Dining out

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Greece in the Heart of Boston at Doretta Taverna

December 20, 2017 in Cocktails, Food by traveleatlove | 1 comment

Did you discover any favorite new restaurants in 2017? With an ever-changing and growing restaurant scene in Boston, it’s hard to keep up, and while we definitely tried some amazing new spots (Yellow Door Taqueria, The Industry, and Reel House were all big hits!) we were also repeat visitors at established favorites.

I also rediscovered spots I hadn’t been to in a while like Doretta Taverna in Boston’s Park Square area.

I recently got together with a group of friends at Doretta to sample some of their most popular menu items, and I was reminded that I could eat there everyday and be perfectly happy.

Doretta has GREAT cocktails, and I regret that a work call came in as I was enjoying a beautiful and spicy Medusa’s Locks gin cocktail. I never got a chance to take a photo!

Everything I have eaten at Doretta is incredible, but as a big chip and dip fan, I could eat their zucchini chips and tzatziki all day long.

Of course, I would save room for their perfectly cooked, tender and lemony grilled octopus and a tasting of yummy spreads like my favorite Beet Pantzarosalata, a heavenly beet and yogurt blend. . . a healthy dip!

I normally pass on lamb, but even I had to have a bite of these lamb meatballs which are a big hit with Doretta guests. The cumin tomato sauce is definitely something you want to save and savor with your extra pita!

Lobster is obviously a New England favorite, and the Lobster Loukomades take it to a whole new level, with herb donuts, brown butter, and pops of flavor in the form of caviar. Yum.

I was *almost* too full to try this beautiful shrimp dish, which had hints of sweetness from honey and shredded pastry kattaifi. I loved the crunch that it added too!

From the presentation down to the last bite, each plate we were served was perfect.

Doretta also has a really impressive and different wine list, especially for wines by the glass. I love that the list includes wines from Greece, in addition to places like Austria and Mendocino County California. It’s definitely not your standard wine list, and for someone who loves to try new wines, this is a huge selling point.

Since Doretta is consistently excellent and a sort of central location for friends coming from all areas around Boston, it’s the perfect place to meet.

Tags: Boston, cocktails, Dining out, Food, food blog, Greek, Restaurants, wine

Out and About in Boston

November 13, 2017 in Cocktails, Food, wine by traveleatlove | 1 comment

I swear the weeks are flying by faster as each month passes, and I don’t know where the time has gone since my last blog post. My travel schedule has been pretty hectic, and my husband has also been traveling a ton for work. As a result, lots of other things have gotten put on the back burner. I miss my Boston blogging community!

One thing we have made an effort to do is to venture out of Dorchester for dining out, which can be difficult, especially when it’s dark and cold and Dorchester has so many great restaurants. Boston has such a great dining scene these days that it can be overwhelming, so we have been keeping a list of places to visit.

Where in Boston have I been lately?

A catch-up date with an old friend at haley.henry wine bar was the perfect way to while away several hours on a blustery November night. The space is so cozy, and while our food was a bit hit-or-miss, I was a huge fan of the wine tots and pickled vegetables. The wine, however, is really where it’s at here. We went with staff recommendations for all of our wines, and they steered us in delicious directions.

While I don’t normally love Gamay, I have been thinking nonstop about one we tried from Isabelle & Bruno Perraud. It was the perfect suggestion, and it would be an incredible Thanksgiving wine.

haley.henry is definitely a place I could see myself spending wintry afternoons, especially as a respite from holiday shopping.

With all of our travel, fitting in date nights to reconnect have been more important than ever, and finding good places close to the airport has been helpful. I had been dying to visit Reel House in East Boston, and after a recent airport reunion, we fell in love with the beautiful space, great service, and delicious seafood.

Tiki drinks and twinkling white lights and nautical decor won us over. Seafood charcuterie was a fresh and creative treat, perfect for sharing. The service was super warm and friendly and made us want to stay forever. This will definitely be a new favorite post-business-travel spot.

anoush’ella in Boston’s South End is a place I now crave regularly. I kind of knew I would when I started to read the menus online, but it was truly love at first sight and first bite.

I love the casual atmosphere of the space and the quick arrival of the food, which doesn’t take away from a relaxing experience. I sipped a delicious whiskey and grapefruit cocktail while devouring delights from their labne and m’anoush menus. I absolutely love yogurt in savory dishes, and this labne is super thick and tangy with perfect toppings.

A sweet m’anoush to end the meal was stuffed with marshmallows and Nutella and was gooey and warm and perfectly delicious. I saw many people coming into anoush’ella for takeaway orders; if I lived in the neighborhood I would be tempted to go in several times a week!

Tags: Boston, Dining out, Food, food blog

Eating in Ireland: Kai Cafe and Restaurant Galway

December 5, 2016 in Restaurants, Travel by traveleatlove | 3 comments

Spending days aimlessly wandering around Galway is one of my favorite things to do. There’s enough to see and do and especially eat and drink, that the possibilities are endless, and even after so many trips to Ireland, I have a ton of ground to cover.

One not-to-miss restaurant is the beautiful, award-winning Kai Cafe + Restaurant, a bright, airy, cozy spot with a constantly changing menu of creative and inspired dishes. On this last trip to Ireland, we went for lunch on a chilly but bright day, no plans on the horizon, just able to spend time hanging out together. Take me back.

Kai had quite the buzzing lunch time crowd, which just added to the atmosphere. With all of the Christmas decorations in Galway and the dry weather, people were in cheerful moods, and I love that people there tend to actually take a lunch break to relax and recharge.

The space that Kai is in was once a greenhouse, and the ceiling offers lots of sky views. It was hard to not look up to take in the pretty blue sky.

The menu is always changing and is kept up on a blackboard above the window to the kitchen, where the movement never stopped.

While we pondered the menu options, we each had a glass of wine, because wine at lunch is a requirement while on vacation! I love cold, crisp white wine even in the winter and had a 2012 Picpoule de Pinet from the Languedoc while my lunch date had a big Malbec.

wine with lunch

To warm up, we each decided on one of the soups on the menu. I went for the Pumpkin, Chickpea, and Harissa Stew, which was topped with a delicious yogurt and tons of fresh herbs, really adding to the flavor. I need to add more fresh herbs to finish meals!

The stew was hearty and well spiced, and the bread that came along with it was heavenly.

turnip stew

His Turnip, Carrot, Ginger Soup was equally as comforting and delicious, and the bread even better than mine! Luckily we always share. Just like the space that Kai is in, the food just pops, offering surprising little bursts of flavor and color and freshness, and welcoming you with warmth and love.

We ended up being too full for dessert, but Kai is well worth a visit for dessert and coffee alone. Look at all of these sweets! I couldn’t stop staring at them and took about 20 different photos!

Kai is one of those places you could easily spend a whole afternoon over coffee and wine and delicious food. I absolutely love it and hope that if you are planning a visit to Galway you add it to your list!