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Monday, May 31, 2010

North 26 | Brunch

I've walked by North 26 located in the Millennium Bostonian Hotel countless times. In fact, Adam and I were walking by Sunday morning with a different brunch destination in mind when we spotted an open table on the patio and decided, why not? The host greeted us warmly and offered the table he noticed us eyeing. 
I started with the Perfect Bloody Mary ($8) made with Crop Organic Tomato Vodka. The name does it justice, this bloody mary not only looked perfect, with all the appropriate garnishes and a neatly seasoned celery salt rim, it tasted perfect too!
Adam ordered the Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice ($4). It came in a wine glass, points for being fancy!
It was HOT out but I am loving the heat. You've got to fully embrace the New England weather am i right? Upon placing our orders the brunch dishes were delivered in no time along with ice waters, mini ketchup bottles and jars of jam.
Adam ordered the Red Flannel Hash ($14) consisting of House-cured corned beef hash with two poached eggs and hollandaise. After digging in he exclaimed this was one of the best breakfasts he's ever tasted. He's not the type to use that statement lightly.
North 26's traditional version named the Bostonian Benedict ($13) was flawless. 
I've had many versions of Eggs Benedict over the years. I'm not overly picky - I like my poached eggs anywhere from slightly runny to very runny. 
It is tough to put into words how amazing their signature English Muffins are. Reminiscent of cornbread and grilled until golden brown and crispy on the top with a moist buttery inside, they are the perfect vessel for soaking up every last drop of the runny egg yolk and creamy hollandaise. Slices of thick Berkshire ham were supreme, lightly griddled and smokey. The home fried potatoes were crunchy and seasoned just right. 
I was so impressed with our excellent breakfast drinks and dishes as well the attentiveness of the waitstaff. North 26 might fly under the radar but after today it lands a permanent spot on our brunch rotation!
26 North Street
Boston, MA 02109

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

MKT | Financial District

Market is the bar located at 21 Broad Street - not to be confused with Market the restaurant at the W Hotel located at 100 Stuart Street. While I've heard great things regarding the latter, the former, commonly abbreviated as MKT was where I spent this past Wednesday evening.
I have been to MKT before, that being said, I only saw one floor out of three and did not experience the roof deck or try the food. The décor here was not at all what I expected, it was surprisingly fresh and unique. The exposed wooden beams and wood floors give it a rustic feel while studded red velour chairs emit a regal vibe. The main circular bar is clean and composed with black lacquer counters and modern beige bar stools. Glowing red chandeliers add a funky touch.
On the sweltering 88 degree evening that was Wednesday here in Boston a Moscow Mule ($10) was ordered upon arrival to the MKT roof deck. It wasn't at all impressive. In fact, it paled in comparison to the real thing.
Described as served in a copper mug - this was not the case. Why even write that on the menu?! Huffing and puffing up four flights of stairs lead us to Sausage Fest 2010. I was looking like  the 5th girl to grace the roof decks presence this evening.
The female bartender was prompt, however disgruntled. She couldn't manage a smile and poured our drinks with an annoyed sense of urgency. Apparently she was the only one serving the roof deck of about 50 patrons, which included taking food orders. That has to make for a rough night. :(
We met our friends Ashley and Ethan and meandered to a spot in the corner. We were surrounded by the tall buildings of the Financial District.
Market's roof deck doesn't have the most breathtaking views, but, at least its got a small window of cityscape and a night sky backdrop in one direction. I definitely enjoyed the aspect of being in the midst of the skyscrapers, as opposed to viewing them from afar! This is not one of the most polished roof decks you'll ever sip a drink on, but it's comfortable enough.
For my second round I decided to switch to beer. At $10 a pop, I felt I wasn't getting my monies worth for a mixed drink. Initially the bartender overcharged me (ten dollars for a beer - really?) but I quickly pointed out to her there was no way my Kona Longboard on tap cost as much as my previous mixed drink. She concurred realizing it was only $5 and provided me the correct change. The four of us grabbed a table on the other side of the deck and munched on Nachos ($9) and BBQ Chicken Pizza ($10) as the sun went down.
The BBQ Chicken Pizza was mediocre bar grub. It wasn't great. The nachos were tasty, unfortunately (or fortunately for Adam) there was no guacamole to be found on them as advertised. The fresh scallions and grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top were a nice touch.
As the wind picked up we headed downstairs to the first floor where we learned it was Reggae Wednesday!
The band played classic cover songs with reggae inspired beats. While I wasn't super impressed by the roof deck vibe as a whole, the indoor ambiance at Market is pretty cool. For beating the Wednesday night heat with good company and good tunes, I'll take it. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the food, though.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Kare's Garden Lettuce

The title of this post was the subject of an email my Mom sent to me last Friday afternoon. The body text read as follows: Lettuce is ready to harvest. I have 3 kinds you get to choose 1. Will it be Red Leaf, Romaine, or Butter Crunch?
"Lettuce is ready to harvest" - have you ever heard a more beautiful sentence? I so wish I could grow my own lettuce. I chose Butter Crunch. She also ended up giving me some Red Leaf.
Fresh. Local. Organic. It doesn't get any better than this.
My Mom is a stellar gardener. Always has been.
Tonight I made a Butter Crunch Salad with Citrus Dijon Dressing.
Salad dressing:
-1/4 cup olive oil
-2 tsp Dijon mustard
-1 tsp white wine vinegar
-1/2 tsp honey
-1/2 tsp of lemon juice
-juice of 1/2 an orange
-coarse sea salt
-fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk. I don't make my own dressing often (ever?) But tonight, I thought I owed it to the lettuce.
The salad for two combined about half the head of butter crunch lettuce, washed thoroughly, patted dry and torn by hand.
Along with a couple handfuls of sliced almonds
1/2 a red onion sliced
1/2 an orange torn into chunks.
1/2 of a ripe avocado (my salad only)
handful of goat cheese crumbles (my salad only)
handful of feta cheese crumbles (Adam's salad only)
Adam doesn't like goat cheese (how?) or avocado (something I will never understand.) So I tossed the lettuce, almonds, onion, and dressing first. I plated the salad and topped with the respective cheese crumbles, my avocado, and the delicate orange chunks.
We drank a Tamas Estate Pinot Grigio. The vibrant aromas and flavors of green apple and citrus are refreshing and pair well with salads, especially one with a citrus dressing!
Love wine bottles with fun labels.
Love easy dinners.
The lettuce's buttery broad leaves and crisp tender ribs make me proud to say this is some of the best lettuce I will ever eat. My Mother has outdone herself once again!

Sunday, May 23, 2010

UNH Alumni

Four years ago yesterday
I graduated college. {Be still my heart}
Mike O'Malley aka the host of former Nickelodeon TV game show Guts = Class of 2006 Graduation Speaker. He Rules. (Yes, the Agro Crag was present at Graduation.)
Roommates. Best Friends. Life.
The infamous Buick ride to the ceremony.
Post Commencement cigars.
Sorry, you know me and flashback pictures. I tend to get carried away. One year ago yesterday:
My sister Leah graduated. I'll stick with the one shot for the sake of getting on with this post.
And yesterday. My cousin AJ graduated Pre-Med, Magna Cum Laude. He will be attending University of Connecticut Med School in the fall on a full scholarship. (I'm allowed to brag, right?) So proud of him. He is going for his PhD in Research Medicine. You know, finding cures for diseases and super smart stuff like that. The other graduate in the below picture is his girlfriend Ali.
UNH ALUMNI.
UCONN alumni also runs in the family. My grandfathers on both sides, My Dad, AJ's Dad and AJ's Mom just to name a few all graduated from UCONN.
AJ & Uncle Bill (My Dad).
AJ with his parents. (My Uncle Tony and Aunt Laurie.)
And with his sister Kate.
More glamor shots of the UNH Alumni crew.
And with Kate and Adam. 
The proud family.
The Lost Kids. (I'll explain sometime.)
Coordinating dresses not planned.
Mother / Daughter. Somehow all three of us match.
Check out the crowd. Ok, now I am going to let you in on a little secret to surviving graduation ceremonies. Your own, your sister or bothers, your cousins, etc. The secret revealed....
Road Mimosas!!
Celebrate and Champagne go hand in hand!
You'll have a blast sipping on these and listening to speech after speech, I promise. Especially if it's your 3rd+ graduation attended at the same college. Certain same speeches from faculty members are given year after year after year.
Once you find seats, offer members of your party an "Orange Juice."
They will thank you.
Sing Alma Mater at the top of your lungs. Then pose with family for pictures. (See above)
Great morning. Champagne Buzz in full swing.The party moved to The Riverworks Restaurant & Tavern, in the neighboring town of Newmarket, NH.
I had two Bloody Mary's throughout the course of the afternoon.
Then I posed on the front stoop.
Adam and I shared an entrée which came with our choice of soup or salad.
The French Onion Soup did not disappoint. Neither did the Lobster Mac-n-Cheese.
Yum.
Lunch was followed by Chocolate and Vanilla Confetti cake with fresh strawberries.
It was a fun family celebration as always.
If you happen to find yourself in Newmarket, NH be sure to check out The Riverworks Restaurant and Tavern located at 164 Main Street.
Congrats AJ and Ali. Congrats UNH Class of 2010. Welcome to a family of proud Alumni.