New to the Seaport  is Mastro’s Ocean Club, a steakhouse chain with locations in AZ, CA, FL, IL, NV, NY, and TX. We decided to go out with two other couples that I have known since high school. Just a fun excuse to get a little dressed up and out of the house with no kids! We arrive a bit early and wait at their enormous bar in the front of the restaurant. The tables are beautifully set and the room is one open floor plan with a separate private dining space in the back. I like steak as much as the next person, but feel like steak houses are where you might go if you wanted to impress a client for work. For the money, I think I could get a better meal elsewhere – but again, just my opinion. Appetizers are in the $20 range, while steaks will run anywhere from $45-$62. Sides are in the $12 range with a few more expensive options such as the lobster mashed potatoes and the Alaskan King Crab black truffle gnocchi.

We started with a half dozen oysters – lovely presentation, but a bit too sandy for our taste and for the price.  Other appetizer options on the menu include: shrimp cocktail,  lobster cocktail, king crab claws, caviar, smoked salmon, fried calamari and sautéed sea scallops. They also have a sushi selection – we ordered the jalapeño tuna sashimi, beautifully presented – almost like a layer cake.

Service was definitely attentive, we had one head server and a handful of others that were always close by for anything we might need. We had a good laugh at a the table when my friend was asking about the steaks. Our server mentioned that it was grass fed beef and she thought he had said it was breast fed beef (she couldn’t imagine how that worked…) – guess you had to be there

I ordered the huge 22oz bone in rib eye which was cooked perfectly. The steaks were brought to the table and the servers helped serve the sides. I just feel like for over $50 for my entree, my plate should be wiped before it comes out – it just looked sloppy for the restaurant.  For sides we ordered the gnocchi, the Brussels sprouts, and the sugar snap peas. The gnocchi was rich and carbs were definitely needed for this meal. My favorite were the sugar snap peas, crisp as can be!

Even though I felt stuffed from the enormous amount of meat we just consumed (I even brought some home), of course we had to get some dessert. Mastro’s is known for their signature warm butter cake – and let me tell you, it’s magical. I found this recipe online for a copycat recipe from Savvy in the Kitchen and can’t wait to see how it compares! Let me tell you, with one bite you can just tell that there is a ton of butter in this cake – it is so rich in flavor!

We also ordered the key lime pie – an enormous slice with that delicious crumb crust – tart and sweet, perfectly balanced and a great way to end the meal.

We had a reservation at 6pm and stayed until about 8 – our waiter asked us politely if he could help us with our valet tickets (hint, hint). The restaurant at 8pm was definitely bustling – if you want a peak time reservation, it would be in your best interest to make reservations in advance.

Mastro’s Ocean Club

25 Fan Pier Boulevard, at 22 Liberty Boston, Boston, MA

www.mastrosrestaurants.com

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If you were looking for a family friendly restaurant in Boston, your mind probably wouldn’t go right to the Palm Restaurant. Mine wouldn’t either. I was pleased to hear about their new promotion that they are running through the end of February, Sunday Suppers. (Hurry up and get in there this weekend!!) They have a special kid’s menu and a featured dish: the Palm Classic Combo – a 9 oz. Filet Mignon with a Nova Scotia Lobster Tail or Jumbo Lump Crab Cake for only $49.50. The Sunday suppers are available every Sunday in February from 5pm – 9pm. I was pleasantly surprised to see quite a few other families here with toddlers and young children.

I love the decor, high ceilings, tufted leather banquets, crisp linens and the quirky caricatures on the wall.

So here is a look at the special kid’s menu, and let me tell you, Filet n’ Fries, now THAT’S my kind of kid’s meal!

Appetizers

Mozzarella Sticks with marinara sauce

Fresh Carrots and Apple Slices with ranch dressing

Entrees

Filet n’ Fries – 4 oz. Filet Mignon, French fries or green beans

Mac n’ Cheese – creamy cheddar cheese sauce and penne pasta

Cheeseburger with cheddar or American cheese, French fries or green beans

Grilled Cheddar Cheese Sandwich, French fries or green beans

Penne Pasta – topped with your choice of marinara sauce or butter and parmesan cheese

Crispy Chicken Strips – ranch dressing, French fries or green beans

Dessert

Vanilla Ice Cream – with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and cherry

Bag of Warm Doughnuts – dusted with cinnamon and sugar and served with chocolate and raspberry sauce

I started with the lobster bisque. Lobster meat was in the dish and the bisque was poured on top table side.

The sesame seated ahi tuna was sliced thinly and was served on a bed of seaweed salad. The soy vinaigrette had just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the salt.

Next came the coconut crusted sea scallops. They were served with watermelon radish and jicama slaw. We really enjoyed this dish and loved the crunch on the scallops.

I had the Palm Classic Combo, a 9 oz. Filet Mignon with a Nova Scotia Lobster Tail. The steak was cooked a perfect medium with a cool pink center. You can choose from the following sauces: Brandy Peppercorn, Lobster Truffle Butter or Classic Chimichurri. The lobster was also tasty, I love when there is no work on my part to get it out of the shell! (Yup, I’m lazy with my lobsters) I was so full that I ended up taking half of the steak home with me!

And speaking of steaks, the Palm serves USDA Prime beef, aged a minimum of 35 days. We also ordered the filet classic Oscar style, served with jumbo lump crabmeat, asparagus and Hollandaise sauce.

The Wagyu rib eye 12oz steak was pretty outstanding.

The sides are served family style, made for two or more people, but you can also order them in individual portions. The hash brown potatoes were amazing, loved the crispy edges. Surprisingly, we had some left over and brought it home. The next morning I made steak and eggs and heated up these potatoes for a killer breakfast. No, dear family, don’t get used to those kinds of breakfasts!

Brussels sprouts are still all the rage these days. These were simply served with shallots and lemon zest – delicious.

The green beans were calling my name. They are served with pancetta, pepper flakes and pine nuts, what a great flavor combination. You almost forget that you are eating vegetables.

So I am super full after all.the.meat. But wanted to try out their dessert and I never miss an opportunity to have a sweet treat! They have so many yummy options: flourless chocolate cake, a warm bag of doughnuts, New York style cheesecake, a big chocolate layer cake, iced carrot cake or creme brûlée. I went with the key lime pie, served in a graham cracker crust and topped with blueberry compote. I had never heard of blueberry compote on key lime pie, so I had to see what that was all about. The flavors actually paired nicely.

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest of the Palm Restaurant to review their Sunday Supper menu. My meal for my family was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Palm Restaurant

One International Place, Boston, MA

http://www.thepalm.com

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I don’t know about you, but when I was working down on State Street, every time I went to lunch it would be at least $15, whether it be a salad, soup, a sandwich, burrito, food truck, whatever. For just a few dollars more you can have a seriously gourmet lunch over at Ocean Prime in the Seaport. The “power lunch” is making a come back and Ocean Prime is offering a three course prix fixe lunch that is 10 times more delicious then that sad deli sandwich you just ordered.

The interior is beautiful. You walk in to this amazing bar – just check out that light fixture!! There’s a mixture of tables depending on what your lunch calls for – booths for that cozy feel or round tables for that business meeting with your team.

They have some pretty amazing private rooms as well. Again, great for a private business presentation or even your company holiday party! The three rooms can accommodate a variety of different sized parties depending on your needs.

OK, so let’s get down to the important stuff, the food. Don’t pass up this bread basket! They had me at pretzel roll…

So Monday – Friday from 11:30 to 4pm you can order off of Ocean Prime’s “Prime lunch” menu. Here’s what’s on the menu: (pictured above is the teriyaki salmon with shiitake sticky rice and soy butter sauce, the clam chowder and the petite filet)

First Course: Point Judith Calamari, Creamy Clam Chowder or Ocean Prime House Salad

Entrée: Parmesan Crusted Chicken Caesar, Teriyaki Salmon served with Shiitake Sticky Rice and Soy Butter Sauce or Petite Filet served with Whipped Potatoes, Haricots Verts and Cabernet Jus

Dessert “Indulgences”: Chef’s Selection of Hand Spun Sorbet or Five Layer Carrot Cake 

The desserts at steak houses don’t usually wow me, I mean, after a huge meal, who can fit anything else in. But Ocean Prime is a scratch kitchen and they make everything in house. The carrot cake was delicious, really light!

Let’s talk about their other menus. Their “young adult” menu will make you wish you were still one: buttered noodles ($5), mac and cheese ($6), crispy chicken ($7), Ocean Prime burger ($8), 5 oz. petite filet ($11), broiled salmon ($8) or a Maryland crab cake ($9). All meals come with Golden Delicious apple sauce and your choice of mashed potatoes, hand cut fries, green beans, salad, broccoli or buttered corn. The regular lunch menu has something for everyone: sushi, steak, seafood, I wanted one of everything! I’m already planning what I want to get when I go back! Check out how enormous those shrimp are! (and they were cooked perfectly!)

The surf and turf appetizer definitely caught my eye, perfectly cooked sea scallops with slow braised short rib served over creamy mashed potatoes ($18). Everything just melted in my mouth, I would come back here just for this appetizer.

Goat cheese normally isn’t my jam, but these Sonoma goat cheese raviolis with golden oak mushrooms were delicious, not too goat-y if you know what I mean.

In addition to their great bar menu, Ocean Prime also offers delicious “zero proof” options like this, the rhubarb soda ($5) with house made grenadine and lemon juice.

Now, what you have all been waiting for, what is the steak like? Here is the 16 oz. rib eye steak – how beautiful is that?!? You have options like béarnaise sauce ($5), black truffle butter ($6), Maytag blue cheese crust ($5) or garlic shrimp scampi ($14), but I always like to have steaks plain, to showcase the prime cuts of meat. This did not disappoint – it came out sizzling, cooked perfectly medium with a pink center. There was a nice crust and just the right amount of fat for flavoring. It was tender and juicy, everything you want a $49 steak to be.

The sides all sounded amazing: jalapeño au gratin ($12), roasted garlic mashed potatoes ($10), Parmesan truffle fries ($10), creamy whipped potatoes ($9), black truffle mac and cheese ($16), asparagus and hollandaise ($11), steamed broccoli ($11), sautéed button mushrooms ($12) or creamed spinach ($13). Pictured above is the roasted Brussels sprouts ($12) that were quite tasty.

The desserts all sounded appealing: a 10 layer carrot cake ($11), blueberry lemon cheesecake ($9), creme brûlée ($10), baked alaska ($13), chocolate cake ($11) and sorbet ($8). But what sounded the most delicious (and came recommended by our server, Jason M.) was the peanut butter pie ($11). A light peanut butter mousse with a bitter sweet chocolate ganache and an Oreo cookie crust. I have no words it was so delicious. I love me some Oreo cookie crust and just about anything that involved chocolate and peanut butter, and this dessert was light enough that anyone can have room for dessert

Disclaimer: I was invited to Ocean Prime to sample their new lunch menu. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Ocean Prime

140 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA

www.ocean-prime.com

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We started off with the ahi tacos ($15), Tuna Tartare with avocado and spicy citrus mayo.

Next we tried three different kinds of flatbreads: the first, a wild mushroom flatbread ($13) made with fontina cheese, caramelized onions and topped with  baby arugula.

The second flatbread was the shaved Brussel spout flatbread ($13) that came topped with smoked bacon, caramelized onions & mozzarella – a huge table favorite!

And the final pizza was the roasted tomato flatbread ($12) made with fresh mozzarella and topped with basil.

Another favorite for the table was the cheesesteak eggrolls ($12.50), served with sweet & spicy chili sauce and honey mustard.

For our main course we had the grille prime cheeseburger ($13) that came with double patties, lettuce, red onion, tomato, pickle, sloppy sauce and served with a side of frites. First of all, how cute is that mini bottle of ketchup?!?! The burger was pretty good – the bun held up throughout the whole meal and the burger itself had all the classic flavors you would want.

For dessert, the adult milkshake ($11) made with Nocello Walnut Liquer, Creme de Cacao, Chocolate Liquer and vanilla ice cream.

The coconut cream pie was also served as dessert and was quite tasty. I was pleasantly surprised at how light it was. It wasn’t as sweet as some of those “typical” coconut desserts can be (which I tend to avoid), which made this dessert that much better for me.

Disclaimer: I attended this lunch with Blog and Tweet Boston. Del Frisco’s invited us to be their guest and provided a complimentary lunch. All opinions are my own.

Del Frisco’s Grille

92 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA

http://delfriscosgrille.com/burlington

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We went out to the Stanhope Grille for a midweek birthday dinner. The Back Bay Hotel was recently bought out by the Loews Group. The restaurant remained the same as I remembered it from years back. Our server Greg was wonderful, he was professional, knew his specials, and was personable. He is a great example of what service should be like.

We started with the burrata and tomato salad ($12), the tomatoes were a little under ripe, light in color and too firm, but the burrata was quite tasty.

The polenta cake with mushroom ragu was very tasty ($14). The mushrooms were a bit overcooked and thus tough, but the flavor was really nice mixed with the tomatoes and onions.

The French onion soup ($8) did not disappoint, lots of delicious melted cheese on top and a nice piece of bread inside.

The steak frites were tasty ($24) and the thin cut fries were salty and crunchy.

The pasta ($20) was so so, but what do you expect when you order pasta at a steak restaurant.

A trio of ice cream ($10) was a nice end to the meal, it was almost too much ice cream (I never thought I would say those words).

And the cheesecake was a fun surprise to close the meal. The restaurant only had one other person when we arrive and there were about 3 other tables sat by the time that we left. A pet peeve of mine is when the restaurant is that empty, don’t sit people on top of one another. We were flanked on both sides by two tops while the rest of the place was empty. Overall a good meal, the service was exceptional, in addition to the waiter,  the food runner/bus boy made sure that our water glasses were always full. I wonder if it will get a renovation now that the hotel has been bought…I think that the menu needs a lift to attract people other than hotel guests to dine there.

The Stanhope Grille

350 Stuart St  Boston, MA 02116

(617) 532-3849

http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile_menu.aspx?rid=3294&tab=1

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We are hear for restaurant week which is so polarized, either you love it or you hate it. I used to love it, but I think I am beginning to switch sides. We are sat in the back of the restaurant near the windows that look out on to the pool. The pool looks like a great place to spend the day, very modern, something straight out of a travel brochure or a movie. They have a modern fire pit going as well as cabanas on the deck.

Our server is slow to come over.  I order the restaurant week menu while my dining companion orders off the regular menu. He gets the chop salad and I start with the fried oysters.

The salad is good-a decent size with good flavors (Boston lettuce, hard egg, cheddar, tomato, cucumber, red onion, 1000 islands). The oysters are dregged in cornmeal which gives them a little more texture. They’re good but the sauce they are served with is lacking, I have trouble finding the corn flavor. (corn succotash, green onion remoulade)

Moving on to the main course my dining companion gets the pork rib eye chop with a side of fries (duckfat fried truffle ketchup, garlic aioli) and I get the barbecued bevette steak (corn, tomato, summer mushrooms, blue cheese fritter).  The pork is good-perfectly coked, firm and quite moist all the way through. The fries, which I expect to be divine, are lacking. While they are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, there is so much salt and pepper on them that I can only manage about 4-which if you ask me, is a real shame. The bevette steak, also known as a flank steak, is usually a tougher cut of meat so many people use moist cooking methods. The steak is quite good-it is in fact moist and tender. The barbecue sauce is tasty with a little sweetness to it. The blue cheese fritter is forgettable, while a cute addition to the dish, it doesn’t offer anything to enhance the meal-it’s bready inside with only a faint flavor of blue cheese.

I will say this, when I go out to a meal, not only am I paying for a good meal, but I feel like I am paying for an experience, ie. good service. We arrived at 7:30 and didn’t receive out entrees until 8:30. There wasn’t a good flow to the meal and we were ravenous by the time we got our meals. All I can say is, good thing there were pistachios and bread available.

The dessert was  the bright spot of the meal for me. I had the peach crisp with candied walnuts and speckled vanilla ice cream. The crisp came and I was pleasantly surprised. The ‘crumble’ and the peaches were mixed together instead of the crust, peach and crumble setup. The peaches were tasty and the cumble on top were crunchy and cinnamon-y.

The meal ended with a surprise. A complimentary basketball sized ball of cotton candy. There’s just something about cotton candy that makes you smile-you feel like a kid again. I wonder what it is about steak places and cotton candy, because David Burke’s in Foxwoods does this as well.

I think that I would have to try Bokx again before I made the decision if I like it or not-perhaps order a more substantial steak and see what that is like. The pool area is definitely a cool place to go with girlfriends for the day-it beats the pool at the Colonnade if you’re planning on going somewhere and paying for a pool.

Bokx109
399 Grove Street, Newton MA 02462

http://newtonbokx.com/

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We sat outside on the patio. Maybe it’s just me but I am beginning to think that outdoor dining is over-rated. And I’m not talking about Abe and Louie’s specifically, I’m talking about restaurants in general. There can be wind, it can be cold, there can be bugs, there are people walking by leering at you (even if you think you’re the ones people watching) and why do you want to sit out on a street where cars whirring by and honking?? After saying that, we did sit outside-it was such a beautiful day out! We sat at the far end of the patio at a two top. Some places have so many tables packed on to the patio you can hardly maneuver around to get to said table. Abe and Louie’s had space around the tables so you didn’t feel like you were sitting on top of another table.

So we sit down an immediately a bus boy comes over and serves us water and a bread basket. And those who know me know that I love a good bread basket. Abe and Louie’s has one. The items inside were good enough to eat without any butter! They had mini blueberry muffins, mini carrot muffins, cinnamon scones and a croissant. The scones were delicious! I usually hate scones because they are dry by nature, but this one was super moist with a little crunch on the outside…yum! The croissant was passable, it was good and fresh but they weren’t buttery smooth. Oddly enough, some of the best croissants I’ve had are at BJ’s. Weird. I know.

Chris is our server. Really nice. Efficient. I like how the waiters here have to wear jackets, it just gives it a nice touch. So we order a fruit bowl ($7), the steak and eggs ($27) and the lobster and shrimp omelette ($19). I get a soda ($3) and it comes out in a bottle, so be aware that you pay for every drink you order.

So this is what a $7 fruit bowl looks like. Cantaloupe, honey dew, green grapes, one red grape and one strawberry cut into quarters.

Here is the steak: an aged prime sirloin, three eggs over easy, an English muffin, and brunch potatoes. (Don’t worry the muffin didn’t come with a bite taken out of it!) The steak was a good size and the meal was quite filling. The steak was perfectly cooked-medium-had a nice crust on the outside and was juicy on the inside.

All I will say is this: Do you see how much shell fish meat there is on this plate?? Yum. The omelette has Maine lobster, cheddar cheese aged 9-12months, fine herbs and hollandaise sauce. Let me just discuss how much I love hollandaise sauce, and if you don’t, you’re crazy! I could swim in a pool of hollandaise sauce (but wouldn’t-don’t worry). Egg yolks and butter-a heart attack waiting to happen!! So I am good and order it on the side…and use sparingly. It is so rich and creamy-it’s wonderful. As I said before, there is so much shellfish meat in this omelette (in addition to the large piece on top). The potatoes aren’t really my speed. They are a mix of shredded pieces and chunks-a little oozy…and it’s been cooked on the grill so it’s crispy on the outside. So here’s the bad news. I take two bites of the potatoes and look down to find a hair in them. Ick. A little grossed out, but hey, it happens. It’s happened to me many times. This is where the good restaurants are separated from the not so good ones: how you deal with the situation. At Post 390, there was a small bone in my dinner-nothing. At Market they made us wait for 60 minutes for our entrees-nothing. So here, the hostess came over when she saw me make a face, within 30 seconds the waiter was at the table offering me a new plate of food ( I declined and just had them re-plate the rest of the omelette) and within a minute the manager was out at the table apologizing, thanking me for being so nice about the situation, asking what she could do for me. I order another soda, and we finish our meal. When we get the check, not only has the second soda been left off the bill but I also did not have to pay for my omelette. Nice work Abe and Louie’s. You now have a faithful customer! I will be back again, and I will tell all my friends (and maybe some strangers) and what good service I received! We walk away with full bellies and a need to walk a few miles to work some of it off…

A bonus was that while we were dining, Chelsea Handler was also out enjoying some brunch on the patio!!

And here’s another fun fact: Most places only allow you to charge food/drink on your gift card. At Abe and Louie’s, you can tip on the gift card too-you don’t have to have extra cash!

Abe and Louie’s

793 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02116 Tel (617) 536-6300

www.abeandlouies.com

Hours of Operation:

Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:30 am – 4:00 pm

Dinner: Sunday – Thursday 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm

Friday – Saturday 4:00 pm – 12:00 am

Brunch: Saturday – Sunday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm

Ammenities:

• Private Dining
• Valet Parking
• Major Credit Cards Accepted
• Outdoor Dining

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