Dorchester

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Working from home means I don’t get out much these days. . . really. In the past few weeks I have ended up starting work days at 7 am and ending them when I go to bed, and I still have so much to do that I can’t even fathom running errands. Thankfully, events like the Langham Brunch and Chocolate Bar Preview give me the once-in-awhile opportunity to both get out and do some sort of work, at least on the blog side of things.

After the event at the Langham, as I walked to South Station, I really enjoyed taking in the warm night, the sights and sounds of the city, and snapped this photo of the moon, which reminded me of how the moon looks before it’s about to snow. Shudder.

Boston

While I was walking, I also received a phone call from my husband who was just finishing up a meeting at our boat club. He hadn’t had dinner and wanted to know if I wanted to grab a bite. I was definitely eager to extend the night out, and after he picked me up in South Boston, we proceeded to dbar, a neighborhood favorite.

Even after 8:00, dbar was pretty full of people having dinner and enjoying their fantastic cocktails at the bar. It always makes me happy to see Dorchester businesses full, and this was a good sign.

We had a hard time deciding what to order, as always. Chef Christopher Coombs has designed a menu full of fresh and innovative dishes that are comforting and satisfying. Our waitress recommended the tomato soup, so my husband decided to have that first. She brought two spoons, like she knew who she was dealing with. My poor husband never gets anything without me having “just a bite”. Smile

This soup, which featured rooftop grown ingredients, had a touch of crème fraiche in it, making it silky and smooth. It tasted amazing and had a texture that felt amazing. It would be the perfect winter night food and the cure for a sore throat. I hope this becomes a regular part of dbar’s menu.

tomato soup

While we had our soup, we also sipped on cocktails. My husband had a classic Dark and Stormy while I had the Grapes of Wrath white grape martini. I loved the flavors in this drink, and it was not sweet, perfect for me and for pairing with food.

dbar cocktails

For dinner I decided to mix it up and have something semi-healthy,  Asparagus, Farm Egg, Prosciutto  with Roasted Asparagus, Crispy egg, Laquercia Prosciutto Americano, arugula, & Wild Mushroom-Sherry vinaigrette. As you can see, they definitely didn’t hold back on the prosciutto! I shared most of the salty goodness with my husband and melted over the beautiful, soft in the middle farm egg. This plate was absolutely delightful, so earthy and filling.

 

dbar Boston

I don’t think I ever go to dbar without ordering their rosemary fries because they are so incredibly good. Crispy, salty, and with a hint of rosemary flavor, they are the perfect appetizer  or side, or even on their own if you just head to dbar for drinks.

dbar Boston

We lingered over our meal in this cozy neighborhood spot before heading home, totally relaxed after a crazy day.

I have written about dbar before, but I can’t help sharing another meal there. The service is always so friendly, the ambiance is comfortable, dimly lit, and laid back, and every single bite of food I have ever eaten there has been delicious. It is definitely worth the drive or T ride to head down to Dorchester to check it out. And, as I have mentioned in the past, their brunch is phenomenal, one of my favorite brunches in Boston, for sure.

I am loving Dorchester cuisine these days. In addition to dbar, we also ate at Savin Bar and Kitchen three times last week. I guess I didn’t do much cooking. . .

Savin is also very much worth the trip down here, and their menu just switched over to fall. Check it out if you get the chance!

 

Do you have any new or old neighborhood favorites?

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Tags: Boston, cocktails, dbar, Dining out, dinner, Dorchester, Food

Let the summer begin! While Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, I got a sneak peek last night of the place I will be spending most summer nights and weekends, aboard the hubby’s new boat, Ceol na Mara.

boat

For those of you non-Irish speakers out there, Ceol na Mara is Irish for music of the sea. We had a few names but finally decided that Ceol na Mara was the perfect name. Getting the name painted on is at the top of the to-do list this week.

Would you like to take a tour?

Here we have the sleeping area. to the front and side

 

boat

And a more private sleeping area to the back, underneath the stairs. Those piles are just the canvasses drying out a little. The constant dampness of late has taken its toll!

sleeping area of boat

I don’t think I’ll be whipping up any gourmet meals, but the galley does include a sink, refrigerator, microwave, and one burner for cooking.

image

When shopping for the boat, my priority was the bathroom. A toilet, sink, and shower complete the cabin area and make this well-hydrated girl happy.

 

boat bathroom

Most of the outside of the boat is covered by a canvas top that can be removed, but for sunning while the boat is not moving at high speeds, the front is wide open.

boat

I found my spot! Smile

boat

boat

A boat has been my husband’s goal for several years, and I have rarely ever seen him as happy as he was last night. I have to tell you, that was the best part!

What’s making you happy today?

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Tags: boat, Dorchester, Travel

Summer nights are one of my favorite times to live in Dorchester. Unlike other neighborhoods I have lived in, there is a real sense of community. Neighbors stop and talk to each other, people know the neighborhood kids, and shop owners and staff are friendly.

Add to that the smell of the ocean and a handful of great restaurants with outdoor space, and you have yourself the perfect Friday night.

Having not been to Ashmont Grill in a few months, we decided to head there for an early Friday dinner, opting to sit inside because there was still a chill in the air.

Ashmont Grill

Ashmont Grill has an awesome back patio, completely enclosed from the noisy city streets, and complete with a fire pit and fleece blankets on the chairs. It is one of my favorite Boston outdoor dining experiences; if I had been feeling better, we would have been out there.

ginger sidecar

I had a hard time deciding between a beer, a glass of bubbly, or a cocktail, but Ashmont Grill’s cocktail menu is great, and I finally decided on a Ginger Sidecar which had a spicy kick and was delicious. It warmed me right up!

As we often do at Ashmont, we ordered a bunch of appetizers to share for dinner. When it comes to being able to try four or five things or to eat a big plate of one thing, I definitely go for the variety!

golden beet salad

First came the roasted beet and arugula salad with goat cheese, mandarin oranges, and candied walnuts. Heaven on a plate, a salad we both could easily eat every day. I love golden beets!

oysters

Next up, we shared a plate of oysters. They were great, but I need to be in an oyster mood, and I wasn’t.

spicy pork tacos

Our dinner course was spicy pork tacos with pickled onions and guacamole, tender, spicy pork on soft, warm tortillas with lots of flavor from the onions and a sprinkle of cilantro.

And, to quell my craving for fries, we shared the tempura veggies with a spicy aioli. It actually worked! These were served piping hot with a crispy coating and an addictive sauce. Though, if you are really, really in the mood for good fries, Ashmont’s “train wreck” fries, topped with bacon, cheese, sour cream, and pickled jalapenos are the way to go.

tempura vegetables

Dinner at Ashmont Grill is always a laid back, delicious experience with lots of great food and drink choices. Their weekend brunch is fantastic, and their Monday wine club, $35 for dinner and four wines, can not be beat.

Hmmm. . . Where in Dorchester will I eat next?

Ashmont Grill on Urbanspoon

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Tags: Ashmont Grill, Boston, Dorchester, restaurant

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