On our weekend in NYC we did more than brunch and wander the funky streets in the LES. I pretty much loved everything about everywhere we went and wanted to share those spots with you guys. So without further ado....
I was excited when we showed up on Friday evening at The Mulberry Project (149 Mulberry / btwn Grand + Hester St) a subterranean speakeasy accessible via a red door beneath a Little Italy souvenir shop. It was just cold enough that the patio wasn't a comfortable option, but I loved the hidden outdoor terrace vibes. Back inside, in the dark, clubby space the bartenders sling terrific bespoke cocktails and we noshed on really good tapas! Try the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sliders ($14) with harissa spiced apple and celery root slaw and the Artichokes + Avocado Toast ($12) dusted with lemon zest, chives and pecorino.
Our next stop was The Aprés Ski Chalet @ Cafe Select (212 Lafayette St). Cafe Select itself is a charming Swiss fondue restaurant with tiny white lights blanketing the ceiling and retro fixtures like a big Rolex clock. We meandered out a door in the back, through the kitchen and into a hidden room crammed with straight skis and vintage winter paraphernalia. A little slice of aprés ski heaven in May in the big city. LOVE.
On our walk home we passed right by Schiller's Liquor Bar (131 Rivington St @ Norfolk). I recognized it from A Cup Of Joe's NYC Guide so I made us turn around for a nightcap. It's a chic french-american bistro with a bustling party vibe. I drank a terrific cocktail called Le Simone ($13) with Absolut Vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, house made ginger syrup and sparkling rosé.
The next day was complete bliss. After one of the best brunches at Russ & Daughters (127 Orchard Street / nr Delancey) and a visit to our friends-who-knew-all-the-speakeasys swanky new 19th floor pad + roofdeck on the Upper West Side, a stroll over to Central Park and napping on Great Lawn were in order. That sun felt amazing.
Dinner on Saturday was with one of Bob's college buddies and his wife at their go-to Forlini's (93 Baxter St - Chinatown). It's a classic red-sauce Italian joint circa 1943 where dishes are inexpensive and made for sharing family style. We had a Chef's Salad ($10) and Clams Casino ($12.50) before I dove into a huge platter of Rigatoni Vodka Sauce ($15.50). So classic. It hit the spot.
Sunday morning we awoke to dreariness and rain. Bob, Leah and Alex set out for their 40 mile Five Boro Bike Ride only to return home after 8 miles because it was a slow moving, crowded course and very cold. In the meantime had I cleaned the apartment, read some of this book, and enjoyed an outstanding apricot pastry ($4) and latte ($3.50) from Tiny's Giant (129 Rivington St).
Full on brunching over at The Wayland (700 E 9th Street) took place and then it was back to Boston. I must say, I felt so rejuvenated and excited after this time spent. When I travel here I am reminded how much I love this city, vying to return sooner, especially given how close it is to Boston (why do I always think it is worlds away?!) I was even reminded that New York City doesn't have to be overwhelming and utterly exhausting, it's all in how you do it. So thanks NYC for such a fun, refreshing, really great weekend!!
Among the cities most celebrated fine dining restaurants and one of my personal favorites for French cuisine that achieves the eloquent balance of being sophisticated and comforting is Mistral. 
For 15 years Mistral has been catering to crowds of longtime regulars and newcomers a like, welcoming Bostonians into a contemporary space tastefully decorated with Provencal inspired accents. On Sunday morning the restaurant is bright and airy as opposed to the dramatic low lighting that envelops during dinnertime. A handsome slate floor underfoot, rows of potted cypress trees climb towards soaring ceilings which meet sweeping yellow curtains and pale green upholstered booths. The rustic-chic bar and lounge area is empty at this hour, but the dining room is bustling. 
It was my first time here for brunch (you can read my dinner experience here. Also - I did not formally review it but they do a great job during restaurant week!) To start we were served moist crumb cakes wrapped up in a neat and tidy package with a duo of soft and creamy butters. The apple butter was definitely a nice touch. 
They offer an array of fancy breakfast cocktails and although I was a little fuzzy headed from the night before, I knew one would do me some good. The Strawberry Bellini ($10) was equal parts sweet and fizzy, laced with a juicy house made strawberry puree. It presents a fresh alternative to the same old mimosa (though you still have the option to keep it traditional.) 
My friend ordered the Graham Cracker Crusted Challah French Toast ($15) which came with vanilla poached seckel pear and mascarpone chantilly. This brunch staple can usually benefit from an inventive twist, the graham cracker crust added an extra layer of both a mildly sweet flavor and slightly crunchy texture. Additionally, the syrup presentation was rather charming in a vintage looking glass bottle. 
A skillet of hearty Lyonnaise Potatoes come with the french toast, they are tender and well seasoned laced with slightly charred red onions. I had my work cut out for me with a large skillet containing Confit of Duck and Root Vegetable Hash ($19) with three sunny side up farm fresh eggs. I though the confit was exquisite, the range of textures beautifully done where flavorful meaty bites mingle with crispy seared pieces. The root vegetables, particularly the carrots added genuine brightness necessary to offset the rich and succulent duck. The eggs were not especially runny but still gooey enough to add their ideal compliments. The roasted cherry tomatoes were a perfect finishing touch. 
Not unlike dinner, brunch at Mistral is certainly a worthy splurge, where a fanfare of Southern French inspired cuisine celebrates the region with consistently excellent food and cocktails.
223 Columbus Avenue
Boston, MA 02116
A little over a year ago a group of 12 bloggers got together at Lord Hobo for Sunday brunch. The next month that group doubled in size for a morning rendezvous at East Coast Grille. After that, the Boston Brunchers was officially launched with dedicated founder Renee Hirschberg at the helm. 
Ever the brunch enthusiast, Renee began lining up exclusive events; an intimate gathering at KO Catering & Pies followed by a grand scale buffet at Cafe Fleuri. The buzz about this community took off and one year later the success is measured by all the fantastic new and re-discovered brunching options in Boston. Brunch with this crew is always a wonderful way to begin a weekend morning, this was especially true for last Sunday's Birthday Bash held at Island Creek Oyster Bar. 
Located at The Hotel Commonwealth in Kenmore Square, the welcoming modern meets beachy ambiance is clean and bright. White and gray tones define the Oyster-centric space; the back wall is constructed entirely of their shells encased in mesh wire, met by a photograph mural of farming cages and equipment. On the opposite side, driftwood-esque weathered boards act as shutters. 
Attendees scoring tickets were treated to coffee, cocktails, breakfast pastries and a main course, in addition to receiving awesome SWAG bags containing numerous goodies from our sponsors.
I started with an effervescent libation titled McCarthy's Crossing an eye opening mix of Clear Creek Pear Brandy, spiced honey, Rose Vermouth, fresh lemon and bubbles. 
Others enjoyed Spicy Bloody Marys with house made "clamato." Tables shared baskets of Freshly Baked Pastries which included a blueberry muffin, doughnut muffin, cinnamon roll, butter croissant, raspberry coffee cake and a citrus scone. 
Sharing with my dining companions, I attempted to sample a bite of each. The raspberry coffee cake and the cinnamon roll were particularly memorable!
For my main course I chose Ethel's Lobster Roll named after the owners Grandmother. 
The fresh lobster was generously dressed in a mixture of mayo and crème fraiche laced with crunchy celery and red onion, all of it piled high onto a soft rosemary roll. 
Despite the bulkiness of the roll, the lobster meat was hard to contain. After a loosing battle I succumbed to eating my delicious lobster with a fork. 
The delicate slivers of kettle chips were nicely seasoned and crispy, the accompanying cole slaw was zesty with a light crunch. 
I normally learn towards the breakfast side of brunch, wanting to start my day with an egg centered dish, but the lobster lover in me could not pass this up! Plus, this is a restaurant know for their seafood. (Of course, oysters in particular!)
Just a few of the 40 attendees, pictured below. L to R, top row: Elina of Healthy & Sane, Bianca of Confessions of a Chocoholic, Melissa of The Foodies at Work, Michelle of Fun and Fearless in Beantown, Elizabeth of Free Food Boston; bottom row: me, Meghan of Travel Wine Dine and Megan of Delicious Dishings. 
Cheers my fellow brunchers - to a year of memorable morning meals and to delicious discoveries in the one ahead!
Hotel Commonwealth
500 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Last Tuesday I got my fix of sweet treats at yet another fantastic Finale Desserts tasting event. You may recall I attended the Craft Beer Tasting back in May and embraced the unique concept of pairing beer with pastries. This time around Nicole Cody - Finale's pastry chef extraordinaire paired five of her signature desserts with summer cocktails crafted by Tim Murphy of Horizon Beverage.
Tonight I was joined by Mindy, Megan and Emily who were just as excited to have dessert for dinner as I was. The pairings flowed from cocktails and desserts that were light, fruity, creamy and custardy to ones that were rich and decadent with flavors of coffee and chocolate.
First up - the Tropical Sunset Cocktail blends X-Rated Fusion liqueur with pineapple juice, raspberry puree and a splash of soda water. This fruity libation was paired with a light and fluffy crust free version of Cheesecake that I unexpectedly adored. If this were a competition, cocktail versus dessert, the dessert wins this round hands down. 
The Lemon Tart in a handmade sugar dough shell complimented a Wild Berry Mojito with sweet mixed berry puree, brut cava, peach schnapps and a splash of sprite. 
I wasn't the biggest fan of this mojito - perhaps because it strayed too far from a typical rum based version with muddled mint and sugar. But the tart was pretty good - I'm sensing a trend....
The third paring of a St. Germain Sparkler with with a traditional Creme Brulee was one of my overall favorites. A super sweet sip of the ever popular elderflower liqueur mixed with Nivole Moscato was balanced by a similar level of sweetness in the caramelized vanilla custard. 
The Chocolate Bliss Cocktail tasted like a grown up version of chocolate milk. The decadent blend of Godiva Caramel, Godiva Dark, Creme de Cacao and Finale Chocolate Ganache went with a classic Tiramisu, layering coffee soaked ladyfingers, rich mascarpone mousse and a dusting of Valhorona cocoa powder. 
Lastly, a rich flourless Chocolate Decadence cake was paired off with a strong blend of Svedka Vodka shaken with Godiva Dark, Kahlua and espresso for a non traditional espresso martini. 
Dessert for dinner? Definitely a good idea every once in awhile, especially when enjoyed with cocktails. 
This particular tasting will also take place on August 9th from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Finale Coolidge Corner located at 1306 Beacon Street. My tasting was complimentary since I attended as a media guest, but at only $20 per person it is an inexpensive and fun way to switch up your summer after work routine!
Our next stop was The Aprés Ski Chalet @ Cafe Select (212 Lafayette St). Cafe Select itself is a charming Swiss fondue restaurant with tiny white lights blanketing the ceiling and retro fixtures like a big Rolex clock. We meandered out a door in the back, through the kitchen and into a hidden room crammed with straight skis and vintage winter paraphernalia. A little slice of aprés ski heaven in May in the big city. LOVE. 
On our walk home we passed right by Schiller's Liquor Bar (131 Rivington St @ Norfolk). I recognized it from A Cup Of Joe's NYC Guide so I made us turn around for a nightcap. It's a chic french-american bistro with a bustling party vibe. I drank a terrific cocktail called Le Simone ($13) with Absolut Vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, house made ginger syrup and sparkling rosé. 
Full on brunching over at The Wayland (700 E 9th Street) took place and then it was back to Boston. I must say, I felt so rejuvenated and excited after this time spent. When I travel here I am reminded how much I love this city, vying to return sooner, especially given how close it is to Boston (why do I always think it is worlds away?!) I was even reminded that New York City doesn't have to be overwhelming and utterly exhausting, it's all in how you do it. So thanks NYC for such a fun, refreshing, really great weekend!!
