Sweet and Sour in Boston

One of my favorite dishes that my mom would make is Bo Luc Lac (Vietnamese Shaking Beef). We would eat this with rice and also with french fries. So good. I've made it a few times before and while it's turned out great, I've never been able to recreate my mom's dish. Food and Wine had a recipe from the Slanted Door and we tried it out one night. We used the side roast from the whole tenderloin I broke down a couple of weeks ago. Probably should have used one of the filets too, but I didn't realize how little beef I had until the end.






The next day I tried again to recreate one of my mom's best dishes, Ca Ri Ga (chicken curry). I've made this many times before and each time it turns out good, but not as good as my mom's. I just don't know what she does to make it so perfectly, but I really need to pick her brain on this.

This past weekend definitely had a Latin flare.

Merengue

Saturday night we didn't quite know what we wanted to eat, but we definitely wanted another "Cafe Cesaria experience". Something ethnic and delicious and not expensive. After searching all the usual websites, Abby found Merengue.

Located on Blue Hill Ave, a short 7 minute drive from our condo, we arrived to find easy street parking. (Crossing the street though wasn't as easy.) We entered in to find a bar area on the left and a dining area on the right. We get seated in a booth but are quickly asked to move to a smaller table because the entire booth was reserved. No biggie. The dining room is very colorful and there were plenty of people enjoying drinks and hanging out. This is definitely the type of place that it seems everyone there knew each other. (Sure enough, in the middle of our meal, a large group came in and the couple sitting next to us gave them all hugs and hellos and moved tables together so that they can eat together.)

The menu is big and with tons of options. Abby went with Filetillo (Steak Tips Cooked in Creole Sauce with Green Peppers, Red Peppers and Onion) and I went with Chuletas a la Jardinera (Fried Pork Chop Garden Style, Topped with Green Peppers, Red Peppers and Onion). We probably should have gotten the Mofongos, but completely forgot to order it. That was ok though because our sides (Spanish rice and white rice with beans) were plenty huge and both dishes came with a small salad too. We also ordered a drink that was very reasonably priced.






Our meals were fantastic. The pork, while a couple of bites were dry, was perfectly cooked with a nice crust. The white rice was plain, but I cut up the pork along with some of the peppers and onions and ate it all together. Very nice. The beans also were delicious. Abby's steak was in a nice tomato-y sauce and was perfectly cooked as well. I didn't think the Spanish rice was anything special, but she definitely did. Also, the portions for both were huge. This was a great dinner.

Merengue met all expectations and is a spot I'd come back to again. The service and the food was fantastic and well above average. The whole fish that our neighbor got looked amazing and I'd like to give that a try next time. The prices were also in the sweet spot, with most items around $10. I give Merengue a very, very strong 3 and 1/2 out of 5. (Probably bordering closer to a 4 than a 3.)



Our good friends Heidi and Tony invited us over for dinner. This is what they cooked up:



As you can tell from Tony cutting her up, Lilo was very juicy and tender.




Heidi just sat there drinking a beer, not defending her "best friend".



For a starter, they had some homemade goat cheese rolled in some herbs. The condo is so big, we couldn't find the goat.




The "chicken" was indeed very tender and juicy. Rosemary and some other herbs and spices, quickly sauteed and served over a salad.






We also had apple pie and ice cream, but were told not to post the ugly looking pie even though it was very good. Having friends cook you dinner is always nice and will always make it on the blog.

We went to Jean Georges' Market in the W Hotel for Abby's B-day. I've never eaten at a Jean Georges restaurant before and was pretty excited for it. The space, just like the lobby of the W hotel, is very modern and contemporary. I didn't like the outfits the hostesses and waitresses were wearing, some sort of Asian inspired dress that was not flattering at all.





We both went with the Market Menu, $55 for 5 courses. Abby asked to see if she could substitute another dish for the lamb chops and was told by our waiter that they normally do not allow it but since it was a quiet night the chef would cater to our needs. That was nice.

Bread came with butter. I liked the salt that was at our table, but then wonder how many previous diners have put their fingers in the salt cellar.








I was going to go through every dish and explain it all, but really there's no need. For me, everything was good to very good, but not exceptional. (Abby did say the foie gras brule was one of the best things she's ever eaten though.) The entire meal can be summed up by the dessert course, a chocolate molten cake, which was perfectly made but just did now blow my socks off.

Maybe my expectations for Market were too high, but what else should I expect from the Jean Georges brand? Can you get a very good meal at Market? Yes you can, and at $55 it can even be a bargain. Just don't expect to be wowed with something new and exciting and you'll have a great dinner. I give Market a 3 out of 5.

The day before Easter we went to Jillian's to go bowling for Abby's B-day. Before we did that, we had a couple of pizzas at a place Michael, Abby's brother, have been raving about. Located a couple of blocks from their apartment, Woody's Grill and Tap is a simple pizza joint with a wood fire oven. It's smelled great as we were walking down the street, but when we arrived the door was locked even though their were people inside eating. A waiter quickly unlocked the door (apparently they had the door open and just closed it and it locked itself) and we were quickly seated. Woody's has a nice beer list and decently priced wine. We ordered two large pizzas, a BBQ Chicken and the Kitchen Sink. They came out quickly on a steaming hot thin crust. And sadly, they were quickly devoured. This pizza was good. Was it the best I've ever had in Boston...no. But how many places can live up to Ernesto's? Was it just as good and cheaper than Upper Crust...the Kitchen Sink definitely could stand against any of their pizzas. Woody's is a very good spot, probably really popular with the college kids in the area. The prices are just right and the warm, inviting bar can easily draw in passerbys for a drink and a pizza. I give Woody's a 3 and 1/2 out of 5.






For Easter, Michael and Sam made a stuffed tenderloin, mashed potatoes, and carrots. Abby made her red velvet cupcakes, and Amanda made a cheesecake. All was fantastic and all was eaten.