Cape Cod Roundup

Besides our amazing dinner at Blue Moon Bistro, we managed to explore a little more of the Cape on our vacation. Some of the highlights:

Cupcakes from Cupcake Charlie's in Mashpee - While doing a little browsing at Mashpee Commons (my favorite store there is Maiden Voyage, which sells all sorts of mermaid themed items), we picked up a few cupcakes to eat later in the day. We picked the Chocolate Mint Madness (chocolate cake with mint buttercream) and the Orange Dreamsicle (orange zest cake with orange buttercream). The buttercream frosting is damn near perfect - creamy and smooth without being too buttery or too sweet. The orange zest cake was also excellent - moist, not too crumbly, and with plenty of orange flavor. The chocolate cake was a bit off to me - it had that weird aftertaste you get from too much baking powder or soda. But that orange cupcake - just heavenly.


Pain d'Avignon in Hyannis - We found Pain d'Avignon last year while exploring and have been waiting all winter to get back. It's a bit out of the way - you have to look for a sign that says "bakery" but doesn't have the shop's name - but so worth looking for. Since we went last year, the space has expanded from a storefront with a few tables to a much larger space with plenty of room to sit. We shared a turkey and brie sandwich and a croque monsieur, then a lemon tart with strawberries. But the real winner at Pain d'Avignon is their bread. They make some of the best bread around, stuff so good that it reminds me of Paris.


Pizza at Mezza in Falmouth - My parents had eaten at Mezza for dinner one night and enjoyed it, but they wanted to try the pizza sometime. So we stopped in for lunch on a weekday and were practically the only people there. I hope business picks up for this new restaurant because it has a unique concept (Armenian-Italian) and very tasty food. The baba ganoush ("Barber Ganoush" on the menu because the owners' last name is Barber) was delicious - different than typical because of goat cheese added to the mix. And while this picture of the pizza (Mezza Mix - mixed veggies with goat cheese and mozzarella) is pretty hideous, the pizza itself was fantastic. The crust was super thin and cracker-crispy, and the toppings were spread out evenly - a must with such a thin crust. Oh, and the pizza was HUGE - one was plenty for the three of us. I'd love to try more of their pizzas - guess I'll just have to visit again!

Cheap Eats: Pizzeria Dante

Sometimes a restaurant's decor can be misleading. We've all been to places that seem fancy but serve up mediocre food. In the case of Pizzeria Dante in Coolidge Corner, the exact opposite is true - it may look like any other brightly lit pizzeria, but the food choices prove that there's more going on in the kitchen.

Dante's pizza is built on basics: a chewy dough with just enough crunch on the bottom, a tomatoey tomato sauce, and plenty of cheese that's not too greasy. Unusual toppings only add to the fantastic basics. The Rabe pizza is topped with bitter broccoli rabe, sweet Italian sausage, and roasted red peppers. The LA pizza is covered in thin slices of potato, bacon, and scallions (although why it's named LA is beyond us). And the Bianco features black olives, breaded eggplant slices, and some of the creamiest, sweetest ricotta we've had.

Pizzeria Dante also offers other tasty Italian dishes. This Bostonist really loved their arancini, homemade rice balls mixed with peas, shredded carrots, ground beef, and plenty of mozzarella cheese. For $5, the serving of arancini was huge and filling and sated our need for warm comfort food. To end your meal, try a scoop of gelato, piled high in little tubs next to the register, just like in Italy (or the North End).

Pizzeria Dante is located at 1398 Beacon Street in Brookline. They are open Monday through Saturday, 11:30am to 10pm, and Sunday, noon to 9pm.

Originally published on Bostonist.

Vermont Wrap Up

Since I'm not a skier, spend my summers at the Cape, and have been in school during the fall for what feels like the last 80 years, I've never had a good time to visit Vermont. But now, with a little time on my hands and a kitchen sans counters or sinks, I had the chance to escape for a few days and take in all the good things that our neighbors to the north have to offer.

We left Boston early and headed up through New Hampshire and on into Vermont. We stopped at the Crossroads Country Cafe in White River Junction for breakfast. The place looks like every small country cafe, but it had some of the most amazing pancakes and homemade bread that I've had. The pancakes were light and fluffy with crispy edges and fantastic buttermilk flavor. And thick slices of buttered fresh cinnamon raisin bread? Oh so good.

After breakfast, we finished driving up to Waterbury and Stowe. Our first stop was the Green Mountain Coffee Visitors' Center. They have a small exhibit focused on fair trade and the coffee growing and roasting process, as well as a shop with just about any flavor coffee you could want.

How could you visit Vermont and not have some Ben & Jerry's? Just up Route 100, Ben & Jerry's has a working factory that produces about 250,000 pints a day (and 500,000 pints per day in their other factory) while still being entertaining for visitors. Everything was brightly painted, our guide was funny, and of course, there was a sample at the end. The factory floor itself is very small - I'd say it could fit inside a typical school gym. And showing more humor is the flavor graveyard located by the parking lot, where old flavors are retired gracefully.

Driving further up Route 100, there are a bunch of shops that are fun to visit, if perhaps a little overly touristy. Cabot Cheese, The Kitchen Store, Danforth Pewter, and Lake Champlain Chocolates share one plaza, and Cold Hollow Cider Mill and Grand View Winery Tasting Room share another plaza. Cabot and Lake Champlain are available all over the place, but these stores give you the full line of products. In fact, the Lake Champlain store includes a factory seconds area where you can get this chocolate a little bit cheaper. I bought the sodas above, from Vermont Sweetwater Bottling, because of their unusual flavors. I loved the rhubarb raspberry and was quite surprised by the maple. A great local find!

I enjoyed the Grand View Winery Tasting Room the most out of this bunch. For $1, you get to try six different types of fruity wines - much sweeter than most wines out there, but then, I prefer sweet wines. Flavors range from pear to blackberry, and my favorites were the raspberry apple and the hard cider.

For dinner, we ended up at Pie in the Sky, just a few doors down from our hotel. I'm a sucker for "gourmet" pizzas, so this place really hit the spot for me. We ordered the Blonde Vermonter (above, with olive oil, cheddar cheese, green apples, and ham) because it seemed like the right thing to do on a Vermont vacation, and the Thai Pie (peanut sauce, chicken, cilantro, red onion, and broccoli) because that's my mother's favorite type of pizza. Both were excellent, with crispy crusts and terrific flavor combinations. The menu there is huge too, with unconventional toppings like leeks and black beans. If this were closer, I'd eat there all the time (and apparently they have a lunch buffet for $7.25 with pizza, soup, salad, and soda - an amazing deal well worth taking advantage of).

The next day, we headed out to Cabot to visit the Cabot Cheese Factory. All the Cabot shops, including the factory, have samples of all their different cheeses out so you can try them all. Their newest flavors, Tuscan, Tika Masala, and Chili Lime, are all fantastic. Part of the tour included a video outlining the history of the company, and they focused on the fact that Cabot is a co-op, meaning all of the roughly 1300 farmers who supply the milk are also the owners of the company. In a time when so many people are focused on trying to eat locally and support small farmers, it's great to see a big company like Cabot that runs exclusively on that concept. I also found it interesting that Cabot created the niche for Vermont cheddar - before they coined the phrase, nobody was looking for cheddar from Vermont, but it's now one of their biggest products.

Another thing I love about Cabot? Tons and tons of recipes on their website, some of which I have already tried and loved.

After that, we headed down to Woodstock and Quechee. We wandered around the center of Woodstock, which is a beautifully picturesque New England town, then did some shopping at Quechee Village (which has a really fantastic antique store that I could have gotten lost in for days, plus another Cabot Cheese store). For dinner, we headed to the beautiful Simon Pearce factory, store, and restaurant, which is what got my mother interested in taking this trip in the first place. We wandered around the store, where I picked out things that I may never be able to afford, and looked out over the gorgeous waterfall before heading into the restaurant. Just about everything was delicious, but the standouts were the arugula salad (with Manchego cheese, Serrano ham, marcona almonds, and quince paste) and the horseradish-crusted cod (above, with crispy leeks, herb mashed potatoes, balsamic shallot reduction). Service was attentive without being obtrusive, and you get to try out all the glassware in the store as you eat. This is a perfect special occasion or fancy night out restaurant.

Breakfast the next morning had us back at the Quechee Village shopping center, where the Farmers Diner is located. It is a quintessentially Vermont diner, filled with amazing local ingredients and country fare. Local eggs, meats, cheeses, and flours are all over the menu. Their hash browns have just a little bit of spice and fantastically crispy edges, while the pancakes, mixing white and wheat flours, have a slightly nutty flavor while still being light and fluffy. I only wished we could have stuck around to have lunch there too - the menu looks fantastic!

By this point, we were a little tired of being in the car together, but we had one stop left before we could head home. King Arthur Flour is just up the road from Quechee. The complex includes a store, a bakery, and an education center. I'd love to take a class there sometime, but there was nothing we wanted offered in the few days we had free. Instead, we used our time to wander around the store and bakery. I could have blown a lot of money here, but I exercised restrain and only picked up a few things (including an olive bread mix that I'm dying to try).

This was a great, quick, and fun trip, filled with delicious food, beautiful foliage, and plenty of shopping. If you're interested in taking a similar trip, I've put together a map with all of my stops, and I have some more pictures here on Flickr.

Cheap Eats: Zing Pizza

There are plenty of pizza shops out there, vying for your pizza dollars. That's when something a little different can really stand out from the crowd. Zing Pizza in Porter Square offers up that something different with fresh, creative pizzas and salads.

Zing's pizzas are oblong, meaning that slices are not the standard pie shape. Instead, they're long slices that overhang the plate. Zing also only offers five choices at a time, although they offer them all by the slice or whole. How many places offer five choices by the slice?! Slices run $2.50 to $3.50, while whole pizzas are $14.50 to $19.50. Some, like the John Dough and the Holy Pepperoni, are always available, but the other flavor combinations change as they see fit. This Bostonist really enjoyed the Dracula's Dilemma (packed with, yep, garlic, as well as mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, caramelized onions, and pomegranate syrup), but other intriguing combos include the Blue October (with butternut squash sauce, spinach, and blue cheese) and the You Say Potato (with rosemary red bliss potatoes, sun-dried tomato pesto, and ricotta). You can always make your own pizza, too, but they only have the ingredients needed to make their five choices, so you'll have to stick to those ingredients. And for those with a gluten-intolerance, Zing also offers gluten-free dough (available for whole pies only) from local company Glutenus Minimus.

Zing Pizza is a tiny space facing Mass Ave, but it's kept cheery and bright thanks to bright walls, tables, and chairs, and plenty of sunlight. Zing is open Monday through Wednesday, 11am to 9pm, Thursday through Saturday, 11am to 10pm, and Sunday, noon to 9pm. They are located at 1925 Massachusetts Avenue, right next to the Dunkin Donuts.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Cheap Eats: Penguin Pizza

It's hard to imagine one slice of pizza being enough for an entire meal, but at Penguin Pizza in Brigham Circle, one slice can definitely fill you up for only around $3. Each slice is roughly the size of a dinner plate, or two good-sized slices anywhere else. In fact, the slice is much easier to eat if you just cut it in half to begin with. Penguin offers four types of pizza by the slice daily: cheese, pepperoni, and two changing flavors.

Penguin's toppings are also different than those at most other pizza shops. You can still get the basics, but Penguin really shines with its more gourmet offerings. The Bird, pictured above, is topped with a homemade sweet and smoky barbeque sauce, caramelized onions, and pulled chicken. The Caribbean Jerk Shrimp pizza is a white pizza, topped with jerk shrimp and a fresh mango pineapple salsa. This Bostonist loves The Seasonal, featuring sweet butternut squash puree, tangy goat cheese, braised leeks, and crispy fried sage leaves - a perfect pizza for the rainy weather we've been enjoying this week.

Penguin Pizza also offers a variety of pastas, sandwiches, and salads, as well as a wide range of interesting beers. They are located at 735 Huntington Ave in Boston and are open Monday through Friday, 11am-1am, and Saturday and Sunday, noon-1am.

Originally published on Bostonist.

Blogger Dinner at Sandrine's

Prior to starting this blog, there were many foods and cuisines that I rarely ate. French was definitely one of them, and for no particular reason. I went to France a couple of times when I was a teen, but I mostly subsisted on crepes, baguettes with ham and cheese, and poorly-prepared hotel salmon - oh, and whatever (and I do mean whatever) wine was nearby. I've expanded my French repertoire since then, and I'm always happy to try another restaurant.

So when I received an email from Chris Lyons of Lyons Communications about a blogger's dinner at Sandrine's in Harvard Square, I knew this would be an excellent chance to experience the real deal. Chef Raymond Ost is a Maître de Cuisiniers (Master Chef of France); the group's mission includes "to preserve and spread the French culinary arts," so I know I got a good representation of French cuisine. Sandrine's doesn't just do a more generalized French cuisine, however; Chef Ost focuses on the food of Alsace, so many of the foods (and wines) we tried were specialties of the region.

This was also a great chance to meet some of my fellow bloggers, all of whom I've been reading for a while now. Along with Chris, I got to enjoy the company of Richard from The Passionate Foodie, Jacqueline from The Leather District Gourmet, Adele from The Basil Queen, and Megan from MenuPages. We sat for three hours, talking not only about what we were eating, but also what we have eaten and what we'd like to eat - just my kind of company :)

We started with two Flammekueches (one was traditional, with bacon and caramelized onions, and the other featured mushrooms and Swiss cheese). With a crispy, brick-oven-cooked crust and just the right amount of toppings, these were fantastic. They're a great bar food or a perfect way to start a nice long meal.

While most of the table moved on to the foie gras for their appetizers, I went with the endive and roquette (arugula) salad, with black grapes, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, and a champagne vinaigrette. The mixture of bitter and sweet, fresh and tangy, crisp and soft, all made for an incredibly well-composed salad. This is definitely not just a bunch of ingredients thrown together in a bowl. Each bite was a different combination of flavors, and it never got old. I'd probably eat more salads if they were all like this.

For the main course, we had lots of great options, and I had a hard time making a decision. The Alsatian Choucroute Garnie is the house speciality , but I'm not always wild about sausages, and the Lobster Risotto sounded right up my alley. I ended up going with the Rack of Lamb, however, since I rarely cook meat at home, and rack of lamb is something I tend to leave to the professionals. I'm so glad I made that choice, too, because the lamb was intensely satisfying. The meat itself was cooked perfectly (not that you can tell in that picture), with a crispy Herbes de Provence crust and a warm but medium-rare middle. The accompanying roasted potatoes and butternut squash were what everyone hopes for from roasted veggies - a good mix of crispy edges and creamy interior (I probably could have just eaten another serving of the squash for dessert, in fact).

But I didn't, because they brought out this behemoth for us. The platter took up most of the table, and we managed to stuff ourselves silly by trying each of the fabulous desserts. My favorite was the kugelhopf, which puts most Boston-area molten chocolate cakes to shame. But really, they were all good - even the banana sorbet and the pear meringue (neither of which I would ever order). The six of us did a disturbingly good job of cleaning this plate - another reason to love eating with foodies is that they're not shy about going back for another bite!

So overall, I highly enjoyed my time at Sandrine's. At it's mid-range price point, it would be a great place to go for a nice night out with friends, but really, I'm already dreaming of sitting at the bar for some wine, a flammekueche, and a kugelhopf. See, my knowledge of French foods really was expanded!!

Cheap Eats: Galleria Umberto

If the snow this weekend proved anything, it's that it's definitely the season for comfort food. And pizza and fried foods are on many people's comfort food lists. Galleria Umberto, a no-frills cafeteria-style restaurant in the North End, is one of the most perfect places in the city to find hot and filling treats to make your stomach happy.

Galleria Umberto specializes in Sicilian-style fast food at amazingly cheap prices. Square slices of pizza ($1.35) are better than anything you ate at school as a kid, with a springy and yeasty dough, sweet tomato sauce, and cheese that is just this side of the golden/burnt divide (despite the poor lighting in the picture above). The arancini ($2.50), fried rice balls stuffed with ground meat, cheese, and peas, are the size of a fist and have a crispy exterior and a creamy interior. The panzarotti ($1.25) are giant potato croquettes, studded with flavorful parsley and with a little bit of cheese at the center. Galleria Umberto also offers a variety of personal-sized calzones, with both meat and vegetarian filling options. Beer and wine are available, which always make lunchtime a little more fun.

Galleria Umberto is located at 289 Hanover Street in the North End. They are open Monday through Saturday, 11am until food runs out (usually sometime after 1pm). And don't forget to bring some patience - it can take a little while to get to the head of the line.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Cheap Eats: Crazy Dough's Pizza

Pizza is a quintessential cheap eat, and Crazy Dough's Pizza has a wider variety of toppings to choose from than usual. The counters are always spread with tons of gourmet pies in both thin crust and Sicilian-style, like the potato bacon cheddar, the buffalo chicken and bacon, and the rueben.

Crazy Dough's also has some great specials that help you keep the costs down. A personal-sized (9-inch) pizza, paired with a soda, goes for as little as $4, and it's definitely big enough for a meal. For a few dollars more, you can have the gourmet toppings on your personal pizza. The crust (white or wheat) is super thin and gets a nice crunch to it in the oven. Two slices and a soda are a comparable price. And if you're still thirsty, you can get $1 drafts or $4 pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon.

Crazy Dough's Pizza has two locations, at 1124 Boylston Street in Boston (near the Hynes T stop) and at 36 JFK Street in Harvard Square (in the Garage).

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Bella Luna Blogger's Lounge

Bella Luna, the restaurant over the Milky Way bowling alley in Jamaica Plain, hosted a Blogger's Lounge last night to introduce Boston's blogging community to Bella Luna's new executive chef, Jacob Zachow. Of course, it was also a great chance to meet and chat with other bloggers. I even got my friend Ann to go to her first blogging event!

I've gotta say, I already enjoyed the food at Bella Luna, but from what I saw last night, it's even better now. The fried Bella Moon Mozzarella was tender and light, a far cry from the typical fried mozzarella. The flat breads were full of flavor and topped with unique combinations, like house-made sausage, fennel, and ricotta. The Lemon and Basil Grilled Salmon was well cooked and served with a delicious sauce. And the Key Lime Pie.... just yum! The cocktails were also delicious and well-mixed - I'm a fan of the Martinique now.

So thanks to Bella Luna for the great food and for hosting all the crazy local bloggers!

Chapoquoit Grill, Falmouth

Chapoquoit Grill in Falmouth is a restaurant I used to go to frequently with my parents, but as we explored other nearby places, Chapoquoit seemed to fall off of our list somehow. But I had grown tired of the usual restaurants, so I thought it would be a good time to give it another try.

And I’m glad we did. I had forgotten just how good their pizza is. The pasta… not so much, but the wood-oven pizza is amazing. We got the Fig Pizza, topped with fig jam, prosciutto, ricotta, gruyere, and chopped scallions. The only word for it is amazing. The sweetness from the jam melds perfectly with the saltiness of the meat and the creaminess of the cheese. I could have easily eaten the entire thing myself – it was a little larger than a dinner plate, overhanging the sides – but we had ordered it as an appetizer, so I was forced to share ;) They had other interesting pizza combos, plus a wide array of unique ingredients for a make-your-own. But the Fig Pizza… it’s something I’m definitely going to try at home (on a grilled pizza crust), because I absolutely loved the mix of tastes and textures.

Cheap Eats: Bostone Pizza

Forget that hard-as-a-rock square slice from your elementary school days. Bostone Pizza on Newbury Street knows how to serve a proper Sicilian pizza.

While many pizzas serve as vehicles for cheese delivery, the dough is the real star of the show in this case. The edges are buttery and crispy, not at all dry. The bottom of the crust is also very crispy, and yet the top is soft and pillowy, a perfect bed for the toppings. And with 4 or 5 different topping options available at any one time, including a Slice of the Day, there's always something delicious to go with that beautiful dough.

Bostone Pizza is located at 225 Newbury Street (between Exeter and Fairfield) and is open Monday through Saturday, 11am to 9pm, and Sunday, noon to 9pm.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Cambridge 1, not in Cambridge

Last week, my coworkers (archaeologists and non-archaeologists alike) headed off to see the new Indiana Jones together. Only problem was that we were going to the Fenway movie theater, and a day game at the ball park had just gotten out. Places like Boston Beer Works were too busy. Instead, we headed down to the new(ish) Cambridge 1, right across from the movie theater, for some pizza and beers.

The decor of the place is sleek and minimalist. I really like the high booths, which raise you up enough that you don't feel tiny in the large room and that was large enough to fit our whole party.


There are so many interesting choices on the menu (despite only offering pizza and salads) that I shared two different with a couple of people. The lobster pizza with corn and scallions was my favorite - the corn was really sweet, and there was a fair amount of lobster on it. It was oily because there was nothing to hold the oil onto the pizza, but it was delicious. We also shared the potato pizza, topped with mashed potates, thin slices of potato, fontina cheese, and scallions. I didn't think I'd like potatoes on pizza, but the crust is so thin and crispy that it added a great textural difference.

And how was Indy? Better than Temple of Doom... but that doesn't really say all that much. Overall, it was enjoyable, and it didn't destroy the franchise like so many people are saying it did.

Cheap Eats: Pizzeria Regina

There are few places in this city where you'll find locals and tourists lining up next to each other to wait for a table. But at Pizzeria Regina in the North End, this is a common occurance. True, it's not a classy place, what with the waiting outside, the old school booths, the pitchers of beer, and the occasionally surly waitstaff, but the food is good, and really, that's all that matters.

If it's your first visit to Regina's, a basic cheese pizza ($7.75 for a small, $12.25 for a large) is the way to go. The crust is crisp, with just a little bit of char from the brick oven, which has been in continuous use since 1881. The sauce is filled with fresh tomato flavor; there's nothing weird in it to gunk up the taste. And the cheese - well, it's a little greasy, but what good pizza isn't? Bostonist also likes the Formaggio Bianco pizza ($9.99/$17.99, pictured above), topped with mozzarella, ricotta, pecorino romano, parmesan, garlic olive oil (instead of tomato sauce), and tons of fresh basil. The different cheeses blend together to form a creamy, salty, gooey, fantastic meal.

The original Pizzeria Regina is located at 11 1/2 Thatcher Street in the North End. Sure, you can get Regina's at many local malls, but it's definitely not the same as the real thing from the original store.

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Cheap Eats: Pinocchio's Pizza

Pizza is the quintessential cheap eats. A slice typically only costs a couple of bucks, and it's fast and portable. One slice, however, is often not enough, and you're left wanting more.

At Pinocchio's in Harvard Square, however, one slice is filling, and two slices, for the low price of $3.95, makes a full meal. The Sicilian slices are hefty, especially if you snag a corner piece. The dough is crispy on the bottom and edges, with just a little bit of chew. It's a little hard to cut with the plastic utensils, though, so don't bother sharing your slice (not that you'd want to, anyway).

Pinocchio's has tons of topping choices, and they have quite a few pizzas availble by the slice at any one time. Bostonist tried the pepperoni and the spinach. The pepperoni was a little greasy, but that wasn't much of a surprise. The tomato sauce was on the sweeter side of the spectrum, but this was a nice balance to the salty and oily pepperoni on top. The spinach pizza was even better - sauceless, but with plenty of mozzarella and tons of fresh spinach. It's always good to see veggies handled with a little grace on a pizza, and here, the spinach was allowed to be the focus of the slice. Yum!

Originally posted on Bostonist.

Cheap Eats: Oggi Gourmet

Surrounded by Harvard University offices in the Holyoke Center Arcade, Oggi Gourmet offers a change of pace... and taste. Oggi serves up fresh pizzas, salads, and sandwichs in a hip and comfortable atmosphere. A variety of tables spill out into the concourse, where the wide windows let in plenty of light, and the chairs are comfortable enough for leisurely lounging over your meal.

At first look, Oggi seems like a regular pizza joint - you can watch one of the cooks in the open kitchen as he works dough into a perfect circle before topping it with sauce and cheese. The pizza is delicious and extremely fresh. A basic tomato, basil, and garlic slice ($2.50) screams of bright tomato and earthy garlic, with just a hint of spice. The unexpected sesame seeds on the crust were an added bonus, lending a nutty flavor to the sauceless, cheeseless crust.

Oggi's menu is not all pizza, though. Burgers, pressed sandwiches, and salads abound. Bostonist enjoyed the pan-seared baby brie salad ($6.75), with a large chunk of grilled brie topping a huge mound of mixed greens and cherry tomatoes. It is served with a balsamic vinaigrette and toasted bread, perfect for enjoying every last scrap of cheese.

Make sure you save room for a cookie ($1.25), though. They're huge and come in unusual flavors, like butter pecan and chocolate coffee.

Another plus about Oggi? It looks like the employees enjoy working there. They joke around with each other and with the customers, making for an even more inviting and relaxing atmosphere.

Originally posted at Bostonist.

Brookline Family Restaurant, Brookline Village

I'd heard good things about the Brookline Family Restaurant for a while now, but it was never in the front of my mind when I was in the Brookline Village area. When I think of what kinds of Turkish food are going to be available in a restaurant, I usually don't think much beyond kebabs. And when I picture kebabs, it's in my own backyard with my dad pulling the skewers off the grill. But I was in the area the other day, and it was a toss-up between Turkish or Chinese for lunch, so I decided to give it a try.

The menu is extensive and includes breakfast and lunch sections. There is also a section called "Turkish Pizzas." I even recognized a few dishes from having made the Armenian versions at home, specifically lehmajun and su boreg, so I had to try those two, of course.

The lehmajun was super crispy, more like a giant meat-topped chip. It was served with plenty of fresh parsley and red onions for topping (at home, I roll my softer lehmajun around salad, while my brothers slather it with mayo). The lamb was tasty and not too dry, although it could have used a little more seasoning.


I was very surprised to see su boreg on the menu (and on the breakfast menu at that). It's a labor-intensive dish that involves extremely thin sheets of pasta layered with a cheese and parsley mixture and tons of butter. My mother and I usually make it together because it helps to have four hands working on it. The restaurant's version was very tasty, but it was missing something - salt, perhaps, or enough butter. I would definitely order it again, though, especially when I have a craving, because I rarely have enough time or energy to make it myself.

I would try other dishes the next time I go, but I'll probably just end up ordering the su boreg again :)

Blogging by Mail Meme

Blogging by Mail is a program in which food bloggers send small gifts to fellow bloggers as a way to create community amongst people who will probably never meet. I'm very excited to be taking part, but I'm still trying to figure out what I'll be putting in my package.

This afternoon, Antonia from Food, Glorious Food! tagged me in a meme - she will be sending me a package from sunny ol' England. She thought this would be a good way to get to know me a little (I've already gotten to know her a little too), so I thought it would be fun. I'll go ahead and tag Michelle from Culinography, to whom I'll be sending my package. Hi Michelle!

My five favorite foods: Greek-style pizza (this is a Boston thing, I think), napoleons, popcorn with lots of salt and butter, pomegranates (the fruit, not the juice), and anything chocolate-mint.

My five least favorite foods: Mushrooms (although I'm beginning to like the more gourmet varieties), smoked fish, eggs (by themselves - I don't care if they're in something), sushi, and peaches (I like the flavor, but just can't get over the fuzziness).

Something I've never cooked, but really should have: Pilaf. My aunt gave my cousins "pilaf tests," and she can't believe I've never made a batch. My mother was going to remedy this last summer, but it just never happened.

What I ate today: a honey stick for my sore throat, a handful of small Reese's peanut butter cups, peppermint tea, a couple glasses of orange juice, a rice and bean burrito, a blood orange, and drink (lots of different martinis) and food (crispy shrimp, tender pork ribs, braised veal) samples from a new restaurant called Persephone.

My last meal on Earth: For pure sentimentality, I'd have to go with some of the Armenian goodies I grew up with - su boreg made with my mom, cheese boreg (my sister-in-law, who's not even Armenian, makes awesome ones), string cheese, lamejun, choreg with lots of mahleb, and cream kadayif. And Brigham's peppermint ice cream, because I'm from Boston, and we have the highest per capita ice cream consumption in the US.

Bella Luna, Jamaica Plain

When I go out to eat, I don't usually think of going to the bowling alley. But I was meeting my friend Michael for lunch, and he suggested Bella Luna, part of Milky Way Lounge & Lanes in Jamaica Plain, so I was more than happy to give it a try.

For the sake of trying a bunch of different things, we shared a couple of appetizers and a pizza. First, we had the curry fries and the crab cake. The fries, served with a curried mayo, were tasty, but nothing spectacular. The crab cake, though, was fantastic - crispy exterior, moist interior, and plenty of crab. There was very little filler, so it was a rather loose cake (it would have been tasty in a sandwich, but would have fallen apart in seconds). It was served on top of cole slaw and red pepper aioli, all of which went deliciously together.



For our pizza, we ordered the Latin Quarter - chicken, avocado, bacon, cheddar and jalapeno peppers. This was probably the most unique choice on the pizza menu, although you can design your own with any of their ingredients. The chicken was a little dry, but over all, this was an awesome pizza. The flavors were all bold, but not overpowering, and complemented each other nicely. And any time there's bacon on pizza, I'm happy.

Over all, this is much better food than I would have expected at a bowling alley (granted, they are in a separate space, but I couldn't get the bowling aspect out of my head). I can understand why so many people make a night out of the Milky Way.