Beautiful Foods 2023

Thank you 2023 for good health and good food!

Here's to the home chefs and the dishes they prepared. 

Seared Scallops | Angel Hair Pasta, Lemon, Butter, Parsley

Pork Loaf | barbeque sauce, herb roasted potato wedges, green apple + cabbage slaw

 Lettuce Wraps | Sticky Rice, Yellow Pepper + Crispy Prosciutto

Thanksgiving Dinner!

Filet Mignon | mushrooms & asparagus in a bordelaise sauce

Christmas Dinner | Beef Tenderloin, twice baked potato, lemony brussels, homemade Caesar salad 

Mom's famous éclair ring

There will always be solace in gathering around an elegant (Simon Pearce x Target x vintage) table setting graced by a homecooked meal.

Here's to comfort,  joy and S U B S T A C K in 2024!

You can find me over there!

Farmstead Table + Parish Café x Baby Camden

Dining out with baby Camden has been a success. He's pretty chill. Above we are enjoying a night out at Legal on the Mystic in Assembly Row. I didn't take any photos of that meal but him enjoying a rare bottle and the fact that I had the photo below ;)

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Farmstead Table in Newton Center is always a wonderful choice. In their clean intimate space we dined early and Camden mostly slept. 

A classic American country kitchen presents innovative plates with the freshest of the season. It looks like I ate a gorgeous crab and avocado dish topped with radish plated to resemble a tartare, plus grilled corn & cabbage tacos with avocado, cotija cheese, a spicy aioli and dusted with fresh chives.

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Parish Café escaped the blog all these years! I love it here for sure. Camden has a backup daycare in Back Bay so we will take a stroll and find somewhere to pop in for a bite. 

Their thing is gourmet sandwiches crafted by local chefs. The Bravas from Chef Cassie Piuma of Sarma Restaurant it INSANE. A grilled sesame torta bun is slathered with sweet onion butter, then layered with prosciutto, chorizo, manchego, crispy brussels sprouts, drizzled in a grand finale of hot sauce and garlic aioli. There are some notable Boston chefs on the menu - you can't go wrong as long as you get a sandwich. The tomato bisque with a deep fried grilled cheese crouton and basil is also next level. When Camden was first old enough to eat, the Baked Mac n Cheese with gruyere, romano, monterey jack and a Ritz cracker crumble got the job done!

Legal on the Mystic

301 Great River Road

Somerville, MA 02145

Farmstead Table

71 Union St

Newton Centre, MA 02459

Parish Café

361 Boylston St

Boston, MA

Kuilima Cove + Roy's Beach House

The secluded Kuilima Cove where we spent part of our morning is just around the bend from Roy Yamaguchi's open air Beach House restaurant where we had dinner that night!

Roys Beach House @ Turtle Bay

57-091 Kamehameha Highway 

Kahuku, HI 96731

Committee | Greek Mezze

These photos marked my first time eating at Committee and there has been a second visit since for a Verizon Connect Boston event. I was really impressed on both occasions. The Greek + Mediterranean food, wine + cocktails, plus the personalized service here are a delight. The Verizon influencer event was open bar so we took advantage of the opportunity to try plenty of cocktails. The beverage program is fun, thoughtful and creative and I can say the same regarding the food. 

Tyrokafteri ($8) Florina pepper stuffed with feta and hot peppers

Brussels Sprouts ($14) petimezi roasted, halloumi, sweet potato skordalia

Crab Katafi ($16) lump crab, whipped feta, pomegranate, phyllo

Committee - a modern day Greek Ouzerie - a vibrant gathering place that I have come to frequent and enjoy!

Committee

50 Northern Ave

Boston, MA

Oak + Rowan

The next up and comer in Fort Point neighborhood is Oak + Rowan and this restaurant is something special. For an evening out with some of my favorite ladies they took such good care of us - and it was a long night fueled by multiple bottles of bubbly and lots of terrific courses.

Choose from six cocktails listed on the menu by type of alcohol: Tequila, Ginger Cider, Bourbon, Scotch, Vodka or Gin, made table-side from a fancy bar cart! I had the Bourbon -  which is a Swedish Punch with Zucca, lemon, honey + Angostura Bitters. Zucca is an Italian liquor made from rhubarb. This cocktail was on the sweeter side and proved to be a delightful apertif. 

Definitely order a cocktail here as one shaken or stirred table-side is a really fun way to start!

We were seated in a booth underneath the exposed light-bulb BWC signage which stands for Boston Wharf Company. I love the warm ambiance created in the lofty industrial warehouse space. 

We started our meal with a bread course worthy of splurging on, the Caraway Sourdough ($6) accompanied by homemade pimento cheese and salted molasses butter. This was followed by two really solid, well executed appetizer dishes, an Arctic Char "Pastrami" ($14) (not pictured) served over oat bread with smoked egg, pickled onion and kale and Pheasant Kotschoubey ($17) (above) with brussels sprouts, bacon jam and winter truffle. We also had a beautiful Duck ($32) entrée over a luscious sweet potato puree, grains, smoked pear and juniper.

A four course Pasta Tasting ($49) is offered on Thursday night only (fate!) so we had to order one for the table. Our waitress nicely paced the handmade pastas throughout our meal. The first three were unique and creative, while the fourth was a classic. All were comforting, thoughtfully prepared and delicious.

First Course: Passatelli | Brodo, Parmesan, Chive

Second Course: Garganelli | Braised Pheasant, Egg Yolk 

Third Course: Tortelli | Polenta Cheese Filling, Hazelnuts, Grape Must

Fourth Course: Lasagne | Smoked Bacon + Beef Bolognese, Arugula

The kitchen sent out a cheese course with compliments. I am so glad they did because as it turns out the cheese plates are impeccably done and not to be missed. We had Brillat Savarin Custard ($11) which is a Triple Cream from France w. honey + celerac and Bailey Hazen Blue ($9) a Blue Cheese from Vermont w. bacon jam, sourdough + port gastrique.  

Speaking of not to be missed, most of the desserts also fall into the realm of being special and alluring. One I would pass on is the Winter Citrus ($12) with grapefruit sorbet, granola, cara cara and lemongrass. Those ingredients didn't mesh so well for me. The next two were winners, though! Chocolate + Cashew ($12) offers a rich Taza Chocolate log with a quenelle of cashew mouse, mascarpone and topped with a brioche ribbon. The Yogurt Panna Cotta ($12) felt playful yet elegant with sweet and tart cherries, hibiscus sorbet, honey, pear, and a very pretty candied ice decoration that looked like a snowflake.

Oak + Rowan

321 A Street

Boston, MA 02210