East by Northeast

East by Northeast’s chef/owner Phillip Tang honed the craft of noodle making in his parents’ Chinese restaurant. From Ramen to Ragu - the noodles are sensational; long, silky and chewy. His menu also focuses on small plates like house-made buns, to be paired with these heartier noodle dishes. The result is a homey meal of elevated Chinese comfort foods. The space mimics a similar at-home-vibe, it is tiny (about ten tables and a four seat bar) and cozy with light cornflower blue walls and clean white accents.

Amuse Bouche 

YELLOWTAIL | torched rice, avocado, powdered nori

Chalkboard specials

CAULIFLOWER CROQUETTES ($9) | smoked tahini puree, preserved lemon, cilantro relish

BEEF TONGUE PASTRAMI SANDWICH ($4) | hot mustard, brussels sprout & rutabaga slaw, mantou bread

Regular menu

EDAMAME SALAD ($5) | apple, kale, pomegranate, creamy sesame miso dressing  

PORK BELLY ($4) | roasted belly, apple, pickled red onion, apple butter hoisin sauce 

RAMEN ($15) | smoked pork confit, miso pork broth, soft poached egg, xo sauce, toasted nori    

RED CURRY LOBSTER ($22) | butter poached lobster, egg noodles, coconut red curry sauce, chanterelles, spaghetti squash   

FALL VEGETABLE RAGU ($15) | sautéed black trumpet mushrooms, thick cut noodles, soft poached egg, pickled golden beets, fried shallots    

HOUSE MADE TRUFFLES | vanilla jasmine, sesame, chili

This is one of those restaurants that makes you exclaim why did I not eat here sooner?!? Needless to say, I could really go for some of those pork buns right about now. This dinner was a standout. For your next date night, or to satisfy a ramen craving, East by Northeast is the spot.

East by Northeast

1128 Cambridge Street

Cambridge, MA 02139

*this meal was complimentary - all opinions are my own*

Pork-tastic! A Look Back on a 2010 Favorite

As I was writing Best of Boston Eats 2010, I went to award the winners of my favorite pork entrée and things spiraled out of control. From there, an entire post was developed re-living my year in pork dishes.Interestingly enough, Pork is deemed a "Lucky New Years Food" in many cultures. Wealth and prosperity are signified by the high fat content in pork; plus, when rooting for food, pigs push their snouts forward, which represents progress. In honor of the year past and in celebration of the new, I present: 11 Months of Pork.

In late February I celebrated my 26th Birthday with dinner at Craigie On Main. A memorable evening with Adam at this upscale bistro in Central Square, it was here where Chef Tony Maws peaked my interest with his inventive entrée of Vermont Organic Pork Three Ways: Crispy Suckling Confit, Spice-Crusted Rib and Grilled Belly. Accompanying the trio of pork would be red quinoa, autumn olives, pear puree and winter farm vegetables. And after this meal, I started a food blog. 

In March my pork belly craving was satisfied by Chef Barbara Lynch at her modern Italian counter Sportello. A double date night with good company for restaurant week, I had Pork Belly with a delicate fennel and parsnip salad and salsa verde.In April I cooked Lemon Parsley Pork Chops for Adam and I, a re-creation of a hit meal served earlier in the year to some dinner guests. The chops came out juicy and zesty served with roasted fennel and a side of sautéed brussels sprouts with crunchy pecans. In May I was drinking pork themed beers at Kenmore Squares best kept secret (from the Fenway Tourist scene that is) The Lower Depths. Butternuts Porkslap, a Farmhouse Pale Ale. Not even halfway through the year and the pig obsession is in full swing. I eat with friends at Delux on a regular basis even though I don't always photograph my meals here. Luckily, the Citrus-Aciote Braised Pork Tacos I ordered in June did not escape the camera! With pickled red onion, napa slaw and cilantro, this was definitely a Delux summer menu winner. But July, wonderfully hot July lent an all time favorite dish created as a special at Ten Tables in Cambridge by Chef David Punch that very evening. Tender flavorful bites of thinly sliced Berkshire Pork Chop were intensified by a saffron and chipotle butter emulsion. Sitting over of a bed of velvety sweet creamed corn that was not too rich for a summer dish nor too light to hold up to the pork, I do believe it gained a permanent spot on the entrée menu.This dinner holds a special memory above and beyond the pork, for this night was my first ever blog related dinner event. I met local bloggers who were once strangers behind a screen, and from this dinner on I was immersed into a culture related to blogging I didn't fully comprehend existed. From events, to dinners, and even a road trip - I became friends with those dining companions and many more bloggers since. Myers + Chang's Asian inspired Tea Smoked Pork Spare Ribs took things to a whole new level in mid August, at yet another blog related dinner. Fall off the bone tender with a sticky sweet glaze I decided then that I needed to branch out and eat more ribs. Come Labor Day, that's just what I did. The weekend bridging summer to fall and August to September was spent down the Cape where Gretchen's Southern food night featured Sweet and Smokey Spareribs. They were flavored with a rub of smoked paprika, brown sugar, ground clove, ground ginger and chipotle chili powder and slow cooked all afternoon, then accompanied by a meal of peanut lime slaw, white wine braised kale, root beer stove top beans and biscuits! Seriously one of the most impressive meals anyone has ever cooked for me. During the Fall season I was at Lord Hobo for brunch in late September where I tried Pork Belly Hash topped with sunny side up eggs. A particularly hungover morning after a Bachelorette party, I joined the ranks of other had-one-too-many-the-night-before at the first official Boston Brunchers meet-up! During the month of October I attended an event specifically focused around showcasing the pig at Back Bay Social Club. Kielbasa Meat Candy, Ham Crostini, Head Cheese and Pretzel Wrapped Sausages were all featured. I learned I have a strong distaste for head cheese and to this day I recall it as the only food I do not like. While the parts of the pig in October are more diversified than I've typically been focusing on in this post, how could I not include this Citysearch Boston sponsored event in such a recap! 
True to falls theme, pork for breakfast was served East Coast Grill style in the form of Banana Rellena. Tender, smoked, pulled and stuffed into a mushy Banana, then covered in signature Inner Beauty Hot Sauce, this dish brought the heat, the sweet and the savory on a brisk November morning. In December I was treated to Brekky at KO Catering & Pies where Sausage Rolls at 10 am are not uncommon. Delicious even for breakfast, seasoned with herbs and spices and rolled in a flaky puff pastry, who knew the Australians would round out the year full of pork based eats in such fine form. Recap
January: Who knows what I ate, I didn't blog then
February: Craigie On Main | Vermont Organic Pork 3 Ways | rich and decadently indulgent
March: Sportello | Pork Belly w/ Fennel & Parsnip Salad | simple and perfectly executed
April: My kitchen | Lemon Parsley Pork Chops | not bad if I do say so myself
May: The Lower Depths | Butternuts Porkslap Farmhouse Ale | fun can, tasty beer
June: DeLux | Citrus-Aciote Braised Pork Tacos | juicy and flavorful enhanced by pickled onions
July: Ten Tables | Berkshire Pork Chop | saffron chipoltle butter & creamed corn
August: Myers + Chang | Tea Smoked Pork Spare Ribs | fall off the bone sticky & sweet
Labor Day: Gretchen's Cape Cod Kitchen | sweet and smokey spare ribs feast
September: Lord Hobo | Pork Belly Hash | sunny side up eggs
October: Back Bay Social Club | Piggy Wiggy Social | Meat Candy, sausage pretzels, head cheese, oh my!
November: East Coast Grill | Smoked Pork Stuffed Bananas | Muy Caliente!
December: KO Catering & Pies | Sausage Rolls | Australian Brekky
My deepest gratitude to the pig and to all the chefs who cooked it in various beautiful forms. Apparently, 2010 wouldn't have been what it was without it!

Craigie on Main

I rarely venture over the Charles. Nothing against Cambridge, but, there is so much to conquer on my side of the river! For Craigie on Main I made a special exception. The only reservation available for Saturday evening was at 10:30, which is pretty late to begin a meal. Nonetheless, I was highly anticipating my birthday dinner!
We arrived early and were given a warm welcome by two hostesses and a host who offered to take our coats. We made our way to the bar, a scene which was packed with couples and singles dining on massive hamburgers and shoestring fries. The bartender wasted no time handing us a clipboard of libations.
I was quick to make up my mind, knowing I could have ordered and loved anyone of those brilliant sounding cocktails. I chose the Ardoise, described on the menu as: Aromatic and Refreshing a blend of Sage, Rain, Juniper and Lime.Watching the bartender adorn the finishing touches, a sage leaf is slapped something fierce in between the palm of her hands and the glass is rimmed with the garnish before she delicately places it in the drink. The whole "performance" aspect is rather entertaining. These bartenders mean business. The rows of bitters, elixirs and infusions further indicated the seriousness of the cocktail program. I was in awe.
Shortly after a few sips of our cocktails we were seated promptly at 10:30. I love to take in each and every aspect to anywhere new, so I was happy to be lead across the restaurant, past the sprawling open kitchen, to a table for two in the back corner. White exposed brick fronts the dining room with a collage of mirrors and a gallery wall of French paraphernalia in black frames. Having spent three weeks in France this past September, I was drawn to the collages and overall polished bistro vibe. Our waiter was pleasant and made sure we knew all of our options ($75 prix fix; choose from any appetizer or entrée on the menu, as well as six or ten course chef tasting menus.) I’m a huge fan of prix fix, however my instincts told me to stick with the a la carte menu.
The Ragoût of Local Forest Mushrooms appetizer was chosen mainly due to the fact that I have been dying to try anything with a poached egg. The House-Made Rabbit Sausage wasn’t hurting its cause either. This course did not disappoint, in fact, it was pretty unbelievable.
It was everything I imagined it would be and more, from the intense meld of flavors to the feeling experienced as I cut into the farm fresh egg, exposing the runny yolk to seep into the dish. It is the little things...
This dish left me salivating and the entrée up next did not disappoint. I ordered the Vermont Organic Pork Three Ways: Crispy Suckling Confit, Spice-Crusted Rib, Grilled Belly.

I’ve always been a big pork fan and never in my life has pork tasted so good. The rest of the dish boasts red quinoa, autumn olives, pear purée and winter farm vegetables. These components all served to compliment the rich pork and presentation wise created a stunning dish. My date’s entrée which I sampled was the All Natural Hangar Steak a la Poele.

Yes those would be steakhouse sweet potato fries, along with creamed spinach, roasted bone marrow and corned beef cheek. We also shared a side of Brussels Sprouts cooked in duck fat, which were beyond amazing.

This food is so incredibly rich! Rich in flavor, yet delicately prepared. Chef Tony Maws embraces local cuisine and is a master of refined cooking techniques. The dishes consumed tonight rank superior in my book. I’m in picture-taking, plate-cleaning heaven! 

Did I forget to mention I ordered another cocktail? This gem is called Northern Lights described as crisp smoked Edlerflower meets Douglas Fir. With a mash up of St. Germain, Scotch, citrus and Bittermens bitters it was potent yet balanced.It was perfect timing as the clock struck 12:00 (my day of birth, its official!) and we ordered dessert. I’m a coffee drinker all the way but the tea menu was calling my name tonight. I chose a non-caffeinated pot of Savon.

Oh, hello beautiful dessert of Peanut Butter Parfait with banana foam.How on earth does one make foam from a banana? It tasted just like the real thing! This was exceptional. A Trio of Sorbets was also ordered featuring flavors of blood orange, grapefruit and apple with candied rhubarb, kumquat and fennel. The icing on the cake right there. This Birthday dinner venture across the Charles was well worth that cab ride back to Boston and then some!!

Craigie on Main

853 Main Street

Cambridge, MA 02139