Boston's North End: Vinoteca Di Monica

Review #3 of 3! And to say I saved the best for last would be no exaggeration!

Vinoteca Di Monica
www.monicasonline.com

Before going up to Boston for the weekend, I knew I wanted to eat in the North End, which is basically Boston's version of Little Italy. But as my husband said, it's not so little. There are so many restaurants in the North End you could literally spend hours trying to pick a place. Coming from Baltimore, we're used to our Little Italy, which by comparison is, well, little. Don't get me wrong, I love Baltimore's Little Italy and many of the restaurants it contains, but Boston's North End has so much more variety. It almost feels like you're walking down the street in Rome! Well, ok that may be a stretch, but it's truly a very colorful place in more ways than one.

Each establishment is so quaint and cute, some are very small with only 10 tables and others are more swanky with a new-age feel and menu. It also helps that the whole section of town smells like fresh bread and roasted garlic making you feel that no matter where you walk in you'll be getting a hearty meal. You can go as casual as a slice of pizza from a corner pizza parlor or as fancy as a five-star restaurant.

Fortunately, I did a bit of research before going to Boston in the hopes of finding a true gem in the North End. I wanted a place that was kind of modern but with classic dishes, homemade pastas, a good wine list and moderate prices, although I wasn't against splurging for something extra-special. I really think we found all of this at Vinoteca Di Monica.

We stepped in on Sunday evening. We had a reservation, but obviously didn't need it as the restaurant was sparsely populated. I think this had more to do with the fact that it was cold and a Sunday night more than anything else. The dining room is handsomely appointed in a simple, modern style. No checkered tablecloths and drippy wine bottle candles here. Light green, bright reds and oranges make up the color scheme. White tablecloths drape the tables and an open kitchen sits like a stage at the back of the restaurant. The bar area is separate and includes seats at the bar as well as a few high-top tables for a more casual experience.

On this night, the restaurant was offering a number of mouth-watering specials. An antipasta appetizer, grilled shrimp bruschetta, fresh ravioli filled with beef and thyme or wild mushrooms and gruyere cheese, braised short rib served over polenta, and a swordfish fillet. The wine list is several pages and actually, quite daunting for someone with even medium wine knowledge like myself. It's almost exclusively Italian wines from every region possible. In making the choice, I focused on price range, which may not always be the best approach but I had to narrow it down somehow.

We settled on a Montepulciano D'Abruzzo Riserva. The waiter was impressed with my random selection, as of over 250 bottles of wine on the menu I chose the only one that came adorned with a rubber seal stamp and it's own brochure attached to the bottle. Along with the wine, came a basket of chewy sourdough bread served with a garlicky white bean dip. The dip was very good - a nice change from butter or the traditional olive oil. It was flavored with rosemary, garlic and Parmesan cheese.

For appetizers we went with the special bruschetta and the involtini di prosciutto e provolone al forno - a regular menu item of prosciutto and provolone cheese wrapped around fresh mozzarella, baked till the prosciutto is crisp and served over tomato slices and roasted red peppers.

The bruschetta was delicious, if not a bit alarming at first as the three shrimp came with their heads attached. No matter though, they were cooked just right and covered in a rich tomato broth. The bread beneath was grilled to impart a smoky flavor and worked well to sop up the tomato broth. The involtini were just as delicious, the perfect combo of smokiness from the prosciutto, salt from the provolone and creaminess from the mozzarella. I would have liked to have seen more roasted red peppers on the plate simply because they were out of this world delicious and a personal favorite of mine.

Finally for the meal, my husband ordered the braised short rib special served over a mound of polenta. His face literally lit up at the rich meaty smell coming from his plate as the waiter placed it in front of him. The short rib was so tender it practically melted in your mouth. I haven't done much braising in my day, but damn it I"m going to start because that was delicious. It was covered with an aromatic chunky tomato sauce - you could really taste the wine, woodsy herbs, meat juices and slow cooked vegetables used in the braising process. It gave outstanding flavor to the meat and complimented the soft, buttery polenta as well.

I ordered the ravioli de aragosta, or lobster ravioli. The homemade pasta enveloped chopped pieces of lobster and was topped with a creamy lobster reduction sauce. It was a rich dish, but the portion size was exactly right. No Olive Garden pasta buckets here, which is how it should be if you ask me.

Our meal, as you can see, was very good. We ended the evening with a walk around the North End, which seems to exude even more charm at night with it's street lanterns, homey smells and the occasional Italian music lofting from the cafes and storefronts.

A crowd was bustling inside Mike's Pastry, www.mikespastry.com . This large bakery specializes in Italian baked goods serving countless varieties of cookies, homemade cannolis, pies, cakes and even gelato. We walked in and bought ourselves a few cookies to enjoy back in the hotel room. But seriously, an Italian girl like myself could have spent hours in there just drooling over all the sweets.

So if you are in Boston, definitely don't miss out on the North End. It's almost like you get two trips in one, Boston and a taste of Italy.

Good Food Can Be Found In "The Cellar"

Review #2 of 3.

Garden At The Cellar
www.gardenatthecellar.com

Two words. Rosemary fries. This place has them and they are delicious. They are almost like McDonald's addictive fries but glammed up with some rosemary and sea salt. It's a deadly combination, but how can you fault it? Rosemary and the fry are so good together. In fact, when I think of them I'm reminded of the Jack Johnson song, "Better Together." I imagine a sprig of rosemary skipping through the park with a fry and the melody playing in the background:

"Mmmm, It's always better when we're together
Yeah we'll look at the stars and we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah it's always better when we're together."

Or maybe that's me singing as I eat the rosemary fries. Either way, it's good. And at The Cellar you can either get a basket to share as an appetizer or enjoy them as a side to your sandwich.

Fries aside, this place has many other fine options for hungry diners. The restaurant itself is two floors. The top floor is an upscale, casual dining room, albeit kind of narrow. An open kitchen sits at the back of the room and along one side of the room is a large wooden bar. A few tables grace the other side but seating is very limited - hence the two-hour wait for 5 people on a Saturday night. The downstairs, or cellar area, is a bit bigger and much more rustic. It's darker, danker, well like a cellar, and more like a bar. You can eat down there at the high top tables, but it's louder and much less of a relaxed dining experience. It just depends on what you're looking for.

Our group ordered the rosemary fries, like you couldn't have figured that one out, along with the mini burgers and flatbread pizza to share. The mini burgers were served on brioche bread and topped with cheddar. I didn't partake in these, as I ordered the larger size for my meal, but they looked juicy and were served with some crunchy roasted potatoes. The flatbread was crispy and topped with just the right amount of cheese, roasted mushrooms and spicy arugula.

For dinner, as I said, I got the burger. Now I'm very picky about my burgers. Ever since I discovered the best burger of all time at a restaurant near my house (how fortuitous right?) I've been hesitant to order a burger elsewhere. The Cellar burger fortunately had no problem measuring up to my old standby. It was cooked just as I'd ordered, medium, which somehow always seems to be hard to come by. The meat was top quality, juicy but not overly fatty. It was topped with garlic aioli, arugula and Vermont sharp cheddar and served on a brioche bun. Basically a larger version of the minis.

One of my other dining companions got the Cuban sandwich. I personally never know what to expect with a Cuban. Sometimes it's too many pickles or not enough pickles, too much mustard or not enough mustard and so on. I think the jury is still out also on whether or not I really like ham. Hmmm..Anyway. There's a good balance to strike in a Cuban and some places get it and some don't. The Cellar's Cuban looked as pretty as a picture. Shredded braised pork poking out the sides, melted cheese oozing, briny pickles, bright yellow mustard and thin slices of ham all pressed together and mellowing under the bread's dark grill marks. I'm told it tasted as good as it looked too. The food at the Cellar is a sure crowd-pleaser. They have a dinner menu and bar menu so even the picky people in your group will leave satisfied.

I also have to mention that I washed this meal down with a margarita. Like burgers, I'm picky about my margaritas. I hardly ever order a margarita at a bar since most of the time it involves rail tequila (gag me), sour mix and Rose's lime juice. I'm pretty sure that's as unauthentic as you can get. But I spotted a woman sipping on one at the end of the bar and it just looked so enticing so I bit the bullet and ordered one. To my surprise, it was surprisingly good for a bar margarita. I think the bartender used actual margarita mix instead of the aforementioned ingredients, which makes all the difference. So if you do go to The Cellar (as the locals call it), don't be afraid to order the margarita. It's a refreshing change from your standard bar drink. The food is also a refreshing change from standard bar fare - it's classic bar flavors made with fresh ingredients and prepared with a little creativity than usual.

Service: B+ (We sat at the bar and the barmaid was fairly busy but still managed to be attentive and bring drinks and food in a timely manner)
Atmosphere: B (It's nothing special, but it's clean, bright and has a cozy feel. The cellar also provides a much more Gothic experience if you're feeling it.)
Food: A (Everything was just really good.)
Overall Value: B (Portions were huge, no one finished anything on their plate, and prices were reasonable. You can go big or go small here and still be satisfied.)

Tomorrow:
Vinoteca Di Monica, an Italian wine bar and restaurant in Boston's North End that specializes in homemade pasta and a dizzying wine list of Italian selections.
www.monicasonline.com

Eating Well in Boston: Green Street Grill

This past weekend my husband and I ventured up north to Boston, Mass. for the weekend. A friend of mine from high school is getting her MBA at Harvard University and we went up for a visit and some site seeing. Along the way, we ate some really great food at some fun local spots. Thankfully, Boston is a walkable city otherwise we would have gained at least 30 pounds just over the weekend.
Of course, I'd like to share and review our dining experiences with you over the next few days. Here's the first of four restaurants to be reviewed:

Green Street Grill
www.greenstreetgrill.com
If you didn't know it was there, then you'd probably pass right by this little place. Judging by the crowd on Friday nights however, this place has no problem with bringing in the patrons. On this particular evening, the bar was packed tight and there was an hour wait for a four-top. No worries though. We sidled up to the bar, grabbed a few drinks and ordered some of the Grill's appetizers. The grilled calamari, cheese plate and marinated olives made it to the small bar table quickly, despite the crowds, and helped stave off our appetites while we waited for a table. The olives and calamari were good, fresh and simply prepared. The cheese plate was a bit of a disappointment in that it cost $12 and had two, no that's not a misprint, yes count 'em two, pieces of cheese on it, a few slices of bread (very tasty raisin bread I might add), and some homemade spreads. There was a disproportionate amount of spread to cheese and bread, which I thought weird and wasteful. The two pieces of cheese that were on the plate were good - creamy and not too strong in flavor. They paired nicely with the spreads too, one being a crunchy homemade peanut butter and the other an apple onion jam. It was obvious that this cheese plate was all about quality over quantity but then the price should have been as well.
Moving on to dinner! The soup of the day, Lobster Bisque, was creamy and warm with bits of lobster scattered throughout. The clam stew, my entree, was delicious. Succulent little clams swimming in a garlicky tomato-based broth filled with onions, white beans and homemade sausage. It was served with perfectly grilled bread to sop up the juices.
The most intriguing item on the menu though, for all of us was the Baked Macaroni and Cheese with Brussel Sprouts and Bacon. This has to be the holy trinity of mac and cheese! In the name of the mac and cheese, brussel sprouts and bacon...A-MEN! What a fantastic combo! I can't believe I never thought of it myself since I have a passion for all three elements. Together these were tasty and complex. This is the most sophisticated mac and cheese you will ever crave. The bacon was crispy, the brussel sprouts were tender and the mac and cheese was creamy and bubbly with a topping of beautifully browned breadcrumbs and Parmesan to give it salt and crunch.
As you may have already guessed, we were too full for dessert. Still we definitely enjoyed a sweet ending at Green Street. We left with full, happy bellies and visions of brussel sprout mac and cheese dancing in our heads.
Service: B
Atmosphere: B+ (A bit noisy in the dining room and very tight in the bar area when the crowds come in, but not awful. Definitely caters to a young, casual crowd.)
Food: A-
Overall Value: B+ (A bit on the pricey side but I really think you get fresh, well-prepared food at a pretty standard price - minus that skimpy cheese plate. It's upscale bar food done very very well.)

Tomorrow:
Garden At The Cellar, www.gardenatthecellar.com.

Salmon with Herb Mustard Glaze

I finally got a chance to cook on Sunday - and it felt good. Especially after my husband and I had been junk food junkies on Saturday. Potato skins and sliders for lunch, pizza with friends for dinner and then more junk at a Halloween costume party later that evening. Here's a pic of us in our costumes:

Quite a couple, hey?? Who knew Mike Myers and Snow White were an item :)

Anyway, the junk food was tasty but we definitely needed to detox with some healthy food on Sunday. So for dinner, I whipped up some roasted asparagus, a nice salad and some roasted salmon that I smothered with an herb mustard glaze. I've seen recipes for this sort of glaze before but this time I just decided to wing it and start throwing ingredients together. The result was delicious! The leftover salmon is great the next day to put on top of lettuce for a light lunch.
Enjoy!

Roasted Salmon with an Herb Mustard Glaze

1 lb salmon
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 375. Rinse and pat dry your salmon. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Put in a shallow baking dish or pan and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together your remaining ingredients. Once you have a thick paste, smother it over the top of your salmon.
I couldn't decide which picture was better. What do you think?


That salmon was so fresh and meaty I could have eaten it raw like sushi. But I resisted and put it in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.
The cooking time will really depend on a lot of things. HOw thick your salmon is, how done you want it etc. Ours was really cooked perfectly, still moist and tender in the middle, but not dry. And the glaze had browned a bit as well which was good.

I served it over top the roasted asparagus. Hopefully this is the start of a week of cooking - although somehow I doubt it since I'll only be home one night this week and then away for the weekend. Well...there's always next week!

Happy Halloween!

It's Halloween. And mine will be full of ghosts, goblins and well....fungus.

I have been a lazy cook this week. But not on purpose. Where to begin...sigh. Well, we adopted that sweet kitten I mentioned in a few posts below and named him Darby. He was just too cute to send away. Sadly though, I'm almost wishing I had now.

We took him to the vet and he had a partially clean bill of health with one issue - he may have ringworm. A small crusty (gross, I know) patch on his ear led the vet to this conclusion. She cultured it and said it will take at least 14 days to have concrete results - which is next Thursday. Looks like this Halloween I'm getting tricked because let me tell you, a cat with ringworm is no treat.

So meanwhile, Darby has been living in the garage and hating it. He whines all day practically. I feel so bad for him. The worst part is though, ringworm is extremely contagious to other pets and even humans. And doing research on the internet has turned me into a paranoid freak - I can't sleep, I feel like I itch all the time and I also feel like we're never going to beat this stubborn fungus. I hate this! Darby is super sweet, but ringworm can wreak havoc. And may have already but we won't even know for sure until Thursday. Ugh.

Needless to say, my husband and I spent several hours yesterday evening cleaning and sterilizing the main floor of the house in the hopes that our other cats won't be affected. This morning I cleaned and sterilized the basement. And we still have the upstairs to do. Hopefully we'll make a dent. It is quite overwhelming though considering you have to clean almost daily to get rid of this stubborn fungus. Just exhausting.

On a positive note, we did find time to carve a pumpkin this week, roast pumpkin seeds and watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown." So I share with you the treats (and hopefully I won't be sharing the trick with anyone!).

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Pepitas

Cut a top in your pumpkin and spoon ou the guts into a bowl. Rinse the seeds in a colander, pulling out the stringy pumpkin pieces and spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Allow them to dry out overnight.

The next day, pour a few tablespoons of olive oil over the seeds and toss them with salt, cumin and chili powder to taste. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees, toast for 45minutes and voila - a healthy snack.

These can really be spiced with whatever you like, sweet, savory or just plain old salt. I like the spicy kick that chili powder has and the smokiness from the cumin gives them a satisfying bite.


And here's my patient and steady-handed husband carving up Mr. Pumpkin.

He did this all freehand!!

No not really. We bought one of those books like everybody else. But it was impressive nonetheless.

Have a safe and happy Halloween!!

Toot Toot Toot

That's me...tooting my own horn. Get it? Haa. Bad joke, I know. But I don't really like to do that often (or ever really even have a reason too), however I was just so excited about this that I figured, what the heck! I recently finished grad school for Graphic Design and am still a little apprehensive about putting my work and ideas out there in public. I think it's that whole fear of rejection. But sometimes you just have to wing it and see what happens.

The blogging group Barefoot Bloggers had a contest seeking an avatar for the group. I figured this was the perfect opportunity to get creative, use my new found skills and even possibly have one more item for my portfolio. To be honest, I was anxious about putting my work out there to be voted on, but it was worth it in the end. One of the avatars I designed was picked as the winning avatar! It will be displayed on each group member's blog as a logo and link to the site.

Here it is (I don't know why the green is so flourescent here, I think it has to do with photobucket, my picture host online):


Along those lines, I'll also use this as an advertisement of sorts. If anyone out there needs an avatar or masthead design for their blog let me know. Perhaps we can come up with something together.

(That's me putting my foot in the door...well, maybe.)

A reminder for myself...

I will be making this at some point soon from Hungry Girl's blog, Faux Fried Onion Blossom . If anyone gets to it before I do let me know how it turned out. It looks delicious.

I also have developed a low-fat version of Buffalo Chicken Dip that is ever so tasty. I will be sharing all these goodies soon. I'm looking forward to a night in with my husband, a good movie and some homemade "junk" food - that hopefully isn't so junky.