Healthy Options When Eating Out!

Eating out can put a damper on our healthy diets. Places like the cheesecake factory offer many salads and what seem to be healthier options but actually are LOADED with calories! The Grilled Chicken Tostada salad has over 1000 calories. Woah! Learning ways to eat healthier when you go out will make you feel less guilty about it and make you enjoy your meals way more!

1. Get your dressing on the side. Obviously salads aren't bad for you; it's usually the dressings and the extra fried chips and such that are smothering it. When possible ask for the dressing on the side this puts you in control of how much dressing and calories you are putting into your body!

2. Look at the menu before you go. Reviewing the menu and deciding what you want before you go keeps you from making rash decisions at the restaurant. Also many restaurants are offering their nutritional information on many websites online such as thedailyplate.com and calorielab.com which can help in your at home decision making!

3. Get the fish. Due to modern technology many restaurants are able to get fresh and delicious seafood with in just a few days of being caught. If you live on the coast especially New England you have access to some of the countries best seafood including cod, lobster and crab! All of which are very good for you. Try to get baked, seared, broiled or grilled seafood over fried and stay away from heavy sauces. Pair it with a seasonal vegetable and you will be good to go!

4. Eating well at the drive thru window. Sometimes eating on the go is necessary! Try some of these option when at the drive thru window.

1. Grilled Chicken Sandwich

2. Turkey Sandwich

3. Bean Burrito

4. Kids Meal Burger

5. Salads with dressing on the side.

5. Go healthy for dessert. Many restaurants offer fresh seasonal fruit with fresh whipped cream for dessert. Or craving chocolate, try to stay with dark chocolate. There's less sugar and the higher percent of cocoa solids a piece of chocolate has the higher amount of antioxidants :). I'm not saying eat a whole chocolate cake maybe split a piece with you're partner.

I hope these tips help you frequent eat-outers with keeping healthy and light.

oopsie! i forgot one!

Haha, I was just reading through old posts and realized I forgot to put Mr. Indian, Newburyport, MA onto my list of restaurants for the year so I am going to put down a mass list and the number of stars I gave them to give everyone an easy guide!

1. Tennessee BBQ, Peabody, MA ***

2. Mr. Indian, Newburyport, MA ***

3. New England Soup Factory, Salem, MA ***

4. Top of the Hub, Boston, Ma ****

5. Wagamama, Boston, MA **** (I changed this because I have really grown to love Wagamama and the Wagamama chocolate cake is to die for!!!)

6. Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Boston, MA ****

7. Crepe Place in Harvard, Cambridge, MA ***

8. The purple onion, Newburyport, MA ****

9. Chipotle, Peabody, MA ****

10. Kookoo Cafe, Brookline, MA ****

11. Cafe Bistro, Nordstroms, Peabody, MA ****

12. U-Burger ***1/2

13. Cheers, Boston, MA *** (I changed this one too, cheers definitely isnt everything it's cracked up to be! the atmosphere is cook tho!)

14. Crispy Crepe Cafe, Boston, MA *****

15. Zaftigs, Brookline, MA ****

16. Comella's, Brookline, MA ****

17. Cravings, Kingston, MA ***

18. Black Seed Grille, Boston, MA ****

19. Tokyo Japanese Steakhouse, New port richey, Fl ***

20. Pressed, Boston, MA ***

21. Aquitaine, Boston, MA *****

22. Cafe Pompei, Boston, MA ***

23. Pilgrim Diner, Salem, MA ****

24. Capt's Waterfront Restaurant, Salem, MA ****

25. Charley's, Boston, MA ****

26. Summer Shack, Boston, Ma ***

27. Plaza III Steakhouse, Boston, MA *****

28. Persy's, Kingston, MA ***1/2

29. La Dolce Vita, Providence, RI *** 1/2

30. Salem Diner, Salem, MA ****

31. Rundogs Hotdog Stand, Beverly, Ma *** 3/4
32. The Living Room, Boston, MA
33. The Rice Bowl, Boston, MA
34. Brassiere Jo, Boston, MA

35. Smith and Wollensky, Boston, MA

36. PF Changs, Peabody, MA

37. Equal Exchange Cafe, Boston, MA

Foodie Establishment #24 Charley's, Boston, MA

Charley's on Newbury Street in Boston, MA is number 24 on the list! I went to a party Friday night and stayed in town with my friend Colin so we decided to get up early and go to breakfast. We were searching for Flour Bakery in the South End but I had a terrible time looking up directions on my phone so we decided as we about to pass the reflection pool at the Science Center to walk through the prudential and head down Newbury Street to a book store down there I knew had breakfast. As we were walking we passed outdoor brunch seating at Charley's. Everyone's food looked so fresh and delicious we decided to stop there. The brunch menu was small but reasonably priced and had good options. Every breakfast came with a free cocktail from a list on the top of the menu which included, mimosas, screwdrivers and bloody mary's to name a few. I didn't get a cocktail because they had decaf tea and I was more in the mood for that. I ordered the three egg omelet with bacon, peppers, onions, tomatoes and cheddar which came with english muffin, fruit and home fries. Colin ordered the Newbury Breakfast which came with eggs, english muffin, home fries and fresh fruit; he also ordered the freshly squeezed orange juice which had froth on top and seeds in it. (Can't get much more fresh squeezed than that.) Before the food came out the server brought over a basket with little mini muffins and butter. So cute and very good, I had a corn one. When the food came out the plates were huge. My omelet was the fattest omelet I have ever seen and it came with so many sides. Colin's eggs were also enormous and looked delicious. The food over all was outstanding. Everything was so fresh and not overly heavy like breakfast food can tend to be. I can't wait to go back to Charley's and try dinner.

Service: *****

Our server was such a sweetheart. Very knowledgeable about the menu and very friendly when asked for special requests. She was prompt and knew just when to come over and check on things.

Food:*****

One of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time.

Ambiance:****

Adorable. I love sitting outside on a Saturday morning on Newbury street. The weather was perfect and birds were chirping. It was great. My only gripe with sitting outside was how cramped the tables were together other than that it was great.

Noise: ***

Moderate, you are outside on Newbury Street. 

Foodie establishments # 23 Capt's Waterfront Restaurant

Capt's Waterfront Restaurant was number 23 on my list. It's in Salem, Ma down by downtown and the wharf. The restaurant is separated with a upscale casual bar/pub downstairs and a fancier dining room upstairs We sat downstairs because I am pretty sure the dining room was not open. The pub was small probably able to hold about 70 or so with a small bar in the corner. The view was gorgeous looking out over Salem Harbor and all the boats. We sat down and our server came over to take our drink orders. The menu was mainly seafood but had a section of quintessential bar/pub food. It included burgers, pot roast, meat loaf and so much more. There was also a fancier part of the menu that consisted of composed salads and appetizer plates. Al ordered the meat loaf and I ordered the pot roast which to much dismay the kitchen was out of, so I changed it to the Guinness and Onion Pie. The server brought over warm rolls and and soft butter, which to me is like a crowning jewel on a restaurant, I hate cold rolls and hard butter! The food took a long time to come out, probably over a half hour. When it finally did though everything was piping hot and looked delicious. Al's meat loaf he said was the best he had ever had out at a restaurant. It was a huge portion and was served with mashed potatoes and a green bean and carrot medley. My pie was made up of braised steak tips with a guinness jus and onions topped with puff pastry and served with mashed potatoes and the same green beans and carrots. My pie had really good flavor a couple of the pieces of the steak were a little chewy but on the whole it was pretty tender and good. I ordered dessert to go, it was a little disappointing. It was advertised as seasonal fruit tart and I was told it was a cherry cobbler tart. I expected a traditional fruit tart topped with cherry and streusel but it ended up being cherry filling inside a puff pastry shell with more orange flavor than cherry and a couple of side sauces that weren't great. The creme anglaise was good but the cherry sauce was not so palatable. Overall I would definitely go back to Capt's Waterfront again.

Service:*** (This is because of the long time I waited for my food, the server was delightful)

Meatloaf:*****

Guiness Pie:****

Ambiance:****

Noise:**

Food Establishment # 21 and 22 Pilgrim Diner and Cafe Pompei

Foodie Place #21 was the Pilgrim Diner in Salem, MA. An eclectic looking diner car on one of Salem's busier roads route 107, has counter service and maybe four or five booths. There are usually two people working the restaurant at a time, both of which were very friendly. The Pilgrim Diner car is an actual Worcester car from 1936. I love the nostalgia. I went in with Al and sat at a booth. I got a decaf tea and a veggie omelet (which I added cheese and bacon too :)) and Al got 2 eggs, sausage, home fries and toast. My omelet was enormous!! It had to be a foot by three inches. It was practically laying off the plate, there was also a generous portion of home fries and two pieces of wheat toast. Al's plate was also huge and the sausage looked really good! It was actually Italian sausage, no links or patties here just actual sausage caramelized to perfection on the flat top! Everything was delicious. I love diners. Behind the counter there was a special's board it boasted things like omelets, tomato soup and caramel apple french toast! I can't wait to go back and try more! And a definitely bonus, Pilgrim Diner is open all night starting a 10 pm Friday and Saturday! Awesome! Pilgrim Diner is fun, eclectic and delicious, I will definitely be going back.

Service: ****

Food: ****

Ambiance:*****

Noise: ***

Foodie Place # 22 is Cafe Pompei, North End, Boston, MA

So, I am sitting in Faneuil Hall with my friend Colin and we are both having the bitchiest conversation ever about where we want to eat. We both just wanted each other to pick and neither of us could decide. So finally I said I felt like Italian so we headed to the North End, both of us strapped for cash we decided to walk a bit and compare menus (they are posted outside at most restaurants in the North End) and finally decided to stop at Cafe Pompei. Our dinners would come to less than $20 each so we figured it was a safe bet. I ordered a dish (which I can not remember the name for the life of me) that consisted of linguini, a pinky sauce made of wine, parmesan cheese, artichokes, roasted red peppers, mushrooms and pan seared chicken cutlets. Colin got, what else, but the chicken parm! :) I enjoyed the sauce and veggies of my dish, I felt like there was maybe a little to much parmesan but other than that the pasta and sauce were good. The chicken in my dish however was definitely not seared well, it was mushy and soggy with no color which I hate. Even if no color was there intention soggyness I am sure was not. Colin also did not enjoy his chicken parm which is so disappointing. The service was great. Our server checked on us an adequate number of times and was very friendly each time. I may go back to Cafe Pompei to try their pastry but definitely not for dinner. 

Service: ****

Food: ** 1/2

Ambiance: ***

Noise: **

Food Establishment # 20 Aquitaine

         Boston's south end is an ever blossoming part of town with beautiful apartment buildings with spiral staircases and tons of new city life and restaurants. Aquitaine, not necessarily a newbie lies on the corner of Tremont Street with giant class windows and a small town frenchy feel. The restaurant's decor is dark but its well lit because of the large windows. We were sat at a two top at the end of a booth (the restaurant probably sat no more than 70.) As much as I hate extended booths with multiple tables the service and food well made up for it. Our server was very nice with much knowledge about the food. She served me a glass of  Rose which was alright, a little strong for my liking. We ordered a bottle of still water, which was topped off literally every time we took a sip, which at first I thought was a little annoying until I found out the bottle of water was $6.95 and I wanted every last drop. I ordered the roasted chicken breast with pommes puree and an au jus made of leeks, bacon and mushrooms. The chicken was cooked absolutely perfect. Nice and crisp on the outside and perfectly juicy on the inside. The potatoes were smooth and creamy with a nice buttery flavor and the sauce perfectly complimented the whole thing. My partner in crime ordered the Lemon Sole Meuniére with slivered snap peas, tomato concassé, buerre blanc & pommes purée. He described the fish as being one of the best he has had in a long time. Again the potatoes were creamy and buttery. I tried the potatoes with the sauce and the snap peas and they were amazing. the snap peas lent the perfect crunch and buerre blanc offered the most perfect creamy mouth feel to the potatoes. We decided against dessert and headed to modern pastry for tea and pastries. which, for any occasion deserves a blog of it's own! I will add pictures of aquitaine in the coming days.

Service *****

wine ****

roasted chicken *****

lemon sole *****

ambiance ****

I have reached my goal!

So, I made it 20 restaurants. Really i didnt even think I would make it before the end of the year. So I am uping the anty and making it 40! Wish me luck. BTW, Aquitaine was #20 I will review over the next few days. 

Quick Update!

I am up to 19 foodie establishments....only 1 to go! Sorry I havent been reviewing them! I have been so hectic in my life lately, I actually decided two days ago I would be coming to Florida for my sisters birthday and to see my grandfather who is sick and here I am. I swear to make an effort to try and keep up with my blogs!

14. Zaftigs, Brookline MA

15. Comella's, Brookline, MA

16. Cravings, Kingston, MA

17. Black Seed Grille, Boston, MA

18. Tokyo Japanese Steak House *(Not the same as up north)*, New Port Richey, FL

19. Pressed, Boston, MA

Next #20 Aquitaine, Boston, MA

Food Establishment # 13 Crispy Crepe Cafe, Boston, MA

I went to go visit my friend Colin today after my horrific morning and went somewhere to lift my spirits. Crispy Crepe Cafe between the "B" and "C" line on the subway is a tiny hole in the wall place next to a 7/11 with 5 tables. Their menu was large with many other options besides crepes. They had breakfast, salads, paninis and pasta as well. Colin got the 2-2-2-2 breakfast for $6.95 and it was huge, 2 pancakes, 2 hash browns, 2 pieces of bacon and sausage and 2 eggs. He enjoyed it but could not finish it even after being confident that he could. I got the strawberry, lemon and sugar crepe. It was enormous and delicious for $5.95. There was one guy at the counter, he made the food, served the food and rang you up for your food. Very nice guy and service was great.

I would give Crispy Crepe Cafe:

Food: *****

Appearance: ****

I liked the appearance, it was a little run down, but reminiscent of the area as well. It LOOKED like a place college students would frequent and that it what they do.

Service: *****

Overall: *****

Please note: I would just like to say that when looking at my *'s for the different category criteria please keep in mind what type of restaurant it is. Yes, I may think this crepe at the college hangout is worth five * but that obviously does not mean it may/ or may not be better than a crepe from a Five Star Restaurant. It's all about perspective. 

P.s. I put a picture of a cute duck that walked up next to me today.

Food Establishment # 12 CHEERS!

We all knew it as the famed television show, Cheers, Boston's favorite old time bar was my #12 new food establishment of the year. I went to the "Replica" bar in Faneuil Hall if you take a short walk through the freedom trail you will end up at the original Cheers where the show was filmed. My mom was here and though she is now a floridian she lived here most of her life and had never been to Cheers so we went together. When you walk in the bar is set up just like the show. (Except with big windows looking out into Fanueil Hall) Old dark bar counters, dark wood chairs and tables. We were sat by the window, which was great because it was a nice day. We were talked into the $4 soda and mug special. Which was nostalgic and fun. I got a bowl of chili and my mom got the petite burger. The chili was massive, it was pretty good too. Definitely not my favorite chili but definitely worth going back for. My mom's burger looked way smaller than a 1/4 pound and didn't look great. I know she liked the french fries though they were the first things off her plate. Both my mother and my meal were  a little pricey for the portion but it is the place "where everybody knows your name." I wanted to try the Boston Cream Pie but I opted for a giant sugar cookie in Fanueil Hall instead.

Food: ***

Service: ****

Appearance ****

Overall: ****

Food Establishment #11 Cafe Bistro at Nordstroms

A Nordstroms just opened at the North Shore Mall a few weeks ago, I went in yesterday to check it out. When getting off the escalator I saw a small cafe in the back called Cafe Bistro. I thought it was a coffee shop and thought "I'll try it sometime." When walking through the mall I found a menu for Cafe Bistro. It is more like a french luncheon spot than a coffee house, so I decided to go for a quiet lunch alone today.

When I walked to the host stand, I asked for a table for one. The woman, which later was my server explained to me that you order your food first at a counter, you are then seated and waited on. I went to the counter and ordered, a glass of pinot grigio, a water and the roast chicken frites. I was then seated and my server brought over my beverages and my meal.

Pinot Grigio by the glass $5.50

Roast Chicken Frites $14.25

The Pinot Grigio was a nice light pairing with the buttery chicken. I would recommend it.

The chicken boasted to be half a roasted chicken with the restaurants signature pomme frites (french fries) When it came out it was two chicken breasts, skin on, lightly coated in herbed and seasoned flour and pounded thin.  I enjoyed the chicken's coating, it was very flavorful and moist with the herbed butter on top. I did not like the skin on and not very crispy and the chicken was not raw but a little undercooked for my liking (I like my chicken a bit overcooked so in retrospect the chicken was cooked perfect). The pomme frites were delicious. Lightly seasoned with salt and tossed with what tasted like herbs de provence. I finished about half the chicken and a good half the mound of fries when I decided I would try the dessert that makes or breaks a restaurant. The Creme Brulee.

I was able to order the creme brulee from my server, I did not have to go back to the counter, but I did have to pay again. When it came out the presentation was beautiful served with fresh ripe raspberries. I tapped my spoon on the caramelized sugar and "crack" the most beautiful sound in the pastry world. The creme brulee was PERFECT! Perfectly smooth, perfectly cooked and the caramelized sugar was just golden. With the raspberries it was like heaven in custard. 

I would give the Pinot Grigio pairing ****

Roast Chicken ***

Pomme Frites ****

Creme Brulee *****

I would give Cafe Bistro ****

I was a little wigged out by having to order my meal first before being seated, but it worked out ok. I got my food faster. I didn't love you had to pay again if you wanted to add something, they should leave your check open at the counter. My server was extremely friendly and prompt. The restaurant was very clean and nicely laid out. Had an upscale casual feel, definitely a little different than the high end department store out side it's doors. I would go back again, but I would probably try one of the sandwiches or salads, or maybe the short ribs!

Food Establishment #10 U Burger!

I am half way there! U burger was delicious! 

Food Establishment #9 KooKoo Cafe

Today I went to a part of Boston that I don't often frequent, Brookline Village. I signed up for a free intro class at Boston Boabom and got there early so I decided to try this little cafe across from the train. Kookoo cafe, it had a sign out front written in chalk, a wooden door barely shouting it's name, when you walk in you get a nice middle eastern warm feeling. Dark wood lines the walls and floor and the back wall is covered in magnet words for people to be creative. As you walk in the bakery case is in front of you. I ordered a blueberry muffin and a black ginseng tea. I got my milk in a cute lil cow creamer and the tea in a very rustic style HUGE mug. The tables were pleated like outdoor tables but inside. The blueberry muffin was delicious, tasted homemade and was filled with blueberries. The tea was really good as well. I definitely fell in love with this place. The best part, a huge tea and a scrumptious blueberry muffin was $3.99. A new gem for me, if I go back to the karate class it'll definitely be a cool new spot! 

I also went back to Wagamama today with my friend Colin. This time I went to the one in Faneuil Hall and it was much better. My food came out much faster and the system seemed a bit more organized. I still wish you only had one server and there was separate not cafeteria style tables!

A quicky....

I just wanted to make a list of the new restaurant/food establishments I have tried thus far this year.... remember my goal is 20 or more. 

1. Tennessee BBQ, Peabody, MA

2. New England Soup Factory, Salem, MA

3. Top of the Hub, Boston, MA

4. Wagamama, Boston, MA

5. Ruth Chris Steak House, Boston, MA

6. The crepe place in Harvard (I forget the name :/), Cambridge, MA

7. The Purple Onion, Newburyport, MA

8. Chipotle

I think that's it. 12 to go. I can do it!

love ya!

tree

Spring is here!

On my way back home from New Hampshire today Al said he had to go to Loew's and being the loving girlfriend I am I went along with no fight. But, little did he know I really wanted to sneak over to the garden center to get my seed starter kits!! I spent about 30 minutes over there while he shopped and finally decided on an eco-friendly starter kit that is biodegradable when you transplant the pots into the ground. I planted heirloom tomatoes, green beans, chives, basil, cilantro, bell peppers and hot peppers. So exciting!!! I cant wait to see my little seeds grow. I will leave you with some pictures of hope on a gloomy day.

Next eventful day: Beginner crotchet class on sunday!! hehe.

Fun chocolate designs!

This past week at work we have hosted the NCAA Sweet 16 and today we will be hosting the Elite 8. I really had no idea how much people loved college basketball until I had to go through the past few days. We had building VIPs and the Mayor of Boston in our suites and guess who got asked to make the desserts!!! hehe. I made pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting and maple jelly beans, cream puffs filled with vanilla bean whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate, mini warm chocolate chip cookie cups and chocolate cheesecake with whipped cream and chocolate basketball designs. The chocolate designs are easy and I am going to tell you how!

1. Melt dark chocolate over a double boiler. JUST CHOCOLATE no butter no cream just chocolate. The darker the better it makes the chocolate shinier when it hardens.

2. Let chocolate cool slightly and put into a pastry bag.

3. Line a sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

4. Cut a tiny bit off the bottom of the pastry bag, just large enough to write with.

5. Draw or write whatever you want! For the NCAA I drew basketball hoops and nets, basketballs, wrote out NCAA, Duke, Villanova, Pitt and Xavier and did some fun little designs.

6. When finished put your tray in the freezer to harden.

7. Once hard peel off paper or silpat slowly and decorate cakes and cupcakes as you wish!! Just be careful they are fragile.

Restaurant week is over but that doesn't mean...

That I stop eating!!! haha. So just so you guys know this blog is not turning into a food critic blog it is just all I have time for right now. I swear once gardening starts and the spring and summer are in full spring there will be way more foodie/crafter/gardening fun to look forward too.

Today I went to the new Wagamama that just opened in the Prudential Center in Boston, MA. I had just seriously walked up and down the two parallel streets trying to decide what I wanted to eat. I finally went into the Prudential deciding on the Cheesecake Factory when I walked by the new restaurant so I decided to try that in stead. Wagamama specializes in noodle dishes, but also serves asian beer, wine, sake, smoothies, rice and dessert. Here were my findings.

Wagamama, Boston, MA Prudential Center

Entree: Chicken Chili Men***

~Portion was great, had a lot of noodles, vegetables and chicken.

~Noodles were cooked and topped with a chili sauce made with chiles, lemongrass, ginger, chili paste, garlic and tomato. Chicken and veggies were added to the sauce.

~Good flavor, nice and spicy like I like it.

~Not completely what I expected.

Customer Service: Good ***

~Restaurant is cafeteria style with long tables so you have to sit sort of cramped which stinks when your there during the lunch rush.

~You do not have an assigned server everyone is just all over the place and you get asked the same questions a lot it was not organized at all.

~My order took a long time to come out I saw two people come after me and leave before me.

~There was a mess up on my check so it took a while for that to come back as well.

~ Not very good communication

~Yet, even through all the turmoil the people were nice.

Restaurant Appearance: ***

~The restaurant has cafeteria style tables, so they are long tables with separate benches and it can be cramped. (especially if you are there during lunch rush like I was)

~ A lot of white, white mats, white walls, white kitchen.

~Modern appeal, open kitchen

~Loved that you got to eat with chopsticks

~Glass front lets you see out into the prudential center

Overall I would give Wagamama ***

It was too unorganized and crazy for me. I like going to a restaurant knowing who my

server is and that is that. I did not love being asked the same thing numerous times. The servers

were very nice and accomodating it was just to crazy for me. My food was good and I would definitely

go back for take-out, especially for $12. And I would eventually try the ginger cheesecake. Just and fyi there is only a half

a plate of food in my picture because I waited so long for my food I was starving and couldn't wait

to take the picture.

Restaurant review #3 Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Boston, MA

This past wednesday was my 3rd and last restaurant week reservation. A friend Colin and I went to Ruth Chris Steak House, in Old City Hall, Boston. The building was the original city hall in Boston and still houses many offices in the back and higher floors of the building as well as the city's first money vault. Ruth Chris is located on the first and basement floors of the building and has beautiful windows and nostalgic decor.

Don't forget this is for restaurant week so I got a three course meal for $20.09 (exlcuding taxes and drinks)

Just as reminder I will rate the meal, the service, restaurant appearance and overall with *'s. One * being the worst and five * being the best. An always remember I am not a professional critic, just a professional eater/foodie!

Ruth Chris Steakhouse, Boston, MA

Appetizer: Steakhouse Salad ****

~Generous portion for an appetizer

~Great house dressing

~Very fresh ingredients and crisp greens

~Slightly overdressed

*Colin got the Seafood Gumbo which came in a cup size and he noted was delicious.

Entree: 6 oz Filet Mignon ***** with Garlic Mashed Potatoes ****

~Though it may not be foodie like I get all my meat cooked well done and this was perfectly cooked, unbutterflied.

~Still extremely juicy even with the temperature it was cooked too.

~Came out on a 500 degree plate which kept everything nice and warm and gave steak a nice sear.

~Mashed potatoes were very smooth and  buttery, but maybe a little too buttery, definitely delicious when mopping up the meat juices!

~Filet was definitely one of the better steaks I have had.

Dessert: Chocolate mousse in a chocolate cup and berries with cream****

~Chocolate mousse was smooth and had nice texture.

~Mousse was not very chocolatey? (is that a word? hehe)

~Berries were in a cup with a creme anglaise type sauce and were delicous

~Presentation could have been nicer

~Nice end to the heavy meal

Restaurant Appearance*****

~Very nice dark wood atmosphere

~Sort of colonial and historical

~Nice nostalgic feel

~When going to the downstairs dining room (which is one of three) you walk by the old city hall vault which was pretty cool.

~Very clean

Customer Service Great ****

~Everyone was very friendly

~Waited a bit before our order was taken.

~Did not exceed expectations.

~All food came out hot and in a timely manner

~Server was personable

Overall I would give Ruth Chris Steakhouse ****

I really enjoyed my time at Ruth Chris, the food was unbelievable and the bargain for restaurant week was crazy. It has to be the best deal going. I was a little disappointed with dessert and as the service definitely was no where near bad it just could have been a little better. Colin, got a 12 oz ribeye for his entree and it was enormous all with appetizer and dessert for $20. I would definitely recommend Ruth Chris Steakhouse during or after restaurant week. I was looking at the rest of their menu and though it was a little on the pricey side ($39 for a filet mignon and $88 for a twin porterhouse) the food is worth it.

Next Restaurant week: August 2009

Restaurant review #2 Melting Pot

Thursday, I went to my second restaurant week reservation at the Melting Pot. You may think fondues are so 70's but not in this modern day, high end restaurant. No more bunson burners or sternos lighting the fondue pot thats sits on a stand. These pots are heated on top of induction burners built right into the table. 

Just as an fyi we opted out of the entree portion of this meal. I have been to the Melting Pot before (so this is not part of my 20 restaurant for the year) and I definitely did not love that the meat gets brought out to you raw, on a plate and with two forks to dip and cook with. This really was a personal preference. There is  nothing wrong with bringing cold meat out and letting it sit out for an hour or so. Meat is actually usually left out at room temperature for a bit before cooking so it doesn't shock the meat. I just don't love the idea and plus cheese and chocolate is usually enough for me :)

The Melting Pot, Boston, MA

Appetizer: Traditional Cheese Fondue ****

~Made table side with beer, garlic, dry mustard, cheddar and swiss cheese.

~Great cheesy flavor just a tiny beer flavor in the background

~When we got toward end of cheese it started to get a little crusty and over cooked.

~Love the apple and bread dippers

~Wish they would cook the vegetable dippers before bringing them out

Dessert: Smore Chocolate Fondue *****

~Made table side with a shot of 151 (flambeed), milk chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers yum!

~The dippers are amazing and include, strawberries, bananas, marshmallows dipped in oreos and graham crackers, cheesecake, pound cake, brownies and rice krispie treats.

~Additional small plate of dippers are free as long as you don't mind not having extra cheesecake

~When you go for dinner, and not for restaurant week the dipper plate is over double the size (and the price)

Restaurant Appearance: Upscale casual *****

~Very clean restaurant and bathrooms

~Nice modern sleek look

~Awesome wine selection shown very elegantly around the restaurant

~Love the induction burners in the table

~Fun fondue plates and forks

Customer Service: Good ***

~Server was nice, but not over personable.

~Got our food to us in a timely manner (which is great considering your meal at the melting pot usually runs about 4 hours)

~Brought us wrong dessert at first, but was more than willing to fix it and very timely.

~Seemed disappointed we didn't order cocktails or wine.

~Warmed up toward the middle-end of lunch

Overall I would give Melting Pot ****

The restaurant was very clean and enjoyable to sit and eat in. Service could have been a little better, it kind of seemed like everyone who worked there hated their jobs. Downside on the Melting Pot is if you go for a three or even two course meal especially for dinner you better not be hungry when you get there because the meal usually spans from 1.5-3 hours and you will develop hunger while waiting and in between courses. I myself would go back to The Melting Pot any day of the week for the chocolate fondue! As you all know chocolate is my weakness and this is so good. I feel like for dinner it's just a lot of work and a lot of time. If I were to go out on a Friday night with some girlfriends it would be great for dessert and cocktails in a hip atmosphere. Just remember dinner you usually need a reservation. 

Next Up: Ruth Chris Steakhouse

Restaurant Review #1 Top of the Hub

Yesterday was the first day of restaurant week. I went to the highest point restaurant in boston, Top of the Hub!!! I had never been so I took one of my friends from Culinary school and we tore it up, and be tearing it up I mean ate our faces off.

The way I will rate each course is by *,  1 * being the worst and 5 * being the best. I will also comment on the course afterwards. At the end I will comment about restaurant appearance and service. Just remember I am not a professional food critic. I am just a foodie!

Restaurant week offers a 3 course pre fixe menu for $20.09 for lunch and $33.09 for dinner. A new addition to this restaurant week is a 2 course menu for $15.09, but really I look forward to the dessert so I did not opt for that.

Top of the Hub

Appetizer: Roasted Potato Soup *****

~ Came out extremely hot. (Love that!)

~ Not to thick or heavy, it was perfectly nape with a very nice smooth consistency.

~ Nice roasted flavor

Entree: Roasted Lemon Chicken with sweet potato puree and cranberry gastrique ****

~ Beautiful presentation

~ Chicken was perfectly cooked

~ Very small portion of chicken (I understand it was for restaurant week but it was tiny)

~ It took everything Gina and I had not to lick the sweet potatoes and cranberry gastrique off the plate in the very high end restaurant.

~ Sweet potatoes were very smooth and velvety

Dessert: Creme Brulee *** and Honey Yogurt Parfait ***

~ Gorgeous presentation

~ Both desserts had great texture

~ Creme brulee "brulee crust" was not very hard. Did not have the usually "crack" when you go to take a bite.

~ Creme brulee looked like it was starting to seperate.

~ Honey yogurt parfait had good flavor but the butter cookie in between layer was a little too buttery.

~ Passionfruit, raspberry and lemon sauce for parfait were delicious

Restaurant Appearance: High end *****

~ Best view from a restaurant in Boston.

~ Extremely clean, modern look.

~ 360 view of the city

~ Very nice dark bar

~ Huge wine selection displayed in very sleek organized wine closets

~ Piano on one corner of restaurant

Customer Service: Perfect *****

~ Drinks were refilled often

~ Server was extremely friendly and knew his menu with detail

~ Our seats were pulled out for us when we got there and napkins put on our lap

~ Table was kept cleared off, no clutter

~ Courses came out after we were finished with previous course and all came out hot and fresh.

Overall I would give Top of the Hub ****

The place was beautiful, the service was amazing. I am just not sure I would go back there if it wasn't restaurant week. The average check per person is above $50 on any regular day and I am not so sure the food is worth that. I would definitely recommend the Top of the Hub it is definitely a Boston must see.

Next Up: The Melting Pot!

things to do during economic crisis!

So, as you all know the country is going to shit. I have all faith in Obama and his many plans but its gonna get shittier before it gets better. So first hand having to deal with economic hardship I have come up with a couple ideas to get by during the these hard times.

1. Cook a large piece of meat and make different meals from it all week. I cooked a turkey today, ill eat it with gravy today, as pot pie tomorrow maybe a sandwich on wednesday! So many possibilities. And most large cuts of not so tender meat like pork butt or beef chuck are inexpensive and lend them selves very well to roasting.

2. Space heaters! Oil and gas are rediculously priced and I know I can barely afford it. I am not saying to completely stop using your heat, you can not, your pipes will freeze. But, keeping your heat low saves you money and new space heaters are energy efficient so they wont run your electric bill up to much!

3. Exercise. It's free. It makes you feel good. It get's you in shape! Hurray!

4. Cous cous is one of earth's greatest gifts in my eye! Most cous cous has anywhere from 5-9g of protein per 1/3 cup serving and costs less than like $.75/serving. Cous cous takes 5 min to make and literally takes on the flavor of anything you mix in it. I usually cook my cous cous in chicken stock and then add lime zest, cilantro and a lil soy sauce at the end. Sometimes I even get bold and add frozen veggies yum!

5. Go to the red box. Red boxes are popping up all over the country and are great. You can rent a movie for $1 a night. (plus tax where applicable) You go to the machine, pick your movie, swipe your credit card and out comes the movie. With a bottle of soda and a bag of popcorn you got a pretty cheap date night! But remember to return your movie because you get charged a dollar a day for 25 days and after that you own it!

So I hope these ideas helped a few of you! Let me know if you have any ideas!

Talk to you soon!

Theresa

Winter Restaurant Week 2009

Two of my favorite times are year are mid march and august when Boston holds its semi-annual restaurant week. There are anywhere between probably 70-100 restaurants that participate with a pre-fixe menu. A 2 course lunch is around $15.oo, a 3 course lunch is around $20 and a 3 course dinner is $33. This is a steal!!! Most of these restaurants don't sell one dish regularly for under $30. This year I have a few places on my list. All for lunch, the Marliave, The Melting Pot and Top of the Hub. I have been to the melting pot before but never to the other two so when I go I will be sure to write a review on them! It's a dent on my new year's resolution to try 20 new restaurants. I hope all is well with you fellow foodies and crafters. I haven't done a whole lot of either lately due to the fact that I am getting over a sinus infection so hopefully these reviews will get me going again! Well everyone I will be chatting with you soon!

My first fun day at culinary school

This past wednesday was my first fun day at school. yes, i had to repeat baking because I missed to many classes because my lazy ass is forgetful and cant wake up, but it almost seemed worth it when wednesday we got to decorate cakes. we made buttercream to frost them but i want to do something different. so i decided to bring in some fondant and some of my fun (good quality) food coloring. Fondant is a sugar paste used to decorate cakes. You can cut it into shapes, you can mold it into flowers, you can color it any color. It is pretty cool stuff. To dye your fondant I suggest going out and buying the more pasty food coloring in the little jar not the liquid stuff you buy in the spice aisle. It just makes a mess and runs all over the place and the color never gets as intense as you would like. You just use a toothpick to put a couple drops on your white fondant and knead until color is combined. Add more color if you would like it more vibrant. Seriously, I Had a blast decorating my cake. I left a picture for you guys. I will definitely be in touch soon with more crafty ideas!!!

Chocolate Truffles and more...

After school yesterday I passed my stop on the train and went to Newburyport to meet up with my friend/foodie Breyanne. We first went to an Indian restaurant called Mr. Indian. It was awesome, we had the lunch buffet and I ate lemon rice, chicken makala, green salad and stir fried veggies. It was awesome. We then headed into downtown where we went to a small kitchen/ coffee shop where she had gotten me a gift card. Its called Souffle's and the sign outside has a whisk on it, really i knew this was going to be a good place. When you go in there's a window shelf with a bunch of gadgets in glass jars and across from the door is a cafe counter. As you head toward the back there are larger kitchen items, a million cookie cutters (you know I took advantage of those) and awesome aprons and dish towels. I didn't use all of my gift card so I will definitely be heading back and I will take pictures when I do. After souffles we went to a yarn shop. I believe it was called "A loom with a view" We went in to see if they had knitting classes and it just so happened they just started free beginners classes on Sat morning. We are so hitting that up soon. On the way back to the car we went to Ballotin's. And oh my gosh, you walk into this small blue room where to your right are shelves of gourmet chocolate bars and coffee/tea (including Vosques, you know the bacon chocolate bar!!!! I bought one in Vegas, fell in love and thought I would never have it again!) then in front of you is a cafe counter and to the left, oh you guessed it, the chocolate truffles!! These chocolates are reminiscent of chocolates in a fancy new york chocolate shop or something you see on the food network. They had beautiful designs and unique flavors. The chocolates were $2.10 a piece. I bought a box of four including raspberry, passion fruit, mango and grand marnier. I also got some delicious herbal tea. (decaf of course) I was definitely skeptical of these $2 truffles but when I got home, made myself a cup of tea and had the raspberry truffle, i felt like I had just melted into a chocolate heaven. I ate the 1 inch piece in 5 bites just to get the most out of it. Needless to say, I will be going back. I need to figure out how to do that. I have a couple days off next week so I decided I would try to work with some sugar and chocolate, I will let you know how I do. I will enclose a pic of the remaining two truffles I have ( i couldnt help myself on the other ones) 

Gettin ready for spring.

We all know that fall is my favorite season, but spring is a close 2nd. Over the past few years I have been learning a little bit about gardening and have had a small porch garden to place grow my pickins. But now, I have a yard! I am hoping my landlords (who are super nice) will give me a little piece of real estate to actually grow a real garden. For christmas I got Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver. It's his latest cookbook and it showcases the freshest ingredients that he gets inspiration from in his huge rustic garden. In it are tips and websites of where he got his seeds. I can not wait to get going. I want to grow lettuces, herbs (culantro being one them.), tomatoes, peppers, chili peppers, beans, garlic, oh man the list goes on. I dream of Jamie Oliver's garden of which I am so jealous and hope someday when I am rich and probably retired will be able to have. It's really funny because I am a city girl with a country heart. I love my foofy meals and designer clothes but I also love to sit in my pjs with a plate of mac and cheese and get dirty in the garden when ever possible. The spring can not come soon enough! If you have any tips for me please let me know!

A new year, a new start.

I am declaring that 2009 will be the best fucking year ever, no matter what. I have a few new years resolutions that I definitely hope to fulfill. Here they are: (In no particular order)

1. Blog more (i am sorry I haven't been an avid blogger)

2. Craft more (i loved crafting all my xmas presents and hope to learn more)

3. Learn to sculpt with chocolate and sugar

4. Finish school with a 3.5

5. Not be scared of everything

6. Get a friendship cupcake tattoo

7. Finish my cookbook

8. Listen more

9. Sing more

10. Live for the moment more

11. Eat healthier

12. Work out

13. Meet new people

14. Try atleast 20 new restaurants

15. Be happier

I promise to try and blog more with my up and coming ideas. Ill definitely let  you in on my healthier life style with tips and recipes and some kick ass crafts. I'll talk to you soon!