Food

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Patio Season!

May 22, 2012 in Restaurants by traveleatlove | 7 comments

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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

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

Turner Fisheries’ Newest Menu

May 14, 2012 in events, Food, wine by traveleatlove | 8 comments

Last week I had the delicious opportunity to attend a blogger dinner to taste the newest menu at Turner Fisheries. When I was invited to the event, my first thought was, new menu already? I felt like I had just attended a new menu tasting. Time definitely flies, but more importantly, Turner’s updates its menu frequently to reflect the seasons and the ingredients available.

I joined a fun group of bloggers for a glass of wine prior to dinner, and then we proceeded to our table to get started on dinner. Turner’s General Manager, Wayne Wood, dined with us, and was able to walk us through the menu using his expert knowledge of the dishes to help us all order.

First up was the Atlantic Shelf platter for the table to share.

The cold seafood platter was one of my favorite parts of the meal. I could pair the delicious Viognier we were sipping (Bridlewood), with cold seafood and spicy cocktail sauce for dinner every night. Mussels, clams,s callops, oysters, and shrimp were all super fresh and delicious with a spicy cocktail sauce. As always, I dipped my bread in the mignonette. It makes for a zingy bread topping. Sometimes we make mignonette just to top lettuce or bread. This platter reminded me of summer in New England, just perfect.

In the menu introduction, Wayne recommended the tomato bisque, even as someone generally not a fan of tomato soup. The soup, in addition to being delicious, also happens to be vegan; the pureeing of the tomatoes creates the creaminess. It was smoky, basil-y, smooth and creamy, and clearly I hated it. Winking smile

It was a dreary soup kind of day, and this hit the spot big time.

Turner’s has many tempting entrée options, and I literally went back and forth on a few until it was time to order. I just couldn’t resist the stuffed shrimp though. I love that you order them by the piece to decide how much you want to eat. I hate being super full after a meal or wasting food, so two of these large shrimp were perfect. The citrus cream underneath? To die for.

By the time dessert rolled around, I was fairly full, but I still wanted to give dessert a try. I thought an espresso and the Boston Cream Pie would pair nicely, and I was right.

The Boston Cream Pie was a delight, but it was Fiona’s dessert, the Meyer Lemon Puffs, that won me over.

I loved the fresh, lemony cream and light pastry. It was perfect for warmer weather, and I will definitely be ordering these next time.

Turner’s always does a really great job, and I was happy to be invited to try their latest menu. It’s great that they change things up seasonally; it doesn’t just guarantee the freshest ingredients, but it also keeps diners coming back to see what’s new.

*Dinner was provided by Turner’s, but as always, my opinions are my own.

Technorati Tags: blogger events, events, Food, restaurant, seafood, Turner Fisheries, wine

Tags: blogger events, events, Food, restaurant, seafood, Turner Fisheries, wine

88 Wharf

May 9, 2012 in Food, Restaurants by traveleatlove | 10 comments

It may be Wednesday, but I am still thinking about an amazing weekend spent with my husband, eating, relaxing, getting massages, and running errands. Friday night wine and pizza with friends was the perfect way to get into weekend relaxation mode, and Saturday was a day just for us.

We got a late start; I did some work and blogging while he caught up on sleep, and then it was off to West Marine to pick up some boat stuff before a visit to the Hingham Shipyard, one of those places we keep ending up at. It’s a great place to wander around, and I have to admit, we are both pretty much obsessed with checking out boats. I was also really excited to see island roses in bloom. Gorgeous.

We had a quick late lunch at Wahlburger’s (no Donnie or Mark sightings, unfortunately!) and then headed off to Elements for blissful massages.

A post-marathon massage was just what the doctor ordered, and once we were nice and relaxed, we headed to Milton for an early dinner at 88 Wharf. We were both really excited to check out 88 Wharf as it is right on the river and offers some very pretty views.

We arrived at lowest tide, hence all of the mud. As we ate, we watched the water creep back in.

88 Wharf has a great patio space overlooking the river, but it was a chilly night, and we opted to sit inside. I definitely want to visit again to dine on the patio. The one downside of 88 Wharf, to us, was the interior décor. We found it to be a little corporate and cold, lacking character for a restaurant with such nice views. That was our only complaint.

The cocktail list was a challenge; there were too many cocktails I wanted to try. I decided to go with the Blood Orange Cosmo, and it was tart and refreshing.

We skipped appetizers and went straight to dinner. I try not to order chicken when we go out because I can make it so easily at home, but this one was stuffed with Italian kale and soppresatta, resting on a parsnip puree, and served with a mustard jus. I pretty much wanted to lick the plate at the end of my meal. I am obsessed with kale lately and try to eat it whenever I can. I started eating a lot of it leading up to the marathon, and I swear it made me more energetic.

The chicken was really tender, and the stuffing was amazing. The parsnip puree was perfectly creamy; I am sure it was not fat-free, but it was a fun way to eat this root veggie. And the mustard jus just added tons of flavor to everything.

My husband had the flatiron steak and ate every bite of it. We agreed that 88 Wharf’s chef is doing everything right.

After dinner we took a little stroll along the water and then made an early night of it by heading home to watch a movie.

We love exploring Dorchester’s neighboring towns, and Milton is definitely adorable. And speaking of adorable, I know not everyone is a cat-lover, but here’s a little Scout cuteness for you.