The Joy of Restaurant Week at Toro

At the end of the night, we were hard pressed to choose among our favorites: was it the incredible crispness of the pork skin? Was it the way the tarragon perfectly complimented the sweet maple-infused carrots? How many jamon Serrano (dates wrapped in Spanish ham and stuffed with Cabrales blue cheese and marcona almonds!) is it acceptable to eat at one sitting? And how is it possible that anchovies could have such a bad reputation when the ones we ate were sweet, light and wonderful?

The list went on as we reviewed our fabulous meal at Toro, a Spanish-style Tapas restaurant in the South End. The food was excellent. The presentation was visually stunning. Best of all (and this is the reason to stop reading this blog and run to the phone), it is Restaurant Week and Toro is participating for the first time! This means two major bonuses: first, you can eat most of their menu for $33.00 a person which is slightly less expensive than normal. Second, and most importantly for parents who pay the babysitter by the hour: Toro is taking reservations (a typical Saturday night wait can be 2 hours!). Having wanted to go since it opened in 2005, I was not only happy to finally be able to go (without constantly looking at my watch), but to have a meal that was as good as expected.

During Restaurant Week (which is actually 2 weeks: 3/15 to 3/20 and 3/22 to 3/27) the great prices usually are accompanied by a limited range of options. (Click here for the full list of restaurants that are participating.) However, at Toro, you are able to order most of the tapas that they offer. As one of the best aspects of a tapas restaurant is the ability to try multiple dishes, I do recommend going with at least 2 other people. Finally, for people who want to eat at a restaurant owned by Ken Oringer, this is a far better option than La Verdad which I reviewed/critiqued here. Whereas La Verdad seems to focus on quick turnover (it is in the Fenway, after all), the cooking at Toro is focused on attention to detail in ingredients, preparation and presentation. The chef, Jamie Bissonnette (wearing glasses in the photo) just came on board in October and it is clearly a great direction for the restaurant.

Toro is different from other tapas place I had been to before in that it is more innovative and more complex. For example, the simple sounding Tortilla Espanola has incredibly thin sliced potatoes, which makes a far delicate version than I have had previously. The alioli (a garlicy mayonnaise of sorts) adds sharpness to the dish. What is listed as Gambas al Ajillo (or “Griddled garlic shrimp”) is actually a gorgeous ochre colored pile of shrimp sitting on a reduction of lobster stock infused with saffron. Those addictive dates were an example of how 4 good ingredients can create a fabulous whole. (We ate them so quickly that I forgot to take a picture!)

In addition to the dates, for our first bites (and the pinchos are literally small bites) we enjoyed the Bisbe de Porc or pork rillette (pate of sorts) on bread. This was followed by the Ventresca: Spanish tuna belly, tomato tapenade and celery leaves. In terms of our tapas, while the Ensalada del Otoo (Roasted beets, heirloom apples, arugula, cabrales and pistachio crumble) was beautiful; it didn’t stand out as unique compared to other dishes. The Vientre de Cerdo (Crispy pork belly with Chantennay carrots and smoked maple crumble) on the other hand was one of the stars of the evening (both are pictured at the top of this post). It was a phenomenal contrast of tastes: salty, sweet and herbal and textures.

Our tasting went on. We were all surprised by how much we liked the fried sweetbreads with a blood orange reduction. The tartness of the sauce contrasted with the richness of the perfectly fried, rich sweetbreads. The bocadillos were delicious little sandwiches with pickled red onions and a subtle heat from pepper. Although the presentation of the baby clams was great, we didn’t shovel them down like the other dishes. (I actually enjoyed the sausage in the dish as much if not more than the clams.)

In my piece on La Verdad I extolled the grilled corn. Well, the Toro version puts it to shame. Listed as Maiz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija, I actually preferred La Verdad’s preparation (they skip the alioli). However, as the key step is the grilling of the corn, Toro’s corn was much more caramelized, resulting in a far better dish.

And now, one of the best parts of the night: the Churros con chocolate. Yes, this is essentially the same dish that was almost inedible, despite 2 different visits, at La Verdad. But here, oh, here at Toro, the churros are as good as they get. Etherally light, airy and perfectly fried with a phenomenal dark chocolate sauce that is infused with the warmth of chili pepper.

So, call. Call NOW! Toro: Phone 617-536-4300. Located at 1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118.

Another Easy Meal: Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker by Beth Hensperger and Beth Kaufman remains my favorite source for good slow cooker recipes. The options are healthy, easy to make and, for the most part, quite tasty.

Although this isn't necessarily one of the healthier options, this dish is perfect for working parents. With less than 5 minutes of preparation on a Sunday morning, dinner for a few nights is ready. Also, the reality is that brisket or pot roast is frequently on sale these days. In fact the less expensive roasts, such as chuck, just add more taste (ok, fat!) to the dish. But I purchased mine for $2.99/pound!

I have made brisket a number of times through the years, usually starting by sauteing the brisket and then letting it simmer on the stove top for a few hours. But this recipe cuts the sauteing step completely. You simply rub paprika, salt and pepper on the brisket and throw it in the slow cooker with some vegetables. That was right after breakfast. By dinner, we all had a good meal with leftovers for the next day. As Raphael said, "I love meat!"

Skye's Braised Pot Roast with Vegetables adapted from Not Your Mother's Slow Cooker

Note: By making it the night ahead, the flavor improves and you can skim off the fat.

1 tsp salt
1/4 to 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika (I used Hungarian sweet from Penzey's)
3 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless chuck roast, trimmed of fat and patted dry (I actually used a 4 pound brisket)
1 rib celery chopped
1 onion, cut in wedges
2-3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2-3 parsnips, peeled and sliced (optional, but kids often love the sweetness!)
4 potatoes, cut into 8 pieces (I used small red potatoes which fell apart, but were still good)
1 cup beef broth (I keep "Better than Bullion" in my refrigerator)

1. Mix salt, pepper and paprika. Rub it on all sides of the meat. Put the veggies into the slow cooker with the potatoes on top. Put the meat on top of the potatoes, and pour the broth over.

2. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours.

3. I usually let it cool for a while in the slow-cooker. I then take it out and put it in another pot. I cover it and cool it overnight in the frig. Then, the next day I skim off the chilled fat. I then cut the meat in slices and reheat it in the pot with the gravy.

The Second Time Has Some Charm: La Verdad, Boston

The first time we sent the cold, raw, oil-laden churros back. The waitress insisted that my passion fruit drink was supposed to taste sour, the beans were so salty that they were inedible and the shrimp were days old. To put it bluntly, that first meal at La Verdad in the Fenway area of Boston was one of the worst meals we have had. To make it worse, as any parent knows, the rarity and price of a good babysitter makes any date night one that you don't want to waste. Finally, reviews had been so positive that our expectations were high, perhaps too high.

However, based on a suggestion from someone on Chowhound, we called up and the managers offered to let us come again. This time, perhaps with a more realistic idea of what to expect, we had a far better meal.

First I will say that this is not going into the "family-friendly" category unless you want to take your kids to what is essentially a bar. Also, don't expect to find a parking spot, especially now that the House of Blues reopened next door.

That being said, my husband insists he would return again and again for the skirt steak. It was very good, incredibly moist and flavorful. In fact, I was so stumped by the flavor combo, that our waitress revealed the secret: it is marinated in a combination of soy sauce...and Coke! It is typically served with guacamole, but my cilantro averse husband was happy to see a substitution of avocado. When I did try the guacamole it was pretty standard and had a creamy texture that almost made us suspect mayonnaise...)And now for my favorite item of the night: the grilled corn. In fact, this stuff is so good that unless we can make a worthy version this summer I may also have to return. It wasn't that the corn itself was so good (after all it is still March). But it is grilled until the outside caramelizes and becomes sweet. It is then rolled in salty, creamy cotija cheese and then dusted with spicy, warm chile powder. Finally, a sprinkle of lime juice adds an acid note. It is fantastic.

We also decided to try the Mexican chopped salad. For all intensive purposes, it was pretty standard: chopped, cold vegetables with some creamy dressing. However, the odd success of the evening: the serving vessel which was a ridiculously good puffed corn chip of sorts.

This time my tacos (pictured at the top of the post) were also very good. La Verdad does offer unique flavor combinations which are wrapped in small corn tortillas. While I liked the fish tacos on the first visit, I much prefer grilled fish rather than batter fried. So, I tried 3 new ones this time, all recommended by our waitress. My least favorite was the chile relleno or stuffed chile in a tortilla. It was too heavy and the "fry" taste dominated more than anything else. However, this time the carnitas (roast pork) was delicious, rich and so good. Finally, my carne ansade consisted of the skirt steak but with sweet onions and the slow burn of arbol hot sauce. Another successful play on the steak taco.

Finally, we took a second chance on the churros, which are essentially Mexican donuts. While I never make fried food at home, it is not an unusual indulgence for us when we eat out. I recently raved about the fritelle at Dantes and so it isn't that fried food is an anthema to us. However, this time we still couldn't eat them! Again, the dominant taste was cold oil. They were cooked through but that didn't make up for the stale aftertaste. The waitress pointed out that Mexican food can be heavy, but to me that still didn't make up for what seemed like, at the end, a bad dessert.

La Verdad may be owned by Ken Oringer (also owner of Clio, Toro, etc.), but it still doesn't seem reflective of the quality of his cuisine. I would also be suspicious of all the "Best" and "Most Authentic" signs. However, if you are in the Fenway for a game, or want to eat a few good items for a decent price, it may still be worth a try.

Snowy Day Pretzels

When we had a snow day and found ourselves with 12 hours to be together, pretzels seemed like a perfect activity. And my son who the day before had been a whirlwind of tantrums was a perfect companion. As any reader of this blog knows, we cook together frequently. What I loved about making pretzels with the 3 year old was how completely free it was for him to cook this time. He liked watching me form the dough into snakes and then making a somewhat lame attempt at shaping the snakes into pretzels. But it was once he realized that he could make any shape that he got more and more excited. And his experiments, some being about one inch long, were quite delicious!

While there are many recipes for pretzels that mostly consist of shaping bread dough into shapes and then baking, they miss true pretzel flavor. Pretzels need to be boiled, just like bagels. The recipe I used comes from what is rapidly becoming one of my favorite blogs: Smitten Kitchen. It may look complicated, especially if you aren't used to baking, but it really is quite easy. In fact the hardest part for me was trying to make pretzels that looked even remotely as good as on the Smitten blog! And, more importantly, when you eat one warm out of the oven, any fuss (or, in our case, piles of spilled flour) will be very worth it. The next time I make them I am going to use some white whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur brand) just to add some whole grains. I also made one calzone style and folded in some ricotta. It was very yummy.

Rather than retype the Smitten Kitchen recipe, just click here. Also, due to Raphael's egg allergy we eliminated the egg without any problem. The salt and sesame seeds still stuck on and the pretzels still turned out to be a lovely shade of brown.

My last suggestion-eat them while they are hot. They were good the next day, but they didn't even come close to triggering intense New York pretzel cart memories like the first few did.

Boston Food Bloggers at Flemings, Boston

This past Thursday I had the privilege of being invited to a dinner for Boston food bloggers at Fleming's Steakhouse in Boston. Our hosts, Michael Dearing (Operating Partner) and Jason Carron(Head Chef and Partner) were very generous with their food and time, allowing us to try a good portion of the menu. In addition, it was a wonderful opportunity to dine with the authors of many food Boston Blogs including: BellyGlad, Cave Cibum, The Leather District Gourmet, Forays of a Finance Foodie, Fork it Over Boston, and Grow, Cook, Eat. Clearly a Boston Food Blog community is beginning to form, and it is exciting to be a part of it. Hopefully there will be more events like this in the future.

I tend to avoid steakhouses for a few reasons. First, I prefer a quick grill in the backyard to heading out to a stuffy, simple meal of heavy dishes. If I am going to eat out it is far more likely to be an inexpensive Vietnamese or Thai restaurant (such as Rod Dee) where the total bill will range around $20.00 and we can take the kids. Flemings is definitely not inexpensive, nor is it a place to bring young children (no children's menu). So this night was even more of a treat for me. The reality is that Flemings is a warm restaurant with a menu which veers off from the more traditional steak house fare in a variety of creative ways.

As for the food, we began with an enormous array of appetizers beginning with a chilled seafood tower (crab legs, lobster tails, shrimp). This was followed by a delicious tenderloin carpaccio.The shrimp cocktail and seared ahi tuna were light, while the lobster and vegetable tempura and crab cakes were definitely on the heavy side. My favorite appetizer was the most simple: homemade crostini served with goat cheese that was infused with cabarnet.For a main dish, I chose the recommendation of the chef and enjoyed the New York strip steak on the bone. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned and was enough meat for multiple meals. However, my diminishing appetite may also have been due to the enormous range of side dishes: "Flemings" potatoes, two types of mashed potatoes, sauteed corn, delicious potato strings, onion rings, sauteed mushrooms, sauteed spinach, creamed spinach and, my favorite: chipotle mac and cheese. The chipotle added as smokiness and complexity to the dish. Overall the dishes were good, though again they were quite dense.

It left little room for the desserts: a chocolate lava cake, vanilla bean creme brulee and New York style cheesecake.

Another strength of the evening were the drinks. I enjoyed an unusual lemon and basil martini. The floral fragrance of the basil was a perfect foil for the tang of the lemon. Flemings offers 100 wines by the glass and I enjoyed the light 2006 McMurray Pinot Noir.

Overall, Flemings is a great choice if you are looking for comfort food, for a twist on the steakhouse restaurant and for personal service, warmth, a good steak and glass of wine. For me, while I will remember the meal fondly, I am off to exercise the night away...and then to return to Rod Dee! My son, on the other hand, downed the leftover fries the next day, while my husband happily finished off the steak.

The ICA and Dim Sum at Chau Chow City, Boston

When I told a friend that we were taking our boys to the Institute for Contemporary Art in Boston, she said, "But how can they appreciate it?" It was a great question, but for us, taking the boys, just 1 and 3 years old, to art museums serves many purposes. First, I think giving them the opportunity to see that art can be fun can start the process of demystifying museums as boring places. Second, my husband and I love art, so we can trade off who is with the kids and thus we can actually see the exhibits. Finally, it is all about preparation-enough snacks, finding art or spaces the kids will enjoy and then taking the plunge.

The ICA is fabulous for kids. When you walk in there is a great space to share a pre-exhibit snack and to make faces...in color! The elevator alone can create excitement in a child as it is completely made of glass so you can watch while you go up. Upstairs, at the end of the main exhibit is a terrific spot-a corridor that extends over the Boston Harbor. My sons could look for birds, barges, boats and watch the planes take off from Logan. And, yes, they could have another snack!

Despite eating their way through the ICA, by 11: 30 we were all hungry. So, we headed to dim sum in Chinatown. I have enjoyed Dim Sum at China Pearl and Hei Lei Moon. But today we miraculously found a parking spot outside of Chau Chow City at 83 Essex Street in Boston. Even better, there was no wait. I think Dim Sum is the perfect food with kids-from the minute you sit down the food arrives. At these 3 restaurants, carts come around with a huge range of dishes and you can point, try and get a range of foods. We order items that we know our toddler will love which often means chicken wings. But then we also order a range of other items. This time we had a delicious sauteed vegetable dish with pin noodles, dumplings with lotus seed, tofu skins wrapped around more vegetables, greens and more. My 1 year old loved the tofu with ginger syrup so much that he literally grabbed the cup and tried to suck it all down! The scene can be chaotic which diminishes any fear that your child's tantrum will disrupt the dining experience of others. Finally, although the little dishes can add up, I am always so full afterwards, that dinner preparation is easy-a plate of fruit for all!

Another Great Meal at Dante

Returning to a great food find brings the anticipation of fondly remembered dishes, service and atmosphere. But there can also be the faint hesitation that the second time might not match the memories. We had a wonderful meal in August when we went to Dante in Cambridge. (Click here for the post). In fact, a recent visit proved that it is pretty fantastic. Overall, we were struck again by the wonderful location (a perfect view of the Boston skyline and the Charles River), the excellent service and the delicious, well-crafted food.

Again, we were impressed by the service. Our waiter, Johnny was warm and disarming. It was clear that he enjoys his job and knows the food. He answered our questions informatively without being pretentious. We appreciated his honesty and his knowledge.

The food, a twist on "modern Italian", was delicious. Each plate was made of high quality ingredients that were served in an understated way-never being too fussy. We loved the new starters, known as as sfizi. (You can easily make a meal of these and they are currently being offered for $1.00 each between 4pm and 7 pm, Monday through Friday). We had a great assortment of four which complimented each other. We started with buratta cheese (a cream filled mozzarella) with candied pistachios which was one of the most wonderful things I have eaten. The cheese is homemade in house and was so tender. Somehow it was completely decadent without being too rich. But it was the candied pistachios that put it over the top. I could eat this again and again. The funghi (confit of wild mushrooms) was also delicious. The oil was so good that we mopped it up with the bread. Next we had two different types of bruchetta: pepperonata (sweet and sour peppers) and pickled eggplant. Again they were perfectly cooked and savory. The final was listed as "roast pork loin on tuna sauce" and, honestly, I am still surprised by how much I enjoyed this. The sauce was creamy without being overpowering. The dish was cool and light-a great contrast to the other dishes.

Dante is currently offering a 3 course special for $35.00. So, as part of our meal, we really began with the spaghetti a la chitarra. It was served carbonara style with incredible guanciale (air-cured pork jowl!). I loved the texture of the pasta, toothsome and hearty. The guanciale added another layer to the dish with a smoky, sweet, chewy taste.

For my main dish, I had hake from Maine roasted and served with both artichoke chips and artichokes braised, Roman style with white wine. The chips were earthy and crisp while the fish was perfectly cooked and light. My husband returned to the hanger steak, which is pictured at the top of this post (a testament to how much he enjoyed it both times). The frites (french fries with garlic and parsley) are fantastic and although we enjoyed the truffle ketchup it is can be overpowering after the first few bites. Our waiter highlighted the homemade lemon thyme aioli which was even more delicious and a better compliment for the overall richness of the dish.

For dessert we couldn't resist the fritelle pictured at the top of the post. I am truly not a donut person, but these are just incredible. They are perfectly fried and absolutely rich and tender. The four sauces, each clearly homemade are just as good-a deep dark chocolate, pure pureed raspberries, a dark caramel and my favorite, a ginger creme anglaise. (I will admit to actually being tempted to lick the plate!). They were worth every calorie.

The chocolate-chestnut semi-freddo served with homemade mint oil were very good. The texture was similar to a cross between ice cream and a frozen mousse. I would have preferred more dominance from the chestnut, but the mint was a nice contrast. The lemon panna cotta with fruit gelee was the weak point of the evening, tasting too tart.

Finally, we are also excited about the opening of Dante's next restaurant, Il Casale in Belmont, sometime this spring. The plan is for it be more rustic and to truly reflect the food of his families hometown in Candida, Italy. We will be at the new place when we can!