Bourgeois Pig

I had only been in Chicago a few days when I knew I needed to eat something other than microwavable meals. Being new to the area I relied on the advise of a food critic much wiser than myself...Rachael Ray. Apparently Ms. Ray had visited Chicago for her Food Network show Tasty Travels. One of the places she visited was the Bourgeois Pig.

This cafe is located right near DePaul University, but don't let that fool you. Its not your typical Starbuck's knockoff. The menu offers such sandwich selections as 'The Sun Also Rises' and 'The Secret Garden.' If the selection of sandwiches, salads, deserts, and drinks doesn't impress you then the atmosphere will. Unpretentious, this restaurant feels more like a warm and inviting house.

Ms. Ray was definitely on to something when she visited this cafe in her travels. Check it out at: http://www.bpigcafe.com/

Lineage

I have recently re-discovered how much I love Coolidge Corner! As the weather has been so kooky lately I have been a lot more content to snuggle up and watch reruns of the OC. I did manage however to get out to a restaurant I hadn't tried before called Lineage

Lineage
Located right on Harvard Ave this restaurant was the perfect blend of a more refined taste while also not feeling that uptight. I managed to get out there on a Saturday night and was glad we made reservations as the place filled up quite rapidly. According to their website their menu changes daily according to what is in season. I had the Yukon Gold Potato Gnocchi. Absolutely wonderful, the flavors complimented themselves quite well. To drink I had a clementine mojito and was extremely surprised by how refreshing it was. There was no drink mix here - all fresh and full of alcohol. For dessert the pot o'creme hit the spot just right.

Overall, I really enjoyed this restaurant. The food was fresh and not to filling. The prices were a bit high, but given the quality of the food it was within reason. The atmosphere was a bit more chaotic than I would have thought for an intimate dinner, but just right for perhaps a work meeting or a group of friends. I recommend making dinner reservations if its during peak hours. This is definitely worth checking out

Lineage
242 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02446
1-617-232-0065
Hours, menus, parking, directions, and reservations online at: www.lineagerestaurant.com

Teatro

For my 23rd birthday my friends took me out to a restaurant called Teatro in Boston right near the commons. Needless to say all of us left extremely impressed. This Italian restaurant is situated near Emerson's radio station and the AMC movie theatre on the Boston Common. I had passed it a few times before, but it always seemed busy and too fancy for my type of dinning.

We caught the tail end of the theatre crowd leaving so we went at an opportune time (8pm). I highly recommend going after the theatre rush or making reservations as it was clearly the spot to go to within walking distance of the shows. Our waiter was extremely helpful and prompt. The drinks we chose were fantastic. My friends particularly raved about the sangria. The food was excellent as was the deserts. The restaurant serves both full and half plate meals, but keep in mind that the half plates are extremely small as they expect that to be served more with a four course meal.

The atmosphere was great. Not too big, but not too small. There was a small bar to the beginning of the restaurant which got a bit crowded, but not too bad. The lighting was fantastic. A light blue throughout the restaurant gave the feeling of mood lighting without the harsh glare of white lights. I also must mention how clean everything was. Now normally I wouldn't rave, but we were able to witness a vacated table being prepared and not only did they wipe it down they showered it with soap and actually cleaned it! I have been to many restaurants in my time, but I have yet to see this.

The only real downside I had to this restaurant were the bathrooms. Single bathrooms with only one for the women. As you can image the lines got somewhat outrageous.

My final verdict: Definitely check this place out. Great Italian food not in the North End and situated in the perfect location for before or after a show. If you plan on going to a show after make sure you make reservations.

Teatro
http://www.teatroboston.com
Reservations can be made at Open Table for this Restaurant

The Melting Pot

So in the midst of this rainy afternoon full of debating I managed to make it out to The Melting Pot with the roommate. I wont like I was intrigued mainly because I had seen it on The Girls Next Door. Also the premise of the restaurant (fondue!) had me intrigued.

Upon arriving at the restaurant we were told the wait would be about 45 minutes (looking around at the empty tables I was a bit skeptical...but never the less did as the hostess instructed and sat at the bar to order a drink. No sooner had the drinks arrived than a table magically appeared for us to sit at. The food was pricey, but good. We split an artichoke and spinach fondue pot, each had salads, and split the Ying/Yang fondue dessert.

My opinion: The food was a bit pricey for fondue, though it was very good and fresh (they mix the food at your table). I did like that I got an unlimited amount of dippers, but the food was still a bit pricey. The ruse to get us to get drinks at the bar before being seated was a bit much, as well as the somewhat pretentiousness of the restaurant itself (what appeared to be the manager carried our drinks over herself to one of the empty tables). That being said I highly enjoyed the concept and would recommend going. The appetizer of fondue was more than enough to fill two grown women and the dessert selection was very good.

Check it out:
The Melting Pot
www.meltingpot.com
76 Arlington Street
Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers
Boston-Back Bay, MA 02116
617-357-7007
Check website for menu, directions, and hours

The Elephant Walk- Boston

I took my mother to the Elephant Walk today in Boston for her birthday...needless to say she was and I were both extremely impressed. This restaurant offers a unique mix of both Cambodian and French cuisine, presented in some interesting and delicious dishes.

I had been eyeing the Boston location (they have sites in Cambridge and Waltham as well) for quite some time and was pleased that my mother's birthday offered the perfect excuse to go. The menu is a bit pricey, but I decided to go with the Sunday brunch, which is decidedly cheaper and offers a prix-fixe menu as well (starter, choice of drink, soup or salad, and entree for $19).

The food was fantastic and something that you wouldn't find at any of your run of the mill places. I enjoyed a Rouleaux, a spring roll starter which was full of flavor and served with tuk trey. Then I had Cambodian chicken soup, which was a bit lemony for my taste but still great. My entree was Mee Siem au Poulet, was noodles, chicken, tofu, garlic, egg, soy beans, pickled shallot, Chinese chive bean, bean sprouts, and red bell pepper. I had my choice of how hot and I will admit I choose the mild (wimp I know!). For my choice of drink I had the Mimosa and Hibiscus tea with dessert.

I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance this amazing restaurant. The portions aren't too large so you are able to order a few courses and for the adventurous there is plenty to try. The atmosphere is casual but very ethnic...that being said I went for brunch which is decidedly less formal than perhaps the dinner crowd. If you are tight on cash I recommend the prix-fixe meals or Restaurant Week is coming up in August, of which The Elephant Walk is a participant of. The Sunday brunch itself is a good deal less expensive than the dinner and lunch options as well. I recommend either taking the train or walking as parking in the back was minimal.

The Elephant Walk
900 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02215
617-247-1500
Lunch: M-F 11:30-2:30
Dinner: Sun-Th 5-10; Fri-Sat 5-11
http://www.elephantwalk.com/ (provides menus, directions, reservations and hours for all 3 locations, as well as a schedule of their cooking classes)

Border Cafe - Cambridge

So my roommate suggested we visit Border Cafe the other day and I happily agreed as I had passed by it quite a few times and the line outside to get in always seemed to suggest that the food inside was worth the wait. So it was no surpriset that on this particular Thursday night that the wait was about 45 minutes for two people. What was a surprise was how affordable the food was and how incredible the food was.

After we were seated in the downstairs area of the restaurant we were promptly served with terrific warmed chips and salsa. The menu consists of traditional Mexican food as well as a unique blend of Cajun as well. I promptly ordered the Mardi Gras Catfish. The food was served in a timely manner and was absolutely fantastic! For two indiviudals (one who ordered an alcoholic beverage) and two entrees the bill came to about $21.

The atmosphere was just as lively as the food. And the bar scene was just as upbeat. Our waitress suggested various dishes as well as drinks and was extremely friendly. Overall our exprerience there was highly enjoyable and I look forward to going there again soon.

Border Cafe - Cambridge
32 Church Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
617-864-6100
M-Th: 11am-1am
Fri-Sat:11am-2am
Sunday: 12pm-1am
www.bordercafe.com

Hungry Mother Restaurant

So I literally just got back from this place an hour ago and I needed to write about it: Hungry Mother Restaurant in Cambridge. This restaurant just recently opened and serves some terrific southern food in a fantastic atmosphere. On the suggestion of a good friend I ventured out tonight across the bridge to find myself in this quaint little restaurant where I was served my drink out of canning jars (my friend had sweet tea--unlimited refills!). If that was not cute enough the food was absolutely amazing. I ordered cornmeal encrusted catfish with greens, rice, and a side of cornbread. While we waited we were served bread (from a basket!) with their fantastic butter. The catfish was wonderfully presented and tasted amazing. It was served with a mustard-caper brown butter sauce which added just the right tartness to the catfish. This wonderful entree was followed by their old fashioned chocolate cake (they also advertise for an extra $2 a glass of fresh milk, just like mom would do!), which was (as my friend pointed out) just the right amount of sweetness.

Overall this restaurant is definitely on my "must visit again" list. The prices were reasonable $4-27, and the food was fantastic. The waiters were extremely helpful and the atmosphere was very artistic country cottage. I would reccomend if you go on a typical busy night (i.e. Friday or Saturday night) to make reservations as we had to wait quite a bit as the place was jammed. While my particular group was not out for a real drinking night I highly reccomend looking at the drink list as they had some quite interesting combinations.

Hungry Mother Restaurant
233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave
Kendall Square
Cambridge, MA
617-499-0090
Tuesday- Sunday: 5-10pm
www.hungrymothercambridge.com

Review:Canestaro

Both me and my roommate were surprised that we had not gone to this restaurant before, but we stopped in the other night before the SATC movie to this little Italian restaurant. This place is definitely not fancy but the food is moderately priced, serves alcohol, has a fantastic dessert menu, and is quite cheap. It offers both indoor and outdoor dinning and is on a quiet street. The atmosphere is more casual as the tables were cheap plastic and the game was on the TV behind my head, but for two cheap college students it was just right. This place offers the traditional Italian menu of pizza, calzones, and pasta dishes. There was also a specials list as well as an alchol list. If you go, I highly reccomend going when the weather is nice so you can sit outside.

Canestaro
16 Petersborough Street
Boston, MA
617-266-8997
http://www.canestaros.com/