Thursday, August 18, 2011

Restaurant Week : Week 1 Highlights

Well, it's been a whirlwind of a week, and when you're constantly on the go, it's nice to know you can pop into a restaurant and get a hearty 3-course meal for a deal! We picked the right week to be busy, I guess! :) I did two dinners, and two lunches, so far, and I wanted to give you the highlights.

On Monday, I visited North 26, in Faneuil Hall with two of my dear friends. They offered some nice seasonal options on the special menu, and I especially liked the atmosphere there. The natural wood and the many windows made for a bright, and cheery lunch. For my entree, I chose the Seared Scallops, served with grilled zucchini, foraged mushrooms and a truffle butter sauce. This dish definitely did not disappoint! While there were only two scallops on the plate, they were big, and cooked perfectly. They were filling, and with the thick slices of grilled zucchini, as well as the deliciously succulent mushrooms, I was totally satisfied. Let's not forget about the truffle butter - mmmmm!

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The item that stood out to me at The Oceanaire, located near Government Center, was actually not on the Restaurant Week menu at all, but on the bar menu. While waiting for our table, we all had a cocktail at the bar, and the Parmesan Truffle fries caught our eye! When our server suggested we order a few sides to go with our meals, we jumped at the chance to add those to our order! They were so worth it! Fragrantly truffled, and deliciously salty with Parmesan flakes, these were some seriously awesome fries!!

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Last night, we met our friend for dinner at one of our favorite local establishments, Masa! We come to this wonderful Southwestern restaurant on a regular basis, and we always make sure to take advantage of their restaurant week menu, which they run through the entire month, rather than the two weeks that other restarants use as their parameter. Now, as simple as this may sound, their Caesar salad is my favorite in the city. It's a Tender Romaine Salad with Crispy Red Corn Tortillas, Roasted Green Chile Caesar Dressing and Cotija Cheese. The dressing has the perfect amount of heat to give a nice bite at the end of each mouthful, and it's really refreshing at the same time. So, as boring as you may think it is, I had to have it as my appetizer.

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I would be remiss if I didn't also mention my entree at Masa because, well, it was SO good. I opted for the Swiss Chard and Ricotta "Enchiladas" with Tomato Sauce, Arugula and Cotija Cheese. Yes, again with the Cotija cheese...I know. For a vegetarian entree, this was a very hearty dish. It was reminiscent of an Italian cannelloni dish, what with the ricotta and the tomato sauce, but the arugula added such a nice spice to the plate. Each bite just popped with all the flavors. I hope they keep that one on their menu for awhile, because it might have just become my favorite.

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Today, for lunch, I visited Market by Jean Georges, in the Theater District, and was tempted by the regular menu, before deciding to go with the three-course deal instead. They offer so many tasty treats, and it was difficult to decide. However, my entree was delicious, and very healthy-tasting as well...something I definitely needed after all these meals! I decided to have the Slowly Cooked Atlantic Salmon, served with a Warm Potato Salad and Sugar Snap Peas for my entree, and I was so happy I did. The salmon was tender and cooked just the way I like it...on the rarer side. The warm potato salad was so comforting without being heavy, and drizzled with a delicious olive oil-based sauce as well. The sugar snap peas on top were crispy and fresh, and the meal just came together so eloquently!

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All in all, not a bad showing for the Boston restaurants that I was lucky enough to visit this week....who's up for Round 2!?

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