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The call me Mellow Vello
2008-01-25 15:02:00
Mellow Yellow, made famous by Donovan in 1966, was once thought to be about smoking dried banana peels (a fictional hallucinogenic drug back in the 60's)-- but was later discovered to be about a "sexy toy shaped like a banana". When I think of Mellow Yellow, I actually remember the Mello Yello of 1979... that citrus flavored caffeinated drink reminiscent of Mountain Dew. How many of you remember that soda? I digress... As the title suggests, I went to Vello's for dinner last night, which is a laid-back, kid-friendly, uber-casual Westwood restaurant. They offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, with an open kitchen and a dining room large enough to accommodate their dedicated customers. They've been around for a while, but this was my first visit (despite having heard it was a good family restaurant several times). My friend Martha and I headed there around 6pm last night, with our two 3-year olds and her 3-month old in tow (sans men). The restaurant was fairly un-crowded when we arriv...
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How about a little sugar?
2008-01-20 15:16:00
UPDATE (1/21): I heard back from The Real Deal and they apologized (saying they felt terrible I had witnessed that) and assured me that action had been taken against the individual and unfortunately, it wasn't the first complaint received about her. Kudos to TRD for following up...--------------------Original Post...Or as I witnessed at Sugar Bakery last night... no sugar whatsoever.I went to Sugar last night after picking up some takeout from The Real Deal. While waiting for my turn, two young men of East Asian descent asked me where the line started. I told one of them it was sort of a free for all and that you just kind of watch when it's your turn. He also asked if the store accepted credit cards and I told him yes. He was very pleasant, friendly and despite his somewhat thick accent, easy to understand.I ordered my treats (2 chocolate covered --unripe-- strawberries and an iced brownie). The young men were next to order. What I watched was embarrassing as well as disgusting a...

Girls Rule and Boys Drool
2008-01-17 21:26:00
Not only was Wednesday Girl's Night Out (GNO), but the title of this blog was written on the wall of a bathroom stall at Match Burgers & Martinis that night... making it a fitting title for today's blog.My girlfriend Ami (aka "The Hamster"... you may have seen her past comments) and I went out for a much-need GNO. Not really having a preference as to where to go this time... I looked for a place that was easy to get to, not to far from her place and that had a good "going out" atmosphere. We settled on Match Burgers & Martinis, located on Mass. Ave, between Newbury and Comm. Ave -- in the space previously occupied by the Blue Cat Cafe. Granted, Match was not on my wish list... but I had heard some decent things about it so I chose atmosphere over cuisine.We arrived at 6:30... 30 minutes before our reservation time... to a $16 valet charge and an empty restaurant, so we decided to sit at the bar for a drink first. The first thing I noticed was that the bartender was very at...
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What's the deal-a with Avila?
2008-01-12 17:53:00
Friday night was our twice monthly Date Night... and the first one we have had in quite a while -- due to various holiday parties and gatherings. So earlier in the week, I plugged our date and time preferences into http://www.opentable.com/ and began eyeing the listings to find a suitable place. I decided on Avila, which opened in May of 2006 in a brand new space formerly occupied by a parking lot. Avila is described as modern Mediterranean and is the brainchild of Steve DiFillippo, founder and owner of the Davio's [now] chain of restaurants. I didn't do much homework before selecting Avila, other than taking a peak at their menu -- which looked yummy -- and picking a place that was in Back Bay -- because we hadn't dined there in a while.First off, Avila is not in what I consider to be the Back Bay... at 1 Charles Street South, it's in the Theater District. Not that there's anything wrong with that... except, restaurants in the Theater District attract a certain type of cliente...
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I'm looking for feedback...
2008-01-10 23:25:00
I feel like I don't get enough comments on my blog posts. What's wrong? Are they boring... missing something...or is it something else?This is your chance. Tell me what you're looking for. What would be more interesting? What do you want to see more of? Recipes? Food photos? I'm in the mood to make some changes... so go for it!I'm open to all suggestions... within reason. ;)
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A Raw Deal
2008-01-10 15:41:00
According to both Stuff at Night and the Boston Herald, one North End Restauranteur (and celebrity chef) is trying to get Boston to join the raw food movement. Grezzo, which means "raw" in Italian, is a new dining establishment scheduled to open on February 1st, and taking reservations starting January 24th. They are located in the space that formerly housed Sage (which is now in the South End).Grezzo will be Boston's first "raw, living food" restaurant. What is "raw, living food" you ask? According to the executive chef Alissa Cohen, “Raw, living food is uncooked fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and sprouted grains. Nothing is heated above 112 degrees. You want to keep the enzymes and life force intact; you don’t want to destroy any of the vitamins or minerals.” Alissa Cohen is also the author of the raw food guide Living on Live Food and moderator of Raw Food Talk, an online raw food community and forum. She also promotes the Raw Food Diet and explains the beneifts of eating...
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V-day is going green!
2008-01-10 14:54:00
According to Boston.com the New England Candy Company (based in Revere, MA)... you may know it as NECCO... is releasing a list of 10 new sayings for their conversation hearts (those pastel little candies we've all given out and received on Valentine's Day). The 10 new sayings are a "nod to eco-friendliness" and focus on a "whimsical nature theme". Sayings such as "Chill Out", "Nature Lover", "In a Fog", etc. will adorn this year's candy hearts.When I first moved to Boston 10 years ago, I worked in the old Davenport Building in Cambridge, (on First Street -- across from the Cambridgeside Gallery). A few doors down from us was the NECCO factory and the NECCO Factory Outlet where you could buy slightly imperfect candy. They have since turned that building into new high-end condos. The funny thing is, that I grew up loving NECCO wafers and until I moved to Boston and began working in Cambridge, I had no idea what NECCO stood for!
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Old news, but worth mentioning...
2008-01-09 15:07:00
As reported on Boston.com, a four-alarm fire destroyed and damaged 8 businesses and left 20 people homeless in Hyde Park this past Saturday (early am). This building is directly across the street from my office, so my window looks out over the devastation.There are two restaurants affected by this sad situation... Rincon Caribeno Restaurant and the space formerly occupied by Murphy's Country Kitchen. The owner of Rincon had just recently signed a new lease for Murphy's previous space... planning to open a second restaurant. He plans to rebuild, so I will keep you posted as the construction happens.I regret to say I have yet to try Rincon, as it was still new (only 4 months old) and the previous owner's reputation was quite bad. That said, I look forward to trying both of these locations once the owner rebuilds. I am assuming that Rincon will still be Caribbean/Dominican fare and I'm excited to see what they decide to put in a few doors down. We're desperate here in Hyde Park......
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Weight a minute...
2008-01-08 17:41:00
I am perpetually trying to find a diet that I can stomach (pun intended) and that I can actually stick to. I only need to lose about 10 pounds, but I have ZERO will power. I love to eat and I hate restricting myself. Never the less, I keep trying and failing! :) I have, however, found a diet website that I really like... www.sparkpeople.com. I have done the whole Weight Watchers online thing before and have actually had success. It's about $15 a month to use their online tools, so... I've wasted lots of money subscribing to them in the past. When I found SparkPeople though, I was psyched... as they offer a very similar set of tools all for free!In any case, I get periodic email newsletters from them and the one that landed in my inbox today piqued my interest. They listed the 10 Worst Foods for 2007. Worst being -- offered by chain restaurants and containing the most awful ingredients and nutritional information for your health.In no particular order:Carl's Jr. Western Bacon Six ...
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Starbucks vs. McDonalds?
2008-01-07 18:12:00
According to Reuter's, the Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Micky D's has decided to hop on the Barista bandwagon... serving cappucchino and latte drinks at Barista-manned coffee bars! This will add 1 Billion dollars in sales to the corporate fat cat organization, placing them in direct competition with Starbucks ! No thanks... I would still rather pay $4 for my coffee drink than buy anything from McDonald's!!!!
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What did we do on New Year's Eve before Chinese food???
2008-01-03 14:36:00
So... it was New Year's Eve... we were home... tired from just having had our annual holiday soiree... and just didn't feel like doing much besides ordering out Chinese food. Since it was a "holiday", and therefore a "special occasion", we decided to order from the coveted Mandarin Gourmet (on the Chestnut Hill/South Brookline line). Why coveted? Because the food is the best Chinese around, HOWEVER... they don't deliver... so that requires one of us to brave the weather and the crowds and go pick it up -- rather than just having Spring Blossom (our standard Chinese restaurant) deliver.I knew Christmas Eve was a big "Chinese Food Night", but I had no idea that NYE was too. When I arrived at the restaurant to pick up my food, no joke... at least 30 people were jammed into the TINY lobby waiting to pick-up takeout as well. Does no one cook during the holidays anymore?!In any case, I'd like to recommend Mandarin Gourmet if you live in West Roxbury, South Brookline or Chestnut Hill. ...
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As 2007 comes to a close...
2007-12-31 03:17:00
I've been reflecting on how my year measured up as it applied to the foodie part of my life. It's been a pretty cool year! I started this blog in mid-August and have had almost 3500 visitors, from 48 different countriesMy husband and I began our bi-weekly "Date Night" ritualI was added as a FoodBuzz Featured PublisherI got invited to several PR events for food related businessesI was invited to the Insider's Table at the Cheesecake FactoryMy blog made it onto Boston.com's "Local Blog List" (something I am very proud of!)AND... I met some interesting, talented and fellow Boston bloggersNot too bad for just a few months of blogging, if I do say so myself! Additionally, and most importantly, I had the pleasure of eating at many great and some not-so-great restaurants... having everything from amazing to mediocre meals along the way.I noticed in the most recent issue of The Improper Bostonian, that a regular columnist detailed what made his "best of the year" list. Things like the b...
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Are you a Trader Joe's fan?
2007-12-13 17:47:00
I sure am! So I was very excited when I received an email from the Trader Joe 's Fan website, announcing the exciting news that they have launched the first ever Trader Joe's cookbook... Cooking with Trader Joe's! The book is available exclusively on their site, and you can read the entire press release for more information. I took a quick peek at the details and it appears to be very cool. All the recipes use 100% Trader Joe's ingredients and there is a color picture for every recipe. FYI... this site is not affiliated with Trader Joe's at all.. these women have just taken it upon themselves to research and create this fun site and book. Enjoy!

An "Insider's" view of the Cheesecake Factory
2007-12-07 13:16:00
I've been invited to participate in the Cheesecake Factory 's new progrram the "Insider's Table", an online forum for food lovers who want to share and receive information about Cheesecake Factory news. You also recieve in-store perks such as occassional food tastings and free coupons for menu items. The goal of the site is to educate foodie bloggers, who will in turn, educate their blog readers.If you are interested in participating, it is currently invitation only... however, you can apply and hopefully get approved at: https://www.insiderstable.com/
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I need a Byte of something good
2007-12-07 13:15:00
I received an email from the CEO of a new website called FoodieByte s, where you can enter the actual dish that you are craving, as well as any dietary restrictions you have (such as gluten free), and recieve a list of all restaurants in the area matching your criteria. It's really quite cool. They also have a database that allows you to view the entire menu for all searchable restaurants.This site just launched in Boston and is available in other areas of the country. They are looking for feedback on the site, so try them out and let them know what you think.
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What's the Buzz all about?
2007-12-07 13:15:00
Notice something different? I have changed the look and feel of my blog a bit. Let me know what you think. You might also notice the new widget on the right side of the page. The advertisements listed here are powered by FoodBuzz , a new and really cool foodie website... where I am a Featured Publisher! Check it out... I'm sure you'll dig it!
More About: The Buzz

Need a favor? How about a cake?
2007-12-07 13:14:00
Try Party Favor s in Coolidge Corner (Brookline), they'll make your cake (or cupcakes) and provide you with a large selection of party favors and goodies. My son's third birthday party was this past weekend and I wanted something other than your typical grocery store, trans fat-laden, disgustingly sweet, birthday cake. Friends of ours had their wedding cake made by Party Favors and it was delicious! I decided to give them a try for Chance's party.First off, I made the mistake of ordering his cake only a week before the party. This place is crazy-busy, and if you do not order in advance, you are given a very limited set of options to choose from. Sure, you can pick any cake and icing type, but your odds of getting one of their unbelievably creative designs is slim to null! This place specializes in making kid's (and adult's) cake dreams come true. They can pretty much bake and decorate a cake in any shape, size, color, theme and/or character you want. It's quite amazing. You can...
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Haru Sushi... Worth a visit?
2007-12-06 16:43:00
Eh. Maybe for the atmosphere or bar scene. The food was not memorable though. If you are in the mood for good sushi, there are many places out there to try... but this is not one of them. It's not that the food is bad, it's that there is nothing special about it. I have been blown away by some sushi in the past... so I was a little disappointed by Haru Sushi . We had 7pm reservations and the place was PACKED when we got there. There is definitely a large bar scene and after work crowd. The restaurant has only been open about a month, so they are still going through there always busy honeymoon phase. The decor and overall ambiance of the place is great. I had very high hopes when we arrived; the place has a hip New York City feel to it, with funky high-base trance music playing in the back ground and lots of pretty people mulling around.We were seated right away and our server was very attentive and friendly. We started out with the King Crab Dumplings ($8.50), which arrived quickly...
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All the more reason to stop eating meat...
2007-12-03 18:45:00
In today's Boston Globe, a seven year review of over 7000 studies shows a direct link between eating red meat and colorectal cancer.
More About: Meat , Reason , Stop , Eating

Pesticide & Food Quality Information
2007-12-03 17:52:00
Know which produce is safest to eat and which is the most dangerous to eat because of pesticide risks. Also, check out Food Quality News for information and news on food safety and quality control.
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Need cookie recipes?
2007-11-29 20:50:00
The Food Network kick's off their annual 12 Days of Cookie s today... sending out an email with a new cookie recipe and video every day. Today's recipe is for Almond Lace Cookies (Florentines). To sign up for the 12 Days of Cookies, click here.
More About: Recipes , Reci

YouTube, FoodTube!
2007-11-28 18:02:00
No really, check out the latest YouTube spin-off at http://www.foodtube.net/What is it you ask? A search engine for video recipes!Here... learn how to build a gingerbread house or make some latkes just in time for the holiday season.If those don't float your boat, how about a little egg nog or some peppermint bark?
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Planning a trip to Orlando?
2007-11-28 16:25:00
My in-laws live just outside of Orlando , so we head down to Florida several times a year for some family time. We generally stay with them... except at Thanksgiving. Every year for Thanksgiving we stay at the Hyatt Grand Cyprus, right outside Disney. If you are planning a trip to Disney or the Orlando area, I cannot say enough nice things about this place.They are on the pricier side for Disney-area hotels ($249/night during peak season); however, if you have children and appreciate superb customer service, it's well worth the higher cost.The hotel is beautiful with a lush, atrium entrance. There are 3 resident tropical birds that live in the atrium, a running stream, many peices of Asian art and plenty of seating to enjoy the surroundings. The atrium lobby also contains a full-service bar (both alcohol and cappuchino), a sushi bar and access to four of the hotel's restaurants (there are at total of five).The pool area offers both standard and a heated fresh water pools. There are...
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Wham! Bam! Thank you Man!
2007-11-28 16:09:00
Okay, so I am a little behind the times on this (20 hours to be exact). According to the Associated Press, the Food Network is finally cancelling the Emeril Live show. Am I the only one that has always hated this guy? He is annoying, his food is ladened in fat and he uses the same set of spices over and over again. Good riddance. Now we just need to get rid of The Essence of Emeril, which is still being produced by the network.
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It took me 10 years...
2007-11-28 15:02:00
But I finally found another local Boston radio station that I actually enjoy, so I thought I would share the wealth.I have always been a die-hard WFNX 101.7 fan and listen to WBOS 92.9 during FNX commercials. The other day I stumbled upon WERS 88.9, the Emerson College station. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I liked it... and then this morning I heard their call letters and looked them up online. This is a cool little alternative station! I definitely recommend checking them out.Into the holiday season? I'm assuming everyone already knows this... but just in case... Oldies 103.3 starts playing holiday music on VETERAN'S DAY (yes, you heard me right) and continues non-stop until Christmas day.Any other hidden gems in Boston radio? If so... let me know!
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10 Crappiest Restaurants to Try Before you Die
2007-11-27 16:05:00
I cannot believe I am admitting this... we brought Chance to Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse for dinner last night. It was his 3rd birthday and I wanted to bring him somewhere close by, kid-friendly and somewhat entertaining. After a few minutes of research, I had my choices narrowed down to Vinny T's, Bertucci's, Pizzeria Uno or Bugaboo Creek… all within a 2 miles radius of our home.We had yet to try Bugaboo – so I figured why not? I could finally check it off my list of the 10 Crappiest Restaurants to Try Before you Die*.My first mistake was granting Chance his birthday wish by letting him eat one of those candy necklaces (in it's entirety). The sugar high kicked in right as we arrived and lasted throughout the entire meal. If I disregard how Chance's behavior affected my dining experience, then I would have to say that overall, our meal was not so bad.Our waiter was very attentive the entire time -- though the place was dead, with only a few tables taken. During our stay, we hea...

A thought for the holidays...
2007-11-27 15:25:00
TasteBook, at http://www.epicurious.com/ allows you to create customized hardcover cookbooks with their recipes online or your own recipes. Kind of a cool gift idea if you like to cook and/or have friends/family that do too.Also, MenuPages Boston has a few gift suggestions for the foodies in your life. Lastly, the Food Notebook blog has some suggested food-related book buys for the season. I'm actually reading the Omnivore's Dilemma myself, and can highly recommend this book... though, be prepared to never want to eat corn again!UPDATE: I just found another cool website for unique gifts (through a VERY cool food blog: http://www.cafefernando.com/).I am ordering these Chinese Wooden Moon Cookie Molds -- only $6.95 for the entire set:The even come with a moon cookie recipe and are hand-carved in china. The website is gearded toward adoption families and provides gifts from all over the world. Check it out at: http://www.adoptshoppe.com/Enjoy!
More About: Holidays , Thought , The Holidays

Sel De La Terre
2007-11-12 17:04:00
So we braved the crowds and checked out the new Natick Collection mall this past weekend. If you haven't heard, the Natick Mall added on an enormous wing of high-end shops and changed their name. The inside is beautiful, but the parking is extremely annoying and non-intuitive.We walked around for a bit and then stumbled upon Sel De La Terre, the second location of a well-known Boston [Southern] French bistro. This restaurant has been on my "wish list" for quite some time... but did I dare try it out with a 3-year old in tow? We glanced at the menu, noticed they had a kid's version and decided to go for it. After all, restaurants that offer children's menus deserve to have children dine with them!We were definitely the most under-dressed folks in the place, sporting jeans, baseball hats and fleeces. We were also the only couple sporting a toddler, though we did see a few other older children. They held our stroller for us and we were seated promptly. Chance was provided with a Tha...

Are you a Boston Vegan?
2007-11-08 17:56:00
If so, you're in luck! As reported in the Boston ist, the Boston Vegan Association had their launch party this past Saturday night.Check out their website to subscribe to their news, restaurants and/or blog feeds. Or, just look around and see what veganism is all about!Not ready to make the jump to veganism? How about just vegetarian? Check out the Boston Vegetarian Society for tips and general information.

Rocca or Polka? (as in slow polka)
2007-11-07 16:26:00
We had heard the food was good, but that the service was "hit or miss"... so we decided to check it out for ourselves last night. My friend Shalini and I spent Girl's Night Out at Rocca Kitchen & Bar -- located in the SoWa district of the South End. If you are unfamiliar with the term "SoWa", it simply means South of Washington street. In other words, a very scary place to be at night until as of recently!SoWa is supposedly the new "up and coming" part of the South End -- so many new galleries, restaurants and boutiques are setting up shop here. Rocca is one of them. Since this location has historically been a pretty beat up area, there are still several abandoned buildings -- providing FREE parking lots for places like Rocca and Gaslight Brasserie. It's only a matter of time until these empty buildings are converted into condos and the like, so you may want to take advantage of the ample parking while it's still available.Shalini lives in the South End, so we huffed it on fo...
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