Thanks for a wonderful Dish Gal birthday!!

I just had a fantastic birthday weekend, filled with friends, fun, and you guessed it -- lots and lots of delicious food.

Skylar took me out on Saturday to 29 Newbury for lunch, which served, as Dish Gal likes to think of it, food that is simple but delicious and exactly what I WISH I was able to cook for myself every day. We shared butternut squash soup ($10) to start which was amazing (soup as a dish has been on a roll recently!). Then Skylar got a turkey burger, bunless, with a tossed salad ($13). Usually I would think of this as typical "dieters" fare, but I was jealous of her meaty burger, crisp greens, and spicy aioli -- not diet food at all! I opted for a pizzeta with prosciutto, goat cheese, and figs ($16). The server informed me that since figs were out of season they had replaced it with roasted pears-- fine with me! It was a great combination of ingredients, and a perfect lunch that I wish I could have everyday.

Saturday night was the real foodie heaven, though. We headed to Masa for dinner, hoping to snag some bar tables and share the famous $1 tapas plates. However, due to a large party that had reserved the tables, we quickly realized that was not happening... but we stayed and enjoyed some drinks and tapas for a bit. I really can't do a complete run down of the food, but everything was AMAZING-- little tiny bite sized pieces of heaven. Check out the menu here: www.masarestaurant.com . We also enjoyed sangria margaritas-- combining two of my favorite drinks in a refreshing way that made me ache for summertime and patios.

We then headed to The Savant Project in Mission Hill. Our cab driver got super lost on the way, so much so that we were questioning our choice of restaurant by the time we got there. But as soon as we stepped into the restaurant I knew we had made the right choice. It was dark, and effortlessly cool, with bronze walls and cozy tables. We waved away the restaurant week menus, and opted for, like at Masa, their (non-Spanish) tapas. We went ordering-crazy, and everything was absolutely delicious. Some of the highlights: skirt steak egg rolls; Tuna sashimi, micro greens, garlic chips; Greek salad with fried feta balls; Tempura vegetables with a whole grain mustard peanut sauce; and Chicken, Spicy Sweet, Tom Yum Coconut Soup (all around $8-9 dollars each).

Not only did The Savant Project have delicious food, it also had extraordinary and imaginative cocktails. A few of us stuck with sangria and got one of the “Singrias” (although we were tempted by the “Mangria,” which kicked up the spicyness with jalapenos). One person got one of their beer cocktails called the “blonde” (despite the fact that she is, in fact, brunette—heresy!) which was blonde lillet, blue moon, and fresh lemon juice. Another favorite was the infused alcohols (imbibed straight—Skylar, so hardcore!).

To top off all the wonderfulness, our server brought over churros with chocolate dipping sauce with cayenne pepper in it – it had a kick!—with a candle in it and everyone sang happy birthday, which was really sweet. And speaking of sweet—the churros were outta control. I can’t speak more highly of an establishment, and I’m already plotting a trip to go back—perhaps to bring Z as I know he would love it!!

What a fantastic night of food and drinks. Kudos to these amazing Boston restaurants who bring ambiance, amazing food, and affordability -- these places are what Dish This is all about!