Cultivar

Cultivar is Downtown's newest darling offering a bevy of earthy delights from Chef Mary Dumont (and her hydroponic garden). I've already been twice!

Cultivar 

@ The Ames Boston Hotel

1 Court Street

Boston, MA 02108

Hipodromo Condesa y Roma Norte

Now that we've made our way through some of my Mexico City favorites and come to a mutual understanding of how outstanding this city is, I would be remiss if I didn't dedicate a post to the gorgeous neighborhoods we "lived in" and loved. Our hotel was located in La Condesa and we spent an equal amount of time eating and drinking in Roma. 

La Condesa is actually made up of three colonias: Hipódromo Condesa is the funky art deco area, while Roma + Roma Norte are considered the Soho of Mexico City with lofty tree lined avenues and luxurious residences. These colonias lend pretty parks, bohemian cafes, cozy bistros, hip cocktail dens and fascinating architecture. Hipódromo or Roma Norte are posh home bases for exploring the continents largest city.

AR 218 | Hipódromo Condesa

I found our accommodations through my favorite boutique hotel booking site: Tablet. They have poetic write ups and dreamy photos for each hotel and AR 218's spoke to me. A stylish all-suite hotel offers a glimpse of what it might be like to live here, right in the middle of the action. Swanning through your apartment, sipping a café con leche, you live here now! Step outside into the cool and colorful streets of Condesa - where there’s more to see, hear, and taste than you can squeeze into a single visit."

That is exactly what we loved about this hotel, and how we treated our time here.

AR 218's modern suites are sleek and industrial-inspired with soothing pale concrete walls and hardwood floors. Our standard studio with a terrace was remarkably spacious including a fully equipped kitchenette, comfy Ralph Lauren bedding and a big marble shower. Additionally, I loved the floor to ceiling, wall to wall mirror in the kitchen and the circular mirrors that dotted the space over the headboard.

AR 218 

Alfoso Reyes 218

Cuauhtemoc, Hipódromo Condesa,

06100 Ciudad de Mexico, D.F., Mexico

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Felina Bar | Hipódromo Condesa

Felina's proximity to our hotel made it an easy choice for our first venture upon arrival to DF; although this is not a bar you are going to stumble upon just wandering the neighborhood. We had it on a recommendation list and felt like in-the-know travelers when we strolled by the corner space with no signage, peered in, turned around and entered what felt like someone's mid-century modern apartment. The space is dark and intimate with comfortable banquet seating backed by funky scalloped wallpaper. A tiny wet bar is situated the corner. They shake up cocktails specializing in mezcal and rum and offer a small but impressive menu of snacks and tostadas. The bruschetta we had were delicious! 

// T.W. Julep ($115) mezcal tantito, tequiliana weber, limon amarillo, rude macerada y agua de azucar // Manhattan ($115) whiskey jack daniel's, vermut rojo y bitters de naranja // Bruschetta de Tomate ($45) albahaca, aceite de oilva // Bruschetta de Kale ($45) pimiento confitado y bilbania.

Prices are in PESOS. Essentially those are $5 cocktails and $2 Tostadas. How do you not instantly fall in love with city where your first cocktail is $5!?

Felina 

Calle Ometusco 87 

Cuauhtemoc, Hipódromo 

06100 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

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Fonda Fina | Roma Norte

We had an impressive dinner featuring regional Mexican cuisine at Fonda Fina. The staff was warm, welcoming and took great care of us. This place is consistently receiving rave reviews from the community and I would concur with them!

A favorite dish here was the peneques rellenos de requesón which are crispy fried tortillas stuffed with requesón cheese (similar to ricotta cheese) sitting in a warm bath of green pipián - a type of mole made with pumpkin seeds, garnished with Chiapas cheese, avocado cubes, pumpkin seeds, a drizzle of Mexican table cream and nasturtium leaves. 

Fonda Fina

Medellín 79

Cuauhtemoc, Roma Nte 

06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

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La Capital | Hipódromo

Another delicious meal with polished service and superb cocktails was had at La Capital. Located a five minute walk from AR 218 it was an ideal spot to relax after a long Dia de los Muertos spent gallivanting the city. In that adorable clay cauldron I had a mezcal concoction with coconut, lime, lemon, and grapefruit and it was one of the best cocktails I drank on this trip! I also enjoyed a tangy ceviche, a comforting bowl of tortilla soup poured table-side, and a classic Conchinita Pibil (Pulled Pork) entrée. 

La Capital

Nuevo León 137

Cuauhtémoc, Hipódromo Condesa

06140 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

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Alekzander | Roma Norte

On Sunday evening we tried to get into Limantour, a cocktail bar recommended time and again as being one of the best - a must visit in Rome Norte. To our disappointment the bar was three people deep and they had no available tables. We wandered a few doors down into a global inspired restaurant with an amazing ambiance and were so happy we did! Alekzander features a "cocina de mundo" (world cuisine) menu offering Italian bruschettas, Spanish tortillas, Argentinian empanadas, and terrific salads, so it was a like-able change of pace. The restaurant was softly lit and fairly busy, I borrowed the good looking interior photos from AFAR. I seem to have also neglected to take any food shots this time around! Regardless, this is another solid spot to check out in Roma Norte if you're feeling like it's okay venture away from Mexican food!

Alekzander
Av. Álvaro Obregón 130 
Cuauhtémoc, Roma Nte.
06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

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Bósforo | Centro

photo above is the view from the tiny mezzanine space, borrowed from Eater.

I'm taking us out of Hipódromo and Roma into Centro for a shoutout to Bosforo. This is perhaps the hippest Mezcal Bar, tucked away on a dark side street. The bartender did not speak English but I somehow asked in Spanish for a mezcal tasting; she happily complied, and I ordered the one I liked best. I pretty much drank mezcal or a mezcal cocktail every where we went, but this intimate bar playing funky music was the best place to do it! You'll come for one drink and want to linger for five. Much like Mexico City itself - you'll come for four days and want to stay a lifetime!

Bósforo

Luis Moya 31

Cuauhtémoc, Centro

Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico

UpStairs on the Square | Tomatoes Galore

I have a feeling that the tomato and my love for it need no introduction. See this post from the tomato feast at UpStairs in 2010 and this one from a couple weeks ago at Bistro 5's heirloom celebration. At this dinner Michelle, Meghan, Megan and I celebrated more than just tomatoes but two years of friendships. It is pretty remarkable when events like this mark the passage of time - nearly everyone's lives are in a different place - whether we've moved, have a new job, have gotten engaged, or a combination of the above! 

Visiting UpStairs on the Square is like attending a festive soiree, its originality and charm resonate each time I return. We gathered first at the Monday Club Bar with a vibrant purple and green color scheme where a serpentine lilac bar commands the space. 

I started with a bubbly aperitif made with Aperol, fresh grapefruit and rosemary called Aprile ($11). The intense rosemary scent was cleansing and offered a lovely accent to the bitter sweetness of the Aperol.  Once we settled in among the jewel toned dining room enveloped by plush lavender booths and flickering gold accents, we began the tasting with an amuse bouche featuring juicy tomatoes with tender pork rillets over a piece of toast. 

A light bodied yet vibrant Boony Doon Albariño was poured to pair with the first course. Offering an acidic medley of grapefruit and lemon peel, the refreshing, silky texture matched that of the Green Zebra Tomato Gazpacho with green olive oil, crème fraiche, chives and rosemary. I scraped my bowl clean, this was a terrific first course. 
Then came a Brandywine Tomato Salad with radish, peach, lobster and nasturtium flowers. I never imagined lobster and peach together, they work exceptionally well. I am also a big fan (after this meal) of anything featuring the edible nasturtium flower. Its leaves offer a delectable peppery punch. At this point we are drinking a food friendly Sybille Kuntz Riesling, Mosel, made from organic German grapes resulting in delicate, dry and ultra crisp sips. 

The entrée is a hearty, tender Fire Roasted Berkshire Pork dusted in Fresh fennel pollen over smoked tomato molasses with bitter greens. 

This pork chop was a real treat alongside a vibrant Occhipinti Frappato, Sicily which balanced tart red fruits with a distinct earthiness.

I expected a little more from the dessert! While the Tomato Sorbet with candied pine nuts was lovely, it was similar to but not as incredible as the dessert from the last tomato tasting. The pungent sorbet did benefit from the final wine pairing, De Trafford Vin de Paille, a sweet but not cloying straw wine from South Africa.

UpStairs on The Square usually hosts their heirloom tomato series for a short period of time in the month of August. It is definitely a treat to attend and a tradition I have come to love! 

Café G | Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum

The new wing at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum presents a stunning 114 million dollar expansion designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. It opened to the public on January 19th along with Cafe G, a contemporary restaurant offering museum goers a unique dining experience.

I was invited to the new café for a tasting of the Nasturtium Connection Menu, inspired by the 20-foot long edible hanging plants that have been exhibited in the courtyard every spring since Isabella first draped them in 1903. Prior to this complementary lunch I was whisked along on a quick tour and even allowed to take some photographs of the Nasturtiums! (Taking photos in the original museum is not allowed, which I remembered from a past visit, so for this I felt incredibly lucky!) The flower is defined by gorgeous orange blossoms which grow from lush green vines. They cascade over the courtyard walls in an elegant fashion, drawing crowds of visitors specifically to marvel in their beauty. Once we sat down to lunch Chef Peter Crowley who cooked at the former museum café for nearly a decade using only a few small electric burners and a confection oven, greets us warmly. A quiet enthusiasm about him, you can tell he is thrilled to be cooking in a glamorous new kitchen and he's serious about getting creative with the food. I am dining with the media relations manager and a journalist who is working on an overarching piece for a garden focused magazine. The conversation flows from the flowers, to the food, to the vivid and eclectic Isabella Stewart Gardner herself. Sleek glass walls surround the restaurant on three sides, looking into the new wing and out to the garden patio. Hanging wooden shelves tastefully display a small collection of books and bar ware on the opposite wall. Tall potted orchids bloom on the tabletops, modern crimson light fixtures hang uniformly overhead and native American rugs underfoot add a touch of cozy to the otherwise sleek ambiance.

In the first course of Nasturtium Summer Rolls the flower petals lend their dramatic beauty but it is actually the leaves which exhibit a pronounced peppery taste. The crisp rolls bathe in a fantastic jicama, avocado and yellow pepper broth. Already the connection is clear, it is as much about the food as it is about the art, this dish is gorgeous. Next we are treated to Local Scallops which have been caramelized and paired with spring dug parsnips two ways. The first, a creamy puree laced with nasturtium oil, and the second, a chip.The chip is what really impressed me, it was impossibly thin and captured the natural essence of the vegetable, embodying their sweet springy flavor. And once again, the nasturtium leaves add that delectable peppery punch. Dessert presents a Frozen Greek Yogurt (that looks more like a panna cotta - initially I am expecting something light and gelatinous) over a pool of strawberry rhubarb consommé topped with more rhubarb and candied nasturtiums. As I'm enjoying this imaginative finale where the candied flowers are playful and fun but the rhubarb consommé steals the show, I'm pondering, who would have thought a museum café would be serving such excellent food? The entire tasting menu is well thought out and succeeds in paying a touching homage to the Nasturtium as it was traditionally used in cooking and garnishing, as well as with some new twists. I like to think all this would make the unconventional yet refined Isabella proud. As much as she was focused on keeping her museum intact, every piece of furniture and painting just as she left it, she was extremely avant-garde, always looking to push boundaries.

Menu inspiration at Café G will continue to fostered by the exhibits, which, when your museum is largely based around horticulture and the highly skilled chef is willing to embrace all that comes with the territory, is a very wonderful thing.

Café G

25 Evans Way

Boston, MA 02115