Bloggers' Dinner at Fleming's Steakhouse

Steak houses are, to me, a special occasion-type place. My visits are few and far between, and they tend to mark big occasions (like my brother's graduation, although that meal didn't go so well...). When Fleming's Steakhouse invited me and some fellow bloggers to dinner, I was sure we'd be treated to a great meal, but I wasn't sure if Fleming's would be a restaurant I could go to for something other than a special occasion. I'm definitely glad to see that's not the case.

As always, these events are as much (if not more) about getting to know other bloggers as it is about the food. I was happy to see some familiar faces (The Leather District Gourmet, Tales of the Basil Queen, and Megan from Menupages Boston), and even happier to get to know even more bloggers (FoodieMommy, BellyGlad, Grow. Cook. Eat., Forays of a Finance Foodie, and Fork it Over, Boston!). We had a great time talking about food and blogging and why we even bother with it all (not that we actually came up with an answer for that one). We were joined by Michael Dearing (operating partner) and Jason Carron (head chef and partner), who answered our questions and learned a little about bloggers in return.

Now, granted, I know this meal was amazing and plentiful because Jason and his crew were trying to show us what they can do. I would never order everything that they showed off to us. But the quality of everything was fantastic, and the dishes were all plentiful. We started out with the cheese plate, which is given to all customers in place of a bread basket. The specifics change frequently, but the variations we were given were champagne-infused brie and cabernet-infused goat cheese. Um, yes please. Whose brilliant idea was it to combine these flavors, and can they move into my kitchen and do all my cooking from here on out?

Once everyone was settled in their seats, the appetizers began to arrive. The most beautiful was the chilled seafood tower, heaped with shrimp, king crab legs, snow crab claws, and lobster tails. I found myself reaching for seconds and thirds because there was a GIANT TOWER OF SEAFOOD IN FRONT OF ME! How could I not? Each piece was impeccably fresh, and the dish was big enough to share with multiple people as a meal. My other favorite appetizer was the lobster tempura - buttery lobster wrapped in a crispy shell and served with tempura veggies. It was even better than it sounds.

For dinner, we each ordered our own main dish (steak for 90% of the table), and the chef brought out a variety of sides for us to try. I topped my petit filet with Bearnaise sauce (all the while thinking "Don't be saucy with me, Bearnaise") and took little portions of each side.

As much as I enjoy steak (and this was perfectly cooked), I'm more a fan of the sides. Shoestring fries, ginormous onion rings, mashed potatoes (two types - roasted garlic, and parmesan peppercorn), chipotle cheddar macaroni and cheese, sauteed spinach, grilled asparagus, spicy sauteed corn - all delicious.

Dessert was good, but honestly, the savory sides were so good that I was still focused on those. The chocolate lava cake was the stand-out dessert, with a center that was actually molten (unlike in so many restaurants) and served with fantastic pistachio tuille cookies.

This meal showed me that Fleming's can be a typical steakhouse, with finely cooked steaks served with massive side dishes, but it can also be a place to experience 100 different wines by the glass (or in flights) while enjoying your favorite appetizer or side dish, or taking advantage of one of their great deals, such as their Sunday prime rib dinner (prime rib, salad, one side, and dessert, all for $35). Fleming's is also participating in the upcoming Restaurant Week, so if you're feeling like a complete meal, it's a great chance to try the place for little money down.

Great Food, Bad Decor

It's graduation season, and like so many other families, we spent Saturday celebrating my brother's newly-minted master's degree (congrats!). We headed over to the new Capital Grille in Wayside Commons in Burlington.

We ended up having to wait a while for our table despite our reservations, which would normally be no problem, but don't keep telling me it will only be one more minute... for half an hour. Just tell me it's not ready; I can understand that.

Before I go any further, let me just say that we had a fantastic meal. The food was delicious and plentiful - calamari, crab cakes, wedge salad, steaks all around, creamed spinach, mushrooms, giant onion rings, and parmesan fries. Yes, it's pricy, but for a special occasion, well worth it.

Which is why the decor and layout of the restaurant astound me. I have never been in a restaurant that was louder. We had to literally shout to each other and the waiter, which made things like ordering and holding a conversation quite difficult. At one point, with some guy behind us laughing like his head was going to explode, my mother leaned across the table to me and said (shouted) "I feel like I'm eating at a carnival!"

So why is it that a high-end restaurant would build a new branch that is so deafening? The Capital Grille in Chestnut Hill doesn't have this problem. Despite the great food, I doubt I'll be heading back if it means leaving with a full stomach and a headache.

Sunnydale: Come for the Food, Stay for the Dismemberment!

A very interesting party invitation showed up in my Google Reader a couple of weeks ago, and, as my friends know, I've been obsessing over it since then. Stephanie at Dispensing Happiness called for appetizers and drinks in the theme of Buffy the Vampire Slayer... and all I could think about was finding a mug.

A little background - I'm only a recent Buffy convert, but it didn't take more than an episdoe to get me hooked. Thankfully, I was able to fly through all seven seasons on DVD. When I started library school last year, I tried to find a copy of Giles' "Kiss the Librarian" mug, but the search got difficult and I gave up. This party invite started the search anew, and I had people across the country searching for something similar. Still no luck. So, using a little Buffy girl power, I took matters into my own hands and painted the damn mug myself. Yes, I am a geek.

With the important matters out of the way, I had to decide on an appetizer. Not knowing what kind of party this would be (gathering - brie, mellow song stylings; shindig - dip, less mellow song stylings, perhaps a large amount of malt beverage; or hootenanny - chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny), I went with something that would work for all three.

Staked and Dusted Flank Steak with Rhubarb Dipping Sauce
1 pound flank steak
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
4 stalks rhubarb (about 1 pound), chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 Tbsp cider vinegar
6 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

Place steak, soy sauce, oil, and roughly chopped garlic in a large ziploc bag and let marinate overnight in the fridge. Remove from fridge roughly 1 hour before cooking.

While steak is warming up, chop rhubarb and garlic and combine in a medium pot with vinegar, honey, salt, and mustard. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the rhubarb falls apart. Transfer mixture to a blender or use a stick blender to give the sauce a smooth texture (you can add some red food coloring here if you really want to go for the bloody effect).

On a grill at roughly medium-high heat, grill steak for about 4 minutes on each side. Let meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly against the grain. Thread steak strips on skewers and dust with fresh black pepper and sea salt. Serve with rhubarb sauce for dipping.

Bloody Cosmos - I know, not really a cosmo, but it's close enough for me
2 oz. cranberry vodka
4 oz. blood orange juice
lime-flavored seltzer

In a tall glass filled with ice, combine vodka and orange juice. Top off with seltzer and give it a good stir (bendy straw optional).

White Dog Cafe, Philadelphia

I spent this past weekend in Philadelphia for work, listening to archaeologists talk all day. We had a great reception at the UPenn Museum on Friday, but on Saturday, we took most of the attendees to the White Dog Cafe for dinner. Our group was so much bigger than we expected that a couple of us staff ended up at our own table (where I didn't feel so awkward about photographing my food). The restaurant takes up three adjacent brownstones, and the tables are distributed throughout a bunch of little rooms with eclectic decor, leading to a homey and intimate feel.

As we browsed our menus, the waitress explained that White Dog is focused on using fresh, organic, and local ingredients, and this ideal makes all the difference to the food they serve. Some restaurants do this more as a gimmick, but that's not true in this case.


I started off with the heirloom apple salad. It consisted of matchsticks of red delicious apple, mixed microgreens and herbs, cubes of local Amish cheddar, candied walnuts, garlic chips, and a bright cider vinaigrette. The ingredients couldn't have been fresher, and there was a great balance to the dressing that made all the flavors taste very even. I really loved the addition of the garlic chips because, although there weren't too many of them, they gave a nice flavor zing every few bites. I'm going to try recreating this at home sometime, but I'm not so good with dressings, so I don't know if I'll be able to get that right.


I had a hard time choosing a main because they all sounded so good, but my eyes kept coming back to the description of the strip steak. My steak was cooked perfectly (although my tablemate had a few issues with hers) and incredibly tender. The dish was served with a rosemary and burgundy glaze, chive mashed potatoes, garlicky kale, and two huge beer-battered onion rings. The potatoes and kale were a perfect pair, and the onion rings had lots of beer flavor without it being overwhelming.


I was very full after I cleaned my plate, but the desserts sounded so intriguing that we felt compelled to split one. We went with the rosemary olive oil layer cake (sensing a theme?) with grapefruit mousse. The cake was very moist, and despite the olive oil and rosemary, it was still a sweet (but not too sweet!) dish. The mousse was delicious, but the grapefruit taste didn't come out until I tasted it on its own. This was a really fantastic cake, and I feel the need to find a similar recipe now.

Overall, this was the best meal I've eaten in Philadelphia. Granted, I've only been there twice, both times for work and without much free time. Still, the quality of the ingredients and the care they were cooked with was fantastic, and it's clear that this restaurant knows what it's doing.

My Latest Obsession

First off, I swear there will be real cooking and posting this weekend! I have no big paper due next week, so I'll have a chance to breathe (and eat!).

What has been keeping me fed lately is Chipotle. One of the few Boston-area branches opened down the street from me a few months ago, and I couldn't be happier to have it within walking distance. I've now tried enough variations to have gotten "my" order down - a steak burrito bol with black beans, tomato salsa, and corn salsa. The corn salsa is awesome - spicy and just a little sweet. One bol (I find that hard to write, why can't it be "bowl"?) is enough for two meals, unless I'm starving.

And overall, my order's not a bad choice, nutrition-wise. Some of the other ingredients, though, are a little scary, and I definitely need to kick my chips and guacamole habit (but it's so addictive!).

Restaurant Week: Rocca

I went to my last Restaurant Week dinner on Friday night with friends at Rocca in the South End. I arrived wicked early and ended up spending plenty of time in the bar, where my roommate and I spent about an hour discussing how there were too many shades of gold going on in the decor. The drinks, however, were much better than the clashing golds - the Scandalo al Sole is like a margarita with the sharp bite of ginger beer, and the Vino Francesca is a rose wine infused with sage, lemon, and honey, which all blend together to form a very unique flavor.


What grabbed me about the Rocca RW menu online was the farinata appetizer. I love farinata (and the similar socca), crispy pancakes made with chickpea flour that are popular in southern France and all of Italy, especially in Liguria (Rocca is focused on Ligurian cuisine). This version was delicious - thicker than I expected, but crispy on both sides and slightly creamy in the middle. And while I'm not a big mushroom fan, the mushrooms incorporated into the batter were tender and flavorful. The farinata was paired with spicy arugula tossed in a bright and lemony vinaigrette for a very well-rounded taste. Yum!


For my main meal, I really wanted beef, so the options were hanger steak or short ribs. Since I had also been craving tender and slow-cooked meat, I had to go with the ribs. They were just what I wanted - rich and tender and meaty and delicious. The dish was served with polenta, brussel sprouts, and a horseradish gremolata. The polenta was perfect - creamy with butter and just a bit of cheese. The gremolata was tasty, but there wasn't much horseradish flavor there. The brussel sprouts were a big loss for the dish; they were undercooked and rather forgettable. Overall, though, the dish was very satisfying and filling (and warm, perfect for a night with 50+ mph winds).


As with the rest of the menu, dessert included some unique and fresh ingredients that sounded delicious. I opted for the pine nut custard tart with fresh figs. The tart was very good, especially the custard. It was served with whip cream that I thought must have included some egg whites; it was too stiff to have been only cream. I really enjoyed the tart, but it was very rich - I could have used a smaller slice.

As a note, I've read a lot of complaints about the temperature of food in the second floor dining room after its trip from the basement kitchen. I had no issue with this and was quite happy with the temperature of my dishes.

Overall, the food at Rocca was very good. I would gladly go again, especially to try the handmade pasta. It is, unfortunately, very out of the way for me, but the free parking at the restaurant is a big help (so at least I can go with friends with cars).

Cheap Eats: Silvertone Bar and Grill

Sometimes you want something nicer than a counter-service type of place but you don't want to spend a ton of money. Pub food is always a good choice in that situation. Many bars, though, have only standard (i.e. greasy) food to go with the drinks. Silvertone Bar & Grill, located on Bromfield Street near the Park Street T stop, serves up just what you need.

On first entry, the subterranean room feels like a noisy bar – because it is. The acoustics aren't great, so don't expect a quiet meal, but the drinks are strong and the food is filling, delicious, and cheap! It's a little calmer in the dining room section, away from the bar itself.


The calamari appetizer ($8) is huge, definitely for sharing. The squid rings are nicely fried and accompanied by thinly sliced fried leeks, a potent garlicky aioli, and a spicy dipping sauce. The restaurant is best known for its mac & cheese and steak tips – both fantastic. The mac & cheese ($8) is a more gourmet version of the childhood favorite, and its topping of buttered breadcrumbs adds a nice textural contrast to the gooey cheese. The steak tips ($12), flavored with a "Long Island marinade," are juicy and perfectly cooked. The accompanying mashed potatoes are smooth and well-seasoned. Both meals come with greens tossed in a light vinaigrette.


Entrees hover around the $10 mark and are hearty and filling meals. The restaurant also has an imaginative (and reasonably priced) cocktail list.

Originally posted at Bostonist.com

Almost Mu Shi

Since I was a kid, one of my favorite options at the Chinese restaurant has been mu shi. It's relatively healthy, comprised of mostly cabbage and mushrooms, but I think I really liked it as a kid because of the pancakes. I don't know why - they're not much more than flour and water, but I've always been a fan.

Sadly, there's no good Chinese food near my apartment. True, I could take the T into Chinatown, but sometimes a girl just wants to stay in and watch a whole season of My Name Is Earl on her DVR. So I decided to finally try my hand at mu shi in my own kitchen.

I combined quite a few recipes, none of which seemed complete. And my results? Not great (certainly not good enough to provide a recipe), but about as close to the real thing as I'm going to get any time soon. It'll do in a pinch, when I really don't want to leave the house, but I'd still venture out to get the real thing.

Anyone have a good mu shi recipe for me to try out?

La Morra, Brookline

My roommate's firm very nicely invited me to their holiday dinner, rounding the list of attendees out to an even 6. I, of course, had to make it 6 1/2 by toting along my camera.

Now, I've had my eye on La Morra in Brookline Village for quite some time, and I would have eventually made a trip there myself had this dinner invitation not come along. The menu, especially, was intriguing, with a more authentic Italian palate than most places, like baccala and game meats.

We started with some items off the cicchetti menu. Cicchetti are bar snacks, served in small portions. We had the arancini stuffed with braised beef and mozzarella, the pickled vegetables, the salt cod crostini, and the fried sage and anchovies. Now, I have to say, I've never been a big fan of salt cod or anchovies, but these were delicious, filled with salty goodness. The arancini were melt-in-your-mouth when they were hot, but started to lose some of their quality as they cooled (as with most fried foods).

Dinner was a hard decision. The pastas sounded wonderful, especially the squash gnocchi with roasted pears and amaretti, but I heeded the steak's siren song instead. The hanger steak was grilled to a redder medium than I would have expected, but tasted fantastic nonetheless. It was served with forgettable potatoes, delicious wilted arugula in a lemony dressing, and a chianti sauce of which I sopped up every last drop.


Chocolate seemed like a good dessert to follow the steak, so I ordered the Torta Caprese, a flourless chocolate almond cake with raspberry sorbet. The cake was good, but wasn't much more than a brownie. But hey, who am I to argue with chocolate? The sorbet was very good, with a bright, fresh raspberry flavor that added depth to the cake.

So after this wonderful dinner (filled with wonderful conversation), I know I'll be back to La Morra soon, to try the gnocchi and some more cicchetti if nothing else.

La Voile, Back Bay

There's something about studying abroad that makes you feel so connected to your temporary home. Thoughts of Tuscany, especially Siena, bring back good memories for me. I can only assume that my friends Melody and Zina have the same feelings about France, where they studied. I know I can always suggest French food with them, so they were the perfect people with whom to try La Voile.

La Voile is one of the newest additions to Newbury Street, and it has had rave reviews. The staff is almost entirely from Cannes, and the atmosphere feels very much like a French brasserie. I was greeted by the maitre'd and the owner (?), who checked off my reservation, took my coat, and offered to seat me. I opted, however, to wait at the tiny bar, where I had a glass of wine and some lovely fried balls of goodness - pate chou with herbs and maybe a little cheese. They were wonderfully salty and really whet my appetite.

My friends arrived, and we took our table, where we spent a good chunk of time pouring over the menu. Another amuse buche was brought to us, this time consisting of wonderful salami, gougeres, and the most perfect Caprese I have ever had. The little bites left us wanting more. We were also given French bread to go along with this, which was served in a little cloth bag - a "bag"-ette, per Melody. (See, I told you you'd get a quote ;) )

We shared a goat cheese salad, but the dressing on the greens outshone the rest of the dish. I could easily eat a big bowl of that salad, which included a variety of greens and plenty of pine nuts.

Luckily, my meal came with more of the salad (this time, without pine nuts). I ordered steak and potatoes, with herbed butter. The steak was a great red shade, but not bloody, and was not too chewy. The potatoes were very tasty and included tomatoes and mushrooms (I hate mushrooms, but these were really good!). I tend to prefer frites with steak, but this was a good alternative.

Besides fantastic food, we also had great service. As I mentioned, the host/owner/manager (I couldn't tell exactly) was very friendly and was overseeing the restaurant and giving tips to our waiter. Our waiter, apparently the only American working in the place, was personable and helpful with the menu. I even got a phone call the next day to follow up with our meal, and the manager was particularly interested in what they could improve. More restaurants should pay attention to the customer in this way. I hope La Voile succeeds, because I'm sure I'm going to want that meal again sometime soon.

Sibling Rivalry, South End

For my final Restaurant Week meal, I headed to Sibling Rivalry. I've heard lots of mixed things about the restaurant and was excited to finally get to try it myself. Overall, I was very pleased by my meal (by the decor, less so). There were 11 choices each for appetizers and entrees, which, by RW standards, can be good or bad, depending on how the restaurant handles RW to begin with. Sometimes, that many offerings means the restaurant is just trying to cater to the wider range of patrons that RW will bring in. Other times, as in this case, the restaurant is proving what it can do with a full menu, just like any other night.


I have a hard time passing up calamari on a menu, and this Vietnamese version sounded more intriguing than the typical red sauce-accompanied fare. The squid itself was well-fried, but was not very flavorful. Or maybe it was just overshadowed by the Thai basil, cilantro and chilies. The batter was light and crispy, mirrored by still-crispy carrots, onions and jicama.


My entree was delicious, although I admit it's not much to look at here. The filet of beef was served with creamed onions, tomato jam, and black pepper gnocchi. The tomatoes and gnocchi were in limited supply. I needed more of the two little gnocchi after my first bite; they had a fantastic texture, and the black pepper flavor was powerful without being overwhelming. I've never had creamed onions before, but these made a perfect side dish to the steak, with the sweetness from the onions balancing out the richness of the meat.


For dessert, I chose the lemon tart with fresh berries. The lemon filling was perhaps a bit too stiff, but was at least flavorful. The berries sang with summer - I could have just had a bowl of them, topped with the accompanying hazelnut praline, and been perfectly happy.

Grafton Street, Harvard Square

I've walked by Grafton Street Pub about a million times, but there always seemed to be another restaurant ahead of it on my list. For some reason, the stars aligned last night, and I finally made it in... and man, am I happy I did.


We started with drinks and calamari while we waited for the rest of our party. This calamari was fantastic - very light and tender, not rubbery at all. It was accompanied by a zesty peppercorn dipping sauce, which added a lot more than the typical marinara or garlic aioli could.

Once we had our whole group, we ordered more drinks and the tomato and mozzarella appetizer to split. This was ok, but not great. It's obviously too early for really good tomatoes, so that part was a bit of a loss. The cheese tasted a little too much like regular mozzarella; it didn't have the smoothness, in both taste and texture, of a typical fresh mozzarella. The real winning part of the dish was the pickled red onions. I love red onions, but I don't like that I can still taste them hours later... I didn't get that at all with these. Pickling the onions made them very mild, and they were great alongside the so-so cheese and tomatoes.

Our entrees were back on the same level as our calamari appetizer. The seafood was masterfully handled - sea scallops were perfectly cooked, and the lobster risotto had powerful lobster flavor in every bite.

The steak frites were also very tasty. The cut of meat was a little fattier than I like, but I'm rather picky about that kind of thing. I do think the dish needed more sauce; the fries were ultra-crispy and benefit from being softened slightly by what sauce I could spare.

Overall, I would definitely head back to Grafton Street some time soon. The portions were large, the food expertly cooked, and prices reasonable.