Menton

The food and wine at Menton, Chef Barbara Lynch's prix fix fine dining restaurant in Fort Point Channel, is one of the most expensive meals in the city, and it is exquisite. I went during their unofficial restaurant week which made this splurge worthy destination affordable. (Though still expensive!) Chef de Cuisine and Top Chef Season 10 winner Kristen Kish puts out first rate dishes with a stunning presentation and flavor profiles beyond expectation.

corn madeleines topped with caviar | caramelized onion and goat cheese macarons

glass of champagne |  croissants with a touch of honey
onsen egg | squash, zucchini, radish

dèlice de bourgogne cappellacci | radish and apricot broth

chocolate parfait | coffee, banana, popcorn

miniature macarons | basil, corn, earl grey, and berry

petit fours | caramels, cookie dough truffles, mini cakes with dollops of jam

Menton
354 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210

Forum | Back Bay

Forum Bar & Restaurant was one of the business on Boylston Street most affected by the tragic Boston Marathon bombings back in April. After months of hard work and painstaking renovations they reopened in August with a polished and classy interior, a new chef, and a terrific new food and drink menu. Recently they hosted a media dinner where the new menu offerings were showcased in their intimate upstairs dining room.

I started the evening with a classic Sazerac which warmed me right up on what was the first chilly evening in late October. Friends order some of their signature fall cocktails - sips of the Cranberry Cobbler and the Pumpkin Sangria are comforting and not overly sweet. 

The bar bites menu offers a variety of flavorful dishes; my favorites are the cauliflower and white bean hummus with grilled sourdough bread and the bacon wrapped shrimp with soy ginger dipping sauce. Next comes the indulgent streak+cheese spring rolls and crispy crab fritters served with an Old Bay tartar sauce. From the appetizers menu a huge bowl of sauteed mussels grace us, they are outshined in this instance by the more exciting predecessors.

Mini portions of the braised wild boar pappardelle are enjoyed around the table; concluded as a very worthy contender for an entrée choice. The 8oz bone marrow encrusted filet ($36) with a red wine demi glace would be worth the splurge, the tender meat is enhanced by the rich, buttery, slightly sweet marrow with a delicately crisped breadcrumb crust.

There are desserts, too! A flourless milk chocolate torte with preserved cherries, spiced chocolate crumble and toasted marshmallow, a rather forgettable oreo semmifredo, a triple chocolate mousse martini, some southern style fried peach pies with salted caramel sauce and finally, a lovely banana crepe cake with peanut butter mousse, mango butterscotch and pb&j ice cream.

It is wonderful to see these guys up and running. Welcome back, Forum

chow thai

A glance at our favorite Thai takeout in Charlestown. {What would I do without them?!} Yum!

good stuff.

Lately I have been taking advantage of the product samples offered to me as a result of keeping up with this little blog. The folks as Applegate sent me what was an entire summers worth of organic hot dogs - grass fed beef as well as pork and beef. I am impressed with the company mantra overall ensuring these dogs are a quality product. It was incredibly generous the amount they sent me, so I also passed along the product to friends and family who seemed to really enjoy them, too!

Bai 5 is a low cal, all natural, antioxidant infusion made from the outer fruit shell of a coffee bean. While not my ideal juice drink (only 5% juice) I can certainly understand the appeal. It was fun to sample all the uniquely named flavors like malawi mango, panama peach and brasilia blueberry. My favorite was definitely the Molokai coconut. 

Now for the real good stuff.  The Naked Grape delivered me some boxed wine the other day! Getting a box of wine in the mail? Score. Their Pinot Grigio is a delicious blend which also contains gewürztraminer, viognier and Riesling. It is light bodied and crisp with aromas of lemon, pear and honey. The 3 liter box retails for about $20 and keeps the wine fresh four weeks after opening. The box is also available for their Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir which I am looking forward to tasting in the future.

*All products were complimentary*