Cheng Du

          I've been to Cheng Du in Westborough a couple of times now, and I've been impressed by both the food and atmosphere. It's an upscale restaurant featuring higher end Chinese food, and a sushi lounge. I've only tried the Chinese menu so far, and of course the Mai Tai's!

         I love that the standard apps like the peking ravioli and pupu platter are offered, but Cheng Du steps it up a bit with fresh ingredients and nothing overly greasy.

 

 

           I've always wanted to try lobster with ginger scallions, and finally decided Cheng Du would be the perfect place to try it! Sadly they were out of it until next season, but the ginger scallion shrimp was excellent.

          I definitely plan to go back to try the sushi and the lobster!

Beta Burger

          I recently had the chance to try out Beta Burger in Mission Hill with Blog and Tweet Boston. Beta Burger is a fast food style restaurant, but serves a much healthier and tastier burger than your typical spot. Here's what makes them so different:

Beta Burger is a fully customizable burger that uses innovative technology to slow cook a burger in a cVap oven that mimics “sous vide” by slow cooking in water vapo. The result is an incredibly juicy burger, minus the grease. It's perfect for individuals who enjoy fast food, but are also health conscious.

          I arrived a bit early and had the chance to chat with the owner Adrian who explained the process. The burgers are slow cooked sous vide style all day long, and then finished on the grill to order to give it that sear. Adrian also pointed out that some of Boston's most popular burgers including Craigie on Main and Alden and Harlow are cooked using the same method.

          There are quite a few toppings available for order including grilled onions, mushrooms, lettuce, tomato, bacon, a not so special sauce (aioli) and the house made steak sauce. Adrian recommended the steak sauce, explaining that the burger is more like a steak than your typical burger.



          I tried mine with no bun, and topped it with onions, mushrooms, steak sauce, cheddar, and bacon. It was delicious, and definitely the most tender fast food style burger I've ever had! It was also nice to enjoy my burger without feeling guilty about all of the fat and calories.

          Adrian also told us about the burger of the month which had several of your typical toppings and marshmallows! He explained the idea behind it, which is that good food should have elements of fat, salt, and sweetness. Burgers already have fat and salt, and the marshmallow was intended to add sweetness. We were all afraid to order one for ourselves, but decided to get a couple for the group and cut them up so that we could all try a bite. It was surprisingly good, and you hardly tasted the marshmallow but it did add just the right amount of sweetness. I would order this again sometime.

           The fries were also delicious, and came with different flavors of seasoning salt. The garlic and parmesan was a huge hit with our group!

           Beta Burger is named beta because they're constantly trying to improve and create the best product. I can't wait to check out the burger and fries again and see what changes they've made!

A Preview of the 2016 Boston Wine Expo and a Chance to Win Free Tickets

UPDATE: The winners are Jodi and Tiffany! Please email me so I can get you the tickets!! If you didn't win, check out the Wine Expo's giveaway here. They are giving away even more tickets!







It's that time again!  The Boston Wine Expo is just a few weeks away, and this year will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary. It's also on Valentine's Day, which makes it a perfect gift for yourself or that special someone!

Enjoy 100s of wines, seminars, cooking demos, and more! Here are some of the highlights:

WHEN / WHERE
The Boston Wine Expo will take place at The Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center on February 13 and 14, 2016, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. This event is reserved for ages 21+. Tickets now are on sale and available here. Weekend tickets and discount group tickets are also available, as well as dedicated trade industry hours and hotel packages. 

The Seaport World Trade Center is located at 200 Seaport Boulevard in Boston, MA. For directions and more information, please visit their website.

GRAND TASTING:
The Grand Tasting is the main event - featuring over 200 producers and nearly 1,800 wines from around the world, oenophiles will travel through the expansive space – sans passport – swirling and sipping their way to “connoisseur” status. In honor of its milestone birthday, the Boston Wine Expo will debut a W?NE Bar where you can stop and ask members of the Boston Sommelier Society your wine-related questions as well as get a retrospective of the industry’s past 25 years and what to expect in the next 25 years. Along the way, there will be culinary attractions including bites from popular area restaurants, as well as dueling Celebrity Chef Stages with appearances by Ming Tsai, Barbara Lynch, Chris Coombs and more. There also is the opportunity to purchase your favorite wines through the Drync app which will be delivered to your doorstop with the click of a button. 


ADDITIONAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

A Vintners’ Reserve Lounge: gives guests a chance to spoil their taste-buds with these special gems that retail for $75 and up per bottle

VIP Experience package: allows guests entrance to the main event thirty minutes early, a separate coat check, private lounge, and gift bag

Silver anniversary package: access to a special meet and greet event with the founders of the expo, access to the Grand Tasting and VIP lounge on both Saturday and Sunday, plus three educational seminar

Seminars: In honor of the 25th anniversary, this year’s seminar program will be the biggest and best yet with over 40 topics ranging from food and wine pairings, “One Hour Wine Experts,” and vertical tasting flights of the world’s most sought-after wine producers.


And, as always, sipping at this event has a special cause. The major charitable benefactor of the 25th anniversary Boston Wine Expo is the Tufts Medical Center’s Summer Camp Program for Children with Disabilities. To date, the Boston Guild of Oenophilists has raised over $1.4 million for worthy causes.

Now the best part, a I have two pairs of tickets to the Sunday's Grand Tasting to giveaway!

For your chance to win, leave a comment here telling me what you're most looking forward to at the Wine Expo. Winners will be selected at random, this Sunday (1/24/16).

Mac's Shack

          When you think of Cape Cod you think of seafood, but not necessarily sushi. When I went to Wellfleet this past summer, I was psyched to learn that the popular Mac's seafood restaurant had a sushi place in the center of town. I shared a few dishes with the fiance and a friend of ours, and enjoyed all of them!

          All of the fish was incredibly fresh, high quality, and well prepared. The patio was perfect for relaxing and enjoying a cocktail after we finished our lunch, and I would love to come back for dinner sometime!

The Copper Door in Bedford NH

          I headed up to NH for my sister's birthday to check out the Copper Door in Bedford, NH. We grew up eating at T Bones and Cactus Jacks, and so we were excited to check out the company's more upscale concept. It's primarily a steakhouse, but they have a mix of American classic dishes.

          I ordered the pear and arugula salad with grilled chicken added. This is one of the best chicken salad's I've ever had. They topped it with a statler chicken breast, with perfectly crisp skin and tender juicy chicken. 

          The fiance ordered a chipotle chicken pizza, which was big enough for a few people. I enjoyed the few bites I stole, and he enjoyed it for dinner and then again for lunch the next day.


           My niece's grilled cheese from the children's menu was also very well done. It's not often she orders something I'd eat myself, but this looked amazing.

           Everyone else ate their dinners and desserts too quickly for me to snap a pic, but we all had a great meal and agreed it's a nice change of pace from the company's more casual restaurants and perfect for a special occasion.

Flying Fish Cafe

          I recently went to Wellfleet, and one of my favorite spots for coffee and breakfast was the Flying Fish Cafe: a great little coffee shop in the center of town with plenty of outdoor seating. Every time I went, the place was packed!

 

          They have a full breakfast menu, plus pastries and sandwiches you can take to go. The croissants came highly recommended, and after trying one my first time this is what I had for breakfast every day! The ham and cheese was my favorite.

 
          I have been dreaming out these ever since I've been home, and can't wait for my next trip!

Brunch at Aquitaine Chestnut Hill

          Aquitaine Bis in Chestnut Hill was always a favorite when I lived in the 'burbs. I recently went in for brunch after not having been a few years, and it was just as good as I remembered! My friend ordered the prix fixe menu that came with a cinnamon roll as a first course. This looked so good that we had to order a basket for the table! They were warm and gooey with plenty of icing, exactly what a cinnamon roll should be.


          I had the croque madame, with breakfast potatoes instead of fries. This had plenty of melted gruyere, mornay sauce, and came topped with a perfectly runny egg. I thought I tasted a hint of mustard in the sauce, in traditional French bistro style.

          Of course no brunch is complete without bacon; the fiance and I enjoyed this side with our sandwiches (he had the croque also).



          Aquitaine remains one of my favorites for classic bistro dining in Boston, and I'm also a fan of the group's other concepts like Gaslight and Cinquecento.