The Chocolate Tarte, Somerville

Almost a year ago, my blogging friend Rachel of Fork It Over, Boston!, in the middle of a quest for the best cupcakes in Boston, declared that she had found a winner (of course, that wasn't going to stop her from continuing on her quest). Her praise for The Chocolate Tarte in Somerville seemed too good to be true. Because, frankly, I've had a lot of bad cupcakes and some good cupcakes, but none that left me talking about them for days.

So when Linda of The Chocolate Tarte invited a few bloggers to her shop to try her wares, I was ready to see if her cupcakes could possibly live up to the hype. I walked into the store and immediately had delicious chocolates thrust into my hands. Pistachio white chocolate? Yes! Raspberry Anise? Of course! Tequila? Don't mind if I do! We were all so distracted by these little gems that I almost forgot there were cupcakes to be had.

Linda had lined up a whole bunch of vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet mini cupcakes, and I jumped for the chocolate. I couldn't have been more surprised to find the moistest mini cupcake I'd ever tasted. Anyone who bakes knows that it's tough to keep miniature versions of pastries as tasty as the full-sized thing, so this tiny little piece of cake was a revelation. The frosting on top was light and creamy, like whipped cream with a bit of Fluff thrown in for good measure.

There was also a whole red velvet cake that we went at like wolves, and it was as perfect as the cupcakes were. The Chocolate Tarte does beautiful cakes to order, and I know where I'm going the next time I need a tasty birthday treat.

Of course, there's more to The Chocolate Tarte than just cupcakes. As the name implies, tarts (chocolate and not so chocolate) are a specialty. We tried mini chocolate rosemary tarts (above) which were just fantastic. The rosemary was very subtle, and the chocolate filling was creamy and smooth. If I had to pick a favorite dessert of the night, it would probably be these tarts. There were also fudgy brownies that were so dense, you only needed a few bites to be sated.

So while I didn't believe Rachel when she said these cupcakes were THAT good, I do now. Don't believe me either? Head out to The Chocolate Tarte in Somerville yourself and tell me I'm wrong.

Full Disclosure note: The pastries were provided for free by The Chocolate Tarte. But I wouldn't write about them if I didn't like them.

Bacon Vodka, the Oddest Drink I've Had in a Long Time

It's been, oh geez, a month since I went to my first tasting at Downtown Wine & Spirits in Davis Square. I used to shop there frequently during college, but it was rather inconvenient when I lived in Brookline. It took a mysterious tweet from Citysearch Boston regarding a bacon liquor tasting to get me back in there.

The tasting was a great time - a bunch of people crowded around the small bar, shuffling around patiently to try tastes (big tastes) of three different beers, three different wines, and a homemade bacon vodka. The beers and wines were only bacon-y in spirit - smoky aroma and flavor can go a long way, especially when you already have bacon on the brain. I thought the vodka, though, was pretty awesome. Well, maybe not that vodka, but the concept of bacon vodka? Yep, pretty cool.

So when my older brother's birthday rolled around only a few weeks later and I had no idea what to get for him, I thought I'd try my hand at bacon vodka and give him something to talk about with his poker-playing buddies. Making bacon vodka is SIMPLE - there's probably only about 30 minutes of work involved.

When it came time to actually drink the vodka, though, I wasn't sure what to do. It was too salty to drink on its own (and god knows I love me some salt!). I stumbled across some recipes from Bakon Vodka (as far as I know, the only bacon-flavored vodka available in stores) and decided to give the prosciutto-wrapped bacon cocktail a try. I've tweaked it a bit below to better suit my tastes. Their drink list is intriguing, though, and I really want to give the Irish Boar a try too.

The thought of salty vodka may turn some people off, but it's worth giving a try. If nothing else, it's certainly a conversation piece. And if you're interested in other tastings (strange and straight forward alike) from Downtown Wine & Spirits, keep an eye on their website and Twitter.


Bacon Vodka
3 slices of bacon, cooked and grease blotted off
about 2 cups vodka (something you would drink on its own)

Place the cooked bacon into a pint jar or a similar non-reactive container that can be sealed. Fill with vodka. Place the jar in a dark cabinet for one week, then place the jar in the freezer overnight to help the fat solidify. Pour the vodka through a paper coffee filter (once or twice) - the resulting vodka should be clear with no little fat globs floating around. Clean out the pint jar, then pour vodka back in and store in the freezer.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Bacon Cocktail
3 parts bacon vodka
3 parts melon liqueur (like Midori)
splash of lime seltzer

Combine bacon vodka and melon liqueur with ice in a cocktail shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into a martini glass and top with a splash of chilled seltzer.

Cheap Eats: Mr. Crepe

Smack dab in the middle of Davis Square sits Mr. Crepe, a comfortable space with delicious and cheap food. Part coffee shop, part gourmet take out shop, Mr. Crepe offers sweet and savory crepes in traditional and unique flavor combinations.

Simple crepes start at $3.75 and are as big as a dinner plate (and that's after they've been folded). A cheese crepe for $3.85 is like a grilled cheese sandwich, wrapped up for travel, and a crepe with sugar and butter ($3.75) or Nutella ($4.75) is like a cheaper alternative to that vacation in France.

Sure, the specialty crepes on the menu are pricier ($8.25-$9.25), but they're huge and filled with interested ingredients like roasted carrots, merguez sausage, caramelized onions, and shaved fennel. If none of the supercrepes (the French equivalent of the super burrito?) strike your fancy, you can cobble together your own ideal crepe from the long list of ingredients.

Mr. Crepe is located at 51 Davis Square, right next to the Somerville Theatre. They are open weekdays, 7am-11pm, Saturday 8am-11pm, and Sunday 9am-10pm.

Originally published on Bostonist.

Cheap Eats: Tacos Lupita

It may be a little more out of the way than many taquerias around town, but Tacos Lupita in Somerville definitely has food to warrant the trek. Serving both standard Mexican fare as well as Salvadorean treats, and with nothing on the menu over $9.50 (although most run closer to $5), Tacos Lupita is a delicious cheap eat.

As the name implies, tacos ($2.50 each) are an excellent choice. Two corn tortillas come piled high with ingredients, and the tomatoes, onions, and cilantro on top make every bite burst with fresh flavor. Choose from steak, pork, chicken, or chorizo to top the taco off. The tacos are served with a spicy green salsa, but you can also ask for a mild or a spicy and smoky red salsa. You can also order a taco plate for $8, which includes three tacos as well as rice and beans.

But there's more to the menu than just tacos. Burritos, quesadillas, tortas, gorditas, mulitas... there's plenty to keep your taste buds busy. Bostonist recommends the Salvadorean pupusas, which are like corn-flour pancakes stuffed with cheese and pork and served with a tangy pickled vegetable slaw. While this version is a little on the greasy side, the combination of the cheese, meat, and slaw are phenomenal, and at $2, worth a try.

Tacos Lupita is located at 13 Elm Street in Somerville. They are open from 11am to 9pm daily. It's not a fancy place, so while the weather is still nice, get your order to go and eat in one of the nearby parks.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Best of Boston Dining 2008

Boston Magazine's yearly Best of Boston came out back in August, and since then, they've been throwing parties for the different selections (such as Best of Fashion, and Best of Boston North and Best of Boston South). Last night, though, was Best of Boston Dining at the 808 Gallery at BU, and man was it a great party.

Many of the winners were on hand with samples of their dishes that helped bring them to the top. And while I didn't (and still don't) agree on some of the choices, there were many restaurants there last night that truly brought their A-game to the show.

The Beehive (winner for Best Family-Friendly Brunch and Best Pickup Bar, oddly) featured a killer roast pork with foie gras stuffing - so tender that the dinky little plastic forks could cut through it, and they even gave us some of the ribs to get every last morsel of goodness off of.

Diesel Cafe (Best Coffeehouse) presented sandwiches, spreads, and drinks that were much better than I remember from my time spent in Davis Square - the Lil' Piston (their version of a caprese sandwich) was so intensely flavorful that I can't imagine eating a whole one for lunch, and their jasmine limeade was a very refreshing choice.

Hungry Mother (Best Comeback) offered up little biscuits with ham and pepper jelly - sweet and salty, they were perfect little snack bites.

Church (Best Neighborhood Brunch, Fenway/Symphony) offered some un-brunchy options, like the Vanity cocktail and fantastic shrimp ceviche on tortilla chips - I've been meaning to make my way to Church for a while, but this cemented my desire... I guess I'll have to order a Gluttony when I do go.

ChocoLee Chocolates (Best Chocolates) had some of the most perfectly balanced chocolate flavors I've seen in ages, such as dark chocolate with salted caramel and dark chocolate with fig filling.

This party was a great way to get introduced to some places I had never heard of (hello, ChocoLee), to get peeks at places I've been wanting to visit (Beehive, Hungry Mother, and Church), and to revisit places I had previously brushed aside (Diesel Cafe). I'm definitely looking forward to visiting all those places!

Cheap Eats: Petsi Pies

Are pies the new cupcakes? This Bostonist hopes so. From cup-pies at the Piehole on ABC's Pushing Daisies to the opening of Pie Bakery in Newton a few months ago, it seems like we're on the verge of a new flood of sweet treats. But Petsi Pies, in Somerville and Cambridge, has been around since 2003, proving it's not a fad.

Named after owner Renee's childhood nickname, Petsi Pies offers a vast array of sweet and savory pies, as well as other baked goods like scones, creative sandwiches and salads, and a wide range of coffee and tea drinks. It feels a little naughty to have a meal that is entirely composed of pie, but it tastes so right.

The Spinach, Ricotta, and Pine Nut tart makes an excellent meal, although, if you're starving, you might want to pair it with a salad. The crust is tender but not overly flaky. The ricotta makes the filling very creamy, while the spinach brings in a fresh flavor and helps bind it all together. With pine nuts sprinkled generously on top, this is one perfect slice of heaven.

When it comes to dessert, choosing which flavor of pie to have could be difficult. The Mixed Berry is amazing - juicy, sweet, and tart, filled with luscious blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. The Peach Blackberry is another flavorful fruit pie, with a crumb topping that makes it feel like a crisp in pie form. Both are served warmed, which brings out more of the amazing flavor. The Sweet Potato Pie is another luxury. It's less sweet and more starchy than pumpkin pie, but the sweet potato is rich and flavorful nonetheless.

Petsi Pies has two locations (285 Beacon Street in Somerville and 31 Putnam Avenue in Cambridge) and is open Tuesday through Friday 7am-6pm, Saturday 8am-4pm, and Sunday 9am-2pm. They are closed on Mondays.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Foodbuzz Dinner at Dali, Somerville

Frog-shaped candlesticks, a bubble gun, and crazy wine-pouring contraptions all spell "party" at Dali, a tapas bar in Somerville. Surprisingly, the group I was with (a bunch of local food bloggers, all Featured Publishers on Foodbuzz) didn't get to partake of any of that craziness directly.

Ryan from Foodbuzz was on hand to talk to us about and thank us for working with the Featured Publishers program. Click on the button on the top left of the page to check the site out. They've been making their way through cities with large amounts of FP, trying to meet as many people as they can, and it was finally Boston's turn.


Tapas was actually a pretty perfect thing to order for a bunch of foodies - we all got the chance to try a little of everything without getting overly full. And dishes came only one or two at a time, allowing us to savor each for its own merits without any competing flavors.

We started off with sangria and the Plato Mixto, an assortment of meats, cheeses and olives. I have a hard time with cheeses, though, if there's no explanation of what they are - none of us were quite knowledgeable enough about them to tell exactly what they were. Next up were the Esparragos Blancos (above), tender white asparagus served with an herb sauce and a seafood sauce, both delicious enough to warrant wiping the plate clean with bread.


Dishes started coming a little faster, but we managed to keep up with them. I really loved the Queso Rebozado con Miel (above), little fried chunks of something akin to goat cheese, served with awesome honey-sweetened onions. It was oozy and crispy, sweet and tangy, and all-around delicious.

We also shared the Gambas al Ajillo (which came steaming and bubbling in their own little pot), Alcachofas Salteadas (tender artichokes with a little bit of kick), Pato Braseado (duck that tasted almost like pork in a rich and hearty berry sauce), Cordorniz de Castilla (a tiny roasted quail - they always look so naked on the plate, poor quails), Calderata Genoveva (braised lamb with almonds and peas, a little too wintery for my current tastes), and Patatas Bravas (cooked perfectly with a slightly crispy exterior and a soft interior).


We were all full by then, and our hearts weren't much into dessert. But we couldn't not look at the dessert menu, and as soon as we saw the featured desserts of the month, we knew we had to order them. First was a very simple and refreshing combination of cava and lemon sorbet. It reminded me of what we considered our "classy" drink in college (cheap champagne and melty sorbet), only much more elegant and refined. The other dessert, the Fresones (above), was another must as soon as the waitress explained it - two huge strawberries, dunked in a sherry batter and deep fried, and served with a strawberry sauce and chocolate ice cream. Sounds a little strange, but it was a really fantastic dish, and the batter on the fruit was surprisingly delicate. I would never think to fry a strawberry, but now I'm glad I don't have a fryer in my apartment, or I would want to try it myself.

And what about the frog candlestick, the bubble gun, and the crazy wine contraption? Apparently if you're celebrating some kind of event at Dali (we got to see a bachelorette party, a going away party, and a birthday), they turn the lights off, bring in a tall candle being held by a frog, and blow bubbles at you while the waiters all sing. And nothing quite says celebration like a porron, or communal drinking glass, that forces cava into your mouth through a tiny little spout. Unfortunately, the tables with the porrons also tended to be a little on the wild side, so it was often hard to hear our own conversation for all the screeching going on nearby (wow, do I feel old just for writing that...). Seeing how much fun those tables were having, I would definitely head back for a large group dinner.

Cheap Eats: Dave's Fresh Pasta

At first glance, Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square may just look like a tiny market - there's a display case filled with ready-to-take-home meals, bottles of wine and beer, and freezers filled with assorted appetizers, pastas, and ice cream. Take a look at the wall above the cash register, though, and you'll see that there are plenty of options for eating right away.

Sandwiches run from $6 to $8 and come in some fantastic combinations. The Mediterranean Wrap ($6.50), pictured above, is one of the most flavorful wrapped salads around - fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion, carrot, cucumber, and kalamata olive covered in creamy, garlicky, homemade tzatziki sauce. Any of the sandwiches, especially the heartier ones filled with awesome combos of meats and cheeses, can be pressed on Dave's panini grill.

For other ready-to-eat options, Dave's offers a handfull of salads (including the Spinach Salad ($6.50) topped with apples, brie, walnuts, and a sweet and tangy honey poppy seed dressing), a soup of the day, and a hot entree or two (served at lunch time until it's gone). And there's always plenty of baked goods around to quell your sweet tooth after your meal.

Another bonus? Dave's offers free wine and beer tastings on Friday from 5pm to 7pm. Dave's Fresh Pasta is on Holland Street in Somerville and is open Monday through Friday, 11am to 7:30 pm, and Saturday, 11am to 6pm.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

La Spina, Davis Square

La Spina ("the thorn") is a new Italian restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville, nestled behind the Rosebud Diner (right where a thorn should be). We arrived at 8 on a Saturday night to find the place almost empty... not the best impression. The food, however, was fantastic. Everything was fresh... you could actually tell what all the ingredients were.



Our waiter was fun and quirky, and as soon as he told us that one of the specials was panzanella, I jumped on it. I first had panzanella in the little town of Murlo in Italy, and I've been hooked ever since. It's a great way to use leftover bread in a fresh salad. This version was very tasty, but I was a little disappointed in the variety of the ingredients - tomatoes, basil, and olives. I like to make panzanella a little more salad-like, with cucumbers and red onion. There was also a little too much dressing, leaving the fresh tomatoes overwhelmed by too much oil and vinegar.



I wasn't terribly hungry, so I went for a second appetizer for my meal. I had heard that the eggplant involtini was even better than that of another nearby Italian restaurant, Sagra, so I had to give it a try. I liked this version very much, as it was less oily than Sagra's. The ricotta filling was more dense, but smooth, and was just slightly sweet. The eggplant was soft and broke apart easily under my fork. I would definitely order this again.