Tuna Salad Wrap, Uninterrupted

Especially in the summer months, I try to get out for a true lunchbreak at least once a week.  Sometimes I'll eat first and then go for a walk or sit in the Common to read for 45 minutes, or I'll go sit at the bar somewhere (no beer I swear...) and order a quick meal.  Eating at the bar too often turns into a $15 lunch, and I'm not rich woman... there are times that tab could break the bank!

But, I discovered the perfect compromise: lunch at Boston Common Coffee Co. Typically, this is my breakfast spot.  I indulge myself in an iced mocha and a croissant every Friday, my little weekly treat to myself (okay, my one-of-many weekly treats).  Lunch here is great, you can order your meal "for here," and eat it at the large counter facing the windows.  It's the best of both worlds - lunch out without the tip!  Plus, it'll only run you about $7.

I've been wrapped up in my book lately, The Island, a story about 2 generations of sisters dealing with the blows of life on Tuckernuck, a small island off of Nantucket.  I'm always drawn to books that are set in areas familiar to me.  When the writer mentions places I've been to like Something Natural and the Chicken Box, I feel so much closer to the story.  Also, I'm going to Nantucket in September for my annual reunion with my girlfriends from home, so it makes me even more giddy for that trip (love you, rats!).  Because the 10 minutes of reading I do on the bus every morning isn't enough, I really wanted to get a good read in during my break.

This place is the best spot in Downtown Crossing to sit, relax, eat, and read read read.  I ordered my tuna wrap with a side of cold tortellini salad, grabbed a seat at the counter, and started to read.  My order number was called within a few minutes, and I took this beautiful plate back to my seat:

Lately I've been big into tuna salad wraps.  I've been craving one from Atlantic Bagel in Hingham but, poor me, I don't have a car to get me there.  Their tuna wrap is perfect: crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, diced pickles, and they make it on the same board they use for bagels so you get that leftover-bagel topping taste that I looove.  Boston Common Coffee Company makes a pretty good wrap, they don't have diced pickles, but I can't complain.  And you cannot go wrong with pasta salad, ever.  Maybe it was a little too much for one person at lunch, but, oops, I cleaned my plate anyway.

For 45 minutes, I ate and read, uninterrupted and happy as a clam. The food is good, the atmosphere is good, and, as they say in Tuckernuck, "life is good!"

Dining Al Fresco

This past Saturday was a long, slow, easy day with a loose agenda to follow and just the right amount of sunshine to keep city adventures happy and bearable.  Initially heading out for a day of pitchers of beer and mozzarella sticks, our path was diverted by the less than punctual number 7 bus.  The decision to walk into the city morphed our cheap-eats cravings into the need to dine al fresco.  So, to the North End we walked, along the canal and then down Commercial street in search of a spot on the water.  We couldn't bear to do Tia's or American Joe's, so we veered off to check out the lunch menu at the Chart House.

After a short review of the lunch menu and a struggle against temptation, we harnessed our champagne tastes (ignoring our tap water budgets) and decided the better option would be to forgo our seaside lunch plan and head to the outdoor patio at Fiore instead.  Which, save for the group of painfully immature 30-somethings in their Nantucket reds sprawled across four patio tables shouting to each other about girls and drinking, turned out to be the right choice.

Now, you pretty much can't go wrong in the North End, so of course the food was delicious.  We started with an antipasto plate - an array of prosciutto, olive loaf, hard salami, a sharp cheese, sun dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts with a light coating of olive oil.  Recently I've really been into starting out the meal with an antipasto.  It satiates my appetite without leaving me feeling stuffed and too-full for the main dish.  Those Italians, they know what they're doing when it comes to food.  Ooo and the artichoke hearts were so tasty - luckily I'm the only one that likes them so I got to have my fill!

I can't help myself when I see a pitcher of sangria, so I had to get a glass.  It was fruity, sweet, and with just enough booze to give me a slight buzz just from one glass.  When I grow up, I want to keep a fresh pitcher of sangria in my kitchen at all times.

Then, we got a sausage, onion, and mozzarella pizza ("The best pizza in the city" according to Mike but don't tell Pizzeria Regina that!).   It really was delicious, even though it was a little soggy in the middle but I'm not complaining.  The sausage was sweet and possibly house-made, the mozzarella was fresh and the crust was the dry type that lends perfectly to sopping up the extra sauce and cheese.  There are few things I enjoy more in this little life I live than sitting at a bar with good company, pizza, and drinks.

We left with smiles on our faces and full bellies to continue our Saturday in the city on the cheap with beers and trivia games at The Point then to Atlantic Beer Garden for some more outdoor dining.  All in all, great and tasty Saturday!

All Hail Dunkin' Donuts

June 4^th, 2010: Free Donut Day at Dunkin’ Donuts.  My choice: Jelly!

I love Dunkin' Donuts.  It’s where my mom and I would meet up with my grandfather when I was little, where we’d go for iced coffees when we ditched class in high school, the first place I’d go off the plane coming back from school in Arizona.  Dunkin’s cools us down in the summer, does its best to cure our hangovers with bacon, egg & cheese sangies, makes really good commercials.  Dunkin’ Donuts is more than a just a brand – it’s a feeling, it’s memories, it’s ours.  

I can't mention Dunkin's or jelly donuts in my post without a shout out to the amazingly talented Kelley Carey MacDonald... not only did she produce the wonder that is Molly MacDonald, she also paints (and sells!) the most adorable jelly donut paintings you could imagine!

 

Love you, mom!  

... because we are alive and we are in love ...

I spent most of my day yesterday decaffeinated and starving, sitting in the courthouse fulfilling my civic duties and waiting to hear if I was going to be put on the trial of a convicted rapist. When the clerk spoke those four beautiful words, "Jurors, you are released," I let out a huge sigh and then broke into action. I had no mercy, everyone had get out of my way - the sick, the old, the pregnant... they were all just hazy roadblocks on my way to iced coffee. I was throwing punches, kicking people to the ground, and running over bodies on the sidewalk of Cambridge Street on my way to Starbucks. Waiting until mid-afternoon for my caffeine fix makes me very cranky. Molly-Hyde turned into Molly-Jeckyll thanks to a venti unsweetened iced coffee.

(no sick, old, or pregnant people were actually harmed in this Starbucks trip)

With some fuel in my system, I decided to take advantage of the warm afternoon and take in parts of the city I never get to enjoy on a weekday. I walked wherever my little feet took me - through the aptly named Beacon Hill, down Charles Street, over the windy Mass Ave Bridge, into Central Square with all the weirdos and finally ending at Harvard Square. I walked slowly and without an agenda, taking turns when I wanted to take turns and stopping when I saw something that I felt like stopping for. It was a solitary, silent, and peaceful walk that was eventually steered towards Border Cafe by my empty stomach.

I sat outside reading with a cold Negro Modelo and endless tortilla chips & salsa at a shaded table for one. After staring into the distance for minutes or maybe hours thinking empty thoughts of serenity, I glanced down at the page of my book and the words "because we are alive and we are in love" jumped out at me. They were perfect, the words I could never have put together on my own. It's why I felt so happy where I was - simply because I was alive, and in love - with everything around me... the slight breeze, the cold beer, the salty chips. In love with the view of the city street and the blue sky and the stores and shops to the right and left. In love with my life and the people that share it with me.

... and with the taco and enchilada I had coming my way! mmMmm

ole ole ole ole ole ole ole ole feelin hot hot hot hot

I went to school in Arizona for four years (go sundevils, BOO U of A!), so everyone always asks me "Oh my god, did you eat amazing Mexican food all the time? Was it sooo good?" Depending on my mood, I'll either humor them and respond with mirrored enthusiasm, or tell them the truth, "Actually no, I've had better Mexican food in Boston." My experience with Mexican cuisine at ASU consisted mainly of Chipotle and Baja Fresh.

Best Mexican I've ever had? Ole Mexican Grill (Cambridge, Mass).

Ole's Mexican menu isn't your average fiesta salads and fajitas. It's got some staples like black bean soup, quesadillas, tacos, and enchiladas, but it also gives you a taste of Mexico that you won't see at your local tex-mex restaurant. Think roasted duck with poblano sauce, Oaxaca vegetable stew, and carne asada.

This is a Mexican restaurant, so, unless you're pregnant or sober, it's mandatory to start off your meal with a margarita. I prefer mine rocks/no salt while my dad is a rocks/salt kind of guy.
After drinks, it's really time to get down to business, the business of hand-made guacamole. There's a guacamole cart that's wheeled to your table and the avocados are peeled and pitted, the peppers, onions, etc are thrown in, and the ingredients are mashed together right in front of you. Then, you get a mammoth-size bowl and warm tortilla chips ready for you to devour. It's full of fresh, cool avocado flavor and a hint of citrus.

If you're lucky and you're eating with my father, Mr. Appetizer, you're also going to get to try the taquitos. Six itty bitty little rolled and fried tortillas filled with tender shredded chicken and poblano chiles topped with crema, queso fresco, tomatos and lettuce served with a raspberry-chile chipotle dipping sauce. There's only six in an order, so you're not a total glutton if you do guac and taquitos.

Every Monday at Ole is Taco Monday, a special night with an adorable extra menu listing a la carte tacos with a twist. Ole takes it up a notch with flavors influenced by other cuisines, this week it was mostly Indian, Korean, and Thai. Each taco is $3.50, making Monday the best night to try out Ole on a budget (guacamole, two tacos, and some black bean soup will fill you up without braking the bank). I have to be honest, I can't remember the kinds of tacos my mom ordered, but they were so tasty! And aren't they so cute!?
My dad went for the seabass. At times he is a man of few words, so the only feedback I got on his meal was "good." He became a member of the clean plate club, so I'm going to assume he was happy with his meal. It looked beautiful!





My brother and I were boring and went with the enchiladas. I couldn't help myself! I was starving and they are just so good! Not too sloppy and they have braised pork - which is my FAVORITE. I love pork. I play this game with my parents when we go out sometimes. I say "if you're really my dad (or mom) you'll know what I'm going to order." They have to reply "the pork" or else they're not my parents!

It's almost bathing suit season, so there was no dessert for me last night.

Ok, who am I kidding? We were under a time constraint so we couldn't stay for dessert. If we had time, I would have been all over the fried cheesecake. Can you imagine anything better than a cake made out of cream cheese and sugar, deep fried and topped with more sugar and vanilla ice cream?

MmMmMmm

Peace, Love, and Iced Coffee

The New England weather pulled the same old tricks it does every year this weekend, teasing us all with a couple summery days of blue skies and 85 degree heat that convinces us to pull out the tank tops and flip flops. But of course, overnight the clouds rolled in and the air is so thick with humidity you know the rain is about to break through, complete with expected thunder and lightning throughout the course of the day. But we New Englanders are well conditioned in the patterns of mother nature, we know to take full advantage of the sun and the warmth when it comes!

Before hitting the beach, the pool, or the backyard, the first step is always iced coffee. I'm lucky enough to have a friend whose parents have a beautiful house on Minot Beach in Scituate, Mass, so yesterday I escaped from the city and headed down to the south shore for some sun.

Although I am a long term and enthusiastic supporter of Dunkin' Donuts (from the age of 3 I was asking "MOM, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO DUNKIN' DONUTS?" during the sermons at Sunday mass), I cannot pass up an iced coffee from MaryLou's. Nothing is better than a Girl Scout Cookie flavored iced coffee on a hot day... or a Milky Way... or a Funky Fanabla...

peace, love, and iced coffee

Cubicle Lunch Revival

Food needs to be delicious! I try my hardest to only eat things that are so good. If I don't like it, I don't eat it.

Case in point: peanut butter sandwiches. I've been off peanut butter sandwiches for about a year now. Sure, they're economical, but I am of the mindset that if I have to suffer though the poverty-stricken days of my mid-twenties, I am not going to put myself through the misery that is a peanut butter sandwich.

Case in point #2: Lean Cuisines. Avid followers of my blogging will remember a post about the issues I have with lean cuisines written in my old blog a few years back. I think I offended a good number of people so I won't repeat myself but let's just say I hate Lean Cuisines and I do not eat them.

And where do we eat 5 days a week? At work.

What do we eat? Crappy lunch food.

I believe a cubicle lunch revival is in demand. Why can't I enjoy my lunch instead of shoving it down my throat with one hand while I attempt to keep working with the other? My first plan of action: heading back to the Marliave!

Not for meat butter or rarebits, but instead to the little cheese shop they have on the first floor. I went over there, got a cheese plate to go, let the cheeseman make my 3 selections for me, and happily returned to my cubicle!










Look, isn't that the cutest cubicle lunch? I even have post-it notes and a company coffee cup in the background!

The Marliave cheese plate gets you three choices of cheese, candied walnuts, fig jam, and a fresh baguette (I added the grapes myself)! It was so delicious and I took my time eating and enjoying. It really makes such a difference when you truly relish your food experience, rather than just filling up the tank.

Plus, there was enough for leftovers that night:










mmmMMMmm!

Meat Butter

Meat butter.

Does that phrase leave you with an icky feeling in your brain? Does it make your lips pucker and your forehead wrinkle? Then get out of here. Move your little fingers to the previous button and go back to where you came from.

Are you intrigued? Curious? Salivating? Then welcome, welcome, welcome! There's more where that came from - think rarebits, beef wellington with foie gras, and rich wild mushroom risotto. I'm talking about the food at the Marliave (Boston, Mass.).

Ever had rarebits? Do you like beer, cheese, bacon, and bread? Are you human? If you've answered "yes" to one or more of those questions, then you need to go into the Marliave and order yourself up a portion of their rarebits.

Served hot in a cast iron pan with perfectly toasted bread slices, the Marliave's rarebits appetizer is every man's dream, every woman's fantasy, and every dieter's nightmare. The thick center-cut bacon is chopped and cooked to perfection, artfully dancing the line between too soft and too hard while it floats in a spa of cheese and beer. Scoop it out of the pan fast because the cheese loses its meltyness as it comes to room temperature. And order extra toast.

Take a break between your rarebits and your entree because whatever you order is going to be hearty, rich, and so delicious you will clean your plate. I have three suggestions for you...

1.) Shrimp Scampi - Giant shrimp so fresh that they taste like crisp sea air with fresh fresh fresh pasta and a perfectly garlicky and lemony white wine sauce.

2.) Yankee Pot Roast - Meet your friend Meat Butter. The short rib in this pot roast is slow cooked to perfection in a red wine reduction along side tasty little vegetables. No teeth necessary for this dish, the meat literally melts in your mouth. Butter wishes it could be this soft. A knife is required simply for stability while you pull bits of meat off of the short rib with your fork. Don't leave out the fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, pearl onions, and little button mushrooms. They're wading in reduction just ready for the taking.

3.) Beef Wellington - Don't judge! Beef Wellington may seem like an odd choice, and a bit of an antiquated dish, but those who think they are better than Beef Wellington are just silly and foolish. Wrapped in a flakey, buttery pastry crust is a medium rare beef wonder with a special surprise on top - decident fois gras. Don't be disappointed by the seemingly small portion of food on your plate - your Beef Wellington is resting in its red wine reduction waiting to quell all your hunger fears.

Feel the need for a side? Get the wild mushroom risotto. Or anything else. Yes, literally order any of the sides, you won't be disappointed - and they're big enough for two.