The Maiden

          The Maiden in Southie is the newest concept from the team behind Sam's on the Waterfront. The menu includes an amazing selection of meats, cheeses, charcuterie, and raw bar with a smaller selection of entrees. I've been dying to try it since they opened earlier this year, and finally made it in with the fiance this week. 

          We started with a selection of the oysters including a mix of east and west coast. They were paired with the traditional accompaniments (lemon, cocktail sauce, and mignonette) plus a few chosen specifically for the oysters we'd chosen like some cucumber to go with a varietal that had notes of cucumber. I took our bartenders suggestion and tried each of the oysters with the recommended pairings, and they were all spot on.

         

      Next was a dish that the kitchen sent out, a spicy cured salmon sashimi; if this was on the menu I would've ordered five more of these!

          Next were a couple of items from the meat, cheese, and charcuterie selections. You can build your own board with three or five picks, but we wanted to try so many dishes that we decided to stick with our top two choices. We were pleasantly surprised that they created a board with our two selections: the duck prosciutto and chicken liver mousse and made it look just as nice as the larger boards paired with some house made pickled veggies and whole grain mustard. The prosciutto literally melted in your mouth, and the mousse was rich and decadent.

          Next was the smoked fish crostini with butternut squash, yogurt, pickled Fresno chiles, and peanuts. This was such an interesting combination, and all of the flavors just worked together.

           I was way too full for an entree, so I decided to go with more oysters! These were roasted with uni butter, piquillos, and breadcrumbs - quite a contrast from the raw oysters and equally as good. I loved the flavor of the uni butter which was delicious, but light enough that it didn't overpower the oysters. The fiance ordered a burger which he loved, and dug into before I could take a picture.

           The Maiden is definitely one of the best new restaurants I've tried recently, and a great addition to the neighborhood. I can't wait to go back!

Sky Bokx 109

          Sky Bokx 109 is the newer more casual concept from the team behind Bokx 109. I've tried them a few times recently, and a perfect spot for bar food done right. Both times I've started with wings; they have several different flavors available on the bone or boneless. Pictured below are the boneless bourbon wings, which are definitely my favorite.



           The ground sirloin burger is huge and delicious! It's a whole pound of ground prime sirloin, with au jus, onion strings, sharp cheddar, arugula, and horseradish aioli. I couldn't even eat half of this, but I enjoyed every bite I could eat. It came with a side of fries that were seasoned and perfectly crispy, just how I like them.

           The fiance's reuben was equally impressive, as is the pizza (not pictured).

           The atmosphere at Sky Bokx 109 is casual with plenty of bar space and tvs; a perfect place to hang out and watch a game. 

La Casa de Pedro

          La Casa de Pedro is a Venezuelan restaurant in Watertown, and one of my regular spots for lunch and drinks. I've been so many times, I've tried a huge portion of the menu and can't believe I haven't written about it until now. 

          My two favorite dishes are the arepas and the roast chicken. Arepas are grilled corn cakes, and Pedro's offers several options (beans, cheese, beef, pork, chicken, etc.). Pictured below are a special order with beans, cotija cheese, and avocado with green salsa.

          Pedro's menu states the roast chicken is the best in the state, and it's definitely one of my favorites. It's always juicy with perfectly crisp skin, and comes with fried plantains, yucca, beans, and rice.

          Pedro's also offers happy hour specials with half price tapas, and you can't go wrong with anything on that menu!

Erbaluce

           Every year the fiance and I go out for a nice dinner around, but not actually on Valentine's Day. This year we decided to check out Erbaluce, an Italian restaurant tucked away on a side street in Bay Village. We sat in the upstairs dining room, which was beautiful - simple but elegant.

           For an appetizer, I started with a special razor clams in a white wine sauce with green peppercorn, fennel, and toasted crostini. The clams were meaty and cooked perfectly, and I was glad I'd saved my bread and used it to soak up the white wine broth. The fiance also enjoyed his whole shrimp served with a spicy pumpkin sauce.

 

          For our next course, we tried half orders of two pasta dishes. I opted for another special, the cacio e pepe with shaved black truffle. Cacio e pepe is one of my favorite Italian dishes, and the addition of black truffle made it even better! I was impressed by the presentation of the pappardelle with a sugo of wild boar but he ate all of it before I could try even a bite!

 

          I had a third special for my main course, the lobster with white beans, fresh herbs, and roasted red pepper sauce. There was a ton of lobster meat, and this dish was bursting with fresh flavors. The fiance enjoyed his sturgeon and again ate all of it before I could try a bite!

          The Panna Cotta with oranges was the perfect dessert, it was light and just a little sweet.

          Both the food and the atmosphere made Erbaluce the perfect Valentine's Day celebration, the small, romantic feel makes it a great date spot.

         

Branch Line

          I work in the Arsenal Building, and finally tried Branch Line for lunch - the newest concept from the team behind some of my favorite Boston restaurants including Island Creek Oyster and Row 34. The lunch menu is a mix of small plates, sandwiches and entrees, and of course the famous Green Circle rotisserie chicken (you can read about those here). 

           I went with a friend and we started with a couple of apps including the arugula salad with Armenian string cheese and the salted avocado with marjoram and mustard seed. Both were delicious, so simple and so full of flavor.

           The chicken was just as good as I hoped it would be. Perfectly tender, and seasoned perfectly.

           I had a tiny bite of my friend's lamb skewers, and they were also excellent - cooked medium and served with tzatziki and whole wheat pita.

           I was excited to learn recently that the chickens at Branch Line are available to go; I can definitely see myself taking advantage of that after work for a quick healthy and tasty dinner when I don't feel like cooking!

Alta Strada

          While I'm temporarily in the suburbs, I'm using the time to try new restaurants I may not otherwise make it out of Boston to try. So far the experiences have been great, and Alta Strada in Wellesley is no exception. We started with a selection of anitpasti to share including white beans with rosemary, golden beets with grana padano, butternut squash roasted with pumpkin seeds, two items not pictured (Sicilian tuna and olives).

           The portions were very generous, and between four people we had a hard time finishing the selection of five. The tuna was my favorite, served with toasted crostini.

           Two of us ordered specials, pan seared red snapper with parsnips and orange and roasted statler chicken with apple slaw. The snapper was a big hit; we all tried a bite and agreed it was over favorite. The skin was perfectly crisp and the fish light and flaky.



 
            I stole a bite of my fiance's dessert, the butterscotch bundino with a brown sugar shortbread cookie. This was incredibly rich and creamy, and we managed to polish it off in a few bites despite being full!

          Alta Strada was a delicious and authentic Italian experience outside the city. I would definitely come back. 

The Bar at New City Micro Creamery

           Did you know there's a speakeasy in Hudson, MA? Tucked in the back of an ice cream shop... yes, an ice cream shop. To get in, just walk to the back and knock on this little door.

 

          It truly feels like you're in another time, and the old school classic drinks reflect it. Like this perfectly crafted martini, and hand cut ice for the old fashioned.

          The menu is small, but everything is done really well. I know because I tried literally every item on the menu (except the soup and salad).

Three Cheese Plate with Honey, Chutney, Pistachio, and House Made Bread

Maple and Bacon Nuts: Brittle and Spicy Roasted

Smoked Octopus with Bib Lettuce, Cilantro, Sriracha Aioli, Pickled Onions and Fried Garlic

Spanakopita: Spinach and feta pie with yogurt sauce

Banh Mi Taco: Flour Tortilla with Roast Pork, Sticky Sauce, Cucumber, Carrots, Micro Cilantro, Pickled Onions, and Sriracha Aioli

Poke: Tuna, Sesame, Scallions, Cilantro, Fried Garlic, Shallots, Ginger, and Avocado Wasabi

          I enjoyed everything, but my favorites were definitely the octopus and tuna. I would go back and make a meal just out of these. The menu also included a limited selection of desserts, but you can always walk out to the ice cream shop and order anything there. I tried the cookie dough ice cream and it was some of the best I've ever had! Hudson is about a 40 minute drive from Boston, but New City makes it well worth the trip.

Davios

          I've always enjoyed Davios; I can't believe it hasn't made it on the blog until now! My most recent trip was during a Saturday snowstorm when the fiance and I braved the weather for dinner at the Foxboro location with some friends. We started with a couple of the classic apps that have been on the menu as long as we've been going.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Philly Cheesesteak Springrolls with Fried Onions

           They were both excellent as usual; I can never pass on a Davio's springroll and my friend orders the soup every single time!

           My fiance ordered the braised shortribs as his main course, and they were falling off the bone tender.


        
           I ordered the skirt steak with extra blue cheese sauce, and a twice baked potato. I'm not usually a fan of blue cheese, but I'm obsessed with the sauce at Davios. I put it on everything, the steak, my sides, and would probably eat it with a spoon if I didn't mind embarrassing myself and my dining companions. 

 

            Davios is a classic in Boston, and I generally find the experience at the Foxboro location to be just as good. It's a place my friends and I can always agree on for dinner, and make sure to go regularly.