A Taste of Cambridge

This week I had the pleasure of attending Taste of Cambridge, an annual event put on by the Cambridge Licensee Advisory Board.  Over 50 restaurants (both food and drink purveyors) and an even bigger crowd gathered in the courtyard outside the Charles Hotel to get a taste of the diverse dining scene in Cambridge!  This years beneficiaries included the very worthy Salvation Army Cambridge/Somerville Corps "Restoring Lives Capital Campaign" and the Cambridge Program/Special Olympics Saturday Program.

To say there was a lot of food is an understatement!  I did my best to sample from the restaurants I've been wanting to try, or those that everyone was buzzing about :)  Here are some of my favorite bites of the evening...

I think this was my first taste of the night, but I can't pass up elote!!  Grilled corn on the cob with cotija cheese and lime-chile salt from Ole was good, although a little too saucy.

The huge egg fan that I am, I was also excited to try the deviled egg from Russel House Tavern.  Local farm eggs were topped with shrimp and micro greens, with a bit of melon.  I can't say I tasted the melon in there, but certainly enjoyed this bite!

The Moroccoo Taco from Casablanca was delicious.  The smoked lamb was so tender and paired well with the fried chickpeas, preserved lemon and charmoula that adorned the taco.  I was totally smitten with the filling :)

Tacos were a popular item, and another popular one was the Crispy Duck Taco from Upstairs on the Square.  I think the accoutrements really made the taco; with pickled jalapenos, lime sour cream,spicy cabbage and pickled shallots each bite packed some good flavors.

I totally fell for the homemade veggie burger from Christopher's Restaurant.  It was packed with lots of goodies (I can't remember anything but the roasted corn, sorry!) and topped with pesto and roasted red peppers...  fabulous.

Stone Hearth Pizza offered up a local, organic meatball slider that was absolutely delicious, and the ciabatta that it was served on- perfectly toasty.

Another restaurant that I can't wait to go to is Oleana, especially after tasting their toasted green wheat salad, topped with whipped feta and wild oregano.  Yum!!

For a sweet ending, I tasted a few desserts from Veggie Galaxy, a vegan bakery spin-off ofVeggie Planet that will be opening this summer.  I kind of wanted to try everything on the table, but settled for a bite of the vegan cheesecake, TAZO chocolate chip cookie, and coconut citrus cupcake.

I also couldn't resist the PB&J hob nob from Craigie on Main!  My hob nob was a little short of jam, but I never complain about something that tastes like peanut butter-y bliss :)

Feed me please!

Only a portion of what I consumed over the evening, I left stuffed and excited about all the restaurants I need to find my way back too :)  It was also great to see Elina and Adam, Meghan, Megan, Justin and Elizabeth!

Elina, Meghan and Megan

Do you locals have a favorite restaurant in Cambridge??

Disclosure:  My ticket to the event was complimentary, but the opinions are my own.

Towne Burger Test!

When I saw the Towne burger on a number of top Boston Burger lists, I figured this was a must try.  However, the timing of the serving of this burger seemed to really get in the way.  Only after a few months of being opened the burger was limited to being served only on the weekdays at lunchtime, not really conducive to my schedule!  So after a few missed chances (brunch and dinner) to put the burger to the test I was wondering if I would ever taste it!?!  However, as luck would have it, Nick and I took at jet lag day after we returned to Greece - naturally Towne's burger was our one plan for the day!

Burger Plate

At just about noontime, we headed into Towne with one goal - test the burger.  Not going to lie, after so many failed attempts I did ask the hostess to just make sure, but we were in luck, so the burger test was on!  When the plate of burger goodness arrived, I must admit, I was immediately impressed by the full half of avocado on the plate more than the burger.  While I did throw a few slices onto the burger, I ate that first and it was so fresh and amazing.  The fires are are thin and good, but nothing to really set them apart. 

The burger itself was tasty.  My burger was a tad over done, more medium than medium rare.  It was juicy and tender but it could have used a bit more seasoning.  The cheese on the burger was fully melted, which always makes the burger seem finished rather than being thrown onto the plate.  The bacon was crisp and a nice cap to the burger.  One thing that I did not like, but its my own personal thing, was the sweet pepper relish spread on the bread.  To me, the relish was too sweet for the burger.  I actually had to take come off so that it was not too overpowering.  Nick however liked the relish.  The to roll was nicely toasted and complimented the rest of the burger well.

Burger close-up!

Overall the burger was tasty, but really there was nothing special about the whole thing combined.  Maybe if I enjoyed the relish that would have left more of an impression.  I think I really like stronger cheese and a well seasoned burger meat.  Having had other items on the menu that are really tailored to Jasper White and Lydia Shire's strength and could be more worth ordering.

The Joys of June

Where on earth did the month of June go?! I feel like I blinked and it was over! Despite its fleeting presence, I somehow managed to pack a lot in. Here's a round up of the things I ate / saw / made / did this month to kick off summer in the city that didn't get a post all their own.

Not that they each didn't deserve one.

Ice Cream Sundae @ Emack & Bolio's

Nothing embraces hot summer evenings (hey, there has been a select few) like a trip for ice cream sundaes. It's always all about gelato where I live in Little Italy, but when I crave actual ice cream I head just outside the neighborhood confines to Emack & Bolio's at Long Wharf. A scoop of ice cream or three hits the spot. Their batches are fresh made weekly with the highest quality ingredients and extracts. My go-to flavor is the Grasshopper Pie which contains creme de menthe liquor with Oreo chunks and chocolate flakes. Top it with warm gooey hot fudge, fresh whipped cream and thick chunks of peanuts and pecans and you've got a treat that says summer like nothing else.

Paul Simon Concert at The House of Blues.

Located on Lansdowne Street across from Fenway Park, The House of Blues is always a fun venue for live music and dancing. My whole life I've been wanting to see Paul Simon in concert. I grew up to the tunes of Graceland, it still ranks up there as one of my favorite albums of all time. He played a number of songs off that album and many more of the classic tunes I know and love him for. It was a truly memorable evening and I hope he comes back to Boston soon!

Layered Taco Salad - recipe courtesy of Chelsee @ We Are Not Martha.

See, I do cook sometimes. If you consider browning beef and prepping ingredients for a salad cooking. Actually, I should give myself a little more credit since the recipe calls for making your own taco seasoning and mixing dressing from scratch.
This salad was so good and yielded an insane amount of leftovers. I ate it every day for lunch the entire week after I made it. Thanks so much to Chelsee for the recipe inspiration.

Boating in Essex, MA

My sister's boyfriend grew up nearby, and some of his friends were nice enough to invite us out on their boats for the day. This picturesque coastal New England town on the North Shore of Massachusetts is home to beaches and waterways perfect for boating, relaxing, drinking, grilling, swimming and fishing.Which is just what we did on Saturday, June 18th. Gorgeous and sunny, with no rain in sight until the final boatride home, where we experienced a heavy downpour followed by a rainbow spanning its full arch across the marsh. It was a rare breathtaking sight - my camera was packed safely away from the rain. Hopefully the rest of the landscape views suffice. We drank vodka raspberry lemonades and grilled some marinated shrimp, along with burgers and chicken. This is what summer days are made for! I felt incredibly blessed for this day since I am usually mulling about the city.

Belgian Poutine ($8) @ Saus

One of my favorite spots to open this year is Belgian street food haven turned city household name, Saus. If you're local, you've probably been. Or should I say, hopefully you've been. If you haven't you'll definitely want to check it out, stat! The team at Saus perfects the art of fusing traditional Belgian frites into this infamous dish native to Canada and the very Northern parts of Maine and New Hampshire. Hand cut potatoes are deep fried and piled with heaping helpings of dense haphazardly shaped cheddar cheese curds, then slathered with rich, made-from-scratch savory brown gravy. The cheese curds are mildly salty with a unique springy texture that makes them rather fun to eat. Thick and silky, the gravy coats the crispy fries without overwhelming their texture.

I crave this dish on a fairly regular basis!

Chicken Stir Fry w/ Edamame Slaw

This ones all my own. It combines frozen edamame, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage and cilantro with chicken in a ginger-soy-terriyaki sauce. It was a delicious quick and easy creation. Did the month of June fly by for anyone else?! What are you looking forward to in July?

Sweet Cupcakes

After brunch on Sunday, Alicia and I slowly strolled our way back to Beacon Hill.  We made a quick stop at the newest location of Sweet Cupcakes in downtown Boston.

Located right on the Freedom Trail, this is the perfect location for a cupcake shop.  In fact, I fit right in with all of the tourists as I snapped photos outside the shop.  I was stuffed from brunch but I really wanted to pick up a sweet treat for Bret.

I settled on the Boston Cream cupcake and this was definitely the right choice!  Bret said that the cupcake was so moist and it really tasted like a slice of Boston cream pie...in cupcake form!

While I'm bummed that Sweet Cupcakes opened up after I stopped working right around the corner, I realize that this is probably a blessing in disguise!

Sweet Cupcakes has several locations in the Boston area and I visited the one located at 11 School Street, Boston, MA.

Local, Seasonal Brunch At Avenue One

On Sunday I had the pleasure of attending a Boston Brunchers brunch out on The Terrace at Avenue One, a restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Boston. I had not been able to make it to a Boston Brunchers event in months and was happy to reconnect with old friends as well as meet a bunch of people I have gotten to know through our blogs and Twitter -- all the while enjoying some fabulous food and long overdue sunshine.

Photo courtesy of Michelle

As soon as we stepped out onto the terrace, we were offered fruit smoothie shooters. I chose the mixed berry smoothie and thought it was just the right thing to kick off brunch... and my appetite.

Before we descended on the food stations, Executive Chef Kelly Armetta welcomed us all and talked to us about his philosophy and the food we would be trying that day, which will soon be on the restaurant's brunch menu.

His mission is to serve local, seasonal food, as well as appeal to international travelers (who are accustomed to cheeses and meats at breakfast), and he definitely showed us that in the spread he and his staff prepared for us that day.

After surveying all the options, I knew I'd have to carefully choose my courses in order to try as much as possible. I started over at the omelette station, and ordered the special omelette for the day, which was filled with caramelized onions, roasted portabellos, and Grafton cheddar. 

How beautiful does this look?

And I couldn't leave without grabbing a coddled egg as well. The coddled egg was served on top of arugula with crispy prosciutto, Marcona almonds, and honey-roasted stone fruit.

The coddled egg passed the test -- I broke into it to reveal a perfectly runny yolk. I wasn't sure how I would feel about eating the egg with fruit, but the sweet and savory flavors played off of each other, and I really enjoyed this dish. It's perfect for someone who likes eggs for breakfast but wants something on the light side as well.

Right after my first course, which I enjoyed with a glass of orange juice, the waitress came around and offered us Bloody Marys and mimosas. I usually opt for a mimosa, but I think I was more in the mood for a Bloody Mary after eating eggs. I asked the waitress whether the Bloody Marys were very spicy, and she went and had the bartender make me a mild one.

After a few sips of the  tomato-heavy and mildly spicy Bloody Mary, I headed back up to fill another plate. I knew I needed to try a croissant, and then I also grabbed some fruit, cheese, meat, and a little of the gluten-free granola with some yogurt and blackberry jam. The granola was fabulous and full of dried fruits.

The croissant was buttery and chewy and had just the right pull to it. It was one of my favorite bites of the day.

At that point, I was ready to try the lobster Benedict, but every time the skillet with the lobster Benedict was set out, all of its contents immediately disappeared. Finally, I figured out that I should keep watch on the door, and as soon as I saw a waiter come out with a skillet in hand, I hopped up and followed him over to the table. The lobster Benedict was mostly worth the wait. The poached egg was overcooked -- that coddled egg was a tough act to follow -- but the lobster was nicely cooked, the bacon (cured on corn cobs)was very flavorful, and the chive hollandaise pulled the whole dish together.

For my final course, I decided to end on a sweet note with the triple chocolate pancakes. I was initially shocked to see that the pancakes were pale in color because I was expecting chocolate pancakes, but I soon realized that all the chocolate components go on top. First, there's a sprinkling of Lake Champlain chocolate, then a drizzle of chocolate espresso sauce, and finally a dollop of white chocolate butter and some fresh fruit. I enjoyed the pancake but really wanted more chocolate! What can I say? I have a huge sweet tooth.

This review is based on a Boston Brunchers event that was co-hosted by Eversave and may not be a typical experience. Brunch cost $25 per person and included drinks, tax, and tip.

Brunch is not typically served on The Terrace (you can find it inside at the restaurant), but The Terrace is open in the evenings (weather permitting) from 5 p.m. until close for specialty cocktails and Chef's seasonal bites. There's even live music on Thursdays and Fridays.

What's your favorite brunch dish?