Restaurants

Firing up the Family Grill

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Summer is coming and that means it is time to start looking forward to spending more great times with two things – family and a grill.

What better time to check in with our friends the Iliades family at Farm Grill and Rotisserie in Newton?

In addition to such Hellenistic hits as their spicy Feta spread, tender grape leaves with aromatic herbs, tzatziki made with homemade Greek yogurt and Greek olive oil, flaky spanikopita, rich and hearty pastitzio, and traditional village salad with homemade dressing that you can (and should) take home, the Grill also offers everything from beef kabobs and rotisserie chicken to octopus salad on their always-refreshing (and mouthwatering) steam table. In their eternal quest to support other family businesses while offering the best products around, Farm Grill recently began offering Vermont-raised organic lamb that can be specially prepared for weddings, graduation parties, and other events either at Farm Grill or at your location with just a week’s notice!

Apparently, they may even be selling a great book about the Ivy League (www.lionstigersbulldogs.com) soon as well!

As we open up our windows to let in the warmer air, Farm Grill is also opening its doors for longer hours (another great sign of COVID recovery!), staying open on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights until 9 PM and opening Sundays for on-site private events that offer all of the family-fueled flavor without any family cleanup!

And if you want more amazingly authentic, fresh, and flavorful Greek food, drink, and gifts for summer or any time of year, he sure to visit Farm Grill’s sister store, the Greek International Food Market in West Roxbury.

Either way, you are sure to bring your family something νόστιμο (“nóstimo”) every time!

www.farm-grill.com / https://greekintlmarket.com

Neighbors Helping Neighbors

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As Matt’s Meals fans know, I am admittedly not the biggest Indian food fan, but I LOVE Shanti.

While we wait for them to come to Needham, my family and I will venture to Roslindale or even back to my old hometowns of Cambridge and Dorchester to enjoy (and I mean “ENJOY”!) their authentically contemporary tastes, like their worth-the-trip hand-baked naan and fresh and refreshing mango lassi and their amazing curry dishes, vegetable plates, and exotic meat offerings.

Speaking of great food in Cambridge , the Shanti team is planning to bring their sister restaurant, Dudley Café, from Dudley Square in Roxbury (hence the name!) to Porter Square in Cambridge as well and are asking for help by offering a great reward to fans and friends even before they open!

Using the community finance tool NuMarket, the Dudley Café crew is crowdfunding the new venue by offering a 120% return on any investment. This means that when you donate $100, you get $120 in credit to spend at the new location. And with a menu that ranges from delicious day-starters like thick and rich challah French toast and a breakfast sandwich that includes egg, sauteed spinach, cheese and the Café’s house sauce to a lunch break’s worth of rice bowls and such hand-y favorites as the PAC Man (pulled pork, Asian slaw and chipotle mayo) and the famed No. 34 sandwich (which features grass-fed local roast beef with caramelized onions, sweet potatoes, and greens on French bread), any amount of credits will be easy to spend!

In addition to offering great food, Dudley Café is also a community space that presents local artists and events that bring people together in ways that go beyond shared meals (as good as they may be!).
In encouraging donors to enjoy the fruits of their generosity, the Shanti/Dudley team hopes to build a true community of food fans who also want to support local businesses, even if those businesses are worth visiting from not-so-local locales.

Please visit ShantiBoston.com and DudleyCafe.com and join the community!

Back to the Track

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I have long been a fan of Rail Trail Flatbread Company and its sister ice cream stop New City Microcreamery and so was thrilled to hear how successful the Valentine’s Day event that we recently promoted was.! 

Apparently, people came from miles around to pick up the special heart-shaped pizzas they made that we decorated with poems by neighborhood second grade students. Speaking of students, Rail Trail’s recent Teachers Appreciation Day event on May 2 was another hit, with scores of area educators dropping by for a well-deserved free lunch.

To keep the good vibes going (and the event calendar full), New City will be participating the Best Buddies walk at Polar Park in Worcester on Saturday, May 13, to help even more neighbors in need get support. On the 13th and 14th, they will also offer special Mother’s Day meals featuring their famed flatbreads and other delicious delights. The next weekend, Rail Trail will join their newest neighbors in Milford, MA (which was recently added to their sought-out addresses in Hudson, Sudbury, and Cambridge) by participating in that town’s terrific Milford Day festivities. As usual, proceeds from sales of their flatbreads and nitrogen-smoothed ice creams will go to support community organizations. May 21 also marks the eighth birthday of the talented team and their terrific treats- I can hardly believe it has been so long since I first fell in love with them!

As they are so dedicated to offering great food and doing so much good for others, it is no surprise that Rail Trail and New City have so many fun and productive events planned. There is even talk of presentations of a book about the Ivy league in the works!

Even if it is just an allegedly average day, however, Rail Trail and New City make any meal special and any day worth celebrating!

https://railtrailflatbread.com / https://newcitymicrocreamery.com/

Southern Charm on 95 North

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As Matt’s Meals fans know, I am a BIG fan of Southern Food.

And while I am yet to find a totally authentic experience in Boston, I am glad to say that I only had to go a bit south to get the flavor of some of my favorite foods

While looking for places in Providence to sell the book on the Ivy League I wrote in honor of my late father’s time at Brown, I was advised by David Dadekian of the RI Food Council to check out Kin.

Thank you, David!!!

From the honey butter cornbread and fried green tomatoes to the chicken and waffles and beignets with Café Du Monde-recalling powdered sugar to the fried chicken and blackened salmon sliders and a side of candied sweet potatoes that doubles as dessert, Kin has everything a Southern food fan could want, all made by authentic imports from the homeland of great American food and cooked with all their familial love. Even their vinegar-based hot sauce is homemade (and worth buying a bottle on your way out)!

Speaking of delicious liquids, Kin also has “Dranks” like the new-fangled Old Fashioned called Cut the Check (featuring Uncle Nearest 1884 small-batch Whiskey), the rum-rockin’ Juju Juice (which is available in a sharable fish bowl), and a Sweet Tea and Henessey-based drink worthy of Busta Rhymes. 

In addition to supporting the great food community that is Providence, Kin also supports Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the RI Black Film Fest and will also be hosting their own Juneteenth block party on June 16. They also offer a Derby Day party (which will take place this year on May 6) that will make everyone yearn for their Old Kentucky Home.

So the next time you want to put some real South in yo’ mouth, all you gotta’ do is head down 95 South to get some 100% authentic (and delicious) food.

www.kinpvd.com / www.rifoodcouncil.org

Just Like “Nonna”

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Known for such award-winning Harvard-area hangs as Alden & Harlow, The Longfellow Bar, and Waypoint, Chef Michael Scelfo is crossing the border to Somerville with his latest sure-to-be hit, Josephine. In so doing, he is also crossing a larger border (both in terms of time and space) to the kitchen of the Sicilian grandmother after whom the new spot is named.

While Scelfo has brought joy to many diners with the amazing food and fun and funky atmospheres of his current locations, when it came to his new place, he looked back at the kitchen experiences that brought him the most joy and one woman appeared in nearly all of them. In addition to inspiring his recipes and commitment to culinary excellence, Scelfo’s Nonna Josephine also inspired him as a restaurateur and family man who is already passing Scelfo traditions to his own descendants.

While the menu is sure to offer something for every family, Josephine’s focus is on pizzas that range from comfortably classic to creatively contemporary. From a  heavy hitting deep dish edition made with a butter crust and whole milk mozzarella to the Hella good Rosemary’s Baby with roasted chicken, potato, fontina, and caramelized onion to the “peppy” white pie with clam sauce, pecorino and a ton of garlic, the options are plentiful and all delicious. If you are not up for a pie, Scelfo will also be sure nobody goes home hungry with other treats like dry-aged meatballs, a smoked and chilled veal shoulder, a zesty roasted olive plate, warm Focaccia with tomatoes and Crecenza cheese, and fantastic finishers like their torched rice pudding and traditional olive oil cake.

To compliment these complement-worthy creations, Josephine’s bar offers martinis on tap garnished with flavored gelatins as well as many Italian and American wines and beers. And if these are not refreshing enough Josephine’s has an outdoor seating area with a roaring firepit for al fresco alla Siciliano!

Nonna Jo would be proud and you should be getting over for dinner soon!

www.josephinepizza.com

The Brothers are BACK ;)

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Many years ago, I sang the praises of a great restaurant just outside of Boston called Brothers. It not only offered great food made by – you guessed it – a set of brothers, but it also featured amazing music by two of the most talented brothers in the area – Bill and Bo Winiker. 

When COVID shut the restaurant down, I was worried that the music would be over too. Fortunately, not only have the restaurant and the band returned, but they are now even closer to where I live!

The talented team behind Brothers recently took over Cook in Needham center. While I had not been there basically since Covid started, my return to the restaurant was well worth the wait! 

Not only does the simple but ample menu feature such tempting treats as charred broccoli with chimichurri sauce, a pita and dip set with creamy whipped feta cheese and zingy za’atar sauce, and an intricately-flavored sesame, mandarin salad that can be topped with falafel, chicken, shrimp, or salmon, as well as great burgers, pizzas and specials, but also great drinks, like the tequila and Mezcal-based Cactus Cooler, a spicy pineapple Margarita, and the wicked fresh Cranberry Bog.

Though the kids menu is less ample than that meant for older eaters, all the options are spot on and well-made. Our girls loved the chicken fingers and pasta, but suggested that they may get burgers or mac and cheese next time.

And then, of course, there is the music! Not only have Bill and Bo played at the White House, the closing of the old Boston Garden, and the opening of the new one, and at Symphony Hall, they also played my wedding and are booked for a number of future family celebrations. They are, to put it mildly, the best of the best! So to be able to hear their music while enjoying delicious quality food in a comfortable neighborhood place (that just happens to be in my neighborhood) made for a great way to spend an evening and I look forward to doing it again soon and often.

www.cookneedham.com / http://www.winikermusic.com

Expanding the Villa

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I know that I have said it before, but I LOVE Donut Villa.

And though the name may not do justice to the amazing and amazingly varied menu (all of which is, as I said, amazing!), the fact that the name has stuck for over 50 years and what started as one donut-forward store in Malden has since expanded to Cambridge, Newton, and now Arlington (what, no Needham?!) is reason enough to offer this amazing (did I say that?) place more press.

Though the sign may now say “Brunch Club and Bar,” this additional explanation still does not do the Villa justice. After all, what donut shop or brunch place has a full bar featuring local favorites and flavors from further afield and enough lunch and dinner items to come back multiple times a day? 

While the “donut” part of the name is dead-on, as they have some of the most amazing (sorry!) and creative flavors around and while they make some of the most creative and delicious meals out of them, including donut-based sandwiches, pizzas, and a maple donut bread pudding that is worth a trip on its own, the Brunch Club has plenty of bagels, Benedicts, and Boston cream pancakes, but also offers the VIlla chili bowl, chicken parmesan, steak tips, salads, subs, and a tuna sandwich that is also worth its own trip (especially when paired with their amazing pickle fries!). There is also a wide range of vegetarian and vegan options as well (including a vegan BLT, vegan grilled cheese, and a faux but fabulous chicken and waffles) so everyone can come again and again and perhaps even find themselves full before they pick up some donuts for the road (as if they will ever make it home!).

A well-known writer *(whose own name I cannot recall right now, but I surely Will soon) once asked “What’s in a name?” When it comes to Donut Villa Brunch Club and Bar, there is certainly a whole lot more!

www.DonutVila.com

Follow the Trail to New City love

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Many moons ago, I sang the praises of a restaurant and ice cream shop in Hudson, MA, that offered everything from amazing pizzas to an authentic speakeasy (complete with a secret password!) to incredible ice cream…and MORE! 

Since last we lauded, a lot has been happening, so I wanted to catch you all up and tempt you all over again.

Rail Trail Flatbread is still a favorite destination that is always coming up with great new tastes and treats and that has devised some extra-special offerings for Valentine’s Day. The main room will offer a set of heart-shaped flatbreads that will feature poems by second graders at the nearby Farley School while the swanky Greater Than Less Than will host aromantic four-course meal featuring their craft kitchen and creative cocktails. And even if you have no interest in the so-called “big game,” a made-from-scratch party platter from Rail Trail can make any given Sunday better!

New City Creamery uses fresh local ingredients (including milk from Mapleline Farm in Hadley, MA) and liquid nitrogen to create a creamy ice cream that even hours of hand churning cannot replicate and tops it with such funky “funk” faves as repurposed waffle cone and chocolate chip cookie crumbs, shredded coconut toasted with cocoa powder, and even butter-baked Trix cereal coated in white chocolate!  As we wait for a new Rail Trail in Milford, New City has also expanded into Sudbury and is also being sold at Whole Foods and even in many All Town Fresh gas stations! In the meantime, their Central Square location continues to go toe-to-toe with local legend Toscanini’s…and often wins. Even better, they may be selling my book on the Ivy League soon to their many Harvard-affiliated fans!

So that’s the latest in what is clearly an ever-developing story. Rest assured, Matt’s Meals will keep you posted, but for now, I am off to Hudson and soon to Cambridge for a book event and some of the best ice cream around.

I hope to see you there!

https://railtrailflatbread.com / https://newcitymicrocreamery.com

Burning (Lost) Love

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Many people see Valentine’s Day as a day to celebrate their love and festoon their beloved with gifts and romantic expressions.

Others, however, see it as a day of pain and heartbreak when old loves come back to haunt like a delayed Halloween with all the candy and tricks but none of the treats.

For these people Horse Thieves Tavern in Dedham, MA, has an idea- Bring a little Dia de los Muertos in and burn the images of your spurners in effigy while enjoying great food and drink!

On February 12, Horse Thieves will bring back their Galentines brunch, bubbles, and burn, at which guests are not only invited but encouraged to bring images of past lovers to either delete forever or physically destroy by tossing them into the Tavern’s enormous fireplace.  You can also check this new post about the importance of keeping paystubs.

While guests are symbolically spindling, folding, and mutilating, Chef Bruno Borges will offer un-romantic but still delicious foods like his fiery shakshuka, comforting French toast (made with Nashoba Brook Bakery bread), and cooling yogurt parfaits. For those who want to burn stuff on their own, the Tavern’s worth-the-trip cast iron s’mores sets will be available. Appropriate music will also be offered to help previously-glum guests light their fires without burning down the house.

When it is time to put out the flames (or to help kindle new ones), the Tavern offers a rotating set of international beers and wines as well as such singular sippers as their smooth and citrusy Bourbon renewal, floral and fizzy hibiscus mule, and their signature house punch (which may also work well on an ex-lover….).

Even if you are fortunate (at least in your own opinion) enough to have a partner, the Tavern is always a great place to drop in. From skillet cornbread and Buffalo-style cauliflower to chicken tagine, grilled Faroe Island salmon, and their homemade Horse Thieves hummus, the Tavern offers an international range of foods that are all homemade and soon-to-be- familiar (if they are not already).

Unhappy Valentine’s Day!

www.horsethievestavern.com

Harvest great food and fun in Harvard Square

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While fall is typically considered a time for Harvest, when it comes to enjoying the bounty that results, Harvest in Harvard Square has been a staple for decades.

As my book is about the Ivy League, I have been hanging around Harvard a good deal of late and always make an effort to at least grab a drink at one of the Square’s longest-lasting and most popular venues. While there, I often take a peek at the latest offerings, all of which I know are made with the freshest local ingredients and, even after 45 years, the same great creativity.

From such stellar starters as smoked eggplant ravioli, lobster and shrimp fondue, and duck-based bacon to butter-basted ribeye and scallop ratatouille, as well as a bountiful board of locally-sourced cheeses, Harvest always has something (or, to be more precise, LOTS of somethings) to satisfy every taste, thanks to Executive Chef Nicholas Deutmeyer and Executive Pastry Chef Tab Volpe.  

Speaking of desserts, Harvest is also a great place to drop by after theater or some other Harvard-area activity to enjoy everything from cinnamon rolls to Concord grape tarts to a rotating selection of housemade ice creams and sorbets. In short, Harvest is always a great place to enjoy all that our region has to offer! 

On February 26, Harvest will up the attraction when they bring back their popular Ice Party to remind people of how much fun winter can be.

Featuring hearty chili and fresh charcuterie, as well as adult snow cones, ice luge Michter’s old fashioneds, and a special Karmin Amber Ale from Lamplighter Brewing, the 80’s-themed thermal throwdown will also offer music and, of course, amazing food.

Tickets are $60/person and include two drink tickets, as well as all the food and entertainment a would-be hibernator can handle

As if the food and fun were not enough, a portion of ticket sales and a raffle will both benefit Furnishing Hope of Massachusetts, a charity that provides support for families transitioning out of homelessness.

www.harvestcambridge.com