The weekend of August 13th we spent about 24 hours in Boston... In town for a friend's wedding celebration brunch, we decided to stay for a bit and make Saturday dinner + Sunday brunch reservations. I must say, we chose well... Saturday night was Oleana (http://www.oleanarestaurant.com/). The service was outstanding the the food was solid. The nicest yet simplest touch had to be the warm olives... While I love olives and order them often, they've never arrived warm. Yum! For dessert we headed to one of Boston's best spots for ice cream... Toscanini's in Cambridge. Check it out: http://www.tosci.com/. On their menu I found the most perfect thing EVER--it was a mini sundae (can't remember the exact terminology). It was a baby scoop of ice cream in a little cup (the kind of cup you find next to a water cooler) with sundae toppings... You get the best of everything without all of the calories of a normal sundae. Verdict: genius + delicious. Love, love, love.
It's a good thing I had that mini sundae because Sunday's brunch was at one of the best in the country (according to me + Bon Appetit) at Craigie on Main (http://www.craigieonmain.com/), and I was not going to hold back. Rob and I decided to splurge and indulge; we each went for the 3 course brunch... This is the way brunch should be. Here is a quick rundown of what showed up at our table:
House-made Doughnut with Confiture du Lait
Fresh Summer Fruit Salad with Yogurt and Mint
Anson Mills Cornmeal Blueberry Pancakes
Grass-Fed and House-Brined Corned Beef and Smoked Beef Tongue Hash
Sour Milk Pannacotta
Market Fruits Crisp
This meal was beyond amazing. Everything was so fresh and well made, and incredibly rich. Each bite was heaven and adding to the experience was the open kitchen complete with views of the chefs plating orders and yelling out instructions. Love this place! The next time we're in town, we'll be visiting Craigie on Main for dinner.
The weekend after was MY BIRTHDAY! My single goal: good food with my husband. I want to keep this post from getting too lengthy, so here are the bday weekend specs:
Friday Lunch - Jean Georges: http://www.jean-georges.com/
Friday Dinner - Joe's Shanghai: http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/
Saturday Lunch - Le Pain Quotidien: http://www.lepainquotidien.com/
Saturday Dinner - the little owl: http://www.thelittleowlnyc.com/
Sunday Brunch - Rob's cooking: lemon-ricotta pancakes, bacon, fresh berries, coffee
Sunday Dinner - Keste Pizzeria & Vino: http://kestepizzeria.com/
I had been to Jean Georges before (when I was 12 or 13 and first visiting NYC), but this time I was better able to appreciate it... This spot, which is one of the best deals in NYC for it's prixe fix lunch, has made my list of top 5 lunches. Foie Gras Brulee, Goat Cheese Gnocchi (WAY more goat cheese than gnocchi) and House-made Marshmallows were a few of the delectable highlights. I mean, hello!! Marshmallows!!! I LOVE MARSHMALLOWS.
All in all, a couple of great, decadent weekends... Now it's time for some salads. :)
