Schwartz's Charcuterie Hebraïque de Montréal

Though I wasn't aware of this until reading my guidebook before leaving for Montréal, the city is apparently world-renowned for its smoked meat sandwiches. The place to experience this at its best is Schwartz's Charcuterie Hebraïque, or Hebrew Deli. Opened in 1928 by a Jewish immigrant from Romania, even today people line up outside at lunchtime for a simple sandwich with french fries and a dill pickle.

Walking up St. Laurent and seeing a line ahead of us, we know we had reached our destination. Thanks to the help of a homeless man, we were informed that one line was for take-out and the other for eating in. We decided to eat in, and though maybe 15 people back, we were seated within 10 or 15 minutes.

The restaurant's interior was pretty much like that of your typical diner, with a long counter and communal tables along the other side. Pictures of celebrities who had eaten there, including Quebec native Celine Dion, lined the walls. We were seated next to another two couples, though aside from asking if they wanted ketchup we didn't engage in conversation.

Chris and I kept it simple and each ordered a smoked meat sandwich (viande fumée) with mustard, french fries, and a pickle. Upon tasting the fries Chris commented, "they taste like potatoes" which I suppose doesn't say much for today's mass produced variety. They fries were potatoe-y, indeed, and were nice and crispy. The pickle was delicious - nice and plump and just salty enough.

The smoked meat was excellent as well, and they certainly don't skimp on the meat. It was very flavorful without being too fatty, as sometimes corned beef and pastrami can be, in my opinion.

Aside from the smoked meat sandwiches, other options include veal, salami, and stuffed chicken, as well as steaks. Coleslaw, olives, and peppers are among the other sides. So next time you're in Montréal and looking for a good deli-style lunch, look no further than Schwartz's!
-visit http://www.schwartzsdeli.com/ for more information-

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches

 

LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY

LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING   

      San Francisco – October 13, 2008:   Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world.  At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.  

      “Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc.  “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”    

      Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews.   Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions.  Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.     

      “Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.  

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      The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month.  “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup. The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.  

Global Blogging Event

      Demonstrating the talent and scope of the Foodbuzz community, 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs offered online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity.  The new feature showcased blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz partner bloggers chronicling events occurring around the globe during a 24 hour period and included:

    * Mid-Autumn Festival Banquest (New York, NY)

    * The "Found on Foodbuzz" 24-Item Tasting Menu (San Francisco, CA)

    * Aussie BBQ Bonanza – Celebrating Diversity (Sydney, Australia)

    * The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip (Charleston, SC)

    * Criminal Tastes – An Illegal Supper (Crested Butte, CO)

    * From Matambre to Empanadas: An Argentine Dinner (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

    * A Sweet Trompe l’oeil (Seattle, WA)

      “24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs” captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community.  “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about – real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”    

About Foodbuzz, Inc.     

      Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007.  In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users.  

Contact:  Allison Costello

Ketchum

allison.costello@ketchum.com 

Doug Collister

Foodbuzz

doug@foodbuzz.com

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The Beehive

For my friend's last night in Boston she wanted to go someplace fun with great food. Never having been to The Beehive but hearing so many great things, we decided to give it a go.

I was very impressed by the restaurant's atmosphere as soon as we walked down the stairs. The dim lighting creates a very laid back vibe, and the art along the brick walls makes it feel as if you're in an artist's studio. Though we were seated in the back corner, we had no trouble seeing the musicians setting up on the stage. About a half hour after sitting down our experience became even better when the live salsa music started.

Starter
The pumpkin and gorgonzola flatbread pizza caught all of our eyes at the very start, so we thought it to be the perfect choice for our starter. Soon after it arrived covered with a sprinkling of what seemed to be arugula. While the gorgonzola was very prominent (and delicious), none of us really got much of the pumpkin flavor. If anything it added a subtle sweetness to the pizza, but that may very well have just been the dough, itself.

Main Course
For her main dish Lauren opted for the grilled cheese with shortribs, farmhouse cheddar, and fontina. I had heard great things about this sandwich, and it certainly didn't disappoint. Sandwiched between two perfectly grilled thick pieces of what seemed like texas toast was ample cheese and juicy shortribs. Next time I come I will definitely be getting this. (Note: the picture doesn't do justice to the size of the sandwich)

To accompany this she ordered the Beehive frites with sage and sea salt. They were more or less thinly sliced fries with a hint of sea salt on a bed of sage. I wasn't crazy about them, but they certainly weren't anything to complain about. Next time I'd like to get the poutine where they are covered in cheese and gravy.

Mel not surprisingly choose the prime hanger steak, roasted mushroom sauce, and potato croquette. Though I didn't try it, the steak looked perfectly cooked medium rare. The croquette, which I did try, was very tasty and not too greasy.

Cara and I both ended up with the duck, scallion, and jalapeño risotto. The waiter had to make sure the last two of this dish were available for us, so apparently it was a popular choice. Though not crazy about jalapeño, I thought it sounded fun. The jalapeño flavor was prominent throughout but not overbearing and contrasted nicely with the chunks of duck that had a really nice sweetness to them. The dish was very cheesy and hence filled me right up after not even eating half of it.

The Beehive also has a nice wine list, and our server was incredibly helpful in steering us in the right direction for our choice of wine -something not to weighty but leaning a bit toward sweet. All in all I had a great experience and am looking forward to another night with great food and live music.


The Beehive is located at the Boston Center for the Arts in the historic cyclorama building at 541 Tremont. Visit http://beehiveboston.com/ for more information.

"Fall"-ing Back to Basics: Apple Crumble

Here is a quick and easy apple crumble recipe that's really very good. I've made this a few times when we had an overabundance of apples from my father's small orchard. Serve by itself or with vanilla ice cream for a basic Fall treat everyone will enjoy.


Apple Crumble

Preparing the Apples:
4 large golden delicious apples peeled and sliced 1/8 quarter inch thick
½ lemon squeezed for the juice
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour


Mix ingredients together and place in glass Pyrex pan (the pan size should allow the apple slices, when spread evenly, to almost reach the top)

Topping mixture
1 ¼ cup of rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 cup walnuts chopped roughly
½ cup brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Teaspoon cinnamon

Mix up ingredients and then add:
1 stick cold butter chopped into little pieces toss into topping mixture

Dump topping over apples
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Masa Restaurant

I've walked by Masa (located at 439 Tremont Street) and told myself I would eat dinner there so many times that I've lost count. A few years back, Masa started offering a good deal on brunch ($7.95) and so I tried it out but I couldn't judge the place accurately since yogurt & granola was hardly their typical food. So imagine my excitement when my friend Christina & Julie suggested we go eat there this past week...for dinner!!

Masa bills itself as Southwestern cuisine and it's decor reflects a more upscale, comfortable southwestern atmosphere with wrought-iron chandeliers, white curtains and typical southwestern plants...you'd be hard pressed to find an antelope skull or anything too cliche.

Christina and I arrived a bit earlier then Julie so we decided to start off with some drinks and an appetizer. Christina ordered a glass of white wine and I opted to try one of my favorite drinks, a dark and stormy ($9). The dark and stormy came in quite a large glass and tasted good although I don't think it was very strong.

For the appetizer we decided to order the roasted poblano and banana pepper spring rolls. The dish was good. It was spicy thanks to the poblanos but I couldn't taste much of the banana although I'm sure they cut down on the spice a bit. I don't think that "spring roll" was a good word to describe the dish because spring rolls are crispy but these rolls were pretty soft and did not look like a traditional spring roll. It was a good dish and helped wet our appetites for our main course.

At this point, Julie arrived and ordered some sort of raspberry muddled fruity-mojito for her drink. I tasted it and it was really good. It was sweet but also had this fresh-out-of-the-garden taste to it. I would recommend it if you like mojitos. I looked on the website and can't seem to find it on the menu though so it could have been a specialty drink for the day.

We also were given a bread basket filled with a french loaf type bread and good chunks of corn bread. There were three spreads to accompany the bread and each one was excellent. I wish we asked for more!

For the main course I ordered the southwestern style steak frites with chile dusted frites ($26). I was a bit skeptical at first since I think paying $26 for southwestern cuisine seems a bit much but by the end of my meal I wasn't even thinking about the price. The steak was great. The flavoring was good a bit spicy but not overdone and cooked just right. It was a tad bit cold though but the flavor was so good I didn't mind. The side greens had a pleasant dressing on them that accompanied the meat flavor very well and the frites tasted great (but they were a bit soggy). The portion size was just right for me and I think the size and quality of the meal was worth the price.

For Christina's main course she had the vegetarian entree which was charred corn and yucca stuffed poblano en croute ($18). Christina said it was like a fancy burrito but she enjoyed it (and ate it rather fast I might add!) Christina writes: The Charred Corn and Yucca Stuffed Poblano En Croute was the perfect combination of spice and everything nice! The vibrant colors also added to the meal’s overall experience.

After having had a few fork fulls of a bit of each ingredient on my plate to make the perfect bite, we realized we had forgotten to order the famous Red Chile Onion Rings. How deelish! With a spicy mustard dipping sauce, this plate made up of 4 large onion rings, left me having

to unbutton my pants at the table! Luckily, I was amongst some very lax company and we all left feeling “fully” satisfied and would recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Julie ate the crab and jalapeno stuffed fillet of sole enrollado. It was covered in a red chile sauce and came with a sweet maseca tamale. Julie really liked it saying it was very good. She promised a more detailed description very soon...

Overall, we really enjoyed Masa. We all agreed that we would return to Masa and recommend it to friends. So, if you are in the mood for more upscale Southwestern Cuisine, try it out, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Joe's American Bar and Grill

The second installment of REVEALED! takes a look at a long standing Boston institution, Joe's American Bar and Grill.

Don't call it American Joe's--its just Joe's (Joe's on the waterfront or Joe's on Newbury Street if you are getting specific). The restaurant is owned by the Back Bay Restaurant Group which also owns Abe & Louie's, Atlantic Fish Company, Charley's, Papa Razzi, The Coach Grill (in Wayland, Mass.), and the newest addition, Bouchee. All of these restaurants usually provide a solid dining experience....but as wise, informed restaurant consumers, it is important to know that all of these restaurants are managed centrally.

Its location on longwharf, a touristy area of the city, means the restaurant is prone to out-of-town visitors. This was the case on the day we were there, and an obnoxious couple was seated next to us. The woman carried her own SmartWater into the restaurant along with a snobby attitude (even though she was wearing Sketchers!) towards the whole experience. They ordered two shrimp cocktails after being told that 3pm was too late for brunch. During the remainder of the time they sat there, the woman talked the entire time on her bluetooth headset, while the man stared off into space.

Our server was not very "into" our table--on a beautiful Sunday for lunch the restaurant was crowded (as I'm sure it usually is) and the food didn't come for a very long time. Other tables were being served that had been seated after us--I'm not sure what that was about--maybe it was because Marco ordered a garden salad to start (see the picture of brown iceberg lettuce below). I have had great burgers at Charley's, so I was expecting something similar here. I was disappointed that the burger was small, even tough it tasted fine. All of use who had ordered burgers were interested to see that our lettuce garnishes had wilted--indicating that *perhaps* our food sat under a heat lamp for a long time. Marco's steak tips were cold--he should have sent them back--but he ate them anyway. It took us an eternity to get the check, as we watched the table with the obnoxious couple morph into a table of even more obnoxious drunk guys (this was at like 3:30pm on a Sunday....come on, there was no need for these men to be pounding down beers at an overpriced tourist trap).

Fortunately the food and service did not ruin the experience of sitting harborside on a great September weekend day. If it is people watching and a view you are in search of, Joe's delivers. If good food and attentive service is your aim, I would try Joe's other Boston location on Newbury Street or another restaurant group all together.

Joe's American Bar and Grill
We sat outside with a view of Boston Harbor

Marco's salad....which may or may not have thrown
off the timing of all of our meals...most likely not.

Steaktips

Joe's American Bar & Grill
(617) 367-8700
North End
100 Atlantic Ave
Boston, MA 02110
www.joesamerican.com

The Elephant Walk

After a number of my friends told me how much they had enjoyed their experiences with French and Cambodian cuisine at elephant walk, it was about time I tried it for myself. Located at the beginning of Back Bay at 900 Beacon St., it presents itself as a handsome red-brick building with nice big white windows. Once inside I was very impressed by the simple yet elegant decor. I thought it really did evoke French colonialism in "Indo-China" with its yellow walls trimmed with white molding and elephant decorations all about the place.

Always into getting to try as many things for as little as possible, both of us opted for the 3-course prix fixe, but not before a drink. I had a wonderful martini called 'Hendrick's Heaven'. Thanks to the Elderflower liqueur it had a wonderfully flowery aroma that interplayed with the crisp clean cucumber smell. Christopher had a green tea mojito, which unfortunately on the watery side and tasted mostly of lime juice.

1st Course
Christopher started with the Rouleaux - "two Cambodian spring rolls filled with ground pork, crushed peanut, beanthread noodles, carrot and onion; served with fresh greens and herbs for wrapping and tuk trey on the side for dipping". These were delicious - not at all greasy like some spring rolls, and you could tell the ingredients were nice and fresh.

I chose the Nataing, which was "ground pork simmered in coconut milk with sliced garlic, crushed peanuts and chili pods; served with crispy jasmine rice" I wasn't sure how to eat these so I started by scooping with the rice crisps, but then just dug right in with my spoon as if it were soup. I loved this dish - the savory pork went wonderfully with the rich and sweet coconut milk, and even the rice crisps were incredibly tasty.

2nd course
Just as we finished up our first course, the second arrived. Chris had the Salade Cambodgienne - "Shredded cabbage, carrot and chicken with red bell pepper, onion, crushed peanut, mint, Asian basil and tuk trey"

Meanwhile I had the Croustillants aux Poires et Crevettes Flambées - "Crispy wontons layered with warm Bartlett pear and scallion, topped with natural shrimp flambéed with white wine, leeks and garlic" This was very nice - the wontons were still crispy and the pear and white wine gave an overall sweet flavor to the dish.

3rd course
For the third course Chris had the Loc Lac - "Sautéed, cubed beef tenderloin, lightly caramelized in black pepper, garlic and mushroom soy; served over shredded lettuce with a lime and black pepper dipping sauce". This had a really interesting flavor that I couldn't put my finger on. To be honest it reminded me of the dried and spiced fish snacks one can buy at places like Super88 - hopefully that won't turn anyone away from ordering it. Both of us thought it was great.

I decided to order something I typically don't, that being catfish. I could just picture a Cambodian fisherman casting his net into the river looking for these bottom-dwellers. Yes, I'm a weirdo. The Catfish Tonle Sap was described as "Catfish marinated in a light mushroom-soy, lightly caramelized and topped with a coconut-ginger sauce and sweet pepper relish." The fish itself was a bit on the bland side, but by no means unpleasant. The sweet pepper relish was nice, though I think I'd have preferred roasted sweet peppers just to add some smokiness to the dish.

All in all we had a great dining experience and also got a great deal with the 3-course option. There are still a number of fun dishes I can't wait to come back for that aren't included as part of the fixed price dinners. Also, for those readers in Cambridge and Waltham, you have your own Elephant Walk locations to check out!

The Elephant Walk
900 Beacon Street
617.247.1500
http://www.elephantwalk.com




* first photo courtesy of virtualtourist.com

Tiramisù

Tiramisù
A rich Italian dessert made with layers of lady fingers or sponge cake soaked in brandy and espresso and sweetened mascarpone cheese custard cream.
Tiramisù is often garnished with whipped cream and shaved chocolate.

I was introduced to Tiramisù when my son was an undergrad studying in Aix-en-Provence, France. His house mother taught him the proper way to make it, and, being the great cook that he is, he mastered it!

I have found a quick version for those working people that love to savor the dessert but do not have time to prepare it the Italian way.

Ingredients:

1 small package of Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 8 oz. can of evaporated milk
3 teaspoons Cocoa
3 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 can sweetened condensed milk
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. whipped topping
4 packages lady fingers
1 cup Kahlua


Layer one third of the lady fingers in a 9" x 13" casserole dish.
Soak lady fingers in Kahlúa.
Mix the first seven ingredients.
Alternate lady fingers (soak each layer) and cream mixture, ending with the cream mixture.
Grate chocolate over the top for garnish.
Chill before serving.

Café Nordstrom

Tomorrow is my birthday, and my husband gave me a gift certificate at my favorite clothing store. I couldn't stand not using it so we took off to the mall to add something to my already full closet!
By the time I had tried on every option and made the final decision, it was lunch time, and we were starving. We looked at the mall directory for our restaurant options and decided to try the Café Nordstrom.

My choice was Grilled Chicken & Strawberry Salad @ $9.50.
Organic baby greens, spinach, goat cheese, strawberries, marinated red onions, candied pecans with a dark cherry balsamic vinaigrette.

My husband's choice was Tuscan Roast Chicken @$9.95.
Rosemary and garlic roasted chicken, red bliss potatoes and rustic vegetables.

The food and the presentation were great and the service was above average. We would certainly go back there for a delightful meal at a great price.

South Park Mall in Charlotte

How I Met Your Burger

Last night, we were watching How I Met Your Mother. They were in search for "The Best Burger in New York," which Marshall had apparently found when he moved to the City. Regis was looking for it too. Well, Bob, Peter, and I were sitting there watching them go up and down the City and got to craving a burger ourselves! Luckily, right around the corner from where we were sits South End Pizza and Grill. We often order food from here when we're over, since it's quick and close. Plus, they have this fun little online ordering site that allows us all to customize our order without having to go en masse down to the restaurant.

Peter and I don't really like their pizza as well as we do from other spots in the area, but the burgers aren't bad. The Onion Rings, however, are really good!

We each got a burger, which satiated our craving; but, it certainly wasn't the best burger in Boston. Perhaps, this can be the beginning of a new quest for us. We've gotta have something to keep us busy, right?! :-)

South End House of Pizza is located at 772 Tremont at Mass. Ave. They deliver and stay open quite late.

Country of Origin Labeling (C.O.O.L)

Starting this week, you may notice your meat, fruits and vegetables will be sporting a new look.  New federal regulations require that most produce be marked with a sticker declaring its country of origin.  Now, when you shop, it will be easier to know if you are buying local or from another state or even foreign country.  You may notice you prefer tomatoes from Mexico over California or lamb from Argentina over the Mid-West.  

These labels will not only help you shop locally and pinpoint what you like, they will help the FDA in case of a bacterial outbreak.  Consumers who are affected (or infected!) might be able to tell the FDA where the food they ate came from, cutting down on investigation time and helping to save other people from disease.

I don't know about you but I think it's a great idea.  It gives more power to the consumer.  And, if you enjoy collecting things, you can start your very own "Country of Origin" sticker collection.  How fun is that?!

Old Stone Steakhouse

It is always fun to celebrate birthdays. One of my friends has a birthday a couple of weeks before mine so each year we try to go to lunch and enjoy each other's company and good food.

Today, we chose the Old Stone Steakhouse on Main Street in Historic Downtown Belmont for our luncheon celebration. We invited her mother and a mutual friend to share in the fun.

The two birthday girls had the Salmon and Poached Pear Salad @ $10.95.
4 oz. grilled salmon, fresh cut mixed greens, grape tomatoes, poached pear, sun dried cranberries, crushed walnuts and Danish Bleu Cheese crumbles. Served with the House Sherry Vinaigrette.

Her mother had the French Onion Burger @ $8.95.
The burger, a generous size, was served on a Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise and provolone. She chose the mixed, fresh vegetables as her side. The vegetables were sautéed in butter. The chef has mastered the technique of caramelized onions, giving the burger a very distinct character. Her comment was that it was the best burger she has ever had!

Our other friend ordered the Buffalo Chicken Salad @$8.95.
Fresh cut mixed greens, grape tomatoes, sun dried cranberries, shredded carrots, and all topped with buffalo chicken strips and Bleu Cheese crumbles. Served with homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing.
The weather was a perfect Fall day. We sat on the patio and our experience was a very pleasant one.

The service was above average and the food was delicious. We certainly recommend having a nice, upscale lunch at a reasonable price.

Michael's Fine Food & Spirits

"Silly-good."

That's apparently Jen speak for "this meal is superb."

Truth be told, I was so busy inhaling the "silly goodness" on my plate that ordinary approvals just wouldn't do. So in sensory overload, a high compliment was born.

Then again, is there really a need to explain when it comes to one your new favorite restaurants?

Nestled on the main drag of Waterville, New York, Michael's Fine Food & Spirits blends well with its small-town surroundings. Its menu reaches well beyond Central New York by mixing local favorites, comfort food and seriously good deserts with multicultural cuisine including Italian, French, Creole, Moroccan, and Mediterranean.

I discovered Michael's with my mom about a year ago, almost by accident. We've been weekend lunch regulars when I come to town ever since.

We started with modest lunch choices, all very well priced. Soup/sandwich combos, seafood lasagna and chicken and biscuits previously won us over. Many Saturday features include salads, choice of warm beverage and desert of the day. (The Mother, a self-professed brownie hater, still raves about the caramel brownie sundae.)

As much as we enjoy our new Saturday road trips, we're hoping to trek down for dinner or one of Michael's many in-house events sometime soon. We've taken to ordering items for the road (Jen secret: I have a serving of chicken riggies in the back of my freezer just waiting for one wicked bad Boston day) but I'm convinced Michael's wine pairings are superb and upcoming Halloween event will be a blast. Michael's also offers a new weekday lunch buffet, catering and variety of special happenings throughout the year.

Good food would earn a thumbs up -- maybe an ok blog post. But great food and a superb dining experience justify repeated 15+ mile treks and a glowing review. We truly can't say enough about the folks at Michael's -- from the warm greetings when we walk through the door and friendly farewells upon leaving, the service is top-notch. Special kudos to Faith, our favorite server, who consistently makes our visit excellent with friendly conversation and attention to detail beyond compare. (Enjoy your vaca, Faith...you so deserve it!)

It's no secret that I love home. I love the people, the experiences, the food...and Michael's does a fine job in capturing the best of all three.

So bravo, Michael & crew -- keep the "silly goodness" coming. You've got a big fan out east who can't wait to see what's being served on any given Saturday Upstate...

Dim Sum at Empire Garden

Waking up this morning thinking about what I wanted to eat I immediately thought it would be worth the trip to trek into Chinatown for some Dim Sum. For whatever reason almost every time I've done so it has been a rainy day, so perhaps that's what made me think of it.

For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, Dim sum is the name for a subset of Chinese cuisine involving a wide range of small dishes served alongside Chinese tea. It is usually served in the mornings at Chinese Restaurants and hence makes for a perfect brunch when you're in the mood for something less run of the mill.

When going in Boston I almost always head to Empire Garden in Chinatown. Formerly an old theatre, the dining room is huge and traditionally decorated with Chinese art and artifacts. Diners sit at tables all throughout as servers come through pushing carts of the various delicacies. Instead of placing an order, you simply stop the cart as it comes by, see if there's anything you like, and you get your food right there. The server then stamps your card in one of three price categories and continues on his or her way. Then comes the next cart with a whole new set of food, and so continues the process.

Gow, or dumplings, are perhaps the most well-known of typical dim sum dishes, and are simply are made of a variety of ingredients wrapped in a translucent rice flour or wheat starch skin. My favorite are the shrimp, or har, gow, with really flavorful chunks of shrimp inside the wrapping. While some find the somewhat slimy yet sticky texture of the skin a bit much, I think it is wonderful.

Lo Mai Gai, or lotus leaf rice, is another great dish. Glutinous rice is mixed with a variety of meats, egg, and other delicious things and steamed inside lotus leaves. Be careful not to eat too much of this or you might not have room for anything else, as it is quite filling. The more adventurous might opt for the Phoenix talons, better known as chicken feet. They are deep fried, boiled, marinated in a black bean sauce and then steamed. For whatever reason they always end up bright red, perhaps adding to the whole "phoenix" idea. Personally I find the feet kind of fatty, but the flavor is nice and I love getting something my dining companions might find a bit on the wild side.

Part of the fun with Dim Sum is that you never know what the servers will bring out next. I've tried new things almost every time I've come here, and since many of the servers don't speak any English, sometimes you really don't know what you get until you take a bite. One dish I had never seen before was essentially a fried dough wrapped in a slimy noodle with cilantro and then squirted with a tangy soy-based sauce. It was very interesting, but the fried dough was a bit much for me so I can't say I'll be getting it again. I'm a sucker for slimy noodles as well as cilantro, however, so I had no problem eating my fair share. Another new thing was a a smattering of shrimp and some other seafood with green onions all-wrapped in a somewhat eggy covering. I thought it was great and would definitely get some again. There was only one part of our meal that neither or us really enjoyed, and that was the steamed meatballs, finely ground beef is shaped into balls and served on top of a thin bean-curd skin. Neither the texture nor the taste were really to our liking. I thought the meat tasted a little like head-cheese, as if it were mixed with some kind of a gelatin, and the texture was just overly smooth and slimy, but not in a good way considering it was meat.

Two of my favorite dim sum dishes I unfortunately did not get to eat today, the first being rice noodle rolls filled with either shrimp of barbecued pork and doused in a sweet soy sauce. Another thing which I did see today but was just too full for was the jim deui, a chewy dough filled with red bean paste, rolled in sesame seeds, and deep fried. But like I said, every dim sum venture is a unique experience, and you never know what you're gonna get!

At the end of your meal simply flag down one of the servers not pushing carts and he or she will tally up your total. I almost always end my meal pleasantly surprised at what a great deal of food I got for so little cost.

Moogy's Sandwich Shop

Unless you went to Boston College or have lived in Brighton, chances are you've never heard of Moogy's Breakfast and Sandwich shop. For those of you that have been to Moogy's, you know that it's home to some of the best breakfast and sandwiches in the Boston area.

Breakfast - Moogy's breakfast is served all day long, and no matter what you're in the mood for chances are they have it and do it well. The omelets are excellent - everything from a standard ham and cheese to the 'Watchamacalit', which has bananas in it. The breakfast sandwiches are all great, too - you can get eggs, cheese, and ham, bacon, or sausage on toast, an english muffin, a bagel or a croissant. All orders of eggs dont however you like come with home fries and toast and are probably the best value. If you want something on the sweet side, the pancakes and french toast are really tasty. For something inbetween, try one of the french toast sandwiches - the 'Love Child' has ham, turkey, and swiss sandwiched between delicious french toast!

In terms of hoagies, there tons of innovative options, from the standard steak and cheese, to my personal favorite, the 'dirty birdy', which has chicken steak (shaved chicken breast), broccoli, teriyaki, and mozzarella. You can get all of the sandwiches in Small (6 inches), Medium (9 inches), and Extra-Large (13 inches). Some of my other favorites include the 'pizza steak' (steak, pizza sauce, mozzarella, oregano) and the 'Allston' (pictured to the right, with salami, bologna, mortadella, ham, spiced ham, american cheese, and provolone cheese) If you think you can handle it you might even try the 'cow meets egg', which has steak, peppers, onions, scrambled eggs, and american cheese or the 'heart attack, which has burger meat, american cheese, bacon, and eggs. You can add a number of additional toppings, for instance fried peppers, onions, lettuce, and tomato at no additional charge.

Other sandwich options include your standard deli meat options, tuna and chicken salad, burgers of all sorts, and regular and turkey reubens, among other choices.

For side orders, the clear winner is the Chive Fries - french fries with chive seasoning and served with a side of ranch. I can easily devour a large order with gusto and still want more. Other fun fry options include the Crab fries (with old bay seasoning) and the cajun fries (seasoned curly fries with cajun seasoning). You can also opt for onion rings, mozzarella sticks, and jalapeño poppers, plus a bunch of other fry options.

Lucky for you Moogy's also has a liquor license and has Harpoon IPA, Bud Light, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Busch Light on draft. Busch drafts are only $1 all the time! There's also UFO, Corona, Bass, and a number of other beers available in bottles. If beer's not your thing, you also have a number of wine choices and Mimosas, too!

All in all, if you're looking for great comfort food and a fun, chill atmosphere, head to Moogy's! Peak times are Saturday and Sunday morning, when the place can have a line out the door thanks to (annoying) BC juniors looking for a cure to their hangovers. If you're not into the weekend crowd, try coming right at 10 when they open, or wait until later in the afternoon. Otherwise anytime during the week is good.

Situated on Chesnut Hill Ave., Moogy's is easily accessible by car (it has its own lot) or T (get off @ Chiswick, walk a block down Chiswick to your right, turn right on Chesnut Hill Ave. and it's right there). Visit moogy's.com for the full menu and more information.