms in their cozy Bay Bay location, this restaurant lives up to its accolades and awards.

Their regular dinner menu is a expensive, but if you want to have the excellent food for a fraction of the cost, go to L'Espalier during lunch time (Mondays-Fridays only) and check out their three course pre-fixe for $25 or five course degustation for the excellent price of $40! (You can get a lovely wine paring for an additional $30).

My dining partner and I started off our long leisurely lunch with two selections from the juice elixirs----Indian Chai and Oolong, Pear and Champagne concoction. Both were delicious but pricey for $8.75 each for your tiny drinks especially for the warm, fragrant Indian Chai. The Oolong drink was lovely and you barely taste the Champagne. We opted for the lunch degustation to try everything on the menu.

First up was the amuse bouche and both were excellent. The small cup of pumpkin spice soup light and smooth gave a lovely balance to the saltiness to the oyster shooter topped with North American Caviar. We also loved the bread having a few choices and I adored the black olive bread the best. Of course we got the small container of butter, after having sweet butter as my favorite I cannot go back to other butter. This one here did the job but was wowed by it.

Next course was the foie gras torchon and the house smoked salmon dish. My friend loved the foie gras torchon, she noted it was her first time having it cold. The enjoyed the flavors of the foie gras with the toast points, the small curry fruit salad, and the pomegranate seeds gave a nice burst of flavor with the foie gras torchon. While the smoked salmon salad with duck confit and topped with a quail egg was divine. The combination of the celery root salad coupled with the lovely and flavorful duck confit with the light dressing brought smiles to our faces. Plus the smoked salmon was flavorful without being too smokey.

Our main course was the grilled tiger shrimp grilled to perfection with slight undercookedness in the middle. A first for both of us to eat, but still delicious. The fennel puree reminded me a bit of hummus and the grilled butternut squash proved to contrast well with the shrimp. The braised short ribs were perfection! "This is how meat should be braised," said my dining companion. She loved the autumn vegetables and truffle pommes puree. She needed the her bread to get all the sauces from each plate because they were all so good.

L'Espalier is also famous for their wines and fromage. This course was a bit scary for the both of us as we are not fromage experts but we are willing to try. We were given a plate of four cheeses. The 5 year old aged gouda was our favorite. Described as nutty with a carmelized sweetness we were wondering if cheese could taste that way! It was excellent with the pine nuts and honey. The other condiments for the cheese were the carrot chutney and golden raisins. Then we had the Roquefort and very "ripe" goat cheese. Our favorite by far was the friendly gouda.

The last course was the lovely dessert tasting which has a marinated lotus root with ginger ice cream, chocolate decadence cake and a tea cream cake (bottom layer had green tea) with mango and raspberry coulis. The lotus root, something I have eaten growing up was different marinated for dessert was not memorable for me. I loved the port soaked red concord grapes atop the thick, dense chocolate decadence cake. The airy whipped tea cake was lovely. We are also served a small portion of a decadently sweet dessert wine Chateau Lyon which we loved! It complemented the dessert tasting very well.

The service was impeccable. We were always had attentive service. When we left, we got a little mini thank you. Our chairs were pulled out for us, every course was explained to us, and if we had any questions, they were always answered.

A 10 forks out of ten forks experience for us!

Shiki Restaurant----a lovely dinner

2007-11-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

Shiki Restaurant, 9 Babcock Street, Brookline, MA
*Near Coolidge Corner "T" Stop and off Bus route #66

What can I say? I have gone to this place many times and I am not disappointed! The misses are minor in comparison to their home runs! Do note the service is SLOW but the food is great and it overcomes this handicap plus with surprisingly prices we keep going back for more! The four of us ordered an dizzying amount of food and we came satiated and happy! Plus we felt that the food was healthy and not overly oily or unhealthy plus the portions were just right. (This place is not for you if you favor BIG portions to get full! Or if you are not into real "authentic" Japanese food. If you are not an adventurous eater I do not recommend coming here!)

If you have never had Japanese Tapas and you are in the Boston area, you must check out this place. If you have a car, parking can be a bit tricky but try the many meter parking lots. Or take public transportation there such as the Green line -"C" to Coolidge Corner stop or take the #66 Bus.

This time we had the ankimo (monkfish liver), foil yaki (fish and veggies baked in foil), soba salad, seaweed salad, tsukemono (Japanese pickles), chowan mushi, kurobota pork (marinated in teriyaki sauce), grilled eggplant topped with miso, tuna yamaimo tartar special, sea eel mile feuille, grilled sanma (mackerel) (they were all out of my fave codfish dish), grilled ika (squid), spicy tuna (specially ordered) and unagi makis finished off the main meal portion.

I love the ankimo because of the rich flavor with a creamy and smooth texture (reminds me of foie gras) and I love it! One big disappointment was the foil yaki, the veggies and fish were fresh but we were wanted a bit more oomph to the flavoring (which we found to be lacking). The soba salad had a lovely light peanut dressing that surprised us to no end. The seaweed salad unlike other places had the right amount of vinegar and sweetness. The grilled eggplant special with miso was delicious even thought it was difficult to divide up to share. The tuna tartare special had sashimi grade tuna that was excellent! The sea eel mille feuille comes out to you and is too pretty to eat. It is more of a cold dish and you break open the runny egg all over the eel and veggies. It was delightful and the lightly flavored sauce and egg only enhanced the experience. The grilled sanma is great for mackerel lovers as this fish has a stronger fish taste. The grilled kurobuta pork belly marinated in teriyaki sauce was scrumptious! We ate up the grilled veggies and the mushroom were earthy and meatlike in taste! The chowan mushi is always a hit and this time was no different with the light delicate broth with seafood in a beautiful simmered egg custard. The grilled ika (squid), one person commented that she rarely eats squid due to the lack of high quality freshness. She marveled that the price we paid for it was great for the excellent degree of freshness of the squid! Since spicy tuna maki was not on the menu, we ordered it and unagi maki. We loved that the spicy tuna maki had the heat but lacked the usual tons of mayo and the unagi maki was simple.

Despite all this food, we still had room for dessert. We had the sweet potato pie and raspberry yogurt mousse as they were out of the green tea chiffon cake. (I guess we have to go back another time to have it!). We love the presentation of the food and the dessert was no different. The mini sweet potato was light and sweet. The raspberry yogurt mousse had a nice creaminess and foil to the sweet potato.

Service--very slow 7

Food---9

Atmosphere---9

Overall 8.5 forks out of 10 forks

Shiki Restaurant --lunch

2007-11-18T16:56:00.000-05:00

Shiki Restaurant, 9 Babcock Street, Brookline, MA
*Near Coolidge Corner "T" Stop and off Bus route #66

Shiki since it has opened earlier this fall has been my "it" Japanese restaurant to go to! I love this place! I think of Japan whenever I come to this restaurant. Note that they are closed on Tuesdays and lunch is only served from Monday to Saturday 12-3pm. They close a few hours in the afternoon to prep for dinner service opening at 5:30pm.

This Japanese restaurant gem is housed in the former Firenze Italian Restaurant basement space. If you blink, you will miss it. It is next to a nail salon and across the street from Citizen's Bank. Once you enter, you are enter a nice calm space with fall colors. Shiki means "autumn" in Japanese so it is befitting the theme and decor of the place. I loved their place mats too.

From some media I read, the chefs were trained and hail from Japan. This meal I wanted to try their kaiseki lunches. Kaiseki means "stone in the stomach" and you wonder why I want to try it? This refers to the Zen monk practice to stave off their hunger using warmed stones and placed in their obi to alleviate their hunger pangs. (wikipedia) In Japanese cuisine I feel it is one of the "must trys" if you do not know what it is and if you are adventurous. It is the chef's selection of food in season cooked in various ways to enhance the natural flavors. A regular kaiseki meal can be very elaborate and comprise of many components.

For our lunch purposes our kaiseki was much simpler. First we got a delightful salad with a refreshing ginger dressing which we loved. All the Asian restaurants have ginger salad dressing but not like this one! It was not overly heavy on the ginger or oil/mayo as other places. The miso soup was fine with the fine cubes of silk tofu and wakame seaweed mixed in the lovely broth. Next came our big plates of food I got the Kiku (Japanese Chrysanthemum) kaiseki which was an astounding $14 (when you consider the quality, skill, flavors it was a steal)! The menu notes that the kaiseki includes "appetizer, sashimi (can be exchanged for a cooked item if you are squeamish), tidbits, broiled, sauced, fried and steamed" items on the plate. I could not identify everything but I enjoyed it all! The broiled fish, excellent melt in your mouth sashimi included salmon, tuna, mackerel and whitefish. The steamed item was a lovely chowan mushi. It was a delicate egg custard in a broth with bits of seafood cooked to perfection! There was a layered omelet (requires lots of skill), grilled eggplant piece with miso, a refreshing vinegary salad with white fish proved a nice contrast to everything. The veggies, spicy bamboo strips and grilled fish were nice touches. The tempura shrimp and veggies were fried to a great crispy texture and not overly greasy. Of course, the accompanying dipping sauce was mild and light to enhance and not take away from the chef's adept skills. We had a choice of veggie rice or white rice. The veggie rice was flavorful and had bits of seaweed in it.

Only complaint would be the slow service. There was only one server during the lunch time. We did not mind as we were lingering over our delicious lunch and enjoying everything! To my knowledge, I do not know of another Japanese tapas place with affordable prices, high quality food and standards, hidden in Coolidge Corner! The word is out to the local Japanese transplants too! Everytime I go, I always hear a whirlwind of Japanese around me! I feel as if I am in Japan whenever I have a meal here except English is spoken and you can read the menu.

9 forks out of 10 forks.

New York Botanical Garden--Garden Café

2007-11-12T18:26:00.000-05:00

(pic credit: Cooper Robertson)

New York Botanical Garden Café

Half sandwich and cup of soup $6.95 special

Sweet onion bread with roast beef and swiss cheese half sandwich and I got the Asian Vegetable Soup with Ginger was good. It was very light and flavorful with the ginger flavor with lots of celery, potato, carrot and ginger. I had the little glazed lemon poppy seed bundt cake $3.95 which was good but a bit on the dry side. The sandwich was helped by having some mustard.
For a café, the selections were not bad with salads, some California maki, and hot food choices with cakes, pies for dessert as well as fruit-apples, bananas and oranges.

Food is alright 8 forks out of 10 forks

Pics of the Sandwich/soup and glazed lemon poppyseed bundt cake in this album:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20404&l=3c8ad&id=575810425

Extra Virgin Restaurant-West Village (NYC)

2007-11-12T18:22:00.000-05:00

Extra Virgin
259 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014 (212) 691-9359
Extravirgin.com

Located in the West Village, my friends and I went to Extra Virgin. They were telling me the food is excellent and consistent and their fish dishes are excellent. We are greeted and seated quickly for 6:30 on a Saturday night. It is a cute place with the typical tightly packed tables (maximizing all the space) you first enter at the bar area. We are seated in the dining area on the right side. We do not get our bread by our server is very nice. When I order my drink, she is fearful there is not available so I have a back up drink. I get the blood orange margarita $10 (blood orange juice, tequila and triple sec) came in a salt rimmed tall glass with a lime wedge. It was nice and strong but not in the typical margarita glass. We were all a bit ravenous and requested some bread. We never got it. We ordered our meal and I got the Pan Roasted Monkfish (Rock shrimp, lobster chowder, and sautéed spinach) $21. I was told by Ian that this dish was “meaty.”

I got two beautifully pan roasted pieces of monkfish with the skin on, and the lobster chowder was flavorful and lovely with the bits of great rock shrimp. I really wanted some bread to sop up the sauce, but alas I never came. The sautéed spinach was great and cooked with garlic. Everything tasted fresh and delicious! I could taste the flavors distinctly and thoroughly enjoyed my meal.

With the dessert menu, I was the only one to get a dessert and the rose water crème brulee with almond biscotti caught my eye for $7. I got a healthy portion of crème brulee with a lovely sugar burnt crust and the creamy crème brulee was lovely. The almond biscotti was not that remarkable.

Service 8 (points taken off for lack of bread and asking for it to not even get it)
Food 9
Atmosphere 8

Total 8.5 forks out of 10 forks

Extra Virgin pics are here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20404&l=3c8ad&id=575810425

Lady Mendl's Tea-Irving Place in NYC

2007-11-12T18:18:00.000-05:00

Lady Mendl’s Tea Room
56 Irving Place (near Union Square)
212-452-2222

This space is a bit hard to find. It is a around the corner from the W hotel. If you do not know, it is in a non-descript brownstone with a small silver plaque of a teapot by the front door. Very warm and inviting entrance with softly lit candles and welcoming smells after coming in from the cold outside. I was walked over to the back into a very cute intimate space. I was seated my table for one.

Five Course afternoon tea $35 and my server Sahar was excellent and very attentive. I decided to be daring and choose the Karigane Kukicha which is described as a twiggy green tea that has the smell of the ocean and can come across bitter. I loved it! I did not need any cream or sugar to drink it.

First course was a simple salad of several lettuces, corn, tomato, cucumber lightly dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Second course was a choice of four finger sandwiches (requests for seconds was honored)
Smoked salmon with cream cheese served on pumpernickel bread, smoked turkey with cranberry on brioche bread, goat cheese with sun dried tomato on seven grain bread and finally cucumber slices with mint crème fraiche on brioche bread. I enjoyed the cucumber sandwich and goat cheese sandwiches the best to ask for seconds. All are very small portions, crusts are cut off, and the bread is a bit dry. You can tell it was pre-done but not bad.

The third course consisted of scones one traditional and cranberry raisin scones served with raspberry preserves and clotted cream. Typical of scones very dry and crumbly the clotted cream was hard to spread but still great and the raspberry preserves was typical.
The fourth course was the first dessert which is a crepe layer cake filled with French vanilla cream with a side of fresh berries dusted with powered sugar. It was divine!
The fifth course was the second dessert was a Belgian chocolate dipped strawberry and assorted petit fours.

Service is included with the food bill so you don’t have to add anything more. My 1:30 seating was done by 3pm and it was not overly slow or rushed. There are only two seating times and I was happy to finally come here as I had always been batting zero trying to get a tea appointment the prior times.

The restroom was by the rear room and I loved the Penhaligon brand Quercus Lotion and hand wash gel. Light clean scent from this lotion and I wanted to buy it! The bathroom is very clean and quaint with excellent thick hand paper towels to wipe your hands and fit the décor of the whole place which I liked. The Lady Mendel’s Tea Room is ensconced in the Irving Inn.
8.5 forks out of 10 forks

Lady Mendl's pics (are in this album with Extra Virgin as well)

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20404&l=3c8ad&id=575810425

Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown-new addition

2007-10-29T00:58:00.003-04:00

Gourmet Dumpling House (in the former Quality Cafe space)

52 Beach Street

Boston, MA

This newly opened Gourmet Dumpling House in Chinatown had alot of customers the two times I visited this past week and weekend.

There is an extensive menu consisting of a hodge podge of dishes seafood dishes, Taiwanese (lots of stuff similar to Taiwan Cafe's menu actually) alongside with dumplings (made to order give extra 15 minutes) and tons of noodle, rice and other dishes.

The first day we got the Xiao Lung Bao (pork and crab). They were alright and I am not a XLB purist but the better ones were had at Joe Shanghai's in NYC for my mom. Of course I had some amazing ones in Shanghai. They were made to order and had a nifty hole on top to get the broth out. The dough was on the thicker side with a decent ginger, soy and vinegar dipping sauce. Then we got the eel stir fried ee noodles. They were delicious with a slightly spicy kick from Jalapeno pepper slivers in this noodle dish. The eel was not abundant but the dish was good.

Service was ok and the waitstaff did their best the first time to be pleasant, fast and good. The second time at lunch on a busy Sunday, we had three errors (thought we got a certain dish not once but three times) brought accidently to our town too. They have to work out the kinks here and there.

Third time, I got the Pork Chop Rice (Taiwanese style) with lots of crispy fried pork served with pickled cabbage, tea egg and a meatsauce over a bed of rice. UMMMM it was delicious and it is not on a loud kids sectioned off plate as they serve at Taiwan Cafe. I felt there portion was more generous and it was great fun and good. Then my friend got the seafood noodle with ee noodles (very good and simple with bits of seafood mainly shrimp and squid and no veggies). Her husband got the beef with noodles stir fried with egg noodles in a sa chay sauce. I love sa cha sauce and I loved it! My other dining pal got the mini chicken dumplings in a noodle soup opting for the thick fat Japanese Udon Noodles. The mini chicken dumplings were plentiful and good in a very simple clean broth (not laden with MSG).

This restaurant tries to cram alot of tables and chairs into this very small and humble space. Since it is new, the business has been brisk.

8 forks out of 10 forks

Wheatberry Bakery nestled in Amherst, MA

2007-10-29T00:58:00.001-04:00

Wheatberry Bakery and Cafe

(organic and artisan goodies)

321 Main Street, Amherst, MA

413-253-1411

Last weekend, I was in town for the Emily Dickinson Musuem (located across the street at 240 Main Street) I went to get a quick bite while waiting for my 2pm tour. It is a small but warm and inviting space. With a two counters and a few chairs so if you want to dine in you can. There is a lovely display of baked goods-cookies, scones, bars, and muffins. The menu is not too cluttered with a few hot options for breakfast, lunch and snacks. There are the usual suspects for drinks coffee and teas but in addition some higher brand waters and sodas (for those who do not indulge in caffeine.)

I got the Satori drink (soy milk with apple, carrot, ginger) $3.95 which was better than I anticipated. Plus I got some good nutrients and vitamins to boot out of it! I got the Italian Panini (la Quercia Proscuitto, Genoa Salami, sopresata with marinated olive salad grill pressed on country french bread served with asiago cheese.) $6.95. I enjoyed it alot and it really hit the spot with the mix of cheese and salty Italian luncheon meats, great olives and crusty bread made a delicious combo for this ravenous traveler.

9 forks out of 10 forks

Spoletos in the heart of NOHO, MA

2007-10-29T00:55:00.000-04:00

SPOLETOS

50 Main Street, Northampton, MA (413) 586-6313

Spoletos is a Northampton institution and the most expensive restaurant in town. This past weekend I ventured back to my alma mater for a meeting. But I was with some friends who were in NOHO for the first time. We decided to head to Spoletos for dinner.

One memorable dinner experience was when Nicole Kidman with then husband Tom Cruise was in town filming "Malice" with Bill Pullman and Alec Baldwin. I got her autograph and Tom's too (that night I had just gotten back from a long road trip from Philly.)

It was busy on Saturday night and our table of 4 was seated after half an hour wait. Our waitress was attentive and I always had my water glass filled and she asked to make sure if we wanted our more bread etc. She did give some great suggestions since there was a lot to choose from on the menu with strong recommendations for the Chicken Balsamico and the Black Peper Encrusted Duck.

We ended up getting the :

Saul's Mussels' (PEI Mussels cooked with lemon, capers, garlic butter, scallion, red chili pepper flakes, white wine and marinara served with garlic bread.)

Angel Hair Crab Cake (Crab cake served with a twist-chipotle pepper mayo)

Chicken Balsamico (Half boneless roast chicken served with roasted garlic mash, grilled portabello mushrooms, arugula and oven dried tomatoes with a balsamic demi glaze)

Black Peppercorn Encrusted Duck (fanned atop a herb parmesan risotto along with sauteed spinach and finished with a port-cardamon demi glaze)

Rainbow Trout (Farm raised Rainbow Trout cooked with lemon caper butter, juillened mixed vegetables served alongside some herb roasted potatoes)

The bread with olive oil was very good. Nice warm and crusty with lovely softness in the middle great for dipping sauces (olive oil and the mussels sauce too!). We enjoyed the hint of red chili flakes that added the intense kick to the marinara, garlicky broth that was delish! The crab cake was good but nothing special just one crab cake beautifully decorated with a good flavorful chipotle pepper mayo.

As for the entrees, our favorites were the duck and trout with the chicken coming in last. Though two waiters "supposedly" love love the chicken dish. Though it was delicious, it did not compare in taste to the trout and duck. It was a bit dry and all the good served had generous portions. Considered pricey for local area residences, for a Bostonian the costs, quality of food and quantity made Spoletos a great deal in my book. The balsamic demi glaze was intense, the grilled portabello mushrooms a dream alongside with a cannot fail garlic mash, the extra dry white meat knocked the dish down.

The rare duck meat fanned on the flavorful cheesy risotto was amazing! My friends thought the peppercorns enhanced the duck's flavor and the port-cardamon demi glaze added a nice hint of flavor. But another fave was the Rainbow trout, with the great julienned mixed veggies, flavor from the lemon and caper butter to have a great moistness and not be overly cooked or dry. This dish definitely held its own against the the other dishes.

Service--great

Food--very good

9 forks out of 10 forks

Kingston Station in Downtown Crossing

2007-10-23T16:57:00.000-04:00

Kingston Station (former Peking Toms space)

25 Kingston Street, Boston, MA (between Summer and Bedford Streets)

(617) 482-6224

Recently went with some friends to the pretty new business in the Downtown Area (closer to Chinatown) to Kingston Station. I was greeted with the busy afterwork bar scene on a Friday night. I was lead to the back to a quieter dining room area off to the side. It was nice. I was very comfortable. Our server for the night was very affable, polite, friendly but at times forgot a few minor details (to even make the diner's experience even better).

While I waited for my friend, I tried the grapefruit martini (comes in two sizes and I got the larger size) and it was refreshingly delicious with a nice kick that I need to end my work week. By the time my friends arrived, we all agreed to forego the entrees and just subsist on the appetizer menu. One friend recommended alot of dishes as she has come over many times as it is conveniently located near her apartment.

Tuna Tartare avocado, prickly pear $13.00
Pork Ribs Ah-so with asian slaw $10.00
Chili Glazed Chicken Wings $8.00

Crispy Calamari cilantro, garlic and red chilli $10.00
Seared Scallops ginger-braised apple, lemon risotto $11.00
Truffle Frites* warm gruyere, and sliced scallion $7.00

Mussels* smoked chorizo, roasted jalapeno, tomato confit $ 11.00

Overall I had a lovely experience at Kingston Station. The appetizers varied in quantity in terms of the Tuna Tartare or the Seared Scallops but the Truffle Frites, Mussels, Calamari, Wings and Pork Ribs we had generous portions.

Other than everything more on the heavy side (being fried) the food was great. I loved the seared scallop over the delectable and divine lemon risotto (I couldn't get enough of the slightly tart and edgy risotto). The Truffle Frites were fabulous (who wouldn't love food with truffle oil on it!) and the mussels were good in a good broth. The tuna tartare had high grade sashimi grade tuna but I could care less for the rice base. The avocado slices were nice (as I love avocado) but the prickly pear was alright here. The ribs were good slightly sweet bbq sauce and the chili wings were not that spicy but good.

The bread pudding was excellent, good mix of rich and cream made an excellent ending for three spoons to finish off the dessert!

Service overall was good. Some minor things and kinks need to be addressed such as not clearing off dishes when people are not done eating, clearing off crumbs, etc. Our water glasses were always filled and we did get service with a smile from everyone including the bus people too.

Great afterwork hangout with good food!

9 forks out of 10 forks.

Craigie Street Bistrot-lovely hidden gem in Cambridge

2007-10-05T19:17:00.000-04:00

5 Craigie Street Circle

Cambridge, MA

Craigie Street Bistrot is a cute but hidden away French Bistrot jewel with award winning chef at its helm Tony Maw.

Roasted Bone Marrow appetizer special $8

Trois Foies with traditional accompaniements $14

Haddock Main dish (sorry no description)

Chocolate coffee meuille-feuille

Apple, Pear and Huckleberry Crumble

Cranberry Soup with Yogurt Sorbet (surprise)

After my 10-15 minute walk from Harvard Square "T" stop I was ready to eat. It was a hot and humid autumn night. My friend had gotten their earlier as she decided to drive. She was able to have a parking spot and we were on time. (The website cautions reservations are not held longer than 15 minutes).

We were immediately seated and were treated very well all night. We got our utensils replaced after each course, our water glass was always filled which was nice. Since it was Thursday night, the neighborhood special three course pre fixe was available for $38. We both got the pre-fixe special with an addition of the special of the night appetizer of roasted bone marrow!

The bread we were served was crusty on the outside and deliciously chewy and soft on the inside. The pat of butter we were given was perfect not overly sweet or salty. Once our first course came, we devoured our trois foie very quickly. All the accompaniments were marvelous from the pepper, salt, pickled shallots, mustard and pickles we were in heaven. The foie was decadently smooth and perfect to spread on the big and delicious toast points.

Next came our perfectly piece of haddock of a fresh fava bean and baby shanghai bok choy with Asian inspired sauce. It was lovely.

The desserts were sensationaly with the exquisitely fresh and delectable apple, pear and huckleberry crumble which sang in our mouth. The chocolate coffee meuille-feuille with a little bit of saffron peach coulis was out of this world. (I wish I had more!) The coffee refreshed the chocolate from being boring but having a bolder taste.

After our rich meal we both got a pot of tea ($4) and I opted for the Sevan blend "crafted blend of oregano, St. John's Wort, lemon balm, chamomile, hawthorne berry, linden, Armenian basil and bean core" and amazingly had no caffeine in it. It was a lovely ending with a light but multi nuanced taste of herbs and essence of the forest.

I give this meal a 9.5 forks out of 10.

Pot Au Feu---Providence's great French restaurant

2007-09-29T20:00:00.000-04:00

www.potaufeuri.com

Pot Au Feu

44 Custom House Road

Providence, RI

(401) 273-8953

Recently did a day trip to Providence, Rhode Island to check out Waterfire and the sights with two friends. Of course we had to eat well and opted for the Pot Au Feu Bistro (lower level of this beloved French Bistro). At the RISD Art Museum, we got effusive and loving praise of this restaurant! We were pretty excited! We knew to arrive early as reservations are not accepted.

We arrived at 5:35pm and already there were 6 tables seated inside the lower bistro

space. We loved the wine bottle lined walls with white Christmas lights giving the room a festive but soft glow. Our server was attentive and we always had a change of silverware, our glasses of water were filled and she had great suggestions when we were choosing our menu items.

Escargots a la Bourguignonne-Snails broiled in their shells with garlic-parsley butter. 9
Foie Gras de Canard Veronique -Fresh duck liver pan seared with white wine & grapes. 20
Boeuf a la Bourguignon-Beef marinated in red wine and spices, braised until tender, served with potatoes gratinee. 22.95
Bouillabaisse Marseilles - From Provence, a variety of fin fish and shellfish, potatoes and onions poached in a saffron and tomato broth. Served with aoili. 23.95
Pot au Feu - Beef and chicken braised with a melange of fresh vegetables including onions, leeks, carrots, celery, cabbage and potato served with traditional garnishes of coarse salt, cornichons and warm horseradish and mustard sauce. 22.95

Pomegrante Sorbet $7
Mousse Au Citron -A mousse with a hint of tartness and lemon-lime zest whisked to airy perfection. $6

As a party of three, we each had two big escargot and were given tongs to use to eat them with (which I found hard to handle). The garlic parsley butter was delicious. The Foie Gras I had to convince the two newbies and once they tasted "heaven" we finished the dish and used all our bride to soak up all the sauce and demi glaze from the plate. The white wine and grapes and foie were just a perfect meld of flavors, fat and we were all content.

Our salads were a nice fresh mesclun mix with delightful bits of chevre cheese served with two homemade dressings-mustard and balsamic vinegarettes. I enjoyed the balsamic a bit more.

My Bouillabaisse Marseilles was good. I have only had it here and there and I am not an expert. I liked the seafood broth and though it looked like alot of food, it was not actually that much. I felt I had more potatoes than anything. I got 2/3 pieces of mussels, shrimp and scallops and fish sprinkled through out my plate. Though it was very flavorful and I used my bread to finish the broth up with it. The Pot Au Feu was a huge plate of protein my poor friend could not finish. A simple but beef and chicken braised with delicious veggies that were flavorful and not dry at all.
Boeuf a la Bourguignon good with the wine sauce but we all attacked the potatoes gratinee with more gusto! (The waitress confided in us it was the only menu item that had it!) The layers of potato with creamy cheese sauce was delectable and lovely!

We topped out meal with pomegrante sorbet (very refreshing and light) as well as the mousse au citron which was quickly finished. The lemon-lin zest in the mousse created a welcome tart zing to the luscious, airy confection of a dessert! (I would love to have it again!)

Atmosphere and service 9.5
Food 9.5
Prices 9.5

Score of 9.5 forks out of 10 forks for the Pot Au Feu Bistro.

Sichuan Garden----szechuan delights

2007-09-24T16:20:00.001-04:00

Chengdu Chicken and cucumber with bamboo (insides) -chinese menu only

Stir fried Chinese Eggplant (Chinese menu)

Braised fish with tofu

Sichuan Garden---9.23.07
www.sichuangarden2.com
295 Washington Steet, Brookline, MA

Sichuan Garden situated near Brookline Village has great Sichuan food. It proclaims itself to have been voted top 100 Chinese restaurants. I have gone on a few occasions and found it to be tasty.

This time I was friends for dinner and we got the cucumber with bamboo shoots (inside) in a light sauce. The cucumber dish was ery tasty and on the Chinese language menu so you have to ask. The bamboo shoots inside is white and spongy like but good. The dan dan noodles were tasty with chilies and five spice and great flavor. We opted for the braised fish with tofu which was spicy and flavorful. The Chengdu chicken was fried but not every greasy and tasted surprising light but delicious. We also got the garlicky spicy Chinese eggplant stir fry which was great.

There was a stream of people on a Sunday night. The staff was helpful and friendly. We got our water refilled and whenever we wanted something or if we had a question, we always had someone able to answer our question. I really enjoyed the sichuan cuisine at this restaurant.

9 forks out of 10 forks

**Confusing with Pin Yin and Wade Giles you will see Sichuan/Szechuan spellings all mean the same thing.

Omelette Parlor---a Santa Monica Breakfast institution

2007-09-18T15:00:00.000-04:00

Omelette Parlor

2732 Main St,Santa Monica, CA 90405

(Ocean Park)

(310) 399-7892

My last lunch during my recent trip to Los Angeles was with a friend SChan whom I had not seen in 4 years! We had met via a mutual friend in Texas while I was at a leadershop retreat thanks to a friend JLee (He is a people connector and all around funny/intelligent guy! )

We opted to check out a local breakfast institution known for their omelettes. We had to wait a bit for at least 20 minutes and the place was packed. Our server Nori was very efficient, friendly and helpful. For my friend, when she was deciding over the pasta salad or side salad as a choice she got the pasta salad. (She found it with too much mayo and not so tasty. The Tuna sandwich was delectable but no oomph at all with the pasta salad.). When my friend complained, Nori was willing to change it but he also suggested hot sauce for it. (Did not help the pasta salad much.). I enjoyed my create your own omelette which I had avocado, spinach, onion, mushroom, pepperjack cheese along with some home fries, wheat nut english muffin (very delicious and I loved the nut in it) and two pieces of fresh fruit. Now I can see why their omelettes are divine---fluffy and beautiful made to perfection!

8 forks out of 10 forks

( for my omelette I would give 9 forks)

Overall good experience--nice atmosphere, good server and good food

Octopus Japanese Restaurant---nestled in Manhattan Beach

2007-09-18T14:59:00.000-04:00

Octopus Restaurant

1133 Highland Ave, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266-5331

Phone: (310) 545-2826

Before heading to the airport for my red eye flight, I was able grab dinner with a good buddy from my college days living in Cerritos now. We decided to go to Octopus which had the basic classics and maki roll. We entered into a basic restaurant space with a sushi bar on the left and we sat at a both. Service was very attentive and our water glass was always refilled. We got the Chilean sea bass marinated in miso (very flavorful and decadent), gyoza (steamed simple and delicious) and I got the sashimi dinner ($22.95) with salad, rice and miso soup. I got 14 pieces of sashimi which were very fresh and delicious----salmon, hamachi, tuna and mackerel. For dessert I got the two scoops of green tea ice cream and my friend got two chocolate mochi ice cream.

8 forks out of 10 forks

Pinkberry

2007-09-17T16:13:00.000-04:00

Pinkberry
West LA (Olympic Collection)

This is the healthy yogurt chain that started a over $1,000 worth of parking tickets. Photography is forbidden at these outlets. There are only two flavors green tea and vanilla. But if you want a twist it ONLY comes in the LARGE size (easily with toppings can exceed $10! I found that very annoying. I got the small green tea with one topping and that was almost $5.

The floor design and items sold are very cute. Service was fast and the toppings were fresh but I thought a bit pricey. You had choice of chopped up fruits and dry items from kiwi, strawberries, mango to coco puffs, chocolate chips etc. The yogurt itself in the original flavor is slight sour but the green tea is very refreshing.

I had the fortune to try Red Mango, the yogurt from which Pinkberry is based upon. I like them better and you can find them from the California Roll and Sushi chain sold by the ounce and much more affordable and tasty. There is a blog entry comparing both Pink Berry and Red Mango at LA Eater's blog using photos and doing a side by side comparison. After reading some things, they are banking on the advance work and research as well as success from the Pinkberry fame. Now it has multiple locations in Los Angeles area and an outpost in Chelsea on the East Coast in New York.

7 forks out of 10 forks
Atmosphere-clean and modern with light colors
Attitude--little snooty with the "no photos allowed" and why cannot they allow Small/Medium sized TWIST-half green tea/half regular ????
Price--pricey (especially when you add on an extra topping or two)

Sushi Mac--in West Los Angeles

2007-09-15T18:00:00.001-04:00

Sushi Mac
West LA 9.15.07

This Sushi place is no nonsense with everything being $2.75 from nigiri, appetizers and maki rolls. With Sushi Mac, sushi is affordable for the masses unlike the usual $7-16 designer rolls and maki prices. Very clean and we went to one of the locations out of three in West Los Angeles. Very clean with two sushi chefs, one server (serves tea, gets you the bill and clears your space) and we were seated at the sushi bar area. There is a helpful chart that aids you in calculating how much your bill will be.

We tried some nigiri pieces and but particularly loved the unagi, hamachi and mackerel. The hamachi was delectable and very fresh. The spicy salmon maki was a big hit with us. The sushi mac special meatball (was nothing to write home about). Some of the other fried stuff was alright.

We were served the tea and water but the soy sauce, gari and wasabi was placed in front of you (self serve style). When we wanted more sushi I just ordered with the sushi chef in Japanese. (One thing I noticed while in LA there are native Japanese at Japanese restaurants. Not something you see a lot of on the east coast).

I would come again for the unagi, spicy salmon roll, hamachi nigiri! We need this place in Boston!

9 forks out of 10 forks

*atmosphere -simple, clean

*food ---overall fresh and quick

*price---cannot be beat at $2.75 for every plateful of food

Versailles in Culver City (Cuban food)

2007-09-14T12:21:00.001-04:00

Versailles Restaurant

10319 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles /(310) 558-3168

Last night I met up with my friend KK from Chicago and TL (who now lives in the Bay Area). So we met up near my friend's place to eat at Versailles Restaurant known for their affordable prices, big portions and good Cuban food. There is a location in Culver City about a 1 minute drive from my friend's digs.

For a thursday night, it was not too crazy when we got there at 7pm. But within minutes the dining room lit up. A lot of red is used for the atmosphere, dim lighting and red splashed walls. When they had a birthday party, they turn off the lights and blow a whistle. (The first time it happened I thought it was rolling electricity or we lost electricity in the restuarant.)

Because we were forewarned by my friend, we only got two dishes and a pitcher of sangria. The sangria had alot of ice but I thought it was decent. It was not the best not the worst. The red wine, fruit and flavors were good but nothing stellar. We were served a little basket of lightly garlic flavored toast. We shared the #1 Pulled Pork and #6 a Popular Chicken dish and a pitcher of Sangria. For a party of 3 with flan we only paid $15 a person including tip. I am not a plantains fan but theirs was unbelievably good! (We thought that was a bargain!) Despite having only dessert, two dishes and a pitcher of sangria we were not able to finish everything! Their sangria was nothing to write home about but hit the spot. I enjoyed the pork and the chicken dishes.

#1-Lechon AsadoCuban Style Roast PorkCLASSIC CUBAN ROAST PORK MARINATED IN VERSAILLES' UNIQUE GARLIC MOJO CRIOLLO SAUCE ROASTED TO PERFECTION
9.95

#6-Famoso Pollo Versailles-Versailles Famous Garlic ChickenOUR FAMOUS HOUSE SPECIALTY - JUICY ROASTED HALF CHICKEN MARINATED IN OUR DELICIOUS GARLIC SAUCE GARNISHED WITH SLICED WHITE ONIONS

8 forks out of 9 forks

Service overall good

Food was simple and delicious

Tudor Tea House by Santa Monica Beach and 2nd St Promenade

2007-09-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

The Tudor Tea House
1403 2nd Street Corner Second and Santa Monica Blvd) Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone:(310) 451-4107 · Fax: (310) 394-8924

I always have a weakness for afternoon tea as this habit came from college. Today I went to the bridal shower of a college friend AY and it was held in Santa Moonica at the Tudor Tea House. The tea house is nestled after walking into their shop area and the room is very cozy with cute floral wallpaper and knick knacks around the space. We had some Earl Grey and finger sandwiches, scones (warm and delicious) with some quiches. The sweets at the end I was told were very English but a bit too sweet for me. One piece which I thought was chocolate was actually fruit cake. Another piece which I thought was mincemeat pie was actually made of currants.

The service was efficient and very friendly. The servers had the English accent and were attentive to our bridal shower party.

We had a grand ole time and the table next to us had a lovely birthday celebration.

8 forks out of 10 forks

*good service

*authentic English sweets

*good location

Ramayani--Indonesian Cuisine in Westwide area --CA

2007-09-13T12:23:00.000-04:00

Ramayani Indonesian Restaurant
1777 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90024 (btw Santa Monica /Massachusetts Ave)
310 477-3315

Small, family run and clean restaurant in the heart of "Little Persia" as my friend MD told me. Usually when she eats there it is not so packed. On the night we went, it was very busy and full (not bad for a Wednesday night).
Pleasantly decorated with efficient service we had a nice meal in the Westwood Area. I only had a few dishes of Indonesian food (Gado Gado) but I wanted to have other stuff. We had lightly sweetened Chrysanthemum tea which MD recommended and I enjoyed.

Sambal Goreng Tahu Buncis string beans and tofu in a seasoned coconut curry-

Cah Kangkung hawaiian watercress quickly stir fried with garlic and chili and shrimp paste and tomatoes

Special Bakmi Goreng indonesian style egg or rice noodles with pork, chicken and shrimp

Bubur Keta Hitam a warm sweet, black wild rice pudding topped with coconut milk

The Sambal was not what a I expected kind of lackluster and not that flavorful with a tepid coconut sauce. I did like the chunks of fried tofu bits (but I enjoy tofu). The watercress was very good with the tomatoes, slight heat (even for medium I did not feel much), barely any shrimp paste (then again I am used to the strong Shrimp paste used in Chinese cooking). The Bakmi Goreng reminded me of lo mein but had Chinese sausage, egg, shrimp and chicken was good but nothing different from what I had before. One big highlight was the rice pudding---it was excellent. Not overly sweet and I enjoyed the texture of the black wild rice.

Prices overall were affordable and portions were generous.

8 forks out of 10 forks.

Pa Pa Walk---the place for Mango Shaved Ice in San Gabriel!

2007-09-13T12:14:00.000-04:00

PaPa Walk
227 West Valley Boulevard #148B
San Gabriel, CA
626-281-3889

Literally a nice 3 minute walk away from Jian Jian Restaurant we went for Mango Shaved Ice which I was craving to try after reading CC's blog entry as the place to get it! Even her hubby who dislikes Mangoes enjoys dessert (ok she eats the mango fruit).

We walked into the restaurant with many people enjoying their desserts (they do serve food but CC only comes for the Mango Shaved Ice). The Chinese name is Mango Ice Mountain! (BOY they were not kidding when they say "Mountain".) The walls are laden with many colorful paper with Chinese characters in black ink of all the special dishes! They do have a menu with English Translations (do not fret). I heard some Canto pop in the background.

After a minimal wait, we got our Mango Shaved Ice! It was gorgeous and DELICIOUS!
Topped off with a scoop of mango ice cream, the shaved ice mountain I could taste the mango and condensed milke and heaping amounts of sweetened mango pieces strewn at the base took us a bit of time to eat. In fact, CC said she usually is rolling out of the place in an uncomfortable state. They do have the option of big $8 or small $5 but of course we HAD to get the big!

Xie Xie CC for taking me to PaPa Walk for this mango shaved ice mountain!

9 forks out of 10 forks

Yokohama Japanese Restaurant--Culver City area in Los Angeles

2007-09-13T12:09:00.000-04:00

Yokohama Sushi Restaurant 3857 Overland Ave, Culver City, CA 90232 (310) 202-7062

I touched down into LAX and it is almost 9pm. My friends JB and TN pick me up and we have a quick bite at Yokohama near their place in the Culver City area. It is a small place in a plaza. Owned by Koreans (Korean music and servers) they are known for good maki rolls and affordable drinks at the bar.

We shared a Peach Sake Cocktail (more peach and sake so I liked it), some rolls--salmon skin, kappa, spicy tuna, unagi and avocado were some choices we had.

Lots more rice and presentation was decent. Service was attentive and atmosphere was nice very lively and not overly noisy for a Tuesday night.

7 forks out fo 10 forks

J & J Restauarant in San Gabriel---Shanghainese treasures

2007-09-13T11:53:00.000-04:00

So I went with my good friend CC to San Gabriel in the LA area. (Jian Jian Restaurant (626-308-9238 301 West Vallue Blvd, #109 San Gabriel, CA nestled in the I wanted to have some xiao lung bao and we got a nice meal (which we couldn't finish) and something to go for under $40! Cheap Asian Food abounds in the Los Angeles area (in this case San Gabriel which has a few Asian malls teamed with dessert, food places to tease your taste buds but not at gut busting prices!).

We got the pork chop rice (I missed the Taiwanese style with the tea egg, mustard greens and the pork) over a bed of lightly seasoned rice. Then we got a tarot cake (but not the traditional Cantonese style but fried and looked like puff pastry) it was good. We had some seaweed (thick and skinny slivers lightly seasoned sweet vinegary dressing) which was delicious. Then we shared the seafood tofu soup--thickened broth (almost egg drop soup consistency) with bits of seafood and egg. We got the eight treasures rice (sticky rice with a variety of ingredients but it was more on the sweet end for me). The Xiao Lung Bao (soup dumplings with crab was good --this shop is known for these dumplings) and with the soy ginger vinegar dipping sauce added a nice tang.

Service was not great. We had to wait a bit to get our bill, order and get the servers attention. It is a small shop with only two servers and less than 10 tables. But it is great for the price and good food. Pretty framed pictures of Shanghai lined the walls in this simple store front.

Food 8 forks (Xiao Lung Bao was a 9 fork) out of 10 forks

Hog Penny--Hamilton, Bermuda

2007-09-11T11:44:00.001-04:00

I went to Hog Penny Pub one day.

BERMUDA FISH CHOWDER $6.00

truly authentic, ours is the winning chowder of the Bermuda Culinary Festival. Served with Gosling’s Black Seal rum and sherry peppers

HOMESTYLE MEATLOAF $16.00
ground beef, pork and proscuitto with roasted garlic, fresh herbs and spices, baked, with sundried tomato demi glaze, vegetables and mashed potatoes

Pomegranite Mojito Bacardi white rum, fresh lime juice, fresh mint, 100% pomegranite juice and splash of soda. Outstandingly classy and incredibly refreshing.

PISTACHIO CREME BRULEE $6.50
pistachio infused, with fresh whipped cream, and fresh fruit garnish

I liked the atmosphere and Hog Penny Pub is located near Front Street (the main drag) in Hamilton, Bermuda. I had first heard of this place on Rachel Ray's show "$40 a Day". Also the other wedding guests raved about this place to me in terms of the value for your dollar and the caliber of the food.

The service was attentive and friendly. I was seated by the friendly hostess and promptly for lunch. I liked the decorations alot of dark colors and but comfortable. I had the pomegrante mojito which was good but I did not taste much pomegrante. I had to have the famous fish chower and before it is served my waitress poured the Gosling Rum and Sherry on top before I had it. It as good and interesting with the liquor in it though. Very bold and full bodied in taste and the fish was fresh and good. Weird to have it called chowder as from New England I am used to it being white with lots of cream and potatoes.

The meatloaf was great with a flavorful gravy and two pieces of meat loaf over the mashed potatoes. There were not much veggies but overall the dish was filling and warming. I had to end with dessert and the pistachio creme brulee was a nice ending to a pleasant but pricey lunch.

People were not kidding when they told me Bermuda would be expensive but I had a great time.

8 forks out of 10 forks

Paradiso Cafe---Hamilton, Bermuda

2007-09-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

Paradiso Cafe is located on Reid Street on the other end of Front Street (a few streets away).
I found it from the Lonely Planet guide book of one of the other wedding guests.

Simple cafe and I got the fruit cup, orange juice and quiche. Everything came out to $13. I had read that tip is automatically included for the majority of the dining establishments. So read look at your dining bills so you do not over tip by accident.

The fruit salad was very simple and fresh with cantaloupe, strawberries, grapes and the quiche was a bit cold with spinach cheese and egg.

Very simple place that had steady business. I was not bothered and had to wait a bit to get my bill. I was able to order at the counter and then later was told to sit down as I would be served my meal.

7 forks out of 10 forks

Coco Reef Resort----around Elbow Beach in Bermuda

2007-09-11T11:06:00.001-04:00

Coco Reef Resort
3 Stonington Circle
South Shore Road
Paget Parish
Bermuda, PG 04
Phone Number: (441)236-5416

I attended a friend's destination wedding in Bermuda at Coco Reef. Chef John Pritchard has gotten accolades from Conde Nast's Traveller as a great chef and hosted a television food show in his native Toronto before taking on the helm at Coco Reef.

We enjoyed our food while attending the various wedding functions. The reception food was delicious! The fruit was amazingly fresh and sweet. The lobster fresh rolls were delicate but flavorful. The kabobs were tasty with a choice of chicken and shrimp with the dipping sauce. The mesclun salad mix had decadently tasty tomatoes and the mini quiches were the only things I thought were not as exciting as the others food options.

The wedding cake I had was lovely but a little dry. My seared yellow fin tuna was delicious and the feta tomato side was a nice salty contrast to the tuna.

9 forks out of 10 forks

The New Swizzle Inn-South Shore of Bermuda

2007-09-10T14:20:00.000-04:00

Swizzle Inn

The Swizzle Inn is an institution in Bermuda and now they have a second location in the South Shore (literally a one minute walk from my lodgings) which I found to be wonderful. I went on a busy Saturday night.

The wait was a bit long and got to sit in the bar area to have their famous Rum Swizzle (very small, packs a punch and tasty ---the one at Coco Reef was bigger). It was served in a mini martini glass. While waiting, I checked up with the waiter about my table, I am glad I checked, the person who welcomed me forgot to put me on the wait list for a table. (I am glad I checked as I was FAMISHED!) They did apologize for the wait.

Us byes Conch fritters-An island classic with tartar sauce. $9.75

Prime Rib char-grilled to your liking, served with a wild mushroom sauce, potato, salad and seasonal veggies. $22.95 (weekend special and famous Island bargain)

I enjoyed my conch fritters, not overly greasy a bit chewy but then there was alot of dough. Conch by itself is not easy to eat but the finely chopped bits were good. I did like the tartar dipping sauce. The prime rib was HUMONGOUS! I am glad I was hungry! The portions were generous and well priced.

The wait for my check was a bit much but I always got refills of water.

*great value for buck---the prime rib special

*service--uneven

*atmosphere--busy but fun pub

8 forks out of 10 forks

Xinh Xinh---first bowl of Bun Rieu

2007-09-05T20:44:00.000-04:00

Xinh Xinh Restaurant, 7 Beach St, Boston 02111

(Btwn Knapp & Washington St) Phone: 617-422-0501

My Chinese Vietnamese friends have raved about Bun Rieu (Crab Meat Noodle Soup) to me from Xinh Xinh that could rival their own parent's version. I tried it for the first time and loved it! I have to go back to try the other noodle soups and food. I usually am found eating at Dong Khanh so I needed to explore beyond my usual favorites thanks to my friend MPK and TK.

It was my first time having BUN RIEU so I have no frame of comparison or reference. But I enjoyed it alot! I always like putting in the fresh basil, lime juice and bean sprouts (that you can add to your broth). There was alot of onions and scallions as garnish. Though it had one red pepper, it was not so spicy I could not finish the whole bowl! I love the fish paste, tomatoes, fried onions, bun (noodles), egg, tofu and other great stuff in this soup. Plus a good bowl of noodle soup for under $10 for dinner is always a steal!

9 forks out of 10 forks (for the bun rieu).

Jennie's Breakfast in Bar Harbor, Maine

2007-09-05T20:32:00.000-04:00

We were told that the locals like to flock to Jennie's for breakfast (only for lunch /breakfast). I got the blue berry pancakes (3 stack) while others got the crab meat omelette, lobster omelette (with mornay cheese sauce) and the Cadillac (pancake, sausage, ham, bacon--too dry and overcooked, home fries, and toast) making it the heartiest breakfast option! I really enjoyed my blue berry pancakes (very fluffy, flavorful and not overly sweet with blue compote placed on top) and I could not resist a side of corned beef hash (which really hit the spot). My friends had to get their own side order after trying some of mine!

The crab meat omelette and lobster omelette both were well made and delicious. There was a long line and wait for this bright breakfast spot. We were fueled with a good breakfast and ready for our drive back to Boston.

8 forks out of 10 forks

Parkside Restaurant-Bar Harbor

2007-09-05T20:20:00.000-04:00

http://www.parksidedining.com/

Parkside Restaurant, 10 Arata DrBar Harbor, ME 04609 (207) 288-3700

Bar Harbor is full of restaurants having early bird special deals for dinner! So we went to the Parkside and took advantage. Our meal was under $20 (but an extra $2 to change your dessert/soup choices). Their clam chowder was the best we had while in Bar Harbor, just the right thickness, clams and potatoes (not too thin of a broth). The carrot and ginger soup (soup de jour) was excellent and flavorful. Our appetizer was a sushi grade pan seared tuna which was eaten quickly. Crusted with sesame seeds and served with soy sauce and wasabi, this dish was a hit as we were craving a little bit of Asian nuanced food. My main dish of grilled salmon steak with champagne butter hit the spot. The rice pilaf and veggies (which were just right) My other friends got the lobster and commented it was better than the one had at the Chart Room.

Our dessert was alright. The rice pudding was good but the blue berry pie was a big let down. (After eating it, we knew how special the pie we had the prior night seemed in comparison.)

9 forks out of 10 forks

Jordan Pond House---Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor

2007-09-05T20:08:00.000-04:00

Jordan Pond House - http://www.jordanpond.com/, Park Loop Road, Seal Harbor - (207) 276-3244

Nestled along Park Loop Road (27 miles) within Acadia National Park, we decided to make a stop for lunch. (Only stop we could find for food within the park). By the time we got there, we were famished and had a good 20-30 minute wait. We decided to go into the dining room for food. The menu was reasonable considering the location of the dining establishment and with no visible competition for miles.

Popovers seem to be a favorite. I got the lobster stew (lobster with sherry , heavy cream and butter) along with two popovers (it was delicious). Butter and blue berry jam could be used to spread on your popover. Our starter of crab cakes was very nice. Not overly full of breading, the crab meat was overflowing and the sauce used with the cakes was good. My friends all never had one before! I was a bit shocked.

( A popover is a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter similar to that used in making Yorkshire pudding. The name "popover" comes from the fact that the batter swells or "pops" over the top of the muffin tin while baking. They can also be baked in individual custard cups. source: wikipedia)

The lobster stew though it was delicious was not satisfying. The flavors of lobster, sherry, cream and butter were delicious. I paid $19.95 for two popovers and a bowl of lobster stew. I was amazed at the amount of lobster meat I got (a whole lobster tail and some claw meat). Even my dining companions commented they were expecting to see less lobster.

The lobster quiche was delicious and was made with havarti cheese which gave a nice edge to herbs flavor to the quiche. The Jordan House was very busy but the food made up for the wait.

9 forks out of 10 forks

Poor Boy Gourmet---Bar Harbor, Maine

2007-09-05T19:49:00.000-04:00

http://www.poorboysgourmet.com/

Poor Boy Gourmet, 300 Main St, Bar Harbor, ME 04609(207) 288-4148

Trying to find a dinner place with parking is hard to find around downtown Bar Harbor. But we serenditiously ate at a wonderful place while on vacation. On a busy Saturday night, we were lucky to score a table (with no reservation over Labor Day weekend too) at this restaurant.

There are some seafood specials that this restaurant is known for you can get appetizer, entree--crab or lobster and dessert for $22.95. ($2 more to choose your dessert from brownie a la mode). I got the lobster feast which has choice of lobster bisque or clam chowder, then lobster ( a few ways) or crab legs and then finale is brownie a la mode.

The clam chowder was too watery for my taste. The clams and potatoes were good though. My Lobster Brandoni (freshly picked lobster meat smothered in our crab and shrimp stuffing and baked) was heavenly. I had food envy from my dinner companions. It was DELICIOUS! Plus I did not have to contend with the shells. If you are a seafood lover, you will love it!

The crab legs you really cannot mess up as they are boiled. One friend got the steak caesar salad. She enjoyed it and there were anchovies in it. The steak was not overly cooked and the salad was flavored correctly.

The thing that elevated this meal to excellence was the blue berry pie! Two of my dinner companions dislike desserts but we devoured the piece of pie in record time. (It was so memorable we got some slices to go the following night!) The vanilla bean ice cream serves as a lovely accent to the luscious blue berry pie (which was not overly sweet). The crust was excellent on top being crumbly and bits of nuts only added flavor and texture. The pie tasted of pure heaven! (The pie I give a 10!) Sadly our other dessert the tiramisu was a free form mess on a plate that was overly soggy and lacking in depth of flavors you come to enjoy in tiramisu.

Overall service was alright, food had its highs and lows. Kudos to the inhouse baker who bakes the scrumptious blue berry pies!!!!!!

space--too cold on the porch and no heating lamps

waitress---service was average

food---highs with stuffed lobster and blue berries and lows with clam chowder and tiramisu

8 forks out of 10 forks.

The Chart Room ----Bar Harbor Maine

2007-09-05T19:34:00.000-04:00

chartroom.com
The Chart Room, 585 Eden StBar Harbor, ME 04609(207) 288-3064

Over the long weekend, we went to Bar Harbor to get some lobster. We took advantage of the Early Bird Specials (worth it!). Our hotel recommended going to the Chart Room. Our whole table got blue berry ale (did you know that Maine produces over 95% of all of America's blue berry production?) which was good but lacking in a few blue berries floating on top (to my dining partners dismay).

Our appetizer of fried Maine Clams was delicious. Just enough breading a fried to perfection without being overly greasy. Our table finished them promptly. Then the main meal came 1 1/4 lobsters boiled and you get a choice of two sides out of three (cole slaw, potato salad or french fries). I ended up teaching my friends the "efficient way" to eating lobster.

http://gonewengland.about.com/od/lobster/ss/aaeatlobster.htm (ways to eat lobster)
http://www.ehow.com/how_2073_eat-lobster.html

The lobster was very watery but very good! One of my fave parts is the tomalley (the green lobster liver)! Everyone was happy as our lobster dinner only cost $17.95 a person under the early bird special before 6pm. Since we did not have lunch, it was still in between a late lunch but not really early dinner.

We ended our meal sharing a good pumpkin cheesecake which mixed the flavors very well not overly strong in cinnamon or ginger.

With a drink, dessert and lobster everyone paid only $25 a head (with tax and tip)!

7 forks out of 10 forks.

Fun Food Snackery----little bit of sweet heaven in Allston!

2007-08-29T12:10:00.000-04:00

Fun Food Snackery
141 Brighton Avenue
Allston
617-787-8989
http://www.funfoodsnackery.com/

Christina ice cream and sorbets are served along with smoothies, crepes, Asian style desert with shaved ice. I opted for the medium size ($3.33) has three scoops sorbet with a trio of kalamansi lemon, blood orange and lychee flavor. Each were very light and not overly sweet, I thought it was appropriate and refreshing for the humidity the night I went there. My friend got the chocolate and banana smoothie and loved it! She doesn't like overly sweet things and it was perfect! It is on the same block of the old "Pho Pasteur" on Brighton Avenue accessible on the #57 bus or "B" green line at "Harvard Avenue".

The counter person was very lively and helpful. Two people with luggage from Hawaii wanted to the Hawaiian style shaved ice. He kept asking questions on how it is made in Hawaii and was very flexibility to make it to their tastes. The space is small, clean and cute. I like that they use alot of color in the menus and space (yellow walls).

I need to go again to try the other desserts!

9 out of 10 forks.

YoMa-taste of Burma in Allston

2007-08-29T12:05:00.000-04:00

YOMA 5 North Beacon StAllston, MA 02134(617) 783-1372

I went last night with a friend on a humid summer night. The sign said they open at 5pm. It is a small restaurant so I can see why there have been long lines crammed to eat at this cute restaurant. The wall hangings are nice but it is simply decorated.

Not sure what to order, I got the Burmese Special Seafood Salad (Shrimp, Squid, crabmeat with lemon grass, lime, cucumber, grape, tomato, shallot, chili and cilantro) which was delicious, very fresh and affordable at $9.95 with a kick. My dinner companion GLAI got the KongPoung JeeJaw (Chicken with burmese kung poong suace, ginger, dry chili and peanuts) . In comparison, it was not spicy but very tasty. The rice that came with it was fluffy and not overly dry. I was reminded of Malaysian food when trying out the Chicken dish and more Viet and Thai influences with the Seafood Salad. The waitress was friendly and knowledgeable.

They accept credit cards and I want to come again to try other dishes. Since there are not alot of Burmese restaurants around, I have to go back and try other dishes.

9 forks out of 10 forks

Chosun OK on Buford Highway in Atlanta serves great Korean BBQ!

2007-08-24T16:56:00.000-04:00

Chosun Ok Restuarant-5865 Buford Hwy NeDoraville, GA 30340(770) 452-1821

Recently I had the chance to check out Chosun Ok thanks to my great host NE. I have only been in Atlanta once before and was told that you need a car to get to Buford Highway but that is where all the good Asian food especially Korean and Vietnamese food!

Luckily I was able to have dinner with NE and his family visiting from the Northeast. Many had never had Korean BBQ before. We ordered seafood pancake, bulgoki, kalbi, chapchae, tenjung chigae and we got lots of side dishes with a pitcher of cold tea to cool off. (Atlanta was undergoing a heatwave of 100+ temps).

The grill is charcoal and the decor was very laid back. The service was attentive and excellent. Due to our big party, they thoughtfully cut up our seafood pancake and cut the meat from the bone for our kalbi. As customers, we had minimal need to flip and cook the meat. We got the sauce, raw garlic, lettuce leaves, julienned scallions to fold our bbq meats together.

The food was delicious and I did not smell of BBQ afterwards. Great service, great Korean food with everyone coming out of the meal stuffed. I would definitely love to go there again when in Atlanta.

I give them 8 forks out of 10 forks.

Pierrot Bistrot Francais

2007-08-09T14:47:00.000-04:00

Pierrot Bistrot Francais ($$$$) French, Bistro

272 Cambridge St, Boston 02114 (At Anderson St) Phone: 617-725-8855

Last night, I went to Pierrot Bistrot in Beacon Hill area less than two blocks from Charles MGH Redline stop. It was a lovely evening and I was greated by the friendly host. I mentioned I was early but he showed me to my seat with flourish and the majority of the staff is French.

I started off with delightfully warm crusty french bread. I had a few slices of it. Once my friend NT arrived, then we ordered. I got the the House Pate and she got the Salmon Trio. The pate consisted of two big pieces and a cute 3 mini bowl of the side dishes came along with a small side salad. It was well done and when paired with the mustard seed it was lovely. My friend enjoyed her salmon---one was smoked, salmon mousse and I was not sure what the third one was on her plate. For our entree course, she got the shrimp, crabmeat stuffed avocado and I got the duck confit.

The duck leg was great with tons of flavor over beans. I really enjoyed it. NT liked the lightness of her dish and the combo with crabmeat and shrimp were a nice accent to the cool day. For our finale, I got the fromage plate and she got the chocolate mousse. I had four different French cheeses (hard, soft and one blue cheese) and as Anthony Bourdain says, it must be stinky and one of them certainly fit the bill. It was good though. The chocolate mousse had quality dark chocolate and it was not too airy and light with all the cream but it tasted wonderful.

*Cute space and it filled up really fast during dinner time. My friend spent time in Paris and loved this place. The host was very charming. We had to flag down the help to tell them we were ready to order (after putting down our menus and not looking at it for quiet a bit of time.) But our waters were filled and they were attentive about it.

I give Pierrot 8 forks out of 10 forks.

Om Restaurant and Lounge-Cambridge

2007-08-09T13:39:00.000-04:00

http://www.omrestaurant.com/

Om Restaurant and Lounge

57 John F Kennedy StCambridge, MA 02138(617) 576-2800

Young Greens banyuls vinaigrette, herb fines, shallot, radish10

Marinated Beet Salad baby beets, maitake mushrooms, baby arugula, baley-hazen blue cheese, honey-truffle vinaigrette13

Hawaiian Blue Prawns grilled prawns, ajo blanco, sweet & sour peaches, honey granola, culantro17

Spring Bean Salad farmers market assorted beans, tarragon & lemon vinaigrette, sugar plum, gorgonzola cheese14

Soft Shell Crab“creamed corn”, cilantro, baby boc choy, Chinese sausage, shimeji mushrooms, pea tendrils, cilantro, garlic chives17

Duck Confit queso Azul de Valdeon, Pear mostarda, arugula, urfa pepper aioli, pine nut brittle16

Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna $22

Steak Tartar Wolfesneck farm sirloin, wasabi vinigrette,
asian pear, sweet & sour rutebega, adzuki bean, quail egg, taro chips18

Duet of Berkshire Pork grilled pork loin, sorrel, apple mostarda+braised pork belly, sweet & sour cabbage,fingerling frites, Chinese hot mustard28

Elephant Trunk Sea Scallops sweet english pea puree, apple wood smoked bacon, Ben’s mushrooms, pickled red onion, basil, mint, 28

Colorado Lamb grilled boneless lamb sirloin, baby fried artichokes, olive jam, pecorino-romano cheese, coriander emulsion34

CHEF’S TASTING MENU

5 course 75 with wine 105

Went to celebrate a friend's bday and we ended up having a nice meal.

Started off nibbling on the truffle oil cheese popcorn (no bread) before ordering. I must say they are addictive! The restaurant week menu was not exciting enough for us so we got the tasting menu instead. First we got an amuse bouche of cold gazpacho with watermelon, guave and orange juice. It was freshing.

Watermelon soup served wtih brooke trout (we liked the trout) but together with everything someone commented the dish needing a bit more acid for contrast. Another appetizer the Marinated Beet Salad were great as the beets were sweet, the honey truffle and the mushrooms made this lovely. (I still think the beets I had made at Domani tasting menu had a better edge over this beet salad and my friend agreed with me). Spring Bean Salad, we thought the beans were a bit too crunchy, the flavors were subtle but we did like the lemon tarrogan vinigrette but the gargonzola cheese did nothing for our tastebuds. Hawaiian Blue Prawns grilled prawns was nice with banana slices on the bottom, hints of chili the flavors were lovely and the accent using the intensely flavorful coconut sorbet topped the dish. Next the Soft Shell Crab“creamed corn” did not make sense. We loved the fried soft shell crab but the sweetness of the corn (though lovely a bit weird with this dish) and then you have chinese bokchoy, Chinese sausage (which I adore) on this plate seemed at the chef Rachel Klein's attempt to marry homestyle Chinese into this dishwith a Western twist, not a big hit for us. Better separating the flavors and tastes of each component than all together in one bite. Plus there was some "spicy" heat needed to "liven" this dish up. The Duck Confit was supposed to be a highlight for my friend, but though good (Domani's duck confit still trumps this version) and the cheese did nothing for the dish, it was not. The arugala salad was nice and the pinenut brittle were interesting accents. My friend just kept on leaving it untouched on her plate. The Steak Tartar had many interesting elements using wasabi aoli, tarot chips, quail egg did not do it for me. I usually like tartar but this one the meat was not minced or grounded enough. I felt the steak to have big strips to be tough and chewy with each bite. I enjoyed the Duet of Berkshire Pork using grilled pork lion and pork belly which were delightful (but the kurobata pork belly eaten at The Social House in Treasure Island was much superior). The Elephant Trunk Sea Scallop was nice but the highlight were all the fresh sweet pea puree that made me enjoy the dish and the pickled pearwl onions but the hints of finely chopped smoked bacon were a true delight. The Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna was with Japanese noodle and a mayo basil sauce was good but not very memorable. Then we had the Colorado Lamb with the whitebean puree, curry sauce with golden raisin and the purple onions caused a nice contrast to the grilled lamb. We had another lamb with cheese, tomato, other veggies that was fine.

I forgot to take pics of the dessert we received----peach empanada with litchi ice cream (very light and not memorable--the ice cream anyways) and almond brittle, dark chocolate truffle and Cherry hazelnut streudel with a white chocolate dipped cherry, white chocolate cheesecake ice

cream.

Atmosphere: 9

Service: 9

Food: hits and misses 8

Cost: 8

I give it 8 forks out of 10 forks.

The Butcher Shop-South End Boston

2007-08-09T13:20:00.000-04:00

Butcher Shop - http://www.butchershopboston.com/

552 Tremont St, Boston (SOUTH END)- (617) 423-4800

Watermelon Gazpacho-honeydew, Prosecco, mint

Hanger Steak-Great Hill Blue, radish

Chocolate Almond Cake-peaches

I went to Butcher Shop in the South End part of the Chef Barbara Lynch empire (No. 9 Park is still a destination I would love to check out sometime in the future). This place has a great neighborhood vibe and sells cured meats, cheeses and wines. Also it is another locale I hit for Boston's Summer Restaurant week 2007! I met up with good pal and food buddy from one of my other lives DW.

It was a muggy night and when I arrived it took awhile for me to cool down. I got a great Kriek (love that stuff from Belgium). Enjoyed the watermelon gazpacho with the avocado garnish (did not really go there for me) but the watermelon juice was refreshing but not what I call much of a gazpacho (just because it is a cold soup) but did not have the usual olive oil, sometimes bread but mainly tomatoes.

For the entree we had the steak (medium rare) cooked to perfection and properly seasoned simply with salt and pepper sliced thin with great simple grean salad with radish and I believe some onions. The bread was fantastic served with creamiest, sweetest butter with great sea salt that had me grabbing for many slices of bread.

The meal peaked with the chocolate almond cake which was similar to a small cake dipped in chocolate but the flavors were dense and dark with the hint of almond, peach and freshly whipped cream balanced out the chocolate's richness.

I give it an 8 forks out of 10 forks.

Avila

2007-08-09T12:53:00.001-04:00

Avila - http://www.avilarestaurant.com/

1 Charles St S, Boston - (617) 267-4810

Sunday 8/5/2007 marked the first night of Boston Summer Restaurant week 2007 at Avila ( Charles St, Boston, MA). The sleek bar area is very cool and very upscale. The open kitchen is nice and you can watch the cooks while waiting for your friend, which ended up being the case for my friend Alita. We were given a bread plate some different breads (warmed) and one big pat of butter. I liked the foccacio and there was parmesan melted onthe pita points. We started with an amuse bouche of gazpacho--a bit tart with great bits of cucumber, tomato and avocado. Yummy and refreshing as Alita commented to me. Then I got the tuna carpaccio with tarrogan mustard sauce and fried shallots. We loved how it was light and fresh tasting with the tarrogan mustard sauce being a nice accent. Alita got the potato, fennel and leek soup with Jonah Crab. She is not a fan of leek and fennel but she lapped up the soup loving the smooth texture, the flavors were magnificent and she lapped up the soup using her bread to get every last bit of it. I did opt for the spicy chorizo, garbanzo beans and tomatoes with seared cod. It was delicious. Alita got the lamb souvlaki with feta cheese, tomatoes and mint sauce. The flavors were great and the strong saltiness balanced the grilled lamb very well.

Service was attentive, we were given new silverware with each course, water was always poured and we never had to ask for a refill. We ended with the panna cotta with balsamic dipped strawberries with a almond biscotti, yummy. Silky and custardy with a slight sugary carmelized hard crust with the lovely strawberries.

I give Avila a 9 forks out of 10 forks.

The Clambox----Fried clams heaven!

2007-08-09T12:44:00.000-04:00

246 High St. (Mitchell Rd.) Map · Ipswich, MA 01938. 978-356-9707

http://www.ipswichma.com/clambox/index.htm

I read alot about THE CLAMBOX and since I adore fried clams, I had to check this place out after going to Kelly's and Woodmans (they say they invented the Fried Clams). But in Ispwich and Essex, that area is laden with many clams that it is the place to be for fresh and delicious clams!

The building is in a kitschy shape of a Clambox and the lines are long (we waited for about 40 minutes but I heard even on off season the wait can be just an hour!!!). But it was well worth the wait! I went there over the weekend with my buddy MKP (who also went to Woodman's with me the prior weekend). I was afraid he would not want another weekend of Fried Clams, I was wrong! (Thank goodness he was open to eating with me!)

The Clambox is amazing and a great destination for fried clams!!! I know I went to Woodman's invented the fried clams, but the Clambox is WORTH the pilgrimage to have their great "big bellied" fried clams (upon request). We got there at 12 (opened at 11am) and already a good half hour wait. There was a sheet of paper by the entrance to look at to figure out what you want to order.

MPK and I decided to share and go the Fisherman's Platter ($21.95) with clams, haddock, scallop and Maine Shrimp with a choice of two sides from your choices of fried onion rings, french fries and cole slaw. Then got a cup of clam chowder $4.95 and one clam cake $1 with two small lemonades at $1 a piece. We could not leave without a lobster roll for $14.95. We also had to wait another15 minutes but it was WORTH the wait. I was busy reading the great articles and awards hung around the ordering area. Be warned, CASH only is accepted but they conveniently have an ATM machine. So the Clambox has been serving for fried clams and only believe in fresh food. Per the articles, I gathered that the owner dips the clams in evaporated milk then twice in corn and once in flour before frying them in lard (lard is changed daily in the afternoon). The big bellied clams were delicious! Finally to have big bellies (no extra charge too!) were delicious and I like the taste of the sea when you bite into it. The crunch and taste was fabulous on the generously piled on plate. (For those with smaller stomachs, there are mini meal options available). We opted for the sides to be fried onion rings --golden and crispy but the inside was sweet and delicious--and cole slaw ---not dry, great mix of carrot and cabbage and the dressing was just right. The fried clam cake was great and much better than the clam fritters we had at Woodman's the prior weekend. The crispy crunch exterior was yummy and the tartar sauce was great acccent. The juicy scallops and medium sized but thoroughly deveined Maine Shrimp were a treat. The best clam chowder out of Kelly's, Woodmans and the Clam Box was the latter. Their clam chowder had the right amount of thickness, potatoes, and clams which were delightful and flavorful--both MPK and I were sighing in sheer delight. The lobster roll was good but a bit too much of may for my taste but the lobster tail and claw meat was plentiful.

The decorations were more kitschy at the Clambox, the exterior is shaped as a Clambox with a side section to eat inside. The lines are worth the wait for this delicious taste of Essex clams (YUMMY) I can now understand why many make the pilgrimage to have these fried clams. Unfortunately you need car to get to this place, but it is well worth the wait!
A 9 forks out of 10 forks!

Temple Bar--brunch

2007-08-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

1688 Massachusetts AveCambridge, MA 02138(617) 547-5055

(http://www.templebarcambridge.com/)

I went to brunch at Temple Bar (an American Bistro also owners of Redline and Grafton Street both in Harvard Square)this past Saturday. We started off with some complimentary chocolate chip mini muffins which were very cute. I opted for the IRISH FRY and my friend RS got the Mascarpone Cheese stuffed crepes. She loved the crepes as they were more

MASCARPONE CHEESE STUFFED CREPES - $10 HOUSE MADE STRAWBERRY COMPOTE, CHOCOLATE SAUCE

IRISH FRY - $12TWO EGGS, IRISH SAUSAGES, IRISH RASHERS, BLACK AND WHITE PUDDING (blood sausage), BREAKFAST POTATOES, GRILLED TOMATO

I liked my Irish Fry but it was as unhealthy as it sounded. All in its artery clogging goodness but still great in its nitrates and saturated fats! Luckily I do not eat this way for brunch daily/nor breakfast for that matter. The breakfast potatoes were nice and and seasoned, blood sausage and eggs were great. Everything had a bit of salt to it but the potatoes and eggs off set it for me. RS said she loved her crepes as they were sweet (but not overly so).

Waitress was good and our server made sure we had our water glasses refilled and did not rush us out of the place.

I give it 8 forks out of 10 forks.

Jumbo Seafood---Newton Center

2007-08-03T10:31:00.000-04:00

JUMBO SEAFOOD RESTAURANT (cross street-Centre Street)

10 Langley RdNewton Centre, MA 02459-1972Phone: (617) 332-3600

Last night, I attended a fund raiser at Jumbo Seafood Restaurant for a local Newton Alderman Amy Mah Sangiolo. It was my first time at this restaurant. It was very busy on a hot humid Thursday night and we had the back room space. Going to events with Chinese menus you usually have banquet style. This time, the food was very good and when there is usually a lot of leftovers, this event did not have any!

Starting off the menu was the seafood soup---simple with bits of seafood and egg swirled within the velvety broth. Next was their version of Pei Pah Tofu (usually served lightly fried cubes of tofu with ground shrimp) but here they roll it up for easier eating and it was a very nice touch. Not overly greasy and the wrapping made it easier to dip and eat compared to the traditional style of Pei Pah Tofu. Then came the seafood stir fried with vegetables in a fried tarot root basket. Again, the food was very fresh, the sauce light and the fried tarot basket was a hit! Then came the beef and broccoli (american) with the marinated beef in a brown sauce with the great crispy broccoli florets decorating the edges hit the spot.

One of my personal favorites and a rarely seen item at a fundraising menu is Crabmeat sauce over peapod stems! Peapod stems tend to be a bit on the pricey side but are very healthy and delicious. You can get them usually stir fried with garlic but with the crab sauce it was light and healthy. More seafood came with the big shrimp with walnuts and mayo (one of the big hits of the night) there is something about this combination that attracts many fans to it! The roast duck was great too with crispy skin and the meat was tender and juicy. The general gau's chicken was not overly breaded or in an extremely spicy sauce---just mild and good for a banquet style meal (as not everyone can handle spicy foods).

The meal ended with two traditional items a rice and noodle dish, the noodle dish was a regular stir fried noodles and the fried rice was Yang Chow style studded with bits of char siu (roast pork) and shrimp.

The service was attentative, we always had our water glasses filled (not bad with so many people on a busy night), the food came out a a good pace and everyone had a great time. If you live kind of far from Chinatown and you do not want to make there, go to Newton Center to Jumbo seafood!

**Majority of the items were taken off the Chinese language menu.

I give it 8 forks out of 10 forks.

Minsok--new Korean Restaurant in Brookline Village Area

2007-08-01T09:15:00.001-04:00

Minsok -Korean and Japanese Restaurant

92 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA (intersection of Harvard Street with Aspinwall/School Streets)

Open for little over two weeks, I went and ate at Minsok. I was very excited to have a potential new restaurant in the area. Formerly a Kosher Chinese Restaurant and last incarnation was Zoe's, Minsok is a welcome addition.

The waitstaff is dressed in colorful Korean outfits. The menu is extensive and since it was the first time for my friend BM to try Korean food I figured I would keep it simple. I ordered the seafood pancake, seafood chapchae (veggies, seafood stir fried with clear noodles), steamed mandu (Korean dumplings), and bulgoki (Korean BBQ beef).

First we were treated with an amuse bouche of rice porridge. My friend found it refreshing and I found it different from the regular Chinese style porridge due to the type of rice being used. Next came out the seafood pancake which was a big healthy portion. It was airy and crispy with bits of seafood and scallion in this eggy batter. The dipping sauce was not too spicy but nice accent. We got over 8 little side dishes too (one of my favorite things at a Korean restaurant). I have found this to be a generous selection, some other Korean places around town give you four side dishes and then charge you if you want more. I have been spoiled at other Korean restaurants outside of Massachusetts (ie Los Angeles Ktown or even Korean Food in NYC). They consisted of two types of kimchee (bok choy and cucumber), a black bean, fish cake, blanched bean sprouts, to name a few.

Next came our mandu-dumplings, very pretty and delicious with a lovely healthy mixture of meat and veggies inside (you can get them steamed or pan fried) with the dipping sauce. Next was the seafood chapchae which was a heaping portion and the same for the bulgoki with lots of onions. The chapchae was good (we ended up having to take it home) with the nice amount of veggies, generous helping of seafood-mussels, shrimp, squid. The bulgoki (I tend to like to cook my own as it is drier) but it was still good though prepared in the kitchen.

Service was good. The waitstaff was very attentive making sure our water glasses were always filled and they always asked before taking away our dishes. At the end of our meal, we were asked for dessert, they only have mochi ice cream. But some fresh fruit orange and pineapple slices were served with our bill. On our way out, we were given a small present. We thought it a nice touch.

Next time you are in Brookline Village area, check out Minsok Restaurant! I have told a few friends already!

8 forks out of 10 forks

Icarus-29 years Anniversary Menu

2007-07-31T18:55:00.001-04:00

http://www.icarusrestaurant.com/

Icarus Restaurant-3 Appleton StBoston, MA 02116(617) 426-1790

Stephen's Summer Sangria Red or White $8 a glass

$29.99 three course pre-fixe menu

Polenta, Braised Azuluna Veal Breast, Black Truffles, Parmesan

Marinated Wellfleet Littlenecks & Casco Bay Mussels, Panzanella Salad & Saffron

Pan-Fried Sunburst Trout, Pecan Brown Butter, Bright Lights Chard , Santa Barbara,

Grilled Leg of Lamb, Socca Pancakes Stuffed with Peppery Greens, Lemon Caper Vinaigrette

Dessert: Gateau Chocolat and Lemon Buttermilk Panna Cotta

First off, I met up with Sue L. for dinner and I had to push back our reservations a little (due to my coming from out of town). We got settled pretty quickly into a small table for two. We opted to try the sangrias. Sue has been to Spain and is particular about proclaiming a sangria good or bad. (Similar to my tastes in Cantonese cooking, dimsum and gelato as I am a bit more selective). I got the white one---it was too syrupy sweet and I did not taste the wine. Sue opted for the red and it tasted more wine with no fruit taste or sweetness.

Our server was apologetic and offered to change our drinks, but we figured it would be hard as they are premixed and done already. Our water glasses were filled without our needing to ask, silverware was changed for every course and we did not have to wait too long in between courses.

For our first course we got the polenta and the mussels. Both were amazingly good! I loved the slight cheesiness in the polenta from the parmesan and the veal breast was nicely flavorful accent on the side. The marinated Wellfleet littlenecks and Casco bay mussels were great with the salad with enough creaminess from the dressing for the salad. The littlenecks and mussels were very fresh and delicious.

For our second course, we got the trout and the grilled leg of lamb. The grilled leg of lamb (we were forewarned is served medium rare) that was not the issue but it was the cut of the meat. It was bit chewy (I guess it should be as it is the leg) but was more blah for me. Nothing special in terms of taste but it was not gamey at least. Peppery greens commented Sue were akin to Chinese stir fried veggies (I tended to agree) but the Socca Pancakes had no place on the plate. They were a bit soggy/crispy and to us served not real taste purpose and were a bit boring. The trout on the other hand was delightful! It was not overly cooked or sauced, the pecan brown butter and the crispiness of the fish was divine. The slight crunchiness of the skin and the soft flaky trout meat were excellent. (I so dislike over cooked fish).

The desserts were lovely. The gateau chocolate as expected was rich and chocolatey but with dark chocolate flavors. I always like the fresh whipped cream served with it. The lime panna cotta was served with a crunchy butter cookie and a fresh blueberry sauce. I was in heaven with this dessert. With the blueberries in season they were juicy and delicious and a lovely accent to the sublime lime panna cotta.

Best ---Trout and panna cotta

Worst ---white sangria and the grilled leg of lamb

I give Icarus an 8 forks out of 9 forks.

Woodmans-the inventor of Fried Clams

2007-07-31T18:40:00.000-04:00

http://www.woodmans.com/

Route 133, 121 Main St. Essex, Massachusetts 01929 Phone: (978) 768-6057 (800) 649-1773

I finally had to come to this famed place in Essex, MA---Woodmans last weekend. They proclaim themselves to be the inventors of Fried Clams and they are sold at market price. Recently, my buddy MPK and I went there earlier to avoid the long lines that are guaranteed to happen during the weekend lunch hours.

The directions were not that bad and we got there under an hour from Boston. We visited Woodmans around 11:30am. We opted to share and got the medium Chubby's Fried Clams (with bellies of course!) $18.95 (Market price), Lobster Roll $18.95 (Market Price) and Clam Fritters $4.95 (4 fritters) and 2 clam chowders $3.95 each a cup. They do take credit cards (yea) and there are helpful empty containers by the cashier to help better figure how much you want to eat.

Your number is then called out and you go to the pick up area. There is a big side area to sit and choose from many tables to eat your delicious lunch. First item to be sampled is the clam chowder. It is the second clam chowder of the month I had tried (last time was Kelly's) where the broth is very thin. My sis did explain there are varying different types of broths for clam chowder. So this is deliberately on the thin/runny side. Whereas Kelly's had some nice clam flavors and was great this one was more tasteless in comparison. I did taste some clam and potatoes but I was not bowled over by the taste. Needless to say, I did not finish it except for the clams and potatoes in the chowder.

Then I proceeded to try the clam fritters. They looked very inviting but what it really is a big dough ball of batter with very microscropic pieces of crab. It is very dry if you do not have any sauce-hot, tartar or whatever strikes your fancy. Next came the fried clams, not overly greasy, too bad the bellies were not bigger but very good. I think these fried clams edge out the Kelly's Fried clams a little bit. There is a nice crunch, flavor and dipping them in tartar sauce was divine!

Lastly, we split the lobster roll, just how I like it, very simple. Just plain ole lobster tail meat with claws cut up on a toasted hot dog bun with minimal mayo.

There you have it our meal at Woodmans.

I give it 8 forks out of 9 forks.

BeeHive --latest hotspot in South End

2007-07-23T19:38:00.000-04:00

The Beehive, 541 Tremont St., South End, 617-423-0069

This past Saturday night, my friend AHP went to BeeHive. The newest addition to the South End scene but with nightly live music! We just went for dinner time (early) before the night time crush and live music. I head heard it is a achingly hip place with cool drinks (did not try any) and the newest place to be seen in Boston!

The decor is very cool! Very spacious and when you walk downstairs you see some cool art hung on the walls and atmosphere is great. We were quickly seated (dining room had no tables yet but some people at the bar). Since we were not famished, we had the Bohemian Platter $21 Chef's selection of tasty bites and salad and the fried oysters and calamari with spicy avocado $12 and I got the gazpacho $8.

The service was good and attentive. Our server always made sure our water was filled. The food was hit and miss. The gazpacho was nice with a dallop crème fraîche that was unexpected. It was refreshing. The oysters and calamari were overly greasy. My friend commented there was too much greens (I believe watercress?) that distracted from the taste for her. For a few seconds I thought there were no oysters, but after really squinting my eyes, I found a few of them. The Bohemian Platter had some great stuff and some not so great stuff. The olives and roasted eggplant, mushrooms and carrots were a hit for both of us. The stringy mozzerella was cool. The sausage and ham were nice. The couscous stuffed tomatoes were not bad. The red bean salad was a bit too much or crunchy (per my friend) to eat more of it.

The owner did come by to ask if everything was ok. Later on after we left, too full to have dessert and currently only had two choices baklava and a blueberry cake. We did bump into some friends who informed us that the drinks are nice but a bit overpriced and the acoustics are not great.

I give this place a 7 forks out of 10 forks.

Dong Khanh----affordable Vietnamese Food in Boston Chinatown

2007-07-17T18:34:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday, I met up with my buddy JLAM. I decided to bypass some of the usual suspects for out of towners for some comforting Vietnamese food outside of Fields Corner in Dorchester. My fave place outside of Fields Corner in Chinatown is Dong Khanh (83 Harrison AveBoston, MA 02111(617) 426-9410).

Known for their great shakes, you will always see a constant line for shakes and their boba drinks. Service can be slow but the food is worth the wait. Very simple and not fussy, Dong Khanh has been around for a long time pleasing customers with their extensive menu! I used to only come for their Pho, Bun and Pork chop rice plate! Small and family run and not accepting credit cards makes this place stay affordable. Ordering by using numbers for the dishes you want to eat is helpful is you do not speak Vietnamese and Cantonese.

We shared the banh xeo (vietnamese style crepe), ca bong lau kho to (carmelized fish in peppery sauce) and com suong bi cha (pork chop, rice, meatloaf, side salad, and shredded pork skin with two fried eggs) and were full afterwards. Before tip the total was slightly under $22!!!

My friend raved and never had the carmelized fish and banh xeo before! Tasty meal, cheap, and quick what more can you ask for? The fish tasted like a better version of Japanese unagi according to JLAM! The sauce was fantastic and I needed lots of rice to sop it up. The banh xeo was a nice mix of veggies and meat and of course you need the fish sauce. The pork chop rice is always a fave of mine. Their meatloaf has vermicelli is great, the flavorful pork chop is grilled to perfection and the shredded pork skin is easy to eat. I thoroughly enjoy the two fried eggs (runny enough to go all over my rice) and the simple side salad of iceberg leaves and some tomato slices finish off the plate. Only problem was trying to leave, we did have to wait a bit to get our bill. Service can be spotty and not as efficient but we did not mind at all.

9 forks out of 10 forks

Fried Clams at Kelly's in Revere Beach..

2007-07-17T17:58:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, I took my friend JH and mom to get fried clams at Kelly's. Kelly's to locals is a fried seafood and roast beef place! They do take away business and have over three locations (the one we went to did only take away business).

We also were in the area to check out the sand sculpture festival too on the other end of the beach. It was a hot day not too humid with a light breeze here and there.

As we approached, we noticed a ton of people, the lines were longer for waiting for your food than to actually order. The wait was actually not bad at all. My mom loved the prices and thought them affordable. Our clam plate was under $20 with onion rings and fries too! The fisherman's platter with fried shrimp, fried scallop and fried clams along with onion rings and french fries was priced under $20 as well! Our clam chowder (more light broth) was only $3 for a cup.

The clam chowder broth was very thin (not much flour was put in to make it thicker). I usually like me chowders to be a bit thicker than the watery consistency we got. But the flavors were simple and good. The key was fresh clams in the broth with awesome little nuggets of potatoes and onions.

The fried clam platter we got to share-my mom and I. It was great! (Part of it might be because we were ravenous and really craving fried clams. The batter was good the clams were hitting the spot. Only one thing to complain, we wish the bellies were fatter! JH loved the fisherman's platter and I enjoyed the fried shrimp (different batter) and fried scallop (also another batter). I liked the variety. The tartar sauce was a great accompaniment.

Service is not overly friendly but does the job. They call out your name and you come and pick up your order. JH did not get a fork and we all had to ask for them (we were not keen on using our fingers to pick up our food).

There is a covered area to eat your food across the street from Kelly's that overlooks the beach. We found it helpful though there were benches no tables. My sister warned me about the overly aggressive birds who would eat your food is left unattended. (I had watched a Rachel Ray episode in Boston at Kelly's and the birds were hovering over her before she got to try her fried clams!).

It is off the Blue Line (Wonderland T-stop) with a 15 minute walk away to get there. There was a bus but it ran infrequently on that Saturday we went there.

8 forks out of 10 forks (for decent prices, good quality clams though even on the thin side)

Tasca----farewell dinner

2007-07-13T12:57:00.001-04:00

Tasca Spanish Tapas Restaurant & Bar

1612 Commonwealth AveBrighton, MA 02135(617) 730-8002

Last week, I attended a farewell dinner for our grate intern GLAI. Thanks for your great work!

She chose Tasca as the place she wanted to have dinner.

On Thursdays, you can dine to the lovely music of a spanish guitarist! I always love hearing the guitar music. I always find it to be a treat.

First off we had the sangria and got a pitcher. I enjoy the sangria alot and the strong taste of alcohol is masked by the juices and fruit! Everyone enjoyed the sangria. Next we got about 11 tapas (also is was the first time for a few people at the table to have tapas), but before we got the tapas, I got a gazpacho. (Their gazpacho is one of my favorite ones I have had in the last few months!). The combination of ingredients and fresh tomatoes was delectable. Our bread came with a pesto chick pea spread which was lovely.

The favorite tapas were the Fideos con mariscos (seafood with pasta) and Gambas al ajillo(garlic shrimp) were two stand outs for many. One person did not like the tuna dish. But overall everything was enjoyed and devoured! Many of the braised or meat dishes were excellent. Only one misstep really for one diner was the Atún salteado which was a little fishy. We were so full we could not even eat dessert and there were five people eating too!

Tapas ordered:

Casoulet -Cazuela of beef, duck, chicken and sausage braised with tomatoes, vegetables and white beans

Los tres amigos -Grilled trio of sausages served with grilled flatbread, carmelized onions and Dijon mustard

Cazuela de cordero -Sangria braised boneless leg of lamb with root vegetables scented with fresh rosemary and thyme

*Gambas al ajillo- Sizzling shrimp in garlic

*Asado de cerdo -Slow roasted pork over a white bean ragout with braised mushrooms

Albóndigas -Homemade tenderloin meatballs in green peppercorn sauce

Solomillo Petit -filet mignon (3oz) served over a sherry braised mushroom sauce

Atún salteado -Pan seared yellow-fin tuna over a mixed bean ragout in a saffron dijon mustard aioli

Caracoles -Escargots baked in puff pastry with leeks and garlic served on a roasted garlic and sambuca sauce

*Fideos con Mariscos -Shrimp, calamari, mussels and salmon tossed with pasta in a white wine sauce

Confít de pato -Roasted duck leg served over red cabbage and apples

8 forks out of 10 forks

Afternoon Tea at L'Espalier

2007-07-12T12:10:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, I went to one of my fave places for afternoon tea---L'Espalier. Now their days are numbered in this old space before they move to their new digs next year. I have to come to this cozy location and I LOVE it!

I took my friend Jea Hee (before she heads back to Korea) by the end of the month. First off she will be in London and Paris before heading over to Europe. I cannot believe I met her on the plane heading to Boston. Over six months later, she is heading back. This was her first time having afternoon tea. She got the "Make Way for Ducklings" (Petit fours, pastry and tea $27-L'espalier Swan, Blueberry Terrine, Cherry Tart, Chocolate Decandence Cake, Cherry Raisen Scone, Strawberry dipped in Chocolate) and I got the "Three Blind Mice" ($30 award winning cheese plate---off the website--with the traditional accompaniments). Since I tried a fromage tower in Sonoma this past trip, I wanted to try the famous cheeses that L'Espalier has available. She got the Oolong Jade tea and I got the Elderberry Nectar Herbal tea (which was very nice, light and did not need anything to sweeten it).

I must say they were very good and it makes sense to eat counter clockwise from mildest to strongest in flavor, scent and the different textures were interesting. My Cheese person did not mark off #1 so I am not sure what it was. I enjoyed all the cheese choices actually. Some were strong but very good paired with the bread, pinenuts in honey were lovely or dried fruits were lovely. Now I understand why there are accompaniments.

#2-Coupole --Websterville Vermont, #3 Pecorina Ginepro--Emilia-Romagna, Italy

#4 Epoisse De Bourgogne--Burgundy, France (Brined), #5 Gouda (aged 5 years) Holland, #6 Bayley Hazen--Greensboro, Vermont

It was lovely to try. If you wanted to buy some for your home, L'espalier does offer the cheeses to go.

10 forks out of 10 forks

*www.lespalier.com

*Recently the head chef was listed on the James Beard Foundation Best Northeast Chef for 2007 and he has gained Best New Chef in Food Wine Magazineas well as "Fine Dining Hall of Fame".

(website source) This restaurant will be moving from this cozy location in the future, to it while it is still at this location! It has been the site of many celebrations, wedding proposals etc.

Chef/Proprietor: Frank McClelland
Chef de Cuisine: James Hackney
Mâitre d’: Louis Risoli
Wine Director: Erik Johnson
Location: In the heart of fashionable Back Bay, in an 1880 townhouse on the corner of Newbury and Gloucester Street, one block from the Hynes Convention Center, Prudential Center and Copley Place. Walking distance to Symphony Hall, Berklee Performance Center and major colleges and universities. CuisineSophisticated and modern New England-French cuisine, with an emphasis on artisanal and New England ingredients.

LunchThree course Prix Fixe Menu $24.00á la carte also available DinnerThree course Prix Fixe Menu $75.00Seven course Degustation Tasting Menu $94.00Seven course Degustation Vegetable Menu $75.00Chef’s Tasting Menu $175.00Setting

Front Room: L’Espalier’s largest dining room with a color scheme of taupe and cream. With its carved marble fireplace, luxurious plasterwork, and views overlooking Gloucester Street, it has a feeling of classic elegance. A mirrored mantle and simple black and white photography accent this light-filled room.Salon: L’Espalier’s Salon dining room has a truffle and cream color scheme and offers an intimate setting for two or a lovely dining option for private events. With an over stuffed banquette, stylized fireplace, and sparkling chandelier, the Salon offers diners a more private dining alternative.Library:The Library, on L’Espalier’s third floor offers a pleasant alternative to the subdued color schemes of the Front Room and Salon. With salmon colored walls, mahogany woodwork, and another beautifully sculpted mantle, the Library exudes warmth. Tables overlook Gloucester Street and the surrounding rooftops.

Chez Papa Bistrot in Portero Hill area in San Francisco

2007-07-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

http://www.chezpapasf.com/

Chez Papa is situated on San Francisco's Potrero Hill. It 's located at 1401 18th Street which lieson the corner of18th and Missouri.

Capresi Salad-----mozzerella and fresh roma tomatoes

Warm calamari over a little greens
"Pissaladiere", caramelized onion tart with anchovy and frisee salad
"Brandade de Morue" Atlantic salted cod gratinee with garlic croutons
Mussels "Provencale" with garlic, shallots, cherry tomatoes, nicoise olives and pastis
Seared foie gras with Banyuls and fennel pollen reduction, summer fruit
Pimentos del piquillos stuffed with Dungeness crab meat, saffron, tomato coulis and basil

Rasberry mousse cake

It was my first time to Portero Hill (south of Downtown) and you get a great view. My friend Sharerun and friend from DC came here to get a nice meal. I always have a nice meal with Shareun. This cute French Bistrot is quaint, small and is very busy. Luckily for us, Sharerun made reservations in advance for a Tuesday night meal.

We decided to just get a bunch of dishes and share to our hearts contents (my favorite way of eating---family style!). I got to eat all the foods I was craving or talking about earlier in the day! The Capresi salad was excellent with the delectable and juicy Roma tomatoes, the light and slightly salty mozzerella and the pesto sauce decoration was a nice flavorful accent. Next we got the "Pissaladiere" carmelized onion tart, a first for me! The layers of golden carmelized onion were heavenly and extremely flavorful with the onions sweetness! The warm calamari was very fresh and over the excellent olive oil and slight salad was done very well with a nice contrast of flavors of slightly bitter and to the freshness of the calamari.

Another surprise that Sharerun wanted to eat was the Brandade de Morue, everyone at the table was lapping it up! We never knew fish to be such an excellent spread on the garlic croutons. Slightly salty but the texture reminded me of being mashed potato like. The Pimentos del Piquillos were alright for me. They looked more exciting than they actually were but the crab meat was fresh and the everything was good just too much batter for my taste but I must admit the tomato basil coulis added a nice flavor contrast.

We got a generous helping of seared foie gras for only $16 and it was sublime, the outer crust was lovely and the inner smoothness and texture just melted in my mouth tasting of pure heaven. The accompanying summer fruit was lovely and a great flavor contrast of smooth rich to sweet. One fave that we had to get were the mussels, the sauce was used to dip our bread and we lapped them up. The right mix of shallots, wine sauce, cherry tomatoes and pastis made the broth amazingly good!

We shared the dessert a raspberry mousse cake with a coffee reduction sauce $8. A lovely fruity airy dessert to make a lovely ending to a wonderful meal.

Service---attentive and good, always got water cleared, brought bread (and more when needed)

Faves---Brandade de Morue, Foie Gras, and Pissaladiere stick out as the top three

I give Chez Papa Bistrot in Portero Hill in San Francisco a 10 forks out of 10 forks for price, quality, location and service.

Mitchell's Ice Cream---Mission District, San Francisco

2007-07-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

Lucuma/Mango and Thai Iced Tea and Coconut

Peruvian Fruit---Lucuma

While I was traveling to Columbus recently, I saw a food show dedicated to ice cream and one place mentioned was Mitchells that was noted to be worth the trip. Though in an obscure location, the food show said they had great exotic flavors and have won many accolades for their ice cream! So I had to try this place!

On July 4th, we headed out there after spending time in Berkeley. The line was very long but parking was worse. We circled many times and had to walk a bit to get to Mitchells. But it was worth it!

For two scoops I paid under $5 and got some great flavors---one was a Peruvian fruit Lucuma (never had it before) and mango ice cream flavors. Truthfully, I liked the Lucuma more than the mango. I thought the mango a bit tame and not as what I expected. My friend got the Thai Iced Tea and that was fabulous and on point. The Lucuma (I never had the fruit before) but I thought it light and delicate but hard to place flavorwise. YUM!

I give 7 forks out of 10 forks.

*Wait was over 40 minutes, the number system helped them keep efficient and the clientele was patient enough to waitfor their ice cream with minimal grumbling.

*Parking is a pain and at a premium, the smallish parking area did not help and we circled a few times on a late July 4th afternoon too

The Girl and the Fig (Sonoma Town Square) CA

2007-07-08T12:50:00.000-04:00

En route from Sacramento, to San Francisco, my friend MK and I stopped off in Napa and Sonoma. After the suggestions of some waiters at Domaine Carneros we went to The Girl and the Fig in Sonoma Square (110 West Spain Street, Sonoma/ http://www.thegirlandthefig.com/). *(We figured we could avoid the dinner time rush back into the City which we noticed was backed up.)

Right off the Sonoma Town Square, we went into this cute restaurant. When you first enter, there is a area to relax and have some cheese tasting and to buy their products (their fig port vinigrette is to die for!). According to MK, a food show visited this restaurant and sat in the patio in the back. We were lucky with no reservations to get a table for two in the main dining room.

Since we were not famished we opted for the famous arugula and fig salad and the fromage tower. We never had cheese and all its other accompaniements for a meal. It was a first. We had a choice of six cheese and we asked the waiter to surprise us. We had a mix of some domestic but the majority were French cheese. We were advised to eat the cheeses counter clockwise and you could choose from cow, goat and sheep's milk cheeses. The fruit, fig compote, nuts as well as the pates----chicken liver mousse, rabbit and pork were good.

Cheese Choices as advised by the waiter:

*Fiscalini Bandaged Chedder (Cow) Modesto, CA

*Jean De Brie (Cow) Seine et Morne, France

Sweet Grass Dairy Holly Sheep (Goat) Thomasville, GA

*St Maure (Goat) Loire Valley, France

Roquefort Coulet (Sheep) Aveyron, France

Petit Agour (Sheep) Pays Bosque, France

My faves are starred and my least fave was the Roquefort for its strong taste. Luckily I got more St Maure in exchange as my friend MK did not like it as much as moi. Or the chicken liver mousse in comparison to the pork pate I got to have more of as we negotiated our likes and dislikes. After all the toast points, fruit, nuts, compote, cheese, pates and salad we were full.

The fig salad was amazing and the fig port dressing was lovely! Just hints of chevre cheese, the nice bite of the arugula, bits of prosciutto were heaven and these ingredients made the salad delectable.

Now I have more of an appreciation of cheeses.

9 forks out of 10 forks

Hamburger Mary (Sacramento)

2007-07-08T12:34:00.000-04:00

I went to Hamburger Mary in Sacramento for Brunch on the recommendation of our concierge. It was a fun place. Only 5 blocks up on J Street from the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

Two other friends opted for the same breakfast dish I got, which was the mixed grill eggs benedict. Mixed grill means mixed veggies of mushrooms, peppers and other veggies and it was great! The prices were great only $7 for our brunch dish!

Everyone in my group enjoyed their brunch and we were served well while our water glasses were refilled when needed. Great bang for the buck, good food, great company and convenient location from our hotel!

9 forks out of 10 forks

Hong Kong East Ocean Restaurant-Berkeley, CA

2007-07-08T11:44:00.000-04:00

During my trip to the Bay Area, I met up with a good friend in Oakland. Before heading off to Sacramento, we had dimsum at Hong Kong East Ocean Restaurant. People eat here because there is a pretty view of the city (San Francisco) and water view. Lots of weddings are planned there due to the view.

The food was good and it was probably because I was famished. The dimsum was fresh but all the offerings hit the spot. The jook (aka rice congee) with the preserved egg and pork was delicious! We found out their secret weapon---salty egg was included too! One of the best jooks I have had! The usual favorites of ha gar (shrimp dumpling) and shu mai (pork and shrimp open faced dumpling) were well done. The woo gok (tarot ) was out of this world and the meat filling and crispy outer layer without tasting too oily was wonderful! The chives and shrimp dumpling was lovely! The beef tendons hot pot was great! I am used to it using curry but it was braised so well that you barely had to chew---it was great!

Overall we enjoyed our dimsum, the food was carried to our table, only three or four carts made the rounds to the tables.

Service: 8

Atmosphere: 9 (love the waterview)

Food-9

I give this place 9 forks out of 10 forks.

Tapa of the World -Sacramento

2007-07-05T19:49:00.000-04:00

During my trip recently to California, I went to Sacramento. My good friend Betty took myself and my DC pal over to Tapa of the World -2115 J StSacramento, CA 95816-4738
+1 916 442 4353 (about a good 10 block walk -small ones) the first night we arrived last week (6.28.07). It was definitely hotter but not as humid as it was back in Boston.

Truth be told, this place on J Street (around 20th and 21st Street) was hit or miss. We adored the pitcher of sangria which was a value and we got more cups out of it than the waitress said we would. The sangria was a good mix of wine and fruit! The bread and butter were not special. I chose to have the gazpacho soup (cold tomato soup) and was sorely disappointed. The soup was nice but not as flavorful or multi-nuanced as the one I had at Tasca a few weeks prior. I missed the cucumber and it was very salty. We got some tapas (small dishes) to share---the mushroom empanadas were big, heavy and mushroom was filling the crust was a bit much. The Kobe beef – (Naturally raised from Snake River Farms, grilled medium rare & served with Austurian blue cheese butter and crispy onion streamers) with the fried onions was alright. I have had Kobe Beef and I was not impressed. (It was much richer tasting in Kobe, Japan than this version of Wagyu beef). The Champiñones al Ajillo -(Mushrooms sautéed in olive oil, garlic, parsley, and white wine) was good and we dunked our pieces of bread into the white wine sauce. Plato Combinado (Tortilla Española, Spanish olives, Spanish cured meats and today’s Spanish cheese) all my friends loved this dish!

The paella de mariscos took some time with a minimum of two people purchase and costs $15.50 a person! The price was very steep but the paella was very delicious! There was a generous amount of seafood and the rice was exceptionally flavorful.

Service was good and the prices were middle of the road save for the paella. There were some hits and some misses overall.

8 forks out of 10 forks

Earl Grey Manor Tea Salon-Old Town Sacramento 6.29.07

2007-07-04T12:00:00.000-04:00

chilled beet soup

close up of the finger sandwiches-variety with quiche slice
fresh seasonal fruit with the devonshire cream and jam

Earl Grey Manor Tea Salon (916 2nd St, Sacramento, CA 95814(916) 447-4832) located a few steps away from the Rail Road Museum in Old Town Sacramento is the only place to I found to get afternoon tea in that area.

Traditional Afternoon Tea-Seatings Between 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.
Deco Tea$17.95: Our Traditional Afternoon Tea: Fresh Baked Sweet Scone of the Day With Jam & Devon Cream, Assorted Tea Sandwiches & Savories, Seasonal Fruit, and Sweet SinSations

I loved this treasure of a tea salon! I was hot and tired and needed a nice respite. I was visiting the city for a convention. Lo and behold when I was feeling thirsty I found this cute tea salon. I loved the sign outside, once I walked in I fell in love. The cute art deco tea sets, the little nooks for Indian and Japanese areas were cute. I ended up choosing the Japanese nook. The server was extremely friendly, helpful in giving tidbits and advice, and the food was great!

I tried the Organic Rooibos- Natural Rich in essential minerals with a mild, aromatic sweetness as I was told it was excellent iced. I liked it and I did not need any sugar. Once I was ready to leave, the server generously gave me a full empty cup to take away! Very thoughtful and very kind of her!

I got the treat of the chilled beet buttermilk soup (turned pink due to the beets) an interesting soup but excellent! It was a refreshing change from gazpacho as one familiar chilled soup served in the summer. From the crustless sandwiches, to the fresh fruit, quiche and scone I enjoyed the high quality of the food served there!

I love afternoon tea and it is a habit I got in college. Now whenever I can, I try to get it. Sacramento is lucky to have this cute tea place! The prices were affordable, decor was cute and the food and service excellent! I wish this business much succes and I wish I was closer to visit this place again!

9 forks out of 10 forks

Greenwich Village -Deborahs

2007-06-25T19:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks to my good friend LHong's brunch suggestion, we went to get a brunch fix at Deborah's in Greenwich Village at 45 Carmine Street, very close to West 4th Street Station.

Cute place and we got a table in the back. I got the duck confit hash served with eggs. It was delicious and I very filling! Bits of lean duck meat, fried eggs over the duck hash was a nice touch and I finished my whole plateful of food. My friends enjoyed the exposed brick wall (not much of it is found in Atlanta) and our servers were friendly and efficient.

I give this place a 9 forks out of 10 forks based on my duck confit hash dish alone!

Chocolate by the Bald Man.... in Union Square (NYC)

2007-06-25T19:08:00.001-04:00

Went to Max Brenner to sample some chocolate in this big restaurant with an attached store around in Union Square. I head first heard of it from Leewa last month after he showed it to me. This time I got some time and brought some friends with me.

The main dining area is big and spacious. We hung out and I got the chocolate banana bread with a lemon mint granita. Both were great and great suggestions! There is an extensive menu of hot, cold drinks and many different types of chocolate desserts with crepes and variety of other goodies. But though I enjoy desserts, too much of a good thing gets too much for me too.

I give this place an 8 forks out of 9 forks.

Kum Gang San-Korean BBQ

2007-06-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

I always seem to head to Kum Gang San when in NYC for Korean BBQ! (On 45 32nd Street between Broadway and 5th Avenue in Heralds Square). Brought a group of people to have some Korean BBQ and snacks. We got seafood pancake, chapchae ( clear noodles with meat and veggies), bulgoki (marinated beef) and galbi (marinated rib meat) (all my faves)! They were all hits and the there were plentiful side dishes to be had as well!

The waitstaff cooked the kalbi and bulgoki for us but we ended up serving ourselves and finishing up the bbq meat. Everyone was happy and enjoying the food. The conversation and food were flowing and good times were had by all.

We left with tax, tip $28 lighter! But for this quality of Korean bbq you cannot get in Boston, it is worth it! Then we wandered into the night to take the guests to Times Square to check it out!

9 forks out of 10 forks

KAI Restaurant (Upper East Side) NYC

2007-06-25T18:33:00.001-04:00

Doing some research, I wanted to have some Japanese for lunch whilst in NYC. After some research, I found "KAI" in upper east side owned by Itoen, a brand that makes teas. There is a nice tea store on the lower level.

Lunch is only served from 12-3 on Saturdays. I got off my transport to take the "6" train to 69th Street stop. It is a short walk to the restaurant on Park between 68th and 69th streets.

I was seated at the last seat at the sushi bar. It was nice to relax and settle in for a nice lunch. Great service as they offered to take my bag. My water glass and tea cup were constantly refilled. I enjoyed the Hoji Cha (Roasted Green Tea) I was served. Yum! I settled on the $40 KAI bento. I figured it was the best way to try alot of great food.

I enjoyed watching the sushi chefs cooking and making the food. Watching a master at work, using economical movements (no waste) and everyone spoke Japanese save the runners. One of the waitresses noticed the hiragana I wrote and asked if I know Japanese.

I first got served dark miso soup and a fresh made tofu served with bonito shavings. The dark miso was nice and intense. The fresh tofu was delectable with an ultra smooth and creamy texture, very much a silken feel to the tongue. Next I got my bento box, I got some fresh daily sashimi (flown from Japan), tempura (veggies and a shrimp piece), grilled sake (Salmon) and red snapper, with one unagi piece rolled to envelope a burdick root piece, mixed rice, and a bowl of seasonal fresh veggies. Everything was simple, delicious and very fresh.

The dessert consisted of chocolate mousse cake sliver, some fresh fruit pieces and a piece of yuza cheesecake.

Overall with the food, atmosphere, and excellent service I give Kai a 9 forks out of 10 forks.

Rocca ---new Italian restaurant in the South End

2007-06-22T16:40:00.000-04:00

In the newly developing and emerging art district in SOWA (South of Washington) art galleries and restaurants are emerging. One of them is Rocca on 500 Harrison Avenue (South End). I recently went with my friend and we nibbled on a few small plates of food. Portions are very small and not inexpensive but the quality of the food was fresh and well executed.

The space is nice with the bar at the bottom of the stairs, some nice out door seating but we went upstairs. There is a private events area that can be closed off. I had the house beer which was not bad. The bread was fine and the olive oil was lovely to dip our bread in. The prices were on the higher end and the portions miniscule in comparison the prices. A great places for just dabbling in the little plates but you will need a few of them to be satisfied.

Wild Mushroom Toasts with pecorino 5

Meatball Slider with provolone, fresh tomatoes & basil 6

Handrolled Trofie with pesto 10

Veal-Stuffed Zucchini with fresh tomato sauce 7

Cioccolata Bis chocolate ganache in a dark chocolate crust 7

(one not listed is the shrimp pasta dish)

Everything was great, from the earthiness of the mushrooms on the toasts, meatball slider with great sauce, the trofie and pesto (delicious), veal stuffed zucchini delicious and the pasta and shrimp lovely. The Cioccolata bis chocolate ganache was quality dark chocolate served with fresh whipped cream great to cut the chocolate's richness.

Service was great, location is not great (located in upcoming SOWA) my friend DW did not feel comfortable walking around as it was a bit far from places she knows. Space was beautiful, service attentative and they were trying to please as it just opened a few months ago.

I give it 9 forks out of 10 forks.

DOMANI --take two 6.16.07

2007-06-17T19:18:00.000-04:00

Recently I went to Domani Bar and Trattoria again for their chef tasting menu. It was wonderful and I had met the chef after interviewing him recently. Great guy and wonderful delicious food!

It is a bargain steal at $50 a person (before drink, tax and tip) for four course and the fifth is dessert! I guess we got the royal treatment because we got to savor alot of great tastes. Our waitress was very attentive and everyone else was great. Our water was continually filled and on a Saturday night it seemed to be a quiet night.

We started out with raw oysters with a watermelon mignonette (a great refreshing combo with brine and sweetness). Next we got the seared scallops over two different colored beets (the orange one had a bit more flavor --yummy) and the other dish was dry rubbed salmon over a fresh peas and corn salad. It was great and I loved the fresh peas and corn! The pasta dishes (made fresh daily) were a tagliatelle with mushrooms (fantastic in its simplicity and taste) and asparagus the earthiness of the mushrooms were musky but an excellent accent. The potato gnocchi with tomato cream fresh peas created lovely flavors for me. My dining companion did not care for the raw garlic though.

With surprise, the chef brought out entrees--a lovely lamb chop served with figs (sweetness melded well with the meat) and the duck confit (with an Asian twist Peking duck style). Well the meat was medium rare and lovely with the grilled figy being fantastic! Plus the collard greens with the lamb chops added a very nice slightly bitter accent I enjoyed. My friend BN and I had to put down our forks to savor the duck confit dish. We wanted more and this dish was a home run for the both of us! SCORE!

The finale was a lovely plate of four desserts---mango pudding, chocolate fondue, tiramisu and grandmarnier cheesecake. After having the great food, you can tell the desserts are not the chef's territory. Though pleasant though lacked the punch of the other four courses. The grapefruit segments over the cheesecake cut the richness, the tiramisu was alright, the mango pudding was wonderful and the fondu was a bit cold.

**Food and Wine Magazine had hailed the chef Rene Michelena as Best New Chef in 1998! Since then he has worked at some great places among them Charlie Trotter and Dove.

I give this place a 10 forks out of 10 forks.

Shanghai Gate--Allston/Brighton

2007-06-16T17:03:00.000-04:00

*Shanghai gate (exterior shot not mine---www.hiddenboston.com)

Not that long ago, I went to Shanghai Gate (204 Harvard Avenue, Allston, MA (617) 566-7344) with my mom. She head kept repeating to me wanting the "xiao lung bao" many times. After the tenth time, I got the hint. We embarked on a good 25 minute walk from my place. It was a cool Sunday afternoon for a June day. We got there by 1pm.

There were a few tables. I told my mom there were major renovations for this restaurant since I first ate there back in fall of 2005! There was picture of the owner with Daisuke, our treasured BOSOX pitcher. Later on that night, my sis told me she saw him at the airport.

Once seated, we got the "Xiao lung bao" or soup dumplings usually served with a gingery vinegar dipping sauce, west lake chicken, five spice tofu and leek pies. The two cold appetizers five spice tofu and west lake chicken were interesting. I LOVED the five spice tofu and both my mom and I ate it up. The west lake chicken did not do much for us. It was our least favorite. We tasted the wine in the marinade but holds lackluster in flavors compared to other Asian style chicken dishes I have had. The leek pies were good and the crust nice and crisp. There were plenty of chives and you could tell it was freshly made. The "Xiao lung bao" were good and mini sized. A bit on the pricy side compared to NYC but bursting with flavor and freshness.

We did get the sweet soybean milk. To my mom's taste, she thought it overly sweet. I thought otherwise, I said compared to others I have had it was just right.

Our server was friendly and explained things. When we noted the price discrepancy on the "lunch menu" and regular menu she said they had no issues. We just warned her that they should not show the "incorrect" menu to avoid some misunderstandings.

I give it 8 forks out of 10 forks.

*side story: He was cool and she did not know that D & G made gold plated razor phones! He was very polite and nice. Seems he was being sent ahead for the next time he was pitching but that day there was a game at Fenway. He was taking an American Carrier. When he came into Logan, it was not that busy. My sis did mention if it were not for someone recognizing him, she would not have known.

Mallorca Restaurant in the Warehouse District in Cleveland Ohio

2007-06-12T20:40:00.001-04:00

Last weekend, I was in Cleveland with a good high school pal Jen H. We had a blast. But we did have a meal at Mallorca which was highly recommended by our hotel staff. The person did emphasize their service is impeccable! I had read they had garnered some food awards in the past.

After walking around a bit in Downtown and Lake Erie area, Jen and I were ready to have dinner. We entered around 9pm on a Saturday night and got seated immediately. (We are both used to waits for a table in DC and Beantown respectively). There was dim lighting, the decor was not to cluttered. The waitstaff was very attentive and made sure our water glasses were constantly filled. I even got to practice my Spanish a little.

We both opted for some soup---Jen the Spanish veggie soup and myself the gazpacho. This time around the gazpacho was very tart. After the first two spoonfuls it was delicious. After 5 or 6 I was worn down and not loving the taste. I would have preferred Tascas fresher, lighter taste with the hint of cucumber. As for Jen's veggie soup, it was salty and heavy on the bean and kale flavors. Next, we got salads with our meals which we did not know we would be getting. It was a decent plateful of mixed greens, raw red onions and tomato slices. I enjoyed the honey mustard dressing. Then our main entrees came out, Jen got the tilapia stuffed with crabmeat $26 and I got the surf'n'turf $39 with the petit filet and the lobster tail hailed from South Africa (of all places!). The lobster was fine, the petit filet was good. After talking to some people from Ohio, I had to have some steak. Just different from the ones eaten in Massachusetts. It was tender, did not need much chewing and very delicious. Jen's had a wine garlic sauce and the fish was good with the crab stuffing. The sides of rice---dry and lack luster. The veggies were at least not oil drenched and for that I was thankful. Just boiled veggies on a plate with no extra flavor.

We were stuffed after our meal so we had no room for dessert.

Overall rating of 7 forks out of 10 forks.

Though the food was uneven, the service and decor bumped up the score. In addition, the pricey menu did bring the points down a little. Jen gave them 6.5 forks out of 10 forks.

New Trendy Chinese Restaurant

2007-06-12T20:06:00.000-04:00

My parents are always on the look out for new Chinese restaurants especially those that are near my apartment. If we go to Chinatown, we have to pay for parking, on top of just eating dinner and spending money on gas.

So this newly opened restaurant New Trendy Restuarant in Allston on Brighton Avenue (few doors down from Le's or former Pho Pasteur) has the New Business garlands with many red ribbons with gold writing wishing best wishes for the new business. The dining room is very welcoming and clean. We are welcomed with a plate of pickled daikon and carrots (a fave of mine). We get the "Lai tong" or soup of the day. My mom loves it as it is broth that takes a LONG time to make. I do not know what it is called but it is good. Next we have the fish with sugar snap peas. I like it. The sugar peas are still crisp and the sauce and fish are in a mild sauce. The grilled eel (with honey) get six pieces for $14 is good. But I would rather have unagi instead Japanese style. It does hold its own though. Then next is a dish with chicken "wong shan" I know my mom uses it in dried form for her herbal soups. I have never had it in fresh form. It is crispy as daikon or jicama but not too flavorful. But just for the health benefits alone I eat alot of it.

Dinner is ended with green bean soup, which is just right and not overly sweet. My parents want to come back again to try more stuff.

8 forks out of 10 forks

Anthonys in Little Italy or Murray Hill in Cleveland, Ohio

2007-06-10T20:18:00.000-04:00

Anthony's gelato and lunch were awesome! I had a great time eating there with no frills prices, generous portions, and great food what more could you ask for?

I paid $3.50 and got two flavors gelato--one rum raisin and the other zabone (Italian custard). Excellent, not overly sweet and the flavors were just right.

Later on, even after walking up the few blocks of Murray Hill on the main drag of Little Italy, we opted to eat at Anthony's. We both got eggplant parm, I got two meatballs, and the cavaleri (penne paste in white cream sauce, cheese, artichokes and sausage) and we both shared an order of garlic bread. The portions were huge! (We were hungry!) The meatballs and tomato sauce were amazing! The cavaleri was yummy and the eggplant generously and delicous! We both got dessert and this time I opted for the sorbeto---grapefruit and lemon. I liked the tartness for both and it finished off a delectable lunch.

Even better is that we each only paid $15 a person for our whole lunch with tax and tip!

10 forks out of 10 forks

Domani Italian Bar and Trattoria -tasting menu

2007-06-09T20:36:00.000-04:00

Last Wednesday, I hit Domani with my good friend Aud. I had met the Executive Chef Rene Michelena recently and thought him to be very cool. He actually won Food and Wine Magazines Best New Chef back in 1998 and has worked in our lovely nation's great restaurants including the luxurious Charlie Trotters in Chicago.

Entering the space, it is very cool and slick design. There is even a moped in one wall as part of the design. The open porch area is cool but it did get cooler as the night wore on. I decided to opt for the 4 course chef tasting menu. After inquiring with our waiter, I found out that it was actually five including the dessert. I wanted to say hello to Rene but he was not in and had the day off. I know how having a day off from work is SOOOO valuable! You treasure your time off from work! It is so important!

Anyways, we had a nice meal and the chef tastings menu was a deal at $50 for four courses (then the waiter shares it is actually five including the dessert). Our main waiter was very good who came over a few times and asked if we wanted to the door closed. See there are big open area and it was a cool night. We opted for it to stay open but it was nice to have great attention. There was one point, the host started moving our table then in the middle of moving our table asked if it was ok to do so. (Aud was not amused and thought it not well done of him). Otherwise, I had no problems with service.

Since I got the tasting menu, my friend would get her pasta dish after I had the first three courses of mine. (Usually not sold if not everyone is at the table getting it, but we were conducting a meeting so we were not in a rush.).

I was remiss in taking a pic of my caprese salad which was delicious! Cheese from Italy and the tomatoe and balsamic vineger etc were lovely. Following it, I got the ravoili with cheese truffle (very decadent) which was delicious! The texture of the pasta you can tell it is homemade! I am reminiscing the flavors the textures of the food I ate in Italy. YUMMY ! Next course, I had the indian spices rubbed salmon (not dry) but the fresh peas with roe accents were nice. The meat dish is the pork medallion over zucchini.

Dessert was the rhubarb shortcake. The fresh strawberries and cream were lapped up by moi. Unfortunately the rhubarb shortcake though lovely in taste was a bit on the "hard" side. I ended up not finishing it was TOO TOUGH!

I give the meal a 7 forks out of 10 forks because of the service (moving the table without informing us and the toughness of the rhubarb shortcake!).

Little Italy in NORTHEND----Cafe Victoria, Fiorentine and Gelateria

2007-06-09T19:43:00.000-04:00

After some plans changed alot, I ended up meeting Ben and Lesl V for dinner. Before meeting up, I had a iced cappacino at Cafe Victoria. I love this Cafe that has been in the North End for a long time.

Plus the prices are inexpensive, atmosphere nice (depending on the newer side or older side) and the service, you can sit and enjoy your drink. Just have to flag down the server when you want to pay and leave. Just cash only and their pastries are far superior than the well known neighbor a few doors down "Mikes Pastries".

Hit Fiorentine with Lesl and Ben and after waiting a good half hour for a table on a busy Saturday night, we are seated in the basement. We immediately dive into the bread because we are so hungry. I get the $30 lobster tail, Chilean sea bass, clams, red sauce with spinach entree. We do share the fried calamari which was great! Ben got the rack of lamb and that was good. Lesl was just fixated on wanting to see me finish my meal and eat the lobster. Never having had grilled lobster before, the shell was brittle. I did not have an apron but it was not hard to eat overall.

I thought the service, atmosphere and food were great. What I got was a great deal! Tons of seafood and great value! I give this place 9 out of 10 forks.

I need a gelato fix and I have been wondering how the Napoli style gelato place Gelateria just up the street is (two doors away from Cafe Victoria). I read about them last year. After coming back from Italy last year, I have been in search of a good gelato place. (Athans serves some good stuff for a good price). For a pricey $4.50 I did get a big portion of two flavors of gelato tiramisu and pistachio. But all I could taste was sugar. The decor was cool and hip. Once you sit at the table in the back, you are enveloped in some very strong AC.

4 forks out of 10 forks-Gelateria (on Hanover Street)

System of Grading restaurants using forks

2007-06-08T20:50:00.000-04:00

So after talking with my friend this weekend, I should have a rating system like Zagats and other restaurant critics. Since I am not a professional nor have the culinary knowledge or breadth of other critics, I just purely enjoy food!

I will use the 10 forks system.

I will base the overall score on decor/atmosphere/prices/menu/food and service to determine my overall score. So from this day forward I will be grading the restaurants this way.

It will take alot for me to grade a restaurant poorly. The only one I would give a poor score that I already ate at was COPIA in Charlestown. Maybe I went on an off night, as I have seen some restaurant accolades in local magazines. But honestly I was not impresssed and with the sticker shock that did not help matters. I felt robbed! Not a common occurence might I add!

Montien

2007-06-07T19:22:00.000-04:00

So I went to my first visit to Montien, a thai restaurant outside of Boston Chinatown by near the theater district. I always thought it would be a bit pricey. The prices were not cheap, but not overly as pricey as I had assumed in my head.

The dining room was welcoming and MPK and I were seated immediately. We were heading to a play so we had not that much time to eat. MPK assured me his prior visits guaranteed we would not be late to our show.

I ordered the White Escolar special with salad (seared escolar) and spicy hamachi. Both were good but not stellar. My friend MPK loved his soft shell crab dinner special. Just for my two items my bill with tax and tip was $25! (Definitely on the pricey end).

Service was attentive and good. One of the waitresses did drop off a soft shell crab order seriously within two minutes of ordering our dishes and then took it away realizing she sent it to the wrong table. Atmosphere was pleasant but the prices are a bit too much.

I give it an 7.0 forks out of 10 forks.