The Bristol

          The Bristol in the Four Seasons is a great place for a drink or high end but casual meal. I last went in for lunch with the fiance and had this amazing tuna nicoise salad. I loved the deconstructed version of a classic French dish. This came with seared rare tuna, tuna confit, hard boiled eggs, black olive spread, cucumber strips, roasted potatoes, and tomatoes. It was delicious and so creative!

 

          The fiance enjoyed his burger, which he topped with an over easy egg. I stole a few of his fries, and they were extra crispy - just how I like them! 

           The Bristol and the Four Seasons are right around the corner from Hermes, which can be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it...convenient or temptation?!? Last time I ended up buying this bracelet... oops! Now if only I could get off that wait list for a Birkin!

Amsterdam Falafel

          I recently had the opportunity to try out Amsterdam Falafel in Kenmore to try out their falafel and enter their fun #battleoftheballs contest! The menu consists of build your own falafel sandwich or bowl and a self service topping bar with TONS of toppings (hummus, veggies, dips, etc.) 

           I opted for a bowl and added pickled beets, pickled, hummus, babbaganoush, fried eggplant, onions and cucumber, and sides of yogurt sauce, peanut sauce, and curry ketchup. My favorite toppings were definitely the hummus and the curry ketchup (eaten separately)!


          While I wanted to try all of the creative toppings, the fiance went slightly more classic with a whole wheat pita, yogurt sauce, cucumber, onion, and jalapeño cilantro.

           We were both too full to eat anymore, but they had a section of amazing looking desserts and twice fried French fries. I love crispy fries and will definitely stop back in sometime to try them!
  

And now for details on the contest!

          Guests who share a photo of their customized falafel bowl or sandwich using the hashtag #BattleofTheBalls are entered to win a Dutch-Style bike valued at $400 and a year’s worth of FREE Falafel. The deadline to enter is Monday, November 23rd. Finalists will be selected and announced on Monday, November 30th. This was my entry!

New Menu at Legal Crossing

          Legal Seafoods has always been a go-to of mine for fresh local seafood. I've enjoyed trying out their newer concepts over the last few years, and so I was excited for the opportunity to try out the new menu at Legal Crossing and hear from Chef Jason Wu at a Zomato meetup.

Portugese Style Fish Cakes with Salt Cod and Smoked Tomato Remoulade

Persian Cucumbers with Sesame Chili Vinaigrette

Lacquered Pork Ribs with Pickled Vegetables

Salt and Pepper Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

            I really enjoyed all of these dishes, especially the salt and pepper shrimp! I also really like the way Chef Wu has incorporated some creative and globally inspired flavors into the menu. Legal Crossing's location downtown make it the perfect spot for dinner before or after a show, or a quick bite while shopping.

Fuji

          Fuji at Assembly Row is the newest location from a restaurant group with several sushi restaurants in greater Boston. I finally went in for dinner recently, after having them on my list to try for a while now.

          We started with an item from the dim sum selections: made to order shrimp dumplings topped with gold flakes. It states on the menu that these take 15 minutes to order, and they were definitely worth the wait!

          For a second course, I had an avocado and crab salad while the fiancé enjoyed a shrimp tempura roll. They gladly made my salad with just a tiny bit of spicy mayo, which is just how I like it. This was a huge portion, and I could've eaten just this with a cup of soup for a nice light meal.

          Next we shared the toro sampler which included Tuna, Salmon, and hamachi belly drizzled with a bit of soy and truffle oil.

           The torched tuna and uni were also very good, and the presentation was beautiful.

          The meal at Fuji was delicious, and very reasonably priced. They offer better quality than most other sushi places I've tried at this price point (under $100 for two people with drinks). I also like that they have a good mix of traditional and more creative sushi options, so you can get your truffle and gold flake fix without going too crazy. I will definitely be back!

Tavern in the Square

           I've always thought of Tavern as a place for a great burgers and beer, until I tried them again recently and realized just how extensive and creative the menu is! I loved the tater tot trio that came with three styles of tots including:

• TUSCAN- Parmesan, truffle, herbs
• BUFFALO- Buffalo spice, blue cheese
• ASIAN- Togorashi spice, black sesame

The Tuscan was definitely my favorite, but you really can't go wrong with tots!


          
          The crab tostada salad was light and refreshing with Colossal lump crab meat tossed with diced avocado, mango, shaved jicam, cilantro, baby kale and agave-lime vinaigrette layered between crispy corn & black bean tortillas.

          I would definitely come back again for something other than a burger, although the burgers are delicious!

224 Boston Street

          I recently started to explore Andrew Square a bit more, and discovered a great neighborhood restaurant right on the Southie / Dorchester line: 224 Boston Street. The fiance and I ate at a table in the bar area, and loved the cozy neighborhood feel.

 

          I started with a glass of Prosecco and the tuna tartare appetizer with avocado, soy, and taro chips. This was a generous portion with plenty of fresh, flavorful tuna. The taro chips were perfect with it; they were light and added a bit of crunch.

           I ordered the hangar steak frites as my main course, which came topped with herbed butter and a side of fries and a mixed greens salad. The steak was cooked perfectly, and the herbed butter added great flavor without overwhelming the steak.

           I loved my first meal at 224, and can definitely see this becoming a regular spot!

A 10 Course Sherry Dinner at Taberna de Haro

          I dine out so often, I don't always have time to write about every experience. When I'm getting behind, I tend to prioritize writing about new places rather than places I've already covered. Taberna de Haro is an old favorite and a place I've written about more than once, so I when the fiance and I went in for a custom ten course dinner with sherry pairings at the bar I never wrote about it at the time. But, the experience was so amazing and so memorable that I'm writing about it now quite a bit later!

          Taberna de Haro is without question, the most authentic Spanish restaurant in Boston. The space feels intimate and cozy, and the menu is interesting - not just the standards you'd see at any tapas restaurant (although Taberna does have most of them), and the sherry selection is the most extensive in the city. For all these reasons, Taberna is a regular spot for the fiance and I. One night we were chatting with the bartender about how we'd like to learn more about sherry, and he offered to create a custom tasting menu for us if we came in on a Monday when it was slow. We came back the following week, and had a fantastic meal!

albóndigas de bacalao ~ saffron-codfish balls

bienmesabe ~ lemon & paprika marinated haddock, fried

jamón ibérico  ~ cured Spanish ham, acorn-fed black hoofed pigs

ancas de rana ~ frogs legs sautéd w lemon, garlic, brandy

Chilled tomato gazpacho

Sauteed sweetbreads

espinacas a la catalana ~ spinach, pine nuts, raisins, garlic

chorizo a la sidra ~ hard cider-braised chorizo

berengena al mató ~ grilled eggplant, saffron honey, house-made fresh cheese

          Each course came with a sherry pairing, and we sampled a range from dry to sweet and learned about the many different types (Manzanilla, Fino, etc.) It truly was a one of a kind experience; it's not every day a restaurant creates a menu just for you!

Sweet Green

          It took me awhile to try Sweet Green, because I just wasn't that excited to try a salad place. Now that I have, I finally get what all of the buzz is about! Sweet Green is dedicated to serving food that's healthy, tastes great, and aligns with their values. They source fresh, organic ingredients from local farmers and are committed to sustainability.

Kale salad with citrus shrimp, grapes, and blue cheese

          The menu features a great selection of salads, grain bowls, and rotating seasonal offerings. It's the perfect spot for a quick, healthy lunch or even dinner on the go!

New Lunch Menu at Del Frisco's Grille

          I've been a fan of both Del Frisco's and Del Frisco's Grille for a long time (their steaks and crabcakes are some of the best in Boston), and so I was excited to try out the new lunch menu at the Chestnut Hill location. When many people think of a steakhouse, they think large portions of meat and seafood with hearty sides. While Del Frisco's Grille does offer some of these on the lunch menu, they also feature a lot of delicious lighter alternatives including flat breads, sandwiches, entree salads, and "Grab a Pair" a selection of items where you can choose two and mix and match (soups, salads, half sandwiches, etc).

           We started with a few apps including the buffalo chicken lollipops, chips and guacamole, short rib tacos, and a flat bread with home made sausage and ricotta.

           The lollipops were one of my favorite dishes. I loved that they were cut so you could pick them up without getting your hands dirty, and eat each one in a single bite dipped in the delicious avocado ranch.


           The guacamole was light and fresh, I enjoyed this with the chips and the carrots and celery for a more healthy alternative.



          The short rib tacos came with Korean marinated BBQ pork, pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and chiles. I loved the flavors, and the chiles gave it a little bit of a kick!

 

         The flatbread with sausage, spicy banana peppers, ricotta, and mozzarella was also very good; it came loaded with toppings and the crust was perfectly thin and crispy.        

          Next was the burrata salad with heirloom tomatoes, balsamic, and basil. This was another one of my favorites; the flavors were amazing and the fresh tomatoes and incredibly creamy burrata were perfect together. The presentation was also beautiful.

        
          For entrees we shared a hangar steak and fish and chips. The hanger is a new cut, they're offering which is typically the most tender cut you can get. It was cooked a perfect medium rare, and it definitely was tender! Fish and chips isn't a dish I usually order; but I also really enjoyed this. The batter light and crunchy, and the haddock inside was tender and flaky.

 

          We also tried two desserts, a caramel and sea salt pudding and adult milkshake with creme de cacao, chocolate liquor and vanilla ice cream. I was so full by the time this came out, but somehow managed to eat almost the entire pudding myself!

 

          I would definitely go back to Del Frisco's Grille for any of these dishes, in addition to the steaks and crabcakes that I've always loved.

Progressive Blogger Dinner Part 2: Les Zygomates

          Yesterday I posted about the first half of my Progressive Dinner at Bel Ari , and today I'm picking up where I left off - when we headed over to Les Zygomates.

          Next up was the main entree, and I had to try the beef (you really can't go wrong with anything with truffle or foie gras, and this had both!) It was just as good as it sounded, and cooked a perfect medium rare.

         We finished with dessert, and naturally I opted for the chocolate selection - a dark chocolate flourless chocolate cake with whipped cream and berries. It was the perfect ending to an incredible meal!

          I enjoyed the courses at both Les Zyg and Bel Ari, and definitely hope to go back to both of them soon for the complete experience at each!