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A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

A lifestyle blog with a focus on my food adventures

The WDWWW crew went out for a little shopping and lunch – only to find Moldova was closed because of some temporary issues in the kitchen. So after browsing at Green Tail Table, we headed over to West Street Tavern for some lunch. The place is your casual, neighborhood tavern, complete with local regulars. While a little hard to navigate my stroller inside, we made it work. The poutine came with a beautifully done egg on top and the buffalo cauliflower that we ordered for the table was crispy and spicy (thank goodness for blue cheese). I had the chicken, broccoli and ziti that was perfectly acceptable, served with your choice of a garlic white wine sauce or an Alfredo sauce. Service was good, our waitress was very attentive. The menu for the kids offered all their favorites, chicken fingers, hot dog, Mac and cheese, pasta, and cheeseburgers all for $6. (They also offer fish and chips for $9)

West Street Tavern offers brunch both days on the weekend and live entertainment on Saturday nights.

West Street Tavern

7 West Street, Newton, MA

www.weststreettavern.com

West Street Tavern Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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We met Leah up in Burlington and grabbed a bite to eat at Redstone American Grill. She had been there for a holiday party and we were curious to see what the regular menu had to offer. They are a scratch kitchen and allergy friendly.

We decided to do a lot of appetizers so we could try out a few different things. The crab dip was delicious (yay for Old Bay!), I even had to order extra tortilla chips to get every last bit up. The honey cider Brussels sprouts were crispy and flavorful – served with Sriracha aioli and smoked bacon (you can order a half portion). The chowder was perfect on a chilly day and who could say no to the cast iron skillet baked cornbread that is served with housemade maple butter? I still love honey butter best, but maple butter is close second.

They have a nice menu with something for everyone. Burgers, salads, flatbreads and seafood. Family friendly with plenty of seating (indoor and out) and parking in an attached lot. Shopping and entertainment are close by to easily make a day/night out of it!

Redstone American Grill

20 Third Avenue, Burlington, MA

www.redstonegrill.com

Redstone American Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Everyone was pretty pumped when Oak Barrel Tavern first opened. We went at 5pm and the hostess asked us if we had a reservation…and when we said we didn’t, she proceeded to tell us it would be an hour wait!!! Yikes!

It has since died down a bit, and we have been there a few times. The food is middle of the road, prices are a lot better than the local and there is a little more variety. Personally I’d stick with the burgers, or something simple. The pretzels with beer mustard and and a beer cheese sauce were decent and my husband liked the fish tacos. The truffle mac and cheese tasted suspiciously similar to my son’s kid’s mac and cheese…

Service was so so. I think it’s hit or miss depending on how crowded it is. We sat outside and it took a lot longer than when we were inside and when we were a large party, they were basically clearing our plates before we even finished them. The bar is always hopping, as there are limited other choices in the area now.

Certainly kid friendly and there is plenty of parking in the attached lot.

Oak Barrel Tavern

528 A Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA

http://www.oakbarreltavernworcester.com

Oak Barrel Tavern Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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Every time I am down in Falmouth, I like to try to get to Bear in Boots right on Main Street. They have a scratch kitchen and everything they put out is consistently delicious. We started with the fried cheese (pictured top left): Beer battered Vermont cheddar cheese curds with  dill seed crema. My daughter loves cheeseburgers, so we ordered her one – loved that they offered it with sides of asparagus and green apple. She proceeded to inhale it as soon as it reached the table.  The gnocchi did not disappoint, with delicious flavor and the perfect consistency. And how do you come here and NOT get the table pretzel? The salty goodness comes with a side of stone ground mustard and a cheddar jalapeño sauce.

Other things to look out for on the menu: the ramen, the bolognese and the stout marinated steak tips.

Bear in Boots

285 Main Street, Falmouth, MA

www.bearinboots.com

Hours of operation:

Sunday, Monday, Tuesday:- CLOSED

Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday: 5:00 pm-9:00 pm (Kitchen Hours) Bar Open Until 12:00 am

Parking is available on street.

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There are so many things to be thankful for this year – good health, a roof over our heads, food on the table and good friendships. I am most thankful for my family. While I am not hosting this year, I am still doing quite a bit of baking and cooking. I was trying to finish off all the apples we had left over, so I made apple crisps and home made apple sauce. Every time I make anything with apples, I am reminded of my great uncle Sol (who has since passed away). He was one of my favorite (great) uncles, with great stories and a husky laugh. When I was younger, I was always in awe that he could peel apples in just one peel. In my eyes, that was just one of the things that made him larger than life. I see that same sense of wonder in my son’s eyes when he is doing just about anything with my dad.

I hope you are spending this holiday surrounded by people you love. May your hearts (and stomachs) be full, and may you never lose your sense of wonder. Happy Thanksgiving!

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Another place we liked to pick our own fruit this season was Tougas Farm in Northborough. We did strawberries and cherries here this season, but this time of year they do have apple picking available. The first time we went was when the baby was fairly new – so here I am with three kids in the car and as soon as we pull into the lot, it starts to rain. But we drove all the way here, so I make the kids get out and put on coats. So I have one strapped into the baby carrier, I’m holding two by the hands and have an umbrella on my arm and I’m trying to get them up the stairs onto the tractor to go out to the fields. I figure it’ll be great, strawberries are low to the ground so the kids won’t need a lot of help and they can have a fun afternoon. Wrong. After picking two berries, my son says, “Mama, I’m all done.” Ummm, no. Then, “How about you pick them and hand them to me and I will put them in the basket?” So here I am bending down with the baby basically parallel to the ground picking strawberries, soaking wet, picking two enormous cartons of strawberries by myself. And when we are done, I’m holding two full containers, so I have no hands to help the kids up onto the tractor ride. Why do I even do this to myself?! But we make it and the kids had a good time, we even were able to squeeze in some lunch. They have a nice little picnic area outside to eat at – we had grilled cheeses and the kids were happy!

With cherry picking I wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice, so we all went as a family. This way at least I would have one hand free. The kids love the tractor ride to and from the orchards and they really love the big playground area. They do have goats and some birds that are roaming about the picnic area. Their farm store has lots of delicious seasonal treats (pies, cider, donuts, fresh picked fruits), jams, maple products, beverages, and more.

Apple picking is a 10lb peck for $30 and a 20lb half bushel is $40. You can pick your own pumpkins for $0.75 per pound. Make sure to check their Facebook page to see what they are currently picking and what the current prices are (sometimes they run specials).

Where do you like to pick your own fruit?

Tougas Farm

234 Ball Street, Northborough, MA

www.tougasfamilyfarm.com

Pick your own fruit Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 5pm. Closed Mondays.

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Kim and I met out for lunch at Rail Trail Flatbread Co. to try out their Breads and Spreads. Cute little toasts with some seriously tasty toppings. Pick three for $7 – totally great deal if you’re looking for a light lunch.

Here are the current options (they have changed the menu a bit since we were there):

spinach & artichoke baked spinach & artichoke dip, asiago, chive

avocado (pictured top right) crushed avocado, cucumber, roasted seed on toast

sweet potato spiced sweet potato puree, torched fluff, sage

pimento prosciutto (pictured middle right) pimento cheese, 7-minute egg, crispy prosciutto, chive on toast

honey chevre (pictured left and top right) whipped goat cheese, local honey, black cardamom almond on toast

 

And while were were there, we were excited to try some of their mocktails out, which are really top notch. I love the madras fizz which is grenadine, lemon, orange and soda water (pictured right). Kind went with the Edgar Lucia (pictured left) which was luxardo cherry, maple syrup and soda water.

Rail Trail Flatbread Co.

33 Main Street, Hudson, MA

https://railtrailflatbread.com/

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Located on Guest Street, Kōhi Coffee Co. seems so spacious due to the floor to ceiling windows and the high ceilings. It has a standing bar as well as a place to sit if you want to catch up on some emails. While it was quiet on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I can see it being packed on the week days. After all, it is close to the Bruins, the Celtics, WGBH and New Balance.

I’m not a big coffee drinker – so I don’t know about the subtle differences, but they offer batch brew and pour over coffee as well as Siphon, Chemex and Aeropress from their brew bar. I picked up a single origin cold brew and they also offer NOLA, which is brewed with chicory root.

Pair a cup of coffee wth a savory scone, house made granola, homemade biscuits with jam and butter, seasonal muffins or a chocolate chip cookie. They have a light breakfast and lunch menu featuring a vegan sandie, a morning salad, a season fruit bowl, toad in a hole and a breakfast sandwich, to name a few.

Kōhi Coffee Co.

130 Guest Street, Brighton, MA

http://www.kohicoffee.com/

Hours:
mon-fri: 7a – 7p
sat-sun: 8a – 5p

kohi coffee co Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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The kids and I have been reading Food Truck Fest by Amanda Penfold and it has quickly become a night time favorite. The kids can recite almost all the words to this rhyming book by heart. So when we were invited to the Cape Cod For Truck Festival, it was a no brainer. The weather looked like it was going to be a bit iffy, but we ate until we were stuffed and got out before the rain came. Who was there?

Shishkaberry’s (VIP Truck!), The Whoo(pie) Wagon, GottaQ, Trolley Dogs, Say cheese!, Binge BBQ, Cape Cod Cannoli’s, Moyzilla, Sheherazad,Da Bomb Truck, Teri-Yummy, Local Scoop, Mediteranian Home Cooking, Wahlburgers, Big T’s, Melt, Travelin Bones, Kebabish, The Salt Block, HullaGood, Chocolate Freaking Bacon, Wolf Pizza, and Macarollin’ 

They also had a craft beer area that hosted beers from Jacks Abby, Springdale, Lord Hobo, Down The Road, Stormalong Cider, Mighty Squirrel, White Birch, Zero Gravity, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Citizen Cider, Brown’s Brewing, Weyerbacher Brewing, Toppling Goliath, Great Divide Brewing, Epic Brewing, 21st Amendment Brewing, and Uinta Brewing.

What were our favorites? The corn from The Salt Block (bottom right) was amazing, Wahlburgers (middle left) was a big hit with the kids along with pops from The Local Scoop (middle right). My favorite was the brisket sandwich from Binge BBQ (top right).

Food Truck Festivals – Heck yeah or not for you?

Disclaimer: I partnered with Food Truck Festivals of America on this post. Our admission and some of our food was provided complimentary. As always, all opinions are my own.

Want more information on when a food truck festival is coming near you? Check out their website here.

 

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Last weekend I had the pleasure of eating at Talulla, a cute 12 table restaurant in Cambridge. The restaurant is named after the daughter of owners Connor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer. They focus on local and seasonal ingredients, so the menus change nightly. They have an a la carte menu with an option to do a three course prix fixe ($60) and a six course tasting menu ($95). I met up with local bloggers Leah from City Living Boston and Fiona from Gourmet Pigs.

We all opted for the three course prix fixe. Leah and Fiona started with the pears (top middle) served with prosciutto, chestnut fritter, gorgonzola and endive. I had the pumpkin soup (top right) with spiced pecans, cocoa nibs and black olive. I loved the texture of the soup and crunch from the garnish. I’m not a huge fan of olives in general but it paired well with the soup. For my main course I had the mushroom tortelloni (middle left) that was just divine – I wish you could smell the broth..you would be drooling (don’t worry, Leah ate my greens). Leah had the short rib that was so tender it just fell apart with a fork, and Fiona had the spaetzle (middle right).

Dessert is of course what I look forward to most, and Talulla’s did not disappoint. I had the chocolate budino, which under normal circumstances I avoid at most restaurants. This one was SO rich and delicious with crunchy hazelnuts and just the right amount of salt. Leah, who is not a sweets kind of gal, had the cheese plate, which looked absolutely delicious. At the end of the meal they presented us with the cutest little rugelachs that I have ever seen.

Service was excellent, I highly recommend stopping in for dinner.

Talulla

377 Walden Street, Cambridge, MA

www.talullacambridge.com

Open Tues – Sat 5:30pm – 10pm, Sunday 10:30am – 2:30pm

Parking is on street

Talulla Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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