Boston Food & Whine

$2 Taco Tuesdays at Tremont 647

The Fly — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:22:00 +0000

$2? For a taco in the swanky South End? Every Tuesday? Indefinitely??? You bet!

Andy Husbands, chef and owner of Tremont 647, began offering $2 Taco Tuesdays a few months ago… and he plans on running this popular special indefinitely. Andy is a friend of mine, so I’ve been dying to get over to 647 to try out this amazing deal — knowing well that I wouldn’t be disappointed in taste and I sure wouldn’t be complaining about the price.

So this past Tuesday, I met up with fellow food bloggers — Pam of Cave Cibum and LVS of Calamity Shazaam in the Kitchen — two great girls who love to eat and love to laugh at the same silly things I do.

We met up on the early side — 6pm — and the place was already hopping. One thing I love about Tremont 647 is that their martini menu hasn’t morphed into one of those NYC-style price lists (that seems to be the trend) — where drinks start at $12 a pop. Rather, the drinks on this menu begin at the ever-low price of $7 and cap out at $9.5. Definitely a deal in it’s own right.

I’m a sucker for pineapple-infused vodka, so I started (and finished) my night with Joy’s Pineapple Martini – house-infused pineapple vodka, Stoli Vanil pineapple juice & simple syrup ($7). LVS went with the Bourbon Belle – Jim Beam, sweet vermouth, Mathilde Peaches Liqueur & Angostura bitters ($8). Pam had a drink at the bar before we arrived and was doing a piece for her Cheap Eats column on the The Bostonist… so she passed on additional drinks. It was okay though, as LVS and I had plenty to cover ourselves and Pam.

First to arrive was an Amuse Bouche sent over by the chef … a mini version of their Harvest Salad — pears, feta, beets, butternut squash & walnuts (normally $9). It was a perfect little pile of sweet, savory and crunchy and a great start to our meal. We all enjoyed the flavor and texture of the salad and agreed that it was delicious.

We were at Tremont 647 for one reason and one reason only. The $2 tacos… so we ordered all four on the menu that night, each of us getting a slightly varied combination of the choices. We also ordered a side of Fried Plantains — served with Schlesinger’s Banana-Guava Ketchup ($4), The Sides Plate — Guacamole, Sour Cream and Cordito ($2) and a Black Bean, Cheddar and Goat Cheese Quesadilla ($7).

The tacos of the evening were (in order as shown below — and thanks to Pam for the awesome photos!): Fried Catfish Taco — with pickled purple cabbage, Grilled Steak Taco — with a grilled onion and corn salsa, Grilled Vegetable Taco — with refried beans and a lime-cumin vinaigrette and the Carnitas Taco (pork) — with pico de gallo. All tacos also come with a side order of salsa roja and salsa verde.

They were all quite yummy. I really loved the Catfish Taco and I believe that both Pam and LVS voted the Steak Taco as their favorite. I thought the Grilled Vegetable taco was good, but wasn’t madly in love with it… the same thing with the Quesadilla. They were what they were… good. The fried plantain were EXCELLENT as was the banana-guava ketchup that came with them.

We finished our meal with the Flan — which was topped with strawberries (a gift from the chef and not on the standard menu). Who doesn’t love flan??? Or anything with a custard consistency for that matter. Needless to say, it was delicious.

All in all, a good meal, with good friends and at great prices. If we had skipped the booze all together, the entire meal for all three of us would have been only $31 before taxes! You just can’t beat that… Thank you A.O.C.H!!!!

Coming to Boston with the Kids? Try the Museum of Science!

The Fly — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:20:00 +0000

I went to the MoS this past week and wrote the following article for another site. I thought you all might enjoy it:

Boston is a great city for kids of all ages. Whether your child is an infant, a toddler, a history buff or a little scientist, there is something for everyone. One place in particular that is not to be missed is the Museum of Science. With ever-changing exhibits, a planetarium and an IMAX theater, you and your family can easily make an entire day out of a visit to this wonderful and historic institution.

The Museum of Science was established in 1830 and has been a very popular attraction ever since. According to their website, the museum accommodates more than 1.6 Million visitors each year and has more than 400 interactive attractions. Exhibit halls change throughout the year, offering visitors a wide variety of hands-on and virtual experiences. The museum is made up of three levels, each offering children and adults alike a one-of-a-kind experience.

Infants and toddlers will enjoy the Discovery Center (Level 1, Red Wing), which allows children to participate in drama play, assemble bones, fossils and other manipulative’s and provides an infant-safe zone for little ones who are still crawling.

Preschoolers can investigate dinosaur skeletons and replicas, see how electricity works, experiment with magnets, see and touch animals that once lived in New England (Level 1, Green Wing) and explore all things space, including planet models, rocket capsule replicas and innovative space travel designs.

Older children will learn about the human body and what happens from the time of conception to birth (Level 2, Green Wing). They can explore the Universe and visit the Charles Hayden Planetarium (Level 1, Red Wing) to experience the night sky as it exists throughout the seasons. Math, electronics and engineering are covered in great depth (Level 1, Blue Wing), allowing children to ask questions and experiment with various interactive exhibits. This is one of the few museums geared toward kids where parents have just as much fun as their children.

Several theaters located throughout the museum offer visitors live shows and exhibits where presenters interact with the audience and answer questions. There is a Butterfly Garden (Level 2, Blue Wing), a Theater of Electricity (Level 2, Blue Wing), and the Mugar Omni IMAX Theater with ever-changing 3-D movies, the River View food court, Museum Store and the exciting Simulator Experience (all on Level 1 in the Red Wing) that provides riders with an extreme virtual reality ride of a lifetime!

Weekends and holidays tend to be crowded, so arrive early or come in the afternoon to avoid the masses. The museum is handicapped accessible and there are coat room lockers, stroller rentals and a cash machine on site. The Boston Museum of Science is located at 1 Science Park in Boston, MA. It is open Saturday through Thursday from 9am to 7pm and Friday from 9am to 9pm. Click heres for holiday and special exhibit hours. The price of admission is $23.50 for adults (12+), $21.00 for seniors and $19.50 for children (3-11). There are also season passes and special membership options available here. It is easily accessible by the MBTA public transportation system and there is a parking garage attached to building.

There is NO way this child came from my loins…

The Fly — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:39:00 +0000

I’m not really sure how it happened. I tried to eat all kinds of exotic and ethnic foods while I was pregnant and I continued to do the same while I nursed my son — despite the fact that I could not have any dairy because he had an allergy. I gave him all kinds of “cool” foods during his initial food experiences early on (like avocado, spicy things, olives and other strongly-flavored items) — which he gobbled right up. And now? Now that he is 4 years old, I have the world’s pickiest eater on my hands. Literally. If I didn’t know better, I would bet my bottom dollar that he’s been on a dedicated fast since he was about 2 years old.

Did I create a monster somehow? Is it because I don’t eat red meat and I didn’t give him any meat at all until he was about 3 years old? Or is it because I did the unthinkable and caved-in to the idea of not sitting at the dinner table together every night — but rather, cooked a separate meal (to his liking) each night? OR… is it as the pediatrician said? “Some kids are just picky eaters… and, if by the time they are 3 they are still not expanding their food horizon, than chances are you will have a picky eater on your hands until the child is 6 or 7.” Gulp.

So what does my child eat? Don’t blink… because the list will be done before you know it. If he could, he would eat the same three meals every day:

1. Pancakes and fruit for breakfast (this is a new thing, he only tried pancakes for the first time ever about 1 month ago — before that, it was the same breakfast bar, every morning, for over 2 years).

2. For lunch? Those premade peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (Uncrustables) with an assortment of snacks, like fruit, cheese, crackers and pretzels.

3. Dinners would be pizza… every night. So I generally call Deno’s up on Monday and have a large cheese pizza delivered. It feeds him the rest of the week.

Though to be fair, on occasion he has been known to eat: turkey dogs, buttered noodles, macaroni and cheese, hummus and pretzels, “chicken fries” (french fry-shaped chicken nuggets) and french fries. That’s pretty much it. He refuses to try anything that he’s never had before. When and why did he stop trusting me??? I have promised not to steer him wrong… but he still says “NO!”

I’ve heard from some other parents that this list is quite good… that their child only ate yogurt for the first 3 years of their lives or will only eat PB&J for every meal right now. I don’t care about other kids though… I care about my kid –the son of a food writer and self-proclaimed foodie!

So what to do?? I’v tried letting him look through cookbooks, with the premise that he can help mommy make the grocery list, go shopping for the ingredients and cook whatever meal he picks out. He can never find anything that looks good though. His blanket answer? “No thank you mommy”. Well, at least the kid is polite about it — I’ll give him that.

I’ve tried implementing the “no thank you helping”… an outtake on something I had to deal with when I went to Girl Scout camp. You didn’t have to eat something you didn’t like, but you had to try every thing on the menu… even it was a “no thank you helping” (basically a miniscule portion). That has been working okay — but only with bribes: “If you eat just one teeny tiny bite of spaghetti, you can have candy after dinner!” Yeah… that’s a good method.

I bought Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook Deceptively Delicious. But doesn’t your child have to actually eat food in order to hide nutritious ingredients in it? I guess I’m lucky in one respect, my son does like fruit, many vegetables, cheese, yogurt, nuts and (weirdly enough) turkey pepperoni. So he’s getting a fairly well-balanced diet — but with absolutely no variety. I guess that’s the part that kills me. Isn’t variety the spice of life??? I just cannot allow my child to lead a bland existence!

If anyone else has some tricks of the trade I would love to hear them. In the meantime, I’m off to BJ’s to buy several cases of Uncrustables and pancakes. Oh, and one of those giant blocks of American cheese. That should keep the boy tied over for the next week or so…

My "Bloggin by Mail" Package Arrived!!!

The Fly — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000

Yippee!!!

My Blogging by Mail package arrived this past Monday… all the way from New Zealand!

Fellow food blogger, Rosa, did a great job assemblinlg my yummy-looking care package. I am very excited… and want to thank Rosa for making my day!

Here is a list of the goodies I happily received:

Roasted Onion and Pumpkin Dip Mix
Traditional Mulled Wine Mulling Spices Mix
Baileys Liqueur Fudge
Ginger Delight Spoon Biscookie
Cocktail Napkins
Whittaker’s Peanut Slab Milk Chocolate Bar
Cadbury Original Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Fish
Dried Apple Slices Dipped in Cinnamon
Cadbury Black Forest Milk Chocolate Bar
Cadbury Buzz Chocolates

Needless to say, it’s a VERY good thing I’m not following a Weight Watcher’s diet right now! Thanks again Rosa!!! And now that my recipient has received her package, you can keep checking back here to see what she has to say about it!

UPDATE: My bloggin friend in Australia, Emzeegee and the Hungry Three posted about he package she recieved from me. Check it out!!!

Can’t beat it… $2.05/gal at Tiger Petroleum in Roslindale!

The Fly — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Hi, my name is Tammy and I’m a….

The Fly — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:57:00 +0000

Me: Hi, my name is Tammy and I’m a Facebookaholoic
Group: Hi Tammy!

Me: It all started about a year ago… maybe a little more… before most folks had even jumped on the Facebook bandwagon. I figured why not? I don’t have a MySpace page… maybe I could use Facebook to post pictures of my family to share with friends. That’s all…
Group Leader: That’s how it always starts. Then what happened?

Me: Well, as the year progressed, more and more of my friends starting using FB. And then my family too. Before I knew it, I was on FB all the time, almost “spying” on folks to see what they were up to. It became addictive.
Group Leader: We have all been there, Tammy. But why are you here today? What made you realize you were in too deep?

Me: Well, first I downloaded the FB application onto my iPhone… just for the fun of it. Then, I found I was updating my status several times a week. Then it was several times a day. Then, it was like “Tammy is sitting at a red light on Washington Street.”
Group Leader: You updated your status while driving???

Me: Well, not while driving, but at red lights? HEY… I’m here because I have a problem… OKAY?
Group Leader: Go on…

Me: I became a voyeur and on the flip side, wanted everyone to know what I was doing at all times. I stopped sending emails, I stopped calling people… hell, I even stopped using my Instant Messenger… though, admittedly so, I still text on my phone quite often.
Group Leader: You know Tammy, we have an iPhoneaholics group meeting here tomorrow night.
Me: Whatever.

Me: I realized that was spending more time on Facebook then I was doing the other things I loved — like reading, cooking and most importantly – writing on my food blog. Of course, The Husband’s “spending freeze” wasn’t helping my food-writing cause, but I figured if I could spend THAT much time on Facebook… why couldn’t I come with some interesting posts for my food blog???
Group Leader: Tammy… don’t you also have a Boston Food & Whine Facebook page that you never update?

Me: F**k off! I’m sorry — it’s a sore spot… I mean, I’m not sure how often people even visit that page, so I haven’t spent much time doing anything with it.
Group Leader: Maybe you could start there… try to focus some attention on that FB page as well. It would take some effort, but would perhaps draw your attention away from your personal FB page and allow you to use your creative juices elsewhere.

Me: Hmmm… maybe. But what if I get sucked into that page as well?
Group Leader: How will you know if you don’t try?

Me: Okay. Maybe I can start by just reminding my fellow foodies about food events that are coming up… things in and around Boston that might be of interest to them? Low commitment… but still dynamic content?
Group Leader: Sounds like a plan. And what about your personal FB page… do you think you can spend less time obsessing about yours and your friend’s status updates?

Me: Goooo tooo helllllllllllll!!!!!
Group Leader: Tammy! Come back! Don’t‘ run away… we can help you! Damn… lost another one.

Where are they now?

The Fly — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:45:00 +0000

So… we had a yard sale a few weeks ago and while I was digging through the attic trying to figure out what to sell, I came across some fun and nostalgic Boston food items. The first is a copy of the tasting menu we had the very first time we ever went to No. 9 Park. This was the most amazing experience for us ever… one, because it was our first time in the restaurant… two, because it was the first tasting menu we ever did together… three, because the meal was AMAZING… and four, because it was the first time we ever spent that kind of cash on one meal!

We asked the staff if we could get a copy of the menu along with all the wines we were served (we did the pairing and I believe, it was $180 per person). Here is what we received… though the print is probably a little small since I scanned it in (but you can probably double-click to zoom). In any case, this was the most incredible meal we ever had and still ranks in the top three (really top two — if not number one) of all meals we have EVER had!

The Cream of Celery Root with duck confit and apple foam leaves a particularly strong memory as does the Foie Gras ‘au Torchon‘ with fig butter and brioche — though everything was wonderful. Needless to say, we cabbed it home that night (we still lived in Back Bay at that time) — considering the 9 glasses of wine we had!

This next menu is from the same year (2001), but on New Year’s Eve. We headed to Radius that night and had a blast. We tried Radius again the following NYE with some friends but it just wasn’t the same. This year in particular was so much fun and the food was great. If memory serves me right, the Wild Sturgeon with parsley, caviar, chopin vodka and creme fraiche stands out and I remember the Cinnamon Beignets and Hot Chocolate that finished the evening were scrumptious!

In May of 2002, we went back to No. 9 for another tasting and we did the 10-course again — but chose to do a partial wine pairing (rather than every course). At this point, I don’t remember what the cost difference was. Once again, the Foie Gras ‘au Confit‘ with Armagnac gelee and raisin croutons was a standout, as was the Butter Poached Maine Lobster with fava beans & Kumamoto oyster vinaigrette. No. 9 is first class all the way and if you have never been, you MUST go — and do the tasting!!! The menu changes daily, they make accommodations and substitutions based on your likes and dislikes and the service is impeccable.

This next item is the cover of Boston Magazine’s Chef Special from 2002. I love that it’s all female chefs on the cover and I’m very happy to see that all four of these women are still a hot item in the Boston food world.

Barbara Lynch has been wildly successful with No. 9 Park, and has since added B & G Oysters, The Butcher Shop, Niche Catour, Plum Produce, Stir and her soon to open three new “concept restaurants” in the South Boston Seaport area. Esti Benson has also been succesful with her partnerships in flagship restaurant Radius and has had the same success and press with Via Matta. Joanne Chang is only getting bigger and bigger with her two Flour Bakery + Cafe locations and her collaborative effort in Myers + Chang — both of which are two of my new all-time favorite places. And, Michela Larson of blu has since opened Noir in Cambridge and Rocca Kitchen and Bar in the South end — not too shabby!

Last, but certainly not least, I came across this [unused] gift certificate to the now defunct Grillfish. Sad but true — it’s gone… and Grillfish used to be one of my favorite places in the city. The decor had a gothic sex appeal to it, there were always coconut scented candels burning and they had the BEST Stoli Dolis in town (pineapple-infused vodka). On top of all that, their fish was always super fresh, cooked perfectly and served plain… allowing you to select from one (of three — I think) sauces. I always went for the sweet onion paired with whole pan-fried trout… it was delcious!

Ahh… good times!

Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage & Hazelnuts

The Fly — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:34:00 +0000

This was our election night side dish… I served it with my favorite grilled chicken recipe and it was was pretty tasty. This recipe originally appeared in the November 2008 Fine Cooking issue. The only changes I made was to use tri-colored cauliflower, rather than traditional white cauliflower, which added a nice color palate to the dish.

Cauliflower with Brown Butter, Pears, Sage and Hazelnuts
Serves 8 to 10

3 oz (6 tbsp) unsalted butter
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets about 3/4 in wide (as mentioned, I used the tri-color)
1/2 cup toasted, skinned, chopped hazelnuts
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced crosswise
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
2 large ripe pears, cored and thinly sliced (I used one pear, one brown-skinned heirloom apple)
2 tbsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (I omitted this)

In a 12-inch skillet over med-high heat, melt the butter until light brown and bubbly. Add the cauliflower, hazelnuts and sage. Cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower is browned and crisp-tender, 6 to 7 minutes or more.

NOTE: At this point, I deglazed the pan with some white wine, to incorporate all the little golden bits of caramelization that formed on the bottom of the pan. I also threw the apples and pears in earlier, so they would caramelize as well and the sweetness would be enhanced by the cooking.

Remove the pan from the heat. Add the pear slices and parsley. Gently toss to combine and warm the pears. Serve hot or at room temperature. You can prep all the ingredients ahead except for the pears, which will brown if cut too far in advance.

Ever So Humble Pie Company

The Fly — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:51:00 +0000

While perusing the goods at the Allandale Farmstand last week, my eye spied a wild blueberry pie… and I couldn’t resist. The Ever So Humble Pie Company, located in East Walpole, MA, makes all natural pies that contain no hydrogenated oils AND are vegan!

Here is what they have to say on their website:

“At Ever So Humble Pie® Company, we produce traditional, home-style fruit pies reminiscent of a by-gone era. All of our products are made from scratch and carefully hand-crafted with old-fashioned goodness in every bite.

Our all- natural, ready to bake pies are chock full of juicy, farm fresh fruit wrapped in a delicate, flaky pastry with NO artificial colors, flavors or preservatives and absolutely NO hydrogenated oils or trans fat!All our double crust fruit pies are 100% free of animal products and are suitable for a Vegetarian lifestyle.

And, because our pies are handcrafted, each crust bears the thumbprint of the person who made it for you.
So come, take a trip down memory lane and treat yourself to a pie that’s made the way they used to be!”

I decided to grab the last little pie left and hurried home to try it out.

I sliced it up and warmed it in the microwave for 20 seconds. I topped it with low fat vanilla ice cream and viola!

The pie was sweet and delicious and the crust was flaky and buttery… despite the fact that no animal products were used (yes, that means butter!). I am very impressed… often, vegan goodies will be lacking in flavor to make up for their animal friendliness… not true with the Ever So Humble pies. Definitely well worth a try!

If you don’t know where to find these scrumptious baked goods, then head down to their retail store at 153 Washington Street in East Walpole, MA. According to their website, they are open Mon-Sat 9am to 6pm. What better way to be a locavore and to support local business than by eating delicious fruit pies??? And what a great hostess gift for that Thanksgiving dinner you are heading to!

Blue is the new Red

The Fly — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:02:00 +0000

My faith in this country is restored!