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

Day 26 - Dinner at The Harp and Bard in Dorchester

a dirty martini (gin not vodka) with 3 olives

 clam chowdah

 Black and blue cheese burger with fries

Me drinking a Savin Hill Rum Punch

Drink menu

 Paul (aka Pablo) drinking the above mentioned dirty martini

Well this was a dinner out that i needed after a Lonnnnng (code for bad ) day at work. Paul (also known as Pablo) suggested meeting up for cocktails and supper, and after much deliberation ( we couldn't make up our minds, i think we had 3-4 places in mind before finally settling on The Harp and Bard). This is a bar i had established many times but back when it was a dumpy Irish dive bar, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when i walked in and saw a classy joint in the "new and improved"  Harp & Bard.  I hardly recognized the place.  They have a hostess now for the love of Pete !!

So looking to unwind and lose some stress we both decided to order a cocktail, Pablo a dirty martini (with Bombay sapphire gin) and moi a specialty cocktail the Savin Hill Rum Punch (ingredients listed above) , we both were quite pleased with our choices.  I am not normally a fruity umbrella cocktail person but every now and then they hit the spot. After we placed our order, we both decided to enjoy some chowdah. They offered crackers or rolls (we said Both..we're no fools) the chowdah was sublime, lots of clams and nice flavor. But the Rolls....OH...MY ....GOD the rolls. I wanted to smoke a cigarette afterwards. They glaze the rolls with a cinnamon infused butter, its shear madness how amazing they taste. I would rank these rolls with the best i ever had ( right up there with Bertucci's rolls) and since i am self professed bread-a holic , thats saying a lot. 

Paul and i both ordered the same meal, the black and blue cheese burger, but he got a veggie version. I have to say 1st i apologize for the picture above, i had already cut into the burger when i remembered to take a picture of the meal. The burger was very well cooked and had quite a lot of blue cheese, perhaps a smidge too much but still quite a tasty meal. We both enjoyed our version of the meal. The fries were fantastic , nice and thick plus cooked perfectly. If you are like me and hate ketchup, then get some delicious honey mustard for fry dipping. 

I love the new Harp & Bard and i look forward to my next visit there. The staff was very friendly and at tentative, the cocktails tasty and strong, and the food served hot and great sized portions.   Oh and did i mention the rolls !!!  Ridiculous !! 

So have a great night and a great meal.

Kevin M. Boyle I  

xoxo

http://www.harpbard.com/node/3

Day 25- Dinner at Ristorante Molise

calamari fritti ( with white wine, lemon, hot cherry peppers and olive oil)

 Fettucini con Funghi 

 Lobster and tomato bisque

 Dinner special, with chicken, spinach and linguini

Well this was a treat for me, i don't venture to this neck of the woods to often. But it was a last minute suggestion made by dining companions, Andrea & Eric.  This is a regular stomping ground for them, so i was excited to try their recommendation.  We started our meal with some calamari, and it was delicious. I love calamari, and this was some of the best i have had. It had just the right amount of flavor and spice with the peppers and white wine and olive oil. Not overly breaded, and had a nice mixture of rings and lil mini tentacles. I used to have a thing about eating the mini tentacles, but i got over it quick. So tasty when done right.  Eric and i had the soup that came with our entrees , lobster and tomato bisque. I am a HUGE fan of bisques, and lobster is right at the top. This was nice and creamy, served very hot and flavorful, but i think the lobster swam through the soup and then jumped out before they brought it to the table (maybe it had tickets to see Blue Man Group) because there was not an ounce of meat in the bowl of soup they brought to us. Nevertheless i did enjoy the taste of the soup very much.

Andrea got 1 of the dinner specials, pictured above. It included chicken, spinach and linguini, she said she enjoyed it very much. It looked like a good portion. Eric ordered the veal with potatoes, my feelings about veal prohibit me from commenting on it or taking a picture of it, but Eric seemed to enjoy it, so if you are a fan of veal it appears to be good.  I ordered something different than i normally go with, a mushroom based entree. It was the Fettucini con Funghi, with garlic, mushrooms and sausage in a parmesan cream sauce. It was superb, i enjoyed it thoroughly but it was such a big portion i had too take some home with me,  it made for a nice lunch the next day at work.  It had plenty of sausage and mushroom, and the sauce was a nice partner for the pasta it wasn't overpowering. 

Overall, i would recommend Ristorante Molise to anyone who finds themselves in the Wakefield area. It has a nice ambiance with very friendly wait staff.  

Have a good night and a great meal.

Kevin M Boyle   xoxo

http://www.restaurantmolise.com/wakefieldmenu.html

 French toast with challah bread  (Zaftigs in Coolidge Corner)

 Pecan roll from Whites Bakery in Hingam (Derby St.)

 Smoked salmon omlette ( with salmon and cream cheese & bagel, capers, onions, tomatoes and cream cheese on the side)

 Sticky Bun from Flour Bakery in Boston

  assorted donuts from Boston Common Coffee (Thursdays only)

 Pumpkin pancake with raisinettes inside and fresh whipped cream on top

 French toast with blueberries and sausages ( Mary Boyle Quiny MA)

 Gingerbread Waffle with pomegranate molasses and fresh whipped cream (The Friendly Toast)

 Cream of Wheat ( Neighborhood Cafe Somerville MA)

Want to make a new friend, all you have to do is ask one simple question. "Hey Kevin, want to go out for breakfast  (you can also insert brunch) ?" I can almost say its a guarantee i will say yes and the sooner the better. Many people love to go out to eat, its a treat. For me the biggest treat of the day is having my breakfast out. I know, some will say "why, you can make all that stuff yourself at home, going out for dinner is better."  While that might be true in many cases, how often do you make stuffed French toast, or a Denver omlette, or pumpkin pancakes at home..i'll answer for you, Not that often.

There is something so nice about having a hot cup of coffee (the best place for HOT and tasty with frequent refills, is McKenna's in Savin Hill, the worst The Friendly Toast, i always have to ask for more coffee) and a sweet delicious and fluffy pancake (the best is the Pumpkin pancakes at The Friendly Toast, the worst OB's cafe in Quincy just TOO much. Its like ordering a hub cap).  If i am craving French Toast which is often i like it to be thick bread, not too battery and served with bananas & warm maple syrup (the best is Gerard's in Dorchester) . I am finding some places are experimenting with French toast, and i whole heartedly approve, i have in the past year tried banana bread french toast, and cinnamon raisin bread French toast, both equally amazing and quite filling as the bread is dense and after it absords the batter it is a filling breakfast that will leave you not needing a lunch (the best is OB's cafe, they give just enough and they give fresh fruit on the side, depending on the bread flavor you choose, a nice touch).

I don't fancy myself a James Beard award winning chef,  but i like to think i can put together a meal for myself. The one meal i believe i make quite well is an omelet, i use a lot of veggies, meats, cheeses and spices. Its a cornucopia of flavors, but the one ability i don't possess is to be able to fold an omelet, no matter what i try to do the eggs always stick to the pan or breaks when i flip over. Don't get me wrong the finished product is delicious but i am a fan of the meal looking aesthetically pleasing as well as tasting good. So i find i do order omlettes out quite often, i adore eggs and will eat them just about any way possible, but an omelet stands at the top of the podium for me. When i order one out , i like everything diced and evenly distributed through out the omelet and not just in the middle with nothing on the ends (the best for an omelet is Kristen's in Braintree or McKenna's in Savin Hill ,  the worst is McKays' in Quincy Center). 

Now some people are oatmeal people  and some are cream of wheat people, i'm both. I love a nice hot bowl of cereal that sticks to your ribs on a cold Winters day, but if you want to taste by far the BEST cream of wheat you will ever have then head over the Neighborhood Cafe in Somerville. This cream of  wheat comes ready to eat , it needs nothing. Its creamy, buttery, sweet and cinnamony perfection, before you start saying "What is he on about, its just cereal?"  Until you go and try it, you have no idea what you are missing...oh and did i mention, its complimentary !! It comes with your meal, you get a choice of cream of wheat or fruit ( i don't think anyone ever orders the fruit). Its 8:04 PM and just thinking about it is making me hungry. The meals at neighborhood are outstanding as well, so its worth the trip for having the whole meal.

Looking for a complete breakfast, eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns and toast, sounds so basic that you would think it would be the same everywhere. Au contrair . Soooo many times the eggs have come back either under cooked or over cooked (a hard yolk is a crime in my views), the bacon is all fatty or the toast is too hard and not piping hot. So if you are looking for a meal cooked perfectly, and quite delicious i highly recommend the Mad Hatter Cafe in Weymouth. They know how to do a 5 star quality breakfast, their version is the Hungry Man and it is filling and very tasty.

I am not a brunch buffet person, i have had too many where the food tastes like it was cooked in bulk , and things are either overcooked, greasy from sitting in huge tray where refills are just dumped on the older food, or cold and bland.  Some buffets try to hide all that other stuff by throwing in an omlete station but to me its like putting lipstick on Khloe Kardashian and calling her Kim.  

Now of course there are exceptions to this , the Sunday brunch at Amreins in South Boston, is quite excellent and i feel like they do good turnover that the food in the trays is fresh and just out of the oven. Its a little pricey for breakfast, but not outrageous. 

So my friends, i hope you find this helpful and not just the ramblings of a crazy man obsessed with breakfast.  If you have any suggestions for placed you recommend i'd love to hear from you or if you have any comments or questions feel free to use this as your forum. 

Now i didn't get to mention all of the places i go, but I am including some links to places i love, check them out and tell them Boyled Dinner sent you. You might get a free coffee refill (after you buy the 1st cup )  hee hee 

Have a good night and a good meal.

Kevin M. Boyle xoxo

http://thefriendlytoast.net

http://www.miracleofscience.us/menu_brunch.html

http://www.gerardsadamscorner.com/Restaurant_Menu_Breakfast.html

http://www.zaftigs.com

Day 24 Breakfast at Sweet Life Bakery & Cafe in Lower Mills, Dorchester.

 Buttermilk pancake

 French Toast with fruit compote

 Menu for Sweet Life Bakery and Cafe

On a cold and rainy Friday in December i had just finished running errands on the last day of my vacation from work and i found myself in the lower Mills area of Dorchester. Growing up my dad used to do a lot of work in the area and it always smelled of chocolate from the chocolate factory that was open there at the time.  We ducked into a bakery/cafe that looked warm and inviting to get out of the rain. 

The owner of this establishment is married to the owner of another local restaurant, The Ledge. 

I must say on looks alone i was very impressed with The Sweet Life, its a very long restaurant that breaks up the establishment into 3 categories, the bakery , the counter for dining and the dining room. We ate in the dining room after browsing in the bakery briefly. The dining area has a nice cozy feel to it with a woking fireplace. The wait staff was very friendly & attentive.  The coffee mugs are large and the coffee is delicious and very hot. I had the french toast with challah bread with fruit compote (apples) and it was thoroughly enjoyable.  Served hot and a good size portion. My dining companion had the pancakes and they were light and fluffy but cooked right and served nice and hot.  I can tolerate other meals not piping hot, but never breakfast. 

The prices are reasonable , at least for meals the bakery seemed a lil high but no more than other upscale bakeries in Boston. I would recommend The Sweet Life cafe to anyone and i look forward to my next visit here, and i might have to try the eggs and grits the next time.

Have a good night and a good meal.

Kevin Boyle

  cheese puffs (complimentary at Brasserie Ruhlmann )

Jalapeño Mashed potatoes 

 The 14oz New York Steak au Poivre (with       cognac-green peppercorn sauce, butter lettuce and Boursin cheese )  cooked medium well , just a little pink

Bavette a l'Echalote (skirt steak, shallots and gratin dauphinois (potatoes) )

chocolate ice cream with macaroons

http://www.brasserieruhlmann.com/?page_id=152

Brasserie Ruhlmann

 Crowne spiked coffee (2nd item on menu below)

 Hotel bar drink menu

http://www.stagedoordeli.net/menu2.html

 complimentary pickles (you get 4, 2 dill and 2 gerkins) and cole slaw with each meal

 matzo ball soup , with chicken and noodles

 an open faced ruben sandwich

a corned beef sandwich on a sub roll with yellow mustard

 1 salted carmel cupcake and 1 double chocolate cupcake with coffee and a Hot cocoa from Dean & Deluca's  

http://www.deandeluca.com

I love the city of Boston , and i am a proud Bostonian. Having said that, the city of New York might just be the best place on earth to visit during the Christmas season other than visiting the North Pole. and Santa's workshop itself.  The whole city seems to engulf the christmas season.  I loved watching the skaters at Rockefeller center. Seeing the amazing Christmas tree and the beautifully decorated area around the  center. Seeing the spectacular Christmas show at Radio City Music City would really put you in the Christmas spirit, and those Rockettes put on a show that is just fabulous. The routines they put on is a display in synchronized perfection.  Random buildings around 5th & 6th ave had beautiful light displays and decorations. You could almost taste the christmas spirit in the air. 

With a restaurant on almost every corner, finding a great place to eat was no easy task. Trying to find the perfect place to eat after the Radio City christmas spectacular , we had to look around for somewhere with the right christmas atmosphere. Well after much debate we decided on Brasserie Ruhlmann. An elegant restaurant within walking distance of Radio City Music Hall. The staff is very attentative, with someone greeting you at the door when you walk in. The restaurant has a lovely oak wood decor and a first class wait staff that is courteous and helpful. When you sit down and are looking over the menu they bring you some nice fresh bread and butter for the table, and also some cheese puffs, these are not filling but an amusing way to tickle the palate.

The waiter gave a beautiful description of the meals we questioned, and it was based on his recommendation that i ordered the 14oz NY Steak. The steak is served to your table in the pan its cooked in, so the juices are still in the pan and is piping hot the way a steak should always be served. It comes with a leaf of butter lettuce on top and some boursin cheese on top, very flavorful. On a whim I decided to order the jalapeño mashed potatoes, not sure what to expect, i was a little surprised to see the above pictured bowl of green whipped potatoes put before me. I thought they brought me the wrong dish, this looked like creamed peas. But i have to say looks aside, these were delicious. I am tempted to add jalapeños to my mashed spuds at home. 

We split a lovely dish of chocolate ice cream with crushed up macaroon. A very delightful way to end a meal, not too heavy and great combination of the ice cream with the macaroons. 

On a cold brisk December afternoon, i highly recommend popping into 1 of NY's many cafes or bakeries for a nice hot beverage and something sweet. We tried to get into several bakeries to no avail (no seating available) but were lucky enough to stumble on Dean & Deluca's as the lunch crowd was leaving. They have a wonderful pastry selection, but we decided on the cupcakes. Double chocolate and Salted Caramel...both were exceptional, the icing was just the right amount of sugary and creamy. 

The place was a little pricey, but its NY and lets face it things are a little pricier there than most places.

Now everyone has a list of things they hope to accomplish in life, i  have a foodie bucket list. On that list is to eat at a real NY deli. Now i know Boston has some great sandwich shops, like Sam LaGrassas. But i have heard some wonderful things about a NY Deli corned beef sandwich.  I tried 2 NY deli's. one was a chain The Bread Factory, very good i was quite impressed. I would love it if they came to Boston, but in my heart i couldn't consider it a NY Deli, so i was thrilled when i found myself standing outside the Stage Door Deli outside Penn Station. I couldn't resist getting a matza ball soup and an open faced Ruben, Wow...it was everything i hoped to get from a sandwich. Plenty of meat and sauerkraut , and that meat was perectly lean and scrumptious. My only complain and its a small 1, is that a Ruben should come with russian dressing and this had none, they said i had to tell them when ordering, but why would i think to order it if i would assume it should already be on the sandwich. But otherwise it was a beautiful meal, and just what i had always wanted to try. I also had a bite of the corned beef and yellow mustard sandwich, and that was quite heavenly.  I suppose its a good thing there's not too many places in Boston that can serve food that wonderful, i would be eating out for lunch almost daily. 

New York is an amazing city, and i think i could spend a week there and not hit 1/2 the sites and shows that are happening every day. But if you go and have any recommendations, i would love to hear back from you,  for my next visit. If i like the place you recommend, i will give you a shout out in the blog and make sure you get the credit you deserve. 

Have a very merry Christmas and a Happy New years to all my readers.  Thank you for following me this year, i am very grateful for you all.

Kevin M. W. Boyle I 

XOXO