Tag Archives: cambridge

Jul11

Casa B, Union Sq

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Where: Casa B – 253 Washington Street, Somerville MA 02143
When: June, 2012

After my failed attempt to go to Casa B a few weeks ago I jumped at the chance to to go again, this time with a reservation. We got there for 7pm and were taken downstairs, which seemed to have a pretty different feel to it (cozier and more intimate than upstairs), to be seated. Originally we were taken to the bar to sit in this double bar stool thing which was a bit awkward so we requested, and were granted, a table. Thank god.

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We started with the Tabla de Ceviches which is an assortment of three ceviches, marinated in citrus, root vegetable chips. The three ceviches were langosta (lobster), merluza (hake) y salmón (salmon, obviously). They were all really good, fresh, light and zesty but the hake was probably my favorite. The trio of ceviches was served with plantain chips which were crunchy and earthy, a nice compliment to the lightness of the seafood.

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Next we got the Bacalaitos Fritos con Brandada y Alioli de Cilantro (salted cod fritters, brandade, with cilantro aioli). I expected these little deep fried fritters it to be really incredible but it fell a little flat for me. It was crispy and had the potential to be amazing but it was a little heavy and flavors a little muddled. The aioli was really good.

This was my favorite dish of the night. Camarones Rellenos de Yuca Envueltos en Tocineta con Salsa de Cilantro y Jengibre (Yucca Stuffed Shrimp wrapped in Bacon, Cilantro Ginger Dipping Sauce). The shrimp were succulent; yucca, earthy and bacon, salty. The sauce mellowed the flavors out and gave it a burst of freshness. I could have eaten a couple dozen of these.

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Next, we got the Albóndigas en Salsa de Guayaba (Meatballs in Guava Sauce). The meatballs were tender and juicy with the sauce adding a sweetness to balance them out. I thought that this was an unusual menu item for a tapas place, but what do I know? It totally fit and worked.

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For dessert, we got the Tres Leches – Leche Condensada, Evaporada,  Clásica Decorado con Merengue (Three Milk Cake: Condensed, Evaporated, Cream, topped with Meringue) which had come highly recommended from a friend. This little cake was really good – moist, soft, light, and fluffy. It satisfied my need for something sweet at the end of ever meal.

Overall, the service was great, atmosphere vibrant yet intimate, and food above average. Great for groups, a date, or just out with a friend. I’d definitely go again.

How did Casa B measure up? 4 Spoons!

Casa B on Urbanspoon

Jul7

Full Moon, Huron Village

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Where: Full Moon – 344 Huron Ave Cambridge, MA 02138
When: June, 2012

A neighborhood friend of mine suggested Full Moon, which is only a few blocks away from me, when I first moved to Huron Village in Spring of 2010 but only just made it over there. I had been told it was a “family friendly” restaurant but I guess I didn’t really understand what that meant. I assumed “family friendly” meant that they have a kid’s menu but this place practically caters to kids. There were as many children there as there were adults, the tablecloths were paper and a cup of crayons were at every table. There was also a playroom with train tracks where kids could roam free and roam free they did. Don’t get me wrong, I like kids (sometimes), but as someone who doesn’t have any I was a little overwhelmed by the noise level and constant stimulus.

As good as the food was, if you are child-less I wouldn’t recommend going here as there are plenty of other great places to go. If you dislike children, whether you have them or not, I would tell you to run in the other direction.

The food was good. Eleanor had the pancakes with whipped cream, fresh fruit & bacon. I personally don’t think bacon has any business being on the same plate as pancakes but since they refused to leave I did have to give her pancakes a little attention. Good fluffy pancakes.

I had the smoked turkey sandwich, bacon, avocado, Russian dressing, lettuce, tomato, with greens. The greens were a little heavily dressed for my liking but the sandwich was stellar. My plate seems small with all that food on it and I think I made more of a mess than any child in the place did. I would definitely get that sandwich again though, the combination of the salty bacon with the buttery avocado, fresh greens and tomato and creamy dressing was perfect.

“We like to think of Full Moon as a parent’s dream come true” – New England Travel & Life

“I like to think of Full Moon as the childless person’s worst nightmare” – Vanessa P.

How did Full Moon measure up? 3.75 Spoons!

Full Moon on Urbanspoon

Jun24

The Hong Kong, Harvard Sq

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Where: Hong Kong – 1238 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA
When: May, 2012

One would think after stopping for waffles the night would start wrapping up. But no, not with us. After a long day of being super outdoorsy (drinking on patios and decks) and eating our way down the red line we decided, naturally, to get Chinese food at the Hong Kong, after waffles. For those of you who don’t know, the Hong Kong is a famous Boston spot known for its scorpion bowls, underage drinking, fights, and random drunken shenanigans. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen someone throwing up outside the Hong Kong after 1am. Most of this takes place on the top two levels where the bar and comedy /dance club are, so we were fairly safe on the first floor, which is a restaurant.

We were seated quickly although the waitstaff seemed a little annoyed that we were even there. We didn’t get friendlier service once seated but the food came out quickly, which is all we really wanted.

We ordered Crab Rangoons, Scallion Pancakes, and Fried Rice. The crab rangoons were your average deep fried greasy variety that tastes phenomenal at 3am but would likely make you nauseous any other time of day. The fried rice was unmemorable. The scallion pancakes, on the other hand, were quite delightful. They were fried, obvi, but not too heavy or oniony. The sauce served with them was tangy and gave it a nice bite.

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Overall, the Hong Kong is what it is. Its a place that’s open late when you want greasy Chinese food and can’t get down to Chinatown. Personally, I wouldn’t go back unless under this circumstance, which I shouldn’t make a habit of.

I did find a fortune in my pocket the next day which was a pleasant surprise. It said: Seeing your smile always brings smiles upon others”. Aw, shucks.

How did the Hong Kong measure up? 1.5 Spoons!

Jun16

Zinneken’s, Harvard Sq

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Where: Zinneken’s – 1154 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge 02138
When: May, 2012

Twas the day before Memorial day and I was drunk. It was an accident.

The day started at 11am with manicures at a little place in Porter Square. I was grateful that they had Miami Beat, the color I had already on my toes. After that we walked down to Harvard Square and sat outside at the Legal Seafood’s for oysters, salads, and gin and tonics. It was absolutely gorgeous out and one round quickly turned into three rounds. We eventually headed to Dorchester for a friend’s BBQ. There we ate some more, listened to some piano and singing, met lots of new people, and shared some wine. During the BBQ, waffles was brought up consistently so, as the sun went down, we decided we needed to head back to Harvard Sq on a search for waffles.

We waltzed into Zinneken’s and excited looked over the menu, finally settling on the Dame Blanche. The Dame Blanche is a waffle with whipped cream and Belgian chocolate. I eagerly cut the waffle in half before I got to take a photo so you will just need to imagine it as a whole. The waffle was hot and fresh; chocolate warm and gooey; cream light and sweet. It was just as I remembered them from my short visit to Belgium a few years ago.

This waffle was the perfect end to the night. Except we didn’t stop there…

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Overall, from what I remember, the staff were very nice, decor simple and clean, and waffles amazing. I’ll have to go back and take my time enjoying my waffle instead of just inhaling it.

How did Zinneken’s measure up? 4 Spoons!

Jun12

Flour Bakery + Cafe, Central Sq

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Where: Flour Bakery + Cafe – 190 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge MA 02139
When: May, 2012

I didn’t realize how close our new office was to Flour Bakery. I also didn’t realize how hooked I would be on their sandwiches and sweets. Ay Dios Mio.

I’ve been wanting to go to Flour Bakery since seeing Joanne Chang, the owner, compete on Throwdown with Bobby Flay on the Food Network. Not only did she throwdown with her sticky buns but she won. Damn straight. I also ran into Joanne (do you like how I pretend to know her on a first name basis?) at the Tags in Porter Sq when she was doing a book signing. I didn’t know she was slated to be there and almost went into a frenzy when I saw her.

Anyways, back to the present…

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There isn’t much that I like more than a BLT and the BLT at Flour is amazing. I’ve been back several times and have never wavered from the BLT. Its that good. Its made with applewood-smoked bacon, arugula, tomato, and mayo. The bread is lightly toasted, the bacon smokey, crisp and salty, and there’s something about the tomato… Its not just a tomato slapped on the sandwich, its like a sun dried tomato spread or something. Juicy, sweet, and just melts into the bread. Delicious!

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For dessert, this particular trip, I got not one but two cookies. Naturally. The one on the left is a Milk Chocolate and Hazelnut Cookie and the one on the right is a Peanut Butter and Chopped Nuts Cookie. I had the peanut butter one after lunch and saved the milk chocolate and hazelnut one for later in the day. The peanut butter one was very good but after having the milk chocolate and hazelnut one I don’t think there is any going back, it was clearly the better of the two.

Overall, I’ve never been able to get a seat at Flour, its always packed to the walls, so I have only gotten food to go. Despite how busy they are its always fairly quick and really efficient. Everyone is also super nice which isn’t always easy under pressure. The food is consistent and the sandwiches, well the BLT, are crave worthy. I need to go back for those damn sticky buns that everyone is always talking about. I’m just not sure I can handle a BLT and stick bun and how does one choose between the two?

How did Flour Bakery measure up? 4.5 Spoons!

Flour Bakery + Cafe on Urbanspoon

Jun9

Painted Burro, Davis Sq – Revisited

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Where: The Painted Burro – 219 Elm Street Somerville, MA
When: May 2012

I’m very fond of the Painted Burro. In fact, in some cultures I may be considered “in love” with the Burro. He makes me very happy.

Lately I have been spending more time at the Painted Burro, it seems to be becoming one of my regular spots.  The have turned me into a big margarita fan.

This last visit started off as just going out for a couple of margaritas but once we got a couple of those in us we wanted food. We ordered the Guacamole “El Mero Mero” with fire roasted poblano & onion rajas and the Crispy Maine Redfish tacos with savoy cabbage, jalapeno slaw and baja mayo.

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The Burro offers three types of guacamole: one traditional, one with pork belly, and one with peppers and onions. We opted for the third options which was really good. The poblanos weren’t too spicy but gave the guacamole a nice texture and flavor. The guacamole alone would have been great so this was just an added bonus. And the chips… delicious. Not too heavy or greasy like a lot of places.

Its a little hard to tell whats going on in this photo but this is the Crispy Maine Redfish tacos with savoy cabbage, jalapeno slaw and baja mayo.I had had this dish earlier in the week and remembered it being really good (so good I forgot to take a photo before inhaling them) so suggested it again. We both really enjoyed the tacos and found them really filling. They had  just the right amount of crunch, crisp, spice, and creaminess. I think I actually prefer these over the shrimp tacos I got last time I was there.

Overall, I love this place and am upping the spoons I gave them last time. I love the atmosphere, the food is great and the service very good (they forgot to put in our guacamole order so when we asked 30 minutes later they brought it out for free and were very apologetic). I actually just realized why I recognized the bartender, he is / was the bartender at Posto, which is owned by the same people. You know you are in trouble when you start recognizing bartenders from bar to bar, right?

How did The Painted Burro measure up? 4.5 Spoons!

The Painted Burro on Urbanspoon

Jun6

Highland Kitchen, Porter / Union Sq (ish?)

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Where: Highland Kitchen – 150 Highland Avenue  Somerville, MA
When: May, 2012

A few weeks ago the lovely Mr and soon-to-be Mrs Juddles came down to Somerville to have dinner with Libby and I. Our last dinner took us to the Gulu Gulu Cafe in Salem which is fairly close to where they live and the one before that was at my place so this time we chose a restaurant near Libby’s. What better choice than Highland Kitchen which is just a stone’s throw away! The Juddles put our name on the list and with over an hour’s wait we went to Libby’s for a few glasses of wine. When we headed back down they were just about to call us to be seated – perfect timing.

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We started with the oysters which were a special (Wellfleet maybe or am I getting my oysters confused?). I loved them, as usual, and could have eaten another dozen just on my own.

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Libby and I decided to share a couple of appetizers and then a sandwich. First we started with the Ricotta and Mozzarella Fritters with a Chile-honey dipping sauce. Oh my. These fritters just melted in your mouth and the sweet spiciness of the sauce is such a nice compliment to the salty creaminess of the cheese. I think I may get these every time I go back. The photo is a bit blurry as I may have been shaking from mild excitement.

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We then split the Smoked Bluefish Cakes with mango-mustard hot sauce and scallions. These were really good, smokey and tangy with the sauce. Light but substantial.

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Now our main course… We split the Blackened Catfish Po’ Boy that came with remoulade, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles on french bread. This photo doesn’t do it justice but you get the idea. The catfish was really nicely cooked, or fried I should say, with a crispy layer outside and nice and flaky inside. As for the remoulade, I could eat that shit by the bowlful. The bread was perfect for it as well, toasted and not too doughy. The fries were delicious. Overall, fantastic.

We decided to get two desserts to share with the table, which is always a good idea…

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The first, which Judd was adamant about (that’s praise, not judgement), was the Hot Fudge Sundae with Vanilla Ice Cream and Whipped Cream. This was good, although very melty, and I would have likely really enjoyed it if we hadn’t gotten the second dessert but it just got blown out of the water by the second one.

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Now this is the dessert that blew my socks off. Warm Banana Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream. I have been so fond of bread puddings this past year – I have got to make one at home sometime as its rare to find other foods that are as comforting. The bread pudding was firm yet totally bursting with banana and caramel flavors. The ice cream, although simple, went along with it perfectly. Yes, please.

Overall, loved everything we got to order, especially the fritters and the bread pudding. The service was great (and wine glasses quickly replenished) and Highland Kitchen has a busy but friendly atmosphere. I’d definitely go back and likely will, many times. Just beware of the wait.

How did Highland Kitchen measure up? 4.75 Spoons!

Highland Kitchen on Urbanspoon

May29

Otto Pizza, Harvard Sq

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Where: Otto Pizza – 1432 Mass Ave. Cambridge MA 02139
When: May, 2012

A couple of weeks ago I signed up with Boston Cares, a volunteer organization here in Boston. The day after I did my orientation I was so eager to pick up an opportunity that I signed up for a Books for Prisoners program in Quincy. I spent the evening reading through letters from prisoners and helping choose books for them based on what their interests and requests were. All were polite and friendly, a few heartbreaking. I didn’t finish up until about 9pm so by the time I got back to Harvard Sq it was almost 10 and I was starving.

Pizza isn’t my usual go-to quick and easy meal but it was a chilly rainy night and that’s just what was on my mind.

I got two slices from Otto Pizza thinking, foolishly, that I would eat one and save the other for work the next day. Instead, I inhaled them both the moment I got home.

The slice on the left is the Chicken, Mushroom and Fontina Pizza and the one on the right in the Chicken and Basil Pizza. Both were delicious, especially after having been out in the rain (as you can see the raindrops that I couldn’t protect my pizza from on the bag below) and so hungry, but the Chicken, Mushroom, and Fontina was just to die for. And here I thought I wasn’t a fan of Fontina… It was creamy and salty and just plain good. The Chicken Basil one was as well but there was something a little more indulgent about the one on the left.

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Overall, I’d definitely get pizza from Otto Pizza again. The place is tiny so I wouldn’t t recommend going their to eat in but they were friendly and quick quick a few slices to go and their slices were mighty tasty.

How would Otto Pizza measure up? 4 Spoons!

Otto Pizza on Urbanspoon

May25

Veggie Galaxy, Central Sq

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Where: Veggie Galaxy – 450 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02139
When: May, 2012

After seeing Veggie Galaxy reviewed on one of Boston’s food shows and having heard that they serve breakfast all day long I was eager to get down there and try them out.

Veggie Galaxy is all vegetarian food although everyone I know who has gone there has assured me that us meatatarians won’t miss the meat at all. Alright, bring it.

I like the atmosphere at Veggie Galaxy, its laid back and old school dineresque. (I was very tempted to write “old skool” just then) They have an open kitchen, hightops and a lot of chrome. All good with me.

We decided to split two of their burgers: 1) The Harvard Square Tarragon Basil Pesto Burger which comes with red cabbage slaw, and sweet corn mash. We got this one with the mushroom chickpea burger patty. 2) The Kendall Square Burger which comes with roasted red pepper puree, beer battered onion rings, roasted garlic mayo, and baby arugula. We got this one with the Chipotle black bean burger patty. They were both very different and very good. I did want fries instead of salad but they said they couldn’t do substitutions which I was confused by. In retrospect I could have gotten a side of fries but didn’t think about it.

I started with the Harvard Square Tarragon Basil Pesto Burger as it seemed a little milder in flavors. It was very good with the sweetness of the mash and earthiness of the mushroom patty. The burger patty could have been a little firmer for my likely but the flavor was very good.

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The Kendall Square Burger was a little more gluttonous than the first, with deep fried onion rings right on top – yes. The roasted garlic mayo was one of my favorite parts (you know I love my aiolis).  I think we both may have preferred this burger patty to the first.

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For dessert we split the Sweet Potato Carrot Cake, which is made in-house. The flavors were good but the cake wasn’t very moist. Its likely from having been refrigerated but it just was cold and dry. Not memorable.

Overall, I liked it. I wasn’t knocked off my high booth but it was all good (minus the cake). The service was great and burgers were worth coming back for. I’d recommend it for groups, breakfast, and dinner with friends. Its far from romantic but who needs that all the time anyways, right?

How did Veggie Galaxy measure up? 3 Spoons!

Veggie Galaxy on Urbanspoon

May21

Andy’s Diner, Porter Sq

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Where: Andy’s Diner –   2030 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA  02140
When: April, 2012

With a friend in from New York for a Kentucky Derby shing ding I thought there was no way she would drag herself out of bed (after only getting in it a few hours earlier) to have brunch with me. But she did! Originally we planed to go to Sofra but after looking over the menu we decided we wanted to try somewhere with more options (not that I would not be completely happy brunching off of donuts alone). I threw around a couple of places, one of them being Andy’s Diner in Porter Sq. I swear I had heard that this place was great as its right next to the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts but I must have misheard as it was far from great.

I actually really like the atmosphere – its this unpretentious diner type place with no frills and slightly curmudgeony older waitresses. The clientele is a good mix of young hipsters and older families. The location is great. Sadly, the food was disappointing.

I got the Denver Omelet which was fine enough but bland and a bit on the dry side. The home fries that came with it were super dry and had no seasoning. I couldn’t even get them to taste good by drowning them in ketchup. Out of everything I ate mostly toast as that was the best thing that came with my meal.

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Overall, I like the atmosphere but I wouldn’t go back because of the food.

How did Andy’s Diner measure up? 1.25 Spoons!