Chef Poe shakes things up at the Rattlesnake!

Since it opened its doors in 1990, The Rattlesnake Bar and Grill has been a hot spot.  People have gathered for after dinner drinks and a solid late-night vibe.  It wasn't until 2009 however, that people began to see it as a hub for its culinary exploration as well.  What constituted the change? Chef Brian Poe is your answer.  Arriving from his Chef and Director of Food and Beverage position at Seasons Restaurant (one of Lydia Shire and Jasper White's most memorable ventures) and a few globe trotting stints, Chef Poe decided it was time to make a change that would make our tummies happy at one of Boston's most loved establishments.

For about a year now, I have been hearing whisperings of the neat things coming out of Chef Poe's kitchen and after the Buritto Bowl II, I decided it was time for me to experience them! And so, this past week, I took a couple of friends and together, we were walked through some of Chef Poe's favorite menu items, by Chef Poe himself!

What intrigued me most about Brian's culinary style, is the marriage between South American and North American influences.  It was pretty apparent in all of his dishes.  The first dish, pictured above, was a prosciutto-wrapped tuna with queso fresca.  It came delightfully crispy, a perfect combination of salty meat with the freshness of the tuna.  A creamy corn sauce served as a cool condiment and the queso fresca made for an interesting contrast in texture.  I really enjoyed it!

After an interlude of Grilled Cornbread with a spicy queso fresco accoutrement, we were served a sampling of their grilled avocado salad topped with lobster-accented with lavender.  Although I love both avocado and lobster, I found the lavender to be a bit overpowering - with such a great, natural taste, I find lobster is best when served on its own...or with warm butter as a dipping option:)

The next dish was really tasty - a twist on your classic 'Brie en Croute' - with a side of charred beets, mushrooms all drizzled with lemon.  I surprised myself by eating every last bite, the cheese was superbly enveloped in a light and airy phyllo-like dough and the sliced, baked beets were a delicious accompaniment.

Going on to entrees, the Swordfish tips (not featured on the regular men) were served with mashed potatoes infused with olive tapenade and topped with spinach. This meal was very well rounded and will actually be featured on Chef Poe's upcoming and much anticipated new restaurant The TipTap Room..shhhh:)

Our final savory piece was ended up blowing me away. It was a lamb Osso Bucco served with mashed potatoes, a delicious tomato-influenced ragout complete with brussel sprouts and bacon and crispy baked kale crisps.  The meat was tender and easily fell off the bone (just the way I like it!) and the bright flavors of the ragout held up very well to the flavor of the lamb. And of course, as with any dish, once you add bacon...I am over the moon!

For dessert, and yes, we had room for dessert! (I believe it is a proven fact that we have a separate stomach for sweet endings.) A pecan tart, in a beautiful crust topped with cinnamon ice cream and surrounded by a sweet caramel sauce may have seemed too daunting after such a fantastic array of dishes..however, I somehow managed (and without any complaints) to polish off the entire thing.  The incorporation of black salt was genius as it made for a perfect contrast to all the sweetness. 

Chef Poe is certainly shaking things up in his kitchen.  I am so glad I finally got to experience some of his exotic creations first hand! Now, when I think of The Rattlesnake, I will not just think of grabbing a drink with friends, I will think of delicious, innovative food, from starters straight through to dessert.  Indeed, I would make a trip for pretty much any one of the dishes we were presented with that evening.

I cannot wait to see what Chef Poe has in store for us in his upcoming venture....the sky is the limit for this man and I intend on exploring it!

When a Chef invites you to dinner...

One of the things I value most about writing a food blog, is surprisingly, not just about the food.  Since I started writing this blog (almost two years now!), I have come to discover many new restaurants and hidden gems, I have explored and familiarized myself with new neighborhoods but most of all, I have come to meet so many different people.  Many of the relationships I have built in the past year have been thanks to my activities as a foodista in and around Boston.  It is truly enriching to meet people from all walks of life who share one common passion...food:)

A couple of months ago I became acquainted with Chef Joshua Lewin, newly appointed Executive Chef at Beacon Hill Bistro. Chef Lewin worked as Sous-Chef for BHB for about two years (a few months of which was under the direction and mentor-ship of Chef Jason Bond of Bondir) before being promoted.

This past week, Joshua and I did a bit of an exchange, he first came to a performance of mine at the Ballet, and I came by his restaurant a few days later.  As a performer, I always love having friends in the audience, it allows me to really project and dedicate my performance - and with what follows, you will see just how much I enjoyed his tasting menu...it seems like I got a pretty sweet deal. Then again, I would imagine that perhaps the life of a dancer is not so different from the life of a head chef; his kitchen being his studio and the restaurant...his stage - familiar faces in the latter might be just as rewarding!

My friend and I were due for dinner at 7:30, I arrived a couple minutes early and snagged a shot of the outdoor sign.  Beacon Hill is a great neighborhood and Charles Street ranks highly on my list of favorites:) Funnily enough, this was my first visit to BHB...I am glad I managed to wait until this invitation to try it out!

Chef Joshua had prepared an incredible menu, he had even printed out coursed menu cards with the date and our names! Talk about a keepsake:) The meal was designed to give us a broad grasp on his regular menu, something I really appreciated because I wanted to get the real deal! Our meal began with an amuse-bouche that definitely tickled my taste buds.  It was a 'honey mussel' which is a rare breed only found in British Columbia.  It was topped with salt crystals that brought out the unique flavors of the oyster while offering an interesting contrast. I am always amazed when something so small can be so full of flavor!  The mussel was accompanied by oyster mushrooms, tantalizing both in aesthetics and taste.

Our first course was a charcuterie board with an assortment of pates, lardo, meats and condiments.  My absolute favorite was the duck liver pate (pictured closest to the lens).  I paired it with the grainy mustard on the crunchy baguette.  The house-made fig spread was so delicious I ended up eating it by itself once all the other meats had somehow disappeared;) 

For the second course, we were presented with two dishes, above we have the Evergreen cured Gravlax (smoked salmon) with baby beets, frisee and faroese yogurt.  What I was most impressed with here was the incorporation of the beets, an item usually paired with goat cheese and hazelnuts.  Here Joshua strayed from the invariable smoked salmon, dill and caper number and dipped into his creative side, offering us a very refreshing alternate to a staple on most restaurant menus.

Also part of the second course was a 'Sandra Jean' Scallop accompanied by grapefruit, vanilla and brown butter. I am always a sucker for scallops, the brown butter and vanilla were subtle enough not to overpower the scallop flavir while allowing for a note of sweetness. I could have had five of these!

It is probably just as well that I did not have five because the third course consisted of hand rolled tagliatelle...and yes, those are winter black truffles you spy! (how spoiled we were!) The sauce with this dish was a light, creamy concoction that paired well with the other flavors, pepper was used tastefully and I once again found myself longing for more:)

Fourth we had the proteins come in, in style. Above was the Rohan Duck breast in a reduction with rutabaga and braised greens. The duck was soft in texture and strong in flavor; the skin, crispy and juicy. 

However, my friend and I both agreed that the Painted Hills Beef Short Rib had the upper hand.  A gentle pressure with my fork had the entire portion fall apart in a beautiful heap of tender, juicy meat.  Soft, buttered cabbage and red wine glazed carrots were such excellent compliments they could barely be referred to as 'sides'.  It was very difficult for me to pass along the other half to my friend...very difficult! 

As full as we were, we always have room for dessert.  Joshua kept his creative and inspired style all the way through.  For dessert, we were presented with a Spiced Parsnip Cake....I know what you are thinking, how could parsnip ever be considered for an ingredient in a dessert!? Well, as a testimony to Joshua, this cake was moist and spicy, sweet and light all at the same time. Complexity was added by the chocolate ganache covering, juniper ice cream and hazelnuts.  It was a dessert epiphany and as it turns out, Joshua was a bit nervous about this dish...my empty plate assured him the risk was worth taking!
We finished the meal off with some vanilla ice cream 'a la mode'...aka on its own:) It was delightful.

I think by now I can say that I have been to fair number of restaurants and experienced a good number of tasting menus.  Few, if any, could parallel the experience Chef Joshua put together for my friend and I this past week.  The balance of ingredients not only within each dish, but also from course to course show off his culinary intuition, expertise and passion.  Best of all, most dishes can be ordered from his regular menu, so a tasting menu like this can be recreated - although perhaps in more than one visit!

After only 6 weeks as the head of the BHB kitchen, Chef Lewin has already honed his menu and individual style, he has apparently found a niche where he can be free to flourish!

It is because of Chefs and friends like Joshua that I am so enthralled and committed to Boston's food community:)

Jumping on the Ramen Band-Wagon.

Boston seems to get mixed up in food crazes, just like the rest of the world.  The only difference is that we tend to lag behind most of the time.  As the wise always say however,  'Better late than never!' and with the most recent food fad to hit the Boston area, I would concur!  

For a couple of months now, there has been a huge buzz going on about Ramen, the popular noodle dish from China. (Many people think it is from Japan, but it originated in China in the early 1900s).  Ramen became a huge popular sensation in Asia during the 1980s when 'instant' ramen was invented.

Here we are now, 30 years later, and Boston has decided to jump on the Ramen bandwagon! Apart from ramen shops in Chinatown that have been around for a while, the new found Ramen craze can largely be attributed to the new Guchi Midnight Ramen Pop-up.  I have yet to make it to one and am still kicking myself for giving up my invitation to their opening weekend - I thought it would have been really tough to start my first week back rehearsing with a 12:30 am Ramen feast...now I am not so sure...

However! I did say this was becoming a trend and I was not lying!  Freshly renovated Uni has also started a 'late night ramen' extravaganza.  Theirs is a little more regular, being served Thursday-Saturday every week from 11 to closing.  

 I am happy to say that I have at least made it to this ramen event and it just so happened to be after a performance of Simply Sublime, so I really had an appetite! Myself along with a bunch of show-goers traipsed over to Uni for some indulgence at midnight:)  

Uni's renovations are subtle but effective, they have changed the paneling in the walls to light wood which gives the whole place a more 'sashimi bar-esque' feel.  Low Japanese-style seating is also a new addition.

Chef Oringer's idea for the Late-night Ramen was to bring everything down a notch to allow for a more casual experience.  One detail I really like is that the menus are written out on pieces of cardboard:)

 Although Ramen is the main attraction, there are other little tid-bites that I found equally delightful.  Above we have some deep friend chicken skins with flavored rice sandwiched in between.  These were tasty and salty, great ways to hike up that Ramen thirst:)

 My personal favorite was actually their steamed buns of which they had two flavors, the pork belly (um...yes!) and the duck. Both were beautifully seasoned with extra crunch coming from pickled vegetables in the pork belly and a layer of fried skin for the duck. I just really love the super doughy texture of the buns...it somehow feels like being a kid again!

Once we had finished our 'amuse-bouches', our ramen arrived.  Traditionally, ramen comes served heaping in big bowls.  You are faced with a massive quantity of steaming broth topped with various accoutrements.  At Uni, the serving is a little small, but the taste is actually quite commendable.  I ordered the umami which comes with BBQ unagi (eel) and a somewhere between hard and soft boiled egg, traditional of most ramen dishes.  The noodles were very well cooked, the unagi was a delight, I did, however, find the broth to be a bit too thick, it was almost like a curry...a very tasty curry though:)

All in all, it is a fine option for late night diners - I know I would return without much need of convincing.  I would be happier still if the steamed buns were not 8 dollars each, a price point I think is a bit unreasonable, given their desire to create an authentic ramen house feel.  The bowls of ramen at 10 dollars is a better ratio.

Either way, I know I will return without much need of convincing and although Boston is a bit late...I can truly say...it is most definitely better than never!

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:)