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*****
Renowned local seafood chain Legal Seafood has gone regional, and now has 34 restaurants from Massachusetts to Georgia, including their "Test Kitchens," restaurants where they try new recipes, as well as showcase old favorites. Featuring both local and nationally sourced seafood, they espouse a philosophy of using fish from sustainable sources and fisheries, and offer a high level of service and product. This review is a little different from most because it is not of a restaurant that is accessible to the daily diner; it is, rather, of one of their locations that happens to be located inside Logan Airport. That said, Legal's Test Kitchen (LTK, or like the rest of the restaurant group, colloquially, Legal) Harborside is a restaurant I have tried in the past, and it was just as good (if not better) so I feel confident in recommending that restaurant as well, and even would go so far as to recommend the entirety of the Legal Seafood line.
As I am about to embark on a vacation abroad, I find myself in one of my least favorite places; the airport. Not just any airport, either, but Logan, a hellish place that typically is among my least favorite places on earth. Today, however, I arrived at lunch time, and since all I had had to eat was a doughnut at a staff meeting this morning and a piece of toast before leaving western Mass to head out to Boston, I figured food was a good idea. LTK happened to be situated directly in front of my gate, so I decided to grab a beer and a bite to eat. They do not have a particularly extensive list of craft beers, but old mainstay Allagash White was among them, so I cannot complain too much. The menu is rather limited at this particular location, but they had gumbo on the menu, a personal favorite and something I rarely pass up when the opportunity to order it presents itself. Meals come up quickly here, as they should at an airport restaurant, with a clear recognition of the fact that people often are grabbing a quick meal between flights and have limited time, so mine came to me in probably five minutes. Despite the rapidity of the cooking, everything was prepared pretty well, from the fried okra (breaded, strangely; it worked though) to the shrimp to the scallops; my only complain was a little bit of grit in the seafood, but considering the okra was not at all slimy, I am willing to call that a wash. The gumbo was served with a mound of rice in the middle, which was simple white rice, but with the gravy-like soup it was very good, as the gumbo itself had a fair amount of flavor; clearly a proper roux was made in the preparation. The dish included generous amounts of everything, and I am definitely not hungry as I write this. That is a very good thing, seeing as the beer (only a 16oz, not the optional 23oz) and gumbo came to $26 before tip; nothing annoys me more than needing more food after spending that kind of money on lunch.
Airports are not typically known for providing good, or even acceptable food, but in this case Logan, and Legal's Test Kitchen, break the mold, and for that I am quite thankful. I highly recommend stopping into Concourse A (across from A5) for lunch if you have the time while at Logan, or hitting up one of their nearly three dozen other locations throughout the northeast, mid-Atlantic and Georgia.
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Boston. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2014
Sunday, June 1, 2014
The Fat Cat Restaurant (Quincy, MA) and Patron's Mexican Kitchen (Allston, Boston, MA)
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*****
Two of my best friends from college got married this weekend, and we had the bachelor party for the groom Thursday. We went for laid back, going to the F1 Boston kart racing track in Quincy, which was a blast, followed that with lunch, then went climbing at Central Rock Gym in Watertown, and finally drinks and some food in Boston at Patron's Mexican Kitchen. Both F1 Boston and Central Rock were a blast, though I highly recommend you have some cold water on hand for the kart racing, as it is pretty easy to get overheated in there.
Lunch was at The Fat Cat Restaurant in Quincy, a superb little pub with some of the best bone-in chicken wings I have ever had. I went for a Philly Cheesesteak, which was well made, on pretty standard bread, but with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoked shiitake mushrooms, and both cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. The steak was perfect, still juicy and delicious, and the vegetables were spectacular. It also came with hand cut french fries, which were really good and insanely crisp, but which I did not end up having much of because I was so full from the sandwich and a few wings.
Those wings were really the key to the meal; we ordered 50 for the table, as three people were having them for their primary meal, and one other person and I were just having a couple each. The wings are big, but not gigantic, cooked perfectly so the skin was crispy and crunchy, but the meat did not seem overcooked or dry. The exterior held the sauces well, so it did not just slough off and leave just a small amount on the wing or drumstick, but instead coated them completely and evenly. Those sauces were the best part, and we picked three: XXX, Cajun, and Qcity. The XXX is a buffalo style, made with house-infused habanero vodka; it had far, far more flavor than any other sauce of an equivalent heat level that I have ever had, including the Mango Habanero from Buffalo Wild Wings, a personal favorite. The Cajun comes as either a sauce or a dry rub, and we went dry; it was good, a little spicy, but nothing super incredible. Qcity was my top choice, and it was also probably the simplest; essentially, it was just honey and pepper, and it was just absolutely awesome, with intense honey flavor without being overly sweet.
For dessert, I had bread pudding, which was served in a giant ramekin. Essentially just big pieces of bread with a slightly sweet sauce, but so, so much more in flavor. It also had a giant mound of delicious homemade whipped cream, which was closer to clotted cream than the stuff that comes in a can, both in flavor and texture. By this point, I was so stuffed that I could not finish the bread pudding, which was very disappointing considering how incredibly good it was.
Fat Cat had a couple good options on draught, including Belhaven Scottish Ale, which I love, and Berkshire Brewing Company's Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale. They also have a handful of interesting looking cocktails and alcoholic coffee drinks. They do their own infusing, including the aforementioned habanero vodka. Since Dan, the groom, is obsessed with insanely spicy things (the table gifts at the wedding were bottles of various hot sauces) we got him a shot, and the waitress (an awesome Irish lady) added a second on the house to congratulate him on getting married. We each tried a tiny bit, and as soon as I took a very tiny sip, I felt an incredible burning sensation in my mouth and began to hiccup instantly, a phenomenon that has never occurred before. I think Dan enjoyed the vodka, but if not, it was at the very least a very cool concept and it makes one hell of a wing sauce.
All in all, this was a really good meal, and pretty reasonably priced at under $130 for 50 wings, my sandwich (only $7, which was insane considering how much food there was and its quality), an order of fish and chips, four desserts, plus about a dozen drinks between the five of us. I highly recommend it.
*****
Not so long ago, Allston's Sunset Grill and Tap was topped by Big City, one of the greatest beer bars in the northeast, with about 130 taps, good food, and great ambiance. Sadly, it is now Patron's Mexican Kitchen, a mediocre bar with a couple mediocre pool tables and seriously lacking staff. Our waiter was acceptable at best, but the manager was a major asshole, making rude and snide comments about a couple members of our party to some employees who were playing pool next to us. We ordered wings again (they were also served the following night at the rehearsal dinner, and ordered at Amherst Brewing Company when we went out after that...Dan really likes wings), which were decent, but nothing special. I ordered nachos, and instead of nachos, we received the $7 bowl of multicolored chips; absolutely pathetic. The beer list has been cut tremendously, to only a couple dozen options on draught and a similar number in bottles. I do not know what the reason for this is, as downstairs still offers over 130 taps and 380 bottle varieties. All in all, this is no longer worth going to; just have drinks and food down at Sunset Grill and Tap. That said, we had a good time, but only because it was a great group of people.
*****
Two of my best friends from college got married this weekend, and we had the bachelor party for the groom Thursday. We went for laid back, going to the F1 Boston kart racing track in Quincy, which was a blast, followed that with lunch, then went climbing at Central Rock Gym in Watertown, and finally drinks and some food in Boston at Patron's Mexican Kitchen. Both F1 Boston and Central Rock were a blast, though I highly recommend you have some cold water on hand for the kart racing, as it is pretty easy to get overheated in there.
Lunch was at The Fat Cat Restaurant in Quincy, a superb little pub with some of the best bone-in chicken wings I have ever had. I went for a Philly Cheesesteak, which was well made, on pretty standard bread, but with roasted peppers, caramelized onions, smoked shiitake mushrooms, and both cheddar and mozzarella cheeses. The steak was perfect, still juicy and delicious, and the vegetables were spectacular. It also came with hand cut french fries, which were really good and insanely crisp, but which I did not end up having much of because I was so full from the sandwich and a few wings.
Those wings were really the key to the meal; we ordered 50 for the table, as three people were having them for their primary meal, and one other person and I were just having a couple each. The wings are big, but not gigantic, cooked perfectly so the skin was crispy and crunchy, but the meat did not seem overcooked or dry. The exterior held the sauces well, so it did not just slough off and leave just a small amount on the wing or drumstick, but instead coated them completely and evenly. Those sauces were the best part, and we picked three: XXX, Cajun, and Qcity. The XXX is a buffalo style, made with house-infused habanero vodka; it had far, far more flavor than any other sauce of an equivalent heat level that I have ever had, including the Mango Habanero from Buffalo Wild Wings, a personal favorite. The Cajun comes as either a sauce or a dry rub, and we went dry; it was good, a little spicy, but nothing super incredible. Qcity was my top choice, and it was also probably the simplest; essentially, it was just honey and pepper, and it was just absolutely awesome, with intense honey flavor without being overly sweet.
For dessert, I had bread pudding, which was served in a giant ramekin. Essentially just big pieces of bread with a slightly sweet sauce, but so, so much more in flavor. It also had a giant mound of delicious homemade whipped cream, which was closer to clotted cream than the stuff that comes in a can, both in flavor and texture. By this point, I was so stuffed that I could not finish the bread pudding, which was very disappointing considering how incredibly good it was.
Fat Cat had a couple good options on draught, including Belhaven Scottish Ale, which I love, and Berkshire Brewing Company's Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale. They also have a handful of interesting looking cocktails and alcoholic coffee drinks. They do their own infusing, including the aforementioned habanero vodka. Since Dan, the groom, is obsessed with insanely spicy things (the table gifts at the wedding were bottles of various hot sauces) we got him a shot, and the waitress (an awesome Irish lady) added a second on the house to congratulate him on getting married. We each tried a tiny bit, and as soon as I took a very tiny sip, I felt an incredible burning sensation in my mouth and began to hiccup instantly, a phenomenon that has never occurred before. I think Dan enjoyed the vodka, but if not, it was at the very least a very cool concept and it makes one hell of a wing sauce.
All in all, this was a really good meal, and pretty reasonably priced at under $130 for 50 wings, my sandwich (only $7, which was insane considering how much food there was and its quality), an order of fish and chips, four desserts, plus about a dozen drinks between the five of us. I highly recommend it.
*****
Not so long ago, Allston's Sunset Grill and Tap was topped by Big City, one of the greatest beer bars in the northeast, with about 130 taps, good food, and great ambiance. Sadly, it is now Patron's Mexican Kitchen, a mediocre bar with a couple mediocre pool tables and seriously lacking staff. Our waiter was acceptable at best, but the manager was a major asshole, making rude and snide comments about a couple members of our party to some employees who were playing pool next to us. We ordered wings again (they were also served the following night at the rehearsal dinner, and ordered at Amherst Brewing Company when we went out after that...Dan really likes wings), which were decent, but nothing special. I ordered nachos, and instead of nachos, we received the $7 bowl of multicolored chips; absolutely pathetic. The beer list has been cut tremendously, to only a couple dozen options on draught and a similar number in bottles. I do not know what the reason for this is, as downstairs still offers over 130 taps and 380 bottle varieties. All in all, this is no longer worth going to; just have drinks and food down at Sunset Grill and Tap. That said, we had a good time, but only because it was a great group of people.
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Boston Trip #3 (Cambridge, MA)
So I have been to Crema Cafe a couple times before, and wrote briefly about it back in March, but after going again at the end of September, I decided to add a quick post about my last trip there. I was meeting a couple old friends in Boston, and had some time to kill so I figured a stop in Cambridge at my favorite little cafe was a good idea. One cold brewed iced coffee and an English muffin with jam later, and I was happy as a pig in...well, you know. The iced coffee was spectacular, even better than their regular iced coffee which is already better than most, and the English muffin was to die for. I know what you're thinking, how good can an English muffin really be? When made at Crema Cafe, pretty damn good. Homemade, a little sweeter than a traditional (aka Thomas') variety, it was served warm with butter and raspberry jam that was delicious; I strongly considered ordering another, but decided that it would ruin my appetite. It was a poor decision.
A quick walk to Charlie's Kitchen followed, where I had a couple beers and some appetizers, and introduced a friend to the glory that are their burgers. Nothing crazy to report, just another plug for a great little bar.
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Dinner at Chilli Duck Thai followed a few hours later, after wandering around the area of the Park Plaza hotel netted no positive results and Yelp suggested it and my friend wanted to have Thai, Viet, or some other eastern Asian food. I had the Panang Curry with chicken, and my friend had the Tom Yum Noodle Soup. Mine was very tasty, subtly flavorful and just a little bit spicy. The soup was apparently good as well, with just the right amount of spice. I introduced my friend to Singha, which is one of my guilty pleasure beers; sort of like a Thai PBR, it has a little too much sweetness and not enough real beer flavor, but for some reason I just love drinking it nonetheless. Sadly, I do not really remember much more about the meal, but it was quite tasty and not unreasonably priced.
******************
The night concluded at Penguin Pizza in Brigham Circle, and while I cannot speak to the pizza (which looked pretty good), their beer list is insanely good. Hundreds of beers, many of which I had never heard of, including a lot of foreign options, made decision making very difficult. I ended up with a Warsteiner, which was a light Westphalian beer, similar to a Czech lager but with a little bit more body. I had ordered something else, but they were out, so I told the waiter, a friendly Irishman with a thick brogue, to pick me something light and refreshing, and he brought this and something else that I do not recall. I am glad that I went with this, and I really want to go back to this place to try their pizza and start making my way through their beer list.
******
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A quick walk to Charlie's Kitchen followed, where I had a couple beers and some appetizers, and introduced a friend to the glory that are their burgers. Nothing crazy to report, just another plug for a great little bar.
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| Singha |
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| Warsteiner |
******
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Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Ferrara's Kitchen + Bar (Boston, MA)
Some of the better meals of my life have been in Boston, including the best I'd ever had prior to going to Bouchon Bistro at Mamma Maria in North Square, and now I've been fortunate enough to add another hit to the list. Ferrara's Kitchen + Bar, located a short walk from the Haymarket MBTA stop on the Green Line, and just down the street from the famous Neptune Oyster Bar, is but one of many fine examples of Italian cuisine in Boston's North End, but there are a few things that set them apart.
The first thing that drew my dinner companion and I to Ferrara's was its open front; they have a large bay window that opens out onto Salem St., and in nice weather they open it up and allow the place to breathe a bit, a feature that I thoroughly enjoy. Upon entering, I noticed that, while it was not bright inside by any means, it was not so dim as to nearly require a flashlight to even read the menu, a trend that I cannot stand. It was, in fact, perfectly lit, allowing a good view of the entire dining room and bar, where we sat, but without any glaring lights. Behind the bar are a pair of flat screen televisions, which offered a chance to watch Peyton Manning kick his little brother's butt all over the field; always an enjoyable experience.
Our bartender was friendly, knew at least a bit about beer and was happy to engage with us without ever becoming, in my mind, overly intrusive or omnipresent. Speaking of beer, they had only a few options on tap, including a Sam Adams seasonal and the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, which had just been added. Since there was nothing new or exciting, we both went with the Dogfish.
As for food, the kitchen kept up well with the positive impression the layout and bartender had given initially. I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, among my favorite dishes in the world, and my date
ordered the Gnocchi alla Sorrentina. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals, which were prepared very well, but there were a couple critiques that I had. My Carbonara was delicious, though the menu describes it as being in a cream sauce; I do not know if that means they actually used cream in the preparation, or if they are simply describing the sauce as creamy. It tasted right, and felt right, as an egg and cheese only sauce, and at least the bartender knew that a proper Carbonara lacks cream, but it is something that I am left wondering about. The pasta was perfect, and the flavor and texture of the sauce was spectacular, with the taste of the Parmesan (not sure if it was actual Parmiggiano-Reggiano or if it was the impostor we usually find here in the USA, but the menu says Parmesan) and some garlic coming through beautifully. The pancetta was delicious, but served in very large chunks, which was unwieldy; I like my pancetta cubed to about one centimeter, because it keeps a better texture that way I have found, but that is about my only real critique of this dish.
The gnocchi in my date's dish were sublime, perfect little pillows, with just enough density that they felt substantial but not nearly so much that they felt heavy. The mozzarella in the dish was solid, but nothing amazing, though it worked well in combination with the sauce and the gnocchi. The sauce itself was a little sweet for me, so when I first tasted it, with just the gnocchi and no cheese, I was not super thrilled. After adding some mozzarella, I enjoyed it more, as the salt of the cheese did help balance the sweetness of the sauce, but if you are not going to have cheese in every bite (which you will not with this dish) then that is not a saving grace.
The last thing to say about the food is that I must comment on how they serve it, supposedly in the dish it was cooked in. While I highly doubt this, as the pan mine was served in was far too clean along the sides to have really cooked such a messy meal (trust me, I've been trying for a while now to make a proper version; I'm at about a D+ right now, passing but nothing to be proud of), but it looks neat. It is a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks work, and I must say, I really liked this one. The price was ridiculously reasonable as well; before tip, we were at $39, which for two entrees and two beers is insanely cheap in this neighborhood, especially when the food is so good. Admittedly, we did get the two cheapest entrees, but that was purely accidental, as they just happened to be what we wanted. I would have gladly paid significantly more for the same meal, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the check. All in all, I highly recommend Ferrara's, and I will absolutely consider a return, though with the incredible breadth of options in the North End, it may be hard to justify not trying something else.
******
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The first thing that drew my dinner companion and I to Ferrara's was its open front; they have a large bay window that opens out onto Salem St., and in nice weather they open it up and allow the place to breathe a bit, a feature that I thoroughly enjoy. Upon entering, I noticed that, while it was not bright inside by any means, it was not so dim as to nearly require a flashlight to even read the menu, a trend that I cannot stand. It was, in fact, perfectly lit, allowing a good view of the entire dining room and bar, where we sat, but without any glaring lights. Behind the bar are a pair of flat screen televisions, which offered a chance to watch Peyton Manning kick his little brother's butt all over the field; always an enjoyable experience.
Our bartender was friendly, knew at least a bit about beer and was happy to engage with us without ever becoming, in my mind, overly intrusive or omnipresent. Speaking of beer, they had only a few options on tap, including a Sam Adams seasonal and the Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, which had just been added. Since there was nothing new or exciting, we both went with the Dogfish.
As for food, the kitchen kept up well with the positive impression the layout and bartender had given initially. I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, among my favorite dishes in the world, and my date
 |
| Spaghetti Carbonara served in a stainless pan |
The gnocchi in my date's dish were sublime, perfect little pillows, with just enough density that they felt substantial but not nearly so much that they felt heavy. The mozzarella in the dish was solid, but nothing amazing, though it worked well in combination with the sauce and the gnocchi. The sauce itself was a little sweet for me, so when I first tasted it, with just the gnocchi and no cheese, I was not super thrilled. After adding some mozzarella, I enjoyed it more, as the salt of the cheese did help balance the sweetness of the sauce, but if you are not going to have cheese in every bite (which you will not with this dish) then that is not a saving grace.
The last thing to say about the food is that I must comment on how they serve it, supposedly in the dish it was cooked in. While I highly doubt this, as the pan mine was served in was far too clean along the sides to have really cooked such a messy meal (trust me, I've been trying for a while now to make a proper version; I'm at about a D+ right now, passing but nothing to be proud of), but it looks neat. It is a gimmick, but sometimes gimmicks work, and I must say, I really liked this one. The price was ridiculously reasonable as well; before tip, we were at $39, which for two entrees and two beers is insanely cheap in this neighborhood, especially when the food is so good. Admittedly, we did get the two cheapest entrees, but that was purely accidental, as they just happened to be what we wanted. I would have gladly paid significantly more for the same meal, but I was very pleasantly surprised by the check. All in all, I highly recommend Ferrara's, and I will absolutely consider a return, though with the incredible breadth of options in the North End, it may be hard to justify not trying something else.
******
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Friday, June 7, 2013
Boston Trip #2
During my trip to the 2013 American Craft Beer Fest, Sean and I stayed at Hostelling International's Boston location, which is on Stuart St in Chinatown, leading us to having a few good meals in the area. I should also say, this was my first experience at a hostel, and it was a pretty positive one; the hostel was large, clean, and had some pretty decent amenities, including an espresso bar, lounge area, and even a kitchen space, and the rooms lock, which is fantastic, and each bed has its own locker that a padlock can secure. The room we were in had six bunks, each of which has a small cubby space at the head of the bed, which has a reading light and a few outlets to charge your phone. At just $50 a night per person, this is significantly better than just about any hotel in or around the city, and it is in a pretty great location, within walking distance to...well...just about anywhere in Boston.
Anyways, on to the food! When Sean and I arrived, we dropped our stuff off at the hostel, and went to grab some food. We spied Q Restaurant on the corner of Washington St and Beach St, a sort of pan Asian (or at least east Asian) restaurant offering sushi, Mongolian hot pot style dinners, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. We knew were going to get some dim sum in the morning, so we went with the Mongolian hot pot, which I last had back in 2000 in the Pacific Northwest (I think in Victoria) with my dad and brother on a vacation, and which Sean had never had. Essentially, you get a large bowl of hot broth (or in this case, broth that is heated to the point of an aggressive boil on a burner located in the middle of the table) in which you cook a variety of meats and/or vegetables. You can pick from a number of broths, which cost anywhere between three and eight dollars (or the Basic Broth, which is free), and at least one of these is vegetarian friendly. You can choose from combos or a la carte accompaniments for the broth, ranging from "Kobe" beef (I still have no clue why people aren't outraged that they are being asked to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a product that is not even available in the USA, and thus are being lied to) to fish balls to various vegetables. The combinations all include assorted vegetables, such as a small piece of corn on the cob, some baby bok choy, watercress, and a couple others. You also can choose from a few different noodle or rice options; Sean and I both went with the Udon noodles, and I had the Beef and Lamb combo, while he had just the Lamb. We went with a bowl of the Mala broth, which the menu says is their most popular. It was spicy, filled with chili peppers, and very, very flavorful, though the amount of time you are cooking the various items in the hot broth limits the amount of flavor transfer. The meat, which is sliced exceptionally thin (think lunch meat) cooks very, very quickly, as do the vegetables, though they can stay in the hot liquid longer without much issue. The noodles also did not require much of a soak, just enough to get them hot, really. The food was pretty delicious, and we were stuffed by the time we finished; the mile and a half long walk to the Seaport World Trade Center was definitely a positive, as it gave us time to digest, and also burned off at least a few calories (that we quickly replaced with beer, of course) as we walked in the very hot sun. I don't know how authentic the food was, but we both enjoyed it, and would go back. The prices weren't unreasonable, either, costing us each under $25 for the meal.
After the ACBF, we were pretty tired, and slightly tipsy, but by the time we got back to the hostel, we decided we needed some more food, if only to soak up the booze. Sean suggested finding a burger place, so with the help of my phone we found UBURGER, a small local chain with five locations throughout Boston. We went to the 140 Tremont St. location, which should only be about a 10 minute walk, that somehow we (I?) turned into a 30 minute walk via some unfortunate directional issues, arriving half an hour before they closed. I ordered a Cowboy Burger, which has barbeque sauce, pepper jack cheese, grilled mushrooms and bacon, and added a soda and fries, which cost me all of about $10; not bad in Boston. The burger was decent, nothing super special, but to a slightly intoxicated person at 10:30pm, it was perfect. Cooked a little more than I like (I don't recall being asked how I wanted it, honestly, though that could be me misremembering due to being exhausted), it was nicely salty, and the toppings were great. The fries were spectacular, shoestring fries that were deliciously crispy, salty and just the littlest bit greasy; aka, perfect drunk food. This is the kind of place that needs to be in the bar section of every college town in America. Probably not the most vegetarian friendly place, they do offer a veggie patty and some salads, but it is clearly not their specialty.
Sunday morning we woke up, incredibly sans hangover, and met my friends Forrest and Molly at China Pearl for dim sum. Few things appeal to me more as a breakfast food than dim sum, which consists of a variety of steamed buns, rolls, and rice dishes, among others, that are brought to the table on steam-table carts. There are a couple problems with this, as a non-Cantonese speaking individual: first off, I honestly have little to no clue what I am getting most of the time, as the wait staff for the most part spoke little to no English, and so I was left to guess what they were offering us several times; and second, I had no clue how much anything cost, since they just marked up the card on the table with stamps of Chinese characters. Despite these difficulties, we had some pretty good food, though it could have better. I loved the pork steamed buns (char siu bau), which were somehow both light and dense at the same time, and the sticky rice was great, filled with some variety of poultry. The steamed meatballs were less of a hit, though they were not bad by any means. The sweet buns filled with pork were great, a perfect combination of sweet and savory, though only Sean and I enjoyed them; neither Forrest nor Molly are big pork fans, as it turns out. We had a few other dishes, and I do not think anyone left hungry, though I suspect that I enjoyed the meal more than the rest of the group. We were each out exactly $10 at the end, so the fact that we had no clue what we were paying for individual dishes turned out not to be a problem at all; this was, in fact, remarkably cheap. China Pearl is one of two highly recommended Chinatown restaurants to get dim sum, with the other being Hei La Moon; I look forward to trying that restaurant as well in the future. I do not believe that this is a particularly vegetarian friendly type of meal, at least unless you are fluent in Cantonese and can converse with the waiters pushing the carts, as you may end up getting more than you bargained for otherwise.
******
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Anyways, on to the food! When Sean and I arrived, we dropped our stuff off at the hostel, and went to grab some food. We spied Q Restaurant on the corner of Washington St and Beach St, a sort of pan Asian (or at least east Asian) restaurant offering sushi, Mongolian hot pot style dinners, Thai, and Chinese cuisine. We knew were going to get some dim sum in the morning, so we went with the Mongolian hot pot, which I last had back in 2000 in the Pacific Northwest (I think in Victoria) with my dad and brother on a vacation, and which Sean had never had. Essentially, you get a large bowl of hot broth (or in this case, broth that is heated to the point of an aggressive boil on a burner located in the middle of the table) in which you cook a variety of meats and/or vegetables. You can pick from a number of broths, which cost anywhere between three and eight dollars (or the Basic Broth, which is free), and at least one of these is vegetarian friendly. You can choose from combos or a la carte accompaniments for the broth, ranging from "Kobe" beef (I still have no clue why people aren't outraged that they are being asked to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a product that is not even available in the USA, and thus are being lied to) to fish balls to various vegetables. The combinations all include assorted vegetables, such as a small piece of corn on the cob, some baby bok choy, watercress, and a couple others. You also can choose from a few different noodle or rice options; Sean and I both went with the Udon noodles, and I had the Beef and Lamb combo, while he had just the Lamb. We went with a bowl of the Mala broth, which the menu says is their most popular. It was spicy, filled with chili peppers, and very, very flavorful, though the amount of time you are cooking the various items in the hot broth limits the amount of flavor transfer. The meat, which is sliced exceptionally thin (think lunch meat) cooks very, very quickly, as do the vegetables, though they can stay in the hot liquid longer without much issue. The noodles also did not require much of a soak, just enough to get them hot, really. The food was pretty delicious, and we were stuffed by the time we finished; the mile and a half long walk to the Seaport World Trade Center was definitely a positive, as it gave us time to digest, and also burned off at least a few calories (that we quickly replaced with beer, of course) as we walked in the very hot sun. I don't know how authentic the food was, but we both enjoyed it, and would go back. The prices weren't unreasonable, either, costing us each under $25 for the meal.
After the ACBF, we were pretty tired, and slightly tipsy, but by the time we got back to the hostel, we decided we needed some more food, if only to soak up the booze. Sean suggested finding a burger place, so with the help of my phone we found UBURGER, a small local chain with five locations throughout Boston. We went to the 140 Tremont St. location, which should only be about a 10 minute walk, that somehow we (I?) turned into a 30 minute walk via some unfortunate directional issues, arriving half an hour before they closed. I ordered a Cowboy Burger, which has barbeque sauce, pepper jack cheese, grilled mushrooms and bacon, and added a soda and fries, which cost me all of about $10; not bad in Boston. The burger was decent, nothing super special, but to a slightly intoxicated person at 10:30pm, it was perfect. Cooked a little more than I like (I don't recall being asked how I wanted it, honestly, though that could be me misremembering due to being exhausted), it was nicely salty, and the toppings were great. The fries were spectacular, shoestring fries that were deliciously crispy, salty and just the littlest bit greasy; aka, perfect drunk food. This is the kind of place that needs to be in the bar section of every college town in America. Probably not the most vegetarian friendly place, they do offer a veggie patty and some salads, but it is clearly not their specialty.
Sunday morning we woke up, incredibly sans hangover, and met my friends Forrest and Molly at China Pearl for dim sum. Few things appeal to me more as a breakfast food than dim sum, which consists of a variety of steamed buns, rolls, and rice dishes, among others, that are brought to the table on steam-table carts. There are a couple problems with this, as a non-Cantonese speaking individual: first off, I honestly have little to no clue what I am getting most of the time, as the wait staff for the most part spoke little to no English, and so I was left to guess what they were offering us several times; and second, I had no clue how much anything cost, since they just marked up the card on the table with stamps of Chinese characters. Despite these difficulties, we had some pretty good food, though it could have better. I loved the pork steamed buns (char siu bau), which were somehow both light and dense at the same time, and the sticky rice was great, filled with some variety of poultry. The steamed meatballs were less of a hit, though they were not bad by any means. The sweet buns filled with pork were great, a perfect combination of sweet and savory, though only Sean and I enjoyed them; neither Forrest nor Molly are big pork fans, as it turns out. We had a few other dishes, and I do not think anyone left hungry, though I suspect that I enjoyed the meal more than the rest of the group. We were each out exactly $10 at the end, so the fact that we had no clue what we were paying for individual dishes turned out not to be a problem at all; this was, in fact, remarkably cheap. China Pearl is one of two highly recommended Chinatown restaurants to get dim sum, with the other being Hei La Moon; I look forward to trying that restaurant as well in the future. I do not believe that this is a particularly vegetarian friendly type of meal, at least unless you are fluent in Cantonese and can converse with the waiters pushing the carts, as you may end up getting more than you bargained for otherwise.
******
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Monday, June 3, 2013
2013 American Craft Beer Fest (Boston, MA)
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| BeerAdvocate© |
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Harpoon Brewery©
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BeerAdvocate©
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Last year, I was disorganized, and because of that, I missed out on a few things; this year, I planned ahead, checking out the list of beers that would be at the festival and determining which were the ones I most wanted to try. This list consisted of 22 beers from 19 different breweries, which are located all over the country, from Maine to California. I tasted all but two of these beers (the missing beers were the Jack's Abby Smoked Maple Lager, because I forgot what I wanted, and Stone Imperial Russian Stout, which they were out of), and when I was done with my list I found a couple more to try as well. Overall, this was a great trip, and I had some delicious beers, as well as a few mediocre ones and even one or two that were just plain awful. Virtually all of them were new to me beers, though I had a couple of old favorites as well. My descriptions are going to be pretty short, just some quick observations. Without further ado, in the order that I tried them:
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| Brewery Ommegang |
Brooklyn Brewery's Silver Anniversary Lager (Doppelbock, 9%)--A medium bodied, hoppy beer, it was drinkable but not their best. I wish I had tried something else.
Oskar Blues Brewery's Mama's Little Yella Pils (Czech Pilsener, 5.3%)--One of my favorites of the night, this was a light, flavorful, delicious beer, perfect as a session beer or on a hot day while grilling. This has a lot more flavor than your average Czech style pilsener. Just what I expect from this company, a fine beer that is the equal of the previously reviewed Old Chub. These guys are a definite leader in the movement of great beers packaged in cans rather than bottles.
Allagash Brewing Company's Interlude (Saison, 9.5%)--The first thing that hit me about the Interlude was that it smells like champagne as it first hits your nose, but this disappears as you taste it and are overwhelmed by the huge, classic flavor of this fantastic saison. Wheaty, with a light body, this was among my favorites of the night as well.
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| Rogue Ales |
Victory Brewing Company's Prima Pils (German Pilsener, 5.3%)--This was another surprising disappointment, from another company I really have a lot of respect for. The Prima Pils was too light, too fruity and citrusy, and had nothing special to offer. The hops were too bitter, something that I would rarely say.
Stone Brewing Co.'s Cali-Belgique (Belgian IPA, 6.9%)--I did not write anything down for this; I'm not sure what that means.
Jack's Abby Brewery, llc.'s--Cascadian Schwarzbier (Schwarzbier, 7%)--This was a good, subtly hoppy beer, not as good as Jack's Abby's Hoponius Union, which is one of my favorite beers from Massachusetts, but this is a good option.
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| Dogfish Head Craft Brewery |
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| Widmer Brothers Brewing |
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| Kona Brewing Company |
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| Great Divide Brewing Company |
The Cambridge House Brewpub's Abija Rowe IPA (English IPA, 6.9%)--This is a beer two of my coworkers have been recommending for months, so I had high expectations, and Cambridge House met them. A wonderfully hoppy, slightly bitter beer, it is a quintessential IPA, a model beer for the variety. It is not quite as incredible as the Lunch, or a few of Stone's offerings, but you cannot complain about anything involving this beer.
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| Element Brewing Company with a decent line |
Boston Beer Company's Samuel Adams Tetravis (Quadrupel, 10.2%)--Sam Adams is often forgotten when talking about craft beers, partially because they no longer officially qualify, since they are a publicly listed company on the NYSE, and partially because people tend to think of them as being much, much bigger than they really are. Most of their beers are rather mundane, with a few of their regular beers being legitimately loved and respected in the beer community, but it is their special beers that show their roots and their ability. The Tetravis is a strong, delicious beer, and while I did not take much in the way of notes and thus do not have much specifically to say about it, I can say that one word I wrote down was "spectacular." Kudos to a company that I, and many others, do not often give enough respect to.
Banner Beer Company's American Summer (American Blonde Ale, 3.7%)--Banner is a new local brewery specializing in low ABV session beers, a nice idea, as I will admit that I do not really want to always be drinking super high alcohol brews. The people involved seem really, really nice, and I wanted so badly to like this beer....but it just reminds me of Budweiser, and that is never, ever a positive thing. It was just boring, and I really hope they improve, because more breweries in the area is always a good thing, especially when the people involved are so very friendly.
Olde Burnside Brewing Company's Father Christmas Highland Ale (Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy, 9.2%) and Stone of Destiny (Black and Tan, 12%)--By this point, my already poor handwriting had severely deteriorated, to the point that even I can barely read it. This did not in any way decrease my enjoyment of the beers I was drinking, of course, but it does make my opinions slightly suspect. That said, I thought that both of these were good beers, with the Father Christmas a nice example of a Scotch Ale; malty, slightly sweet, a good drinking beer with a nice mouth feel. The Stone of Destiny, that rare bottled black and tan, was also a good one, a perfect example of what you're looking for in a black and tan. This was my last scheduled stop.
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| Mad River Brewing Company |
And on to the additional beers I tried, that were not on my original list.
Mad River Brewing Company's Jamaica Red Ale (American Amber/Red Ale (6.5%)--I only wrote one word: "Awful." Cool sign though.
Otter Creek Brewing's Hop Session Ale (American Pale Ale, 4.25%)--A nice example of a session ale, light and tasty.
High Horse Brewing's Mr. White (Witbier w/ Grapefruit, 4.75%)--High Horse does some nice stuff, and this is a good witbier, with a decent, mild flavor. Also super friendly people. Read my review of the High Horse itself here.
All in all, this was a great success, for me personally and for BeerAdvocate and the ACBF; the event continues to be a blast for all participants, and grows year by year. In the future, they may have to expand to offer a fourth, or even fifth session over three days. After only six years, this event is already the largest beer festival on the east coast, one of the largest in the country, and attracts about 15,000 people over a two day period; that is distinctly impressive. Well done BeerAdvocate, well done Harpoon, and well done to all the brewers and attendees. Not a single fight, argument, or even disagreement seemed to break out while I was in the area, which considering the amounts of alcohol being consumed and the number of people involved is a true testament to the respect people have for this event.
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| View of the giant room |
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| Another view of the giant room |
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| Some swag from Kona |
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| The all important guide to the ACBF |
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| More swag, this time from Widmer Brothers |
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| One more shot of the room...people of all ages were there, a great event! |
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| Long Trail and Otter Creek; two great Vermont breweries side by side |
Friday, March 15, 2013
Boston Trip (Boston and Cambridge, MA)
Regina Pizzeria is, by all accounts, a Boston landmark, a restaurant famous enough to have its own page on Wikipedia, and a real icon in the predominately Italian North End neighborhood. With 21 locations ranging throughout greater Boston, this is a still-growing business serving the same great pizza they have since 1926.
I met an old college friend at the restaurant for dinner a little after 8:00pm on Wednesday, having just started to recover my appetite from my trip to Tacos Lupita, and having done a fair bit of walking already that day (from Allston to Cambridge, then from Quincy Market, where I had a couple beers with another friend, to the North End), I was ready for some pizza. My friend had a coupon for a couple different pizzas, which is good, because the place is not cheap; their "gourmet" pizzas, as they refer to them, are around $20 for a large. We ended up going with the Classico, which consists of tomato sauce, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, fresh mushrooms, mozzarella and parmesan. It was really good, with a crispy exterior and a thin crust in the middle, which could not hold the weight of the toppings. The sauce was nothing particularly special, though it had a nice sweetness to it. The pepperoni was mild, with almost no spice to it, but I wasn't expecting it to be the star; that honor fell to the artichoke hearts, which were delicious, but not quite what I expected. When I think of being served artichoke hearts, I think of just the heart itself, that meaty, delicious chunk of buttery flesh in the center of all those leaves, but in this case, they left some of the more tender inner leaves attached. This wasn't exactly a problem, but it wasn't what I expected, and it's certainly not how I would have gone about making it; then again, they're the ones who have been open for almost 90 years, so who am I to talk?
Overall, the food was solid, though not as amazing as I expected, and it was a fun place to grab some pizza. We had a few slices left over that my friend took home, and they were huge slices. I would say it's a good place to go, but also that there are better options in the North End.
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Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers identifies itself as being a Boston landmark as well, but that is just a flat out lie; after all, they're not even in Boston! Located in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, this is a really good place to get a burger, offering thirty cleverly named burgers, mostly political or sports related, that range from "The (Sexy) Rexy Ryan," a chicken burger with blue cheese, hot sauce and french fries, to "The Chara," listed as "'wicked good' w/ bbq sauce, bacon, jalapeno pineapple relish and grilled onions w/ baked beans." I met another old friend from college there on Thursday for lunch, and it was pretty well packed still at almost 1:30pm, but we got squeezed in immediately. The atmosphere is fun, with the waitresses screaming the orders to the cooks and a lively crowd of mostly college aged people eating there, though by no means was the crowd limited to twenty-somethings.
I went with "The Mark Zuckerberg," described as "(Richest geek in America) with boursin cheese, bacon, and sweet potato fries." It was delicious. Cooked perfectly rare (so hard to get people to do that these days!), it was a hefty patty, seemingly larger than the 7oz the website claims, on a delicious sesame bun with a mound of delicious, creamy boursin and a pile of super crispy bacon on top. The fries were actually reasonably crispy (awesome!) and had that strong, sweet flavor indicative of fresh sweet potato, and they provided so many that even as hungry as I was, I ended up giving my friend the last two because I was unable to stuff them into my already overfilled gut.
Since I walked about 12 miles in two days, I felt it was completely acceptable for me to also get a root beer float, and I felt completely vindicated when it arrived; it was absolutely delicious, with good root beer and delicious vanilla ice cream. This is just one of many specialty drinks, including lime rickeys, egg creams, and a number of frappes. My friend went with "The Michelle Obama" burger, "(she's hot & spicy) blue cheese burger with cajun seasoning and french fries," and she swapped out the fries for sweet potato fries of her own. She enjoyed it, and also her raspberry lime rickey.
I would definitely recommend this; the burgers are better than the nearby Charlie's Kitchen, with more variety and options. Unless you are going for the booze, I would definitely say Mr. Bartley's is the better choice if you don't mind spending a few dollars more. After tip, we were in the $40 range between the burgers and drinks, so it isn't cheap, but I really enjoyed it.
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I went to Crema Cafe twice in my two days in the Boston area, once on Wednesday to waste a little time before meeting for drinks at Quincy Market, and again on Thursday to waste some time after lunch. Located just off Harvard Square, this is a moderately sized cafe, offering seating on the main level and also in a small loft section. Offering gourmet coffee and a variety of food, this is a great, albeit expensive place to hang out and read a book, or just grab a coffee on the way to work. I had iced coffee on Wednesday since it was beautiful out, though they were out of their cold brewed coffee unfortunately, and it was good, much better than some crappy Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks (both of which are in the area) coffee. Thursday was a bit chilly, so I ended up with a hot coffee, which was one of the best I'd ever had; it was strong, but not bitter, and after 16oz of it I didn't feel like I'd been bowled over with caffeine, nor did I feel like I needed more; rather, it was just right. I also grabbed a couple macaroons with my hot coffee, and they were ridiculously good. Light, moist, slightly but not too sweet, with a crisp exterior, they were as good as I've ever had, and I had to struggle to convince myself that I didn't need more than the original two.
Sandwiches, soups, salads and sundry other foods are also offered, so this is a really good option if you are looking to just hang out and grab lunch, and while I cannot speak to the quality of that food, if it is anything like what I had you will not be remotely disappointed. My friend Joe goes there when he is not at the library at the Kennedy School, and he spoke highly of it as well. This is definitely a highly recommended spot.
******
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I met an old college friend at the restaurant for dinner a little after 8:00pm on Wednesday, having just started to recover my appetite from my trip to Tacos Lupita, and having done a fair bit of walking already that day (from Allston to Cambridge, then from Quincy Market, where I had a couple beers with another friend, to the North End), I was ready for some pizza. My friend had a coupon for a couple different pizzas, which is good, because the place is not cheap; their "gourmet" pizzas, as they refer to them, are around $20 for a large. We ended up going with the Classico, which consists of tomato sauce, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, fresh mushrooms, mozzarella and parmesan. It was really good, with a crispy exterior and a thin crust in the middle, which could not hold the weight of the toppings. The sauce was nothing particularly special, though it had a nice sweetness to it. The pepperoni was mild, with almost no spice to it, but I wasn't expecting it to be the star; that honor fell to the artichoke hearts, which were delicious, but not quite what I expected. When I think of being served artichoke hearts, I think of just the heart itself, that meaty, delicious chunk of buttery flesh in the center of all those leaves, but in this case, they left some of the more tender inner leaves attached. This wasn't exactly a problem, but it wasn't what I expected, and it's certainly not how I would have gone about making it; then again, they're the ones who have been open for almost 90 years, so who am I to talk?
Overall, the food was solid, though not as amazing as I expected, and it was a fun place to grab some pizza. We had a few slices left over that my friend took home, and they were huge slices. I would say it's a good place to go, but also that there are better options in the North End.
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Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers identifies itself as being a Boston landmark as well, but that is just a flat out lie; after all, they're not even in Boston! Located in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, this is a really good place to get a burger, offering thirty cleverly named burgers, mostly political or sports related, that range from "The (Sexy) Rexy Ryan," a chicken burger with blue cheese, hot sauce and french fries, to "The Chara," listed as "'wicked good' w/ bbq sauce, bacon, jalapeno pineapple relish and grilled onions w/ baked beans." I met another old friend from college there on Thursday for lunch, and it was pretty well packed still at almost 1:30pm, but we got squeezed in immediately. The atmosphere is fun, with the waitresses screaming the orders to the cooks and a lively crowd of mostly college aged people eating there, though by no means was the crowd limited to twenty-somethings.
I went with "The Mark Zuckerberg," described as "(Richest geek in America) with boursin cheese, bacon, and sweet potato fries." It was delicious. Cooked perfectly rare (so hard to get people to do that these days!), it was a hefty patty, seemingly larger than the 7oz the website claims, on a delicious sesame bun with a mound of delicious, creamy boursin and a pile of super crispy bacon on top. The fries were actually reasonably crispy (awesome!) and had that strong, sweet flavor indicative of fresh sweet potato, and they provided so many that even as hungry as I was, I ended up giving my friend the last two because I was unable to stuff them into my already overfilled gut.
Since I walked about 12 miles in two days, I felt it was completely acceptable for me to also get a root beer float, and I felt completely vindicated when it arrived; it was absolutely delicious, with good root beer and delicious vanilla ice cream. This is just one of many specialty drinks, including lime rickeys, egg creams, and a number of frappes. My friend went with "The Michelle Obama" burger, "(she's hot & spicy) blue cheese burger with cajun seasoning and french fries," and she swapped out the fries for sweet potato fries of her own. She enjoyed it, and also her raspberry lime rickey.
I would definitely recommend this; the burgers are better than the nearby Charlie's Kitchen, with more variety and options. Unless you are going for the booze, I would definitely say Mr. Bartley's is the better choice if you don't mind spending a few dollars more. After tip, we were in the $40 range between the burgers and drinks, so it isn't cheap, but I really enjoyed it.
******************
I went to Crema Cafe twice in my two days in the Boston area, once on Wednesday to waste a little time before meeting for drinks at Quincy Market, and again on Thursday to waste some time after lunch. Located just off Harvard Square, this is a moderately sized cafe, offering seating on the main level and also in a small loft section. Offering gourmet coffee and a variety of food, this is a great, albeit expensive place to hang out and read a book, or just grab a coffee on the way to work. I had iced coffee on Wednesday since it was beautiful out, though they were out of their cold brewed coffee unfortunately, and it was good, much better than some crappy Dunkin' Donuts or Starbucks (both of which are in the area) coffee. Thursday was a bit chilly, so I ended up with a hot coffee, which was one of the best I'd ever had; it was strong, but not bitter, and after 16oz of it I didn't feel like I'd been bowled over with caffeine, nor did I feel like I needed more; rather, it was just right. I also grabbed a couple macaroons with my hot coffee, and they were ridiculously good. Light, moist, slightly but not too sweet, with a crisp exterior, they were as good as I've ever had, and I had to struggle to convince myself that I didn't need more than the original two.
Sandwiches, soups, salads and sundry other foods are also offered, so this is a really good option if you are looking to just hang out and grab lunch, and while I cannot speak to the quality of that food, if it is anything like what I had you will not be remotely disappointed. My friend Joe goes there when he is not at the library at the Kennedy School, and he spoke highly of it as well. This is definitely a highly recommended spot.
******
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Sunday, February 24, 2013
Charlie's Kitchen (Cambridge, MA)
Located a short walk from Harvard University and numerous clubs and bars, Charlie's Kitchen is a popular late night spot to grab a beer and a burger and hang out. My first trip there was several months ago, after a night out at the Hong Kong, another local hotspot, and I loved it from the minute I set foot in there. Split between two levels, the downstairs is narrow, with a lengthy bar and some tables and booths, while the upstairs is more spacious, with a second, slightly smaller bar, numerous tables and a little bit more room to move around, and the bar is poorly lit, dank, with a feeling that maybe, just maybe, you don't want to eat there because lord knows the place doesn't look that clean. But I was a little tipsy the first time, and wanted a burger, so I dealt with it. With over a dozen beers on tap and a significant number of bottled options, you can just about guarantee that you'll be satisfied at Charlies if you're there to drink. Both times I went, however, it was more about the food than the beer (though beer was consumed both times, of course).
The first time I went was, as I said, a late night after being out at a club drinking, and I got a basic cheeseburger and fries, which were greasy, delicious, and just what you need at that time of the night. This time, at the urging of my friend Joe, I went for the Double Mushroom & Swiss Cheeseburger, which was exactly what it sounds like; a double cheeseburger, made with swiss cheese and a plentiful helping of sauteed mushrooms. Very simple, but very good. Once again, it was greasy and delicious, cooked relatively well (with the thin patties they use, it's tough to get a real "rare" burger, but they did a good job overall), and the mushrooms were great, big chunks and slices that were cooked just enough to have some sear on them, but without becoming soft and textureless. This wasn't the best burger I've ever had, by any means, but it's a really good, satisfying, homey burger, that is perfect when you need something to soak up the alcohol in your system after a night of drinking, or if you just want a decent, greasy burger to remind you of having a backyard bar-b-que with your friends.
The burger came with a few waffle fries, that were fine, nothing special; they were salty enough to make me happy, without a ton of unnecessary grease, but they were really nothing you couldn't get anywhere else. They tasted good though, so I suppose that's all that matters. For beer I went with a Chimay White Cap, which was good, but less awesome than the Blue Cap, though it did go well with the burger, since it's light and doesn't overwhelm anything.
Overall, this is a place I'd highly recommend if you're looking for a snack at 2am, and don't want IHOP (right around the corner though, if you do) or if you just need a quick, simple, cheap (for Boston) burger. It also appears they have a few vegetarian options for those of you who are so inclined.
******
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The first time I went was, as I said, a late night after being out at a club drinking, and I got a basic cheeseburger and fries, which were greasy, delicious, and just what you need at that time of the night. This time, at the urging of my friend Joe, I went for the Double Mushroom & Swiss Cheeseburger, which was exactly what it sounds like; a double cheeseburger, made with swiss cheese and a plentiful helping of sauteed mushrooms. Very simple, but very good. Once again, it was greasy and delicious, cooked relatively well (with the thin patties they use, it's tough to get a real "rare" burger, but they did a good job overall), and the mushrooms were great, big chunks and slices that were cooked just enough to have some sear on them, but without becoming soft and textureless. This wasn't the best burger I've ever had, by any means, but it's a really good, satisfying, homey burger, that is perfect when you need something to soak up the alcohol in your system after a night of drinking, or if you just want a decent, greasy burger to remind you of having a backyard bar-b-que with your friends.
The burger came with a few waffle fries, that were fine, nothing special; they were salty enough to make me happy, without a ton of unnecessary grease, but they were really nothing you couldn't get anywhere else. They tasted good though, so I suppose that's all that matters. For beer I went with a Chimay White Cap, which was good, but less awesome than the Blue Cap, though it did go well with the burger, since it's light and doesn't overwhelm anything.
Overall, this is a place I'd highly recommend if you're looking for a snack at 2am, and don't want IHOP (right around the corner though, if you do) or if you just need a quick, simple, cheap (for Boston) burger. It also appears they have a few vegetarian options for those of you who are so inclined.
******
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Monday, June 4, 2012
2012 American Craft Beer Fest (Boston, MA)
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BeerAdvocate©
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Craft breweries are a specific category, defined as producing fewer than six million barrels of beer each year. This actually includes breweries that you wouldn't expect, such as Boston Beer Company (aka Samuel Adams) and D.G. Yuengling & Son, both of which are typically thought of as being "larger" independent breweries. At the 2012 ACBF, there were at least 121 breweries serving more than 550 beers. While I'd love to say I tried all of them, if I had tried to do so in the 3.5 hours of the event's "A" session, I'd have succumbed to alcohol poisoning long before succeeding. However, I did try to take some brief notes on many of those I did try. Each pour is two ounces or less; oftentimes the heartier (aka, higher ABV) beers are poured in smaller amounts, though that all depends on the brewery and/or person pouring. So, in no particular order, here goes:
- Brooklyn Brewery: Mary's Maple Porter (English Porter, 7.2%)--The first beer I tried, mostly so that I'd have something to drink while waiting in the extensive Dogfish Head line, this was a truly lovely little porter, with a light maple flavor that was present in every sip. The porter was exceptionally smooth, almost milk stout like in that fashion, but with a burst of flavor in every sip that belied that same lightness. Absolutely one of the best beers I had all day.
- Dogfish Head Brewery: 120 Minute IPA (American Double IPA, 18%)--This is a super strong, super flavorful IPA, though not hugely different from the 90 Minute IPA that is available year round. I am certainly glad I tried it, but it did not hold up to the WorldWide Stout that they served last year.
- Stone Brewing Company: Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale (American Black Ale, 8.7%)--I'd have sworn this was an IPA, based on the tremendous citrus-y flavor and strong bitterness, but apparently I was wrong, as this is considered a Black Ale. That said, it doesn't lose any of its brilliance, as this was tied for the best beer I had at the ACBF. If this were an IPA, it would be the best I'd ever had, which is impressive; instead, it's the best Black Ale I've ever had.
- Kona Brewing Company: Big Wave Golden Ale (American Blonde Ale, 4.4%)--This is actually pretty flavorful, which surprised me, because my only other experience with Kona had been their Longboard Island Lager, a super light lager that, while refreshingly enjoyable, isn't exactly flavor packed. Big Wave is also light and refreshing (much needed at about halfway through the event, especially since most of the other beers I'd been drinking had been high ABV offerings), but doesn't sell itself short by skimping on flavor. Highly recommended if you can get it and are going to be relaxing outside on a hot day.
- Element Brewing Company: Dark Element (American Black Ale, 8%)--I'm a big Element fan, as it is located in Millers Falls (MA), a village of Montague, where I've worked for the last couple years, and where my mother has worked for nearly 30 years. As always, I love to support local businesses, and it's so much easier when the local business puts out a good product. Dark Element is one of a few beers I've tried from Element, and it is my favorite thus far. A strong, dark, and citrus-y offering (and available on tap at Hope and Olive), this is not a beer that everyone will enjoy, but if you like strong beers, try this.
- DL Geary Brewing Company: Geary's Hampshire Special Ale (English Strong Ale (7%)--I'll admit, I'm a little biased when it comes to Geary's; it was my first beer, and I've been drinking it for...well, since before I could legally drink beer. It's pretty much omnipresent in southern Maine, so I had easy access. The Hampshire Special Ale (or "HSA") is the best that Geary's has, a porter-ish "Strong Ale" that always seems to hold up to my (very high) expectations for it, year after year. It's quite hoppy, very malty, and just overall a fine choice, and among my all time favorite options.
- Kennebec River Pub & Brewery: Penobscot Porter (English Porter, 6.4%)--The first beer I had of the night that I wasn't thrilled by. Now, it wasn't bad, but it wasn't special either. That said, it was from Maine and the girl giving out the samples was pretty damn cute, so it's an acceptable option for those simple reasons.
**Please note that from here on out, my reviews will be a little less informed; I had previously been typing my notes into my phone, but then I (finally) got a pen, and started writing them into the booklet, which I appear to have left at my friend's apartment in Boston, so this is entirely memory based now**
- Rogue Ales: Double Dead Guy Ale (American Strong Ale, 9%)--Strong, bitter, and tasty. Well crafted beer, as almost all Rogue beers are.
- Brewery Ommegang: Hennepin (Farmhouse Ale/Saison, 7.7%)--This was a decent beer, not Ommegang's best, but certainly drinkable. That being said, if offered any other similar beer I'd probably leave this one.
- The People's Pint: Farmer Brown (English Brown Ale, 5.4%)--The People's Pint is a brew-pub in Greenfield (MA) that serves solid beer and solid food and that I will absolutely, 100% not go to ever again. The service is that bad. However, since this isn't about their brew-pub, but just their beers, I'll give a pretty strong endorsement to the Farmer Brown; it's not nearly as strong as most beers that I'd recommend, but it's got a pleasant taste, and would make a fine introductory beer for those who think they don't like non-Budweiser options. I would like to mention The Pint's sister restaurant, The Gill Tavern; great food and great service, one of the best restaurants in Western Massachusetts.
- Maine Beer Company: Mean Old Tom (American Stout, 6.5%)--Holy SHIT! The best beer I had all night, and apparently, I didn't even have their best (that would be "Lunch," a strong 7% IPA that they were, quite sadly, out of by the time I meandered over at the end of the night). I'm not even sure how to describe this, other than to say that this is the ultimate stout. I cannot wait until I find some more, and I also cannot wait to find the Lunch.
- Dogfish Head Brewery: Festina Peche (Berliner Weissbier, 4.5%)--Wow. Just wow. Awful. I think wasting beer should be a criminal act, and yet, I tossed the majority of the pour I received of this atrocity. According to BeerAdvocate, this is actually a highly rated beer, but I couldn't stand it, and neither could my friends Joe and Sean who accompanied me to the ACBF. Stay away, especially considering there are so many fantastic options from this standout company.
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