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:)

A Triple Bill in Central

 For my first official post as the Foodista on Pointe, I have decided that the documentation of a well-rounded evening of excellent food and culture would be a perfect kick off.

This past Saturday night, a couple of friends and I were very excited to see one of our Physical Therapists from Boston Ballet perform at Green Street Studios right near Central Square.  Seeing as we are usually the ones performing, it is such a treat to get to sit and enjoy another company perform.  What made our evening even more fun, were the two stops we made before and after for our tummies and some libations:)

 Our first stop was at Thelonious Monkfish, a sushi restaurant in the heart of Central Square.  We arrived at 6 30 and were lucky to get one of the super comfy, Japanese-style tables.  I was very impressed to see these seating arrangements as I have not seen them since I had sushi in Singapore this summer. At these tables, you sit on a cushion on the floor by a very low table. It creates a very relaxed, zen-like atmosphere:)

Although you cannot see the low tables, the rest of the restaurant is set up as shown above, with regular two or four top tables and an impressive sushi-bar where chefs are busy whipping together some beautiful rolls and pieces.

Once we were settled, we ordered their sashimi sampler to start.  An assortment of vibrant, fresh fish came out; the tuna was a deep red-pink and had a distinctly sweet fishy taste. I was most impressed by the mackerel however, which was sooo tender.  A good test for any sushi restaurant is their raw fish, and on this level, Thelonious Monkfish did not disappoint!

The menu here is extensive, serving much more than sushi.  They had a number of interesting sounding soups and I found it incredibly difficult to make a decision. In the end I went with their mushroom-ginger soup. It was delicious! A light, ginger spice added to vegetable broth with shiitake, julienne, shoots of ginger and enoki. Next time I will have to try their duck pickled lime soup...or their kimchee rice soup...YUM!

Of course, I could not resist ordering an order of sushi.  Again, with all the interesting rolls, it was difficult to make a choice. (I mean how can you ignore a 'Gaga Monster roll'?) In the end, I went for Fashion Maki: bbq eel, cream cheese and cucumber drizzled in their house-special sauce. As with their fresh fish, their sushi ingredients were fresh, vibrant and tasty:)

The whole reason we ended up in Central was to see the Contrapose Dance company perform.  The show was at 8 oclock and held in the largest studio at Green Street Studios.  It ran about an hour and a half and featured different choreographers, both local and remote. There is something really special about being in an intimate space with a group of impassioned artists who are giving so much.  The audience was packed and involved and it is a real pity this dance company does not make more appearances..although I am already looking forward to whatever they do next!

Once the show was over and all the dancers congratulated, we headed over to Brick and Mortar, a bar that has recently replaced the former Enormous Room - one of Central's quirkiest dance spots. Brick and Mortar embodies the same 'removed and understated' quality of Enormous Room with its location being completely unmarked.  In fact, I decided not to take any pictures of the exterior or the interior so that you can have the fun of discovering it yourself!

I will say however, that the inside has been refurbished into a great, lounge-y space with a long, half-oval shaped bar.  The staff are very attentive (which is definitely not how Enormous Room used to operate), the drinks are different and well-made and they have some snack items that are enough to make your mouth water...take for instance, their 'Devils on horseback', aka, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, or their Duck confit and gruyere fries...pictured above.

Brick and Mortar is a great spot to hit up for a casual drink and I would be eager to take it up for dinner as well.

All in all, our evening was a great mix of food and art.  Boston is a fantastic city and many interesting endeavors await at your fingertips.  Get out and take advantage - I know I plan on doing just that! Here comes the foodista on pointe:)

J.M. Curley's - a new hideout perfect for post-performance libations:)

After a performance, my hunger for artistry and performing is usually filled, but my belly begs for attention.  It is always good to know where you can go for a good meal, drink and general 'detente'. In the theater district, it is sometimes difficult to find a place that offers all three...especially when you are not looking to spend a whole wad of money and when you are nearing that ominous 'kitchen is closed' time.  You can thus image how happy I was when I ventured to JM Curleys after our Opening Night of Simply Sublime and was met with a restaurant/bar with huge post-performance potential.  

Located down the alley of Temple street, JM Curley's is really easy to miss. It has a modest and strictly no frills front. Once you are in, you find your own seat and in not much time at all, someone from the team will come over a greet you.

Greetings at restaurants usually involve a polite hello, some subsequent inquiries and water.  At JM Curley's, you also get a batch of their 'flavor-of-the-day' popcorn.  Upon my first visit (yes, because I have since been back!), it was garlic popcorn and on my return visit just two days later, it was gingerbread. (!!!) It's really fantastic and much needed, because, as I mentioned earlier, after a show, I have a dangerous appetite...and snacks to keep me happy while I wait for my food are essential.

Another key component, is of course the bar, and again, JM Curley's excels not only with its great list of local brews, but also with its craft cocktails.  Bar manger Kevin, has come up with a few excellently made cocktails.  I have tried three thus far and all have since ranked as some of my favorite drinks in Boston.  Above, we have the Hemingway Heat, made with rhum agricole, grapefruit juice, maraschino, lime and jalapeno. My personal favorite is the Dark and Stormy - Dark rum, ginger brew and lime with a sugared rim.  Kevin however, recommended some of his house specialty Gin and (house made) tonic - Plymouth, Yellow Charteuse, Quinine Bark Powder and citrus.  I am not always a fan of Gin and Tonics...but this baby is in a class of its own! All priced at 9 dollars, these cocktails make for perfect libations anytime, any day!

For food, we ordered their baby spinach salad with pralines, charred red onions, goat cheese and candy apple vinaigrette.  I also tried their baby iceberg salad which is a half head of lettuce, topped with croutons, hard-boiled egg, pickled beets, bacon and pop's Russian dressing.  I liked both, but the latter had perhaps a bit too much of dressing.

Of their snacks, we tried their deviled eggs which were creamy and delicious, topped with spring onions and ham. I don't usually love deviled eggs, but again, as with the Gin and Tonic, these are quite different from the usual congealed mounds you get at the buffet salad bar!

Continuing in the trend of delightful snacks were their deep fried pickles, again, another hit! The pickles were sliced just the right width and coated in a very light but very crisp batter. It is so easy to over coat fried pickles and you end up loosing the intended effect.

We also tried their Brussel Sprouts with Duck confit and Gruyere as well as their East-by-dirty-South Yams which come topped with marshmallow and candied pecans.  Although both sides were top in taste and novelty, they did not do so well in the limelight of my camera...so I left those pictures out:) With all the juicy goodness however, we decided an order of house made pretzels was necessary - and they were! 

We tried many things and none disappointed. 

I don't usually see myself as a 'regular', there are so many places to try out! With JM Curleys's, I think that trend may be broken. In the first week of shows, I frequented this spot twice and both times I came out completely happy and satisfied.  The fact that they have a daily PB&J, alcoholic milkshakes and bacon peanut brittle pretty much seals my fate...more visits are to follow.  Perfect timing too, our Spring Season is just getting heated up! Stop by JM Curley's before or after the show:)

Smoked Meats and Southern Treats!

Boston's food scene has been an exciting place of late with an impressive number of celebrity chefs bunking down with top chef positions or their very own visions of what's needed next.  From Jason Santos and Blue Inc. to Jaime Bisonnette's head honcho position at both Coppa and Toro, all areas of Boston are flourishing.  

Just a couple of weeks ago, Tiffani Faison, who placed second during the first season of Top Chef, opened her first ever solo restaurant project in Fenway: Sweet Cheeks. Hers' is a challenging concept in Boston - traditional, Texan BBQ, focusing on smoked meat and all the usual accompaniements.  When you think about it..there is definitely a lack of good ol' southern food up in here. 

 

I was a bit nervous heading into the restaurant this past Tuesday because there had been so much hype around this opening...that's what you get when a celebrity chef opens a restaurant!  However, once I stepped inside and was met by the smell of sweet and smoking meats, I somehow knew I would not be disappointed. 

 

The interior layout does justice to the laid back, casual feel of any true smokehouse. A bar on the left is mirrored by an open kitchen to the right where Chef Faison herself can be seen bustling around setting orders straight. The restroom can be found at the end of make shift hallway lined with old and empty giant tin cans.

My friends and I plopped down pretty quickly and ordered some drinks. I did not order any of their cocktails...but I did go for a 'sprecher's' ginger beer which - at 5 dollars - was a bit pricey, but once placed in a big mason jar full of ice really is a perfect libation:)

As far as food goes, first thing is first....order a bucket of Buttermilk Biscuits served with honey butter. These arrived an followed shortly by the most tantalizing smell. The biscuits were gargantuan and although 4 for ten dollars made for a good deal, I think it would be better to price them individually...I shudder to think how many of these beauties get tossed...

As for the meat, there are a couple ways you can navigate the menu. I would opt for the meat by weight option. At 19 dollars a pound, you can order by the quarter lb.  My friends and I ordered a 1/4 lb. of each type of meat: Great Northern brisket, Berkshire pork belly, Berkshire pulled pork and pulled chicken. Everything comes served in delightful tin trays and the meat is served alongside traditional fixings..aka white bread, pickles and onions.  The meats were all delicious, so tasty and tender - they must have been smoked with gentle, tender, loving care for days! (then again, they probably are!)

Sides must also be considered and one cannot (and should not) resist fried temptations such as the Fried Green tomatoes and Okra. We also ordered their mac and cheese and coleslaw (you know...for some vegetables...) The latter two did not show up at the table however, having been forgotten by our waitress. This actually ended up being a blessing as we found we could not have done them justice anyways!

We decided to skip dessert - no matter how tempting the Giant nutter butter looked, I could not even begin to image getting through it without ice cream...something they unfortunately did not have on the menu or in some secret nook of the kitchen. 

In the end, despite the little slips of memory and menu shortcomings, what we did have was absolutely incredible. We finished our meal feeling full and warm, ready to venture back into the cold outdoors...

 

Although I did see a couple gallant young fellows test their post-Sweet Cheeks selves on this ominous contraption...my friends and I steered clear of it - no need to associate such a delicious experience with any degree of moderation:)

I am already very much looking forward to my next visit...lucky for me, I also have some leftovers in my fridge at this very moment...second dinner anyone?

Forgive or forget?

When a new restaurant opens up I get very excited.  If the new restaurant boasts a great concept, I am even more so. When I heard about The Salty Pig; a casual dining spot with a focus on seasonal charcuterie and small batch cheeses, I was all in a dither and could not wait to get myself up in their business.

I was finally presented with an opportunity this Thursday evening and a group of 8 of us ventured into the butcher's.

The inside is actually quite appealing with neat lighting, high tables and chairs and a nice outdoor seating area. The walls are like chalkboards covered in graffiti, very minimalist, but effective.

The meal actually started off quite well. I ordered a delicious Vinho Verde and we got a board of four meats and two cheeses.  There were no really interesting options, we opted for Jamon serrano, speck, bresaola and saucisson sec. The presentation was nice, and the quality was up to par even though I found it a bit pricey, the total cost was 37 dollars, which split between all of us was fine...but it didn't amount to all that much food.

This being their second week since opening, glitches in the service are to be expected and I fully understand.  When our drinks all came out of order and certain items were forgotten or added as an after thought (the fig jam arrived once we had finished out charcuterie board...) I did not hold it against them.  What I cannot accept however, is what followed... no matter how new you are, the food coming out of the kitchen is the one thing that should not disappoint.   

My friend and I decided to split a pizza, it sounded truly promising with local clams, speck, parmigianno, arugula and olive oil. What showed up was hardly a step up from generic store-bought frozen pizza. I know this sounds harsh, but it honestly was. The crust, which there was far too much of, was so tasteless even the left over fig jam couldn't remedy the situation.  There were a total of three miniscule clams, no speck and barely any cheese. We were basically presented with tasteless dough topped with arugula.  It was such a disappointement I had to let the waitress know.

To their credit, our waitress was most gracious and apologized saying that usually the pizzas were really great.

I wondered if she would have said the same of the carbonara and the pea risotto, both of which were also very bland.  

A slight salvage were their pork and garlic meatballs which came smothered in a delicious tomato sauce with generous amounts of Guanciale.

Because it is a new restaurant, I will give them the benefit of the doubt. However until they get their food sorted out, the only thing I would go for is a glass of wine and an assortment of meats and cheeses - the other dishes are clearly in need of some major tweaking.

Bubbles and more in the South End

The independent café movement in the South End is truly incredible.  There are so many different places and yet each one is special in its own way. The Buttery has amazing espresso, I love Francesca's wraps and Flour is an all round hit.  You would think that with such a great array, there would be no room for another.  Well, you can think again, because Jaho, the new- ish café which opened about two months ago on Washington street has managed to find its own style and quirk amidst a very competitive neighborhood.

So what makes this place special? The sheer size and range of their coffee and tea list.  It goes from your regular cup of coffee to some very interesting sounding blended drinks like their maple soy chai latte.  They also boast 100 plus varieties of tea and...wait for it...bubble tea!!!!!!!

Three guesses as to what I chose....:) I went for the mango green tea, semi-sweetened with boba.  It was very tasty, however I would have preferred much more boba...apparently they were just in the process of making a new batch.

Jaho also has a great sandwich and salad menu as well as some pretty tasty looking treats. I will be going back in the not too distant future to try some of these guys out. In the meantime, I can't tell you how excited I am to have found a bubble tea fix in the area!

In on Red

Red Lantern is one of this summer's hottest new restaurants.  It opened about a month ago and boasts a seating of 250 people, open kitchen and sushi bar among its impressive Asian decor.

Upon arrival, you can already feel the different vibe that sets Red Lantern apart from other Back Bay/South End locations...petite and quaint do not fit into this place's vocabulary. Every thing is big and bold, colorful and ornate - it is more like a New York restaurant than anything in Boston.

My friend and I ventured in on a weeknight for a drink and dessert. The menu itself looked alright, a little pricey and only a few noodle dishes tickled my fancy. The drink menu however is great. They introduce different kinds of alcohols into fun sounding cocktails, like their Yin and Yang scorpion bowls, sake takes a prime position as well. I was actually lured in by their Tranquility Bubble Tea, which is, as its name indicates, a bubble tea cocktail. How ingenious! The drink is delicious and an immediate favorite - so long as the tapioca bubbles have been cooked properly - as I had to initially send it back for tweaking.

Red Lantern also had an impressive dessert list. It was not overwhelming, with only five options, but each sounded so tantilizing. In the end, we opted for their crème brulée trio which came with an assortment of espresso, passion fruit and hibiscus crème brulée.  Each was delicious, but our favorite was the hibiscus, which had a subtle floral taste while remaining more reminiscent of true crème brulée than the other two.

I was actually so impressed that I returned the night after and had their Sangria which was very tasty, but missing in the 'fresh fruit' department... always disappointing.

I would absolutely go back however, for dinner, more drinks and dessert. The place has a great vibe, lots of options and price ranges - oh - and it serves food until 1:30 am...what a novelty!

Your next caffeine fix arives at AREA IV in Cambridge

The industrial feel of Technology Square in Cambridge is one that suggests busy schedules, long business meetings and other facets of the many different companies who have set up shop in this area. It's definately a place where a good espresso and something tasty would go a long way. Lucky for those who live or work in the neighborhood, Area IV, a coffee-house/soon to be full-menu restaurant opened shop yesterday (May 16th).

A friend and I went down to check it out. The place is so spanking new that it doesn't yet have a sign up, we missed it the first go around.  A pile of wood indicates where the restaurant is due to open a week from now.

However, they do have a few things under control even at this early stage. A lot of their decor is actually from the Persephone/Achilles Project, which closed its doors a while back in South Boston but was conceptualized by the same people (notably, Michel Krupp).  The extendable tables and stools fit nicely in the new space and give it an industrial/workshop appeal.

I particularly enjoyed the upside down jugs and tea pots turned into dangling light fixtures.

Of course, the coffee itself, all locally obtained and freshly brewed is an attribute, as are the staff, who are all trained in coffee-art; a mesmerizing talent that allows for very pretty objects embedded in any beverage topped with foam.

Area IV had other little quirks that I enjoyed, for instance, their collection of old school wooden games really tickled my fancy. You never know when you will be bored into a game of solitaire in a coffee house!

I was also very impressed when I asked my usual question of 'What do you do with your baked goods at the end of the day?'.  Their answer was that they had already contacted Lovin Spoonfuls, a boston based mini-team that goes around collecting surplus food from bakeries and restaurants and redistributes it to the homeless...A+!

Once the restaurant part of this project opens up, this little corner of Technology Square will be quite the favorite for a while.  The real question is whether the place is good enough to surpasse the usual 'new comer novelty' phase in a couple months time!

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/