BoMA

The other night, I got to check out BoMA, one of the newer restaurants to join the crowd on Washington Street in the South End. It emits a casual vibe with lengthy exposed brick walls, heavy wood paneling and soft gray booths. Potted plants, funky firecracker light fixtures, and tall open windows that overlook the street add a little character to liven up the dark elements of the space. The scene is rather subdued at 7pm on a Wednesday evening, a few tables are having dinner and there's a small crowd at the bar. My sister and I settle in at a high top near the front of the room and start with some cocktails (all $12). The BoMA's Delight - cucumber vodka, muddled basil, agave, lime juice and soda, and the Fresa Fizz - tequila, elderflower liqueur and prosecco with muddled basil and strawberries, come served in fun goblets and both are refreshing, sweet and fizzy.

BoMA opened in November 2012 in the space which formerly housed Pho Rebublique and Bombay Club, and has recently acquired a new executive chef - Ryan Kelly, who trained under Ken Oringer at Clio, spent time at Foundry on Elm and Canary Square, and most recently opened Tonic in Jamaica Plain. 

With his inaugural spring menu placing an emphasis on local seafood, we didn't hesitate to start with the Tuna Tartare ($14) featuring Atlantic Tuna with house soy vinaigrette served in a crispy fried wonton. With so many elements on the plate including a gorgeous aji amarillo sauce sprinkled with tobiko, pickled vegetables, avocado mousse, and even a quail egg nestled on top, I was impressed how well everything came together without overpowering one another. Each ingredient truly served to highlight the fresh fish.

Next we ordered glass of Pratsch, Gruner Ventliner ($11); I'm always happy to see a Gruner offered by the glass, and it paired nicely with our seafood entrees. The Day Boat Scallops ($25) came perfectly seared and springy, accompanied by a playful take on confit daikon radishes (you could easily mistake the radish for a scallop, but look closely at the texture and you'd realize what was what). Topped with grapefruit wedges and candied zest over a sweet parsnip puree laced with balsamic, the many elements, once again, worked to create a harmonious pairing. This was a really outstanding entree. My sisters Mahi ($25) was equally fantastic, over a somewhat overwhelmingly large bed of lemon and mint couscous, topped with pickled mustard seed and a warm mango, pineapple and pomegranate seed chutney, with a pomegranate juice reduction.

As we glanced over the desserts, nothing seemed to strike a chord or felt in line with the rest of the menu. It seemed to be lacking in creativity or inspiration. We went with the Creme Brulee anyways alongside some strong Cappuccino Martinis. Chef delivers us our dessert, admitting this is the part of the menu that's not quite up to par as they work to replace the pastry chef. (Now it makes sense!) Regardless, all of our food was terrific and while there's certainly some stiff competition throughout the neighborhood (especially right next door with The Gallows and now Boston Chops in the mix) hopefully BoMA can draw the crowds it seems to so deserve (and will certainly need to outlast its predecessors!)

 

*this meal was complimentary, all opinions are my own.

Taco Bar | Jaco

In Jacó, Costa Rica our friends were excited to take us to the Taco Bar. Designed to feel like a jungle hut with lush green palms and rope swing seats, it apparently does not fly under the radar as evidenced by the tour bus that pulled up right behind us. However, there were definitely some local families filling the swings too. Fish tacos are their specialty, choose from snapper, dorado (mahi mahi) or tuna in addition to the traditional options of shrimp, chicken or beef. Prepared to order with the seasoning blends of your choice - choose spicy or mild and then pick from cilantro or shaved coconut, for example. Then, go to town at the unlimited toppings and salad bar! The pico de gallo, pesto rotini and fingerling potato salads were very fresh and flavorful. There is an array of rice, beans, local salsas, hot sauces, sautéed onions and whole jalapenos to name what feels like a few. Their fruit smoothies and and frozen lemongrass drinks are top notch. I had a refreshing and not-too-sweet papaya banana smoothie. You get a lot of food for not a lot of money, which is typical of anywhere we ate in Jacó. I was impressed.

TacoBar

Jaco Walk Shopping Center

Provincia de Puntarenas 

Jacó, 61101, Costa Rica

Playa Jacó

Nestled deep in tropical Centro America, bordered by Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South lies the exquisite country of Costa Rica, which meaningfully translates to "Rich Coast". The unofficial national slogan Pura Vida or Pure Life embodies the nature of its gorgeous landscape and kind-hearted people to a tee. A funky little Pacific surf town with a wide stretching volcanic black sand beach called Jacó (pronounced haco, rhymes with taco) is where we spent most of our days: outsmarting the waves, exploring the shores and hunting down the shaved ice cart. 

The ocean defies expectations - swells are fierce yet the temperature is incredibly warm; swimming (and our water sport of choice: boogie boarding) is an adrenaline rush and a comfort at the same time. Flanked by intense lime green palm trees and beachfront bars, dotted with rocks and driftwood; daily beach walks lend treasures abound, while venturing to the outer edges leads to hiking through strong current inlets and around fascinating volcanic rock formations. Colorful iguanas and lizards also make an appearance at the beach!

The main strip of downtown Jacó located just a block off the beach is a mecca of kitschy tourist huts meets laid back surf shops. Fantastic restaurants and plenty of tour-guide agencies are here at your disposal. Downtown at night makes no apologies (prostitution is legal, someone might offer to sell you drugs), yes, Jacó has a well deserved reputation as a party town. Don't mistake that for lack of charm, as common sense will dictate, that type of scene isn't hard to avoid despite its presence. Oh and speaking of nighttime, the sunsets are incredible. 

The food in Jacó was always delicious and incredibly inexpensive. From the eclectic must-visit TacoBar, to authentic lunches at Soda Jaco Rustico, to dinners at Tsunami Sushi and Mono Verde, every type of restaurant stands to impress. We even had a traditional Thanksgiving feast at Lemon Zest. Fish is abundant and fresh caught - from Corvina (Sea Bass) and Dorado (Mahi Mahi) to Atun (Tuna), you will find ceviche offered on almost every menu, along with hearty grilled or fried entrée portions. The country offers a wealth of tropical fruits - impeccably ripe and juicy mangoes, pineapple and bananas were the best I've had. Starfruit is also common, mostly as a drink garnish! Guacamole was prepared with large, ripe aguacate (avocado) at our condo on a regular basis, usually consumed alongside an Imperial, the official beer of Costa Rica. 

As to be expected, lots more on the adventures and restaurants to come! 

sanibel & captiva

Last week, I took a vacation that went a little something like this: serene moments on the beach where a piercing hot sun and soft white sand leave you wanting for nothing but the respite of a dip in the gulf of mexico. Relaxing under a canopy of palm trees as a great blue heron and egrets frolic along the shore. Beautiful sunsets and tropical drinks followed by fresh grilled mahi mahi and crispy coconut gulf shrimp. Girlfriends who make the quiet island nights come alive. And more importantly, who make time for each other year after year as we get older and life gets even more hectic.