simple weekend recap: edition 26

The weekend started early at The Salty Pig customizing charcuterie boards and having (in my opinion) the best octopus plate Boston has to offer.

 

 

 

 

With fennel, peas, & olives, I was in love with the octopus. I feel like this is going to be one of my new favorite places...and T will definitely be in love once I take him here!

 

 

After a long week of work, Friday night consisted of whipping the grill out of the basement and grilling up some BBQ chicken, having the best potato salad in the world (which I forgot to document, so I guess I'll just have to re-make it so I can share it with you!), and the brussel sprout and corn recipe I made a few days ago before relaxing in front of our new outdoor fireplace with some s'mores.

 

 

Saturday morning lunch was spent at Harvest

which has my now-favorite cold lobster roll in the city. We relaxed on the beautifully peaceful patio before heading off to a matinee of The Great Gatsby at the Somerville Theatre, which provides cheap prices for movies in an old-school environment (with beer on tap!)!

 

 

For Saturday night date night, T & I finally went to 

Oleana for the first time (review later this week).

 

 

 

Sunday night dinner was coffee rubbed steak with chimichurri sauce with some homefries & a green salad made with romaine, pears, browned brussel sprouts & chives with a simple mustard-vinaigrette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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boston restaurants: i

The highest rated "I" restaurant in Boston is Island Creek Oyster Bar, in Kenmore. On the same block as the Kenmore T station, ISOB. Owner and operator Skip Bennett opened Island Creek Oysters in Duxbury, which now provide the restaurant, along with many other Boston restaurants, with extremely locally sourced farm-to-table bivalves. With a 25-seat bar and plenty of dining space, the modern decor mixes well with the remnants of fallen oyster shells that are caged to the walls.   

 

Opening at 4 for the raw bar & drinks, dinner does not start until promptly at 5pm. We headed to the bar for an amazing cocktail.  Although a lengthy list, we both decided on the "Death in the afternoon", a mix of champagne & absinthe (two of my favorite drinks!) with a twinge of lemon zest.
 

 

At this point I was pumped, an amazing cocktail, a hopping bar scene, what else do you need? Unfortunately the meal went downhill after the cocktail. We headed past the large raw bar to the dining room.
 

We took our seats and were given our just-printed-fresh menus. With an informative raw menu providing a variety of locally-sourced oysters and shellfish (but no crab), I could see how this place is so popular. Not the biggest fan of raw anything, I passed on the raw bar (which may be why the meal went downhill) and went straight to the fried clams.
 

 

 

I usually love all fried clams, or anything fried really, but in each bite I had bits of sand, so I was sadly disappointed. My date had an oyster slider which she reported was tastier than the clams.
 

For dinner I went with the lobster roll, having heard this roll was the best in Boston (even better than my warm favorite at Neptune Oyster) I had to try it. A nice toasted bun hugged the lobster meat which was well prepared, but the killer of the whole dish was the overpowering raw red onion bits. Each bite tasted a bit like lobster, a bit like mayo, and a bunch like onion. I love onion, but I did not order an onion roll!
 

My date went with the seafood casserole, a mix of scallops, lobster, pollock, and vegetables in a lobster cream sauce topped with a crust. Although a bit heavy from the cream sauce, she was almost able to finish the dish. It smelled amazing & she seemed to enjoy it as well.
 

It seems like my date had better luck in the ordering-department. If it weren't for the amazing cocktail, I may not have the guts to go back, but at some point I will go back to give it one more chance (and have a few more tasty cocktails) since it's rating is so high from everyone else...and I do love clam chowder.

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a busy day in boston

T and I took Friday off from work to bumble around with my mother, hoping the rain would wait until we were home. First stop was for lobstah rolls at Neptune Oyster (food first, obviously). Neptune Oyster opens at 1130am, and if you're interested in grabbing lunch, you should be there as close to opening time as possible, as they do not accept reservations and the wait can be up to 2 hours (especially for dinner). We popped our name on the list, were given our 45 minute wait time, and went on a mini-stroll through the North End for some coffee while we waited. After 45 minutes, we received our call and returned to be promptly seated at the cozy bar. Most important word: cozy. The space is small, with only about 15 chairs seated at the bar and a few tables pressed against the wall. The tin ceilings with the ceiling fans reminded you it was a warm breezy summer days as you peruse the surprisingly lengthy menu. We decided to split 1 hot lobster roll and 1 cold lobster roll (so we could try both, of course) while T went for the fried clams.

 

 

 

 

The picture of the kitchen contains the whole kitchen...2 people....small space, providing a surprisingly lengthy and delicious menu. In my opinion the hot lobster roll blew the cold lobster roll out of the water, but feel free to go and make your own decision!

To walk off all of the lobster we had just consumed at our large late lunch, we decided to make a few stops. First stop is one of my favorite spots, the Brattle Book Shop. One of the oldest bookshops in the country, it was founded in 1825. My favorite books to look for are old fabric bound black books that fall somewhere in my interests. Usually in the summer days, a bunch of books are placed outside and given major discount prices ($1-$5 books, despite the size or age of the book). New arrivals are added often, so I am always able to find something new to add to my collection!

Next we decided to stroll down Newbury Street, stopping at my favorite pet shop, Fish & Bone. It is filled with all-natural and organic treats, plush beds, as well as a bunch of flashy colorful leashes.  Glass canisters line the shelves in the center of the store, providing some conventional, and some hard-to-find treats for pups, including cow trachea, duck feet, bully sticks, and various dried liver pieces. I picked up a few regulars for Erin (including Philly cheesesteak ball, bacon wrapped sausage & chicken nibs) and let her try a duck foot to try something new, since you only live once! On my way out I spotted the best doggie birthday present ever: a personalized organic mini cake enveloped in mini treats! The sign reads it feeds 8...but I'm pretty sure Erin could eat that in 1 minute by herself....

 

We finished up Newbury Street with some minor shopping, before heading to our dinner at one of the few restaurants that manages to always get it right: Bistro du Midi. The marinated octopus was the highlight of the meal, along with the lavender beignets with chocolate dipping sauce.

 

 

Their wine cellar is impressive, and they have one of the longest wine lists I have seen in a restaurant. After a busy day in Boston, we headed home, before a busy wedding weekend.

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