The Taste of the North End

The North End, located in Downtown Boston, is like a little piece of Italy. When I heard that there would be an event where I had the opportunity to taste something from each of the restaurants located in the North End, all in one evening, for the price of an entry ticket, I said "Sign me up!" Better yet, all the proceeds went to charity so I felt good about stuffing my face with Italian delicacies.

When we walked into the arena that usually holds a skating rink, I first thought of the episodes of Top Chef, where each chef has a table, with a hot plate, and is serving their creation to the judges and guests of whatever event for which they were challenged to cook. There were SO many tables, each with a sign stating what restaurant they represented. There were appetizers and cheese platters, raw bars and pastas, entrees and desserts! It was a virtual SMORGASBORD! I was in heaven!

We started a bit haphazardly, looking for things that looked amazing, but then we realized, everything looked amazing, and we better have a method to our madness! After roaming a bit, grabbing a drink at the center bar, and picking up a few cherrystones on the half shell to start the evening, we started working our way from one end of the loop to the other! Let me tell you, we did not make it all the way around!

I took pictures of a few of the highlights, although it was quite dark in the arena so the pictures are not fantastic. As the band played, my husband and I commented on each of the items we picked up, making mental notes (and in my case, I actually wrote this stuff down in my iPhone!) of the restaurants that we would definitely be frequenting in the near future! Number One on this list is Mamma Maria. They made a phenomenal rabbit dish, cooked long and slow to a tender, melt-in-your-mouth consistency, served atop polenta so flavorful and smooth, you might have mistaken it for mashed potatoes on a quick glance. On the side was a fresh fava bean salad with an almost Caesar-esque dressing, garlicky and refreshing. It paired so perfectly with the rabbit, and was truly my favorite of all the dishes presented to me that evening.

A few other highlights for me include the Massimano's Artichoke Margarita, a deliciously battered and fried artichoke heart, served with antipasto salad, Artu's Veal and Beef Slider with gooey mozzarella and a pesto sauce, and Aragosta's Rigatoni Bolognese, served in an adorable little black plastic dish that definitely stood out in the presentation category! I've realized now that the pictures I took came out terribly, so they definitely don't do the food justice, but still, I needed to include them!

While the tickets to this event were pricy, they were so worth every penny! In fact, I even went home with a few loaves of freshly baked bread that they were getting rid of at the end of the evening, as well as some delicious cookies! I was stuffed, and so satisfied with every bite that I had there, and walked away with a list of restaurants that I must visit in the near future. This was so much fun, and I will definitely be making a repeat appearance at next year's event!

Worth the Trek

Today is my Sri Lankan friend, Ladali's birthday! How she gets two holidays in less than a week that require lots of hugs, I'll never know!? She's lucky I like hugging her! :)

We ventured out into the melting puddles of snow to take her to lunch at a place called Barlow's. It's a bit out of the way, and located in an area pretty secluded from other businesses, but it's well worth finding this gem! The exposed brick walls and funky modern decor add to a very "chill" atmosphere. I loved the paintings in the corner that depicted charcoal smokestacks dotted with patches of bright orange and red flames. The menu is quite upscale, but the ambiance is very relaxed. I love enjoying a great plate of food in an environment where I can kick back and enjoy my friends' company.

After perusing the menu for a few minutes, I decided on the Ricotta Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce and Garlic Toast. My friends ordered the Steak Tips with Mashed Potatoes and Garlic Spinach, and the Citrus Ginger Salmon with Tamari Brown Rice and Asian Greens. The bread that they brought to the table was a rosemary focaccia, accompanied by a delicious bean spread.We snacked on that while we waited for our main courses to arrive.

First, let me say that the bolognese was delicious, and the texture was perfect! (If you read my previous post on Bolognese Sauce, you'll see what I mean!) The gnocchis were a great size, and they must have been sauteed in a little butter before being added to the sauce, because they had a slight crunch on the surface of each piece. They were light and fluffy, but just dense enough to hold up very nicely to the richness of the sauce. The garlic toast had a wonderful, garlicky aroma without being overpowering. I was extremely happy to have that bread when it came to sopping up the rest of that delicious sauce!

My friends enjoyed their meals as well, and it was all reasonably priced. See what I said about an upscale menu, with a relaxed feel? These dishes were sophisticated and delicious, but also comforting and great for a winter's day!

In the summer, they have a nice patio for outdoor dining, one of my favorite things to do! I'll definitely be going back to Barlow's both for indoor comfort meals, and al fresco dining. I also saw a flyer posted about $1 oysters on Monday nights...and we all know how much I love oysters! Stay tuned for more from Barlow's...

Barlow's is located at 241 A Street in South Boston. For reservations, call 617-338-2142.

The Advantage of a Homemade Bolognese

The homemade Bolognese, or meat sauce, is a quintessential addition to any well-rounded cook's repertoire. I must stress the importance of the "homemade" portion of that sentence. The difference between a store-bought marinara with some ground beef in it, and the slowly simmered sauce chock-full of the meaty flavors characteristic of the dish is incomparable.



Bolognese, believe it or not, doesn't really have a lot of tomato base at all, nor is it really all that "saucy." It's mostly meat, simmered slowly until tender, so that all the flavors can meld together to create a very thick sauce with quite a bit of depth to it. Traditionally speaking, the ingredients include pancetta, olive oil, butter, onions, carrots, celery, ground beef and pork, white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, nutmeg, chicken stock, and a little heavy cream to top it off. See, not much tomato at all mentioned there! We tend to get lost in the commercialized version of a "bolognese," that jarred red sauce with some meat stirred in it.

There are many modern variations on the Bolognese, and one of my favorites is from the Stir cookbook, by Barbara Lynch. Her recipe is one of the stars on the menu at her restaurant, The Butcher Shop. Its flavors are based on ground veal, lamb, and pork, along with some finely chopped chicken livers and it makes for an extremely robust sauce. As the flavors meld over the course of a few hours, they develop into a very rich sauce that is just perfect over a plate of homemade fettuccine. Make a large batch and freeze half for later! It will also keep in the refrigerator for a few days...leftover Bolognese truly is a treat!

If you really enjoy a "saucy" sauce, Giada De Laurentiis has a simple Bolognese sauce which uses a can of crushed tomatoes and ground beef. It can be found in her book, Everyday Italian. This recipe is a bit more mainstream, and much more stereotypical, but if you have a penchant for all things tomato-y, you might like this recipe better. I will say that I prefer the traditional to the mainstream. If I wanted a marinara sauce, I would make a marinara sauce.



If you want to try making Bolognese, remember to be patient. It takes time for those flavors to develop, and this is not a short process. Take a Sunday afternoon and really work with it...and try a few different recipes before committing to one for life! You'll find the balance that you like, the flavors you enjoy most, and maybe even create your own award-winning Bolognese! If you find one you especially like, please share, as I'm always looking for the next great recipe!