Thursday, February 27, 2014

HONEY DEW DONUTS IN QUINCY WON'T BE SELLING DONUTS

JOE Thursday, February 27, 2014
A donut shop without donuts. It sounds strange, but this will soon be happening in Quincy. According to the Patriot Ledger, a Honey Dew Donuts will be built inside of their new $30 million YMCA. Since they are all about being fit and healthy: no donuts! Instead, the Honey Dew will focus on all of their other favorites like low-fat muffins, salads, fruit cups and sandwiches. ,

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

IT'S SHAMROCK SHAKE TIME!

JOE Wednesday, February 26, 2014
It's that time of the year! Did you get your Shamrock Shake at McDonald's yet? ,

CT FLOWER SHOW & ARCH STREET TAVERN

JOE Wednesday, February 26, 2014
It's been a cold and snowy winter. So, the Connecticut Flower Show is always the perfect place to think spring. I go every year and each year, I have lunch at the Arch Street Tavern. (I've blogged about them before, search the archives for a more in depth look.) This place has tasty comfort food and a long list of craft beers. Every year, I try something different. This year, I enjoyed their tavern burger. You can have it with fries, chips or a salad. I really like this restaurant. Good comfort food and a comfy atmosphere.
,

Monday, February 24, 2014

GENO'S PASTA SAUCES

JOE Monday, February 24, 2014
UConn women's basketball coach Geno Auriemma just celebrated his 1,000th game and Eat Up New England is celebrating his delicious pasta sauces. It's been awhile since I've seen them for sale at Stew Leonard's, but as you can see, they are back. They come in two flavors: tomato basil and fra diavolo. The recipes for the sauces come from Geno's mother's native province of Campania, Italy. The tomato basil is my favorite. It's light and full of flavor. The flavor of the herbs really pops.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

A DELICIOUS DISH AT PADDY'S PUB IN NEWTON, MA

JOE Thursday, February 20, 2014
One of my favorite pubs in the Newton area is Paddy's Pub. It has such a cozy atmosphere. There's nothing like drinking a Guinness there while the snow falls outside. Paddy's has a large menu with traditional bar food, but the one dish I can't stop ordering is their chicken & asparagus risotto. It comes with a heaping portion of their rich vegetable risotto, topped off with a nice cut of chicken and asparagus. If this doesn't fill you up, nothing will! , ,

Saturday, February 15, 2014

SURVIVE THE SNOW WITH SOME COMFORT FOOD

JOE Saturday, February 15, 2014
If you've had enough of this damn snow, treat yourself to some comfort food. Tonight, I enjoyed a grilled cheese with Vermont cheddar and some tomato soup at The Local in West Newton, MA. In need of more comfort, I went for a belt-busting piece of raspberry cheesecake with white chocolate shavings. Screw the calories. I'll burn them off shoveling the driveway in the morning. ,

VALENTINE'S DAY AT SEASONS 52

JOE Saturday, February 15, 2014
Hummus Duo & Crisp Sea Salt Lavosh
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp Cavatappi Pasta
Mini Indulgences
There have been many new restaurants opening in the Chestnut Hill area, so we ventured out on Valentine's Day to try one of them. Seasons 52 recently opened in the new Chestnut Hill Square development. The fresh grill and wine bar offers a variety of healthy meals that change each season. The chefs also offer a number of specials that change each week. Get this: everything on the menu is 475 calories or less!

Seasons 52 is known for their wine selection. They bring whatever wine your order to your table in the bottle so you know what your getting. They'll also offer you a taste before you commit to a glass. Seasons 52 is known for their flatbreads. Choose from several including blacked steak & blue cheese and grilled garlic pesto chicken. We didn't have one, but they are large enough to share and yes, even these flatbreads are under 475 calories. Other apps include Maine lobster tail, chicken skewers, mussels and edamame. We enjoyed their hummus duo & crisp sea salt lavosh. The breadsticks were crisp the minted edamame hummus and roasted red pepper hummus were enough to keep us filled up until the entrees arrived. PS - You can also choose from several small salads as an appetizer. Their organic arugula salad with portobello mushrooms, shaved Parmesan and truffle dressing looks particularly tempting. Next time.

 For dinner, choose from fish, seafood, poultry and meat. I enjoyed their grilled jumbo shrimp cavatappi pasta. The only critique I'll give this dish: it was small to stay under the 475 calorie mark. I would have liked to have more pasta, but there were plenty of tasty grilled shrimp. My girlfriend ordered their winter vegetarian tasting, a colorful medley of wintry veggies that included a quinoa salad and taco. Other entrees include pork tenderloin & portobello, filet mignon, boneless rainbow trout and caramelized grilled sea scallops. (I'm going for those sea scallops next time!)

 Good luck avoiding dessert. All of their desserts are served in double shots. Your sever will bring a tray of all of their desserts your table to tempt you. You can take what you like. We enjoyed the tropical fruit cheesecake, raspberry chocolate chip cannoli and a the special chocolate & raspberry selection they had for Valentine's Day. BTW, the desserts are only $2.50 each, so it's pretty hard to resist!
 ,

Saturday, February 08, 2014

VALENTINE'S DAY AT HONEY DEW DONUTS

JOE Saturday, February 08, 2014
You can always count on Honey Dew Donuts to have some fun with their food at every holiday. I got this Valentine's donut this morning at their Plainville, MA location. They have a bunch of special donuts like this one just for Valentine's Day. , ,

Sunday, February 02, 2014

FALL IN LOVE WITH CHOCOLATE AT MAX BRENNER'S IN BOSTON

JOE Sunday, February 02, 2014
Chicken and goat cheese waffle salad
Banana hazelnut choctail
It's February. Love is in the air and with Valentine's Day, come the need for chocolate. Max Brenner's on Boylston Street in Boston is one place where you can satisfy your craving for cocoa. This restaurant has locations around the world and strives to "create a new chocolate culture worldwide." Yes, it's tough to look anywhere in this place and not see the chocolate influence. There are shelves displaying jars of chocolates. Max Brenner even has its own chocolate gift shop at the front of the store.

 Start your meal off with a chocolate stout (they were out the night I went, d'oh!) or a hazelnut hot chocolate. There are a bunch of chocolate cocktails on the menu, but I went for one of their non-alcoholic "choctails," the Banana Hazelnut Choctail. It's basically a fancy milkshake served in the crazy cup you see above. Okay, okay. Not EVERYTHING is chocolate. They have a full bar that offers the craft beers and fruity drinks we all know and love.

Apps include spinach & artichoke fondue, chicken wings, onion rings and waffle fries dusted with chili and cocoa powder. Right now, Max Brenner is having some fun with waffles. They are offering several waffle sandwiches where the waffle serves as the bun. I really liked their chicken and goat cheese waffle salad, with the salad served on top of a corn waffle. Max Brenner's menu also offers several burgers, sandwiches, salads and pastas. 

 Be sure to leave room for dessert. I highly recommend one of their chocolate fondue options. You can dip bananas, strawberries, brownie bites and marshmallows into their warm, melted chocolate. You may also want to try their vanilla ice cream bars which you can dip into melted chocolate and other chocolatey toppings. Max Brenner is also known for its chocolate pizza which is sprinkled with milk and white chocolate chunks, peanut butter and marshmallows. You'd be a fool for skipping dessert at Max Brenner.
 
Max Brenner also serves breakfast and is a good place for Sunday brunch. From crepes to waffles and omelets, many of their breakfast meals also come with chocolate for dipping and/or pouring.

@MaxBrennerUSA
745 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02116
(617) 274-1741 , , ,

BRUNCH AT THE WALNUT GRILLE

JOE Sunday, February 02, 2014
"Greek feast" omelet for only $8!
The Walnut Grille in Newton, Massachusetts is quickly becoming a hot spot for vegetarian and vegan food. I do eat meat, but there are plenty of tasty options for everyone on their menu. I went for lunch today and was excited to see they offer an extensive brunch menu on the weekends. There are several omelets (all of them are gluten free) on the menu, along with favorites like pancakes, vegan French toast and a vegan Belgian waffle. There are also several soups and salads on the menu, including a traditional Caesar salad to the Highlands Gem with beets, baby greens, Vermont goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. I had the "Greek feast" omelet with spinach, red peppers, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. It was served with home fries and toast. A delicious and filling meal. 

The Walnut Grille is also open for lunch and dinner. I've been a couple of times before and can recommend their vegetarian lasagna. Other meals include a southwest burrito, eggplant rolatini, nutty tofu, veggie/vegan burgers, falafel wrap and a few pizzas. Just about everything on their menu can be made vegan. Check out the Walnut Grille for a healthy,  hearty and tasty meal!

 www.walnutgrille.com
1203 Walnut Street
Newton Highlands, MA 02461
617-964-1029 , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )