Enjoying Rocca Kitchen & Bar

South of Washington Street (SoWa) in Boston's South End, you'll find a mix of low-income housing, artist studios and fabulous restaurants with plenty of free parking. It was for that driver-friendly reason and the veggie-heavy menu that the girls and I chose Rocca Kitchen and Bar for our Restaurant Week dinner.

One of my very good friends is a seafood-eating vegetarian. She's also the one who has to sacrifice her free time and freedom to drink by driving 90 minutes to dine with us in Boston once or twice a month. (She lives in Rhode Island.) So, in our monthly hunt for a great dining deal, Restaurant Week presented itself as a no-brainer. The least I could do was pick a restaurant that I thought she'd enjoy. Rocca worked out perfectly.

Below are the highlights of our three-course meals.

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Setting: Rocca is tucked in off of a parking lot on Harrison Avenue. You'll find patio seating beside a decorative windmill outside, and floor-to-ceiling windows hugging the lounge area inside. The dining space is hidden up a flight of stairs in a warm loft with half-booth/half-armchair seating. It's comfortable and inviting for groups.

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Drinks: A couple of us early arrivers started at the bar, where we met friendly bartenders and discovered the unique cocktail menu plus $5 bar bites (discounted bar food from 5-6:30 pm). Try the lightly salted zucchini fritti and the sangria with prosecco. Perfect for a summer's evening, though I wouldn't have minded a bit more bubbly. I'll revisit my cocktail experiences at dessert.

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Bread: Rocca has soft, sliced bread that reminds me more of a fresh bread stick. I ate too much of it.

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Appetizers: My selection was the handmade vegetable gnocchi with summer squash, corn, zucchini, peas, caciocavallo cheese and fresh herbs (top left). It arrived a bit on the warm side, like it may have sat for a minute or two before leaving the kitchen, but it was satisfying and delicious, and the cheese wasn't all that heavy, surprisingly. I loved my pick. After tasting everyone else's dishes, my second favorite was the handmade whole wheat cavatelle (bottom right) with clams, cherry tomatoes, pancetta and dandelion greens. This was a light, summery pasta dish. The other dishes were also tasty but I can't resist fresh made pasta.

Rocca Kitchen & Bar Appetizers Clockwise from top left: Handmade Vegetable Gnocchi; Sauteed Shrimp Scampi; Farinata (Chickpea Flatbread); Whole Wheat Cavatelli

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Entrees: Unfortunately, I wasn't as thrilled with my entree. I ordered the Burrida (top left), a Ligurian fish stew with fresh herbs, clams, shrimp, squid and white fish, served with pesto crostini. The fish was all fresh and well cooked, but the soup was lacking some kick, and I barely tasted the pesto on my crostini, which promptly dissolved into my soup. Not my best selection. The big winner of the night was the braised short ribs (bottom right) with garlic and parmigiano-mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, carrots, peas and salsa verde. My friends who ordered this raved about it, diners at other tables raved about it, and even the ladies in the bathroom raved about it. I took one bite and understood why. The delecate pork pulled apart easily and seemed to melt in your mouth. Great dish.

Rocca Kitchen & Bar Entrees Clockwise from top left: Burrida (Ligurian Fish Stew); Grilled Sirloin; Braised Short Rib; Sauteed Salmon

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Dessert: We had a belated birthday to celebrate so most ordered the chocolate cake, of course! (Is it still birthday month, Kimbers?) The Torta Santa Monica is a rich chocolate cake layered with ganache, caramel and fleur de sel, served with vanilla gelato topped with almonds. To be different, I ordered the Prosecco float with raspberry sorbetto. It was the perfect desserty cocktail for a hot evening, though the cake was dense and delicious -- only for true chocolate lovers. Pair the two together and you can't go wrong.

Rocca Kitchen & Bar Desserts From left: Torta Santa Monica; Prosecco Float

 

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That's all for Restaurant Week at Rocca. Stop by this trendy Italian restaurant if you're looking for some fresh, veggie-friendly dishes. Hopefully some of my other dinner guests will comment on their meals here. (No pressure, ladies!)

Happy dining!

Foodie Chick

 

        

Grotto Restaurant

The foodies just kicked off Restaurant Week with dinner at Grotto Restaurant in Beacon Hill -- and we walked all the way home to work off some of the meal. While many other Restaurant Week participants like to serve smaller plates for the occasion, Grotto loads you up with some huge portions, except maybe when it comes to the quartino of wine. As for the quality, it's good, but not overwhelming, and it's claim to "insanely fabulous" tomato sauce is definitely a stretch.

Below are our course-by-course reviews and plenty of pictures.

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Setting: I actually loved the little subterranean, candle-lit "nook" that is Grotto, especially when we arrived early to our 6:00 reservation to snag the corner table facing a collection of wines. If you're a party of two, looking for some privacy, that's the table to get.

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Drinks: We stuck with the wine by the glass and were pleased with the Italian selections. Foodie Guy didn't need to order the quartino of Montelpuciano -- $5 more -- which turned out to be the same amount of wine as the regular glass. I would recommend the Chianti if you like a more subtle, smooth Italian red.

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Bread: It was hard to tell exactly, but we both picked up the flavors of olive oil and butter in the dense bread. It was different, and a good accompaniment to the plate of olives in oil, but I personally prefer a flaky, soft Italian bread.

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Primi: In an effort to avoid my usual Italian appetizer pick -- the Caprese salad --  I chose the Cavatelle, a house-prepared ricotta pasta rich with sausage, pancetta, cream, peas and mushrooms. It was extra creamy, plate-wiping good, and just what I needed after skipping lunch for a long run. Foodie Guy did order the Caprese from Grotto's substantial menu, which we appreciated since most Restaurant Week participants keep their menus slim. Unfortunately, the salad wasn't a great pick after all. You really can't go too wrong with Buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, but Grotto added in a layer of cream that could have been skipped. It had the consistency of mayonnaise, the flavor of heavy cream, and just wasn't needed.

Grotto's Ricotta Cavatelle

Grotto's Tomato Mozarella Salad

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Secondi: The entree is usually a huge deciding factor in my rating of a restaurant. Lucky for Grotto, they have some fabulous desserts! My secondi was the Saltimbocca, parma ham wrapped chicken, stuffed with fontina cheese and served with mushrooms topped with Semolina gnocci. At the base of the dish was a nice Marsala sauce. The dish was flavorful, rich and well-seasoned. My chicken, however, was very dry. It needed that melted fontina and Marsala to moisten it up. This particular dish takes 20 minutes to make, so I wonder if mine went just a minute or two too long. The gnocci was a nice addition and I loved its cheesy crust. I'm just wouldn't order this dish again.

Foodie Guy's dish, on the other hand, was less about the interesting combination of flavors and foods. He went for the classic spaghetti and meatballs. I actually give Grotto a lot of credit for putting this on the menu. You either add this as a dish for the kiddies to enjoy, or you're bringing some serious pasta to the table. I'm talking straight-from-Italy kind of pasta. This is where Grotto lost some credit. They billed this as spaghetti and meatballs with Grotto's "insanely fabulous tomato sauce." I'm not sure who labeled it that, but I knew things weren't looking great when two bites in Foodie Guy said he liked my sauce better. I tasted it and found the sauce good, but neither of us thought it lived up to the hype of  "insanely fabulous." The meatballs were also good, but not like my grandmother makes. Unfortunately, none of it was anything like what we enjoyed in Italy, which is still pretty fresh on our palates.

"Insanely Fabulous" Spaghetti

Chicken Saltimbocca

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Dolce: On to the grand finale! Foodie Guy ordered the Cioccolato, melting chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. I ordered the Budino, banana bread pudding with caramel ice cream and walnuts. These desserts were so good that we took home the few bites of cake we had left in a doggie bag. (We've never taken home dessert leftovers before.) The chocolate cake was the kind you eat in tiny spoonfuls because each taste is so rich and decadent. Even the vanilla ice cream was extra creamy. The banana bread pudding was a flash-forward to fall. The second my plate appeared I smelled nothing but cinnamon and nutmeg. The cinnamon ice cream had a baked sugar flavor to it, the banana bread pudding was more bread than pudding (just as I like it), and even the walnuts were sugar coated. Who'd have thought the best part of our Italian dinner would be dessert?

Banana Bread Pudding

Melting Chocolate Cake

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That's all for our first Boston Restaurant Week dinner. If you haven't made a reservation yet, you'll find lots of options at Grotto, just don't let the "insanely fabulous" claims oversell you... except for maybe when it comes to dessert. For upcoming dinners this week, we'll be making another visit to Rocca Kitchen & Bar in the South End and a first visit to Petit Robert Bistro in Kenmore Square.

Happy Restaurant Week Dining!
FC

        

North End Italian Feasts

With the warm summer weather (finally) has come the ongoing series of Boston North End Italian Feasts, mini celebrations of saints, cannolis, classic Italian songs and cheap handbags! If you haven't been to one yet, you're in luck! There's a feast nearly every weekend through Labor Day.

Check out the Schedule of North End Italian Feasts, keeping in mind that the biggest is yet to come on August 28: The 90th annual Saint Anthony's Feast will basically consume the North End with food, music and weekend-long festivities. View the full St. Anthony's Feast Program for details about this "feast of feasts." 

We attended Saint Agrippina's Feast last weekend. We didn't indulge fully in the feasting, as we were saving our appetites for the massive amount of food we were about to consume at Ristorante Fiore, a trendier restaurant with garden and rooftop dining, and Famiglio Giorgio's, a fine, family-style restaurant with plates so big you'll eat leftovers for a week.

Stop by Fiore for a pre-dinner cocktail in the air-conditioned, no-wait bar area. There you'll find an excellent cocktail list (try the Frozen Limoncello) and extra spicy homemade potato chips. Then head over to Giorgio's for serious eating. While still not as tasty or fresh as pasta made in Italy, Giorgio's has value-packed portions of well-made pastas, nice salty Italian pizza, and an amazing waitstaff. Our waitress was actually the owner, who was most accommodating and encouraged us to take our time eating, drinking and just relaxing, despite the fact that we stayed longer than most tables to consume our large pizza "appetizer" before the two family-style entrees plus wine. Try the Linguinie Matriciana if you like jalapenos in your marinara (so good!) or the Chicken, Broccoli Ziti if you love garlic and a whole chicken in your pasta.

As for dessert, don't bother with the North End gelato shops. I don't care what awards they say they've won, that gelato is more like Italian ice than creamy, rich Italian gelato. If you like a nice flaky dessert, go for Modern Pastry over Mike's Pastry. You'll be eating your treat much sooner and you'll probably like it a lot better than anything you'd get at Mike's.

Happy feasting!
FC

        

... and we're officially Mr. and Mrs. Foodie. Lots to report from our honeymoon culinary adventures in China and Tibet, which will come as soon as we get through our 20 hours of video tape. Until then, I'll do my best to catch up on Boston restaurant news.

Remember, Summer 2009 Boston Restaurant Week starts Sunday, August 9! Book your reservations quick if you haven't already.

...<< MORE >>

I'm only recently rediscovering the joy of a Friday lunch. As someone who often eats lunch -- if you can call oatmeal lunch -- at her desk because there's just too much to do, a Friday lunch feels like playing hookey. Thankfully, my marketing cronies drag me out of the tower every once in a while, so I can experience fresh air and daylight. Here are a few high points (and a low point) from our Friday lunches in Boston.

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

        

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