Walk, Salads & Cupcakes with Boston Brunchers

On Sunday I was lucky enough to get a spot with the Boston Brunchers for an afternoon at Chestnut Hill Square. I was so glad I went since I haven’t really been over there since it was all re-done. I was glad to meet a few new bloggers and this event was fun because we mixed a few categories of foodies, athletes, etc.

We started at True Runner and got to test out some New Balance sneaks for our hike and some techy tom toms. I declined the Tom Tom and stuck with my fitbit. I did take advantage of borrowing the sneakers. They were great, though I don’t know how much I’d have to love them to dish out $115 for them, since a) I’m not a runner and b) I’m 4.5 months pregnant so starting to run isn’t in my near future. How fun are those laces though?!
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We walked a leisurely pace. I clarified that we weren’t running but I hope the pace wasn’t meant for me. I could have gone faster but it was beautiful out and the homes in those neighborhoods are so amazing.

Then we returned and promptly went to Sweetgreen. They were very hospitable with blueberry basil lemonade ready at our reserved tables. I love that they focus on local foods, and that they compost everything. My only thought was that we were crammed into the patio. They made a bunch of salads for us to pick from but some of us were boxed in and got stuck with 2 remaining choices nobody really wanted. I think their menu looks fantastic and I’ll definitely be back…that being said, I wasn’t into my salad. I just can’t give a steller review for a salad I would never have chosen.
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I had the Spicy Sabzi. It was spinach and kale, with spicy quinoa, spicy broccoli, raw beets, carrots, sprouts, and tofu. Had I known what was really in it, I would have passed. It was just too spicy for me. Plus, I don’t like raw beets, and sprouts are a no-go during pregnancy annnnd certain squishy foods aren’t appealing to me these past 4 pregnant months. They were super smart to have stuff ready, but I wish I got to order. I’m glad we weren’t disrupting their usual customers though.
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The dressing was a chili vinaigrette and I skipped the sriracha. I ate some of it. It was just too spicy. A few salads were gone in a second ahmm:kale caesar, cough: chic p. I will go back because I like the prices, local ingredients, attention to detail, and the vibe. The santorini salad with feta, shrimp and cucumber basil yogurt dressing sounds amazing and the guacamole greens has my name written all over it. Who knew I’d be so picky for salad?

They gave us a taste of the seasonal gazpacho which was tomato peach. I loooved it.
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Next up was Sweet Cupcakes to round out our day. I love Sweet and went to the downtown crossing location a few times. They’re just so clever to have shots of frosting. Those came in handy when work was just too much. The cupcakes are better than most others around.

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The shop and manager were just too cute. She told us about the seasonal flavors and how often they rotate. We had a few to try and then chose a few others to taste. We tried a Honey Blackberry cupcake which was the best dessert I’ve eaten in a months. The frosting was cinnamon-y and I loved it. I’d normally go towards peanut butter, chocolate,  or coconut. This made me change my tune.
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There are 6 Sweet locations and I’m glad they’re doing so well. They’ve opened one a year! Two other cupcake Boston area joints have closed. The Somerville one shall remain nameless, but I’m not surprised.

As an event planner I’m so impressed how well organized the whole day was. Three venues  and a group of more than 10 can definitely alter ideal timing but they had everything coordinated perfectly. We got some goodies from a few more of the stores and we had a delightful day.

Full 3 Bite Rule Disclosure: My invitation seat with the Boston Brunchers was completely complimentary but my thoughts, opinions, and words are entirely my own. 

Bacon & Beer Festival

I did it. I went to Bacon & Beer Fest. Finally! The tickets sell out in the first 10-minutes online. Luckily, Ms. L was on it and grabbed a few. It benefits Community Servings and Lovin’ Spoonfuls. I love those two groups but was disappointed that there was zero representation of the organizations.

The event was great, though now it is a bit outdated. Better late than never. The lighting and crowds didn’t make it an ideal photo-op, but I had to snap a few while juggling my beer cup and spork.

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Check out the crowds. There were restaurants on the floor and breweries and more restaurants around the edges on 2 levels.
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Bacon, cheese, and fig spread on a crustini:
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This was huge and not our favorite, but I really liked the idea.
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This mac & cheese had smoked pork and avocado cream.
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This was my favorite sweet bite of the day. It was a take on a smore from Petit Robert.
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Boston Austin Foodblogger Swap

Once upon a time, food bloggers in Boston and Austin TX decided to swap goodies. The first swap was in 2011 but I somehow I missed that one. When I saw it come along again I was all over it.

Here’s the scoop, each blogger said they were interested and then were matched to an interested blogger in the other city. We exchanged a few emails about likes/dislikes and with a $30 limit we were off!

I forgot to snap a photo of what I sent. Luckily my swapping buddy is a more timely blogger than I, so enjoy her photos of what I sent (and her blog!) There was some pressure we both felt to share our region’s cuisine…well, that which was ship-able.

I got bean chips, popcorn, doggie treats for my pup, salsa, a marinade, pickled blueberries, cheese pins, stationary and a lovely cookbook. Yes. I got all that (and a bag of chips)!
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The chips are totally interesting. They were definitely tasty with salsa. I honestly had no idea why I wouldn’t want corn in my chips, but upon reading more, corns are linked to a few health issue, and beans provide lots of fiber, protein, omega 3s etc.
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I’m psyched to get something marinating in the new sauce and I’m totally intrigued by the pickled blueberries. I found the popcorn totally addicting. It has a serious kick and a lovely sweetness between the two popcorn flavors. I couldn’t stop myself. It is such a good combo.

The pup LOVED his armadillo & Texas shaped treats! (He hasn’t mastered the treat-on-nose trick or I’d have snapped a pic.

The cheese week buttons cracked me up. How clever are they?!
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She outdid herself. I was so impressed and thrilled to get such great swap items!

Boston Food Truck Throw Down Versus New York

A few weeks ago I popped over to the Food Truck Throwdown. Boston food trucks versus New York City food trucks. We voted with quarters and the winning city’s food bank gets the money. I was psyched! Check out Mr. J’s recap post too! (P.S. His photos are better)
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I went to a food truck event on the Greenway last May and thought it was the best food truck gathering I’d been to. This is one of my favorite spots in Boston and it was a beautiful fall day. Mrs. C was pumped to join Mr. J and me after we followed the Great Food Truck Race religiously.

Luckily we went early! It got pretty crazy busy when we left later.
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Mrs. C was most excited to see Roxy’s
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We shared a fall melt: sweet potato/grannysmith apple/cheddar/brown butter; a muenster melt: muenster cheese, quacamole, bacon; and some rosemary truffle fries.
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We also were pretty psyched about these waffles from Wafels & Dinges. Wow. I wish they were in Boston! Bacon in a waffle? Yes Please!
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It was great to split everything. We each munched these pork and chive dumplings from Big D’s Grub Truck. They were awesome. I loved that we could get smaller bites.
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The empanadas at Nuchas was another one of my favorite stops. Mine was portobello/spinach/mozzarella and was awesome. These were small and packed with flavor without being overwhelming.
The Three Bite Rule - Food Trucks I was impressed with their truck (and their website).
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We ran into two Ms. Ls and Ms. J and they recommended another Boston truck: Mei Mei. We got some beer mac & cheese which was fine, not overly cheesy. The beer flavor came through though.
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Mr. J got beef and bleu dumplings. He thought they were ok.
The Three Bite Rule - Food TrucksThe menu there is impressive. I love how focused they are on local foods.
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I got the ginger macaron and thought it was overpriced and kind of a letdown. I wish you could see how itty bitty it was.
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I didn’t stop by Bon Me, but will sometime since they’re often parked by my office. Obviously I skipped past Lobsta Love since I’ve had rough experiences with them in the past.

We grapped some cookies to go and that wrapped up our day. Literally. We didn’t eat anything again for the rest of the day. It was delicious and Boston won!! Of course! 😉

Pop Up Restaurant

I was invited to a pop up restaurant and just couldn’t pass on the opportunity. I hadn’t ever really heard of one up close and was psyched.

It wasn’t what I expected but it was a great night. I had fun meeting some new folks and I was so glad Ms. M came with me. She’s such a good sport and we were both happy to be fed.

The chef Wheeler del Torro hosts a few of these occasionally. This was all I knew before joining, Wheeler’s email said: “I am hosting an intimate group of invited guests for a sneak peek at Pharmacie’s new fall menu celebrating classic Southern dishes with an Asian flair. Pharmacie is my latest food venture: an experimental fusion test kitchen to explore flavors, textures, and sensations.”

I left to meet Ms. M with a warning from Mr. J not to enter if this was in some guy’s basement. I was thinking the whole time what happens when you mix Asian and Southern? General Tzo’s Chicken & Waffles?

The pop up was held in an ice cream shoppe in my old ‘hood. The name of the hosting venue would have been helpful. We showed up for the third sitting and they were running late. We squeezed in and were served promptly. Introductions got us going at communal tables as we began munching.

The first dish was watermelon with blue cheese. I was expecting feta and honestly thought the freshness of the watermelon didn’t pair well with the moldy cheese.
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We had a salad too.
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Next was a tomato bruschetta. I loved the tomatoes but wasn’t into the caviar.
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Our next dish was pumpkin ravioli with tomato sauce. Again, I think the flavors didn’t mix. I would have liked brown butter, or really good olive oil, or a light cream. The tomato sauce was super acidic to me.
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Then they served lasagna. I couldn’t eat it because it was beef. I was asked dietary restrictions before the meal (where I emailed) then I was asked again before we sat down. They were super sweet to offer me a sundae instead of the ice cream cup served afterwards, but I declined. It kind of annoyed me. Don’t ask if you’re not going to do anything. I felt like an imposition. I might have passed on the dinner if I knew what I’d be eating. I would have been happy with a double serving of raviolis instead.

We got a cup of ice cream which was good, but the meal was so long that I had one foot out of the door.
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The food was fine and I’m sure some people enjoyed it more than me. I thought it should wow me. I thought I should be shouting from the rooftops. I thought this meal would rock my world and make me their unofficial spokesperson when a restaurant opened. I was underwhelmed.

I wasn’t impressed with the how the event was run since I showed an email chain to get us in, they didn’t include the venue name, there wasn’t any explanation about what they were serving, and the dietary restrictions info wasn’t passed along. I also think they should have done 2 sittings if the food was going to be reheated and if they weren’t going to be able to accommodate the overlapping crowd three times that day.

Did you notice this has absolutely nothing to reference Asian or Southern? Yeah, me too.

Sometimes I’m brutally honest and I feel badly, but I owe you the good, the bad, and the ugly. This was a disappointing dinner. Maybe I was too hyped about it. It makes me glad we hadn’t bought a ticket to it. My invitation with a guest was complimentary but if I liked it I would have raved about it so it only seemed appropriate to be so harshly honest.

Full 3 Bite Rule Disclosure: My invitation for myself and a guest  was completely complimentary but my thoughts, opinions, and words are entirely my own.