Archive for January, 2009

Localvores, or locavores, depending on the source you consult, are growing in numbers and starting  a movement that is intriguing to me.  A localvore is someone who consumes food that is all, or mostly, obtained from local sources – i.e. produce from a local farm or farmer’s market.  What are the benefits to being a localvore?  Many, according to its proponents.  Eating locally helps to support local farmers, helps the local economy, and is a “greener” way of eating (you can reduce your carbon footprint by eating an apple from a local farmer’s market rather than a banana that had to be shipped from another country).  Furthermore, the food that you are eating is fresher, and thus, should taste better.

A few local restaurants serve food based on this premise, perhaps most noteably Gilson’s Herb Lyceum in Groton, MA.  They don’t receive a lot of press, but what they do receive is positive.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, either, as one of the owners’ sons is the chef at Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge.  The two restaurants are very different in scope but share a desire to serve locally acquired food.  I have yet to try either, but am eager to try both.

People are showing a general interest in learning where their food comes from, as evidenced by television shows like How’d That Get on My Plate with Sunny Anderson.  Many chefs on Bravo’s Top Chef state a commitment to serving food that is in season and derived from local farms and other sources.  On a recent episode, the chefs went to a farm to learn about the livestock, chickens, and produce so that they could serve the farmers farm-fresh dishes.

I love the idea of eating as a localvore, but I have to admit that the time and money needed to eat in this way feels extremely restrictive.  In addition, many of the foods I love aren’t in season for much of the year in New England.  Localvores seem to be in short in Massachusetts in general, although the numbers in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine do seem to be growing.  I look forward to learning more about this movement and seeing if and how retailers respond.

http://www.gardenatthecellar.com/home/

http://www.gilsonslyceum.com/herbal_dining.html

http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/

At one point, I was a dedicated patron of the Westford Grille in Westford, MA.  They offered a wide variety of selections and a fun drink menu.  Then they made the fatal flaw of separating their one menu into two menus – a bar menu and a restaurant menu.  Now, when trying to decide where to eat, Westford Grille still comes up for discussion but inevitably one member of the party wants a burger or sandwich (now only available on the bar menu) while another member wants a steak or fish dish (available on the restaurant menu).  Worse, the bar is often loud and crowded, so I am left to decide if I want an expensive but quiet meal, or a loud but affordable one.  To be fair, I have requested (and received) the bar menu in the restaurant’s dining rooms – but it is always a hassle – the waiter or waitress has to check with the powers that be before procuring the extra menu.  I’m simply not always up for the hassle of requesting a secondary menu.

So when I received a coupon in the mail recently, I decided to give the Westford Grille another try.  I reasoned that the coupon would justify the pricier options in the dining room.  I arrived during the peak of the cold snap to a cold host who failed to notice me in the lobby.  I stood and paced in the doorway for at least five minutes before finally interrupting his reading to ask if the other member of my party had arrived.  She had, and had I not asked, I would no doubt have spent several more minutes in the lobby.

The dining room is simple but nice, but so nice as to warrant not serving several of their appetizers and entrees within.

The drink menu, though it changes at times, consistently offers a nice selection of martinis and mixed drinks.  My raspberry-lime rickey martini was zingy and nice, but full of ice chips upon arrival.  My friend ordered a toasted almond that was nutty and creamy. 

Our waitress was courteous and generally on top of her game, but lacking warmth – she never smiled and never greeted me when I joined my friend, leaving me feeling a bit like we were putting her out.  However, our food arrived in a timely manner and I was very pleased with my Marinated Grilled Sirloin Tips.  I have yet to figure out what the marinade consists of, but it lends the steak a really nice, subtle flavor.  They were tender and cooked to order.  My mashed potatoes were thick and tasty as well.  My friend ordered fried shrimp, which I did not taste, but they appeared nicely fried and she seemed to enjoy them. 

I have tried other entrees on previous visits and have enjoyed most of the entrees on the menu, save the dinner salads.  The dinner salads comprise of too many strong flavors that don’t complement one another.

Despite a coupon for $12.00 off of our bill, I was dismayed to see that our bill still totalled nearly $50.00 (after tip) for two entrees and two drinks – a bit steep for a weeknight meal out.  Overall, I like the Westford Grille, but I feel the dining room prices are a bit steep and the bar a bit noisy.  A reunion of the two menus would be the perfect marriage with good options for all diners.

http://www.westfordgrille.com/ordereze/default.aspx

I’ll be the first to sing the praises of the North End, but let’s face it – it’s not always convenient to get to the city for great Italian food, and Italian may just be the perfect cuisine – it can be comfort food or fine dining, depending on your mood.  Luckily, there are several great options for those of us living hectic lives outside of the city.  Here are my top five – and one runner-up (drum roll, please!):

Runner-Up: Tomasso Trattoria, Southborough, MA - This restaurant is a bit of a hike for me, and it is easy to over-order (and over-spend), but I couldn’t leave this restaurant entirely off the list.  I could make a meal of their antipasti alone (perfect meatballs!), and I enjoy the flexibility that their menu offers with multiple courses to choose from.  They have a fabulous wine list, too.  I also noticed in perusing their website again that they now offer a pris-fixe menu on some evenings…I sense a return trip coming on!  http://www.tomassotrattoria.com/

5. Ristorante Molise, Amesbury, MA – While I was disappointed to find higher prices and smaller portions on a recent visit, I love this restaurant for their ample options and rich food.  They have a lovely location in downtown Amesbury as well as a location in Wakefield that I haven’t tried yet.  http://www.ristorantemolise.com/

4. The Chateau, Andover or Waltham, MA – This family-owned restaurant has several locations (some under different names) and every location that I have visited has consistently offered extremely affordable Italian comfort food in large quantities.  I grew up eating their fried ravioli and I also adore their eggplant parmigiana.  This is a great family restaurant.  http://www.chateaurestaurant.com/

3. Bella Italia, Tyngsboro, MA – This unassuming restaurant offers authentic Italian food at reasonable prices.  The atmosphere is simple and homey, complete with a fireplace.  My favorites include their Gnocchi Parmigiana, Carbonara, Lasagna, and Rotini Filanti.  http://www.bellaitaliatyngsboro.com/

2. The Colosseum Restaurant, Salem, NH – You may not expect to find North End quality food in a strip mall, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  My only complaint is that the atmosphere is a bit lacking – the restaurant is a bit garish with dated decor, and it can be noisy at times.  That said, they consistsently wow me with their fresh ingredients, authentic offerings, and complex flavors.  And if you like Italian desserts (or any desserts, really), you will do yourself a great disservice if you don’t see their dessert cart – it is larger than the hostess cart on an airplane, and offerings change frequently.  There are mainstays such as Tiramisu and Cannoli, but there are new surprises on each and every visit.  http://www.thecolosseumrestaurant.com/

1. Tuscan Grill, Waltham, MA – I hesitated to place this in my coveted #1 spot, and I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I have only eaten there once (and saddened that it took me so long to discover it).  However, they offered me my most memorable Italian meal outside of Boston in 2008, so it earned the rights to #1!  It is a bit pricier than some of my other options, but it offers more ambiance  and upscale dining as well.  I still salivate months later when I think about the pizzetta appetizer topped with figs, honey, and gorgonzola.  It was perhaps the perfect food.  When you also take into account the great wine, innovative entrees, and cozy Tuscan-inspired decor it is perfect for a romantic Italian get-away!  www.tuscangrillwaltham.com  (Some menu items have changed since my last visit).

It is hard to ignore Yangtze River’s presence in Littleton if you’ve lived in the area for a long time.  It has been a mainstay for both eat-in and take-out Chinese “comfort” food - their food is not necessarily the stuff of truly authentic Chinese cuisine, but it certainly offers up all of those old favorites that we grew up eating.  (The restaurant has another branch in Lexington as well, but my comments are limited to the Littleton location).

While Yangtze has certainly had some fluctuations over the years, it has never entered that terrain of “scary Chinese food take-out” that we’ve all had – no fear of unidentifiable masses of fried food that taste like salt at their best and rubber at their worst.

After venturing out to try some different Chinese take-out restaurants over the past several months, my husband and I faithfully returned to Yangtze tonight.  (Keep an eye out for future blogs on some of our other take-out experiences – the good, the bad, and the ugly).  Despite our not infrequent Chinese food intake, we rarely satisfy our cravings.  Tonight was a pleasant exception.  We ordered Sesame Chicken, Fried Rice with Chicken, and Moo-Shee Pork with extra pancakes (I will never understand why Chinese restaurants everywhere skimp and give you four, yet there is enough filling for at least six pancakes!)  Our order was ready in a timely manner, and the order and pick-up were completed without difficulty.  While we didn’t venture beyond the lobby, it was clean and service was friendly.

The Sesame Chicken was wonderful, with sauce that was sweet but not cloying, and a nicely crisped but not overly fried outer coating.  It had a nice, mild flavor that kept bringing me back for more.  The Moo-Shee had a nice variety of crisp vegetables with a generous amount of pork, and the pancakes were soft and light.  The fried rice has been better on past visits/take-out experiences, but it was still decent.  It was somewhat lacking in flavor, but it had large pieces of tender chicken, lightly sauteed onion, and crispy sprouts.  Their rice is inconsistent in quality and taste as well as ingredients, but at its worst it is still better than many other area restaurants’ attempts.

Perhaps best of all, hours later I am still full!  It is safe to say that Yangtze will continue to feel at home in Littleton, and my husband and I will continue to bring them into our home.

http://www.yangtzelexington.com

Casa Blanca http://www.casablancamexican.com/ opened their doors in North Andover a couple of years ago and despite sizzling entrees, it was slow to warm up to area eaters.  I visited the restaurant several times to find it nearly empty despite their friendly service, enticing menu options, and satisfying margaritas.

I returned this past weekend with my husband, after a long absence, and was pleased to see that the restaurant was booming on a cold Saturday night – so booming that they have initiated a shuttle service for patrons unable to find parking in their cramped and awkward parking lot.  We entered to find it slightly renovated since our last visit, with a more open bar area.  The hostess informed us that we would have to wait, but after fewer than five minutes, we were escorted to a table near the bar.  Seating was more cramped than on previous visits, and as we were surrounded by large parties, the restaurant was uncomfortably loud and crowded.  Several tables had been rearranged to accomodate large parties, leaving me in the path of every staff member who attempted to navigate the maze – the jostling quickly wore on my nerves, but memories of their delicious and generous entrees stayed me.

Chips and salsa deterred us from ordering any appetizers, but unlike previous visits where we were given a small bottle of thick, hearty salsa, we were dismayed to receive a small, sad-looking bowl of watery salsa with limited chunks of tomatoes and onions.  It also lacked in herbs and spices.  We both ordered tropical drinks (a Bahama Mama and a Hawaiian Sea Breeze) and found them to have a nice kick and pleasing fruity, tropical flavors that staved off the cold.

After warding off starvation with a few chips, I was somewhat concerned to see that the menu had changed from charming descriptions of Mexican entrees to a large plastic menu reminiscint of a lack-luster chain restaurant.  Prices had been raised considerably since our last visit.  Nonetheless, my husband and I both ordered the Combo Casa Blanca, or three-way combos, and waited anxiously for our food.  And waited, and waited.  After a nearby group (who ordered several minutes after us) received their entrees, our waitress assured us that our entrees would arrive shortly.  Fairly soon after we received our combos, but we estimated that we probably waited for 30-45 minutes at that point.  While portions were generous, we both recalled the platters being smaller but more amply filled in the past.  We received plates that looked like large, white serving platters – both so large that they nearly didn’t fit across from each other on our small table for two.

Our first impression was that the beans were unappetizing without even trying them, having apparently been sourced from the same watery origins as the salsa – the “broth” of our refried beans ran freely over the plate.  Upon eating them, the texture was lacking, as was the taste.  They were, in fact, watery and mushy.  Their saving grace was the small amount of Mexican cheese sprinkled over the top.  The rice was simply cooked, a sort of Mexican-sticky-rice, and was very good.  Our combo choices were a mixed bag.  I was pleased to find my chile relleno not overly fried and filled with hot and delicious cheese that ran out with each forkful.  It had mild heat as expected and was my favorite part of the main course.  My husband and I both ordered tamales, one of our favorites.  Casa fills them with both beef and pork, and I was surprised to see large chunks of somewhat dry meat in each of our tamales.  Mine was almost too mild, while my husband found his too spicy.  The outer corn layer, however, was thick, soft in texture and had a pleasing corn flavor.  We also each ordered enchiladas verde, mine with pork.  I was disappointed to find my pork filling consisted of large chunks of dry pork that could easily have passed for another kind of meat, such as a cheap (and overcooked) cut of steak.  My husband’s was filled with shredded beef, which was surprisingly not shredded, but he enjoyed the hearty pieces of steak, which was more tender than my pork. 

To finish our Mexican smorgasbord, we placed an order for Churros, which are similar to fried dough.  They are roughly the shape and size of breadsticks, and arrive with a strawberry dipping sauce and a side of whipped cream.  They were warm, crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside.  My arteries clogged a little more with each bite, but it was well worth it.

Overall, Casa Blanca has decent Mexican food and fun libations, at somewhat elevated prices.  It may not be worth fighting the weekend crowds or taking a shuttle bus to eat there, but given the area’s paucity of Mexican options, it’s worth a try… preferably on a weekday, unless you find yourself ready for a rowdy fiesta.