Day 52 Dinner at Life Alive in Cambridge , Central Square

 The Lover (filling bowl)

 Loco Coco Alive (smoothie)

Well my journey to my first vegetarian started with a new health kick i have been on….Kale.  A vegetable i have long considered a four letter word. But with the help of my blender and some different fruits and veggies, i was trying to have kale based smoothies for breakfast a few days a week. 

Upon hearing of my new kale kick, my friend was kind enough to recommend a wonderful little restaurant in Cambridge's Central Square called Life Alive, that specializes in making different types of meals (Bowls, wraps, salads, juices and smoothies) using all organically grown fresh vegetables. 

they specialize in making meals that will taste great and use the kind of ingredients that help recharge your battery & your soul.

Well i said if i am taking this health kick seriously , i have to check this place out.  Well i owe her a debt of gratitude because while i am not a big carnivore , i do normally lean towards meals that have a lil meat. We both had the above listed "The lover" filling bowl,  consisting of kale, brown rice, shiitake mushroom, shredded carrots & beets, and broccoli with an amazing ginger nama shoyu sauce (on a side note this sauce is ridiculous, and i would pretty much eat anything that was smothered in it. 

The combination of the veggies went well together and for the price you get a perfectly cooked meal, in a very generous portion. I had the amazing smoothie shown above for my beverage.  

The loco coco alive…Wow, better than any milkshake i ever had. So creamy and flavorful. It consisted of Dandi Blend,raw cacao,  coconut oil, ice cream ( coconut milk based, non dairy ) and rice milk.

The whole meal was heavenly, i was full after but not the kind where you don't want to move after, the kind of full where you know you ate just the right amount. The freshness of the veggie was clear in the look and texture but also the flavor. The staff was overall good and informative of their products. The restaurant is clean , nicely decorated and i have to say the huge display of their vegetable stock behind the counter is a nice touch (and speaking as someone who does a veggie garden every year, i could only dream of a crop as nice as what they were using for their meals). 

I have to say this was a very nice surprise ( thanks again Lina) and i can't wait to go back to Life Alive again.

have a great night and a better meal.

Kevin B. 

http://lifealive.com/LifeAlive%20Poster%20Menu%202-23-15.pdf

Day 51 Dinner at Tavolo in Ashmont, Dorchester

the menu (with an unfortunate shadow of my photo skills)

Spreads: Tuscan beans, whipped ricotta, roasted garlic, grilled bread | 12

Chitarra Carbonara: guanciale, pancetta, pink & black pepper, farm egg | 19 

Lasagna: ragu bolognese, gruyere, mozzarella |23 

Daily dessert special- lavender cheesecake with kumquat marmalade $ Priceless

Twas a brisk March night,  when i got the call….Do you want to go out to eat at Tavolo's ?

Tavolo i responded with a slight bit of confusion. For i must confess, i had never heard of this establishment. Well i have to tell you , i may not have been familiar with it 2 weeks ago, but baby i won't be forgetting it anytime soon.  

Located just a stones throw from Ashmont station in Dorchester, this Italian restaurant had some of the best pasta i had in a long time. We started with a cocktail, i can't recommend the mango punch enough. it was fruity, and flavorful, but had just the right kick to it; stung but not too strong. 

We then had the Spread appetizer(pictured above), a great combo of spreads for perfectly grilled bread. The roasted garlic was my favorite , but mixing that with the whipped ricotta…utterly delightful.

My dining compadres the Dr. and the Dean enjoyed the lasagna ( while i was graciously offered to try, i declined as i don't like to mix pasta sauces) but i have to say i was terribly envious of the Dr.'s piece of lasagna, as it was a corner piece with just a little crispy edges ….which is my favorite. They both devoured their meals, and declared that it was some of the best they had in a long time. The gruyere was an especially nice addition.

I had one of my go to pasta dishes, the carbonara. A dish i have cooked at home, with some success, but not even in the same ballpark as the entree at Tavolo's.  The pasta, cooked perfectly, the right amount of saltiness from the pancetta, the egg was blended in just right , with just the right amount of pepper in the seasoning. I know for sure i will attempt to replicate this dish at home, but even if i fail. I know its a short train ride to Ashmont for the real deal.

We had an outstanding waitress that evening, who was friendly, offered great suggestions and answered all of our questions. One of her recommendations was the dessert we split 3 ways. The lavender cheesecake with kumquat marmalade.  wow is all i can say, so smooth and creamy and the addition of the kumquat marmalade i regretted not getting my own instead of sharing. ;-)

Our waitress also taught me an interesting fact, that the kumquat is the only citrus fruit you can eat the skin along with the meat of the fruit.  I didn't know much about the kumquat other than its a fun word to say, but it makes a scrumptious marmalade.

I can't wait for my next visit to Tavolo's and i recommend you try it yourself.

Have a great night and an even better meal

Kevin B.

http://www.tavolopizza.com/menus/

Day 50 ( wow # 50 !) Dinner at Caffe Bravo in New Haven, CT

Toscana Pizza (fontina, gorgonzola, prosciutto di palma, fig preserves)

 Limoncello mascarpone cake

I have to confess i did you all a disservice, i can't believe i don't have more pictures to demonstrate how amazing the food was at Caffe Bravo. 

I was in New Haven, having a get away with my friend Paul and we were heading to a different bar we had gone too last year,  that bar was packed due to the NCAA tournament ( fyi i got 3 out of the final 4 on my bracket) but it was too busy to get a seat and hear ourselves.  So we kept on walking, it was a nice brisk New England evening, and Paul thought he recalled another bar just a short walk from there. 

Well on our walk we stumbled upon a cute lil restaurant, Caffe Bravo…well little did we know, we had just found one of the best gems in all of CT.  We sat at the bar, and had a couple of finely made cocktails by a very friendly bartender.  The bar is small but perfect for trying to have a conversation with someone and not trying to be heard over 11 TVs and people surrounding you yelling. 

We had 2 appetizers, the calamari and the artichokes. The calamari, big portions , lightly breaded and a nice marinara dipping sauce. The artichokes, were plump and came with a heavenly pesto aioli ( yes i know what i have said about pesto in the past, but when something is delis, i am going to admit it).

They also give an excellent bread basket , with bruscetta.

The pizza, was a recommendation of the owner, a wonderful man who was very friendly and accommodating.  The pizza pictured above, was easily one of the best i have ever had. The perfect combination of sweet, and salty and savory. A perfectly cooked pizza with forina, gorgonzola, prosciutto and fig preserve, topped with a balsamic drizzle.  I can't emphasize how much i loved this pizza, in a town filled with famous pizzerias , Caffe Bravo can be counted as one of my favorites.

Just when i thought i couldn't be happier with my meal( and fuller) the owner brought us out one of the most delicious desserts i have EVER had.  Holy moses smell the roses, limoncello mascarpone cake, a was just exquisite.  Light, incredibly flavorful, perfectly moist with just the right balance of cake and icing. The ultimate after dinner treat.

So if you find yourself in New Haven CT, a small walk from Yale, do yourself a favor and stop by Caffe Bravo for a meal that i promise you, you will not regret.

have a great night and an even better meal.

Kevin M. B.

http://www.caffebravo.com/#!menu/c1ta4

Day 49 Dinner at Eastern Standards in Kenmore Square, Boston

yours truly drinking a  Corio Coupe (Redonukulas)

Baked Rigatoni

 bread with pickled veggies

 gnocci

Roasted Bone marrow with shallot jam, persillade

 Flat iron steak with fries 

 calamari

 Butterscotch bread pudding with caramel sauce & praline ice cream

 a gorgeous dessert cocktail 

So , i have a few different friends in my life in different parts of the U.S. whose company i enjoy ( i guess that goes without saying or they wouldn't be friends) but i get a particular kick out of the visits to Boston of my friend Cristina (spelled correctly). Besides her wonderful personality, the other reason i get such a kick out of these visits is that it usually means i get to go out to a fabulous restaurant that i had not been to before.

Well this particular visit , brought me to a neighborhood that i don;t come too that often. Kenmore square, home of Fenway Park and Dustin Pedroia (Laser Show !). Well now i know another reason to hop on the Green line and get off at Kenmore Square. Easter Standard is a restaurant i wish i had discovered several years ago.  A class act, the staff was warm and welcoming, the wait staff friendly, answered all of our questions, and made great suggestions.

The cocktail menu is quite extensive, and we all had several different drinks. It was one of those moments where everyone takes a sip of their drink and tell everyone else they MUST try theirs, and i have to say i tried 3 drinks that night and each was fabulous. The cocktail menu is very descriptive and unique. I look forward to going back and trying 3 different cocktails, ;-)

Most places will give you bread and butter (or oil) on the table before you order, and i must say as a Bread aficionado i appreciate this gesture, but at Eastern Standard they take it 1 step further. They provide a bowl of pickled veggies with the bread and butter. I say this with no sarcasm intended, i don't know how i have gone this long without eating pickled carrots, they are amazing. I could make a meal out of them on their own. 

For appetizers we had calamari, and the roasted bone marrow.  The calamari was a generous portion with a nice light breading. Very flavorful dipping sauce.  The roasted bone marrow was a unique treat, the presentation was authentic, the flavor was a beautiful blend of the marrow and the shallot jam. It was served with toast points and i have to say i don't know when i would have it again, but the next time i find myself at Eastern Standard i will make sure i order some.

The entree portions were generous, but i have to say with all sincerity i can't recall having a better steak for the price i paid. It was a good portioned, beautifully cooked, cut with a fork tender steak i have ever had ( I said ever) and it was just for $20 !! thats is an amazing prices for such an  A+ piece of beef. It came with a large portion of hand cut fries. I was told by my dining compatriots, that they thoroughly enjoyed their meals as well,  i wanted to try the gnocchi but my distaste from eggplant prohibited me from ordering it. However someone who does like eggplant said it was fabulous and ate every bite of their dinner. The rigatoni was my 2nd choice and it looked incredible.  I LOVE when a meal is served in the pan it was cooked in.

I have had a lot of desserts in my life…just look at me and you'll know i ain't fibbing(sorry for the grammar, just trying to keep it reals), this dessert ranks up there with the best of the best. Butterscotch bread pudding …excuse me, i need a moment to compose myself. This is a generous portion, with amazing flavor. The bread pudding was moist but maintained it denseness. The praline ice cream and caramel sauce was decadent and perfect companions to the bread pudding. I would go back to Easter Standard just for this dessert alone. It was sinfully amazing.

I can't wait for my next visit to Eastern Standards and i can't recommend it enough for anyone else to try.

have a great night and great meal.

Kevin B.

http://easternstandardboston.com/food/#dinner

Day 48 Dinner at Society on High Street in Boston's financial district

 peach cobbler with homemade vanilla ice cream 

 

• Roast Chicken Statler Breast

  $24
  Smoky Bacon, Baby Purple Artichokes, Roasted Fingerlings, Goat Cheese

• Grilled 14 ounce Rib-Eye

  $26
  White Asparagus, Potato Gratin, Sauce Perigord

Tonights dinner was a special dinner, it was the 42nd wedding anniversary of my folks (Mike and Mary). I must confess i was a little nervous trying somewhere i had never been for such a special evening,  but my nerves were calmed rather quickly. The waitstaff at Society was very polite and friendly. I asked a few questions and i found their answered clear and helpful.

The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and i think if it was warmer it would have sat outside, but the indoor area was comfortable and had a nice warm feeling to it. The bar is quite large and but from what i observed it was well staffed.  The bar served several lovely beers from some local breweries. I enjoyed a nice brew from tropical Framingham. 

Mike and I got the exact same meal, the grilled Rib Eye. What a lovely hunk of piece, cooked perfectly with a nice seared crust. It had some fat, but just the right amount you want for flavor. The sauce perigord was a beautiful addition to the meat, it was so well seasoned it required no additional salt or pepper. The side dish was something i never had before, white asparagus. I enjoyed this very much, it went well with the au gratin spuds. Not too cheesy but super flavor, and the perfect portion.

Mary broke from tradition and got the Roast Chicken Statler (she almost alwas gets fish when we go out). She loved it, great flavor combinations with the goat cheese, the artichokes and the bacon. Its quite rare for my mother to finish a meal but she enjoyed every bite of tonights dinner. The portion was great, a full plate but not so much food that you are overwhelmed ( i don't know about you, but seeing a plate where the food is spilling over onto the plate is a bit of a turn off, it looks glutinous to me).

We then decided we were too full to each get a dessert, but were so impressed by the meal so far that we felt it would be a shame to not split at least 1 dessert on such a special occasion. So before our waitress could finish saying peach cobbler we all decided that was the 1 for us. A very good decision by the Boyle family. It had a moist cakey filling with a generous portion of peaches on top, served with a scoop of their creamy homemade vanilla ice cream….ala mode = all a good. ;-)

For 3 entrees , a few cocktails and a dessert i was impressed we could get such a fabulous meal for such a reasonable price. 

I would highly recommend going to Society on High street, and since i work just down the road, feel free to give me a call and i'll join you.  

have a great night and a great meal.

Kevin B.

http://societyboston.com

Day 47 Lunch (Brunch) at the Rustic Kitchen in Hingham, Derby street mall

cup of lobster bisque

 SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE PIZZA tomato sauce, aged provolone, mozzarella & peperonata...13

 

 the omlette of the day, avocado ,chives,  tomatoes and cheddar cheese

 GRILLED CHICKEN CLUB aged cheddar cheese, avocado, Applewood smoked bacon, Bibb lettuce,

sliced tomato & avocado aioli…12


I am a huge fan of the mall at Derby Street in Hingham,  loads of great restaurants (Burtons, Legal C, Bertucci's, ) and 1 of the best bakeries i have ever been to in my life, White's bakery. 
In this particular day we decided to have brunch at the Rustic Kitchen and i really must say it was a beautiful experience all around.  

The staff was very attentive and accommodating ( we were a bit fussy, moving tables…twice) , after finally finding the 3rd table to be just right (insert a goldilocks reference if you wish). We ordered a round of cocktails , their beer and wine selection is quite extensive and i enjoyed a lovely lager that sadly i can't recall but its from a local micro brewery i had never heard of.

I had a cup of lobster bisque, my 2nd favorite soup and when i see it on a menu i feel compelled to order it, as not every restaurant offers it as an option. It was lovely, cream and rich. Generous portion of lobster meat, and it was cut of nicely not just 1 big chunk sitting in the bottom.  They served a nice bread selection at the table, but i must confess i wasn't a fan of the hummus spread they served instead of oil or butter.

The grilled chicken club was good, not quite a club as it was served with just 2 pieces of bread and not the traditional 3 slices of bread. Nevertheless it was a tasty chicken sandwich. Not deli chicken but a good sized chicken breast. The side dish was 1 of the best pasta salads i ever had…this was a problem as the chicken club was not my meal, so i was doing the mortal sin of stealing the side dish of another person's entree. Oh well, it was worth it, i can't wait to go back and order something that has that pasta salad on the side.

My dish was the omelet of the day, how do i say this…I didn;t like it.  BUT having said that, i am not holding this against the Rustic Kitchen, i was apprehensive when i ordered this omlette but i said to myself " Thor, why not try something outside of your comfort zone??"  While i do like avocado , something about an avocado omelet gave me reservations and i should have listened to myself. 

Now the pizza, holy mackerel that is a damn good pizza. Perfect amount of sauce , cheese and sausage. The sausage was cooked perfectly, and super flavorful. This is a large single serving meal, definitely enough to bring home for leftovers.  The oven they use to cook the pizzas in, gives the pizza crust a nice crunch and texture.

I would definitely go back to the Rustic Kitchen and i totally recommend the pizza or something that offers that amazing pasta salad as a side dish.

have a great night and a great meal.

Kevin

http://www.rustickitchen.biz/locations/hingham/lunch.cfm

Day 46 Dinner at the Freeport Tavern in Dorchester, MA

French Onion Soup $6

                                                                   “Classic Style” baked with croutons and a three cheese blend 

 Tavern Burger $12 *

One-half pound of ground sirloin, served with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on a soft toasted roll with your choice of cheese 

 Grilled Ribeye Extravaganza $24

Topped with sautéed bell peppers, Spanish onions, mushrooms and a Marsala demiglaze 

 pop-ovah(i'm from Boston thats how we say it)

 Famous “Certified Angus” Steak tips  $18 1/2 pound * Melt in your mouth-100% Choice Certified Angus beef, marinated in our own secret recipe

 

I must have gone past the Freeport Tavern 100 times over the years and never once thought of going in for a meal. I now realize what a mistake that was. We went in and sat at the spacious bar, the friendly staff was polite and informed when i asked some questions about what was on tap (I am on a bit of a cider/ale kick lately and seek them out where i may go). The bar is comfortable,  but with enough TVs if you are interested in watching a ball game, but not so many that you will be distracted from your dining companions.

The waitstaff in the dining area was also very friendly and informative when asking for opinions on dining options. Some may argue a burger is just a burger, i would slap those people. A burger can be as exquisite as any 4 star meal, or prepared so poorly i wouldn't serve it to someone on death row. This i am VERY pleased to say was a 4 star hamburger, i could not have enjoyed it more. Cooked perfectly, just the right amount of cheese and seasoning, the brioche bun was a nice accompaniment.  I can't say i was in love with the french fries, they were fine but didn't knock me off my feet. But the burger was the show stopper on my plate that night. Prior to my entree i had the french onion soup, sadly disappointing  but i don't condone a restaurant based on an appetizer ( or an App as some would say).

I don't know about you, but i think Prime Rib is totally hit or miss. Amazing in certain places and horribly regrettable at others. This prime rib was beautifully cooked, a generous size, but not a glutton-ish size like sooooo many places serve. It came with a popover , and i have a soft place is in my heart for these little pastries. My mother is a 5 star chef (she is the cook at a church rectory but in my opinion the best chef i ever met) and when i was a boy she would always make popovers for when she served beef at large dinners she cooked for, and she always brought me 1. When done right they are so light and buttery and go so well with prime rib, this one was done just lovely.

Another item that i find hit or miss are steak tips, i know historically restaurants don't use the best quality meat for steak tips, so they can be tough in some establishments. These were good but not exceptional, not tough but not cooked perfectly either. For the price , which i must say in my opinion was high for steak tips i would have expected better quality.

But besides my small critiques , i would definitely go back to the Freeport Tavern and i would recommend it to anyone in the Dorchester area. Feel free to give me a ring and i'll join you, I'm always in the mood for a great burger.

have a great night and a great meal.

Kevin B.

http://www.freeporttavern.com/tl_files/freeport/documents/POCHMENUSpring2014.pdf

Day 45 Dinner at Alfredo's in Quincy center

cup o' minestrone soup $3 ( free w/ entree)

 chicken & fettucini alfredo $16

 spaghetti & meatballs $12

 chicken piccata $17

I have lived in Quincy,MA for most of my life, and i am always surprised when i stumble upon a new hidden treasure that has has been right in front of me for many years. After many years of saying "we must trying Alfredo's , sooooo many people recommend it.", we finally did it. 

I must say i did not go into this meal with especially high expectations. This was a restaurant i must have passed about 40-50 times without even a second glance. But after being tired of the same ole Italian restaurants in the area, i thought i needed a change. So Alfredo's seemed like a logical choice, and i must say what a pleasant surprise.

The restaurant has 2 bars , that offer both a nice option to eat at the bar if you choose and a place to have a relaxing cocktail or a more lively section that would suit someone looking to have a good time.

The cocktail prices at the bar are reasonable , with a wide selection of beers /wines.

The waitstaff was very friendly and accommodating, when we sat at the bar and decided to get a table the servers worked together to get us a table that met our needs. This restaurant had a vibe of an old fashioned restaurant ( and believe me when i say this, i meant that in a ver good way)  a lot of places now a days you order a meal and your vegetable  or starch comes separate but in this case for most meals you got 2 sides, a soup/salad/pasta/rice/potato/ vegetable.This is an old fashioned offering that i must say was a very pleasant surprise.

The entrees were delicious, each plentiful and very flavorful. i had no choice but to order the chick and fettucini Alfredo ( for God's sake the restaurants' name is Alfredo's , how do i not order the fettucini Alfredo ) it was sublime, the sauce was delicious but not overwhelming. Alfredo sauce is 1 of my ultimate guilty pleasures, a sauce made from cream and butter has to be a gift from heaven.

The chicken piccata was tasty, and not over powering like a lot of lemon based sauces.

The meatballs in the spaghetti and meatballs were amazing, not all breadcrumbs. you could actually enjoy the flavor of the meat and the sauce.

I would heartily recommend Alfredo's to anyone in the Quincy area looking for great Italian cuisine.

Have a great night and a great meal.

Kevin B,

http://www.alfredosquincy.com/index_dinner_menu.html

Day 44 dinner at The Merchant in Downtown Crossing

 crispy chicken wings $9

 bread basket

 Wedge Salad $9

 Pork 2 ways $24

House made asparagus pasta (appetizer size)$13

A friend and i were looking for somewhere new to try, and since The Merchant is so near my office we thought "what the heck".  I was a little apprehensive at 1st as i must confess the menu didn't exactly sing to me. There were a few intriguing options, but i thought we could better served somewhere else.  But i am glad we went with our first choice.  The staff was very friendly and accommodating, we asked for a table away from the crowded bar and they were able to move somethings around and give us a booth where we could actually hear ourselves over the crowd.

a very pleasant surprise was the pinot grigio they gave us, when i asked about it the waitress said its on tap and is their house pinot.  Well i don't normally have a lot of respect for tap wine, but this was actually very nice and crisp.

then we ordered an appetizer and i was talked into the chicken wings, now i know what you are thinking…who has to be talked into chicken wings? Well if you know me or have ever read my blog before, then you know i don't like food on the bone. But in keeping an open mind for the blog, i have to say they were good and flavorful. They came with some asian slaw and a nice sweet & sour sauce, and it was the perfect amount of sauce , i hate when you need 12 wet naps just to eat 2 pieces of chicken. 

My friend got the pork 2 ways, which came with 3 pork ribs and a nice pork loin. I did not try it, but was told it was excellent ( and since the plate was clean after, i will take that as a confirmation).

I got the wedge salad, which in fairness was not extraordinary , but it was a nice salad. If i had 1 critique, it had a skosh too much blue cheese dressing. I love blue cheese but i don't like to see it on every piece of lettuce.  The asparagus pasta on the other hand , was an absolute treasurer. The pasta is made with asparagus (what that what…yes made with asparagus) , it came with asparagus , plump shrimp (with NO TAILS !! The way they should always be served in a pasta dish) and chorizo sausage, there is no sauce but it is served in the sauce the chorizo was cooked in and it was just delicious. It was the perfect portion, leaving you full but not so stuffed you can't move.

I found the whole dining experience to be a pleasure, friendly staff, very good food , nice ambiance and  the prices were reasonable. I look forward to going back to The Merchant in the near future.

have a great night, and a great meal.

Kevin B.