Melby's | Waterford, Maine

After a great weekend skiing at Sunday River with friends, we fueled up for the ride home at Melby's Market & Eatery. In the quiet and unassuming back-country town of Waterford, Maine, Melby's dishes up home cooked meals in a timeless general store meets diner-counter setting. Their homemade bread is delicious - thick-cut and fluffy it makes the perfect vessel for vegetable hash and runny eggs, or as french toast turned toad-in-a-hole. 

Melby's Market & Eatery

927 Valley Road

Waterford, ME 04088

Bar Fogo

The traditional and upscale Brazillian Churrascaria - Fogo de Chão - is located in The Westin Copley Place with an intimate bar area now offering a small menu of shareable plates. Sweeping wraparound windows that overlook Copley Square and a robust drink menu with Caipirinhas that take me back to Brazil, Bar Fogo was a welcome respite from the ice cold city streets. 

The Warm Hearts of Palm and Spinach Dip we started with was excellent, however, I was disappointed with the hard slices of crostini that came with the dip. These crostini also accompanied the Charcuterie Board, which made sense with assorted cheeses, prosciutto, salami and figs. The dip would be much better served with soft pitas or with some bread that was not overly crisp. Picanha Sirloin Sliders showcase thinly sliced house specialty picanha steak topped with chimichurri aioli, served on the famous Fogo de Chão pão de queijo bread. This bread, on the other hand, was soft and chewy, sandwiching delicate prime cuts of sirloin. Friends and I also noshed on Crispy Parmesan Polenta Fries with malagueta aioli and Grilled Beef Tenderloin Skewers with chimichurri salsa. 

Everyone enjoyed themselves, the appetizers, the cocktails and the wine. Bar Fogo offers a more casual change of pace from the high-energy restaurant; it is a good spot to keep in mind next time you're in the Copley area or are craving a warm weather inspired caipirinha! Many Thanks to Fogo de Chão for hosting all of us.

Fogo de Chão

200 Dartmouth St

Boston, MA 02216

vermont, early december

Views from the house we all stayed at near Killington: an incredible Sunday morning calmness after a highly anticipated and exciting first weekend back in the mountains. We've had a lot of memorable Vermont ski adventures this winter, and I'm looking forward to more in the Northeast, plus a trip to Revelstoke, British Columbia(!) in less than a week. This is why, despite the madness that is the city of Boston right now, Winter is still my favorite.

 

The blog has certainly been missing its classic snowy-city-street-adventures this season. (Maybe I will venture out later today! But it looks kind of mean out there.)

  

past Boston storms:

nemo's wake

 winter mix & tea juleps

still here 

winter walks

blizzard revelry 

snowpocalypse & hot toddies

  

Boston Wine Expo | Giveaway

Friends, this week I am giving away a pair of tickets to the Boston Wine Expo Sunday Grand Tasting. I attended this event for the first time last year, it's a blast! Please leave a comment telling me your favorite wine at the moment. A winner will be chosen at random on Friday and the tickets will be emailed the day before the event. 

Must be 21 to enter. These tickets are for Sunday, February 15th. Additional tickets can be purchased here. 

Update: Using Random.org, Shaun (#2) is the lucky winner. Thanks for playing!

5 Napkin Burger

5 Napkin Burger opened in Boston in March of 2011 - see my first post here. This Back Bay neighborhood spot had fallen off my radar. It was great to pay them a visit this winter at a media tasting and try some of the new menu items along with revisiting some of the classics. 

Edamame Hummus ($9.50) | miso tahini, sunflower seeds, sprouts & warm flatbread

Crispy Calamari | spicy peppers, marinara sauce

Pesto Flatbread | oven dried tomatoes

Bacon-Cheddar Burger ($15.75) | 8 oz. fresh ground beef, black label bacon, sharp cheddar, raw onion, lettuce, tomato, sesame brioche bun
Stack of Thick Cut Panko Onion Rings ($7.50) | asiago fondu

Chicken & Waffles | This was my entrée - I'm a sucker for this dish. The chicken was nicely seasoned and crispy, but there was an overwhelming amount of it. I'll happily take leftovers, but I found it hard to make my way to the waffle. Conceptually, I prefer when the chicken and waffles can strike a balance. The bourbon maple syrup was excellent and nicely tied the dish together.

Milkshakes! | We sampled: S'mores, Cookies n Cream and Salted Caramel. Do not leave 5 Napkin without trying one. These milkshakes are creamy, frothy and decadent. 

Read my friend Molly's recap of our evening on Pop.Bop.Shop.
And my friend Fiona's on A Boston Food Diary.

5 Napkin Burger
105 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115

Earls | Assembly Row

After a lazy day in Charlestown (on a weekend we were finally home!) it dawned on us that it was time to pay our new Somerville neighbor a visit. Assembly Row is pretty cool with a good vibe and a happy bustle of shoppers plus restaurant and movie goers. We ate dinner at Earls Kitchen + Bar and saw Unbroken at the AMC Theater. Earl's was PACKED with a two hour wait for the dining room. We did a lap around the bar and were about to leave before we inquired with the hostess and learned the entire bar area is first come first serve. We scored a comfy raised picnic table bench within five minutes; definitely a lucky move + a result of hovering. I couldn't believe how insanely busy this place was. 

Earl's features a global menu with modern versions of ethnic cuisine staples. Our food and cocktails were really good, and service was friendly, if not slightly absent minded. The waitress had forgot to put in our order - but at least owned up to it. We let her know we had to make a movie and she was quick with round two of drinks and to settle the check. After this excursion, I can't wait to check out more of the restaurants at Assembly!

Kung Pao Noodle Bowl ($15) | wok vegetables, garlic ginger soy, roasted peanuts, mama wong's hot sauce (terrific flavors and it was wonderfully, amazingly, SPICY!)

Dynamite Shrimp + Mango Roll ($13) | sriracha mayo, unagi maple (this was awesome.)

Bees Knees ($10) | Aviation Gin, Cointreau, honey, fresh lemon, angostura bitters (a tasty cocktail and the presentation can not be beat!)

Earls Kitchen + Bar

698 Assembly Row Unit 102

Somerville, MA 02145