Sweet and Sour in Boston

Happy New Years! Haven't posted since Thanksgiving, though not much has really happened to us culinary-wise. We did hit up a few places and here are quick hit reviews of them.

Tu Y Yo

We went with a big group to celebrate our boy Noah's birthday. They accommodated us but allowing us to take over the entire middle. They even separated checks out to us based on what table we were in, which is a great touch if you've ever been out to dinner with a large group and some people never know how much to pay. You won't be able to find guacamole here or other Tex-Mex treats. What you will find is authentic Mexican food which is absolutely delicious. I went with the Bisteces en salsa “Borracha” and it was fantastic. The portion was huge, the rice and beans that came with the dish was the perfect complement. In fact, I think I could eat their rice and beans by themselves for dinner. There are many items on the menu I want to try, especially their seafood offerings. I'll definitely be back. I give Tu Y Yo a 5 out of 5.



Lower Depths

Abby's brother has been telling us about this great beer bar with good hot dogs for a few months now. We finally went with Mike and Sam to check it out and it lived up to expectations. Tons of beer on draft and bottle/can form. A knowledable bartender that could tell us about all the beers. And a menu that includes hot dogs. I went with a couple of dogs, one with chili and one with kraut and pickles. Abby went with a specialty dog that had mac and cheese on it. We also go some tater tots. Everything was great. The dogs are $1 each and you build upon them with toppings that are mostly $1 each but some fancier ones are $2. Good cheap eats. I give Lower Depths a 4 out of 5.



Russel House Tavern

A gastropub with a good beer menu and a mixture of traditional pub fare with slightly more adventurous options. Service was great, our waiter being very attentive and knowledgeable about the beers and food offerings. We ordered some small plates to start: Crispy Pigs Head Parmigiana, Redondo Black Serrano Ham, Brandt Farms Marrow Bone. All of these were delicious. The pigs head came out looking like an arrenchini ball, but with pigs head meat instead of rice. Crispy and savory and surprisingly light. The serrano ham was salty with just the right amount of sweetness. The bone marrow was straight buttery goodness. The only problem is that the bread that came with the bone marrow was buttered and overpowered the bone marrow at times. Switching the bread that came with the serrano ham fixed this problem for us. For out mains I got the burger that I've heard a lot about (which when I ordered, the waiter told me it's on an english muffin and alot of foodies have been slamming the chef about using the muffin) and Abby got the duck. Both were great, though my burger seemed to have been seasoned a little too much with pepper. The fries were plentiful too. Overall, this is a place I definitely want to come back to and eat everything else on the menu. Service was good, though slowed a little towards the end of the night, but we weren't in a hurry so no biggie there. I give Russel House Tavern a 4 out of 5.

Thanksgiving was held in our tiny condo. I did the Alton Brown brine, but with a few different ingredients and the turkey turned out fantastic. In fact everything turned out great.

Some home cooking pics.

Chicken Korma

Bought from Costco for $9, ready in 5 minutes and surprisingly really, really good. It's not going to replace getting take out from Mela or anything like that, but getting this and having it ready in the fridge whenever we don't want to cook is a nice option. Trader Joes naan is also a nice $2 option.







Huevos Rancheros

Making the refried black beans was easy. Just simmered the black beans from a can on the stove top with a half a can of water. Then on a non-stick skillet, heat some oil and garlic and then add the beans and a little of the water and cook over medium high heat. Use a potato smasher and smash beans, adding water it was simmered in slowly until you get a consistency you like.

I made a guac and the ranchero sauce was really just diced tomatoes and garlic with a little hot sauce added.

Plating was simple. Refried black beans on the bottom, baked crispy tortilla on top of that, some cheese, some ranchero sauce, two sunny side up eggs, and a little guac on top.

Holy crap I haven't posted in a long time. It hasn't been that we haven't gone out to eat anywhere, just been lazy. Here's some quick hits reviews.

Koreana

We got reservations for four on a Friday night for 8pm. Was told that if we weren't there by 8:15pm they were releasing our reservation. I can see why. When we arrived, it was freaking packed. The bar was packed, the sushi bar was packed, the entry way was packed. Our notoriously late friends (island timers) weren't there yet and it was only a couple minutes before 8. Luckily they showed up right on time and we were seated immediately. We ordered a lot of food and all of it good. Pros: bibimbop and bulgogi. The ok, but not as good: Wine Sam Gyup Sal and shrimp. Overall: a great night of food and friends. Definitely get a reservation when you go. I give Koreana a 3 and 1/2 out of 5.



EZ Grill

The greatest invention of all time? Maybe not, but it's close. The EZ Grill is the greatest tailgating accessory ever. Cooks fast, hot, and cleanly. I highly recommend. A 5 out of 5.







Pops

Went here for brunch. Not the cheapest spots for brunch, maybe a couple of dollars too much on each item, but the portions are huge. Huevos Rancheros had a nice touch with refried black beans and the Manwich was just crazy huge and filling. I give it a 4 out of 5. (This review is for brunch only.)





McRib

This is the greatest invention of all time!!!! I am so glad the McRib is back. 1 Million of out 5.




Home Cooking

Made bo luc lac and a Vietnamese fritatta with canned spicy tomatoes. Turned out really good.





I started buying sardines because Alton Brown said it's good for me in helping me lose weight. I made a sardine paste and put it on some toasted bread. Not a bad dinner.