Eastern Standard Brunchielunch

Eastern Standard is worth all of the hype it gets. I've only had consistently great meals and service there. No matter what I eat, it's satisfying and creative. Since it was a weekend between 10 and 2, I was geared up for some brunch. I define brunch as breakfast, but bigger. Eastern Standard had a part brunch, part lunch menu because it was Saturday and they only serve full brunch on Sunday. The food was awesome, but sitting outside comfortably in late October was the best part.

After pondering the menu for a while, I was set to order eggs. The past few times I dined at ES, I had a pastrami sandwich and since it was missing from the menu, I branched out. My dining partner had settled on the Croque-Madame. When the waiter told us the addition to the menu, I made a quick change and went for the homemade ricotta gnocchi with veggies and lamb sausage. I am a sucker for homemade pasta, and I figured the gnocchi would be the perfect substitute for all the bread I'd eat if I chose a breakfast option. We decided to balance the extreme carbs with a side salad.

After enjoying the fresh bread, butter and good conversation, the meals arrived. I started eating the perfectly cooked gnocchi with fresh almost crisp cauliflower, pea pods and tomatoes  The gnocchi was seared on the outside and right amount of chewiness. I could not find the lamb in my dish. Not to worry though, because the waiter could not have been nicer when adding it. They re-plated my dish with the lamb sausage, so it went from being a gnocchi primavera to a unique combination of gnocchi, lamb and veggies. I hope that in the future they make both the pasta dishes available. While the lamb sausage added a lot of flavor and smokiness to the dish, it was just as good and even a little bit lighter without it.

The side salad was tasty. It was mesclun greens with a garlicky mustard vinaigrette  Given the size of our entrees it was the perfect size to share. Sometimes at Eastern Standard, I find myself having the great salad versus french fry debate. The fries at ES are thin and perfectly crisp with some fresh herbs and the salad has those qualities with the added health benefits. At lunch we had our salad and fries too, because my dining buddy's dish came with fries.

The Croque Madam was beautiful. It was a layer of french toast topped with ham, cheese and a sunny side up egg and french fries. The dish looked to pretty to eat, and it tasted as good as it looked. The combination of sweet and savory was great. If I had to categorize it, I'd pair it with eggs Benedict because it had most of the same components. We joked about how big the dish was, yet it was devoured. I'm glad I got to try it because, had I ordered it, I probably would have been full for 24-hours and I never like skipping meals!

I appreciated that even after I had the waiter put my leftover two bites of pasta in a doggy bag that they still offered us dessert menus. The desserts sounded delicious, and I was tempted, but we opted to get the check for fear that we would be unable to stand if we ate anymore.

Eastern Standard is one of my favorite restaurants in Boston. Jeremy Sewall is an artist! Their menu has a large variety of dishes with an array of ingredients and prices. While I have yet to go for dinner, I can vouch for the outstanding breakfasts, lunches and brunchielunches. Maybe next time I go, I'll steal less fries and have room for dessert!

Hawthorne Pot de Awesome

This is a somewhat impromptu post as I expected to just get a few apps when out for my friend's birthday last night at the Hawthorne, but wow, I got so much more. By so much more, I got a very tasty Caesar salad and the chocolate pot de creme for dessert.

The ladies around me had amazing looking drinks and got a few other apps. I decided given my low tolerance and the fact that it was a Monday night, I'd stick to apps and dessert. I tasted the potato skins which were really stuffed full fingerling potatoes. They were perfect and delish with bacon and a hint of mustard and cheese. I also tried the olives. The portion was large and the olives warm. My salad was perfectly chopped and dressed. I even forced myself to eat the anchovies. I think anchovies get a bad rep and are actually quite tasty.

I waited for a while for my dessert. I am notorious for going out and getting just dessert, but I figured I should fill up on something else first. The pot de creme was perfect and fulfilled my chocolate craving. My only wish is that I'd taken a picture. It was like rich chocolate pudding with salt and orange on top and really think rich whipped cream. The consistency was thick and creamy and the salt enhanced the chocolate. I don't usually eat orange rinds, but this dessert had some and they were shaved so finely, that I just ate them with the rest. For the prices I paid, I felt like the dessert was the most reasonable $9. While the salad could have been bigger for the $11. I will think about this dessert often and probably find myself at the Hawthorne bar often in search of it. I hope for the willpower to not visit more than once a week. Looking forward to next time I stop by where I'll pair it with a fancy drink or one of their large glasses of wine.

Next time you go to the Hawthorne for their signature drinks, check out one of the best desserts in Boston too. And if you feel like being nice, get a spoon or two to share it.

Tasty Burger for delicious prices

After my positive experiences at some of the other restaurants in Franklin's restaurant group, I was dying to try Tasty Burger. There is something really fun about a walk to the Fenway area on a Sunday night to go get burgers and fries.

I had initially shied away from Tasty Burger because it looked like a fast food joint and while I'm budget conscious, I try hard to avoid chains when I can eat at more unique concepts. My take on Tasty Burger was that it was a great spot with fast service and super inexpensive prices. Most of there burgers were between 5 and 8 dollars. We chose to sit inside becasue we wanted table service and we found a table near the pool table and bar. It was funny to find myself at a burger place when I didn't actually want burgers. Not to worry, the menu was extensive with hot dog, vegetarian and turkey alternatives to red meat.

Between me and my dining buddy, we ordered a turkey burger-- lettuce tomato and guac and a blue cheese burger with jalopenos. The turkey burger was my favorite turkey burger that I've eaten out. There were pieces of onion and spices in the turkey burger. The bun was light and flluffy and the guacamole was chunky and fresh. I was told that the blue cheese jalopeno burger was great for those who like some heat and blue cheese.

We also ordered a half and half to share. It was fries and onion rings. The fries were good. The onion rings were great. They were the thin stringy kind with perfect amount of breading and crispy! I took the first handful of each before my dining buddy added malt vineager. I loved the fried indulgence with and without the malt.

One of the most exciting parts of the dining experience was the huge amount of condiments. They were all out on the table and offered a ton of free ways to sass up your dish. Next time I go here, I will save room for a coffee milk shake.

Overall, I was impressed by the tasty burgers that Tasty Burger provided and can't wait to go back and add a coffee milk shake to my order! The prices were cheap and I bet the restaurant draws a huge late night crowd. I thought the turkey burger was comparable to any that I've had before and better! My dining buddy enjoyed the burger and put it in a cateogry with In and Out. I think part of the schtick is to serve the food in baskets while wrapped in paper and I appreciate it. However, if they want to differentiate themselves in look from fast food joints they could serve the food in a more formal way if one chooses to sit inside. I would not do this, though at the expense of raising the prices of the burger.

Area Four: Pizza, Ice Cream and Salad oh my!

Area Four is one of my favorite new discoveries of 2012. It’s the second time I’ve been for dinner, and it is consistently tasty and well-priced. The restaurant is located in Kendall Square and is a bright space with beautiful exposed brick and many chalkboards around the restaurant.

We went on a Saturday night and arrived slightly before 7 after trying to go the Sunday before (they are closed for dinner). I was surprised that we had our pick of tables given how good it is. The highlight of my meal last time I went was the low fat soft-serve ice cream, so instead of ordering a drink to start, I asked about the ice cream flavors. Our server indulged me and brought me a taste of their berry ice cream. While it was good, it was more sherbet then it was ice cream and I didn't end up ordering it in the end. I was appreciative that they were willing to let me taste the sherbet even though I was acting out of order.

To start we ordered a watercress salad with farm fresh beets, feta and Greek yogurt dressing. Originally we were going to get the more simple salad with lemon vinaigrette, but after seeing the beauty of this salad at a table next to us, we ordered it. Given that the dressing was creamy, I was surprised at how light and perfect the salad was. There is something special about a colorful dish that makes the food that much more exciting. I appreciate knowing that whatever salad we ordered, it was all made with local ingredients.

Next, we ordered the summer vegetable and pancetta pizza. The pizza had a seasoned oil, cheese, pancetta, asparagus, peas and arugula salad on top. The combination was perfect. Coming from New York, I am extremely cautious when it comes to ordering pizza and this was some of the best pizza I’ve had in Boston. The crust was moist and flavorful, the peas that popped made the pizza that much more interesting. The pancetta added some extra flavor but not at the expense of added grease. The arugula salad on top had a bite the complimented the other ingredients well. The large is big enough to share!

I am a huge dessert fan and I love ice cream especially a banana split. Since my dining buddy and I were both going to order sundaes, we decided to up it a notch and share a vanilla banana split. This banana split was no plain vanilla dessert. The bananas came out caramelized with a crust like a perfect crème brule. There was hot fudge, candied nuts, fluff, whipped cream and liquor soaked cherries. The ice cream is dreamy and apparently is low fat!! This split was an adult version of my childhood favorites—creamy soft serve ice cream and cape cod banana splits—but better. I would say children beware because the cherries are soaked in some type of liquor and there was enough fudge to make a small child run around in circles for hours. It was my first ever fluff experience and I enjoyed the additional topping. I could go on and on about how much I love the ice cream at Area Four.

My advice to you—go to Area Four and run, this way you can eat more food because you burned the calories getting there. Just don’t run there for dinner on Sunday because you will find yourself sorely disappointed as they are closed. The food is delicious and affordable. The pizzas were low teens, ice cream sundaes priced comparably to ice cream stores and the salads are extremely sharable at under ten. The service was great, the manager friendly and I got to use Level Up to pay, which always makes me happy. I can’t wait to visit again soon and try what is supposed to be a delicious brunch. As long as I can get ice cream for dessert, I’m in!

Pop Pub was Pop-tastic

In a night out on the town I joined some friends for drinks and food at Pop Pub. It was fun and delicious. There are three locations around NYC that I've been to and I loved this vibe. Each one is slightly different. Pop Pub was very laid back and a great place for a gathering (on University between 11th and 12th).

When you walk in you think it may be just another dive bar with good burgers and beer, but in the front there's an order station for take out. I think that the counter may be set up differently for lunch but we got there at about 8:30. We sat down in the back of the beautifully wooden area and ordered the gobble gobble and the invisible burgers. I was so excited because two orders was the perfect amount to share and I think there's something really fun about mini burgers.

The gobble gobble are really great turkey burgers with lettuce, tomato and special sauce. The invisible burgers are fried portabello burgers with lettuce tomato and cheese. My dining buddy let me indulge with two of the turkey burgers while she had two of the invisible ones. We devoured the burgers and then ordered some homemade donuts for dessert. The donuts were warm served with hot fudge and strawberry jelly to dip. I wish I had enough room after my three burgers to eat the six mini-donuts myself, but I had to share! It was a fun way of making friends at this gathering by sharing my donuts.

Can't wait to visit Pop Pub again soon when I'm less beat from the heat to try one of their innovative cocktails. In the meantime I will just fantasize about the mini burgers and plot my next trip to NYC. Though, with the food truck craze in Boston, I wish that the Pop Burger/Pop Pub crew will decide to open a truck in Boston so I can enjoy their mini burgers in my two favorite cities.

On my next trip, I'll post some pics!

Michael's Deli, Delicious Sandwiches and Steve

Boston does many things well but a really thick juicy sandwich is a commodity in these parts. Whenever I'm missing a New York style sandwich I find myself wondering over to Michael's Deli in Coolidge Corner. This no frills joint is on the Trader Joe's side of Beacon Street on Harvard. The deli is delicious and often crowded and while being notorious for great food, they've also been notorious for rushed, slightly rude service. I will tell you though, that the food makes up for the fact that it's cash only and the service is inconsistent.

Sunday after a night out and discussions of favorite sandwiches the night before, we found ourselves in our favorite cash only local deli. I was debating between a sandwich with a pound of meat or nova, cream cheese and a bagel. In a game time ordering decision where I expected nova and cream cheese to be my lunch, my stomach guided my mouth towards ordering a sandwich with: turkey, pastrami, roast beef, lettuce, tomato and Russian dressing on challah. I was as surprised as my dining buddy when I was done placing my order. My dining buddy got a Jacob's Choice which was turkey, roast beef, Swiss and Russian dressing on rye. We got two sides of cole slaw and a bag of salt and vinegar potato chips.

The sandwiches were brought over by Misha, my favorite Michael's employee with tons of slaw and two full pickles! From the time that the sandwich arrived to when I had a quarter left, I don't remember what happened. I turned into a carnivorous silent animal who could only be fed with store roasted meats and really fatty pastrami. By the time I came up for air, without even tasting the other sandwich (very unlike me), I looked around and noticed that Michael was no where to be found. Usually he's at the front taking orders or running around bring up more salads or soup, but he was no where. There was this other guy there who looked like a younger Michael-- I thought for a second maybe his younger brother?

I asked this man where Michael was and he responded that Michael was off. Sunday strikes me as a big day for sandwiches so I was puzzled that the boss would be gone. Then Steve mentioned that he bought Michael's. My dining buddy and I were incredulous. The Corned Beef King left the building?! Not to worry though, Michael is working part time this summer to bring Steve up to speed with how to continue to make some of the greatest deli from here to NY.

While I am sad to see Michael phase out, I hope that he made a huge penny selling the place and is able to retire happily and have someone else make sandwiches for him while he lies back on the beach and drinks or splashes or does whatever he has missed out on from all of the summer Sunday sandwiches. Steve is really enthusiastic and seems to have given the store new energy. As we left and thanked Steve and Misha for a delicious lunch, we started fantasizing about all of the new possibilities like credit cards, more hot food items and dinner. As long as Michael's keeps the Corned Beef King's classic sandwiches, I think the possibilities are endless. Looking forward to watching an old classic take on a new life.

KO Fabulous

There are few things I enjoy as much as good steak. I enjoy good friends, a good price and good service too. All of these came together on a Friday at KO Prime near the Park Street T stop. I know what you are all thinking... good steak at a steak house for a good price, how?! The answer is the bar area!

KO Prime is in the hotel 90 Tremont St. The decor is modern chic. There is a lot of black and white and the bar area has plush couches and chairs. I had been to KO Prime before and knew that they have a fun bar menu. The great thing about the bar is that you have access to both the bar bites menu/drink specials and the regular menu. The reverse is not true in the dining room. We ordered a combination of sides, bar bites and menu items. It was a bountiful, and reasonable. When can you leave a steak house spending less than $25 a piece for dinner.

I went to KO a while ago and spent years dreaming about their beef rib mac and cheese. I didn't think I could tackle it by myself, but one of the girls ordered it and was kind to share. The dish is perfect. It was creamy and thick and there were pieces of meat throughout. The mac and cheese came out in a cast iron skillet with bubbly goodness on top.

One of the others got a mini sandwich, calamari and tater tots off of the bar bites menu. I didn't try the slider because it was small and his, but the tater tots were delicious. it was as if they put bread crumbs on the outside of cheesy mashed potatoes. I bit into a tot and it oozed back at me. I loved the creative take on mashed potatoes and tater tots!

Another meal was shrimp cocktail (photographed below) and mushroom risotto. I tasted the risotto and while it was not the best I've ever had (the bar is high given some homemade risotto I've had), it was stellar restaurant risotto. It was creamy and not too heavy. It tasted like there were hints of truffle oil.  I am allergic to shrimp as well as other shellfish, but the plantain patties that came with the shrimp were delicious. They were like latkes, but sweeter.

My dish was steak frites. The steak was cooked perfectly to medium and it came in an iron skillet with an abundance of salty, truffley french fries. The steak was so good that I wanted more. The dish I ordered was the least expensive steak dish on the menu. The fries were skinny and the steak was petite. I almost wish they charged a few dollars more and gave me more steak and a few less fries. On the plus side though, the fries were enough to share.

Overall the food, service and price at KO prime was perfect. Can't wait to return for some high end eats for a lower end price. Maybe when I return, I will have enough room for dessert which looked outstanding.

Thanks to my dining buddy for taking the pics!