Recent Food and Cocktail Favorites

Brussels sprouts with bacon, blue cheese, and caramelized onions? It’s one of the easiest dishes I have ever made and easily one of the best. Adding some fun ingredients to my favorite vegetables has made winter eating at home a little less run-of-the-mill, but truth be told, we have still been going out a LOT. Some meals I have chronicled in their entirety, while others have been enjoyed with maybe a snapshot or two.

We have been going to town (literally) at our two local favorites, Ashmont Grill and Tavolo. The other night, when popping into Ashmont Grill for a drink, we discovered their special was a Spinach and Cheese Manicotti with Shortrib Ragu, we ended up staying for dinner. It was insanely good, like everything else at Ashmont Grill. I smell their wood oven the second I step out of Ashmont Station and have to pass Tavolo on my way home. It’s going to be hard not stopping in every night.

There have been a lot of stresses and a lot of celebrations over the past couple of months, and a fun girls night out at Blue Dragon marked many occasions. We gorged ourselves on just about half the menu, including polishing off the big plate of the best fried chicken ever. Cocktails flowed, including my favorite, the Thai Basil Smash.

Another recent night out with friends brought us out to Ribelle in Brookline. Once again, we chowed on half the menu, but I found myself dreaming about the Truffle Egg Toast. Can this be my breakfast every day?

Finally, I enjoyed a really fun team dinner after our sales team won the Best Sales Team award for the whole brand. We stayed right inside the hotel and had dinner at dante, which has phenomenal food and views. We had lots of apps pre-ordered, including oysters and Arancini with Truffle Honey, and for dinner I inhaled the Pumpkin Ravioli. dante makes really gorgeous homemade pastas, and I definitely recommend it for Italian outside the North End.

I am hungry again just writing about all of that! It’s been a good Winter of eating, and I am hoping to transition into a Spring of running and vegetables. . . with some new Boston restaurants thrown in for good measure.

What dishes have you been loving lately?