10 Tables Jamaica Plain

On Saturday night Nick and I headed to 10 Tables for our two year anniversary dinner. For a little back story, this restaurant has been on our never ending "to do" list for awhile now. While there is a newer 10 Tables in Cambridge I heard through the grapevine that the one in JP is the original and you should start there. However, getting us over to JP is a bit of a psychological undertaking considering I thought I was brave crossing the Mass Pike and going to the South End!

At Christmas time this year I looked into booking a chef's table at one of the Boston restaurants and treating Nick for one of his gifts. I heard that Via Matta had one of the few legitimate chef's tables left in the city, but throughout my searches 10 Tables in JP kept popping up as another viable option. Christmas came and went, and other gift inspiration struck, so I kept this idea in my back pocket for later. Later turned out to be our two year anniversary. Given the wedding coming up and all our other activities, we decided to treat ourselves to a great dinner instead of exchanging presents. So, about two months ago I called and asked about the chefs table and made the reservation for our dinner date. I'm not going to lie, I was very excited for our dinner.

Before heading out, Nick didn't listen to our little rules and surprised me with flowers - I mean, what type of girl does not like to get surprised with those?!

Flowers!

The Paramount - Beacon Hill's neighborhood go to AND "The Hangover Part II"

On Friday night after a quick trip to Somerville to see a man about some wedding flowers, my mom and I were starving and looking to grab something easy and quick.  On Friday nights in Beacon Hill, however, it can be rather tricky to find a table before 9pm.  Lucky for us, when I called The Paramount there was only a short wait and close enough for Nick to join us!

As this restaurant is a block away from my apartment I've stopped in many times - lots of times I will do take out.  Most people are familiar with the delicious Paramount breakfast, as evidenced by the long lines that form on weekends.  I have directed more than a few lost tourists to the red awnings - as far as I can tell it is in every guide book!  Even still, it has not lost that neighborhood feel.

The menu has a nice selection of wine and beers as well as a delicious bread and dipping sauce to tide you over while you wait.  This time is was a light foccocia bread with an edamame hummus - so fresh tasting!

Wet your whistle

A lunch break at Max Brenner in the Back Bay

This Saturday Nick and I decided to take advantage of the summer weather and get some errands done to boot, so we headed out to the Back Bay for shopping along Newbury Street, working our way over to the Prudential.  By the time we hit Boylston Street I was more than a little thirsty and hungry.  Having read about Max Brenner and seeing that the place was always packed I took the opportunity of a slower afternoon to see what all the fuss was really about. 

We walked straight in and grabbed some open seats at the bar.  Once I sat down I was struck by all the chocolate decor throughout the restaurant.  It is a bit like a more laboratory version of Willy Wonka.  There are pipes carrying the various types of chocolate to the bar and other locations, and large flasks lining the wall filled with bits of chocolate.  There is even a candy store in the front.  While entertaining for the first moments, it really felt like a Disney ride to me.

Max and Dylans - and Bridesmaids!

Last week I headed out to meet my friend K at Max & Dylans in the former West Street Grill space before heading over to the movie theater to see "Bridesmaids."  Since it was a beautiful day out we immediately grabbed the table right by the big open windows at the front of the restaurant and settled down for some food and drink.

Open window and a beer - what more do you need!

Freedom Trail Pub Crawl Lunch Break at Ducali

As you know, we headed out this Memorial Day on a Freedom Trail pub crawl.  We started at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown and followed the red line (the trail) all the way back to Beacon Hill.  However, once we crossed over the bridge into the North End we were more than a bit hungry, so we wanted to stop somewhere that offered quick and easy food, but also served beer.  Luckily for us Ducali satisfied all that and more!

Ducali is a newer pizza place right where Commercial Street turns into Causeway.  The large windows along the street were wide open on the sunny day and more than welcomed us inside.  Having never been there I was not too sure what to expect.  The menu offers a great variety of pizzas, salads and sandwiches, as well as a large selection of beer and wine - perfect for what our day required.

Pardon the half eaten pizza pictures - like I said, we were a bit hungry!  K and R shared the Patate pizza, which comes with potato, mozzarella, rosemary and pancetta.

Patate Pizza

This was such a unique and fun combination of ingredients - I've definitely never seen a pizza with those toppings before.  It was really enjoyable, especially when washed down with a classy Bud Light!

Freedom Trail Pub Crawl and The Original Cheers...sorta

On this Memorial Day weekend Nick and I got together with another couple (K and R) and did a bit of a DIY Freedom Trail Pub Crawl.  I have lived around the area all my life and have taken many field trips into Boston to see loads of sights, but I have never been to the Bunker Hill Monument or walked the trail (other than those portions I see daily).  So when the weather on Sunday seemed to cooperate, we decided what could be better on a nice day than culture, exercise and beer?

mmmm, BEER!

Nick and I took the orange line over to the Monument and met our friends to begin our expedition.  While I originally wanted to walk up the Monument, it turns out that it's currently closed for renovation.  For me, this was a bit of a bummer, but for the others it just meant we were on our way to the pubs faster!