Alive and Kicking - Lobster Sandwiches

For New Englanders, lobster rolls are serious business. Boston has a few restaurants known for their lobster rolls - like the ones at Neptune Oyster - but those can get pricey and require some waiting time. When friends (from Chicago, no less) recommended Alive and Kicking as some of the best they have ever had, Nick and I knew we had to get over there.

Alive and Kicking is located in Cambridgeport, about a 10 minute walk from Central Square. On one of the first lovely, warm spring days, Nick and I walked over to a seemingly residential area where the fish market/restaurant is tucked away. Outside there are plenty of picnic tables, both out in the sunshine and covered in case of rain or cold weather.

Wonderful Wine at Truett Hurst

We're taking things back to Healdsburg today! Friends of ours were just in Northern California, and their pictures reminded me of just how outstanding that area is. Knowing that we were going to spend a day in Healdsburg on our most recent trip out there, Nick and I both asked friends familiar with the area for recommendations. When we were each separately told to go to Truett Hurst, we immediately added it to our itinerary. Meghan's recommendation and her great blog post on the winery convinced me that I needed to spend some quality time on the red adirondack chairs by the stream.

Tasting Room and Surrounding Gardens

La Brasa

Its amazing to me how much Boston and the surrounding areas are changing. When I first moved into Beacon Hill in 2006 and didn't know much about food I stuck mainly to my neighborhood, Back Bay, and the North End when craving some delicious Italian. Slowly, the food scene started to change, first with the South End and then more so in Cambridge. In the last couple of years, though, there has been an explosion in and around Boston, and chefs are scoping out newer neighborhoods to make a name for themselves. Almost every nook and cranny of the Boston area has great dining options.

La Paloma and the Eight Line Poem - tequila and mezcal based drinks, respectively

Homemade Scallion Pancakes

I'm not sure when it happened, but we recently became obsessed with scallion pancakes. What's not to like about crispy, flaky fried dough, mild onion flavor, and a savory dipping sauce? Every time we see them on a menu, whether served traditionally or in sandwich form, we have to order them. Nick and I finally decided to research how to make them at home, and one of Boston's favorites, Joanne Chang, has a recipe online that is not too difficult to follow - perfect!

Scallion Pancakes

Row 34

When word got out that the folks behind Island Creek Oyster Bar were opening a new restaurant in the Fort Point area, we definitely paid attention. Upon opening, Row 34 was consistently packed, and getting reservations were a bit difficult to come by. So, on a random Tuesday night, Nick and I went over for an early dinner.

The space is nice and open, with lofted ceilings and an industrial mix of wood and metal. I decided to start the evening with a glass of bubbly - it turns out that the wine buyer is big into sparkling wines, so Row 34 has a great collection with plenty of options by the glass and bottle. Nick went with one of the draft brews from the extensive beer list.

Oysters

State Park - A Total Throwback

It's no secret that Kendall Square has become a major food destination in the last couple of years. With all the fantastic new restaurants over there, I find myself drawn to it more and more. Most recently, Nick and I decided to have a classic date night - dinner and a movie, but in reverse order. After enjoying a film at the Kendall Square Cinema, we wandered over to State Park, the new restaurant from the group behind one of my favorites, Hungry Mother. Where Hungry Mother is classic Southern Food in a refined atmosphere, State Park is like walking into your best friend's basement in 1984, complete with the pine paneled walls and decor pulled directly from your childhood - it's a total throwback!

Beers!

Mei Mei - Double Awesome!

Since I work over in Brookline Village I don't get to experience the local food trucks too often. So, when we found out that a Boston favorite, Mei Mei Street Kitchen, was going brick-and-mortar nearby my coworkers and I immediately scheduled a lunch meeting to check it out!

All the of the food at Mei Mei is locally sourced, so many pieces of the menu change daily, though you usually can count on a few items. Going in, our group knew that we wanted to sample the dumplings AND the fritters because we just couldn't choose between the two.

Dumplings!

Ostra

Its no secret here that I am a fan of Columbus Hospitality Group restaurants, having had not only amazing meals but great overall experiences at L'Andana, Mistral, and Sorellina. When I heard they were opening a new restaurant, Ostra, in the Back Bay I had high expectations for the final product. After the initial reviews were positive, Nick and I decided to suck up the higher price point and celebrate nothing in particular on a Saturday night date night out in the city.

Wonderful foccacia bread

Our reservations were at 8:30 and after the hostess checked us in (we barely made it at 8:29) she said they were running a bit behind, so we grabbed some drinks at the bar. Even with our reservations we had to wait about a half hour to be seated - turns out they somewhat ambitiously schedule their evenings, but the menu doesn't necessarily fit well will turning the tables over quickly. Fortunately we had no where to be, and they had a pink sparkling wine served by the glass for me to enjoy and a yummy cocktail for Nick, so we were happy to relax at the bar.