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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simple weekend recap: edition 24

Friday night dinner T & I celebrated our 6 year 

anniversary at the new amazing restaurant, Asta...

 

 

 

 

...but as we headed out to our car for a nice drive home we realized our 

back window was smashed, so the rest of our celebration evening was 

spent in various police stations. Happy 6-year!

 

Saturday morning marked a new day, filled with

 hashbrowns and bacon (which make everything better...really)...

 

...and the return of my baby girl!

 

Before T took off on his weekend work trip to Berlin, I made a simple 

healthy halibut dinner (recipe this week)...

 

...and a less-healthy chocolate souffle.

 

Sunday was filled with flowers that remind me of 

fields of wildflowers in the summer...

 

 

...and Craigie on Main since it was so good last time. I started with the grilled Spanish octopus with griled cipollini onion, green olive and lemon salad, bulgur wheat, and chorizon puree. I always get grilled octopus when it's on a menu because it's one of my favorite things.

 

For my entree I went with the slow-roasted chicken breast stuffed with chicken sausage, apricots, forest mushrooms, turnip puree, and wheat berries.

 

Although we were quite full, I had to have the orange blossom beignets with a date-orange caramel and cardamom anglaise. I had no idea these would be the largest beignets in the world, but I also had no idea they would be some of the tastiest.

 

 

After a heavy food weekend, I whipped up an easy pea puree to line a lean chicken wrap to recover from a delicious, but rich, weekend of food!

 

 

 

 

 

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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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