[Friday Night]
It was a warm evening on the cusp of a long celebratory weekend ahead. Adam and I ventured up to our buildings roof deck to kick things off. 
Minus my actual camera, thankfully the phone took better photos of the spread than it did the scenery. We snacked on Brie and smoked Gouda cheese and crackers, pancetta and a bowl of olives.
And I sipped on the classic Italian beer, Peroni. 
After a few hours of basking in the late evening sun and since it is a common roof deck, hanging out with some neighbors, Adam and I headed to the bar at Antico Forno. A glass of the house red and one of their brick oven pizzas with house made ingredients always hits the spot. 
Indeed they make some of the best pizzas around, I know this is definitely not the first you've heard me rave about them. We enjoyed the La Capricciosa ($15.50) with homemade Italian sausage, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and fresh homemade mozzarella with a plum tomato sauce.
For dessert on the walk home, a stop at Gigi Gelateria! 
The first gelato of the season tastes like heaven. I'm always mixing and matching flavors, tonight I got Vanilla and Pistachio. 
[Saturday Night]
DUCK FAT FRIED GAME HEN | $19
w/truffle corn spoonbread, gravy
How could I not? I mean, seriously, fry anything in duck fat and I'm instantly a fan - i.e. the Brussel Sprouts at Craigie on Main, the French Fries at Aragosta, who knew the next temptation would be a game hen? The duck fat appeal is one that gives a rich, distinctive flavor to anything it touches. It elevates an otherwise average meal or ingredient to something phenomenal. Crispy skin encases the succulent and juicy meat of the hen, just as you might expect; but the duck fat adds a silkiness more varied than butter, a new depth of savory when compared to alternate seasoning methods. In short, it makes this dish one worth bragging about. The truffle corn spoonbread and gravy wasn't hurting its cause either. 
Considering this is an oyster bar, you better believe that one each of the daily bivalve offerings preceded my hen. There was a Summerside from PEI, Canada, a Ninigret Cup from Charlestown, RI, and a Penn Cove from Hood Cabal, WA. The oyster is certainly celebrated here as these were freshly shucked and tasted truly sensational. Their is no lack of love in the cocktail department, either. They've got Swizzles & Smashes, Highballs & "Down" Drinks, Shots & Combos, 75 types of Whiskey and more. I had a really tough time deciding but eventually it was the Granny Smith Gimlet ($11) from the "Up" Drinks menu that I happily sipped. Combining Reyka Icelandic Vodka with fresh green apple, ginger, fresh lime juice and demerara syrup, it was a blend true to granny smith in all her green apple glory. They also boast a worthy selection of draft beer and for my second drink I sipped the Pretty Things Seasonal - an East India Porter with amber roasted malts and bold hoppy flavors. Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar alone is worth a trip to the Fenway neighborhood. The spacious sidewalk of 1310 Boylston Street offers al fresco dining at its finest, indoors a circular bar is flanked by large comfy booths, banquettes and even a gas fireplace. If I lived nearby I would happily become a regular.
Clover Food Lab is pretty awesome. It you find yourself hungry in Harvard Square looking for an affordable, fast, healthy lunch option, look no further than the infamous Boston food truck turned permanent food lab located at 7 Holyoke Street.
The menu is small, the food is all vegetarian and mostly organic, the space is clean and the staff is helpful and efficient. I ordered a Basil Limeade ($2) to drink. This just-made batch wasn't too sweet, nor too tart, it struck a nice balance and was especially thirst quenching on an 80 degree day.
To eat I ordered their signature Chickpea Fritter ($5) which is basically falafel rounds that come loaded with pickled onions, carrots and cucumbers stuffed into a soft chewy whole wheat pita and drizzled in a tangy yogurt sauce. 
I ate the entire pita, and did the best I could on an order of the Rosemary French Fries ($3).
For $3 you get a ginormous portion of just cut PEI potatoes hand tossed with rosemary and sea salt. These fries alone could make a meal. 
While not your ordinary fry, they actually embody a soft and very potato like quality - think less traditionally crispy, more baked potato-esque texture. At least, that is how my batch tasted and I throughly enjoyed it.
Considering this is an oyster bar, you better believe that one each of the daily bivalve offerings preceded my hen. There was a Summerside from PEI, Canada, a Ninigret Cup from Charlestown, RI, and a Penn Cove from Hood Cabal, WA. The oyster is certainly celebrated here as these were freshly shucked and tasted truly sensational. Their is no lack of love in the cocktail department, either. They've got Swizzles & Smashes, Highballs & "Down" Drinks, Shots & Combos, 75 types of Whiskey and more. I had a really tough time deciding but eventually it was the Granny Smith Gimlet ($11) from the "Up" Drinks menu that I happily sipped. Combining Reyka Icelandic Vodka with fresh green apple, ginger, fresh lime juice and demerara syrup, it was a blend true to granny smith in all her green apple glory. They also boast a worthy selection of draft beer and for my second drink I sipped the Pretty Things Seasonal - an East India Porter with amber roasted malts and bold hoppy flavors. Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar alone is worth a trip to the Fenway neighborhood. The spacious sidewalk of 1310 Boylston Street offers al fresco dining at its finest, indoors a circular bar is flanked by large comfy booths, banquettes and even a gas fireplace. If I lived nearby I would happily become a regular.[Sunday Afternoon]
Clover Food Lab is pretty awesome. It you find yourself hungry in Harvard Square looking for an affordable, fast, healthy lunch option, look no further than the infamous Boston food truck turned permanent food lab located at 7 Holyoke Street.
The menu is small, the food is all vegetarian and mostly organic, the space is clean and the staff is helpful and efficient. I ordered a Basil Limeade ($2) to drink. This just-made batch wasn't too sweet, nor too tart, it struck a nice balance and was especially thirst quenching on an 80 degree day.
To eat I ordered their signature Chickpea Fritter ($5) which is basically falafel rounds that come loaded with pickled onions, carrots and cucumbers stuffed into a soft chewy whole wheat pita and drizzled in a tangy yogurt sauce. 
I ate the entire pita, and did the best I could on an order of the Rosemary French Fries ($3).
For $3 you get a ginormous portion of just cut PEI potatoes hand tossed with rosemary and sea salt. These fries alone could make a meal. 
While not your ordinary fry, they actually embody a soft and very potato like quality - think less traditionally crispy, more baked potato-esque texture. At least, that is how my batch tasted and I throughly enjoyed it.Don't worry, traditional Memorial Day grilling even though it can't happen where I live, went down in the suburbs (Adam's parents house.) Steaks, corn on the cob, potato salad, watermelon, the works!
I can't believe it's Thursday already! Hope your week is flying by and it is onto another beautiful weekend....
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