It’s just like me to go to a party where they are serving complimentary drinks and passed appetizers and go to the restaurant next door and spend all my money. The Godfrey Hotel recently turned 1 and we were at the party! I had been wanting to try out Ruka, and hey, since we were there anyways…we mind as well go in and grab a bite. So the culinary team behind Yvonne’s and Lolita opened this amazing Japanese Peruvian restaurant. The decor is stunning and there is a lively bar scene (every drink that we see being made is a work of art – totally Instagram worthy). It doesn’t appear crowded when we arrive but reservations have booked up all the tables – so we grab a seat at the sushi bar.

We have a few small plates to share: (top right and moving clockwise) the sweet potato dumplings ($17) with trumpet mushrooms, wasabi oil, a soft poached egg and barley dashi were a favorite. The egg was AMAZING. Next was the hamachi ($17), the fish was so delicate and fresh. The chicken fried rice was made with char sit chicken, garlic sauce and egg. Another stand out dish – your old favorite fried rice kicked up a notch! The ribeye ($16) was cooked perfectly and served with chili salt, dashi butter and crispy ginger.

Service was excellent in the beginning and tapered off towards the end of our meal – it was SO busy!

And while the dinner was delicious, the star of the show was definitely dessert. When I read the description of the big fish dessert, I didn’t know if I was going to like it, there are a lot of things going on in this dish, but it was AMAZING!! So many different flavors and textures all melding together beautifully. One of the best desserts I’ve had in a long time. A bigfish dessert waffle with prickly pear sorbet, ice cream, caramelized peanuts, chocolate crunchies, and caramelized, brûléed bananas.

Great place for a romantic date for dinner or a casual date at the bar and they have a great table to accommodate large parties near the sushi bar.

Ruka

505 Washington Street, Boston, MA

http://www.rukarestobar.com

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I have to admit that when I first heard about Roche Bros. in Downtown Crossing, I didn’t realize that there was a downstairs. So here I am thinking, hmm… a market with just a salad bar, a hot bar and prepared foods? What’s so special about that. It was only after talking with a friend and finding out there’s an ENORMOUS downstairs, did I return and see the market in its full splendor. So let’s back track a little: upstairs. So many grab and go options, super convenient for the office workers looking to run down and grab a bite to wolf down in between conference calls. Me, I’d probably never make it past the hot cookies. Downstairs is the actual market where you can pick up produce and something more substantial for dinner.

This market is my happy place. I love Roche Bros. in general, and their sister brand, Brothers Market. They have great products and I love to just walk up and down the aisles and find new delicious things. The bakery has every kind of sweet you can imagine, their pastry case is to die for, they have a cookie bar, and the seasonal candy at the holidays would make santa proud. Let’s not even talk about the $200 chocolate covered almond christmas tree…I’m surprised I restrained myself.

They have a great floral department, perfect things here to bring home to a loved one or maybe pick up something for a hostess gift. Check out the photo in the bottom row, in the middle: a bud vase that attaches to a bottle of wine. BRILLIANT! They have a large liquor selection with a bunch of local brands as well as something a bit pricier if you are looking for a special something something.

Give me ALL.OF.THE.CHEESE. Great local options as well as some brands I hadn’t heard of. The seafood case is super fresh and if I cooked at home, which I don’t, I would definitely pick some shellfish up . Instead, I picked up the party platter of bacon wrapped potatoes and Swedish meatballs and fed my family that for dinner. Hey, don’t judge.

Here’s a cool and  unexpected thing about the market, they have a cute little tasting counter where you can grab lunch. Everything is made to order so they can accommodate most everyone. The housemade sodas were top on my list as well as the flatbreads – and what’s great is that you can buy all the ingredients for the flatbread right there at the market and make one at home for dinner. The tasting bar has a dozen seats around the U shaped bar – the service here is top notch.

We also sampled a selection of pastries from their bakery – each one was delicious, it was hard to pick a favorite, but that brownie/cake in the middle photo was probably the winner for me.

So yes, there is a great option available to you if you want to grab lunch out.  But can’t make it out of the office? Need some catering for a meeting in the office? Roche Bros. takes care of that too. They have a nice breakfast and lunch catering selection that are anything but ordinary: try 10 assorted muffins for $24.99 – trust me, they’re delish!; a create your own Greek yogurt bar that serves 8-10 is $39.99; how about a breakfast sandwich box? Egg and cheese with bacon, sausage or ham served on an English muffin. Way to be the office hero! For lunch they offer individual boxed lunches, sushi platters, carved pork tenderloin, poached dill salmon…again, office hero – because let’s face it, those sandwich platters from your “regular spot” are just getting old. Need a little extra something to impress the clients? They offer floral arrangements. Celebrating your CEO’s birthday? Yup, cake and balloons can be delivered.

So go. Run. Stop in immediately! You can thank me later.

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of Roche Bros. to visit their Downtown Crossing location. My meal at the Tasting Counter was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Tasting Counter at Roche Bros.

8 Summer Street, Boston, MA

www.rochebros.com

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The Godfrey Hotel opened in Boston earlier this year in February. I was fortunate enough to get a first look – and now that George Howell Coffee is finally open, I’ll certainly be back. The coffee shop opened in June, and is open from 6:30am – 8pm. They have baked goods from one of my favorite bakeries, Praline, in Belmont. In addition to the cafe, they offer a full retail section where you can purchase an extensive range of coffee beans.

The historic hotel is located right in the heart of downtown crossing, steps away from shopping and popular tourist attractions – you couldn’t ask for a better location!

The boutique hotel has about 240 rooms that have amenities like Frette linens, 55″ TVs and Bose bluetooth speakers.

They have meeting spaces available as well – with fast wifi and all the tech amenities you need to make your meetings run smoothly.

The rooms feel enormous due to their high ceilings. Floor to ceiling windows allow for tons of natural light to flood in. One cool feature is they have smart phone room entry – you can unlock your door with your phone or with a bracelet that you are provided with (should you want to stop at the front desk). The TV’s are like your virtual concierge, allowing you to do anything from looking up tourist attractions, to giving you restaurant suggestions, or to stream your HBO or Netflix movies from your phone directly onto the TV.

The bathrooms feel spacious  as well, with glass enclosed showers and well lit mirrors. If you’re visiting Boston, or even if you are just taking a staycation, I highly suggest checking out the Godfrey Hotel.

Disclaimer: I was invited to a media preview/tour of the hotel. All opinions are my own.

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Leah and I were invited to Yvonne’s to the Champy launch party. Never heard of Champy? It’s Jenny Johnson’s new sparkling wine.

Champy is a sparkling wine – a chardonnay and pinot noir blend. It has notes of citrus, sweet red raspberry, strawberry, green apple, and stone fruit. All the major players were at the party and Jenny looked stunning in her yellow Daniela Corte dress and glitter peep toe pumps.

Yvonne’s opened in September in the old Locke Ober space. Since we were already here, we decided to get a bite to eat for dinner. The main dining room, that looks like you’ve walked onto a movie set, was booked for the night, so we had dinner in the lounge.

The decor in the lounge is amazing – lit bookcases line the walls, making you feel as though you’ve stepped into a private study.

Yup, check out the cool artwork! Two of may favorite chef’s are at Yvonne’s: Kate Holowchik and Juan Pedrosa. Kate is fresh off her win at the Vitamix challenge with an inverted baked alaska. Check out my posts on Kate here and  here.

We started with the crispy tater cubes ($12) that came with Joppiesaus (a Dutch yellow snack sauce typically consumer with a hamburger and fries, that is flavored with onion an curry powder), farm house gouda, and a beet pickled egg. First of all, the egg was just beautiful. These were grown up tater tots, super delicious.

Next we had the KFC stone fired pita ($15). It was topped with Korean fried chicken, kimchee scallion, and sesame cave aged gruyere cheese. There was a bit too much sauce on this for our liking, but I loved the chicken and the bite to the dish.

And now onto my favorite part of the meal, dessert. The La Bete Noire, is a flourless chocolate torte with burnt marshmallow ice cream, graham tuiles and crumble and caramelized chocolate sauce. This is a great dessert for those who love chocolate and crave something that isn’t too sweet.

The macaron ice cream sandwich was so delicious! The macaron was so light! The flavors rotate, but previous flavors have been candy corn, Swedish fish and sour patch kids. Kate is the master at desserts with her creative take on classics and boozy ice creams. Oh did I mention that they have pushpops and negroni drumstick ice creams?

What’s your favorite dish at Yvonne’s?

Yvonne’s

2 Winter Place, Boston, MA

http://www.yvonnesboston.com

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I finally had the chance to pop into Ogawa Coffee the other day. The Boston shop is their first international location outside of Japan and it has been receiving praises ever since their opening.

The decor is simple and they have a variety of seating that will fit anyone’s needs – there are tables in the front by the windows and steps in the back.

The barista, Haruna Murayama relocated to Boston from Kyoto to oversee the menu development and barista training. She is the 2010 World Latte Art champion, the first woman to hold this honor.

In addition to serving coffee, they offer a variety of breakfast and lunch options as well.

I’m not a coffee drinker, so my husband did the taste testing. I was a little disappointed with the latte art, I was hoping for something a little more ornate. My husband reported that the latte was tasty and packed a good caffeine punch. He’ll be back!

We also had a banana nut muffin which was quite tasty and fresh.

Ogawa Coffee

10 Milk Street, Boston, MA

http://www.ogawacoffeeusa.com

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Last week I attended Blog and Tweet Boston’s first progressive dinner. We started off at Bel Ari and moved over to Les Zygomates next door later in the evening. Bel Ari used to be Sorriso, but the restaurant went through a major renovation just about a year ago. The new space is amazing, with a private room in the back,. Their attention to detail with the design work is just lovely. The used the artwork of Janice Eve Dale in both the Bel Ari and Les Zygomates space, but more on that in part 2.

Owner Mark Tosi was at the dinner, walking us through both restaurants. We started off the evening with a whipped ricotta, made with honey and pistachios which was served with a crispy sunflower and cranberry bread. The ricotta was light as air and I love the honey and pistachio flavor combination – it’s one of those things I could have eaten all night!

Next on the menu was the Arancini Di Riso, a goat cheese stuffed risotto ball with basin and served with an onion marmalade. The onion marmalade made this dish for me. I usually don’t love goat cheese, as it can be too “goaty”, but this had a very subtle flavor that I really enjoyed.

For the pasta course, we had our choice of penne a la vodka or shrimp and lobster gnocchi. Of course I went with the gnocchi. The dumplings were light as air and it was served in a lobster cream sauce that was comforting without being heavy. The dish paired nicely with the 2013 Terre di Tufi, Toscano Bianco.

Check back tomorrow for part 2 on the progressive dinner!

Disclaimer: I was invited to be a guest at Bel Ari and Les Zygomates. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Bel Ari

107 South Street, Boston, MA

http://belariboston.com

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I was invited to check out Legal Crossing’s new menu that will debut today. Chef Jason Wu came out to speak with us about the new menu and what we were trying this evening. Here are just a few appetizers that we tried. Pictured above was the Portuguese style fish cakes that were made with salted cod and a smoked tomato remoulade. These were a little bit salty and a little bit fishy, they were good but just not something I would go in and order on my own.

The Persian cucumbers were crunchy and light – it felt like summer in a bite. The cucumbers were served with a sesame chili vinaigrette.

The salt and pepper shrimp were delicious and one of my favorite bites of the night. There was a little zip to them and they were served topped with jalapeños and sweet chili sauce. They had a lot of flavor and a nice crunch – I would definitely come back for these.

My favorite dish of the night was the laquered pork ribs that were served with picked vegetables. The sweet pork gets you first followed by that “bite” from the picked vegetables – a perfect pairing for sweet and sour. I could have eaten a whole plate of these.

The space is pretty great inside: there is a great bar area if you want to come in and get some small plates or a drink and then there is a full dining room if you’re looking a sit down dinner. In the warmer months they have a lovely patio.

I had to put in a photo of the restrooms, they are so cool – I love the sinks!

Legal Crossing

558 Washington Street, Boston, MA

https://www.legalseafoods.com/restaurants/boston-legal-crossing

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Last week I was invited to check out the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Boston, conveniently located in Downtown Crossing.The area is definitely changing with recent additions such as Roche Brothers, Ogawa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Legal Crossing and the Boston Public Market. I drove my car, but the hotel is located near the T station – the silver line provides easy access to and from the airport, the red and orange line (Downtown Crossing/Park Street) are just steps away from the hotel, allowing you to explore the city and the green line is a couple of blocks away as well. The hotel offers valet parking and self parking options.

We head up to our room to settle in before we head down for dinner. The view from our room overlooks the hotel’s patio (where we will have dessert later in the evening) and showcases Boston’s skyline.

Every part of the hotel has been renovated, the only thing left to be completed are the elevators and the parking garage. The rooms are beautiful – spacious and comfortable (oh that bed!!). The rooms have a comfortable couch/sitting area and has a fridge if you want to bring leftovers back to your room!

We were greeted in our room with fresh fruit and perrier, a lovely touch for this (weary?) traveler!

We headed downstairs to the meeting/function rooms for cocktails and dinner. The appetizers were delicious, lobster with a corn salsa, cheese with lavender and cocoa and pate.

We were in luck that the Hyatt’s two resident pups were in the house and they came down and made a special visit. Meet Rocky, a two year old Boston Terrier, Remi’s brother. The pair couldn’t have been more adorable!

And this is Remington, “Remi” as his friends like to call him. He is the Canine Executive Officer (CEO) here at the hotel, a four month old Boston Terrier. He was named one of Boston Business Journal’s “Hardest Working Dogs in Boston” and is a Freedom Trail Foundation’s Tourism Ambassador. If you want to send him an email – he can be reached at remi@hyattboston.com (this dog has his own business card!) and you can follow his adventures by checking out his hashtag: #remiboston.

We headed into the Adrienne Salon for dinner, an oval shaped room next to the grand ballroom. The room is beautiful and would be perfect for a cocktail hour before a wedding. The other rooms have capacity for anywhere from 12 to 700 guests and they are named after Massachusetts towns: Duxbury, Dedham, Plymouth, Lexington, Concord etc.

Meet Executive Chef Kelly Armetta. He was in and out of dinner, explaining the dishes and threw in a few fishing stories here and there!

Dinner was served family style. The evening was casual, like you were at Chef Armetta’s house, guests cut bread, served salad and poured wine. Starting at the top left and moving clockwise: Cucumber Bulger Salad with micro cilantro and pickled vegetables; Local Feta with organic olive oil, red pepper flakes and grilled lemon; Roasted Beets with goat’s milk ranch dressing; green and white asparagus; Guinea Hen with fava bean and a sherry vinegar essence.

The dinner showcased the freshest ingredients of the summer. All the items were savory and approachable. Not pictured (but delicious) was the Roasted Atlantic Halibut with garlic leek ragout. It was perfectly cooked!

Meet Terry Dunbar, the Hyatt’s General Manager. Terry had a great sense of humor and rolled up his sleeves to carve the enormous Tomahawk Chops.

The chops had a Tunisian spice and were served with an heirloom tomato salsa, a perfect pairing.

The obligatory photo, someone had to do it. Thanks Dan!

After dinner I was completely stuffed! We rolled out to the beautiful outdoor private patio for dessert. Again, a great space for cocktails or dessert on a summer evening.

There was a wonderful selection of desserts, and for “research” I felt the need to have a little taste of everything…you know, to let you all know what you were missing! (You’re welcome!) There was a blueberry cobbler (far left), a molten chocolate cake that was served warm in mugs (and if you added some of that fresh whipped cream you would be in heaven), Ricotta cookies – Chef Armetta’s mother’s recipe, that were light as air with just a touch of sweetness, blackberry pudding cake with fresh berries picked from Chef Armetta’s garden. and honey roasted nectarines with fresh whipped cream. It was a delightful evening, the food was delicious and the company was even better, it was nice to get the chance to get to know some of the staff!

The next morning we headed down to breakfast at the hotel’s restaurant,

Avenue One. If you don’t have time for a sit down breakfast there is an Avenue One Express where you can grab a cup of coffee and grab a breakfast item to go! The restaurant has a full hot buffet that looked delicious.

I had the caramelized onions and roasted portobello omelet ($15) that had Grafton cheddar and came with a slice of delicious cranberry pecan toast, potatoes and seasonal berries.

We went with the steel cut oatmeal ($9) that comes topped with roasted bananas and strawberry, honey, almond granola and brown sugar. The dish is a Hyatt Stay Fit option. Hyatt’s Stay Fit program is designed for fitness conscious guests. In addition to offering healthy meal options, there is a fitness center and pool located in the hotel.

The fitness center has all new equipment by Life Fitness and is open to guests 24 hours a day. There are chilled towels, a sauna, a eucalyptus steam room and much more. The salt water pool was just heavenly, who doesn’t love a heated pool!

Disclaimer: Hyatt Regency invited me to be their guest and provided me with a room and all my meals. All opinions are my own.

Hyatt Regency Boston

1 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, MA

http://regencyboston.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

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The downtown crossing location opened in 2013, which is bustling at all times.

I had the Mac ‘N Melt, all-natural mac & cheese (made with local aged cheddar, Monterey Jack, cream, and spices), hickory bacon, and local aged cheddar on artisan white bread. The sandwich was decadent, I couldn’t even finish the whole thing it was that rich! The sandwich was tasty and the service was quick and friendly – a great spot to grab a bite to eat for lunch.

What’s your go to grilled cheese sandwich?

Cheeseboy

280 Washington Street, Boston, MA

http://cheeseboy.com

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Last week I was invited to preview the new holiday collection at Davids Tea. They have a location right in Downtown Crossing where you can not only pick up some tea, but grab a cup to go. I personally recommend the eggnog latte and plan to go back one morning and try the matcha latte (I didn’t want to be up all night so I went with the eggnog latter instead).

I’m a novice when it comes to tea, so it was great to be able to go in and have the great people there tell me everything I need to know!

Along the back wall they have tons of tea – did you know that there is such a thing as kosher tea? DAVIDsTEA also has fair trade and organic tea! They have caffeinated teas and decaffeinated (something for everyone) – the teas are naturally decaffeinated, they don’t decaffeinate their teas that already have caffeine. You can buy the tea loose from the cans by weight or in tins like the ones below.

They have pre-filled tins of their most popular flavors for $14.50

How great are these seasonal cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes? Also on the table are the new candles that come in delicious scents like Blueberry Jam, Forever Nuts and Santa’s Secret ($19.50). On the far right are the tea filled mittens: the red is Santa’s Secret, the blue is egg nog and the green (not pictured) is sleigh ride tea filled ($9.50).

In addition to tea, the store carries a great selection of travel mugs, tea sets, accessories and delicious treats. Above are the chocolate covered pretzels ($14.50) and the pop perfections ($14.50)

They have fun little gift sets, perfect for the tea lover in your life. (Top left) The 12 teas of Christmas ($29.50); (top right) The 8 days of Tea ($19.50); (bottom) The Christmas Morning Collection ($19.50),The Green Collection ($19.50) The Nutcracker Collection ($19.50), The Black Tea Collection ($19.50)

I had the opportunity to check out a bunch of great teas! What is great about DAVIDsTEA is that if you can’t get into the store, all the things you need to know are on their website. You can find out how much tea to use per cup, water temperature and steeping time (along with allergen information). The eggnog is a green rooibos tea with white chocolate chips, with meringue powder.

Sleigh Ride (back for a limited time) has the flavors of apple, hibiscus blossoms, pineapple, papaya, beetroot, cinnamon, raisins, coconut, roasted almonds , and popped rice.

Cocomint Cream (a new flavor) has apple, coconut, sweet blackberry leaves, peppermint, spearmint, and natural coconut flavoring.

Bubbie’s Baklava (I just love the name!!) is oolong tea, with roasted chicory root, pineapple, papaya, cinnamon, walnuts, apple, ginger, roasted almonds, cardamom, rose pepper, pistachios, and rose blossom.

I had a chance to sample the chocolate macaroon flavor: it’s black tea, with toasted coconut, coconut, pecans, cacao nibs, and rock cane sugar.

The organic vanilla chai is a black tea, flavored with cinnamon, licorice root, ginger, vanilla. With natural vanilla and cream flavoring.

How cute is this? Santa’s Secret is a black tea, with peppermint and cute candy cane sprinkles.

DAVIDsTEA

Downtown Crossing – 298 Washington Street, Boston, MA

http://www.davidstea.com

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