Dish This!

Fatty Crab in the West Village (NYC)

2010-01-23T18:48:00.000-05:00

As I started writing this post, I knew it had been a long time since I'd written, but I didn't know THIS much time had passed! Apparently the last time I posted was November 26! Wow. Time flies.

It's not that I haven't been eating-- oh, believe me, I've been eating some amazing meals in my new city-- but I've been so busy and way too overwhelmed to write :( And when not super busy and overwhelmed, I've been lying on the couch catching up on Jersey Shore and House. Clearly I have my priorities straight.

Anyway, I had a special request-- well, close to begging actually-- from one of my best friends in the whole world for me to write about our dinner, as he has never appeared on Dish This! before. So, drum roll please, please welcome Reginald Ambrose to Dish This!

This German resident and I went to college together in Boston, but his international abode means sadly we have not shared many (any?) meals in the past 3 years. In college, we shared quite a few-- 4 a.m. Hoy Hing Chinese delivery, staff meals at both restaurants we waited tables together at (one on Newbury Street, one in Brookline Village), tapas at Tasca in Brighton (when we were being fancy), flat bread pizzas from Angora in Brookline, and cookies off the floor of the Sheraton Hotel in Boston (don't ask).

Fast forward to a few weeks ago-- a FREEZING Saturday night, and our INCREDIBLE meal together at Fatty Crab in the West Village with Dish Bro.

Fatty Crab doesn't take reservations, so after many hours of drinks at WXOU nearby, we finally headed over around 10 pm. Luckily we only had to wait a couple minutes for a table, but it was still packed and rocking! Loud music blasting from the stereos, hipster waiters bustling about-- and an amazing smell wafting throughout. I was PSYCHED.

We started with drinks-- Reginald (ps the name refers to his late-night "alter ego" who used to entertain us with being an extra on the Jeffersons (don't ask) and dancing on tables) got the Recession Special ($10) which is a shot of whiskey, a shot of pickle juice, and a PBR Tallboy. Dish Bro drank some yummy white wine that I don't know the name of, but I did try it, and it was great. I went with a PBR tallboy-- class all the way here, folks.

Then we got some "snacks" for the table. The first was the "simplest" dish of the night but may be my favorite, for its unique flavor combination and creativity: green mango with chili -sugar-salt. This architectural beauty was addictive, and has haunted my dreams ever since. If I could only have some at my desk every day...

We also got the quail egg shooters-- another impressive display of presentation-- four teeny tiny eggs exploding with flavor. One spicy sriracha hot one, one with pork, one with the smallest little anchovy I've ever seen.

Our last snack was the vegetable steam buns (Reginald is newly a pescetarian).

My favorite part about Fatty Crab may be its unabashed, unapologetic usage of cilantro. There were mountains of cilantro everywhere! My idea of heaven. Also this guy's. Here was Reginald Ambrose's entree, a pescatarian's heaven (tons and tons of shellfish and seafood):

My entree was a preview from the Fatty Crab opening in Williamsburg that will be BBQ inspired-- smoked brisket with bao and herbed cilantro salad. This brisket was like tender, fat pieces of bacon. On a heavenly patty. With a delicious sauce. So it was disgusting, as you can imagine ;) [where's that new sarcasm font when I need it?]

Dish Bro got this insanely spicy Fatty Duck-- I really enjoyed sucking the fatty meat right off that glorious piece of duck (and this is coming from a person who only eats meat a few times a week). The heat was super intense, and my PBR just made it even hotter- awesome. God I love spicy food!

The aftermath after we attacked our food:

With the check, our waiter brought tiny pieces of mochi coconut cake. A heavenly end to a heavenly meal.

Fatty Crab left me feeling deliriously happy and energized (yet so full I felt close to exploding). This was EXACTLY Dish Gal's kinda place-- fun, delicious, and unique-- a place so good, it makes you feel high. Not that Reginald would know anything about that.

Good for a Date -- the Boston edition

2009-11-24T15:00:00.002-05:00

Reader Miles suggested I write a post dedicated more thoroughly to "places good for a date." I was surprised going through my own archives that I hadn't done this. Sure, suggestions had slipped in here and there, but no posts explicitly for restaurants good for a date. I am disappointed in myself!

A lot of food blogs out there are written by married people. Which is great. These people probably have a lot more money to spend going out to restaurants. But it's also, let's face it, a little ZZZzzzzz. Single people (ahem, like me) know the anxiety over picking that perfect spot. Do I choose L'Espalier to show him/her that I mean business? Or more casual, like a Cambridge 1? Dress up, dress down? And for the gastro-intestinally-challenged, what places to avoid for fear of rumbly tummies and musical performances, not of the instrumental kind? (I can't ever imagine having Mexican on a first date. YIKES. But that's just me.*)

Anyway, back to my point. Here is Dish Gal's list of my favorite first date places in Boston. These are mid-priced gems, good for any sort of date, aka places that don't scream WE'RE ON A DATE LET'S BE ROMANTIC!. (Exceptions to this are noted.) These are also aimed at 20/30-somethings, i.e. the ambiance, price-point, and locations are all accessible to my age group. I've linked to my old reviews on ones that I've written about. I'm almost positive I'm forgetting some of my favorites...so definitely please leave suggestions in the comments!!

- The Paramount, Beacon Hill -- Known for its chaotic yet delicious breakfasts, this place chills way down for dinnertime. Then, the tables get spiffed up for waiter service, and you'll get the Beacon Hill romantic vibe minus the high price.

- Metropolis Cafe, South End -- You'll get points for introducing him/her to a place they've never been (MC is surprisingly under-the-radar for some reason). Plus yummy food with reasonable portions, to avoid that "I'm so full I just want to go to sleep" feeling.

- South End Buttery, South End -- This is pretty darn romantic, so the date should definitely be an established date for this one. I'd suggest a 3rd date.

- Trattoria di Monica, North End -- The North End is always an obvious choice. I like Trattoria di Monica for a date because it's reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is cozy and romantic, yet chic, and without any North End kitsch.

- Toro, South End -- Repeat after me: Go. On. A. Weekday. (A weekend first date at this always-packed spot would be disastrous). This restaurant is good because it's fun, and the cramped space forces you to speak closely. Plus, Toro serves some potent and delicious cocktails. Or $1 PBRs. Whatever your fancy.

- Tupelo, Inman Square -- This has hidden-find bonus points. Cozy Southern comfort food in an un-fussy atmosphere. Fun and casual. Great for one of those "are we on a date? or is this just a dinner with a friend?" moments.

- Garden at the Cellar, Central/Harvard Square-- See notes for above, but swap in "Seasonal American" for "Southern comfort food."

- Cambridge 1, Harvard Square -- I'm stealing this idea from Sebastian. It's definitely a good, casual, split-a-pizza and have some beers place, but with a nicer atmosphere than your typical grab a slice place.

- Tasca, Brighton -- Bordering on "obviously romantic" but still deserves a mention for its coziness and delicious food and sangria.

- Drink, Fort Point Channel -- for the "drinks with a lil food" date. I like these types of dates best; I'm never really hungry when I have first-date butterflies. A stiff, handcrafted cocktail and a couple of gougeres sounds perfect to me!

*If your tum is fine with Mexican, I'd suggest Casa Romero, hidden off of Newbury Street on Gloucester Street.

PS My absolute favorite dating blog is Why I'm Single. It's based in NYC, but the hilarious tales of dating in a city are universally hilarious. A great read.

Thanksgiving recipes, Dish Gal-style

2009-11-20T10:11:00.002-05:00

Last year, I made some really delicious recipes... My favorite (which will be replicated for Thanksgiving 2010) was the cornbread and chorizo stuffing. This was AWESOME, but also great to have for leftovers. Serve it for breakfast the next morning with some runny, over-easy eggs, and you'll have one bangin' brunch dish!

Here's all the photos and recipes: http://dishthisboston.blogspot.com/2008/12/thanksgiving-at-dish-gals.html

I'm thinking of making this pumpkin bread pudding this year-- doesn't that sound AMAZING? Or, perhaps I'll make these balsamic roasted sweet potatoes...

Any recipes you recommend for Turkey Day 2010?

xoxo,
DG

New Feature on Dish This!

2009-11-18T11:37:00.002-05:00

For all the romantics out there, I added a tab on the right called "Good for a date" which makes selection of a restaurant for a perfect evening with that special someone all the easier...

Some of the restaurants mentioned:

South End Buttery (see below review)
Hungry Mother
Casa Romero

and many more!

Hope it helps...

Love,
Dish Gal

South End Buttery (a.k.a. See, I'm still relevant in Boston!)

2009-11-17T11:29:00.006-05:00

A long time ago (2 weeks, though it seems much longer), in a galaxy far, far away (Boston), Dish Gal and Z met for dinner at the South End Buttery.

Dish Dad always says don't bury the lead, so I'll start with my verdict: I'd give the food a B- and the atmosphere an A+.

First off, the South End Buttery is adjacent to my favorite street in Boston-- Union Park. The brownstones, the trees, the cobblestones-- it all makes for quite a fairy tale-esque scene.

Inside the restaurant, the ground floor holds the bakery in one room and the bar area in another. The hostess seated us downstairs in the dining room, in a diminutive room with a roaring fireplace and comfy, plush banquettes. I was astonished at how charming this subterranean dining room is. It's maybe the coziest dining room in Boston. And I've eaten in a lot ;)

On to the food. Z started with a crabcake appetizer with all these crazy sauces spiraled about on the plate (crazy being piquillo and avocado). The sauces reminded me of my Sibling Rivalry "let's just throw a bunch of sauces on the plate" gripe. Usually I'm anti-shellfish in general, but a few weeks ago at the Share Our Strength dinner at Hamersley's, I was blown away by Rich Vellante's crabcake appetizer, so I decided to try this one. I didn't love it; too fishy for me. We also shared a Caesar salad. Nothing special, but I did enjoy it.

For our entrees, I (very randomly) selected the pulled pork sandwich after our waitress mentioned it was a staff favorite. The dish seemed out of place on an otherwise steak/salmon/swordfish dominated menu. It was yummy, but still, very random. And MASSIVE. I took about 3/4 of it home.

Z got the swordfish. He "liked it a lot" (direct quote via text message). I didn't get a chance to try it.

Finally, we got the green tea crème brulee. I didn't taste any green tea in this at all. But I'm never going to say blech to a crème brulee…

So there you have it, folks. A charming, romantic, reasonably-priced spot hidden on a fairytale-esque street in the heart of the South End. Just make sure your date is not a foodie ;)

Hey! Guess What!?

2009-11-10T16:47:00.001-05:00

I moved. And while I meant to update like two weeks ago and share where I was going, this never happened. Somewhere between going away parties and packing, blogging fell by the wayside.

Those of you who follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter may have guessed my new city ... What with the Maoz-obsession and the Papaya King drunk food... and the "metro north" commute...

Yes, I've moved to the Big Apple! The foodie promised land. There are SO many places to try, and I can't wait to try them all...and share my experiences with you. Plus, my new job is culinary-related (that's all I'll say) so hopefully that will immerse me in the foodie scene extra quickly. In the meantime, I really need to find some super foodie NYC friends to introduce me to every hidden gem and nationally-acclaimed-restaurant in town.

So far, I've had beers at dive bar Spring Lounge, falafel at Maoz, steak at Michael Jordan's steakhouse (with a surprisingly tasty arugula & fennel salad w/ sausage chips), and like a billion coffees to keep me awake on my two hour commute from CT (staying there while I'm apartment hunting...).

What happens to this blog, you may be wondering? I'm going to keep on writing! I know, it says Dish This Boston. I will have to figure out something about that. But I still have lots of Boston wisdom to share. For example, keep your eyes out for two new Boston posts-- one on dinner at the South End Buttery, and one about my going away party at La Verdad. . . Plus, I'll still be able to give restaurant recs, so feel free to email me with questions at dishgalboston@gmail.com.

I hope you'll keep reading-- I promise, the culinary adventures will only get better...

Lots of love,
Dish Gal

Goodbye Boston...

2009-10-29T11:01:00.003-04:00

In a week from today, I'll be sitting at my new desk at my new job in a new city.

But more on that later... Today, I would like to reminisce about my current city.

I discovered Boston in phases. It seems like with each new time period in my life, I became intimate with a particular neighborhood. In 8th grade, my two best guy friends and I (L and C)would run around the Boston Common before meandering up to L's house on Beacon Hill (this was before the age when you realized how much money certain friends' parents had. His house, to this day, may be the residence I'm most jealous of-- it's stunning). We used to hang out in Copley Place at that movie theatre (remember that!?) and that Chili's (EW). I still remember where all the pay phones are located in that part of the mall from when I'd have to call my parents to check in. We also used to frequent that Finagle-a-bagel at Park Street; I remember how I was jealous of L's order, and to this day copy it (secret ingredient: honey mustard).

For awhile, the only two T stops I knew were Copley and Park Street-- but I felt so cool knowing them. Not so cool? My first trip taking the commuter rail, and accidentally getting on the Acela at Back Bay. When the conductor came around to collect tickets, I innocently handed over my pink paper ticket. Her response? "Do you think you could get all of THIS (gestures to the rest of the train) for $3????" Needless to say, I was grateful the next stop was Route 128 (my stop anyway!). Though I was scarred for awhile from train traveling.

Soon I broke away from the Copley and Park Street scene, and took over Newbury Street. I've always had a soft spot for Newbury Street-- not because of the shopping so much, but because of the general vibe. The beautiful buildings, the European-style restaurants with their patios, the eclectic scene (Berklee hipsters on one end, Ladies Who Lunch on the other, meeting delightfully in the middle around Exeter). In high school, we frequented such fancy spots as Fire + Ice on Boylston (kudos to their marketing team for making everyone under the age of 18 think that place is the best thing since sliced bread...).

I remember when I got a waitressing job on Newbury Street in college, I felt so cool and so accomplished in life-- I was WORKING on Newbury Street! I felt so fantastically hip (sadly, as any waitress knows, that glam factor ends the first day you're sweeping garbage off the kitchen floor at 2 a.m. and your feet hurt so badly you can barely walk).

After college (the Newbury Street period) I moved to Davis Square-- and fell in love with Somerville. It was the first place I felt like an adult-- and I loved that. I loved Davis's quaint, 1950s feel (so neighborhoody), but yet its simultaneous progressiveness. I loved the video store (seriously, nicest employees of all time), the Starbucks (sacrilege, but I'll admit it-- I love that location), Blue Shirt Cafe, and the jazz brunch at Johnny D's.

I was introduced to my next love, the South End, through my job at a certain magazine in Boston... I instantly was smitten. I loved it because I knew NOTHING about it. There were no memories attached; it was a brand new start for someone feeling a little bit restless in a city that seemed stale. Mostly I loved the culinary scene there (and still do). Each restaurant I tried I liked better than the one before it. Dollar PBRs and Kobe beef sliders at Toro, romantic dinners at Gaslight, cocktails with the gals at Tremont 647, brunch at Masa-- I couldn't get enough, and I still hope to move back and live there some day.

My last love affair with Boston happened in the North End-- a place I used to roll my eyes at because of its tourist-trap restaurants. But as soon as I became a resident-- nay, even when I was apartment shopping with Realtor Ron-- it became my safe haven, my sanctuary. I loved walking down Salem Street every morning, with the wafting smells of the fresh bread (and yet the trash from the night before). I loved the man on my block who stood on his stoop, with his front door propped open, every day when I came home from work (no matter what time I came home) and glared at me-- from his baby blue terrycloth bathrobe, a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I loved grumbling at the tourists, I loved having a roof deck with the most kick-ass view of the city, and I loved that you could walk to the waterfront in like 2 minutes. I loved how on my birthday I walked into Bova's at 3 in the morning-- after a sob-fest outside, eyes puffy from crying, red-faced (a hard time in DG's life)-- and the staff had me close my eyes, only to open them to them singing me happy birthday with a candle in a piece of cake. And of course I love Love LOVE the waiter at North Street Grille- I will miss him most. Him and his water-hating ways.

Tomorrow-- I'll share what I'm doing and where I'm going. Thanks for reading.

xoxo,
Dish Gal

Another great event...

2009-10-27T14:33:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of tasting events and food-related events going on in our fair city all the time. But in an effort to not become a slave to those (much appreciated) PR people that send out press releases all the time, I like to pick and choose which events are worth your hard-earned dollars-- just like how I recommend restaurants I feel are worth the money. This mission is important to me.

In any case, there are a few events that I think are worth the money, just based on the experience alone. Like the Share our Strength dinner at SDLT that I wrote about a couple weeks ago. So here's one that if you can spare the money, seems like it will be fantastic...

Next Tuesday, November 3, at the State Room, starchefs.com presents the 2009 Boston Rising Stars-- a tasting event featuring (to name a few of my favorites) Rachel Klein from Aura, Will Gilson from Garden at the Cellar, Maura Kilpatrick from Sofra (I need to get back there ASAP), Jamie Bissonnette from Toro, Joanne Chang from Flour/Myers + Chang, and many more. For the full list and more info, you can click here

Great venue + great chefs + great food...Sounds like an event not to be missed. If you go, give me a shout at dishgalboston@gmail.com or on Twitter ("DishGal")-- I'll be there! ;)

The Elephant Walk

2009-10-13T10:30:00.006-04:00

I have a feeling—and this is just a wild conjecture—that I’m about 10 years too late for the peak of popularity for The Elephant Walk, the Cambodian/French restaurant with locations in Boston, Waltham, and North Cambridge. I’m guessing it was pretty darn trendy around the time when any sort of “fusion” cuisine was all the rage. In any case, I had never tried it, and it perpetually lingered on my “restaurants to try” list—until the day that Michelle took over for me as Restaurant Selector and picked it for a girl's night out with Skylar and Maeve. Perfecto!

The Elephant Walk’s décor, at least at the Boston location we were at, reminded me of one of those elegant restaurants you’d find in the middle of a random Vermont town. It was as if you had stepped into someone’s (really nice) living room.

I was first won over by my spicy martini—but you know me and spicy drinks… so I'm biased.But on to the important part: the food. The idea of the restaurant is that there are three categories you can choose from: Traditional Cambodian dishes, original Cambodian dishes (e.g. Elephant Walk original dishes), and original French dishes (also Elephant Walk original dishes, but French). We mixed it up and tried a bit of everything.

First we started with the vegetarian rouleaux (which was also vegan) - Cambodian spring rolls with shiitake mushroom, carrot, onion, bean sprout, peanut, and beanthread, served with fresh greens and vegetarian tuk trey. This was a traditional Cambodian dish. I really liked the sauce you dunked it in. Plus, the spring rolls were perfectly fried-- yum.

We also sampled the Crêpe de Canard aux Poires --you guessed it, an original French dish-- a savory crêpe filled with braised duck, pear, scallion, and crème fraîche. This sounds like the most delicious thing in the world, but it was kinda mushy and could've been executed better, IMHO.Next up, I pretty much forced everyone in to getting a tofu dish, so we tried the organic tofu amrita (also vegan) - "tofu, flash-fried and sautéed in a lightly sweet Cambodian satay sauce with coriander, cumin, cardamom, galangal, cinnamon, ginger, peanuts, star anis, and lemongrass; with button mushroom, onion, and scallions" (description straight from the menu).I really enjoyed this-- and wish I had known about its existence during my short period as a vegan. Finally, we also shared this original Cambodian dish--grilled pork tenderloin served with a caramelized sauce of black pepper, garlic, mushroom soy sauce and coconut milk. Despite my love of bacon, I really don't like pork all that much, but this sauce was so yummy I didn't really mind.Looking back, I enjoyed the Cambodian dishes the most. While The Elephant walk doesn't offer the most cutting edge cuisine, or the best meal you'll have in Boston, I'd still recommend The Elephant Walk for nights when you're craving Asian-- but don't feel like sitting in one of those empty restaurants, with the plastic tablecloths and the soft muzak, where you're thinking, "Why didn't I just take this home and sit on my couch?" You know you've been there... =)

Dish Nephew's 3rd Birthday Party

2009-10-08T11:50:00.007-04:00

I took on the task of making the food for Dish Nephew's 3rd Birthday party, as our normal caterer-- Dish Mom-- was busy at work this week. Here's what I served!

Mixed olives

Crostini with eggplant caponata (left-- please note the little spreader knife with the eggplants I chose hehe)Crostini with herbed ricotta (store-bought ricotta, and then I added chopped fresh thyme, oregano, parsley, and rosemary).Spicy Pumpkin Seeds (1 cup raw, green pumpkin seeds, tossed w/ 2 Tbsp EVOO, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper-- bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes)
Bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with almonds and goat cheese (my all-time favorite fall/winter hors d'oeuvre)
Pigs in a blanket lollipops! These were a big hit with both the kids and the adults. This recipe is a little lighter than the old classic because they're made with puff pastry. Yum! Meatball sliders! This recipe was adapted from The Little Owl restaurant in NYC, courtesy of the amazing Deb at smittenkitchen.com:
Meatball slider, up close and personal...
Apparently I failed to take a photo of the roasted sweet potato and pears as well as the escarole, red leaf, and fennel salad with cider vinaigrette...Dish Gal FAIL. In any case, Dish Mom actually prepared those anyway ;)

And for the grand finale!

He seemed to like the icing the best...
So was the party a success? I'd say so, just based on this huge grin! That's all that mattered to me, at least =)

Michael Pollan's "Food Rules"

2009-10-08T10:01:00.003-04:00

In this article from the New York Times magazine, Michael Pollans talks about navigating the supermarket jungle, avoiding all those chemical-y products that even so-called "nutrition marketers" deem healthy. (For example, did you know that Froot Loops are marked healthy? He writes in his article: "One of them defended the inclusion of Froot Loops on the grounds that they are better for you than doughnuts.")

His suggestion for a solution? Return to how we used to make our decisions, before we had food pyramids and health marketers, by following the "food rules" passed down to us for generations by friends and family. They then put together this cute little slideshow of the best "food rules" he received via comments. Here are two of my favorites:

Link Time!

2009-10-01T16:30:00.008-04:00

Here are some cool food-related articles I've come across recently:

Taste-testing Cheap Olive Oils. Which ones are best when you don't want to drop a lot of $$$. I am pleased to report their best overall choice is Dish Gal's go-to, also. Phew. {via Serious Eats}

Virgin America has added the banh-mi to its menu. Another reason why Virgin America is amazing (and why the banh-mi may have jumped the shark in its "cool" factor). {via Serious Eats}

Getting the most out of fall flavors: Will Gilson's recipes for fall (who interviewed him?! She must be very attractive and wise ;) and also how to best cook late summer/early autumn ingredients, like figs and eggplant, via the New York Times. Archaeologists may have uncovered ancient Roman VIP dining room. The inner geek in me loves this. Recently someone asked me if I could go back in time for one day, where would I go and what would I do. I said I'd want to go to one of those like 9 hour Roman feasts where they eat lying down and throw up and continue eating. Gross? Yes. But probably amazing too, right?? {via Serious Eats}

Anyway, that is all from Dish Gal.

xoxo

Photo credit, from top: seriouseats.com, nytimes.com, Associated Press

Food at Drink.

2009-09-28T10:42:00.007-04:00

I've been to Drink, Barbara Lynch's subterranean bar that pays homage to great cocktails, courtesy of John Gertsen, a few times before, but only ever, ahem, drank there.

This past Thursday, after the Boston magazine party upstairs at FP3, we headed down to Drink and decided to order lots of food (we were a big-- and hungry-- group).

I didn't take any photos, so I figure I'd just sum it up like so:

Great choices:

Gougeres: little flaky cheese puffs - SO GOOD we were all tempted to each order a bucket of them

Proscuitto di Parma with cauliflower: delicate and savory; almost seductive in its slippery texture

Steak tartare: sooo meatyyyy (any The Soup/Joel McHale fans out there?? ;) But seriously, really good steak tartare.

Okay choices:

Grilled cheese sandwiches with carmelized onion: didn't blow me away, but weren't bad either.

Didn't love:

Buttermilk biscuits with ham and jelly: I was hoping for Hungry Mother type little bites of heaven but instead these were dry, bulky things. Sigh, I need to go back to HM soon.

My drink was amazing, per usual. If you're not familiar with Drink, the idea is that there is no cocktail menu-- you just say something you like (e.g. I like XYZ herb and XYZ booze) and they make you something, from scratch. No mixers or soda here. On Thursday, I requested Mai-Tai-esque and received something with all that lovely boozyness of a Mai-Tai, minus that sickening sweet aftertase.

I am torn on this place-- I kinda wanna hate it since it's so "I'm SO cool and trendy" but I kinda always have a good time when I go...any other places you go to that are like this for you? Maybe the Liberty? But I like Drink better than the Liberty...hmm....

An AMAZING event this weekend

2009-09-25T11:41:00.007-04:00

Dearest readers,

This Sunday, September 27, Sel de la Terre Back Bay celebrates its first birthday with an amazing dinner which benefits Share Our Strength's regional hunger relief and food education programs.

The dinner consists of 7 courses, each prepared by some of my favorite chefs in Boston: Dante de Magistris (from Dante and il Casale), Will Gilson (from Garden at the Cellar), Colin Lynch (Barbara Lynch Gruppo), Tony Susi (Sage), Jiho Kim (L'Espalier), Jamie Bissonnette (Toro and hopefully soon-to-open Coppa), and hosted by Louis DiBiccari (SDLT). The evening will kick off with cocktails from some famous Boston mixologists Kevin Martin (Eastern Standard) and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli (Craigie On Main).

Tickets are still available, and are $125 for general seating or $250 for limited chef’s table seating. To purchase, please call Carrie Weed at 617-266-8800 or e-mail her at carrie@seldelaterre.com.

For more information: http://seldelaterre.com/events/harvest_dinner.shtml

Happy Birthday, SDLT :)

Love,

Dish Gal

My first oysters! Plus, a trip to Salem, MA

2009-09-23T15:01:00.004-04:00

This past Saturday was possibly the best all around food day I've had in a while. The sunny, beautiful fall day started off at North Street Grille in the North End. I always love North Street Grille, but I especially love it when I don't have to wait for a table. PLUS they brought out complimentary banana bread to start us off. Great beginning to the day.

Skylar and I shared two breakfast entrees-- she got an omelette with boursin cheese, avocado, and tomato. I got the coffee roll french toast-- which was basically two huge cinnamon rolls dusted with powdered sugar with syrup on the side. Clearly no complaints there!!

After we stepped outside and basked in the sunshine, we decided we needed to get out of the city and enjoy the fresh air. So we spontaneously road tripped (isn't that the best kind?) to Salem, MA. After walking around for a bit, we ended up at -- big surprise-- another restaurant. Capt's Waterfront Grille was pretty quiet, so we got a seat outside. Jacques and Mick (new character alert! Mick is Jacques' roommate, and Mick comes from the fact that he adeptly DJed most of our car ride with the Rolling Stones) ordered some awesomely colorful cocktails-- the "full rig" amount (you could get smaller versions at "half mast," too, but what manly man would order a drink at half mast, I ask you?)
Skylar and I opted for some wine and beer.

But the BEST part about it was that I got to try my first oysters!!! I have been waiting a long time to do this-- I wanted my first time to be perfect-- and I felt that it was: I was with oyster lovers (and experts) next to the ocean, on a beautiful day. Sounded good to me.And the verdict?

I liked them!! I can't wait to try them again. Now I am really dying to go to Neptune Oyster.

We also got fried clams and fried calamari. Overall, great, great day.

Zucchini, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Tart recipe

2009-09-21T14:43:00.005-04:00

This tart recipe seems like a good choice for this seasonal shift that's happening right now, with the zucchini reminiscent of summer, and the earthy mushrooms getting us excited for fall flavors. And goat cheese, which is welcome any day of the year.Zucchini, Mushroom, and Goat Cheese Tart

Serves 4 as "main" as a light dinner or lunch-- I also served it with a side salad

Recipe from Serious Eats

Ingredients
-2 tablespoons olive oil

-1 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch rounds

-10 ounces mushrooms, sliced, preferably a mix of types (I used regular button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms)

-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves

-2 tablespoon Madeira wine (I used Marsala wine)

-1 sheet frozen puff pastry-- DEFROSTED (I forgot this crucial step and had to nuke my puff pastry...not advised) (1/2 17.3-oz package)

-3 ounces goat cheese, thinly sliced (I think more than 3 oz would make this an even better recipe...can't go wrong with more cheese, am I right?)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini slices and cook until golden, 5-7 minutes, turning halfway through. Transfer to a plate and add the mushrooms, a good pinch of salt, and remaining oil. Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms have browned; add garlic and thyme and continue cooking an additional couple minutes until garlic softens. Add wine and cook until it has evaporated and absorbed into the mushrooms, about 1 minute. Season to taste.

3. Lay puff pasty on parchment paper and prick all over with a fork, leaving 1/2 inch border on the sides. Spread mushrooms over sheetthen layer zucchini on top.

Finally add cheese-- I wish mine had had more, so go crazy with it! ;)

4. Cook in the oven 30 to 40 minutes, until edges of pastry are golden and puffed. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
(Sorry for the blurry iPhone photo!)

Dish Gal's TV Debut on NECN

2009-09-21T09:34:00.001-04:00

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Arts-Entertainment/2009/09/18/Broadside-Weekly-News-IQ-Quiz/1253315654.html

Dish Gal appeared this past Friday, September 18 on NECN on Jim Braude's Broadside Weekly News IQ Quiz. Without giving it away, at least I got the food-related question right!! ;)

I can't figure out how to embed the video...any help would be greatly appreciated...

In the meantime, enjoy the video on NECN's website! (click the link above)

Lots of love,

Dish Gal

Pops restaurant in the South End (and hatch chilies)

2009-09-17T10:36:00.005-04:00

Did you know that there are certain foods only good for an extremely short period of the year? More elusive than the summer tomato, their prime season literally lasts mere days. An example of this is the hatch chili. These chilies, harvested in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico, are only available a few weeks out of the year. So why am I talking about these fleeting foods?

I think that Pops in the South End is the hatch chili of Boston restaurants.

What I'm calling “Pops season” is actually perhaps my favorite time of the year—warm enough to dine outside, but chilly enough that you should probably bring a sweater. And while dining alfresco on a hot summer night of course has its pros, I almost prefer the chilly nights. You can savor your food instead of sweating into it, linger with an espresso after your meal, and not feel the intense stares and glares of those anxiously waiting for your table.Moreover, Pops has one of my favorite patio spots in Boston, but doesn’t exactly have food that I’d ever want to eat when the sun is beating down on me. Meatloaf in spring or summer? No thanks. But those blissful few weeks in September/early October? A glass of red wine, a savory pasta dish, and a cool autumn breeze—sign me up.

Went to Pops a few weeks ago with Lynn and enjoyed said red wine and savory pasta dish. Here's my spicy lamb bolognese-- not the best pasta I've ever had, but certainly yummy:
I ordered the small portion, just $10, and then a side of the seared brussel sprouts:

Yum! and a HUGE portion.

Lynn started with the Portuguese crab and lobster soup, which she praised for not being too creamy or heavy.And then she opted for the other pasta option, the angel hair with cherry tomatoes and artichoke fondutta-- which reminds me of pasta dishes I like to make for my weeknight dinners (obviously a bit more fancy, though):But Pops season, by my definition, is fleeting. As soon as it becomes too cold to sit outside, I’ll be back at my preferred indoor spots like the Franklin Café or Garden at the Cellar. And when summer rolls back around, I’ll be sitting outside of Masa with a margarita in hand.

But for these next few weeks? The Pops patio is certainly worth seeking out, while you can.

Sibling Rivalry with my Sibling

2009-09-13T17:16:00.007-04:00

A few weeks ago, Dish Bro and I meandered through the South End on a beautiful summer night. Our first stop was Masa for some margaritas, savoring warm weather while we could. We of course ordered Masa's sampler platter, as well, which is something I love sharing with out-of-towners to start off the night. But for dinner we wanted to try something different, and so after perusing some menus of area restaurants, Dish Bro chose Sibling Rivalry for its curious, inventive menu choices-- and its irrestistible potential for a great, and punny, Dish This blog post header (see above).

Too bad the food wasn't very good.

The first time I had been to Sibling Rivalry, I was getting over a sickness that left me with very little sense of taste. However, upon visiting this second time, I saw that there isn't really anything that great to taste anyway.

Sibling Rivalry, if you're not familiar with the concept, pits two brother chefs against each other with ingredient/type of food "head to heads." A great concept, for sure.

My brother and I did our own "head to head" and each started with one chef's interpretation of "crudo." I chose the Ancho chili steak tartare with pickled cabbage, tomatillo relish, avocado, and cilantro.

I should have been obsessed with this dish-- cilantro, avocado, and pickled anything are amongst my favorites. So how does a dish with so many strong flavors and interesting textures become just blah?? Mushy, uninteresting, blah.

Dish Bro fared better with his tuna tartare with sticky soy glaze and spicy aioli:

Still, this dish's outdated presentation prompted a lengthy discussion of the merits of all these squiggly sauces. My brother's main point-- Why provide multiple sauces anyway? Shouldn't the chef just commit and choose one that I should eat with it? I guess if they complement, a la ketchup and mustard, it's okay, but this didn't seem deliberate.

We didn't go head to head for our entrees, though. Dish Bro chose the crusted Alaskan halibut with English peas, crab ravioli, and leek-lemon-tarragon butter sauce.
I didn't sample this (as I was too stuffed to even barely make a dent in my own entree) but Dish Bro definitely wasn't wow-ed.

For my "entree" I actually chose an appetizer-- the Moroccan-style lamb with brik cumin, soft poached egg, curried lamb jus, and cool cucumber salad. This was probably the most flavorful choice of the night, though an odd flavor profile for a new-American restaurant (didn't really seem to meld with the theme of the rest of the menu).
While I would not return to eat here, I do want to point out that we had a fantastic server (so personable, very knowledgeable) and my brother enjoyed his watermelon cocktail:
Final verdict: Are there better choices in this 'hood? Hell yes. Head nearby to Franklin Cafe or Metropolis Cafe for similar menu items, better quality, and more reasonable prices.

Sneak Peek at Whole Foods Dedham

2009-09-09T21:49:00.004-04:00

Whole Foods Dedham is like my version of Disneyworld. Dish Mom couldn't stop laughing at my wandering around the store, slack-jawed in disbelief at all the food. I darted around, shouting excited phrases to her: "A walk-in fromagerie!!" "House-made charcuterie!" "Lots of beer!"

Here are some pics that I snapped, but I highly recommend checking out this place for yourself, especially because these blurry iPhone photos don't do it justice.

The Shawarma Station:
The Gelato Bar (not nearly as good as Italy, but I guess it'll do... ;)
Vats of maple syrup:The walk-in fromagerie!:
Inside the fromagerie...yay cheese!
Scoop your own bath salts (there were lots of these, not just this one kind...who knew there were so many bath salts??):

Italia

2009-09-08T21:44:00.009-04:00

First off, I've let an embarrassing amount of time lapse since my last post. No excuses, but here's a glimpse behind my life recently to at least fill in the blank between the Stephi's post and today: workworkwork ITALY workworkwork THE FLU.

Okay, now you're pretty much up to speed.

To make a long story short, Dish Mom and I were given an amazing opportunity to travel to Italy with some family friends. Keep in mind that Dish Mom is 50% Italian by birth and 100% Italian in attitude and demeanor, and had never been to Italy, making this trip a life long dream for her, and a life long dream of mine to visit WITH her.

As I've said in the past, I think vacation blog posts can be kind of boring for readers. So instead of Zzzzing you with photos of all the gelato I had (that'd probably be around 50 photos in 7 days), I'll just quickly recap my favorite meals.

The best meal we had was at a restaurant in Volterra called Ristorante Del Duca. We ate lunch outside in their beautiful garden, and unknowingly stumbled upon what became my favorite meal I've ever eaten in Italy: handmade ricotta & spinach gnocchi with shaved Volterrean truffles.If that photo doesn't make you drool, you're not human.

My other favorite meal/food experience was also in Volterra at an enoteca called La Vena di Vino-- clearly the Volterrean hipster hangout, with polaroids and bras decorating the walls, and Italian rock music playing from a laptop in the corner. I wish I could post the photo of me behind the wine bar with Bruno, one of the vivacious owners, but alas, it would give away my anonymity. And Bruno's.It was at this amazingly charismatic wine bar that I introduced Dish Mom to one of my favorite European past times: drinking wine at 4 p.m. We sampled the "Super Tuscan," a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, which is apparently very popular in the "wine world" right now (all these facts are straight from my Rick Steves guidebook, so any errors you can take up with him), as well as a Chianti Classico from Greve in Chianti-- the town our villa was located! How cool, I thought, to be drinking wine straight from where I had slept each night before. Finally, we also tried the Brunello di Montalcino, which Bruno touted as his favorite but was our least favorite.When our friend, let's call him DR, came over after visiting the Etruscan Museum (we had opted for wine...oops), he ordered an antipasti plate of cheese and tomatoes. Sounds boring, right? Very wrong. Amazingly soft cheese, like none we'd ever had, paired with crusty Italian bread and tomatoes so fresh Bruno had to run across the street for them-- this was the Italian experience I had been waiting for.Other highlights of the trip: having gelato in Florence at the exact same place Ann and I had enjoyed gelato in 2006:
Ristorante di Lamole, a restaurant perched on the side of one of Italy's highest mountains:
Pappardelle with wild boar:
Pesto in Cinque Terre: Sigh, La Dolce Vita. Is it time to go back yet?

Dinner at Stephi's on Tremont

2009-08-14T12:58:00.010-04:00

Here's my SAT-style analogy to sum up my thoughts on Stephi's on Tremont (sorry if this brings back stressful memories for anyone!)

Stephi's: young professionals (yuppies?)::
Cheesecake Factory: teenagers/college students

My reasoning: It's a nice place to gather. It won't offend anyone, and the menu has something for everyone. It's priced as a moderate-luxury. It has a nice, pleasing, yet non-descript atmosphere. It has nice-tasting comfort food. It feels trendy (even if it's not really all that exciting). It has large portions.

Agree/disagree???

In the meantime, let's recap what we ate. I met Lynn, my bestest, childhood friend that I ate at Panza with, at Stephi's on Tremont on a muggy day last week. Earlier in the day, I had tweeted (I hate using that word) that I was headed there and got a recommendation from amazing foodie blogger MCSlimJB and amazing, non-foodie blogger The Missus. Luckily, Lynn was game for trying BOTH of their suggestions, so I didn't have to choose just one!

Before we dove into our recommended entrees, we started with the baked warm Vermont goat cheese with roasted garlic and kalamata olives, with crunchy French bread ($12).

(Sorry for the terrible photo-- bad lighting for iPhone camera pics...) This was a pleasant surprise for me. While I had expected a wedge of goat cheese and some bread, this mini-skillet reminded me of one of my favorite, now non-existent, appetizers at Eastern Standard-- the baked raclette! Instead of the little cornichons floating in the bubbly cheese, Stephi's version had kalamata olives (nice addition of tartness) and huge chunks of roasted garlic.

Next up: the MCSlimJB rec-- the Newbury Street Chunky Chicken Salad ($14). Our waiter nicely split this on two plates, so this photo is actually a half portion.

My favorite part of this was the soda bread. I wasn't CRAZY about the chicken salad on its own, but thank God for slices of luscious August tomatoes and that super tasty soda bread. A bite with all four elements-- bread, tomato, chicken, salad-- made for quite a nice summer dish.

We also tried The Missus's recommendation, the pan roasted New England cod over sweet corn and bacon chowder with herb roasted potatoes, topped with crispy onion strings ($24).
This was soooo rich and sooo Stephanie's. Comfort food to the max. Undo your first button on your pants, lean back and sigh, food. How can you go wrong with bacon and corn chowder with potatoes though? I barely remember this being a fish dish, ha.

All in all, I enjoyed Stephi's. Would I run around telling everyone they MUST go there, like I did with Hungry Mother and Mike & Patty's? No. But if someone was looking for a safe choice in the South End with a chic scene? I'd certainly think to send them there.

Lunch at The Other Side Cafe

2009-08-11T10:52:00.006-04:00

Last week was a great week because I had not only my brother and nephew visiting, but also my dear Ann from Cali!! To maximize our precious time together, Ann came in to the city to meet me for lunch. She left restaurant selection up to me, but if I knew my Ann, I had a feeling she would be in the mood for breakfast (despite it being after 1). So I decided to take another chance on the Other Side Cafe at the bottom (or top?) of Newbury Street.

My first visit was a few weeks ago with OmGal and friends (including Alec, Ruth, and Meadow) for lunch on a rainy day when we all sat inside. The dirty sheet hanging above our head that covered the skylight was probably one of the most unappetizing sights I've seen at a restaurant, but my veggie chili and California wrap, along with all the vegan and veggie options on the menu, swayed me to try it again.

This time, sitting alfresco made the experience much more appealing. True to form, Ann ordered from the breakfast part of the menu-- the waffle egg sandwich:
I opted for the Tex-Mex scramble, vegan-- tofu scrambled with salsa, chipotle, jalapenos, and vegan cheese, with tortillas, guacamole, and vegan black beans. What a hearty meal! While the beans didn't sit all that well, I still felt sort of virtuous for having tofu ;)

Bottom line: Go here when it's nice out, or beware the dirty inside of the restaurant possibly ruining some yummy lunch (or late breakfast) food.

Friends with Benefits

2009-08-09T17:28:00.006-04:00

Dish Gal is lucky to have some friends who are quite talented...

In the KITCHEN-- get your mind outta the gutter, my dear readers! ;) So I thought to myself-- why should chefs get all the glory? Here are some photos from some amazing, homemade meals I've had recently...

A few weekends ago, Skylar's boyfriend Jacques decided to make us this spontaneous, amazing, 18 course brunch at his apartment. Wow.

Here are just a few of the dishes...

Spicy scrambled eggs with herbed goat cheese:

English muffins (not pictured) with cream cheese, lox, red onions, capers, and grape tomatoes:Pancakes made with pomegranate(!) yogurt:

Tons of fresh fruit: grapes, juicy mango, crisp pears, and raspberries:And last week, Dish Bro's childhood friend-- a Cambridge-resident, Dish This! reader, and soon-to-be America's Test Kitchen cook--whipped up this multi-course meal...

Chilled beet soup with feta:

Crostini with fresh, homemade pesto:
Sous-vide steak with chimichurri-esque sauce and salted potatoes (don't they look like munchkins from Dunkin Donuts? ha love the presentation):
Shaved fennel salad with apricots and parmesan:

I know, I am one lucky gal!! =)

Hungry Mother

2009-08-09T16:51:00.006-04:00

Despite continuously hearing the rave reviews of Hungry Mother, for some reason I only got there for the first time a few weekends ago. I wanted to go and be like "Ehh, it's okay..." but Dish Gal cannot tell a lie-- it was outstanding. Let me say it again, for emphasis: Hungry Mother--Barry Maiden's Southern comfort food meets French technique restaurant in Kendall Square-- is OUTSTANDING.

I'm so glad I did wait to go so that I could go with the perfect dining companion-- Dish Brother. Dish Bro knows great food, having spent nearly 20 years eating all over Manhattan and Brooklyn. So, his claim that Hungry Mother was "one of the greatest meals of his life" really holds a LOT of weight.

Dish Bro was also the perfect companion because he's not a "let's just split an appetizer" type dinner guest. When Dish Bro and Sis eat at these kind of restaurants, we're not messing around. I want to taste as much as humanly possible. Thank God we did.

We started with two selections from the "To Tide You Over" section of the menu: the boiled Virgina peanuts ($3) and Allon Benton's Country Ham with angel biscuits and pepper jelly ($4). Who knew peanuts could be so delightful? And the biscuits were ridiculously good, in that how-did-they-do-that!!? way. I've been a fan of pepper jelly since Dish Mom first spread some on a cracker with cream cheese as an after-school snack for me, but I've never seen it utilized in a restaurant-- which seems like a shame. I couldn't get a good photo of this dish, and was too excited about eating it to care.Next we split the mixed greens salad ($8). Now, that sounds like a boring choice, but with kumquats, goat cheese, pecans, and an elegant vinaigrette, it was the farthest you could get from boring. A few weeks later, I was reminiscing on my meal at HM with a food-loving friend of mine, and we both couldn't stop talking about our love of this salad, if that gives you any idea how memorable it is.For our mains, Dish Bro went with their famous cornmeal-crusted catfish with andouille sausage and green tomato relish ($18).I chose the French gnocchi, possibly the fluffiest gnocchi I've ever had. This came in a creamy parmiagano-reggiano sauce with summer squashes, peas, and pancetta.We also split (I told you, we weren't messing around) the baked grits with cheddar and ham ($4). Thank God I had made a dent in my meal before trying this, because I ate one bite and instantly was full. This crazy-rich little pot of heaven is not for the faint of heart-- or those apt to have an actual heart attack.We were too stuffed to have dessert, but perhaps that will be my reason to return to Hungry Mother. Not that I need another reason-- I'm already plotting my return visit. Anyone wanna join? ;)