I had been sitting on a gift card from the Mandarin for quite a while and decided that I was never going to make it to the spa, as much as I would have liked to. So I decided to take my gal pals out to lunch at Bar Boulud. The Boston location is the sister restaurant to the New York and London locations of Chef Daniel Boulud’s French bistro and wine bar. The bread basket it lovely and we order some gougeres ($6) to start. The choux pastry with gruyere are impossibly light and savory at the same time.

I had the macaroni and cheese with pancetta and bread crumbs ($27). Delicious in every way – the cheese sauce was perfect and the pancetta had the perfect crispiness to add texture to the dish. Served in a cast iron skillet, this is the perfect comfort food for a cold winter afternoon.

Other table selections included the mackeral ($18), the salad chou chou ($12), the onion soup ($10), the bon bon ($10), the tiramisu ($10), and the gateau basque. The onion soup looks amazing doesn’t it? Another great dish for a cold day. The gateau basque (bottom left) was a favorite of the table with its pastry cream, flaky crust and brandied cherries. I usually don’t like my desserts deconstructed, but the tiramisu was delicious and not too strong.

Service was excellent, what you would expect from a restaurant in the Mandarin Oriental. Overall excellent experience and a great place to power lunch or spend the day with friends.

Bar Boulud

in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, 766 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

www.barboulud.com/boston

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AKA Bistro closed its doors on May 8th, but we were lucky enough to visit before they did. AKA was run by Chef/Owner Chris Chung, who you may know from his days at UNI in the Elliot Hotel. AKA served French and Asian cuisine with classic favorites like quiche lorraine, croque monsieur, and ramen.

A few friends met up for lunch – we skipped breakfast that day because we knew we would want to order one of everything. To my surprise, I really loved the peas (I’m not a veggie girl).

The French mac and cheese was so decadent and creamy.

I love mushrooms, so I was excited to try the portabella mushroom frites that were served wth a side of miso, wasabi and Thai curry aioli. The frites were light and flavorful on their own, a really nice change of pace.

Leah had the poke, with onions, ginger and pickled mung beans.

We all shared the Aka pizza, a scallion pancake topped with mushrooms and caramelized onions with baby arugula. Put anything on a scallion pancake and I’m all for it – the pancake itself was really light and not greasy at all (like you know they can be – I’m talking to you 2am Chinese take out).

For my main meal I had the bulgogi served over white rice and topped with a soft egg. I loved the marinated meat in this dish – very flavorful. I wish that the egg had been a little runnier, as I love breaking it open and having it run over the top of the dish…that being said, I could eat this for lunch every day!

I love a classic croque monsieur – a grilled cheese with mornay sauce and ham, and this one was served with a side salad which I think you need to balance the richness of the sandwich. Wait, did I just say that?

Miss Chef Chung already? Don’t worry, he is popping up at Liquid Art House tonight to help celebrate their 2 year anniversary. Chung and LAH Chef Doug Rodrigues will join together in the kitchen to put out a special anniversary menu starting at 5pm. Dishes will include Japanese small plates like Hawaiian tuna poke and Scallop ‘motoyaki’. While there, you can check out the newly opened exhibit featuring work by Dante Latessa. Make sure to bring your dancing shoes because music starts at 10pm with beats by DJ Jeff Gill (10:00pm-12:00am) and DJ Epileptech (12:00-1:00am).

Rumor has it that Chef Chung will also be making a guest appearance at Journeyman in Somerville and he will be doing some private catering!

AKA Bistro

145 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA

http://www.akabistrolincoln.com

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My friend Leah spoils me. When we got together recently, she brought me some sweet treats from Praline. This treat is a religieuse a la vanille and it was truly a religious experience. It was light and fluffy, sweet but not too sweet, crisp and yet so smooth.

While I generally don’t get chocolate desserts, this one was exceptional with a hidden surprise of caramel inside. While on the one hand I loved these, I’m hoping never to go to Praline myself because my inner fat kid will go insane and I’m sure all self control will fly out the window. Praline makes all of their pastries with the highest quality ingredients and they use traditional French techniques.

Praline

203 Belmont Street, Belmont, MA

http://www.pralineconfection.com

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Gaslight is run by Executive Chef Seth Woods and Michael Zentner, his Chef de Cuisine.

The decor is that of a traditional French Brasseie, from the white subway tiles and dark booths to the reclaimed wood floors.

We planned on heading over to the SOWA market today, so we came to Gaslight to fuel up (that and they offer free parking!!) We start with a Cafe American ($2.95).

Meredith raves about the raspberry croissants ($3.25), which were good, but a little on the well done side.

The French toast ($10.50) was good, but very sweet. With such large slices, it was hard to finish the whole dish.

The Pork Hache ($15.50) was outstanding: Confit pork, crispy potatoes, chili sauce verte & fried eggs. It was a stick to your ribs kind of meal with the perfect balance of saltiness. I would definitely come back for this again. Service was excellent, our waiter took good care of us.

Gaslight

560 Harrison Street, Boston, MA

http://www.gaslight560.com/

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It’s well past lunch time, so we have the restaurant almost to ourselves. As far as hotel restaurants, I find Miel charming. I love the charm (minus the vinyl seat cushions) of this place, and each table comes with a spring of lavender that you can sprinkle on any of your dishes.

Miel is French for honey, and it is the city’s first Provence-themed brasserie.

They have an amazing olive oil room where you can host dinner parties or they will even host an olive oil tasting for you and (up to 14 of) your guests at it’s chef’s table made from a 1,000 year old olive tree. You can’t quite tell in this picture, but the chandelier in the photo is made up of little bottles of olive oil.

We start with the naan bread ($3) that comes in a cast iron skillet. It is drizzled with honey from the hotel’s own hives and sprinkled with rosemary. The hotel has 2 hives, and chef Cyrille Couet is also the beekeeper. In the fall (last year’s dinner was at the end of September), Miel hosts a honey harvest dinner featuring dishes and drinks that showcase their honey (and you get to take a vial home!) See last year’s menu here.

The Rockland Peekytoe Crab Salad – Honey Crisp Apples, Kikko Corn, Fresh Corn, Avocado, Pecans ($19)

At first glance I thought that the salad had Parmesan cheese on it, upon closer inspection, it was really shredded crab. While the dish was nothing as I imagined, and while the individual ingredients were tasty, as a whole, this salad was confusing to me. I loved the sweetness from the apples and the crunch of the pecans. To be honest, the kikko corn was a little odd for me in this salad and I ate around them.

Our waiter suggested we also get a side of fries, so we order the Thyme Truffle Pomme Frites $7, which are delicious – light, salty, crisp and well seasoned.

During the warmer months, they open up the patio with tables and chairs – looking forward to some after work drinks and meals here!

Miel Brasserie Provencale

Inside the InterContinental Hotel, 510 Atlantic Avenue, Boston

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A host greets us at the door and we take an elevator up to the main dining room. There is a good smattering of people in the restaurant, and we are all grouped mainly in the Crystal room. From the minute you walk into the front door, the service is impeccable.

When we are seated, we are presented with a few amuse bouches.

The presentation is lovely – simple, precise, and delicate.

The scallop tartare.

We were going to do the tasting menu, but we had just had a rich meal on Friday, so we opted for the a la carte instead. Our server brings out each course and announces in detail what is on our plates. I had the Georges Bank scallops with crispy sweetbreads, hay roasted cauliflower, green cabbage and caper vinaigrette. The plating here is like a work of art. The scallops were cooked perfectly and the mustard seed added a sharp bite to the dish.

We also had the Apple Street Farm Autumn greens with walnut and fennel, Satsuma oranges in young ginger, faux yogurt gnocchi, and orange blossom sherbet. This was a great salad with bright flavors – I loved the play on the dish with the faux yogurt gnocchi.

Grilled Maine lobster in the style of Brandade provençal, littleneck clams, parsley root and artichoke. This dish reminds me of the one we had at Seasons. This dish was a close second. The dish has been plated beautifully and the lobster meat is tender and sweet.

Maine beef tenderloin with beef heart, confit potato, Côtes du Rhône-shallot relish and onion- bone marrow powder. There is a lot going on on this plate. The dish was delicious, the meat was tender and all of the components on the plate blended well with each other.

I love the playful desserts from Chef Jared Bacheller. “Cowboys and Indians”: Warm Indian pudding with chocolate barley bullets and bourbon ice cream.

Chocolate peanut butter soufflé, fig fluff and concord grape ice cream. The souffle was so decadent!

L’Espalier

774 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

http://www.lespalier.com/

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His good friend gave a lovely introduction. Haven’t been to Petit Robert? Don’t know much about Jacky Robert? Here’s a brief run down: Chef Jacky was born in France and began cooking at the age of 15. He worked in his uncle’s restaurant in Boston, Maison Robert, as the executive chef for a number of years. He worked in Lydia Shire’s kitchen at Locke Ober and did a brief stint down on the Cape as the culinary director at Chatham Bars Inn.  Chef Jacky’s friend Martha Castaño was in attendance and they talked a bit about their charity.The first recipe is the Roquefort Souffle. While chef was preparing the dish, he told some humorous stories and threw in some tips/tricks for each recipe. Everyone at the demo was given a copy of the recipes to take with them.

Look at that souffle, isn’t is perfect?

A close of up of the souffle, a little deflated by the time I had a chance to snap a photo.

The second recipe was for Chicken Cordon Blue. A good deal of this dish can be made in advance, with the last step of baking to be completed the day you’re serving. It is hard to tell, but that potato on the bottom right of the plate is carved into the shape of a shoe!

The dish should be served hot as the cheese will be melted and delicious.

The demo was being taped, you will soon be able to see the recording on YouTube.

The brie cheese puff was inspired by gougeres. Chef Jacky mixed everything by hand, but the ingredients would mix together just as well with a Kitchen Aid mixer.

It was quite an enjoyable way to spend a few hours. Chef Jacky has a great personality and it was a pleasure to watch him cook. Check out Petit Robert’s website for additional upcoming demos.

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My mother and I spent an overnight in Boston-enjoying what this great city has to offer. First stop, check into the Elliot Hotel located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue. A really great hotel-boutique, before it was ‘in’, with lots of charm. The lobby area is small and sparse, but every room is suite style.

The lobby.

There are 4 chairs in the small lobby-two on each side.

The beds were comfortable and stylish.

The bedroom had a tv in front of the French doors that led out to the sitting area.

A small hallway off the sitting area. To the left was the bar area and to the right the hallway to the bathroom.

The bar.

The bathroom was a bit small with very little counter space. There was no fan in the bathroom so it got steamy when you took a shower.

A pretty great feature was this touch screen computer in the room. You could make restaurant reservations, find the best places to shop, even find a good route for your morning run.

We left the hotel and made our way to the Mandarin Oriental for a day at the spa. The service was impeccable. The lobby of the spa had a relaxing water feature (not shown) and a shop to buy all your spa products. Here you begin by taking off your shoes, a symbol of leaving the outside world behind, and then complete the welcome ritual with a hot towel and a cup of tea.

Everything is sleek and  modern. We are here early in the morning, and there aren’t many other people here. The locker rooms feature a wonderful eucalyptus steam room, with a shaved ice machine outside, overhead rain showers, a wading pool and luxurious beds to lounge on while you wait for your appointment.

I had a wonderful aroma stone massage-an hour and twenty minutes of pure bliss! They have hydraulic massage tables that I especially liked. I also had a one hour and twenty minute facial-which included a mini massage. I would say don’t do both back to back-if you are like me…I get antsy and can’t sit still that long

Be aware that the spa at the Mandarin offers weekday prices and weekend prices and an 18% gratuity is automatically added to your bill.

After a morning of pure relaxation, we head over to Stephanie’s for lunch. See review here.

We head over the Newbury Street, the Prudential mall and the Copley mall to walk off our lunch before retuning to our hotel to get ready for dinner at Clio.

It’s hard to see what this room looks like because it was so dim. Clio and Uni are in the same space. Uni, the sushi bar, is located in a small space-down a few steps from Clio. Clio is a relatively small restaurant and the place was packed. Both restaurants are Ken Oringer’s-Clio’s menu changes nightly so see the website for a sample menu.

I started with a really wonderful appetizer-green and white asparagus with en egg. The asparagus was cooked perfectly and the creamy texture of the egg blended really nicely with the saltiness of the ham.

For the main course I had the lobster. Two large portions that were the perfect texture and wonderfully sweet. Such a simple dish, but done so well.

I can’t remember the name of this dessert, but it was a little too gummy for me. It tasted like chocolate pudding but was more of the consistency of jello….Really good meal over all-I expect nothing less from Ken Oringer..the service was good-very attentive. We called it a night after dinner.

We went back to Clio for breakfast-they offer a buffet option, with cereal, yogurt, and pastries. We opted for the a la carte menu. I had the waffles with fresh berries and raspberry coulis. Beautifully presented, and tasted just as good.

My mom had the French toast-again, nice presentation and tasty. This was the end of our overnight in the city-over all, a really great day!

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A new feature this year was the make your own bloody mary bar by the front door. The restaurant is divided into a main dining area, the winter garden which looks out onto Huntington Avenue and the French bar. Brasserie Jo is popular with the pre/post theater crowd-come in and grab a Hopla, a draft beer from Alsace (the restaurant features dishes from Alsace) or sit at one of the cafe tables and have some profiteroles (which are excellent). Brasserie Jo also has two private dining rooms available for larger parties.

The place hasn’t changed much in the last 10 years-they have a pretty consistent menu and the decor is classic. We sit at one of the larger tables in the back. The service was just ok, our waiter was hard to find at times and our coffee cups were empty much of the time. The coffee here is excellent-really strong!

I have seen a bunch of celebrities here: Tracy Morgan, the late Julia Child, Val Kilmer, and a bunch professional athletes.

Usually, the food and service are excellent, but I have to admit that this year, both fell a little short. Most of us ordered omelettes with toast ($8.95). The toast was cold and the omelette was a lot of egg and not a lot of filling. On a side note, I do like the pancakes here as well as the French Toast with fruit. So, until next year Brasserie Jo, and I hope that when we meet again, the food and service will be better.

Brasserie Jo

The Colonnade Hotel
120 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02116

http://brasseriejo.com/

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