Dining in Boston

Dining in Boston

After the craziness of my first introduction to magazine publication, and a little need for “family history” I spent the whole of last week exploring my hometown of Boston, MA for some much needed R&R. Of course spending some time with the beloved Red Sox, who were not so loved that week, and taking the sights where great men built this wonderful country we call home, but also finding some time to enjoy the local cuisine.

Union Oyster House

As the longest continuously operated restaurant in the United States, a food junkie cannot help but stop by for at least a snack, and I did just. Having a seat at the raw bar, where those jewels of the ocean are cracked, rinsed, and plated right before your eyes, I enjoyed some of the most heavenly oysters one could ask for. Fresh from the cold water off the Connecticut coast these monsters where surprisingly soft and oh so tender, not as briny as I would have expected, but delicious none the less. I am a purist when it comes to raw foods but in this setting I thought it appropriate to experiment with various accompaniments. Fresh lemon is the easiest of course, but a clean young horseradish offered its own heat, and a cocktail sauce that was nothing short of velvety added an ok touch, but they really the best right out of the shell with a local brew (too early in the day for the more classic vodka) and the Chowda well it’s hard to find bad chowder in Boston.    

The Cottage

This is a must stop, although situated about 25 miles outside of Boston in Wellesley, the drive is worth it. Laura Wolfe and her husband own this little gem (with two other locations across the country) and as a classmate of my mother back in the day we had to eat here, I had my “reservations” at first because of the heavy California style menu in New England, but that matters none when you buy fresh, cook fresh, and have the most exquisitely beautiful space I have ever seen. Starting out with a signature chicken tortilla soup, my nerves were calmed, the thick broth and crispy strips were a nice setting for some West coast tang and perfectly cooked chicken, depth of flavor lacked slightly in the chicken but the overall package was more than satisfying for the price. I took the waiters advice and went with a fried egg sandwich with micro greens, local tomato, applewood bacon, gruyere, red onion, lemon aioli, and a griddle toasted sourdough, for the price this was the best thing I ate all week…

L’Espalier

Stay tuned for this one….