Waypoint

Chef Michael Scelfo has done it again. Get yourself to his new restaurant Waypoint and without a doubt order the Uni Bucatini and the King Crab. There are some dishes that manage to get an entire city buzzing, and these are two of them. 

In an unassuming, sort of hidden subterranean industrial space on Mass Ave between Harvard and Central squares, Waypoint lures fans of Alden + Harlow with contemporary seafood focused plates and an absinthe centric bar menu. There's so much more than two of us could try in one visit - like crudo and caviar and clam pizza. It is an experience much like the Choose Your Own Adventure Books that the checks come delivered in; no matter which way the menu inspires you to tailor your order, you won't be disappointed! 

The interior is warmly lit by a distinctive neon green fish sign and a parade of hand blown glass lamps. Large and small booths tuck perfectly into cozy spaces, while communal high tops front the area between the bar and the open kitchen. Creamy marble table tops and gorgeous herringbone inlaid walls catch my eye. It is a space that is both buzzing and soothing all at once.

As far as the aforementioned dishes go - the intensely comforting Uni Bucatini ($18) offers thrilling heaps of sweet uni, a runny smoked egg yolk, pecorino crumbles and bottarga shavings among hollow strands of the al dente pasta. Plump and fresh King Crab ($22) is piled atop a heavenly chili garlic oil, a creamy brown butter aoili and toasty black rice; lending playful, contrasting textures and harmonizing flavors. 

Meanwhile, our other two dishes are not to be overlooked: Grilled Monkfish Cheeks with squid inked eggplant and kohlrabi salsa verde, along with a Squid Ink Gemelli ($17) featuring benton's ham, swordfish lardo, smoked pignola + pecorino crumble prove all of Waypoint's alluring coastal cuisine dishes shine. 

Being on a mezcal kick I passed up the tales of absinthe section and went with a house original called Portside ($12) with mezcal, manzanilla sherry, pickled cherry pepper, honey + lime. It was smokey yet balanced with a little fiery kick. Later on, a really funky, seafood-friendly wine appropriate for fans of sour beer, the Denavolo "Dinavolino" ($15) from Emilia-Romagna, Italy is a delicious, unexpected discovery. 

Waypoint
1030 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

Little Donkey

We kicked off a rare summer Friday in the city with a friends 30th birthday bar crawl at Charlie's Kitchen and bowed out after a few beers because - Little Donkey. Chefs Ken Oringer + Jamie Bissonete (Toro + Coppa) are my favorite! The fact that they are doing something entirely different here has been highly anticipated and so.much.fun. My only gripe was the uni; there was barely a bite each in that spiny black shell. I expected luscious, overflowing, bight orange sea urchin and was definitely disappointed. For me, it doesn't warrant spending $18. Everything else is fair game. The best dish that we ate was the Wok Fried Chow Fun. Runner up was the Monkfish Biryani. The Cucumber Feta Salad was a surprise from the kitchen - so nice of them to send that out!

Oysters ($3/each) Crowes Pasture (Dennis, MA) + Kusshi (British Columbia, CAN)

Live Santa Barbara Uni ($18) dashi, yuzu, chicharron

Black Pepper Popovers ($14) Wagyu Steak Tartare

Charred Avocado ($5) Pepitas, yogurt, pomegranate molasses

Cucumber Salad ($9) feta, buttermilk, spicy peppers

Wok Fried Chow Fun ($15) soft shell crab, rice noodles, mushrooms, escargot, 

Calabrian chili, black beans, green curry. 

Monkfish Biryani ($16) basmati rice, saffron cashews, cardamom

Octopus a la Plancha ($16) (unpictured) charred onion vinaigrette, potato tostones 

Matcha Pofiterols ($9) hot fudge, Pocky sticks

Little Donkey

505 Massachusetts Avenue

Cambridge, MA 02139 

Dim Sum Brunch @ Moksa

A contemporary Izakaya brought to you by Chef Patricia Yeo, Moksa serves Japanese small plates for lunch, dinner, late night and weekend dim sum brunch, with a strong focus on the cocktail program run by bar manager Noon Inthasuan. Located in Central Square with a small unassuming exterior; a black awning shaded by leafy trees meets a shiny industrial doorway. The interior beholds a unique sprawling concrete floored space.

The bar and cocktail lounge (where we were seated) is illuminated by red and green LED lights while an eye catching white origami fixture parades overhead. Zebra-wood table tops adorned with Asian tea tins holding chopsticks add character. The dining room in stark contrast is darker and more intimate, almost cavernous with rich black ceilings and slanted walls to match the tables. 

Sunday afternoon marked my first visit to Moksa for their dim sum brunch as part of a Boston Brunchers outing with popular Seattle based blogger turned author Michael Natkin. At this event we received signed copies of his incredible vegetarian cookbook, Herbivoracious

(published by local agency Harvard Common Press) and had a chance to chat with Michael about everything from signing a book deal (out of the blue, the folks at HCP contacted him!), to his whirlwind US tour (he's been to San Fran, LA, Austin and after Boston was onto Providence + NYC), to family life (he has two young children who are also vegetarian and love to cook). As the conversation flowed among our intimate group so did the shareable pan-Asian plates, where everything from dumplings and noodles to pancakes and pho elicited praise. Dim Sum was not without boozy breakfast drinks made table-side and a number of Chef Yeo's daily dessert creations.  

It all started with a Sake Mary, a robust house made mixture perfectly spiced with peppercorns and laced with a generous amount of ginger and horseradish. Then a parade of dishes, notably inspired by Asian street foods begins. It is all about the textures in the Duck Confit Shao Bing ($7) where shredded and lightly crispy confit teamed with a soft griddle marked English muffin.
The Miso Eggplant Bao ($8) had a notch up on the Char Siew Bao ($8) - the clam shaped buns were irresistibly fluffy and slightly sweet, but the eggplant soft and steeped in miso flavor was unbelievably good. The Char Siew which is Cantonese style BBQ Pork marinated in a honey hoisin sauce was a little chewy and on the dry side.


The Tea Smoked Duck ($6) was elegantly prepared and sliced to a pristine thinness, the smokey flavors matched with a well dressed cucumber and carrot slaw. There was tender Vegetable Dumplings ($5), fantastic Edamame Potstickers ($8) and both the Five Spiced Chicken Spring Rolls ($6) and Vegetable Spring Roll ($6) with accompanying dipping sauces were comforting, crispy bites.

Perhaps the most intriguing item for their unusually chewy and overall astonishing texture were the Silver Pin Noodles ($14). Surprised to learn these are vegan, the bowl comes brimming with tofu, mushrooms and snap peas. We happily slurped a bowl of Vietnamese Beef & Rice Noodle Egg Pho ($14) though I wish it brought more heat. We dug into the Kim Chee and Shrimp Pancake ($8) which actually did thanks to the addition of sriracha sauce!

I'm noticing a trend where more and more chefs lately opt out of printing a dessert menu and leave this course to spontaneity. Chef Yeo's creativity excels in the sweet treats department, much to our surprise and delight. Homemade daily, the ice creams are a revelation, particularly the pistachio where the flavor of the nut is clean and authentic. The traditional green tea is lovely, too. A five spice ice cream sundae is the best of the bunch, I wanted that entire bowl to myself and I don't doubt everyone else felt the same.
I was content to share a just okay plate of strawberry rhubarb meets lemon jello cake (yes,  there is lemon jello infused into that cake) and an plate of hot churros.

I had a wonderful time getting to know Michael and I was thrilled to dive into his cookbook - where his personality, well written recipes, and vibrant photos fill the pages. As you well know, I am not a vegetarian but his recipes (I can't wait to share what I've made!!) still translate as flavorful, hearty and adventurous. Since I'm on a constant hunt to spice up my weeknight chicken or pork staples his book has me excited about forgoing the meat all together. Herbivoracious has truly inspired a change of pace in my kitchen. 

I find Moksa to be a welcome addition to Central Square's dining scene. Yeo's concept is well executed start to finish, it brings flavorful food and an overall fun experience! 

Moksa

450 Mass Ave

Cambridge, MA 02139

Oleana

This will come as no surprise, but to acknowledge the obvious, I dine out a lot. I realize what probably seems like all the time - between blog events and family celebrations, date nights and girls nights, and can't forget summer lunches, there is never a shortage of restaurants deserving praise. (I swear though, I don't go out every night!) A good portion of summer evenings have me confined to my couch engaged in this seasons horror show that is The Bachelorette or the highlight of summer television, So You Think You Can Dance. However, this past Wednesday evening I finally got to experience dinner at a restaurant I have long lusted over. Certain restaurants in Boston and Cambridge, be them old or new, generate high praise thus striking a burning desire to visit (looking at you Coppa, Bergamot and Mistral just to name a few.) They give constant inspiration and remain a huge motivational factor behind this blog; tonight's dinner at Oleana was no exception. Opened in 2001 by Chef Ana Sortun, this neighborhood treasure situated between Inman and Central Squares in Cambridge serves exceptionally innovative and inspired Mediterranean cuisine with strong Arabic and Turkish influences. Oleana is home to an award winning patio, embodying a truly unique caliber of outdoor dining space. A plush herb garden surrounds inlaid brick, lights are strung overhead from a fig tree and a fountain bubbles in the background. Cozy nooks are created under a trellis accented by large clay pots blossoming with pink and purple flowers.Patrons line up prior to opening at 5:30 pm (even on a Wednesday) to ensure they score a seat in this Near Eastern inspired Zen-garden. If pictures are doing no justice, take my word for it, it's a pretty magical place to enjoy a summer evening meal. Oleana has an extensive wine and beer list, but the small and elegantly simple cocktail menu beckoned. I chose the The Sortini ($10) a balanced creamy yet light combination of unfiltered sake, rose and lychee. We began the meal with a bread bowl and some meze. Starting in the top right corner and moving clockwise: Deviled Eggs ($6) with tuna and black olives, Warm Buttered Hummus ($5) with basturma and tomato and Whipped Feta ($5) with sweet and hot pepper. I don't know about you, but I typically eat hummus cold, so the warm dip took on a unique quality which was nicely accented by the thinly sliced basturma (cured meat.) The whipped feta with a bold kick from the peppers was plain addicting. I adore deviled eggs, these were an exotic take on a classic. A bottle of German Riesling Leitz Eins Zwei Dry was ordered for the table to accompany the next round of meze. This dry Riesling is something of an experiment by the winemaker. What is typically known as sweet white wine, the fruity definitions are not lost while the dry counterpart creates an approachable and full bodied texture. A visually stunning presentation of the quintessential Mediterranean delight - a perfectly prepared ball of Spinach Falafel ($12) comes with beet tztaki spread over a rectangular pita slice and topped with a spoonful of creamy yogurt. The crinkle cress and the single pickle add to the attractiveness of the plate while offering complimentary bites of flavor. This dish was a major highlight of the evenings repertoire. Next, we shared a tasty flatbread with grilled peaches and haloumi cheese cubes. The sweet tender peaches and the springy haloumi (a sheeps milk cheese from Cyprus) were an intriguing pair that offered contrasting textures a top a paper thin, just barely crisped crust. The Fried Mussels ($12) were exceptional. Perfectly plump and crispy morsels are flanked by hot green peppers and drizzled in a cool Turkish Tarator which is a light yogurt, cucumber, garlic and dill sauce traditionally accompanying fried seafoods. The Deconstructed Potato Salad special could also be taken for a loose interpretation of a Nicoise salad with its seared tuna and delicate soft boiled eggs. Along with potatoes, tomatoes and peppers, I thoroughly enjoyed this mash up of simple well prepared ingredients. I didn't care for the Spicy Artichoke and Grilled Shrimp Crostini. This special sounded good in theory but flavors and textures didn't mesh well or warrant return bites. A sight to behold were the Ricotta Loukoumades ($12) with thin slices of roasted beets and prosciutto. These fritters tasted just as beautiful as they looked plated over a striking beet puree. A sweet sparkling Elio Perrone Bigaro Rosato kicked off the dessert courses. Stuffed as we were, sampling the dessert menu was just as imperative as the meze; especially with executive pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick at the helm. In order of my least to most favorite, (deciding to save the best for last) the Sicilian Almond Cremolata & Warm Chocolate Panino ($12) didn't particularly excite me. Perhaps that is because it had some seriously stiff competition. If you were in the mood for an icey treat - cemolata with texture similar to that of a sherbet would most likely appease, the warm chocolate panino dusted in powdered sugar added a touch of whimsy. The pastry chef is known for her way with frozen concoctions and the appearance of such is prevalent in each dessert we ordered. The Chocolate Hazelnut Délice ($12) paired a hazelnut cocoa nib tartlet with hazelnut praline ice cream for a rich nutty treat. I was enamored with the Native Strawberry Floating Island ($13) with moscato strawberry crisp and lime leaf ice cream. The meringue based substance embodied a texture so light any airy it dissolved almost instantly on your tongue. It was brilliantly suspended in a strawberry liquid with some fresh strawberry granita on top. If you can only choose but one dessert the Baked Alaska ($14) has got to be it. It manages many feats of versatility by being both creamy and crunchy, tart and sweet and hot and cold. Coconut ice cream is scooped over a bed of chewy macaroon cake, covered generously with meringue and then baked at a high temperature just long enough for the meringue to firm. It effectively insulates the ice cream which is not only a magical feat in process but in taste and texture as well. The silky passion fruit caramel sauce takes it over the top with its bold tropical flavors. I'd strongly encourage you save room. While this is truly the dessert that dreams are made of, the same can be said for the experience in its entirety. The enchanting patio space for starters is matched by absolutely flawless service. Our waiter was both charming and knowledgeable while the manager played an active roll in engaging with patrons as well. Behind them a highly skilled kitchen with a knack for creativity producing dishes as inventive and exotically flavored as they come, Oleana ranks up there as one of my favorite dining experiences in the city.

Oleana 

134 Hampshire Street

Cambridge, MA 02139