Highland Kitchen - a trip to Somerville

Nick and I had been trying to get together with friends G and J for what seemed like forever, but for whatever reason we could never figure out a date.  The original destination for our dinner was supposed to be P.F. Changs because we had a gift certificate, but we passed on the free pastures for something a bit more fun.  Even better for our Somerville friends, we decided to go out to them - a rarity! - and went to a great neighborhood restaurant: Highland Kitchen.

Driving up, we really wondered where we were going because from the outside, the restaurant looks like an old dive bar (which in fact it is - a pool hall to be exact).  When we arrived, we were told there was an hour wait, so we decided to head to the bar and grab some drinks.  Highland Kitchen has a pretty good cocktail list so I had no problem waiting - that, and we had perfect company!

Milk Stout

G could not wait to get her hands on a Mark and Stormy - a dark and stormy made with Makers Mark - and it was just as delicious as she remembered.

Mark and Stormy

I decided on the Bloodhound, which had vodka and grapefruit and blood orange juices.  This was a great fresh and fruity drink!  The blood orange juice was nice, since I haven't seen it in too many cocktails lately.

Bloodhound

Nick went with the Highland Fling, which had Hendrick's gin, St. Germain and lime juice.  If this were a vodka drink I would have been all over it.  Nick really enjoyed it.

Highland Fling

While they originally said an hour wait, we actually were brought to our table after only maybe 35 minutes, which was fantastic!  After seating our server brought us some bread to tide us over while we reviewed the menu, which had a variety of different types of food to select from.

Some Bread

At this point it was actually time for my second drink and I went immediately to the Dorchester, which was made with vodka, triple sec, pink lemonade and cucumber.  I loved this drink - the flavors were delicious.  I loved the combination of the lemonade and cucumber.

The Dorchester

Going into the meal I had heard stories of the buffalo fried brussel sprouts, so naturally we had to put in an order.  These were unreal!  They were brussel sprouts that had literally been deep friend and then tossed with buffalo sauce.  First off, the sauce was nice and spicy.  Second, these could replace a plate full of wings in a heartbeat.  Seriously, we could not get enough of these!

Brussel Sprouts

For dinner, I was at a bit of a loss for what to order, but when in doubt, I always go burger.  This night was no different.  The Highland Cheeseburger is an angus steak burger that I had topped with mushrooms.  The mushrooms had some substance so you really got to taste them.  Even better, there were some perfectly caramelized onions to add to the burger.  The burger was cooked well and the bun was buttered and grilled.  A great burger, especially at $9.95.

The Highland Burger

G went with my second choice, the Wild Mushroom Ragout served with crispy corn and parmesean polenta cakes and lacinato kale.  Between the delicious polenta and the mounds of mushrooms, what's not to love?!

Mushroom Ragout

J ordered the spicy coconut curried goat stew with jasmine rice and sweet fried plantains.  When you order this, the waitress actually warns you that this dish is spicy!  Something to keep in mind, but the dish is delicious.  The meat is nice and tender and the plantains add a great consistency and flavor.  I love these "tropical" curried dishes!

Spicy Coconut Curried Goat Stew

Nick ordered the grilled pork and veal meatloaf with mushroom gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and collard greens (Nick's favorite!).  This dish was good and he liked the different style meatloaf but it was not as comforting as the traditional beef.

Meatloaf

Even though we were all full at this point, but I could not leave without some dessert.  We wanted to order the buttermilk biscuit pudding that was a special for the evening, but by the time we ordered it had sold out.  Instead we ordered the warm banana bread pudding with caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.  This was a perfect way to top off our dinner.  The bread pudding itself was good, but the bananas and the caramel sauce made it so much better!  This was so warm and delicious.

Banana Bread Pudding

I totally enjoyed my Highland Kitchen experience and will definitely be looking forward to heading back.  The price point was really good for the quality and quantity of food you receive.  Highland Kitchen is just a really easy place to enjoy.

After dinner we were not ready to head home, so instead the four of us headed to Sacco's Bowl Haven and the Flatbread Company.  I guess this used to be a straight up bowling alley, but now it is half restaurant and half old school candle-pin bowling.  I mean, you have to keep score yourself - no computers here!  I don't know if I even remember how to do that anymore.  Since there was a pretty long wait for bowling, we just went over to the rather nice bar (made with reclaimed wood from the bowling lanes) with a great variety of beers, including Narragansett on draft for us to enjoy.  The flatbreads definitely looked and smelled worthy of a trip back to Davis Square.  Bowl Haven has plenty to offer on any evening and is easy to enjoy.

Bar at Bowl Haven

All in all, our night out in Somerville was loads of fun!  With plenty of other places to enjoy in Davis and in Somerville in general, I will be heading back soon.