Thanksgiving Weekend
a close friend of mine visited me in Boston over Thanksgiving weekend. i love it when friends visit b/c 1) i get to see them (not often enough, unfortunately) and inevitabely, whenever we get together, it means 2) good eating!
and this visit was no disappointment in the food department. we covered a lot of ground!
it was one of those times when getting lost was a fortunate incident. on the drive back from after thanksgiving shopping at the outlets, we got lost and took a slight detour...in which we end up in downtown Boston, near Newbury St. it was already early afternoon and we hadn't had lunch yet so it was a perfect opportunity to check out:
Cafe Sonsie
http://sonsieboston.com/
very cute cafe on Newbury St. grabbed a coffee there once and had been wanting to return to check it out for brunch/lunch sometime. ordered off their light cafe menu. i ordered a hot cubano sandwich which was pretty good. if you like ham and cheese sandwiches, you'll like this.
they're known for their weekend brunches - it's also supposedly a fun place to hang out at night. would like to try their brunch sometime. mmm, the idea of brunching in a cafe on a weekend morning, watching people pass by, then maybe even do some shopping nearby afterward - that sounds lovely. that would definitely be something to look forward to.
East Coast Grill
http://www.eastcoastgrill.net/
ECG is known for their fresh seafood and great BBQ. i've been there three times and have always enjoyed eating there. this is where i was first introduced to raw oysters (idea sounded a little revolting to me, until i actually tried it) and monkfish (known as poor man's lobster. this fish has the texture of lobster, go figure).
this time, i ordered their Uncle Bud's Trio Platter (again). it comes with BBQ ribs, brisket and pulled pork with beans, cornbread and a slice of watermelon. this is a great choice. my favorite is the brisket - so tender! last time i was there, we were seated near the kitchen and received a complimentary plate of fried plaintains. yum.
i also tried their mango caipirinha...love this stuff. it's a very potent drink but it's addictive. when i was first introduced to it, my reaction was - whoa, this stuff is strong! but then i liked it better with each consecutive sip. must be something about the sugar and limes and the fact that the liquor is made from sugar canes. something in it must've been talking to my sweet tooth...
Brick Alley Pub and Restaurant (Newport, RI)
http://www.brickalley.com/
it's this place we stumbled upon while we were visting Newport. there were many awards posted at the entrance so we were encouraged that this might actually be a good place. we were lucky enough to grab a few spots near the upstairs bar. lunch was indeed very good. my friend really enjoyed her lobster reuben (very fresh). I also had a very good, very fresh tilapia sandwich. the accompanying fries were perfect - cripsy outside, moist and piping hot inside. i was very thankful the food was not a disappointment. when you go on a road trip, it's always hit or miss when you eat at local restaurants. when it's a miss, it somehow mars the whole experience. but when the food is good, it makes the trip even better...
and this visit was no disappointment in the food department. we covered a lot of ground!
it was one of those times when getting lost was a fortunate incident. on the drive back from after thanksgiving shopping at the outlets, we got lost and took a slight detour...in which we end up in downtown Boston, near Newbury St. it was already early afternoon and we hadn't had lunch yet so it was a perfect opportunity to check out:
Cafe Sonsie
http://sonsieboston.com/
very cute cafe on Newbury St. grabbed a coffee there once and had been wanting to return to check it out for brunch/lunch sometime. ordered off their light cafe menu. i ordered a hot cubano sandwich which was pretty good. if you like ham and cheese sandwiches, you'll like this.
they're known for their weekend brunches - it's also supposedly a fun place to hang out at night. would like to try their brunch sometime. mmm, the idea of brunching in a cafe on a weekend morning, watching people pass by, then maybe even do some shopping nearby afterward - that sounds lovely. that would definitely be something to look forward to.
East Coast Grill
http://www.eastcoastgrill.net/
ECG is known for their fresh seafood and great BBQ. i've been there three times and have always enjoyed eating there. this is where i was first introduced to raw oysters (idea sounded a little revolting to me, until i actually tried it) and monkfish (known as poor man's lobster. this fish has the texture of lobster, go figure).
this time, i ordered their Uncle Bud's Trio Platter (again). it comes with BBQ ribs, brisket and pulled pork with beans, cornbread and a slice of watermelon. this is a great choice. my favorite is the brisket - so tender! last time i was there, we were seated near the kitchen and received a complimentary plate of fried plaintains. yum.
i also tried their mango caipirinha...love this stuff. it's a very potent drink but it's addictive. when i was first introduced to it, my reaction was - whoa, this stuff is strong! but then i liked it better with each consecutive sip. must be something about the sugar and limes and the fact that the liquor is made from sugar canes. something in it must've been talking to my sweet tooth...
Brick Alley Pub and Restaurant (Newport, RI)
http://www.brickalley.com/
it's this place we stumbled upon while we were visting Newport. there were many awards posted at the entrance so we were encouraged that this might actually be a good place. we were lucky enough to grab a few spots near the upstairs bar. lunch was indeed very good. my friend really enjoyed her lobster reuben (very fresh). I also had a very good, very fresh tilapia sandwich. the accompanying fries were perfect - cripsy outside, moist and piping hot inside. i was very thankful the food was not a disappointment. when you go on a road trip, it's always hit or miss when you eat at local restaurants. when it's a miss, it somehow mars the whole experience. but when the food is good, it makes the trip even better...
and before my friend left, of course we had to hit the North End for some Italian pastries. we went to:
Mike's Pastry
my friend ordered a cannoli and tiramisu (she was very disappointed with their tiramisu but i had warned her, she didn't believe me). i ordered the nut jimmy rum upside down cake and a pistachio cookie and rainbow cake cookie for us to try. my friend liked the pistachio cookie, even though it is on the too sweet side. i liked the rainbow cake cookie. i didn't expect the marzipan layers but it was a pleasant surprise since I like marzipan (almond paste). unfortunately, i don't think Mike's makes very good coffee drinks anymore. my cappuccino was very disappointing, so was my friend's mocha. to get our coffee fix, we had to go next door to Cafe Vittoria's.
