June 4, 2014 The Salo Project
My friend Carolyn, of the Good Ones, invited me to cover a dinner put on by The Salo Project. What? Who? Huh? Yana Gilbuena is the founder of the Salo Project, an amazing Filipino chef. What is Salo? It means “large gathering”. Yana travels across the country, hosting a pop up in every state. This year, she is doing 50 cities in 50 weeks (you can email her if you want to open your home to the Salo Project).
So I signed up for the event (tickets are $50) and the address was released the morning of the event. I trekked out to a private home in Southie. Not sure what to expect when I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised by welcoming strangers.
We sat at long tables covered in banana leaves and we were going to eat only with our hands. Narragansett beer hosted the event, but it was BYOB if you wanted something else with dinner. Yana was in the kitchen, cooking away. She is a talented chef with a young spirit, a kind smile and an infectious laugh.
We start with rice…
Yana comes around to each table and adds to the rice that runs down the center of the table.
Atchara – Pickled Green Papaya, Carrots and Onions Salad with spiced Cane Vinegar. They had a kick to them!
Matamis Anghang na Dilis – Sweet and spicy anchovies.
Inasal na Manok – lemongrass stuffed chicken, glazed with a soy sugar and marinated with ginger. My fellow table-mates talk about other pop ups they’ve been to, their love of food and travel and their favorite ethnic cuisines. I walked out with 5 new restaurants I want to try.
Lechon Kawali – deep fried pork belly. By the time we get to this course, most of the people at my table are stuffed!
Inasal na Manok – grilled stuffed fish. This was a little tough to maneuver without utensils, but it was so delicious.
For dessert we were supposed to have purple yam ice cream, but Yana couldn’t find purple yams anywhere. So we had sweet yam and coconut ‘ice cream’, which was more like a tapioca consistency.
Check out Yana’s next events on her Facebook page. Next up Maine on June 8th, New Hampshire on June 15th and Vermont on June 22nd.
To learn more, check out her website.
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Restaurants
June 3, 2014 Bon Me Noodle Stop
I’ve been working on a series with Bon Me, featuring the great people they have working on their trucks called “Meet your Maker“. I decided that I also wanted to try out their brick and mortar location in Cambridge, the Bon Me Noodle Stop, open only on Friday night and all day on Saturday. (Their official hours are: Friday nights 5pm-10pm // Saturday all day 11am-10pm.)
It was a rainy day, so there wasn’t a lot of foot traffic. There were two other tables occupied late on a Saturday afternoon. A host at the door takes your order on an iPad and gives you a number. Grab a seat and they bring your order out to your table when it is ready – and when you are done, you bus your own table.
So what’s on the menu?
SNACKS
[v] corn roasted on the cob sriracha mayo + toasted crumbs, $4
chicken cabbage wraps pickled daikon and korean pepper sauce, $5
[v] wok roasted green beans crispy shallot + garlic, $4
shrimp chips our twist on a snack-time classic! , $3
———–
NOODLES
add a soft egg* to any dish for $2!
chicken and pork meatball rice noodle + lotus root + coconut curry broth, $9
lemongrass chicken glass noodle + roasted cauliflower + chili ginger sauce, $9
[v] spring vegetables soba noodles + asparagus + soft boiled egg + cilantro-chickpea pesto, $9
chinese bbq pork udon noodles + miso pork broth + charred scallion, $10
lemongrass chicken, chinese bbq pork, or paprika roasted tofu spicy mayo + pork pâté + pickled carrot, $6
———–
SWEETS
bon me banana bread sundae banana bread + vanilla ice cream+ miso chocolate sauce, $5
———–
DRINKS
sparkling mango limeade $4
thai basil limeade $3
thai iced tea $3
hot MEM teas $2
It was a pork kind of day! We had the Chinese BBQ pork sandwich, a sweet and savory Bon Me version of Chinese roasted Char Siu Pork. I LOVE the picked carrots, they add a really nice flavor and texture to any of the dishes at Bon Me.
The chinese bbq pork with udon noodles + miso pork broth + charred scallion was delicious. There were pieces of squash, garlic and bean spouts in the soup as well, a really great lunch on a rainy day. The portions are large, I couldn’t finish! The flavors were bold, certainly a comfort food dish. The noodle dishes are only available at the One Kendall location, they are not offered on the truck, so if you want something really special, stop by their One Kendall location.
Bon Me Noodle Stop
One Kendall, Cambridge, MA
http://www.bonmetruck.com/noodle-stop
Tags: asian, cambridge, casual dining, kendall, ramen, restaurant
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Restaurants
June 3, 2014 Introducing….
…The burger at Liquid Art House. It will be available this weekend at the bar.
So what did chef’s Rachel Klein and Ensan Wong put on their burger? It starts off with all natural ground beef, add on comte cheese gran cru, a little tomato confit, crispy onions, cornichons and a little mustard mayo. The smell is intoxicating….I try not to drool while I am taking photos.
The hamburger bun is perfect – this milk bun stands up to the juicy burger and condiments until the last bite – which is super important, because no one likes a soggy bun!
I had a chance to work with the talented Yuna Asriyan for this shoot. Yuna is part of the front of the house here at LAH, she goes out of her way to make every guest feel welcome.
The burger is flavorful, it’s important to start with a strong base. The burger is covered in cheese and I enjoy all the added crunch from the cornichons and the crispy onions. It’s sweet and tangy with a little bit of a bite to it.
Chef Ensan Wong with the LAH burger.
While doing the burger shoot, I got a closer look at the street art skateboards. A portion of the proceeds of the skateboards go to Cuba Skate.
All the boards are for sale – individually ($500) or as an entire collection.
Stop in to see the other works of art at Liquid Art House. The current exhibit, Outside In, can be viewed until June 17th.
Liquid Art House
100 Arlington Street, Boston, MA
Tags: back bay, burger, restaurant
- 5 comments
- Posted under Restaurants
June 2, 2014 Stoked Pizza
Stoked pizza is one of the new trucks out this season – they offer wood fired pizza from their 6,000lb oven! Their pizzas are made with organic and local ingredients whenever possible. I caught them at High Street on the Greenway, check out their website for their locations.
The personal sized pizzas range in price from $6-$9. Stoked is vegetarian and vegan friendly. Their marinara is a vegan pizza if made without the romano cheese. The mushroom and cheese pizza can be made vegan with the substitution of “Daiya” brand soy/dairy free mozzarella. Stoked also sells cookies made by “cookie face”, their in house pastry chef. All in, I ordered and received my pizza in under 5 minutes – talk about speedy!
Here is one of their special pizzas, butternut squash and bacon. I loved the flavors in this pizza, the cheese was creamy with a good bite to it, and how can you go wrong with the classic butternut squash and bacon…anything with bacon on it is a winner in my book! The crust was chewy and somewhere a little bit thicker than “thin crust” pizza. It was a nice change of pace for lunch.
Stoked Pizza
Check out their Facebook page
Tags: casual dining, financial district, food truck, pizza, vegan, vegetarian
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Food Trucks
May 30, 2014 Blue Dragon
We were wandering around looking for things to do, and decided to drop by Blue Dragon for lunch. We’ve been meaning to get in here, but the wait on a Friday or Saturday night can be long – and they don’t take reservations.
The place has a good sprinkling of people – a bunch of couples at two tops and one larger party of 6 sitting at a high top grabbing some afternoon drinks. We grab two seats at the counter facing the windows just as lunch is starting to wind down. Our waitress is super friendly and on top of our water from the moment we sit down.
We start with the pork and scallion wontons ($8) which were delicious, although a little hard to grab with my chopsticks (I think I’d better brush up on my skills). They were excellent, well season and the wonton skins were impossibly thin.
Next up was the Korean beef reuben with fresh kimchee slaw on Iggy’s rye bread served with white sweet potato chips ($13). A really delicious sandwich, not sure I can ever go back to a traditional reuben again!
The house ramen ($12) was a pork ramen in a really silky smooth broth – much too much food for me to eat in one sitting! Glad we finally had a chance to stop in and see what we had been missing.
Blue Dragon
324 A Street, Boston, MA
http://www.ming.com/blue-dragon.htm
Tags: casual dining, celebrity chef, fort point, restaurant
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Restaurants
May 29, 2014 Granary Tavern
I met up with a friend after work and we headed over to the Granary Tavern for a quick bite to eat. This time, we grab seats in the downstairs dining room. We start with the cheese trio & dips: tapenade, hummus, Maytag blue, smoked gouda, cotija, grilled crostini ($12).
I have the lobster roll: house shucked local lobster, chive-citrus mayo, bibb lettuce, brioche roll, potato chips ($18) that came with a lot of claw meat.
The Granary burger was good, nothing wowed me about it, even though I do love a burger with a fried egg on top. Archer Angus Farms, Vermont cheddar, bacon, fried egg, brioche roll, hand-cut fries ($16). Service was ok, slow at times as I think our waitress forgot about us, tucked all the way in the corner. Great place to go for a casual bite with friends or out for drinks. Looking forward to the weather warming up so that we can go and sit on the outdoor patio!
Granary Tavern
170 Milk Street, Boston, MA
http://www.granarytavern.com/
Make a reservation with Open Table here.
Tags: bar, burger, casual dining, financial district, restaurant
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Restaurants
May 28, 2014 Tweed
Tweed Barbers, formerly State Street Barbers, is located in the South End.
Last Thursday night they hosted a party to debut the Massachusetts based, Men’s Soap Shop products. Bully Boy cocktails were served and Loic Le Garrec, owner of Petit Robert, provided bites by their new chef, Stefano Quaresima.
Owner, Peter Solomon (middle) with Joshua Pelletier (right) and Samuel Lopez (right) from the Men’s Soap Shop.
Tweed’s services include haircuts, hot lather shaves, beard trims, coloring and facials. See their full menu here.
Meet Stone, a master barber.
Midou, also a master barber, came to Tweed after working 15 years in Paris.
Radio personality, Chris Shine of MAGIC’s 106.7, was in attendance along with Susan Holaday, Alessandra Pollina and Diane Mantouvalos,among others.
Petit Robert has location in Kemore Square, the South End, Needham and in Downtown Crossing.
The Men’s Soap Shop has some great looking (and smelling!) products. I think that the Bergamot was my favorite scent, it was warm and citrusy.
From their website:
When we founded the Men’s Soap Shop in a small apartment in Boston, Massachusetts, a smooth gentleman had limited choices for all-natural body-care products. We decided to change that. Today we brew, pour, cut, and cure our soaps in a nineteenth-century factory building, a daily reminder of the role of good, old-fashioned artisanship in our business. Painstakingly handcrafted in small batches from simple, all-natural ingredients, our soaps and aftershaves represent a resurgence in traditional masculine grooming rituals
Welcome back to smooth.
Tweed Barbers
1313 Washington Street, South End, Boston
617.753.9990
Tags: barber shop, party, south end
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Events, Services
May 28, 2014 Beat Hotel
We loved Beat Hotel so much the first time, that we decided to go back again for another meal.
This time, we ate before the music started for the evening.
The restaurant is much lighter and it has a very different feel to it.
We have the smoky chipotle ribs ($14) which were delicious as ever – the meat is so tender and the frozen grapes are a nice contrast.
We have the crispy tuna spring roll ($12) which was pretty tasty, the tuna was super fresh.
We ordered the Inca bowl with skirt steak: Quinoa, Kale, Carrots, Sweet Potato, Avocado, Soy Beans, Hominy, Tomato Posole, Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette ($27). A large portion of food – every bite is delicious – some really nice bold flavors here.
The prime hamburger with bacon and cheddar cheese ($16) was delicious – well season meat and the fries were just the way we love them, thin and crispy.
We also had the chicken picatta ($23) served over gnocchi. I didn’t love this dish as much as my last meal. The gnocchi was tasty, but I wasn’t wowed by the flavoring of the chicken. Again, the portion was generous, I ended up taking half of this home! The service was good tonight. We have been telling all of our friends about Beat Hotel and how it is a “must try”.
Beat Hotel
13 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA
Make a reservation with Open Table.
Tags: casual eating, harvard square, live music, restaurant
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Restaurants
May 27, 2014 Sa Pa
Sa Pa opened in Cleveland Circle on May 19th, just around the corner from Cityside. The Cleveland Circle location is the second Boston area restaurant for Sa Pa, the other location is in Downtown Crossing at 92 Bedford Street near Kingston Station (which is also owned by Ky Nguyen).
This location also features the same turquoise blue and bright red colors as the Bedford street location.
The menu is displayed behind the counter and offers you the choice of a banh mi burrito, a banh mi sandwich or a noodle bowl.
A look behind the counter.
The restaurant has plenty of seating and the photos on the back wall offer a glimpse into Ky’s family life.
We both decide to try the banh mi burrito: Pickled carrots and daikon, mushroom and walnut pate spread, cucumber, cilantro, house made miso or spicy mayonnaise, homemade kimchi, and brown rice served on a whole wheat wrap with your choice of protein; slow braised beef, Saigon BBQ pulled pork, ginger lime chicken, lemongrass shrimp, or marinated tofu. They also put grapes on the burrito, which I hesitate at, but end up really enjoying what they bring the to the burrito (another layer of sweetness).
The pulled pork is really tasty.
The egg rolls come in both pork and vegetarian flavors and are Ky’s mother’s own recipe. The Cleveland Circle location will have a beer and wine license and offers 4 beers on top. Stop in for a bite today – all menu items are reasonably priced between $7 and $10.
Sa Pa Modern Vietnamese Cuisine
1952 Beacon Street, Brighton, MA
Tags: burrito, casual dining, restaurant, take out, vietnamese
- Leave a comment
- Posted under Restaurants
May 26, 2014 Langham Lobster Pop Up
Last Wednesday, May 21st, the Langham Hotel debuted their new lobster pop up on their patio – kicking the season off with a lobster roll eating competition. The weather could not have been more perfect.
Local celebrities were in attendance along with Radio BDC, who was broadcasting the event live.
Guests at the event were served mini versions of the lobster rolls.
The menu for the patio at lunchtime has three items: Creamy clam chowder, lobster rolls on a New England style bun, and strawberry shortcake. You can stop by Monday – Friday from 11:30am – 2:30 pm.
Our local celebrities competing today were: Planitz Collide – co captain of the Nutcrackers and a Boston Derby Dame, Henry Santoro of Radio BDC and Jenny Johnson from NESN’s Dining Playbook. They faced off against two contest winners from Radio BDC.
Their mission, to eat as many lobster rolls as they could in 5 minutes. Each lobster roll had the meat from a 1lb of lobster!
The Langham’s Executive Chef, Mark Sapienza was in attendance to judge the competition.
Planitz killed it, she had it down to a system! She came in a bite shy at the end of 5 minutes, with 3 lobster rolls under her belt! They crowned Radio BDC personality Henry Santoro the winner of the competition! Congrats to all! Check out the video on Instagram.
The patio will also be open after work as well, Monday – Friday 4:30-pm – 8:30pm and will offer the same menu as lunch in addition to dishes like lobster guacamole, chilled colossal shrimp and Mediterranean olive misto.
The Terrace at the Langham Hotel
250 Franklin Street, Boston, MA
http://boston.langhamhotels.com/restaurants/langham-boston-terrace.htm
Tags: casual dining, financial district, lobster roll, outdoor seating, patio, pop up, restaurant
- 1 comment
- Posted under Restaurants
