Ten Tables

Seems like lately I keep talking about well known, very popular restaurants that decide to open their second outpost in Cambridge (have I told you yet how much I love living in Cambridge?)  I just heard that Joanne Chang is planning on opening her third Flour Bakery in Cambridge.  Can't wait!!!

But I digress.  Today I'll share with you our first experience dining at Ten Tables.  The original establishment is a  tiny restaurant in Jamaica Plain with only ten tables (thus the name).  It's super popular, super impossible to book, and kind of far away, so I never tried it.

I was really excited when I found out Ten Tables was taking over the old Craigie Street Bistrot space at 5 Craigie Circle (about a 10 minute drive from me on the other side of Harvard Square).  Bryan and I had enjoyed a phenomenal anniversary dinner at Craigie Street Bistrot back in 2007 when Tony Maws was still cooking there, so we have fond memories of that space.

It's pretty hard to land a reservation at this new Ten Tables, even though there are more tables.  We lucked out this past weekend and scored a 7:45pm reservation on a Friday night! Woo hoo!

We went with the Chef's Tasting Menu (4-course), which is a really good value at $40.  You can add a flight of wine for an additional $25.  I've listed the a la carte prices just to demonstrate how good of a value this is.  Here's what we got!

Knoll Farms Green Garlic and Semolina Soup with Baby Spinach, Five-Minute Egg & Black Truffle Butter $9
This soup had beautiful flavors.   And who doesn't love a gooey egg that, when cracked open, releases yolk all over the soup?  Delicious, perfectly flavored, and utterly enjoyable.

Braised Squid with White beans and Herbs
This dish was also executed perfectly.  The squid was really soft and tender, not rubbery at all, and it infused a nice briny of-the-sea flavor to the entire dish.  Very good.  Honestly, the portions were rather generous and I was already getting a bit full at this point.

All Natural Meyer Skirt Steak over Mashed Potatoes and  Spinach Sauteed with Garlic $26
This steak had great flavor and was cooked perfectly medium-rare. It sat over creamy mashed potatoes, garlicky spinach, and some sort of au jus sauce.  This item was not on the regular menu, so the price I've guessed is based on the other steak dishes on the menu. The steak was a bit too salty for me, but I'm pretty sensitive.  Bryan thought it was just fine.

Palate Cleanser
We got tiny shots of a citrus shake as a palate cleanser.

Chocolate Terrine with Sea Salt & Thai Basil Ice Cream $8
This is their signature dessert, and it's very good.  Make sure to eat all the elements together to really experience the full combination (Thai basil, sea salt, and the chocolate terrine).  I love sea salt with chocolate in general, so I very much enjoyed this.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Homemade Banana Ice Cream
Bryan got the sticky toffee pudding.  Though I don't really like bananas, I could tell that this ice cream was really good.  The sticky toffee pudding was good as well.  It was funny - I ended up liking my dessert better and Bryan liked his better.  I love it when it works out this way.  Usually his dish is better and then I'm just jealous.  :)

What you do when a restaurant is just way too dark for pictures.

Thanks Bryan!

Concluding Thoughts
This restaurant really executes and all the dishes were solid - no real misses.  As I mentioned before, the steak was borderline salty for my taste, but over all everything was really good.  I really loved my 5-minute egg soup!

The space is small, and the room can get loud at times.  Even though the lights are dimmed and the food is excellent, I'm not sure if I would take a first date here, as it's a bit loud for conversation at times.  Another note - we were not seated for our 7:45pm reservation until around 8:10.  They were really nice about it and gave us a couple free glasses of champagne to enjoy while waiting.  Nevertheless, this also might not bode too well for a date.  I'll give them some slack, as they are pretty new, probably still ironing out some kinks.

The food is not as exotic or inventive as the food you might find at Garden at the Cellar or Craigie On Main.  Nevertheless, the cooking is excellent, the prices are reasonable, and over all, it's a great place to spend a Friday night.

P.S. I think it's funny how Craigie On Main is no longer on Craigie Steet. And Ten Tables, which is on Craigie Street, no longer has ten tables.

Ten Tables
5 Craigie Circle
Cambridge, MA 02138

Ten Tables

Seems like lately I keep talking about well known, very popular restaurants that decide to open their second outpost in Cambridge (have I told you yet how much I love living in Cambridge?)  I just heard that Joanne Chang is planning on opening her third Flour Bakery in Cambridge.  Can't wait!!!

But I digress.  Today I'll share with you our first experience dining at Ten Tables.  The original establishment is a  tiny restaurant in Jamaica Plain with only ten tables (thus the name).  It's super popular, super impossible to book, and kind of far away, so I never tried it.

I was really excited when I found out Ten Tables was taking over the old Craigie Street Bistrot space at 5 Craigie Circle (about a 10 minute drive from me on the other side of Harvard Square).  Bryan and I had enjoyed a phenomenal anniversary dinner at Craigie Street Bistrot back in 2007 when Tony Maws was still cooking there, so we have fond memories of that space.

It's pretty hard to land a reservation at this new Ten Tables, even though there are more tables.  We lucked out this past weekend and scored a 7:45pm reservation on a Friday night! Woo hoo!

We went with the Chef's Tasting Menu (4-course), which is a really good value at $40.  You can add a flight of wine for an additional $25.  I've listed the a la carte prices just to demonstrate how good of a value this is.  Here's what we got!

Knoll Farms Green Garlic and Semolina Soup with Baby Spinach, Five-Minute Egg & Black Truffle Butter $9
This soup had beautiful flavors.   And who doesn't love a gooey egg that, when cracked open, releases yolk all over the soup?  Delicious, perfectly flavored, and utterly enjoyable.

Braised Squid with White beans and Herbs
This dish was also executed perfectly.  The squid was really soft and tender, not rubbery at all, and it infused a nice briny of-the-sea flavor to the entire dish.  Very good.  Honestly, the portions were rather generous and I was already getting a bit full at this point.

All Natural Meyer Skirt Steak over Mashed Potatoes and  Spinach Sauteed with Garlic $26
This steak had great flavor and was cooked perfectly medium-rare. It sat over creamy mashed potatoes, garlicky spinach, and some sort of au jus sauce.  This item was not on the regular menu, so the price I've guessed on the price based on the other steak dish on the menu. The steak was a bit too salty for me, but I'm pretty sensitive.  Bryan thought it was just fine.

Palate Cleanser
We got tiny shots of a citrus shake as a palate cleanser.

Chocolate Terrine with Sea Salt & Thai Basil Ice Cream $8
This is their signature dessert, and it's very good.  Make sure to eat all the elements together to really experience the full combination (Thai basil, sea salt, and the chocolate terrine).  I love sea salt with chocolate in general, so I very much enjoyed this.

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Homemade Banana Ice Cream
Bryan got the sticky toffee pudding.  Though I don't really like bananas, I could tell that this ice cream was really good.  The sticky toffee pudding was good as well.  It was funny - I ended up liking my dessert better and Bryan liked his better.  I love it when it works out this way.  Usually his dish is better and then I'm just jealous.  :)

What you do when a restaurant is just way too dark for pictures.

Thanks Bryan!

Concluding Thoughts
This restaurant really executes and all the dishes were solid - no real misses.  As I mentioned before, the steak was borderline salty for my taste, but over all everything was really good.  I really loved my 5-minute egg soup!

The space is small, and the room can get loud at times.  Even though the lights are dimmed and the food is excellent, I'm not sure if I would take a first date here, as it's a bit loud for conversation at times.  Another note - we were not seated for our 7:45pm reservation until around 8:10.  They were really nice about it and gave us a couple free glasses of champagne to enjoy while waiting.  Nevertheless, this also might not bode too well for a date.  I'll give them some slack, as they are pretty new, probably still ironing out some kinks.

The food is not as exotic or inventive as the food you might find at Garden at the Cellar or Craigie On Main.  Nevertheless, the cooking is excellent, the prices are reasonable, and over all, it's a great place to spend a Friday night.

P.S. I think it's funny how Craigie On Main is no longer on Craigie Steet. And Ten Tables, which is on Craigie Street, no longer has ten tables.

Ten Tables
5 Craigie Circle
Cambridge, MA 02138

The Friendly Toast

Funky.  Tacky.  Retro.  Kitschy.

A neighborhood icon in Portsmouth, New Hampshire since 1994, The Friendly Toast has been a hit there, commanding long waits for its creative breakfast items, huge portions, and great food.  This past spring, owners Melissa and Robert Jasper finally opened a second outpost in Cambridge.  They worked hard to make sure that the second place embodied the character of the original one, down to the knick knacks that adorn the walls, the bright green paint, and the wacky menu items.

The Friendly Toast serves a variety of food, focusing mostly on brunch-like items (pancakes, French toast, eggs, and the like), but also serving sandwiches, burgers, and milkshakes (frappes, they're called in New England).  It's sort of a chi-chi hippie granola version of a diner -- diner-like food with a twist:  creative ingredients, vegan-friendly choices (tofu scramble anyone?), and wacky names (mmm . . green eggs and ham).  Honestly, Cambridge is the perfect city for this type of place.

Lines are super long on weekends, especially during brunch time.  Fortunately, they open until 1 AM, one of the few places in Cambridge to do so.

Check out some of the dishes we've enjoyed!

Huevos Rancheros $9.75
Not quite the Mexican version, this one has cheddar melted on a thick slice of homemade anadama bread topped with two poached eggs, avocados, and salsa.  Oh, and a side of home fries.  The homefries were delicious, and the toast was good too.

Scrambled eggs  . . .

Cheesy Fries
Blue and Provolone melted on French fries with a strawberry habenero dip
Oh my goodness - we got this as an appetizer and it was SO GOOD!!!  Not only was the texture of the fries amazing, the strawberry habenero sauce was addictive!  I love sweet and spicy combinations, and this was no exception.  Sweet with just enough of a kick to get you coming back for more.  No one could stop eating this.

Pancakes [1 cake - $4.50/$5.50; 2 cakes - $6.50/$7.50; 3 cakes - $8.00/$9.00]
You order pancakes not as a stack, but individually, either plain or with blueberries, heathbar crumbles, and/or chocolate chips.  I ordered the plain one and it was fantastic.  One pancake is pretty big.  Two was definitely way too much food (heh heh, especially after gorging on those fries!)

French Toast - $4.50
I love their French Toast.  Their homemade bread is really good, and they make the toast really eggy, which I love. Super moist, eggy, and made with wonderful bread.  YUM.

Fish Burrito
fried haddock, avocado, black olives, spicy tartar sauce, lettuce, plum tomato, and red onions
My friend Peter loved this sandwich. Bryan, on the other hand, though it was alright, but not nearly as good as a fish taco.  He might be biased though - he doesn't really like wraps that much.

Over all thoughts?
Some of their dishes are really fantastic, such as the French toast, the pancakes, and the cheesy fries.  The various egg scramble dishes are pretty good, although I'm not sure if they're worth an hour wait.  I think the restaurant is severely understaffed on the weekends (or at least it was the weekend I went).  The line was super long, yet many of the tables were open, just not cleaned up yet.  The few harried workers on duty were running around like crazy.  Service was almost unbearably slow, but it wasn't really our server's fault.  We could tell she was overloaded with work. They need more workers!

It's possible it was just an off night, and the service isn't always that bad.  The one time we went in the evening (when there was plenty of seating available), the service was fine.

Over all, the food is definitely solid, and there are some standout winners to try.  I hope they work out their staffing issues, as it's pretty tough to go on a weekend right now.  Do check it out, though!  At the end of the day, I really want this place to succeed.  Great food, reasonable prices, excellent vegetarian options, and creative dishes.  We like having those types of restaurants in Cambridge.  :)

The Friendly Toast
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 621-1200

The Friendly Toast

Funky.  Tacky.  Retro.  Kitschy.

A neighborhood icon in Portsmouth, New Hampshire since 1994, The Friendly Toast has been a hit there, commanding long waits for its creative breakfast items, huge portions, and great food.  This past spring, owners Melissa and Robert Jasper finally opened a second outpost in Cambridge.  They worked hard to make sure that the second place embodied the character of the original one, down to the knick knacks that adorn the walls, the bright green paint, and the wacky menu items.

The Friendly Toast serves a variety of food, focusing mostly on brunch-like items (pancakes, French toast, eggs, and the like), but also serving sandwiches, burgers, and milkshakes (frappes, they're called in New England).  It's sort of a chi-chi hippie granola version of a diner -- diner-like food with a twist:  creative ingredients, vegan-friendly choices (tofu scramble anyone?), and wacky names (mmm . . green eggs and ham).  Honestly, Cambridge is the perfect city for this type of place.

Lines are super long on weekends, especially during brunch time.  Fortunately, they open until 1 AM, one of the few places in Cambridge to do so.

Check out some of the dishes we've enjoyed!

Huevos Rancheros $9.75
Not quite the Mexican version, this one has cheddar melted on a thick slice of homemade anadama bread topped with two poached eggs, avocados, and salsa.  Oh, and a side of home fries.  The homefries were delicious, and the toast was good too.

Scrambled eggs  . . .

Cheesy Fries
Blue and Provolone melted on French fries with a strawberry habenero dip
Oh my goodness - we got this as an appetizer and it was SO GOOD!!!  Not only was the texture of the fries amazing, the strawberry habenero sauce was addictive!  I love sweet and spicy combinations, and this was no exception.  Sweet with just enough of a kick to get you coming back for more.  No one could stop eating this.

Pancakes [1 cake - $4.50/$5.50; 2 cakes - $6.50/$7.50; 3 cakes - $8.00/$9.00]
You order pancakes not as a stack, but individually, either plain or with blueberries, heathbar crumbles, and/or chocolate chips.  I ordered the plain one and it was fantastic.  One pancake is pretty big.  Two was definitely way too much food (heh heh, especially after gorging on those fries!)

French Toast - $4.50
I love their French Toast.  Their homemade bread is really good, and they make the toast really eggy, which I love. Super moist, eggy, and made with wonderful bread.  YUM.

Fish Burrito
fried haddock, avocado, black olives, spicy tartar sauce, lettuce, plum tomato, and red onions
My friend Peter loved this sandwich. Bryan, on the other hand, though it was alright, but not nearly as good as a fish taco.  He might be biased though - he doesn't really like wraps that much.

Over all thoughts?
Some of their dishes are really fantastic, such as the French toast, the pancakes, and the cheesy fries.  The various egg scramble dishes are pretty good, although I'm not sure if they're worth an hour wait.  I think the restaurant is severely understaffed on the weekends (or at least it was the weekend I went).  The line was super long, yet many of the tables were open, just not cleaned up yet.  The few harried workers on duty were running around like crazy.  Service was almost unbearably slow, but it wasn't really our server's fault.  We could tell she was overloaded with work. They need more workers!

It's possible it was just an off night, and the service isn't always that bad.  The one time we went in the evening (when there was plenty of seating available), the service was fine.

Over all, the food is definitely solid, and there are some standout winners to try.  I hope they work out their staffing issues, as it's pretty tough to go on a weekend right now.  Do check it out, though!  At the end of the day, I really want this place to succeed.  Great food, reasonable prices, excellent vegetarian options, and creative dishes.  We like having those types of restaurants in Cambridge.  :)

The Friendly Toast
One Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 621-1200

Chinese Egg Puffs

I know you must be wondering why there's chocolate powder on top of a "Chinese" egg puff.  And you're right, a traditional Chinese egg puff does not have chocolate. I'll explain later, I promise.

First, some background.

What are Chinese Egg puffs?  Translated roughly as "Chicken Egg Cake" (literally), it's a popular street snack that you can find in Asia.  Typically, the street vendor has this HUGE circular waffle-like iron with little holes in in.  He fills it with batter and then cooks it, turning the iron 180 degrees halfway through.  When he opens the huge waffle iron, out pops dozens and dozens of perfectly formed little round egg puffs.  They are so good.

Of course, I don't have a huge waffle iron with tiny circles in it.  But I do have an Æbleskiver pan that I received from Aunt Else's a few months ago.  When I wrote a post about making Æbleskivers and Japanese takoyaki a few months ago, Joy from Cooking of Joy suggested that I try making Chinese Egg Puffs.

I recently brought these to a dinner party and the guests ate them up.  I can't guarantee that they are 100% authentic, but they do taste delicious and definitely remind me of Chinese egg puffs.

Adapted from Hong Kong Lightbox

Ingredient:
4 oz all purpose flour [0.8 cups]
1 oz of corn starch [2 T]
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
4 oz sugar [1/2 cup]
2 oz evaporated milk [1/4 cup]
4 oz water [1/2 cup]

*note - I would highly recommend using a food scale if you have one to weigh out the ingredients.  If you don't have one though, I have calculated out the measurements using this handy conversion chart.  Disclaimer - I never actually tried making these with the English measurements, although they should be fine.

Pre-heat the Æbleskiver pan over medium heat until hot. (This takes quite some time.  I would set the pan on the stove and then start measuring out your ingredients).  Combine all ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Using this batter, make the puffs by following the instructions for making Æbleskivers.  You can check out my original Æbleskiver post for more details on how to make them, or check out Aunt Else's homepage, which has a great video tutorial.

Now about the chocolate.  I know Chinese egg puffs don't have chocolate, and I was fully intending on making them plain.  But more than one guest at the party nudged me while I was making these and said, "these would taste even better with a filling."

"Oooh . . what about chocolate?" said another.

Finally, I succumbed to peer pressure and made a whole batch with chocolate.  They loved it.  Who doesn't love chocolate?

So this recipe is pretty flexible.  You could still make it pretty Asian by putting something like red bean paste or sweet peanut powder inside.  I bet that would be delicious too!

Enjoy!

Chinese Egg Puffs

I know you must be wondering why there's chocolate powder on top of a "Chinese" egg puff.  And you're right, a traditional Chinese egg puff does not have chocolate. I'll explain later, I promise.

First, some background.

What are Chinese Egg puffs?  Translated roughly as "Chicken Egg Cake" (literally), it's a popular street snack that you can find in Asia.  Typically, the street vendor has this HUGE circular waffle-like iron with little holes in in.  He fills it with batter and then cooks it, turning the iron 180 degrees halfway through.  When he opens the huge waffle iron, out pops dozens and dozens of perfectly formed little round egg puffs.  They are so good.

Of course, I don't have a huge waffle iron with tiny circles in it.  But I do have an Æbleskiver pan that I received from Aunt Else's a few months ago.  When I wrote a post about making Æbleskivers and Japanese takoyaki a few months ago, Joy from Cooking of Joy suggested that I try making Chinese Egg Puffs.

I recently brought these to a dinner party and the guests ate them up.  I can't guarantee that they are 100% authentic, but they do taste delicious and definitely remind me of Chinese egg puffs.

Adapted from Hong Kong Lightbox

Ingredient:
4 oz all purpose flour [0.8 cups]
1 oz of corn starch [2 T]
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
4 oz sugar [1/2 cup]
2 oz evaporated milk [1/4 cup]
4 oz water [1/2 cup]

*note - I would highly recommend using a food scale if you have one to weigh out the ingredients.  If you don't have one though, I have calculated out the measurements using this handy conversion chart.  Disclaimer - I never actually tried making these with the English measurements, although they should be fine.

Pre-heat the Æbleskiver pan over medium heat until hot. (This takes quite some time.  I would set the pan on the stove and then start measuring out your ingredients).  Combine all ingredients and stir until well mixed.  Using this batter, make the puffs by following the instructions for making Æbleskivers.  You can check out my original Æbleskiver post for more details on how to make them, or check out Aunt Else's homepage, which has a great video tutorial.

Now about the chocolate.  I know Chinese egg puffs don't have chocolate, and I was fully intending on making them plain.  But more than one guest at the party nudged me while I was making these and said, "these would taste even better with a filling."

"Oooh . . what about chocolate?" said another.

Finally, I succumbed to peer pressure and made a whole batch with chocolate.  They loved it.  Who doesn't love chocolate?

So this recipe is pretty flexible.  You could still make it pretty Asian by putting something like red bean paste or sweet peanut powder inside.  I bet that would be delicious too!

Enjoy!

Izzy's

It seems like just yesterday that I was telling you about my favorite type of restaurant - the cozy, ethnic family-owned joint that produces fantastic food.  They are usually cheap, a great value, and they have really unique atmospheres.

Cambridge is full of them, and I'm still slowly discovering them one at a time.

Izzy's is not much to look at from the outside.  It looks like a run down sub shop.  You enter, and the place looks like it hasn't changed since it opened 18 years ago.  The decor is very eclectic, from colorful vinyl table coverings to a huge Puerto Rican flag hanging at the counter.

Oh but the food.  The food belies the humble decor.  It's vibrant, flavorful, and all around very satisfying. I can't believe it's taken me this long to try this place.

Stewed Goat - $7.50
The stewed goat is one of their most popular dishes. This hearty stew comes with a generous side of rice and also another side.

Octopus Salad with Fried Plantains and Pepper Dipping Sauce - $8
The octopus salad was really good, and such a great value! Pieces of octopus are cut up and marinated in spicy oil-based dressing.  There's quite a bit of oil, but the flavors are fantastic.

Fried Plaintains - $2.50
The fried plantains were also really good, and came with a addictive pepper sauce!  It reminds me of the Chinese version with oil, scallions, ginger and garlic.  This version had tons of garlic and scallions as well, plus some chopped red peppers and spices.

Stuffed Cassava - $1 - a deep fried starchy pocket of sorts filled with ground beef.  It was quite oily, though it was pretty good with their awesome pepper dipping sauce.

Oxtail Stew - $7.50
This was very flavorful and the meat was tender.  It came with a huge side of rice and also a salad.  Really a great deal.

Tripe Soup  - $3.75
Everyone ordered the tripe soup, and I can see why.  It was hearty, fully of chunky goodness, and had a deep, flavorful broth.  I think this was one of my favorite items on the menu.

Thoughts
Over all, this is a great little ethnic place to visit for lunch.  The prices are really low for what you get, and the food is really good.  Definitely try one of the stews and the tripe soup.  The fried plantains with the dipping sauce is also very good.  If you want something lighter, the octopus salad is not a bad bet.  I guess my only one complaint is that some of the dishes are a bit greasy.  Over all, though, it's a great little place and I would definitely recommend trying it out.

Izzy's
169 Harvard St
Cambridge, MA 02139