We went to the North End last night for dinner at Mare. They’ve changed things and have added an oyster bar.
The restaurant is small. When we entered we were seated at a table for two practically breathing on the couple next to us. On the other side of us was an extremely loud table of six. Not good. Being that we are “2 at the bar” we noticed two seats had opened up at the bar; not just two seats but the best, two corner seats. Lucky us! Continue reading “Mare”
I want to give a quick thumbs up to Kika Tapas, on Third Street in Kendall Square, Cambridge. If you haven’t been to the area around Third Street, go! It’s the new restauarant row. We went to Kika Tapas after seeing A Separation which is a must see. Kika Tapas is brought to us by the same people who own Solea in Waltham and Tapeo in the Back Bay. This restaurant is eye-popping in design, has great artwork on the walls and makes the other two restaurants seem dull by comparison. It has a variety of seating areas from cozy banquettes to cafe tables or the bar of course!
You can’t have a great meal every time out. Last night proves that point. It wasn’t exactly a bummer but Roy, me and our friends agreed that it wasn’t blogworthy. The restaurant is Sophia’s Grotto in Roslindale. Roy wanted something with a neighborhood feel and it is that. The restaurant is small, the bar area cramped and it was crowded. We had an 8P reservation and called to say we’d be late (Roy was too busy talking to our friend and forgot about giving directions). When we arrived the hostess said it would be a while so we had a glass of wine. I’m not even going to tell you what we ate. It wasn’t memorable.
Saturday night – we haven’t had dinner at home on a Saturday in forever. Don’t get me wrong. We eat at home every night during the week. My chef de cuisine, Roy always has dinner waiting when I get home from a long day at work. Saturday we like to go out as you know. But there are extenuating circumstances to staying home tonight, namely the PATRIOTS!! I can’t miss this game – we all want to see Tim Tebow’d into the dirt (sounds a little aggressive, right??).
So what’s for dinner at the pop-up restaurant called Chez Podell? Lobster! But first we have to do a little shopping.
I feel pressure. Here I am blogging and sometimes it’s tough to come up with something to write about. So we have to keep doing our research for 2 at the bar and that means finding blogworthy restaurants and travel. Not a bad assignment. It is a little tough with Roy on his latest health kick called “Business Plan for the Body”. It’s really Weight Watchers but he’s counting calories instead of points and he’s doing a good job at it. But we all know Roy will get bored and be on to something else hopefully before we go to Mexico. In the meantime, I’ll try to keep you interested in our comings and goings.
Well, here I am; it’s the first morning of 2012. What am I doing? I’m hungry believe it or not! We need bagels so the car is warming up and Romeo and I are going to go to Einsteins to pick up some fresh warm bagels. Then I can begin my day!
Last night for the first time since we can remember, we spent New Year’s Eve by ourselves, sort of. Us and 1,000,000 people in Boston, mostly there for First Night.
Our New Year’s Eve festivities began in Kenmore Square at Hawthorne Bar. We got there at 4:52. It opens at 5. Island Creek Oyster Bar was open and busy so I said let’s go there but Roy had his mind set on the Hawthorne Bar. He had a plan. I needed to argue about it on the steps of the Hotel Commonwealth for a minute and then we looked at a photo exhibit in the hotel which by the way is outstanding and by the time we were finished the bar was open. We were the first people there! The staff was busy stocking the bar, straightening their bow ties and getting themselves geared up for the big night. We ordered two Kir Royales.
It’s been a busy holiday weekend spent with good friends and that always includes food and drink.
Friday night we were at Blue in Needham. The night began with a Champagne toast followed by some good food; risotto with lobster, caesar salad, fried calamari, tuna tartare, a Bolognese, lobster mac and cheese and a burger were some of the dishes on our table. Oh yes, and an awesome brownie sundae and butterscotch pudding. Everyone enjoyed. The restaurant’s a good neighborhood spot. Continue reading “Christmas Weekend 2011”
Roy had a hankering for jambalaya. There’s no jambalya here in the burbs; actually there’s not much of anything here in the burbs if you like good food, so we decided to go to Darryl’s Corner Bar on Columbus Avenue.
Darryl’s used to be Bob the Chef’s. We’d go there way back in the 70’s for some of their famous Glorifried Chicken. There wasn’t really anything like it at the time. Bob the Chef’s sat at the far edge of the South End, on the “other side of the tracks”. Bob would greet you in his captain’s hat and say “God Bless” when you left. The waitresses had been there for a million years. Bob was shot there one night and then one day the restaurant was no more. Darryl Settles bought it, yupified it and tried to keep the same recipes; it was good but not Bob’s and for whatever reason, he sold it. It’s been reincarnated a few times and then Darryl bought it back. It doesn’t look anything like it used to. It’s all exposed brick, nice ambient lighting and a great bar!
Saturday we went into Boston, to the South End so that Roy could get his hair cut at State Street Barbers. We combined it with a visit to the SoWa Holiday Market so I could pick up a few gifts. I’m not sure where the recession is – the market was jammed and people were buying!
After the market we ran across the street to Union Bar and Grille.
We weren’t 2 at the bar but 4 at a table at another blogworthy restaurant. L’Andana in Burlington. It was the Saturday after Thanksgiving and although we shouldn’t have been able to eat another bite, we had to wine and dine my 92 year old mother and her friend who come to Boston every year for Thanksgiving. We went to L’Andana because we didn’t want to deal with the hassle of parking in the North End and we wanted a nice Italian dining experience. The owner/chef of L’Andana also owns Mistral, Moo, Sorrellina and Teatro in Boston.
L’Andana delivered on all fronts. Free valet parking to start. Can’t beat that. The restaurant is well designed, spacious with high soaring ceilings and it is quiet – something hard to find in restaurants these days. The tables were spaced remarkably far apart and you can’t hear the conversation of the table next to you. I love that!
