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

Esselon Cafe | Hadley

On our Western, MA getaway, we awoke from a refreshing night sleep at Lord Jeffrey Inn and ventured one town over to Hadley for brunch at Esselon Cafe. Esselon is an independent small batch coffee roaster, also featuring rare and exotic teas and a full menu in a Parisian inspired cafe. With ornate pressed gold ceilings, exposed brick walls, and bags upon bags of Brazilan, Costa Rican and Guatemalan coffee beans, the bistro space is enchanting. On a warm spring morning guests dine on the sunny patio and take advantage of the sprawling garden space. 

Service is counter style and as this place is super popular with locals, you can expect a line. We each started with a Personal French Press ($4) which is about three cups. With coffee roasted so exquisitely, you'll want every last drop. I chose the Ethiopian coffee gravitating to its sweet fruity notes and creamy body. For brunch, Bob had the Big Brekkie ($10) consisting of two eggs, bacon, sausage, sauteed mushrooms, toast and a grilled potato cake. I had the Smoked Salmon Benedict ($11) served on organic ciabatta, which comes with a side of tomato soup (or a side salad.) We loved it here. If you're in the area, Esselon on the Hadley Common in between Amherst and Northampton is one not to miss!

Esselon - Cafe + Coffee Roasting Co

99 Russel Street

Hadley, MA 01035

 


*Our meal was provided thanks to Hampshire County Regional Tourism + 
Massachusetts Office of Travel + Tourism.

Lunches | Downtown Boston

After working at the Schrafft's Building in Charlestown for nearly 7 years, I had the good fortune of transitioning to a project within my company that moved us to an office in Downtown Crossing. Working in the city is much more exciting than being on the outskirts for the lunch options alone. It has been over a year now, so sharing some of my favorite lunchtime eats is long overdue. (Additionally, a lot of my favorite spots are in Chinatown, which will come in a separate post.) 

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - 86 Bedford Street 

I always get the #4 - Hand Pulled Noodle ($6) and a Cumin Lamb Skewer ($1.50) with a green tea juice box. If I'm there early enough I'll grab a small table to watch the chefs "Biang Biang" noodle-making in action and the place fill up with regulars. These thick and wide noodles coated in garlic and chili paste, generously spiced with chili powder and accented with scallions and cilantro are jealousy inducing good. If you have not tried them yet, I guarantee you are looking at that photo, itching to slurp some up at this very moment. Eating here kind of feels like you are part of a secret lunch club. 

Gene Wu's hole-in-the-wall establishment is cash only and open from 11am - 4pm.

The Taco Truck

Yes, their tacos are excellent, but have you tried their Tortas? A torta is a toasted Mexican sandwich with white onions, pickled jalapenos, avocado crema and black bean spread. Pictured is the Carnitas Michoacan Torta ($6.50) which in addition to the above contains slow braised sweet pork and fresh cilantro. Mexican street food in the form of Tortas, for the win. 

Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese 

One of the first food trucks to hit the streets of Boston and still one of the best. Their gourmet Grilled cheeses are classic comfort with a twist. On this day I enjoyed the Green Muenster Melt ($6) made with muenster cheese, applewood smoked bacon and guacamole, the Roasted Tomato Soup ($3) and a Blueberry Mint-ade ($3). 

Avery Provision - 571 Washington Street

They have plethora of lunch options here but the sushi counter for a Maki-Rito ($9.95) is where it's at. Spicy tuna, crunchy tempura flakes, crisp english cucumber and creamy avocado are wrapped tightly in sticky white rice and nori and instead of slicing up the roll, it is left whole to enjoy burrito style - a fun take on sushi. Of course, you could always stick to regular maki, though, they tend to be a splurge compared to the options next door in Chinatown. I like the Shrimp Tempura Roll ($11).

 Captain Marden's Seafood Truck
This phenomenal Crab Cake Sandwich is best enjoyed in the summer time when the Cod Squad truck is out and about. It comes on a lightly toasted bun with crisp lettuce, onions and tomatoes. On the side some equally amazing hand cut French fries and a scoop of zesty coleslaw. 

The lunch options in Downtown Crossing and the Financial District are endless, especially with the consistent presence of food trucks in Dewey Square, Government Center and Post Office Square. The City of Boston Food Truck schedule can be found here. 

Fall Tasting Dinner | Bokx 109

I love participating in menu preview events and tastings; they allow a chef to really showcase their talent and versatility by giving you smaller bites of more dishes. The most recent I had the pleasure of attending was out in Newton Lower Falls at BOKX 109, a modern American steakhouse located inside Hotel Indigo.  

Guests were seated at the sleek taupe colored marble chefs counters with a smaller cooking and plating station set apart from the open kitchen. This unique set up lends itself well to demonstrations and interacting with the chef, giving you an intimate view of your courses as they come together.  

Executive Chef Stephen Coe was front and center all night, putting out first rate dishes at an impressive speed. Clearly a lot of thought and planning went into this meal.

Chef kicked things off with a smokeshow - a giant wine glass was lifted to a swirl of smoke and once it cleared a delectable Pear and Mascarpone Sacchetti was revealed. Tucked neatly into adorable little satchels, sweet juicy pear and rich mascarpone are a heavenly duo in a lemony cream sauce.
Next, a local Grilled Oyster encrusted with panko breadcrumbs is topped with fennel pollen, tomato, panchetta and chive fondu. Fennel pollen gives this Rockefeller style oyster a unique appeal. 

In a duo of Octopus, carpaccio and grilled tentacles are served with arugula and pickled red onions finished with lemon juice, olive oil and chives. The supremely thin and delicate carpaccio was the favorite in this instance, while the tentacles were quite dry and didn't achieve the texture I'd expect. 
A classic Campbells style Tomato Soup is thick and velvety finished with parmesan foam and served alongside a deconstructed grilled cheese with slices of baby and yellow tomatoes, a fresh hunk plus a fried cube of burrata and tiny spheres of balsamic vinaigrette.

The Lobster Cavatelli was exquisitely plump and silky, that goes for both the nicely shucked crustaceans and the homemade pasta shells as they rested in a chive cream sauce with shitake mushrooms and edamame. A welcome finishing touch are thinly shaved slices of ricotta salada, a lovely variation of sheeps milk cheese that has been pressed, salted and dried.
With a similar taste and texture to chicken, the Deacon Rabbit is slightly more gamey and lends delicate, juicy bites contrasting with a crispy bacon wrapped exterior, served over tender stewed butter beans.

The Sous Vide Veal Cheeks with tarragon pappardelle and red parsnip puree are impeccably tender and richly flavored. Once again this dish showcases the chefs prowess in the pasta department, all of it is homemade and simply excellent.

A lovely little dessert plate offers bites (and sips, in one case) with a strawberry and white balsamic jelly, a petite tiramisu, a chocolate cyclone and a blueberry prosecco shooter.

A final gesture surprises us with a fun treat - Pop Rocks (!) over a limoncello souffle. Additionally, our courses were paired with interesting wines, most of the focus was on whites including a Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc, a Deep Sea Chardonnay and a King Estate Pinot Gris.  The red wine of the evening was a Houge Reserve Cabernet made exclusively for the restaurant.

BOKX 109 proves to be worth venturing out of the city for, especially as it is accessible by public transportation. It is the last stop (Riverside) on the Green Line D train. It contains all of the urban charm and sophistication you'd expect from a downtown hotspot with a chef who flies under the radar but could rival the best of them. 

*This dinner was complimentary, all opinions are my own*

City Landing

City Landing opened quietly in July, filling a prime location on the Greenway overlooking the Wharf District parks. It takes over where the original and well liked Sel de la Terre left off after nearly 12 years. 

There was definitely room for a new type of energy on Long Wharf and the re-design embraces that with wide light filled windows, green fabric booths and matching lime colored placemats. Handsome contemporary stone work inlaid with pretty blue tiles frame the dining room with contrasting chocolate brown tables.

My mom, sister and I had  just returned from hiking Spectacle Island and were looking to relax, this was the perfect spot to do so. After the host greeted us warmly we settled comfortably into our table and proceeded to study the wine and cocktail list. I settled first on a Pineapple Jalapeno Caipirinha ($13) it was one of the more exciting versions of a caipirinha I've had, the sweet and spicy livening up the traditional lime and mint.

The wines are grouped progressively - light, medium and full bodied, with a range of selections. Glasses are offered in 6 and 9 ounces, accompanied by a sleek carafe. Later in the meal I chose a 9 oz pour of the Domane Wachau, Gruner Veltliner ($15) a versatile and food friendly wine with a medium body and crisp acidity.

We were pretty excited upon placing our appetizer order for the Trio of Spreads ($12) consisting of truffle herb goat cheese (say no more), white bean roasted garlic and artichoke tapenade. The pitas were served warm and the super flavorful spreads come in adorable ceramic pots; the meal was off to a terrific start. 

The dreary and drizzling weather lent ideal conditions to linger over a bowl of soup. Or two. I was excited to see that they offered a Soup Sampler Duo ($9)!

If your craving a cup of Boston Clam Chowder, chef-owner Bill Brodsky's version is expertly seasoned, briny and creamy, with a nice thick broth and perfectly cooked morsels of potato. The crispy clam on top adds a special touch. It's no surprise this chef has mastered the art of clam chowder, he comes here after spending over a decade at Cape Cod's Wequassett Resort. 

It seems he's no slouch either when it comes to the ultimate bowl of comfort, Tomato Soup. To be precise, this is a Yellow Tomato Bisque and it's bursting with sweet, ripe, juicy tomato scents and flavors, heightened by swirls of chive oil and a flaky cheddar twist on the side. 

I tried my Mom's entrée sized Caesar Salad with Grilled Salmon ($23) it was robust with white anchovy, chopped hard boiled egg, capers, garlic croutons and parmesan. My sisters Crispy Chicken Sandwich ($13) was yet another solid offering, it came with lettuce, onion, tomato, bacon, Swiss cheese and a lovely basil mayonnaise.

Our impressive food was matched with kind natured front-of-the-house staff, our waiter was attentive without being overbearing and the manager offers warm smiles as he moves about about the dining room, taking note of newcomers and making sure to thank us as we left. So far, City Landing proves to be a great fit.

City Landing | Long Wharf

255 State Street

Boston, MA 02109