Eating Lately – A Few Summer Favorites

My hope is that when Labor Day passes and boat evenings are fewer (waahhhh) I will make more time to write and cook again and have more to share on the blog. For now, I am behind and still trying to enjoy a slower summer pace, so I bring you a roundup of some recent restaurant favorites!

Easily one of the best meals of the summer, and one I have taken forever to write about is an early summer dinner at SRV Boston.

A group of us got together for cocktails, wine, and the tasting menu, and it was perfection. I think that, while there are so many Boston restaurants I want to try, I would choose SRV if I was asked right now my top choice for a night out.

We’ve made visiting Art’s in Hull a priority, since it’s got such great Boston skyline and sea views, and it’s easy to get to by boat as well as by car. My favorite local little beach is also within walking distance, so a day in Hull is basically the best, I have, over the past few years, placed myself firmly in the buttered lobster roll camp, and there’s no turning back.

This gnocchi right here is some of the best I have ever had. It’s from Molinari’s, another addition to the Dorchester dining scene, and it is light, fluffy, heavenly, the stuff that my pasta cravings are made of.

We’ve made going to the Boston Calling block parties on Thursday nights part of our rotation, and one night we dined at Nebo, where I finally had the zucchini lasagna. It was so good, and then I tried to recreate it at home, and my own version was not-so-good. I’ve just really lost the cooking mojo.

We celebrated our 10th anniversary on August 18 with a light dinner at Deuxave (an all time favorite) before the Billy Joel concert at Fenway Park and a boat date to Rainsford Island the next day.

Our afternoon spread included Gloria Ferrer bubbles (of course) and two different types of delicious prepared chicken salad from Willow Tree Farm. We tried both the Sriracha Chicken Salad and the Avocado Chicken Salad, and while we liked both, the sriracha was a clear favorite. It had a nice kick! I liked having these locally made salads available to grab and go for a boat or beach day. There are times we put a lot of thought and effort into the food we bring, and it was nice to have something easy and really good to bring along. Thank you to Willow Tree Farm for the samples! If you haven’t tried their chicken pot pies, you have to! They are awesome for having on hand in the freezer for late nights, the perfect comfort food.

We rarely participate in Dine Out Boston, but we happened to find ourselves for a dinner date at dbar (another consistent favorite) and I had the three course menu, which included the most incredible chilled corn soup. dbar ALWAYS has amazing soup; I would go there just for that, but their brunch is also one of my favorites in the city.

I spent a few days in Provincetown with friends, and when I returned, my husband kindly picked me up at the ferry. Since we were both starving, we popped into Rosa Mexicano for chips and guac and this outstanding spicy cucumber tequila cocktail. I have been all about cucumbers this summer (so hydrating!), and this cocktail was definitely one I would order again.

If you had to choose a night out in your city, which restaurant would be your top choice right now? Are you team butter or mayo for lobster rolls?