Small Bites and Sips at Alden & Harlow: Chef Michael Scelfo's New House

Chef Michael Scelfo at the 2nd Annual What's Your Beef? Fundraiser @BCAE

I've been a major fan of Chef Michael Scelfo since meeting him a few years ago at the Boston Center for Adult Education's first annual "What's Your Beef?" fundraiser.  He was still executive chef at Russell House Tavern at the time and served an amazing dish of   at the event.  

I remember gushing over the dish and discussing my  obsession with offal with him as I devoured the dish he presented - heart and tongue stuffed skirt steak "Braciole" with roasted tomato, broken crostini, and spicy herb puree. 

 Since then, I've drooled over his Instagram and Facebook food photography.  He is a chef with a warm spirit who makes you feel like one of his favorite fans whenever in his presence, so it was not too much of a surprise that after enjoying a few amazing bites and sips at Alden & Harlow with my friend Dr. Rausch, Chef Scelfo waved, walked over, and sat at the table next to us for a brief check-in and chat.  

 

Alden & Harlow boasts an open kitchen and has a beautifully spacious dining room with intimate coves, center room tables and plush high top booths near the bar.  And the bar, managed by one of the best bartenders in the city, Seth Freidus, serves up bold, balanced, elegant craft cocktails as he did on my side of the river at ESKD. 

Pickled green bean starter

Island Creek Oyster Gratin with Uni Toast, Creamed Leeks & Guanciale

 The oyster gratin with creamed leeks, guanciale, and uni toast was decadent and savory.  I was sold at uni toast, but the rich dish was more than just the toast.  Each briny, creamy, meaty bite left my palate begging for more.  This dish was definitely a favorite of the evening.

Slow Roasted Beef Neck with Parsnips, Vinegar, Radishes

The beef neck was fall-apart tender and amazingly seasoned.  It sat upon a parsnip puree, topped with braised greens, floral buds, and pretty breakfast radishes.

Chicken Fried Local Rabbit with Celery, Apple, Blue Cheese, Chili Oil

The chicken fried rabbit was everything on a dish that I love!  Crispy coating, RABBIT, crunch of veg, spicy of chili oil, sharpness of bleu cheese!
What a unique preparation of rabbit.  A refreshing change from your typical braised variety.

Pickled Verrill Farm Corn Pancakes,  Buttermilk, Maple, Shishito

The Verrill Farm corn pancakes were cleverly paired with popcorn and maple and served with Shishito peppers!

We sampled a few dinner cocktails served by Seth made with housemade ingredients.  The most remarkable:

 The Bell tower 

Rye Whiskey, Cognac, Carpano Antica, Green Chartreuse, Rosemary & Ginger Essence

&

 The Krakatoa 

Rye Whiskey, Smoked Orange Vermouth, Dolin Rouge, Dry Curacao 

We sampled two savory desserts:

 

Roasted parsnip cobbler with Ginger Ice Cream, Blueberries, Star Anise

Of all the root vegetables, I find parsnips to be the most intoxicating in scent and taste when roasted.  Using them in a dessert, for someone who doesn't enjoy overly sweet dessert post meal, is brilliant.  The tartness of baked blueberries and the spice play of the star anise and ginger ice cream brought together this dish of unexpectedly complex flavors.

Smoked chocolate bread pudding with Jacobsen Salt Ice Cream

There are few bread puddings on earth that I can tolerate.  Typically, it's a textural aversion I experience.  But smoke chocolate and add Jacobsen gourmet artisan salt ice cream and my interest is sparked.

Alden & Harlow was and is worth my dramatic crossing of the river.  I can't wait to head back for a larger sampling of the menu!  You should do the same!

Native Delight A Beachside Seafood Food Truck, Public Beach, Grand Cayman Islands

Native Delight immediately drew my attention when me and my family arrived at the beach in Grand Cayman Island for a day of relaxation.  One, I love a food truck and Two, it was run by two ladies who were clearly proud of the food they produced.  They took time with cooking and presenting their dishes.
 

The ladies were serving up majorly fresh seafood.  I loved my grilled fish made to order  with red beans and rice as well as the conch (ceviche style) salad.

Grilled whitefish with red beans and rice

Conch salad

If ever on Public Beach in Grand Cayman, I highly recommend paying Native Delights a visit!

Recent Tasty Bites Around Town: Tapas @ Estragon, Soups & Seafood @ Centre Street Sanctuary, Mussels @ The Ledge Kitchen & Drinks Dorchester

On nights when I'm reviewing new cocktails at Boston's best bars or just out with the girls, small bites are usually in order.  Here are a few of my favorite dishes around town.

Estragon Tapas Bar South End

I arrived at Estragon to sample and review the amazing Sahil Mehta's gin cocktail repertoire (read review, here).  It was my first visit to Estragon so I decided to check out a few tapas as well.  I was pleasantly surprised with the options Chef/Co-Owner Julio de Haro, of Madrid, created and with the food itself.  Lara Egger, the other owner, wrote the cocktail menu reads like a book of poetry.  Lara is a writer who recently received the Arts & Letters 2013 Rumi Prize for Poetry and wrote Estragon's whimsical cocktail menu.  It includes such descriptions as: 

Jack Gilbert: "Feeling bittersweet? This mix of Cava & Aperol gets its edge from our house “Fire-Cider”. Most champagne cocktails are ballet; ours is burlesque."  

OR

Elderflower Sour: "From the Alps to the South End, elderflower’s peachy floral notes are paired with our house citrus blend for a libation that is more balanced than your average unicyclist."

The most amazing tapa of the night?  The Pringá.  A moist, flavorful, tender mixture of beef shank, pork belly, chorizo, and bone marrow spread over grilled Iggy's bread!  The tender beef, salty pork belly, spice of the hearty chorizo, and corpulence of the bone marrow all impart beautiful flavor and texture to the dish.

The Pringá

I really enjoyed the Queso de Cabra con Tomate, warm goat's cheese and tomato on toasted bread.  There was a generous portion of warm, soft cheese spread over bright, thinly sliced tomatoes.  So simple and delicious! 

Queso de Cabra con Tomate

Last, but not the least of the evening, was another simple, yet amazing dish: Setas al Ajillo, sauteed rosemary-garlic mushrooms.  Tender, meaty thick sliced mushrooms were roasted with high quality olive oil, seasoned with finesse with rosemary and garlic.  Pure heaven!

Centre Street Sanctuary Jamaica Plain

I've reviewed Centre Street Sanctuary on a number of occasions now:  dinner review, featured cocktails and more.  I will soon interview their new chef as well!

The Portuguese kale soup was hearty and perfect for the impending fall weather.  It is made with Tuscan kale, chourico, split peas, yellow potatoes, and bread for dipping.  A perfect comfort soup, it tasted like a bit of home.  

Me being the cauliflower fanatic I am, of course I ordered up the cauliflower soup.  It's the warm version to my favorite cold soup in Maryland at The Tasting Room in Frederick only with cheese!  The soup was hot and with a richness that lingers on the palate.  Made with fresh cauliflower and smoked gouda, which I think is quite original, it was topped with roasted cauliflower spears, toasted walnuts, chives, oil, and grated gouda.  So good!

Last night, I sampled the crispy fish and chips.  The dish is made with potato-encrusted, lightly fried hake, tartar sauce, crisp, hand cut fries, and lemon.  Though the potato drench is gluten free, it is a bit heavy and does not adhere to the fish as well.  I find textural issues with most gluten-free substitutes.  Owner Adam and new Chef Tim tell me it was an incidental finding via an improper order. The hake is flaky and humongous!  It's overall a good dish.

Ledge Kitchen & Drinks 

Lower Mills Dorchester

I was pretty disappointed when I realized my favorite mussels in Boston had been taken off the menu at Ledge (read about them, here), but I was pleasantly surprised when the replacement dish was not a total bust.

Spicy chorizo mussels with mushroom, red bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, and potato.  Perfect autumnal dish!

 

On Rainy, Chilly Days, I Dream of Phở

One rainy day running errands in Quincy, I was drawn into Pho Hoa at 409 Hancock Street in search of a hot, hearty bowl of Phở 

My appetite was immediately satiated when a seemingly larger than life steamy bowl of translucent, beefy broth full of this traditional Vietnamese "street food" noodle soup's mainstays was placed in front of me.  It was served with the classics: soybean sprouts, basil, cilantro, white onion, and scallion with beautiful slivers of filet and a side of pungent, sweet-sour fish sauce and chili paste for bite. 

Pho Hoa is one of the over 70 international restaurants of the chain located in 7 countries.  The hospitality of the staff was good, as was the cleanliness of the restaurant.  The clientele was diverse and many others seemed to have the same idea on this particularly wet afternoon.  There were those who barely perused the menu and others who were newbies to the dish.

The flavorful broth was served piping hot, allowing me to cook my tender filet to a perfect medium rare. As per usual, the soybean sprouts added texture, whereas, the herbs and sauces added depth!

I enjoyed my Phở with a lovely hot cup of tea and sweet, roasted quail served over crisp watercress.

I finished lunch with a lovely dish of Chuoi Chien with Christina's of Cambridge's coconut ice cream! Truly one of the only ways I will eat bananas!  

Chuoi Chien is a Vietnamese fried banana dessert.  Bananas are wrapped and fried in banana flour batter or "puff" pastry until crisp on the outside.  Pho Hoa then drizzles the morsels with sweet, sticky, golden honey and serves with ice cream.  I chose homemade coconut ice cream from Christina's of Cambridge. 

Check out Pho Hoa during your next visit to Quincy!

The Haven, 2 Perkins St Jamaica Plain, MA

Forgive my images for this post. On the first visit, I did not have my pro camera with me! 

Truly a haven, nestled in the side street which was as far as my tired feet and overheated body would take me before totally giving up, The Haven and Andy charmed us the way only the Scottish are capable.   We sat and I realized shortly that The Haven bears a cordials license only which usually means creative beverages and plenty of infused experiments, oh and beer of course.

With its woodsy, earthly ambiance, we cozied up to the bar, ordered a beauty of a scotch egg and large, hand cut chips.  Topped with a lovely, mild, house made ketchup, the chips were perfectly hearty with tender centers and crisp retained skins.  The scotch egg was paired smartly with fresh, peppery arugula tossed lightly with a simple vinaigrette and a generous dollop of whole seed, meaux-style spicy mustard in which not one bit of horseradish was spared.

The delicious duck confit salad is served with warm frisee, sweet, roasted parsnips, warm golden raisins, and golden raisin vinaigrette.

I wished for an appetite as I eyed the severely succulent hamburger our bar stool neighbor enjoyed. The bun was a mere disintegrating sponge provided to sop up active juices flowing from ground morsels of meat.  I finally enjoyed my first one on my second visit and it did not disappoint!  The 8 oz. Haven burger comes with Huntsman cheese, Haven bacon-onion marmalade, fresh, bright tomato, and arugula with a side of steak cut chips.  Add the housemade ketchup and it's perfect.

Thick cut house bacon, described as perfectly smoky and salted, was featured on The Haven's BLT.  We enjoyed the classic oat cakes served with a smooth, flavorful churned butter that nearly outshines its accompaniment.

Oat cakes

Crabbie's adult alcoholic ginger beer helped to wash down our tasty bits along with The Braveheart (a cocktail featuring honey bourbon, barrel bitters, and fresh lemon juice) and a classic Dark and Stormy (made with the same ginger beer, spiced rum, and lime).

I also enjoyed a lovely, bitter-sweet Fernet Bru made with one of my favorite digestifs, Fernet Branca and Irn-Bru, a soda described as "Scotland's other national drink" (after scotch whisky, of course)....quite a refreshing concoction.

Fernet Bru

And if I wasn't yet satisfied, Andy was sure to bring me a battered, deep fried, gooey Mars bar with a side of clotted cream. Yum! 

Last, but not least, their chandeliers ROCK!  Antlers!

Snapshots of a Few Favorites in Boston's Chinatown

During one of my last Saturdays as a Boston resident, I visited three of my favorite spots in Chinatown.  Each offers some of the best of their trade. 


Great BBQ, 15 Hudson Street

This small, no-frills shop offers roasted whole suckling pig, whole ducks and chickens as well as pork and beef offal.  My favorite treats, the two that I crave the most, are the sliced roasted bbq pork and the traditional Zongzi a savory, glutinous rice and pork (most commonly) pocket.  Fillings are wrapped in large bamboo leaves, wrapped with twine, and steamed.  They are traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival also known as the Duanwu Festival, a celebration of the lunar year), but can be enjoyed all year round.
The sticky rice treat at Chinese BBQ as well as at Ho Yuen (traditional) Chinese Bakery are so good that removing the twine is reminiscent of opening a present on Christmas morning.

After a few quick bites at Great BBQ, we headed over for dim sum at China Pearl, 9 Tyler Street.  Dim sum is always exciting to me.  I love the rush of the carts as they roll by with tempting plates, bowls, and bamboo steamers.

This is the only time I actually enjoy the feeling of being rushed to make dining choices.  It's always fascinating to order something quickly, before the cart disappears, and being either pleasantly surprised, thoroughly confused, or both (the zenith).

 







On this particular day, my usually conservative-eater of a friend was open to try just about anything.  I wish I could have recommended the bbq chicken feet, but on a previous visit, I found them to be prepared more sweet than savory (my preference).

Chicken feet

 The pork shumai at China Pearl has great flavor - a punch of it, in fact.  The texture can be a bit too sticky on occasion, but on this particular day, everything worked.

After the shumai, we went pretty veg and seafood heavy, enjoying the crunch of the steamed bok choy, shreadded veggie stuffed, thin sliced zucchini, shrimp dumplings, and stuffed crab claw (the highlight of our second wind with its burst of fresh oceanic flavors and extreme crunch of the coating)

Zucchini "rolatini" stuffed with veg in a ginger soy sauce.

Shrimp dumplings

Crab claw with chili sauce

We completed our day with some sweets from Ho Yuen Bakery, one of the few traditional Chinese bakeries in Chinatown.  There, I purchased a double duck egg moon cake, sesame rolls, coconut bao, and a sticky rice dumpling.

It gets no better than days like that!

Snapshots of New England Lobster: Oh, How I'll Miss Thee! James Hook Co.

James Hook Co.'s $17 lobster roll...worth the dimes?  Yes!

This has to be the best cold lobster roll I've had in New England.  I prefer mine warm and drenched in drawn butter, but James Hook really was fab.  All meat, no excessive mayo or celery filler, served on a warm toasted, buttery roll, you can downsize to the $12 smaller roll, but why bother?  Just go for it!

Never eat a lobster this large and old....this guy is at least 70 years old.  Check out those claws!

James Hook Co. is a must do when in Boston!

 They also sell fresh fish and shellfish, seasonings, & accompaniments.

'Tis The Season....CRAWFISH!

 

I finally checked out Brother's Crawfish in Dorchester today.

While I was super excited about grabbing in-season crawfish, their 'liquor' left a void for sure.  Even though I ordered the spicy batch (which is unfortunately titled "Asian Fusion - Fire hot Cajun style with Louisiana spice") it was anything but!  
The "liquor/boil" was sweet, not spicy and hardly reminiscent of Louisiana spices in the least bit.

I suppose, real Cajuns or at least REAL Southerners was expected...not so much here, so check you expectations at the door.



I guess one should be leery of "Asian Fusion" or "Oriental Express" (sauteed in garlic-onion-butter & scallion) when dealing with crawfish advertised as Southern-style, but I didn't think it would be too much of a disaster.  Maybe going with the "Cajun Calm" (Original southern Cajun flavor with special dippin sauce) would have been more authentically "Southern", though I very much doubt it. 

Now that I am in a crawfish state of mind, I suppose I will be on a mission for the next month and a half for something real, even if I have to head down to the Gulf Coast (New Orleans, of course, being a favorite) on my quest.  You guys know that's not outside of my realm of possibility.  Any excuse to travel and eat!  :0)

Oishii Sushi (South End Location), 1166 Washington Street, Boston, MA

Me and Chef Ting (Owner)

Oishii Boston is a totally different world from Oishii Chestnut Hill and we had a few minutes to chat with the uber-friendly Chef/Owner, Chef Ting about the difference.  Greeting us with hugs and smiles, as my friend Erika has been a regular for years, his smile and great energy was tremendous and contagious. 

Oishii Boston is sexy and the out-of-this world creative dishes even sexier!  Watching what comes out of the kitchen is like attending a high end fashion runway show.

We sat at the sushi bar where just watching the talented, fast hands of Boston's top sushi chefs was entertainment and satisfaction enough!  The did brilliant tricks with torched kobe beef maki rolls with arugula centers, seared hamachi and O-toro, dollops of tobiko (flying fish roe- a personal favorite) and ikura (salmon roe).

We, of course, ordered our favorite spicy, crunchy tuna Gunkan followed by a few pieces of sashimi: o-toro, hamachi, and Grade A uni.

Hamachi, Uni, and O-toro

We followed up with beautiful torched kobe beef and salmon topped with ikura.

I really enjoyed the miso shiru (miso soup) with wrapped sea bass, made more aromatic by an outer bowl of fresh mint leaves seeped (tableside) in boiling water.

The highlight was a spicy dish of o-toro topped with tempura serrano and jalapeno peppers and gold flakes.