Salts is a cozy little restaurant between Central and Harvard Square in Cambridge. It sits in a funny area near MIT surrounded by Royal East, Bertucci's, Craigie on Main, and Toscanini's. I had yet to try Salts since they came under new ownership about 5 years ago. The restaurant has been highly acclaimed locally, so we decided to try it out on Friday night. Surprisingly, it was easy to get a table at 7:45PM on Friday night. Is it the recession? Bottom line? The food is excellent, especially their signature dish, "duck for two," which is worthy of its accolades. The ambiance is cozy, warm, and relaxing. The waitstaff is very friendly and they really put you at ease. We had a very enjoyable time there.

This soup was a gift from the kitchen, and it was very good. The soup was clean, bright, and tasted like fresh tomatoes from the garden. The touch of cream or something cut out any acidity that may have been there. In all, the soup tasted light, bright, and simple. Very nice.

This appetizer was excellent, probably my favorite item of the entire evening. The slightly cooked egg yolk spread throughout the rest of the salad, covering the farm foraged mushrooms and everything else. The dish tasted rustic, flavorful, and very balanced. The cheese and the egg added a nice counterpoint to the mushrooms and asparagus. The toasted hazelnuts gave the salad a nice crunch, adding to the interesting and complex texture of the entire dish. Very enjoyable.

Consomme with rabbit, raspberries, Salts farm borage flowers. I did not try this dish, but Bryan assures me that it was delicious

I ordered the seared yellowfin tuna with roasted farm fresh vegetables in a creme-fraiche dill-cucumber sauce. This was probably the biggest disappointment of the evening for me. Although it was good, I thought that the fish was a little over-cooked (see how thick the cooked part of the fish is). The flavor of the fish, however, was fresh and balanced. Nevertheless, I was not wowed, and thought it was not worth the $34 price tag.

The Signature Dish: Lavender honey glazed whole roasted boneless Duck for Two with spring onions, heirloom carrots, and petit farm turnips ($65).

My friend, guest blogger Peter, has this to say about the duck:

Salts is famous for its duck for two and that fame is well deserved. The bird is the size of a small turkey and can feed four comfortably. Do not be fooled by its conservative billing as a meal for two.

The first thing that strikes you about the dish is the plumpness of the duck's breast which are literally fat enough to be carved like a turkey. The duck is prepared Thanksgiving dinner style with a simple bread stuffing surrounded by fresh vegetables. There are no fancy gravies, gastriques, gelees, or foams. The skin is broiled to a crisp and the meat is cooked to perfection. The breast meat is on par in tenderness with well-prepared confited dark meat.

I enjoyed the dark meat the next day as a leftover meal and it was still super moist and delicious even after being microwaved. I have had my share of duck (as it is my favorite meat), but the duck at Salts has no parallel.

I totally agree. This dish was incredible, and totally worthy of its reputation. The skin on the outside was crispy while the meat on the inside, even the breast meat, was incredible soft and juicy. It's highly recommended that you reserve the duck beforehand. They only have a limited number of ducks per day, and they usually sell out. We actually reserved ours about 20 minutes before heading out to the restaurant, and it turned out that we had gotten the last duck of the day!

This is what the duck looked like after it was cut up and served to each individual.

 Peter also has this comment about the wine we had:

We also had a chance to enjoy a bottle of Ojai Syrah Santa Barbara County 2006 (WS 87). I fell in love with the vineyard ever since I had a fantastic bottle of Ojai Pinot Noir Pisoni (WS 93) at Craftsteak New York. When I saw this reasonably-priced syrah, I jumped at the chance to try a different offering. It did not disappoint. While lacking in depth and complexity of its more expensive cousin, it was a still a very solid table wine. It had the spiciness that is characteristic of syrahs but it did not overwhelm. You can taste concentrated notes of blackberry and plum. Definitely a solid addition to the meal.

Over all, this is definitely a great restaurant worthy of a visit. The desserts are supposedly really good, but we had no room after stuffing ourselves with the duck, and therefore passed. The duck is definitely worth trying. However, even if you forget to reserve it beforehand, the restaurant is still worth visiting because of all their other interesting and innovative dishes.

Salts
798 Main St
Cambridge, MA 01239

The post Salts appeared first on Tiny Urban Kitchen.

I originally wrote this post on April 23, 2013 following the Boston Marathon bombings. It was in honor of my beloved city, which was going through so much grief at the time. I felt compelled to support Boston and share about it, which I did by writing a round up of my favorite places that I recommend to friends whenever they visit Boston. I updated once in 2017, right after moving to Hong Kong. It's hard to believe it is already another SIX years since that post. Though a lot of my recommendations remain, the pandemic has unfortunately wiped away many restaurants, and thus it was time for an update. I've gone through and removed restaurants that have closed. I have also added a handful of new places that I recommend!

Before I begin my long list of recommendations, below is a short and sweet version, for those of you who just want a few top recommendations:

TD;LR

This is the short and concise summary of where I'd recommend eating if you only have a couple days in Boston (and you want to try the city's "signature" dishes).

1. Hot buttered lobster roll, raw oysters, + fantastic beer list at Row 34 in Seaport, Boston. If you have time for another lobster roll, go line up at Neptune Oyster.
2. Ice cream at Toscanini's in Cambridge
3. Lunch at Hi-Rise Bread Company's (get a slice of the vanilla loaf!)
4. Pasta in Boston's North End (Mamma Maria or Prezza) + a cannoli or "lobster tail" pastry at Modern or Mike's Pastry
5. Creative, seafood-focused small plates at Moëca in Cambridge'

1. Taste Boston's Famous Seafood

Boston has fantastic seafood - everything from our dizzying array of raw oysters to the awesome lobster rolls and clam chowder. Try the incredible lobster roll at Neptune Oyster in Boston's North End. Their hot buttered lobster roll is especially famous, but everything there is really, really good. I personally love their oysters as well as the Johnny cake.

The Johnny Cake from Neptune Oyster

The biggest negative about this place is that they don't take reservations and the restaurant is tiny. Waits can easily stretch to a couple hours long. Thankfully, you can leave your phone number and they will call you when your table is ready. However, don't show up too late. We've come and been turned away before because the line was so long they wouldn't be able to seat us that night. The last time we went, we showed up right at 11:15am (about 15 minutes before opening) and got in on the first "wave". It's the safest way to ensure a seat, I believe.

A selection of raw oysters from Row 34

If you don't want to wait at Neptune, Row 34 takes reservations and is one of my favorite oyster bar/seafood restaurant in Boston. On top of their excellent cooked seafood dishes, they have great crudos, an awesome raw bar, as well as a killer beer selection. You can also get the hot buttered lobster roll here, and it's divine.

Another option would be Select Oyster Bar in Back Bay (opened by Michael Serpa, previously chef at Neptune Oyster). I'm a huge fan of their crudo (must try the Faroe Island Salmon Crudo!!), and definitely get a platter of local raw oysters.

Finally, check out Eventide in Fenway. Originally from Portland, Maine, this trendy and casual seafood joint offers some of the greatest hits from the Portland location's menu, including their eponymous brown butter lobster roll made with a steamed bun as well as many local oysters on the half shell.

If you have time, take a 45-minute drive up to Boston's North Shore and enjoy famous fried clams from a clam shack (there's a long standing debate about whether Woodman's of Essex or J.T. Farnham's is better. I've never been to Woodman's, but I can say that the views at J.T. Farnham's are beautifully relaxing and the fried clams are tasty (though personally I think there are equally good ones right in Boston). Friends have told me that Clam Box in Ipswich is even better than the above two. And finally, local old-school favorite Legal Sea Food does excellent standard seafood fare, like fried clams, raw oysters, and lobster rolls. Try Legal Harborside for stunning views of the water.

My favorite lobster roll is actually a lobster sandwich from a small neighborhood "shack" in Cambridge called Alive & Kicking Lobster. This tiny little seafood shack only has outdoor picnic benches for seating. It serves fresh whole steamed lobsters, lobster sandwiches, and even a full fledged New England Clam Bake (complete with clam chowder, steamers, and a whole lobster!).

If you like lobster and love the ocean view, definitely check out Lobster Pool in Rockport, where you can actually watch the sunset over the ocean (one of the rare places in the East Coast where this happens!). The lobster rolls and lobster quesadillas there are fantastic.

2. Italian Food in Boston's North End (and some other hidden finds)

The North End is a vibrant, food-packed neighborhood that is definitely a must-visit. Though most tourists will line up to eat at Giacamo's or Pizzeria Regina, we prefer Mamma Maria, a place serving excellent Italian food in a cozy, townhouse-like environment; or the buzzing Prezza, who has one of the best bolognese sauces we've ever tried and an awesome lobster fra diavlo (but really, everything is fantastic).  

For more casual, less expensive, but still excellent Italian fare, try Monica's Trattoria or Antico Forno. I always skips dessert at restaurants in the North End because I love heading over to Modern or Mike's Pastry for dessert. Don't miss the awesome lobster tail at Mike's (my favorite!) or the amazing, filled-to-order cannoli at Modern. Lines can get long on weekends, though you can sometimes avoid the lines if you opt for sit-down service at Mike's (if there's an open table). I also love just chilling while sipping on cappuccinos at Cafe Vittoria, an old-school Italian cafe that serves desserts, gelato, and all sorts of coffee drinks.

One great tip about parking is that you can park at the MBTA Haymarket Center (Parcel 7) Garage (address is 136 Blackstone Street but the entrance for the garage is on New Sudbury Road) which only costs $1 for two hours or $3 for three hours if you validate. Many of the North End businesses will validate. Worst case scenario, you can always grab something at the Boston Public Market or get a dessert in a North End shop, most (if not all) of which validate. Just make sure to finish everything within the three hours to get the discount pricing.

Giulia's signature warm semolina cakes with lardo

Giulia, in Cambridge,  makes all of its pastas in-house daily and executes excellent dishes overall. For special occasions for larger parties, you can even enjoy a special tasting menu at the Pasta Table. We are so lucky to have this popular place right around the corner from our house. We visit it very often (at least once or twice a month!).

One of my latest obsessions from my recent trips to Boston is the sister restaurant to Giulia, a seafood-focused Moëca in Cambridge. Moëca serves fantastic globally inspired small plates boasting fresh ingredients and incredible flavor. I visited twice in 2023 and loved it both times.

If you're in the South End head on over to Italian restaurant Bar Mezzana. Run by chef-owner Colin Lynch and his wife Heather (formerly from the Barbara Lynch Gruppo - no relation), this place makes fantastic crudo and amazing pasta. Honestly, everything is good here. Their simple cacio e pepe is the best I've ever had. All the pastas are freshly made, and they source great ingredients.

3. A Splurge One Night?

Although Boston hasn't been rated by the likes of the Michelin Guide, San Pellegrino Top 50 Best Restaurants list, or other lists that get passed around, we have our own fair share of fantastic fine dining options. Here are my favorites.

For a twist on Japanese food (one of my favorite cuisines), head down to O Ya in downtown Boston where James Beard Award winning Tim Cushman will delight you with his creative takes on sushi. Must try dishes include the fried Kumamoto oysters nigiri, grilled chanterelles & shitake mushroom "sashimi", and the foie gras nigiri for dessert (yes, chocolate sauce and dessert wine). If you're into sake, Chef Cushman's wife Nancy Cushman is a certified sake sommelier and can create a great pairing for you.

4. Gastropubs, Farm to Table, and Neighborhood Restaurants

One thing that spoiled me when I lived in Cambridge was the plethora of really good gastropubs, something I took for granted too often. Just in Cambridge alone, I only needed to walk a few minutes to find a really good, reasonably priced place where I could get excellent food and a great selection of craft beers.


I love love love what Chef Tracy Chang is doing in the neighborhood with PAGU, an Asian fusion restaurant that's mostly Japanese and Spanish inspired, but also throws in a dose of Taiwanese from her heritage (yay!). Chef Chang has poured her heart and soul into this place, and it shows. The food is fantastic and beautifully presented.

She also does neighborhood events and really invests in the community. Definitely try the famous pop-up ramen Guchi's Midnight Ramen (my favorite ramen in the city), the cheesy wafflatos, and the squid ink baos. Stop by for breakfast too! They make excellent coffee, phenomenal pastries, and offer Taiwanese-style congee (with a twist, of course).

Lamb Chop and Lamb Sausage from Puritan & Co

Another great restaurant in Cambridge is Puritan & Co., helmed by the super talented chef Will Gilson. I've always really enjoyed whatever I have ordered on the menu at Puritan. Favorite dishes include the swordfish belly pastrami (which I get almost every single time), anything made with lamb, and his vegetable-focused risottos. Chef Will Gilson has now opened several new restaurants in Cambridge Crossing, Café Beatrice, The Lexington and Geppetto. They are all very good, and you can't really go too wrong with Chef Gilson's restaurants. 

If you're willing to drive out a bit into the burbs, definitely check out Jinny's Pizzeria, a fantastic (and super popular) pizzeria helmed by Chef Lydia Reichert in partnership with Chef David Punch, also of Sycamore in Newton. The food's fantastic, and the owners are genuinely great people.

Woods Hill Pier 4 is the second location of Woods Hill Concord and serves consistently excellent food. Enjoy true farm-to-table food (yes, they have a farm in New Hampshire) while enjoying fantastic views of the ocean.

Mooncusser serves fantastic seafood and overall excellent food. I've only been there once (in 2022), but I thought the meal was excellent.

For some of the best Spanish tapas in Boston, head to James Beard award winning chefs Jamie Bissonette's and Ken Oringer's Toro in Boston's South End. Chef Bissonnette and Oringer's other restaurant, Coppa, focuses on cured meats, house made pastas, and other Italian specialties. Try the Spaghetti Carbonara, which has smoked pancetta, sea urchin AND a farm egg.

5. Craft Beers + Bargain Wines

Boston has an amazing craft beer scene, with more and more really good breweries popping up. To try a bunch of local beers, check out Cambridge Common (30+ beers plus great food - get the sweet potatoes fries!), Lord Hobo (40+ beers on tap and good food), or Trillium, which has its own space in the Seaport.

Cambridge Brewing Company

I personally have a soft spot for Cambridge Brewing Company, a microbrewery that's been around long before the current craft beer craze. They make a lot of fun beers throughout the year - everything from a pumpkin ale during the fall to a fun, smoky spicy hot pepper beer that we recently tried. The food is decent, the ambiance is fun (try the tower of beer!), and sometimes they even have a jazz brunch on weekends, which is fun and relaxing.

Legal Park Square has the best wine list out of any of the Legal Sea Foods (and has even won Boston Magazine's "Best of Boston Wine List" award), influenced largely by the restaurant group's sommelier, Sandy Block, one of only 300+ sommeliers in the world who have attained  "Master of Wine".

All Legal Sea Foods have phenomenal prices on wine. It's part of a larger philosophy of the restaurant to provide value in wine prices. Seriously, we often see bottles selling for prices lower than what you would pay at Costco. It's a bit crazy, but we love taking full advantage of it. The seafood is fine (nothing particularly creative but everything's fresh and good quality). But really, we go because of the wine.

If we want to enjoy a gorgeous space with lovely ocean views, Legal Harborside is still a safe bet.

6. A Taste of Other Cultures

My favorite Brazilian restaurant is Muqueca in Inman Square, which offers delicious seafood stews called moquecas. The mariscada is also excellent, and the yucca fries and cashew fruit drinks are just fun to try.

Several of our friends who used to own or work at Bergamot are now together again at Pescador, a seafood "coastal grill" restaurant with influences from Central and South America. The dishes are bright and complex, the quality of the ingredients is excellent, and overall it's a great restaurant. It's in the space in Kenmore Square that used to be occupied by Island Creek Oyster.

For a more unusual, Mediterranean experience with a Turkish emphasis, check out Ana Sortun's more upscale Oleana, more casual Sarma, or her bakery cafe Sofra. All three are excellent. Chef Sortun's husband is a farmer (I actually belonged to his CSA for years!). Accordingly, it's no surprise that the restaurant strongly emphasizes local and seasonal produce.

For a unique style of rich, pork-bone broth ramen, try Yume Wo Katare in Porter Square, where you can try the unusual "Jiro"-style ramen not found in many parts of the US. The portions are so large, you actually get congratulation if you finish, since most people can't.

Ramen from Yume Wo Katare

It's super rich and topped with tons of garlic (make sure you like garlic!). Don't be surprised if you have to wait in line outside to get into this tiny little place, which only accepts cash and makes you use Japanese in the restaurant (they have signs on the wall telling you how to pronounce certain phrases).

Hand Pulled Noodle from Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe

For hand-pulled noodles made in the style of Xi'an, drive out to the main restaurant in Woburn  or head into the downtown Boston satellite location to get a taste of Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe. Get the liang pi (weekend only), lamb stew, and handmade noodles, but skip the flatbread sandwiches.

For Chinese food, our favorites are Taiwan Cafe, Peach Farm, Winsor Dim Sum Cafe, and Hei La Moon. In Cambridge, Dumpling House is also very good. If you're willing to drive to the suburbs, Ming's Seafood in Malden is great (get the giant crab for special events!) or Sichuan Garden in Woburn, which is situated in an old house and serves excellent speciality cocktails.

Chiang Mai Noodle Curry from Thai North in Brighton

For Thai food, Thai North in Brighton has an excellent selection of really authentic Northern Thai dishes. Just make sure to order off of the special Northern Thai section of the menu. My personal favorites include the Chiang Mai Sausage, the Chiang Mai Noodle Curry, and any of the larbs.

7. Casual Fare

Burger aficianados will quickly zone in on local burgers that have attained a cult-like status, like the super limited burger at the former Craigie on Main in Cambridge (R.I.P.!) or the ever-changing "Secret Burger" at Alden & Harlow.

One of the most popular, historic, and (admittedly) touristy burgers in the entire city is Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Harvard Square, which has been around since 1960. This place is an institution in the Square and often has lines going out the door on nice days. The burgers are named after various celebrities in fun, irreverent ways (often poking fun based on current events). Boston has several Shake Shack and Five Guys locations as well, which are all solid.

Pizza from Area Four in Cambridge

For a simple lunch, one of my favorite local places for excellent salads and pizzas is Area Four in Cambridge right near MIT. I love the thin crust pizzas that they make, which often come with really creative toppings. Their salads are excellent, and are always made with seasonal ingredients. As for non-pizza items, try the garlic knots or their wines on tap.

8. Sandwiches, Sweets, and Coffee

Toscanini's Ice Cream

Boston is obsessed with ice cream and I really think we have some of the best ice cream in America. My personal favorite is Toscanini's (or Tosci's) in Cambridge, which offers an eclectic variety of flavors that is ever-changing.

Rancatore's in Belmont and Lexington, founded by the brother of Tosci's owner, also serves similar ice cream, though the flavors are more ordinary. The best part about the Lexington location is that it's located right off the Minuteman Bike Path, so you can easily bike there, enjoy an ice cream cone, and head back to Cambridge. Other popular local ice cream places include Christina's and JP Licks, but Tosci's is my favorite.

One of my all time favorite bakery items in the entire city of Boston is Hi-Rise Bread Company's vanilla loaf. I've even tried making it (though my version based on their recipe still doesn't taste quite as good as the real thing, it's close!). Aside from all the wonderful breads and sweets that they sell, Hi-Rise also makes excellent sandwiches. There are multiple locations in Cambridge, and it's a fabulous place to have a relaxed lunch (though come early - like before noon - if you want to make sure you get a seat).

Tatte Bakery is a beautiful bakery with a great ambiance for coffee meetings, business chats, etc. Try a signature nut box (they're crazy good), cookie, or stop by for lunch and get a salad or sandwich. The coffee is only average, but as a whole it's a nice place to visit.

However, there ARE many good coffee places I don't even know where to start, but places we really enjoy include Simon's, Barismo, Thinking Cup, and Barrington Coffee. Of course I love visiting Blue Bottle as well (even though it's not Bostonian).

The most famous bakery in Boston just may be Flour Bakery by Joanne Chang. Her sticky buns are the most famous. They were featured in a throwdown with Bobby Flay and won. Rumor has it that you have to go early otherwise the sticky buns run out, though I've seen them at the Central Square location as late as 6PM. The fresh baked bread here is excellent, and it makes the sandwiches especially tasty. Their salads are also solid, and I like to eat them for lunch or dinner when I'm trying to be healthy.

Red moon rising over Boston the night after the fireworks

9. Still So Many to Try . . .

In 2023 I had the chance to travel to Boston TWICE from Hong Kong within a span of 2 months. Yes, I know, crazy. During that time, I found myself seeking dishes I couldn't get as easily in Hong Kong: things like lobster rolls, raw East Coast oysters, New England IPAs, and grape nut ice cream. I think a visitor to Boston would also want to see out Boston's unique dishes first, though I've tried to make recommendations across the spectrum. After all, good food is good food, and it doesn't have to be unique to Boston for me to recommend it.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of all the top restaurants to visit in Boston. It's a list of places that I would recommend to my friends if they asked me for advice. And it leans a bit towards Cambridge since I did live there for sooooo many years. I hope you find it helpful.

Thank you!

Jen

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The post Jen's Top Restaurants to visit in Boston - 2023 Update appeared first on Tiny Urban Kitchen.

The pandemic was a strange, unprecedented period of 18 months where we were essentially stuck on a tiny island (heh, Hong Kong), unable to leave and come back without stringent Covid tests and quarantine measures. The first time we finally traveled was in the fall of 2021, and that was to attend a long postponed family wedding on the west coast.

As part of that extended first trip, we also visited Boston. Our first time back in Boston post-Covid was unique because we were able to stay for a much longer period than normal. In non pandemic times we would usually fly into Boston and stay for 1-2 weeks max before returning to Hong Kong. This time, we had a full precious 4 weeks in Boston.

During that time, we visited many friends (some multiple times), saw my family, and participated in a lot of cool local events. Below are a few memorable non-food memories from that trip.

Free Star-Studded Boston Symphony Orchestra Concert

The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) put on a free ”Concert for Our City” to welcome its return to performing after a long pandemic break. Bryan went online and was able to grab 2 free tickets for us. It was an amazing concert, and quite nostalgic for us. Keith Lockhart was the conductor for the pops during a large part of our time in Boston. The BSO also played a few Star Wars songs, conducted by non other than John Williams himself (!). Finally, we got to hear world famous violinist Anne Sophie Mutter. It was SUCH a treat to be able to join with other Bostonians in such a special and meaningful concert.

Hunting for Four Leaf Clovers

I told my friends I had never seen a 4-leaf clover before (save, maybe once when I was around 5 years old and a kid brought one to school). They regular hunt for 4-leaf clovers, and are quite experienced at it. They told me it’s more common than I might think. The next thing you know, we were all looking through the numerous clover patches in Cambridge Common. It only took about 10 minutes, but - as promised - they found one for me. So cool!

The Charles River

I love the Charles River. My dorm room at MIT was right on the river, and I have fond memories of jogging along it ever since college. When we got married, my hope was to find a place with views of the Charles River for our reception. Every place we’ve ever lived has been been less than a 10 minute jog to the Charles. We were able to take long walks along the Charles River multiple times during our 4-week stay in Boston.

Boston Harbor Walk

Though a big part of my heart will always be with the Charles River, I also fell in love with the Boston Harbour walk later in life. I worked in Boston’s Seaport area for about a year back in 2014. During that time I began jogging along this oceanfront path during my lunch break. This trip, we stayed in the Seaport area, which means we had many, many opportunities to jog along this path.

In all our years together, Bryan and I seldom exercised together. This was a rare time in our marriage where we actually had the opportunity and time to go running together most mornings. It was really, really nice!

Saying Hello to Old Boston Icons

I make a point to visit the ”Make Way For Duckings” duck statues in the Public Garden every time I go back. The Public Garden is one of my favorite parks in Boston, and I love visiting it especially during the fall (during foliage season!) or the spring when the flowers are all in bloom.

Those 4 weeks were indeed really special. I don’t know when in the foreseeable future we’ll be able to take such a long trip again. We cherished the time we had, not only to enjoy so many different parts of Boston, but also to spend more quality time with our many friends and family in the area.

Jen's Top Restaurants to Visit in Boston
Boston Archives
Jinny's Pizzeria Newton
Farewell Bergamot

The post A Month in Boston: our first post-Covid Trip appeared first on Tiny Urban Kitchen.

Old friends. New digs. Not quite the same, but much nostalgia remains.

We walk in the door of Jinny’s Pizzeria in Newton. Paul, our favorite bartender from Bergamot (R.I.P. 😢) walks up and says hello and gives us a huge hug. It’s been over two years, and the world is a new place. We marvel at Jinny’s Pizzeria, the new pizza joint opened by Chef Lydia Reichert (Paul’s ”better half” as he would say), Chef David Punch and and Shane Smythe (Sycamore, Big Little Diner).

The next thing you know, Bryan‘s enjoying a new version of his old favorite cocktail (the Elisabetta), now in bottled form called ”Dear Elisabetta.”

Jinny's Specialty: The Pizzas

We’ve heard amazing things about the pizzas, so we go ahead and order several. Chef Lydia tells us she spent weeks perfecting the dough, trying various different flour combinations. She was trying to achieve a particular dough quality using local Vermont flour (not Italian flour, which would have been more straightforward).

Though the flour is not from Italy, their massive wood-fired 700° Valoriani oven certainly is. They ordered it from Tuscany right in the middle of the pandemic when (apparently) these ovens were in hot demand all around the world. People wanted their authentic Neapolitan pizzas! If they couldn’t go enjoy it at a restaurant, then they wanted to make their own . . . in their backyard(!). Thankfully, Jinny’s Pizzeria was able to receive their oven in time before the restaurant opened.

Authentic Neapolitan pizza or not, I think Chef Lydia has succeeded, and so do the hundreds of other diners who order take-out or dine-in on a given week.

Lydia tells us that business has been booming. They have done quite well during the pandemic. Sure, pizza is very pandemic-friendly (i.e. delivery friendly) food. But that’s not the only reason. Chef Lydia’s pizzas are genuinely delicious. The crust she has developed is slightly chewy, slightly toasty, and has a really nice flavor. Her weeks of research paid off. Furthermore, the toppings are also spot on.

The Other Stuff - Jinny's Side Dishes

The sides are excellent as well. After all, Chef Lydia is an incredibly talented cook (we know from the days she was executive chef at Sycamore), so it’s no surprise she’s a genius with flavors.

“We have to get the chicken meatballs,” our friend Peter tells us, “they go incredibly well with the Margherita pizza.” We usually trust Peter, who dines here regularly. In some ways, it’s the new reincarnated Bergamot for us, though it’s not quite the same.

Challenges: The Pandemic, Economy, and More

Business has been very good, but they’ve had to make some tough decisions too, as inflation has hit recently. Chef Lydia refuses to jack up prices, and instead has had to make creative changes at times. The shrimp scampi pizza we are enjoying? (which is absolutely delicious, by the way). It was supposed to be a lobster scampi pizza, until the price of lobster shot up to ridiculous amounts.

“I’m not charging $30 a pie.” Lydia’s firm about that. Jinny’s is not that type of restaurant.

”We can find very good wines at all price points.” Paul adds, ”If a wine becomes too expensive, we just swap it out for another one.” I trust Paul. He knows his wines and is extremely talented at scouting out little known producers who make fabulous wines.

Mini Backstage Tour

After we finish eating, Lydia offers to take us on a mini kitchen tour. The back isn't big, but there's a massive mixer for the dough and a huge pile of pizza boxes, ready for the day. When things are busy, they blow through stacks of boxes FAST. It's quite resourceful how they make use of every small space.

We see various bins of dough at different stages of their life journey towards becoming a pizza. Chef Lydia also keeps meticulously labeled bins for all the different raw ingredients. And yes, there are many huge bags of Vermont flour.

Cheers!

We didn't expect to see Dave Punch there as well, which was a pleasant surprise. Dave used to be executive chef at Ten Tables Cambridge, which was just a few minutes from our old Cambridge home.

What an amazing reunion!

We've realized that the restaurant world is a dynamic place, and things can change very, very quickly. The pandemic has exacerbated this phenomenon, ravaging through cities and destroying a swath of restaurants in its path.

Yet what we've also realized is that friendships remain even after the restaurant is gone. Of course, we miss Bergamot dearly and will always look fondly back at those memories. But there are new memories to be made, and new stories to tell!

So we're thrilled for both Paul and Lydia. We're thrilled they are working together at the same restaurant, and that the restaurant is doing really, really well. Despite Bergamot closing, we're thrilled there's another amazing restaurant we can visit, time and time again, where we are greeted warmly with a hug, a smile, and an Elisabetta.

Epilogue: Back Again, 2022

Yep, that's right. When we returned in the spring of 2022, Paul had the foresight to prepare several flasks of Bryan's favorite Elisabetta cocktail, even including the orange peel on the side. It was such a thoughtful gesture. Bryan took the keepsake bottle and carried it all the way back to Hong Kong.

We'll keep it displayed as a reminder of our dear friends in Boston.

Cheers!

Jinny's Pizzeria Newton
1231 Centre Street
Newton, MA 02459
Wed - Sun, 4:30 - 9PM

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Farewell Bergamot
Sycamore
Big Little Diner
Ten Tables Cambridge

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We had a freak warm spell a couple weeks ago.  It was seventy degrees in Boston and it really felt like the entire city was outside soaking in the sun.  Especially after we had all been literally soaked by inches and inches of rain just a few days before.

On days like that I love love love sitting outside and enjoying a relaxing meal.

Two Saturdays ago, I was able to do just that.  I sat outside my favorite lunch spot in Davis Square, soaking up the sun, and enjoying great conversation.

So what exactly makes Dave's Fresh Pasta so cool?

First of all, they make good sandwiches. They have a lot of different fresh baked breads and a nice variety of ingredients.  I probably still like the sandwiches at Hi Rise Bakery better, but these are cheaper, bigger in size, and still very good.

Check out some of the pre-made sandwiches in their counter!

The sandwich menu is huge, and frankly, a bit overwhelming if it's your first time there.  I was surprised at the variety of vegetarian options.  I chose a portabella, mozarella, and arugula sandwich, which I asked them to grill for me.

My friend got this beautiful sandwich filled with spinach, grilled onions, and turkey.

My other friend got the muffuletta.  I had never heard of this type of sandwich, so I decided to do a bit of internet research.  Apparently, muffuletta is actually a type of Sicilian bread, characterized by its large, round shape.  A classic muffuletta sandwich is made with an entire muffuletta loaf sliced in half.  It's filled with olive salad, cheese (such as provolone and emmentaler), and a variety of cured meats such as capicola (cured pork shoulder or neck), salami (cured sausage), and mortadella (bologna with cubes of pork fat added).  Usually they are quite large and sandwich shops will sell slices of them.  This one was HUGE!

What's cool about Dave's Fresh Pasta is that it's not only a sandwich shop, it's also a little neighborhood market that carries a lot of fresh produce, wine, cheese, and, of course, fresh homemade pasta!

It was here that I found the delicious, local burrata made by Fiore di Nonno.  They have a bunch of other great cheeses as well.

They also sell a really unique assortment of local produce. Check out these lobster mushrooms from Maine!

Of course, I always getting fresh pasta when I come here.  If you've been reading this blog even for a short while, you'd know that Bryan loves fresh homemade pasta.  They have many different types here, and they are all very good.

Plus, they have a lot of cool community events, such as pasta making classes, cooking classes, and wine tastings.

If you're in Davis Square, you should definitely check this place out.  The sandwiches are good, and the shop is super fun to explore!

Dave's Fresh Pasta
81 Holland St
Somerville, MA 02144

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