Jeda's Profile
Spün finally has cönsistent hoürs
I tried it last summer, when it first opened, and, IMHO, the yogurt didn't hold a candle to Berryline's, which I love. For what it's worth, spun reminded me of red mango, which I don't like - sweeter, more chemically-tasting than berryline... I think it might just be a personal preference, though, as my girlfriend loves red mango above all others. I'll give spun another shot and report back!
Chicken Liver Special at Magoun's
Last night I found myself at Magoun's Saloon in Somerville (Magoun Square) for the first time. They're running 'Italian Night' specials every Wednesday in November, and the menu looked pretty ambitious for a place that appeared to be a regular pub - oxtail ragu, chicken livers with a marsala sauce, seafood risotto... not normally the kind of stuff I'd expect to see next to burgers and nachos.
Anyhow, my love of chicken livers compelled me to order the dish ($8). It was awesome. Would not have been out of place at a higher-end establishment, and I wouldn't have blinked had it being 50% more in cost. The chicken livers were cornmeal-crusted, probably fried (oh man, tasty), and piled on top of a vol-au-vent puff pastry, with pearl onions and a marsala gravy. The whole shebang was topped with a pile of microgreens, and there was some mashed potato on the side.
Super delicious, really well-made, and totally exceeded my expectations. I was sad I couldn't also try the house-made gnocchi with oxtail ragu ($6 for a half portion, $12 for a whole) or pumpkin ravioli with sage and brown butter ($6/$12).
We also got the nachos with chicken and guacamole - I liked the house-made tortilla chips, but the nachos weren't the best I've had - good fresh salsa and guac, but no cheese to speak of, and not very good chip-coverage with the toppings. And I tried the mac and cheese, which my friends rave about... it was tasty, but more like a macaroni and bechamel than what I think about when I think about mac and cheese... pretty mild (but creamy) flavor.
Bonus points to the waitress for being able to explain every beer on tap, and for serving each beer in an appropriate glass.
I will definitely be back, and hope to make it on another Wednesday in November!
Boston restaurants worth following on Twitter
I second this - I follow Myers and Chang, as well as Joanne's twitter feed (http://twitter.com/jbchang) and their manager Cheri's: http://twitter.com/ohccbaby. They are funny.
To-Go Lunch Catering - North End
I have finally convinced the powers that be at my office to stop ordering lunches from Cosi. I have been tasked with finding a restaurant in the North End that will do a 'one-stop' catering and, ideally, delivery for lunch. All I'm looking for is somewhere that will make a big tray of baked ziti or something equally delicious, a big tray of salad, maybe some garlic bread, maybe some dessert, and make ordering and pickup or delivery easy. And, uh, ideally stick around $10/person.
Anyone? Anyone?
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Cosi
200 Terminal St, Charlestown, MA 02129
Trina's Starlight Lounge to replace the Abbey
Hey Everyone - I heard from Beau that the Starlite is opening Friday. Thought I'd post an update! I intend to check it out, and will hopefully report back!
Hong Kong Harvard Square
Hello,
I am going to the Hong Kong Harvard Square restaurant on Friday for lunch - and I can't change the location. I have seen a few references to 'some good dishes' there, and found these specifically mentioned in a post from quite a while ago: roast duck noodle soup, ginger and scallion noodles, steamed chicken dumplings, and chicken with basil. I was wondering if anyone might be able to offer a more updated review of the best choices I could make there, or of food items you've enjoyed.
Thanks!
Looking for up-to-the-minute Pick Your Own Reports...
As I recall... apples were $1.60/lb, peaches were $2/lb, blueberries $2.50 and raspberries, $4.95. I would definitely recommend making a trip this weekend. We ate lunch after in town at a cafe with dog in the title - I had a surprisingly good falafel!
Best Chocolate Chip Cookie in the Boston area?
If you ever find yourself in the North End during the day... the chocolate chip cookies at Volle Nolle are the only ones I'll buy. They are a bit caramelized-tasting around the edges, but the insides are still chewy/soft, and the chocolate is in these amazing strata-like layers throughout... and they've got a good dose of salt on them, which is a good thing. Mmm.
Highland Kitchen ?
Definitely ask for it - I make a point of bringing it up every time I'm there. It'll be good to have someone else on the case as well. I'm pushing for its return to the menu as the weather cools.
Looking for up-to-the-minute Pick Your Own Reports...
Hi autopi,
The home page of the pick your own massachusetts site said there were figs to be had: http://www.pickyourown.org/mass.htm but when I tried to find farms that said they had figs, I came up empty on the you pick front. This place: http://www.farmfresh.org/food/farm.php?farm=830, Agraria Farm in Rehoboth, says they specialize in soft fruits like figs. You could try giving them a call? Report back!
Looking for up-to-the-minute Pick Your Own Reports...
Thanks to everyone for writing! I am sorry I wasn't able to post a report until now. We ended up going to Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, which was awesome and definitely will be my new go-to PYO spot! It was a beautiful day and an idyllic farm. We picked 50 pounds of fruit - 19 pounds of peaches and nectarines, 25 pounds of apples (half pie, half eating), and 5 pounds of blueberries and raspberries. Even though the employees said there weren't many blueberries, we still managed to pick over 2.5 pounds in probably less than or around 30 minutes (time flies when you're picking berries and eating half of them...). Note: we did pick these from the patch near the raspberries. These blueberries were so delicious and much sweeter than the berries I picked a few weeks ago- leading me to believe it was a varietal issue at the other farm. The raspberries were PLENTIFUL and big and juicy and sweet and delicious. They had several patches, and the vines had outgrown their trellises due to the rainy summer, so there were tons to be picked. The peaches were also plentiful, and I have already made a cobbler... jam is on the horizon. The apples were good - we picked Ginger Gold and about seven other varieties. Also delicious: the apple cider doughnuts. Thanks, Chowhounders! I will be back a bit later in the fall for more apples and a hay ride!
Looking for up-to-the-minute Pick Your Own Reports...
Hello,
I am planning on setting off tomorrow morning for some pick-my-own action. I picked blueberries a few weeks ago and was disappointed with how sour they were where I went - not sure if it was the farm or just a seasonal thing - but I'm hoping to avoid that tomorrow. Has anyone been pickin' in the past few days, or does anyone have a standby favorite that they definitely vouch for? I'll pick anything, though raspberries would be a highlight, as would figs. Coming from Somerville, willing to drive about an hour each way... Extra points awarded for being reasonably priced or having deals for bulk purchases...
Thanks!
jeda
Highland Kitchen ?
And not that anyone's asked, but the new black bean burger is delicious. They replaced the BBQ mushroom sandwich with this, and I was VERRRY suspicious until I tried it. Also, Joe (the awesome bartender) told me they can still make the mushroom sandwich if you ask for it.
Also - Monday is now frozen drinks and fried food night! Which sounds pretty excellent to me, though I haven't tried it.
I-15 North to Driggs, Idaho
We're driving to Driggs, Idaho from the Salt Lake City airport in about a month, and I have begun investigating our tasty dining options along the way. I can't seem to find many recommendations for places on or along I-15 in Idaho, or along 26 into Victor and Driggs. I'd be happy for guidance to other posts if they exist, or to suggestions for restaurants along the way. We'll be in search of dinner on a Thursday night, and then will be returning back to SLC on Sunday during the day, so there will be time for fun stops for pastries or any other foods of note. I appreciate your help in advance! I posted about the Utah part of the trip on the Southwest board... And if any of you ever come to Boston, I'm happy to offer lots of advice!
Thanks!
I-15 North - Salt Lake City to Idaho?
Hello,
We're driving to Driggs, Idaho from the Salt Lake City airport in about a month, and I have begun investigating our tasty dining options along the way. I can't seem to find many recommendations for places on or along I-15 north of SLC. I'd be happy for guidance to other posts if they exist, or to suggestions for restaurants along the way. We'll be in search of dinner (leaving the airport around 6) on a Thursday night, probably not too many hours north of the airport, and then returning back to SLC on Sunday during the day, so there will be time for fun stops for pastries or any other foods of note. I appreciate your help in advance! I know to post about the Idaho portion of the trip in the 'Elsewhere in America' thread... And if any of you ever come to Boston, I'm happy to offer lots of advice!
Thanks!
RW--Elephant Walk--REALLY GOOD
On the heels of this review, we went to Elephant Walk last night for RW, and did not have the overwhelmingly positive experience of SeaSide Tomato, unfortunately. The vegan spring rolls were almost worth the rest of the evening - I have a soft spot for Vietnamese (and, I learned last night, Cambodian) spring rolls, served with lots of greens and mint to wrap with, and an addictive sauce... the avocado soup we found to be unusual but tasty, basically in a combination of orange and lime juices with bits of avocado and tomato floating around - but strangely a bit oily/greasy, which didn't sit well in a room temperature soup. Compared with the portion of the spring rolls, the soup serving was meager (it was probably 1/2 cup of soup in a very large bowl) - I understand about serving smaller portions during RW, but it would seem that across categories things should be about the same size - there was definite starter envy at our table, and a lot of looking from the soup bowl wistfully towards the spring rolls.
After the server cleared our food we chatted, and then, after about 15 minutes, began to notice that every other table was being served, including tables that had sat down after us. After twenty minutes, our second courses arrived (greatfully!) So. For the second course: the shrimp and wontons. The shrimp were reported as 'tasty, sort of like shrimp scampi in flavor', but the wontons were overly sweet and soggy. The avocado soup was subbed as a 2nd course, and arrived as above.
And then.... another twenty minutes. I enjoy a leisurely dinner, but last night pushed it a bit too far. We were at the restaurant for 2.5 hours, which was at least twice as long as those around us. After the second course and another twenty minutes, the server finally came over and apologized, and said that the other servers kept taking our dishes. She offered us free dessert, which we demurred, citing veganism and diabetes, and it was another ten minutes or so before the entrees arrived. Had I known we were still going to be waiting for so long, I would have ordered more spring rolls!
Dinner! Hurrah! The game hen was tasty, the accompanying rice was great, and the vegan tofu/vegetable dish was freshly prepared.
After dinner, she offered us dessert again, which we refused, again citing the diabetes/veganism at the table, and she brought them out to go anyways. It was very nice of the server to want to do something, and we just gave them to the neighboring table. Honestly, I would have preferred another order of those spring rolls!
So in retrospect, the food was fine, tasty even, but I didn't think it was priced appropriately, on or off of the RW menu. I don't really need to go back. I am sad because I've been thinking about the Elephant Walk for about three years now, and it had been on my list of places to go... I grew up going to Hy Vong in Miami, and had similarly high hopes for the French / Cambodian menu as the wonderful Vietnamese/French menu of Hy Vong.
Alas. On to Gargoyles tomorrow. If Gargoyles doesn't redeem RW for me, I am off of it for good. For the record, I am planning on spending much longer at Gargoyles tomorrow night... it's not that I don't enjoy a leisurely dinner, it's just that it didn't seem appropriate at EW.
Volle Nolle - Secretly Wonderful Baked Goods
I hesitate to post about the fabulous chocolate chip cookies at Volle Nolle, because it is usually around 3 or so that my craving overtakes me, and I rush down the road in the hopes they've got a few left... but I can't keep good things to myself.
I work in the North End. Of late, when I crave a baked good, it's a salty chocolate chip cookie from Volle Nolle, the sandwich shop. Their salty-sweet chocolate chip cookies have gotten a shout-out on this board before, but I want to reiterate: best chocolate chip cookies I've found in Boston.
Also? For some reason I've never been in on Thursdays... until today. There was another tray of baked goods next to the cookies. "What's that?!" I exclaimed. Tori, the fabulously-coiffed owner, told me "ginger scones. I only make them on Thursdays." They are AWESOME. In fact, today I had a scone for lunch followed by a cookie for dessert. This woman can bake. The Thursday one-two scone-cookie punch cannot become a weekly event. Can. Not. Mmmm.
Cookies: $1 each
Scones: $2 each
Tori (owner): delightful.
(Volle Nolle, 351 Hanover Street, Boston)
Farmer's Markets & CSAs - June 30 & it's July!
Went to the City Hall Famer's Market today... it was bustling! Bought a potato and mushroom pocket from Big Sky Bakery (mmm), and watched the last Jamaican Beef Patty go at 12:10 (I remember a thread asking about where to get these homemade... I presume the Big Sky ones are homemade -they were bigger, flatter, and less yellow than the commercial ones I've seen), a quart of strawberries from Stillman's, so ripe they're smooshing themselves, pea tendrils from the fresh egg people, and radishes, mint, and small caruso tomatoes ($3.50/lb) from the coop/Caruso tomato people. I hadn't been in a few weeks, so I was thrilled to see all the produce - lots of squash varieties now, some sour cherries, raspberries, Stillman's meat, eggs, lots of baked goods, and plants!
canning supplies
Slightly off topic - but - any chance anyone knows of any canning classes locally? I would love to start, but am a little scared of leaping into the great unknown on my own.
Farmer's markets and CSAs week of June 23rd
Davis Square market today c. 3:15 pm - lots of greens, as per usual, plus delicious strawberries. I picked up a large bunch of asparagus for $4.50, a pint of strawberries for $3.50, the last of the snap peas, and the most delicious fresh herb spring rolls from the Herb Lyceum for $6. That is worthwhile as I'm addicted to their dipping sauce. Lots of vendors - Taza, the goat cheese people, Breadsong bakery, Hi-Rise... Not too much time to dawdle, but I hope to make it back soon!
Highland Kitchen ?
Good luck, Gabatta. I, too, have been stymied MANY a Monday. Let me know where you end up...
Supreme Kitchen, Somerville
Well, it was a weekend of 'Kitchens' on Highland Ave for me - Highland Kitchen Saturday night, and Supreme Kitchen Sunday morning. I hadn't been to Supreme Kitchen in about a year, but we woke up hungry and with no patience for travel or lines, but wanting something more substantial than a baked good from Caffe Rossini. Supreme Kitchen scored on both those counts. They had a number of specials related to the Celtics championships, and I enjoyed that they were themed around where the players were from (I don't know enough about Basketball to remember examples, but the player from California's special was an avocado/egg sort of thing, the one from Texas had a tex-mex thing, etc). I had delicious banana pancakes, and my co-breakfaster went with the california egg/jack cheese/avocado/roasted pepper wrap. Both were excellent, as far as neighborhood low-fuss breakfast goes. Another shout out for those who live locally...
Farmers' Markets week of June 16th
I didn't get to Union Square until 11:15, but was still rewarded with: shelling peas, strawberries, mustard greens, Russian kale, and tender young white turnips, with greens. The peppery tender young mustard greens from Drumlin Farm are my current new favorite arugula-like salad green. I made a tahini dressing for them and the turnips to acclaim last night.
Highland Kitchen ?
Was at Highland Kitchen Saturday night around 8:15 - no wait, went right to the table (I have to admit - I was a little bummed - I was looking forward to sitting at the bar for a while and letting Paul mix his magical drinks for us...). We did have cocktails: I tried the gin and elderflower cocktail (HK something...), and my companion had a Gibson made with some sort of less herbal gin that they had from a special a few weeks ago. The waiter was incredibly helpful and attentive, and got into a several-minute conversation with my dining companion over the merits of different kinds of gin (I am not an afficionado, but it was clear they both are!). We had the steak au poivre and the fish and chips, with a side of sauteed greens on the steak since we were going to be inundated with french fries (never really a bad thing) with the fish. Both were excellent. A lot of poivre on the steak, but cooked perfectly, super flavorful, and I love a good watercress salad next to my steak. The fish and chips were excellent as usual. We finished with the banana bread pudding which was, you know, excellent. A lovely combination of custard, soft buttery sweet banana bread, and ice cream. I really love HK - it has never let me down, and it has been an excellent addition to my neighborhood. I realize I'm biased, because part of the appeal is that it's so close! Total, with tip (2 cocktails, 2 entrees, dessert): a little under $80.
In Season farm delivery truck
I haven't used their ordering/truck service, but they did make me inordinantly happy last summer when I popped out of the Porter Square T and saw their table, filled with delicious tomatoes, plums, concord grapes, baguettes, and chocolate. I don't know if they have plans to bring that table back - I hope they do - I'd certainly order and pick up from them if they were so conveniently located again. Chris and his partner are so enthusiastic and friendly - they would always stick an extra chocolate bar or piece of fruit in my bag - and I really hope they succeed!
Vegan and Budget Friendly in Harvard/Davis/Porter
I'm backing Christopher's here. I agree - they're really accommodating to vegan and other dietary restrictions. Plus, they have buffalo fried tofu. It doesn't get much better than that, if you love buffalo sauce and don't eat meat. My new favorite when I go there is the Southwestern chicken salad with buffalo tofu on top instead of chicken. Deeply satisfying in a way that only bright orange spicy friedness can be. Plus, it's a 'salad', so it's 'healthy'.
Good Ice Cream Cake?
My hands-down favorite for ice cream cakes is Christina's, in Inman Square. You have to give them 24 or 48 hours notice, but they'll make the cake with any two flavors you want from their extensive repertoire of ice creams. They also seem (to me) to be a very good value - the smallest cake, which they told me served 4-6, definitely served at least 8 of us. Burnt Sugar and Mexican Chocolate... Pumpkin and ginger... khulfi and mango... these are some combinations that we have enjoyed. They do decorate with real whipped cream, which can be a little funny frozen.
Farmers' Markets week of June 9, 2008
23023020320302302032030202302032 (approximately) people at the Scooper Bowl. Oops.
Farmers' Markets week of June 9, 2008
Another City Hall Plaza update: More strawberries, at Stillman's and the man next door. A good amount of greens (kale, chard, spinach) throughout. Pea tendrils! And chioggia beets. Also: 23023020203200323020320302230 people at the Scooper Bowl. The farmers told me that if the weather holds, there will be summer squash next week...
Cambridge Brewing Co.: Falafel or Tofu Burger?
I have returned from dinner... underwhelmed. I went with the falafel/hummus wrap, and can confirm that indeed there is too much sesame oil in the hummus. But that didn't bother me. What bothered me was that it was served on a cold stale lavash. Now this may just be a pet peeve of mine - but do restaurants realize how much tastier than can make bad tortillas/lavash/pita/wraps taste by simply heating them up? Also, the falafel was more like a fried glob of hummus than any falafel I've had... that said, I enjoyed the fries (guilty pleasure), and am writing this post with Trader Joe's Soy Creamy Vanilla (shockingly good) topped with farmers' market strawberries and the rhubarb-ginger jam I made over the weekend... so all is well in the Jedahome. I appreciate the suggestions, and if I'm ever back there, maybe I'll try the tofu burger.
