Ka-ching

BanQ — It’s good… very good.

Located in the remodeled lobby of the old Penny Savings Bank on Washington Street, BanQ has generated quite a bit of chatter since opening in mid-February. With an eclectic mix of Southeast Asian, Indian and French influence, BanQ offers the menu musings of New Delhi chef du jour Ranveer Brar. I had heard some very positive things about BanQ… so I meandered over for a Girl’s Night Out on Saturday.

We (“M” and I) started our evening at The Beehive, a past favorite of mine — for a few cocktails in order to get ‘warmed up’ (pun intended). We arrived around 7pm and went directly to the bar downstairs… where “M” started with a Bee-Lini ($10.50) — a Champagne cocktail made with fresh apricot nectar and I decided to start the evening with something a little stronger, a Beehive Julep ($10) — a refreshing blend of rum, Liquor Creole and lime (though my glass had lime, lemon and orange… muddled with mint).

The drinks went down smoothly and we were quickly ordering our second round. I stuck with the Julep, but “M” ventured off and got The Rasputin ($10) — a wintery concoction of hard apple cider, calvados and cinnamon syrup. She preferred the Bee-lini, but had no problems finishing the drink off.

Before we knew it, it was 8:20 and we were rushing out the door for our cold walk down to BanQ. We arrived about 5 minutes later and were seated immediately. If you have done any reading of the Boston news rags lately (the Improper, Stuff at Night, the Phoenix, Digg, Boston.com, etc.) you know that the architectural Piece de Resistance at BanQ is the layer after layer of curved birchwood pieces that adorn the ceiling, giving the space a funky cave-like atmosphere. While beautifully designed eye candy, my only complaint is that these delicious layers create a little acoustic problem. BanQ’s dining room is quite noisy. Fine for fun evenings out with groups of friends, but maybe a bit overwhelming if you are looking for a romantic and quiet date night. I honestly loved the place though.

The menu at BanQ is divided into three sections: Asian Amuse, Appetizers and Main Courses. We opted for sharing three Amuse and ordering separate dinners. We started with the Coho Salmon ($4.50) on a sugar cane stick with watercress and cherry tomato vinaigrette, the Shortribs ($5) braised with cumin and lemongrass with a Japanese yam fondant and the Baby Beets ($4.50), cured in mirin and served with Chevre and a wasabi, mitsukan reduction.

We also ordered a bottle of wine, the Cold Hills Sauvignon Blanc (from New Zealand) for $29.

“M” doesn’t eat seafood and I don’t eat red meat, so we each savored our a little amuse ourselves and then shared the beets.

The Coho salmon was unbelievably good. The salmon was ridiculously tender, delicious and had an amazing sauce (which, sounds underrated on the menu) — I would have licked the plate clean if I could have. “M” indicated that the short ribs were also amazing. The beets and chevre were very good… but nothing overly inventive or special. The beets were tasty, the chevre was fresh, but I couldn’t detect the wasabi undertones. Overall it was good… just not memorable.

The wine was very nice. A typical and dependable New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, with fresh herbal flavors and an acidic finish.

For dinner, I went with the Grilled Cod ($26), dusted with morels, Pommery banana flower relish, lotus root Provencal and a green tea miso beurre blanc. I really enjoyed my meal…. it was delicious — with the cod being a delicate balance of flaky white fish fused with traditional Asian flavors. “M” got the Roasted Chicken ($21). Unfortunately, I do not remember the details of this meal and it is not listed on their website’s menu. “M” thought the meal was good, but the chicken was dry, bordering on tough. She could barely cut through it with the knife provided.

We finished our meal with desert. I got the Creme Brulee ($9), served in 2 separate cups, with a delicate sugar crust and a side of fresh mango sorbet. “M” went with the Chocolate Torte ($10), a soft-centered chocolate cake, served with a side of ice cream. Both were very good, pretty traditional, but nothing overly special. Don’t get me wrong… I ate (and enjoyed) the entire thing, but if I’m comparing these to the creations of other innovative chefs, they were just okay.

Overall, a very good experience, nice atmosphere, tasty food and moderate to good service. I would go back, but I wasn’t as gung ho as I’d hoped. I think BanQ will be around for a while, but I also think the need to step it up a bit to join the ranks of the big Boston food players.

The FINAL List — Who is the Whiner???

Everybody else is doing it… so I figured I would too. I’m going to finish out my month-long ‘list of lists’ with “100 Things About Me“:

1. I was born in Flemington, NJ
2. I moved to Boston 10 years ago (this March)
3. I have one brother and one sister
4. My parents are still married and still live in the house I grew up in
5. Saturday night was my father’s last day of work — As of yesterday, he is officially retired
6. My brother lives in NJ, about 30 minutes from my parents
7. My brother is married and has two children, a boy (6) and a girl (9)
8. My sister lives in “bum-f*ck” Ohio
9. My sister is married and has a baby girl (5 months old)
10. I will be married 5 years on August 31, 2008
11. My son will turn 4 on November 26, 2008
12. I will turn 40 on July 9, 2008
13. My husband is EIGHT years younger than me!
14. We got married on the Cape — in West Dennis
15. We met at work — the same month I got engaged to someone else!
16. I left my then fiance, for my current husband — 5 months after I met him
17. I don’t eat any red meat and only a little chicken
18. I prefer a mostly vegetarian diet
19. I am a hypocrite though, because I wear leather
20. I love to write about and eat food
21. I love to cook, but don’t do so enough
22. We have two dogs — Oliver and Daizy
23. Oliver was rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico when he was a puppy
24. Daizy was rescued in Massachusetts
25. Both dogs are mutts
26. I love to garden and grow tomatoes and cucumbers every summer
27. I love house plants and have many
28. My house is decorated with a strong Asian influence (Thai, Indian, Japanese, etc.)
29. I am not religious, but have many Buddha references throughout my home
30. I was raised Catholic and did the whole “communion and confirmation” thing
31. Since then, I have formally denounced Catholicism
32. My son is not baptised
33. My husband is half Jewish
34. I am liberal
35. I will never vote Republican
36. I love animals
37. I was a Girl Scout from about 1st grade until 6th grade
38. My natural hair color is mousy brown, but right now it’s very red
39. According to my colorist, I am about 50% gray (I think she’s lying)
40. I get my hair colored religiously, every 5 weeks
41. I get bored with my hair and constantly change it
42. Right now, my hair is too short… so I am hoping to grow it out a bit
43. I get a pedicure every 2 weeks or so — my toe nails are currently a very dark metallic blue
44. I am addicted to shoes, jewelry and accessories in general
45. I love to shop — but only alone
46. I hate wearing the same exact outfit twice
47. I love reading
48. I love magazines
49. I love TV
50. I have watched every season of Survivor and The Real World
51. My current favorite TV show is Lost
52. I also watch America’s Next Top Model, No Reservations, Bizarre Foods, House and the original CSI
53. I am embarrassed to admit that I tape The Hills AND Paradise Hotel 2 (I loved the first season a few years ago)
54. I hate 24, Prison Break and all the copy cat CSI’s
55. My all time least favorite TV show was Ed — I HATE that guy
56. The best series ever was Six Feet Under
57. Sex in the City is a close second — and I still watch the repeats every night
58. My all time favorite show is The Simpsons
59. I love alternative music… especially bands from the UK
60. My favorite bands include: Radiohead, U2, Cranberries, Dido, Oasis, Queen, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Marley, Cake, The Cure, Faithless, Gypsy Kings, 80’s Pop, Portis Head and Snow Patrol (to name just a few)
61. I love writing my blog and reading other people’s blogs
62. My profession “PB” (pre-baby), was Technical Training, Technical Writing and Project Management
63. Now I am a Marketing Manager
64. I only work 25 hours a week
65. I still do freelance Technical Writing (about 8 hours a week)
66. I would LOVE to be a professional food writer
67. It is my lifelong dream is to own my own shop one day (what kind? I don’t know)
68. I would also love to go to culinary school
69. In my 10 years here, I have lived in Newton Center, Washington Square, Brookline Village, Fort Point, Back Bay and now West Roxbury
70. I drive a Honda Pilot, but plan to definitely get a hybrid for my next vehicle
71. I try to recycle as much as possible
72. I have a compost in my back yard
73. My husband’s parents live in Orlando
74. We visit them and go to Disney at least 2 times a year
75. My favorite vacation destination is St. John, USVI
76. I have been to St. John 5 or 6 times
77. I have been to many Caribbean Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Virgin Gorda, Saba, St. Martin, Anguilla, Barbados, Aruba, Jamaica, Bahamas and many “smaller islands”)
78. I honeymooned in London, Italy (Genoa, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Venice) and Greece (Athens, Santorini)
79. My dream vacation is South East Asia
80. I would also love to travel to India and/or Turkey
81. I do yoga
82. I hate cardio exercises
83. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis — though I am somewhat symptom-free right now
84. I got orthodontic braces about 2 1/2 months ago
85. I collect seaglass, shells, stones and anything else that looks interesting to me
86. I am fairly artistic (watercolors, pottery, scrapbooking, homemade invitations, etc.)
87. I love to entertain and host parties
88. I hope to live in California one day
89. I think Boston is a great city and I love living here
90. I played field hockey in grade school, but did not play sports in high school
91. I was in the color guard for just one year in high school (I twirled a rifle)
92. I would never allow a gun in my home
93. I do not give my son red meat
94. We have one cat named Aggie (short of Aggravating)
95. I took a train cross country, from Boston to San Diego, 2 weeks after 9/11 (with my future husband) — for business
96. The first trip my husband and I went on for pleasure was South Beach, FL
97. The second trip was Sedona, AZ
98. I tend to get stressed out easily
99. I often have insomnia
100. I like to complain (just ask my husband)

I’m done! Any questions?

Ka-ching

BanQ — It’s good… very good.

Located in the remodeled lobby of the old Penny Savings Bank on Washington Street, BanQ has generated quite a bit of chatter since opening in mid-February. With an eclectic mix of Southeast Asian, Indian and French influence, BanQ offers the menu musings of New Delhi chef du jour Ranveer Brar. I had heard some very positive things about BanQ… so I meandered over for a Girl’s Night Out on Saturday.

We (“M” and I) started our evening at The Beehive, a past favorite of mine — for a few cocktails in order to get ‘warmed up’ (pun intended). We arrived around 7pm and went directly to the bar downstairs… where “M” started with a Bee-Lini ($10.50) — a Champagne cocktail made with fresh apricot nectar and I decided to start the evening with something a little stronger, a Beehive Julep ($10) — a refreshing blend of rum, Liquor Creole and lime (though my glass had lime, lemon and orange… muddled with mint).

The drinks went down smoothly and we were quickly ordering our second round. I stuck with the Julep, but “M” ventured off and got The Rasputin ($10) — a wintery concoction of hard apple cider, calvados and cinnamon syrup. She preferred the Bee-lini, but had no problems finishing the drink off.

Before we knew it, it was 8:20 and we were rushing out the door for our cold walk down to BanQ. We arrived about 5 minutes later and were seated immediately. If you have done any reading of the Boston news rags lately (the Improper, Stuff at Night, the Phoenix, Digg, Boston.com, etc.) you know that the architectural Piece de Resistance at BanQ is the layer after layer of curved birchwood pieces that adorn the ceiling, giving the space a funky cave-like atmosphere. While beautifully designed eye candy, my only complaint is that these delicious layers create a little acoustic problem. BanQ’s dining room is quite noisy. Fine for fun evenings out with groups of friends, but maybe a bit overwhelming if you are looking for a romantic and quiet date night. I honestly loved the place though.

The menu at BanQ is divided into three sections: Asian Amuse, Appetizers and Main Courses. We opted for sharing three Amuse and ordering separate dinners. We started with the Coho Salmon ($4.50) on a sugar cane stick with watercress and cherry tomato vinaigrette, the Shortribs ($5) braised with cumin and lemongrass with a Japanese yam fondant and the Baby Beets ($4.50), cured in mirin and served with Chevre and a wasabi, mitsukan reduction.

We also ordered a bottle of wine, the Cold Hills Sauvignon Blanc (from New Zealand) for $29.

“M” doesn’t eat seafood and I don’t eat red meat, so we each savored our a little amuse ourselves and then shared the beets.

The Coho salmon was unbelievably good. The salmon was ridiculously tender, delicious and had an amazing sauce (which, sounds underrated on the menu) — I would have licked the plate clean if I could have. “M” indicated that the short ribs were also amazing. The beets and chevre were very good… but nothing overly inventive or special. The beets were tasty, the chevre was fresh, but I couldn’t detect the wasabi undertones. Overall it was good… just not memorable.

The wine was very nice. A typical and dependable New Zealand Sauvignon blanc, with fresh herbal flavors and an acidic finish.

For dinner, I went with the Grilled Cod ($26), dusted with morels, Pommery banana flower relish, lotus root Provencal and a green tea miso beurre blanc. I really enjoyed my meal…. it was delicious — with the cod being a delicate balance of flaky white fish fused with traditional Asian flavors. “M” got the Roasted Chicken ($21). Unfortunately, I do not remember the details of this meal and it is not listed on their website’s menu. “M” thought the meal was good, but the chicken was dry, bordering on tough. She could barely cut through it with the knife provided.

We finished our meal with desert. I got the Creme Brulee ($9), served in 2 separate cups, with a delicate sugar crust and a side of fresh mango sorbet. “M” went with the Chocolate Torte ($10), a soft-centered chocolate cake, served with a side of ice cream. Both were very good, pretty traditional, but nothing overly special. Don’t get me wrong… I ate (and enjoyed) the entire thing, but if I’m comparing these to the creations of other innovative chefs, they were just okay.

Overall, a very good experience, nice atmosphere, tasty food and moderate to good service. I would go back, but I wasn’t as gung ho as I’d hoped. I think BanQ will be around for a while, but I also think the need to step it up a bit to join the ranks of the big Boston food players.

The FINAL List — Who is the Whiner???

Everybody else is doing it… so I figured I would too. I’m going to finish out my month-long ‘list of lists’ with “100 Things About Me“:

1. I was born in Flemington, NJ
2. I moved to Boston 10 years ago (this March)
3. I have one brother and one sister
4. My parents are still married and still live in the house I grew up in
5. Saturday night was my father’s last day of work — As of yesterday, he is officially retired
6. My brother lives in NJ, about 30 minutes from my parents
7. My brother is married and has two children, a boy (6) and a girl (9)
8. My sister lives in “bum-f*ck” Ohio
9. My sister is married and has a baby girl (5 months old)
10. I will be married 5 years on August 31, 2008
11. My son will turn 4 on November 26, 2008
12. I will turn 40 on July 9, 2008
13. My husband is EIGHT years younger than me!
14. We got married on the Cape — in West Dennis
15. We met at work — the same month I got engaged to someone else!
16. I left my then fiance, for my current husband — 5 months after I met him
17. I don’t eat any red meat and only a little chicken
18. I prefer a mostly vegetarian diet
19. I am a hypocrite though, because I wear leather
20. I love to write about and eat food
21. I love to cook, but don’t do so enough
22. We have two dogs — Oliver and Daizy
23. Oliver was rescued from the streets of Puerto Rico when he was a puppy
24. Daizy was rescued in Massachusetts
25. Both dogs are mutts
26. I love to garden and grow tomatoes and cucumbers every summer
27. I love house plants and have many
28. My house is decorated with a strong Asian influence (Thai, Indian, Japanese, etc.)
29. I am not religious, but have many Buddha references throughout my home
30. I was raised Catholic and did the whole “communion and confirmation” thing
31. Since then, I have formally denounced Catholicism
32. My son is not baptised
33. My husband is half Jewish
34. I am liberal
35. I will never vote Republican
36. I love animals
37. I was a Girl Scout from about 1st grade until 6th grade
38. My natural hair color is mousy brown, but right now it’s very red
39. According to my colorist, I am about 50% gray (I think she’s lying)
40. I get my hair colored religiously, every 5 weeks
41. I get bored with my hair and constantly change it
42. Right now, my hair is too short… so I am hoping to grow it out a bit
43. I get a pedicure every 2 weeks or so — my toe nails are currently a very dark metallic blue
44. I am addicted to shoes, jewelry and accessories in general
45. I love to shop — but only alone
46. I hate wearing the same exact outfit twice
47. I love reading
48. I love magazines
49. I love TV
50. I have watched every season of Survivor and The Real World
51. My current favorite TV show is Lost
52. I also watch America’s Next Top Model, No Reservations, Bizarre Foods, House and the original CSI
53. I am embarrassed to admit that I tape The Hills AND Paradise Hotel 2 (I loved the first season a few years ago)
54. I hate 24, Prison Break and all the copy cat CSI’s
55. My all time least favorite TV show was Ed — I HATE that guy
56. The best series ever was Six Feet Under
57. Sex in the City is a close second — and I still watch the repeats every night
58. My all time favorite show is The Simpsons
59. I love alternative music… especially bands from the UK
60. My favorite bands include: Radiohead, U2, Cranberries, Dido, Oasis, Queen, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Marley, Cake, The Cure, Faithless, Gypsy Kings, 80’s Pop, Portis Head and Snow Patrol (to name just a few)
61. I love writing my blog and reading other people’s blogs
62. My profession “PB” (pre-baby), was Technical Training, Technical Writing and Project Management
63. Now I am a Marketing Manager
64. I only work 25 hours a week
65. I still do freelance Technical Writing (about 8 hours a week)
66. I would LOVE to be a professional food writer
67. It is my lifelong dream is to own my own shop one day (what kind? I don’t know)
68. I would also love to go to culinary school
69. In my 10 years here, I have lived in Newton Center, Washington Square, Brookline Village, Fort Point, Back Bay and now West Roxbury
70. I drive a Honda Pilot, but plan to definitely get a hybrid for my next vehicle
71. I try to recycle as much as possible
72. I have a compost in my back yard
73. My husband’s parents live in Orlando
74. We visit them and go to Disney at least 2 times a year
75. My favorite vacation destination is St. John, USVI
76. I have been to St. John 5 or 6 times
77. I have been to many Caribbean Islands (St. Thomas, St. John, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, Virgin Gorda, Saba, St. Martin, Anguilla, Barbados, Aruba, Jamaica, Bahamas and many “smaller islands”)
78. I honeymooned in London, Italy (Genoa, Cinque Terre, Pisa, Venice) and Greece (Athens, Santorini)
79. My dream vacation is South East Asia
80. I would also love to travel to India and/or Turkey
81. I do yoga
82. I hate cardio exercises
83. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis — though I am somewhat symptom-free right now
84. I got orthodontic braces about 2 1/2 months ago
85. I collect seaglass, shells, stones and anything else that looks interesting to me
86. I am fairly artistic (watercolors, pottery, scrapbooking, homemade invitations, etc.)
87. I love to entertain and host parties
88. I hope to live in California one day
89. I think Boston is a great city and I love living here
90. I played field hockey in grade school, but did not play sports in high school
91. I was in the color guard for just one year in high school (I twirled a rifle)
92. I would never allow a gun in my home
93. I do not give my son red meat
94. We have one cat named Aggie (short of Aggravating)
95. I took a train cross country, from Boston to San Diego, 2 weeks after 9/11 (with my future husband) — for business
96. The first trip my husband and I went on for pleasure was South Beach, FL
97. The second trip was Sedona, AZ
98. I tend to get stressed out easily
99. I often have insomnia
100. I like to complain (just ask my husband)

I’m done! Any questions?

Sunday’s List of Activities

Boy… it was a busy weekend!

1. Friday night at my son’s preschool for a special presentation by his music teacher
2. A trip down to Ikea Saturday morning for a mini shopping spree
3. Saturday night — Girl’s Night Out, with drinks at The Beehive and dinner at BanQ (full review to follow later)
4. Sunday morning at home w/ the 3-yo and his friend… for a play date (by now, I was getting tired)
5. Sunday afternoon at the Trailside Museum at Blue Hills Reservation for a kid’s b-day party

Back to work today… to recover!

Sunday’s List of Activities

Boy… it was a busy weekend!

1. Friday night at my son’s preschool for a special presentation by his music teacher
2. A trip down to Ikea Saturday morning for a mini shopping spree
3. Saturday night — Girl’s Night Out, with drinks at The Beehive and dinner at BanQ (full review to follow later)
4. Sunday morning at home w/ the 3-yo and his friend… for a play date (by now, I was getting tired)
5. Sunday afternoon at the Trailside Museum at Blue Hills Reservation for a kid’s b-day party

Back to work today… to recover!

I’m Banq-ing on a good time

Well, I’m about to head out for the evening w/ my girlfriend “M”. Our plans include:

1. A little shopping on Newbury Street
2. A cocktail or two at either The Beehive or Rocca
3. Dinner at Banq
4. Maybe some more cocktails or some dancing after at either 28 Degrees or The Estate

My guess? I’ll be posting tomorrow how we were so tired after dinner that we were in bed by 11pm!!! I hope not… In any case, I’m sure we’ll have a good time.

I’m Banq-ing on a good time

Well, I’m about to head out for the evening w/ my girlfriend “M”. Our plans include:

1. A little shopping on Newbury Street
2. A cocktail or two at either The Beehive or Rocca
3. Dinner at Banq
4. Maybe some more cocktails or some dancing after at either 28 Degrees or The Estate

My guess? I’ll be posting tomorrow how we were so tired after dinner that we were in bed by 11pm!!! I hope not… In any case, I’m sure we’ll have a good time.

The Perks of Being a Food Blogger

This arrived in the mail yesterday… creating a very happy 3-yo:

World of Grains offers all natural, whole grain snacks. They are testing out the market in Boston and their PR person contacted me to see if she could send me some free cookie samples. Duh… Like I’d say no!

Well, the package arrived yesterday and contained:

1. 1 small package of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
2. 1 small package or Cranberry Cookies
3. 1 box (containing 3 small packages) of Blueberry Cookies
4. 2 Tea Bags

The verdict from both the 3-yo and myself is that these cookies are yummy! Keep an eye out for them on store shelves coming soon.

In case you missed it on Universal Hub…

I’m happy to report that the Phoenix is alive and well in a newspaper box outside Starbucks (in the West Roxbury Roche Brother’s shopping center). Whomever is responsible for this… THANK YOU for not being short sighted and for agreeing with freedom of speech!!! Obviously I picked up my copy immediately…

For those of you who have no idea why this is important, click here and then here… for my previous posts regarding this. Also… if you think the SCD is trying to strip our constitutional rights and push their religious views on us, stop by Gary’s Liquor’s tomorrow between 1pm and 5pm — when the SCD will be there picketing (according to Adam G. at Universal Hub). I will try to stop by myself.