A few of my family members have attended Lamb Jam Boston for the past 3 years. This was our first time joining them. I don't think I've mentioned this lately but my SIBO and Lactose Intolerance have been lessened greatly. I have been able to eat some dairy along with Lactaid pills since September. With that knowledge I was finally able to join in for this gourmet competition. Lamb Jam Boston included 16 competing restaurants, multiple beverage vendors, a DJ, and a few extra activities! We arrived on time after circling the area for a parking spot and had a short wait for the line to move. Once inside we started at the front and made our way clockwise starting at our left. Over the next couple of hours I tried small bites, elegant plates, tacos, sandwiches, soups, dumplings, and more! The portions the restaurants provide are not small by any means! I tried to eat as many as I could but I missed out on 4 restaurants. Here's a list of the restaurants from Lamb Jam Boston's Facebook Page: Chefs will be divided into 4 Global Flavor categories. ASIAN The Honey Paw | Mami Portland | Simjang | Sulmona Restaurant LATIN Commonwealth Cambridge | Cook & Brown Public House | Moody's Delicatessen & Provisions | Townsman MEDITERRANEAN Emilitsa Greek Restaurant | Little Donkey | The Salted Slate | Spoke Wine Bar MIDDLE EASTERN Central Provisions / Tipo | Moxy | Our Fathers | Sarma I'll start with the restaurants I didn't enjoy. The Arepa from Backroom at Moody's wasn't made to order. Unfortunately, that meant that the bun was dry and the cheese was congealed and stuck to the bread. The Al Pastor from Backroom at Moody's also wasn't very good. The flavor was fine but there was a gritty and unpleasant texture. Here are some of the great dishes I tried! The Smoked Lamb Rib with za'atar honey glaze from Little Donkey was flavorful and had a wonderful texture. The Lamb Merguez - harissa, halloumi, spring pea + mint tabbouleh, tehina (minus the hallumi) from Our Fathers was bold and balanced. Finally, my personal top 3 dishes. The Za'atar Roasted Lamb Falafel with split pea hummus, miso tahini, and amba from Sarma was a large portion, savory, creamy, and still had texture from the falafel. The Lamb Dumplings - aromatic broth, grilled ramps, basil, annatto oil from The Honey Paw offered a wonderful dumpling dough with chew but a soft texture filling and the accompanying broth had a wonderful depth to it. The Kohitsujiyaki - dashi batter, sake kasu marinated and roasted lamb belly, kewpie, okonomi sauce, katsuobushi, benishoga, negi from Mami were so good I went back again! The hot, savory, sweet, and satisfying bite were amazing. My vote went to Mami but I can completely understand how The Honey Paw won as their dumplings were outstanding! If you are ever in the Portland, Maine area, be sure to dine at The Honey Paw and Mami. We ordered take out from The Honey Paw back when we stayed in Portland this past February and you can read about it here. In addition to these amazing dishes I tried a couple of cocktails. I enjoyed the Jager Punch Tail, and the Bombay Sapphire Mule. In addition to these drinks were Super Fun Wines, Brooklyn Bel Air, Lagunitas, Peroni, plus a variety of non-alcoholic options. Keep a look out for information on and definitely give Lamb Jam Boston 2019 a try!
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May 2018 On Sunday mornings the Museum of Fine Arts Boston opens at 10 am. Knowing that we had plans for Lamb Jam later in the day we went right at Opening. The three of us wandered through almost all of the museum starting at the top and ending at the current exhibits. We wandered through contemporary art, European art, American art, Sculptures, and more. A few of my favorites here are paintings by Kahlo, Monet, Van Gogh, Pollock, and Degas. Before we left the museum we stopped into the New American Cafe and enjoyed the view of a glass sculpture by Chihuly. We opted to sit at the bar area and our server welcomed us with waters and menus. We ordered some wine along with a cheese plate, chips, and spring rolls for a light lunch.
The MFA should be on the list of locals, visitors, and anyone looking to enjoy a day in Boston. Opus Restaurant in Salem MA doesn't take reservations for parties under 6. With that in mind the 5 of us arrived and put our name in with the hostess. We were told it would be about a 45 minute wait and we could see if there were seats at the bar or go downstairs to the 2nd bar area.
We opted for seats downstairs and were able to watch a band setting up for tonight's show. We ordered a few cocktails and beers and chatted away. After a while we decided to order some appetizers and it's a good thing we did our wait ended up being about an hour and 20 minutes. We ordered the shishito peppers, Berkshire pork dumplings, semolina dusted calamari, and the Korean chili grilled octopus. All of these dishes went fast! We thoroughly enjoyed all of these dishes even the extra hot shishito peppers. Once our table was ready we headed back up to the main dining area. Unfortunately, the 5 of us were put at what was essentially a table for 4. Another round of cocktails were ordered and we also decided to try a few more appetizers. Our 2nd round were the deviled eggs, steak tartare (special), and Gonfietti (sage dough, Coppa, and ricotta). I wasn't thrilled with the steak tartare. The flavor was fine but the cuts on the steak were too large and very unappealing. For entrees we ordered the short rib udon, Opus chicken and waffles, spicy tuna roll, pork belly tacos, and another special of the evening. The short rib udon was just average, the chicken and waffles were delicious, the spicy tuna roll was average, the pork belly tacos were stale tasting, and the special was good. I definitely wouldn't return to the restaurant with a larger group but I would return for good music, good drinks, and excellent small plates. May 2018 Our cousin from Ohio was visiting Boston for Lamb Jam and had a few days for sightseeing. On a very cold and windy day we visited Castle Island. Castle Island is a short drive from Boston and offers a fort, walking paths, a take away restaurant, and plenty of parking. The area is very relaxing with places to enjoy a picnic, a run, a walk, watch planes landing at Logan Airport, and so much more. The island is also pet friendly and Fred has joined us on previous visits and loves people watching here. The lines for lunch at Sullivan's (restaurant on the island) were pretty long and we were craving something different. We drove a few miles away to Brookline and decided to enjoy lunch at Gen Sou En Tea House. Inside Gen Sou En Tea House we found a free table and snagged it. After looking over the menu we went up to the counter to order. We ordered a variety of drinks like iced Matcha latte, tradition Matcha, water, and a cappuccino. For meals we ordered the shrimp tempura Bento, vegetable tempura Bento, and two Karaage (fried chicken) Bentos. Each Bento box also came with Miso soup, rice, tofu, and vegetables.
My matcha tea was in a traditional bowl and wasn't overpowering. The Karaage Chicken was delicious! The Chicken was savory and crispy, the rice was a touch sticky, the Miso soup was perfectly simple, and the vegetables were unique. During our visit we ran into two issues. The first was the lack of staff. There weren't enough staff members to serve drinks and meals and it seemed as though things were getting confused. The second issue was the vegetable tempura. This might have been a personal preference but the vegetables weren't as tender as we would have liked. After our meal we were pretty full so we didn't try any of the pastries offered but we all agreed we would love to come back and try them. I recommend lunch and dinner at Gen Sou En Tea House for a unique environment and satisfying meals! 20 minutes north of Boston is Woburn MA. Woburn is mostly residential but lately is becoming known for up and coming restaurants. The Baldwin Mansion in Woburn houses The Baldwin Bar, The Baldwin and Sons Trading Co, and Sichuan Garden II. The Baldwin Bar is nominated for the 2018 James Beard Outstanding Bar Program, was and was named one of the best bars in America by The Daily Meal.
On Friday the 24th of February we had reservations at The Baldwin Bar. A half an hour before our scheduled seating time I received a text that our seats were ready. Once inside we turned to the right and spoke with the host. Our seats were 2 on the far left of the bar. The Baldwin Bar area had a throw back feel to a casual Tiki Bar. There was lots of dark wood, palm leaf wallpaper, and vintage Tiki glasses above the bar. The bartender/server brought us over some water and gave us a minute to select drinks. For our first round we ordered the Corso Cooler and the Trader Vic Mai Tai. The Corso Cooler was nicely crafted but a little too tart for my taste. The Trader Vic Mai Tai was balanced and refreshing. I appreciated that the bartenders tested their drinks as they were being made. Unfortunately, I started to notice a few things I didn't appreciate it. Our bartender started covering her mouth with her arm when coughing but slowly started to just cough into the air. Our first selections of food came out and were the Dan dan noodles and Chengdu dry hot chicken wings. We enjoyed both of these dishes and were happy with the level of heat. Next came the Sweet and pungent ribs and Pork Dumplings. These dishes were a little disappointing. The ribs were good but difficult to eat. We've had riblets before but these were tiny (maybe around an inch each). The pork dumplings had the same flavor as the dan dan noodles. We realized that everything was topped off with the same chili oil. For our 2nd round of drinks I opted for the Trader Vic Mai Tai while Greg chose the Red Baron. The Red Baron was definitely the winner of the evening. The Red Baron was a rye whiskey based drink that was sweet but still refreshing. I am not a fan of apricots normally but the apricot completely makes the drink. At this point in the meal I was really getting irritated. The bartenders were talking loudly about their evenings and one staff member who would come behind the bar often was eating out of a bag of Cheez Its right in front of us. I would also like to mention that while eating Cheez Its with her hands I never saw her wash her hands before returning to work. Our entree came out and it was the House spicy brisket in cellophane noodle bao along with some white rice. This dish was more than enough for 2, savory, warmly seasoned (five spice), and was very satisfying. The dish is more like glass noodles topped with a beef stew. In the end we agreed that the drinks were phenomenal, the food was okay, and the service was lacking in cleanliness and professionalism. I wouldn't return to that particular area but would be willing to try the more relaxed upstairs bar of Baldwin and sons trading co (which does offer a different drink menu). Whether you are a Bostonian or visiting Boston you can't go wrong with dining at Ruka Restobar. Ruka is near the Boston Opera House, Emerson Paramount, Boston Common, and Downtown Crossing so you will have plenty to see and do nearby. This was our 2nd visit to the restaurant and they didn't disappoint. We had a reservation for 3 and even though we arrived a little early we were seated right away. We started with cocktails and a mocktail for my little cousin. The menu is comprised of shareable plates sort of like tapas but a little bigger in portion size. We started with the Tuna Poke and two orders of the Blackened Octopus (yes they are that good). The next couple of dishes that came out were the Chao Shou Pork Wontons (sans dairy), the Crispy Lamb Belly Katsu, and the Japanese Fried Chicken. The Japanese Fried Chicken does contain dairy so I decided to eat it along with some Lactaid pills. Any pain I may have had from dairy was beyond worth it! The Japanese Fried Chicken was the best dish of the night (it also happens to be a new addition to the menu). The textures and flavors hit on all notes and leave you completely satisfied. Our final savory dish was the Chicken Fried Rice which was also very good. Apparently we weren't full enough and we decided to be gluttons. We ended up ordering 3 desserts. I brought the Lactaid pills with me especially for dessert. The fried dough bites (I can't remember the exact name) are amazing. They are warm, soft, and the perfect amount of sweet. The other two desserts were a big hit although I didn't try them so I can't speak to specifics. The one issue I have with Ruka Restobar is really just a personal preference. I am a fast eater normally so I wish the dishes would come to the table a little slower and give us more time to relax. Everyone who visits will not be disappointed with the drinks, food, and service at Ruka. For as far back as I can remember my family always loved cooking. This is especially true for my dad. Dad would have my sister and I on step stools in the kitchen covered in flour and baking pies. To this day we still get together often to cook and bake. A few years ago I brought my parents to China Town in Boston. We of course went to the Gourmet Dumpling House specifically for their soup dumplings. My dad loved them and is always up for a serving of them! For my dad's birthday Greg and I bought tickets to a Chinese soup dumpling class at Sur la table in Boston. We arrived a little early and so we wandered around the store. When it was time for the class we all checked in and put our jackets away. Next step was to put on an apron and wash our hands. We were broken up into teams of 4 and moved up to the counter area. The first step was to show us how to make the pork broth (the chef already created set for class use). While the broth was brought to a boil we got the dough ready. While the dough was resting we mixed the aromatic pork filling. The third step was to create a dipping sauce for the finished dumplings.
Last was of course the hardest part of the preparation. We had to cut, roll out and fill the dumplings. The dough was a tad sticky which made rolling out somewhat difficult but interesting lol. Getting a round dumpling is definitely not easy. Our group had ovals, paint splatters, and even a rabbit shaped dough. We had an interesting time filling these pieces of dough and learning how to fold the tops of the dumplings. We handed off our basket of dumplings to the chef for cooking and as the dumplings were down we all devoured them! A fun, informative, and delicious night out for all of us. This long weekend was perfect! On Thursday we spent the day making too much food for the 6 people at the table. We had everything from tomato tatin to turkey to 4 kinds of pies. We enjoyed our meal later in the day so that my sister who had to work could join in. Obviously we needed to work off all the food we ate so we planned two adventures. On Friday Greg and I bundled up packed our day-pack and ventured to Crane Beach. The Trustees of Reservations was offering free entry to Crane Beach today which was great even though we are members. We parked our car and switched from sneakers to hiking boots. I wish my gators came before today but I would just have to live with sand in my boots. We hiked through the forest, the sand dunes, and finally the beach. There is so much beauty to see here. Overall we were there about 1.5 hours and hiked about 4 miles. Saturday morning we decided Fred needed an adventure too. We packed up our day-pack for the three of us and headed to Halibut Point State Park and Reservation. We parked the car and made our way over to the trail. Fred was thrilled and so were we. Halibut Point State Park is beautiful. We walked along the quarry path and then proceeded to head down the other trails. There were so many picturesque spots to stop and enjoy! We spent about an hour here walked a total of 3 miles.
We had another lovely weekend with some familiar and new sights. We drove down to Scituate to visit with family. Almost every year I take my cousins family holiday card photos. This year we decided to go back to Conservation Park. We had a gorgeous sunny day and a fun time taking beautiful photos and a couple goofy ones! We grabbed some sandwiches and french fries from Crocetti's and made our way to Untold Brewing for some adult beverages. Oh how I wish I could drink beer! The beer menu at Untold Brewing sounds fantastic. They offer a beer for everyone's tastes. Greg opted for a flight and at the end declared he could easily hang out here all day. We enjoyed our lunch in the dining area and would love to come back when especially when food trucks are near. Next time we're in town we'll definitely stop by for a drink and to buy some beer to bring home. The kids all had plans for the day so we left Scituate a little early and decided to meet up with my parents who were watching Fred for us. We opted to meet at Castle Island in Boston. This was our first time visiting but it's a favorite spot of my parents. If it wasn't so cold out or I was appropriately dressed lol I would have stayed for a long time. There are wonderful walking paths, Fort Independence (when open), and Sullivan's Restaurant if you're hungry.
Yes we just ate lunch a little while ago but Greg can't turn down a clam plate and I can't turn down a small basket of french fries. Gluttons I know! We ordered some food and dined in the car before heading home for the day. We will definitely come back for another visit! Whether you local or a visitor to Massachusetts a visit to deCordova Sculpture Park is well worth your time. On Sunday we lightly bundled up and drove to Lincoln, MA to explore the pet friendly deCordova Sculpture Park. Since we brought Fred with us we weren't able to visit the museum. The Sculpture Park is more than enough all on it's own.
We spent about an hour and half wandering the beautiful ground. We read about, looked at and photographed all the unique sculptures. As you can imagine Fred also loved this visit. Dogs are allowed to roam the grounds as long as they are on leash and picked up after. I stopped in quickly to the Cafe / Store and definitely need to come back and spend some more time inside. The store was filled with jewelry, home goods, toys, and so much more. Definitely a great place for unique finds. Once we were home we both agreed that we should become members. As an added bonus for those who love to get outdoors in the winter time you can join in on snowshoeing in the park! We can't wait to return! |
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