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Monday, February 21, 2011

Bee lined that reservation line at Red Rooster!


So I have this new obsession with Top Chef. I’m obsessed! I can’t explain why up to this point, I haven’t seen a single episode. I adore cooking shows and watch the food network all the time, but for some reason just never ventured to Bravo for a cooking program. This season is All-Stars, aka all the competitors are from past seasons; I don’t know any of their pasts, but that doesn’t matter to me!

So now I have this urge to go back and watch all the past seasons. This new found love has also got me started making a list of restaurant I must visit. (Some are far too expensive for me, but hey, one can dream.) So about a month ago, I read an article on Harlem as an up and coming cool neighborhood. It listed different restaurants and bar you should visit. There was an article about Marcus Samuelsson’s new restaurant, Red Rooster. He is a former Top Chef contestant so this was the first thing that struck me. Then I read on and found out he wanted to have a neighborhood restaurant and embrace the comfort food of Harlem, but also use influences from his Ethiopian and Swedish background. I was sold at comfort food. After reading this, I decided I MUST go here. Then in the next paragraph I was informed that you must make reservations months in advance. Ughhhhhhhhhhh I probably told everyone I knew about this new restaurant after reading this. I was planning on making a reservation anyways and planning just really really far in advance.

My time came sooner than I thought though! During my last week at my former job, my boss wanted to take me out for a farewell dinner. I almost died when she informed me where she had chosen. Red Rooster. This was the one and only time I saw her use her status and was actually impressed she had a name for herself.

Turns out she designed the aprons all the waiters where, so she has an in! She knew all the people working there and even informed me if Marcus was there she could introduce me. Sadly he was off for the night.

It is a really neat place. I loved the atmosphere. For a place that is so highly sought out, it doesn’t have a pretentious or overly fancy vibe. The kitchen is open at the back wall so you can see them making stuff which I love. While perusing the menu, I was most drawn to, Cornbread and Mac and Cheese. Definitely a well balance diet! I thought for a moment maybe I should get chicken or something else, but I may never get to go there again, so I had to embrace it.

The food was all real good. Everyone in our group really enjoyed their dishes. My mac and cheese, which had collard greens in it was smashing. It also came with a brussel sprout salad which was amazing. It was actually my favorite part of the meal because it was such a surprise. The cornbread, I have to admit was not the best. It had a weird greasiness to it. I like cornbread to be moist, but not in a greasy way. I still ate my whole piece though. Don’t worry!

If you get the chance, you must try out Red Rooster!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Happy Birthday to me!


A birthday is not complete without cake! And this year I was very very pleased to get to indulge in an amazing cupcake from Sweet Tooth in Southie for my special day. Might be the best cupcake I've ever had! The cake is nice and spongy and light and the frosting is my dream frosting: nice and sugary. They also have a great ratio going for them. This picture is deceiving. These are not jumbo cupcakes, but just your standard muffin pan size. They were cooked to have a muffin top though. The muffin top shape allows for a larger surface to apply frosting to and MORE frosting!

Next time you are in Boston, you must stop by Sweet Tooth!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Fave restaurant: Friendly Toast


This weekend I paid another visit to one of my fave restaurant in Boston right now.

Friendly Toast, in Kendell Square right near the landmark cinema.

I adore the food, ambiance, decorations, people....I could go on. It is this ultra hip diner type establishment that has kooky decorations all over the walls. I've been to lots of places that cover the wall with old antiques and such, but here they do it especially well and have selected such amusing things. The decoration also are very bright and vibrant and make for a fun color pallette. One room has covers of Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys as the wall paper. They also have things like this burger head and life size barbie figurines.

There are so many good things that are right up my alley on the menu. I always go back and forth and struggle to decide. They serve breakfast all days. And I looooove breakfast food. They make homemade bread which they slice ultra thick and it is to die for. They make an awesome grilled cheese (still second to Homegrown though!) You could also get a big plate of home fries and veggies, as a meal. It comes with toast too. You sis will probably make fun of your plate-of-carbs if you get it! Oh and they also have a drink called the Napoleon Dynamite!

Waiting area: