The art of cocktail making - Union Square

A recent trend has been blossoming in Boston - the art of the cocktail.  More and more now, restaurants have put in place bar programs that either hold up to, compliment or, in some cases, outshine the food menu.  One of my favorite examples, is JM Curley, in Downtown Boston.  Bar manager Kevin, is like a liquid guru and has come up with a beautiful list of cocktails that my friends and I frequent when we need a good post-performance libation... I have yet to find a better Dark and Stormy:)

With this trend growing, there are many bars/restaurants that have opened with a purpose dedicated to craft cocktails.  Of course, Barbara Lynch's Drink located in the Fort Point has been around for a while now and is known for its crafty mixologists that can whip up something from the Prohibition era or something entirely new and unique, Todd Maul has been mixing up a storm at Clio for years now as well.  More recently, The Hawthorne Bar opened its doors in the Kenmore area and is a phenomenal place to sit and enjoy an excellent beverage.

Just the other night, I got myself to the newest watering hole, Backbar, an incognito bar down Sanborn street in Union Square.

 Located right beside Journeyman, Backbar is not the kind of place you stumble upon...you need to know where to go and yes, this is the front door.  Look ominous? Wait until you open it to find yourself in a long, sketchy hall way with unmarked silver doors.  

 Straight ahead, a door with a tiny sign 'BackBar' will lead you into a setting that befits New York's  underground scene.  The walls are decked with pieces from local artists, furniture is sparse and simple, the feel is a cross between industrial and rustic - I immediately felt at home:)

 We snagged two great seats at the bar, which is what I would recommend - you want to see these guys at work. My friend and I ordered two drinks to start, I got their 'drink of the day': Gin, house-made Ginger beer, a splash of orange juice and a bit of Sambucca-like liqueur.  My friend got their 'Union Mule' from their menu: Beefeater Gin, apple brandy, St. Germaine, citrus, ginger and spice.

Although this is a drink place, the food menu intrigues as well, we settled for some spiced caramel popcorn with bacon(duh!).  It was a delicious pairing for our drinks.

As per my most recent quest, I could not leave Backbar without sizing their Dark and Stormy up against JM Curley's. 

Verdict: JM Curley's is still my favorite for its great kick and spice with its sugary rim...however, Backbar's house-made ginger beer adds complexity and was certainly enjoyable, taking a strong second:)
Union Square is not on my usual list of destinations, but with the team behind Backbar stirring up solid drinks, I may just have to come up with a recurring visit:)

Treats at Tatte - Cambridge

Fresh out of my rigorous season with the Boston Ballet, I am still getting used to days which I can fill with whatever activities spark my interest.  On nice days, I find it is enough to just sit outside with a book and soak it all in.

Lunch dates, which are never possible while I am working are all of a sudden the best way to break up my day of lounging in the sun.

Although I realize that not everyone has the ability to skip out of work for an hour or two to amuse me, I was lucky this week to meet up with a good friend of mine who works in the Kendall Square area.

First of all, Kendall is really growing as a destination in this city.  I particularly enjoy all the new eateries that have been sprouting up of late and my friend graciously took me to the newly opened, Cambridge location of Tatte bakery.

I have of course heard of this bakery, originally stationed in Brookline, but I had not had the opportunity to try it out. Here was a perfect opportunity:)

 Tatte is most famous for its 'nut boxes' (of which there is a picture below).  They are also known for their individually wrapped treats, from the large, deluxe boxes above, homemade preserves and other fine cookies and cakes that make for delicious gifts.

 It was excessively difficult to make a decision, but we managed to narrow our choice down to three items.  The first was a Pistachio Crush, which at first glance appears to be some sort of cheesecake, but one bite confirms that this is in no way a cream cheese matter.  As Tzurit Or, the owner and chef behind Tatte, puts it, we are dealing with a pistachio meringue crust, whipped cream mixed with whole pistachios and handmade caramel mix...with more pistachios on top:)  Biting into this was like biting into a creamy cloud, it was sweet and subtle but rich and decadent at the same time. Suffice it to say that we could only manage a few bites...

 Both of our favorites was the Blueberry Clafoutis, a traditional, French dessert with juicy blueberries baked into a custard-esque filling and topped with delicious, crunchy hazelnuts.

I love the added element of fruit, it made the dessert seem less heavy, more summer oriented.  This one we polished off with no trouble:)

Of course, we could not come to Tatte and not order one of their nut boxes.  Simply, it is a box made out of a buttery crust and filled with caramel and your choice of nuts.  We went for their mixed nut assortment as we wanted a bit of everything (as always!).

These treats are beautifully prepared and just as appealing to the taste buds.  By the time we reached this guy however, we were pretty much maxed out and got in a good taste...but no worries...all the more for me to take home and enjoy later...which I did!

I don't think you can really go wrong at this bakery, even their savory items looked and smelled heavenly. 

The interior is rustic and clean and they have some nice details like serving cutlery in big, clay flowering pots.

I am always jealous of people who work or live near Kendall and with the addition of Tatte, I am even more so! 

Husk, Pralines and Black Magic

 Every now and then, you go on a vacation in which all the stars seem to be aligned: the weather is perfect, you are with a great mix of people and by the end of the trip, you find it excessively difficult to return to 'real life'.

This past week, Folly Beach, located 20 minutes away from Downtown Charleston, SC was the destination for myself and about 30 other people.  We were celebrating a variety of different things; a couple of people's birthdays, the end of a long season for us dancers and simply an opportunity to reconnect with friends.

Although a large percentage of the trip's most memorable moments I did not manage to get immortalized on my camera, below are a few things that did:)

I could not have ventured all the way to Charleston without a visit to Husk in Downtown Charleston.  Voted America's Best New Restaurant by Bon Appetit, 2011, it was a must try. 

A beautiful brick house with Southern Comfort etched into all the details, it was an impressive lunch. Luckily, I was among some other foodie friends and we got to try pretty much everything on the menu.  I  particularly loved their Buffalo Pig Ear lettuce wraps with sweet vinegar marinated cucumbers as well as their pork belly BBQ sandwich.

Their Catfish was particularly enjoyable and reminded me of a similar dish I had right here in Boston at Hungry Mother.

The Wagyu sirloin (pictured above) and the Park Bacon Steak were also among my favorites. Less enjoyable was, surprisingly, their Shrimp and Grits which many of us found bland. Desserts were also underwhelming.

Still, it was a great lunch among friends, both old and new - a nice way to start out our extravaganza:)

 Most of the days were spent baking in the sun on Folly Beach, but a group of us did venture into town to check out the market.  I, naturally, was largely interested in the Southern treats.  I could not resist a big, pecan praline, which I got warm and fresh out of the factory.

 Sugar coated nuts are also traditional and a package of those made it back to Boston with me.

In all the heat, my girls and I could not resist a fro-yo stop.  Although the yogurt itself had nothing on Pinkberry, the toppings were out of this world and self-serve too:)

There were a great many things to be tasted and tried in Charleston and a relatively small amount of time.  However, I must say that what I will miss the most, are the late morning meet ups at Black Magic - a quirky and quaint coffee shop off the main road in Folly. Suffice it to say that our nights were dressed with party buses, bars and clubs and Carly Rae's 'Call me Maybe'. Recapping over coffee, baked goods and sandwiches was a must:)

This trip really had it all - what a great way to start off my summer vacation!

End of Season Pampering:)

 On Sunday, 20th of May, we officially brought our 2011-2012 season to a close at Boston Ballet with the final performance of Fancy Free. The end of a season always feels like the end of an era as we put a whole year's hard work to rest and say goodbye to those who are leaving.

It is both happy and sad, but always highly anticipated.  As with many highly anticipated things, once they arrive, it is difficult to get your head around the fact that what you have been waiting for has finally arrived.  For me, I still can't believe that we don't just have a couple days off, but an entire two months of rest and rejuvenation.

Sometimes you find yourself in somewhat of a stunned state, however this time around, a few of my friends and I were prepared. We planned ahead and booked ourselves an entire Spa Day at G20 Spa and Salon on Newbury.

I think I can safely say that it was the best thing we could have done. A whole day's worth of much needed pampering left us all in a daze of bliss....it was beautiful:)

 Some of you may wonder what on earth you would do at a spa for a whole day.  Well, at G20, the options are endless, most of us arrived around 11 am, went straight to their fantastic penthouse and fixed ourselves an espresso by the fireside, all cozy in our bath robes.

My friends mostly went for the facials, which is a great idea after all the stage make-up we have had to slather on our faces for the past 10 months.  I decided on a manicure and hair cut and dry...along with a considerable amount of time spent in their Brine Inhalation Room...(pictured above).

The latter is a fantastic room with a flowing fountain and an atmosphere that carries you straight to the salty ocean air. It is rejuvenating to the max and a golden opportunity to lay down and filter the lungs...pure bliss!

Of course, with all of this relaxation and rejuvenation, we needed to make sure we had ample supplies of fuel.  That was taken care of jointly by our gang, we had strawberries, chips and three layered hummus dip and...the most essential...bubbly:)

The peaceful, fresh and pink faces of my friends throughout the day were confirmation that we had hit the nail on its head with our spa day. It made all the strains (shhh...don't tell anyone I said that! Ballet is easy....effortless actually...;) ) of being a professional ballet dancer worth it.

After our physical pampering, we decided to make one more stop on our way home...and this stop naturally involved delicious tart and frozen yogurt from our favorite Pinkberry.

All in all, it was a day spent in heaven and the best part is...we are off to Charleston, SC tomorrow for a week and we are all dolled up and ready for the beach:)