On Wednesday evening, I met Michele and Heidi for dinner at Blue Inc. I've written about this one before, but that was a lunchtime meal that I enjoyed. I was happily surprised to see that the entire menu was featured for Restaurant Week, which meant my decisions became even harder. I wanted one of EVERYTHING! While trying to decide, I opted for a cocktail called The Anorexic Model (cognac, lychee, St. Germaine, Champagne, and garnished with a small branch of grapes)! With a floor to ceiling poster of Twiggy on the wall, I felt like it was a necessity. The drinks at Blue Inc are so cool because they use liquid nitrogen to chill the drinks, and they have a very "cool" (ha, puns!) steaming effect. For my appetizer, I decided to have the Cast Iron Baked Figs. It came to the table, fourme d'abert cheese a-bubblin', with warm, gooey figs, pancetta, aged sherry and chive flowers. It was decadently delicious, and a perfect start to the meal. Moving on to the main course, I opted for the Mussel Frites, a dish that reminds me of our trip this past November to Belgium. Creme Fraiche, lobster broth, fresh herbs and spicy fries rounded out the meal. The mussels were done to perfection, and the bowl was just piled high with them. I couldn't even finish it all! For dessert, I had a Malted Chocolate Cheesecake. It was good, but not the highlight of this delicious meal...and I was too full to finish it anyway!
The next day, I enjoyed a leisurely lunch with my friend and co-worker at Sel de la Terre. We sat in cozy lounge chairs, enjoyed a hearty French lunch and some wonderful conversation. We have a tradition of always hitting at least one Restaurant Week spot every time it comes around, and this time was no different! I started off with an Asparagus Soup with Potato Croquettes and Tarragon Creme Fraiche. This soup was delicious because the flavor was so vibrant. Now is the perfect time to make things containing asparagus, and this soup really showcased the flavor of this in-season vegetable. The croquettes just melted in my mouth too - I wish there had been more of them! For my main course, I had the House Made Ricotta Gnocchi, served with English Peas, "Hen of the Woods" mushrooms, shallots, baby carrots and beets. This was a hearty dish, and the perfect amount for a lunch time meal. The gnocchi had been sauteed a little on top of boiling, so they were a bit crisp on the outside, and tender in the middle! The surprise in this dish were the beets ... they went really well with everything else, but were an unexpected bite when the fork found a piece! I think the beets might have made that dish! For dessert, my friend decided to go with the cheese course, instead of the dessert course...and that was a GREAT choice. The platter that came out was stacked high with breads, crackers and different kinds of cheese - most impressive! I went with the Vanilla Panna Cotta with Blood Orange, Streusel Crumble and Mint. Because this was the dessert my friend was interested in as well, we shared both the cheese and the Panna Cotta and were both very pleased with our decision!
For my last Restaurant Week dinner, my group of friends that I went to Asana with, gathered again for a meal at Dante, in Cambridge. Meeting at the bar, we all ordered a drink while we awaited being seated. There was one drink on the menu that stood out to me: the Spezia. Hot orange spiced tea, spiked with rum and apricot, was the perfect drink for a cold Friday evening. It was cozy and comforting after a long week, and I could just picture sitting in front of a fire in a ski lodge, enjoying this cocktail. For my first course, I decided to go with a pasta appetizer. Chef Dante de Magistris makes a killer fresh pasta, and I couldn't visit one of his restaurants without having some. I decided to go with the Tagliatelle, served with rabbit "cacciatore," chanterelles, and green olives. What a way to start a meal! The rabbit was succulent, the pasta was the freshest, and the sauce was so flavorful, a meal in and of itself. For my main course, I chose the Lombo : a stuffed pork loin "involtini," smoked prosciutto, sage and polenta. The pictures are a bit dark but the presentation on this dish was incredible, not to mention how TASTY it was! I didn't think I'd be able to finish both a pasta appetizer, as well as a main course, but somehow I managed quite nicely! That was DELICIOUS! For dessert, I had the Torta : a chocolate hazelnut mousse cake with spiked chocolate sauce, anglaise, and caramelized hazelnuts.
All in all, I'd say this was a successful Restaurant Week(s)! I had lots of delicious meals, at lots of wonderful places, and enjoyed good times with friends! It's time to get back into the swing of things, cooking at home (and writing more often than once a week!) I've posted a new menu for the coming week, and we're also going to learn how to make our own chicken stock! Stay tuned, and keep on cookin'!
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