CLINK

The most romantic place to wine and dine. minus the wine.

Andrew decided to bring me to Clink which is at the Liberty Hotel in Beacon Hill, Mass.

It was fashion week so on top of an award winning meal we got to partake in the viewing of a Fashion Show.

The Liberty Hotel used to be a Jail back in the day so the inside is gorgeous (Did I just call a Jail gorgeous...well when it is made into a Hotel...pure talent that architect).

We started off with a seclection of cheeses. Andrew picked the cheese most were soft, mild, milk cheeses from Oregon, Chile, and a small number of other places I could not remember.

I ordered the Scallop dish with Dates.

It was amazing. I think this blog is done.

Would I go back again? YES, If I could afford to Dine here every other day.

I honestly did not even care what Andrew got. His reduction sauce to the meat course he ordered which looked like some type of poultry was very complementary(sp) with the plate.

The service was at highs and lows. The waitress screwed up on my cocktail. Too much lemonade. Than too little lemonade. I asked for another one right away.

The meals took a while to get out and it was a Wednesday Night with about seven parties in the restaurant.

At the end, the waitress regain some respect when Andrew forgot his credit card on the table.

I love Clink but not the prices.

Laurel Grill in the BACK BAY

Another restaurant.com experience, so we initially thought… dun dun dun (read on to see why I said such a comment)

I have been to this place before it is very fruity but the food is spicy and interesting.

I went with my friend, Liz and former roomie, Penny.

I ran about ten minutes late (which is so out of character for me) and once I arrived neither of us hesitated to run to the host to seat us due to our bellies rumbling.

By then Liz could have been on her second cocktail.

Once we sat down, we ordered the cheapest Pinto Grigio on the menu, which was a $21 bottle of Vos. We probably cheers to ourselves, quite selfish.

Anyways, Penny wanted to order the Pre-Fixe meal that was $19.99 so she initially did and then I handed over the restaurant.com gift certificate on top of that. The naïve server who had to spell out the specials at the rate of five words per minute due to her being in the country for barely two months was “told” she could not accept both restaurant.com and pre-fix promotions that night.

I questioned her and due to her lack of grammar / English skills, her second grade literature could not comprehend what I was saying….so she instantly ran away. Seriously.

A second later the manager, or manager of the night, this fat intense fellow came over flustered hollering they could not take two promotions of the night. I looked at him and told him to Relax. Honestly, clam down. I told asked him “why are you getting so worked up?” He was making all of us nervous. I assume the Brazilian waitress told him we were yelling at her because she did know the difference between asking and telling from her coming over to the States about two weeks ago ( I know I said two months but two weeks/two months same difference).

Penny made a deal with us and said she needed to get the hot brownie sundae no matter what and instead of the pre-fix $19.99 meal; we used the restaurant.com gift certificate.

I was impressed with how intimidating I was to this pathetic server. At least the bread was warm.

Liz ordered the Pasta Special and I ordered the spicy tomato and bean soup as well as… I am embarrassed to say again a Caesar Salad with both tomatoes and onions. I love onions. Penny was a bit more adventurous. She ordered the salad with bacon and blue cheese, honey glazed chicken with some veggies, and of course the chocolate warm sundae.

To make Penny happy, Liz and I shared Carrot Cake. The food was great but due to the lack of service, I probably will not go back.

Liz loves Carrot Cake. She even has a depressing story about it when it was served at her Birthday Party when she was a toddler.

We ordered one more glass of wine but figured the server with the IQ of 00 should have offered us another bottle because three glasses of the Vos was just as much as the bottle.

I gave a bad tip and Penny Judged.

We went to Liberty Hotel that night and I met up with Andrew and John Ramer…Do you know him?

Lesson: When a server opens their mouth and speaks…if you cannot understand the words chicken from steak. Ask for a new server.

L'andana.. A GO TO (but not if your on budget)

One word. Modern.

Landana gave an elegant mature ambiance and instantly made Andrew and I feel comfortable.

The scene was hip and the waiters acted professionally (for once).
The wine selection was out of this world so I pretty much closed my eyes and pointed and whatever it landed on was going to be the choice of the evening. (Andrew was paying).

I ordered my fave dish, Calamari. It came with this unique aioli buttery sauce. I liked it but once Andrew complained, it was too buttery I was not as aggressive on putting every piece on my dish. Judge me.

Andrew went with the pre-fixe menu and had ravioli to start. (It only came with about five pieces …you should have seen the expression on his face, disappointment) Andrew asked if I wanted a bite but I knew from the speed he went through the first three that he felt like he “needed” to ask to be a gentleman, I said “No” and you can see the relief in his face. I went for a nibble of my calamari and never saw his plate again.

For dinner, Andrew had the Lamb entrée, which came with a gorgeous salad with goat cheese and balsamic dressing, and I got the Broccoli Rabe for a side and a Caesar Salad, I am pathetically getting less adventurous with age.

We took them all back home due to the generous portion size.
The Dessert was easily the best. I paired it with a stiff house Merlot which cut the sweetness of my apple warm caramel gelato tart (was that even the name?). Andrew got the Vanilla pudding (there is a french? Itlaian word for this) with a ginger candy treat on top.

Although we had to travel to Burlington, MA to have dinner, it was worth it. From the atmosphere, to the service into the meal. Everything was up to par.

5 stars for Andrew.

(I would love to give Andrew all this credit but I gave him four restaurants to pick to take me out to dinner and he chose Landana)

A Birshdawy Pawty

(under construction, more photos to come)

Usually at the end of a toast at a family reunion or your last week of senior year you typically here the over used saying "let's make memories."

Well I recently came back from my grandmothers 80th in Florida reminicining(sp) the unforgettable Saturday night.

On top of both the classy and divine dining experience, there was tons of family looking elegant and throwing back stiff beverages.

If you were a newborn a couple of months old or holding a cane to support you when walking, long story short, Everyone had a good time and yes, Made Memories.

             Let me babble about the dining at the Hyatt Country Club in Weston, Florida.  With the entree choices of chicken, steak or grouper and both chocolate and vanilla cakes I sat at the “kids table” (something’s never change) and the ages ranged from a single 1 year old (who by the way was hands down the best dressed male) to 28 year olds. 

I sat next to my twin, Ashley and cousin, Edmund. We all got the grouper, which if you have been watching Top Chef Masters is one of the most difficult fish to cook because it can be “over done” if it sits for longer than 30seconds with no heat! I got my fish warm and perfect (but this could have been due to the wine and vodka ginger ales I sipped on prior to sitting down for dinner ?maybe not?). The salad was very modern with candied walnuts and mesculn greens with a white Italian dressing that was delicious but had no genuine name, so we called it the  “white dressing.” There were two cakes (as mentioned) one for my grandmother(chocolate) who turned 80 and one for my cousin, Julian (vanilla) who was turning...the number after 29.

It had the Miami Dolphin logo stamped on the cake, which he insisted was not part of the ‘fish species.’ At Buffalo Bills games they holler to the Dolphins “Squish the Fish” (and I assume all buffalo bills fans are right? but how accurate can a team be that is up 11 points with 5 minutes left and still lose?)

Anyways, I had a nibble of the chocolate cake that was sitting @ my dads plate. My dad thinks he is on a strict Diet, so when he saw my fork stab his cake... I glanced once and He was defeienitaly judging.

After (or before?) the cake my godmother, Aunt Maria and Mother, Virginia wanted to take down a beverage with Edmund and myself . The beverage was a shot of tequila, which happened to be my cousin Christina’s first shot. (keep in mind Christina has been to college and never threw her head back and took a shot)

             Yes. First. And I was starring @ her the entire time once everyone held their glasses and cheered. Christina Took it… hands down like a champ. Like mother like daughter huh? I was watching Edmund’s face as well and I was embarrassed/judging/ unimpressed/ disappointed with his aftermath face. Snaps for Christiana.

Wait?! I forgot to talk about the expression on my grandmothers face. Her smile was huge and the first words that came out of her mouth were “you f word(er) ..you f word(er)…you F word(er)” Grandma, one word. Legend.

The first choice of music was the celebration theme song for Jewish weddings. The family went along with it and danced around my grandmother and Aunt Flo(which is my great-grandmothers sister..Snaps for Aunt Flo!). By the Way, We are Italian… very Italian. During the initial song, My dad proceeded to take Aunt Flo's cane and poke everyone with it. Let me repeat, The room was full with nothing but Italian blood. It was epic.

Before(after?) the dinner started although everyone moved to their designated tables, there was a rumor that cousin Nicky ordered a Stripper. True. Police outfit and everything! My father and some other real men went outside and insisted he retire to the 15yr old party next door (maybe they did?)..

Anyways my dad told everyone he pushed the stripper and he left. So intimidating? A stripper is typically over 6 ft ripped and toned. My dad is barely 6 ft with a recovering ACL tear. Yeah, that was definitely a true story.

The most memorable (I thought) of the night had to deal with shoes. Yes, shoes.  My mom, was Missing a Shoe, just one. …Why did you take your shoes off Virginia?  My father took Julian’s Birthday present, a set of golf clubs, grabbed the driver in the reception room and found a random shoe on the dance floor and proceeded to swing the club, with ideal form and hit it into the window. Dad, just because you are the baby of your family does not justify such behavior.

Talking about Julian’s birthday presents, one of his friends rolled in, seriously, rolled in with a motorized cooler. That is Awesome. How convenient?  I am currently putting a bid on Ebay for a similar model.

 

In the end when your family reunites after years and you are finally legally able to drink inappropriate beverages, things get wild.  

monumental memories. 

 

Lesson: People Don’t Forget. 

Sunset Grill

Props to new amigos Jamie, Sandra and the newest, Phil. This place is great. (maybe/ maybe not) and I* dont even like beer.

I apologize the menu could not show up or I am just not oo computer savy? but, I am more amazed with how many there are!

Thoughts?

Lesson: try things new and explore (quoted/ texted by Sandra)

Fire Fly (oh my oh my) - oh yes, I did rhyme

Fire Fly is on Dartmouth Street in the Back Bay. Andrew and I parked on Newbury Street and had to walk about five blocks to get to Fire Fly. Clearly, I do not care about walking barely a quarter of a mile but Andrew was struggling and recommended we go somewhere closer! I refused. (Andrew thinks our Apartment to Whole Foods is 3miles...Its about one mile and five feet)

Although, I was having a skirmish with the boyfriend, I ended up inviting him to my pick of the evening...

Fire Fly has alot of healthy choices and seeing from the last Blog I wrote it would not hurt my dear muffin, Andrew to partake in such meals.

Thanks to Virginia (my mother) I used a restaurant.com gift certificate for $25 off if we spend $45 in food.

Andrew gotthe steak tips and melted brie with almonds and I got a Ceaser (sp) Salad and calamari (it was not called calamari though but, lets be honest a fried fish stick with a dipping sauce, to me, is calamari).

Fir Fly was a laid back, "rock on" type of atmosphere. "Rock on" as in from the wait staff to the decor around the restaurant it gave you a hip/ chill ambiance feel.

One glass of the house Pinot Grigio and a stiff maritini with lemon vodka and lemon juice made the 2day long fight with Andrew end once we got to the Dessert. (which was a simple cookie because our food at the end of the entree course was 43$, so a cookie would make us max 45$ and get the discount.. woo wee!).

Although My only Motive that Thursday Night, was to go to Liberty Hotel to see a Fashion Show that evening,, I missed it and am currently having nightmares every night until next Thursday when I can FINALLY go!

The worse part of the meal was..... and I hate to say it.... how HOT the Calamari (or whatever it was) was. The top of my gums were crispy and bleeding the entire labor day weekend. Woof.

I will go back to Fire Fly and probably order the dish I just previously complained about. But this time will not be as ambitiious to devour the plate and wait 30 seconds for it to cool off.

Lesson: restaurant.com never fails, snapsss for Virginia.

MET BAR VIA the BURGER BAR

I am a vegetarian but the Met Bar in the Natick Mall was divine.

The Burgers from the Burger Bar are so unique and tasty. Just reading about the Burger brings you into an overwhelming experience.

There were so many options, such as make your own but I decided to go with the Mexican Burger because I love hot and spicy things on my Veggie Burger and Andrew, the boyfriend, decided to go with the Athens burger. I wish I got to see the burger and what it entailed but I turned around for a minute and the burger was gone. (In addition, Andrew's mouth was full) So I* had to develop my double O7 moves in order to take a menu home with me...Success!

Although we ate from the Burger Bar Menu, we decided to actually sit at the Burger Bar. (Which was a bad idea because Andrew was eyeing the meat the entire time). We also had the option of sitting in a booth but hopped into a Bar Seat and the server ran to us.

There is a Met Bar on Rte. 9 in Chestnut Hill but the menus seem a bit different. I guess since I had such a wonderful time at the MET Bar in Natick, I should try the MET Bar that is barely two miles from my apartment.

Another option on the menu that we neglected to try were the Shakes. To add an alcoholic beverage was only 3$ more. However, how would that taste? I was too nervous to order any of the shakes. I wish Lauren; my friend who tries everything and everything was dining with me that Sunday evening so I could "maybe" have a sip/spoon full of hers.

The MET Burger Bar is "a go to" and seeing how fast Andrew (my new roomie) ate his Burger, we might make the trip every Sunday.

The worst part of the meal: I ordered white house wine (and when I say house, I mean house labeled white house wine) and Andrew ordered a Beer of choice to match with the grease of his Burger.

That was the slowest thing that went into Andrew's mouth during our dining
experience.

Lesson: Wine is not always the way to go.

Capital Grille in the Back Bay

Thank God for Restaurant Week or I would have never been to this fabulous place this past weekend.

When I called to make a reservation, I initially knew that Restaurant Week at Capital Grille was not being done on Saturdays. I called the restaurant about 3x that day to make a reservation and when I finally got one for 9:30PM Saturday evening I acted naive and said we were going to partake in restaurant week. The host put me on hold and a man came on and said, "Danielle, we will honor restaurant week tonight for you," I was pumped and called one of my dining guest, Sandra as soon as I got the news.

Anyways, restaurant week is $33 for an appetizer, entree, and desert. Usually just an entree at Capital Grille is easily over 30$. We walked in around the exact time our reservation was and waited about 7minutes to beseated. Lets be honest, for a classy place with an amazing review, they placed us in a ghetto area in the dining room.

Thankfully, the warm bread arrived instantly and the service was five stars.

We took part in the Master Wine Restaurant Tasting event which is six tastings (but, the woman saw three girls who wanted to potentially have an amazing night and was quite generous on the tastings) for only $25!

Some of the wines we tasted were $20 a glass and one was even $100 a bottle. We began tasting our meals and then sipping the wine to see the contrast but once the desert came, everything seemed to be the same.

Still amazing.

We all started with the standard salad, I got the Salmon and Sandra, and my other dining guest, Anya (dined at Sonsie with) ordered the Steak. We also all ordered the chocolate Gelato which was not much of a Gelato but Chocolate ice cream AND again, the wine took over all our taste buds at that point of the dining experience.

Essentially, we had six wonderful glasses of whites and reds that complimented both our meals and our motives that night.

We all had to pay about $57 each but decided to tip the server $15 each so it was a bit more.

Lets be honest, the server hooked us up and we trusted her to pick out the wines and take us on the journey to a wonderful dining experience.

In the end, we can confidently say with no embarrassment that Sandra, Anya and I Closed Capital Grille.

We left with about 18 empty glasses on the table a photo shoot on Anya's camera and a developed photo from the Capital Grille digital Camera.

We left Capital Grille around 12:15AM (yeah we did!). We made it to one bar on Boylston and went home. I was still on a high all day Sunday from the wonderful dinner, company, and beverages the prior evening.

I think the server could have been my personal assistant on wine and dining on a budget. She knew what she was talking about and honored our ambitious personalities to dine well and drink cheap. In the end, we drank cheap but imbibed elegant wine that we would have never considered before!

Lesson: refer to prior lesson, gooooooooo restaurant Week!!!!!

Morton's Steakhouse on the Waterfront in Boston

Wait, aren't I* a Vegetarian? Yes, but I* do love a filet of Salmon with the right sauce and looking at the RESTAURANT'S WEEK Pre Fixe menu for Morton's was too divine to have it pass me by.

My two roomies minus ex-roomie Courtney are Jenny and Penny (Penelope). These two girls were my dining guests for the evening.

The evening started out fabulous because I parallel parked and did not have to pay 30$ for a Paid Parking Area underground, woo!woo!

Although, it took longer than I thought it would to be seated at 6:30pm on a Wednesday we were served bread, given water, and thrown the wine menu (if anyone were too throw something at me... a wine menu would be the best thing. Thoughts?)

I usually do not order Red's but figured a light Pinot Noir would compliment my filet of Salmon perfectly. Too no one's amazement, it did!

Anyways the starters were a choice of salads and we all decided to order different entrees: Chicken, Steak, and Salmon.

The waiter was from Brazil but did not have an accent (was he thinking we would give him a better tip?)

Side Note: I love America. Independence day is my favorite holiday of the year it is better than my Birthday, New Years and Christmas combined (I stole that quote from Stewert- Harbor Springs pal). 

Back: The waitor also refused for there to be a bread crumb on the table and kept coming over every 20mintues to check if we were being sloppy.

Long Story Short: Everyone was thrilled with the entrees and ordered the Chocolate Mouse rather than the Cheesecake for desert. Was I impressed? NO but, I do get weak in the knees when something has any form of chocolate in it.

If it have not been restaurant week in Boston our bill would have been $125 more than what it was, true story. 

Lesson: GOOO Restaurant Week.

CHANNEL CAFE, South Boston

Channel Cafe is a must to do after work or if you have a restuarant.com gift certificate.

It was a very artsy and chill way to dine.

They have after work specials Thursday through Saturday 5pm to 7pm... Draft Beer with Burger and the works for only 10$.

(in this case, I would love the beer because there house white wine was too difficult to swallow... I honestly got sick off it because it was so cheap, and I usually imbibe like cheap wine like H2O)

Andrew and the ex-ex- rooms, Courtney ordered there desired Burgers and I ordered the Veggie Burger. 

All these Burgers came with the works... and if you have ever eaten a burger, you know the standard "works". 

The SWEET SWEEET SWEEEEEET POTATO french fries and spicy Mayo was like a party on cocaine in my mouth. It was wild. I love tangy spicy sauce. I think I had more of this spicy mayo dressing than anything else on my plate.

Maybe, that is why I got sick?

Lesson: Although you might hate a condiment (such as MAYO)never hurts to try...you might be impressed. 

FORBIDDEN CITY in DOWNTOWN NYC

I have been to Forbidden City before and decided to take my party of eight along with me before heading into a crazy night.

We were honoring the arrival of Michigan's finest, John Ramer. Have you heard of him?

My sister was judging the name and assumed I* was picking a Chinese Restaurant and insisted the food would be so greasy that no one could even think about dancing and getting up and down in da' bar of choice.

She was wrong, clearly and ate most of my entree along with hers.

Since, our party was so large, I could not view most of the meals my dining guests had.

I was at the head of the table... I had Marina, my favorite SLU friend on my right, and the boyfriend, Andrew on the Left (who was looking at his blackberry for most of the evening and refreshing some score on espn.com).

Initially, we were the only ones in the restaurant and it was awkward because there were no beats playing.

The waitress made up for this (which she did not have to because we walked into an amazing Happy Hour, with Impressive designed beverages...AMAZING) by handing us all Tequila shots on the house after our meals.

Anyways, I the food I saw around me and both tasted were the Salad with Ginger Dressing, The Spicy Calamari, and the Veggie Dumplings. Everything was light and fresh and perfect. I wanted to highfive the waitress every-time she brought out a new plate.

Lesson: Do Not Judge a Restaurant by its Name.

CaFetRiA on Newbury St

After being educated on art at the Copley Society my new dining guest, Sandra and myself decided to wonder down to 279 Newbury St.

I went on Caferteria's website prior to making my initial steps into the small area. At the instant I* walked into the restaurant, it was love at first site, especially since the BAR was larger than the Dining Area.

Sandra ordered a Burger and I got my non-adventurous typical, Salad de Caesar with Tomatoes. 

I also ordered a unique side dish: Blue Cheese and Fig Jam. Honestly. That was on the menu.

It was fabulous and made me overlook the salad I had ordered for my entree. 

I only wish the wine we chose was a Riesling because the blue cheese would have tasted even better!

I also look forward to stopping back into Cafeteria and partake in its array of both interesting and visually appealing cocktails...

Lesson:

Awkward combinations make for the best combinations

Piattini on 226 Newbury Street

Courtney, the rooms, and I wanted to get a bite to eat downtown before wondering the streets of the North End in Boston.

Piattini seemed interesting online and my Zagaat Restaurant book gave good reviews as well as it was in our price range.

(We both had appetizers and small dishes on top of a bottle of wine... total cost a person $31! Not Bad At All!)

I was craving Italian spicy calamari (especially after my employer's daughter mentioned it at lunch the other day- my mouth has been watering for the taste since)

I started with a small ceaser salad and had the small spicy calamari HOT dish. (The waiter told me it was not the typical fried calamari but, it was spicy and I was not going to make that stop me from ordering it)

Court got the small greens with house dressing salad and small HOT lobster ravioli.

These were ideal portions especially for two 22 year olds looking forward to an adventurous night while twittering and having inappropriate conversations.

Although the food took a bit longer than expected especially since, my reservation was made for 7:45PM, both the food and the wine, a fruity Pinot Grigio, made the dining experience bliss.

The waiter was very generous to us… coming over when I lifted my hand immediately but, Court and I* heard him being quite rude to the Hostess so we left him a sub- standard tip.

Danielle Marie

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STIX...but only the dessert was on a stick

The Bar and the Bartender were quite desirable.

My dining guests, Lauren and Emily (both I* have mentioned in previous blogs) shared the dining experience at STIX in the downtown, back bay, Boston arena.

I had an extra $25 on my Restuarant.com account so I decided to utilize it that night.

We shared two appetizers and each got a meal.

The waitress was a bit absurd. She hollered that we needed to get two entrees (which on the menu apparently means "large plates") in order to use me $25 gift card.

Quickly, I told her she was wrong (especially since I had eaten at 33 Restaurant and Lounge a couple of weeks prior and both restuarants are owned under the same Managment! Also, the waitor accepted the gift certificate for a similar meal order)

Not to my amazement, my guests and I* enjoyed our food and drinks as well as our FREE DESSERT!

Woo Wee

(We have been getting free drinks from the Bali Bartender all night so overall the dining experience was bliss. It was very difficult to complain)

What happened to Emily though?

Lesson: Complain lightly and have knowledge about the restaurant...

Danielle Marie

33 Restaurant and Lounge in Boston

So i went to dinner with Liz, a fellow  Northwood alum who i graduated with and Emily, also a Northwood alum who met us up mid dinner. 

Liz and I were meeting at 33 REstaurant and to no one's surprise, the person who lives in Boston, got lost. 

I ordered one of their signature cocktails and a ginger ale to start off the night. Liz arrived a bit flushed from getting lost meanwhile she was only 2blocks away and quickly ordered a similar cocktail. We finally sat down.

(i rarely order cocktail because they are just tooo sweet at times, especially signature ones) 

Thankfully, the bread was warm. This has been an ongoing disaster at the prior restaurants i have blogged about.

The waiter smelled like b.o, he seemed European. But this still did not take away from our dining experience. And with Liz the Northwood, Lake Placid gossip could go on foreverrrrr.

We started with the Calamari and both got the two salads on the menu (which were large enough to be an entree)

The CALAMARI WAS HANDS DOWN the BESTTTT* calamari i ever had. There was no dipping sauce to my surprise, because everyone loves dipping sauce. The calamaris were dressed in sweet, spicy, sour sauce. Unfortunately, once Emily arrived we have devoured the entire plate. 

This is an appp that i would have with dinner drinks before going to my next dining destination for that evening. 

There was nothing special about the salads, Liz seemed to enjoy the dressing and i believe every salad needs the perfect dressing. I got a Ceaser, like i said, nothing special... i will admit i was not adventurous. 

We skipped desert and went to our next adventure that evening. 

Also, 33 Restuarant and Lounge turns into a club at night, looks very comfy and has a fuison-american- contemporary atmosphere. We need to go back.

Also, Also, Also, 33 Restaurant took restaurant.com gift certificates that Virginia, my mother, loves to buy on ebay.com for $5. We used a 25$ gift card which broke our meal price down to only $60. 

Lesson: invest in restaurant.com and even a universal dish such as calamari can be unique. 

Danielle Marie

Union Street Restaurant in Newton Centre..highlight of my Saturday morning

The rooms, Anya and I hit up this joint in Newton Centre for an 'after going out' bite to eat.

 Lets be honest, not just a bite, a full large, greased up meal. Some of us wanted breakfast, while others woke up dreaming about ketchup and veggie burgers (yes, i said ketchup first, it is by far the best condiment that could be put on my plate!) and to finish it off with a crisp ginger ale.

Although the bar/drink menu looked delish that was not on our minds at 1030AM Saturday morning. (Union Street had a take out Bar menu so i grasped it firmly and continued to depart once our afternoon meal was over). 

Court ordered the Comfort Food: Baked Pasta with Four different cheeses, it loooked so yummy that i had to place my fork into her large plate to taste it. IT was definitely, Comfort Food. 

I ordered the veggie dish and sweet potato fries, but more like ketchup and sweet potato fries because as i mentioned above ketchup is my ideal fave. 

For how much we aLLL spent we got SOOOO much food and everything was satisfying. 

Union Street also owns Tavern in the Square, CitySide, Joshua Tree, and the Boston Beer Garden. Although similar food and drinks in all, they all have unique characteristics that make them so popular. 

Danielle MArie

a New Fave MARE in the North End.

Mare is an organic seafood restaurant. Everything on the menu was seafood and appeared great (which, in this case, it WAS). I have been to Bricco which is also a restaurant in the North end that is owned by the same family that owns Mare. 

The wait-staff were laid back  wearing blue jeans and navy oxfords. The menus were given to us on clipboards, which seemed bizarre initially but, sometimes the extra large library heavy dinner menus are a bit over the reasonable size. (and usually the print is so small that you order the things that you remember from their online menu you were looking at about an hour before your reservation).

Anyways, i ordered the Ceaser Salad with popcorn shrimp and the Halibut with asparagus sauce. (this was also an interesting combination because asparagus sauce seems absolutely dreadful to think about, as well as the potential after dinner bathroom experience of what we all know about what the notorious asparagus smell can be)

What everyone else was ordering around my dining guest, my boyfriend, Andrew and myself was the 5 course or 7 course menus that are popular at Mare. They also come with wine pairings for a bit extra. NEXT, and there will be a next time, i will do the 5 course set menu. 

MY appp was phenomenal. To be honest, the dressing was A bit too salty but delish. The dry Chardonnay that i was having that even cut the salt fast.  The Halibut was huge, but i always love the veggies over the main protein on the dish. I am going on a no-fish week this week.  

For dessert andrew wanted to get a coffee and the Tiramasu. IT was waaaaay too sweet and did not settle well but the entire meal prior to dessert created such a positive memorable dining experience and i told myself NOT to spoil the dining evening because the dessert was not too your ideal standards. 

By the time we were leaving i noticed that table of five, which appeared to be a birthday party was getting their final entrees. One of the girls was on her third cocktail. (Settle Down,.. someone has motives tonight.) 

Since we were in the North End, i decided to go passed the Modern Pastry, where i went with my cousin, Donna last week. I got some italian faves for the nightly get together back at my place outside Boston. 

Lesson: Mare is potential new fave in Boston  and do not be embarrassed to go back a few weeks later. 

Danielle Marie

I Should have just Ordered the Veggie Spring Rolls...My most Recent and possibly Final Dining Experience at Sonsie on Newbury Street.

The dining company last evening was great...

 A former ski bud, Heidi and two of my new amgios from Cambridge Anya and Katy, and of course the new roooms, Courtney. 

The conversation was on par but the service not so much. 

I do have to say the Bread at Sonsie was heeps better than the molded yeast Court and I had at the Five Star Carmen's last week. 

Wine time (my favorite time) We ordered a Pinot Grigio and another interesting white wine that Katy, who took a recent wine course at Cornel recommended. Lets just say, for myself, the random conversation, the bread, and the wine were by far the ideal moments from my dining experience this Wednesday evening. 

First of all, I like to order APPs (appetizers) at the beginning of the meal and this was PERFECT because my Courtney was running late so the APPs would keep us satisfied until her arrival. Unfortunately, The waitress peaced for a bit until Court showed up which was a bit bizarre seeing we had a bottle of white wine UN chilled in the middle of our table. 

Anyways the delishhhh Calamari and not so pretty Asparagus are the APPs we ordered. For the million pieces of Calamari, Sonsie gave us a tea cup of dipping sauce. Comon' recent college students we want all we can get. We asked for more, but clearly, to no ones amazement our waitress forgot...embarrassing and quite amateur for this popular restaurant on Newbury. 

Our entrees were ready and the waitress was trying to quickly take away our plates. She aggressively grabbed Heidi's plate when she was in the process of placing the fried baby octopus in her  mouth. (this was not the first time the waitress/busser was trying to take away Heidi's plates when she was not yet finished with her course... it is like HELLO no one else is in the restaurant its 915pm on a wednesday!!!! AS WELL AS try to redeem yourself from the prior mistakes you have already made during our dinner). 

Well I usually order the veggie spring rolls and salad but decided to go with the Snapper. 

It was one word vomit. 

Waaaaay overcooked. there was legit, a scooped out el dente white rice figure on the plate. ( if i wanted white rice i would have paid 50 cents at the take out Chinese joint about a two second jog away). There was also this green leaf on the plate. Initially, it looked like grilled asparagus, but then i thought to myself why is there just one, single, asparagus on my plate. It was a green feather of some sort. I ate it but, lets be honest, it was the BEST thing on MY PLATE!

I could not even send the plate back because i would have straight up told them to just take it off the menu. (I should have gone with the Veggie Spring Rolls). 

The manager of Sonsie wondered over to ask us about our meal after the waitress piled up all our plates and then fell, ultimately, embarrassing herself. 

I gave him props for coming over and hollering that he and "his wife" just moved to Massachusetts. Usually, when restaurant managers come over to five fine, young women like ourselves, they refuse to add their significant other. 

I was silent (unlike me, but i just met two of the girls at the table and did not want to be judged because of my aggressive eating habits and criticism that will never go unnoticed by most people i dine with)

Lesson: Although, i say go out of your comfort box at a favorite restaurant, sometimes you leave regretting to do so because that ruins all prior dining experiences you had at that restaurant. Sorry Sonsie!

ALSO, since we had 5 dining guests, we had two bottles of wine, about 2.5glasses each. In the end it was about 13$ a person for wine. Cheap! And worth it because we ordered very delightful beverages which made the T ride home lots faster because i was people watching and did not care who saw.

Danielle MArie

Who could have guessed i would have the most AUTHENTIC mushroom burger with homemade guacamole at a raw VEGAN restaurant!

I went to the North end for lunch with a relative from Boston, Donna. Although Donna was a native of Boston, We were both trying this restaurant for the first time. Unlike Donna, i have never been introduced to a raw vegan restaurant before. Although a bit hesitant, i figured i was a vegetarian and could take whatever wild entree the restaurant located on 69 Prince Street had to offer.

Grezzo is the the vegan restauarnt we went to. This was an dining afternoon i had never experienced before. First of all, i could have ordered ANYTHING on the menu (this is the first time EVER). 

Everything was unique to the original recipe. Just simply, sitting in the small box that was decorated with flavorful decor, we were able to grasp the history of the restaurant and understand the reason for being Vegan and how our meals were "cooked." 

The servers gave a description of the meals that we ordered

TO name a few... the popular falafel, sea salad with wasabi vinaigrette, and my favorite the BROWNIE SUNDAE. I was impressed with everything that came out on the plate in front of my dining guest and myself.

Although we did not order wine or cocktails, Grezzo offered an array of whites and reds as well as homemade organic cocktails with sake and other unique flavors. 

Grezzo also offers classes if you want to learn how to "cook" and make the raw vegan appetizers and entrees that are so tasteful you can convince your boyfriend he is eating a modern version of a slice of pizza

Lesson: Go out of your dining comfort box, you will be surprised. It never hurts to try! Worse comes to worse, you can grab a burger on another street. 

Although i will NEVER fully convert to raw vegan, i will, without any doubt be back at Grezzo and another recommended vegan restaurant on Beacon Street, Grasshopper. 

Danielle Marie

CARMEN Restaurant was rated top 5 Italian restaurants to go to in Boston by Zagat...

While wondering through my Zagat book thursday evening i decided to pick an upscale top five Italian restaurant on the North End that was recommended by Zagat, Carmen's. 

I went with my new dining buddy and Boston roomie, Courtney. Clearly, Carmen's being a top five Italian pick... we were eager to dine on Friday and had very high expectations. 

Our reservation was for 8:30 pm and we showed up fifteen minutes later and it was CROWDED. (they only can fit 32 guests)/.. so there was nothing we can do except order the cheapest bottle of Pinot Grigio (only $30) that was on the menu. It was so refreshing after our sprint in four inch heels trying to find the restaurant around the North Square. 

The wine satisfied our dehydration but we were starved especially since the time was ascending toward 9 pm. We asked for bread which was not even sub par. (Panera Bread baguettes are so much better). Anyways we finally sat down by 915 pm.

Carmen's being recognized with highly professional servers was not what my dining guest and i experienced. We had to wait about 15 minutes before someone came to our table!  i finally  asked the hostess if we even had a server that evening.

We ordered and our food came out within ten minutes (things were getting better). Court to no ones amazement (if you knew her) ordered the Scallop Risotto dish and i ordered the only entree i can eat on the menu (being a veggie and all) the Haddock Francese. 

It was disgusting. It was rubber. I was displeased with the fish but loved the Spinach. Unfortunately, i had to ask for the fish to be cooked more. I got the fish back and it was still not right. (but, maybe it was me, and a reminder to NEVER order Haddock again) Carmen in a sense ruined any potential future i would ever have again with Haddock. 

The sores on my feet from my heels last-night were definitely not worth the dinner at Carmen's. 

Unmemorable. 

Lesson: Do not always trust Zagat's top five choices for restaurants...

Danielle Marie

The BEST PART OF MY DAY: The New Cavit

Today while getting off the T at Cleveland Circle, i decided to stop by the Reservoir wine and liquor store. The first bottle that caught my attention was the Cavit Pinot Grigio, clearly (that might have been the first words that came out of mouth as a toddler)

Anyways,  i saw that the 2007 and 2008 Cavit were priced the same but the 2008 looked taller so i firmly grasped it from the shelf.

As i was about to make my initial step towards the cashier, i decided to make sure there was not a bottle that might have been more delightful this evening to go with my reduced fat cheddar cheese (lets be honest, i just wanted to search around for the 1.5liter Cavit than the 750ml)

GOOD THING I DID because i found MY FAVORITE wine when i was abroad in NZ in Fall 2007. 

It is called Banrock Station Chardonnay. They have two versions of chardonnay so make sure you do not get fooled! Banrock has a Semillan Chardonnay and a regular. The regular is PURE BLISS and CHEAP... it was only 6.99$, in NZ it was only $5.00 (wonder how many bottles i collected during my 6month period abroad...countless)

 

Let me add that tons of wine stores sell Banrock (which is from the Eastern part of Australia) BUT it is imaginable to find this fine Banrock Station Chardonnay (i have only seen Banrock reds sold )! or at least i was looking in the wrong spot.

This is by far making my Boston summer even more perfect. Banrock is also the best wine to have on budget and can satisfy everyone's taste buds. I HIGHLY recommend it! and if you do not like it, you only spend about $7. 

And for all you Go GREEN lovers, it is recognized as a good earth wine! Go To the Website if you dont believe me! (www.banrockstation.com)

So next time you go to the wine store pick up a bottle of Banrock Station Chardonnay, Coming from a college student who has experienced fine dining with fine wine...this cheap treat should not go unnoticed!

Danielle Marie