Special edition- Boston Restaurant week

Hi, normally i would be telling you all about a fabulous (hopefully) meal i had just had eaten, and then giving a breakdown about what i thought about the restaurant. Tonight i want to tell you about several restaurants i have dined at over the years during an event called Boston Restaurant Week.

http://www.restaurantweekboston.com

The establishment i have dined at the most during this glorious event is Ruth's Chris steak house on School St. in Downtown Boston.  This is a fantastic steak house chain, that normally i wouldn't frequent too often due to the prices. But during the restaurant week, i have visited Ruth's Chris 3 times in the last 5 years. They are a well oiled machine in terms of wait staff and servers. The steaks are outstanding, they come cooked to perfection and on a plate so hot that the steak is still sizzling when the steak is brought to your table. They usually also have a chicken dish and a seafood dish(although i have never ordered either when i come here). They also give you 1 side (a potato or a veggie).  I normally order the chowder for the appetizer but they always offer a caesar salad as an option. The dessert they have no other options, always the bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce. Always delicious, but its unusual that they don't give you more than 1 option for dessert.  But to me this is the type of restaurant that people get their money's worth because the prices are normally so high, that paying $33 for a 3 course meal, actually feels like a good deal at an establishment such as this.

This is a restaurant that i have always had a fondness for , my 1st time there my friend JB and i went with a gift certificate someone gave me, and we both enjoyed the meal very much.Also got a big kick out of the guys coming around every 10 minutes to scrape the crumbs off the table cloth.

http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/restaurant/ruths-chris-steak-house/

Another restaurant i have visited more than once during Restaurant Week is Marliave on Bosworth st.
Most restaurants give you 3 of each option (appetizer, entree, and dessert) but with Marliave you get multiple choices of each.  I don't know another restaurant that gives customers as many choices as Marliave does. I have had the Mac & cheese and the escargots for an appetizer, both are sublime. The steak isn't up to Ruth's chris standards but still quite good and the other entree i tried was the diver scallops. Very tasty, i particularly enjoyed the pea ravioli.  The butterscotch pudding was fantastic, but 1 year i had the chocolate cake and i have to say it was a little dry. Even with the melting center, it didn't live up to the description.

http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/restaurant/marliave/

The other restaurant i recall trying was Petite Robert Central on Summer St. I ended up here because i couldn't get a reservation at Ruth's Chris one Summer.  The bar was packed when we got there, and it does seem like a restaurant i would enjoy for a simple meal. The French Onion soup smelled and looked fantastic but i have to say the $33 meal didn't quite seem worth the $$ spent.
The food was tasty enough but in my opinion a place to visit a different time, not during the fixed menu of Restaurant Week.

http://www.restaurantweekboston.com/restaurant/petit-robert-central/

I would highly recommend this 2 week period to anyone looking for a new place to try especially a restaurant that might be normally out of your price range but $33 for a 3 course meal doesn't seem to bad for a 4 star meal. My one piece of advice i would give to anyone is , don't go to the North End during Restaurant Week. As great as the restaurants are , $33 for pasta just isn't worth the money. Its not a good bargain. A steak house or seafood restaurant are the best financial bargains you can get.

This year i plan to visit Ruth's Chris again and i know i will order the filet again and i am quite certain i will enjoy it , again.  If you decide to try anywhere next week, i would love to hear your review of where you went and if you would recommend this restaurant to anyone.

have a good night and a good meal.

Kevin B.
xoxo

Day 16 Dinner at Silvertones !!

Mac & cheese on the left and Goat Cheese Crostini on the right  ($9 & $6)

Jerk chick served with fried bananas, white rice in a tabasco butter sauce.  ($15)

Well , many a times people will recommend a place to me and i'll always keep it in the back of my mind as somewhere to go,  but rarely am i told about a place from so many people and with rave reviews. Especially about the Mac & Cheese. So when i made plans to get together with a friend i hadn't seen in far too long, when she suggested we go to Silvertones for dinner i knew it was about time i got myself over there.  The restaurant is small and cozy. Its also beneath street level so when you walk in the door, you have to go downstairs and are immediatly at their bar area. We had a lovely glass of wine while waiting to be seated. The hostess was very friendly and attentive.

My friend Heather who i was dining with,  has dined there several times so when she gave me the run down of what she usually orders when she goes there, it worked fine for me. We shared an order of the Mac & Cheese as an appetizer and also the goat cheese crostini (goat cheese is a not so secret obsession of mine).  Before i talk about the Mac & Cheese i need a moment to regain my composure (it was that good) so i will start with the goat cheese crostini. It was a very generous portion of goats cheese, with some nicely flavored toast points it had a lovely pepper seasoning that accentuated the sweetness of the cheese. An excellent choice, but the MVP had to have been the Mac & Cheese. As my friend Neil said earlier, so many places seem to try and claim "the best mac & cheese in town". While i agree with him, in my earnest opinion this was the BEST Mac & Cheese i have ever ordered out in a restaurant. It had a simplicity to it, the yellow cheese color (not using all sorts of "fancy" cheeses and a not overloaded breadcrumb topping.  I could have eaten it all, but i had to share   :- (

For dinner we both had the jerk chicken with fried bananas (Phe-nominal) white rice in a butter tobacco sauce. You take a small bit of each item at once and you get the heat from the spicy chicken but immediatly following the sweetness of the fried bananas. The portion was perfect, just enough without overloading us with too much food. 

The staff was very courteous and on the ball with drinks and checking up on us to see how we were doing. The price was very reasonable as well. I have the link below for the menu for anyone to take a peak at.  I can't recommend this restaurant enough to anyone, and if you need someone to go with you, i will make myself available for you.   ; -) 

To say i was "Boyled Over" would be an understatement, 

pun intended.

Have a great night and a great meal,

XOXO Kevin M.

http://silvertonedowntown.com/menu.html

Day 15 Breakfast at The Friendly Toast

Coconut Cakes (a pancake with cashews, shredded coconut, chocolate chips and drizzled with coconut sauce for  $6.75)

My love for The Frienly Toast in Cambridge,MA is well documented.  Today was a day for trying new things, i am not a huge fan of coconut(except the water and milk) but i just felt like trying something a little different today. So when my friend order the coconut cakes, i threw caution to the wind and said make that 2 please (i did the same thing out for supper last night , when i ordered the same grilled cheese as my friend Rob).  The waiter said do i want 1 or 2, i asked how big they said 1 covers a plate, so i thought 1 would be sufficient. Wow was i right, i couldn't even finish the 1 i ordered. Its absolutely delicious and soooo flavorful. But its a dense pancake and heavy with toppings, 1 is more than most people could eat.  For 2 coffees, 2 juices and 2 pancakes, the total came to  $26 and change.  Very reasonable for good quality food.  

I have a few people who have asked me to let them know when i go, and this is 1 place that i will always make time to go with someone to introduce them to my favorite breakfast joint.  So come 1 come all, lets all go to the Friendly Toast and soak up the great food and atmosphere.

Have a scrumptious day and a great meal.

Kevin B.

http://www.thefriendlytoast.net

Day 14 Dinner at Tony's Clam shop

 Worst picture of me ...ever, but look at those onion rings !

Fried Oyster Dinner with cole claw and fries  ($17.95)

Well this is my 1st repeat posting, i just love Tony's and i wanted to show the world  (the small section that i know) how amazing Tony's food looks. I had the fried oyster plate, a little pricy but the quality is outstanding and the quantity is more than i can eat. My friend Andrea got the fish and chips, and she said the fish was terrific, not greasy at all ($15.95) and then we split an onion rings. The atmosphere was great, the outdoor seating area was packed ( a little too buggy though, we both got bit). 

After dinner we went to Marina bay and had cocktails at Port 305 ( I am NOT a fan of their food, but the bar area is nice ) The drinks looks better than they tasted but still a nice way to end an evening.

All in all a fun night, and i hope to go back to Tony's again soon while the weather is still nice to sit outside. 

Have a good night and a good meal.

Kevin M.W.B,

http://www.tonysclamshop.com

Day 13 Dinner at Hingham Beer Works

Watermelon Beer

Fried chicken sandwich with whipped potatos

grilled chicked sandwich,with sweet potato fries (raspberry aioli)

 Chicken Salad

The other night i had a lovely dinner out with my friends Michael and Kevin, we went to the Hingham shipyard (former home of 1 of my favorite restaurants of all time, the Hingham Bay Club).

We weren't sure which of the multiple choices we would dine at that evening, but where it was a perfect evening to dine outside we made our choice and the Hingham Beer Works was our destination. It was a Thursday evening, and at around 7:15 we still had to wait for about 20 minutes for a table outside. Once we were seated, the view was spectacular , we could see the water and the side walk(great people watching scene). On this particular evening we also had great music, there was a free showing of the Muppet movie near our restaurant and we could hear the songs from our seat.  As is well documented i am not a fan of watermelons, but the idea of watermelon beer intrigued me. It was worth trying, it was light and a refreshing beverage. I had a lovely fried chicken sandwich that came on a bulky with bacon and a nice cream sauce. I took the bacon off but the flavor from the bacon stayed on the sandwich and made it just that much tastier. Kevin got the grilled chicken sandwich and the sweet potato fries with raspberry aioli for dipping, i tried a fry and dipped...it was very surprising, i would never have put the 2 flavors together , but they worked. Michael got the salad with grilled chicken, it looked very tasty and was quite a good size for a salad, definitely meal size.  

Overall the staff was very courteous and attentive, the meals were well priced, nothing was outrageous, and the atmosphere was laid back and relaxing.   If you didn't want to sit outside, and perhaps wanted to watch a sporting event, the bar is well stacked with tv's showing everything that was on that evening.

I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. There are plenty of great shops within walking distance as well. 

Have a great evening, and a great meal. 

Kevin B.

XOXO

Day 12 breakfast at Zaftig's Delicatessen in Coolidge Corner

Empire Eggs (2 poached eggs, on spinach, salmon, and potato pancakes w/ hollandaise sauce)

Today i went to one of my favorite neighborhoods of Boston, Coolidge Corner. It has a cool vibe to it, but with some great shops and not overloaded with the same ole chains you see in every mall.

I talked my friend into having breakfast with me at Zaftig's Delicatessen. I have read some good reviews and heard some good things from friends,but i have never been to an authentic Jewish delicatessen and was apprehensive about whether i would enjoy myself. Well we sat at the counter, which is my favorite place to sit in a breakfast joint. The staff was very attentive and were constantly checking if we needed coffee refills. The restaurant was quite busy for a thursday morning, which is  a very good sign. The menu looked great, and i flip flopped about what to get, but i felt for the purpose of blogging, the Empire eggs benedict was the route to take. It was delicious, the eggs were cooked perfectly, the potato pancake was nice and crispy(thats key for me) and it didn't overload with spinach or Lox. They used a light amount of hollandaise sauce, which was good, because i want to taste the food and not mask the flavor with sauce. The most pleasant surprise was the home fries, they were fantastic !! This is coming from someone who does not like home fries , i would eat these weekly.  The slice of watermelon was a nice touch (if i liked watermelon) but it brought the plate together.  I would definetly go back, and i know i would try the french toast or pancakes with strawberry butter( that just sounds ridiculous). If i had one issue with Zaftig's it would be the prices, i thought they were a skosh high, not outrageous but a lil high for breakfast.

While you are in Coolidge Corner please stop by Julie's nails for a mani/pedi (its the only place i will go), Kupel's for the best bagel i have ever had (thank you for the recommendation Tami), or the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse to grab a burger or to watch a game (sports on every tv in the place and they have A LOT of tv's).

Thats all i have for now, so have a good night and a good meal.

Kevin B.

xoxo

Day 11, Dinner at Hennessy's just outside Fanueil Hall

Steak tip fajita wrap, with fries and a pickle

Shepherds pie

Well today we spent the day at Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market,  it was quite nice.We watched street performers, walked over to the water, and stopped into a few places to cool off (i.e., have some cocktails and watch the Red Sox game) First we went to Anthem, and then over to Durgin Park and couldn't quite find the perfect place to eat. Then i recalled having a wonderful meal a few years ago at a bar near the Purple Shamrock but could not recall the name. So we took a chance and scampered over there (it was a scorcher, so walking around was a chore) and thats when i saw Hennessy's and a light bulb went off over my head ! That was the place! Success , and they had a special on $2 Corona Lights today, so it was win win.  I had the shepherds pie, and it was pretty tasty.  Ground beef, carrots, peas, onions with a nice brown gravy and mashed potatoes on top.  The gravy was tasty, but a lil overwhelming, as much as you see on top it was filled with it inside too.  My friend Cathy got the steak tip fajita wrap, which she enjoyed but it could have had more steak and less sour cream she noted. i tried 1 of her fries, and they were tasty but over cooked (she then ruined them with ketchup, so i then chose to look away).  The meal wasn't what i hoped , but it was still pretty tasty and filling, it did both lunch and supper.  Although, we did  ice cream on the way home...soft serve ( i had pina colada, YUM !!) and then thanks to my friends being generous sharers, i got to try the watermelon soft serve and the vanilla too.  I liked mine the best, and wished i had taken a picture of it.  However, i thought the price was  Out -(wait for it)- Rageous !!  $8 FOR A CONE!! What am i , a billionaire?? 

I am glad i spent today catching up with old friends and going back to my old stomping grounds. 

Thats all for now, have a good night a good meal.

Kevin B.

XOXO

Day 10 , Breakfast in Coolidge Corner

The sampler (1 piece of challah bread french toast, 1 chocolate chip pancake, and 1 waffle with fresh whipped cream, strawberries and vanilla ice cream, home fries)

omlette with wheat toast and home fries

This meal was at the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse , in Brookline, MA.  I have had lunch and dinner at this restaurant about 3 times and have enjoyed every meal. Its got a good size menu and the prices are reasonable.  This was our first time going here for brunch, and i have to say i was pleasantly surprised. I had the sampler which gives you 1 piece of challah bread french toast, 1 pancake (your choice of type, i chose chocolate chip, and 1 waffle with strawberries , vanilla ice cream and fresh whipped cream)  This is a HEAVY meal , and while i enjoyed what i ate i don't think i could order it again. But it gave me a preview of all 3 breakfast choices so  i now know i don't think i would enjoy the waffle for breakfast, it has too much going on and while the pancake was tasty it looked undercooked to me and if something doesn't look appealing then that will turn me off. The waffles however were delicious and i would definitely get them again. My friend Paul got the above omlette, which i believe he enjoyed but i can't recall what he put in there besides peppers and salsa .  Joanne got the French toast, and i think she also enjoyed them as much as i did. We all got iced tea and unlike quite a few places, they gave free refills. It was quite tasty as well.  

The Coolidge Corner Clubhouse is a place i would definitely recommend to people, and its within walking distance of Julie Nails which is worth the trip to Coolidge Corner alone. But if you find yourself in Brookline and are looking for a good place to watch a sporting event on TV , the CCC (as they call themselves) has TV's in every possible place they can put one on their walls. 

Thats all for now, have a good night and a good meal.

Kevin B.

xoxo

Special posting...the likes and dislikes of the author

I feel like i have been neglecting my blog lately. I enjoy it very much so just because i am not going out to dinner as much lately i can still share my foodie thoughts and recipes i have tried with everyone.

I don't have a particular recipe to offer at this time, but one topic that comes up quite often with friends/family/acquaintances is my declarations of things i don't enjoy. Sorry but if i don't like something, people are gonna hear about it. So for anyone who is interested below is a list of foods i enjoy and others i despise, for those who think i am picky the likes out way the dislikes.

Likes  
Chicken dishes                                                                  
Egg dishes (just about every conceivable way)                    
Mangos                                                                              
Shell fish (shrimp, crab, oysters, clam, etc)      
Boston cream pie (see also Boston cream donuts)
Bacon
Boiled Lobster on my birthday
Corn on the cobb
Broccoli
Kale
cauliflower
Peas ( combine with mashed potatoes ..Amazing)
Carrots & parsnips (mashed together)
Potatoes (mashed, boiled, fried)    
Pies (Pecan, pumpkin, cherry, blueberry, rhubarb, key lime, lemon meringue, apricot)            
Chocolate covered cherries (the real kind, not the kind bought at CVS)
Coconut milk/water
French Toast /Pancakes
 Black breakfast pudding (If you're Irish you know what it is)
Grilled English Muffins
Product 19 cereal
Captain Crunch ( best kids cereal)
Apple Jacks (best cereal ever)
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (i prefer the white to the green)
Chocolate frappes /Milk Shakes
Dr. Pepper    
Alfredo sauce (why does something so amazing have to be sooooo bad for you)
Ice Mountain bottled water
Tomatos ( i could eat a tomato like an apple)
BREAD ( fresh bakery bread is my weakness, O'Briens bakery's Oatmeal bread ..just thinking about it, i need a moment to myself )
Twix
the rolls at Bertucci's
Sangria
White wine in the Summer  ( pinot grigio, and sauvion blanc are particular favorites)
Red wine in the cooler seasons
French Fries  ( with Salt (although not anymore) , or malt vinegar or honey mustard, and thats it)
thick onion rings
stuffed shells (my favorite freshly made pasta dish)
left over spaghetti and meatballs, reheated in a frying pan with a lil butter
stuffed mushrooms
asparagus (grilled)
soft pretzels with yellow mustard
red licorice
Izze juice drinks
a really well cooked grilled cheese on a cold night, with tomato soup
homemade mac & cheese
oreos (i will also eat a hydrox)
jelly candies (swedish fish/ fruit slices)
Yams
red grapes
plums (the juicier the better)
a fresh peach
cherries
chowdah
Olga's iced coffees
grapefruit juice
raspberries
blueberries
Spinach
Fish tacos

DISLIKES
Chicken on pizza
Eggplant(just about every conceivable way)
Every member of the melon family
Dishes that come with cooked shrimp that leaves the shell on the tail, that is infuriating to me
Potatoes ( Baked , shoe string, curly)
Banana flavored foods,  (ie banana flavored candy)
Kit Kats  (yuck)
Coconut candies or desserts (ie Almond Joys, Mounds)
White breakfast pudding (if your Irish , you know what it is)
flakey pastries ( i like doughy)
Lamb
Pesto
Turnips
Every member of the Squash family
Veal
Diet Pepsi
ovaltine
skim milk in coffee or tea
home fries (with 1 exception, The Friendly Toasts' in Cambridge, theirs i will eat)
Necco Wafers
Jolly Ranchers
Tuna/chicken/egg salad out , i will never order these 3 things out at a restaurant.
Cucumbers
Eating any kind of meat on a bone
green beans (except in casserole)
cookies with raisins
shoe string onion rings