LaLa Rokh - A Different Beacon Hill Flavor

A little while ago (as in pre-wedding!) my mom and I were running some wedding errands and ended up back in Beacon Hill right around dinner time, so Nick and I took my mom out for dinner.  Since we normally take her to 75 Chestnut, Paramount, or The Bistro, we decided to switch things up and went to Lala Rokh.  This Eastern Mediterranean restaurant is tucked up in the garden level of a lovely brownstone on Mt. Vernon St.  Nick and I had been there once before and really enjoyed the different flavors and had been looking for a reason to head back.

While there is a small bar at the front of the restaurant, we were immediately brought back to the dining room (it was a bit on the earlier side) and started to review the drink menu.  With some fun cocktails on their list, my mom and I had to indulge.  They were delicious and just what we needed after a day of running around.  However, I cannot remember the ingredients and there does not seem to be a cocktail list online.  Regardless - its worth a trip for a cocktail!

While we were enjoying our pre-dinner drinks, we dove right into the bread that was accompanied by some hummus.  It was so flavorful that I was just scooping heaps of it onto the bread, which only ended up being a tool to get more hummus into my mouth.

Bread and Hummus

With all the fun flavors and different dishes, we had to share an appetizer.  The Dolmeh Kado, which is zucchini stuffed with tabrizi spices, rice and beef, sounded too good not try!  I loved this dish.  The textures and the flavors were amazing.  The zucchini was smooth and in perfect contrast to the richness of the spices in the dish.

Dolmeh Kado

For main courses, my mom went with one of the specials of the evening, the trout (ever consistent!).  The fish was cooked perfectly and, after navigating around a few bones, each bite was tender.  The accompanying roasted veggies and rice rounded out the dish.  I believe Lala Rokh has a rotating fresh fish special every evening, which is always fun.

Fish Special

I look to servers for a lot of meal decisions, especially when there are a couple of things on a menu that I cannot seem to decide between.  In this case the server hinted that my initial decision was not the best dish - in fact it was be taken off the menu in a few weeks!  So, I switched my choice to the Sib, which had braised veal medallions with seared apples, yellow split peas and saffron served with basmati rice.  The meat was tender and easy to eat.  The seared apples were good, but not my cup of tea - too sweet and the wrong texture for me, but Nick loved the dish.

Sib

Nick went with a dish I normally would have selected: the Kabab-e Bareh, a lamb dish with juicy marinated lamb kabab and ground lamb with pistachio.  Seems like Nick and I should have switched dishes, because while he like this, I loved it.  The lamb was flavorful and the different types of lamb added a fun texture contrast as you worked your way through the plate.

Kabab-e Bareh

Lala Rokh is one of those neighborhood finds that is rare in the Boston area with its unique flavor and dishes.  I definitely need to make more of an effort to get to Lala Rokh more often - too many good dishes to try!  If you are looking for a bit of a flavor change Lala Rokh is a great destination.

Where do you go for dinner when you need to switch it up?

Lunch at B&G Oysters

After all of the wedding celebrations and I had finally returned to work, my co-workers decided to continue the celebration with a lovely ladies-who-lunch style outing.  When given a list of amazing choices, B&G Oysters stood out, and I jumped at the chance to go back after having an amazing dinner there over a year a go.

B&G

B&G Oysters is tucked into a garden level corner brownstone in the South End.  While the restaurant is below ground, the bright blue and stainless interior make it feel bright and vibrant.  There are only a few high tops surrounding the massive bar, with loads of seats that have a perfect view of the raw bar and kitchen so you can watch the chefs in action.



The lunch menu is a smaller version of the dinner menu so there is plenty to choose from.  Trying to make decisions is a bit tough, but one easy choice was the Lobster Beignets with a celery root puree, truffle and pickled fennel.

Lobster Beignets

I was happy when the rest of the table was willing to share this dish, because this may have had to be a main course otherwise.  The beignets themselves were light but had so much lobster flavor in each bite - really a surprising amount considering the lightness.  The truffle was not overwhelming at all - normally I like the strong flavor, but here it was nice and subtle, which allowed the taste of the celery root and fennel to be brought out.  These non traditional ingredients added a substantial depth to each bite.

Beignet Close-Up

Menu and Raw Bar Options

For a table of 4 we did not have much variety in our entree orders, and we all went with either the Lobster BLT or the Lobster Roll.  Nick had the lobster BLT on our previous visit and could not say enough about how delicious it was.  This time was no different.  The thick and crusty bread loaded with lobster was was only better accented by the bacon flavors.  This sandwich just had loads of goodness in each bite.  I would highly recommend ordering this dish if you happen into B&G Oysters.

Lobster BLT

I went with the Lobster Roll.  While I knew it was not hot and buttered, I was told it was not overly smothered in mayonnaise, and true to everyone's word it wasn't.  The lobster was flavorful and seasoned well, and the bun was nicely toasted and buttered.  However, when this arrived I could not help but be a bit disappointed.  For $27 the lobster roll was just so small - tasty but small.  It was a decent size for lunch, but I felt like the $25 lobster roll from Neptune Oyster provided a lot more bang for your buck.  Stick with the BLT....

Lobster Roll

Both entrees were accompanied by french fries, coleslaw and pickles.  While I am not a pickle person, I loved these fries and the coleslaw.  The fries were a perfect golden brown with a crunchy crispness that was so satisfying.  The coleslaw had a vinegar base rather than mayo making it lighter with a tang in each bite.  Every time I eat a vinegar-based dish I keep reminding myself I need to start adding it to more of my own meals.

Sides...

Even after being stuffed with the delicious food, we still had room to split a dessert.  In this case we decided to share the Meyer Lemon Tartlet topped with candied lemon and thyme.  The lemon filling was light with a sharp tartness that was exactly what you look for when venturing away from the sweet desserts.  The candied lemon and thyme provided just enough of an accent in flavor and texture to the bites, nicely contrasting the smoothness of the lemon filling.  This dessert was a perfect way to end a buttery, rich, lobster-filled meal.

Meyer Lemon Tartlet

This return trip to B&G Oysters reminded me again why I loved my first trip and have been wanting to go back since.  The flavors in each of the dishes were so great and the involvement of non-traditional ingredients like the celery root are examples of what makes the dishes so innovative but also tasty.  Go for the lobster BLT or the beignets, and I promise you won't be disappointed!

Forum Burger

Last week I found myself attempting to get back into the swing of things, and well, it was not working as well as I thought (in my mind I was still in the Indian Ocean!)  Luckily I had some fun things I had to do along the way, like go to a Junior League committee meeting.  While a previous meeting introduced me to the Power Hour at Morton's, I was happy to find myself back at Forum.  Forum is still a relatively new addition to the Back Bay scene, but with the major renovations done to the space that used to be Vox Populi, (spoiler alert!) I highly recommend stopping by and checking it out.

This time around we were seated downstairs and ordered off of Forum's extensive bar/bistro menu that had many interesting looking dishes.  However, being me, the minute I saw the burger it seemed like a burger type of night.  Forum's burger is made with bone marrow, pancetta, Swiss cheese, Dijon and house made pickles.  With all of these fun ingredients, how could I choose sanything else?!?

The Burger

I actually was really surprised by how tasty this burger was.  First, it was cooked a perfect medium rare, and if you've read any of my previous burger posts before you know the temperature of the burger is one of the most important things to me.  The Dijon was strong in flavor, but in a great way.  It made the burger stick out in my head compared to the many other burgers I have had in the city.  The rest of the flavors were really just supporting the Dijon in highlighting the beef.  All in all, I was happy with my burger selection, and at $16 it did not completely break the bank.

To go with my burger I of course needed a drink.  Normally I would not have gone so fancy with my drink to accompany a burger, but the drink order came first!  Being the St. Germain fan that I am, I could not resist the Elder's Tail, which was made with Elderflower, Grey Goose vodka, agave, fresh lime, and topped off with Prosecco.  I mean, this drink had my name written all over it.

Elder's Tail

If you like elderflower and/or vodka definitely order this drink!  All in all I was once again totally pleased with my experience at Forum.

Clio - Ken Oringer's Fine Dining Establishment!

For Christmas each year my mother makes a reservation at a fancier restaurant in town.  In years past we have gone to L'Espalier, Market, and Aujourd'hui (now closed).  We have tried to go to a couple of the nicer Barbara Lynch restaurants, but getting reservations can be tough during the holidays.  This year we decided to go to a restaurant that seems to fly under the radar a bit - Clio.  While it is the brain child of Ken Oringer, his other restaurants seem to steal more of the spotlight than this cozy fine dining establishment tucked into the Eliot Hotel.  Between the pedigree of Oringer and the recommendation of one of co workers who knows her way around fine dining in Boston, I knew this was a good selection for our fancy holiday meal.

Upon arrival at Clio, Nick and I met my mom and brother in the bar area, grabbed a drink and got settled while our table was prepared and we checked our coats.  Nick was convinced to order the freshly made egg nog that was truly delicious.  It was filling, but good enough to order a second glass.

Egg Nog

While my brother and mother went for glasses of wine, I chose a cocktail that was garnished with a bit of toasted coconut - how could I resist?!

Cocktail with toasted coconut.

While enjoying my drink, I was struck by how small the restaurant was.  This was not an overwhelming space by any means.  The clean and contemporary decor made for a nice eating experience, but since our dinner, Clio has undergone a substantial renovation, so I cannot speak to the current style.  When we we sat at our table we were quickly greeted by our server who also brought over a nice amuse bouche for us to enjoy.  The ingredients included a foie gras - definitely a fun and tasty ingredient.  The amuse did exactly what it was supposed to - got us excited for the meal to come.

Amuse Bouche

Shortly thereafter we were given some wheat rolls and some baguettes accompanied by salted butter.  We were lucky to have so much to enjoy before dinner because the extensive and detailed menu required a lot of thought.  There just seemed to be so many amazing choices!  The combination of techniques and ingredients was impressive.  Luckily we had an extremely knowledgeable server who went over almost every dish on the menu so that we felt comfortable in the our choices.

Bread!

With so many delicious plates, here is my best attempt at covering all of the food!  To begin, the four of us split a plate of marinated yellowtail and yellowfin opal basil, ginger and garlic.  There was so much fresh fish on this plate with a flavorful sauce that it was perfect for each of our group get a good share of the dish.

Yellowtail and Yellowfin

After a good sale by the server, Nick and I both ordered the cassolette of sea urchin and lobster made with a parsnip milk, crispy shallots and candied lemon.  This was my first experience with sea urchin and I really enjoyed it!  The cassolette was flavorful and with so many textures in one dish it made each mouthful so interesting and fun.  Not having much experience with foam dishes other than seeing them on Top Chef, I was excited to give it a go, and if I had to guess, this was foam done right as it was added so much dimension to the dish.

Cassolette

My brother, a big foie gras fan, ordered the Foie Gras Laquee with milk and honey puree, cornichons and pickled onion berries.  The presentation of this dish was so striking, with the hardened honey that almost looked like a shiny piece of fabric.

Lacquee

My mom ordered the most fun dish, which was really more of a dish within a dish.  She ordered the Fall Squash Soup, which had five different treats at the bottom of the bowl including a pistachio croquant, orange and poire Williams.  I love table-side pouring of soups, but this took it to a whole other level.  It really was like having a new surprising mouthful in each bite.

Soup - Pre Soup Pour

Post Soup Pour

After a delicious first course, it was onto the main dishes.  My brother and I ordered the Duet du Boeuf, which had grilled Pineland Farms skirt steak and root beer braised short rib with a parsley root brulee, charred cippolini, and a lemon balm "diable." I was sold on this dish with the brulee and the root beer braise - two totally different ingredients that somehow totally worked in this dish.  This combination seemingly should not have worked, but it came together so well and and was a tasty dish.

Duet du Boeuf

At the suggestion of our server, Nick went with the Buttermilk Braised Organic Chicken with a parisienne oak gnocchi, golden raisins and a black truffle creme.  Nick thought this dish was delicious - the gnocchi had a great depth of flavor and the black truffle accent provided a great accent (naturally!).

Buttermilk Braised Chicken

My mother had the Sweet Butter Basted Maine Lobster with chanterelle mushrooms, fresh soy beans and "vin jaune D'Arbois." Even with all the accompaniments to this dish, the lobster was the star and there was plenty of it (enough that we even got some bites!).

Sweet Butter Basted Lobster

After such a great meal we were all so full, but the dessert menu had so many tempting options that we HAD to indulge.  First we had a bit of a palette cleanser with some cappuccino - nice and frothy.

Cappuccino

Reed ordered the French Butter Pear with malt walnut creme and labne ice cream.

French Butter Pear

Nick surprisingly went with a chocolate dessert!  I must admit, the reason is because it was accompanied by banana ice cream.  The cake was a Miso Dark Chocolate Cremeux and in addition to the banana ice cream it had a golden miso cashew butter.  The miso was a surprising accent flavor that made for a fun combination with the dark chocolate.

Miso Dark Chocolate Cremeux

I ordered the Chocolate Coulant, which toke 20 minutes to prepare, but with the coconut cocoa nib ice cream on the side I could not resist!  My brother had called ahead to the restaurant and told them that Nick and I were getting married at the end of the week so they made the dessert a bit more special!  This had to be one of the best desserts I ever had - the chocolate and coconut combination was simply amazing.  I would seriously go back to Clio just for this dessert.  I cannot think of one dessert that tops this.

Chocolate Coulant

Molten Coconut oozing out

Unfortunately, the first time they made this it fell over before it made it out of the kitchen, so it ended up taking about 40 minutes.  While the server apologized for the delay, when the bill came I was surprised they actually charged us for the dessert.  I did not argue, but was just surprised because the service was amazing in every other aspect of the meal.  Even with the extra time, the dessert was worth it.

This holiday meal at Clio was exactly why my mother started doing this each year - it allowed us to go out and enjoy a phenomenal meal somewhere we would not normally go.  Clio had such an innovative menu with dishes unlike what you see at other restaurants, white table cloth or not.  Even though it is a foodie menu, the dishes are not overly complex and come together really well that even people who typically would shy away from the more complex dishes would find more than enough options to satisfy.

The smaller dining space provides such a lovely intimate dining experience.  Whether you are looking for a special date night or are in the mood for a great meal with friends, Clio should be at the top of your list.

Thanks, Mom!

Sweet Cheeks! New BBQ in Boston

I figured my final topical post of 2011 should be a good one, and what better way to finish than with one of the more talked about restaurant openings - Sweet Cheeks.  Sweet Cheeks is the new restaurant from Tiffany Faison of Top Chef fame and formerly of Rocca.  When Rocca suddenly closed, the Boston food community was a little worried it may lose one of its newer celebrity chefs, but Tiffany quickly settled the matter by telling her public that she was already working on a new restaurant in Boston.  When it turned out to be BBQ I am sure I was not the only one who was super excited about having another reliable BBQ option in Boston. 

Outside Sweet Cheeks

When given the opportunity to taste Sweet Cheeks' offerings with some fellow bloggers and the great people over at Tasted Menu, I needed no arm twisting - I was in!  For those who don't remember, Tasted Menu is the new go-to website for finding what the best dishes are at a restaurant, or where the best place is to go get your favorite food.


When walking into Sweet Cheeks I was struck by how they have really created a great space that has southern/BBQ elements without being overly kitschy.  Really its just an easy place to hang out with a long bar and plenty of fun touches throughout.  After getting a drink at the bar with Tracey and Amanda, we were joined by Rachel, Alex and Dafne (both of Tasted Menu) and headed to our high top table (a re-purposed bowling alley floor!).  Having done a little reading prior to heading over, I knew that nothing was going to be what it seemed - a table is made from an old door or something else, but it's never just a straight table.  Further, there are no glasses or plates.  Instead, you feel like a City Slicker drinking from mason jars and what I like to call cowboy bowl/plates and mugs. 

When going to eat with the folks from Tasted Menu, they do not hold back since they really want to get a good understanding and sample of the menu to give the restaurant's Tasted Menu page a good jump.  Therefore, when ordering they go BIG, and it resulted in a whole lot of food for all of us to enjoy (and make room for on the table!)

To begin, we got the best biscuits ever - and when I say "ever" I mean it.  It is totally worth going to Sweet Cheeks for these alone!  They are huge, fluffy and just amazing!  Note that these are not available on their take out menu, so go in, grab a drink and order some food - these are worth it!

Biscuits from Heaven

For entrees, you actually pick out different components on a tray with a meat, and a couple of sides.  However, the sides are "Hot Scoops" and "Cold Scoops."  After reviewing the menu and debating my many choices, I decided to go with a simple Tray, rather than the Big Cheeks Tray - 2 meats, or the Fat Cheeks Tray - 3 meats!  With the tray you get one choice of meat, 1 hot scoop and 1 cold scoop with white bread, pickles and onions.

I chose the Berkshire Pork Ribs, which were fall off the bone delicious.  They were so flavorful, and some of the best ribs I have had on this side of the Mason Dixon line.  For a rib lover, these are delicious!  Trying to mix a little green into the meal I got the farm salad, which had a wonderful mix of greens, brussel sprouts and other goodness.  For the Hot Scoop I got the Mac and Cheese, which was actually a little lack luster.  It did not have that creamy cheesy taste and texture you want.  Instead it came across a bit plain.  While the trays come with white bread and pickles and onions I never made it to those.  The bread was nothing special and did not really beckon to be dipped in and sauce or anything - that was for the biscuits!

Tray!

Some of the other Hot Scoops were brought to the table, so I sampled the collard greens, which were really tasty, though I am not a huge collards fan.

Collards

However, I loved the black-eyed peas, which turned out to be my favorite Hot Scoop!  They were flavorful and cooked with pork bits that really made each bite delicious.  I would highly recommend ordering these as your Hot Scoop.

Black Eyed Peas

Some of the other cold scoops include the potato salad and the carrot and raisin salad.  I must admit with the all the other food, I stuck to my farm salad and never made it to these...

Potato Salad

Carrot and Raisin Salad

Not to be confused with the Hot Scoops and Cold Scoops from above, you can order a couple of other sides, which are called Hot & Crispy (aka, deep fried amazingness!).  First in the long line was the fried green tomatoes.  My mind was at odds because I hate tomatoes, but these just looked to good!  Nick's voice in my head convinced me to at least sample them and they were great!  Crispy fried crust on the outside and bursts of sweetness on the inside. 

Fried Green Tomatoes

Next on tap was the Salt and Pepper Potatoes.  With these, there is no need for the fry form of potatoes.  This version more than satisfies any potato lover.  These taste like home fries and french fries got together and had a baby.

Salt and Pepper Potatoes

One of my favorites, much to my surprise, was the Fried Okra.  Typically I am not an okra fan - the taste always just seems off to me.  However, these really could have been a proper substitute for fries with their great crispy outer layer and the softer okra texture on the inside.  Even Tom Colicchio, a known okra hater, would like these!  

Fried Okra

The last, but certainly not the least, of the Hot & Crispy's were the Hush Puppies.  I mean, what good BBQ place would not serve these?!  Each had a great outer crusty layer and were soft on the inside - hush puppies done right. 

Hush Puppies

Turning away from the food a bit (crazy I know!), I must mention the amazing beer list at Sweet Cheeks.  They have more beers that most bars in Boston.  While they have the more traditional beers, they have a great selections of new beers to try (or at least new to me!).  For my first beer I had the Geary's seasonal beer, which was dark, rich and delicious (not pictured). For my second beer, I could not resist a can of beer called Pork Slap, so based on name alone this was my next drink.  Luckily it was tasty too.
 

Pork Slap

OK - back to food.  I know its hard to believe we even could think of going there, but we did - DESSERTS!  We ordered the butterscotch pudding, Giant Nutter Butter and the white trash fruit salad.  Not being a fan of the classic nutter butter candy bars I was skeptical, but homemade is definitely the way to go on these.  If you even kind of like the classic candy bar, do not hesitate and order this dessert. 

Pudding and nutter butter

Normally you think pudding is pudding and how could one be different than another.  I no longer think that after having the butterscotch pudding from Sweet Cheeks.  This stuff was unreal and capped off by bits of salt to even add that great contrast I love so much.  Even though we were sharing I think I had a bit more than my fair share of this dessert. 

Amazing Pudding!

Finally, I tasted the white trash fruit salad.  This is a super southern dessert I have seen while visiting my brother in Charlotte, but I just cannot get used to how sweet it is!  This salad proved to be just too much for me. 

White Trash Fruit Salad

Overall, I totally enjoyed my experience at Sweet Cheeks.  For being a new restaurant, they are a well oiled machine - no real kinks to figure out.  Most of the dishes came out really well.  In a BBQ place, the meat is really where its at, and the meat at Sweet Cheeks is cooked perfectly and super tasty.  With all the different options of sides there is something for everyone on this menu.  The price point is also pretty good - for under $20 you can get a tray, which is more than enough food to satisfy.  Between the yummy food and the fun atmosphere I would highly recommend taking a trip to this new addition to the Fenway area.   

Disclaimer: Tasted Menu paid for my meal, but my thoughts and opinions are completely my own.