Viva Las Ventas – Boston

I thought it didn’t get any better than Flour and Blunch until I went to Las Ventas. This non-descript sandwich shop resides under the same awning as the inedible Estragon, but in contrast to its how-the-heck-did-your-chef-finish-culinary-school-neighbor, Las Ventas has mastered the art of the sandwich. Las Ventas serves up high-end Spanish sandwiches with perfectly paired ingredients that almost make you forget that you’re eating a sandwich. I also never thought that caramelizing was such a lucrative art…

The Las Ventas on French bread is nothing short of amazing – tortilla Espanola seems so simple – just egg and potato, but it just shows you the power of salt. Add caramelized green pepper and aioli and you have an Herbal Essences commercial except the model is dry and eating a sandwich.

 The Castilla is another worthy candidate of your Las Ventas virginity – the chorizo is otherworldly flavorful, and everything tastes good on their crispy-crust, chewy-in-the-middle French loaf. Not a fan of French bread? No problem – you get four choices of bread. But don’t say I didn’t warn you if nothing is as good as the French…

Other options: The Extremadura is good if you’re craving pork loin and the caramelized onions add the perfect gooey finish, and the Delcampo is tasty (but absolutely not the one I recommend) if you’re a portabella lover. But seriously, if you’re getting something here, the Delcampo just isn’t the way to go.

It seems that South End is hub of amazing sandwiches. Some of the restaurants could take a lesson from my big 3: Las Ventas, Flour, Blunch – perfection between two slices of bread is pretty hard to do …

I swore I’d never go back to Estragon and had no reason to even venture near there, but now Las Ventas has me returning constantly. I just might be the one-woman effort to keep this place in business so try it and bring your friends. Trust me, you’ll come back, but don’t linger too long – you may buy all the delicious chorizos and Serrano ham behind the counter…

The Miracle of Tico - Boston

The impossible has happened – I seriously thought being struck by lightning was more likely…

I’ve discovered a five-star restaurant in Boston that isn’t Toro and isn’t a sandwich shop. All I know is, if Michael Schlow’s newest restaurant is this good, I can only imagine what the original will be like. Time to save up money to eat at Radius…

Balance is the key at Tico and it seems Mr. Schlow actually understands the definition of fusion and uses these elements to create the food nirvana that is Tico.

The first praiseworthy item is our server’s Buddhist-like patience, exhibited by his ability to serve, satisfy, and not strangle two of Boston’s most indecisive diners. He revisited our table on four occasions before we actually ordered. Having waiting tables myself, I assure you, while service with a smile is standard, only a man with the patience of a deity could have dealt with our level of wavering interspersed with bickering that could put an old married couple to shame.

Fish Tacos: Funny, the menu didn’t say anything about a sinfully-amazingly-delicious, artery-clogging mayo-like sauce…

The corn soft taco shells are a hint of sweetness,and the fish is evenly breaded and fried to a crisp but still soft golden tan. The little strands of pickled onion keep the fried fish and mayo combination from being nauseatingly heavy, and the red jalapeno contribute a light kick of spice, but the mayo staves off the after-burn.

Probably the best thing on the menu.

Pork Tacos: They weren’t lying when they described the pork as tender. The pork is the golden standard of carnitas and though I’m didn’t really taste much spiciness in the cucumber, this simple combination adds a crispy texture to the soft pork and introduces a refreshing aspect to a notoriously heavy meat.

Braised Short Rib: The grilled zucchini is gallantly grilled, and the short rib is brilliantly braised. You know the meat is good when you cut it without a knife. The grain salad is a crunchier, harder version of couscous, but it’s cold to balance out the hot food, and contributes yet another burst of fun freshness. Warning: the grains are tiny. NOT for those with dentures.

As my past reviews have explicitly stated, I have a huge pet peeve of anything drowned in sauce, but this short rib had the exact right amount of gravy – just enough to cover the meat, but not enough to spread around the plate. Yummmm...

Chocolate Gelato, Peanut Butter Mousse, Caramelized Banana Split: I never order dessert because it disappoints me so often. Even Toro’s churros suck! But this was amazing. The burnt sugar on the half-banana was almost unnecessary considering just how good everything else was. The gelato was thick and the peanut butter mousse was rich but we got through all three scoops without feeling full…it’s like when Jesus fed everyone with a basket of bread and fish except the opposite….

Chen-fucius say “Chef who balance food know how to carry tray.”

Chen-fucius adamantly believes that perfectly-cooked ingredients should be expected at any restaurants. After all, isn’t cooking the first thing you learn in culinary school? Only the truly great restaurants such as Tico can combine those ingredients to achieve the perfect balance of flavors, turning a good dish into something truly exceptional.

Edible Eataly – NYC

A dangerous place. The shelves of organic produce whisper suggestively, the fresh mozzarella beckons silently, and the scent of fresh prosciutto seduces even the tightest budget.

After extensive deliberation, I deduced the safest approach:

First, eat a light snack before venturing through Eataly. When you’re not starving, like I was, maybe every-freaking-thing you see won’t look so damn irresistible…

Promenade through the automatic sliding doors (because it’s not so far from Chelsea....) and make a beeline for the modern high-top counters near the center of the store. You can sit at a counter quickly or wander between the food stations they encircle. Who doesn’t want to watch fresh mozzarella made before your eyes while you chow down on the never-get-old classic prosciutto di parma or the sweeter prosciutto St. Danielle.

So I compromised. Instead of buying one of everything in the entire market, I ordered a combo of both prosciuttos. Didn’t love the accompanying bread – a little too hard and dense for what I prefer, but unquestionably, (and unlimited!) fresh whole grain goodness all the same. My only regret is my gastric spatial limitations. I was dying to try some mozzarella and maybe a few bites of one of the enticing veggie sandwiches, but my arteries were already saturated by the generous portion of prosciutto…and it would have been awkward to ask other strangers for a taste of their food…don’t think I didn’t consider it…(Eataly, if you’re reading this, please make a sample platter of everything!)

After you eat, conclude your day-brightening visit by navigating through the market slowly. Slowly enough to drink in the sight of each brightly-colored aisle but quickly enough to resist the temptation to buy one of everything. And try not to come back too often because the rent you pay for the gorgeous 2-bedroom that you share with 6 people doesn’t have much room for Eataly.

Shakin' it at the Shake Shack - NYC

My shack shake brings all the boys in the yard,

And my cheese fries, are better than yours,

Damn right, they’re better than yours,

I could feed you, but I’d have to charge…

No seriously, there were actually more boys than girls in the yard at the Flatiron Shake Shack this weekend, and it only improved the already-vibrant park scenery. There is nothing like the juicy comfort of a Shack burger in the dead of winter or chilling with the girls over cheese fries on the one day it was almost 60 degrees in nyc. Embarassing confession: I highly recommend the Shack Burger BUT I’ve never had it. It’s because I love the Shack-Cago Dog way too much - the sport peppers are an obsession and the celery salt converts a girl who avoids celery more than awkward exes.

The food comes out hot and fast, the cheese is always melted and gooey, and the shakes are creamy and sippably thick. Show a guy just how un-prissy you are by taking a huge bite of your burger, make sure your fingers touch while sharing cheese fries, and sip your milkshake without once mentioning the calories. Better yet, forget boys and grab an outside (in the park!) table with the girls for a pretty view and catch up on last week’s scandals and this weekend’s sketch.

 

MmmMmmm Mela - Boston

Warning: the story you’re about to hear is very sad. If you are Indian and/or a diehard lover of the beautiful dish called vindaloo, brace yourself. Mela is the first place in Boston and Raleigh combined where I ate vindaloo made with perceivable vinegar and it was awesome.

Loved the lamb vinadaloo – the chunks of lamb were abundant and tender though I wish they had soaked up more flavor – however, that’s my main critique at every restaurant so please take that with a grain of coriander. 

When they said the palak paneer was made with FRESH spinach, they weren’t kidding! Usually when I get a dish with pureed spinach, I usually taste only the spices and the spinach just adds texture. In this dish, I could actually taste that slightly bitter kick of spinach through the creamy sauce.

Love the attention to detail, both the food and all the little things: When we asked for extra plates, the plates they gave us were warm. Not out-of-the-dishwasher-still-damp warm, but clearly incubated to not turn your food into a frigid mess. (HintHint Sibling Rivalry…) The server was polite and knowledgeable about the food and everyone had a quiet polish. The staff was good, but they were so quiet about it I never noticed them working - all I remember is that my dining experience was pleasant, everything ran smoothly, and my water glass was always full – quite a feat since the vindaloo gave me tears of joy/capsacin.

Love this place even though it's a little pricey for my liking, but imo, the quality of the ingredients and the savory, well-balanced cooking is worth paying extra. So if you’re craving Indian food minus the fake, Mela just might be what the doctor prescribed.

Island Hopper – Little Restaurant of Horrors - Boston

If you want your food on the same day you ordered it, avoid Island Hopper on weekdays like the plague. True, there was no man-eating plant, but considering the service here, I think Seymour may have removed the plant because customers were feeding themselves to it willingly after waiting so freaking long for water.

Clearly, this restaurant’s way to up the profits was to have one server work the entire place. We walked into the restaurant and were greeted by a dour host who looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. After being seated, we were given ample time to peruse the extensive menu. By ample time, I mean 20 minutes. 20 minutes with no drink order, no water, no attention whatsoever. I have no doubt the server was swamped with 7 tables, but is there a reason the other two staff members in the restaurant couldn’t pitch in? How much training does it take to pour two glasses of water?

Warning: if you got the groupon, make damn sure you have a reservation because they WILL ask you. Even after you’re seated.

After 10 more uneventful water-sipping minutes, the Roti Island Hopper appetizer was served. I’ve had both the meat and veggie curry dips and both are equally awesome. The flatbread is exactly like the scallion pancake of my youth, minus the scallion, and it’s thin and chewy throughout. The curry is creamy and just the right thickness to cling to the pancake. Highly recommend.

No wait between courses, and the entrees were hot and clearly freshly cooked.

Me: This looks goooood…

Vegetarian Friend: (spears a piece of pineapple with his forks and is about to open his mouth)

Me: NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo

This is the part where I dive across the table. I am literally supermanning that oh…or that oh so messed up order anyway…We ordered the Malaysian Curry Tofu and Vegetables (which I got) and Nena’s Tofu (stir-fried tofu with pineapple and veggies, served in a pineapple shell), which turned out to be Nena’s Chicken. I swiftly covered that pineapple shell with my entire arm and shouted “that’s chicken!”, thus rescuing a lifetime vegetarian from his first taste of meat. Kick-Ass the movie’s protagonist was right. Ordinary people can be heroes too.

My food heroics aside, the Nena’s TOFU was quite good. A teensy bit salty but not enough for deductions. The curry was thick-enough-but-not-too-hard-to-swallow consistency that is key for all things swallowed. I didn’t see any okra, but it was sweet and the veggies were well-cooked – still firm but not at all raw. And I could seriously eat that curry over rice for the rest of my life and be happy.

The only reason this place has 3 stars is because the food is pretty good and reasonably-priced, and my first experience was great. It’s my second (and LAST) experience that brings it down 1.5 stars. And if you’re vegetarian, I hope that wasn’t chicken.