Tasted Menu & Dinner @ Blue Inc.

About a month and a half ago, I was contacted by Alex Rosenfeld, Founder and CEO of Tasted Menu, a website and forthcoming mobile app focused on dish specific reviews at Boston Restaurants, asking if I would be interested in participating in their pre-beta launch as an early contributor to the site. Essentially, Tasted Menu allows users to rate, review and share photos of dishes based on current restaurant menus, which then show up in a "what are people eating right now" news feed and link to your individual profile as well as to the site maintained restaurant menu page.

I didn't hesitate to jump on board, this website sounded right up my alley! The potential of landing dinner invitations on the company if I surpassed certain thresholds of contributions in advance of the beta launch was also a motivating factor. While contributing, I discovered you can follow other users in their dining adventures and not unlike the Facebook concept we all know and love, "like" their reviews and photos. Some of the more unique features also caught my attention. For example, once you review 6 or more dishes at a certain restaurant you become a "Maitre'd". If you post about a certain number of food specific items or ingredients you become a "Gourmand of ...." (currently I am the #1 Gourmand of cocktails, surprise surprise and yes, you can review restaurant specific cocktails, too!) Tasted Menu is officially launching to the public in mid-October (any day now!) but if you want to request a user name in advance, head to the site and use "Daisy" as your invite code. Then you can check out the dish ratings and reviews (linked below) from our recent dinner at Blue Inc, and contribute reviews of your own if you feel so inclined!!

Not that long ago, I posted about my lunch at Blue Inc. This time around, I met Alex, Bianca and Rachel for dinner. The bar and restaurant were packed on a Tuesday evening, the atmosphere was loud and lively compared last time, a quiet and subdued Friday afternoon. We were seated promptly for our reservation at 8pm. I started with a Fat Boyz Margarita, Bianca chose the Anorexic Model and Rachel went with Cheffy. We rated our drinks based on the sites standard 10 point scale. Which drink received a rating of 8.0 and which one a 6.2? Only one way to find out...
We started the meal by ordering two dishes off the Bar Menu to share. The Fresh Made Scallion Pancakes received an average rating of 5.8 and the Spicy Tuna Tacos which only got a 5.4 . The majority of us seemed to enjoy the scallion pancakes, but they didn't blow us away. We agreed there was no spice whatsoever in the tacos. They were light and refreshing, but somewhat of a disappointment overall.

For our main courses Alex sampled two dishes off the appetizer menu, the Pan Seared Scallops and the Hand Rolled Sage Gnocchi. The rest of us ordered traditional entrees and very much enjoyed them! Rachel got the Cabernet Braised Shortribs, Bianca the Pan Roasted Natural Statler Chicken and I went with the Signature Honey & Hoisin Duck Glazed Confit.For dessert, everyone except me ordered a different flavored Liquid Nitrogen Milkshake. Since I had already ate/drank one of these when I was in for lunch, I opted for the "Signature" Butterscotch Fondant with dried and fresh strawberries and black truffle ice cream. I appreciated the opportunity to dine at Blue Inc. once again. I felt the bar bites were lackluster but the dinner entrees showcased much more creativity and skill. I should also mention, I am under no obligation to blog about Tasted Menu, I am doing so because I think it's an amazing website that like minded Boston food scene will appreciate! The concept is innovative and the content is informative while the design is user friendly and the site itself very efficient. 

If you've already had a chance to check out Tasted Menu, what did you think?

Summer Lunch Series Part 11: Blue Inc.

It would appear that I have some unfinished business to attend to. Once upon a time when it was summer, I had Friday's off from work and I went out to lunch! You remember those days? Long gone are they now, but not forgotten. I can't start something and not finish it, so without further a due, the final installment of my beloved Summer Lunch Series.
The opening of Blue Inc. in the Financial District had my interest peaked long before it even had a name. Chef Jason Santos was set to display his eclectic twist on traditional dishes in a funky, modern space located at 131 Broad Street, minus this one small detail. Since naming his new restaurant proved such a challenge, he announced a contest to the public. His affection for the color widely recognized thanks to his signature dyed-do, the winning submission aptly fits the bill.
I began my afternoon at the bar where the spirited bartender was more than welcoming and highly engaging. She took interest in my photography, which then led to a discussion of our favorite Boston restaurants. I happily conversed with her, sipping my Blue Inc. Sangria ($8) until Megan arrived and we sat for lunch. The signature red wine sangria with aloe vera and tangerine was a striking presentation with juxtaposing colors, animated further by a touch of blue in a test tube. I'm not sure the squirt of blue liquid added much taste wise to the already successful sangria, but frills and fun and blue fit right in, so it worked. Megan ordered The Anorexic Model ($11), this wildly named martini blends pierre ferrand cognac, lychee bubbles and St. Germaine, and garnishes it with "twiggy & berries" an eye catching bunch of mini grapes. For lunch, we decided to share a couple appetizer plates and a salad. The chef's creative tweaks paid off in some dishes, but failed to impress in others.
Perhaps the appetizer I was most looking forward to trying (which ended up being one the waitress initially forgot) were the Mini Kobe Corn Dogs ($9). A half dozen short and fat hot dogs in an onion and cheese batter come with three dipping sauces - honey mustard with a kick, chipotle aioli and homemade ketchup. I wanted to love these as much a I love my carnival fare staple, but this version did them no justice. The batter was much too greasy for what was only a paper thin coating of it, namely the ratio of dog to corn tipped completely off scale in the dogs favor. The fluffy enveloping exterior I craved (which is certainly allowed to be somewhat greasy) was completely a miss. Twists on classics can succeed straying even far off the beaten path, but I fear corn dog lovers will experience the same level of disappointment we did. The Three Lobster Tacos ($14) followed up on a much brighter note, pairing finely chopped lightly dressed lobster with mango salsa, shredded lettuce, cilantro and lime. I wished there were more mangoes present in the taco, but otherwise I enjoyed the dish. Black Truffle is a recurring ingredient on the menu; I favored mine in finely shredded strands atop Tater Tots ($6) which were soft mashed potato mounds of pure comfort, stuffed in the center with Gouda cheese and wrapped in a thin crispy skin. The Hell's Kitchen Wedge Salad($8) incorporated black truffle in vinaigrette form, drizzling it over a lettuce wedge studded with red grapes, candied walnuts and crumbled goat cheese. I enjoyed the dressing, and the components - but overall wasn't blown away by this salad.After finishing off my sangria, I was enticed by our waitress to try another cocktail. I'll give it to them - the bartenders at Blue Inc. sling some seriously gorgeous looking libations. The pretty in pink and green Strawberry Fields Forever ($9) muddles strawberries with house infused basil vodka, lime and bubbles. This drink was balanced and refreshing, just as easy on the taste buds as it was on the eyes. For dessert, we fancied ourselves a mid-day milkshake in the flavor of Rootbeer & Toasted Marshmellow ($8). Made with liquid nitrogen, a mystical whoosh of tingling, cold, bubbly air swarms around you and before you know it, you've got a shake that's anything but - it's frozen solid! The kitchen was kind enough to split the shake into two glasses for us and return with additional liquid nitrogen to enhance the effects. Once the mist clears and the shake melts enough to be pierced with a spoon - a thick, smooth, clay like substance is flooded with liquid lying underneath and within, proving this milkshake that strays far off the beaten path, works.
Megan and I were witness to what looked like a media demonstration where Chef Santos assumed a spot behind the bar to whip up a milkshake for a press photographer. Fun!Accompanying the check in a shot glass is your classic childhood bank teller treat: A blue lollipop! Proving a convivial experience; the atmosphere, cocktails and food at Blue Inc. all exude a unique fanfare. While not all of the dishes I sampled during my final summer lunch outing won me over, I was more than happy to accept an invite to check out the dinner menu with friends this past Tuesday. How did the Greenway hotspot fare on my second venture? Hopefully my next review won't take as long as this one did!

Ditch Friend Marry #3

It has been awhile since we've played, what do you say?! Three things that I've ate or drank lately: one gets the boot, one gets the infamous like button and the other wins my ultimate affection.

Ditch

The margarita I made on Cinco De Mayo. (I know, wtf?)

I bought a shiny new bottle of Sauza Blanco but used and old bottle of Jose Cuervo "just add tequila" pre made (non-alcoholic) mix. I was too cheap and lazy to purchase triple sec and juice my own limes. Never again. Truth be told, I wasn't feeling so hot, so I am not sure why I drank a margarita anyways. The pre-made mix tasted stale - maybe from sitting in my fridge for so long? Meanwhile, the ingredients on the label don't appear to be ones I can pronounce with ease. Not sure what I was thinking. I'll make fresh, legit margs one of these days to redeem myself.

Friend

Annie Chun's Udon Noodle Bowls

I tried this all natural, preservative free product on a whim and ended up really enjoying it! A pouch of noodles, a spice packet and some seasoning sauce - combine according to directions, add water and microwave. The thick chewy Udon noodles bathe in a delicate broth of tofu and scallions. Bold Japanese flavors from the accompanying seasonings lend a pleasant saltiness and mild spice. It's an easy meal to prepare at lunch time in the office, but one of those microwave meals I eat sparingly so as to not become sick of them. Annie Chun - so glad we're friends!

Marry

Flat Black Coffee Company

A Boston based business, Flat Black offers over twenty single-origin coffees from around the world. They micro-roast to ensure that your beans, brewed cup, or espresso beverage contain the richest flavors of origin. (Source - website linked above.)Flat Black is Australian for Espresso; the company's original inspiration comes from a trip to Australia. From the website: Unbeknownst to most, Australia produces some superb coffee, grown on the slopes of an extinct volcano in a unique microclimate on the eastern coast. Discovering this little-known coffee producing region inspired a desire to bring rare coffees such as this back to Boston.After a doctors appointment one morning, I wandered in to the Financial District cafe location at 50 Broad Street. (The other two locations are in Dorchester - Lower Mills and Ashmont.) I was greeted by a modern space with angular paneled wood walls, bright blue industrial ceilings, large arched windows, clean table tops and muted red chars. A chocolate croissant caught my eye, (they will always remind me of France!) wrapped tightly to go, buttery and flaky with rich chunks of milk chocolate hidden inside the puff pastry walls. The coffee was rich and smooth, with delicate bubbles frothing on the surface. I thoroughly enjoyed this cup and there is not much more to it than that.The baristas were friendly which also served to win me over. It's always fun to discover a new place at random and leave feeling pleasantly surprised after the experience. Obviously "marry" is just a happy euphemism, don't go thinking I've gone off the deep end.

Your turn! Feel free to choose people, places or things - this is definitely not limited to food and drink. Tell me what you're Ditching-Friending-Marrying lately.