Kiwiberry (passion popper)

Has anyone every tried a kiwiberry? I saw them at Whole Foods the other day. Having never heard of it, I thought it would be fun to try a new fruit.

They are really good! Kiwiberries are like miniature kiwis with a smooth skin (so you can just pop the whole thing in your mouth). About the size of a grape, they are more flavorful than kiwis - they are sweeter and also more tart at the same time.

I thought they were really addictive. According to the website of the one farm that sells this particular variety of kiwiberries (called "Passion Poppers"), "[t]hey are unequaled in taste, blended flavors of super sweet kiwi and exotic melon."

The flavor is definitely unique - sweet, tart, and refreshing at the same time.

Here's another picture to give you a perspective on their size:


If you are interested in trying some, you probably should go to the market soon. They have a very short harvest season (like ~ 4 weeks during the fall between Sept 20 to ~ October 20).

Kiwiberry (passion popper)

Has anyone every tried a kiwiberry? I saw them at Whole Foods the other day. Having never heard of it, I thought it would be fun to try a new fruit.

They are really good! Kiwiberries are like miniature kiwis with a smooth skin (so you can just pop the whole thing in your mouth). About the size of a grape, they are more flavorful than kiwis - they are sweeter and also more tart at the same time.

I thought they were really addictive. According to the website of the one farm that sells this particular variety of kiwiberries (called "Passion Poppers"), "[t]hey are unequaled in taste, blended flavors of super sweet kiwi and exotic melon."

The flavor is definitely unique - sweet, tart, and refreshing at the same time.

Here's another picture to give you a perspective on their size:


If you are interested in trying some, you probably should go to the market soon. They have a very short harvest season (like ~ 4 weeks during the fall between Sept 20 to ~ October 20).

Bulgolgi

This is an "award winning" crowd favorite that I often make for large groups of people (It won 2nd place for "best entree" at a church cook-off). I got this recipe from my brother-in-law, who is Korean-American. :)

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pear, mashed (preferably Asian pear, but any ripe pear will do)
2 medium sized onions, sliced
3 tablespoon sesame oil
12 oz thinly sliced bulgolgi beef

Marinade
Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, pear, and onions.

Mix the marinade with the sliced beef, making sure all the beef is exposed to the sauce. Let marinade for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight (in the refrigerator, of course).

The next morning, add sesame oil to the mixture, stir, and let the mixture sit for a little longer - preferably at least 30 minutes. Finally, grill the marinated meat and serve. You can also cook on a stovetop grill or pan as well. Enjoy!

Bulgolgi

This is an "award winning" crowd favorite that I often make for large groups of people (It won 2nd place for "best entree" at a church cook-off). I got this recipe from my brother-in-law, who is Korean-American. :)

Ingredients
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon minced ginger
3 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pear, mashed (preferably Asian pear, but any ripe pear will do)
2 medium sized onions, sliced
3 tablespoon sesame oil
12 oz thinly sliced bulgolgi beef

Marinade
Mix together the soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, pear, and onions.

Mix the marinade with the sliced beef, making sure all the beef is exposed to the sauce. Let marinade for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight (in the refrigerator, of course).

The next morning, add sesame oil to the mixture, stir, and let the mixture sit for a little longer - preferably at least 30 minutes. Finally, grill the marinated meat and serve. You can also cook on a stovetop grill or pan as well. Enjoy!

Taqueria La Mexicana

One of our Texan friends raves about this place in Union Square, so we finally decided to go there for dinner on the way to Target last night.

On our way in, we noticed all these accolades: "Best of Boston 2000: Burrito; Best of Boston 2000 and 2005: Affordable Mexican."

Wow. We both thought the food was really good, and cheap too! Most of the appetizers and entrees were between $6-$9, with a few bigger platters costing $10-$12, and the most expensive mixed grill platter costing $16.

We ordered four dishes - three appetizers and one side (although it was a pretty big side).

Coctel a la Campechana ($8.95)
This cold ceviche-like dish came in a martini glass. It consisted of Maine shrimp, calamari, and crabmeat tossed with a citrus dressing over avocado crema. It was also tossed with fresh pieces of avocado. The dish was fresh, bright, and perfectly seasoned. Very refreshing.

Gorditas Mixtas ($7.95)
These were little cornbread "tarts" topped with avocado, marinated shrimp (and possibly other shellfish), and meat (pork, chicken, or beef). This was one of my favorite dishes. The tarts were fun to eat (I love anything corn, btw), and the mix of seafood, meat, avocado, and other flavors (tomato? lemon? I'm not even sure), was really good.

Chiles Rellenos ($3.75)
This is a poblano pepper stuffed with meat and covered with cheese and baked. For $3.75 it was an amazing bargain. Again, a happy burst of flavors - it was really good. You would think it might feel greasy, but it was not greasy at all. In fact, it felt pretty healthy, if you can believe that.

Guacamole ($5.95)
Their guacamole is different from what I usually see - the avocados are not mashed up. Instead, it resembles an avocado salad, with fresh cut pieces of avocados mixed with tomatoes, cilantro, and possibly lemon juice. It was a refreshing change from the ordinary, and of course, everything was fresh and delicious.

The ambiance is also quite pleasant. They recently opened up the new Cantina in July. This is an expanded dining area with a huge bar and plenty of seating. The waitstaff was very friendly, and the atmosphere was festive.

We're both really excited that we've found another cheap and tasty option not too far from our home. Seldom do I go to a restaurant, order 4 dishes, and genuinely *really* enjoy every single dish. We can't wait to go back and try more items on their menu.

Taqueria La Mexicana

One of our Texan friends raves about this place in Union Square, so we finally decided to go there for dinner on the way to Target last night.

On our way in, we noticed all these accolades: "Best of Boston 2000: Burrito; Best of Boston 2000 and 2005: Affordable Mexican."

Wow. We both thought the food was really good, and cheap too! Most of the appetizers and entrees were between $6-$9, with a few bigger platters costing $10-$12, and the most expensive mixed grill platter costing $16.

We ordered four dishes - three appetizers and one side (although it was a pretty big side).

Coctel a la Campechana ($8.95)
This cold ceviche-like dish came in a martini glass. It consisted of Maine shrimp, calamari, and crabmeat tossed with a citrus dressing over avocado crema. It was also tossed with fresh pieces of avocado. The dish was fresh, bright, and perfectly seasoned. Very refreshing.

Gorditas Mixtas ($7.95)
These were little cornbread "tarts" topped with avocado, marinated shrimp (and possibly other shellfish), and meat (pork, chicken, or beef). This was one of my favorite dishes. The tarts were fun to eat (I love anything corn, btw), and the mix of seafood, meat, avocado, and other flavors (tomato? lemon? I'm not even sure), was really good.

Chiles Rellenos ($3.75)
This is a poblano pepper stuffed with meat and covered with cheese and baked. For $3.75 it was an amazing bargain. Again, a happy burst of flavors - it was really good. You would think it might feel greasy, but it was not greasy at all. In fact, it felt pretty healthy, if you can believe that.

Guacamole ($5.95)
Their guacamole is different from what I usually see - the avocados are not mashed up. Instead, it resembles an avocado salad, with fresh cut pieces of avocados mixed with tomatoes, cilantro, and possibly lemon juice. It was a refreshing change from the ordinary, and of course, everything was fresh and delicious.

The ambiance is also quite pleasant. They recently opened up the new Cantina in July. This is an expanded dining area with a huge bar and plenty of seating. The waitstaff was very friendly, and the atmosphere was festive.

We're both really excited that we've found another cheap and tasty option not too far from our home. Seldom do I go to a restaurant, order 4 dishes, and genuinely *really* enjoy every single dish. We can't wait to go back and try more items on their menu.

Easy Homemade Hummus & Pita Chips

I made hummus at home for the first time last night. It was so easy and relatively expensive! This is what I did:

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Prep
1) Rinse the canned beans with some water and drain
2) Stir up the tahini (since it will most likely have separated into oil + sesame paste) before adding it to the food processor
3) peal and mash the garlic cloves

Process
Throw everything into the food processor and mix for about 1-2 minutes. Check the consistency after about a minute. You can add water to thin it out, or add some plain yogurt to make it more creamy.

Taste the hummus and adjust the flavors accordingly. Add some salt to enhance the flavor. Some people like to add extra lemon juice to make it more tart, and some people like to add lots of extra garlic cloves to kick up the flavor. Another idea, if you don't like the spicy kick of raw garlic, is to roast the garlic in the oven beforehand and then adding the roasted garlic.

When you are happy with the consistency and taste, scoop it out and enjoy!

Once you have the basics down, you can be creative and add whatever flavors suit your fancy. Some examples I've seen: mint, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and black pepper.

Homemade Pita Chips
One has to have pita chips to eat with the hummus, right? This is also another really easy, fast, and healthy snack food that you can make.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut up pita bread (plain works best, although whole wheat works OK too) into chip size pieces. Spread in one layer (preferably) onto a baking sheet. Spray both sides of the pita slices with olive oil. I use a hand-pumped oil spritzer so I can pick the type of oil I use, but you can probably use a commercial product like PAM. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the chips, and then bake for 10 minutes.

Perfect, warm and crispy pita chips at a fraction of the cost of store bought chips.

Enjoy!

Easy Homemade Hummus & Pita Chips

I made hummus at home for the first time last night. It was so easy and relatively expensive! This is what I did:

1 can garbanzo beans (chick peas)

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
salt to taste

Prep
1) Rinse the canned beans with some water and drain
2) Stir up the tahini (since it will most likely have separated into oil + sesame paste) before adding it to the food processor
3) peal and mash the garlic cloves

Process
Throw everything into the food processor and mix for about 1-2 minutes. Check the consistency after about a minute. You can add water to thin it out, or add some plain yogurt to make it more creamy.

Taste the hummus and adjust the flavors accordingly. Add some salt to enhance the flavor. Some people like to add extra lemon juice to make it more tart, and some people like to add lots of extra garlic cloves to kick up the flavor. Another idea, if you don't like the spicy kick of raw garlic, is to roast the garlic in the oven beforehand and then adding the roasted garlic.

When you are happy with the consistency and taste, scoop it out and enjoy!

Once you have the basics down, you can be creative and add whatever flavors suit your fancy. Some examples I've seen: mint, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and black pepper.

Homemade Pita Chips
One has to have pita chips to eat with the hummus, right? This is also another really easy, fast, and healthy snack food that you can make.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Cut up pita bread (plain works best, although whole wheat works OK too) into chip size pieces. Spread in one layer (preferably) onto a baking sheet. Spray both sides of the pita slices with olive oil. I use a hand-pumped oil spritzer so I can pick the type of oil I use, but you can probably use a commercial product like PAM. Sprinkle a small amount of salt over the chips, and then bake for 10 minutes.

Perfect, warm and crispy pita chips at a fraction of the cost of store bought chips.

Enjoy!

Wagyu Beef - the Kobe of America

It was Bryan's birthday today (Monday). As part of a weekend birthday celebration, we bought Wagyu beef at a local market called Savenor's and opened up a nice bottle of wine (2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve) for dinner on Sunday evening.


Wagyu beef prices range from $40 a pound to hundreds of dollars a pound. The pieces we got were relatively reasonable, at $40 a pound. You can see that these steaks have less marbling than certain pictures I've seen online, which may account for the lower price.

Some interesting facts about Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef comes from a breed of cows that originated from Japan. Called Kobe beef in Japan, the breed was exported to the US in 1992 under a trade agreement between the US and Japan. All "Kobe" beef outside of Japan is called Wagyu beef.

Wagyu beef is heavily marbled with fat that is very evenly distributed throughout the meat. Although Wagyu cows are already genetically predisposed towards marbled muscle, Wagyu breeders promote additional marbling by feeding the cows a diet of grains, beer, and sake and regularly massaging the cows.

Surprisingly, Wagyu beef is actually relatively healthy because its fat has an unusually high amount of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. In fact, Wagyu beef has a 2:1 ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fat. Indeed, even the saturated fat in Wagyu beef is better. 40% of the saturated fat in Wagyu beef is stearic acid, a fatty acid known to have little impact on blood cholesterol levels. Finally, Wagyu beef has higher amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid than normal beef.

The best way to enjoy a Wagyu steak is to simply grill the steak, preferably rare or medium rare. There is no need for marinades, steak sauces, etc. because the meat itself is so flavorful.

Ideally, the steak is at room temperature before cooking, although it can also be grilled straight from the refrigerator.

I typically rub olive oil on both sides of the steaks and season with freshly ground black pepper, white pepper, and a little bit of salt.


I heat my cast-iron pan until it is quite hot, and then I sear the steak for about 3-4 minutes on one side, and about 2-3 minutes on the other side. This particular piece of steak was about 1 inch thick and was starting at room temperature. Add a minute or so if you are cooking a steak straight out of the refrigerator. Additionally, if your steak is thinner, cut down the time significantly. Ideally, I would recommend trying to get a steak that is at least 1 inch thick.


After grilling, let the steak rest for a minute or so before serving.


The steak was absolutely delicious, although it created so much smoke in the house that we had to open the windows for about 5-6 hours to get the smell of steak out of our condo.

As discussed earlier, we enjoyed this with 2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Since the wine is still a bit young, we found that decanting it for about 2 hours was perfect. I also steamed some snap peas in the microwave (3 minutes) and tossed it with some oyster sauce, soy sauce, and salt. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.

All in all, an excellent meal.

Happy Birthday Bryan!

Wagyu Beef - the Kobe of America

It was Bryan's birthday today (Monday). As part of a weekend birthday celebration, we bought Wagyu beef at a local market called Savenor's and opened up a nice bottle of wine (2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve) for dinner on Sunday evening.


Wagyu beef prices range from $40 a pound to hundreds of dollars a pound. The pieces we got were relatively reasonable, at $40 a pound. You can see that these steaks have less marbling than certain pictures I've seen online, which may account for the lower price.

Some interesting facts about Wagyu beef. Wagyu beef comes from a breed of cows that originated from Japan. Called Kobe beef in Japan, the breed was exported to the US in 1992 under a trade agreement between the US and Japan. All "Kobe" beef outside of Japan is called Wagyu beef.

Wagyu beef is heavily marbled with fat that is very evenly distributed throughout the meat. Although Wagyu cows are already genetically predisposed towards marbled muscle, Wagyu breeders promote additional marbling by feeding the cows a diet of grains, beer, and sake and regularly massaging the cows.

Surprisingly, Wagyu beef is actually relatively healthy because its fat has an unusually high amount of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid. In fact, Wagyu beef has a 2:1 ratio of monounsaturated fat to saturated fat. Indeed, even the saturated fat in Wagyu beef is better. 40% of the saturated fat in Wagyu beef is stearic acid, a fatty acid known to have little impact on blood cholesterol levels. Finally, Wagyu beef has higher amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acid than normal beef.

The best way to enjoy a Wagyu steak is to simply grill the steak, preferably rare or medium rare. There is no need for marinades, steak sauces, etc. because the meat itself is so flavorful.

Ideally, the steak is at room temperature before cooking, although it can also be grilled straight from the refrigerator.

I typically rub olive oil on both sides of the steaks and season with freshly ground black pepper, white pepper, and a little bit of salt.


I heat my cast-iron pan until it is quite hot, and then I sear the steak for about 3-4 minutes on one side, and about 2-3 minutes on the other side. This particular piece of steak was about 1 inch thick and was starting at room temperature. Add a minute or so if you are cooking a steak straight out of the refrigerator. Additionally, if your steak is thinner, cut down the time significantly. Ideally, I would recommend trying to get a steak that is at least 1 inch thick.


After grilling, let the steak rest for a minute or so before serving.


The steak was absolutely delicious, although it created so much smoke in the house that we had to open the windows for about 5-6 hours to get the smell of steak out of our condo.

As discussed earlier, we enjoyed this with 2003 Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Since the wine is still a bit young, we found that decanting it for about 2 hours was perfect. I also steamed some snap peas in the microwave (3 minutes) and tossed it with some oyster sauce, soy sauce, and salt. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the finished product.

All in all, an excellent meal.

Happy Birthday Bryan!

Pescatore

I had read a very positive Boston Globe article about this restaurant in Ball Square (Somerville) awhile back, and have been meaning to try it for awhile. I finally had a chance to go tonight. I called at around 5 PM and was able to make a 7:30 PM reservation with no problems. We were also able to find metered street parking pretty easily.

Our over all impression? Pretty good, although we're not sure if we'd come back again.

Why? Honestly? We kept comparing each dish with similar ones from Basta Pasta and continued to judge the ones from Pescatore inferior. Granted, you can't completely compare the two restaurants. Pescatore is full service, sells wine, accepts credit card, and has much better ambiance. However, the food is clearly several steps below Basta Pasta. I will describe each dish we ordered below:

Arancini ($5.95)
These are deep fried arborio rice balls filled with cheese and accompanied by a tomato dipping. The arancini balls here were pleasantly crunchy on the outside, but had bland flavor inside. The cheese flavor was not very noticeable, and the peas inside did not add much. If Basta Pasta's arancini was an "A," these would be C+.

Crab Cakes ($11.95)
Again (this will begin to seem like a theme), "not bad," but also, as one member of our party said, "not the best I've ever had, although there are some nice big chunks of crabmeat."

Fusilli Amalfi ($16.95)
The reviewer from the Boston Globe strongly recommended this dish, stating that "it was so good it made our eyes roll." This dish was actually pretty good. Clearly these chefs specialize in seafood, and all the seafood was perfectly cooked - nothing was rubbery or overcooked. The homemade fusilli was pleasantly chewy (although still a few steps inferior to the homemade fusilli at Basta Pasta), and the broccoli rabe, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and shrimp in a white wine, garlic and oil sauce created a very nice blend of flavors. This was probably my favorite dish.

Gnocci Sorrentino ($12.95)
The homemade gnocci came in a ceramic bowl covered with cheese and tomato sauce. Basta Pasta actually does not sell gnocci dishes, so I cannot make that comparison. I thought this dish was OK (I like the one at Il Panino better), and Bryan said he liked it.

Cioppino
This Italian seafood stew was one of the specials of the day, and we ordered it. Like I had mentioned before, these people know how to cook seafood. Generally, I don't like fully cooked tuna because it is tough and flavorless. The tuna in this dish was extremely fresh (Catch of the Day). It had good flavor and a perfect, soft texture. The remaining seafood also were cooked perfectly. The sauce was good, and we enjoyed this dish.

Chicken Marsala ($14.95)
This was probably the worse dish we had, which further emphasizes the point that these people know how to cook seafood. The chicken was overcooked and was a bit dry and tough. The Marsala sauce had virtually no sugar nor cream, which made it taste differently from most Marsala sauces we've tried. The small dumplings that came with the meal were mediocre at best. We couldn't help but keep talking about how good the chicken marsala at Basta Pasta was, and how Reno (the cook at Basta Pasta), really knows how to cook a perfect chicken breast. As one member of our party says, "there's no one that can cook chicken like Reno does. I'm not sure how it does it." There was no comparison here.

Tiramisu ($5.95)
The tiramisu was actually excellent - layers of lady fingers soaked in a nice, dark espresso + rum mixture with light marscapone cheese in between. I even said at the end of dessert, "that was the best part of the meal." We all agreed that the dessert was really good.

To reiterate what I said before, the food here is quite good, and they definitely know how to cook seafood. The ambiance is also very nice. However, the over all general talent of the chef is still inferior to Reno's (of Basta Pasta) and those in North End. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a reasonably priced restaurant (most of our entrees ranged between $12 - $17), a nice ambiance, good food, wine, and seafood, this is not a bad option.

Pescatore

I had read a very positive Boston Globe article about this restaurant in Ball Square (Somerville) awhile back, and have been meaning to try it for awhile. I finally had a chance to go tonight. I called at around 5 PM and was able to make a 7:30 PM reservation with no problems. We were also able to find metered street parking pretty easily.

Our over all impression? Pretty good, although we're not sure if we'd come back again.

Why? Honestly? We kept comparing each dish with similar ones from Basta Pasta and continued to judge the ones from Pescatore inferior. Granted, you can't completely compare the two restaurants. Pescatore is full service, sells wine, accepts credit card, and has much better ambiance. However, the food is clearly several steps below Basta Pasta. I will describe each dish we ordered below:

Arancini ($5.95)
These are deep fried arborio rice balls filled with cheese and accompanied by a tomato dipping. The arancini balls here were pleasantly crunchy on the outside, but had bland flavor inside. The cheese flavor was not very noticeable, and the peas inside did not add much. If Basta Pasta's arancini was an "A," these would be C+.

Crab Cakes ($11.95)
Again (this will begin to seem like a theme), "not bad," but also, as one member of our party said, "not the best I've ever had, although there are some nice big chunks of crabmeat."

Fusilli Amalfi ($16.95)
The reviewer from the Boston Globe strongly recommended this dish, stating that "it was so good it made our eyes roll." This dish was actually pretty good. Clearly these chefs specialize in seafood, and all the seafood was perfectly cooked - nothing was rubbery or overcooked. The homemade fusilli was pleasantly chewy (although still a few steps inferior to the homemade fusilli at Basta Pasta), and the broccoli rabe, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and shrimp in a white wine, garlic and oil sauce created a very nice blend of flavors. This was probably my favorite dish.

Gnocci Sorrentino ($12.95)
The homemade gnocci came in a ceramic bowl covered with cheese and tomato sauce. Basta Pasta actually does not sell gnocci dishes, so I cannot make that comparison. I thought this dish was OK (I like the one at Il Panino better), and Bryan said he liked it.

Cioppino
This Italian seafood stew was one of the specials of the day, and we ordered it. Like I had mentioned before, these people know how to cook seafood. Generally, I don't like fully cooked tuna because it is tough and flavorless. The tuna in this dish was extremely fresh (Catch of the Day). It had good flavor and a perfect, soft texture. The remaining seafood also were cooked perfectly. The sauce was good, and we enjoyed this dish.

Chicken Marsala ($14.95)
This was probably the worse dish we had, which further emphasizes the point that these people know how to cook seafood. The chicken was overcooked and was a bit dry and tough. The Marsala sauce had virtually no sugar nor cream, which made it taste differently from most Marsala sauces we've tried. The small dumplings that came with the meal were mediocre at best. We couldn't help but keep talking about how good the chicken marsala at Basta Pasta was, and how Reno (the cook at Basta Pasta), really knows how to cook a perfect chicken breast. As one member of our party says, "there's no one that can cook chicken like Reno does. I'm not sure how it does it." There was no comparison here.

Tiramisu ($5.95)
The tiramisu was actually excellent - layers of lady fingers soaked in a nice, dark espresso + rum mixture with light marscapone cheese in between. I even said at the end of dessert, "that was the best part of the meal." We all agreed that the dessert was really good.

To reiterate what I said before, the food here is quite good, and they definitely know how to cook seafood. The ambiance is also very nice. However, the over all general talent of the chef is still inferior to Reno's (of Basta Pasta) and those in North End. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a reasonably priced restaurant (most of our entrees ranged between $12 - $17), a nice ambiance, good food, wine, and seafood, this is not a bad option.

Gran Gusto

I stumbled upon the name of this restaurant while looking for a kid-friendly place to take my college friends (who have 2 kids). We ended up going to Antico Forno in the North End with my friends since it was recommended as a great place in the North End for kids. While doing my research, I also learned that Antico Forno makes an excellent authentic neapolitan pizza. However, every time someone mentioned this fact, another person would pipe in saying that Gran Gusto had better neapolitan pizza. After reading this time after time, I decided I had to go to Gran Gusto to try this amazing pizza.

Gran Gusto is located in North Cambridge in the old Tartufo site, and has only been open for about 9 months. The owner is originally from Naples, and thus his food (like his pizza), is distinctly Neapolitan.

The service at this restaurant was excellent. The waiter was an older man who was clearly knowledgeable about the menu. He was kind, attentive, and friendly at the same time. He convinced us to try the special appetizer - (stracchino?) a creamy, very fresh Italian cheese that they fly over from Italy every so often. It has a texture somewhere between cream cheese and fresh mozarella. It was very rich and creamy (apparently 50% milkfat!) but interesting to try.

I ordered the Margherita pizza ($12), and Bryan ordered the fresh pasta dish ($17). The pizza crust was excellent - super thin and crispy and light. It was definitely well made, and one of the best thin-crusts in Boston. The flavors of the toppings were light, balanced, and flavorful. I would not have minded more tomatoes on the pizza. Maybe next time I'll try ordering a saucier/juicier pizza.

Bryan thoroughly enjoyed his pasta dish. The texture of the fresh pasta was chewy, and the sauce was well made. In fact, Bryan just told me he went back to Gran Gusto last week (by himself) and had pasta again.

All in all, we were quite pleased with the discovery of yet another delicious Italian restaurant so close to home. Best yet, this restaurant is a little off the beaten path and is also sort of still undiscovered. We went on a Friday night at 7 PM, and had no problems getting a table. They also have a lovely courtyard full of outdoor seating. It looks like a great place to have dinner on a warm, summer evening.

Gran Gusto

I stumbled upon the name of this restaurant while looking for a kid-friendly place to take my college friends (who have 2 kids). We ended up going to Antico Forno in the North End with my friends since it was recommended as a great place in the North End for kids. While doing my research, I also learned that Antico Forno makes an excellent authentic neapolitan pizza. However, every time someone mentioned this fact, another person would pipe in saying that Gran Gusto had better neapolitan pizza. After reading this time after time, I decided I had to go to Gran Gusto to try this amazing pizza.

Gran Gusto is located in North Cambridge in the old Tartufo site, and has only been open for about 9 months. The owner is originally from Naples, and thus his food (like his pizza), is distinctly Neapolitan.

The service at this restaurant was excellent. The waiter was an older man who was clearly knowledgeable about the menu. He was kind, attentive, and friendly at the same time. He convinced us to try the special appetizer - (stracchino?) a creamy, very fresh Italian cheese that they fly over from Italy every so often. It has a texture somewhere between cream cheese and fresh mozarella. It was very rich and creamy (apparently 50% milkfat!) but interesting to try.

I ordered the Margherita pizza ($12), and Bryan ordered the fresh pasta dish ($17). The pizza crust was excellent - super thin and crispy and light. It was definitely well made, and one of the best thin-crusts in Boston. The flavors of the toppings were light, balanced, and flavorful. I would not have minded more tomatoes on the pizza. Maybe next time I'll try ordering a saucier/juicier pizza.

Bryan thoroughly enjoyed his pasta dish. The texture of the fresh pasta was chewy, and the sauce was well made. In fact, Bryan just told me he went back to Gran Gusto last week (by himself) and had pasta again.

All in all, we were quite pleased with the discovery of yet another delicious Italian restaurant so close to home. Best yet, this restaurant is a little off the beaten path and is also sort of still undiscovered. We went on a Friday night at 7 PM, and had no problems getting a table. They also have a lovely courtyard full of outdoor seating. It looks like a great place to have dinner on a warm, summer evening.

Parish Cafe

Bryan and I went to Parish Cafe for lunch on Easter Sunday. It had actually been years since we visited this place, so we were not sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. The creative sandwiches are really good, and for Newbury Street, the prices are quite reasonable.

I ordered "The Alternative"($10.25), which is described as a sandwich containing "fresh tuna salad tossed with diced onions and a roasted red pepper mayonnaise. Served on toasted Tuscan
wheat triangles, topped with melted Monterey jack cheese and applewood smoked bacon." The presentation was sharp, the mix of flavors perfect (yumm, bacon), and the texture of the toasted triangles made the sandwich special. I really enjoyed the sandwich.

Unfortunately, it's been awhile since we went, and I can't remember what Bryan ordered. I do remember that we both left the restaurant thinking that the food was yummy, and that we would definitely come back.

I also remember looking on their wall and seeing that they had won Best of Boston "best sandwich" for many years in a row, but it all of a sudden stopped several years ago. It made me wonder what competing sandwich company came along and stole the glory - High Rise perhaps? Darwins? Flour?

Parish Cafe

Bryan and I went to Parish Cafe for lunch on Easter Sunday. It had actually been years since we visited this place, so we were not sure what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. The creative sandwiches are really good, and for Newbury Street, the prices are quite reasonable.

I ordered "The Alternative"($10.25), which is described as a sandwich containing "fresh tuna salad tossed with diced onions and a roasted red pepper mayonnaise. Served on toasted Tuscan
wheat triangles, topped with melted Monterey jack cheese and applewood smoked bacon." The presentation was sharp, the mix of flavors perfect (yumm, bacon), and the texture of the toasted triangles made the sandwich special. I really enjoyed the sandwich.

Unfortunately, it's been awhile since we went, and I can't remember what Bryan ordered. I do remember that we both left the restaurant thinking that the food was yummy, and that we would definitely come back.

I also remember looking on their wall and seeing that they had won Best of Boston "best sandwich" for many years in a row, but it all of a sudden stopped several years ago. It made me wonder what competing sandwich company came along and stole the glory - High Rise perhaps? Darwins? Flour?

Prezza

Note: an updated post from 2009 on this restaurant has been written here.
 
We went to Prezza on Sunday evening as part of Bryan's birthday weekend celebration. We wanted to go on Saturday, but it was impossible to get a reservation at a decent time. Clearly, this place is popular.

I chose this restaurant for several reasons. First, it consistently had very positive reviews from various forums, websites, etc. Second, it was a classy, high-end restaurant - appropriate for a birthday celebration. Third, they make fresh pasta, which is very important for Bryan, since he absolutely LOVES fresh pasta. Finally, it had been recommended to me by a friend who used to live in the North End. This is the same person who had recommended Monica's, now one of our favorite North End restaurants.

Prezza did not disappoint. The waitstaff was very professional and knowledgeable. He recommended an excellent French wine (E. Guigal Hermitage 1990) to go with our meal and also was very attentive.

Since Bryan loves pasta so much, we decided to order 2 appetizers and 4 appetizer portion pastas. For appetizers, we ordered the butternut squash arancini with lobster, brown butter, and sage; and the spicy mussels in tomato fennel stew with chorizo polenta. Both were excellent. The arancini was lightly fried and was paired with a fragrant sauce. The spicy tomato fennel sauce was deeply fragrant and flavorful, and the mussels were fresh and tasty [though still not as good as the mussels we freshly picked from the ocean in Maine and grilled at our campsite right after].

We ordered four pasta dishes to try: the pumpkin ravioli with lobster, marscapone, brown butter, and sage; potato gnocchi with mushroom, rabbit, marscapone, and parmesean; corn raviolini tossed with toasted corn, pancetta, rock shrimp, white wine, and butter; and tagliatalli a la Bolognese.

We both agreed that the corn raviolini was fabulous. The mixture of flavors between the sweet corn, salty pancetta, shrimp, wine, and butter was beautiful. I even said that if we went back again, I would just order a plate of corn raviolinis and a glass of wine and be very content. The gnocchi was also very good. I typically don't like freshly made gnocchi because it is often too mushy and soft. I like my gnocchi with a bit of chewiness. The gnocchi here had excellent texture - just the right amount of bounce ("kwew" in Taiwanese). Bryan also really liked the Bolognese. It was much lighter than the Bolognese we are used to at Basta Pasta, but the flavors were nice and the pasta had good texture. The pumpkin ravioli was good, although the flavor was similar to the arancini that we'd ordered as an appetizer. Although we both liked it, we thought it probably ranked 4th out of the pastas that we had ordered.

Over all, an excellent meal. I would definitely recommend trying this place. They accept reservations on OpenTable and also over the phone. They got a Zagat's food rating of 27, which is pretty high. Next time we go, maybe we'll try some of the meat dishes. Although, I'm really tempted to just order the corn raviolini's and call it a day. :)

Prezza

Note: an updated post from 2009 on this restaurant has been written here.
 
We went to Prezza on Sunday evening as part of Bryan's birthday weekend celebration. We wanted to go on Saturday, but it was impossible to get a reservation at a decent time. Clearly, this place is popular.

I chose this restaurant for several reasons. First, it consistently had very positive reviews from various forums, websites, etc. Second, it was a classy, high-end restaurant - appropriate for a birthday celebration. Third, they make fresh pasta, which is very important for Bryan, since he absolutely LOVES fresh pasta. Finally, it had been recommended to me by a friend who used to live in the North End. This is the same person who had recommended Monica's, now one of our favorite North End restaurants.

Prezza did not disappoint. The waitstaff was very professional and knowledgeable. He recommended an excellent French wine (E. Guigal Hermitage 1990) to go with our meal and also was very attentive.

Since Bryan loves pasta so much, we decided to order 2 appetizers and 4 appetizer portion pastas. For appetizers, we ordered the butternut squash arancini with lobster, brown butter, and sage; and the spicy mussels in tomato fennel stew with chorizo polenta. Both were excellent. The arancini was lightly fried and was paired with a fragrant sauce. The spicy tomato fennel sauce was deeply fragrant and flavorful, and the mussels were fresh and tasty [though still not as good as the mussels we freshly picked from the ocean in Maine and grilled at our campsite right after].

We ordered four pasta dishes to try: the pumpkin ravioli with lobster, marscapone, brown butter, and sage; potato gnocchi with mushroom, rabbit, marscapone, and parmesean; corn raviolini tossed with toasted corn, pancetta, rock shrimp, white wine, and butter; and tagliatalli a la Bolognese.

We both agreed that the corn raviolini was fabulous. The mixture of flavors between the sweet corn, salty pancetta, shrimp, wine, and butter was beautiful. I even said that if we went back again, I would just order a plate of corn raviolinis and a glass of wine and be very content. The gnocchi was also very good. I typically don't like freshly made gnocchi because it is often too mushy and soft. I like my gnocchi with a bit of chewiness. The gnocchi here had excellent texture - just the right amount of bounce ("kwew" in Taiwanese). Bryan also really liked the Bolognese. It was much lighter than the Bolognese we are used to at Basta Pasta, but the flavors were nice and the pasta had good texture. The pumpkin ravioli was good, although the flavor was similar to the arancini that we'd ordered as an appetizer. Although we both liked it, we thought it probably ranked 4th out of the pastas that we had ordered.

Over all, an excellent meal. I would definitely recommend trying this place. They accept reservations on OpenTable and also over the phone. They got a Zagat's food rating of 27, which is pretty high. Next time we go, maybe we'll try some of the meat dishes. Although, I'm really tempted to just order the corn raviolini's and call it a day. :)

Grill 23

Bryan recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that talked about how steak houses age their steaks. Ever since then, he's had a craving for really good steak. Well, we went to Grill 23 as part of his 30th birthday weekend celebration in Boston in past weekend.

I'm not much of a steak eater, so unfortunately I cannot offer as good of a review as someone who knows a lot more about steak. However, I'll try to give the opinions of everyone at the table.

Bryan ordered the kobe cap steak, one of the most expensive items on the menu ($59 for 10 oz steak without sides). One friend ordered the "Berkeley" which is a 16oz Dry-Aged Ribeye and comes with a twice baked potato and creamed spinach with bacon and cheese. Another friend ordered the Steak au poivre, and I ordered the filet mignon.

In fact, the restaurant was very accommodating to my needs. I told the waiter that I did not eat a lot of meat, and asked whether he had any recommendations. He told me he would sell me half of the "twin filet mignon" dish, which typically has two 4-oz filet mignons. I was very pleased. Doesn't the USDA or someone say we should only be eating 4 oz of meat with each meal?

We also ordered some sides - truffled "tater tots" and mushroom ragout. Although I don't love steak houses, I had this great memory of incredible side dishes that I'd ordered at Craftsteak in Las Vegas (MGM Grand). We had ordered this deliciously flavorful mushroom side dish (an assortment of roasted wild, exotic mushrooms - including hen-of-the-woods) and also the most incredible sweet corn side dish. I was anticipating something just as yummy here.

In general, all agreed that the steak was very high quality - well aged with good, solid flavor. The kobe cap steak was well marbled, and according to Bryan, it was really good. I thought my filet mignon was a bit flavorless, but then people say that filet mignon isn't that tasty. My friend's steak au poivre was flavorful, and the Berkeley was quite good as well.

Over all, the steak was good, but we were disappointed in other ways. Two people (in our party of four) had ordered medium rare steaks and had received medium to medium-well steaks. Half of Bryan's kobe capsteak was well done. The restaurant happily offered to re-cook the steaks, and both people who had returned the steaks thought that the second properly cooked batch tasted much better.

I was a bit disappointed with the sides. The tater tots were OK, but honestly, I think the tater tots and the truffle French Fries at Garden at the Cellar are so much better (and about half the price). The mushroom ragout was nothing more than sauteed button mushrooms with a bit of oil and salt. My visions of exotic mushrooms from Craftsteak quickly disappeared when the stir fried white mushrooms appeared on the table. Both sides tasted pretty ordinary.

People say this is probably the best steak place in Boston. If that's true, then Boston has a long way to go before catching up with the quality of steakhouses in bigger cities.

Grill 23

Bryan recently read an article in the Wall Street Journal that talked about how steak houses age their steaks. Ever since then, he's had a craving for really good steak. Well, we went to Grill 23 as part of his 30th birthday weekend celebration in Boston in past weekend.

I'm not much of a steak eater, so unfortunately I cannot offer as good of a review as someone who knows a lot more about steak. However, I'll try to give the opinions of everyone at the table.

Bryan ordered the kobe cap steak, one of the most expensive items on the menu ($59 for 10 oz steak without sides). One friend ordered the "Berkeley" which is a 16oz Dry-Aged Ribeye and comes with a twice baked potato and creamed spinach with bacon and cheese. Another friend ordered the Steak au poivre, and I ordered the filet mignon.

In fact, the restaurant was very accommodating to my needs. I told the waiter that I did not eat a lot of meat, and asked whether he had any recommendations. He told me he would sell me half of the "twin filet mignon" dish, which typically has two 4-oz filet mignons. I was very pleased. Doesn't the USDA or someone say we should only be eating 4 oz of meat with each meal?

We also ordered some sides - truffled "tater tots" and mushroom ragout. Although I don't love steak houses, I had this great memory of incredible side dishes that I'd ordered at Craftsteak in Las Vegas (MGM Grand). We had ordered this deliciously flavorful mushroom side dish (an assortment of roasted wild, exotic mushrooms - including hen-of-the-woods) and also the most incredible sweet corn side dish. I was anticipating something just as yummy here.

In general, all agreed that the steak was very high quality - well aged with good, solid flavor. The kobe cap steak was well marbled, and according to Bryan, it was really good. I thought my filet mignon was a bit flavorless, but then people say that filet mignon isn't that tasty. My friend's steak au poivre was flavorful, and the Berkeley was quite good as well.

Over all, the steak was good, but we were disappointed in other ways. Two people (in our party of four) had ordered medium rare steaks and had received medium to medium-well steaks. Half of Bryan's kobe capsteak was well done. The restaurant happily offered to re-cook the steaks, and both people who had returned the steaks thought that the second properly cooked batch tasted much better.

I was a bit disappointed with the sides. The tater tots were OK, but honestly, I think the tater tots and the truffle French Fries at Garden at the Cellar are so much better (and about half the price). The mushroom ragout was nothing more than sauteed button mushrooms with a bit of oil and salt. My visions of exotic mushrooms from Craftsteak quickly disappeared when the stir fried white mushrooms appeared on the table. Both sides tasted pretty ordinary.

People say this is probably the best steak place in Boston. If that's true, then Boston has a long way to go before catching up with the quality of steakhouses in bigger cities.