Loretta's Last Call

Loretta's Last Call has been a solid addition to the Fenway neighborhood since its opening in June 2014. Offering country music lovers an authentic experience; if you're like me, chances are you've been in on one or two occasions for live music or mason jar moonshine cocktails after a Red Sox game. Cowboy boots on, jamming out to a honky-tonk band in front of the raised stage earlier this year, I sent a snapchat to my ladies with a caption "Takes me back to Nashville!". 

Similarly, the interior is evocative of a country saloon with open hardwood floors space for boot scootin', wagon wheel light fixtures, neon bulb signage, an antique jukebox and walls lined with vintage country music paraphernalia. 

It had not crossed my mind to try the food at Loretta's until they invited me in for dinner. On a Tuesday night while most of the bar partakes in a free two step lesson, my sister and I sip cold beers while noshing on all things fried, tucked into one of the black vinyl booths with an up close vantage point of the dance floor. 

Loretta's will satisfy a craving for Fried Pickles ($8), these slices are served piping hot and golden crispy in a mini cast iron pan alongside small bites of fried jalapenos, pickled okra and a chili remoulade. 

We couldn't pass up fried chicken - a true testament to Southern cuisine. Both the Buttermilk ($15) and the Hot Chicken ($16) were enjoyable renditions, although the batter was heavier and thicker than some of my favorite versions down south. Still the skin remained crispy and the meat itself was tender and juicy. The Hot Chicken came with white bread and pickles to cut the heat from the deliciously spicy cajun rub. For me, it was the perfect amount of heat that kept me going back for more instead of reaching for my water glass in between every bite. They have traditional sides to choose from - the Collard Greens and Loaded Mash are both tasty and full of flavor.

Their draft list is small and non-exciting and the aforementioned moonshine cocktails that I've tried in the past were not calling my name tonight. The bottled and caned beers are where it's at, from a robust selection I was excited to see Lone Star ($5) offered. (More southern nostalgia, this time for Austin, TX!) I also drank a 21st Amendment Fireside Chat - a seasonal winter warmer full of festive spices. 

Last but not least, I was enamored with their off menu Bacon Waffle Sundae and appreciated that the waitress made sure to tell us about it at the beginning of the meal. A sturdy and crisp on the outside, fluffy an bacon loaded on the inside waffle is capped with a dreamy house made maple ice cream, a drizzle of maple syrup and heaps of fresh whipped cream. This sundae is destination worthy! 

Loretta's Last Call

1 Lansdowne Street

Boston, MA 02215

this meal was complimentary, all opinions are my own

whole garden dinner | Alden & Harlow

The ladies and I planned our August get together at Alden & Harlow for a Whole Garden Dinner; a summer dinner series which featured a produce-centric menu from a different local farm each Tuesday. The chef's preparations on this evening beautifully showcased the bounty of fruits and vegetables from The Food Project farms. 

Seated comfortably in a gray booth and thick leather chairs set against the restaurants leafy green live wall, we opted in for the wine pairings starting with pink bubbly from France: NV Cote Mas Cremant de Limoux a Brut Rose chardonnay/pinot noir blend. (See the rest of the wines, below)

 To begin the feast: Pickles! Then, plates of Fried Shishitos with anchovy and grated egg yolk and a gorgeous Vegetable Crudite with Bagna Cauda (a garlic and anchovy infused olive oil for dipping.) The Bagna Cauda was a sensational compliment to the french radishes, snap peas, heirloom tomatoes and slivers of summer squash and zucchini. We had so many vegetables between the ten of us, I got to take a large portion of that plate home and I made an incredible salad with it the next evening. Vegetables that beautiful could not be wasted.

Next arrives heaping vegetarian plates of Stewed Pole Beans and Seared Japanese Eggplant which is insanely good with crumbles of sheeps milk cheese, basil, fregola and garlic. The pole beans proved flavorful and hearty with cherry tomatoes and torn crouton hunks. 

After we polished off the second course a platter of Grilled Potatoes smothered in Za'atar aioli with a pickled pepper and corn relish and a Kale Creste de Gallo with egg and fresh milled tomato grace us. The grilled potatoes were tasty but the Kale pasta overcooked and soggy. The latter plates outshined these. 

For the finale a dreamy Apricot Parfait with cardamom cream. It was perfect!  

Alden & Harlow brilliantly showcased the freshness of the farms produce, inventively dressing them up and incorporating flavors that shined. They expertly paired them with delicious wines. Bravo! 

See my first Alden & Harlow post here.

Sweet Cheeks Q

Sweet Cheeks serves up Texas Style BBQ in a refined rustic setting with heavily distressed wooden tables and delicate strands of white lights. Located on Boylston Street in the Fenway neighborhood, the exteriors signage is loud with exposed bulbs, a giant glowing BBQ sign presides on the corner.

The Biscuits ($10) which come four to a tin bucket with creamy honey butter, are as good as every single person who has ever set foot in this establishment (and ordered them) says they are. Flaky yet sturdy on the outside, warm fluffy layers on the inside, heaven. Do not let the fact that you must order four at once deter you, portion sizes are huge, so leftovers in general are highly likely. (In other words, take those biscuits home with your meat!)

 

Served in mason jars, cocktails stick with the theme of being on the large side. The Federale with tequila, habanero simple syrup, agave, grapefruit and lime was super spicy, a great drink if you like a punch of heat. A Genesse Cream Ale also makes an appearance. 

A tray of Berkshire Pulled Pork ($18) comes with white bread, tangy mustard pickles + onions and two sides - I chose collard greens and the carrot salad. I had heard lots of praise for that salad specifically; I guess that's the plus side of visiting a regularly hyped restaurant opened by a Top Chef Alum over a year after its debut. (I already knew everything I should probably order.) I would concur with the beauty of that cold scoop, it was memorable with thin shards of crunchy carrots, golden raisins, toasted walnuts and blue cheese crumbles in a zesty dressing that nicely tied everything together. As far as the hot scoop, I thought the collard greens were pretty amazing, too.

 The pulled pork was juicy and tender, a Texas style dry rub renders it subtly smokey and three types of tableside BBQ sauce add another layer of flavor. (Depending on which you choose - standard flare, intense heat or a sweet North Carolina vinegar style.)

It is completely worth it to muster room for dessert, the unassuming little mason jar of Butterscotch Pudding ($6) is terrific, super rich and smooth in texture, equally as sweet, and then balanced out by a cap of sea salted caramel.  

So if you're craving some good BBQ in Boston, I'm pretty sure this is where you want to end up!

Sweet Cheeks Q

1381 Boylston Street

Boston, MA 02215

The Salty Pig

The Facts

The successful duo behind the South End's Coda and Jamaica Plain hot spot Canary Square launched this charcuterie focused eatery in Back Bay in July of 2011. The space at 130 Dartmouth Street was formerly occupied by Firefly and then the short lived Six Burner which closed in October 2010.

The Space

An angular bar sprawls across a stainless steel open kitchen, where a wood-fired oven glows from its perch, fronted by reclaimed wood communal high tops bathed in warm lighting from oversized dome fixtures. The lofty interiors back wall resembles a classroom chalkboard, scrawled with a mash up of geometrical equations infused with nods to the pig.

The Beer

The Salty Pig features an eclectic selection of American Craft Beers such as a the quadruple Pretty Things Baby Tree ($6) and a refreshingly bitter Blatant IPA ($6).The Baby Tree combines Viennak, chocolate and oat malts while the Blatant is a hoppy mash up of citrus and pine. I preferred the Baby Tree as I felt it complimented better the meats, but both represent the wide range of beer on tap from craft (both happen to be Massachusetts based) breweries.

The Charcuterie

Personalize your own board from a selection of:

1) House cured salty pig parts ($3-$7). Pictured is the wood oven fired Porchetta, where thinly sliced juicy coils of the pork shoulder is heaven on a charcuterie board. 2) Local + European sourced stinky cheeses ($6-$9) Familiar favorites grace the menu like Great Hill Blue from Marion, MA and Moses Sleeper from Greensboro, VT. Intriguing European selections include Silton (cow, strong, blue) from Colton Basset Dairy in Nottinghamshire, England and Chevrot (goat, mold ripened, mild) from Poitou-Charentes, France.3) Local + seasonal accoutrements ($1 each) To round out the palate choose from a selection including marinated olives, chianti jelly, clover honey, balsamic onion jam and more. Pictured are the zesty Basque Peppers.Each board comes with house made pickles, Dijon mustard and crostini.

The Pizza

The Salty Pig Pizza ($14) features a daily selection of salty pig parts sliced to a pristine thinness layered over parmigano oil, topped with fresh arugula and an inventive pale ale vinaigrette. While certain bites delivered on the intensely salty front as advertised, the pizza is far from one note. In the next bite taste a fascinatingly sweet slice of meat, after that a pronounced spiciness charges the palate. Its not a bad idea to forgo the wooden board all together and have your charcuterie over a thin crust wood-fired pizza. It might seem much less exotic than its predecessor, but the Mushroom Pizza ($12) is still an enticing option with herbs, tomato, mozzarella and a farm egg.

The pizza crust is more soft than it is crispy but still well baked. These are the kind of pies you can eat four or five pieces easily without feeling stuffed. I admired this quality about them.

The Bottom Line

With a fun concept that is well executed start to finish and attentive friendly service to match, I would definitely recommend indulging in some salty pig parts at this casual Back Bay establishment.

The Salty Pig

130 Dartmouth Street

Boston, MA 0211