March 1, 2018 Key Lime Pie
Lately I’ve been a home-body. I’ve been cooking up big batch meals so I don’t have to cook every night, and to be honest, we have been eating out a lot too – I’m just tired by the end of the day, aren’t you?
In my head, winter should be over – I mean, we have had the big snow, it has been a frozen tundra, and just recently I was able to see grass again. Isn’t February the longest month? It’s around this time when I get a little stir crazy and need a vacation. Hopefully all this snow we just got will melt on Tuesday when it’s 60 degrees out.
I’m all about quick and easy – so these cute little single serve Key lime pies have been pretty popular in my house these days. They are sweet and tart, and just bring a little brightness to this winter. I like Key Lime pies because they are 3 ingredients and take no time at all to make. I use Nelly and Joe’s Key West Lime juice (I may have even picked it up at Bed Bath and Beyond with my 20% off coupon). Here’s the recipe, super easy:
14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
3 egg yolks (don’t use the whites)
1/2 cup of Key West lime juice
Directions: Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pour filling into pre-made graham cracker pie shells. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before placing in refrigerating.
Viola! Done. Take out and top with whipped cream and sprinkle with a little lime zest and you have yourself one fancy looking, it looks like I spent all day in the kitchen, dessert.
Enjoy!
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February 28, 2018 Momi Nonmi
Mom Nonmi is Chef Chris Chung’s latest venture in Cambridge. You may know him from his time at Clio and Uni, or even his most recent (now closed) restaurant, AKA Bistro in Lincoln. Momi Nonmi is a modern Izakaya and features lots of gluten free options. Leah, Fiona and I decided to meet for lunch one day and we wanted to try one of everything on the menu! Above is the shokado bento ($29) that is a sampling of 9 different creations. It changes daily, sometimes hourly, depending on what is fresh. How beautiful is the presentation?
The wagyu dumplings were as delicious as can be. Sukiyaki consume, mushroom and daikon.
The deconstructed oyako dip was amazing (bottom in the middle). The chicken was fried perfection and it was served with a poached egg and onion.
Momi Nonmi is open for lunch on Fridays and for brunch on both days of the weekend. Late night service is offered Thursday – Saturday. Parking is on the street at meters. The restaurant is on the smaller side, reservations for peak times would probably be a good idea.
Momi Nonmi
1128 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA
www.mominonmi.com
Tags: asian, brunch, casual dining, gluten free, late night, restaurant, sushi
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February 27, 2018 Nzuko
My friend, and fellow blogger, Niri told me about this place Nzuko a while back and I had been meaning to get there for some time. You would probably drive right past it if you didn’t know about it, it’s in a strip mall, sandwiched between a pizza place and a bagel shop. Nzuko brings influences from the Mediterranean and Carribean and uses super fresh ingredients.
They offer a bunch of vegan options (that my friend Nancy’s daughter would be a fan of) as well as a nice selection of kebab options, fresh salads and wraps. Many choices are organic or gluten free. I was debating about the chicken options (see below), but ultimately went with the vegetable stir fry option (topped with an egg of course). How super healthy of me – who dis?
Nzuko Chicken
Chicken marinated in Lolo’s unique spice blend with a tomato and red wine aroma
Jerk Chicken
Jerk spiced chicken arousing Caribbean vibes
Curry Chicken
Chicken marinated in turmeric and curry seasoning
Chicken Kebab Plate *New*
Chicken kebab on a bed of salad paired with pita bread + Dinner Kebab Plate comes with two kebabs
Yaya’s Chicken *New*
Lightly healthy-crusted baked chicken with a Greek touch (Limited Item)
I’m sure I will be back to try them out – everything on the menu sounded quite tasty. For the main entrees, lunch is served with rice and two plantains. Dinner portions include rice, three plantains and veggies. Service was excellent, the woman at the register talked us through the options and made some good suggestions (oh that mushroom rice). We basically had the place to ourselves for an early lunch – although it started to get a bit more crowded as we were leaving.
Nzuko
341 Cochituate Road, Framingham, MA
www.nzukorestaurant.com
Tags: casual dining, dinner, family friendly, lunch, restaurant, vegan
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February 26, 2018 Oishii Too
When my cousin said she wanted to come for a visit a few weeks ago, I was pretty excited. It’s feels like a long time since I’ve gone to an “adult” restaurant. Mostly, we are regulars at Panera and I often can be found finishing off a bowl of mac and cheese – not very glamorous or gourmet! She’s from NYC, where there are a dozen great restaurants on every block, so I wanted to bring her out to some good places in suburbia. I think that the hardest transition for me from the city to the suburbs is the lack of really good ethnic food – maybe I’m just not looking in the right places (let me know your favorite spots!). To be honest, I still kind of miss having Anna’s around the block too – shh…don’t tell anyone.
So we headed out to dinner, sans children, for a night of sushi deliciousness. Chef Kung San trained in NY at the popular Nobu before he and his bother opened Oishii’s Boston location in 1998. The success of the Boston outpost led to the Sudbury location’s opening and later the sushi bar in Chestnut Hill. While you are in the suburbs, the food quality feels like you are in the city. Not being able to eat sushi at the moment is tough, so I had to go with some cooked options – the lobster roll, the mushroom roll and the shrimp tempura. My cousin went with the tempura plate that came with shrimp and a really nice selection of vegetables. I’d had to say that my favorite was the mushroom sushi – really flavorful, I almost didn’t miss the real thing…
Parking is conveniently located in the lot out back and service was friendly and attentive.
Oishii Too
365 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA
www.oishiitoo.com
Tags: casual dining, restaurant, sushi
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February 23, 2018 Crown Bakery
A lot of memories from my childhood are around food. On the weekends I would look forward to going to Eagerman’s Bakery on Route 9 in Natick. My dad would get his danish and he would get me a half pound of their delicious butter cookies (I only liked the ones with Jimmy’s – because yes, they tasted different). I would devour them in the car, barely leaving any for when we got home. Eagerman’s was an old school bakery, and when I walked into Crown Bakery in Worcester, I felt that same old, familiar feeling. While I know that no butter cookie will compare to the memory I have of the ones from Eagerman’s, I decided to pick out a few new treats to try. The heart dessert in the top right corner was filled with cut art and the lemon bar on the bottom right was tart as could be. I tried their signature crown cake, a nice gentleman recommended them while he was waiting, and it was delicious.
Here’s a photo of what it looks like inside – an almond cake with a cherry on the bottom and it’s topped with powdered sugar. Classic flavors, and not too sweet, I could have had a dozen of these!
Service was helpful and friendly – and the prices were so good!
Have you been to Crown Bakery? What is your go – to sweet?
Crown Bakery
133 Gold Star Boulevard, Worcester, MA
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February 22, 2018 The Queen’s Cups
My friend Kim is a big fan of Worcester, so when we decided to head out in that direction, she was my go-to woman for bakery recommendations. She suggested The Queen’s Cups bakery on Water Street – a from scratch cup-cakery. Drive slow down Water Street, the bakery comes up on you quickly. On second thought, find some on street parking at the meters and walk a few feet to the shop.
The cute shop has a small seating area so you can enjoy your goodies right away – and there are so many to choose from! Cakes, brownies, cupcakes, macarons, and these cute little cookie dough cones! Cupcakes will run you $3.35 each or 4 for $13.
Make sure to head over to their Facebook page to get a current list of flavors. Here is just a sampling: Pudgy Cake, Old Fashioned Wedding Cake, Coffee and Donuts, Cookie Dough,Vanilla Dirt Cup, Blueberry Pancakes with Bacon, Snickers, Lemon Lovers, Tropical Paradise, Cannoli, Cookie Crumb, Cotton Candy Milkshake, Matilda and Cookie, Red Velvet, Reese Pieces, Lemon Raspberry, Strawberry Brownie Batter.
I’d have to say that the blueberry pancakes were my favorite to look at (bottom right) and the cannoli was my favorite to eat!
The Queen’s Cups
56 Water Street, Worcester, MA
www.thequeenscups.com
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February 21, 2018 Birch Tree Bread Co.
We recently headed out to Worcester to check out a few shops and grab some breakfast at the Birch Tree Bread Co. See my previous post here. In the winter, the Canal District Farmers’ Market heads indoors to a room off of the Crompton Collective. Birch Tree Bread Co. is located right upstairs, so it was packed. We waited in a long line to order our breakfast sandwiches and then I went on the hunt for a seat. Seats are a on a first come basis, with many people sharing tables and grabbing any free corner they can find. I managed to score a corner of a large table in the back and we all waited for them to bring out our breakfast.
I had been before and tried their breads and desserts, but this time I went with something savory – the egg sandwich. The $6.50 sandwich is worth the price: North Country ham and Cabot extra sharp cheddar topped with a fried farm fresh egg on a bacon fat brioche bread. Birch Tree Bread Co’s menu includes other delicious breakfast items such as a rotating selection of toasts (Brittany’s toast is champagne and orange cream cheese with strawberry coulis on toasted challah!!), bread puddings (sweet and savory), quiches, and a nice selection of gourmet sandwiches. Make sure to add a specialty drink to your order, like a gin rickey or a bourbon hot apple cinnamon cider!
Birch Tree Bread Co.
138 Green Street, Worcester, MA
www.birchtreebreadco.com
Tags: bakery, breakfast, casual dining, lunch, restaurant
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February 20, 2018 75 on Courthouse Square
It seems as though the Seaport area is changing daily – roads you took one day could be shut down another. New buildings are going up with luxury apartments and new restaurants are popping up right and left.
The most recent addition to this hot spot neighborhood is 75 on Courthouse Square. The restaurant offers partial water views (if you look closely) and conveniently has parking located right underneath – perfect for those cold days you don’t want to venture outside (because you know it’s a wind tunnel down there). 75 on Courthouse Square is Tom Kershaw’s largest of the “75” restaurants, you may also be familiar with 75 Chestnut and 75 Liberty Wharf. The restaurant has two bars, perfect for catching that after work drink and the two dining rooms are perfect for a casual dinner of things like steamed mussels, Nantucket seafood stew and crab cakes.
I was invited to the media preview lunch which included a delicious buffet of garden greens, roasted vegetable antipasto, pumpkin ravioli, marinated sirloin tops and the Nantucket seafood stew. Passed hors d’Oeuvres included baby lamb chops with Dijon mustard and herbed breadcrumbs (so tasty!!) and the “75 crab cakes” that were loaded with crab meat. The sirloin tips were certainly a winner in my book – perfectly cooked and served over a bed of peppers and onions.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and brunch on both days of the weekend. Don’t forget to try one of their classic cocktails while you’re there!
Disclaimer: I was invited to attend a media preview lunch at 75 on Courthouse Square. My meal was provided complimentary but as usual, all opinions are my own.
75 on Courthouse Square
60 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA
www.75oncourthousesquare.com
Tags: casual dining, restaurants, seaport
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February 18, 2018 J&M Diner
J&M Diner, a popular breakfast spot that burned down in a fire last year in March, re-opened in November last year in a new location, right behind Legal Sea Foods in Framingham. We tried, and failed, to go a few times, only to be met with a long wait. We continued to try, at different times, to get in, because surely a place with that long of a wait time had great food.
We finally lucked out on day, going for more brunch than breakfast, on a weekday, and only had to wait about 30 minutes. The diner that is open daily from 6am – 2pm, is only closed on Christmas. Their menu includes classic favorites – eggs, omelets, pancakes and hash. I went with something a little different – the “wicked sinful French Toast” ($9) which is a cinnamon danish, cut in half, battered and dipped French Toast style. It’s grilled and served in cinnamon and butter and topped with their homemade icing (see top right photo). Not as super sweet as I had expected, although I certainly couldn’t finish it in one sitting.
Try their sweet potato hash with grass fed beef, onions, bacon, craisins and sweet potatoes or their loaded home fries with bacon, onions, scallions, melted cheese and your choice of ranch, bbq or sour cream on top (or all three).
The diner is family friendly, all kids under 12 can get a meal for $7: French Toast, pancake, omelet, eggs or cereal. Let me just tell you that one pancake from the kids menu is as big as a dinner plate!!
Have you been to J&M Diner before? What’s your favorite breakfast spot?
J&M Diner
50 Worcester Street, Framingham (Route 9 East)
www.jmdiner.com
Tags: breakfast, casual dining, family friendly, lunch
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January 6, 2018 Coppa
I hadn’t been to Coppa in a long, long time – so when Leah invited me out to Coppa for lunch with a Gilt City voucher, I gladly accepted. Sometimes you can really hit it right with these vouchers, but you have to look at what the menu has to offer before you should decide if it’s a good deal or not. In my opinion, this was a great deal – we had a fantastic lunch.
Ordering a sandwich at lunch? This was a fancy Italian grinder, I assure you. Made with thinly sliced salami, prosciutto, mortadella, provolone, and picked cherry peppers. Makes me rethink all the other Italian subs I eat, that’s for sure. What were some of the other choices for antipasti on the menu? An Insalata di Casa and an Insalata di Caesar.
There were 5 choices for stuzzichini (Italian small bar snacks): Mortadella Pimento Formaggio, Olive Marinate, Funghi in Salamoia, Arancini and Boquerones (anchovies). We went with the arancini, fried risotto with pea and fontal cheese in a spicy tomato sauce. These were perfect in every way….
In the Forno a Legna e Piatti (wood over roasted and plates) category there were:polpette, yucca, pomodoro verde and bistecca to choose from. We went with the bistecca, which is a hanger steak that was served with cauliflower, giadiniera and finished with a charred scallion salsa verde. The meat was delicious – a great crunch to the outside and perfectly tender on the inside.
For pizzas, the choices were: margherita, nostrano, parma, salsiccia and fiore di zucchine. The fiore di zucchine sounded the most interesting – it was a white, thin crust pizza with squash blossoms, charred corn, chili oil and marjoram. Very light and fresh.
My favorite course, the pasta course, offered a choice of cavatelli con pollo, spaghetti carbonara con riccio di mare, rigatoni con sumo or a gamely con mais. Of course my pick was the carbonara that was topped with pancetta, sea urchin, pepper and parmesan. So rich and decadent.
The restaurant is cozy and there is on street parking available – but make sure to leave yourself plenty of time to find a spot if you are driving. The best way to go is via public transportation.
Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA
www.coppaboston.com
Tags: casual dining, celebrity chef, lunch
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- Posted under Restaurants
