Calling All Bad Cooks

You may remember Alena Jemas, our Food Network Casting Producer friend, from this previous post. Well, she'll be swinging back into town on May 10th and she is looking for some of the worst home cooks in Boston, not that we know any. You don't have to be one. You can nominate your friends. Email or message us and if you have a few weeks to invest in stardom we'll help you set it up.

Bambara

The "Green Aid" cocktail at Bambara, Cambridge.

We spent Earth Day at Bambara in Cambridge sipping green cocktails, enjoying local foods and ushering in the opening of their Patio Dining season. We loved the Green Aid cocktail made with Square One Cucumber Vodka, basil syrup and lemonade served with a cucumber garnish.


Shortrib Arancini, Lobster Rangoon and Fried Parsnip with Creme Fraiche and Apple Cider Reduction appetizers.


A special dish for the food writers by Chef Jay Silva.

Chef Jay Silva whipped up a dish just for the food writers when we asked for his current favorite. The result was sweet pea and ricotta ravioli and rock shrimp served with bacon, drizzled with thyme butter and dressed with fresh pea greens. No wonder it's a favorite with diners, too!


Patio dining area at Bambara, Cambridge.


Chilled pea soup with artisan cheeses, crostini and roasted candied walnuts.

So, if you are looking for some fine al fresco dining in the high tech Kendall Square area head on over to Bambara at The Hotel Marlowe.

Bambara Restaurant
25 Edwin H Land Boulevard
Cambridge, MA 02141-2236
Telephone: (617) 868-4444

Russell House Tavern

Russel House Tavern in Harvard Square is now open for lunch. The hours are 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Wine Riot 2010

We attended the 2010 Wine Riot recently held at The Cyclorama and sponsored by Second Glass. They have a really informative website and a cool mobile app that will help one find and keep track of the wines you love.


Over 250 wines from around the world were featured.

This was like a mini Wine Expo without pretensions and we ran into lots of friends and fellow food writers. It was just a fun, cool crowd.


A demo of the interactive Second Glass website.




The gang of Second Glass hamming it up at the photo booth.

Cambridge Cool

The entrance to the original CPL has the charm and feel of a great University or European Castle.

Whenever you are visiting the Boston area you will inevitably be faced with at least one rainy day and looking for some place to dodge the downpour. The Cambridge Public Library, newly reopened in November 2009 after a major renovation and addition, is a great place for an afternoon visit. It's also an easy ten minute stroll from the heart of Harvard Square.


The hi-tech, modern design of the CPL new addition.

There is free wifi if you have your laptop and if not plenty of free computers to use. Check your email and message home while relaxing.


The ceiling and wall murals in the original sections of the Library.


Plenty of quiet reading space.

There are also designated spots for eating! Yes, you can bring in a takeout lunch, or a gourmet snack and enjoy it here with a warm cup of coffee.


Bright, open spaces in the modern wing.

The modern wing also offers a great variety of international papers and magazines to keep you caught up with the news back home and lots of local publications if you are looking for cultural events or things to do and see when the skies clear.


The all glass and steel entrance to the new wing.

Cambridge Public Library
Hours: Mon-Thu 9am-9pm
Fri-Sat 9am-5pm
Sun 1-5pm
449 Broadway Cambridge
Telephone: (617)349-4040

Sonoma Splurge

We stopped in at Williams-Sonoma this weekend, one of our favorite food stores, and when we saw the Maldon sea salt just couldn't resist a splurge. It's hard to find. The salt crystals are hand harvested by a small family-run business in the U.K. and certified organic. Of course you can't have such high quality salt with the best peppercorn blend!



Maldon salt has a flaked texture and a saltier taste than other salts which means you can use less. It's texture makes it great for finishing dishes such as seafood and excellent for soft boiled eggs.

Taste of The Nation Pics

Share Our Strength, Taste of The Nation was a great event. The absolute highlight was meeting Nuno Alves of 33 Restaurant Boston.



I am going to let all the readers fill in the captions on the pics. See if you can identify who was there and who or which restaurant served what? The best sleuth wins a prize from the TBF vault.

Mumbai Chopstix Video Friday

Lena, Athena, Mike, Me and Lingbo: four fellow bloggers. Richard and Rachel were missing.

It's Video Fridays and you know what that means: exclusive video you won't see anywhere else on the Boston food scene. Yeah we go to lots of food events but rarely give you the bird's eye view of what it's actually like to be at a private party for a new restaurant opening. So here's an early stroll through Mumbai Chopstix on Newbury Street which opens to the public today and serves a very eclectic Asian/Indian fusion cuisine. This is what soft openings are like - great food and a crowd of fun, interesting people. You will hear me stop for a second to say hello to the aforementioned fellow food blogger Mike Prerau of The Food Monkey. Also, if you are into food photography and care to attend some of these events we are always looking for interns. Thank you Sam for the party pic!

Pizzeria Posto Visit

Pizzeria Posto in Davis Square.


Photo by Dean Igoe.

We made our way over to Davis Square to try out the new restaurant Pizzeria Posto which just opened last weekend. It was a full crowd here all weekend long which is the first sign that they must be doing something right and a welcome addition to the area.


The open design is light and airy with just the setting one would expect from an upscale casual dining/enoteca. In fact, it reminded me very much of being in a small upscale restaurant in Italy. The food boasts quality ingredients, the wood-fired brick oven pizza is classic thin crust and the wine selection is rather extensive.


Pizzeria Posto interior.


Caesar Salad.

One of the plates we tried was the Caesar Salad ($9) with lemon and anchovy dressing and parmesan. Fresh and with the anchovy a proper Caesar salad should have it was about as good as it gets. We sipped a glass of Sepp Moser Grüner Veltliner ($6), an Austrian wine suggested by our server. Citrusy with a hint of spice, good suggestion.


The rich, meatballs al forno ($9) are dense, oven baked and the sauce is on the sweeter side, low on acidity. We enjoyed these with a glass of Prima Perla Prosecco ($4).


Arugula Salad.


Photo by Dean Igoe.

My dinner companion enjoyed the arugula salad ($9), served with endive, an unusually good gorgonzola picante in just the right amount and dressed with a honey and thyme vinaigrette, hitting all the right notes.


Bianca Pizza.

The Bianca Pizza ($17) had a truly perfect crust with fior di latte (or cow's milk mozzarella), ricotta, pecorino, parmesan and a light dusting of fresh oregano. This white pizza with a crispy/chewy crust and warm, melted, flavorful cheeses was just full of subtle flavor and nice textures. All of the cheeses used seemed to be at the height of their individual perfection.


Prosciutto Cotto Pizza.

The Prosciutto Cotto Pizza ($18) was was served with the same gorgonzola picante and arugula and drizzled with a port sciroppo, lending it tiny pockets of balsamic-like sweetness.


House made chili pepper oil.


Bianca Pizza with hot oil.


Tagliatelle, Braised Rabbit, Fava, Carrot and Peas.

The tagliatelle with braised rabbit ($15) was a savory, filling dish, salted well and finished with the fresh fava and vegetable bits.


For those of you who may not have had rabbit before just imagine the qualities of both chicken and ham in one bite and you will get the general flavor.

The service on both our visits could literally not have been improved upon. It was among the best service we've had at a restaurant, casual or otherwise. Prices seem to be a a bit high given the economic climate and the pizzas are all personal size (4 slices). Given the service, quality and atmosphere, however, we would still give Pizzeria Posto an excellent rating for casual dining in a smart setting.

Pizzeria Posto
187 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02144
Telephone: 617.625.0600

Mystic Coffee Roaster

Mystic Coffee Roaster on Riverside Avenue.

We are all about supporting local independently owned cafes, shops and restaurants so we had been waiting for weeks for Mystic Coffee Roaster to open in our neighborhood. We seriously needed a quality coffee shop within walking distance. And quality it is.


All of the pastries are delivered fresh from Lyndell's Bakery and the breads from Iggy's. What a perfect combination.


Fresh focaccia bread.


A small sticky bun and a cappuccino.

If you've never had freshly ground coffee made with just-roasted beans you are in for an amazing treat. The difference between this and chain store coffee is like night and day. You'll want to linger over each delicious sip.


No pre-made foam here like in the coffee chains.


Yes, they do roast all of their own coffee beans right in the back of the cafe.

This is a popular morning commuter spot (with six T connections just steps away) and the wifi is free if you need to polish up that restaurant review from last night, check your email or update your status in a relaxing spot before stepping into the morning fray. As always, tell them The Boston Foodie sent you.

Mystic Coffee Roaster
30 Riverside Avenue
Medford, MA 02155
Tel. 781.391.0042