An AMAZING event this weekend

Dearest readers,

This Sunday, September 27, Sel de la Terre Back Bay celebrates its first birthday with an amazing dinner which benefits Share Our Strength's regional hunger relief and food education programs.

The dinner consists of 7 courses, each prepared by some of my favorite chefs in Boston: Dante de Magistris (from Dante and il Casale), Will Gilson (from Garden at the Cellar), Colin Lynch (Barbara Lynch Gruppo), Tony Susi (Sage), Jiho Kim (L'Espalier), Jamie Bissonnette (Toro and hopefully soon-to-open Coppa), and hosted by Louis DiBiccari (SDLT). The evening will kick off with cocktails from some famous Boston mixologists Kevin Martin (Eastern Standard) and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli (Craigie On Main).

Tickets are still available, and are $125 for general seating or $250 for limited chef’s table seating. To purchase, please call Carrie Weed at 617-266-8800 or e-mail her at carrie@seldelaterre.com.

For more information: http://seldelaterre.com/events/harvest_dinner.shtml

Happy Birthday, SDLT :)

Love,

Dish Gal

Lunch at The Other Side Cafe

Last week was a great week because I had not only my brother and nephew visiting, but also my dear Ann from Cali!! To maximize our precious time together, Ann came in to the city to meet me for lunch. She left restaurant selection up to me, but if I knew my Ann, I had a feeling she would be in the mood for breakfast (despite it being after 1). So I decided to take another chance on the Other Side Cafe at the bottom (or top?) of Newbury Street.

My first visit was a few weeks ago with OmGal and friends (including Alec, Ruth, and Meadow) for lunch on a rainy day when we all sat inside. The dirty sheet hanging above our head that covered the skylight was probably one of the most unappetizing sights I've seen at a restaurant, but my veggie chili and California wrap, along with all the vegan and veggie options on the menu, swayed me to try it again.

This time, sitting alfresco made the experience much more appealing. True to form, Ann ordered from the breakfast part of the menu-- the waffle egg sandwich:
I opted for the Tex-Mex scramble, vegan-- tofu scrambled with salsa, chipotle, jalapenos, and vegan cheese, with tortillas, guacamole, and vegan black beans. What a hearty meal! While the beans didn't sit all that well, I still felt sort of virtuous for having tofu ;)

Bottom line: Go here when it's nice out, or beware the dirty inside of the restaurant possibly ruining some yummy lunch (or late breakfast) food.

Did you know...

Did you know that Trident Booksellers & Cafe on Newbury Street now has a mini-patio for alfresco seating!? I don't know if that's old news, but on my walk during lunch today I noticed this for the first time.

I would love to sit outside and enjoy their lemon ricotta stuffed french toast sometime...or perhaps the avocado and havarti melt...or the prosciutto and brie sandwich... okay I'll stop now. YUM.

Of course the question is, can you sit outside and read their magazines for free like at their indoor tables? =)

Here's a post I wrote a long time ago about Trident, one of my favorite spots in Boston.

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!!

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!

Wagamama- Now Open in the Prudential!

Exciting news! Wagamama is now open in the Prudential Center. When I was in London, I adored this chain. I feel quite honored they chose Boston as their first American city. With locations already in Faneuil Hall and Harvard Square, Wagamama's move means lots of yummy noodles for those in the Back Bay.

Dish Gal's recommendations:

edamame w/ chili and garlic salt

chili beef ramen-- spicy soup w/ ramen noodles, sliced steak, fresh chilies, bean sprouts, cilantro, and lime

yasai chili men- whole wheat noodles in a lemongrass, chili sauce with stir-fried shiitake and button mushrooms, fried tofu, squash, peppers, and snow peas

Thanks for the photo and spotting this, Julia! =)

Lunch @ Thornton's

I've passed by Thornton's many a time, usually on my way to get my nails done near the Huntington entrance to the Pru. It's never really called out to me, what with its awkward Howard Johnson-inspired sunroom and cafeteria-looking inside. But today with an invitation from beloved coworkers, Alec and Sheila, I decided why not? I didn't have an appetite anyway, might as well go for the good company.

But what an unexpectedly yummy lunch! They serve a massive breakfast menu all day long, which makes them a winner in my book already, with reasonable prices and a variety of ingredients. For my lunch today, I got a hybrid breakfast/lunch option:

The Eggs Felix ($7.95)-- two poached eggs with avocado, sliced tomato, and turkey, on an english muffin, with a side of home fries and a slice of melon. I got the hollandaise on the side, as I am scarred by what Anthony Bourdain said about hollandaise in Kitchen Confidential. . .

Sure the service was terrible (we're pretty sure our waiter was drunk) and the ambiance is wanting, but Thornton's is definitely another great example of "don't judge a book by its cover." When you want Trident-style breakfast-all-day with diner prices, look no further.

CODA in the South End

Last night, I headed out in the snow (yet again...) and made my way over to CODA in the South End with a posse including Sebastian, Michelle, Maeve, and Sebastian's boyfriend, let's call him "Jake." Luckily, CODA is right around the corner from the Back Bay T stop, so the trudging through the snow dunes was kept to a minimum.

The restaurant was very inviting, especially on such a snowy night. Long and narrow, one side of the restaurant is high table, two-tops, the other, a lengthy bar. Our table was all the way in the back, in a dark corner that would be great for a date when you're in that stage where the darker, the better. But in this case, it just meant I couldn't read the menu and needed the light of my cell phone to figure out what to order. Wow, what a Dish Dad moment ;)

We started off with a round of cocktails. The drink list was awesome-- Maeve and Michelle started off with the Winter Sangria - which was a traditional sangria with a hint of cozy, log-cabin wintertime in the form of a cinnamon stick. While they embraced winter, I got ready for my trip to Miami with the "Poor Tom," which was basically a mojito, with lemon instead of lime, lots of fresh mint, and St. Germain. I also was considering getting a Strongbow (cider from England) which I looooved while abroad. Maeve also later tried the "raspberry lime rickey", a throwback to childhood days with Stoli Razberi and lemon-lime soda.

When it came time for meal time, we decided to do it "Toro-style" i.e. tapas-style, ordering just from the appetizer part of the menu, and sharing everything. My favorite was unexpected: the Asian beef skewers with udon noodles. While not the most beautiful of things (see photo), these were tender and in a delicious marinade.

Photos by Jake's blackberry (need to start remembering my camera!!!)

Another hit was the stuffed portobello mushrooms with goat cheese and asparagus. These were HUGE, a veritable goat cheese bonanza. Again, not the most pleasant thing to look at, but it tasted good.

We also got some "Asian-style" calamari; this was my least favorite of the appetizers. While the plate and marinara dipping sauce was massive (see picture below), it contained not that much calamari (most was filler greens, as you can see). The calamari that it did contain did not taste at all like "Asian" calamari. Plus, why would marinara sauce go with an Asian calamari anyway?

We also got crostini topped with pulled chicken and brie. These were not great, and not bad. The final appetizer was chicken wings with a cilantro sour cream dipping sauce. These were yummy, and seemed like they'd be easy to make at home. But of course, I am a cilantro-a-holic.

All in all, I would recommend CODA for a night out with friends where alcohol is the main priority. Their affordable and delicious drink menu and fun atmosphere makes for a great night out, as it was in our case. However, for foodies, I'd say you can find a better bar menu (can't speak to entrees as we only had apps) elsewhere, like The Franklin.

Or, instead of doing "Toro-style" you could always just head to Toro ;)

The Colonnade Hotel-- Brasserie Jo & MARA event

Recently, Dish Gal has visited The Colonnade Hotel on two occasions. Once, meeting a friend for lunch at Brasserie Jo. And, on Thursday night I attended a charity fundraiser there for MARA—Mentoring At Risk Athletes. I'll tell you about both, dear reader.

The menu at Brasserie Jo reminded me of a great lunch that Dish Sister-in-law took me to in New York, so instantly I had a good feeling about it. I remembered that chilly day when she and I walked through the tree-lined streets of Brooklyn to a quaint French bistro (Dish Sister, help me out, I can't remember the name!) that served delectable bloody marys. However, this was a "business lunch," so sadly no bloody marys this time.

The crowd at Brasserie Jo skewed significantly older, and as I scanned the large dining room, I noticed I was the youngest. Our waiter brought us a loaf of bread to start, and a side dish of pickled carrots, which, while a strange starter, were AMAZING. I need to learn how to re-create that. I'd say this was a great, healthy alternative to bread, but of course I had lots of the crusty baguette too. Oh well.

I ordered the soup du jour (insert soup of the day joke here)-- the pumpkin soup. This was delicious, a hearty and complex soup that really took care of that "can't warm up" feeling I've been experiencing the past few weeks. Brasserie Jo has some great lunch combos ($11.95 each), so with this soup came "la demi vegetable croquet." This "smaller" sandwich (it was still large) was a vegetarian take on the classic croque monsieur, with thin slices of eggplant and zucchini. I really enjoyed this sandwich, but it's hard to not enjoy anything smothered in cheese. ;)

I feel for Brasserie Jo. It has delicious food and it's located in a pretty good area of Boston, but with these newer, trendier French spots popping up all over Boston in the past years (Gaslight, La Voile, Bouchee, Eastern Standard), I'm nervous that Bostonians are forgetting about it! I only have good things to say about my experience there.

A few weeks later, I found myself back at the Colonnade. No, I wasn't trying to sneak into the kitchen to steal the recipe for the carrots. This time it was for a good cause, MARA. I urge you to learn more about this great organization.

We heard firsthand from a young woman who benefited from the program, and she really was quite inspirational. Other speakers included UConn coach Jim Calhoun and Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers! Both spoke eloquently, passionately, and earnestly about MARA. I was really impressed not only by their speeches, but also by the fact that they came early and stayed late. That shows a lot about a person's character—for one thing, it shows humility.

My new favorite person!

The event was emceed by Former Massachusetts Treasurer Joe Malone, and attended by Dave Colella (VP and Managing Director of The Colonnade Hotel), and event cosponsors Will Dorcena, Frank Ciota, Joe DiLorenzo, and many other influential Bostonians.

And what about Dish Gal''s special interest — the food? No carrots, but there was hearty gnocchi, crunchy garlic bread, and prime rib sandwiches. Yummy, and for a great cause… What could be better?

Photos courtesy of visitbostonmassachusetts.com and Sports Illustrated Vault (cnn.com).

"That" Dish

Do you have a dish that every couple months, you just really crave? And not like the grilled corn at Toro (I crave that every few minutes), I mean its something sort of strange that for some reason, you always come back to?

I have such a dish at Legal Sea Foods. I've had it for years and years. I can't even remember when I first started ordering it-- I'm going to guess it was sometime in middle school. It's not even really on the menu anymore, but thank God they still make it for me. I don't know what I'd do without it!

In any case, this meal I crave is grilled bluefish with mustard sauce, jasmine rice, and sugar snap peas with oyster sauce. It's amazing! I never get sick of it. Here it is, in all its glory:

What about you, Dish This readers? Do you have any favorite meals that you return again and again for?

Little nibbles

So over the past months pretty much any meal that strikes me as special-- a homecooked meal by Dish Brother, a beautifully arranged salad by Z, an impromptu late-night dessert after seeing Joel McHale (from The Soup)-- has been photographed and saved on my computer. But sometimes (as other bloggers know) time passes so quickly and soon it's kind of too late to write about said photo. Here are some photos that I've wanted to share for awhile now.

Picture this: fresh off the BoltBus, arriving in New York City around 8:30 p.m. after nearly 5 hours on the road. Hop on the train to Brooklyn, where I'm welcomed by Dish Nephew, Dish Sister-in-law, and Dish Brother who had this meal on the table within 5 minutes. Fantastic! I can still taste the savory meat sauce and the delicate, handmade raviolis.

After seeing Joel McHale at the Roxy one Friday night, Z and I were in the mood for some dessert. We stopped by old stand-by Finale but unfortunately it had already closed, so instead we headed across the street to Via Matta. We sat in the bar area and enjoyed their delicious "mascarporeos"-- a deconstructed oreo cookie with hard chocolate cookies, dusted with confectionars sugar, and a side of mascarpone for your dunking pleasure. Love it!

This was one of the fastest meals to put together, delicious, and healthy. Stir-fried tofu, with one of those pre-made Asian slaws from Whole Foods. Those slaws and salads in the produce section are definitely worth checking out for a quick and healthy side dish.

Finally this is one of my favorite ice cream places ever. I know its unseasonal now, but at the first sign of spring, head to Captain Dusty's in Manchester-by-the-Sea for creamy goodness with a small-town feel.

Haru in the Prudential Center

Eating at a restaurant under nerve-wracking circumstances is difficult when it comes to judging the food itself. A first date is filled with thoughts of, "Is there spinach in my teeth?" or "I hope these onions don't make me gassy!", rather than what a restaurant experience should make you think--"How can I make this spinach at home?" or "This onion soup is extraordinary!"

Example A: For Dish Gal's first "date" with Z, we started out at Starbucks, closed down the place, and then walked over to the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse and split a sandwich. I think it was turkey?? I can't remember the food, but I can remember the butterflies in my stomach and the text I sent to my roommate when he went to the bathroom. For our second date, we went to Casablanca in Cambridge. What a great spot chosen by my SO, but my nerves were going crazy, so all I remember was picking at my food and pushing it around the plate.

Example B was a Christmas lunch at Haru with coworkers. I hadn't worked at my current job for too long, and I was still in that initial phase where I was focused on keeping up appearances. The one thing I remember was that I put an entire dumpling into my mouth, and it was so hot that it made my eyes water and burnt my whole mouth. I finally had to spit it out into my napkin. Real nice, right!? Sooo awkward!

In any case, Dish Gal headed back to this sushi chain with Z for a Friday night early dinner, and this time, I was paying attention (and waiting for the dumplings to cool down!).

It was empty when we arrived, but I was surprised how this serene restaurant was quite romantic at night. Very low lighting set the mood.

We decided to venture out from our ordinary sushi picks by choosing edamame dumplings with mushrooms to start. This was...interesting. Pretty weird mushy texture, and the flavors did not mesh well together. I guess sometimes strange flavor combinations just turn out to be, well, strange..
Next we split their house salad-- which was huge and had nice, dark, leafy lettuce, a change from the usual, glaringly-white iceberg in most Japanese restaurants.
We also shared three sushi rolls. The super dynamite roll ($13), which had tempura-style tuna, freshwater eel, and asparagus with sriracha, spicy mayo and eel sauces, was very flavorful. I had wished it would have been spicier, but it tasted good nonetheless, and was my favorite of the evening.

The Philadelphia roll was your standard, slightly-boring philly roll-- no tricks up Haru's sleeves there. And the spicy crunchy salmon roll was not really all that crunchy-- or spicy.

All in all, its clear that at Haru, you're definitely paying for the atmosphere. If you want decent sushi, you could head to your neighborhood joint. But if you want decent sushi in a sleek and stylish, romantic setting, Haru could be for you.

Bouchee on Newbury St

Last night Dish Gal ended up at a business dinner at Bouchee on Newbury Street, which I was excited about as that restaurant has been on my “to-visit” list for a very long time.

Descending the steps down from Newbury St, and maneuvering through the patio tables, I was taken aback when I walked into the large and grand restaurant. What a beautiful space! An impressive staircase flanked one wall, leading up to a second floor. A large but cozy bar lined the other wall. Typical tile-and-wood French brasserie décor rules here.

We were seated upstairs by the window overlooking Newbury St, and some of the open windows let in the cool October breeze. Our waiter was quite gregarious—loved chatting but also knew when to stay away when we were deep in discussion or still deciding on our meal.

I started with the baked raclette with poached pear (I apologize for the lack of photos—sort of awkward pulling the camera out during a business dinner!). It came with thinly-sliced baguette toasts, which I generously smothered with the oozy and tart cheese. This was decadence at its best—a pot of cheese with bread! I can certainly picture myself stopping by the bar for a glass of red wine and this appetizer on certain cold winter nights.

Next I ordered the braised short rib with pommes puree and onion ring garnish. The onion rings were massive—this onion must have been the size of a basketball!—and generously fried. The short rib was very tender, and the meat slipped off the massive and commanding bone without needing a knife. The mashed potatoes—I'm sorry, pommes puree!—were just like Mom's.

Finally we all shared the profiteroles as a dessert. As you may remember, profiteroles are one of Dish Gal’s absolute favorite foods (I know, mashed potatoes and profiteroles at one meal—it was like heaven!), and while these did not disappoint, they were a bit different than others. The ice cream was not encased in the pastry; rather, the pastry was like a little hat on top. The pastry was a bit hard to cut into (I almost wished I had a knife) but still, profiteroles are delicious nonetheless.

So how does Bouchee rank and/or stand out from other brasseries in Boston? Not as loud or trendy as Gaslight (though more expensive) and less crowded than Eastern Standard. And what about its neighbor on Newbury St, La Voile? Though its not as authentically French as La Voile, for some this could even be a positive. English “subtitles” make the menu very accessible to non-French speakers, and approachable and friendly waiters make the experience less daunting for those nervous to flub up French pronunciations. If you go in knowing it’s been a bit Americanized, Bouchee can definitely deliver a great overall experience.

PS Dish Mom and I like to rate restaurant bathrooms—this one gets an A+ !

L'Espalier for lunch- Restaurant Week

Z was quite jealous when he found out that Chloe (don't forget to check out the cast of characters in the right hand column...) scored us restaurant week reservations for lunch at L'Espalier, even though OpenTable reported no availability.Through some connections, fellow-foodie Chloe had gotten us in, during L'Espalier's final weeks at its famous Gloucester St. location.

The first thing that you notice upon entering is how everyone says hello to you. In some restaurants, it seems like the wait staff are trying not to make eye contact, attempting to pretend you're not even there. Here, the maitre-d even introduced himself as he walked us up the grand staircase and into the back room where our table was.

We summed up the restaurant in one word: classic. In a good way. The room we were in was romantic, with decor like you've stepped back in time to the days of corsets and powdered wigs. Of course, the other diners-- stylish "ladies who lunch" and men in power suits-- kept us rooted in 2008.

The waiter came over to our table: "So, three gazpachos to start?" I couldn't tell if he was mocking us, or such a good waiter that he could read minds? In any case, he was correct; we all opted for the gazpacho. Julia had never tried gazpacho before, and when it arrived looking like creamy tomato soup, we had to explain that this is not your standard roughly chopped tomato soup. However, it was delicious-- so good that we forgot to take a photo, so here's one of it partially eaten (all photos courtesy of Chloe's iphone):

Next up, my ladies went with the salmon, and out of journalistic interest (and fear of the waiter making fun of us again), I went for the pork belly with german potato salad and haricot vert. The thing I find funny/slightly disappointing about any fancy restaurants is that the meat portion of the meal usually takes center stage, whereas I usually enjoy side dishes the most! I guess it's the inner vegetarian in me.

In any case, Chloe and Julia reported back on "super moist" salmon that melted in your mouth. My pork belly was tender and smoky; I didn't even miss the side dishes this time!

However, hands down my favorite part of the meal was the dessert, which also is unlike me. It was described as chocolate cake, but it tasted like slightly cooked brownie batter-- one of my favorite delicacies in the world. Who doesn't love to lick the spoon? =) The soft "brownie batter" was complemented by fresh pieces of blueberries and raspberries and little crunchies that I forget what they were called... Beautiful presentation, too:


Gloucester St. L'Espalier will surely be missed.

Parish Cafe

A few weeks ago, Z and I spent the day in Marblehead and ate lunch at this great harborside restaurant, "The Barnacle," on its wrap-around porch. I decided to venture away from my standard summer fare of fish and chips and got this fancy-sounding ahi-tuna on mixed greens instead. Z went classic and got a BLT. My salad, being a disappointment with lackluster vinaigrette, made me venture over the table to steal some of Z's BLT, despite the fact that I'm not a big bacon fan. However, it was so delicious that ever since then I've had this crazy and unexplainable craving for one.

This past Friday, my BLT dreams came true. At around mid-afternoon, we stopped by the Parish Café, and I was DETERMINED to get a table. Every time I've tried to go there, it's been like a 2 hour wait. Finally, on this particular overcast Friday, we got seated. I ordered the Flour BLT (I'm officially becoming a Joanne Chang groupie), which had crispy bacon, oven roasted tomatoes, lettuce, and basil pesto mayonnaise on a perfectly toasted piece of Texas toast. WOW. What a sandwich. The soft oven roasted tomatoes mixed with the crunch of the bacon, enveloped in the warm and creamy basil mayonnaise? Deelish.

Z really enjoyed his sandwich too-the D Bar-which was pan-fried veal on a baguette with gruyere cheese, bacon, and tomato caper relish. This time he had the sandwich all to himself, though: I only had eyes for mine. .

Casa Romero

I have to be honest about something: I don't really like Mexican food-- well, as a foodie, at least. Sure, a burrito once in a blue moon (or with a Blue Moon) tastes pretty good, but I just don't understand "upscale" Mexican cuisine.

Sebastian on the other hand is a Mexican food lover. So when his birthday rolled around, we headed with his family to one restaurant that I had enjoyed previously with Z-- Casa Romero on Gloucester St off of Newbury. Like Dali in Somerville (which I NEED to re-visit since it's one of my faves), this restaurant has a magical feeling to it, as you step off Gloucester down a small alley and into a tiny, wooden doorway. It's as if you're headed to some secret lair that no one knows about.

Once inside, it has pretty typical Mexican restaurant decor, with tiles, artifacts, and wooden chairs. They do have a beautiful patio though-- atypical of neighboring Newbury St patios, where motorcycles zoom by and cars loudly rev their engines. This one is small and secluded, and feels like you're dining in someone's private garden.

I started with some sangria, which while good, lacked any of the signature floating pieces of fresh fruit in it. We shared some chips with zingy salsa (complimentary) which I think turned out to be my favorite part of the meal. Sebastian's mom ordered a cactus and tomato salad, which due to the salmonella scare did not have tomatoes. This would've been fine had the waiter informed her previously-- it just showed up with only cactus. Hmm.

We also shared some guacamole which at nearly $8 should have been in my opinion a trough of it. Instead, a small scoop arrived on a bread plate. I got as my meal the chicken fajitas. I had expected your standard chicken accompanied by sour cream, guacamole, etc. but instead it came with refried beans and rice, and two tiny tortillas. Hmm. I understand that Chili's isn't authentic, but what's the deal with two tiny tortillas? The chicken was cooked in a red sauce, which seemed to mimic a sofrito but lacked its tanginess. The chicken was kind of dry. All in all, a disappointment.

Ah, Mexican food. Perhaps someday I'll understand you...

Sorellina

Often I find myself stumped and stymied when I try to write a review of a restaurant that impressed me greatly. I put it off, thinking that some epiphany will hit me about how I can describe the food with such zeal and zest that readers will understand every delicious taste. Such is the case with Sorellina, where I dined a few weeks ago, and haven't been able to put pen to paper about (or rather, finger to keyboard).

But here I am. My co-worker, let's call her Chloe, offered to share the remainder of a gift certificate to Jamie Mammano’s Sorellina with me and our other co-worker, let’s call her Julia. We went over directly after work so arrived at the mostly empty, cavernous restaurant around 5:45 that warm Wednesday evening. Awash in white, the space seemed majestic and pristine. We were greeted warmly and taken to our table.

Before I get to the food, let me just say that the service was outstanding. However, situations like this- where we were pretty much the only ones in the restaurant- make me always wonder if it would be the same on a busy Saturday night? In any case, everyone from the busboy to the waitress was attentive: our water glasses were always filled, and we were treated like VIPs, not young ladies who wandered in in flip-flops and ordered only from the left side of the menu…

Chloe chose the crudo: raw sliced Hamachi, watermelon radish, chioga beets, blood orange, and horseradish oil ($19). It was beautifully presented- it looked like a flower arrangement—and the silky, thin slices of the Hamachi glistened from the horseradish oil and vinaigrette. I could not resist reaching over and grabbing some; luckily Chloe did not seem to mind sharing. It was an explosion of tastes in the mouth, from the crunch of the radish to the soft chioga beets.

Julia’s tuna tartare ($19) was similarly interesting in its presentation, but in a much more over-the-top, slightly-expected way, with tuna tartare on ice. It was tangy and had heat to it thanks to a chili vinegar which added some boldness. (Is it wrong that I really can’t get enough of tuna tartare?)

Finally, I chose the gnocchi with handmade ricotta, braised wild boar, apricots, and pecorino ($18). Holy moly; it’s been awhile since I’ve had a dish that I enjoyed this much. I wished that the plate was like Strega Nona’s famous pasta pot—that it would continue to make pasta until I blew my three kisses. This dish easily topped any of the restaurant week food I ate (Rialto, Harvest) and even the pasta dish from Bin 26. It was sweet and savory, due to the slightly off-the-beaten-path addition of apricot (“Fruit and meat! Good every time!” – my mom, upon my telling her about my fab meal).

With the remainder of the gift certificate we opted for some desserts; we chose the Cioccolato—a trio with a chocolate torte, chocolate crema, and honey gelato ($12) and the spiced doughnuts ($9). I’m not really one who’s into desserts too much, but these were both so insanely delicious and decadent. We decided the honey gelato was our favorite of the trio; it was smooth, sweet, and refreshing. The real winner in my book were the cinnamon and sugar spiced doughnuts though, which when dunked into the sweet and spicy marsala cream sauce, were pretty much what I would imagine they’d serve in heaven.

All in all, I would love to say Sorellina is overrated. I’d love to say they were snooty and the food was pretentious. While all three of these preconceived notions were false, one thing is true: They definitely know what they’re doing over there.

Lunch at Boston Public in Louis Boston

When your friends know you love food, and you know those certain friends that love going out to eat, it's hard to not go out every day for restaurant week.

The day after Rialto, some of my coworkers and I headed over to Boston Public, Pino Maffeo's restaurant in the famous Louis Boston. The table wasn't ready when we arrived, and the slightly frazzled, but convivial hostess seemed genuinely apologetic when it came to be 20 minutes after our reservation time. Finally, she led us into the very small dining room with minimal decor except for large geometric wooden chandeleir-type sculptures. Our table was located in the corner at kind of an awkward angle where two of us were staring literally at the corner, but we were just glad to be seated.

Like at Rialto, I got the feeling that the items on their menu did not really reflect what usually is served. Boston Public's cuisine is contemporary American with an Asian twist, but the menu was not very harmonious, and most dishes were either Asian or American -- not a combination of both.

For example, I started with chicken spring rolls and my coworker D started with vegestable summer rolls (that was another indicator that RW was half-assed; when we asked about the summer roll, our server informed us that when they put tuna sashimi in it, it's much better. Um, okay?) Our other coworker, a fellow lover of Boston dining, J, opted for a non-Asian option of the sweet potato soup. All three were delicious, but I might have to give the award to the soup.

For our entrees, I got the burger, D got salmon, and J got pad thai. The randomness of the menu is apparent now more than ever, right? The pad thai fell flat, and made us start chatting about our favorite pad thai places in Boston -- never a good sign when you're talking about restaurants that do it better while eating someone's dish. D enjoyed her salmon (I didn't snag a bite of that one...). And I actually really enjoyed my burger! It was definitely a "fancy place" burger, with a deeeelicious buttery toasted bun with sesame seeds on top. It more like a mini-burger, which was fine with me, as I enjoy quality over quantity anyday. And ketchup and spicy brown mustard were served on the side in little dishes of their own-- nice touch.

We all chose the strawberry shortcake to finish which was served in wine glasses and had a lemony shortbread with rich whipped cream and fresh tasting strawberries. Nice and fresh.

The experience could definitely have been affected by a snooty over-pretentious server who noticed that we were a bit out of their demo. But instead, our waiter (who was totally adorable!) was affable, joked around with us, and answered our questions without making us feel silly. All in all, he really helped liven up the lunch.

We headed back to work completely stuffed, but the food coma at my desk was certainly worth it-- all in the name of research =)

Mini-review: Vlora on Boylston St.

When I was between not sick and sick (I'm sure you know that stage well), Skylar and I visited Vlora on Boylston Street after leaving a party at nearby Bar 10 in the Westin.

(FYI: I'm calling this a "mini-review" because I did not really get to try that much of the menu and don't feel like I can really "review" it.)

The restaurant is described as embracing "Mediterranean cuisine", but I would say in this case, that was a nice way of saying, "We couldn't decide on which country's food to cook, so we picked all of them." The menu, while appealing, was kind of all over the place.

We decided to split a few things from the appetizer side. We started with the trio of pies ($7.50) which did not seem to turn out to be three different pies as we had thought, but rather three pies. It was delicious nonetheless, as I'm a huge fan of spanakopita. The filo dough was light and had a lovely crunch to it, and lacked any greasyness. And alongside it was served a yummy yogurt and onion dipping sauce.

We also tried the watermelon and feta ($5.95) tidbit, which was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to try this restaurant. I had seen it on their menu on their website and was very intrigued; what an unusual combination! But it actually was nice, and struck me as a particularly easy and breezy appetizer in the summer months. (Mmm, just pictured summer...)

Finally, we tried the goat cheese polenta, which I thought was tasty (very creamy) but my dining companion thought was a bit bland. It was a good idea that maybe needed a bit more innovation/thought to make it really have that "wow" factor.

The restaurant was pretty much awkwardly empty when we went (at around 8:30 pm on a Wednesday) which is probably not the best indicator of this restaurant's success. (Do have to mention though that it is very well hidden, with poor signage and shoved underneath a GNC). The decor was kind of strange, with a ceiling that resembled a planetarium in an elementary school.

If the restaurant had more of an intimate atmosphere and more of a neighborhood feel as opposed to a fine dining and impersonal feel, I think I would be more apt to come back and sit at the bar and nibble on their "tid bits." Instead, I think this is a restaurant that had a bit of an identity crisis mid-way through its conception. Yummy, but a bit scattered, and lacking that certain je ne sais quoi...