A Delicious Journey

In honor of year end I recapped my favorite Boston eats. I ate a number of amazing meals outside my city this year and it is only fair that they be showcased in all their deliciousness. I love to travel be it near, far or home to Cape Cod and great food most definitely makes the journey. 

Breakfast Faves: Fueling up on hearty fare and huge portions for the adventures that lie ahead in your travels is key. From the thick slices of Banana Bread French Toast in Colorado, to Huervos Rancheros piled high with guac, sour cream and salsa in Vermont, there was no shortage of good breakfast eats on the road. Boulder, Colorado: Two Step | The Buff Restaurant Rochester, Vermont: Rancheros Vermonter | Rochester Country Restaurant

Walt Disney World, Florida: Tonga Toast | Kona Cafe, Polynesian Resort

Dennis, Cape Cod, MA: 2 eggs over medium, homefries, white toast, apple sausage | The Red Cottage

Lunch Faves: Mid-day meals on the go impressed in the form of hearty sandwiches with fresh ingredients and hot dogs overflowing with bold toppings. Portsmouth, NH: black bean hummus, avocado, cucumber and sprouts sandwich | Ceres Street Bakery

Rochester, Vermont: Apple Cheddar Sandwich | Sandy's Books & Bakery

Sanibel Island, Florida: Chigaco Dog "The Capone" | Schnapper's HotsA Chargrilled dog with mustard, sweet relish, chopped sweet onions, cucumber slices, tomato slices, sport peppers, and celery salt proved one of the best hot dogs of my life.

Best Tacos: Guys I just really love Tacos!

Winner: Garlicky Griddled Shrimp Soft Tacos | Centro | Boulder, Colorado

Centro Latin Kitchen and Refreshment Palace piled 'em high with pickled red onions, green peppers, fresh shredded and grated cheese, radishes, jalapenos and lemon aioli. Then they served them with dueling rows of achiote rice, black bean refritos and house made sour cream.

Runner Up: Catch of the Day Mahi Mahi Tacos | Agave | Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Agave Mexican Bistro gives you not two but three soft shells with tomato, cabbage, cheese and pico de gallo. On the side a homemade habanero mayonnaise sauce and a seriously hot chipoltle sauce. The traditional heaping portions of Mexican rice and refried beans coated in melted cheese completed the meal.

Second Runner Up: Fried Fish Tacos | Finz | Salem, MA

Best Salad: Traveling 1, 775 miles west to Boulder, Colorado I ate an amazing combination of handpicked leafy greens, sweet dried cherries, tart granny smith apples, crumbled haystack chevre cheese and macadamia nuts drizzled in a sherry vinaigrette. Handpicked lettuce is sure to win me over! And - just North of the city in Salem, Massachusetts I was captivated by golden crispy squares of warm, lightly fried Brie cheese with crisp gala apple slices and crunchy walnuts over a bed of mixed greens. 

Winner: Miners Lettuce Salad | Jax Fish House | Boulder, Colorado
Runner Up: Fried Brie Salad | Rockafellas | Salem, MA
Best Appetizer Featuring Seafood: Mainly Oysters Rockefeller, but some shrimp and scallops too. These fresh briny shellfish topped with warm buttery sauces, crispy bacon and sharp cheeses satisfy in the heat of a Cape Cod summer or in the middle of a Colorado winter.

Winner: Seafood Sampler | The Yarmouth House | West Yarmouth, Cape Cod, MA

Bacon Wrapped Scallop, Grilled Garlic Shrimp over polenta and Oysters Rockefeller.

Runner Up: Oysters Rockefeller | Jax Fishouse | Boulder, Colorado

These featured bacon, pine nuts, spinach, pernod, asiago, and breadcrumbs.

Best Sushi/Maki Rolls: I do realize I completely neglected this category in my Boston Eats, but the honest truth is I didn't eat enough great sushi in the city this year. I had some worthy experiences but on the other hand I had some less than thrilling. Mediocre sushi does not an award category make. (To visit in 2011 list includes: OYA and Oishii. I'm saving my pennies!) In my hometown of Yarmouth Port, behold the greatness of Inaho, sweeping this category by default.

Double Dragon Roll | Tuna & Avocado Maki with Spicy Mayo, Tempura Flakes, Fish Roe

Unagi | Eel

Tuna Sampler | Toro, Albacore & Ceviche

Orange Dragon | Salmon & Avocado Maki w/ Spicy Mayo, Tempura Flakes, Fish Roe

Memorable Entrees: Two great dishes - Halibut and Filet Mignon, both on weekend road trips to my favorite state!

Norwich, Vermont: Fennel Pollen Crusted Halibut | Carpenter & Main Delicate flaky fish yielding a barely there crust with a dusting of fennel pollen, served with sauteed spinach, fennel, carrots & a roasted tomato saffron broth; this entrée was flavorful, soothing and aromatic. Rochester, Vermont: Petit Filet | The Huntington HouseThe perfectly cooked fillet was complemented by a large earthy portabello mushroom top and melty blue cheese crumbles, along with zucchini and mashed potatoes!

Dessert Faves: A category I should dedicate an entire post to for Boston one of these days. While on vacation I tended to favor dessert in liquid form. (Odd, right? ;)) But as luck would have it, I found some legit dessert dishes to drool over outside city limits. Captiva Island, Florida: Homemade Award Winning Key Lime Pie | Key Lime BistroA restaurant named Key Lime Bistro better have the best damn key lime pie I've ever tasted. Yes, they do! Norwich, Vermont: Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Oven Roasted Nectarines and Brown Sugar Cookie | Carpenter & MainYarmouth Port, MA: Flourless Chocolate Cake | InahoSilver Plume, Colorado: Naughty Bar | Sopp & Truscott Bakery

Here's to a 2011 full of New England road trips and hopefully more vacationing that requires airplane travel. Thanks for sharing in my journey of great eats! 

Cousin x Cousin

We did way too much to capture it all in one post as long weekends tend to go. Picking up right where we left off on Saturday morning - Carly, Cassie and I awoke with a craving for iced coffee and Bloody Marys. It was Boston Common Coffee Co. to the rescue for craving number one.Among our Salem Street travels Neptune Oyster merely provided a photo op background. (But if you are passing through and able to score a table or a seat at the bar, I'd recommend it!) We had other plans that included meeting up with Leah and checking in at The Liberty Hotel. I have spent some time at the historic Charles Street Jail turned 5-star luxury hotel since its opening in September 2007 but never actually spent the night. Celebrations such as a bachelorette party are deemed worthy for booking a hotel less than a mile from where you live, especially when this hotel happens to be an architectural wonder where classic history meets contemporary travel. Even if you don't stay here, this hotel is a great spot to visit for locals and tourists alike. Entering into a commanding granite building, up a small escalator you are greeted by a stunning 90 foot octagonal atrium that features a vibrant scene with rich hues of purple and maroon complimented by soft creams and bold whites. The lobby with a breathtaking catwalk rotunda and adjoining bars Clink and Alibi showcase modern décor of sophisticated couches and banquettes, regal leather chairs, mahogany tables and granite counter tops amongst preserved wrought iron jail cell facades. Magnificent Christmas trees hang upside down from the ceiling capturing the spirit of the holidays. We were offered complimentary glasses of champagne (yes, please) at the reception upon check in before making our way to room 1512. The 15th floor view of The Charles River and surrounding city scape: Craving number two as previously mentioned was satisfied and then some at Clink's extensive make-your-own bloody mary bar. A round two-tiered table next to an expansive light filled window offered every kind of hot sauce and garnish imaginable. Celery, olives, horseradish all obvious choices, but followed up with jalapeno cheese and mini shrimp cocktail now that is what I'm talking about! There is an impressive selection of salt and pepper to boot.The Liberty Bar distinguishes itself from Clink. It is located right next door to Clink in the lobby and not in an actual restaurant space. We enjoyed our drinks here and the company of Mitch the bartender. The Liberty Bar offers a bar bites menu. We munched on Skinny Fries with harissa aioli and Crispy Chicken Skewers with black pepper and lime.Back in 1512.....I relaxed in the plush down comforter and pillows with the tranquility station on the TV, followed by an invigorating shower with earthy scented bath products. That night we Red Line-d it over to Central Square for dinner at Cuchi Cuchi. (They do not take reservations on Friday or Saturday nights). My readers, my friends, you know me well enough by now to know, I'm never the first to leave a party. I pride myself on being able to hang, to keep the good times rolling long after last call, and I rarely encounter a hangover a Bloody Mary or greasy french fries can't cure. It pained my heart that I wasn't able to get it together long enough to stop vomiting in the bathroom at Cuchi Cuchi. Unable to imbibe in their signature hand muddled fresh fruit and herb infused cocktails, at this point I couldn't even keep down soda water and bread.I longed to sip a Thai Basil Cocktail pictured above from at a past outing. The flashy Victorian décor, antique statues draped in beads and a bar baked by stained glass windows creates a captivating interior that all missed the camera. Glitzy and glittered to the nines are everything from the bathroom essentials to the flapper dressed waitresses. Decadent, vintage, wildly fun and funky, I knew it was a fabulous spot to celebrate Carly's last days as a single woman. As we were seated the girls ordered cocktails round two and soon began the feast on exotic international small plates. Passing up this meal and night was a sad moment. After some innocent fun out on the town at The Middle East and Beacon Hill Pub the girls returned home. Another bottle of champagne was popped and late night room service in the form of $17 Vermont cheddar cheese burgers with sweet potato fries were ordered. I held down half a burger and was incredibly thankful for that. A good nights sleep ensued!Brunch at Harvard Gardens across the street was just splendid. Eclectic American cuisine in a friendly atmosphere with breakfast cocktails hit the spot. Please note he fact that I can once again drink. And all is right in the world. In my hand would be a Peach Bellini.

The food was excellent. For Carly a Breakfast Sandwich ($9) of egg, tomato, fontina and canadian bacon with hollandaise sauce on a croissant. For Cassie a Side of Seasonal Fresh Fruit ($4) & Marble Rye Toast ($2) And pour moi Nutella and Banana Thick Cut Brioche French Toast ($11).If you caught my Best of Boston Eats in 2010 post, you know I loved this dish! I had not been to Harvard Gardens in ages so it was nice to pay them a visit and re-discover a quality Beacon Hill brunch spot. After brunch we freshened up, packed our belongings and were ready to hit the town by 11:30 or so. Hotel check out is at noon, which makes for a leisurely morning. We set off down Charles Street and meandered through the Public Gardens.I realized my cousins, Florida girls born and raised, have never experienced a frozen pond nor had they been ice skating. They've only ever visited us in the summer on Cape Cod. After we spent the afternoon shopping the entire length of Newbury Street, we were famished. Now that's a Bloody Mary ($6.50) and reasonably priced to boot, enjoyed at The Pour House located at 909 Boylston Street. The good old Pour House is a local standby with graffiti walls and a lively crowd (rowdy college kids watching football on a Sunday, check) a spot I've visited many times before whether for breakfast, lunch, dinner or cheap beers, they never disappoint. Their Bloody Marys are some of the best in town and for less expensive quality bar food I knew we'd be in good hands. For our last meal together, a serious plate of Nachos Pollo ($8.75) were inhaled. 

I would absolutely recommend any of the above spots (round one included) for impressing out of town guests! Our cousin bonding weekend truly showcased a variety of what Boston has to offer from lunching at a modern boutique hotel (Woodward @ The Ames) to spending the night in luxury at another one of Boston's finest. We were able to experience local neighborhood dive bars as well the classic Irish Pub scene. You can never go wrong with an Italian dinner in the North End and the fact that we made it out to Cambridge for a taste of international small plates in a flashy extravagant Roaring 20's spot was definitely a highlight. No matter what type of food and fun you may seek as a traveler to this great city, Boston (and Cambridge) have so much to offer! Being able to spend these days with cousins is time I will always cherish. We will be back at it in February for Carly's Wedding in West Palm Beach! I.can't.wait!