Oleana

If you want upscale and unique cuisine, Oleana is an excellent choice.  Just be absolutely sure to make reservations, no matter what night of the week it is, otherwise the wait will usually be at least an hour.  Oleana is small with a very intimate atmosphere, great choice for a date if you really want to impress.  While you won’t be disappointed in the food, be prepared to drop some serious money if you go for dinner and want the whole experience (appetizers, entrees, wine, dessert).  Oleana can be found at 134 Hampshire Street in Cambridge, they have a very small parking lot across the street for patrons who choose to drive.

Food

I typically wouldn’t order whipped feta as an appetizer, especially on a menu with so many unique and fascinating options.  However, my co-diner suggested it and I was thrilled that I listened.  It was incredible.  Whipped perfectly so that the texture was more of a creamy hummus as opposed to the texture of a cheese, the sweet and hot peppers it was combined with gave it the perfect kick, and it was a wonderful way to start the meal.  If you want a light starter that will definitely please everyone at the table, I suggest going this route.  While it’s seemingly “safe” it’s tasty enough to impress even the most adventurous food snobs.

Frequently I’ll order fish when I’m at upscale restaurants because they tend to be the star of the show.  However at Oleana it’s clear they are more focused on meat when you take a look at their menu.  If you eat lamb, I highly recommend the Azuluna Lamb with Turkish Spices.  It was seasoned just enough to make it spicy without overwhelming the flavor of the lamb itself.  The greek yogurt it was served with was the perfect cool and creamy side to counter the flavor and texture of the lamb.

At many restaurants of this caliber the wine menu is usually intimidating, expensive and difficult to navigate unless you are a wine connoisseur.  However at Oleana they have an incredible selection of whites, reds, and champagnes (broken down into those categories) for any price range.  What’s even more impressive is the fact that they have wine by the glass, the bottle and by the half bottle which is a nice, albeit rare, option.  If you want a red that isn’t too full-bodied (or too expensive) then I suggest going for the Syrah (Grenache, Domaine Chaume-Arnaud, Cotes du Rhone, France) for a great compliment to meat dishes.

Like I said before, the food is definitely expensive.  It also always has a wait unless you make reservations.  While these things are not an issue if you know about them ahead of time, the first time I went to Oleana I didn’t stay because I didn’t want to wait an hour.  Just know what you are getting into if you decide to go!

Rating

3 out of 4 forks.

For those of you with adventurous tastes, and don’t mind splurging on a more expensive meal, Oleana is definitely worth trying.  Ask about the specials because they change every night, order a bunch of appetizers and eat dinner tapas style, or pick one of their impressive entrees to enjoy for dinner.  This is definitely not the type of place you go on a weekly basis, but it’s great if you want to go somewhere off the beaten track when you’re in the mood for unique food.

East Coast Grill & Raw Bar

The first thing you notice when you walk into East Coast Grill at 1271 Cambridge St. (in Cambridge) is the atmosphere.  It’s young, vibrant, loud and fun.  There are crazy decorations all over the place and it instantly puts you in a good mood.  But as great as the atmosphere is, once you look at the menu you know people come for the food.  The wait staff is friendly and they know their stuff, so feel free to ask away.  This is a restaurant meant for hearty eaters, so if you’re on a diet or are a vegetarian I suggest you stay away because there are very few options for you.  Otherwise, enjoy!

Food

If you don’t listen to anything else I have to say in this review, then at least listen to this.  Order the Prince Edward Island Mussels from the appetizer section.  Do it.  I’m serious.  Order them.  Have them as an appetizer; eat them as your entrée.  Hell, order them as your dessert!  It doesn’t matter, just get them.  Trust me on this.  They are absolutely amazing.  They are steamed in a sauce of coconut milk, chilies and lime, and they will blow you away.  Make sure you order bread to go along with them, because you’re going to want something to dip into the sauce once the mussels are gone.

If you’re looking for a drink to enjoy with your meal, I suggest you check out the margaritas.  While there are plenty of wines that would accompany anything you order quite well, East Coast Grill is known for their margaritas, and with good reason.  Whether you go for a Martin’s, a House, the Real Deal, or a Raspberry (my favorite) margarita, it doesn’t matter, you’ll be glad you did.

Lastly check out the specials.  Every day they offer something new and creative you won’t find on the regular menu.  The dish pictured below is the “Portuguese Style Seafood Stew.”  It’s a combination of some of the best things already offered on the menu like the shrimp, scallops, crab, fried fish, and more mussels in yet another amazing sauce.  Order a piece of corn bread or sweet mashed potatoes on the side to pair some BBQ influence with a seafood dish.

 Complaints

When you first sit down you are greeted with a bowl of the E.C.G. Pickle Mix.  At first I was thrilled because I love pickles (if you read my post about the New England Soup Factory you would know this).  However I was really disappointed.  I assumed since it was called a “mix” there would be a mix of flavors, but they were all sweet.  It was just a mix of vegetables that were pickled; cucumbers, carrots, peppers.  Hopefully in the future they’ll add kosher dill or something else for variety!

I unfortunately wasn’t in love with my entrée either.  In all fairness it may have been because it came after the PEI Mussels and it paled in comparison.  I had the fried cod (it was a special) and it just wasn’t anything exceptional.  It was much too plain of a dish and needed a ton of lemon to give it flavor.  Additionally the fried swordfish in the Seafood Stew was way too buttery and also didn’t have great flavor.  In the future I would definitely go for one of the BBQ options as an entrée instead.

Rating

3 out of 4 forks.

If you want a fun, lively meal with friends then this is a great option.  The menu isn’t very deep, but most of what they do offer is delicious.  East Coast Grill is meant for seafood and BBQ lovers, if you don’t fall into either of those categories you may have a hard time finding something to order.  But a trip to Cambridge is worth it for the mussels alone and you can’t go wrong with one of their many excellent margaritas.  And who doesn’t love a margarita?

When catching up with family or friends this season, most of us offer to bring something. Instead of your first thought to purchase, read the recipe below and provide a tasteful contribution with a healthy twist. We made it easy enough to prepare and if you plan ahead, this creamy soup can be made in advance and its flavors bloom as it rest a day or two before you reheat to serve. Tradition sometimes has the best of us when we start cooking, try this and start a new tradition.

What are you making this season, share your recipe…. Ciao & thanks Bernard

 Butternut Squash Soup                                                           Serves 6

Ingredients                                                                                       Preheated Oven-350

• 1 medium butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, optional
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 granny smith apple chopped
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1-2 cups water, as needed
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tofu cream for garnish

 Directions

1. Cut squash in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. Arrange the halves cut side down in roasting pan that has been sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil spray. Bake squash in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until very tender.
2. Set aside to cool. When the squash is completely cool, scoop the flesh from the skin.
3. While the squash is baking, cook the onion and the ginger in the oil in a saucepan, over moderately low heat, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened, then add the curry powder and apple cook for 2 more minutes.
4. Add the broth and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, covered.
5. Add the squash pulp to the sauce pan. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor, in batches, and puree until smooth. Add enough water to achieve the desired consistency, and salt and pepper to taste. Return the soup to the sauce pan and cook over moderate heat until it is hot. Garnish each portion with the heaping teaspoon of “tofu- sour cream”

Jalapeño Tofu Cream

        Ingredients

• 1 pound of tofu, firm
• 2 tablespoons of brown rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of jalapeno or more if desired 
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• Water or Vegetable stock to blend, about 1/2 cup or as needed…
• 1 bunch of chives, sliced thinly

Directions

1. Steam or boil tofu for 3 minutes with the vinegar & jalapeño.
2. Blend with the stock or water, until smooth and creamy, (add additional stock or water if necessary). Taste for seasoning; add chives as a garnish minced fine.

Grotto Restaurant

Grotto is without a doubt one of Boston best hidden gems.  Located underground on 37 Bowdoin Street in Beacon Hill, it seats barely 50 people.  But because it’s such a well kept secret, reservations are never hard to get.  It has a vibrant and intimate setting, perfect for a date or dinner with a group of friends.  No matter the occasion, Grotto is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city.

 My favorite part of Grotto is the fact that it’s a prix fixe menu, every night of the week.  It’s $34.00 per person, and includes a primi, a secondi, and a dolce!  (That’s an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert for you non-Italian speakers out there.)  So not only is it a great dinner, but it’s an absolutely steal as well.

Food

Picking what you want for your appetizer, entrée and dessert is not easy with all of the delicious sounding options.  However a few stood out above the rest.  The fontina cheese fondue appetizer was a unique appearance on an otherwise traditional menu.  It’s served with beef tenderloin to dip into the cheese, and it’s incredible.  The aged balsamic and truffle oil added the perfect additional flavor.  If it were socially acceptable to eat melted cheese with a spoon that’s exactly what I would have been doing.

My favorite entrée was the potato gnocchi with short ribs, mushrooms and gorgonzola.  While the gnocchi was homemade and excellent, the short ribs were truly the star of this dish.  They were so tender they essentially melted in your mouth.  Despite how (uncomfortably) full I was, I still managed to finish every bit of the meat.

All of the desserts were excellent, but for me the melting chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream really stood out.  They took a classic dessert and made it extra indulgent.  The cake was rich and “melting” was the best adjective for it.  It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Runner up’s for favorite primi, secondi and dolce are the mussels, the grilled beef tenderloin and the banana bread pudding respectively.

Complaints

My biggest complaint about Grotto is there are too many delicious options and too much food to finish!  No, in all seriousness, it is an excellent restaurant.  My (very small) problem with it is that there is no parking in the area, unless you get very lucky, and there is no valet.  If you can walk, take the T or a cab, I suggest you do so.

Additionally they are open from lunch between 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM and then for dinner from 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM.  Just something to keep in mind if you are in the area from 3:00 to 5:00, you’re out of luck.

Rating

4 out of 4 forks.

Incredible food, great atmosphere, attentive service, reasonably priced.  I will certainly be going back and I recommend you do the same!  Grotto has become my new go-to restaurant to take friends when they visit!

American Craft

Located in Brookline, this upscale yet casual pub has a lot going for it, on paper.  It has a ton of seating room, a fantastic outdoor patio, and is pretty crowded any night of the week.  Their restaurant saying is “Eat good food, drink better beer,” and I found that to be half true.  If you are interested in checking them out online first, you’re unfortunately out of luck since their full website isn’t up yet, and their fall menu has yet to replace their summer one online.

Food

The best thing American Craft has going for it is its impressive list of beers.  As the name suggests they are all American beers, and they have something for everyone’s taste.  No matter what you like; (American-made) Belgians, IPA’s, beers with high alcohol content, you name it, they have it!  If you want to go and try some new beers that you can’t get at most bars, then this restaurant is a great choice.

The seared scallops were prepared beautifully.  They have just enough seasoning that the scallop taste wasn’t overwhelmed, and they were cooked perfectly.  This is a great dish to order for lunch or dinner that you would never expect to be able to get at a pub type restaurant.  I was pleasantly surprised with this dish and would definitely order it again.

As with most bars, many of the options (sandwiches, burgers, etc…) come with an order of fries or a side salad.  I definitely recommend that at least one person at the table order the fries.  The amount of fries they give you on one plate is easily enough for four people, and they are excellent.  Skin on, large cut, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are delicious.  I suggest adding a bit of salt (they are a bit light with the seasoning) and you are set!

Complaints

I waitressed from the time I was 16 until I was 23, so I know a thing or two about the service industry.  I also can pick up on when a server is having a bad night, and I will typically still give them a good tip because I understand.  However the server I had at American Craft simply didn’t care.  He didn’t smile, didn’t bother asking us how we were doing, and was terribly slow on everything from water refills to asking us how our food was to bringing the check.  I’m willing to cut a lot of slack on servers, but this one made me question whether he was aware that he was working for tips, and it really put a damper on my overall experience.

Aside from the service I was really disappointed with my meal personally.  I had the grilled swordfish, that’s all it was.  It was an extremely dry and flavorless piece of fish.  Considering it was an $18 meal I was pretty unhappy.  Additionally the burger that my co-diner ordered was simply OK.  Considering that 1/6^th of their menu are their burger selections, I had higher expectations.

Rating

2 out of 4 forks

American Craft has great potential with a prime location and an excellent beer selection.  However there is certainly room for improvement.  While perfect for meeting friends or coworkers for a post-work drink and appetizers, I would go somewhere else for a date or a full meal.