Good Boston Friday Lunch Options
For a Sushi Friday Lunch...
Haru Japanese Restraurant: Sometimes you just gotta have sushi, and Haru gives you lots of it. Located on the backside of the Prudential building, Haru is a modern restaurant with some outdoor dining space on Huntington Ave. This is the place to go to share some gossip and maybe a fresh and tasty sushi special. May is also $5 "shocktail" month if you want to make it a liquid lunch.
For a Steakhouse Friday Lunch...
Daily Grill: Also conveniently located on the backside of the Pru (for those of us who work there), the Daily Grill is a relaxed yet modern steakhouse with a fantastic steak and bleu cheese salad. If greens aren't your thing try the super juicy blue cheese burger -- with the cheese actually mixed into the meat. It's bursting with flavor, though you may need about a gallon of water to wash down the salt. This is a good spot to have a lunch for two in one of its nice comfy booths.
For a Healthy Friday Lunch...
Vlora Restaurant: For healthier dining options, you have to try Vlora on Boylston Street. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Vlora's food is fresh, simple and naturally delicious.The restaurant itself may not be particularly noticeable, as you have to look down from the sidewalk to see it, but once you're down there, you'll find yourself a world away from the city. It's a bright, warm and inviting setting with its own subterranean patio looking up toward the towering John Hancock Tower above. Lots of fun for a birthday lunch, complete with sangria.
For Friday Lunch on the Patio...
Joe's American Bar & Grill: This is the spot to grab a table for two, three or four on a gorgeous Friday afternoon. To actually get that table, you just may have to arrive on Friday morning. We arrived at noon one day, and were fresh out of luck. Returned another time at 11:45 and got a table no problem. You pretty much know what you'll get for food here -- salads, burgers, club sandwiches, the occasional fish dish and weak drinks, all for too high of a price. But it's worth the seat in the spring sun on Newbury Street.
Note: If you do arrive too late for a table, don't try to replace it with MJ O'Connor's Irish Pub. It's not meant to be your Friday lunch spot -- or any lunch spot -- considering the inside wreaks of stale beer and the patio faces the lovely exhaust pipes of about a dozen delivery trucks on Summer Street.
For a Cheap Friday Lunch with Beer...
Bukowski's: The entire development team at my company eats here every Friday. It's a dark, dank bar with not much in the way of atmosphere, but they have a ton of beer. The girls and I join the team when we want to drink away a difficult work day, or for the $1.50 burger special (you have to ask for it, as it's not on the menu).
For a Friday Lunch at Your Desk...
Tossed: Yes, I've come full circle, back to eating at my desk, but it happens a lot. I've tried just about everything at Tossed and only just discovered this week that they have a loyalty program! I could have saved hundreds of dollars with that... My favorite menu items are the Summer Salad, Asian Chicken Salad and Roasted Veggie Melt. Everything is great, though, so if you're near the Pru and planning to have lunch on your own, get Tossed.
Wherever you may enjoy your lunch tomorrow, Happy Friday Dining!
FC
Video: The strangest French toast you’ll ever see
It’s been about five or so years since I’ve had a delicious plate of fried dough. Fried dough is a treat that’s usually relegated to Something Wicked This Way Comes carnival and/or those creepy run-down seaside boardwalks (most recently experienced in Santa Cruz).
Douse the dough with a little powered sugar and you have yourself a delicious treat.
It’s been about five minutes since I’ve had a delicious piece of French toast. In my opinion French toast is the king of breakfast foods. I think French toast is actually underrated. When you talk to folks about great breakfasts usually you get, “oh, the eggs are the best,” or “that place has the best pancakes!” You even get some buzz around the cup of coffee served. But, generally you don’t get French toast as the headliner.
I think this needs to change.
So, when FoodieChick and I were pointed in the direction of Em Le’s in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA we were actually very excited to try their “famous” French toast.
Having just completed the Big Sur marathon the day before Foodie Chick was primed and ready to eat. We figured out she burned about 4000 calories running the marathon. So, she was ready to start putting those calories back on.
Instead of wasting more written words the best way to describe the strangest French toast you'll ever see is to show you. Here is a little video essay about Em Le’s French toast…enjoy!
Foodie Chick Dominates Big Sur Marathon
I was lucky enough to see FC cross the finish line at the Big Sur International Marathon in Carmel, California on April 26. FC knocked off her first marathon in about 4 hours and 20 minutes. The marathon touts itself as one of the hardest in the world (nice choice for a first marathon, FC! The race’s tag line is, “the best and worst marathon time you’ll ever have!”)
Any other marathon and FC easily breaks the 4-hour mark. Did I mention the headwinds were reported to be 25 knots on race day? Guess that’s what you get for running down a mountainous stretch along the Pacific Coast Highway.
Needless to say we are all very proud of FC. Nice work!
Happy Marathon Monday: My top five running foods
Happy Boston Marathon Monday! I wish every one of you runners good luck in the big race!
While I'm not running with the athletes of the Boston Marathon, I'm always inspired by this amazing event and I can only hope to qualify for it one day. In the meantime, I have been training for a marathon of arguably equal difficulty on the opposite coast. I'll be running the Big Sur Marathon less than one week from now, and I'm already thinking about what to eat before, during and after the race.
I have to admit that training for a marathon has forced me to reign in my usual eating frenzy, which makes for less dining out and a lot more homecooking. It also helps that Foodie Guy has been on a balanced-meal kick. To keep from getting too bored with grilled chicken, we've come up with some creative healthy dinners, and it's paid off. Amazing how much easier it is to run when you weigh even 5 lbs. less!
Of course I still crave hot fudge sundaes and Sal's Sicilian.
All that said, I thought I'd share just a few of my favorite snacks, treats and running fuel foods to get me to, and hopefully through, the big race. As you'll be told in many running blogs and magazines, not everything works the same for everybody, so don't try to switch up foods right before a race.
1. Pasta: Is it any suprise that every marathon has a pre-race pasta party? Hello carbs! Foodie Guy and I are hoping to get into the early bird seating this Saturday. 
2. Graham crackers: I'm in the habit of eating a graham cracker or two before a long run, which always occur pre-breakfast. You have to have something in your stomach, and these are just right. I'll have them with me for Big Sur.
3. Orange slices: There's nothing better than receiving an orange slice from someone working your race route. I've received orange slices in several half marathons, and they perked me right up. I'm not sure if it worked more because of the sudden burst of flavor, or the sugar, but it works.
4. Chocolate and vanilla GU: I will never run long distance again without my GU. These 100-calorie packs make it easier to maintain my pace, but more importantly they're something to anticipate. A chocolate GU tastes more like a chocolate truffle at mile 19. Clif Bar makes something similar to GU called Clif Shot -- the difference being that it's organic.
5. Watermelon: I crave watermelon after long runs, and I eat a lot of it. It doesn't replace water and fluids, of course, but it helps me recover and replenish, until I remember to fill the Mets cup with Poland Springs again. I never drink enough water.
After Big Sur, the foodie eating returns again! We'll have plenty to report from our trip west.
Until then, happy dining (and running)!
FC
Burger King Burger Shots Challenge
FoodieChick is a PTP’er making good on a Final Four wager...
Is there a better sporting event out there than the NCAA Tourney? (Foodie Chick insert: Yes, anything to do with baseball.) As much as I love baseball and relish opening day, for my money there is no better three weeks or so of sports than the college basketball tournament.
As the field of 65 is whittled to four, the supposed best college hoops teams rise to the top in a single elimination fight to the finish. This year being no exception,
With my brackets blown up after the second day (thanks a lot WVU and
Game one, food bet: If UConn won I’d be “forced” to eat a sundae from Angora Cafe. Not much of a death sentence, I know, but it would have been a major breech of a small diet I am trying to keep.
If you have not been to Angora Cafe on
Now, what would FoodieChick have to eat if
Just as I was thinking up terms, that catchy Burger King mini-burger commercial comes on. (Here it is if you want to view it.) Now, I won’t say which part of the commercial draws most of my attention, but it did spark my imagination for our basketball bet. If the Spartans won – it was a six pack of BK burger shots for FoodieChick – and they all must be eaten in one sitting.
By the way, how did it take so long for a major chain like BK to figure this one out? Who doesn’t love sliders? I think it’s a game changer for the fast food chains. Don’t be surprised to see the rest of the fast food world latch onto this idea. Brilliant, BK.
Anyway, back to the bet…
I won’t bore you with the gory details of the game, but having watched State mop up the Cardinals of Louisville a game before, I was very confident we’d be heading to BK in short order. And so it was.
Final score, Michigan State 82, UConn 73. A more joyous outcome I could not fathom. As much as I wanted to see Chick eat burgers, it was much nicer to see UConn lose. If you live in
The cliché is a picture speaks a thousand words. So, instead of describing the experience and moaning uttered by FoodieChick, I’ll let the camera do the talking.
Game two: As for that second bet, I took UNC and FoodieChick took Nova. Needless to say FC is scrubbing the toilet as I type.
I don’t foresee any more wagers on college hoops anytime soon…
Happy Dining!
FG
Foodie Chick P.S. Sliders or not, that was gross. All I tasted was the fake cheese (why did I ask for cheese?) and a TON of mustard. BK, why more mustard than ketchup??? Every bite reminded me of a hot dog, which doesn't say much for the burger.
Foodie Chick Rates Taste of the Nation Foods
On assignment for FoodieChick.com, Foodie Guy and Foodie Chick descend upon Boston's Taste of the Nation. In this short video FoodieChick rates her top three entrees from the eating show. She also lets you know her favorite dessert and adult beverage.
La Voile: Boston's best French restaurant?
Recipe: La Voile's la Recette du Mois (Recipe of the Month) - La Pissaladiere
La Voile: Boston's best French restaurant?
La Voile in Boston's Back Bay has won my pick for Boston's best French restaurant, taking the very unofficial title over Gaslight Brasserie, Pigalle, Bouchee, and Lumiere. Let me know if you agree or disagree.
Formerly a beloved restaurant in Cannes, France, La Voile ("The Sail") was a regular dining destination for many a sailor. One in particular, an American, became a good friend to the owners and a regular diner, who suggested that the restaurant be moved to Boston. Some time later... they did just that.
According to La Voile's website: "Everything was brought over... the zinc bar, the tables and chairs, the wooden wine fridge (an old Butcher's fridge), the marble console, the vintage chandeliers, sailing pictures, the knives, the entrance door... even the staff!"
What the Newbury Street location lacks in sea breezes and sailors, it makes up for in warm atmosphere and hearty food. The restaurant is decorated with heavy woods and model sailboats, its staff members are lively and quick to please, and the food is rich and delicious. Even my France born and bred coworker -- who has tried every French restaurant in the Boston metro area -- considers this the best French restaurant in Boston. I now agree and only wish I'd dined here when he first told me to go a year ago.
Appetizers
For the first course, Foodie Guy enjoyed the refreshing La Voile Salade, consisting mainly of fresh, crisp green beans, mushrooms and grape tomatoes, while I went for something a little out of my comfort zone: La terrine ou pate du jour (terrine of the day), a rich chicken liver terrine that was particularly tasty with the sour baby pickles. I'm not usually a liver fan, but I'd be quick to order this on a repeat visit, so long as I had help eating all that pate!
Entrees
Foodie Guy had a New York strip steak served with a small salad and a side of potatoes, which were a cross between french fries and potato chips. Nice change from the norm, and not too salty. I went for the salmon with eggplant and tomato purees. I loved this dish. I've had to force myself to eat more fish lately (part of my marathon preparation), so I was being good in my mind by choosing the salmon. It was so flavorful that I would go back again just for this dish. It's not on the regular menu -- at least it doesn't appear to be on the menu online -- but hopefully something like it will be. If you require your salmon dishes to have a bit of a kick, you'll love this simple dish, too.
DessertsLast but not least, dessert! Foodie Guy -- a lover of chocolate but not necessarily mousse -- enjoyed La Mousse au Chocolat, which was presented in a fun, mini jar that looked like it should be holding preserves. I had the L'Expresso Gourmand, which I didn't know was actually a trio of desserts. Lucky pick. This sampler includes the mousse, a mini creme brulee, shortbread and cup of espresso. I was happy savoring each taste, particularly the mousse. However, if we weren't following the Restaurant Week menu, there's no doubt we would have passed over these delicious desserts for the warm chocolate cake with white chocolate ice cream. Mmm.
Overall, I loved the entire dinner, from reading about the sayings on the wall at our candlelit table, to admiring the model sailboats and watching the busy waitstaff dart around the room, to enjoying our delicious three-course meal. I felt like I'd stepped out of Boston and into Cannes for two hours. What could be better?
If you've been, let me know what you thought.
La Voile's Recipe of the Month: La Pissaladiere
Today's recipe is one you can find on La Voile's website, while it's still there: La Voile's Recipe of the Month.
La Pissaladiere is a sort of French pizza made with tons of onions, as well as tomatoes, anchovies, olives and herbs. It's actually more of an onion pie than a pizza, as there's no cheese or sauce.
More La Pissaladiere Recipes:
- Pissaladiere recipe at Epicurious
- Emeril's pissaladiere recipe at Food Network
- Almost a pissaladiere recipe at La Tartine Gourmand
FC
Gaslight Brasserie's fondue au fromage à Boston
Recipe: Foodie Chick's Casse-Croûte de Fromage (aka Rolo's Bruschetta)
Gaslight Brasserie's fondue au fromage à Boston
As I prepare for our Restaurant Week dinner tonight at La Voile, a restaurant that was transplanted from Cannes to Newbury Street with a dessert menu that includes Le Plateau de Fromage Français "devant vous" (classic French cheese platter), I'm reminded of a late-night dinner spent at Gaslight Brasserie in the South End with ma mere.
Putting my college French lessons to good use in this entry. 
My mom flew in late one Friday night from Oregon, and I decided to drive her straight to Gaslight Brasserie for dinner, where there's plenty of free parking even on a Friday night. All I wanted at the time was Escargots de Bourgogne, but I learned that the little garlic and parsley, butter soaked snails tend to sell out early in the evening. (I returned another time to enjoy them, and I can see why they'd be a hit.) Instead, I ordered the Fondue Piemontaise avec saucisson et croutons (see photo) plus the Shaved Beet Root Salade for good measure.
Beets cancel out a skillet of melted cheese, right?
My mom ordered the Roasted Salmon Filet with garlic braised escarole and vinaigrette of lemon confit. And we both tore into the fresh loaf of French bread.
Everything was simple, fresh and delicious, but my favorite by far was the fondue. As a cheese fanatic (my daily snack lately has been a slice or two of ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella), I couldn't resist cleaning the dish. The croutons were the perfect scooping utensil, though the French bread helped us soak up the last bits.
If you haven't been to Gaslight Brasserie yet, head over there for some fine, fun fondue au fromage and other classic French brasserie cuisine. I'll report on La Voile after what I'm sure will be yet another wonderful dinner tonight.
Foodie Chick's Casse-Croûte de Fromage (aka Rolo's Bruschetta)
Want the perfect snack for yourself or a quick appetizer for friends coming to visit?
Here's all you need:
Small block of fresh mozzarella
Loaf of fresh French bread
Three medium ripe plum tomatoes
Fresh basil
Garlic salt
EVOO
Ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and lightly grease 1 cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Slice and cube fresh mozzarella. Set aside.
3. Slice and cube fresh tomatoes. Set aside.
4. Slice French bread diagonally. Arrange slices on cookie sheet.
5. Drizzle light layer of EVOO and light sprinkle of garlic salt on each slice of bread, then top each with a teaspoonful of your tomatoes then a teaspoonful of your cheese.
6. Top each slice with basil, either whole leaf or shredded as preferred. (You could also use Italian seasoning, though fresh basil is best.)
7. Finish off with a dash of fresh ground pepper.
8. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.
9. Serve immediately!
Happy dining!
FC
Healthy dining options: How to succeed without really dieting
Recipe: Stark's Kitchen Sink Meal
How to succeed without really dieting
Don’t get me wrong, I could not be happier living with FoodieChick. Each day is a culinary delight and I am exposed to more new foods and restaurants than I can keep track of. But, like all good things, they must be done in moderation. Eating included.
Here in the harsh climes of Massachusetts, weather events bring mounds of snow and the sharp bite of winter drives many of us to hibernate. Although, when bears hibernate they eat as much as they can to store up fat and nourishment to get them through the long winter.
We humans – well – we sorta just eat our way through it.
Starting with November 2008 in Italy and continuing through last week, I’ve packed on literally dozens of unwanted lbs. It was only the finest meats, buffets, breads and desserts for this guy.
Massive consumption of food coupled with a crippling basketball injury, rendered this usually healthy wannabe-athlete a fat blob. A notion FoodieChick would probably dispute, but nonetheless, it’s a fact.
Over the past few months I’ve scarffed down a dizzying array of “birthday party” foods, including, but not limited to, an egregious amount of pizza, burgers, dogs, ice cream, chips, fries and cake. It’s time the madness stopped. It’s time for FoodieGuy to right the ship with short stint of calorie deprivation.
With that, I wanted to offer up a healthy meal of mine (see photo above and recipe below), plus some tips for making the most of time spent sans birthday party foods. A lot of these tips have been widely reported and I’m sure you’ve heard them all before, but here they are again.
- It’s the calories, dummy. That’s exactly what I tell myself when starting a, um, weight losing routine. Losing lbs. is a very simple equation. If you burn more calories than your body needs, you lose weight. Figure out how many calories your body needs, then eat foods that keep you under that number for the day. I use a free website called FitDay.com to track each and every morsel of food I put into my mouth. Same thing as a food journal. It really is startling when you consider how many calories you eat in a day – verses how many you actually need. Some people might call this naive but I don’t care what foods I eat, as long as I am under or matching my caloric needs for the day.
- Exercise an hour a day. Even for avid workout people, this is harder than it sounds. If you run for 45 minutes and lift for 15 -- great. If you run for 30 minutes and lift for 20 – no good. That’s 50 minutes. See where I am going here? You need to move for an hour a day. You have 24 hours each day. Use one for exercise. If you are trying to lose weight, RUN. If you can’t run yet, walk. Then gradually run. Someone asked me once, “Have you ever seen a fat runner?” Nope. Mix in some weights if you can. But, if you can only do one thing, run. Plus it’s free.
- Eat this, not that has some merit. Where I work, they offer us a huge cake on the first Monday of the month. “Milestone Monday” they call it. The biggest milestone I achieved this month was not eating three slices of it. I picked up an apple instead. If you don’t want to save calories on your meals, just do it with your snacks. I would never substitute a side salad for fries. Forget it. But, I would bring in a bag of carrots instead of eating six mini Mr. Goodbars/Special Dark/Krackles. (Man, do I love Hershey's miniatures.)
- Drink a lot of water. I told you you’ve heard all of these things before. But, you need water to give you the sensation of being full. Plus, it will help flush you.
- Disappear. Until you are confident that you are on the right track, drop your cell phone in a toilet. This might be easier for some people, but going out to eat or drinking kills you. It just derails everything you are trying to accomplish. You go out to eat, have a few drinks, have a few more drinks after dinner, and the next thing you know you're at T. Anthony’s at 2 am for four really delicious slices. No shot you are working out the next day. So, you’ve crushed about a week of hard work with one night out. Harder for some, but if you are really serious, decline some offers to go out ‘cause it’s only temptation out there.
A lot of “experts” say dieting does not work. I tend to agree with them. You really need to change your lifestyle if you want to keep weight off. If you exercise regularly, eat normally and drink a lot of water, you should be fine. Unless eating “normally” is Phelpsian.
For those of you looking for diet foods, here is something I cook up that is delicious, nutritious, filling and can be low calorie if you do it right. Basically, it’s rice and beans. Clearly, this is a lot more than one serving. And this is something every male human can make in 10 minutes.
Stark’s Kitchen Sink Meal
You’ll need a grill or pan to brown the meat, a sauce pan/small pot and a large pot.
Instructions:
Enjoy!
Optional: Throw in anything else you find that you like. When dieting stay away from the red meats.
Happy dieting, uh, dining!
FG
