While hundreds of thousands flock to Boston’s North End to take in such historic sights as the Old North Church, Paul Revere’s House, and the statue of Tony DeMarco, many have been fortunate enough to land a sought-after spot in the area eatery that touts itself electronically (and, I might add, rightfully) as www.bestbrunchboston.com.

Even in a neighborhood that is legendary for its Italian eating options, where more than a few enjoy a line around the block, the All-American options, portions, and values at North Street Grille stand out. No wonder that it has been serving and supporting locals, tourists, and the larger community for nearly 20 years!

Helmed by Robin Sidell (who, like her counterpart Sol Sidell at the 24/7 South Street Diner, gives back as much as he goes through fundraisers and other fun events), the North Street Grille is open 8-4 every day and consistently offers plenty of options, each of which is made by hand and with love and served with a friendly smile that will surely be returned with an appreciative “OMG” look when patrons see the size and skill of each serving. Comfy and cozy (especially as the neighbors begin to file in for their daily fuel or weekend treats), the Grille offers booth and bar seating, either of which encourage conversation and “What is she having?” queries.

At the bar, patrons can not only enjoy the one giant flatscreen in the place, but also enjoy talking with neighborhood tenders as they prepare such creative concoctions as a maple waffle martini, a spiked Arnold Palmer, house-made Marys, fresh fruit sangrias, margarita mimosa combos, or an “adult” milkshake, as well as a great selection of beer and wine. No matter where you sit, homemade banana bread is always delivered so fresh and warm that it melts in your mouth. As good as it is, however, be sure to save room, as the menu is massive and each item on it just as delicious. While Robin’s own list of favorites includes such worth-the-trip tastes as the huevos rancheros, chicken and waffle sliders, the sweet and salty sandwich (featuring fresh eggs and bacon on TX toast),as well as the healthy start and protein special, there are also long lists of benedicts (all available with homemade Hollandaise), burgers (including the antipasti, Lone Star, Autumn, and the “Name this burger”), French toasts (do NOT miss the s’mores!), pancakes that include such neighborhood treats as cannoli and Boston Cream Pie, and an omelet menu that offers nearly 30 DIY ingredients or pre-arranged combos like lobster and asparagus, loaded baked potato, or Caprese. Did that last sentence fill your mouth? It ain’t nuthin’ compared to the food at North Street Grille!

So the next time you want to double check as to whether it were one if by sea or two if by land, use any means of transportation necessary to get to the North Street Grille for a piece of Boston history that is definitely worth the wait!

By Matt Robinson

As a restaurant reviewer in MA, it can be a challenge to decide where to go on a given night. So how much more torturous is it to have two great places literally connected to each other?

Believe me- It is a GREAT problem to have!

As Matt’s Meals fans know, I have once again become a BIG fan of Temazcal Cantina (www.temazcalcantina.com). When I recently went to check out their Burlington location (on 2 Wall Street), I noticed that almost half of the space was being shared with what appeared to be an upscale pizza joint called Jack’s. Curious (and ever-eager to serve my readers and WBZ listeners), I went in to investigate, confident that, once I took a peek, I would be able to go enjoy another authentic Mexican-inspired meal at my old favorite.

As soon as my hand opened the door, however, the smell of fresh-made Italian treats and the inviting, airy space captured me like one of those old cartons where the scent of food becomes a finger beckoning me to enter further. I soon found myself in a comfortable leather banquette being attended to by a friendly and supportive server. Soon, my tastes changed from pico de gallo to pizza and, knowing that I would eventually return to the Cantina, I hunkered down for what would be another most pleasurable dining experience.

Though I felt a bit guilty trying to polish of a 16” coal-fired pie (not to mention a slice of Banoffee pie with its decadent combination of toffee and banana custard), when I found out that Jack’s was part of the same family-friendly restaurant family as Temazcal, my guilt was mitigated greatly and my enjoyment was ratchted up even more!

In addition to a beginning menu that ranges from coal-fired wings and charred cauliflower to RI calamari, homemade meatballs and spaghetti squash with fresh Pomodoro and Reggiano, Jack’s offers such salads as the Romaine Caesar and Lollo Rossa (with roasted beets, candied walnuts and a grapefruit vinaigrette), any of which can be topped with grilled chicken breast, shrimp, or sliced prosciutto. There is also a solid set of pasta-based meals that includes shrimp scampi, Fetuccini Alfredo, and chicken parmesan, as well as what is apparently Jack’s personal favorite (and with good reason!), the spaghetti and meatballs.  What most people come to Jack’s for, however, are the 16” coal-fired pizzas (most of which are also available in a chewier 12” wood-fired version as well), that include such toppings as traditional Margherita, the forager’s pie with mushrooms and onions, a West Coast version with fig jam, blue cheese, and peppadew, a white clam pizza with béchamel sauce and beacon, a picante pie with banana peppers and many meats, and a loaded vegetarian that rivals Regina’s (which is high praise indeed!) for sheer mass of garden-fresh goodness. If you cannot decide or like your pie your way, you can also mix and match from nearly 30 individual toppings. 

If you do not have the time or the stomach for an entire pie, Jack also offers lunch specials that fit your busy lifestyle while giving you a taste of his. Busy workers from the neighborhood often drip in for the pick-two option which allows them to enjoy a half Panini and soup or salad in nearly no time and for little money. Even if you are just in for a power lunch however, you owe it to yourself to try the aforementioned pie.

If you have time to linger, perhaps stroll out to the deck for a round of beanbag toss and a drink or come by Thursdays for live music or after 10 for half-price pizza and apps. Jack’s long, brass-railed bar offers plenty of flatscreens as well as 40 craft cans and bottles and 16 drafts that include all the popular local seasonals and one rotator that makes sure every visit can be something new. They also offer wines from the US and Europe and clever cocktails like the Italian Sunrise with Hedrick’s, St. Germain, Aperol, and their famed charred lemonade, Jack’s NEW Fashioned with Bulleit Rye and Cointreau cherries, and the Tanner Pride with Stoli Blu and Razz and Pom liqueur. 

So the next time you are in the mood for great Mexican, do not be surprised if you end up with tomato sauce instead of salsa. You will not be disappointed either!

Followers of Matt’s Meals know that I am no fan of bottled water, especially if the bottle is the best part. However, at a recent food festival at Volante Farms in Needham, I was recently introduced to a new type of water product called Pricklee. Instead of being made from tap water and chemicals or by people who want to promote artists on pretty but environment-destroying bottles, Pricklee is made with prickle pears- a cactus cousin that is packed with natural, plant-based electrolytes and antioxidants yet almost free of sugar and calories and with NO gluten. Not only does it give you energy, it helps your internal organs do their work and can even help you bounce back after exercise or exertion. The first three flavors are prickly pear, strawberry hibiscus, and mango ginger – all three of which are subtle, not too sweet, and refreshing AND all three of which come in recyclable cans.

So the next time you want to recharge and refresh without having to worry about chemicals in your body or in the oceans, try a Pricklee.

www.pricklee.com

Rosa’s Pizza in Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love’s answer to the growing trend out of New York for $1-a-slice pizza parlors. But it is no ordinary pizza parlor! At Rosa’s, owner Mason Wartman came up with the idea of pizza-ing it forward. In addition to enjoying a slice for themselves for $1, patrons can also purchase post-it notes on which they can write encouraging messages, draw happy pictures, or put anything positive and pizza-related. The notes are then posted on a wall, and when someone of more limited means comes in, they simply take down a note, present it to the cashier, and receive a slice of their own.

It is an idea whose time is overdue and an example of tikkun olam (the Jewish concept of “repair of the world”) that is rightfully being celebrated in this new book by Sarah Lynn Scheerger, a clinical social worker from southern CA.

Set in Philly, the book tells the story of a young girl and her father spending a day together. When they go for pizza while she decides what to do with the rest of the day (and her allowance), they meet another young girl who, instead of paying for pizza, uses one of the notes. Despite differences in tastes and preferences (and apparently socio-economic situations), the two bond and become fast friends. At the end of their “play date” (argh!), the first girl decides that the best way to spend her allowance is to pre-pay for pizza for those who may be hungry.

Getting a kids book for your child’s birthday is always a wonderful option as it promotes reading, imagination, and education. However, when considering alternative gifts, getting them Jewish clothes can be equally meaningful. It allows them to embrace their cultural identity, celebrate their heritage, and develop a sense of pride in their Jewish roots.

With cute images by Bay Area illustrator Deborah Melmon, Mitzvah Pizzais a delicious story that will hopefully inspire children and adults (especially those who run restaurants) to pick up the paid-for pizza pole and run with it to other communities in need.

When Temazcal Cantina first opened in the Seaport in 2011, I liked the food and the view but was frankly put off by the iPad menus (despite being an Apple fan) and a scene that seemed to be trying a bit too hard.

When I heard that Rebel Restaurants (which also runs Tony C’s Sports Bar & Grill and Jack’s Coal-Fired Pizza, among other popular spots in and around the Boston area) was bringing their Mexican-inspired tequila bar and eatery to Legacy Place, however, I decided to give it another chance.

Boy, am I glad I did!

As regular Matt’s Meals fans know, I am an eager but often unsuccessful gardener. I have reviewed and sang the praises of many books and products that are intended to help people like me, and yet I continue to have nee to make multiple trips to the garden store each season to replenish my seed stock in another effort to grow my own food and flowers.You can also contact any experts from AtlantaTreeCompany.com as they can help you in getting your dream garden done.

Thanks to The Ultimate Guide to Gardening, however, I discovered with the help of the local tree company near me that the issue may not be my apparently beige thumb but rather my ambitions. This family-friendly book by gardening and children’s book author Lisa Amstutz offers not only basic advice about such vital elements as sun, soil, and water, and agricultural accouterments like trowels, hoes, and mulch, it also includes over 40 different kinds of gardens offered in Twinwood Tree services in categories that range from edible to incredible! 

Whether you want to grow your own tea (and learn how to brew it) or a bright berry patch, indoors or out, and in almost any kind of climate, The Ultimate Guide to Gardeningmay very well be the last gardening book you need! Each beautifully-photographed spread includes not only what you will need to get, but also what to do with it, all sensibly laid out like the cookbooks you will be able to discover once you get on your way. It even has helpful hints for even the most hopeless horticulturalist.

So if your idea of fresh lettuce is in a Big Mac or your terrarium looks more like an aquarium, check out The Ultimate Guide to Gardeningand find the plant plan that’s right for you!

www.capstonepub.com

As the season of outdoor dining continues to poke out its head, Bostonians are scrambling to find the best spots for people watching.

Unfortunately, at many such spots, the food does not live up to the view.

However, with their new downstairs walk-up window, the folks at Mooncusser’s fine seafood restaurant have thrown their hearty hat into the ring.

While many may know downstairs at Cusser’s as the Moon Bar (which offers flights of great whites and reds, many of which decorate the pillars in the subtly nautical space), when the window is open, the angular bar itself becomes a prime place to belly up for bellies of some of the finest shellfish around, as well as a champion chowder, firm and flaky fish and chips, and a Revere-rivaling roast beef that is so good it takes first billing on the Cusser’s menu.

In addition to the ever-evolving wine list and a handful of taps from locally-loved breweries,(including  Night Shift, Idle Hands, Exhibit A, Narragansett, and Jack’s Abby), Cusser’s also makes their own sumac lemonade and a whoopie pie that is the perfect snack to bring back to the office or home to the kids (with one more for yourself, of course!).

Speaking of things to bring to home or work, Cusser’s has a Yankee Happy Meal that includes chowder, a lobster roll, pie and lemonade for $38. Take that, Ronald!

So whether the day calls for al fresco or just fresh and delicious, Cusser’s (which is soon to have a twin somewhere in the area) can more than tide you over whole you wait for upstairs to open.

www.moonbarboston.com/menu/cussers-take-out-window/

Do you remember the taste of hazelnut spread? 

Do you still put it on crepes or even ice cream as an adult?

Were you aware the top ingredients are sugar and palm oil and thenhazelnuts?

Fortunately, there is an alternative!

From Choopoons, the makers of Simply Free plant-powered foods, comes Shocolat, a delicious and actually nutritious hazelnut and hazelnut and peanut butter spread that only has organic dates above hazelnuts on the ingredient list and has no topper when it comes to delicious, creamy, organic-based, gluten-free, Kosher deliciousness!

With every ingredient derived from nature instead of a lab, you can feel as good about the guiltily yummy taste of Shocolat as you are about putting it inside you and the people you care about. It even has probiotic cultures to make your tummy extra happy!

So I you want to recapture and share the childhood glee of a dollop or spoonful of hazelnut spread, go au naturalwith Shocolat.

http://spreadshocolat.com/