Piattini

"Piattini" means small plate in Italian, and that is the concept behind this "wine cafe." Piattini offers many types of dishes in small portions, so you can try many different things. It's like the Italian version of tapas or dim sum.

We were super fortunate to land one of the seven outside patio tables facing Newbury Street. We went around 5:30pm on a Saturday night. We noticed that even at 6pm, there were still tables available, although they quickly filled up.

The portions of the small plates are actually quite generous, and someone with a small appetite could be pretty content just getting one small plate as an entree. But of course, it's much more fun to share and try many different dishes, right? Here is what we shared.

 Arugula salad $6.95 (small plate portion)
seasoned, chopped fresh tomatoes, artichoke hearts, arugula, Parmigiano-reggiano, and lemon-oil dressing

This dish was a simple dish but well done. The lemon oil dressing was subtle - not too tart - which was good because the artichoke hearts added tartness to the dish. Over all, I enjoyed this dish a lot.

 Gnocchi 7.95 (small plate portion)
Spinach gnocchi, tomatoes, pesto cream sauce

The homemade spinach gnocchi had good texture. We both felt the dish was quite undersalted and had to ask for some salt. After adding just a few dashes of salt, the dish tasted much better. Over all, it's decent, but I've had better gnocchi dishes.

Melanzane Affumicate 9.95 (small plate portion)
Layered eggplant, smoked mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, truffle cream sauce

This was Bryan's favorite dish in terms of flavor, and it was also recommended by the waitress. The mozarella added a nice smokiness to the dish. Unfortunately for me (a HUGE truffle lover), I could not really taste the truffle flavor in the cream sauce. Again, I thought it was fine but not particularly impressive.

Melito 16.95 (dinner portion)
Homemade tomato fettuccine, sundried tomato, artichoke, white wine sauce

This was my favorite dish. The homemade tomato fettucine was really unique and unlike anything I had ever had before. It was bright red an really tasted tomato-ey. That's the best way I can describe it. It was slightly tart and just really tomato-ey. And, because the pasta was homemade, it had the characteristic chew that homemade pasta has. Really enjoyable dish.

Over all, the food was alright. I like the concept of small plates and good wines. Part of me wishes I loved the dishes more, but maybe I just need to go and try other dishes. I definitely want to go back and try some of their other dishes, such as the homemade fusilli with Bolognese or some of the interesting ravioli small plates.

Right now, as for Newbury Street Italian places, I think I like the flavors at Bottega Fiorentina better. However, it's hard to resist homemade pastas and small plates. I'll definitely be back.

Piattini
226 Newbury Street
Boston, MA

Hi-Rise Bread Company

I love, love, love this place. They make the most incredible vanilla loaf. Their sandwiches are amazing, and the bread - oh the bread!

Hi-Rise Bread Company is a bakery in North Cambridge, not far from the ever-so-famous Formaggio Kitchen that Julia Child liked to frequent. Half of the space is actually devoted to bread making. You can watch bakers scurrying around a HUGE table where other bakers are rolling out dough. And, if you've never seen a stand mixer that stands taller than me (OK, I'm not that tall, but STILL!), then you should definitely come and take a look.

Anyway, aside from the fun of watching bread being created, you can order scrumptious sandwiches, good coffees, and amazing baked goods. Every sandwich I've tried here is good - it's hard not to like the amazing fresh bread with which the sandwiches are made. You can even get a sandwich made with cornbread!

Fern's Problem Solver: Hi-Rise brined and roasted turkey, monterey jack, avocado, Russian dressing on semolina, grilled $9.50

My favorite baked item is the vanilla loaf. It's dense, sweet, and has an incredibly crumbly crust that is to die for! If you go, ask for an end piece. They taste better. Supposedly the locals know to ask for the end pieces, so the bakery runs out of end pieces more often on weekdays. On weekends, it's mostly out-of-towners and tourists who don't know this little secret. ;)

As you can see, we asked for two end pieces. :)

Mmmm check out the gorgeous crust. The sugar crystallizes a bit on the edges while baking, which gives this loaf an amazing slightly burnt sugar buttery kind of crusty edge. It's hard to explain, but it's really good.

I guess there are a few negatives. The prices are a bit high. Sandwiches run close to $10 each and a slice of that heavenly vanilla loaf will set you back a couple dollars ($14 for the entire loaf).

It is also hard to find seating. There is basically one long table in the middle with benches on either side. There are also 2-3 small tables along the window that each seat about 2 people. Especially on weekends, you probably will have to stand and wait for a seat to open up.

For more seating, another option is their Harvard Square location, at 56 Brattle Street. There is a room upstairs full of seating plus a pretty large shaded courtyard area facing Brattle Street. Although you can't see the crazy ginormous stand mixer and the bakers running around, you can still enjoy a limited selection of the great sandwiches while sitting outside in Harvard Square. It's actually one of my favorite places to go for lunch on a nice day. Plus, they offer these mini-sanwiches for $4.

Egg salad and cucumber mini-sandwich - $4

In any event, definitely check this place out and try the vanilla loaf!

Hi Rise Bread Company
208 Concord Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138

Hi-Rise Bread Company

I love, love, love this place. They make the most incredible vanilla loaf. Their sandwiches are amazing, and the bread - oh the bread!

Hi-Rise Bread Company is a bakery in North Cambridge, not far from the ever-so-famous Formaggio Kitchen that Julia Child liked to frequent. Half of the space is actually devoted to bread making. You can watch bakers scurrying around a HUGE table where other bakers are rolling out dough. And, if you've never seen a stand mixer that stands taller than me (OK, I'm not that tall, but STILL!), then you should definitely come and take a look.

Anyway, aside from the fun of watching bread being created, you can order scrumptious sandwiches, good coffees, and amazing baked goods. Every sandwich I've tried here is good - it's hard not to like the amazing fresh bread with which the sandwiches are made. You can even get a sandwich made with cornbread!

Fern's Problem Solver: Hi-Rise brined and roasted turkey, monterey jack, avocado, Russian dressing on semolina, grilled $9.50

My favorite baked item is the vanilla loaf. It's dense, sweet, and has an incredibly crumbly crust that is to die for! If you go, ask for an end piece. They taste better. Supposedly the locals know to ask for the end pieces, so the bakery runs out of end pieces more often on weekdays. On weekends, it's mostly out-of-towners and tourists who don't know this little secret. ;)

As you can see, we asked for two end pieces. :)

Mmmm check out the gorgeous crust. The sugar crystallizes a bit on the edges while baking, which gives this loaf an amazing slightly burnt sugar buttery kind of crusty edge. It's hard to explain, but it's really good.

I guess there are a few negatives. The prices are a bit high. Sandwiches run close to $10 each and a slice of that heavenly vanilla loaf will set you back a couple dollars ($14 for the entire loaf).

It is also hard to find seating. There is basically one long table in the middle with benches on either side. There are also 2-3 small tables along the window that each seat about 2 people. Especially on weekends, you probably will have to stand and wait for a seat to open up.

For more seating, another option is their Harvard Square location, at 56 Brattle Street. There is a room upstairs full of seating plus a pretty large shaded courtyard area facing Brattle Street. Although you can't see the crazy ginormous stand mixer and the bakers running around, you can still enjoy a limited selection of the great sandwiches while sitting outside in Harvard Square. It's actually one of my favorite places to go for lunch on a nice day. Plus, they offer these mini-sanwiches for $4.

Egg salad and cucumber mini-sandwich - $4

In any event, definitely check this place out and try the vanilla loaf!

Hi Rise Bread Company
208 Concord Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138

New Blog Name! (URL coming soon)

 

Dear readers,

If you haven't noticed, I have decided to change the name of my blog from jglee's food musings to "Tiny Urban Kitchen."  I did not think much about the blog name initially because it started out as a personal blog for me to keep track of my recipes.  Over time, I thought it was better to pick a blog name that was easier for everyone to remember.

Thus, "Tiny Urban Kitchen" was born.  I picked this name because it aptly describes the small kitchen that I work in everyday.  Not in the far future, I plan on moving the restaurant reviews over to a new blog.  This will become more of a cooking/food blog.

Don't worry, the contents of the blog won't change.  After all, at the end of the day, the posts are all still jglee's food musings at heart.

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the new design.

Jen

New Blog Name! (URL coming soon)

 

Dear readers,

If you haven't noticed, I have decided to change the name of my blog from jglee's food musings to "Tiny Urban Kitchen."  I did not think much about the blog name initially because it started out as a personal blog for me to keep track of my recipes.  Over time, I thought it was better to pick a blog name that was easier for everyone to remember.

Thus, "Tiny Urban Kitchen" was born.  I picked this name because it aptly describes the small kitchen that I work in everyday.  Not in the far future, I plan on moving the restaurant reviews over to a new blog.  This will become more of a cooking/food blog.

Don't worry, the contents of the blog won't change.  After all, at the end of the day, the posts are all still jglee's food musings at heart.

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the new design.

Jen

Fiore di Nonno

There's nothing like the taste of fresh whole milk mozarella cheese. It taste sweet, milky, fresh and oh so good by itself.

Last week Bryan and I went to No. 9 Park to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As I had hinted in that post, one of the courses consisted of locally made burrata cheese paired with heirloom tomatoes and house made farfalle. The waitstaff painstakingly helped me find out where the cheese was from. And, surprisingly, the answer was Somerville, Massachusetts! (who would have thought that the town right next to me was such a local foodie destinations - Taza chocolates are from there too!)

The amazing burrata that I had enjoyed at No. 9 Park came from Fiore di Nonno. Fiore di Nonno is a company based in Somerville that handcrafts small batches of mozarella. The founder, Lourdes, learned the art of cheesemaking from her Italian grandfather, who had his own cheese shop in New York.

Imagine my excitement a few days later when I saw a small package labeled "Fiore di Nonno" in the cheese section at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville.

 I got some crusty Artisan bread, a field tomato, and fresh basil. I was ready! I couldn't wait to cut open that beautiful ball of cheese! YUM!

Wow, isn't she gorgeous?? Burrata is a special type of mozarella cheese. Traditional burrata has an outer layer of solid mozarella and is filled with mozarella curd and cream. The resultant cheese is deliciously savory on the outside and fresh, sweet, and creamy on the inside.

The burrata at Fiore di Nonno is unique because Lourdes has put her own creative spin on the recipe. Instead of the traditional mozarella curd and cream filling, Lourdes makes a filling out of marscapone cheese with a tiny dab of Greek yogurt. The resulting filling is bright, creamy, just slightly tangy, and utterly delicious.

I loved it.

I ate the whole block without meaning to.

And then I felt really stuffed the rest of the night. That must have been like 1000 calories.

Oops.

But man, was it good.

There are many places that sell Fiore di Nonno cheese, including Dave's Fresh Pasta, Formaggio Kitchen, and Savenor's Market. To my delight, their cheese is also served at many restaurants that I have visited, such as Garden at the Cellar (one of my favorites!), Sel de le Terre, and Oleana.

Fiore di Nonno

There's nothing like the taste of fresh whole milk mozarella cheese. It taste sweet, milky, fresh and oh so good by itself.

Last week Bryan and I went to No. 9 Park to celebrate our wedding anniversary. As I had hinted in that post, one of the courses consisted of locally made burrata cheese paired with heirloom tomatoes and house made farfalle. The waitstaff painstakingly helped me find out where the cheese was from. And, surprisingly, the answer was Somerville, Massachusetts! (who would have thought that the town right next to me was such a local foodie destinations - Taza chocolates are from there too!)

The amazing burrata that I had enjoyed at No. 9 Park came from Fiore di Nonno. Fiore di Nonno is a company based in Somerville that handcrafts small batches of mozarella. The founder, Lourdes, learned the art of cheesemaking from her Italian grandfather, who had his own cheese shop in New York.

Imagine my excitement a few days later when I saw a small package labeled "Fiore di Nonno" in the cheese section at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Somerville.

 I got some crusty Artisan bread, a field tomato, and fresh basil. I was ready! I couldn't wait to cut open that beautiful ball of cheese! YUM!

Wow, isn't she gorgeous?? Burrata is a special type of mozarella cheese. Traditional burrata has an outer layer of solid mozarella and is filled with mozarella curd and cream. The resultant cheese is deliciously savory on the outside and fresh, sweet, and creamy on the inside.

The burrata at Fiore di Nonno is unique because Lourdes has put her own creative spin on the recipe. Instead of the traditional mozarella curd and cream filling, Lourdes makes a filling out of marscapone cheese with a tiny dab of Greek yogurt. The resulting filling is bright, creamy, just slightly tangy, and utterly delicious.

I loved it.

I ate the whole block without meaning to.

And then I felt really stuffed the rest of the night. That must have been like 1000 calories.

Oops.

But man, was it good.

There are many places that sell Fiore di Nonno cheese, including Dave's Fresh Pasta, Formaggio Kitchen, and Savenor's Market. To my delight, their cheese is also served at many restaurants that I have visited, such as Garden at the Cellar (one of my favorites!), Sel de le Terre, and Oleana.

No. 9 Park

Bryan and I celebrated our eight-year wedding anniversary this past week. We enjoyed the Chef's Tasting at No. 9 Park, a well established Boston institution that is known for good food.

No. 9 Park derives its name from its address. It literally sits on Park Street, right near the State house with the golden top, at "no. 9, Park St." It is the original brainchild of Barbara Lynch, who also owns Drink, B&G Oysters, and Sportello.

No. 9 Park serves regionally inspired French and Italian dishes with "an emphasis on simplicity and flavor." It sits in a charming townhouse right on Beacon Hill overlooking Boston Common.

The menu is seasonal, and changes often. The chef's tasting actually changes every week. Prices are definitely on the higher end: the Chef's tasting 7-course menu is $96, or $160 with wine. You can also get a 3-course prix fixe for $65, or buy a la carte (appetizers $19, entrees $39, and desserts $12).

I think "simplicity and flavor" defines the food here pretty accurately. The dishes are mostly simple - no wild pairings of exotic flavors - just good, solid cooking. The food is expertly prepared, service is impeccable, and the space is really nice. The signature dish, the prune stuffed gnocchi with seared foie gras, is definitely a must-try "wow" dish and lives up to its reputation. Other dishes were solid, but not particularly exciting. I guess "simple" would be a better word.

Join me as I relive my 7 courses. :)

Raw swordfish, green olive tapenade, and sliced radish. I thought this dish was delicious - the raw swordfish was super fresh, sweet, and rich. It reminded me of really good yellowtail sashimi. The fish had a crisp lemony taste which contrasted the stronger, brinier green olive tapenade perfectly. The dish was paired with a clean dry white wine from the Basque region.

Grilled mackerel, lightly fork-mashed red potatoes with a slight dab of garlic aoili. This was probably my least favorite dish of the tasting. To one who typically eats mackerel raw (which is delicious, btw), this mackerel seemed borderline overcooked. The fork-mashed potatoes were less mushy than most mashed potatoes. Over all, I only thought this dish was OK, and thus I only ate half of it, trying to save room for the rest of the meal. This dish was paired with a rosato from Sicily (like a rose but much drier).

Heirloom tomatoes, house-made farfalle, tiny roasted eggplant, and deep fried burrata. With all those fresh,seasonal ingredients, how can this dish not be good? The burrata comes from a local cheesemaker (from Somerville!) called Fiore di Nonno. The Somerville cheese was delicious. In a later post, I'll talk about my adventures in the kitchen as I ventured out to buy more of this excellent cheese!

The tomatoes were sweet and fresh, and of course, the homemade farfalle was perfectly al dente. The dish was just lightly salted - perfect. A nice dish - nothing particularly creative, but it was very well done.

I must inject a note here to commend the waitstaff for working so hard to answer my question. I merely asked where the cheese came from, and before you know it, several waitstaff were asking around trying to find out the answer for me. Because of their hard work, I am able to share that information with you today. Ha ha, I never would have expected the answer to be Somerville!

In the tasting menu, you can opt into an 8th course, which usually consists of a choice between the signature prune filled gnocchi dish and a seared fois gras dish. We chose to order one of each, and then share. Bryan got the seared fois gras with truffles. I don't really like the liver-y taste of fois gras in general, so I can't objectly comment on this dish. I personally thought it tasted too "liver-y." Bryan said it was very well done, though not the best he's ever had. Those honors would have to belong to Alex at the Wynn in Las Vegas.

I ordered the signature dish: prune stuffed gnocchi, seared foie gras, toasted almonds, vin santo in a butter sauce. Wow. This is definitely a wow dish, and I think it deserves its signature reputation. I don't even like fois gras that much, but it works so well here. Fois gras typically pairs well with something sweet, and in this case, the prune-filled gnocchi offered the perfect complement. It didn't even taste liver-y! The gnocchi was also fresh, chewy, and had all-around perfect texture. Wow. I ended up eating most of this and making Bryan eat his seared fois gras alone. Heh heh heh . . . sharing? Did we say we would share? ;) This dish was paired with a dessert wine.

The next course was pork belly salted and cured overnight with lavendar and honey over kohlrabi puree and topped with dashi foam. It also came with a strip of deep fried pork skin. This dish was pretty good, though not one of my favorites (I also took half of this home). The belly was moist and rich, and definitely had hints of honey. I'm not sure if I really tasted lavender or not. The fried skin offered a nice smoky crunch which was a nice contrast from the soft, buttery pork belly. This dish was paired with a Russian River Valley pinot noir.

Boeuf (beef) and lobster over dandelion greens and bechamel on top (white sauce made with flour butter roux and milk). The beef was perfectly cook - slightly seared on the outside but gorgeously soft and buttery on the inside. The dandelion greens were fine; I thought they tasted like baby spinach, actually. Over all, this dish was expertly prepared, though not particularly exciting. Again, I only ate half of this.

The next course was an optional cheese tasting. Each slice is $6, and you choose as little or as much as you want. Because they only have one cheese table (it rolls around on wheels), and another table had just ordered cheese, we had to wait about 15 minutes for this next course. The waiter poured us both free glasses of champagne while apologizing for the wait. What excellent service! I pointed at the champagne and told the waiter that it was actually quite appropriate since we were celebrating our anniversary that day.

We ended up picking three different cheeses. A stinky blue, a sharp Vermont cheese, and a creamy Belgian cheese. Unfortunately, that is all I can remember. They came with a nice tray of homemade crackers, grapes, hazelnuts, and strawberry jam. It was quite nice.

Palate cleanser - pineapple sorbet with huckleberries over graham powdered "crust". For some reason, this dish tasted so refreshing and so good. Maybe we were feeling a bit overwhelmed with those heavier dishes (pork and beef!) and thus it was so refreshing.

And finally, dessert. A creamy decadent coconut gelatin custard was flanked on either side by nutty pies and super rich chocolate torts. Oh - (how could I forget???) - and a few absolutely scrumptuous toasted candied cashews sprinkled about.

Man, I might try making those cashews at home. They were too good. The nutty pie was OK, but then again, I don't really like nut desserts, so I'm biased. The dark flourless chocolate torte was flawless - super dark and yet not too sweet. The coconut gelatin custard was rich and creamy, though it felt a bit thick for my tastes.

The waiter was kind enough to give me a glass of dessert wine on the house because it was our anniversary. Again, they really know how to make you feel special. Impeccable service.

Over all, this is a great place for a date. The waitstaff are all really nice and the service can't be beat. Though not super exciting, the food is expertly prepared. The prices are high, and honestly, you can get better food for a lot less in other cities like New York or Chicago. Nevertheless, it's still probably one of the best restaurants in Boston. Maybe not super inventive or exciting, but definitely historical, charming, delicious, and SUPER service oriented.

9 Park St
Boston, MA 02108

No. 9 Park

Bryan and I celebrated our eight-year wedding anniversary this past week. We enjoyed the Chef's Tasting at No. 9 Park, a well established Boston institution that is known for good food.

No. 9 Park derives its name from its address. It literally sits on Park Street, right near the State house with the golden top, at "no. 9, Park St." It is the original brainchild of Barbara Lynch, who also owns Drink, B&G Oysters, and Sportello.

No. 9 Park serves regionally inspired French and Italian dishes with "an emphasis on simplicity and flavor." It sits in a charming townhouse right on Beacon Hill overlooking Boston Common.

The menu is seasonal, and changes often. The chef's tasting actually changes every week. Prices are definitely on the higher end: the Chef's tasting 7-course menu is $96, or $160 with wine. You can also get a 3-course prix fixe for $65, or buy a la carte (appetizers $19, entrees $39, and desserts $12).

I think "simplicity and flavor" defines the food here pretty accurately. The dishes are mostly simple - no wild pairings of exotic flavors - just good, solid cooking. The food is expertly prepared, service is impeccable, and the space is really nice. The signature dish, the prune stuffed gnocchi with seared foie gras, is definitely a must-try "wow" dish and lives up to its reputation. Other dishes were solid, but not particularly exciting. I guess "simple" would be a better word.

Join me as I relive my 7 courses. :)

Raw swordfish, green olive tapenade, and sliced radish. I thought this dish was delicious - the raw swordfish was super fresh, sweet, and rich. It reminded me of really good yellowtail sashimi. The fish had a crisp lemony taste which contrasted the stronger, brinier green olive tapenade perfectly. The dish was paired with a clean dry white wine from the Basque region.

Grilled mackerel, lightly fork-mashed red potatoes with a slight dab of garlic aoili. This was probably my least favorite dish of the tasting. To one who typically eats mackerel raw (which is delicious, btw), this mackerel seemed borderline overcooked. The fork-mashed potatoes were less mushy than most mashed potatoes. Over all, I only thought this dish was OK, and thus I only ate half of it, trying to save room for the rest of the meal. This dish was paired with a rosato from Sicily (like a rose but much drier).

Heirloom tomatoes, house-made farfalle, tiny roasted eggplant, and deep fried burrata. With all those fresh,seasonal ingredients, how can this dish not be good? The burrata comes from a local cheesemaker (from Somerville!) called Fiore di Nonno. The Somerville cheese was delicious. In a later post, I'll talk about my adventures in the kitchen as I ventured out to buy more of this excellent cheese!

The tomatoes were sweet and fresh, and of course, the homemade farfalle was perfectly al dente. The dish was just lightly salted - perfect. A nice dish - nothing particularly creative, but it was very well done.

I must inject a note here to commend the waitstaff for working so hard to answer my question. I merely asked where the cheese came from, and before you know it, several waitstaff were asking around trying to find out the answer for me. Because of their hard work, I am able to share that information with you today. Ha ha, I never would have expected the answer to be Somerville!

In the tasting menu, you can opt into an 8th course, which usually consists of a choice between the signature prune filled gnocchi dish and a seared fois gras dish. We chose to order one of each, and then share. Bryan got the seared fois gras with truffles. I don't really like the liver-y taste of fois gras in general, so I can't objectly comment on this dish. I personally thought it tasted too "liver-y." Bryan said it was very well done, though not the best he's ever had. Those honors would have to belong to Alex at the Wynn in Las Vegas.

I ordered the signature dish: prune stuffed gnocchi, seared foie gras, toasted almonds, vin santo in a butter sauce. Wow. This is definitely a wow dish, and I think it deserves its signature reputation. I don't even like fois gras that much, but it works so well here. Fois gras typically pairs well with something sweet, and in this case, the prune-filled gnocchi offered the perfect complement. It didn't even taste liver-y! The gnocchi was also fresh, chewy, and had all-around perfect texture. Wow. I ended up eating most of this and making Bryan eat his seared fois gras alone. Heh heh heh . . . sharing? Did we say we would share? ;) This dish was paired with a dessert wine.

The next course was pork belly salted and cured overnight with lavendar and honey over kohlrabi puree and topped with dashi foam. It also came with a strip of deep fried pork skin. This dish was pretty good, though not one of my favorites (I also took half of this home). The belly was moist and rich, and definitely had hints of honey. I'm not sure if I really tasted lavender or not. The fried skin offered a nice smoky crunch which was a nice contrast from the soft, buttery pork belly. This dish was paired with a Russian River Valley pinot noir.

Boeuf (beef) and lobster over dandelion greens and bechamel on top (white sauce made with flour butter roux and milk). The beef was perfectly cook - slightly seared on the outside but gorgeously soft and buttery on the inside. The dandelion greens were fine; I thought they tasted like baby spinach, actually. Over all, this dish was expertly prepared, though not particularly exciting. Again, I only ate half of this.

The next course was an optional cheese tasting. Each slice is $6, and you choose as little or as much as you want. Because they only have one cheese table (it rolls around on wheels), and another table had just ordered cheese, we had to wait about 15 minutes for this next course. The waiter poured us both free glasses of champagne while apologizing for the wait. What excellent service! I pointed at the champagne and told the waiter that it was actually quite appropriate since we were celebrating our anniversary that day.

We ended up picking three different cheeses. A stinky blue, a sharp Vermont cheese, and a creamy Belgian cheese. Unfortunately, that is all I can remember. They came with a nice tray of homemade crackers, grapes, hazelnuts, and strawberry jam. It was quite nice.

Palate cleanser - pineapple sorbet with huckleberries over graham powdered "crust". For some reason, this dish tasted so refreshing and so good. Maybe we were feeling a bit overwhelmed with those heavier dishes (pork and beef!) and thus it was so refreshing.

And finally, dessert. A creamy decadent coconut gelatin custard was flanked on either side by nutty pies and super rich chocolate torts. Oh - (how could I forget???) - and a few absolutely scrumptuous toasted candied cashews sprinkled about.

Man, I might try making those cashews at home. They were too good. The nutty pie was OK, but then again, I don't really like nut desserts, so I'm biased. The dark flourless chocolate torte was flawless - super dark and yet not too sweet. The coconut gelatin custard was rich and creamy, though it felt a bit thick for my tastes.

The waiter was kind enough to give me a glass of dessert wine on the house because it was our anniversary. Again, they really know how to make you feel special. Impeccable service.

Over all, this is a great place for a date. The waitstaff are all really nice and the service can't be beat. Though not super exciting, the food is expertly prepared. The prices are high, and honestly, you can get better food for a lot less in other cities like New York or Chicago. Nevertheless, it's still probably one of the best restaurants in Boston. Maybe not super inventive or exciting, but definitely historical, charming, delicious, and SUPER service oriented.

9 Park St
Boston, MA 02108

Anna's Taqueria

I feel like I'm not a real foodie when I say I love Anna's - but I DO! Don't get me wrong - my favorite Mexican place in Boston is still Cantina La Mexicana. However, Anna's does some things really well, and for the price and speed, it's totally worth it.

One of my favorite items to get is the Al Pastor Taco (shown above). For only $1.70 each, these mini tacos are packed with spicy and flavorful pork, tons of cilantro, chopped onions, and red spicy sauce. Squeeze a bit of lime on top, and you're in heaven. All for only $3.40.

What a bargain.

Other favorites: the quesadillas are HUGE. They are essentially huge burritos that are grilled with cheese. YUM - So good, but really heavy. You might not be able to eat dinner after having one of those!

I really like the chile verde meat option, which is braised pork, roasted with a variety of hot peppers. It's really flavorful and more juicy than the plain carnitas (roasted pork with traditional Mexican seasonings).

Sometimes, if I am feeling healthy, I will get 1/2 and 1/2 grilled vegetables and chile verde. I tried 1/2 grilled vegetables and 1/2 carnitas, but it was not as flavorful.

Add-ons can quickly increase the cost of the burrito. For example, adding guacamole will set you back an additional 75 cents, sour cream 55 cents, and cheese, 65 cents.

Over all, this is a great place to go if you need yummy and cheap food FAST. Sure beats McDonalds.

Anna's Taqueria

I feel like I'm not a real foodie when I say I love Anna's - but I DO! Don't get me wrong - my favorite Mexican place in Boston is still Cantina La Mexicana. However, Anna's does some things really well, and for the price and speed, it's totally worth it.

One of my favorite items to get is the Al Pastor Taco (shown above). For only $1.70 each, these mini tacos are packed with spicy and flavorful pork, tons of cilantro, chopped onions, and red spicy sauce. Squeeze a bit of lime on top, and you're in heaven. All for only $3.40.

What a bargain.

Other favorites: the quesadillas are HUGE. They are essentially huge burritos that are grilled with cheese. YUM - So good, but really heavy. You might not be able to eat dinner after having one of those!

I really like the chile verde meat option, which is braised pork, roasted with a variety of hot peppers. It's really flavorful and more juicy than the plain carnitas (roasted pork with traditional Mexican seasonings).

Sometimes, if I am feeling healthy, I will get 1/2 and 1/2 grilled vegetables and chile verde. I tried 1/2 grilled vegetables and 1/2 carnitas, but it was not as flavorful.

Add-ons can quickly increase the cost of the burrito. For example, adding guacamole will set you back an additional 75 cents, sour cream 55 cents, and cheese, 65 cents.

Over all, this is a great place to go if you need yummy and cheap food FAST. Sure beats McDonalds.