As we bid '08 sayonara it's important to remember the meals that fed us, both big and small. I had a dynamite yr. of feasting in this fair city and beyond. The seafood stew at Cobblestones sticks out in my mind (and not because my coat had more of it than I did) for its succulent goodness. The volcano roll at the Blue Taleh, followed by the sake to me martini was the sleeper hit of the summer and gave us renewed hope that Kearney Sq will swing once again. In ’08 we said so long to latte art at Cafe Aiello and hello to ribs and delicate sweet potatoes at the Village Smoke House. Ole' sashayed into town adding some needed kick to Merrimack St., and Bad Dawgs brought quality street food we office dwellers sorely needed. Etsogo became THE place for quality sushi that doesn’t make wallets weeps. The artful paradise roll should be on the city seal. Hidden discoveries like Tepditha Khmer, on the fringes of DTL, added depth to the food scene. Fresher fish and fruitier sauces are hard to find. In the CHL, Moonstones is perking things up w/ it's Sex and the City vibe and adventurous menu, while we mourn the recent loss of Infusions bistro. Throwing caution to the wind is handsome Tabocas that just opened in Lowell. We wish them and every eatery a prosperous and joyous New Year. What dining moment makes your 2008 short list?
December 2008 Archives
Faced with slow Nov./Dec. sales, chef Phil Proulx closed Infusions Bistro in Chelmsford on Saturday. I hate to be the one to write a restaurant's obit, especially a place that embodied the locavore movement, but it is true. Because rests. rely on holiday parties, and need to rake in the most dough in Dec., Infusions sadly won't be the only bistro on the block. I remember the lava cake here being second to none. Young Proulx paved the way for Fishbones, Moontstones and Cafe Madrid to give Chelms. a shot. But I guess two and a half years is forever in rest. years. Anyone bummed by this ?
There's meat loaf and there's meat loaf. At The Alchemist Lounge in JP the Marianne Cunningham classic is a hearty, modern delight. In the hands of new chef Carlos, the perfect winter repast is simply sublime. Wrapped and cooked in maple bacon fat, the entree formerly dismissed as comfort, is so refined — if tasted blindfold — you would never think it was a retro redux.
This red-roomed resto alchemistlounge.com on the corner of Centre Street and South Huntington also has a few tasty beers on tap. The boch from the Tap in Haverhill (known by its wooden shoe handle) made us wonder why we traveled all the way to Boston for beer we could have nabbed a few exits north on 495. Because we love food foraging in Boston, and I know you do too. Last weekend was the perfect time to snag a table at this dining enclave because the holidays kept everyone at bay. Off schussing down Mount Snow, or sunning themselves down south, the patrons who populate the great eateries of Beantown were noticably missing. This chill spot, owned by a Todd English-trained chap from the UK, Lyndon, serves a great grilled clam app.in succulent cream sauce studded w/ chorizo. If you go (they have New Year's Eve fun on tap) don't skip the beet and goat cheese salad. This instant-classic is turning up on menus from Hamilton to Hartford, and that's fine by me. A culinary trip to JP is not complete w/o a stop at City Feed and Supply cityfeedandsupply.com , a newish grocer on Centre St. that carries Equal Exchange coffee and chocolate, Iggy’s bread and a New England-sorced cheese case. Plenty of seats at a big bay window to watch the parental hipsters stroll by.
The Celts tumbled to the Lost Angeles Lakers last night, ending the C's 19-game wining streak. Humbug! I watched the debauchery after polishing off mouth-melting beef tenderloin w/ a side of Yorkshire pudding and baked tomatoes stuffed w/peas. Wish the game went down as easily. That guy Gasol is one ugly mother. Game after game, heavy meal after meal, both the wining and eating streak has come to an end. But the day after Christmas, falling on a Fri., begs the question, why stop now? Shouldn't we party like heathens into the New Year? I for one have not had my fill of those powdery white cookies, cheesy, creamy dips and stuffed mushrooms. To say nothing of heart-warming, big -bodied reds.
Let’s keep the cheer flowing.
No place is more cheerful this time of year than the Owl Diner on Appleton St. I stopped in the historic ham house Christmas Eve around 11 a.m. and the place was brimming w/coffee, eggs and community. Made me proud to say I’m a Lowellian, which I am not, but wanted to be one in the worst way at that moment. What am I talking about? The ham. Chef Rusty is so skilled on the grill, he brings the lowly term "short-order cook" to epic heights. Wielding a spatula like a painter does a brush, he tapped sunny side eggs this way and that as they slid like silk on the hot surface. Ummmm ...ahhhhh ... ham is a big deal here. They go through 20 a week, not for nothing. After it’s baked to a golden crisp, it's sliced thick and grilled to a browned perfection. An order of ham and eggs here will keep you going this winter. It got me all the way to Hartford in the shizzle and drizzle.
Subway on Merrimack St. in Lowell is not closing, just remodeling and (we think) expanding into the vacant space next-door, where Gary's Ice Cream once stood. Subway, like Dunkin' Donuts, is making an attempt to modernize their stores so more diners will dine in, instead of grabbing a tuna grinder to go. Would you?
I haven't ordered a cocktail out in some time. In the winter I tend to warm up to microbrews and rich reds preferably by a fire. Right? But when I'm out this time of year and see a couple canoodling over festive drinks, I almost want one. So when I saw these drinks snapped by a Sun shooter yest. at none other than Cobblestones, I got that same old tinge. The friendly downtown bistro is ringing in the revelry with a bevy of drinks that could get you looking on the bright side, even in a down market. Warm up with a Hill Billie Holiday, a mix of bourbon and cocoa liqueur served on the rocks or a peach bellini — champagne with a dash of peach puree.
If you're still tempted to check on your 401k, you may want to kick back with a Boston sidecar of rum, brandy, lime juice and triple sec first.
Farther afield, I had a great champagne cocktail in Boston the other night at Mantra. Served in a martini glass, which made it more special, the rose bubbly with a dose of pomegranate juice was smooth and refreshing! What you are concocting into the New Year? Cheers!
The culinary countdown has begun on the last meal of '08. To insure maximum yum, you need to do a little planning if you wish to dine out in style on New Year's Eve. And is there any other way when the ball drops on a year we'd all like to see go up in flambe?
Burlington, with its wide mall-appeal, has my vote for best suburban New Year's food promo. Summer Winter, in the Marriott, throws a feasting finale of seasonal fare from uber chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier. I like it already.
These guys put Ogunquit on the map w/ their Midas-touched garden-focused Arrows. Options include a $89 five-course prix fixe or a la carte menu. Either way you can gorge on creamy potato leek soup with lobster profiteroles (who knew?), mini s’mores, chocolate pot de crème (don't know what this is, but I'm ordering it). House-cured proscuitto with mozzarella and basil, Peking duck and vegetable wontons for starters.Then delve devilishly into roasted tenderloin of beef with cognac and prune sauce, puff pastry, lavender-roasted shallots and Brussels sprouts. If that hasn't left you drooling, plank-roasted salmon with braised apple and Savoy cabbage is sure to do it. And cheese fondue? A slam dunk. Note the vibe here is organic chic, not Marriott-esque. Good choice for anyone w/ an eye for design.
If you find yourself in Boston for First Night, swing by Olives. Celebrity Chef Todd English’s flagship restaurant is offering a three-course, prix fixed New Years Eve menu for $75 per person that includes a champagne toast. Slurp up Duxbury oysters granita, spicy butternut squash soup, oxtail agnolotti (think I'll pass), beef short rib a la Bourguignonne and veal scaloppini (in honor of Celt's loveable forward Scalabrini?). Sounds a little over the top, but can Gourmet, Zagat and Boston Magazine be wrong? Sure, but not this time. To get the full Charlestown experience pop into the Warren Tavern and raise a pint to Old Ange Kline, the local townie. You'll need resies, www.opentable.com. Cheers!.
If you are kicking it local my picks are Centro, with its mod-appeal and melt-worthy meats, and /or Cobblestones who is rolling out the 1929-inspired cocktails. Bathtub gin anyone? Where are you getting your last licks of 2008?
Diners start your engines. For two fabulous weeks in February, meals — all three of them — will be yours for $7 to $33 at the just-announced Great Plates of Downtown Lowell. So here's the deal: from Feb. 15- 28, after the hoopla of Winterfest has died down and Valentine’s Day drains all pockets, the Chamber gives us w/ another reason to crack out our cards in DTL.
Like restaurant week, Great Plates is a pre fixe extravaganza that includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. For the latter two, the price fluctuates btwn. $7- $33 depending on the establishment. The more substantial the restaurant, like Labo or Ricardo’s, the more courses and dessert. As of yet, no restaurants have been named. But return to Gourmet Gal as the morsels drop. I for one think this is a no-brainer that all w/in the sound of my tapping should embrace w/ open wallets. We, as a fierce foodie force, could spur the local economy w/ our generous spirit and appetites. And in return attract more restaurants to this urban village. If you think your local sushi bar doesn't need you, you are painfully mistaken. Who's with me?
What is it with these take-out joints and their inquisition-style lighting? Last night I had to do an emergency trip to the Apple Store when my laptop wet the bed and after an hour waiting at the Genius Bar, we was hungry. We pulled up to Pho DaLat on Chelms. St. just as they killed the neon. Thanks guys! So like a beacon of good tidings, Jimmy's Too flashed across the street promising beef and seafood dinners. I had not been in this sub shop since 2001, but I remembered it fondly. They were open past 10 and even had frosted mugs for the Sam Adam's Oktoberfest on tap (big points). My grilled chicken on Greek salad totally hit the spot, Gourmet Guy’s spagetthi not so much, but I felt like I was back at work under the fluorescents. Why must the place, staffed by a pleasant crew, feel like a 24-hour coin drop? Dim the bulbs dudes. I guess this is a high-crime area and perhaps they keep the wattage on Blinding White to stave off the miscreants, but it's a major turn off to the casual diner. Not to mention pricey, I suspect. Anyone else bothered by being fully lit at dins?
After months of no activity, there is finally some news brewing at the hallowed-out Cafe Aiello. Good-bye cappuccinos, hello deli. Building owner Chris Natalie is in speaks w/ two biz owners who run delis in Cambridge and the Lowell Area. My hunch is he is leaning toward the Cambridge owner, who has a shop near the court house in East Cambridge. Homemade bread and lesser-priced (read cheap) sandwiches is his game. Should be "pretty interesting" said Natalie who is keeping all names under wraps until next week. As soon as one "pops" GG will be the first to blog it. Oh, that killer cappuccino maker that was Aiello's draw? It will likely not be here when the delis open. That's a big boo.
Both prospects plan to be open for breakfast, lunch and early dinner. The bistro that chef Kevin McGuire was considering here is off the table.
I'm told there are 13 Dunkin Donuts in Lowell. Is that enough? Guess not as DD no. 14 is set to open next month on Fletcher St. No complaints here as it is walking distance from the office and from Western Ave. Studios. Sure makes the trip to Lowell’s art Mecca richer when you know you can snag a hazelnut latte. Yum! Today I've got a big craving for all things DD. Could it be the news of new CEO Nigel somethingerother taking over the Canton-based chain, or the fact that there is no coffee shops in The Acre. I love the independents as much as the next fiend, but sometimes there is nothing like a DD brew. The sweet smell of the place, the sickening pink donuts, the whipped up frothy drinks ... it's like a candy shop for adults. I even like the orange and pink motif. This icy weather has me thinking about donuts too. Not that I would eat these fried dough rings, but I like to think about them. If you haven't been to Donna's Donuts in Tewks. you're missing out. Cheeseburger donut anyone? What’s your favorite donut house? And/or what do you crave in an ice storm?
The Exotic Boutique closed recently on Market St. and word is a health food store is opening in its place. A local couple have been eying the site and plan to open a full-scale market w/ organic goodies. With Life Alive around, there is no excuse not to be healthy in this city. This will surely be a nice switch from the Market Basket in the Acre and the other convenience store on Market Street that is basically a candy store in disguise. We need real food, we are humans not plastic dolls willing to subsist on corn syrup. In other news ... Tobacas has opened on Andover Street. As I was driving by last night I noticed how nice this freestanding spot on the Concord River looks. Granite interior and low-lighting makes it looks cozy and urban. The food? Don't know yet, but I'm holding out hope that Brazilian BBQ will hit the spot this winter. Also last Wed. I finally cashed in my gift certificate at Glory in Andover and was happy I waited. It was worth it. For those of you unwilling to dine outside LA, you are missing out. The halibut fish dish I devoured was so delicate, eating seems too harsh a word for this. It was more like dancing an intoxicating tango. Seated next to the fireplace is as romantic as it gets around here. I haven’t ventured to their sister restaurant Evenfall in Haverhill, but it's on the list. Anyone been?
Just returned from four glorious days in Manhattan, food capital of the east, nay the world. Too much to write about in a short blog post, so I'll give a brief flyover — there are no bad restaurants in Manhattan. From the calamari at Dizzy's Coca-Cola Club to the homemade biscuits at the Waverly Inn, to cupcakes at Eleni's in Chelsea Market to bagels and drinking chocolate at diners and trendy little cafes in Hell's Kitchen, my senses were in overdrive. Makes me think that Lowell has a long, long way to go, ditto Boston in matters of the stomach. I didn't get to eat enough chocolate and found out about Fine and Raw Chocolate in Brooklyn
fineandraw.com when it was too late. Sounds like a good stocking stuffer. Also I recently wrote about Tast-i-Delight. It's been superseded by Pinkberry www.pinkberry.com
Swirly bliss. Did I save room for bread? You bet. Grabbed a loaf of Hot and Crusty at Grand Central on the way out. Ummm. We need a bakery here. Where to begin?
If you are like Sally Allbright, you like your wine a specific way. If you remember "on the side" was a very big thing in When Harry Met Sally. No doubt, Meg Ryan’s adorable high-maintainence character would love the options Vintner’s Cellars vintnersmass.com
in Wilmington is throwing down. The new wine shop on Route 38 is billed as a customized winery. So if you prefer your chard oaky vs. butter w/ hints of grass and a touch of apricot they’ll do that. Want a heavy cab to go w/ your Xmas goose, and a label that says Happy Holiday’s Hubby (I wouldn’t either), they’ve got that too.
The store stocks 30 of their own wines and if you opt to DIY, in-house vintners will turn your wonder into wine in five to eight weeks. Think Jesus did it quicker, but that's not too shabby. If nothing else it’s a great gag gift for your Wilmington in-laws. Stop by Kendra and Anthony's
kendraandanthonys.com nextdoor for a gourmet pizza and call it a meal. Wilmington is looking up.
Here's something we can all agree on, popcorn. I’ve never known anyone to pass it up. Popcorn makes people happy.
But, the perfect snack is not always perfect. It can be trifled with. I’m not talking about Jiffy Pop or the stuff that's nuked in a bag, popcorn can and should only be consumed in mass quantities in the dark.
Movie theater popcorn draws us in first by smell, then by sound then by taste. Over the weekend I experienced the best popped corn at the Lexington cinema. Flick, located in this quaint downtown, really pops the best and doesn’t inflate the price. A medium-sized box didn't block our view of the scene as I happily crunched through the worst movie I've ponied up for in a while "Happy-go-Lucky." How about “Happy-Go-Home" The Brit flick was so bad, I wanted to walk out. First time I've ever had that impulse. As the inane story about a British gooneybird painstakingly played out, I felt time slipping away. Why, did my husband drag me here? The only thing keeping me going was the popcorn. A small amount of butter laced through out did nary leave a finger greased. It was crunchy, not soggy and perfectly salted. I could go on, but I want to hear about your fav. p-corn spots. The Capital in Arlington is OK, but Lexington rocks!