I was hoping that Firebrand Saints would be a feasible alternative to John Harvard’s. After all, it’s close to MIT, the kitchen is open till 11pm and there’s a good beer list – all important features for our weekly post-bridge gathering. Brian and I went there to celebrate the conclusion of our 5^th year of teaching the novice bridge class at MIT. It’s the end of an era.

The space is trying very hard to be hip – including graffiti art on the walls and an annoying TV “art installation” that results in having to sit in a specific area if you want to watch the one TV (out of 5) that is actually showing the game. The music was blaring, which was obnoxious given the late hour and the 5 other patrons in the restaurant.

But, ambiance and stupid name aside, I really enjoyed my porchetta sandwich ($12). The meat was tender and packed with flavor, and the grilled bread added great crunch. I loved the cucumber and red onion pickles. Bri’s lamb and sirloin burger had decent flavor, but the patty was quite small and dwarfed by the brioche roll. It was sized somewhere between a slider and a real burger. Overpriced at $9, especially when we had to order fries a la carte ($3). The fries were large potato wedges, well seasoned and crusty but again, another small potion.  

My search for a JH replacement continues…

http://firebrandsaints.com/#

Zaytinya, DC

My college roommate, Joanna, moved to the DC area last year, so the three of us had lunch at Zaytinya, Jose Andres’ Greek/Turkish/Mediterranean inspired restaurant. The space was beautiful with soaring ceilings and everything in the clean white/cool blue color palette of the Mediterranean. There were brunch offerings, but we chose to share a selection of mezzes:

Hommus – The reviews I read used phrases like “to die for,” and “like no hommus I’ve ever had.” So now I had to order it to try this extraordinary hommus. It was good, but certainly nothing to die over.

Taramosalata – it’s a traditional spread with potato and carp roe. This was light, fluffy and briny; it was definitely the best version I’ve ever had.

Falafel – 6 adorable mini falafel balls. They were crispy and not too oily, but for $8.50, I’ll take a falafel sandwich from Amsterdam Falafelshop (see below).

Fries – Delicious fries with a yogurt caper sauce.

Snail kibbeh - Crispy potato crusted snails. I love snails and these were plump and juicy. The potato crust did not want to stay on the snail.

Moshari souvlaki – This was easily the best mezze of the meal. The grilled veal breast was so tender and bursting with flavor. It came in a lettuce wrap, topped with tzatziki.  I wished I had a whole mezze to myself

Lamb bahar – It was a lamb kebab, a good, uninteresting lamb kabob.

Desserts:

I love that you can order mezze sized ($4) or full sized ($8) desserts. I wished more places did that. The menu is small and we got 4 of the 5 offerings.

Turkish Delight – this was a “reimagining” of the classic dessert with yogurt mousse, walnut ice cream and a honey gelee. It was a failure.

Chocolate Rose – chocolate and rose flavored ice cream. Meh. I think it’s hard to add floral elements to dessert. It’s a fine line between unique and soap.

Turkish coffee chocolate – It was a delicious little molten chocolate cake. Was it innovative? Nope. Was it tasty? Yup.

Selection of ice creams – the walnut ice cream was gritty, the olive oil ice cream was different, but not great but the last ice cream, baklava was awesome.

One of my favorite things about Zaytinya was the freshly baked pita bread. They just kept it coming and it was the perfect accompaniment to the spreads and mezzes. Our server was polite and attentive. The spreads run $6-$7 and the seafood and meat mezzes are between $8 - $14, so once you add in dessert and drinks, the meal can get pricey, but I think it was worth it.

http://www.zaytinya.com/

Captain Pell’s, Fairfax VA

Fast forward to dinner that night…

I love blue crab. I really, really love blue crab. In my youth, we would get bushels and sit, pick and eat for hours. When I made my plans for the trip, I made one request of Christine: We had to go for crabs. I’ve been watching the Wire and every time they ate crabs, I’d get so excited, knowing that it would be me soon.

We called several places (Mike’s in MD, and Quarterdeck in VA) to make sure there was good crab availability, before we settled on Captain Pell’s in Fairfax. They have an all-you-can-eat crab deal for $39. Now, in contrast to Zaytinya’s impeccably designed space, Captain Pell’s was a large open space with huge ads adorning the walls, including, not one, but two ads for bail bondsmen. That’s classy. The tables are covered in heavy brown paper, there is a large stack of napkins and mallets. What else do you need? Our waiter was a nice guy, but had to be flagged down every time we needed a water/beer/crab refill. We are pretty sure he was completely stoned.

But how much does all that matter? Not much, it was really about the crabs. They brought them a tray at a time. The first tray came out too quickly and the crabs were only warm. They also came covered in Old Bay seasoning, which is traditional, but I found to be too salty. So, when we finished the tray, we flagged down the waiter and asked for a hot tray and half seasoned, half plain. Now, the first tray was good, but the second was excellent. I think it was important to be specific in exactly what we wanted. I ate an impressive 21 crabs and Christine was close behind with 20. Her boyfriend ate a merger 15. We had 5 trays total. There was a mountain of carcasses that needed to be cleared with each new tray. By the end, we were covered in crab meat, bits and guts, had war wounds (those shells can be sharp) and immediately needed to shower and wash our clothing (the smell of old crab is gross), but we were happily sated.

www.captainpell.com

Amsterdam Falafelshop, DC

I’ve only heard about this place because they are about to open a second location in Boston and everyone on the food boards is atwitter about it. It’s a simple enough concept; you get a pita with 3 (reg) or 5 (large) falafel balls in a white or whole wheat pita, then the fun begins! The toppings bar includes 21 different sauces, spreads, pickles and veggies. There are too many to list but I stuffed mine with beets, red cabbage slaw, hommus, roasted eggplant, cucumbers, garlic cream and garlic parsley. The falafel was easily the best I’ve ever had, probably because they were freshly fried. I watched the guy scoop the chickpea batter in to the hot oil. They were crunchy, earthy, flavorful and not at all greasy. The fries were also excellent; ketchup, Dutch mayo and peanut sauce were offered, but I discovered that the garlic cream was an even better dipping sauce for the fries. The large sandwich was $6. No wonder it’s such a hit – I can’t wait till they open up the David square location.

http://www.falafelshop.com/

When Steve and I went for tapas a few months ago, I really wanted to try Casa B, but the wait was 2 hours long. We ended up at half empty Kika Tapas and had a mediocre meal. So, I was excited finally get the chance to go to Casa B, a new tapas joint in Union Sq, that has been garnering rave reviews for their food (mixed reviews on the service).

Casa B does not have a traditional tapas menu; it’s highly Latin and Puerto Rican influenced. We went with Kerry and Bryan and tried a slew of dishes.

Pichos (similar to a crostini, 2 pieces each):

1. Grilled chicken topped with rustic green olive tapenade. I thought the tapenade was flavorful and added much need flavor to the grilled chicken.
2. Chicken gizzards with sautéed onions. I think this was my favorite of the night. The gizzards were so tender and delicious I was inspired to buy some 2 days later in an attempt to replicate this dish.
3. Beef tenderloin with sautéed onions and crispy shallots. This was another excellent pick, well liked by everyone.

We also got:

4. Grilled Spanish sausage with yucca in coconut sauce. The sausage was good, but I thought the yucca and sauce were bland.
5. Papas fritas – I didn’t appreciate that the fries came in a vessel with ketchup on the bottom. Call it fussy, but I want to be able to control the amount of condiment on my fry.
6. Meatballs in guava sauce. All the reviews raved about the meatballs, which were good, but not mind-blowing. I enjoyed the sweet guava sauce.

Desserts:

7. Tres leches cake topped with meringue. Delicious and moist. I loved it.
8. Coconut and chocolate bread pudding with guava sauce. I thought it was the least successful of the three desserts; it was on the dry side.
9. Lime pie with brandy macerated cherries. It was their version of a key lime dessert and it was tart and tasty.

We had an assortment of drinks, including two types of sangria, wine, beer and cocktails. I really loved the fried sweet plantains with asparagus dip that came in lieu of a bread basket. Our service was good; no evidence of the inattentiveness that marred other reviews.

Kerry was nice enough to email me her opinion, so I can share it with you verbatim, “Casa B is one of the few restaurants that I would return to for the ambiance over the food - the tapas were pleasant, some stood out more than others (gizzards), but the space itself was thoughtfully designed to be vibrant and conducive to conversation.”

I really do love NY. Every time I go for the weekend I consider how great it would be to move back there. I think the food has a lot to do with it. It was an all Chinese food weekend (minus the obligatory Sunday am bagels).

Savor Fusion, Flushing

On Friday, Wendy and Shane took me to Savor Fusion, a mini Chinese food court of sorts with 8 stalls, each specializing in different regional cuisine of China. We tried:

Salt and Pepper chicken: This was outstanding – plump, tender morsels of chicken, fried and flavorful with the salt and pepper coating. If only this is what McNuggets tasted like.

Pork skin in garlic sauce – I know that this will gross out the majority of you, but believe me, it was delicious. The skin was crunchy and springy and the sauce was luscious and garlicky. I love that Shane, a white boy from Iowa picked this dish.

Lamb burritos – Grilled lamb, seasoned with cumin wrapped peppers and onions in the same pancake you use for moo shu. I don’t think of lamb and cumin as Chinese, but in the north, it is more common.

Hand pulled noodle and beef soup – I love the texture and springiness of hand pulled noodles. There is a toothsome bite that Barilla can’t compete with.

Bacon noodles – more hand pulled noodle goodness, this time with minced pork belly. Yum.

Grand Restaurant, Flushing

My litmus test for dim sum is always the har gao. These were excellent; the skins were thin and translucent filled with 2 large shrimp that were plump and tender. The rest of the dishes were also quite good, the tea was hot and the carts came in a steady stream – all important things when eating dim sum.  

http://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-restaurant-flushing

I got to babysit Waverly on Saturday night and luckily for me, she is a 3 ½ year old who knows and loves her Chinese food. We went to Nan Xiang Dumpling House and we shared some scallion pancakes, Shanghai fried udon noodles and I had some pork and crab soupl dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).

The scallion pancakes were unbelievably light and crispy, with lots of scallions and not at all greasy. The udon noodles were delicious and I watched with delight as Waverly slurped them up. The soup dumplings were excellent as well. I managed to only tear one dumpling, losing the precious broth.

The whole meal cost a whooping $21. As Steve would say, Waverly is a “cheap date,”

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nan-xiang-dumpling-house-flushing

Laudree, Upper East Side

Okay, so it wasn’t an all Asian weekend. My love of French macarons has not faded and since we didn’t get to Laudree last time, I made it a priority to get there this time. I got a box of 6 including: pistachio, almond, salted caramel, raspberry, coffee and vanilla. They were exquisite, everything a macaron should be. At $3 a pop, they should be.

http://www.laduree.fr/en/maisons/monde-details#135

Bagel Oasis, Queens

I didn’t feel like driving in to the city on Sunday morning, but luckily Bagel Oasis is a quick ride from Wendy and Shane’s. Was it as good as the now defunct H&H? Nope. Was it still far better than any bagel I’m getting in Boston? Yup. I brought home a ½ dozen to sustain me till next time.

http://www.bageloasis.com/

I really do love NY. Every time I go for the weekend I consider how great it would be to move back there. I think the food has a lot to do with it. It was an all Chinese food weekend (minus the obligatory Sunday am bagels).

Savor Fusion, Flushing

On Friday, Wendy and Shane took me to Savor Fusion, a mini Chinese food court of sorts with 8 stalls, each specializing in different regional cuisine of China. We tried:

Salt and Pepper chicken: This was outstanding – plump, tender morsels of chicken, fried and flavorful with the salt and pepper coating. If only this is what McNuggets tasted like.

Pork skin in garlic sauce – I know that this will gross out the majority of you, but believe me, it was delicious. The skin was crunchy and springy and the sauce was luscious and garlicky. I love that Shane, a white boy from Iowa picked this dish.

Lamb burritos – Grilled lamb, seasoned with cumin wrapped peppers and onions in the same pancake you use for moo shu. I don’t think of lamb and cumin as Chinese, but in the north, it is more common.

Hand pulled noodle and beef soup – I love the texture and springiness of hand pulled noodles. There is a toothsome bite that Barilla can’t compete with.

Bacon noodles – more hand pulled noodle goodness, this time with minced pork belly. Yum.

Grand Restaurant, Flushing

My litmus test for dim sum is always the har gao. These were excellent; the skins were thin and translucent filled with 2 large shrimp that were plump and tender. The rest of the dishes were also quite good, the tea was hot and the carts came in a steady stream – all important things when eating dim sum.  

http://www.yelp.com/biz/grand-restaurant-flushing

I got to babysit Waverly on Saturday night and luckily for me, she is a 3 ½ year old who knows and loves her Chinese food. We went to Nan Xiang Dumpling House and we shared some scallion pancakes, Shanghai fried udon noodles and I had some pork and crab soupl dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).

The scallion pancakes were unbelievably light and crispy, with lots of scallions and not at all greasy. The udon noodles were delicious and I watched with delight as Waverly slurped them up. The soup dumplings were excellent as well. I managed to only tear one dumpling, losing the precious broth.

The whole meal cost a whooping $21. As Steve would say, Waverly is a “cheap date,”

http://www.yelp.com/biz/nan-xiang-dumpling-house-flushing

Laudree, Upper East Side

Okay, so it wasn’t an all Asian weekend. My love of French macarons has not faded and since we didn’t get to Laudree last time, I made it a priority to get there this time. I got a box of 6 including: pistachio, almond, salted caramel, raspberry, coffee and vanilla. They were exquisite, everything a macaron should be. At $3 a pop, they should be.

http://www.laduree.fr/en/maisons/monde-details#135

Bagel Oasis, Queens

I didn’t feel like driving in to the city on Sunday morning, but luckily Bagel Oasis is a quick ride from Wendy and Shane’s. Was it as good as the now defunct H&H? Nope. Was it still far better than any bagel I’m getting in Boston? Yup. I brought home a ½ dozen to sustain me till next time.

http://www.bageloasis.com/

After the Hunger Games, Amy and I were appropriately hungry, so we hit Saus, a Belgian fry and waffle shop near Faneuil Hall. There is a tremendous variety of dipping sauces for the fries, which were good, but not amazing. We had a bacon parm sauce and vampire slayer, an intensely garlic mayo. I really enjoyed both. The waffles came drenched in sauce – lemon cream for me and nutella for Amy. Next time I will ask for the sauces on the side, because there is nothing I hate more than a soggy waffle. The lemon cream was really nice: bright, sweet and tart.  I think the waffle at Strip-T’s was better.

The large fries were $7 and the waffles were $3.75. Dipping sauces were .75 cents. They are open till 2am on the weekends which is great, but good luck with the impossible parking.

http://www.eatfrites.com/

The cupcake craze continues and the latest entry in the Boston area is Crumbs Bake Shop. Kim and I met at the small shop a block away from South Station on Marathon Monday. We sat basking in the warm summer-like weather as we shared an assortment of 12 mini cupcakes in their bestselling flavors. Kim took notes on every one, so maybe she will want to post her thoughts.  Here are my general impressions: the cupcakes are inconsistent – some are moist, while others are dry, I hated the use of sprinkles – they added an artificial, plastic taste. My favorite was the raspberry swirl, the oreo cookie and vanilla coconut. I was very disappointed by the dulce de leche, which we had to purchase separately since it wasn’t in the assortment pack.

The cupcakes are pricey – the pack was $21 and the individual cupcakes, which are quite large, are $4. I don’t think that it’s worth a special trek, but if you are in the area and the line isn’t out the door, it’s a decent place to get a sugar fix.

http://www.crumbs.com/cupcakes

Let’s put aside the silly name. Strip – T’s is a small restaurant near the Arsenal Mall in Watertown. It’s been around forever serving classic American fare – basic sandwiches, meatloaf and the like. Last year, the owner’s son, Tim Maslow, came home to help the run the restaurant and has turned the dinner menu upside down. He trained at the French Culinary Institute and is an alumni of the Momofuku empire in NY.

I went with Kim and Robin after the Watertown tournament. The wait was 35 minutes at 7pm on a Saturday night. They take “limited” reservations during the busy times.

Kim and I shared the gravy fries (poutine), japanese eggplant banh mi, and the chicken and waffles. Robin got the fish and chips. The poutine was okay – the fries had a weird texture, like they were baked, not fried, but the gravy was spicy and the provolone was sharp. I was concerned that I would be disappointed by the banh mi, after all, I have yet to find a version that is superior to the one in Lowell. There was no need to be concerned; the sandwich was excellent. The tofu and eggplant melded with the pickled veggies to create a symphony of harmonious flavors. Kim, who is not a fan of vegetables, even enjoyed it. Robin's fish was lightly fried and tender and flaky. He loved it. 

Since Memphis, I’ve been hankering for more fried chicken and I’ve read great things about the chicken and waffles. The fried chicken was pretty good, albeit greasy. Now, it was no Gus’s (but what is?), but it was moist, well seasoned and crispy. The waffle was outstanding. There’s nothing I hate more than a soggy waffle and this exterior was light and crisp. Paired with real maple syrup, it was the best waffle I’ve had in ages.

Dessert was a misguided chocolate shiitake pot de crème. The mushroom flavor was overpowering the chocolate, but I did like the contrast of the sourdough croutons. This dessert was a classic “I’m a chef with no pastry knowledge, so here’s my attempt at a fancy dessert,” failure.

The prices are extremely affordable – all entrees were under $20. Robin liked the beer selection. Our server was a bit harried with crowded dining room, but was friendly.

http://www.stripts.com/menu/dinner

Food: A-
Service: B+
Value: A
Overall: A-

Bondir has been on the top of my go to list for ages.  Since it made Bon Appetit’s 2011 best new restaurant list, it’s always been on everyone else’s to go list, as well. But after months of scheduling and rescheduling, Steve and I went with his friend Bryan and Kerry. The space is small and intimate; there’s a fireplace in the front area. The meal starts with 3 homemade breads including one called “the sea,” made with seaweed and dried shrimp powder. Steve did not partake in “the sea” bread.

You have the option to order half sized portions of all the entrees. This certainly enables you to try more of the food. We got: a spinach pappardelle, Scituate scallops, duck confit, a clam and fresh chickpea dish, Waygu beef brisket sauerbraten, and Maryland shad roe.

Steve loved the spinach pasta; he later mentioned that he would have been happy with just a full order of it all to himself. The scallops were excellent; they had a great sear, but were tender, sweet and briny. The duck was good, but a little dried out. I was most excited about the shad roe. I’ve never had it before and couldn’t wait to try it. Its season is short and marks the arrival of spring, like daffodils. People who love it, really love it and get fanatical about it. The shad roe was larger than I had expected – visually similar to a 6 inch sausage that has been split and grilled. I would describe the flavor as a cross between liver and fish. I didn’t dislike it and as the meal went on the flavor grew on me, but I don’t see why it inspires such love in some people. Steve did not partake in shad roe.

We shared the 2 dessert offerings of the day: tangerine dream, a layered concoction of genoise, tangerine, thyme ice cream and meringue brulee and a chocolate panna cotta. Both were quite good, but the tangerine dream was unique and surprising.

The service was attentive, and the space is cozy. The entrees are $28-30 (1/2 orders are $14-17). We enjoyed a nice bottle of wine that Kerry chose. I think it was a lovely meal, but I think it didn’t manage to meet my (extremely) high expectations.