Make sure to find yourself a friend who says, let me take you out for lunch for your birthday…in Brooklyn (when you live in Massachusetts).

We finally made a date and took the Amtrak Northeast Regional one drizzly morning down to Penn Station. Two days before, I get a text saying, “My plan is to catch up on the train, sleep a little, read a little, have lunch, come home.” I wrote back, “do I even get to sit next to each other, or should I walk past you and pretend like we don’t know each other?” Good friends send messages like that, and understand each other. We can say hello, catch up for 10 minutes, and then, let’s just relax and unwind and not feel like we have to talk the whole time. And that is exactly what we did. It was perfect. Although I did get mocked for the actual size of the book that I brought with me…

So approximately four hours later, and two subway transfers, and a fifteen minute walk, we were there, Misi. It did not disappoint. Worth every calorie (which I am pretty sure we burned off walking to the subway anyway). We sat at the counter and had a front row seat to the open kitchen, fascinated by just how much citrus they use.

Hard to not order one of everything on the menu, but here is what we chose:

MisiPasta is located at 46 Grand Street Brooklyn, NY https://www.misipasta.com/ They ship nationwide

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After moving out to suburbia, we are still looking for our “go-to pizza place”. We decided to try out Rossini’s in Concord. The shop does mainly takeout, we were the only ones there dining in. The restaurant has all of your pizza place items – a small cheese pizza will run you about $9 and a large is $13. Pasta options include: bolognese, stuffed shells, steak gorgonzola alfredo and chicken parmigiana. Prices range from $11.99 for spaghetti and meatballs to $18.99 for the steak gorgonzola alfredo. Pastas were good, although nothing to write home about.

The burger was one of the highlights of the meal – probably because I love anything with an egg on top. Other items from the grill include an open faced tuna melt, cranberry chicken sandwich, and a crispy chicken sandwich. The kid’s menu will run you around $6: chicken fingers and fries, grilled cheese and fries, pasta, pasta and meatballs, ravioli, or macaroni and cheese.

Service was a bit on the slow side and it was hard to catch our server’s eye because we were in a separate room. The meal felt a bit pricey for what we ordered and the location (suburbia). The food was decent, but think that we will keep shopping around.

Leave me a comment and tell me where your favorite pizza place is!

Rossini’s Pizzeria and Restaurant

206 Fitchburg Turnpike, Concord, MA

http://rossiniseasy.com

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Franco’s Trattoria is located in a small strip mall in Sudbury. It’s a family owned and operated restaurant that puts out some delicious pizza. They have a nice selection of items on their menu: pizza, pasta, calzones, sandwiches, salads, wraps and more. They have an affordable kids menu with most items ranging in at $4-$6.

I’m a big fan of their pizzas, thin crust with just the right amount of sauce and cheese.

We order take out frequently here, but it is also a nice place to dine in. We always see a lot of families in here. The meatball pizza is another one of my go to orders.

I’m a big fan of their fried raviolis ($7.95). They give you a generous portion and they could certainly be a meal by themselves.

Desserts here are a little hit or miss for me. The limoncello cake and the tiramisu were just ok. If you’re planning on dining in, I recommend the gelato!

Franco’s Trattoria

365 Boston Post Road (Route 20), Sudbury, MA

http://www.welovefrancos.com

Closed on Sundays

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I had never heard of Noodles and Company before, but I was picking up my cousin at the Route 128 train station and we were looking for a place to grab a quick bite. Now let me tell you how much I love noodles. If I could only eat one thing for the rest of my life, it would be noodles. I love them plain with butter and with bolognese sauce. So a place called Noodles and Company seemed like there would be something I’d like, right?

This chain restaurant was founded in 1995 by a Pepsi marketing executive. While I like the idea of the restaurant chain, it leaves something to be desired. It felt like the McDonald’s of noodles. When you look at the pictures on the website, they look delicious. Yes, that penne rosa looks like I would want to eat it, and hey, that spicy Korean beef noodle dish looks totally edible. What we got was totally different. Let me also mention that we were one of the only people at the restaurant, so there wasn’t a big lunch rush we were competing with…

Noodles were tossed into bowls, it looked sloppy, half of the things that we ordered came out cold. If they say that you eat with your eyes, I’m thinking I’ll pass.

They do have gluten free options and vegetarian dishes. They have options with 500 calories or less for those watching their figures and they call out options for those watching their sugar or watching their sodium intake. While they have all the right potential to be great, I felt let down. Perhaps another location would be different.

Have you ever been to a Noodles and Company location? Love it or hate it? What did you get? How was the service?

Noodles and Company

125 University Ave., Westwood, MA

https://www.noodles.com/

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It feels like I haven’t had Sunday brunch with friends in forever! I was glad to head out to il Casale in Belmont for a day out with some great ladies that I haven’t seen in some time. Our meal started off with these delicious chocolate biscotti, dipped in chocolate. How could chocolate dipped in chocolate ever be bad?

These delicious fig pastries were a hit at the table – they were gone in the blink of an eye! Brunch is served every Sunday from 11:30am – 2:30pm and they have some great live music!

No brunch would be complete without a little day drinking. Their Bloody Mary is impressive, made with vodka, il Casale’s fra diavolo mix, castelvetrano olives, celery salt $12. I had the grapefruit flower, which was elder flower liqueur, white grapefruit, and prosecco $12. Sweet but not too sweet, a really nice smooth citrus flavor. The roses fizz was my second choice, made with lemony vodka, cranberry, prosecco, and orange peel $12.

S.L.T.  which is Nova Scotia smoked salmon, lettuce & tomato bruschetta, mascarpone, and served with a side of rosemary fries $16. The fries are PERFECTION. Crispy, thin, just the right amount of salt. How beautiful does that smoked salmon look?

Our meal ended with a shot of Limonio – a bright, not too sweet lemon flavored drink.

Disclaimer: I was invited to attend a brunch at il Casale with a group of writers. Our meals were provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

il Casale

50 Leonard Street, Belmont, MA

http://ilcasalebelmont.com

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Located in the old Rialto space, Benedetto is the new Italian restaurant from the team that brought you Giulia. The space is lovely and my favorite part was the pasta table in the back. By day they make fresh pasta on it and by night it is set for large dinner parties.

I was at the restaurant for a party for the Charles Hotel, but they were serving a lot of items that they have on their main menu. The polenta cakes were delicious, they just melted in your mouth. Very light and creamy. Other small plates they offer in the menu are things like warm semolina cakes with taleggio, roasted mushrooms, parsley and lemon; ricotta crostini with pomegranate, aged balsamic and sicilian pistachios or duck heart ‘speeding’ with picked red pearl onions, heirloom apples and cider agrodolce. Sfizi run from $6-$12.

Another popular dish was the octopus, fresh and flavorful! Other antipasti dishes on the menu include: prosciutto di parma with heirloom apples, escarole hearts, grilled rosemary flatbread and parmigiano; yellowfin tuna crude with bottarga di tonno, cucumber, radish and citrus or grilled mackerel with yucca ‘in soar’ (sun choke, pine nuts, golden raisins and coriander). Antipasti dishes are $15-$19.

I didn’t have a chance to snap a photo of the pasta that we tried, I guess I was just so excited to try it. Take my word for it, the pasta is delicious, it just melted in my mouth. I’m already planning my next trip back to try the bolognese (traditional ragu served with beef short rib, pancetta and chicken livers). Other picks on my list are the braised duck leg tortelloni served with broccoli rabe, dried cherries and parmigiano or the torchio served with lobster, roasted squash, burrata and Umbrian lentils. Pastas range from $19-$32.

Secondi options include branzino, a roasted duck breast, veal and a grilled swordfish.

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of the Charles Hotel to a cocktail party at Benedetto. Complimentary appetizers and wine were served. All opinions are my own.

Benedetto

1 Bennett Street, Cambridge, MA (in the Charles Hotel)

http://www.benedettocambridge.com

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Meatball Kitchen is one of the newer restaurants in the Natick Collection. Located in the old Sel de la Terre the space, the restaurant is divided into two areas, the front bar area pictured above and the main dining room in back. The bar is bright and airy with high ceilings and a glass wall that faces the mall (great for people watching) as a opposed to the dining room that is a little more intimate and has a warm glow to it.

We arrive just before the lunch rush and sit at a great table towards the back – perfect for a larger sized group. The restaurant has a second location in Wilbraham, MA.

The casual eatery serves Italian comfort food with something on the menu for everyone – even vegetarians and vegans!

Pictured top right and moving clockwise: spiedini alla Romana ($9.95) fried mozzarella sandwich with anchovy butter; cheesecake balls ($6.95) served with chocolate, caramel and strawberry sauce; the mbk sampler ($17.95) 6 balls (beef, classic, chicken, pork, veggie and vegan) and 6 sauces (tomato, far diablo, pesto, alfredo, nano’s san marzano tomato sauce, and truffle parmesan); fried Brussels sprouts ($8.95) served with bacon butter and fried shallots; and the buffalo chicken balls.

The meatballs were pretty tasty, although I’m not sure I can trust a vegan “meatball” ;). I did like the option of the sampler, I always want to try one of everything! The cheesecake balls were good, but nothing to write home about. The Brussels were probably the table favorite with the buffalo chicken meatballs as a close second. The chicken meatballs had  a really nice texture to them. Service was decent for the lunch rush. Great place to go with kids and a nice addition to the current choices at the mall.

Meatball Kitchen

Natick Collection – 1245 Worcester Street, Natick, MA

See their website here.

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I love to shop over at Legacy Place, except in the winter when it is super cold (it’s an outdoor mall). Even then, I still go and head over to the MET Bar and Grill Dedham to warm up and fuel up before taking on round 2. The bolognese is always a winner for me because they don’t over sauce the dish (and extra points that it isn’t that generic “red” sauce).

This time we also tried the avocado toast ($12) that came topped with burrata and chili flakes and a beautiful mountain of Parmesan cheese. Yes, there really is toast under there, seeded seven grain to be exact. Super delicious and not just a dish that you have to enjoy for breakfast.

You can almost always get a seat without a wait at the MET Bar and Grill, they have a pretty large space. The service is friendly and efficient so you can be in and out and on your way to shop until you drop!

Where is your favorite place to get avocado toast?

MET Bar and Grill

400 Legacy Place, Dedham, MA

http://www.metbarandgrill.com

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Sometimes, well for me these days it’s a lot of the time, I just don’t feel like cooking. So a great place to stop and pick up dinner is Comella’s in Chestnut Hill. They make these family size pasta “messes” that will be sure to satisfy your family. Just you? Don’t worry, their messes come in a variety of sizes: single, 1/2 bucket for 3-4, bucket for 6-8 and a double bucket for 20-25. This would be great if you’re feeding a sports team or have a school event to go to. Some of their messes include:

• Ma’s mess: vegetarian base
• Grandma’s Mess: with onion, mushroom and pepper
• Plane’s Mess: with eggplant
• Brother’s Mess: with chicken
• Nephew’s Mess: with eggplant, meatball or sausage

They also have a variety of hot sandwiches that I’m a fan of. Pictured above is the meatball sandwich. Other choices include:

• eggplant parmigiana
• chicken parmigiana
• buffalo chicken
• steak and cheese
• chicken
• culo grande

What’s your favorite mess?

Comella’s

1 Boylston Street, Chestnut Hill, MA

http://www.comellasrestaurants.com/

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Located in the South End, SRV, or Serene Republic of Venice, is the Coda group’s fourth restaurant (the other restaurants are Coda, Canary Square and The Salty Pig). The restaurant features small plates and freshly made pasta (by Stephanie Cmar!!).

We chose to sit at the bar, which is great for people watching and it gives you a front row seat to be able to watch your plates being assembled. We started with the Baccala Manteca ($4): salt cod, black bread, herbs, garlic. Simple dish and presentation but tons of delicious flavor.

How can you not get the polpette ($4)? They’re a pork and beef meatball, with tomato and covered with pecorino romano. So delicious and very light.

If you’re not a pasta fan (seriously??) they have other things that might strike your fancy: monkfish with radicchio, wants and cardoon, chicken with tomato sott’olio, eggplant and creme fraiche, or lamb belly with carrot in pinzimonio, saffron yogurt and quince.

Some pasta dishes include sweet potato tortellini with chestnuts and black truffle, squid ink bucatini with squid parsley and lemon and a brassica risotto with bone marrow, autumn olives and horseradish.

For dessert we had the tiramisu – such a cute presentation. This would be perfect for those who don’t love super sweet desserts.

SRV 

569 Columbus Ave., Boston, MA

http://www.srvboston.com/

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