I LOOOOOOVE eating in Harvard Square. It has definitely been one of my favorite stomping grounds over the past, hmmm, oh, two decades that I’ve lived in Boston :)
I definitely have my favorite go-to spots when I’m in the Square. For the best slice of Sicilian pizza, Pinocchio’s for sure. For a cheap but good hipster cheeseburger, Charlie’s Kitchen all the way! Brunch however? Now, that’s not so easy for me in Harvard Square. Thank goodness I just learned about The Sinclair!
I woke up really early one day about a month ago & for some reason couldn’t get back to sleep. Soooooo…I decided to drive to Somerville to get some donuts…hahaha!
On a rainy Tuesday night, I was lucky enough to be invited to a cocktail party hosted by the Taste of Columbus Hospitality Group. I, along with blogger pals, Jen of Boston Bachelorette & Elissa of Style Wire, enjoyed the tasty small bites of restaurants like Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina, Mooo… & L’Andana. I especially liked the sirloin sliders, swordfish kebobs & tuna tartare :)
They also had custom-created cocktails…the Spring Thyme was my favorite with vodka, rhubarb & thyme, but I also enjoyed The Races since I do have a fondness for whiskey. Can’t lie though, my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE course was dessert consisting of miniature cones! There were lovely raspberry sorbets & lemon ice creams, but I saved my final bite for the best & last…a maple walnut ginger ice cream in a bacon-flavored cone! Tiny, yet delicious! Thanks again so much to the Columbus Hospitality Group for their *ahem* hospitality (like how I did that?) & looking forward to the *Second* Annual Taste of CHG…hahaha!
I am a resident of Watertown, MA. Up until only 5 days ago, that didn’t mean much to a lot of people. Then, the bombers came & terrorized our sleepy little neighborhood…nay the entire city of Boston & even the nation…for a whole day. Some residents, like me, were very lucky & never even heard the commotion going on just a mile away. Others, like my friend, still find it hard to sleep at night, worried she’ll wake up to gunfire & bombs exploding on her street again.
That’s why after everything was all over, we were very happy to attend the “Healing Brunch” that Red Lentil, our local vegan restaurant was holding in support of what our community had to endure. I’ve eaten at Red Lentil before & being a self-professed carnivore, I can still appreciate their delicious vegetarian, gluten-free food. Everything from their vegan french toast, soy sausage, zen veggie burgers & bunny spice smoothie, we thoroughly enjoyed. Thank you again to Red Lentil for your generous brunch & thoughtful first step into helping our town cleanse & rejuvenate. As much fear as I was in just a few days ago doesn’t surpass the pride I have now (which I have always had) for being a resident of Watertown :)
When I read reports of the new Dunkin’ Donuts “donut” breakfast sandwich being beta tested here in MA, *of course* I had to hunt down this monstrosity. My search was futile. I couldn’t find the “official” one - made with bacon, a pepper fried egg on a glazed donut. I was even practically laughed out of a Waltham DD just for asking about it…grrrrr. At least I don’t seem to be the only one getting ridiculed. The best I could do was convince the nice lady at the Allston one (not during peak hours) to just doppelganger me a sausage & egg breakfast sandwich with a donut instead of the bagel. She was very skeptical (& a little revulsed), but she kindly complied. Then, I thought, hell…I’m going this far…why not request the pretty Spring Fling frosted donut instead of plain glaze? If you’re gonna come high, COME HIGH or stay home. Yup, I did it…of course I did it o.O
PIes ‘N’ Thighs - the most popular brunch spot in Williamsburg for sure after their Triple D coverage…hahaha! I’ll be honest…I’ve had better fried chicken & biscuits & waffles (well, I’ve spent time in the South after all) that might not have been worth the 45-minute wait, but do what we did. We ordered our donuts to go right away, so we got them while waiting for our brunch items to arrive. No joke, by the time we were done eating, they had sold out of all flavors but their old fashioned. Lucky for us! The sugary, crunchy pecan was the bomb & what a tragedy it would have been if we had left without one :d
My favorite beverage from the popular bubble or “boba” tea shops that have gained much popularity in the past few years is the traditional iced Hong Kong style milk tea — black tea with very sweet milk (however I like it sans boba). So, when Kung Fu Tea, a New-York based shop, opened their first store here in the Boston area (with a 2nd store planned for Chinatown soon), I had to stop by! They have the same setup if you’re familiar with Lollicup. Your drink is prepared to order & the top heat seal wrapped, ready for you to punch your straw through, Capri Sun-style :) I like their milk tea, but it’s very different…spicier, almost like they used Earl Grey tea since I seem to taste that distinctive bergamot, plus lots of milk. Maybe *too* much milk, but you apparently can customize your drinks, so I’ll remember that for next time…because with their extensive menu of teas, milks & coffees, I will definitely be back to try them all!
Go to Murray’s Cheese Bar in Greenwich Village in NYC. Order the Cheesemonger’s Choice Plate. Tell the waitress what type of cheeses you either like or don’t like (semi-soft, hard, stinky, etc). Ask for an accompanying glass of wine. You won’t be sorry :)
Boston is having quite the ramen moment. First, we went gaga over Guchi Ramen. Then, we gladly waited in the long line outside of Yumewokatare. Now, Rising Sun Tavern (formerly the Staff Meal food truck) is getting in on the noodle game ^_^
Tonight’s prix fixe at District Lounge in the Leather District included a shochu cocktail, Cantonese porchetta steamed buns, tsukemen ramen topped with roast park & deviled egg & a green tea mochi with nutella crumbles, chinese red date & Calpico (a creamy japanese milk drink) sauces! Even though I miss Staff Meal’s mobile tacos, I’m also glad they’re serving their innovative offerings in a more fixed location…easier for me to find them :)
