Restaurants Archives - Page 3 of 27

Restaurants

Chicago-style Italian beef springs up near Boston

Posted on August 5, 2023August 5, 2023 by Pat and David

Like many food-crazed Americans, we were mesmerized by the Hulu TV show, The Bear. We even recreated the act-of-love boursin omelet in episode 9 of season 2. (The critical element, we learned, is not putting the beaten eggs through a sieve. Crumbling sour-cream-and-onion crinkle-cut potato chips on top makes all the difference.) Okay. We could do that. And did. And even made our own boursin substitute with goat cheese, Greek yogurt, grated garlic, and chopped chives. It was every bit as good as the original. But there was no way that we were going to experience the show's Italian-American Chicago beef sandwich without an expensive road trip. Or so we thought, until Devra First in the Boston Globe tipped us off to Culinary Delights (229...Read More

Beard-honored chef draws on deep roots

Posted on June 27, 2023June 27, 2023 by Pat and David

Chef Sherry Pocknett broke new ground when she was named the 2023 Best Chef Northeast by the James Beard Foundation. Pocknett is the first Indigenous chef to win the honor. A member of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, she got her start in the restaurant industry years ago at the Flume in Mashpee, Massachusetts. Her uncle Earl Mills, who championed Native foods at the Flume, was famous for his shad roe preparations. She spent many years catering powwows and special events. She also served as food and beverage manager at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center adjacent to the Foxwoods casino. Her current restaurant is a small spot on the side of Rhode Island's Route 2 with overflow seating at outdoor picnic tables. It's casual...Read More

Bar Enza’s breezy fare summons Italian summer

Posted on June 20, 2023June 17, 2023 by Pat and David

We explain the title of this website with the subtitle ‶Bringing the tastes of travel back home.″ Sometimes, though, tastes close to home can be transporting in themselves. It's the middle of June and we're already pining for summer on the Italian coast. But in our case, we can get a dose of that sublime experience by going to Bar Enza (Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St.; 617-661-5050; bar-enza.com) in Harvard Square. It's nice that the food and wines of the Cinqueterre, the Amalfi Coast, or the beach at Capri are a 10-minute walk from our home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We have chef Tony Susi to thank for that. Since he took over the helm at Bar Enza in April, he's crafted menus that embody the...Read More

Gavi is Italian for vibrant Piemontese white wine

Posted on June 14, 2023June 14, 2023 by Pat and David

Talk about terroir! Chiara Soldati (above) sums up her family's attitude about the Cortese grape and the village of Gavi. ‶I believe in the native grapes,″ she said at a luncheon at Lola 42 (lola42.com) in the Boston Seaport. ‶In Italy, we are caretakers of so many local flavors. By drinking wine, you understand more about the country.″ Since establishing La Scolca (lascolca.net/en) in 1919, the Soldati family has proven that the Cortese grape can make serious white wines. And they've done it in Italy's Piemonte region, famous for its reds made from Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. This is the district of Barolo and Barbaresco — big reds that rival their counterparts in France's Bordeaux and Burgundy regions. Working with the Cortese grape, the Soldati...Read More

Green chile’s culinary apotheosis at Bishop’s Lodge

Posted on May 26, 2023May 15, 2023 by Pat and David

It might be a relative newcomer to the Santa Fe scene, but Bishop's Lodge (1297 Bishops Lodge Road, Santa Fe, 505-390-323; aubergeresorts.com/bishopslodge) became one of our go-to spots in the city. Established in 2021, the resort is just four miles north of the Santa Fe Plaza, yet feels like a stylish oasis in the mountain desert. Lit by late-day sun and backed up by the Sangre de Cristo mountains and the impressive cumulus clouds that coalesce above them, the resort projects an iconic presence at the crest of a small hill. We found ourselves gravitating to the resort's lounge and restaurant, SkyFire, for its tranquility and for its striking sunset views. During our stay in Santa Fe, the great Nacha Mendez (nachamendez.com/events) was playing the...Read More

Green chile puts bite in Hawt Pizza at Low ‘n Slow

Posted on May 9, 2023May 8, 2023 by Pat and David

The Low 'n Slow bar inside Santa Fe's Hotel Chimayo (125 Washington Ave, Santa Fe; 505-216-1066; hotelchimayo.com) draws its inspiration from the Lowrider culture of northern New Mexico. Inside the bar, that translates into hot car artwork and chrome hub caps. The hotel's own modified 1964 Chevy Impala might be parked out front. Hotel guests can climb in to cruise around town on a guided tour. The bar isn't just for drinking (though the Chimayóso Margarita rimmed with Chimayó red chile is certainly popular). Half the space is devoted to Hawt Pizza Co. The roughly 12-inch pies are adequate to feed two people with modest appetites. But they're good enough that many folks want their own. As a nice stylistic compromise between New York thin...Read More

Green Chile Chronicles begin in Cimarron, NM

Posted on April 24, 2023April 17, 2023 by Pat and David

Green chile isn't just a vegetable — it's the iconic flavor of New Mexico. It's a motif that runs through almost all of our experiences in the state. Once we crossed the line from Oklahoma into New Mexico, we could have driven straight to the little Santa Fe casita that we had rented for the month of April. Instead, we hightailed it to Cimarron, a mountain town right out of the Old West. We went for the St. James Hotel (617 South Collison Avenue, Cimarron, NM; 575-376-2664; exstjames.com). The hostelry is the stuff of Western legend — plus it also serves green chile mac-and-cheese in its barroom restaurant. Founded in 1861, Cimarron was a trading crossroads where the high plains met the Rocky Mountains. After...Read More

Chicken at Stroud’s skips the fryolator

Posted on April 21, 2023April 13, 2023 by Pat and David

When we researched Kansas City, Kansas, we expected to find that the James Beard Foundation had bestowed the America's Classic designation on a barbecue joint. But instead, the Beard folks have honored Stroud's as “The Home of Pan Fried Chicken.” Actually, Stroud's did begin life as a barbecue restaurant in the 1930s, but introduced pan fried chicken during World War II when beef was scarce. The original Stroud's, which sounds like a colorful joint, closed in 2006. But the pan fried chicken has demonstrated real staying power. The restaurant now has three locations including the one we visited in Overland Park (8301 West 135th Street, Overland Park, Kansas; 913-499-0135; stroudsrestaurant.com). The modern restaurant sits in a little shopping mall. But our waitress told us that...Read More

Who could pass up a hot salami sandwich?

Posted on April 19, 2023April 20, 2023 by Pat and David

We made an exception of scheduling only dinner at James Beard American Classics when we discovered an irresistible deli/sandwich shop in a city we'd be passing around noon. Besides, it was only a 10 minute detour from the interstate to enjoy lunch in a historic Italian American neighborhood in St. Louis. How could we possible drive past? Gioia's Deli (1934 Macklind Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-776-9410, gioiasdeli.com) has anchored a corner of “The Hill” in St. Louis since 1918. It sits across the street from Berra Park in the Italian American neighborhood. Although the park is not named for Yogi Berra, the Yankees catcher and manager did grow up here and locals are happy to point you to his house. We like to imagine that...Read More

St. Elmo Steak House is Indianapolis classic

Posted on April 17, 2023April 13, 2023 by Pat and David

St. Elmo Steak House (127 South Illinois Street, Indianapolis, Indiana; 317-635-0636; stelmos.com) sits in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, near Lucas Oil Stadium. It's the snazziest America's Classic that we've encountered. “Famous Since 1902,” the dining room turned out to be a bit more formal, fancy, and (frankly) expensive, than we were bargaining for. Fortunately, St. Elmo also boasts a “Chicago saloon-style” bar, built around an actual wooden bar made by the Brunswick family of bowling alley fame for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. There are a few tables in the bar area, but grabbed a couple of barstools to watch the action while we ate and drank. St. Elmo's was busy enough to be lively, but not so busy that the bartenders didn't have...Read More