Updating

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(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)

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

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

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

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

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

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.