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Yummmmm

29 Sep

Didn’t have much to do today, and I was still in a celebratory mood after last night’s Sox clinching of the A.L. East title, so I decided to spend the day wandering the city. After lunch in the waaaaaay too crowded Faneuil Hall, I walked to the North End and finally went to Trani, the unfortunately-named store where you can get baked goods injected with ice cream. (It’s right next to my favorite Italian restaurant, Al Dente.) I had what is called a “Bust-Out,” i.e.: a cupcake stuffed with ice cream and covered in fudge. Actually I had two: a yellow cupcake stuffed with chocolate ice cream, and a chocolate cupcake stuffed with vanilla ice cream. (What?! The cupcakes were really small.)

Can I just tell you how good these were? I mean, how could they not be? It was my two great loves — cupcakes and ice cream — in one delicious snack, with chocolate fudge on top. The cake was moist and tasty, the ice cream was really good, and the fudge, although it was the kind that hardens in seconds, was also good. Best of all, believe it or not, these were not heavy, filling snacks. If I was feeling truly gluttonous, I could probably have eaten two more. But I refrained. So next time I go back, I’ll have to try a brownie or a canoli, or any of the other yummy-looking things on the menu.

Don’t have much exciting to tell you about the rest of the walk, although I did find a nice park I never knew existed and that was pretty cool. Oh, and I checked out the new Hard Rock Cafe, now located where The Rack used to be. They did a nice job renovating that place. But anyway, lotsa people were out and about today. It was a great day to be in Boston.

A Fast Fast

23 Sep

It surprises me to say, but I think Yom Kippur may actually be one of my favorite holidays.

How can anyone like a holiday that features as its main selling points a day-long fast and a whole lot of praying? Well, I don’t know.

But this year, despite going 27-and-a-half hours without eating (yes, really), and doing so easily without even a headache after my mid-afternoon nap, I have to say, it really isn’t so bad.

But why does it rank as one of my favorite? Well, it’s odd considering the solemn tone and the heavy subject matter and all, but Yom Kippur features some of my favorite prayers, ones we only say on that day. Stuff like the Vidui, the Covenant, all that good stuff.

The tunes are catchy, the melodies are nice, and they’ve got some great harmonies.

And we may go a while between meals, but the dinners before and after are some of the biggest, best meals all year. What could be bad about that?

So, this is just my way of marking that the High Holidays have passed (at least the major ones have), and they were good.

There Are Places I Remember …

2 Sep

With so many places I don’t like, it’s nice to find two I like enough to return to on a nice day. Today, Nina and I ate at Z Square in Harvard Square. This was my second time there, and it’s quickly becoming a brunch favorite. Today I had the salami and eggs scramble, with sourdough toast and potatoes. Last time (in May), I had the French Toast with maple syrup and cinnamon butter. Both dishes were great. And both times we’ve been there, Nina and I have sat outside, which makes it an even nicer experience. I have fond memories of when this place was a Finagle a Bagel, and of going on Sunday mornings for the Bagel French Toast (mmmmmm), so it’s nice to have somewhere else in Harvard Square to eat brunch again.

Then we headed up to Kimball Farm, which I had also only been to once before (a year ago, with Joe and Marie). Nina and I grabbed our clubs, headed out on the mini golf course, and the game was on. I held a lead for most of the time, but in the end I lost my groove and Nina came out ahead (by three strokes). And while I held my own in the trash talk department, I was trumped by a grandmother behind us, who at one point reminded her young grandson that “I’m still beating you.” You go, granny! Also fun were the three kids — the boys — who were no older than 10 years old, who we thought were mocking us for missing our shots on one hole. Then we realized they weren’t saying “No, no, no” about us … they were singing Amy Winehouse‘s “Rehab.” (Really.) Of course, we finished off the afternoon with some ice cream — although neither of us finished our sundaes. (They were huge!)

So yeah, two cool places I enjoy going to and hope to return to soon.

Still a Toddlin’ Town

16 Jul

Went back to Chicago this weekend for Andrew and Fun Summer Rachel’s wedding. As always, a good time was had; Chicago is truly — say it with me — my kind of town. Here are a few tidbits from the weekend:

They did: The wedding itself was great. Very nice venue. An awesome band had me up and dancing all night. Andrew sang “Some Kind of Wonderful” (and he was good). Sat with all of Andrew’s doctor friends from Boston — it was just like old times when I was the only non-doctor in the room. Wine was tasty. Bride was beautiful. Good to see the boys from the bachelor party again. The couple was so so happy. And I had a blast.

Swingtown in Chi-Town: After the wedding and the after-party, Robin and I hung out at the bar at the Four Seasons with members of Steve Miller’s band. Yes, the Steve Miller Band. We talked for a bit with his manager and met one of his guitarists, but the man himself was MIA. Apparently, Steve “doesn’t do the ‘hang out thing’ anymore,” his manager told us. So I replied that he must just “Take the Money and Run.” And we went back and forth with similar references. On the way out, I seized an opportunity. Knowing I’d likely never again have the opportunity to hang out with the Steve Miller Band or their manager, I asked the manager what “the pompatus of love” is. His reply? “Hell if I know. Steve just likes to make stuff up.” And there you have it. (Incidentally, Robin got to hang out with Joe Cocker earlier in the day on Saturday. Apparently, the Four Seasons chain is quite popular among touring singers.)

Back to the Bean: I just can’t help it sometimes. Like a moth to a flame, I’m drawn to the same places over and over when I visit. In Los Angeles, it’s the Getty Center. In Chicago, it’s Cloud Gate, aka the Bean, which I think I’ve now taken every conceivable picture of. I just think it’s so cool. But considering this was the first time I’d been to Chicago in warm weather (the other times were in October and November), I felt compelled to revisit some sites I’d seen on previous trips, like Buckingham Fountain (which was going at full blast) and Navy Pier. And yes, I took a ton of pictures at all three of these places. Actually, the ones at Navy Pier are pretty cool because I went up in the Ferris Wheel and the view was real nice.

Good food, bad food: Another trip to Chicago and again I didn’t eat at Ed Debevic’s. (Most would say that’s a good thing, though.) Instead, on Saturday I went with Samara to Giordano’s for lunch for some Chicago-style stuffed pizza. Yum. So good, but so so filling. One slice was enough. And that one slice sat in my stomach for most of the day. Ugh. On the other hand, I tried the new SoBe Coolatta from Dunkin’ Donuts this weekend. In addition to the sugar in the coolatta itself, now it has an extra kick. And, it tastes good. So … I’ll be needing one of those Monday morning.

Anyway, it was a great weekend. If you want to live vicariously, here are my pictures.

Not the Best

9 Jul

The Improper Bostonian has done it yet again. In their new “Best of Boston” issue, they’ve gone and chosen The Cactus Club as the best margarita. I’ve been to the Cactus Club a few times, usually because I want to see for myself what all the fuss is about year after year. And every single time — every single time — I leave disappointed. It’s not just that the margaritas themselves aren’t great, it’s that they’re served in pint glasses, like a beer. What kind of margarita is that?? In past years that was partly why they awarded it best margarita. But lest you think my beef is all about the glasses, it’s not. These just aren’t good drinks. They’re bland and basic, and they taste like they’re made from a mix and dosed out in bulk. And it couldn’t be any more obvious that the only reason why Cactus Club is chosen for this “honor” year after year is because they’re a loyal advertiser — that, or because their Web site URL is actually BestMargaritas.com.

For my money, the best margs in town are at Border Cafe in Harvard Square. They’re far more flavorful, much more intoxicating, and (shocker) they’re actually served in margarita glasses. I wish the folks at the Improper would venture outside their “pay for play” bubble one year and give them a shot.

Happy Summer, Y’all

26 Jun

Ninety-degree-plus days mean one thing to me: ice cream.

And so because my walk home through Coolidge Corner means walking right by J.P. Licks, I decided to stop for dinner on the way home (at Quiznos) so I could get some ice cream as I walked down the street.

One bad sandwich later, I got to J.P. Licks. Sort of. The line was so long that it stretched the full length of the store, out the door, and down Harvard Ave. past the entrance to the Coolidge Corner Clubhouse.

That’s a long line.

But I was determined, so I got in line and worked my way to the front. Continue reading →

They Should Try the Chocolate Pudding

19 Jun

Politics aside, I love the new video Hillary Clinton put up on her campaign Web site about choosing her official campaign song. Not because I like the song — actually, I pretty much hate it — and not because of the corny dialogue or the lame Sopranos parody, but because it was filmed at the Mount Kisco Coach Diner, where I spent many, many hours during the first, oh, 28 or 30 years of my life. I love that she and Bill walk in through the side door, which no one does, and that they’re sitting in one of the same booths that I have sat in. I wonder what else they’ll order. I always enjoyed an omelette on a Sunday morning, or a hamburger at night. The grilled cheese wasn’t bad any time of the day. And of course, the chocolate pudding was yummy. It always had that fun layer of “skin” on top. Mmmmm… So yeah, check out the video. It’s kinda cool.

A Tasty Treat

16 Jun

One of the major themes of Ratatouille is that anyone can cook. But watching the movie, it’s almost as if Disney and Pixar are saying, “Yeah, but not just anyone can make a good animated film.” And they’re right. There’s a reason those companies are the gold standard for animation. While films like Surf’s Up may be fun, they’re not as sophisticated as a Pixar movie. And Ratatouille ranks up there with their best.

The film tells the story of Remy (voiced by Patton Oswalt), a rat with a taste for good food and an uncanny ability to cook. Remy teams up with a young kid in a fancy restaurant and together, the two cook up some great dishes — which, of course, frustrates the head chef. Told with visual flair and featuring some great action-packed scenes, just like Brad Bird’s last Pixar film, The Incredibles, Ratatouille is not really a movie for kids. In fact, I’m sure they’ll be totally bored by it. That’s because the film really does focus on high-end food and doesn’t pander to the lowest common denominator. It almost never takes the easy way to a laugh (although, a food critic with the last name Ego does seem a little obvious), and focuses as much on character and plot as it does on awesome animation. And yes, Paris does look great. But more impressive are the scene where Remy is sent down the sewers into Paris and the ones where he’s running through the kitchen. Also worth noting are the voice talent, which includes Brad Garrett and Peter O’Toole, and the score by Michael Giacchino (Lost, The Incredibles). And please stay through the credits for the final, stylized animation sequence. That is, if you’re not too hungry.

After last summer’s Cars, which I didn’t love, I thought maybe I had outgrown the Pixar films. Thankfully, that one was just a minor detour. In the right hands, they can still be magic. And that’s surely what Ratatouille is. I’m giving it an A–.

(p.s. As a testament to just how much Pixar films are beloved, when the trailer for their next release, Wall-E, came on, the place went absolutely silent. For a trailer.)

Here’s the Beef

11 Jun

For months and months, I’ve been teased by the ad in the Improper Bostonian for Ruth’s Chris Steak House that features a perfectly cooked filet. (It’s the one to the left.)

Just seeing the thing practically makes my mouth water (so does writing a blog post about it).

I’ve been to Ruth’s Chris a handful of times (last one was December 2005), and have always loved it.

So this year there was only one place I wanted to go with my family to celebrate my birthday. And when my juicy filet mignon arrived in front of me Saturday night, I was practically in heaven.

Holy crap, it was so good. Continue reading →

Get Ready for the Big Bang

6 Jun

According to Wednesday’s New York Times, the meatball universe is expanding. It reminds me of that scene in Annie Hall, where Alvy Singer’s mother says to young Alvy (and I’m paraphrasing here, of course), “What has the universe got to do with it? You’re here in Brookline! Brookline is not expanding!” Still, I’m a bit worried about a meatball universe expanding. That just can’t be good.

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