Weddings Galore

I realize that I haven't blogged in over a week. Last week was crazy busy - work was blowing up, B was really sick, and I was gearing up for what I knew would be a jam-packed weekend with two (yes two) weddings.

I walked out of the office on Friday morning and threw my Blackberry in my purse and vowed not to stress out about work-related things for the rest of the weekend. I headed to Framingham for the wedding rehearsal, rehearsal dinner (which ended up being more of a big party at the bride's parents' house) and then a sleepover with the bride and a few of the bridesmaids.

Saturday was filled with the usual craziness - hair appointments, make-up artists, flower deliveries, photographers and ofcourse dresses. Anything that could go wrong did - missing (and ripped) dresses, crying ringbearers, family drama and ofcourse Hurricane Danny. But in the end, nobody cared. It was a beautiful Catholic ceremony at St. Bridget's Parish in Framingham, where the groom's 94 year-old grandmother gave a touching speech. There was seriously not a dry eye in the place. The reception at Sterling National Country Club was beautiful and everyone was there to have a good time. Here are some photos from the wedding festivities:

The bridesmaids and bride (missing the MOH) with our hair and makeup done.

R made a beautiful bride...

Me with the bride...

R's standard pose....

Self-portrait photo of me and B....

The beautiful chocolate wedding cake...

J and R's first dance...

Bride dancing with her nephew, the ringbearer...

Picture with G and M - I was a bridesmaid in their wedding two years ago!

Picture with G and M. They were at the "Boston" table. Each table was named after a place that had special meaning to the couple...

B and I with the bride...

B and I and his Burberry tie :-)

Me with some of the SK girls at the wedding...

Action shot of the bouquet toss. M really wanted it and I promised to play defense. MK really wanted it and well, I put her in a bear hug...

J handed P the garter. Yeah, it was a little fixed. Here's the next couple to be engaged (fingers crossed)!

Me getting my groove on.

The following morning, we had breakfast with the bride and groom and then headed home. We dropped off our stuff and quickly changed, and then we headed up to Tewksbury for a wedding reception. One of my dear friends, SJ, married her love M a few weeks ago in Sonoma. Her parents threw a big party for the East Coasters who couldn't make it to the wedding. We ate, we drank and we cried during the viewing of the wedding video. I had a great time catching up with old friends and I stayed later than I anticipated.

After the party, we stopped by my parents' house to say hello. We dropped off tons of clothes for my dad's church's consignment shop and loaded up on some food from my mom. No matter how old I get, she also makes me leave with tons of her food. This time we made out with fresh cherry and grape tomatoes from her garden, spaghetti squash (also from her garden), beef roast stew, and fresh baked zucchini bread. Yum.

This week I'm back to the grind with work but am eagerly looking forward to the long weekend. Hopefully there will be time for me to blog this week as there are a lot of yummy recipes and restaurants I'll be trying out.

xoxo

Before the Wedding Comes Girls Night Out!

We ate, we danced, we drank, we sang....and we all wished R the best with her upcoming wedding and marriage. In less than a week, R becomes a married woman....we hope J knows what he is getting into (I kid, I kid)!

xoxo

One Step Closer to the Roast Chicken at Hamersley's Bistro

My first visit to Hamersley's Bistro was a year ago and it was unforgettable. It was a warm summer night, the food was delicious, the wine was abundant and the air was filled with romance. It was one of the most romantic dates that I've had in my life and it hold a special sentiment in my relationship with B. So when B told me that he had made a reservation for Friday evening - a year after our first visit to Hamersley's - I was incredibly touched.

Although this wasn't an actual special occasion like a birthday, anniversary or Valentine's Day, B surprised me by starting the night off at our apartment with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Everyone knows that I am a huge fan of bubbly but Veuve is especially my favorite. I am a lucky girl.
We headed over to Hamersley's and requested an outside table. Call us hopeless romantics but we wanted to re-create the atmosphere of our first experience there. Although B made reservations, the outdoor seating is first come, first serve. We were in luck and grabbed the last two-seater against the railing strung with lights.

Although we were tempted to order more bubbly, we decided to order a bottle of Reisling. Our server brought over a huge bottle (larger than normal) of Reisling and we toasted to what would be a romantic night.

Hamersley's has been offering a prix-fixe meal for quite some time now and although the offerings were tasty, we decided to order off of their regular menu. To start, we ordered the plate of pate and duck liver mousse which was served with hearts of romaine, grainy mustard, cornichons and toast pointes. The liver mousse was very creamy and decadent, and I enjoyed spreading it on the crusty bread from the bread basket. The romaine was a refreshing salad that provided some texture and refreshment from the decadent fattiness of the pate.

For our entrees, I was determined to order roast chicken. Like everyone else, I am loathsome to order something as simple as roast chicken, which I can make on my own at home. So on our first visit, I ordered a special rabbit dish but B had to see what Gordon Hamersley's roast chicken was all about. I stole a few bites and it was a moist and flavorful chicken. It was so incredible that I even got the recipe to make at home, although I haven't worked up the courage to try this masterpiece out yet. So this time, I was determined to order the chicken myself so that I could have more than just a few bites of chicken.

But Hamersley's had a special menu in honor of Julia Child's birthday. And they offered duck a la orange. Made from her recipe. And I had just seen Julie and Julia earlier this week. I didn't stand a chance....

So I didn't order the roast chicken and ended up with the duck a la orange. The duck meat was so moist and tender but the skin was perfectly crispy. The sauce was rich and sweet and I loved mixing the sauce with the potatoes. I was in heaven and I didn't miss the chicken at all. B promised me that we'd come back again this winter for another chance to order the roast chicken (which he ordered again with a side of their corn on the cob). I suspect I will be tempted but something else. But the promise of Hammersly's roast chicken will keep me coming back for more.

We ended the night with a dessert from Julia's menu - the chocolate-almond dacquoise. It was a little cake made of layers of chocolate and almond meringue, topped with toasted almonds and served with chantilly cream. To be honest, it would have been an amazing dessert for a chocolate lover but it was a little too rich for me.

After dinner, B and I were going to meet some friends but we had a little time to kill. So we headed to Marliave for some cocktails. While B had a few drinks off of their menu, I didn't find anything that called to me so I asked the friendly bartender (Andrew) to make me a drink by describing what types of liquor I like. I ended up with a tasty cocktail of Ketel, grapefruit juice, St. Germain, prosecco and cucumber. It was light and it was refreshing.

We finished up drinks and headed to Vox Populi to meet up with my friend J, who was visiting Boston for the weekend. J is one of my oldest and dearest friends from college but we don't get to see each other often because she is medical school. Although Vox hasn't been my scene in over five years, we had a great time and ended the night with a few more drinks at McGreevy's.



It was a wonderful Friday night - one of the best I've had in ages. From the Veuve to Hammersly's to bonding time with J, I couldn't have asked for a better way to end the week and to start the weekend.
More to post from this weekend...hopefully I'll be better about posting blogs this week.


xoxo

Movie, Dinner and Playing Hooky (Sort Of)

Every week seems to blend into the next with client meetings, deadlines and stress followed by working off the stress at the gym. And the weekends don't get any better because I am running errands and have a packed social calendar. I know, woe is me that I have a secure job and lots of social activities. But the truth is that I have a hard time saying no to things and I end up feeling really worn down. For that reason, B and I both took a vacation day from our respective works on Monday to give ourselves an extended long weekend.

For the first time in a long time, I ignored the blinking lights on my Blackberry, which signalled emails, texts and appointments. Instead, I chose to sleep in, eat leftover Chinese food, do laundry and just relax in my jammies without showering. I know, it is incredibly dorky but these moments of relaxation are few and far between. B and I lazily decided on something to do and decided to head to Harvard Square movie theater to catch a movie. We caught an afternoon showing of Julie and Julia, a movie that I've been dying to see. This movie was everything I thought it would be - lighthearted, inspirational (as both a foodie and a working woman) and really delicious (the food was to die for). It was just the movie that I needed. That being said, it has been a long time since I've gone to see a movie in the afternoon and I was definitely the youngest person there by more than a few decades.

Afterwards, B and I were starving and we scrapped our original idea of getting a bite to eat at Border Cafe. While I love the place, there was no way that I could go there after seeing all of the decadent French food in Julie and Julia. Instead, we headed to Casablanca, a place that we have been to several times for drinks but never for dinner.

At a little after 6 PM, the place had only a few diners and we opted to sit in a corner booth in the bar area. We started out with some cocktails - their specialty drink consisting of sweet tea vodka and soda water for me and a basil gimlet for B. Both were well made - not too sweet and not too strong.

We munched on their white bread and pitas (served with EVOO) while we decided upon the menu. While Casablanca was participating in Restaurant Week, we decided to order from their regular menu instead and ordered several small plates and tapas. We told them that they could come out as they were ready in no particular order.

We got their cheese plate, which consisted of a Brie, a cheddar and one unidentifiable (but delicious) earthy cheese. It came with candied pecans and poached pears. While the pears were delicious, the candied pecans were rock hard and stuck together. They were really unappetizing to eat (or try to break apart).

The best dish (in my opinion) was Ana's short rib, which was a simple plate of a small portion of short rib braised with onions and garlic in soy sauce and balsamic. The meat was so tender and so juicy. I ate more than half of the short rib and used my bread to soak up the delicious beef juices.

Our third dish was Sari's Lamb - slow cooked lamb shoulder served with charred tomatoes and yogurt about grilled flatbread. While the lamb itself was delicious, this plate fell short. The yogurt was described as spicy but it was anything but. Creamy? Yes. Spicy? No. The grilled flatbread was greasy and the lamb, tomatoes and yogurt were served a top of a pile of flatbread, making the dish impossible to eat.

The veggie dolmades were also mediocre. We anticipated that the grape leaves were stuffed with arborio rice, pine nuts and golden raisins. But we couldn't find any of the raisins in the dish. And the pine nuts were lacking, which was too bad because it could have really used that extra crunch.

But the best dish (in B's opinion) were the ricotta dumplings. Simple and wonderfully cooked (not overcooked or greasy), the dumplings were melt in your mouth. If we added some sweetness, this would have been an amazing dessert but they were flavorful just as they were.

Casablanca certainly had some hits and misses but it was a tasty meal to flavor our relaxing day of playing hooky... and it certainly satisfied our stomachs after watching Julie and Julia. We headed back to the T and gave into temptation at Lizzy's Ice Cream. I got a scoop of ice cream (half candied ginger and half pistachio) and B got a hot fudge sundae. It was the perfect way to end the most relaxing day I've had in a long time.

The rest of the week has been busy, hence the huge delays in me blogging. I like to blog about events/meals/restaurants within a day of when the actual event occurs but work hasn't given me the ability to do so. So if this blog is lacking in detail, its because Monday seems to be an eternity ago. I have another jam-packed weekend with a special dinner (to celebrate a special anniversary), reunion with an old friend, bachelorette party, shopping (of course) and a possible trip to the Cape. When will I fit it all in? Hopefully I'll be able to blog about it better next week.

xoxo

Happy as a Child at the Beach

On Sunday, B and I headed up to Ogonquit to spend the day with his sister and her family. I absolutely love Ogonquit as I spent a lot of my childhood summers up there. While I love the beach, there is nothing quite as enjoyable as viewing it from the eyes of a two-year old. Between splashing in the water, making sand (and mud) castles, slurping down milkshakes, and running around in the sand - I felt total bliss. There is nothing quite like the pure and uninterrupted joy as a child at the beach. If I could feel like that for just five minutes every day, I'd be a happier and a better person.

xoxo

Bearfight Bar Crawl Re-Cap

This past Saturday, one of my favorite local bands (Bearfight) hosted their 1st Annual Bearfight Charity "Bearcrawl". These great guys put together a small bar crawl to benefit the Jimmy Fund. We hit up five bars and had a blast, all in the name of charity. At the end, Bearfight performed at the last bar. They also had a raffle and B won some great late-season Sox tickets and I won a gift certificate for an online clothing compnay.

Its been awhile since I've indulged in daytime drinking with this gang and the next day I groaned "I'm never doing that again" while also thinking "I can't wait to do it again." In the meantime, enjoy the photos chronicling our night!

Group photo at the first bar, Ned Devine's (4-5 PM). We decided to pace ourselves and most of us also drank water, but that might have been because the air conditioner was clearly not working at Ned Devine's.

An hour later, we were at Paddy O's (5-6 PM). We discovered delicious cheap pitchers of beer. So much for pacing ourselves!

Group photo at Hennessy's (6-7 PM). I get to have my favorite Black-beary Wheat beer on draft. Yum.



Bar Four - Bell in Hand (7-8 PM). The group gets bigger and we get hungrier. Everyone inhales the free food - chicken fingers and pota
to skins.

Despite my earnest belief that I would not take any shots, I reluctantly do an O-Bomb - Red Bull and Orange Vodka. Delicious (thanks M)!

We make it to the last bar - Grand Canal. There is a private area upstairs set aside with cheese, crackers, veggies and sandwiches. We are all thrilled. Here's a cute pic of M and Mama T upstairs at one of the tables.

And a cute one of the Chuck-town ladies (KK and A) downstairs...

And ofcourse the last group photo of the night.

xoxo

T.W. Food - Love at First Bite

I am incredibly lucky that my boyfriend is also a foodie. Sure, B and I have some huge differences in food preferences. He hates shellfish (which I sometimes think is a serious crime, especially during the summer), peanut butter (really?) and Indian curry (to which I blame my drought of Indian food in the past few years). I, on the other hand, think everything is over salted, refuse to eat meat on bones (its the one thing I can't give up from my vegetarian years) and only mildly tolerate corn on the cob (which B could eat every day all year round). But these differences aside, I honestly don't think that I could date and live with someone who couldn't truly appreciate good food.

As I've gotten older, I've realized that my association with good food is more than just about how something tastes. Growing up, dinner time was family time. No matter what we had going on after school or after work, we would always come together and eat dinner together as a family. I think this is why I find such a deep emotional bond when you eat and cook with the ones you love. Whether it is with my family, friends or boyfriend, I find that there is something so gratifying as you enjoy each bite with someone that you truly care about. Eating should not be just about fueling your body, but often times, eating together is really about feeding your soul. When I lived by myself in law school, dinner time sometimes felt lonely because I was cooking and eating for one. During this time, eating became something for mere nourishment but not an actual dining experience. I feel grateful that when I cook and eat with B, I now feel a lot of the same emotions that I did growing up with my family at dinner time. I look forward to the times that we can cook together and try out new recipes. When you discover new flavors and taste combinations, the experience can really bring you closer to one another. For this reason, we also love taking advantage of the many, many culinary experiences in this city. There are so many restaurants that we have yet to try but have never quite made it to. We think of each restaurant as a new dining adventure, and this past weekend we made it to a place that has been on my list of must-trys: T.W. Food.

T.W. Food is located at 377 Walden Street in Cambridge's Huron Village. Open since 2007, it is a small restaurant that has about a dozen tables. The location reminds me a lot of the Ten Tables location in Jamaica Plain in its minimal and simplistic decor with its brick and cream walls, and simple yet elegant tables with white cloths and wicker-like chairs (with a single floating rose in a vase at each table). Thus, it was no surprise when I recently discovered (post-dining) that the owner, Tim Wiechmann, was the former head chef at the Jamaica Plain location.

We had an 8 P.M. reservation on a Friday night and I expected the place to be full, especially with its limited tables. But when we arrived, there were only a few tables seated. By the time we were well into our meal, the restaurant was absolutely full and perhaps 8 P.M. is now just an earlier time to eat dinner on the weekends.

We were seated immediately with a small table for two. While we knew that T.W. Food was participating in Restaurant Week, we had hoped that the regular menu would also be offered but to our disappointment, it was not. Since we had already indulged in a few glasses of Cabernet before we left our apartment, we opted against the wine pairings and we decided to instead order a bottle of wine and chose our menu from the prix-fixe Restaurant Week menu. We of course ordered a bottle of Reisling, which is one of my favorite white wines during those hot summer nights. The 2006 "Reserve St. Jean" was perfect because it was a little on the drier side and not as sweet. T.W. Food surprisingly has a limited wine menu that is gorgeously described in their menu. They frequently change their wine offerings and the prices were more than reasonable.

To start, our server presented us with an amuse bouche - a bite of a refreshing parsley salad with a citrus vinaigrette. Like the reisling, this was a light bite that tasted like summer. We were presented with some crusty white bread with some full fat pats of butter. You could really taste the quality of the butter and as many will attest, butter and fat is what gives so many foods such good flavor.

For our first course (which was served by the chef himself), B got the charcuterie plate with chicken liver mousse, pate de campagne and house made Italian sausage. The assortment included grainy mustard, pickled beets, pickled onions and a tasty cranberry sauce. Both the silky mousse and the tougher sausage texture were easily complemented with the crunch of the pickled beets and onions. The toast points again were flavored with the delicious butter and we were pleasantly accommodated with our request for more toast points.

My starter dish was also equally pleasant. I chose the turnip green and kale gratin which was mixed with a generous serving of cornmeal, butter and blue cheese. Although this was not something I would typically choose for a summer menu option, I had done my research and knew that Tim Wiechmann's classic French training would make this dish stellar. I wasn't disappointed. The earthy flavor of the greens coupled with the creamy texture of the cheese and the slight taste of gritty cornmeal made each bite enjoyable. I did some research and found Tim Wiechmann's recipe for this dish and I am already planning on trying to make this side dish in the fall with a pot roast.

For our entrees, B ordered the chicken dish, which consisted of roasted chicken breast, croquettes made of tender dark thigh meat, roasted fingerling potatoes and a light sauce of a zucchini puree. B claimed that every bite was just full of flavor and the bite of croquette that I tasted supported his statement. My seafood quiche entree was just as flavorful. The menu described them as baked a la minute and it was obvious that this was not something pre-made. The quiche was really light and incredibly generous with its seafood ingredients - scallops, mussels, and clams. There was a light under taste of basil throughout the quiche that really tied the whole dish together. The quiche was served with delicious roasted turnips and potatoes that added a hearty element to such a light dish.

Usually this is where my meal ends on a high note as most of the desserts at even the best of restaurants are just mediocre. But this was not the case here. I had the apple cake which was incredibly moist and served with a sweet caramel ice cream. Again, this is not the fruit and ice cream combination that I would typically choose during the summer but I made the right choice. B chose the scotch and cigars dessert which involved a chocolate mousse and creme anglaise served with a shooter of Balvenie 12 year single malt Scotch syrup. The server instructed B to either sip it or to pour it over his dessert. I sniffed the syrup and it smelled like the wretched Scotch smell that I abhor but the taste was surprisingly sweet and soothing. We overheard a neighboring diner say that the scotch and cigars dish is "the" dessert to order and B was happy he did so.

Everything about my meal was delightful - from the ambiance to the service and of course each delectable bite. There was a richness to each dish that could only be credited to the chef's emphasis on French cooking but nothing about the food felt pretentious. The food (and perhaps I'm a bit sentimental here) felt like a labor of love - the way a good Thanksgiving meal tastes when you know that someone has been preparing for it for days. B and I savored each bite as we shared dishes with each other and I felt that same warm feeling of eating with someone you love. As we left T.W. Food to the cab that our server graciously called for us, we realized that we both fell in love a little with this small little restaurant full of flavor, even on a Restaurant Week menu. And knowing that the chef focuses on using the best local ingredients with a daily changing menu, I can't wait to go to this place again and again.

xoxo

Eggplant Parmesan - A Tried Classic is Always Comforting

I am incredibly lucky to have grown up in the suburbs where my parents' garden played a huge part of our summer lives. While I often wished we would tear up the garden for a pool, I was exposed to lots of fresh vegetables - lettuce, green onions, zucchini, tomatoes and cucumbers. To this day, whenever I go home during the summer, my parents load me up with lots of fresh vegetables to take home. And whenever I can't head back to Tewksbury, I feed my fresh veggie fix at local farm stands in the city.

When you have your own garden, you can't often control the amount of vegetables that are ready for to pick and eat. By mid-summer, we were always finding lots of ways to cook or bake our vegetables in different dishes. One of my favorite dishes to make is eggplant parmesan. It is something I learned to make when I was middle school because it is something easy to make with a limited number of ingredients and prep work.

Over the years, I have really perfected the dish and really made it my own. The problem with eggplant parmesan is that it is really made for at least two people, if not a family. Thus, I haven't made it often over the years. The last time I made it was when B's grandfather passed away last year. I made it because I knew it would be really hearty and comforting and the leftovers could be easily heated up whenever he got the energy to eat.

As much as eating eggplant parmesan is comforting, I find that cooking (in general) also helps ease the soul. After a difficult week at work, I was looking forward to coming home and making this dish after work. Of course, the glass of wine that I like to sip while cooking didn't hurt either.

To start, I heated the oven at 350 degrees. I washed the eggplant, sliced them into quarter-inch slices and discarded the ends. I beat an egg and added a little water. I dipped each slice of eggplant into the egg and then covered each slice with bread crumbs. I took a baking tray and sprayed some cooking spray. I placed each slice of eggplant on the tray and put it in the oven for fifteen minutes (seven and a half on each side).

While the egpplant was baking, I started working on the sauce. I heated up a little butter and olive oil in a saucepan. I added a quarter of a large yellow onion and garlic. While the onion and garlic were sweating, I added some fresh crushed black pepper, salt and crushed red pepper flakes. I also added some garlic powder to add a little more flavor. This was the base of my sauce and I slowly added tomato paste and crushed red tomatoes. While this continued to cook down, I added oregano and some more crushed red pepper flakes.

I switched the stove top to a lower heat and let the sauce simmer. I chopped up some mozzarella along with a handful of basil. I set the cheese aside and added a little bit of the basil to the sauce. I greased up a casserole dish and took the eggplant out of the oven.

I layered the casserole dish with eggplant, sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh grated parmesan cheese. After a few layers, I added the remaining sauce to the dish to get in between each of the eggplant layers. I added the remaining mozzarella with a generous shaving of parmesan cheese on top along with some basil. I put the dish back in the oven for another half hour.

Since there was some remaining sauce left, I boiled some water and added some whole wheat penne. I cooked the pasta al dente and added the remaining sauce to the penne. I served a small side of pasta with the eggplant parmesan.


I found myself feeling a lot better after I was finished cooking dinner and I was happy to settle down to enjoy a nice meal with a generous glass of cabernet (or two). Eggplant parmesan is a simple dish but it is always so comforting - whether you are preparing it or eating it.

xoxo

Test Photos: Sunflowers

I absolutely love sunflowers. So when I was having a terrible day at work last week, it put a smile on my face. Later in the week, B used the flowers for some test photos for his camera, which he never shares with anyone but I manage to sneak onto my blog (with his permission of course).

xoxo

Pazzo - A Bumpy Service But Enjoyable Meal

Earlier this week I headed off after work to a golf lesson with my golf ladies. Like last year, we purchased four group lessons and we had only completed two of them so far. After our lesson, we decided to grab some dinner to catch up on work, love and the rest of our lives. We were all really indecisive about where to go but we wanted to go somewhere casual since we were wearing adorable yet casual golf outfits and flip-flops. We finally settled on Pazzo because none of us have actually checked this place out yet.

Pazzo is located on 269 Newbury Street, which formerly housed Croma. I had been to Croma a few times and I particularly enjoyed their cocktails, along with their brunch menu. But Croma has never been on the top of my go-to restaurants in the Back Bay so I was not particularly interested when Croma closed and Pazzo opened in its place.

When we arrived at Pazzo, there were quite a few diners on their patio despite the light sprinkling of rain. We were all a bit chilled from being outside during our golf lesson and decided to sit inside. We were surprised at how busy the restaurant was for for a week night. Our hostess informed us that it was Restaurant Week, which we all actually knew but had somehow forgotten. Thankfully, Pazzo was still offering their regular menu and we were happily seated right away. We lucked out and got prime seating with a table right by the window overlooking Newbury Street.

To start, my friends each got a glass of red wine but I was wiped and knew that a glass of wine would knock me out. Instead, I asked for my favorite non-alcoholic summer drink - an iced tea. Our server brought the wine for my dining companions but alas, no iced tea. I asked her again for the iced tea, which she apologized for forgetting and then returned with the iced tea but no sweetener. I asked her if she could bring me some sweetener, she said that she'd bring it right away, but then tended to other tables and never returned with it. About ten minutes later, I flagged her down and asked again for sweetener and she apologized for forgetting again and finally returned with it. About twenty minutes after my friends had been served their wine, I finally had my first sip of iced tea. I was mildly annoyed by the situation but I was in good company and wasn't going to let this poor service ruin the rest of my dining experience.

A server brought us some slices of white bread, which was rather doughy (in the good way) and a white bean puree. I absolutely love it when a restaurant serves something beyond butter and am usually easily satisfied with a little olive oil but the white bean puree was a nice surprise. I was not surprised to discover that white beans pureed has the same consistency as when chickpeas are pureed into hummus. The puree had a generous portion of EVOO though and it was a little looser. While I enjoyed the white bean puree, it was a little under seasoned. I immediately requested some fresh cracked pepper and E immediately added some salt. Otherwise, it was a good start to the meal.

To start the meal, with split an antipasti course - sliced prosciutto, mozzarella and garlic bruschetta with marinated tomatoes. This is a simple dish and they executed it well. The bruschetta had not even a small taste of garlic though, which was disappointing because I really enjoy anything with garlic in it. The tomatoes, though, were really delicious and were marinated in EVOO, chopped basil, pepper and salt.

For our entrees, I decided to get the personal pizza and had a simple Margherita pizza. Again, this is a simple dish and they did it right. There were a generous serving of mozzarella cheese, which is always a plus in my book. I really enjoyed the doughy crust and was glad that I could have half of it for lunch the next day (which by the way, was really good heated up). E got the spicy tagliolini and clams and she ate every bite. The other E got the farmer's salad, which consisted of spinach, beets, white beans, olives, ricotta, onion and a citrus vinaigrette. She absolutely loved the salad and said that the beets were the highlight. She also said that the dish was under-salted but she and I are on opposite ends of the salt spectrum and she tends to have a heavier hand with salt than I do. She also ordered a half portion of the cavatelli but could barely put a dent to it because of her huge salad.

While I didn't try their pasta, I enjoyed the presentation in a single-serving casserole dish. I'd recommend getting a half portion of a pasta dish because we noticed that there is no real difference in portion size yet it is half the price.

We finished up our meal and requested our check. Once again, our server forgot until we had to ask again. While the service left a lot to be desired, the food was solid. I can't speak volumes about this place since I only ordered a simple pizza but I found that we all enjoyed our food and everything was cooked very well. Pazzo will probably end up like Croma on the list of restaurants I enjoy but it will always be somewhere in the middle of the list because while the food is consistently good, the experience is unmemorable (dining companions of course, excluded). And with so many wonderful places in the Greater Boston area, why waste your time at just a so-so place?

xoxo

Restaurant Week Lunch at Grotto - A Reminder that Good Restaurants Stand the Test of Time

First and foremost, I'm a huge fan of Restaurant Week Boston. Twice a year, participating restaurants offer prix-fixe menus for lunch ($20.09) and for dinner ($33.09). Some restaurants choose to participate only during the week, some don't offer lunch, and others extend the Restaurant Week menu for the entire month. I know that a lot of food snobs in the area look down on Restaurant Week because they think that the food offered is usually mediocre or with cheaper ingredients than ordering off of the regular menu. However, I think that Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to discover a new restaurant that you would like to try out but aren't necessarily sure that you want to spend the money on their regular menu items. I've had some good (and some not-so-good) Restaurant Week experiences but in general, I think it is a great opportunity to dine out (especially to get a group together to do it) and to try something new.

This week, my friend A suggested that we try the Restaurant Week lunch menu at Grotto, located on Bowdoin Street near the State House. While both of us have been there separately before, but it had been awhile since we revisited the restaurant. Grotto is my favorite under-rated date spot. I think that they have really thoughtful and flavorful Italian dishes, an impressive wine selection, and the perfect romantic ambiance. I have never had a bad experience there, although I can't say the same about the dates I was there with.

After a horrendous morning in the office where I initially cancelled my lunch date with A, I changed my mind and decided that a long lunch away from the office was exactly what I needed. While I have never done Restaurant Week for lunch, I was ready to deal with my stress with some hearty food (yes, I am an emotional eater). I'm not sure what the lunchtime crowd is typically like at Grotto, but it was packed. Of course, with a restaurant small in size, this isn't hard to do.

To start, our server brought us some fresh sliced Italian bread with a small dish of extra virgin olive oil and olives. For our first course, I started out with the creamy garlic soup which contained black truffles, Parmesan and toasted bread crumbs. Wow. This was a bowl of what tasted like delicious garlic bread. The toasted bread crumbs added a little crunch to the dish but the black truffle, sadly, was lost in the dish. I think black truffle is something that a lot of restaurants use as an ingredient but it is never a flavor that is actually highlighted in the dish. I didn't finish my soup but I nearly did. I dipped some of the Italian bread in the soup and it was honestly a little bit of heaven. For her first course, A chose a caprese salad with tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, balsamic and evoo. I have to say that not only did A enjoy the flavors of her dish but from across the table the dish was beautifully plated with each ingredient stacked on top of each other in the center of her dish.

Already nearly full, we were both eager and groaning when our next course arrived. We both chose the potato gnocchi dish with braised short ribs, Gorgonzola and mushrooms. A ordered hers without the mushrooms. These were by far the largest pieces of gnocchi I have ever seen and perfectly cooked - soft without being mushy. The braised short ribs were tender and fell apart when the fork hit it and the Gorgonzola on top of the dish melted nicely into the pasta. The combination of the cheese, short ribs and mushrooms made the dish a little on the salty side but overall really hearty and enjoyable. We tried but we just couldn't finish our entrees knowing that a dessert was awaiting us.

Dessert was probably the weakest course. A ordered the brownie sundae but noticed that the brownie was a little burnt. I ordered the lemon panna cotta and the raspberry and balsamic sauce was really a nice flavor combination. The half pizzelle that accompanied the panna cotta was not fresh though and tasted a little mushy and stale.

Overall, Grotto continued to uphold my pleasant expectations for them and our Restaurant Week lunch was thoroughly enjoyable. There was a good selection of at least five or more options for the first and second courses, and many of the options are already lunch or dinner items on their regular menu. The portions were overwhelmingly generous and the dessert was the only course that fell just a little short. There were only two servers who were working together and they interchangeably served our tables. Despite how busy they were, they always seemed attentive and friendly. While we definitely got a great meal for the Restaurant Week lunch price, I'm not sure that I'll do Restaurant Week lunch again. I felt uncomfortably full for the remainder of the day, although may have to do with my inability to put the fork down when a delicious meal is in front of me.

For more information on which restaurants are participating and their menus, check out this website for the Unofficial Guide to Restaurant Week Boston.

xoxo

Scenes from Sunday's Dinner - Tomatoes Served Two Ways

As you can tell from this blog, B and I enjoy cooking together. During the week, B usually gets home before I do and he will start prepping for dinner and I will join in with the cooking whenever I get home. But it is rare when we both get to cook together and really enjoy the experience.

During the week, I found two recipes that used one of my favorite summer ingredients - tomatoes! So when we were at the SOWA Open Market, we picked up some fresh ingredients from one of the farm stands: basil, cherry tomatoes and beefsteak tomatoes.

Our first recipe was easy enough - cheese tortellini with pesto and sun dried tomatoes. Although I love the flavor combination of cheese, pesto and sun dried tomatoes, we decided to substitute the tomatoes with the fresh cherry tomatoes. While in the South End, we searched for some fresh pasta but to no avail. Instead, we picked up some fresh tortellini from DeLuca's Market in our neighborhood. It wasn't made that day but it certainly wasn't Buitoni pasta either. Since fresh pasta cooks so quickly, the only really preparation was to make the pesto.

B washed and dried the basil, while I peeled the garlic. Loving garlic, I of course added an extra clove. I also added some fresh cracked pepper and salt. We threw all of these items, along with the pine nuts, in the food processor.

B also grated some Parmgiano Reggiano Riserva that we picked up at the South End Formaggio.

(On a side note, I have never been to this store before and I really recommend going there to not just pick up some high end pantry items but for cheese and wine for any kind of gathering. Their cheese selection was impressive and I nearly drooled at their home made pates.)

We pulsed the dry ingredients and then added the extra virgin olive oil to the processor. The end result was a delicious and colorful pesto. It smelled heavenly with all of the fresh ingredients and yes, it deserved two photos.

I put the pesto in a bowl. I also washed and halved the cherry tomatoes. I put the cherry tomatoes aside. I started to heat the water up in a pot to boil for the tortellini.

Meanwhile, B began working on our second recipe - Cream Cheesy Tomato Sandwiches. B sliced each beefsteak tomato into four slices and discarded the ends. The tomatoes were salted on both sides and left on paper towels for ten minutes to get rid of the excess moisture.

I began working on the filling, which included cream cheese, garlic powder, chopped basil, fresh cracked pepper and onion, and parsley. Since we couldn't find any fresh parsley at the farm stand, we substituted with a tablespoon each of oregano and thyme. I mixed the ingredients together for a pleasant herb-smelling cream cheese.

I blotted the tomatoes some more and then we both carefully spread the cream cheese on two slices of tomatoes each. This would make four tomato sandwiches.

I beat two eggs in a bowl while B heated up the skillet with butter and olive oil. He dredged the sandwiches in flour, eggs and then plain bread crumbs. When the pan was hot enough, he placed the sandwiches in the pan and cooked it for three minutes on each side to create a golden brown color on both sides.

I have to admit that I love fresh pasta because it cooks so quickly. To prepare for the pasta dish, I drained the pasta and returned it to the hot pot and added the pesto and cherry tomatoes for a quick mix.

The end result? A delicious meal centered around fresh tomatoes and basil. The best part is that each recipe was very quick in both preparation and actual cooking time. We shredded some cheese on top of the pasta and enjoyed our meal with a few glasses of cold Reisling wine. There was enough leftovers to bring a tomato and some pasta for lunch on Monday and the tomato sandwiches surprisingly held up well when re-heated as leftovers. I of course got a few compliments on my delicious smelling lunch.

While we love cooking together, I can't take credit for any of the fabulous photos. Thanks again to B for his photographic contribution.

xoxo