Stix Restaurant & Lounge

After recently blogging about my visit to 33, I was invited to try out the "global fusion cuisine and 21st century cocktails" at 33's sister restaurant and next door neighbor, STIX. I headed over there for dinner last Wednesday, in time to partake of the Restaurant Week menu. Ben decided to order from the regular menu, so between the two of us, we got to try a little bit of everything. The decor has a modern feel, featuring sleek wooden tables, sharp angles, and exposed brick.

The bar is lit by a mesmerizing color-changing background and features a wide array of innovative cocktails.

We tackled the cocktail menu first. Although the liquid nitrogen creations sounded intriguing, we each settled on a trio that would let us taste a few different drinks. Ben got the Trio of Solids, which consisted of gelatinous slices of three cocktails: 10 Cane Raspberry Sashimi, Bacardi Effervescent Mojito, and 42 Below Haupia.

This gourmet take on jello shots was served with chopsticks. Bonus points for fun presentation!

My first reaction to the solid trio was that it was weird...but in a good way. I opted for something a little bit more liquidy: the Trio of Carbonation, which contained samples of Bacardi Mojito Fizz, Sparkling Woodford Reserve Mint Julep, and Carbonated Cointreau Margarita. Light, refreshing, and deceptively strong, this carbonated trio is a great summer choice. My favorite of the three was the mojito.

We munched on crispy breadsticks while figuring out what to eat.

The Restaurant Week menu was small but varied, offering a salad or gazpacho for the appetizer, either salmon, chicken, or steak for the main course, and several delicious-sounding treats for dessert. The regular menu is divided up into three main sections: "stix", small plates, and large plates. The "stix" section of the menu for which the restaurant is named features 14 kabob-style choices serves on flavor-infused skewers. A container of labeled skewers sits on each table so that you can smell the different flavors. (Well, I assume that's why it's there. Otherwise, I probably looked pretty silly smelling all the skewers!)

The selection of tapas-like small plates includes gazpacho, a cheese plate, mussels, and a few other choices. Large plates include pan seared chicken breast, slow roasted salmon with bay leaves, seared diver scallops, and more. Ben decided to stick with the "stix" section of the menu, ordering one plate to arrive with my appetizer and two to arrive with my main course. He figured I'd share some of my dessert with him. (Ha!) His first selection was seared scallops on ginger mango stix with orange oil and sesame, an Australia-inspired dish. (Each stix dish is inspired by a particular country or U.S. state.)

The scallops were cooked absolutely perfectly - great texture, no fishy flavor, and very nicely seasoned. While Ben was starting out on his scallops, I was enjoying a summer mesclun salad with honey balsamic vinaigrette and sunflower seeds. I don't usually eat sunflower seeds, but these blended nicely with the dressing. It was a light, well-balanced salad.

For the next course, Ben got two orders of stix. The first was tuna sashimi-style on ginger mango stix with a light soy and citrus marinade and togarashi (inspired by Hawaii.) His second choice was chicken satay on mango curry stix with shrimp crackers (inspired by Indonesia.) Even though I generally avoid raw fish, I tried a bite of the tuna and was impressed by the flavor. Ben enjoyed it as well.

The chicken satay had a delicious sauce, and the mango curry flavor on the stick added an extra layer of flavor.

I chose the flat iron steak with potatoes confit, braised greens, and chimichurri. Although the steak was a little bitter for my taste, the texture was perfect - very tender. I was pleasantly surprised by the braised greens, which I expected to be bitter as well. They were actually very sweet. If green leafy vegetables always tasted like this, maybe children would be more likely to eat them without complaint! The potatoes were a nice starchy balance to the sweetness.

For dessert, I had the valrhona white chocolate mango pannacotta with kalamansi lime sorbet, and it was a tasty way to end the meal.

The great thing about Stix is that it feels like you're out for a fancy meal, but it's fun at the same time. The juxtaposition of snacking on jello shots with chopsticks and finding a newly folded napkin at your place when you return from the restroom is unusual, but it works. Creativity really shines through in the menu, especially in the cocktail section. Stix would be a great place to have a birthday party or a light dinner before a night out; you can order a bunch of stix and small plates to share amongst your friends. Or, you can go for a romantic dinner for two and fight over who gets to eat the third stix in each order. Overall, dinner was great. The service was friendly and knowledgeable, the decor was minimalist but not uncomfortably bare, and the food was innovative, tasty, and fun. Watch out for those solid cocktails - you may forget that you're eating alcohol!

Rating:

Four forks!

Address: 35 Stanhope Street, Boston, MA 02116 (behind Back Bay station)
Telephone: 617.456.7849
Website: http://www.stixboston.com
Dinner Hours: Monday-Saturday, 5:30pm-1am
Lounge Hours: Monday-Saturday, 5:30pm-2am
Reservations accepted.
Take-out available.

What do other bloggers say? Check out...Boston Food & Whine: Stix and Stones
Belly Love: Stix - 35 Stanhope Street, Boston

Sibling Rivalry

My second Restaurant Week adventure took me to the South End's Sibling Rivalry for an impressive (and waistline-expanding) dinner. Ben and I found ourselves in the neighborhood about two hours before our painfully late reservation, so we decided to see if they could seat us early. Fortunately, they could. We had a choice of the outdoor patio or the chef's bar, which looks into the kitchen, and an impending rain storm made our choice for us. I'm glad we ended up at the bar, because I had a great time watching the bustling (but remarkably quiet) activity in the kitchen.

The first "wow" moment was when we received the Restaurant Week menu, which had more choices than you might find on a regular menu at some restaurants. It seems that many restaurants are a bit on the stingy side for Restaurant Week, giving you just two or three choices for each course, many with supplemental costs, but Sibling Rivalry is offering an astonishing ten appetizers, eight entrees, and four desserts, plus daily specials that can be substituted for any of the courses. And, even better, nearly all of these choices are being offered at the official Restaurant Week price - very few "supplements" here.

Pretty much everything on the cocktail menu was tempting, but I decided to go for the $18 wine tasting, which included a white wine to accompany my appetizer, a red for the main course, and a dessert wine to finish off the meal. Ben ordered a Pamplemousse, a summery grapefruit and pomegranate cocktail that tasted almost like a mojito...but even better. (And that's a big compliment from me - I take my mojitos very seriously.) This cocktail has been featured in various other blog posts, magazine articles, and such, so it must be good. "Just the right amount of tartness," says Ben. Here it is, in all its glory:

Meanwhile, I enjoyed my first wine, a citrusy white that was also a good summer choice. But when Ben wasn't looking, I stole sips of his Pamplemousse!

For the appetizer, I picked one of the daily specials, Lump Crab Ravioli. It was served in a rich cheese sauce with ripe tomatoes on top. It was a little bit daring of a choice for me, as I haven't had crab too many times, and I usually avoid cheesy sauces (except for Kraft mac & cheese, which I grew up eating.) I was pleasantly surprised by it. It was comfort food with a gourmet flair, and the crabmeat was very tender. The portion was generous as well, especially for an appetizer.

Although I enjoyed my appetizer, I was jealous of Ben's choice, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. Ben ordered the Moroccan-style Lamb Brik, a crispy pastry crust stuffed with ground lamb and a poached egg. The lamb was seasoned with cumin, giving it an exotic, cinnamony flavor, and the whole thing was topped by a delicate but flavorful brown jus. A cool, refreshing cucumber salad was served on the side. This appetizer could have been a meal in itself.

For the main course, I decided to continue my trend of ordering things I usually avoid. I'm not much of a pork-as-a-main-course eater. I don't mind it in small quantities, quietly mixed into mysterious Chinese dishes, for example, but I would never go out of my way to order a whole pork chop for a meal. Chef Bob's dish won me over, though: Soy Ginger-Anise Glazed Pork Mignon with Spicy Tamarind-Curry Barbequed Pork Shoulder, Cool Peanut Chili Noodles, and Cucumber Salad. Both cuts of pork were extraordinarily tender, one in the stringy, pull-apart-with-your-fork way and one in the way of a nice rare steak. The Asian-themed sauces were spicy and bursting with many different flavors, and the cool noodles provided a nice contrast to the heat of the sauces. The cool cucumber salad from Ben's lamb appetizer made a re-appearance as a side to the pork, and like the noodles, it helped provide some relief from the spice. My second wine was a full-bodied, velvety red that complemented the dish nicely.

Ben ordered Chef David's Wild Nantucket Striped Bass, a solid but mild choice. It was served with heirloom tomato salad, arugula pesto, and white bean puree. Ben described it as "very fresh, with a nice balance of flavors," but he expected a little bit more excitement based on the description. It was definitely good and made use of nice, seasonal ingredients, but Ben's personal taste is that he "demands more of a rush." (Let's just say we once went on a three-hour road trip so that he could eat wings that require you to sign away the restaurant's liability should any injury occur.) The fish was cooked perfectly, and I enjoyed tasting it.

Dessert was really not necessary after all of the above, but it's part of the Restaurant Week deal, so why not? My dessert wine arrived first, a beautiful amber-colored wine that tasted very similar to Tej, Ethiopian honey wine. It had a sweet, berry-like flavor, and it was a nice way to transition from the entree to the dessert. I ordered the caramel chocolate mousse cake, a huge portion of rich, decadent chocolate. I'm not sure how I finished it, but it would have been such a shame to leave it uneaten.

Ben ordered a slightly lighter dessert, a nice summer berry crisp made with oatmeal streusel and topped with vanilla ice cream. The berries were perfectly in season, and the vanilla ice cream was a nice, simple way to end dinner on a light note.

Overall, I was very impressed by our meal and also by the excellent service, and I hope to return soon to experience either "Monday Night Fight Night" or "Show and Taste Tuesday." This is the kind of exceptional restaurant that would be high on my list when trying to figure out where to go for special occasions. Also, Sibling Rivalry gets bonus points in my book for truly embracing the spirit of Restaurant Week by offering many delicious choices, full portion sizes, and barely any additional charges. Well done.

Rating:Five forks!*

*This rating is based solely on a Restaurant Week visit, which may not be entirely indicative of the restaurant during a normal time. You can check out the full menu and other information on the restaurant's website.

Address: 525 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02116 (South End)
Telephone: 617.338.5338
Email: SiblingRivalry525 [at] hotmail [dot] com
Website: http://SiblingRivalryBoston.com
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5:30pm-10pm; Friday, 5:30pm-11pm; Saturday, 5pm-11pm; Sunday, 11am-3pm brunch, 4pm-9pm dinner
Bar and Lounge Hours: Monday-Saturday, 5pm-close; Sunday, 11am-close
Valet parking available nightly for $16.

What do other bloggers say? Check out...
Boston Food & Whine: Brother vs. Brother
Cave Cibum: Sibling Rivalry, South End
The Passionate Foodie: Sibling Rivalry

33 Restaurant & Lounge

My first foray into Restaurant Week took me to the spacious outdoor patio of 33 Restaurant & Lounge, an almost hidden spot near the back of the Back Bay station. With light jazz playing in the background, Ben and I enjoyed a relaxing lunch under an umbrella. The special Restaurant Week lunch menu included two appetizer choices, two entree choices, and two dessert choices. Ben and I split the menu in half in order to taste everything.

Ben started out with Beet Tartar, which came as a bit of a surprise since we both misread the menu and were expecting BeeF Tartar. After some confusion about the purple hue and lack of meat, we figured out our mistake. It ended up being an enjoyable appetizer, light and a little bit sweet. Ben especially enjoyed the capers (which may have been fried) that were scattered around the mountain of chopped beets.

I opted for the Caesar salad without anchovies (although anchovies are available if you want them.) It was a generous portion covered in just the right amount of creamy dressing, and the croutons were the perfect texture - mostly crispy, but not so crispy that crumbs fly everywhere when you try to eat them. The best part of the salad was the sun-dried tomatoes, which were bursting with flavor.

While waiting for the main course, I sipped on a delicious cocktail called "Raspberry Intrigue" which included raspberries, vanilla, and cardamom. The cocktail cost almost as much as the whole three-course prix fixe lunch, but it was really good.

Next, I had the Root Beer Braised Short Ribs, and Ben had the Slow-Roasted Salmon Confit. The short ribs were unbelievably tender, hardly requiring a knife. I could taste the faintest bit of root beer, but I would have liked a somewhat stronger sauce. The flavor of the meat itself really came through, though, so those who love braised beef are sure to enjoy this dish. It was served with mashed potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts, which all accompanied the meat nicely.

Ben's salmon was tender and juicy, and he found it to be cooked perfectly, not dry or slimy. It had a slightly smoky flavor and didn't need to rely on a sauce or seasoning; the natural flavor was enough on its own. On the side was a parsnip puree that was surprisingly sweet and delicious, and the puree was topped with very tasty tomatoes.

My dessert was a refreshing berry pannacotta with vanilla anglaise, a nice summery treat.

Ben got the sorbet trio, which included coconut, lemon, and raspberry sorbets, and it was topped by a giant fresh raspberry.

Overall, we were pleased with the meal. The courses were evenly spaced and unhurried, water refills were frequent, and our server was knowledgeable and quick. The ambiance on the patio was very nice, and the inside looked comfortable as well, a sleek combination of brick and wood. It was a great way to start Restaurant Week, and I hope to return in the future to give the regular menu a try.

Rating:
Four forks!*

*This rating is based solely on a Restaurant Week visit, which may not be entirely indicative of the restaurant during a normal time. You can check out the full menu and other information on the restaurant's website.

Address: 33 Stanhope Street, Boston, MA 02116 (behind Back Bay station)
Telephone: 617.572.3311
Fax: 617.572.3399
Email: AskUs [at] 33restaurant.com
Website: http://www.33Restaurant.com
Dinner Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 5pm-11pm
Bar Hours: Tuesday, 5pm-11pm; Wednesday-Saturday, 5pm-2am
Lounge Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10pm-2am
Reservations accepted.

Emma's Pizza

This isn't your average post-bar-hopping pizza that you devour when hopelessly drunk and regret the next morning. Emma's Pizza, located in Kendall Square, offers a weightless, practically grease-less pizza to be enjoyed by connoisseurs who will appreciate the subtle flavors, expertly combined ingredients, and paper-thin crust. After inhaling four delicious slices, two with pepperoni and two with Canadian bacon, I didn't feel uncomfortably full at all. Everyone at the table was extremely satisfied and surprised by the unbelievable lightness of the pizza.

The menu offers several starters, salads, and sandwiches in addition to pizza. As for pizza, you can either create your own, choosing from three sauces, thirty-two toppings, and seven cheeses, or you can pick from twenty-five suggested combinations. We chose suggestions #14 (pepperoni, basil, traditional sauce, mozzarella) and #19 (Canadian bacon, caramelized onions, rosemary sauce, mozzarella.) Other interesting suggestions are #4 (bacon, roasted potato, cilantro, dried cranberries, traditional sauce, mozzarella) and #25 (two types of sausage, two types of bacon, pepperoni, grilled chicken, traditional sauce, mozzarella.) Two twelve-inch pizzas were enough to feed four people, but the larger option (sixteen inches) would have been manageable as well. We were all still full from an unfortunate lunch of mall food court sesame chicken, so we were looking to keep dinner on the light side. One of my dining companions exclaimed that this may have been one of the best pizzas he had ever tasted, and the rest of us agreed. I washed the pizza down with a pleasantly robust glass of sangria. Wine and beer are also available. And, if you're easily amused by elementary school chemistry experiments, you can order a refreshing Arnold Palmer, where the iced tea layer floats above the lemonade layer. (I was amused.)

The decor is simple but inviting. The cozy dining room features whimsically painted pizza peels (the wooden shovels used to put the pizza in and out of the oven), and there is a large window into the kitchen where you can get a glimpse of the pizza-making process and hungrily watch the finished pizzas waiting to be delivered to their tables. The seating area is fairly small, and we were fortunate to get one of the last available tables when we arrived around 7:30pm on a Saturday night. As we left, the line was nearly out the door, and many of these people were picking up takeout orders. The noise levels grew along with the crowd, but you'll be too busy enjoying your food to care about the noise.

It's a good thing I live all the way out in Brighton, or I would find myself here way too often. I'll definitely be back, though, regardless of travel time. Greasy, cheap pizza joints certainly have their place feeding the drunk college kids of the world, but if you're looking for something a few steps above that, stop by Emma's to find out what gourmet pizza is all about. This pizza is meant for savoring, not for blotting with a napkin or washing down with a pitcher of beer. And with over thirty toppings to choose from, you could try a different combination each time and never get bored.

Rating:
Four forks!

Address: 40 Hampshire Street, Cambridge, MA 02139
Telephone: 617.864.8534
Email: comments [at] emmaspizza.com
Website: http://www.emmaspizza.com
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11:30am-10pm; Saturday, 4pm-10pm; closed Sunday
No reservations are accepted.
On-street parking is available.

Tamarind Bay

Tamarind Bay is an Indian restaurant nestled on the corner of JFK and Winthrop St. in Harvard Square, down a flight of stairs, in an almost cave-like space. Instead of being dark and creepy, though, the interior is beautifully done in shades of yellow and gold, giving it a warm and inviting feel. Arriving just after 6pm on a Wednesday night, we had our pick of tables. By the time we left around 7:30pm, the place was packed, excited voices bouncing off the walls of the small space. Go early if you want a quiet dining experience, but you'll be so busy enjoying the food that the noise won't be much of a distraction anyway.

Our waiter was a little bit hard to understand, but he had no trouble understanding our somewhat mangled pronunciations of the food. I decided to start off with my favorite drink, a mojito, which was strong but sweet, and my dining companions, Ben and Janice, each ordered a mango lassi, a non-alcoholic creamy fruit drink that "takes you on a vacation to another place," according to Ben. (Later in the meal, he decided to take even more of a vacation with a gin and tonic.) We decided to skip appetizers, although they all sounded delicious. The appetizer section of the menu is divided into vegetarian and non-vegetarian, and it includes several soup choices. We went overboard on bread, ordering regular nan, garlic nan, and poori. The puffy, delicately fried poori was a tasty treat, and both the garlic and regular nan complemented the main course well. That much bread isn't really necessary, but hey, I really like carbs!

For the main course, I ordered the Mysore Chilli Chicken, cubes of chicken with a curry leaf sauce. The chicken was boneless and tender, smothered in a mild curry sauce. The sauce also went well with the rice and nan. Ben ordered a lamb dish, a hearty brown stew that was aromatic and filling. Janice opted for paneer, a cheese that has a consistency almost like tofu, but firmer. I was hesitant to try it; I tend to avoid cheese unless it's on pizza or pasta. Finally, Janice's description of the subtle flavor convinced me to try it. I took a (very) small bite and found it to be delicately spiced. I liked the flavor, but I found the texture to be very unusual. If you enjoy other paneer dishes, tofu, or anything along those lines, you'll probably really enjoy this dish. The menu features chicken, vegetable, lamb, goat, and even some seafood choices. I don't think I've ever seen shrimp or scallops on the menu at an Indian restaurant, so next time I go, I'll give one of those dishes a try.

I really wanted to try the kheer (rice pudding) for dessert, but we were all stuffed from the copious amounts of bread and everything else. The total bill came to about $97 after tax and tip. Not too bad for two cocktails, two mango lassis, three breads, and three entrees. Most of the entrees were around $15.

Overall, I think we all really enjoyed our meal here. I'd definitely like to come back to try the lunch buffet, which is $8.95 per person on weekdays and $9.95 on weekends, and I'm very curious about the seafood dishes.

Rating:
Four forks!

Address: 75 Winthrop Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (corner of JFK and Winthrop)
Telephone: 617.491.4552
Fax: 617.491.4525
Email: info [at] tamarind-bay.com
Website: http://www.tamarind-bay.com
Lunch Hours: Monday-Friday, 12pm-2:30pm; Saturday & Sunday, 12pm-3pm
Dinner Hours: Daily, 5pm-10:30pm
Reservations recommended for parties of four or more.
Catering is available.

From Rochester to Boston

I've just arrived in Boston from Rochester, NY. I'm not really new, though; I grew up in Sharon, about 25 miles south of Boston, and then spent five years in Rochester for college and a year of lab work. It's good to be back! About three months before my impending move away from Rochester, the Rochester Insider, a weekly paper focusing on entertainment, asked me to be an official blogger for their site. I spent a few months happily blogging about food and a little bit of science, and then I moved.

I'll still be writing about my kitchen mishaps over at that blog, but since the Rochester readers probably don't care about specific Boston restaurants, I'll be bringing the restaurant review part of my blog over here. If you're interested in my sometimes painful attempts at cooking, my microwave experiments, or my dinner parties, I'll be posting about those once or twice a week at the Insider.

As for this blog, I'll be writing about my adventures eating my way through Boston and the surrounding areas. Feel free to leave any suggestions--I'm always looking for new stuff to try :)

The first few posts will be coming soon, in between massive sessions of putting together Ikea furniture and unpacking boxes, but for now, you can check out one of my older posts on the Rochester blog called A Taste of New England, where I played tourist for a few days, visiting Boston, Gloucester, and Rockport.

About the Bloggers: Joel Edinberg

Joel has neglected to write himself a bio, so I will tell you the following facts about him:

• He has a great Jewfro, which you can only partly see in the above photo.
• He is a ridiculously good tenor (and bari and alto and soprano) sax player. (And flute. And drums. And didgeridoo. And probably some other things I'm forgetting.) Check out his band, Somerville Symphony Orkestar.
• He loves eating spicy food, kickboxing, and initiating brutal tickle wars.
• He's great in the kitchen, especially when using cast iron.
• We've been dating since June '09, so he has accompanied me on most of my food adventures since then. Our first date was at Muqueca!

Joel's Posts:

• Cupcake Quest: Sweet Bites
• Chopstick it over, Tokyo! - A miniseries on dining in Japan
• Welcome to Japan
• Yakitori
• Japan, what a funny place
• These are a few of my favorite meals
• Fall Menu Tasting at Brasserie Jo

About the Bloggers: Ben Margolis

Mmm, fish face.

Yes, there are some stories that I'm too ashamed to tell. For everything else, there's Food in Unusual Places.

Because here's the thing: I love meat.

I grew up in New York City, where there's steaming hot dogs on every corner. When I got to work downtown, I realized that there are also carts with Middle Eastern halal rice and kabobs, dripping with flavor. Then I went to college in Rochester, where I found out that hot dogs and sausages are grilled, and not just at festivals! Visiting my friends in the East Village back in the City, I came to find vegetarian trucks and a dessert truck. Have you ever been to Portland, OR? They have food trucks covering every ethnicity, and Cambridge, MA has some too. Luckily, my new job as of Summer 2008 is in Cambridge, near the MIT food trucks.

How am I still alive? I have a stomach of steel. And huge biceps. Hey, the protein has to go somewhere, right?

I promise to use my stomach for the greater good: to bring you the most delicious, inexpensive, innovative food from the unlikeliest of places.

Ben's Posts:
Food in Unusual Places: Villa Mexico Maximizes Real Estate in Beacon Hill
Food in Unusual Places: Rolls Done Right at Beijing Tokyo Sushi Bar

 

About the Bloggers: Rachel Blumenthal

Here is Rachel in her unnatural habitat.

A Massachusetts native, Rachel recently finished a master's degree in the science journalism program at Boston University, but sometimes food is more fun to write about than science. She started blogging about food while she was attending the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY and started Fork it over, Boston! upon returning to Massachusetts. Although she loves attempting to cook, it usually doesn't go over very well, so she really enjoys dining out.

Rachel could probably survive on a steady diet of pasta and chocolate-filled koalas (not at the same time, though.) Rachel is a remarkably picky food blogger, often avoiding things like sushi, Mexican food, and Mediterranean food, but she is trying hard to diversify.

Rachel also loves photography and music. You can see some of her photography at flickr.com, deviantart.com, and rachelblumenthal.net.

Email Rachel here.

About the Bloggers: Joy Uyeno

Joy Uyeno writes about fashion, food, travel, and culture. She graduated from the University of Hawaii Manoa and earned her Master's degree in Writing and Publishing from Emerson College.
Click here to email Joy.

Joy's Posts:
Cupcake Quest: Long Distance Cupcake Love