The whole nine yards in Cambridge

 Many people see Monday with a tint of blue and a dash of despair.  Being the first day back in what some people anticipate to be long a week, I understand and indeed, am quite compassionate.  However, when I am in performance mode with the Boston Ballet, Monday is actually my day off. It's my day to get all of my errands done and when I have had a productive Monday, I tend to feel like I deserve a nice treat.

Lucky for me, a good friend of mine was in the same mindset this past Monday and we broadened our culinary horizons and tried out Bosphorous, a new Mediterranean restaurant on Cambridge street.

It's always nice to go out on a Monday evening because crowds are never an issue. Bosphorous has been getting quite the hype as a new endownment in this culinary hotspot.  The place has a very interesting vibe; it is decorated with warm and traditional colours but contrasted with contemporary and somewhat abstract interpretations with their table and bar set up. I especially liked the canopy-like light shades hanging over the booths.

We didn't take long to order, we started with the mezze platter for two which came with a sampling of all the cold mezze appetizers, including hummus, char-grilled whipped eggplant and two different kinds of yogurt dips, a cacik (yogurt and cucumber) and another much thicker, strained yogurt spread with dill and mint.

I especially liked their red lentil patties which came served on a hammock of lettuce.  I actually enjoyed this so much I asked for a side of lettuce to wrap everything else in. Such a great contrast!

For our entrée, we shared their shrimp casserole, or Karides Guvec. It came as presented below, succulent shrimp, incredibly fresh and colourful vegetables and a light sprinkle of cheese all baked and melded together in a hot iron dish.

A true tribute to this meal was that there were no leftovers...every last grain of bulgur wheat had been pricked up. It was delicious!

We did not however stay for dessert...but that's no surprise seeing as Christina`s is just down the street.http://christinasicecream.com/

 This family run ice cream shop is known for its special and unique ice cream flavours:

Many of these flavours, like the ginger, the carrot cake and the cinnamon are made with spices you can purchase yourself right next door in their very own spice shop.

It's the real deal!

I settled for their coconut almond chip and chocolate mousse. It was divine.

Mondays spent like this are really not Mondays at all, and if you think about it, you can trick yourself into believing that your week hasn't even started when really, the next morning will be tuesday...which is really close to wednesday...which means you are halfway there!

On another note, this kind of adventure would be satisfying on any day of the week.

Look into Bosphorous and their full menu at:

http://www.bosphoruscambridge.com/