Spring Menu Tasting At Bond

Given that I've been to the Langham before, namely for brunch at Cafe Fleuri, I was surprised to discover that the hotel houses another restaurant I'd never been to and hadn't heard much about. Bond resides in what was formerly the Member's Court in the former Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to a media tasting of Bond's new food and cocktail menus. I was in awe of how beautiful the space is from the moment I ascended the staircase and entered the lounge. The decor and name pay tribute to the restaurant and lounge's heritage. Sparkling chandeliers dangle from 20-foot-high ornate ceilings, plush chairs abound, and oversized bonds adorn the walls.

I arrived with Meghan and Daisy, and we found Lin already enjoying a cocktail. We all settled in at one of the reserved tables and caught up while poring over the menus and snacking on housemade potato chips and dip.

For my first drink, I decided to try The Fed, which features Bacardi Oakheart Rum, St-Germain, fresh lime juice, and ginger soda. I found it similar to a dark and stormy but sweeter and less spicy.

Soon waiters started bringing out plates of food, round after round. First to arrive were the Vietnamese fresh spring rolls. They were filled with shrimp, chicken, and a spicy peanut sauce. I loved the mixture of flavors the compact bite offered: peanutty and minty, sweet and spicy, bursting with cilantro.

Next up was a simple appetizer of heirloom tomatoes stuffed with Stracchino cheese in a dish of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I thought it was such a cute idea to stuff the tomatoes. And the creamy, smooth, mild-flavored cheese was just the right stuffing.

The next dish ended up being my favorite of all the offerings: crispy Point Judith calamari with sweet chili sauce, black sesame seeds, and cilantro. I'd never had calamari dressed this way, and I couldn't stop eating the spicy-sweet rings. We kept this dish on the table for most of the evening and the rings remained crispy for quite a while.

The next dish, the grilled baby corn with Espelette, cotija cheese, aioli, and lime, was the only one I wasn't fond of. Something about the flavor and texture of baby corn just doesn't do it for me. I loved the accompaniments though and think this dish would be wonderful with regular corn on the cob sliced into medallions.

The sweet soy and ginger chicken wings won me over on presentation alone. I've never seen such fancy, lounge-worthy chicken wings. And not only did they impress with their looks, but they were quite tasty too and easy to eat. I learned that the chef poaches the wings first, which makes them very tender and moist. Then they get great flavor from a little charring and some candied ginger.

At that point I was ready for another drink and chose The Appraisal, which the menu said was made with Beefeater Gin, St-Germain, brown sugar, and grapes and peas. I didn't find any grapes in my drink, which was full of gin flavor and on the sweet side.

When I saw lobster and chorizo quesadillas on the menu, I was thinking of the typical pub fare quesadilla, but what arrived at our table was a long plate of beautifully presented bite-size quesadilla rolls. These were chock-full of lobster, queso blanco, sweet corn, and smoky chorizo. This was another appetizer I could see myself coming back for.

The final savory dish was the flat bread pizza with Great Hill Blue, grilled stone fruit, pancetta, and arugula. Had I not had so many other appetizers, I would have polished off the whole thing. I loved the combination of flavors and the chewy-crispy crust.

We had a little break between "dinner" and dessert during which we enjoyed the sounds of jazz singer Gian Farone. You can hear emerging jazz artists at Bond every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Dessert is pretty much always the most anticipated course for me, and I couldn't wait to see what Bond had to offer. We received the chocolate tasting, which featured milk chocolate powder, Guanaja ice cream, white chocolate brûlée, and smoked chocolate cake. Of these, I really only liked the first two. The chocolate powder was fun and interesting. I expected it to be powdery like hot cocoa mix, but it actually melted away to smooth chocolate on your tongue. The ice cream was rich and intense and served atop chocolate pearls. The brûlée was just okay and the smoked chocolate cake reminded me of Laphroaig, and that's not a good thing.

We also tried the strawberry rhubarb gratin with mascarpone mousse, mint, and black pepper sable. This was awesome. The mascarpone mousse reminded me of panna cotta, and the soft rhubarb and fresh strawberries added a light component to the dessert.

The last dessert was the sticky toffee pudding with brown butter ice cream and Booker's Whiskey caramel. I set myself up to not like this dessert, as sticky toffee pudding is usually too mushy for me, but this one was both moist and firm, and the caramel and ice cream were flavorful accompaniments. I kept going back for more.

I can't believe I've gone this long without venturing into Bond. I truly enjoyed nearly everything we had and loved the swanky, elegant atmosphere. I can't wait to go back, especially for calamari and lobster quesadillas.

Thank you to Mallory for inviting me, to everyone at Bond for making us feel welcome and providing us with such great service, and especially to executive chef Mark Sapienza for sending out such an incredible spread.

This tasting was complimentary, but as always these are my honest opinions.

Have you had any noteworthy dishes lately?

Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer: Phillips Candy House

Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer is a non-profit organization committed to ending breast cancer in our lifetime. Around this time every year for 13 years now, Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer has hosted what's become known as Boston's sweetest week.

From May 7 through May 13, bakeries, sweet shops, and restaurants in Boston and the Greater Boston area are selling desserts to benefit breast cancer awareness and raise funds for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Last year Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer raised $79,000. This year they hope to break $100,000. And all you have to do to help is buy and eat some fabulous desserts!

Phillips Candy House is one of the many sweet shops participating this year. Their special dessert features two chocolate chip brownie cookies and a pink chocolate ribbon ($5). And they sent me one to try. I was immediately smitten with the packaging. The cookies come wrapped in a cellophane bag studded with pink dots, and the pink chocolate ribbon is tied on with a pink and white polka dot ribbon. A tag attached to the cookies reminds one that 100 percent of the proceeds of the cookie package are donated to Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer.

Everything at Phillips Candy House is made in small batches, by hand, to ensure the best quality. And these cookies were no exception. I could smell rich notes of chocolate the moment I opened the package. The chocolate cookies are slightly chewy and studded with smooth, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips, and the pink chocolate ribbon is made of sweet white chocolate.

Please stop by Phillips Candy House (located in Dorchester and South Shore Plaza) or order some of their cookies online to support this great cause. The cookie packages would make wonderful Mother's Day gifts.

And don't forget to order dessert at any participating restaurants and bakeries now through May 13! (And if you're not into dessert, you can always make a donation.)

Have you been to any participating restaurants, sweet shops, or bakeries yet this week?

Cape Cod Mini Getaway

On Friday night Jeff and I packed up the car, Gunner jumped in the backseat, and we all headed down to the Cape for the weekend. We drove to my aunt and uncle's house in East Falmouth, where we met up with my mom, who had arrived a little while before us. We grabbed a late dinner at Bobby Byrne's in Mashpee, watched The Muppets (so disappointing), and went to bed.

---

The next morning we had a bunch of errands to run because most of Jeff's family was coming up to meet most of my family for the first time and we had planned a little cookout. We started by going to Centerville Pie Co. for breakfast and pies.

We shared grilled blueberry and cranberry muffins slathered with butter.

And I tried the breakfast sandwich on a sweet roll. I was a little nervous about the sweet roll, but there was only a tiny hint of sweetness and the fresh roll was the perfect holder for the fried egg, cheddar cheese, and crispy bacon.

Then we went grocery shopping and picked up an assortment of cupcakes from Cupcake Charlie's.

Jeff's family and my dad and brother came up later that afternoon, and we had a nice day (in spite of some gray weather) and tons of food to eat. We did fajitas (since it was Cinco de Mayo) and hot dogs and hamburgers. And Jeff's family brought Chinese chicken salad, bruschetta, and fruit. It was quite a spread.

Everyone spent the day getting to know each other, and I realized that the first time Jeff met my family was also at this same house on the Cape. And just like that first time, Gunner made a beeline for the lake the moment we let him out the back door. (He and my family's two Jack Russells were the only ones to brave the cold water, though Jeff's nephews took the canoe out for a little bit.)

When it was time for dessert, we set out the pies we had picked up at Centerville Pie Co., the cupcakes from Cupcake Charlie's, and cream puffs and eclairs that my mom had brought from a bakery back home in Connecticut.

The cupcakes were incredibly moist and a big hit. Almost all of them had been eaten before the night was over. (One was even gone before I managed to get a picture.)

Chocolate Raspberry Surprise , Grammy's Carrot Cup, Charlie's Chocolate Chip, Vanilla luvs Vanilla, Chocolate Overload, Peanut Butter Pleasure, and Hostess with the Mostess cupcakes from Cupcake Charlie's 

The pies we got from Centerville Pie Co. also went over really well. I thought it would be a good idea to do something chocolatey and something fruit based, so we tried the Cape Cod Crunch Pie (chocolate cream pie with buttery toffee) and a cherry pie.

I had so many other desserts that I didn't have room for the Cape Cod Crunch Pie, but others made a serious dent in it.

Cape Cod Crunch Pie from Centerville Pie Co.

We baked the cherry pie at the house (as opposed to buying a prebaked one) and ate it warm from the oven with some vanilla ice cream. It was sweet and tart with a buttery, flaky crust.

Cherry Pie from Centerville Pie Co.

And I loved the eclairs and cream puffs. Both were fresh and full of flavorful cream filling.

Eclairs from Edible Dreams

Cream Puffs from Edible Dreams

After dessert, most of Jeff's family headed home, but his brother and sister-in-law and their kids stayed a bit longer, so my parents started a fire in the fire pit out back, and we all sat around the fire, making s'mores and chatting until it got dark and late, and then they too headed home.

It was nice being able to get most of our family members together to meet and get to know each other before the wedding and rehearsal dinner... which are only five months away!

---

The next morning we woke up to a beautiful sunshine-filled day.

We headed out early to meet my parents' friends for breakfast at The Red Cottage Restaurant in Dennis. The restaurant is known for its cottage fries, home fries tossed with mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, and ham and topped with hollandaise. I shared a plate of them with my mom and also tried some of her cranberry-blueberry pancake and maple applewood bacon.

But it was really the Irish eggs Benedict that was calling my name: English muffin halves topped with homemade corned beef hash, runny-yolk poached eggs, and lemony hollandaise. This combo is easily one of my favorites.

The caramelized onion omelette, which I tried a bite of, was also delicious... it's packed full of apple maple sausage, caramelized onions, and Vermont cheddar cheese.

The guys mostly got traditional breakfasts of eggs, bacon, and toast, but Jeff got the cinnamon French toast, which we all smelled the moment the chef started cooking it. The cinnamon permeated the air.

After breakfast, we went off in search of a beach and ended up in Chatham. Before we got to the beach, we stopped at Marion's Pie Shop for some cookies (we love the hermits there).

Then we went into town and strolled down the main street, popping in and out of little shops. After, we went further down the road to Chatham Light and found our beach.

It was too chilly to stay for long, but I loved hearing the ocean, running through the sand, and soaking in a little sun.

The weekend was jam-packed, and I can't believe how much we did in so little time. But I'm so glad we did it. It was the perfect mini getaway.

How was your weekend?

A Tasting At Beacon Hill Bistro

After moving way out to the suburbs (even though I know it's only temporary), I have been feeling really deprived of city life. I was so used to going out after work, meeting up with friends, checking out new restaurants, etc., and I suddenly had to get accustomed to meeting Jeff at the car after work and making the hour-long trek home. While I knew I wouldn't miss some parts of city life, like taking the T every day, it quickly dawned on me that I missed the freedom of being able to make plans and go out after work and easily get home afterward.

So when Chef Joshua Lewin of Beacon Hill Bistro invited Jeff and me in for a tasting, we made a date night out of it. We had a reservation for 6 p.m. on a Friday evening. When I got out of work that day, I hopped on the T (definitely don't miss it) and took it to Hynes, the shortest distance I could think of that would still get me in range of our destination. It was a gorgeous day, and I strolled up and down Newbury and Boylston Streets, remembering what it was like being able to walk around there on weekends and weeknights. Jeff met me a little while later, and we ducked into Shreve, Crump & Low to peruse wedding bands for a few minutes before we had to head over to the bistro.

When we arrived, Josh was waiting for us at the door. I've known Josh for a while now. We first connected through our blogs. He even shared some pictures on my blog for a farmers' market roundup I was doing--back in July of 2010 when he first started at Beacon Hill Bistro as a sous chef. He's now the executive chef there and has put his own spin on the menu. What I know Josh best for is his focus on local, seasonal food and his connection to the food he prepares and serves.

After a quick greeting, we were seated in the dining room. I was delighted to see little menus beside our plates, welcoming each of us and detailing what we'd be having. We each had different dishes listed for each course.

 

Our waitress brought over some wine and bread, and we dug right in--though I limited myself to one piece of bread, as delicious as it was, knowing all that was to come.

Jeff's first course was evergreen-cured gravlax with English peas and horseradish creme fraiche. This dish was full of fresh, bright flavors. I loved the light, springy taste of the peas in contrast to the silky salmon. (I know I said it was his first course, but of course I had to try it.)

My first course was a fried Wellfleet oyster with wood sorrel aioli and a chickweed nest. I was initially worried because I tend to like only raw oysters and haven't had great luck with fried oysters in the past. But I needn't have worried. This one was light, almost buttery in texture, and the chickweed, like so many other elements Josh brings to his dishes, added fresh, bright, green flavors. The wood sorrel aioli was sort of lemony and slightly acidic and provided a counterbalance to the other flavors in the dish.

Jeff's second course was a stinging nettle risotto with green garbanzo beans and French breakfast radish. I thought the tiny radish on his plate was adorable. I'm not a big fan of risotto or garbanzo beans (it's a texture thing), but I did try a few bites anyways, and I found the risotto more firm than others I've tried, which was a good thing. And the green garbanzo beans were amazing. They have a texture more like edamame, waxy rather than pasty. (I may have eaten all of them.) The radish was just the right touch to bring a sharp note to the dish.

My second course was a wild watercress soup with miner's lettuce, borage flowers, and verjus. While it looks overwhelmingly green, it was actually very balanced, and I didn't tire of eating bite after bite of the cool soup. It was thick and luxurious without being creamy or heavy.

For his third course, Jeff got the brandade de morue with picholine olives, preserved lemon, and spring leaves. I ate his olives and spring leaves. I couldn't resist the vibrant pink in this dish and the briny olives and preserved lemon added sparks of flavor. I would describe the brandade de morue as a cod fritter, with a very creamy, light, almost whipped filling. This was Jeff's second favorite dish of the night.

My third course was "Sandra Jean" scallops, kaniwa, orchard morel, bergamot, and Mosefund Mangalitsa lardo, and I must admit I was quite intimidated by it. Scallops are one of the few foods I don't really care for, but I always try them because I desperately want to like them. (And after hearing the waitress tell the table next to us that Sandra Jean is the name of boat the scallops come in on, I wanted to like them even more.) These were perfectly cooked and super tender, and I loved the bright notes the lemon added and the luscious, melty quality of the lard (but I still don't love scallops). The morel was an interesting pairing, adding its hearty earthiness to the dish. This was my first time trying a morel and based on its appearance I expected it to be spongy; instead it was tender yet firm. (I sort of wonder who first looked at a morel and thought it would be a good thing to eat. Whoever it was, I'm glad he or she did.) And there was still something more on this plate: kaniwa. This was my first encounter with kaniwa, which is actually a smaller version of quinoa. I was overjoyed upon seeing the tiny seeds and now I want to find kaniwa and cook with it at home.

Jeff's fourth course very quickly became his favorite (and mine too). It was the duo of Rohan duck with a confit leg and dry-cured breast, purple brussels sprouts, sunchoke puree, and hazelnuts. I can't imagine anyone not enjoying crispy duck skin. It is incredible and just melts in your mouth. While I let Jeff keep most of the duck to himself, I did eat all of his brussels sprouts. I had never seen purple brussels sprouts and loved them just as much as the traditional green ones. The cured duck breast was interesting and definitely reminded me of other cured meats I've had in the past in both texture and flavor. The sunchoke puree brought a smokiness to the dish.

Jeff never gets as excited about food as I do, but he has already been asking me when we're going back and making sure I know he'll be ordering the duck again.

My fourth course was the duo of Pete and Jen's rabbit, which consisted of roast saddle and braised leg, gnocchi Parisienne, and fava beans. Just a couple months ago, I had never had rabbit, and this dinner become my third time trying it. I've been hearing a lot about how sustainable, lean, and healthy rabbit is, so while some might shy away from trying it, I'm okay with it. While the meat was reminiscent of chicken in texture and appearance, it had a much cleaner flavor and was sort of sweet with a slight nuttiness. The light, pillowy gnocchi and fresh favas were welcome accompaniments.

Jeff's dessert course was a duo of sorbets, which might sound boring after everything we had, but the flavors were sassafras and prickly pear, which are far from boring. The prickly pear was light, sweet, and fruity. The sassafras had a much more powerful punch of flavor, which made its traditional role in flavoring root beer evident.

My dessert course was a chocolate-covered parsnip cake (note the adorable baby parsnip on the plate) with juniper ice cream and hazelnuts. The cake was amazing--moist and light with a very clean, sweet flavor and just the right amount of thin chocolate coating. I enjoyed it with the bold-flavored ice cream and toasty nuts.

This dinner was elegant, eye-opening, and refreshing. I tried so many new things--chickweed, wood sorrel, green garbanzo beans, purple brussels sprouts, morels, and kaniwa--and so did Jeff. This was an amazing display of what Josh is capable of and is a good representation of the dishes you're likely to find at Beacon Hill Bistro.

In addition to the food, I was really impressed with the service at the bistro. At one point I heard one of the waitresses explaining practically every item on the menu, from brandade to Mangalitsa to pappardelle, to guests at a nearby table who asked. Any time any guest had a question (within earshot of us), I could hear a knowledgeable staff member chime in with an answer. I loved that the wait staff was so invested in the menu.

A huge thank you goes out to Josh for preparing this incredible tasting menu for us and to everyone at the bistro for making us feel welcome and attended to.

This dinner was complimentary, but as always my opinions are my own. We've been to Beacon Hill Bistro in the past and will certainly be back.

After dinner, Jeff and I wandered over to the movies to see 21 Jump Street. We laughed throughout the entire movie. (It's hilarious but crass--you've been warned.)

This was an absolutely perfect date night, and I loved feeling like we were back in the city, even if we did have to make a much longer trek home after the movie.

Have you had any memorable nights out lately?