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Frites, fries, chips, call them what you will, but one of Western Europe’s favorite street foods is definitely my healthy-eating downfall. I can easily pass up cake, candy, or any other sweet, but put a plate (or cone) of good fries in front of me, and I am happy.

I’ve eaten them in chip shops in Ireland, from windows in Belgium and from stands in Amsterdam, and I have rarely found fries that were as satisfying as those in Europe.

Boston got exactly what it needed this week with the opening of Saus, Boston’s first Belgian street food café, near the Faneuil Hall area of the city. Located in a row of bars that includes Paddy O’s and the Purple Shamrock, I can pretty much guarantee this spot will be packed on weekend nights, and based on the tasty fries, sauces, and waffles, I am pretty certain it will attract traffic from all over during the rest of the week.

Saus Boston

I headed toward Faneuil Hall early and met Michelle to walk over to Saus for some daylight photos. Snuggled in a row of bars, Saus is absolutely adorable.

Saus Boston

More café than fast food joint, Saus offers a high table with stools in addition to some tables and chairs and some standing room. A blackboard lists options for frites, dipping sauces, waffles, and drinks.

Saus menu

And in true Belgian style, cartoons like Tintin decorate the space, giving it a fun and whimsical flair.

Saus Boston

It reminded me of a conference I went to once in Brussels; our company actually had its dinner at the Belgian Comic Strip Museum.

Saus Boston

While Michelle and I waited, we checked out the Saus menu and were tortured with wonderful smells of fries and dipping sauces. I could not wait to try everything!

Saus Menu

Let’s get to the eating, shall we? The owners of Saus could not have been more welcoming, and we had the chance to chat with them while we tried all of the dipping sauces.

frites

And there were sauces. There was truffle ketchup, bacon parmesan, spicy samuari, cheddar and Duvel ale, vampire slayer (roasted garlic), mayonnaise, ketchup, curry ketchup, presto pesto, Saturday night chive, and two specials, Green Monster and Pegasaus.

sauces at Saus

sauces at Saus

I started by trying all of the sauces and then made repeat visits to my favorites. I really have to say I enjoyed every single sauce, but I loved the truffle ketchup, bacon parmesan, cheddar and Duvel, and samurai sauces the most. I should mention that all of the sauces, including the classic ketchup are made in-house. And they definitely show that homemade quality you can’t just get anywhere.

truffle ketchup

In addition to the frites and sauces, we also had a chance to check out the deep-fried egg over frites.

frites and egg

A runny egg yolk over fries? As a few people mentioned, this would be a good breakfast the morning after a night out. Smile

frites and egg

Clearly, bloggers + a table full of fries and dipping sauces = lots of fun

Bloggers at Saus

As though all of the fries were not enough, before we left we also sampled homemade Belgian Liege waffles topped with different sauces, berry berry, salted caramel, and lemon cream. I only had enough room for a bite of the salted caramel, but it was incredible. I’ll return with more room for waffles next time.

Belgian waffle

It was great to get together with my fellow Boston blogger ladies (in addition to Michelle, Megan, Daisy, Bianca, Elizabeth, Rachel, Lizzy, and Bridget) . I always have such a fun time with this group, and it was a nice pick-me-up after a couple of artic days! I should add that because Megan knows one of the owners, all of our food was complimentary which was incredibly generous of Saus. It was really quite the treat to get to try everything!

Your mouth is probably watering at the above photos; Saus really offers some great options whether you enjoy salty or sweet, so if you are anywhere in the Boston area, definitely add it to your must-visit list. I will definitely be returning soon with my husband (who loved the takeout I brought him!) and friends soon. I wish the owners of Saus the best of luck for a booming business, but somehow I don’t think they will need luck!

What is your favorite street food? Are you a fry person like me?

Saus on Urbanspoon

Tags: Belgian street food, Boston, Boston bloggers, dipping sauces, events, Food, fries, frites, Restaurants, Saus, waffles

What.a.night. Prior to my first Board meeting with the American Institute of Wine & Food, I was one of a few Boston bloggers fortunate to be invited into the kitchen at the Four Seasons Hotel. Being that it was such a warm evening, I took the train to Park Street and walked across Boston Common to the Four Seasons where I arrived early enough to get some shots of its classic beauty.

For those of you not familiar with the Four Seasons, it overlooks the Boston Public Garden. Back when the hotel hosted their weekly bubbly bar, I was a frequent guest and enjoyed sipping bubbly and eating truffle popcorn, looking out that this view.

Four Seasons Boston

Ahhh, that winter light again. This photo was taken after 5:00. It absolutely fills me with joy that it is staying lighter, longer. Spring will be here soon!

view from the Four Seasons Boston

The inside of the Four Seasons is just as lovely as its views. Attention to detail and service are impeccable.

Four Seasons Boston decor

This beautiful flower display near the entrance of the Bristol Lounge further reminded me of spring and added a brightness and a freshness to the hotel’s very classic interior.

Four Seasons Boston decor

I wasn’t alone long; I soon met up with the other Boston bloggers attending the event. Here we have Megan, Fiona, Amy, and Katie. I also saw Rachel, William, Richard, and Michelle.

Boston food bloggers

Our Four Seasons hosts led us through the bar and the restaurant that was the famed Aujourd’hui to a place none of us had been before. . . the Four Seasons kitchen!

kitchen at the Four Seasons

It was beautifully set up for our group, with candles, snacks, and of course, wine.

Chardonnay

I didn’t catch what Chardonnay this was, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It did not have a hint of buttery or oaky flavor at all. We were also presented with souvenir aprons. I desperately needed an apron and was excited to bring this one home! 

aprons

The Four Seasons’ Executive Chef Brooke Vosika gave us a little bit of background on himself and the hotel’s cuisine. Needless to say, we were all captivated with his introduction, and we were all snapping photos like crazy.  Smile 

Chef Vosika

The menu for the evening included Nantucket Bay Scallop Chowder, Chicken and Truffle Dumplings, and Warm Chocolate Cake. Chef started on the chowder right away, and we got to watch him work his magic at the stove. This chowder was incredibly quick and seemed very easy. Chef’s secret ingredient? Gin. He said it reminded him of gin and tonics on Nantucket in the summer, and it does add a unique juniper flavor to the chowder. It was light and lovely.

prepping for Nantucket scallop chowder

While we watched Chef cooking, we were served Buffalo Brussels Sprouts.

buffalo Brussels sprouts

Just one of my favorite vegetables ever, fried, with a kick, with a creamy sauce. Heaven!

buffalo Brussels sprouts

When I got back to my spot at the table, my wine glasses were filled again, this time one was a glass of Chef Vosika’s own homemade wine. Chef explained to us that he has all sorts of hobbies like making wine and sausage and this year, curing his own olives. He said he is busy but loves what he is doing, so it is fun. That made me smile.

wine at the Four Seasons

As did this beautiful little cup of chowder. It was so comforting yet light, with perfectly cooked bay scallops. I hope I can do as good a job at home.

Nantucket scallop chowder

Back at our stations, we started in on the beautiful cheese board awaiting us.

cheese plate

We weren’t there long until Chef offered to show us where the Four Seasons dry ages their meat. I am not a beef-eater, but I could not pass up an experience like this!

dry ageing room dry ageing room

There was a LOT of meat dry ageing in there!

bloggers at the Four Seasons

Back at our prep station again, eating, and taking photos again.

bloggers at the Four Seasons

This time around, I was able to get a little closer to this beautiful display.

charcuterie

And Chef asked if anyone wanted to break down a chicken. Megan was the only eager volunteer, and she went right in there, breaking the chicken down like a Top Chef!

Megan from Delicious Dishings

She needed very little instruction from Chef Vosika. What a pro!

While Megan was working, the rest of us were eating more. . . here a tender pork belly with an Asian flair. It was the perfect bite.

image image

 

carrots, celery, onions

There was some more prep work for the chicken portion of the meal.

Chef Brooke Vosika

And then the Four Seasons’ Pastry Chef started talking dessert, warm chocolate cake to be specific. As he prepped the cake, he told us the countless types of centers these little cakes could have, like peanut butter cups and fudge. I think I can do this!

Four Seasons Pastry Chef

I did have to leave the event early and missed the actual eating of the chicken and dessert courses, but the folks at the Four Seasons did not send me home empty-handed. In addition to the apron and the recipes, they also gave us a bag with macarons and gourmet chocolates from Norman Love Confections. My husband and I shared the macarons, which were perfect for a bite each, last night.

These chocolates might be too pretty to eat. . .

Norman Love Confections

Norman Love Confections

Norman Love Confections

Or maybe I will do an entire post on their beauty AND deliciousness. Only time will tell. Smile 

As you can see, the Four Seasons provided us with an unforgettable experience. I love their luxurious surroundings, great food and wine, and warm welcome and look forward to eating at the Bristol Lounge soon. . . Burgers and Burgundy, anyone?

Now if we can only get them to bring back bubbly bar. . .

Last night was an amazing culinary experience for me. Do you have a really memorable experience related to one of your hobbies or passions? A run in with a celeb or something else?

Tags: Boston, Boston bloggers, Chef Brooke Vosika, chicken, chocolate, chowder, cooking, dessert, dumplings, events, Food, Four Seasons, scallops, truffles

I am back! We tried to get stuck in Ireland for longer, but our flight took off from Dublin on time yesterday afternoon, delivering us from a sparkly island of green to mounds and mounds of snow. You should have seen our car!

In addition to dealing with the snow and jetlag, I am just a little overwhelmed with getting back into blogging, blog reading, catching up on emails, and developing a schedule for myself to manage (hopefully) the many freelance projects coming up. But, I am looking forward to reading what you all have been up to, and I have more Ireland posts, including one on our visit to Derry in Northern Ireland later today.

It is Friday, and that means Friday Foodie Feature time! Today I am happy to bring you a fellow Bostonian, Amanda from The Kitchen Misfit. Amanda’s blog is full of deliciousness, both things made at home and meals eaten in restaurants, in addition to blogger events. My favorite recent post on Amanda’s blog is a post about Cracked Wheat Loaf, one that might inspire some bread baking as soon as I have my act together at home. If you live in the Boston area, you may have met Amanda or checked out her blog. If you haven’t I would definitely recommend heading over to learn more!

The Kitchen Misfit

How long have you been blogging?

I’m still a newbie and have only been blogging since June of 2010. I started my blog after getting married in April and realized that I had so much more time on my hands. Wedding planning takes up a lot of time! I have a couple of hobbies but nothing that I was really passionate about. After reading so many fantastic food blogs I decided to try my hand at it and absolutely fell in love with it and haven’t looked back since.

What is your favorite thing about blogging? Least favorite?

When I started my blog I never thought I would be exposed and be able to meet such amazing food bloggers, especially right here in Boston. It’s great to be able to share your love of something with people who really appreciate it. I don’t think there is one least favorite part of blogging, unless you count the lack of sunlight in my apartment and trying to take good pictures as a result!

What has been your most fun blog post to write?

That is a tough one. I joined the Daring Baker’s and have been exposed to some fantastic challenges. I learned how easy it is to make homemade donuts and have tried my hand at canning. What amazing to me is that I’m making recipes I thought I would never be able to make a few years ago!

Where do you see your blog this time next year?

I’m hoping to get a redesign in time for my one year blogiversary. I also want to learn how to use my camera to create better pictures. I’m also hoping to try to attend some blogger conferences since they are such a wealth of information. I also want to start experimenting more and coming up with more of my own recipes.

Is there anything else about your blogging experience you would like to share?

It’s been quite a rollercoaster! I never thought I would be where I am now, in blogging and in cooking/baking. I’m looking forward to doing this for a long time!

Interested in being a featured foodie? Email me! traveleatlove (@) gmail.com

Tags: Boston, Boston bloggers, Food, Friday Foodie Feature

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