Beacon Hill residents, our prayers have been answered. The best sushi in the city (and by this I mean affordable everyday sushi) has opened on Cambridge Street in our ‘hood. Fin’s is owned by the same crew that run my beloved Symphony Sushi. The sign has been tormenting for for months and FINALLY they opened their doors this past Tuesday. The menu is exactly the same as Symphony and other locations of Fin’s, which is totally fine by me. I’ve yet to find a better sushi option in the city–all the rolls are fresh to death. The Mexican Roll, a classic favorite, is made with spicy tuna, tabasco, and avocado on top.

Excitingly enough, this weekend brought me to another new brunch spot in Kendall Sq., which is something that’s been happening more and more frequently as of late, and something I never get sick of saying. My beloved hood is becoming more and more breakfast friendly ever since I moved in just a few months ago. And while I used to live for Friendly Toast, now I find myself pining over a handful of other great options that keep popping up. Don’t worry Friendly Toast, you’re still my boo; however this past Sunday it was Catalyst who stole my heart with their rare breakfast options, quirky decor and friendly staff.

Let me just preface by saying we were that annoying group of 5 who showed up with half of their party at noon, patiently awaiting the others to arrive. Normally, a place won’t seat you until your entire party is there, but not Catalyst; they could not have been more kind and accomodating.

Once seated I stared at the menu while texting frantically “where the <expletive> are you? I’m hungry!”

Before long I had my coffee and water and fresh squeezed orange juice. Let it be known that a pitcher of tap water on the table is always a good call, especially at brunch time and especially if you like to serve your guests water out of baby cups. I may have been a camel in another life, and I’m sure there isn’t a single server who appreciates trying to keep up with me and my 2oz glass of water. So yeah, pitchers of water rule. So do pitchers of cheap beer, but that’s talk for another day.

Per usual, I needed a brunch app. Our server must have read my mind because she started raving about the Banana Bread.  Approximately five minutes later the three of us were inhaling it, debating whether eating the entire plate would be considered rude and in turn make us terrible friends to the others we were still waiting for. We decided to save them one piece to share. We thought that was fair. Did I mention it came with homemade Dulce de Leche for drizzling? Instant foodgasm.

The others arrived shortly after and we decided to put in our orders. Having to choose one food item over the other was hard. I honestly wanted to cry. Luckily everyone was DTS (down to share DUH). We decided to stick to the breakfast essentials — eggs, frittatas, potatoes and sides of sausage — we figured we’d save savory choices like duck confit salad and the beef burger for another day. I was elated to find that the kitchen turned around our food quite quickly.  As soon as our plates were placed before us, forks flew like daggers through the air piercing food items from every angle.

The Vegetable Fritatta (which changes weekly) was a medley of roasted red peppers, spinach and parmesan cheese, paired with a side of arugula salad and pickled onions.

Cheddar Cheese & Mushroom Omelet served with home fries and homemade ketchup. Since my favorite breakfast sausage lives across the way at Area Four, I had to try out Catalyst’s Fennel Sausage Pattie for good measure. We could call it a battle of the breakfast sausages, but I’m not really trying to pick favorites. Both were delicious in their own right, the one at Area Four a little juicier and thicker than  the one I had at Catalyst, but the fennel definitely gave it a different and enjoyable flavor profile.

What was easily my favorite dish, the Buttermilk Biscuits topped with Soft Scrambled Eggs and Spicy Onion Marmalade. Seasoned to perfection, those scambled eggs were better than anything I’ve ever whipped up at home. The sweet flavoring of the onions and the buttery fluffy goodness of the biscuits made this a superb monster of a breakfast sandwich.

And then of course there was the equally delicious yet much more manageable breakfast sandiwch which came with Fried Egg, Fennel Sausage Pattie, Aged Cheddar, Arugula, and Pickled Onion.

Nothing fell below expectations and everything was excellent. The kind of meal that throws your endorphins into overload and makes you wish you never had to leave. Eating breakfast here will undoubtedly make your eyes roll back inside your head more times than you can count as you relish every last bite. I’m seriously hoping the depression I’ve entered having gone back to granola and fruit for five days surpasses soon; forget about TGIF, more like TGIBrunch.

Catalyst
300 Technology Sq.
Kendall Sq.
Cambridge, MA
617-576-3000

The past couple of weeks have brought Just Add Cheese to quite a few food events around town, starting with Church’s first annual Chili Cook-off which pinned Fenway restaurants head-to-head in a battle to see who had the best chili. From classic renditions of the slow-cooked crowd pleaser to more creative approaches, excitement arose as Boston residents flocked to the music venue side of Church, packing its insides to the brim. Here are some pics of the contendors, and congratulations to the winners! And if you don’t know who won already, I guess you’ll just have to keep reading to find out…

Sweet Caroline’s

Whole hog chili with housemade cheeze wizz and crispy fried pig ears.
Tasty Burger / Citizen Public House

A classic rendition topped with avocado, sour cream and scallions.
Nookie (representing the Red Sox Culinary Team)

The home team served up the ”The Holy Trinity” a turduken style chili comprised of three different types rolled into one. They had ”The Father” which included turkey, poblanos, leeks and tomatillos; “The Son” made with duck, mole negro, and pasillo chiles; and ”The Holy Ghost” served as the chicken component, mixed with citrus, tomato, and habanero chiles.
(Church)

And for the winners…..(drum roll please)……

The crowd favorite was Jerry Remy’s  and their 36 hour braised 3-meat chili in sailors swagger habanero sauce. The judges’ pick went to Top Chef alum Tiffani Faison (of Sweet Cheeks) for her inventive approach to repurposing the usual ingredients in chili using chicken, corn, curry, and a mint & cilantro sauce.  YUM.

*Unfortunately I didn’t get a chance to snap a pic of Thornton’s chili, or try it, they ran out

In the end I’d have to say the event was a huge success, and I hope it becomes an annual tradition. Thanks to everyone who helped make this event possible, to Church for hosting, to the organizers for making it happen, and to the great chefs without which the chili cook-off would not have been possible. And thanks to my family for showing up and having a great time, I always love sharing my nom-ventures with yous!

Maine Shrimp Special

Cauliflower with Chorizo, Cojita and Pickled Onion

Grilled Romaine with Oxtail, Poached Egg and Chili Vin

Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffles — a different view of the angry chicken.

Keilbasa, Clams, Potatoes, Dijon Sauce, Sauerkraut

Marshmallows

Strip T’s
93 School St
Watertown, MA 02472

Nearby ski mountain Pat’s Peak served as the perfect place to try our hand at the sport for the first time in 8+ years, and as a bonus all of our meals were delicious! From breakfast at the Rosewood Country Inn to artisan grilled cheeses at the mountain lodge for lunch, we were both pretty impressed and overall elated to find the food was far better than we’d anticipated. But of course, there was one place in particular that completely rocked my world. In this desolate area where nothing but dirt, trees and highway surround you for miles on end we were directed to drive approximately 30 minutes from the inn to the closest restaurant worth eating at… The Flying Goose.

A combination brew pub and grille, all the beer is home brewed. From Wildflower Honey Ale to the Perley Town IPA, they’ve got over 17 handcrafted brews at any given time, varying in style and flavor, along with their homemade root beer.  With a brewery thats got awards for days, it’s only natural that we started with a beer flight.

Don’t you just love beer flights? What about when they’re only $5?  Yup. In the end I tried more than 10 varietals; my faves ranged from the Heidelberg Hefeweizen to the Crockett’s Corner Oatmeal Stout. I even ended up bringing a growler of Honey Ale home with me.

Now when it comes to the food, some of you may remember a cheesy Food Porn from a few weeks back. It was actually a sneak peak to what you’ll find here today. Shortly after eating the meal, I had registered just how cheesy the entire thing had been. Without even trying, I’d consumed what I’m sure was multiple pounds of cheese.

The meal started with the Porter Ale and Onion Soup, made from their own dark ale baked with croutons, swiss and parmesan cheese. This is what French Onion should look like. Always. Seeing something like this coming towards my table, I got the sensation that this is what eternal bliss feels like. Delicious, vegetarian friendly, and perfect for warming you up on a cold winter day, the meal was officially off to a great start.

Another appetizer we couldn’t ignore was the vegetarian chili topped with Vermont cheddar and served with colorful tortilla chips for dipping. I love chili, obviously, I spent an entire day eating it last week in Fenway. But unlike all of those chili’s, this one had no meat. It was actually nice for an appetizer because it wasn’t too heavy and still had all the smokey-ness that a drool-worthy chili should have.

I would have been satisfied based on apps and drinks alone, but we had to go for entrees. My better half had the homemade veggie burger, which was pretty standard. I’m not sure if it’s necessarily worth a trip to Bradford for, but if you’ve got a veg friend this place certainly has plenty of options.

my dinner, however, was the real star…

In a last-minute, pressure-induced, game-time decision I decided to go with their famous 14-hour slow cooked pulled pork served over a cider, caramelized onion and pear risotto drizzled with bbq sauce. I know, it’s hard to give any other menu item a chance after reading that mouthful. Maybe not much too look at, but I can’t even put into words how yummy this dish was. The ideal mix of sweet and savory, it embodied the flavors of fall and winter in what may be the best way imaginable. The meat was so tender, maybe some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. So good in fact, it didn’t take much convincing before my veg friend was trying a tiny bite. The combination of flavors went so perfectly together, and just as a pre-curser it’s totally possible to split this dish three-ways and be satisfied. Definitely the sort of dish you remember for a long time, maybe even forever.

New London, New Hampshire certainly has something special with the Flying Goose. It’s a family-friendly place but certainly doubled as a great date spot for us. The bar area is a little livelier than the cozy dining room, and the focus on community and local sourcing is just another reason to love the place. Since the place was first erected in 1937 it’s been a staple for travelers and residents alike, and is certainly worth a visit if you’re passing through or staying in the area.

Flying Goose Brew Pub
40 Andover Rd.
New London, New Hampshire
603-526-6899

Seems like chicken served with their feet still attached is becoming quite the trend (see: Blumie’s Craigie Review, Greyson’s antics on Top Chef) . I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Part of me (the same part that enjoys eating offal) is like “OMG weird food..COOL” and the other part feels almost guilty for eating it. Why? Because it’s (literally) flipping me the bird. It’s like the chicken’s indirect, but profound, way of directing anger towards whoever dare eat it’s dead body. It makes me feel awkward, but also makes me want to go all Evil Queen on this angry piece of poultry. Okay fine I’ll take it down a notch.

Just another day at Strip T’s…

93 School St
Watertown, MA 02472

P to the S — vote for us for the BostInno awards!!

When Meesh and I were first asked about the best meal we’ve ever had in Boston, our heads nearly exploded. How could we possibly choose? We’ve had our fair share of amazing dining experiences, so to choose the best ever we had to dig deep in the vault for something whimsical and bold, different, daring and above all memorable, and I think we found just the one.

For those of you who have been with us for a while, you may remember this dinner from a time when tasting menu’s were still new to me and the concept of taking my camera out at the dinner table was a bit embarrassing (regardless of the fact that it was WAY smaller and much less expensive than the one I tote around with me now–which would explain the exquisite photography you’re about to see, obviously.) It was a dinner at Ten Tables celebrating my 23rd birthday; and for those of you who don’t remember, here’s a little refresher  —-> BEST MEAL EVAR!

Don’t mind if I do. 

When the boys laid eyes on the menu they actually got giddy. I’ve never seen anything like it! These boys are not foodies, just regular guys that like burgers and steak and burritos and stuff. I love when people get excited about food, so I was thoroughly entertained by the conversion that ensued…

“Dude we are SO getting hush puppies”
“Wait, they have buckets? YES”
“I’m getting the pulled pork, but wanna split the cheese fries, maybe as an app or something?”
“Are you taking pictures of your beer?”

And if it doesn’t go without saying, yes I want to split cheese fries. Personally I would have ordered the Chili Cheese Fries, Hell Fries or Poutine, but I was clearly outnumbered. The fries turned out great, not too soggy and quite a large portion for $4.95.

As for the hush puppies, I thought they were pretty dry, but the boys liked them. I just liked seeing hush puppies on the menu, they don’t get enough love in this city!

This massive pulled pork sandwich was being offered as a special that night. It was  messy, overflowing, impossible to pick up and eat–everything one could ask for in a pulled pork sammy.

My favorite item of the night was the buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with cheddar cheese, which was also a special that night. The chicken was juicy, crispy, and overall pretty nomtastic.

So yea, hit up All Star Sandwich bar any time you’re trying to impress a boy, it’s guaranteed to make you look like a down ass bitch, or the best guy friend ever.

1245 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02139

Does your pizza come sizzling out of the oven topped with shiitake mushrooms, potato cream, sweet onion, gruyere, parmesan, white truffle oil and scallions? Yeah, I didn’t think so. Viva la Za!

Za
350 Third St.
Cambridge, MA
617-452-9292

Church of Boston will be hosting the first annual Chili Cook-off in Fenway this Saturday. Come watch your fave spots duke it out for the title of Chili Champ and spend some quality time with me while I help decide who’s got the best slow cooked beef. Tickets are only $8 and you can still get yours here, so don’t wait because their going fast. And if you’re not already salivating on your key board as you scurry to type in your credit card info, just peep the line-up…. Tasty Burger vs. Thornton’s Grill vs. Citizen’s Public House vs. Jerry Remy’s vs. Church vs. Sweet Caroline’s vs. Sweet Cheeks vs. Fenway Park