Food: June 2009 Archives

Last night, the mixologists at Drink (348 Congress St., in Fort Point) composed an ode to the late Michael Jackson in the form of a punch. Lemon Hart 151, Batavia arrack, Coke (they didn't have Pepsi on hand, John Gertsen told us), lime, and sugar* were combined and set on fire to make the Jackson 5. The name of the beverage played on the etymology of the word "punch," allegedly the half-English bastard of the Hindi word for "five."

If you live in the Waltham area, it’s likely that you have passed Taqueria Mexico a number of times and never really noticed it. Tucked away at the end of Charles Street a block away from where it connects to Moody, Taqueria Mexico is a hidden gem worth finding.

Perhaps embarrassed that Rhode Island remains the only New England state without gay marriage, Narragansett Beer has launched a reimaging campaign designed to recapture its status as the biggest New England beer and establish a New England brewery. Downplaying its origin in the nation's tiniest state and taking on a shiny new sorta Smithwick's-fonted logo, Cranston-born Narragansett is asking drinkers to sign a petition of unclear significance, to buy cases of its mediocre beer, and to spread the word to friends. The premise is that if Narragansett can sell 7.5 million cases of suds annually, it'll be big enough to build a brewery in New England, bringing jobs to the area and supporting Narragansett's home-"brewed" (har har?) image.

Are you the person who always offers to make a Dunkin run for the office? Are you the person intern who's always forced to make a Dunkin run for the office? Do you cleverly get your DD fix before work so you never have to worry about helping others caffeinate? If you're not in the latter category, you might want to check out Dunkin Run, a new website—and, more conveniently for Applephiles, iPhone app [iTunes link]. Dunkin Run allows you to invite a group of Dunkin folks to submit their orders electronically so you can make sure Carole gets her large iced coffee and Jim his mocha and Sally her bagel with light cream cheese and Allen his flatbread with bacon and George his six star spangled donuts and you get to carry it all back all by yourself. Fun!

Attention all Dogfish Head fans! Tonight Redbones is putting on a Dogfish extravaganza: 10 kegs and one cask on tap! That’s a lot of Dogfish. The event will be held in the Underbones bar, with a cash bar and free appetizers from 5 to 7 pm. It’s being billed as a “pre-fest” to the American Craft Beer Fest this weekend. And don’t worry if you can’t make the party; there will be Dogfish Head all weekend long.

Finding good pizza in Boston can be a complicated business. While some pizzerias focus solely on baking a good pie, others provide more well-rounded fare in the form of tasty sandwiches, paninis and pasta. From greasy to gourmet, you can find almost anything if you know where to look.

All of the choices are tasty (even the crispy tofu, considering that this Bostonist is not a fan of the tofu), but there are a few real standouts in the bunch. The candied garlic spare ribs, 2 per order, are sweet and savory, with a crispy caramelized exterior and meat that falls right off the bone. The veggie rangoon, which looks more like an eggroll, is filled with cream cheese and tender shredded vegetables. And the edamame gyoza are crunchy envelopes stuffed with pureed edamame, an excellent combination of crispy and smooth textures.

    

Looking for something to do this afternoon, or any Saturday afternoon from now until August 29? Check the cupcake tea at the Ritz-Carlton (10 Avery Street). For a mere $20 (a little steep, but the tea is tasty and the cupcakes are adorable), you can get a flight of five cupcakes that cover a range of tastes, from light and fruity to rich and complex, plus your very own pot of tea. The tea takes place in a classy setting, so it's a fun thing to do with the family or out-of-town visitors. A children's cupcake flight is also available; for $16, you'll get three cupcakes plus an assortment of toppings for decorating. The Ritz staff will have to clean up Call 617-574-7176 for reservations. Cupcake menu after the jump.

We’ve been living a carefree, tax-free lifestyle in the world of liquor for a while now. That all could change soon. Lawmakers finalizing the 2010 budget are proposing a hefty tax on alcohol. They have raised the general sales tax from 5% to 6.25% and are now applying that to the sale of all beer, wine, and alcohol sold in stores.

For lunch in the suburbs this Bostonist is always in search of one thing: a better sandwich. Forget fruit plates and salads, sandwiches are what lunch is all about. A good sandwich can be special because of so many things: the bread, the meats, the condiments, the cheese. And each sandwich shop is unique in the way they combine these ingredients making it worthwhile to visit as many as possible to find the best sandwich options. This Bostonist has been known to drive as much as half an hour out of the way just to fill a particular sandwich craving and Angelato; a small sandwich shop, Italian deli, and geltaria in Belmont has become one of those detours. The first time we sampled Angelato’s wares was after visiting Silk Road BBQ across the street. We noticed Angelato because we were in the mood for something sweet to finish off our lunch. Angelato is the company owned shop of the Angelato foods the company who makes Firenze frozen desserts which means that they have fresh local made gelato ready for serving in the shop. The hazelnut chocolate gelato alone was well worth the trip out to Belmont. The gelato had a rich dark chocolate flavor without being too bitter or too sweet, and the small pieces of roasted hazelnut were the perfect addition—an occasional textured surprise hidden in the smooth creamy goodness.

It's hard to imagine one slice of pizza being enough for an entire meal, but at Penguin Pizza in Brigham Circle, one slice can definitely fill you up for only around $3. Each slice is roughly the size of a dinner plate, or two good-sized slices anywhere else. In fact, the slice is much easier to eat if you just cut it in half to begin with. Penguin offers four types of pizza by the slice daily: cheese, pepperoni, and two changing flavors.

Bostonist is a pickle maniac. We've been known to take $30 round-trip bus excursions to New York City just to bring back a pint of Guss's pickles. So, when were alerted to the presence of anthropomorphic pickle beings wandering the Common, we had to check it out.

The Globe recently rehashed the tired question of what to do about a significant other who won't perform a certain sexual act (DTMFA if s/he won't compromise), adding the clever new twist of using "making grilled cheese" as a euphemism for said act. Hilarity resulted! Some of the commenters did a good job of going all the way with the euphemism, even suggesting baby steps toward tackling a big sandwich: "One thing you can do is start by making a Triscuit with a little melted cheese on top." Boy, that's making us hungry!

Today is National Doughnut Day, launched by the Chicago Salvation Army in 1938 as a fundraiser and tribute to volunteers who served soldiers donuts in WWI. Dunkin Donuts is celebrating National Donut Day by giving out free donuts with any drink purchase, so you can caffeinate and fatten yourself to your heart's content today.

It’s summer time and you know what that means: beer festivals sprouting up all over the place. In the next two weeks you can join BeerAdvocate at their always-amazing American Craft Beer Fest, visit the Harpoon Brewery, or ride your bike over to Redbones.

Since the Natick Mall turned into the Natick Collection, there have been a lot of changes. The stores are more expensive, there are a whole lot more of them, and the food court has suddenly lost its appeal due to the plethora of new restaurants that have opened up in the mall. New options include P.F. Changs, The Cheesecake Factory, and even Sel De La Terre if you’re feeling fancy. But sometimes, when you’re at the mall or sitting around at home, you just want a good burger. On those days, we recommend the Met Bar and Grill in the Natick Collection.

Sage, formerly of the North End, now of the South End, doesn't seem like the best spot for cheap eats. Pastas hover around the $20 mark, and entrees run between $20 and $35. But between the hours of 5:00pm and 7:30pm on Monday through Friday, only $10 will buy you a heap of food in the form of delicious little bar bites.

We've seen the dinosaurs of our city, aging restaurants like Great Bay, Aujourd'hui and Icarus, go down this week, felled by the figurative dust cloud of the recent recession. Great Bay closed its doors this weekend; Aujourd'hui, in the Four Seasons, will become a private function room later this month; Icarus will close on July 1. All have cited the economy as a major factor in their decision.