October 17, 2016 Energize Juice Bar
Juice and smoothie bars seem to be be all the rage these days, they’re popping up on every corner. We decided to check out Energize Juice Bar in Brighton, located just across the street from the local YMCA.
The space is light and inviting with fresh fruit everywhere!
Most of the people who were coming in were grabbing juices to go, but they have a great seating area if you want to enjoy your juice or light bite at the shop.
How cute are the succulents on the tables?
The smoothies come in 2 sizes, 16oz and 24oz, and run anywhere from $5.85 to $14. I had the “longevity” which was homemade cashew milk, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, banana, goji berry powder, bee pollen and raw agave. Super delicious! In addition to smoothies they make juice to order, have customized salads and have tasty looking acai bowls.
Here’s their smoothie list:
Healthy Heaven – $8.50/$10.25
Hemp Milk, Banana, Apple, Dates, Ginger, Maca, Honey, Almond Butter, Maca,
Longevity – $7.50/$9.25
Homemade Cashew Milk, Raspberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, Banana, Goji Berry Powder, Bee Pollen, Raw Agave
Superfood Bomb – $9.25/$10.50
Avocado, Pear, Kale, Cayenne Pepper, Goji Berry Powder, Acai, Maca, Camu, Maple Syrup
Coffee Lover – $6.25/$8.00
Coconut Milk, Coffee, Almond Butter, Banana, LivWell Protein, Cacao, Honey
Fuel – $6.50/$8.25
Homemade Almond Milk, Kiwi, Banana, Almond Butter, Mint, Agave
Super Nutrition – $14.00 (24oz)
Fresh Squeezed: Kale, Celery Cucumber and Lime.
Blended with: Banana, Date, Chia Seeds, Coconut Oil, Bee Pollen, Hemp Powder and Vegan Protein
The Green Monster – $7.25/$9.00
Hemp Milk, Avocado, Spinach, Spirulina, Raw Agave, Turmeric, Cayenne Peppper
Comfort Food – $6.25 (bottled)
Homemade Cashew Milk, Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, Raw Agave, Vanilla
Caribbean Sea – $7.25/$9.50
Homemade Almond Milk, Pineapple, Mango, Cinnamon, Coconut Oil
Happiness – $5.85/$7.25
Homemade Almond Milk, Banana, Strawberries, Maple Syrup
Friendship – $5.85/$7.25
Homemade Almond Milk, Blueberries, Banana, Lemon, Raw Agave
Chocolate Joy – $6.50/$8.50
Homemade Almond Milk, Chia Seeds, Banana, Almond Butter, Cacao, Maca and Agave
Their juices come in 12oz and 16oz sizes. Here is what they offer:
Vitality – $6.50/$8.00
Red Apple, Carrot, Lemon and Cayenne Pepper
Green Clean – $6.85/$8.50
Cucumber, Pear, Lime, Mint
The Green Mile – $7.25/$9.00
Kiwi, Celery, Cucumber, Green Apple, Lime
Florida – $5.95/$7.25
Orange, Pineapple, Lemon
Wellness – $6.25/$7.75
Beets, Carrots,Lemon, Ginger, Turmeric
Kale, Celery, Cucumber, Green Apple
Hydrate – $6.50/$8.00
Cucumber, Pear, Lemon, Aloe Vera, Coconut water
Mass Health – $6.50/$7.75
Carrots, Beets, Pineapple, Orange, Lemon
Energize Juice Bar
618 Washington Street, Brighton, MA
Tags: casual dining, juice, oak square, smoothies, watertown
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October 13, 2016 Dates and Olives
I’ve been unconsciously on a Mediterranean kick lately. Met a friend at Dates and Olives in Brighton for lunch one day. We were the only other people there except for the photo shoot that was going on that day. The space is cute inside, with a few tables (but no high chairs for those of you who may have young kids) and a great window in front to let all the natural light in. Pictured above is the muhamara ($5.50), which is a roasted red pepper dip with walnuts, pomegranates, herbs and lemon (it comes with a side of pita). It was so rich in flavor, we gobbled it up!
You order at the counter, picking appetizers and salads from their menu, or building your own custom meal: a rice bowl, a salad bowl or a pita. I chose a rice bowl with chicken ($8.25) that was grilled with Moroccan spices. It came with a choice of 4 toppings and sauces, of which I chose the carrot raisin salad, the eggplant dip, the lettuce and the feta cheese. Really delicious and there was plenty of food to take home with me for my lunch the next day! The chicken was so tender and flavorful and carrot raisin salad is my weakness.
Here’s a list of other toppings they offer:
HummusEggplant DipLettuceOlivesFeta CheeseCarrot Rasin SaladRed Cabbage SlawMillet TabboulehPickled TurnipsYogurt Mint SauceHot Zhoug SauceTahini Sauce
Dates and Olives
160 Chestnut Hill Ave, Brighton, MA
Closed on Mondays
Tags: casual dining, mediterranean, restaurant, take out, watertown
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October 11, 2016 The Villa
I grew up going to The Villa as a kid. My grandfather would take me out to lunch or dinner here and we would have our meal and then “split” a dish of vanilla ice cream. I recently popped back in and not much as changed. They slapped on a fresh coat of paint outside, but for the most part, it is the same as it was 20 years ago.
The family friendly menu has a little something for everyone. The food is mainly Italian with additional options such as burgers and club sandwiches. The food isn’t gourmet, but there aren’t many options in this area of town. I went for the nostalgia, not necessarily the food…
The Villa serves lunch and dinner 7 days a week and offers early bird specials and catering. Pictured above is their “famous antipasto salad”, with iceberg and romaine lettuce, sealegs, salami, provolone cheese, green pepper, roasted red peppers, red onions, tomatoes, black olives and jumbo shrimp. The petite goes for $8.99 and antipasto for 2 is $13.99.
I recommend sticking with the pizza…
The Villa
124 East Plain Street, Wayland, MA
www.villarestaurantwayland.com
Tags: casual dining, restaurant
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October 6, 2016 The Paper Store
I was invited to check out the Paper Store one evening a few weeks ago to check out the latest fall fashion.
Yup, you read that right. That store that you know and love for greeting cards, invitations, and all things party also has a great selection of clothes, jewelry and accessories.
So next time you’re in for that new Lily Pulitzer organizer that you’ve had your eye on, head over to the clothing section and check things out.
A few of the buyers for the store were on hand to tell us what they were finding popular this season. Not a surprise, rich tones like burgundy were popular. All of their clothes are at an affordable price point, even their faux shearling jackets were priced under $100.
Booties are hot again this season as well as flats and athleisure wear. According to one estimate, the athleisure market, including footwear, was worth $270 billion in 2016, and was estimated to grow by 30% by the year 2020.
When looking at accessories, and especially cold weather accessories, fur seems to be a trend. Knit hats with pom poms, and even these cute clutches can be accessorized with a fur pom charm. (For a more indulgent product, check out my friend Pamela’s company, Petite Mort, that sells what I call “accidental” fur.)
As far as jewelry is concerned, stacks are back! It’s a fun way to show your personal style, as each bracelet can tell a story. Check out these fun bracelets from Dune jewelry, that have sand from beaches around the world. You can also go on their website and see on a map all the places they have sand from (and a sample of what it looks like)! Pick out a few to remember some of those great vacations you’ve taken.
The Paper Store has a huge selection of Alex and Ani bracelets – they’re my obsession! Check out their new Flying Kites bangle, their charity by design, which gives a portion of its proceeds directly to the organization from now until the end of the year. For more information about Flying Kites, check out their website. Shown above is a piece from their 2016 Rio Olympics, Team USA collection.
Layers also go for necklaces – I loved these dainty ones by Kitsch.
Blues are a favorite year after year, but early feedback says that purple is also a popular color this season. Mixed metals are also big this season, so don’t be afraid to put your silver, gold and rose gold all in the same stack.
I went to the Paper Store in Framingham, but they have locations all over the north east.
Disclaimer: I was invited to a private event at The Paper Store. I was provided with a discount for shopping at the event that evening. All opinions are my own.
Tags: fashion, framingham, hosted
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October 4, 2016 Ronsky’s
Ever want to get up close and personal with a James Beard award winning chef? Now you can. Chef Ron Suhanosky just opened Ronsky’s at the Pop Up at The Street in Chestnut Hill. He will be there until the end of the year, serving up gourmet sandwiches and pastries.
Suhanosky previously owned Sfoglia, which had a Manhattan and Nantucket location. He has written two cookbooks, one, Pasta Sfoglia won a James Beard award.
Known for his authentic Italian cooking, Suhanosky’s menu at the pop up features breakfast sandwiches, paninis, and delicious desserts made from family recipes.
The restaurant is open 7 days a week, from 7am – 7pm.
The intimate space features a small communal table from his great grandmother’s kitchen. There are a few bar seats and if the weather is nice, you can sit outside at one of three patio tables.
I started with dessert first, lemon espresso bread. The glaze added just the right amount of sweetness.
Cannolis were filled to order with a ricotta filling.
Auntie Kris’s banana nutella bread did not disappoint. I loved the twist on the classic.
Nonna’s zeppoli, a ricotta donut, is made from a recipe passed down from Suhanosky’s grandmother. 5 words for you: GIVE.ME.ALL.THE.DONUTS! They are so delicious, especially if you can get them warm! They are light as air with just the right amount of sweetness.
The avocado toast ($9.50) was tasty, such a nice way to start the day. The creamy avocado was brightened up with the lemon juice – it was just as good as it looks.
All paninis are made to order, on bread from Concord’s Slow Rise Bakery. All the herbs in the sandwiches are sourced from the Green City Growers’ farm beds at The Street, located just outside Ronsky’s door. We picked out a few paninis to share, pictured above is the eggplant parm ($14) served with fresh mozzarella, tomato and a delicious pesto.
The spicy nduja with burrata ($15) was indeed a bit spicy, but oh so good. The burrata balanced out the spiciness nicely.
My favorite was probably the roasted cauliflower panini with fig and goat cheese – such great flavors!
Follow Chef Suhanosky on Instagram at @chefronskys
Tags: casual dining, chestnut hill, dessert, italian, panini, pop up, take out
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September 29, 2016 Artú
It has been a long time since I’ve had a night out, so what better way to spend it than with friends in the North End. We ventured out to Artú, a family owned and operated restaurant located on Prince Street. We shared plates to get a little taste of everything. The restaurant was cozy, we had a great area all to ourselves, away from the rest of the restaurant. The service was on point and the flow of the meal was perfect. Pictured above, the barbabietole: beet salad, crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and pistachio vinaigrette.
The polpette: house made meatballs were delicious. Flavorful – you just wanted to eat up all the extra sauce with their delicious bread.
Pane: grilled country bread, smoked mozzarella, Backyard Farms tomatoes and prosciutto. Such a simple dish but it was perfect – love the flavors here.
Capesante: grilled sea scallop, cippollini puree and oven roasted cauliflower. I loved this dish – the scallops were cooked perfectly and cauliflower is my favorite.
Fusilli: Italian sausage, broccoli rabe pesto, Pecorino Romano cheese. I liked this dish as well, the Italian sausage had a little bit of a zing to it and the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente.
Melanzane: eggplant rollatini. Everyone at the table had a bite of this – the eggplant is pressed several times so that it stays firm (nothing worse than soggy eggplant!).
Bistecca: grass fed New York strip steak, brocoli rabe, roasted potatoes. Great dish, flavorful meat and the potatoes were nice and crisp.
Salmone: grilled salmon, buttered Brussel sprouts, potato puree, truffle vinaigrette.
The desserts were delicious – we had a trio that included a cannoli, tiramisu and a chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was so rich that you could feel satisfied after one bite (but go ahead and finish it anyway!), the tiramisu was delicious (flavorful without being too bitter or bold), and the cannoli was top notch.
Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to eat at Artú. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.
Artú
6 Prince Street, Boston, MA
Tags: casual dining, hosted, italian, north end
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September 27, 2016 Parents Night Out at Trade
It’s been a little over a year since I left my job downtown. I don’t get to the financial district/seaport much now that I’m not based there, so I jumped at the invite of a parent’s night out with some friends. My friend Leah organized the evening. She is amazing (in so many ways) so I figured the company would be good (good people attract good people) – got to spend the night chatting with old friends and made a few new ones too! We headed out to Trade, one of my favorite spots, owned by Jody Adams and Eric Papachristos (check out their other restaurants Porto and Saloniki). If you’re lucky you can grab a parking spot on the street, if not, there’s a garage next door – or for a little bit more, you can valet.
To start off any parent’s night out, there must be drinks! We began our night with a round of “Beets by Trade” drinks ($12): Bullyboy vodka, beet + cucumber simple syrup, lime, and pineapple. Check out that amazing color! This is just what I needed in a night out, good drinks, delicious food and adult conversation!
Next up, a large format drink made for two (or just you, I won’t tell!) called the fish tank (no actual fish were harmed during the making of this drink) ($25). They describe it on the menu as “It’s blue. It’s delicious. That’s all you need to know.” You can have your choice of clear liquor, so we had one with vodka and one with rum. This cute drink went down a little too easily! How can you resist a little rubber fish and colorful bendy straws?
We shared a few appetizers and main dishes so that we could taste a little bit of everything. Pictured above, falafel pancakes ($8) with tzatsiki, serrano and scallion. These we a bit salty, but I loved the texture and flavors. Chef de Cuisine Cory Seeker has put together a great menu that has something for everyone. Seeker was part of the opening team at Trade, starting as a prep cook and working his way up the ranks.
The buttermilk fried quail ($15) with harissa aioli and picked root vegetable is a grown up version of fried chicken.
The chicken meatballs ($13) with tomato, garlic cream and pine nuts are a favorite of mine. I’m not usually a chicken meatball kind of gal, but these are flavorful and are so light!
The flatbreads at Trade are delicious – we tried the lamb sausage flatbread ($17) with eggplant, manchego, peppers and garlic yogurt. There was a little kick to the sausage here which I really liked and the crust was perfect – a little crunchy, a little chewy, thin and light!
The seared salmon ($28) with shredded kale, lemon tahini dressing and pistachio was one of the healthier options that we tried – don’t worry, you can’t see the salmon in the picture, but it’s there!
I don’t normally go for the fish at restaurants, but the pan roasted halibut ($29) with arugula pesto and roasted corn succotash was one of my favorite dishes of the night. The fish was light and cooked perfectly. I loved the corn succotash, it made me feel like I was holding on to that last bit of summer!
The oven roasted half chicken ($26) served with fried potatoes, lemon aioli, and charred romaine was such a comfort dish. The potatoes were amazing!
One of my all time favorite dishes is the baked rigatoni ($24) with spicy lamb ragu and provolone. Such a simple, wonderful dish that comes bubbling hot in a cast iron skillet.
To end our evening on a high note, we had the “not a cloud in the sky” cocktail ($12) made with Mt. Gay rum, hibiscus, vanilla and lavender.
How beautiful is this dish of ginger ice cream? It came topped with a chili chocolate sauce and served with a brownie.
This was the best part of the night, the milk and cookies. Chocolate shortbread cookies with buttercream and crema spressa. The crema spressa was so delicious that everyone at the table was looking for that last bite. It was sort of like a vanilla pudding, but richer – I could just go back for a dish of that!
Disclaimer: I was invited to be a guest at Trade for a parent’s night out. My meal and beverages were provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.
Trade
540 Atlantic Ave., Boston, MA
Check out my other friends that were there:
Tags: casual dining, financial district, hosted, outdoor patio
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September 22, 2016 Neptune Oyster
Neptune Oyster is one of my favorite places to eat, but the line is always so long for dinner that I rarely make it there. Recently I was able to drop by for lunch, they open at 11:30, so we were there around 11:10 and there was already a line of about 10 people. Tourists and passers by couldn’t figure out what we were standing in line for…but if you don’t get there early, you don’t get a seat. The next seating is in an hour or so and you have to come back. You’re not guaranteed to get your own table, it’s pretty tight in there and they pack people in both at the tables and at the counter (we shared our table with another party). We were lucky enough to get in the first seating. It was a game to see the reaction of those people trying to walk in at 11:30 or even 12 for a seat. “The wait is HOW long?” They have a great selection of oysters: Cuttyhunk, Wellfleet, Island Creek, Nantucket, Cotuit and Pleasant Bay to name just a few.
They have a well rounded menu of seafood, from mussels to scallops, striped bass to cioppino, and littlenecks to fried clams. I do love their seafood tower, it’s one of my favorite things to order. But today, I am here for my other favorite, the lobster roll ($29). Neptune Oyster is one of the few places around town that serves it hot with butter on a toasted roll with a side of seasoned fries. Still as good as I remember it being – the lobster roll is heaping with meat and does not disappoint.
Do you like your lobster rolls hot with butter or cold with mayo?
Neptune Oyster
63 Salem Street, Boston, MA
Tags: casual dining, lobster roll, north end, oysters, restaurant, seafood
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September 19, 2016 Bova’s Bakery
Sure, you know Mike’s and you know Modern, but do you know about Bova’s Bakery in the North End? It’s a little off the beaten path compared to the other two but it is equally as delicious. Bova’s has been family owned and operated since 1932 – they make delicious desserts and fresh breads. Not in the mood for sweets? Pick up a made to order sandwich at the counter! Pictured about are the almond macaroons.
Another added bonus, Bova’s Bakery is open 24 hours! Great for those late night cravings – maybe not so good for the waistline, but oh so tasty! I can’t remember the name of this bar, but it was chocolate and had Reese’s peanut butter cups inside, need I say more?
The cream puffs are stuffed with real whipped cream and are light as air. There were so many things that looked good in the case, it was hard to just choose one (and why would you want to only choose one?).
The cannolis were pretty good, although I have no idea why I got a plain one, I usually love mine with chocolate chips!
I really liked the black and white cookies – a little cake like in consistency with sweet chocolate and vanilla frosting, it’s the best of both worlds.
What is your favorite Italian treat?
Bova’s Bakery
134 Salem Streeet, Boston, MA
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September 15, 2016 Mike’s Pastry Harvard Square
I love a good restaurant rivalry. It’s like the New Haven pizza rivalry, are you a Pepe’s or a Sally’s? Here, it is the battle of the cannoli, are you a Mike’s Pastry or a Modern Pastry (maybe a Bova’s)? The shops are located across the street from one another in the North End and on any given day there is a line out the door and down the block. Mike’s seems to be more popular with the tourists and Modern with the locals. Both accept cash only. The Mike’s location in the North End is small, there are a few tables in the front and the counter is in the back. Half the fun is drooling over all the desserts in the case and deciding which one (or six) you want.
The Harvard Square location is even smaller than the North End location, with even fewer seats, mainly just a counter by the window. I was a little disappointed when I got there that they have all of the pastry in the back, and only one sample of each for “display only”.
I picked up a few cannolis and a cream puff. In my head I just felt like the cannolis were different – kind of like how the red and green pasta takes different than the regular pasta or how the pizza from any of the other Pizzaria Regina’s just doesn’t taste as good as the original. I’d go back in a pinch, the location is certainly a bit more convenient for me in Cambridge, but there is just something charming about the character of the North End location that you can’t replicate.
Mike’s Pastry
11 Dunster Street, Cambridge, MA
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