Cambridge: Beat Hotel

Location:

13 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA (below The Gap in Harvard Square)

It takes a certain type of restaurant to get me out on a weeknight after work in this city. The Beat Hotel is that type of restaurant. A grand opening party at a bohemian American brasserie inspired by the Beat generation of the 50s Paris, with live music and cockails named "Electric Sidecar"? Well, the food was just the icing on the cake at that point.

The restaurant features live music e'ry night with jazz, blues and world adding to the bohemian vibe. This night we were treated to Kate McGarry along with Steve Santoro and the Tim Ray trio.

Throughout the evening, our host and co-owner Bertil Jean-Chronberg suggested a variety of American artisanal wines and craft beers to complement the items on the menu. 

Serving a very eclectic menu of seasonal dishes to tempt both the carnivorous palate as well as the herbavore, our table covered the entire spectrum.

We began the evening with flavorful craft cocktails; my favorite was the American Breed, complete with Maker's Mark and St. Edler's elderflower liqueur and apple cider...it felt like the perfect drink for an Autumn evening.

We started with a slew of appetizers, spanning the entire table. A must-try dish is the Hamachi (yellowtail) Sashimi, served on avocado, sambal and black olives...literally melts in your mouth.

There was crispy calamari and tempura veggies, crispy tuna spring rolls, a bohemian platter of hummus, cheese, veggies, pickles, enough for everyone to share.

If that wasn't filling enough, we moved onto our mains, I decided on the 1/2 roasted natural chicken with frites, mustard jus and pickes, generous in portion and robust in flavor.

The Tandoori spiced halibut with lentils and cucumber raita was a tasty alternative to the chicken, and the Earth Bowls (options vary from vegan, shrimp, chicken, steak and salmon) are yet another satisfying choice.

Don't get me started on the desserts...the bread pudding is to die for.

It's the best when you can share in a food experience with food lovers, and amongst these, at my table it was great to meet Tiffany and see Elizabeth who I hung out with in Miami!

If you're looking for a lively spot to wine and dine with live music every night, be sure to check out the calendar at The Beat Hotel.

Thank you to The Beat Hotel for treating us to an incredible evening in Harvard Square.

All photographs ©Hogger & Co., processed with VSCO Film 04

Boston: L'Espalier

Location:

774 Boylston Street  Boston, MA

L'Espalier is one of the restaurants participating in Boston Magazine's TASTE this year, and having dined there after shooting Zac Posen's show, I have to say it capped off the, already elegant, evening very well.

Here's a TASTE of one of the spectacular desserts. Talk about dinner and a show!

Greece: Santorini, Perissa Beach, Taverna Korali

Location:

Perissa Beach, Santorini

The ocean combined with time in the sun never fails to cause the biggest rumbling stomach, wouldn't you agree?

Souvlakis and beers all around, I say!

And while it certainly wasn't the best souvlaki in town, being right by the beach having a cold beer is more than one could ask for.

Greece: Mykonos, Catari

Location:

Aghia Anna | Old Port, Mykonos Town 84600, Greece

www.catari.gr

What a delightful and delicious find! After our sunset meal, and some window shopping and exploring of the island, we searched for dinner. Coming upon Catari and it's adorable outdoor seating and pretty lights made it an easy choice for a pizza dinner. Enough of gyros and fries, I say. As everything else in Greece, it was pricey, but the service, atmosphere and chilli flakes from home-grown chillis on a delicious pizza pie made for a wonderful evening.

Provincetown, MA: Fanizzi's

Location:
539 Commercial Street  Provincetown, MA 

For the MLK long weekend, we decided to check out Cape Cod for the day. Yes, it was freezing, and yes, everything, save for a few shops, was closed. However, we were recommended Fanizzi's by the water and decided to grab dinner there before heading back. 

We scored the best seat of the house, overlooking the water and the sunset.

The service was lovely and the place filled up quickly as the sun began to set. 

We chose a dish of sea scallops n' pasta in marinara sauce and fish n' chips, both downed with beers. The coleslaw that came with the fish n' chips was to die for. It must have had some green apple or something, as it was both sweet and perfectly coleslaw-y. The bread basket arrived piping hot which is always welcome. We also had coffees and the molten lava chocolate cake, which took me well over my sugar quota for the day, but was totally worth it.

I can't recommend this place, enough. We'll be back this summer!

Boston: Legal Sea Foods

Location:

26 Park Plaza, Boston, MA 

www.legalseafoods.com

Everyone said to go, so we finally went.

With our fish eating friends from New York.

They know good eats, so it was fun to try a variety from the menu:  Oysters, New England Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, Signature Crab Cake, Lobster Roll, Fish n' Chips and the Wood Grilled Assortment.

Although it seemed like forever for our food to arrive, reaaaaally forever, when it finally showed up, we were all really happy with each dish.  It was totally worth the wait!  I even tried a bit of the cream-based soups and marvelled at the scrumptiousness of them.  Definitely hands down the BEST sea food I've ever had!  And our friends agreed!  

With their:

"If it isn't fresh, it isn't legal"

slogan spanning more than 60 years now, Legal means business and they're open for it; I highly recommend giving it a try if you're looking to try sea food or are a sea food fanatic!

Boston: Temazcal Cantina

Location:

250 Northern Avenue
Boston, MA
www.temazcalcantina.com

We went to Temazcal to celebrate my BIL's birthday.
It was one of those early Fall September days, so the rain was coming down, and it was a Friday so we did get caught in rush-hour traffic.

On top of this, a few things to note:

Temazcal doesn't take reservations.

They have valet parking which is $20 (!) but you get it validated by the restaurant so it's actually $16 (!). (There will be much usage of exclamation points in this post).

We had to wait at the bar for our table, which was to be about a 45 minute wait. (!)

We had a round of cocktails - the mojitos were served in these giant glasses, with the thick rim, you know the kind, when the rim of the glass fills your whole mouth as though you won't be able to get a sip to drink? And the entire drink had far too much ice for enjoyment.

Then we were seated and given iPAD menus!

My BIL mentioned how unhygienic something like that would be to use - but then again, so are paper/laminated menus as well.  They say menus are the filthiest of all.

But I digress.

The light emanating from the iPads were incredible - all of our faces were highlighted in a blue glow, but as soon as we'd all ordered and the iPads were taken away, it was as if someone had turned off a light.  We were left to make conversation with ourselves, without the entertainment of swiping through the menu.

The view from the restaurant is quite lovely, and I must say the interior is really nice.  Watch out for the slippery floors though - not a friend of a lady and her heels!

Beside us, a table was served with an ENTIRE PIG (LECHON ASADO)!  Gross to the vegetarians of the table (and although I don't eat chicken anymore, but do eat bacon - don't ask - I was also not happy to catch the visual).

For the table we ordered the "GUACOMOLE DE LA MIXETA" which doesn't come with chips by the by.  Is this not weird to anyone?  We then had to order a couple of chip plates.

The guac was AMAH-ZING.  And very filling.

I ordered the HUACHINANGO A LA VERACRUZANA (red snapper with plantain mash).  It was incredible; the portion was huge and the entire thing was absolutely delicious.

My Mom got the POLLA A LA PERILLA MEXICANA which she loved (surprising, as she's very hard to please)!

Unfortunately those were the only dishes at the table that were good.

This is also largely due to the fact that 98% of the menu is non-veg, and although on the phone they said they'd be able to make any dish veg, our server didn't think so.  Thus, the only real veg option was the ENCHILADAS VERDES, which was not a huge hit; the BIL especially did not like it.

The QUESADILLA BOLILlOS (chicken) were average.  

The MOLE PABLANO (chicken mole) was served alone without any side of rice or anything.  Hard to eat that much mexican chocolate without any carbs, you know what I mean?

Our server, however, was good, and tried his best to accommodate our dietary restrictions as much as he could.

Still, most of the group, aside from me and my happy red snapper, felt like their meals were a huge rip-off in the end.  Fancy Mexican is apparently not for this family.  Maybe we're just happy with our version of Mexican dinners, with our Uncle Bens Spanish rice and refried beans.

OLE!

TRAVEL: Montreal: Nil Bleu

Location:

3706 Rue Saint-Denis
Montreal, QC

http://www.nilbleu.ca/

Hands down the best Ethiopian restaurant I've been to thus far.  But don't ask me, ask my Mom and Mom-in-Law who couldn't stop raving about it.  And they know how to cook, if you know what I mean.

The dishes we ordered were:

YETIMATIM SALAD $4.95 (tomatoes, onions, green peppers seasoned with lemon and olive oil dressing)





the VEGETARIAN PLATTER FOR TWO $27.00 (potatoes/cabbage/carrots, lentils, spinach)

and YEASSA TIBBS $14.95 (sole cooked with green peppers ginger).  

One thing to note is that the fish came on the same platter as the veggie platter, which may not be good for those who are strictly vegetarian so be sure to make this request when you order!

We also ordered the house wine, which was a Spanish red and quite good.

They gave out damp napkins to wipe our hands with but didn't take them away like one would with hot towels, so we realized we had to keep them, and it made sense later as we ate that it was easier to wipe our fingers with.  Be warned that you will leave with turmeric stained fingers nails (even after washing) after dining here, but let me assure you, it's well worth it! 

Everything was delicious...and the injera kept coming until we were completely and utterly stuffed.



The exotic decor, which is what I want my home to look like (think animal prints, African sculptures, white leather couches) is beautiful and seems very new. 



My hubby who'd eaten at Nil Bleu perhaps 12 years ago didn't remember it looking like this!  The fancy bathrooms round up the upgraded look.  



The service was a tad slow, but since we weren't in a hurry, it didn't bother us and overall the service was sweet and attentive.  Thank you to Chakib & Rahel for making our Moms very happy :)



Great place for dates or groups and has outdoor seating.  I've already recommended Nil Bleu to my family and friends who are visiting Montreal next month!

Mercatto

Location:

330 Bay Street, Toronto

www.mercatto.ca

I LOVE prosciutto on pizza...MMM....

Okay....am back.

My friend recommended this spot and she's one whose taste I can now trust!  Thanks Roobs! :)

Pizza: prosciutto, tomato, gran padano, mozza, arugula $15



Pasta:  Chicken, spinach, tomatoes $17



Salad: Arugula, pear, walnuts, pecorino $8



Such a pretty interior with the wood and the chandeliers, it's the backdrop for a first date (or not so first date) or even a girlie gathering.



Highly recommended!  They have two other locations:

15 Toronto Street

101 College Street

After Mercatto, we were off to KI, to MANGI some more!

O&B Canteen NOW OPEN + O&B Cafe, Oakville

Locations:

O&B Canteen: 330 King St. West, TIFF Bell Lightbox, Toronto

O&B Cafe & Grill: 240 Leighland Avenue #235, Oakville

The new TIFF building's restaurant is now open - here's their menu online. It seems to always be packed in there and one day I will try it.

Not too long ago, we dined at the O&B cafe & grill at Oakville Place. Here, some shots.

The bread was delicious! So cutely packaged in a little metal box with little covered butter pots (reminded me of the packaging we used to get on airplanes back in the day).

This location of O&B has a really nice, quiet patio, designed in sleek woods and metals and clean lines.

Okay, but back to the bread. MMM MM mmm....warm, soft, and with a dab of butter...melted right in the mouth.

Did I mention the bread? It was soooooooooooo good!

To start us off we got the popcorn shrimp, which was AMAZING!  Very greasy though, but they'd already thought of that, placing the deep fried shrimp on a bed of crunchy filler crispy noddles which soaked up all the excess oil avoiding making the plate look slick.

Didn't really need the miso mayo it arrived with, the shrimp was just perfect on it's own.

We enjoyed a glass of Lillypilly Shiraz and a local beer.

Okay, so now, after quite some time had passed (and much bread had been consumed) another server arrived at our table with someone elses order: a plate of mac and cheese and a beef burger.  We noted to ourselves that our own server was too busy chatting it up with the couple (who appeared to be regulars) next to our table to notice this mistake on their part.

We send the food back and finally our server comes over and to compensate asks us if we want soup or salad...we chose salad and received a delicious spinach salad with sugar-coated pecans and thinly sliced pears...mMMmmmm MMM! Not exactly a healthy salad, I  assure you, but welcomed nonetheless!

Finally our meal arrives:  a chicken burger with fries and a margarita pizza. Boy, was the burger ever tasty! Usually when one orders a chicken burger, one gets a bland hunk of chicken breast with sorry looking grill marks on either side. Am I right? This, however was actual ground chicken, like we make at home. Very moist and juicy; I'd get it again in a heartbeat. Did I mention it came with bacon? Yesssssss!

The pizza had a super thin crust and was very light and non-greasy. Great tasting and a nice change from the burger.

The food was fantastic, our server was not.  Even by the time we were ready for the bill, he was still chatting it up with the regulars.  We didn't even get water refills once or asked how our food was.  When he finally did bring us our bill, it was the wrong one!  Yay!

Still, I'd go back for that shrimp.

Spice Safar

Location:

270 Adelaide St W, Toronto

www.spicesafar.com

In the heart of downtown Toronto you'd be hard pressed to find a sexy lounge with a decent menu to offer. And let's be honest, a menu is one thing, an actual edible tasty meal is another. Fear not, I've found the place that has it all. It's called Spice Safar. It's a lounge, restaurant, cafe, bakery and high-end boutique. And it not only promises a luxurious experience, it delivers.



Nevermind that it was by invitation that we "journeyed" to the new Spice Safar location at Adelaide and John. We were ready to shell out for the night out, but thanks to executive chef Matthew Sullivan and the friendly crew running the place that evening, we were treated to a couple of couture mixology drinks and a full out taste of everything on their menu!

At $15.95 for a fancy mixology drink, you may think that the price tag is quite hefty but the unique concoction with modified molecular ingredients is surely a million light years away from your standard cosmo or lychee martini.

So it was incredibly hard to choose from the drinks menu with all the ingredients being so different and intriguing. We finally decided upon the Lavender Sour (vodka, lavender tea, cane juice, ginger, egg white) and the Blue Hemingway (rum, fresh cane sour, mint, hose bitters & flaming absinthe).

Their absinthe is made in-house and just watching our drinks being made was enough entertainment for the night (not to mention the fire show we got later on!)



The Lavender Sour and Blue Hemingway was served on a wooden trays along with a glass of sparkling water and grapefruit mousse to cleanse the palate. The mousse was so light and airy; I'd be happy just having my palate cleansed. Forever.



Miguel Aranda, Spice Safar's mixologist who fares from the Big Apple was away that evening but his apprentice Florian expertly concocted our drinks; making my Lavender Sour sans the egg white (something they're still working on perfecting and I have to admit I was a little bit relieved). The Lavender Sour was lovely - bringing to mind all things Hawaiian; distinctly tropical and refreshing.

The Blue Hemingway was crisp. My sharp yet, I suppose, inferior mixology-taste buds detected it to be a cross between mojito and absinthe. It was a lot easier to drink and more enjoyable than the Absinthe House Frappe we had at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans.

Next were the dishes, mainly tapas style fare, starting with the special of the day, the executive chef's version of bruschetta: polenta topped with cheese and garnished with pea sprouts and grated endive and sprinkled with a Spanish olive oil (imported weekly).



Next was the Chicken Satay, marinated in Malaysian chili lemongrass sauce and grilled. Finished with a soy chili coconut glaze. $8.95



So you're thinking, how hard is it to mess up chicken skewers, right? Well, to compare let me remind you of the half-cooked meat sticks at Elephant & Castle. At Spice Safar? Great presentation and tasty to boot!

Mini Burgers - 3 Dry aged ground top sirloin patties, served on in house made poppy seed buns, with a cherry tomato relish, smoked gouda cheese and a fresh thyme and truffle aioli. $11.95



I could have eaten just the buns alone; they were so good! Add in the Kobe beef and the relish...these mini sliders were little bundles of joy (I say little out of context for the portions were quite generous).

Next up: the dumplings, chicken with fresh ginger $8.95 - pan seared and finished with yuzu juice and soy sauce. Filled with market vegetables, sweet and Yukon gold potatoes and sesame seeds.



Just looking at the photograph now, I'm reminded of the succulency and texture of this dish. Loved it...wanted want more!

Tagine - braised lamb shank, market vegetables, sultana raisins, Safar-inspired Moroccan spices. Served with peach chutney and grilled flatbread $9.95



I am admittedly not a lamb eater, however after the first bite (and then subsequent irresistable bites) ascertain they did something right; not only was the meat tender, the gravy was savory. You lamb-fans will love this dish; it's undoubtedly fresh - this I know because it reminded me (I know, I'm constanty reminiscing of past meals) of the organic lamb I ate growing up in Africa.

At this point we were already stuffed, and then to finish off Matt & Jaclyn brought out a lovely cheese platter!

Cheese charcuterie plate (for 2) - local artisanal cheese, served with a roasted almond and pistachio paste, seasonal fresh fruit, dried figs, in house made sour dough bread and marinated vegetables $19.95



If memory serves me well, there was a blue cheese from Guelph, and pasturized cows milk from North Bay and BC topped with pears, blueberries, kiwis and figs. So, you know how blue cheese stinks? This blue cheese was something else - no offending smell and such a mild taste (I even forgot my lactose-intolerancy for a while).

The pistachio paste and olive tapanade were both amazing! There were three degrees of Spanish olive oils, beginning with mild to a more peppery blend. Soooo good. And that bread! MMM.

Later we were impressed by Flo's amazing fireshow and absinthe shots. Smooth...both the show and the shot.



We'd like to thank (l-r) executive chef Matt, Jaclyn, Florian and Riyad for showing us a great time and letting us take photographs to remember the experience!



Here's a little excerpt on Matt Sullivan from their Facebook page:

The executive chef responsible to introduce the SpiceSafar food experience to Toronto has recently returned from a culinary journey on the Old Continent. Matthew not only worked at high-end gastro-pubs in Glasgow, Scotland, but he had the privilege to work with the most influential chef in UK’s history, Heston Blumenthal in his 3-star Michelin landmark restaurant. The Fat Duck has been voted by most critics as one of the two best restaurants in the world and is on the leading edge of molecular gastronomy. This extraordinary experience alone has fully prepared Matthew for the task of leading the team introducing the SAFAR couture comfort food to our Toronto audience. His creative flair, first rated skills in food sciences and his great wine knowledge all make him the perfect guide to take us all on truly flavorful epicurean discoveries.



Spice Safar is an innovative, elegant and aesthetically pleasing space with a concept unique to Toronto's restaurant scene. Can't wait to go back!

ki

Location:
181 Bay, Toronto, ON

www.kijapanese.com

**Updated with pics**

181 Bay, Toronto, ON

Went to Ki for a friend's surprise 30th birthday party.















Everything was paid for...the drinks, the appetizers and the cake! The sushi, the popcorn shrimp, the chicken wings...everything was absolutely delicious! You know I'm not a sushi connoisseur by any means but I tried everything and it tasted goooooood (and we'd already had dinner at Mercatto earlier!).

With it's gorgeous interior, it makes a nice date place...romantic with flattering lighting, haha.