Dorchester

You are currently browsing articles tagged Dorchester.

Dorchester’s dining scene just keeps on getting better. We’ve long loved places like Ashmont Grill, dbar, and The Ledge, and Savin Bar + Kitchen has been a more-than-welcome addition to our neighborhood. Not too long ago, through friends, we discovered another new favorite, Van Shabu, a hot pot and sushi bar located on Dorchester Avenue. After a lovely day of boating with Michelle and her fiancé on Saturday, we worked up quite the appetite and decided to head to Van Shabu for dinner.

We decided to share a few starters, including a healthy favorite, seaweed salad.

seaweed salad

I was feeling dehydrated and opted for iced green tea instead of alcohol, but I stole a sip of my husband’s Sapporo.

Sapporo

edamame

We also grazed on edamame and the Thai spiced wings. The dipping sauce was seriously addictive.

spicy Thai wings
And then the sushi arrived. Van Shabu has the usual sushi offerings, but they also have a pretty extensive menu of creative options.

Van Shabu sushi

We chowed down on a bunch of different rolls. I discovered at Haru that I love fruit and fish sushi, and I love that Van Shabu has a variety of fruity options.

Van Shabu sushi

Our sushi choices included the New California (fresh crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tempura flake & tobiko), Volcano (new california roll topped w/ spicy baked scallop), the Celtics (spicy white tuna, cucumber & avocado topped w/ wasabi tobiko), and one of the specials of the day, pictured below. I really loved the spicy baked scallop atop the Volcano roll. I could have dined on that alone!

Van Shabu sushi

Sushi is one of my perfect summer foods. It’s filling enough to get rid of those hunger pangs, but it also feels so light and fresh. Van Shabu also happens to be one of the few places that deliver to our house, so we are very happy. I will look forward to trying their hot pot options when it gets a little bit cooler out.

Are you a sushi fan?

Tags: Dorchester, Food, Restaurants, sushi

Cash mobs seem to be all over these days, and on Saturday I attended my first cash mob at Flat Black Coffee in the Ashmont area of Dorchester. Not familiar with the concept of a cash mob? Basically, a group or person organizes a meeting for a certain date and time to “mob” a certain local business with cash. The organizer contacts the business in advance for permission and to make sure they are staffed, and then everyone goes and buys something from that business, giving them a great day of sales and exposure. In these tough economic times, it’s a fun way to support local business, and since I love my neighborhood, was excited to participate.

In this case, Cash Mob Dorchester was the organizer. Their first hit was the Sweet Place in Dorchester, and it led to the highest grossing day in the business’ history.

Flat Black Coffee

We arrived at Flat Black a little after the scheduled time of 11:00, and a small crowd was forming. Balloons decorated the coffee shop inside and out.

Flat Black Coffee

Flat Black is clean and cheerful, offers plenty of seating, and free wifi.

Flat Black Coffee

Their menu includes a good variety of options, including a Flat Black Coffee Wanderlust flight which allows customers to sample all three coffees of the day.

Flat Black Coffee

They also serve muffins, scones, bagels, croissants, and other breakfast treats.

Flat Black Coffee

We never really saw a mob, but we were still happy to check out a local business and to enjoy some delicious iced coffee on a nice day. I checked the Facebook follow up for the cash mob, and it seemed like it picked up a little later on.

There are lots of businesses who could benefit from the cash mob, and I am looking forward to the next one.

In the meantime, I know I am looking forward to a return to Flat Black and hoping they’ll decide to open a café in my part of Dorchester!

Have you ever been part of a cash mob? Do you have a favorite business in your area that you would nominate?

Tags: coffee, Dorchester, local business

It is patio dining time in Boston, and we kicked it off Friday night on one of our favorite patios in the Boston area, Ashmont Grill. From the smells of wood burning to the lingering daylight to the always delicious cocktails and food, Ashmont Grill made yet another date night memorable.

Ashmont Grill

The patio features a fire pit, stone walls, overhead covers to make it a little les sunny, and even fleece blankets for chilly nights. Before dinner, I enjoyed a delicious sour cherry cocktail. Ashmont Grill always has fun and creative cocktails on the menu. It’s definitely a good place to go if you are looking for a drink.

Ashmont Grill

To start, we shared a plate of the messy Trainwreck Fries. They’re basically smothered in cheese, bacon, sour cream, and jalapenos.

My husband ordered a wedge salad, which we ended up also sharing because it was amazing. Oven roasted tomatoes and lardons really make this salad special. The flavor in the tomatoes was incredible.

wedge salad

I had the Truffled English Pea Arancini, hearty balls of risotto with mushrooms and a tomato dipping sauce. Alongside that I had a bowl of lobster chowder which was delicious, but I was stuffed at this point.

photo

We spent a good deal of time just relaxing after our meal and enjoying the cool evening. It was a perfect night for patio dining and a great way to kick off a fun weekend.

Other favorite Boston patios? Interestingly, Dorchester has a few. dbar has a gorgeous outdoor oasis, and The Ledge does as well. Sam’s at Louis one of my favorites in all of Boston. And of course, the roof deck at Legal’s Harborside is a great place for cocktails and bar bites, and I like the Legal Seafoods outdoor space in Harvard Square too.

Do you have a favorite restaurant patio in Boston or another city?

Tags: Ashmont Grill, Boston, cocktails, dinner, Dorchester, Food

« Older entries § Newer entries »

new restaurant
WordPress SEO fine-tune by Meta SEO Pack from Poradnik Webmastera