Special report- Dining in the Emerald Isle

Uncles Sam's cafe menu

 Roast Beef, onion marmalade, and rocket (a type of lettuce) and a cup of veggie soup

corned beef & cabbage with parsley sauce

 Lamb dinner with mashed potatoes 

 fried haddock

a typical Irish breakfast ( 2 eggs over easy, irish rasher, black and white pudding, 2 sausages and fried tomatoes and mushrooms)

coco cafe in Salt Hill, Galway

AMAZING carrot cake

coco cafe menu

Quay Street Kitchen menu

a local cider ale from Galway 

potted crab with fresh bakery bready and greens

sweet potato and ginger soup

a peroni beer

 KC Blakes in Galway city Ireland

fresh brown bread  (delicious )

 mussels in a cream sauce with garlic bread

Prawns (shrimp) with linguini and tomatoes 

rib eye steak with fingerling potatoes 

organic salmon

 sausage and cheese omlette with cucumbers & tomatos 

capucino and cream pastry

McDonaghs, Galway city

 seafood chowder with brown biscuit

grilled mackerel

fish n chips with mushy peas

key lime pie with raspberry compote ( Parks Hotel Galway City)

carrot cake, from Fellini cafe

Fellini Tea Room , Cork City 

Duck breast with ratatouille stuffed tomato

lamb chops

filet steak 

a 5,000 Euro bottle of whiskey

Ballymaloe Restaurant lunch menu

our reserved dining area

 seafood bisque

 white vegetable creamy soup with a dollop of fresh cream 

appetizer section of lunch buffet

4 carving meat carving station (pork, lamb, corned beef and Irish bacon)

 Veggie section of buffet

Ballymaloe House

 Dessert cart ( 5 different options)

Scoozi restaurant in Cork City

dessert options

 pizza with olives, sausage, anchovy, pepperoni and a fried egg

mars bar cheesecake

me eating a 99 ( vanilla soft serve with a flake chocolate bar)

 latte 

Isaacs Restaurant menu Cork City

 cream of pea & coriander soup

  Duck Confit

 NY Sirloin

Haddock with a lemon sauce

apple rhubarb crumble with fresh whipped cream

Sticky pudding with caramel sauce and fresh whipped cream

coffee cubana (with rum and condensed milk)

dessert menu Hotel Isaac Restaurant

The world is filled with misnomers and one that i feel i must correct is that the stereotype of Ireland being the land of potatoes and corned beef & cabbage. This is a European nation that is on the cusp of what is new and trendy.  First i must say i have a special fondness for Ireland as it is the birthplace for both my parents (Counties Limerick and Mayo). But having visited Ireland repeatedly has given me an outsiders view to see a country grow into an eclectic culinary utopia. 

 When people think of certain areas they can sometimes associate certain foods or restaurants with the area. When i think Paris France i think amazing white wines and cheese, when i think of Providence , Rhode Island i think of amazing Italian subs and calzones. When some people think of Ireland they think, beer, potatoes and corned beef, this does not even scratch the surface of what delicacies Ireland has to offer these days. 

I had some extremely flavorful creamy soups in many areas of Ireland, i love the creamy flavor and the brown bread that comes with ever bowl. My only criticism of these soups would be, i do not like the soups that have been run through the blender, They have a grainy taste which i do not enjoy,  I had a hard time getting used to dinner sized meals at dinner time. But i rather enjoyed eating the bigger meal in midday and having the smaller meal during supper time. 

I love the fresh fish you can obtain in Ireland, i had some really lovely prawns and cod. The key to any successful seafood restaurant is the lack of a fishy aroma, my mom always preaches to me is that fresh fish should never smell. While visiting Galway city I had the best fish n chips i ever had in Macdonaghs , the cod was amazing and with a perfect breading, not too heavy. The chips (French fries) and mushy peas made for a perfect accompaniment to the cod.  If you are a fan of salmon, then Ireland is the country for you. The irish Salmon is superior to most other places. Paired with a nice sauce or rice accompaniment it makes for a 5 star meal.  

If you find yourself in County Cork, then i can't recommend Ballymalone Restaurant/Hotel enough.  This establishment is run by the Allen family, Ireland's 1st family of culinary delights. They put on a luncheon buffet that would rival any 5 star restaurant. The staff is polite and attentive, the food hot ,flavorful and plentiful. They offer 4 carving stations, multiple starch options, and perfectly seasoned vegetable dishes. A dessert cart that you can get almost anything your sweet tooth would desire. 

No matter what county in Ireland you find yourself in, you can find some of the best pub foods you can imagine. You will see a lot of the same dishes from pub to pub but they are far superior to the normal chicken fingers and cheeseburgers you would find in any bar food menu in the states. 

I also would have to say i found the romanticized image of the irish pub is still in existence in many pubs in Ireland but mainly in those frequented by tourists. Don't get me wrong, i think that is where it should be, my favorite pub in Ireland is probably not frequented by many Irish customers, but mainly a tourist bar in Galway called the An Pucan (Irish for The boat) . The bar is known for its daily live music, and the musicians all play the style of Irish popular music that you would look for. 

If you are a fan of pastries or sweet desserts then you won't have a hard time finding some of the best bakeries with some amazing fresh baked pastries and pies(or tarts as they like to call them). My mom and i would often pop in to a bakery after taking a long walk and reward ourselves with a cappuccino or latte and split a lovely fresh cream filled pasty, like the 1 picture in the picture above. They make these pastries with fresh whipped cream, and because you can't have enough cream they also give you a side dish of whipped cream with almost all desserts....its the little touches that really make something good become great.

I know most people would not plan a vacation based on the cuisine of the area, but i would say if you are planning a trip to Ireland and assume you will only eat corned beef and cabbage, and drink Guinness then i would say you are in for a pleasant surprise. I myself look forward to my next visit to Eire, not just for the family i have there but also for the different surprises behind every corner pub.

I consider Ireland to be my 2nd home, and i look forward to my next visit. If you have any questions about places to visit or things to do i would be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Have a great day and a fabulous meal.

Kevin M. Boyle

Day 31 - Lunch at Boston Burger Company on a gorgeous Spring day

 Menu from Boston Burger Company

Daily Special

 me drinking a Slumbrew Happy Sol (Blood orange wheat beer)

Beer menu

Kona Fire Rock Ale

The Northender Burger

Beer Menu

On this day i happen to manage a rare day off from work and met a friend for lunch and on a recommendation we decided to try the Boston Burger Company in Davis Square. Davis square for those who know me is 1 of my favorite areas, with some really great dining options. Today we ate at the Boston Burger Company and it was a real treat, i completely enjoyed my meal. My dining companion got a buffalo chicken salad which i apologize i did not take a picture of (my bad i know), but we did enjoy a nice local brew. I had the Slumbrew Happy Sol beer, a blood orange wheat beer that was totally delicious. I never had a beer so flavorful, you could taste the strong orange flavor with every sip.

My friend aloud me a sip of his Kona Fire Rock Ale, not as much as i enjoyed my own but it was quite tasty. The beer menu is quite extensive and the wait staff super friendly and willing to answer any question about any of the beers.

The Burger menu is quite large with almost too many options, plus they add daily specials so the choice is even tougher. But after much deliberation i had the Northender burger, with fresh mozzarella, balsamic mayo and some fresh cut tomato slices.  It was sublime, perfectly cooked, a moist hamburger with just the right amount of mayo for flavor but not too overpowering.  They also give home made potato chips and some DAMN tasty cole slaw. I am a big cole slaw fan, and this was up there with some of the best i ever had.  If i had 1 complaint i could have had more slaw.
But as far as portions go, they gave just the right amount. Nobody likes to finish a meal and still be hungry but i hate to be full and still see my plate is covered in food because the portion was too huge. But after cleaning my plate I was full and satisfied but not feeling stuffed and bloated.

The staff was friendly and the prices reasonable, i can not recommend the Boston Burger company enough and if you need a dining companion give me a shout out , i would love to join you !

Have a great night and a fabulous meal !

Love

Kevin M. W. Boyle  xoxoxo















http://www.bostonburgerco.com/menu/

DAY 30 - Dinner at Su Chang's in Peabody

 Pu Pu Platter

 Crab Rangoon (5 Stars)

 Peking Raviolis

Su Changs

 Sweet & Sour chicken / Pork fried Rice

Well folks as you know I am a not what someone would call a Chinese food conoisseur, but what i like , i really like. I was at a first communion that day , when we went to Su Chang's for dinner in Peabody after the mass.  Not a restaurant i had ever established nor a town i frequent too often. But i will say this, the next time i am in the Peabody area i already know where i will be eating dinner ... dramatic pause...Su Changs !! 

Now i confess i did not do justice to getting pictures of all of our dishes because we ordered a ton of food, but when i have above was exquisite. Let me start with the most basic of chinese food appetizers, the pu pu platter.  This platter was loaded , the ocean must be short a few shrimps after out meal because they gave us plenty.  The spare ribs were very flavorful and quite tender meat, and there was an endless supply of chicken wings and fingers.

I am writing this section separate because i want to give it the full weight it deserves. These were THE BEST crab rangoons i have EVER eaten.  My God they were sublime.  Cooked perfectly, loaded with crab meat, not too much cream cheese filling, but just the right amount.  I could have eaten more if less people were watching.  Just thinking about them is making me hungry.

We had this amazing dish of moo shu shrimp, it was my first time enjoying entree. It reminded me of a chinese burrito, they came with wraps, that you load up with the noodles and shrimp. I would definetly recommend them to anyone and i can't wait to try them again.

The peking ravioli's were excellent, and cooked nicely. The meat stuffing was very flavorful and spicy. The sweet and sour chicken was great, not too much sauce. Plenty of pineapple to go along with, and they are a perfect accompaniment with the chicken. The shrimp fried rice was nice but what surprised me the most was how many shrimps they gave in an order.

As a disclaimer, i don't like egg rolls BUT my mom had 1 and she seemed to enjoy it very much. If you want more details i will bring her in as guest commentator.

The staff at Su changs were terrific and very attentive to our needs. I swear my water glass was refilled every time i took a sip.  Parking is plentiful as well and the restaurant has a lovely ambiance.

I highly recommend Su Changs and i look forward to my return.

Thats all , i hope you have a great night and great meal.

Love Kevin M Boyle

http://suchangspeabody.com/appetizers

Day 29 - Dinner at Inn at Quincy Bay Point , the next time i will point in the other direction

 14 Ounce New York Sirloin

Hand cut steak with a Kona rub or au poivre

 Prime Rib

The king of beef, tender and juicy topped with au jus
Tanker - $24.95 • Tug Boat - $22.95

 Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Whole chicken breast around a roasted portobella mushroom and proscuitto stuffing, topped with a marsala butter sauce

 Hot fudge sundae, with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, whipped cream and 1 hair.

 a side view of the prime rib

Let me start off with , this is not 1 of my favorite restaurants in Quincy so i did not go into this meal with great anticipation. The main reason we went was someone had given me a gift card for the restaurant. I wished i had ordered something different, but i was kind of craving beef. I should have  had a pasta dish, that i had ordered before that had shrimp and scallops with fettucini and Alfredo and that was quite good.

Instead i got the tanker version of the Prime Rib, and i have to say when this massive over an inch thick hunk of meat was put before me i was almost immediacy turned off. It was a tough and fatty piece of meat, that was under cooked. I asked for medium but this was closer to rare than medium rare. It came with a pop over that was cooked perfectly on the outside and a raw lump of dough on the inside. I ordered fries because i don't like baked potato but what i should have gotten was the del monico potatos. The best part of my meal, was the cole slaw, that was actually quite tasty. 

My dad got the 14 oz NY sirloin, that was cooked perfectly and was very nicely seasoned. He got the del monico potatos and i tried them, very good.  Mom got the stuffed chicken marsala, and that was a disaster, the stuffing made up 85% of the meal and was nothing more than stove top bread stuffing, and came with an overpowering marsala wine sauce. She also got a baked potato and squash ( to know me is to know, i was NOT a fan of these 2 sides) but she enjoyed both. 

Then came dessert, a simple hot fudge sundae with vanilla ice cream, a tiny amount of hot fudge sundae (i am almost certain this was hershey syrup) and whipped cream...instead of jimmies or nuts, there was a hair on the whipped cream. I don't think i need to add anything further, but will say this....ick. 

I will almost always stand up for waiters and waitresses because i think its a tough job and i couldn't do it.  Having said that, i also believe personality is a HUGE part of the job and this guy had none. He rushed us, he forgot some requests and the worst crime of all, while at our table he would shout over to neighboring tables to chat with customers to ask how their meals were.  To me you ask other tables how they are when you are actually at their table, not when you are standing at mine.  

So i won't be rushing back anytime soon but the next time i do go i will for sure be ordering the pasta dish.

Have a great night and a better meal than i had.

Love

Kevin Boyle

http://www.innatbaypointe.com/waterfront_dinner_menu.php

Day 28 -Restaurant Week -Dinner at Forum on Boylston Street

 DUCK CONFIT PUFF PASTRY

slow roasted duck confit wrapped in puff pastry, goat cheese, cranberries, pepper jelly & watercress 

 SHORT RIB DUMPLING

fried dumpling stuffed with slow roasted short rib, tangy pickled cabbage & sweet chili sauce 

 FISH TACOS

local haddock, red cabbage, pico de gallo, & chipotle aioli 

 LOBSTER RICOTTA GNOCCHI

maine lobster & cherry tomatoes served in beurre blanc & sorrel pesto sauce 

 CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD PUDDING

maple crème anglaise, banana chocolate sauce, vanilla bean ice cream 

 GRILLED CIDER-BRINED PORK TENDERLOIN*

mashed sweet potatoes, braised collard greens, apple butter 

 ESPRESSO CHEESECAKE

cookie crust, coffee caramel brittle 

Have I ever told you how much i love restaurant week, i try to make a point of ordering outside my comfort zone when i try some place new.  On this beautiful Spring evening (the weather, not the day in general...this particular day sucked, but i digress) i met my friend Andrea and her boyfriend Eric at Forum on Boylston street ( in the back bay). Andrea recommended this restaurant to us to try and i have to say she hit the bullseye with this choice.

The staff at Forum seemed very friendly and attentive, I wasn't wild about our waiter. He wasn't a bad waiter, just slow and a smidge forgetful. Mixed up a few drink orders and put a lime on my Dos equis amber ale (not a beer to confuse with a Corona).  But overall i would chalk it up to him having a bad night or maybe even being new to this line of work.

This was one of the BEST restaurant week menus i have ever seen as far as choice. 5 in the appetizer category , 5 in the entree category and 3 Dessert choices....yeeeeeeeah !
most places only give you 3 choices in each, so this was a great place if you wanted variety.  I was torn about what to start with , so i got the Duck confit (it's the best French word i pronounce, besides croissant) it was delicious and flavorful. The pastry was not dry and the pepper jelly was a beautiful accompaniment with just the right amount of heat and sizzle.  Having said that, Andrea's fish tacos and Eric's short rib dumplings looked delicious and i must confess some appetizer envy.

For the entree i got the Lobster Ricotta Gnocchi, wow was that good.  A nice amount of lobster (mostly claw meat) with some of the plumpest gnocchi's i have ever had. However if I have 1 enormous complaint, its that Andrea's bowl looked like it had more food that mine did. When i was done i had to look on enviously as she still had gnocchi's left in her bowl while i was sopping up sauce with the bread on the table. The sauce was succulent, and it was almost like have 2 sauces in 1 dish that became a 3rd sauce when combined, it was sauce-a-palooza in that bowl.  Eric got the pork which he seemed to enjoy very much and said was cooked very nicely.

I can genuinely say i was looking forward to my entree all day, but i was also really looking forward to my dessert. I got the chocolate banana bread pudding. It was just as good as it sound and looks, so rich and decadent. Just the right amount of sauce and vanilla ice cream.  I was slightly torn and almost ordered what Andrea got , the espresso cheesecake, but i am happy with the decision i made. She let me try some, and it was quite nice but just a little too creamy for the way i like my cheesecake.  The cookie crust was delicious though, it worked well with the creamy cheesecake.

So i have to say it was restaurant week that brought me to Forum in the first place but it was the outstanding food and ambiance that will bring me back and soon.

Anyone want to go, let me know..i need my gnocchi fix.

Have a great night and a great meal

Love
K. M. Boyle




http://www.forumboston.com/menus.php?p=dinner

Day 27, Lunch at B Good Burger was A-bysmal

b-good Burgers  (Real food fast...perhaps a little too fast)

 a cheese burger with avocado and red cabbage cole slaw

 Perhaps the most undercooked burger i have ever received.

Well for those of you who know me personally, i work near Downtown crossing Boston. I have several decent choices for lunch (Sam LaGrassas, Al's sub shop, Pizzeria Regina) but on 1 particular day i said to myself "Kevin, you need to try something new....expand your horizons".  So after taking a walk around downtown i stumbled upon B Good.  Well never have i regretted going out of my comfort zone more.  First these new high end hamburger places that seem to be the big trend of the moment (5 Guys, Wahlburgers, U Burger, etc etc) are really not all they are made out to be,  i can't say that any of them have good French fries. In fact i would call them lousy and artery closing with the amount of grease they are cooked in. Have any doubts about that statement, carry them in a brown paper bag for a couple of minutes and you will be able to see through the bag they are so covered in grease.  

After having paid $11.75 for the lousy fries, a small coke, and the above burger i had quite high hopes based on B Goods promise of better quality products and the outrageous price ( something that $$ should be amazing) well after 2 bites i saw what i can generously call RAW beef.   For $11.75 they can't even cook a burger fully !!?? 

Now i know what you are thinking "Come on K Dawg why you gotta be hating, anyone can make a mistake!"  I would be the first to agree with you, BUT to me the way a restaurant handles such a major culinary catastrophe is the symbol of a well run establishment.  When i went back to the restaurant to complain, i was walked over to the manager who looked at the burger and said "Ooops how did that happen?  Ha ha ha ?"  Ummm it happened because you people aren't doing your job and don't realize a burger takes more than 14 seconds to fully cook.  

So without asking me what i wanted he told his staff to do a redo of the order.  In fairness they actually cooked it this time, but wow was that burger disgusting. The cole slaw was far too strong and pungent, and an overpowering flavor. 

The next time i want a burger in Downtown crossing, i will be at Wendys or Burger King, because i may not know whats in it, but i know it will be edible and under $10.

Have a great night and a better meal than the 1 i had at b good.

Love 

Kevin Boyle

http://www.bgood.com/menu.php

Day 26 - Dinner at Cuchi Cuchi in Cambridge ( easily my favorite restaurant name)

 Tartufo chocolate-coated gelato ball

Brie en Croûte -$ 14

Brie, walnuts, bacon in puff pastry

Singapore Sling

(Raffles Hotel - Singapore - 1915)

gin, Cherry Heering, Benedictine, Cointreau, orange & pineapple juice, soda water

Fried Artichoke Hearts(Italy) - $14

filled w/ gorgonzola, pistachios & basil

Thai Mussels - $15

Potato Croquettes - $10 ,with tomato and cheese dipping sauce

Caspian Heaven (Russia) - $13

Roasted Fingerling potatoes, crispy oysters, creme fraiche, salmon roe & champagne sauce

 First and foremost i want to apologize for my photos and take this time to say Heather you were right and i was wrong, i should have used the flash.  I have learned my lesson.

This restaurant was a suggestion made by my friend Heather,  when she , her husband and i were trying to think of a new place to try for dinner. This establishment with the best name ever is located in Central Square on Main street. When you walk in the front door you feel like you are swept back to the 1920's. The hostess and waitress's are dressed like flappers, and the waiters are dressed in very stylish uniforms.  Our waiter started our evening off by presenting each of us with a hot towel to wash our hands, he then removed the towels immediately to not leave them sitting on the table with us.

We decided to start off our evening with a cocktail,  Frank had a scotch based cocktail that i'm sorry to say i can not recall, Heather had a Strawberry Basil Martini , and i had a Singapore Sling. The cocktails were fabulous, beautiful presentation with the fruit and garnish, and the taste was quite exquisite. Strong but not overly, extremely flavorful.

Now we come to the food....soooooo much food. Cuchi Cuchi makes of point of stating their meals are for sharing but they are not a Tapas restaurant. Their menu has the most eclectic options i have ever seen, they offer different styles of food ranging from French, Thai, Russian, Cuban, Italian, and Japanese to name just a few.  We ordered potato croquets(see above) , these were perfectly cooked little potato bites with cheese inside , that comes with a tomato puree dipping sauce and cheese dipping sauce, a great combo when dipped in both.   

Fried artichoke hearts( seen above), that were amazing and definitely in my top 3 food choices for the night, i love the taste of artichoke but never had them stuffed before. They come stuffed with gorgonzola , pistachios & bass...glorious.

The thai mussels(pictured above) come with a very generous portion, sitting in a subtle cream sauce (the full ingredients escape me, but it had coconut milk, lemongrass and basil ), these were some of the most perfectly cooked mussels i have ever tried and i enjoyed every single one i devoured. 

The cuban cigar (not pictured) was tasty but not extraordinary. It was a simple dish beef short rips wrapped in pastry, with black bean salsa on the side. My only issue with the dish was the salsa was ice cold, and it was such a contrast to the hot beef pastry, when i ate them together it was too much hot and cold at once.

The Tsukune (aka chicken balls) were a slight disappointment as well. Theoretically they should have been amazing, but we all felt they had an overpowering soy flavor that made me satisfied to just have 1.  To know me is to know i love chicken, but this could have been any meat because with all the soy flavor you wouldn't be able to tell the difference.  It was essentially a chicken meatball, on a shiitake mushroom, with soy/mirin glaze. If you love soy then this is the dish for you.

The Caspian Heaven(pictured above)....mmmmmm these were #1 for me & Frank this evening. Ridiculously good, i love oysters but i have never had them this good before. You get 4 in a serving and we split them , but i definetly could have eaten an order to myself. They are crispy oysters, with creme fraiche, salmon caviar, and a Champagne dipping sauce.  I need a cigaret just thinking about this...sigh..ok i am composed. You taste the oysters , but not the salt water flavor. The crispy coating is far superior to any "fried" oysters i have ever had. The dipping sauce was sublime,  too quote the lady from the commercial  "I would put that sh#t on anything !" 

Finally for dinner we had the Brie en Croute, Brie, walnuts and Bacon wrapped in a puff pastry served with green apple slices. This was tremendous, so simple but glorious flavor and visually pleasant. Thankfully this was the picture Heather took so the flash was on. The sour of the apple, with the hot creamy cheese and the saltyness of the bacon was a deadly combination, just delicious.

We were all pretty full, but not overstuffed considering all the food we ordered. So we decided we could split 1 more thing.   Dessert, Heather picked very wisely.

Neopolitan gelato in a hard chocolate shell. The gelato had pistachios and cherry slices inside of it and the chocolate shell was rich and cream, a perfect ending to a perfect meal.

I would highly recommend Cuchi Cuchi to anyone looking for a fun and adventurous night out on the town that includes a 5 star meal and 6 star cocktails. If you need someone to come along to make recommendations and to help you eat your crispy oysters, then just say the word and i'll be there.  ; - )

Have a great night and a great meal.

Love 

Kevin M.W. Boyle I

http://www.cuchicuchi.cc/menu.html