Paradise Project

If you have never tried a cookie from Paradise Bakery Cafe, you are missing out. You may think you have been surviving fine without them, but really, you have merely been on cruise control, and it is high time you get yourself down to one of their bakeries to get your hands on one or two...or a dozen.

Luckily, for us Bostonians, there is a Paradise Bakery Cafe in the Prudential center food court, easily accessible to all.

I myself cannot resist passing by Paradise whenever I am in the Pru, especially seeing as they have a lovely dome of samples out almost all the time.

Paradise makes cookies day in and day out and each one is as good as the next, every time you bite into one, you are litterally biting into paradise.

They are famous for their chocolate chip recipe, which funnily enough, is the most commonly botched cookie recipe I have yet come by. Most places make theirs too hard, or without enough chocolate chips, it is a rare art form that Paradise has mastered. Theirs are gooey on the inside, slightly crispy around the edges and their chocolate chip ratio is perfect. Paradise also makes about ten other flavors, with unique ones such as their lemon zest, or their paradise surprise (regular cookie with bits of oreo inside).

Luckily for members of the Boston Ballet, I happened to be in contact with the manager at the prudential center Bakery Cafe and I arranged for me to pick up the cookies that are left over at the end of the day.
I thus brought in an ample amount of Paradise cookies to keep the dancers going through their second run of Ultimate Balanchine.

If you are still on the fence, consider the affordability of Paradise bakery. Their cookies and baked goods are all very cheap and you can even buy mini chippers, if you would rather have a few little bites, instead of a whole cookie.

With that in mind, I think I will have to drop by again sometime soon...maybe in say five minutes...

Pish Posh

Last night I ventured out to a restaurant that has been intriguing to me for a while. I had heard good things about it, but had also seen the menu and worried about how it might reaction with my frugal side.

Union Bar and Grille is your typical South End restaurant, with a posh leather interior and young professional crowd. It's menu is set up traditionally; appetizers, pastas, entrées and sides, nothing really special or out of the ordinary. This can be good when what you just want a nice meal, straight forward and reassuring. Of course, they have a few items on the rare side, such as their spicy tuna tartare appetizer, which I wouldn't usually get, but the waiter recommended. It was very fresh tasting...but very small and I don't appreciate big plates with a speck of pretty food in the middle.

The great thing about Union's pasta selection, is that they still honor half-size portions and prices. My friend and I took advantage of this and selected their sweet corn risotto and bucatini carbonara. They were both delicious, and decently sized.

Funnily enough, I wasn't inclined towards any of their entrées, they were all the basic meat and starch dish, and whilst I am sure the quality of the food would have been delicious, the prices were definately not to my taste. (most entrées were at the 25 dollar mark)

My favorite part of the meal surprisingly enough, was the corn bread we ordered as a side dish. It comes in a cast iron pan and was just crispy enough on the outside, warm and crumbly on the inside. It paired with all of our dishes well and I made sure to soak up all excess sauce from my plate! Too bad the chorizo stuffing that supposedly went with it did not show up...

The dessert menu was also typical, nothing special, we opted for their dark chocolate bread pudding, which was mediocre. It was a bit drab, with not many hints at the dark chocolate and the bread part was a bit too congealed for my liking. It was accompanied by the world's most modest scoop of almond ice cream (which they forgot...maybe they misplaced it in the kitchen because it was so small...). It was very strange, some would like it, but it had the texture and taste of crushed cold almonds...I like my ice cream to be...well creamy.

All in all, it was a good meal. Now that I know how to maneuvre around the menu, I would go back and have another go at their half portion pastas, because they indeed were delicous, and paired with the cornbread you manage a satisfying meal in itself!

I would also like to try their flatbreads and their burger, which I didn't know existed until the very end of the meal when they brought the dessert menu with the bar menu attached...I was a bit miffed at the missed opportunity.

I deem it a place I would grant a second try, a place with good intentions, but a few thorns in need of being avoided.

Smashing Sangria

It's a Thursday night...not quite Friday but almost as good as. You know the feeling...and you know that sometimes all it takes to make your Thursday night feel a little better is a good drink at one of your favorite spots.

In the South End, one of those spots can be the Beehive on Tremont street. It is renown for its live music and funky interior, not to mention the refreshing individuality of all who work there.

It's just what you need to transition into the last day of your week. Well, you of course need a drink in hand, but once you are in the Beehive, that doesn't take long. Walk over to one of their two bars and their excellent baristas will mix you up something real quick. I didn't need anything crazy and opted for a glass of their sangria. It wasn't the first time I had their recipe so I wasn't going out on too much of a limb, but like I said, each worker has their own unique style and the sangria I had last night happened to be different from the one I had a couple of weeks ago.

This bar tender smashed all the fruits in the bottom on the glass before pourring the other ingredients and shaking it up in the mixer. I really liked the approach. It's often done with drinks that have fresh ingredients in them such as mojitos (with the mint leaves). Crushing them allows the flavors to infuse at a much greater (and tastier) degree!

My sangria was just what I needed; something refrehsing and comfortable, but different and surprising at the same time. That combination is somewhat hard to come by...but buzz on over to the Beehive and your evening will definately be filled with something different one way or the other!

Journey to Bombay

Washington street's Bombay Club recently openened a few months ago in the place of Pho Republic. The latter used to be a great spot, different from the typical South End restaurants with its ethnic vibe. It was sad when we saw it preparing for its dissapearing act. However, this sadness was lifted when the Bombay Club came into view and opened not too long afterwards.

My friend and I tentatively went in for the first time and were really quite impressed. The Bombay Club for one, is run by Shikha and Vinod Kapoor, two of the most genuine and generous people. They embody the very essence of making you feel like family when you go to their restaurant.

They have a great menu, with a fabulous bar and they have managed to maintain the special and slightly quirky vibe we liked so much about Pho. Their drink menu is inspired with many Indian and bohemian type beverages and I can safely say that it is difficult to go wrong when ordering. Just last night, a few friends and I went to this spot for a bit of a celebration. We tried many different drinks and I loved them all. My favorite was the Kama Sutra, an exotic blend of hypnotiq, Cruzan pineapple rum, triple sec and freshly squeezed lime juice. Another favorite was the Milagro Sunset, a combination of Milagro tequila, lime juice, organge juice and grenadine. Bombay's bar tenders are all right on the mark with the alcohol/juice ratio, managing to remain very tasty while not being for the faint of heart.

Bombay's service is exceptional and with such a large party, they catered magnificently to our every need, even surpassing them by bringing out complementary indian sweets and clearing a space for us to use as a dance floor.

Bombay Club is a must go for a social drink, a larger party or a quiet dinner. It offers everything you would want in a restaurant and is an integral part of the neighborhood.

Bombay Club, 1415 Washington Street, Boston, MA