Dining out

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In my 8+ years as a Dorchester resident, I had never been to Taste of Dorchester until last week. I don’t know why, but I learned quickly that I have been missing out! Taste of Dorchester benefits the Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA) and brings together chefs from all over Dorchester for a delicious night with strong community ties. I can’t tell you enough how many great restaurants and shops are in Dorchester. You will just have to come over and check it out for yourself!

mckenna's dorchester

Breakfast favorite McKenna’s was serving up the meal they do best. They had French toast, pancakes, bacon, and most delicious of all, steak breakfast burritos. McKenna’s is an awesome little Savin Hill restaurant; the only downside is that they are always full. Calling ahead and getting takeout to eat on the beach is a good idea.

Tavolo DorchesterTwo of our favorites, Ashmont Grill and Tavolo, had the prettiest table in the room, decked out with flowers and lit up with the smiling face of owner and major community supporter, Chris Douglass. Ashmont Grill had one of my favorite bites of the night, a delicious, yet not very photogenic pumpernickel pretzel with pimiento cheese. It was divine.

Restaurante Cesaria

Taste of events are always great for discovering new restaurants, and Restaurante Cesaria was one of those. I’m excited to taste more from them!

Shanti DorchesterWe wouldn’t have missed the onion bhaji at Shanti or the chicken taco bowls at the Sea Breeze Mexican Grill, which I highly recommend for fresh, quality Mexican food.

sea breeze mexican grillWe were pretty stuffed by the time we got through our first round. In addition to the above, we had some fantastic ribs from Freeport Tavern, pulled pork from Abbey Park and chicken croquettes from the newly open ester.

Phillips Candy HouseHowever, we saved room for dessert, which included the juiciest chocolate covered strawberries from Phillips Candy House and macarons from Sweet Life Bakery, one of my Lower Mills haunts. Lemon macarons? So springy and perfectly soft and chewy at the same time. I may have had 3.

Sweet Life BakeryThe whole night was set to the backdrop of smooth jazz music, and the energy in the room was wonderful. It’s what I love about Dorchester; lots of smiles, kindness and community, mixed in with caring businesses. I can’t wait until the next Taste of Dorchester.

taste of dorchesterHave you attended any “taste of” type events lately?

Tags: Ashmont Grill, beer, community, desserts, Dining out, Dorchester, events, Food, fundraising, Lower Mills, taste of Dorchester

Well Happy Friday! For many it’s a holiday weekend and for many in Boston, a long weekend, culminating in what will once again be the best day of the year when we take back Marathon Monday.  Boston will be buzzing with energy and pride this weekend leading up to the Boston Marathon, and there are lots of fabulous restaurants in the city to celebrate in.

I recently attended the reveal of the new Bar at Grill 23. It takes what was previously a dark steakhouse and makes it chic, bright, and modern, all while maintaining some of that classic feel. It’s a gorgeous blend of old and new, and just in time for Spring and Summer, the windows open out on to the beautiful Boston streets. Grill 23 is a pretty key spot for your Marathon weekend dining as it is just blocks from the finish line.

Grill 23 Bar

The Bar at Grill 23 features lots of classic cocktails with a Grill 23 twist, as well as some I have not heard of. Fresh ingredients take up a section of the bar, and it was fun to check out all of the vibrant colors while we ordered our drinks.

cocktail ingredients

They also have a really fabulous by-the-glass wine list, and on the very chilly day I stopped in, I was in the mood for one of my favorites, a Cabernet Franc. I love that Grill 23 has a wine list made up of $23 bottles of wine, and it actually features some great selections like abovementioned Cab Franc. The $23 wine list is perfect for groups of friends to be able to try a few bottles with dinner without breaking the bank.

Cabernet Franc

At the opening of the bar, we feasted on cheeses, charcuterie, and my favorite, mini versions of the House Blend Burger. A burger and a glass of Cab Franc were simply perfect together.

Grill 23 burgers

I really enjoyed the time I spent at the Bar at Grill 23, and I look forward to returning for sampling more of their bar bites and creative cocktail menu.

If you are in the Boston area, will you be cheering on Marathon Monday? If you live somewhere else, what are your weekend dining plans?

Tags: Boston, cocktails, Dining out, events, Grill 23, Restaurants, wine

Warm weather makes everything better.  Since the temperatures started to creep above freezing, we have done a good job of moving more and eating healthier dinners like big salads topped with lean meat and bowls of roasted veggies and whole grains. We’ve also been marveling at all of the flowers that are popping up in our new yard and the restaurants that have popped up in Boston. This is the time of year I start to fall fully head over heels in love with Boston again. Our relationship is complicated, but right now, things are good, as long as this dear city makes up for winter with a spring and summer that are weather perfection. This past weekend was a pretty epic one, filled with time outside, great friends, and food. Below are just a few things I have been loving this week.

Now that we have our own back yard, we decided to see if one of our cats would be interested in taking a walk. With a little help from The Pooped Pooch in Lower Mills, we had Smuckers out and about this weekend. Walking a cat on a leash results in a lot of laughing, but she absolutely loved it.

duck eggsEarlier in the week we followed up a sunny walk in the Seaport with polenta fries at MC Spiedo. The service was so fantastic, and while we barely scraped the surface of the menu, the impression we got was really great. The cocktails were pretty amazing too.

polenta fries

 

 

We did about as much eating this week as we did walking and playing in the sun.  The duck eggs at Steel and Rye are like everything else at this Milton favorite, perfection. Steel and Rye’s brunch is as good as it gets, especially their cocktails, and it is the ideal place for a leisurely Sunday.

 

imageAnother of our walks took us to Ashmont Grill, another favorite, where we fought over Korean BBQ Chicken and Waffles. We couldn’t get enough of the sauce on the chicken, and we were literally gnawing every last drop off the chicken bones.

Korean BBQ chicken and wafflesAnother stop on our weekend travels was ester, the brand new eatery in Lower Mills. It replaced neighborhood favorite The Ledge, and from the looks of things, it will be a great addition to the neighborhood once they settle in.

The DotI could eat shishito peppers for days. ester was only serving small snacks at the bar, and we enjoyed these and some nicely salted chips. The vibe was really wonderful; the restaurant was filled with locals from the second the door opened. I love Lower Mills so much.

shishito peppersIn addition to walking, we spent a lot of time in our yard, raking, examining new growth, and swinging. When the seller asked if we wanted the swing set, it was a no brainer. There’s nothing like being a kid again while getting a nice little workout in!

swing set

To fuel up for a busy day, I have been absolutely loving Suja drinks like this Macachino. It has a serious coffee kick but doesn’t make me jittery like coffee sometimes does. I also love the Suja master cleanse juice; it is simply delicious.

Suja Elements MacachinoWell, there you have some of the sips and bites and fun we enjoyed this weekend as we started to emerge from our wintry hibernation. I am exhausted and have a tiny bit of sunburn, and it feels so good.

How did you enjoy the nice weather this weekend? Loving any restaurants or products lately?

 

Tags: Boston, brunch, cocktails, Dining out, Dorchester, flowers, gardening, Restaurants, weekend

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