December 18, 2014 Good Ones Lunch Lounge at Bee’s Knees
Guests gathered together December 12th at Bee’s Knees Supply Company in Fort Point for one powerful hour of networking with the #TheGoodOnes.
Sara Gragnolati, founder of Cocomama; Kit (Caitlin) Hickey, co-founder of Ministry of Supply ; Sonny Saggese; Carolyn Kim, co-founder of the Good Ones.
DRINKmaple was a sponsor at the event and one of the co-founders, Kate, was a featured guest.
Alec Harrison, co-founder of Grafton Studio; Kate Weiler, co-founder of DRINKmaple; Jeff Rose, co-founder of DRINKmaple.
The dress for the event was plaid, be it a skirt, a shirt, a scarf or a full outfit!
Shiela Erimez, Art Director at Massachusetts Department of Public Health.
Alexis Hyder, Director, Strategic Business Development, ICIC; Featured guest Lauren Abda, Managing Director, The Food Loft; Jennifer Brooke, co-founder of the Good Ones.
In addition to light refreshments, guests were treated to a wine and beer sampling.
There were a lot of new faces at this event. Those that live outside the city tend to have a harder time attending the evening events, so this lunch time power hour was the perfect opportunity for them to meet other Good Ones!
Alec Harrison, co-founder of Grafton Studio; Maddie Bergier, Marketing Manager at Reserve
Lunches were provided and taken to go so that there would be maximum time to socialize.
Lunch options included:
Black Pepper Turkey & Sopressata Salami Sandwich – Cheddar, House Garlic Aioli on Ciabatta
Italian Sandwich – Mortadella, Spicy & Sweet Coppa, Provolone, Olive Oil & Balsamic on a Baguette
Vegetarian Wrap – House Made Hummus, Cucumber, Carrot, Onion, Bibb Lettuce & Tomato in a White Tortilla
Pulled Chicken Breast Sandwich – Macadamia Butter, Macerated Cherries, Golden Rasins, Red Onion on Sourdough
Fig & Walnut Salad – Mixed Greens, Fresh Figs, Roasted Walnuts, Blue Cheese, Cherry Vinaigrette
Chris Welter, of Cocomama Foods was at the event sampling two flavors of their Crunched Out cereal.
Never been to Bee’s Knees? It’s a great shop that is part market, part deli, part coffee shop and part bakery. Pick up some farmstead cheese and charcuterie, a sandwich or smoothie for lunch, a bottle of wine and some dinner to bring home or stay for a coffee and a sweet.
For an invitation to future Good Ones events, fill out your personality snapshot here: http://thegoodones.co/membership/
Tags: events, fort point, good ones
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December 17, 2014 Tuscan Kitchen
After heading over to Tuscan Kitchen for a media dinner in October, I headed back to get some of those delicious desserts that I had my eyes on in the display case! I loved this lemon tiramisu – something a little different!
The market has a wide variety of Italian pastries to choose from.
Another favorite was the traditional tiramisu.
And their fruit tarts were exceptional! Stop in and pick up some treats for yourself!
Tuscan Kitchen
24 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA
http://www.tuscanbrands.com/Kitchen/Burlington/
Tags: burlington, casual dining, dessert, outdoor seating, restaurant
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December 16, 2014 MC Spiedo
It seems like every time Meredith and I go out to birthday dinners the weather is horrible. It’s cold and rainy tonight – and guess who forgot their umbrella! We headed over to the seaport to MC Spiedo for dinner to celebrate my belated birthday.
I was surprised to find that the restaurant was located in the Renaissance Hotel, I guess I should have done my homework!
The decor definitely makes a statement, from the soft light to the plush red booths to the wine wall. I love these private booths along the back wall.
Our waiter wheels the market cart and explains some of the options: stuffed eggs, celery heart salad, marinated olives, prosciutto wrapped pears and artichoke spread to name a few. All appetizers on the cart are $5. Meredith gets the prosciutto and pear and was a bit disappointed. We order a few cheeses instead, but the waiter ends up forgetting to bring them out and we go straight to our entrees. If you know me at all, it was the bolognese for this gal. The sauce is thick and gravy like and comes topped with herbs and shaved Parmesan cheese ($21 full, $13 half). The pasta itself is hand made by the chefs daily. A really nice dish over all.
Meredith went with the braised rabbit pappardelle with butternut squash and swiss chard ($18). The meat was tender and the squash didn’t overwhelm the dish.
For desert we went with the hazelnut tort ($7). When I think hazelnut tort, I think graham cracker crust and a hazelnut filling. This was more like a cake with a light hazelnut whipped filling and a custard. The presentation was lovely, however the cake was a bit dry and the dessert felt a bit disjointed. Overall, not one of our best meals together, but ultimately it is more about the company than the food.
MC Speido
606 Congress Street, Boston, MA (Located in the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel)
Tags: bolognese, fort point, italian, restaurant, seaport
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December 15, 2014 Lee’s Burger Place
I love a good burger, so I was excited to see that Lee’s Burger Place was taking over the old Naked Pizza space on Beacon Street in Coolidge Corner.
The interior is stark, harsh white light and not much in the way of decor – no matter, I was here for takeout.
They have a good selection of burgers and burger alternatives, as well as sides and shakes. While waiting in line I overheard multiple people wondering why they didn’t just have chocolate shakes…(apparently the godiva shake tastes like chocolate but there is no chocolate in it – according to the guy at the counter).
The first time I went, I ordered for me and a few friends, three burgers: 2 bacon cheeseburgers, 1 teriyaki burger, a side of fries, a side of onion rings and a raspberry shake. After being open for only 5 days, they told me they had run out of ice cream, so no shake. I went with the raspberry smoothie instead. When I got home and opened the bag, I realized that my fries were missing, so we all had to split the onion rings.
The raspberry shake was delicious.
The second time I went back on a Friday night. They had ice cream today so I had a strawberry shake – which was bland, I would have been better off with another smoothie. I didn’t want another burger this week, so I went with the grilled cheese. The cheese was melted but the bread wasn’t toasted. Nothing like melted cheese on soft white bread.
I ordered the onion rings again because they were really good – but again, when I went home, there were no onion rings – instead two orders of sweet potato fries. The fries could have been good, but in the 5 minutes it took to drive home apparently they went soggy…
Overall the food was ok, totally hit or miss. I think they still need to work out the kinks. The lesson here is check your receipt to make sure they put in what you actually ordered and check your bag before you leave to make sure that you have everything you ordered. I sent Lee’s a Facebook message last week letting them know I was disappointed with the level of service…still waiting to hear back!
Lee’s Burger Place
1331 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA
See their Facebook page here
Tags: brookline, burgers, casual dining, restaurant, takeout
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December 13, 2014 CambridgeSide Galleria #BloggerHoliday
I was invited to the CambridgeSide Galleria for a Glamour Swap along with about 30 other bloggers (Check out the hashtag #bloggerholiday). The evening started with champagne and some light bites.
There were tables set up around the perimeter with different gift ideas for the holiday season. I was into these headphones! Other items showcased included accessories, tech gifts, and outfits from stores in the mall.
The hummus was popular, made with Tuscan white beans and topped with housemade checca.
The light bites were provided by California Pizza Kitchen.
After we had a chance to browse the gift ideas and do some light snacking, we started with the Yankee Swap. The CambridgeSide Galleria provided all the gifts for the swap. Some of the items up for grabs were a Shiseido gift set, a mani/pedi gift certificate, gift cards to PF Changs and The Cheesecake Factory, Kate Spade bags, knit bejeweled headbands and more! I took home a Celtics bedazzled shirt from Rosters!
All the bloggers in attendance went home with great swag bags filled with samples, coupons and even free parking vouchers! Thanks CambridgeSide Galleria and Blog and Tweet Boston for a great evening!
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December 12, 2014 Holiday Wish List
I always try to get a jump on holiday shopping and then end up with no idea what to buy! Gift cards are convenient, but are so boring. So here are some fun gift ideas for this holiday season!
Forlan y Cia 14 Worked Glass Vintage Seltzer Bottle from the Seltzer Shop, $195
Malta Lantern from Pottery Barn, $119 for the large and $249 for the extra large
Monogram pillow made from sailcloth from Sea Bags, $155.
The Big Tasty sampler from EH Chocolatier, $28. The sampler includes: ancho bar, beernut bar, caramelized white chocolate bar, crispy milk bar, chocolate chew, coconutty bar, peanut butter crunch bar, pecan cluster, rocher, and a toffee crunch bar.
Other choices from EH Chocolatier would be the petite pumpkin pie macarons, $14.
Glass birds in love ornament, made by Glak Love, ornaments made from vintage film negatives, $16.
Lid Lifters from Container Store, $6.99
Organic Body Scrub from Organic Bath Co. $27. While the scrubs come in wonderful scents like RefreshMINT, SubLime, Zesty Morning, Stress Less and Spiced Cacao – I love the “Naked” product, unscented and 100% organic – it exfoliates and hydrates while removing dirt and dead skin.
The Elle bangle from Sarah Chloe, shown in gold but love the sterling silver too, $129.
The Samsung NX Mini, sold at Best Buy $449. Comes with a 9-27mm lens that you can switch out with other lenses (sold separately) and has built in wi-fi.
Gold Tip Spout Apothecary Dispenser from Haven, $25.
Foil stamped Boston map from Minted, 11×14, $98 including frame.
Elizabeth and James blue sapphire bangle from Anthropolgie, $218.
Bicycle paintings, oil on canvas, by Red Bicycle Gallery, $125.
What is your go to gift this holiday season?
December 10, 2014 Cheeseboy
Cheeseboy first opened its doors in 2009 in CT and opened their first Boston location in 2010 in South Station. They have over a half a dozen sandwiches to choose from and if you still can’t find something you like, you can design your own. In addition to sandwiches, Cheeseboy offers breakfast sandwiches and sweets along with side soups and salads.
The downtown crossing location opened in 2013, which is bustling at all times.
I had the Mac ‘N Melt, all-natural mac & cheese (made with local aged cheddar, Monterey Jack, cream, and spices), hickory bacon, and local aged cheddar on artisan white bread. The sandwich was decadent, I couldn’t even finish the whole thing it was that rich! The sandwich was tasty and the service was quick and friendly – a great spot to grab a bite to eat for lunch.
What’s your go to grilled cheese sandwich?
Cheeseboy
280 Washington Street, Boston, MA
Tags: casual dining, downtown crossing, restaurant
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December 10, 2014 Liquid Art House
It was my dad’s birthday, so we decided to take him out to one of my favorite spots, Liquid Art House. We made our reservation with Reserve, a new reservation app brought to you by the people who brought you Uber. You use the app to make the reservation and you load in your credit card just like you do with Uber – you can leave your wallet at home!
All the bread is made in house by Master Baker Maurizio Odermatt. Yuna, one of the managers at LAH (and owner of Y/A Apparel) is there to welcome us. She makes every visit special – her customer service is top notch!
We start with the large order of the mushroom dumplings, $25, that are topped with porcini cream, shiitake chips and sour cream. Each one is like a work of art.
We also have a large order of the Lithuanian farmer’s cheese dumplings, $25, served with aged gouda, asian pear and grain mustard. These are my absolute favorites.
Now that Hamersley’s is gone, where will you go for chicken? Answer, Liquid Art House. I ordered the Green Circle half chicken that is made on “Lulu” the rotisserie. I have said it before and I will say it again, this is everything you could ever want in a chicken, it’s juicy and flavorful, tender and just the right amount of crisp on the skin.
My mom orders the Muscovy duck, $35, that is accompanied by duck confit farrotto, radish, spicy sprouts and toasted rice vinegar caramel. An amazing dish by chef Rachel Klein.
The desserts are made by the wildly talented pastry chef Giselle Miller. We get the Newton’s Apple, $14: brown butter steam cake, toasted brioche cream, crispin apples, pecan, dark raisins, calvados, celery and cannele ice cream.
The French pear consumme, $14: roasted bosc pear mousseline, pain d’épices, inniskillin compressed pears, burnt honey, fennel with crema earl grey ice cream.
And something new, at LAH, Macarons. You can eat them at the restaurant or take them to go – they have cute little boxes to get them home with you in one piece. Flavors include: maple, pistachio, cranberry, pumpkin pie and chocolate. My favorites are the pistachio and the pumpkin pie!
The service was excellent – our waiter was well informed of the menu items and gave us great suggestions and was always close by should we need anything. At the end of the meal this cute little card is placed on our table. My credit card is on file and I selected the tip percentage ahead of time – so we are good to go whenever we are ready. Before we go, we get an art tour with Silvi Naci, LAH’s art director. The Ready to Bare collection will be showing until January 5th. What’s wonderful about LAH’s collection is that there is something for everyone’s budget: high end one of a kind prints and paintings for serious collectors and prints for those who just love art. Walking around with Silvi is such a treat, she tells us the artist’s background and gives us some history – you can tell that she loves what she does by the passion in her voice when she talks about the pieces.
And as a little a end of meal treat, a few extra goodies!
Liquid Art House
100 Arlington Street, Boston, MA
http://www.liquidarthouse.com/
Tags: back bay, fine dining, restaurant
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December 9, 2014 Uncle Truscott’s
I originally met Peter and Katie Kelly (of Uncle Truscott’s) at the Taste Trekkers conference in the Hope and Main tasting pavilion. It was there that I fell in love with their almond butter toffee and their truffles. Their almond butter tofffee comes in 1/4lb, 1/2lb and 1lb bags (trust me and get the 1lb bag!) and prices range from $4.95 to $19.95. Their toffee is made with made with almonds, butter, sugar, salt and chocolate. Who knew that just 5 simple ingredients could taste this good! Needless to say, I’m addicted and I’m a super fan!
They also make wildly delicious truffles that melt in your mouth. They have 4 piece boxes and 16 piece boxes. Flavors include dark, milk, caramel, cookie, espresso and peanut.
Check out Uncle Truscott’s website here and order online today! Uncle Truscott’s makes for a great hostess or holiday gift and they are made locally in Rhode Island.
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December 8, 2014 Salvatore’s
After spending some time at the Boston Christmas Festival, my mom and I headed over to Salvatore’s for lunch. Salvatore’s is owned by Sal Lupoli, who you may know from his Sal’s Pizza empire. Unlike it’s more casual counterpart, Salvatore’s is a full service restaurant featuring upscale Italian food. Of course I order the Pappardelle Bolognese ($12) traditionally made with veal, beef, pork, tomato and cream, parmigiano. The pasta ribbons are thin, which really lightened up the dish.
My mom ordered an appetizer and a salad – the arancini ($10) for the appetizer, risotto balls filled with basil, tomato, fresh mozzarella cheese with marinara dipping sauce was delicious.
The shrimp and spinach salad ($16) was gone in the blink of an eye, it had pan seared shrimp, strawberries, candied walnuts, goat cheese and was served with a balsamic vinaigrette.
And for dessert we shared the tiramisu, a classic and a favorite.
What’s your favorite dish at Salvatore’s?
Salvatore’s
225 Northern Ave., Boston, MA
http://www.salvatoresrestaurants.com/
Tags: bolognese, casual dining, fort point, restaurant
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- Posted under Restaurants, Uncategorized
