November 19, 2018 Kōhi Coffee Co.
Located on Guest Street, Kōhi Coffee Co. seems so spacious due to the floor to ceiling windows and the high ceilings. It has a standing bar as well as a place to sit if you want to catch up on some emails. While it was quiet on a lazy Sunday afternoon, I can see it being packed on the week days. After all, it is close to the Bruins, the Celtics, WGBH and New Balance.
I’m not a big coffee drinker – so I don’t know about the subtle differences, but they offer batch brew and pour over coffee as well as Siphon, Chemex and Aeropress from their brew bar. I picked up a single origin cold brew and they also offer NOLA, which is brewed with chicory root.
Pair a cup of coffee wth a savory scone, house made granola, homemade biscuits with jam and butter, seasonal muffins or a chocolate chip cookie. They have a light breakfast and lunch menu featuring a vegan sandie, a morning salad, a season fruit bowl, toad in a hole and a breakfast sandwich, to name a few.
Kōhi Coffee Co.
130 Guest Street, Brighton, MA
Hours:
mon-fri: 7a – 7p
sat-sun: 8a – 5p
Tags: breakfast, casual dining, coffee, lunch, take out
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November 14, 2018 Food Truck Festival
Sponsored Post
The kids and I have been reading Food Truck Fest by Amanda Penfold and it has quickly become a night time favorite. The kids can recite almost all the words to this rhyming book by heart. So when we were invited to the Cape Cod For Truck Festival, it was a no brainer. The weather looked like it was going to be a bit iffy, but we ate until we were stuffed and got out before the rain came. Who was there?
Shishkaberry’s (VIP Truck!), The Whoo(pie) Wagon, GottaQ, Trolley Dogs, Say cheese!, Binge BBQ, Cape Cod Cannoli’s, Moyzilla, Sheherazad,Da Bomb Truck, Teri-Yummy, Local Scoop, Mediteranian Home Cooking, Wahlburgers, Big T’s, Melt, Travelin Bones, Kebabish, The Salt Block, HullaGood, Chocolate Freaking Bacon, Wolf Pizza, and Macarollin’
They also had a craft beer area that hosted beers from Jacks Abby, Springdale, Lord Hobo, Down The Road, Stormalong Cider, Mighty Squirrel, White Birch, Zero Gravity, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Citizen Cider, Brown’s Brewing, Weyerbacher Brewing, Toppling Goliath, Great Divide Brewing, Epic Brewing, 21st Amendment Brewing, and Uinta Brewing.
What were our favorites? The corn from The Salt Block (bottom right) was amazing, Wahlburgers (middle left) was a big hit with the kids along with pops from The Local Scoop (middle right). My favorite was the brisket sandwich from Binge BBQ (top right).
Food Truck Festivals – Heck yeah or not for you?
Disclaimer: I partnered with Food Truck Festivals of America on this post. Our admission and some of our food was provided complimentary. As always, all opinions are my own.
Want more information on when a food truck festival is coming near you? Check out their website here.
Tags: family friendly, festival, food trucks
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- Posted under Events
November 13, 2018 Talulla
Last weekend I had the pleasure of eating at Talulla, a cute 12 table restaurant in Cambridge. The restaurant is named after the daughter of owners Connor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer. They focus on local and seasonal ingredients, so the menus change nightly. They have an a la carte menu with an option to do a three course prix fixe ($60) and a six course tasting menu ($95). I met up with local bloggers Leah from City Living Boston and Fiona from Gourmet Pigs.
We all opted for the three course prix fixe. Leah and Fiona started with the pears (top middle) served with prosciutto, chestnut fritter, gorgonzola and endive. I had the pumpkin soup (top right) with spiced pecans, cocoa nibs and black olive. I loved the texture of the soup and crunch from the garnish. I’m not a huge fan of olives in general but it paired well with the soup. For my main course I had the mushroom tortelloni (middle left) that was just divine – I wish you could smell the broth..you would be drooling (don’t worry, Leah ate my greens). Leah had the short rib that was so tender it just fell apart with a fork, and Fiona had the spaetzle (middle right).
Dessert is of course what I look forward to most, and Talulla’s did not disappoint. I had the chocolate budino, which under normal circumstances I avoid at most restaurants. This one was SO rich and delicious with crunchy hazelnuts and just the right amount of salt. Leah, who is not a sweets kind of gal, had the cheese plate, which looked absolutely delicious. At the end of the meal they presented us with the cutest little rugelachs that I have ever seen.
Service was excellent, I highly recommend stopping in for dinner.
Talulla
377 Walden Street, Cambridge, MA
Open Tues – Sat 5:30pm – 10pm, Sunday 10:30am – 2:30pm
Parking is on street
Tags: local ingredients, restaurant, tasting menu
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November 12, 2018 Smashburger
Not all my meals as a blogger are glamorous – too be very honest, most days my kids want to eat at Panera. I swear if I have to look at another grilled cheese this week I may scream. So I try and find other places for them to try. We had a special mom and daughter day so I took her out to Smashburger – she loves burgers these days. Not bad for being a chain (and not an every week kind of thing) – the bacon and swiss burger was totally edible. Of course we added on fries and I was pleasantly surprised as how much I liked the shakes – they are made with Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Join their rewards program to get a point for every dollar spent and when you get 100 points you get a $10 reward. Get a free side or shake with any purchase on your birthday as well.
Lunch is always a hard meal for me – whether it is for school or out at a restaurant. We sometimes get in the chicken fingers, grilled cheese, hot dog, macaroni rut. With school it is even harder as we aren’t allowed to send kids with fruit or veggies cut at home (allergy reasons). What do you do for your kids for lunch? I’d love to have some other new ideas.
Smashburger
1298 Worcester Street, Natick, MA
www.smashburger.com
Tags: burgers, casual dining, family friendly, take out
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November 9, 2018 Uhlman’s
I am always looking for a new place to try ice cream. Uhlman’s (pronounced yool-mens) is located in Westborough and they make delicious ice cream in small batches. (They are closed for the season, but keep them in mind for next year.) They are open from March to October, 11am – 8pm daily. So what do they have? Hard ice cream, soft ice cream, frozen yogurt, allergy friendly options, and no sugar added flavors.
Flavors like strawberry cheesecake, Milky Way, Oreo, green tea, ginger, coconut, mint Oreo, bubble gum, m&m, Cookie Monster, cake batter, heavenly hash, chocolate peanut butter cup, cherry vanilla, frozen pudding and pumpkin Oreo will be sure to tempt anyone you bring. Allergy friendly flavors include orange, raspberry, pineapple and lemon dole whip that is nut free, dairy free, gluten free and cholesterol free. No sugar added flavors include vanilla, black raspberry and coffee. Frozen yogurt comes in flavors like cappuccino crunch, coffee, Oreo, chocolate chip, mint chip and black raspberry chocolate chip. Strawberry cheesecake is a winner in my book so keep your eyes open for it next season.
They offer ready made and made to order ice cream cakes – YUM!! Looking forward to next summer already.
There are a few picnic tables to eat your ice cream at, as well as some grassy areas for the kids to burn off some energy before getting back in the car. They have some cows on property that are always fun to look at as well. If you go in the afternoon, they have lunch time hot dog specials!
Uhlman’s is a cash only shop, but there is an ATM on site. Their prices are very reasonable and have appropriate sized kids ice creams 🙂
Uhlman’s Ice Cream
232 East Main Street, Westborough, MA
https://www.uhlmansicecream.com
Tags: cash only, dairy free, family friendly, gluten free, ice cream
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November 8, 2018 Washashore Bakery
I hadn’t been to Mashpee Commons in a while, and was excited to see that the space where we used to get sandwiches has turned into Washashore Bakery. They have the cutest little desserts that taste good too. We picked up a few teats to bring home for dessert – the lemon tart was just perfectly done and the kids adored the little lobster cookies. The shop offers cinnamon buns, scones, coffee cake, pop tarts, lemon squares, blondies, brownies, cheesecakes, bread puddings, cookies, cupcakes, tea breads and more.
The bakery was opened in 2016 by Sandy McPherson and you can pop in and see them icing cakes or making desserts in their open kitchen.
For Thanksgiving they are offering pies at $23 in the following flavors: pumpkin, pecan, chocolate cream, apple cranberry, apple, cherry and blueberry.
Washashore Bakery
14 Central Square, Mashpee Commons, Mashpee, MA
Monday – Saturday 9:30am – 4:30pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm
Tags: bakery, cape cod, casual dining, dessert, family friendly
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November 7, 2018 Muffin House Cafe
So my dad loves the Muffin House Cafe’s muffins. We used to have to drive out to Medway to get him some, but now we don’t have to anymore. They just opened up another location in Natick, right next to Dairy Queen. The shop is small, there is one little table, so plan on getting these to go or eating them at Dairy Queen’s picnic benches. The parking lot is also small, but the muffins are worth it. They are baked fresh daily and come in more flavors than you know what to do with. Muffin flavors include blueberry, corn, coffee cake, chocolate chip, banana nut, blueberry banana nut, double chocolate chip, pistachio, morning glory, white chocolate chip, cranberry orange, Pina colada and more. Muffins are $2.79 each, $6.74 for 6 and $30 for a dozen. They have Red Barn coffee available as well as some other baked goodies (cupcakes, danish etc.). Muffins are generous in size and super tasty – I happen to like the morning glory and the coffee cake ones the best
They are opening a fourth location soon in Hopkington at 43 Main Street.
Muffin House Cafe
325 North Main Street, Natick MA
Monday – Saturday 5am – 6pm and Sunday 5am -2pm
Tags: casual dining, muffins, take out
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- Posted under Restaurants, Uncategorized
November 5, 2018 Sunshine Farm
This summer was all about picking our own fruit. The kids loved it – we did everything from strawberries to peaches and blueberries. One of the places that we like to go is Sunshine Farm in Sherborn. If you go when they first open in the morning you pretty much have the place to yourselves, even on the weekends. It’s not a huge place, but they have good fruit and plenty of it. You can park by the stand and walk down to the fields/orchards or you can drive down and park on the grass. You do have to walk a bit to get to the peaches, so make sure to wear appropriate shoes 🙂 (Flip flops might not be the best option if it has rained recently)
They do offer pick your own apples, 9am – 4pm daily. The cost is $25 per peck and $35 for a half bushel. There is a $2 per person entry charge as well. While we haven’t done apples here, we loved the blueberry picking (we did it this year and last year) and the peach picking. The peaches were enormous and they were the sweetest ones we have had in a long time.
They have an ice cream stand on site that is open 12pm – 8pm April thru October.
Where is your favorite you pick fruit spot?
Sunshine Farm
41 Kendall Ave., Sherborn, MA
Tags: family friendly, farm, fruit, pick your own
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- Posted under Trips
November 2, 2018 Mom and Pops Burgers
I can’t remember when I first heard about Mom and Pops Burgers, but I knew I wanted to try them out. When we were down at the Cape we took a day trip down to Chatham and we stopped here for a bite to eat. The weather was iffy – so sitting on the patio was going to be a gamble with the kiddos, so we waited for a table inside (your order at the counter and they call your number – you bring it to your table). It was fairly crowded, but we lucked out. Let me tell you that the burgers were DELICIOUS! I had the cheeseburger with lettuce, onions, pickles and “pops sauce” (ketchup and mayo based sauce) – all the burgers are made to order and you can call in your order if you are in a rush for time. The kids had hot dogs and they were completely happy – and of course we had the fries and frappes.
What other kinds of burgers do they have on the menu?
CALIFORNIA BURGER
Pepper Jack Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Mom’s Sauce
CHILI CHEESEBURGER
Chili, Cheese Sauce, Pickled Jalapeño Peppers, Onion, Mom’s Sauce
EL DYABLO BURGER (HOT!!)
Hot Habanero Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Shishito Peppers, Mom’s Sauce
NAUGHTY DYABLO BURGER (HOTTER!!!)
Ghost Pepper Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Pickled Jalapeño Peppers, Shishito Peppers, Mom’s Sauce
BACON AND BLUE CHEESEBURGER
Blue Cheese, Bacon, Lettuce, Mayo, Tomato
STEAMED CHEESEBURGER
Aged Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Lettuce, Onion, Pickles. Please allow 15 minutes of cooking time.
Next time we go we will have to bring my dad, I’m betting he would LOVE the steamed burger!!
What else do they have besides burgers and dogs?
BLT
Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo
CHILI
Chili, Cheese Sauce, Onion
FRIED CHICKEN SANDWICH
Lettuce, Tomato, Chipotle Mayonnaise, Mom’s Sauce
FRIED CHICKEN TENDERS
GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
American Cheese
MOM’S HOMEMADE LUMPIA
Hand-rolled Filipino Pork Eggrolls served with Sweet Chili Sauce
PLANTAIN + BLACK BEAN VEGETARIAN BURGER
Lettuce, Onion, Avocado, Sweet Chili Sauce – contains dairy
SALA
Avocado, Black Beans, Tomato, Monterey Jack Cheese, served with choice of Balsamic Vinaigrette, BBQ Sauce, Chipotle Mayo, Honey Mustard, Mom’s Sauce or Sweet Chili Sauce – For additional charge, add Beef, Chicken, or Veggie Patty
FILIPINO PORK BURGER
Adobo seasoned pork patty, house-made Papaya Slaw, Chili Garlic Mayo
Mom and Pops Burgers
1603 Main Street, Chatham, MA
http://www.momandpopschatham.com
Open 7 days a week 11:30am – 8pm
Parking located in front of the restaurant, along the right side and in the back – look for the marked spots.
Tags: burger, cape cod, casual dining, restaurant, take out
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November 1, 2018 Dapper Doughnut
I saw some posts about how The Dapper Doughnut that was opening in the Natick Collection. Such a cute idea and nice to have something new in suburbia! I had to figure out where they were, and it turns out they are in the food court upstairs in the mall near Sears – as far as I am concerned it feels like no mans land in the mall (sorry!). I kind of even forgot that the food court existed in there…although with all the restaurants going out recently (Au Bon Pain, Paul, NM Cafe), I have to admit, we did eat there one day….
The concept is fun. Pick your quantity (6/9/12+), pick your toppings, pick your sauce. We tried the cinnamon sugar, strawberry Nutella, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate sprinkles and strawberry bella. The mini doughnuts are made fresh while you wait – the kids thought that was pretty fun. They top them as you wait. The flavor combinations were good, but they just didn’t translate to the doughnuts very well – and frankly, when they cooled down they fell a little flat. So if you do decide to stop and get some – I’d recommend eating them while they are hot. Like them on Facebook and let them know when you order for 15% off your order.
The Dapper Doughnut
1245 Worcester Street, Natick, MA
Tags: casual dining, dessert, doughnut, kid friendly
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