thinking cup

The Thinking Cup Coffee Bar is anything but a secret, even though I wish it was. Recently crowded, but manageable in the evening hours, the Thinking Cup near the Commons is a relaxed non-snooty cafe with mood lighting, Stumptown coffee, and drool-worthy sandwiches & baked goods.

(My friend Grace's superior technology skills)

Push past the velvety curtain to be greeted by the baked goods that look way too perfect they must be the plastic food you played with in elementary school. Spoiler alert: they're real. And they are perfect.

 

 

With a new build-your-own grilled cheese option, the sandwich options have become almost impossible to choose from...too many tasty choices! Find more about the menus here. I ended up with my usual (iced chai) and a new sandwich, the Jittery Hen: Stumptown coffee braised chicken, house made BBQ sauce, pickles and smoked gruyere cheese on sourdough bread. The Jittery Hen is usually the Jittery Swine with pork instead of chicken (which I think I would have preferred). I loved the combination of the sandwich pickles with the shredded chicken & thinly sliced cheese but I was not a fan of the homemade BBQ sauce. I love thick saucy heavy and sweet BBQ sauce, but this was a minimalist take on the sauce. It's okay, I overlooked the minor deviation and enjoyed the whole thing!

 

We ended the date with one vanilla & one chocolate maccaron. They have so many flavors of these little gems...a whole caseful. Bakery perfection.
 

Definitely worth pushing past the local college kids to get your hands on the perfectly prepared coffee, drinks, sandwiches & baked goods. If you're not into the typical crowded cafe, give their brand spankin' new North End location on Hanover Street a try.
 

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simple weekend recap: edition 8

This weekend was apparently filled with food...looking back I guess a LOT of food! Friday on my run out of the house to the car, I stopped to smell the roses...
 

 

and had a nice surprise at work when I heard that the Nutella breakfast tour had their first stop down the street...

 

and to start the weekend on the right foot, I made some banana greek yogurt chocolate chip mini muffins with a hint of peanut butter.

 

 

For Saturday night dinner I made a pork tenderloin with scalloped potatoes (my favorite way to enjoy a potato--recipe for both of these this week!).

 

 

 

When T fell asleep early from a food coma, I decided to make some chai meringues.

 

 

 

Sunday, while Moose enjoyed his outside time, we headed over to Carver Hill Orchard to celebrate the second day of fall.

 

 

 

 Sunday night was taco night...and fresh apple tart night (recipe this week)!

 

 

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taj afternoon tea

Sunday warranted a trip to the Taj Boston's afternoon tea. The Taj Boston sits at the end of Newbury Street overlooking the Commons, in a very posh area (which is a great people-watching spot). There are two seatings, one at 1:30pm and the other at 3:30pm. We opted for the Taj Royale (menu here) and the cheese tasting along with 1 pot of Chai and 1 pot of English Breakfast. We enjoyed our finger-foods (with a room filled of middle-aged well-dressed women) while being serenaded by a violinist. Highlights included the smoked salmon & American caviar sandwich, the lobster profiterole, and the currant scone with Devonshire cream.

At the end of our mini-meal, as we were waiting for the check, the violinist began to play Happy Birthday. I looked up to see a candle-lit plate heading straight for me. My birthday is November 3, mind you, but I just cannot turn down a plateful of tasty pastries.

 
An extra little bonus I spotted in the ladies room: they were stocked with Molton Brown products (my favorite London soap brand, that I even fill my own home with)!

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