South End Buttery (a.k.a. See, I'm still relevant in Boston!)

A long time ago (2 weeks, though it seems much longer), in a galaxy far, far away (Boston), Dish Gal and Z met for dinner at the South End Buttery.

Dish Dad always says don't bury the lead, so I'll start with my verdict: I'd give the food a B- and the atmosphere an A+.

First off, the South End Buttery is adjacent to my favorite street in Boston-- Union Park. The brownstones, the trees, the cobblestones-- it all makes for quite a fairy tale-esque scene.

Inside the restaurant, the ground floor holds the bakery in one room and the bar area in another. The hostess seated us downstairs in the dining room, in a diminutive room with a roaring fireplace and comfy, plush banquettes. I was astonished at how charming this subterranean dining room is. It's maybe the coziest dining room in Boston. And I've eaten in a lot ;)

On to the food. Z started with a crabcake appetizer with all these crazy sauces spiraled about on the plate (crazy being piquillo and avocado). The sauces reminded me of my Sibling Rivalry "let's just throw a bunch of sauces on the plate" gripe. Usually I'm anti-shellfish in general, but a few weeks ago at the Share Our Strength dinner at Hamersley's, I was blown away by Rich Vellante's crabcake appetizer, so I decided to try this one. I didn't love it; too fishy for me. We also shared a Caesar salad. Nothing special, but I did enjoy it.

For our entrees, I (very randomly) selected the pulled pork sandwich after our waitress mentioned it was a staff favorite. The dish seemed out of place on an otherwise steak/salmon/swordfish dominated menu. It was yummy, but still, very random. And MASSIVE. I took about 3/4 of it home.

Z got the swordfish. He "liked it a lot" (direct quote via text message). I didn't get a chance to try it.

Finally, we got the green tea crème brulee. I didn't taste any green tea in this at all. But I'm never going to say blech to a crème brulee…

So there you have it, folks. A charming, romantic, reasonably-priced spot hidden on a fairytale-esque street in the heart of the South End. Just make sure your date is not a foodie ;)

Food at Drink.

I've been to Drink, Barbara Lynch's subterranean bar that pays homage to great cocktails, courtesy of John Gertsen, a few times before, but only ever, ahem, drank there.

This past Thursday, after the Boston magazine party upstairs at FP3, we headed down to Drink and decided to order lots of food (we were a big-- and hungry-- group).

I didn't take any photos, so I figure I'd just sum it up like so:

Great choices:

Gougeres: little flaky cheese puffs - SO GOOD we were all tempted to each order a bucket of them

Proscuitto di Parma with cauliflower: delicate and savory; almost seductive in its slippery texture

Steak tartare: sooo meatyyyy (any The Soup/Joel McHale fans out there?? ;) But seriously, really good steak tartare.

Okay choices:

Grilled cheese sandwiches with carmelized onion: didn't blow me away, but weren't bad either.

Didn't love:

Buttermilk biscuits with ham and jelly: I was hoping for Hungry Mother type little bites of heaven but instead these were dry, bulky things. Sigh, I need to go back to HM soon.

My drink was amazing, per usual. If you're not familiar with Drink, the idea is that there is no cocktail menu-- you just say something you like (e.g. I like XYZ herb and XYZ booze) and they make you something, from scratch. No mixers or soda here. On Thursday, I requested Mai-Tai-esque and received something with all that lovely boozyness of a Mai-Tai, minus that sickening sweet aftertase.

I am torn on this place-- I kinda wanna hate it since it's so "I'm SO cool and trendy" but I kinda always have a good time when I go...any other places you go to that are like this for you? Maybe the Liberty? But I like Drink better than the Liberty...hmm....

Pops restaurant in the South End (and hatch chilies)

Did you know that there are certain foods only good for an extremely short period of the year? More elusive than the summer tomato, their prime season literally lasts mere days. An example of this is the hatch chili. These chilies, harvested in the Mesilla Valley of New Mexico, are only available a few weeks out of the year. So why am I talking about these fleeting foods?

I think that Pops in the South End is the hatch chili of Boston restaurants.

What I'm calling “Pops season” is actually perhaps my favorite time of the year—warm enough to dine outside, but chilly enough that you should probably bring a sweater. And while dining alfresco on a hot summer night of course has its pros, I almost prefer the chilly nights. You can savor your food instead of sweating into it, linger with an espresso after your meal, and not feel the intense stares and glares of those anxiously waiting for your table.Moreover, Pops has one of my favorite patio spots in Boston, but doesn’t exactly have food that I’d ever want to eat when the sun is beating down on me. Meatloaf in spring or summer? No thanks. But those blissful few weeks in September/early October? A glass of red wine, a savory pasta dish, and a cool autumn breeze—sign me up.

Went to Pops a few weeks ago with Lynn and enjoyed said red wine and savory pasta dish. Here's my spicy lamb bolognese-- not the best pasta I've ever had, but certainly yummy:
I ordered the small portion, just $10, and then a side of the seared brussel sprouts:

Yum! and a HUGE portion.

Lynn started with the Portuguese crab and lobster soup, which she praised for not being too creamy or heavy.And then she opted for the other pasta option, the angel hair with cherry tomatoes and artichoke fondutta-- which reminds me of pasta dishes I like to make for my weeknight dinners (obviously a bit more fancy, though):But Pops season, by my definition, is fleeting. As soon as it becomes too cold to sit outside, I’ll be back at my preferred indoor spots like the Franklin Café or Garden at the Cellar. And when summer rolls back around, I’ll be sitting outside of Masa with a margarita in hand.

But for these next few weeks? The Pops patio is certainly worth seeking out, while you can.

Sibling Rivalry with my Sibling

A few weeks ago, Dish Bro and I meandered through the South End on a beautiful summer night. Our first stop was Masa for some margaritas, savoring warm weather while we could. We of course ordered Masa's sampler platter, as well, which is something I love sharing with out-of-towners to start off the night. But for dinner we wanted to try something different, and so after perusing some menus of area restaurants, Dish Bro chose Sibling Rivalry for its curious, inventive menu choices-- and its irrestistible potential for a great, and punny, Dish This blog post header (see above).

Too bad the food wasn't very good.

The first time I had been to Sibling Rivalry, I was getting over a sickness that left me with very little sense of taste. However, upon visiting this second time, I saw that there isn't really anything that great to taste anyway.

Sibling Rivalry, if you're not familiar with the concept, pits two brother chefs against each other with ingredient/type of food "head to heads." A great concept, for sure.

My brother and I did our own "head to head" and each started with one chef's interpretation of "crudo." I chose the Ancho chili steak tartare with pickled cabbage, tomatillo relish, avocado, and cilantro.

I should have been obsessed with this dish-- cilantro, avocado, and pickled anything are amongst my favorites. So how does a dish with so many strong flavors and interesting textures become just blah?? Mushy, uninteresting, blah.

Dish Bro fared better with his tuna tartare with sticky soy glaze and spicy aioli:

Still, this dish's outdated presentation prompted a lengthy discussion of the merits of all these squiggly sauces. My brother's main point-- Why provide multiple sauces anyway? Shouldn't the chef just commit and choose one that I should eat with it? I guess if they complement, a la ketchup and mustard, it's okay, but this didn't seem deliberate.

We didn't go head to head for our entrees, though. Dish Bro chose the crusted Alaskan halibut with English peas, crab ravioli, and leek-lemon-tarragon butter sauce.
I didn't sample this (as I was too stuffed to even barely make a dent in my own entree) but Dish Bro definitely wasn't wow-ed.

For my "entree" I actually chose an appetizer-- the Moroccan-style lamb with brik cumin, soft poached egg, curried lamb jus, and cool cucumber salad. This was probably the most flavorful choice of the night, though an odd flavor profile for a new-American restaurant (didn't really seem to meld with the theme of the rest of the menu).
While I would not return to eat here, I do want to point out that we had a fantastic server (so personable, very knowledgeable) and my brother enjoyed his watermelon cocktail:
Final verdict: Are there better choices in this 'hood? Hell yes. Head nearby to Franklin Cafe or Metropolis Cafe for similar menu items, better quality, and more reasonable prices.

Dinner at Stephi's on Tremont

Here's my SAT-style analogy to sum up my thoughts on Stephi's on Tremont (sorry if this brings back stressful memories for anyone!)

Stephi's: young professionals (yuppies?)::
Cheesecake Factory: teenagers/college students

My reasoning: It's a nice place to gather. It won't offend anyone, and the menu has something for everyone. It's priced as a moderate-luxury. It has a nice, pleasing, yet non-descript atmosphere. It has nice-tasting comfort food. It feels trendy (even if it's not really all that exciting). It has large portions.

Agree/disagree???

In the meantime, let's recap what we ate. I met Lynn, my bestest, childhood friend that I ate at Panza with, at Stephi's on Tremont on a muggy day last week. Earlier in the day, I had tweeted (I hate using that word) that I was headed there and got a recommendation from amazing foodie blogger MCSlimJB and amazing, non-foodie blogger The Missus. Luckily, Lynn was game for trying BOTH of their suggestions, so I didn't have to choose just one!

Before we dove into our recommended entrees, we started with the baked warm Vermont goat cheese with roasted garlic and kalamata olives, with crunchy French bread ($12).

(Sorry for the terrible photo-- bad lighting for iPhone camera pics...) This was a pleasant surprise for me. While I had expected a wedge of goat cheese and some bread, this mini-skillet reminded me of one of my favorite, now non-existent, appetizers at Eastern Standard-- the baked raclette! Instead of the little cornichons floating in the bubbly cheese, Stephi's version had kalamata olives (nice addition of tartness) and huge chunks of roasted garlic.

Next up: the MCSlimJB rec-- the Newbury Street Chunky Chicken Salad ($14). Our waiter nicely split this on two plates, so this photo is actually a half portion.

My favorite part of this was the soda bread. I wasn't CRAZY about the chicken salad on its own, but thank God for slices of luscious August tomatoes and that super tasty soda bread. A bite with all four elements-- bread, tomato, chicken, salad-- made for quite a nice summer dish.

We also tried The Missus's recommendation, the pan roasted New England cod over sweet corn and bacon chowder with herb roasted potatoes, topped with crispy onion strings ($24).
This was soooo rich and sooo Stephanie's. Comfort food to the max. Undo your first button on your pants, lean back and sigh, food. How can you go wrong with bacon and corn chowder with potatoes though? I barely remember this being a fish dish, ha.

All in all, I enjoyed Stephi's. Would I run around telling everyone they MUST go there, like I did with Hungry Mother and Mike & Patty's? No. But if someone was looking for a safe choice in the South End with a chic scene? I'd certainly think to send them there.

Battle of the Seaside Restaurants

I spend a fair amount of time in Hull, not because it's all that great of a town (or that Nan-trash-ket is all that great of a beach) but because my dear friend Jamie's family has a beautiful place right on the beach there. What can I say, I'm a sucker for an ocean view.

So it came about that within a month I tried two different restaurants there-- The Red Parrot and Barefoot Bob's-- seemingly the exact same restaurant. Both are right on the beach, both offer alfresco dining, and both offer a multitude of fried seafood options and unremarkable beers. Which begs the question: Which one deserves your hard-earned dollars?

In the interest of fairness (and because it's my favorite summertime treat), I ordered the same thing at both places-- a fried fish sandwich with french fries.

First up, atmosphere. The Red Parrot offers its outdoor dining at an elevated level, on a second floor deck. This allows for wonderful views of the ocean.At Barefoot Bob's, if you don't get one of the front tables (we didn't), your view is of whoever it sitting at the bar. Heat radiates off the pavement.

Atmosphere winner: The Red Parrot

Next up, the service. Both places had jovial, summer job-type waiters, who joked around and brought things out in a timely manner. Of course you could tell they didn't give a crap, and you could see them gossiping in the corner in between dropping off food, but that's sort of expected in a seaside, summer town, right?

Service winner: Tie.

Finally, the food itself. Here's The Red Parrot's:

And Barefoot Bob's:

Both offered generous portions of fish (could barely fit on the bun), but the awesomely addictive French fries at The Red Parrot blew away the dull, listless fries at Barefoot Bob's.

And so we have a clear winner: The Red Parrot officially has Dish Gal's fried fish sandwich of choice. And, even more importantly, Dish Nephew's, too!

Fine dining, it is certainly not, but when you're hankering for some fried food and sunshine, it's worth checking out.

Hot Dish of the Week

It's a dark and rainy week here in Boston, perfect for indulgent brunches and then sliding back into bed.

While most of us (me included, especially because I'm attempting going vegan this week) can't do this on a Wednesday, we can always dream, right!?

So, Hot Dish of the Week this week is the banana bread french toast at North Street Grille in the North End.

Get ready for some artery-clogging goodness with this insanely rich dish. Jamie went for it, and while she couldn't finish it, did a darn good job at it.

Clink. at the Liberty Hotel

For a long time, I was biased against the Liberty Hotel; I disliked the absurd, long lines to get into Alibi at 9 p.m., its expensive wines by the glass ($30 for two glasses of chardonnay!?), and most of all its Beehive-esque "We're the coolest place in Boston, and we know it" attitude.

But then a funny thing happened-- after weeks of not eating out, of cooking and brown bag lunches and lean cuisines, of dive bars and house parties, all of a sudden I CRAVED the very thing I had disliked about the Liberty. I yearned for a place that was chic, where people were dressed to the nines, where the food was elegant, even if tiny. And when OmGal suggested a restaurant in the Liberty, I immediately thought of Jolyon Helterman's blog post on Boston magazine's blog Chowder about his changed attitude towards Clink.I texted Maeve right away; luckily, she had as much desire for a night out as I did, as she’s been cramming for law school finals for weeks.

We met in the cavernous lobby, and then headed into the restaurant. The décor fit the jail theme, with bars on the windows and industrial-chic brick walls. I broke my detox with a glass of chardonnay, while Maeve opted for a glass of the Caymus Conundrum. We decided to do our usual girl thing where we split a bunch of things. They brought us over some warm olive bread with butter to start, which was lovely. Dish Gal majorly hearts olive bread.

First we split the sunchoke and almond soup with green almonds. This was my favorite dish of the night – a delightful and whimsical soup that was perfect for a balmy, rainy spring day. We also tried one of the cheeses they offered—a goat’s milk with a fig jam. This is how Dish Gal likes her cheese—strong, in small portions, and as the main attraction, not haphazardly thrown on a sandwich or on top of an enchilada. Ordering cheese on its own feels so decadent to me, like a mini-spa day in every bite.Finally, we got the veal and ricotta meatball sliders. While these aren’t the most revolutionary appetizer (I dare you to find a restaurant in Boston that DOESN’T have these on their list), they were delicious, and really hit the spot. I especially liked the buns. Feeling a bit buzzed from the wine and the delicious food, we couldn’t resist sharing a dessert. We went with the Valhrona chocolate tart. It wasn’t my favorite thing in the world, but it sure did look pretty. Maeve pointed out the crust of the tart was a little too hard. Basically, I’d save my calories for something else, if I went back.All in all, we spent about $30 each for the food and the wine—so it’s possible to get out of there not spending a lot of money if you do it right. But it's also very possible to blow a lot of money, so buyer, beware.

In conclusion...Some restaurants seem designed for certain occasions, like Mother's Day brunch at Upstairs on the Square, or a birthday party at Masa. For a Girl's (Fancy) Night Out, Clink. just might be the place you've been looking for.

First photo courtesy of boston.com

This post is brought to you by the number, "3"

There are SO many restaurant deals out there right now, I’d probably have to blog every 2 minutes to keep up. But here’s one that I think has the potential to get you fed for very few dollars. .

Starting today, here’s 33 restaurant’s 3 for 3 menu:

Choose three of the following for just $3!

Traditional Sliders
Grilled Lamb Chops w/ Fondue Dip
Jumbo Shrimp w/ Cocktail Sauce
Cape Cod Oysters and 3 Sauces
Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella Stacks
Crostini – Olive, Mushroom and Caprese
Dips w/Pita – Baba Ganoush, Hummus and Tzatziki

Haven’t tried it yet since it just started today, but I'd be interested to see how large the portions are. But in any case, I love anything that involves a dining deal that isn’t 3 courses for $30. Don’t restaurant people know sometimes this is even too much??


Available Wednesday - Saturday, from 5-7 p.m. at the bar & high tops; Friday and Saturday from 8-11 p.m. in the Lounge

$5 Entrees at Match!

Diva on a Dime reports that on Thursday nights, Match, the chic, mini-burger haven at the intersection of Newbury Street and Mass Ave, offers $5 entrees for the ladies from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. The Diva herself had a fabulous time; sounds like something Dish Gal needs to check out!!

California Dreaming..

I'm usually not a big fan of when bloggers recount their travels; ultimately, unless I'm planning on visiting the place soon, I don't want to read about all the places I'm NOT travelling. And then I get stressed, and surf fodors.com for awhile, brainstorming ways I could scrounge up the cash to visit Buenos Aires or Thailand.

In any case, I had such yummy food in California that I'm going to be a total hypocrite and share. Plus, Virgin America is doing some crazy sales these days! So maybe this will motivate you? ;)

My first morning in Santa Barbara, Ann and I headed to Shoreline, and enjoyed some breakfast burritos loaded with avocado. The best part about Shoreline? The tables are all directly on the beach, so as you eat you can wiggle your toes in the sand. Heaven.

Ann peruses the menu...

At night, we headed to chic sushi spot, Arigato, right on State Street, the main drag of Santa Barbara. It was a little pricey, but we did manage to try the magic mushroom maki stuffed with shittake, crimini, maitake, asparagus, and truffle oil, and the kobe beef sashimi. My favorite though was the fiesta maki, with tempura halibut, tomato, avocado, cilantro, and habanero sauce (top photo). Afterwards, we got Pinkberry!! I've been wanting to try this popular frozen yogurt chain for so long now, and it was everything I wanted and more. The fresh fruit, the tart yogurt, the inventive and playful mix-ins (I got cocoa crispies)-- looove it.In San Diego, we finally got to try the one, the only, In n Out burger. FINALLY!! We got our fries "animal style" (onions, cheese, and special sauce) and our burgers just regular. I immediately regretted not getting a double-double (what was I thinking!?) but it was amazing nonetheless. Though I think I still give the best burger crown to the #12 at Johnny Rocket's (am I alone here?). And, as others have said in the past, I wasn't the hugest fan of the fries here, even animal style.The next day we parked ourselves on the beach all day long, enjoying the San Diego sun (and wind) and flying kites. After the long day, we stopped at this Mexican place Roberto's, located right next to the beach. It was dirt cheap, but seemed awesomely authentic, and we loaded up our plates with baja fish tacos, enchiladas, Mexican rice, and refried beans. YUM.

Part II of California round-up to come... including Zaytoon, a Santa Barbara Middle Eastern restaurant with fire pits at each table where Ann's roommate made a love connection with our waiter, and Porto's, amazing Cuban food in Los Angeles.

Hot Spots

Stuck in a dining rut? Sick of the same old Boston places? Here are some fun places Dish Gal has visited recently and enjoyed:

Persephone. Michael Leviton’s high-end- boutique- meets- restaurant is a locavore’s dream: Fresh ingredients, inventive pairings, and fantastic service all combine for a delicious night out. Plus, its semi-hidden Fort Point location makes you feel like you’re exploring a new city.

Deep Ellum. Dish Gal could be convinced to travel to Allston (I’ve become such a Boston snob now that I live in the 02113! haha) for this bar/restaurant that has an awesome outdoor patio in the back, plus an extensive beer list. LOVE that it’s getting closer to alfresco dining every day…

Middlesex Lounge. Do they even serve food here? I don’t know and don’t even care, because the music is so good it makes me not want to ever live somewhere far from this place.

Hot Dish of the Week (from three weeks ago...)

Hi all!!! It's been SO long since I've written. I am back from Cali, but sadly still without my camera cord =( However, I sucked it up and put all my photos on a CD, all in the name of blogging. Get ready for LOTS of blog posts coming up...

Let's start with a long-belated "hot dish of the week": b.good's heavenly sweet potato fries. They are my favorite in Boston-- thick, slightly burnt, and rich in sweet potato taste, not grease.

Of course, I have to mention their amazing burgers, too. You choose the style, and then select if you want beef, turkey, or a veggie burger. I like the "Cousin Oliver" (lettuce, tomato, pickles) with a turkey burger and some low-fat cheddar. YUM!

Red Rock Bistro in Swampscott

On Valentine's Day, a beautiful and sunny day here in Boston, Dish Mom and I decided to take a mini-day trip up to Swampscott and have lunch on the water. I grew up West of Boston, and my family now lives on the South Shore, so the North Shore is foreign territory to me. But I absolutely adore it. I did some quick research online and found Red Rock Bistro, a restaurant right on the water with a beautiful view of the water and the Boston skyline:

The crowd definitely skewed older. Older couples, and "ladies who lunch," dominated the scene, but as Dish Mom also speculated, I have a feeling the large, four-sided bar gets quite crowded at night.

We decided to split the cuban sandwich, and the duck confit salad with arugula and goat cheese. I had been craving a cuban sandwich for a looong time, and this one was spot on. Salty pork, lots of pickles, and tangy mustard, on perfectly grilled and buttery bread. And AWESOME, crispy, fries to top it off.The duck confit salad was OK; I almost would've preferred if it was just the arugula. The duck was a little dried out, and I forgot there was even goat cheese in it until I found the small ball of it beneath all the greens. But the bitter greens were a good complement to the super-flavorful cuban sandwich.

Red Rock is only about 20 minutes from Boston, yet seems worlds away. If I had a car, I would be tempted to visit often. A cold beer, a killer ocean view, and some yummy french fries-- is it summer yet?!?

Restaurant-Hopping in Harvard Square

Z and I spent the day on Saturday hanging out in Harvard Square. After a few hours of shopping and walking in the freezing cold, we decided to stop in to the warmest and coziest place I could think of: Upstairs on the Square. With two roaring fireplaces, and after two glasses of red wine , we warmed up fast.

With it being our anniversary and all, we couldn't help but choose the appropriately named "hot dates" to start-- Marcona almond stuffed date wrapped with bacon ($2 each). We also went with a light salad, the Boston Bibb with grapefruit and pistachios ($11).
While the dates look small, they taste large. I loved the contrast of the sweet and salt, and the way they positively melted in your mouth. The salad was a bit of a disappointment. For $11, it was a little sad and not all that tasty.

However, how can you argue with sitting at a great bar in this incredibly cozy room?

After Upstairs on the Square, we headed over to one of my favorite bars, Noir. Since it was fairly early, we got to snag one of those awesome round booth tables, made of plush leather that you just sink into. Here we decided to go with the incredibly rich and amazingly delicious spinach, bacon, and gruyere cheese dip with toasted pita chips ($7).
We also shared the toasted mixed nuts with wasabi peas ($3). What a huge bowl of nuts! And that's my crazy drink, the Chartreuse Basil ($12) with green chartreuse, basil, fresh lime and simple syrup. That packed an unexpected punch!

Finally, a trip to Harvard Square wouldn't be complete with a stop at Casablanca. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, I'm sure over the years this place has given a lot of memories for many people. It was our first official "date." I love grabbing a glass of wine in their bar and putting money in their eclectic jukebox, filled with everyone from Frank Sinatra to the Red Hot Chili Peppers (we chose both). Here's its famous mural:

This time, we weren't planning on eating, since we were so stuffed already. But we bumped into someone we know who works there, who sent over a complimentary Turkish meze plate, with toasted pita, Muhammara, carrot salad, and fava bean puree. YUMMY. We wrapped this bad boy up to go, and I enjoyed it for lunch the next day.

All in all, a terrific day in Harvard Square.