SOWA Sundays are back!

With perfect weather timing, SOWA Sundays are back!  Opening tomorrow, May 1st, from 10am-4pm Harrison Ave is going to be buzzing with stalls offering farmers' fresh produce, unique crafts and don't forget the vintage market at 460C Harrison Ave.

This open market is the perfect thing to do on a sunny (or overcast) Sunday in the South End.  If you don't live nearby, make a day trip out of it; there is so much to see and you can tie the whole thing together at the end of the day at one of the restaurants in the area.

Check it out tomorrow and every other Sunday, things change up regularly! I am going to try to make it myself.

For more info:
http://sowasundays.com/

Burrito what now?

From the owners of Douzo, a prominent sushi restaurant in the Back Bay area, comes Basho - a Japanese Brasserie in Fenway.  This restaurant, which opened about a year ago has been on my 'trial' list.

Luckily, thanks to some pressure from a soon to expire coupon, I managed to get a group of friends together to try to the place out.

It has a typical modern interior; lots of edges and questionnable plants,a grand purple curtain separates sections of the restaurants creating the sense of grandeur.  A sushi bar is at the back and showcases the sushi chefs busy with their art - always a comforting scene!

The menu is a bit overwhelming - in a good way though. You have your typical and traditional items, sushi rolls, terriyakies and tempuras, and then you have some very interesting sounding specialty rolls like their Amaebi Mango Roll: mango, cucumber, grilled pineapple wrapped with sweet shrimp and a tangy mango sauce, or their Rock and Roll (below):  

I ordered miso soup - always a nice precursor, fairly standard and dependable. I also ordered their seaweed salad. I have always enjoyed the fresh and slightly sweet sesame flavour of this dish which contrasts well with the dash of lemon.

But what I really wanted to try was their 'Celtic Maki Burrito', which, as its name indicates, is a burrito rendition of a sushi roll.  This monster is a tuna roll, wrapped in soy paper and deep fried.  It is then topped with BBQ eel, jalapeno aioli and basil oil.  The whole things looks like a sculptured forest. It is thoroughly impressive to the eye and quite enjoyable to the palate. It is a bit of a challenge to gobble by oneself, but makes for a great center piece for sharing.

I personnaly would have preferred a bit more eel and kick from the jalapeno aioli...but on the whole, it is a dish I would recommend and order again!  As for the other rolls, my friends endorsed them all for their unique and complementing flavour combinations and fresh taste.

Basho's sushi is fresh, as are their ideas.  I was not altogether impressed with our waitress, particularly when she presented the option to switch to brown rice without mentioning the surcharge. The prices are also a little steep.  I would go back however to try out some of their signature rolls - and they had some interesting drink specials I wouldn't mind experiencing!

http://bashosushi.com/

A very happy hour

From approximately 5 to 6 this afternoon, Kickass Cupcakes made my sweet tooth very happy. As always, on the last Monday of every month, they hold their happy hour with miniature-sized alcohol infused cupcakes:

They rotate their flavours of the month and this time around, I was beyond ecstatic to see that they were featuring a St. Germain cupcake! As some of you may or may not know, the St. Germain cocktail is my default drink...and well, truthfully, my drink of choice.  This cupcake,(the one with green icing and little sprinkled stars) is appropriately called The Mayday and consists of a vanilla cupcake soaked (quite litterally) with St. Germain elderflower liqueur and topped with champagne icing.  It was like my favorite drink in a delicious cup cake shot!

The others were a strawberry margarita; vanilla cupcake with a tequila soaked strawberry center (I know they are a cupcake happy hour, but when they say 'soaked'...they really mean it; I thought I had taken a little shot of tequila when I found the center of this baby!)

The third was a Jack Daniel's Float which was my least favorite, but still very tasty. It was a root beer cupcake with Jack Daniel's chocolate custard and whipped cream on top.

It is no wonder I await the end of the month with such anticipation.  Kickass never fails to deliver - having When Pigs Fly bakery right next door always helps too....

Next Happy Hour: May 30th...take note!

Happy Easter from the Frugal Foodista!

Easter is a great day: bunnies abound, as does chocolate and more often than not, the two collide into one fabulous experience!

I wish you all a fabulous day, re-connect with you inner child and have an easter egg hunt outside! It is so beautiful...

Just in case you see today as the last day off before the week looming ahead, fear not! Tomorrow is no ordinary Monday - it is Happy Hour at Kickass Cupcakes! I will be making my way there for sure this time around...I have missed one too many of these sweet sensations.

http://kickasscupcakes.com/