Boston Burger Company

In the Boston area, there aren't too many burger places that I would highly recommend. Five Guys is, hands down, the best right now. All of the other places are ok to mediocre, so when I'm craving a burger, I usually find myself going to a sports bar to get a decent burger. So, when a few of my friends told me that a new burger place had opened up, and oh boy, is it good, well, I had to take a trip to it.

Welcome to Boston Burger Company, a place that promotes itself as a "one of a kind culinary experience with 24 types of creative burgers." There are two locations - one in Davis Square in Somerville, and one in Boston on Boylston Street, it's newest location. My brother (another burger lover) and I went to the Boston location to get a taste of the menu, and I can say, it is a place that I would not recommend to fellow foodies. Creative burgers, I can concede. One of a kind culinary experience? That's a bit of a stretch.

My brother ordered the classic burger, while I got the Burger Bomb, which is like a steak bomb sub, but without the stredded steak. Like Five Guys, fries do not automatically come with the burgers. You have to order them separately. They do, however, come with potato chips and your choice of cole slaw or baked beans. I got the baked beans and my brother got the cole slaw, as well as a side of cajun fries because we both love cajun fries.

First, let's start with the cajun fries. I was expecting what I usually get when I order cajun fries - regular fries flavored with cajun spices. Anywhere I have ever been, that is usually what I get, good or bad. These, however, were probably the worst cajun fries I have ever had. They came as big steak fries, which is fine, but instead of the cajun spices, they were covered in what can only be described as cajun bbq sauce with grilled onions. I literally stared at them for about two minutes, wondering what they were. And then I took a bite, and forget it. I ate more than I wanted to because I didn't want to completely waste them, but really? How can you put a liquid sauce on fries? I don't want mushy fries. I want somewhat crunchy fries! Without bbq sauce. Please and thank you.

Secondly, the burgers were both underwhelming. The meat was not flavored well, if at all, and even the addition of the toppings did not do much to add any flavor. We needed a double side of ketchup to get a decent flavor. The baked beans were too watery - how can you mess up baked beans? - and the cole slaw was ok, at best. The best parts of the meal were the potato chips and the drinks. I was so disappointed.

It's safe to say that I will never return to Boston Burger Company, which makes me sad. There are some interesting burger combinations offered that I would have loved to try, as well as its different sandwiches and sides. However, this first experience was so bad that I have no desire to return to try it, again. Five Guys still remains my best option for delicious burger.

Dok Bua

Dok Bua Thai Kitchen
411 Harvard Street
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 232-2955

The first time I ever went to Dok Bua was back in 2001 or 2002. One of my co-workers at the time said she wanted to introduce me to the best Thai restaurant in the city. I was immediately intrigued.

"It's in a grocery store," she added, smiling.

That only intrigued me more. How was the best Thai restaurant in Boston in a grocery store?

She was right, however. Dok Bua, now a full restaurant, started as mostly an Asian grocery store. The owners had sectioned off one little section with about 4 tables for customers who wanted to eat, but otherwise, it was a grocery store. After eating the food, I wondered why they didn't just open a restaurant. The food was the best Thai food I had ever eaten.

Most of their other customers must have agreed with me because within a few years, Dok Bua became a full-fledged restaurant, and to this day, it is, in my humble opinion, the best Thai restaurant in the city. Every plate comes out hot, and the portions are more than adequate, even the combination plates. Each dish I've tried, from the spring rolls to the pad thai to the pad-prik-khing is flavored almost perfectly, and I always leave satisfied. The service is fast, and the staff is generally friendly and attentive. One of my favorite plates is the Puck-Boong-Fire-Daeng, stir fried chinese watercress. It's seasoning is perfect with rice or noodles, and I can eat it all day long. It's one of the reasons I continue to go to Dok Bua.

I have since tried many other Thai restaurants, and Dok Bua still remains my favorite. Whenever friends/relatives are visiting, I either take them here, or recommend they go here. I can confidently guarantee that everyone will like it.

McBites Bite

McDonald's has come out with their version of the popcorn chicken called the McBites. As a foodie, I couldn't help but try them.

Now, McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are pretty good, for fast food nuggets. Though I prefer Wendy's and Burger King's nuggets, I do crave the McNugget taste once in a while, and they never fail. They are not too greasy, there is ample meat, and plenty of sauces to dip them in.

When the McBites were introduced, I thought they would be mini versions of the McNugget, which I think is a great idea. You can fool yourself into thinking you're eating less as you gobble down half a pound of little pieces of fried chicken. Who wouldn't want that? I certainly wouldn't mind it. However, and sadly, it is not. The McBites are more like the KFC popcorn chicken, except not as good. There isn't enough meat, and the taste is something between grease and fat. Or greasy fat. After eating several pieces, my tongue literally felt like fat was sticking on the surface. Not a great feeling, and not a good indication of the taste of the food. If I didn't feel so bad about the money I spent on it, I would have thrown away the remainder. Safe to say I was pretty disappointed, and I will not buy these, again. Try again, McDonald's.

Brownstone. More like BLEHstone.

The other day, while walking home from work, I was kidnapped by one of my close friends. Well, kidnapped is a strong word. Perhaps I should say he coaxed me into meeting up for dinner by offering to pick me up on the way. Luckily for him, I was feeling tired and hungry, so it didn’t take long for me to agree. He wanted to try a new place that he had heard about called Brownstone, which is located right between the Back Bay and the South End. I had never heard of it so I was willing to try it. We had a party of three for dinner – him, another friend, and me. We were all Brownstone virgins, and excited at the prospect of, hopefully, adding a good restaurant to our list.

Brownstone is located at 111 Dartmouth Street, right near the Copley Mall, and right next to Clery’s, a restaurant/bar I had been to on several occasions. I had actually seen Brownstone, but never remembered it, most likely due to its nondescript décor. Made of mostly earth tones, it’s very easy to walk by it, thinking it’s a part of Clery’s. Fortunately, since we knew that was where we were headed, we didn’t miss the entrance.

Brownstone is not very big. It has an adequate sized bar in one corner, and high top tables and some booths spread out throughout the rest of the space. My friends and I were sat at one of the high tops, and we proceeded to browse the menu, which was not very big. We were given a 11 x 17, two-sided menu, with one side featuring its food and the other side featuring its alcohol and drinks selection. We were also handed a Specials menu, which I immediately dismissed when I saw that a tuna salad sandwich was considered a special. What?

On the main menu, there were many bar food options, like nachos, cheese fries, and burgers, which was expected since it is a bar/restaurant. I zeroed in on the appetizers, however – 3 appetizers for $15! I couldn’t resist, especially since all the appetizers sounded very tasty. My choice to do that actually prompted one of my friends to do that same, and we agreed to get six different appetizers and share. For such a good deal, what could go wrong?

Between my friend and I, we ordered the following – asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, coconut crusted shrimp, black bean and avocado bruschetta, salt and pepper calamari, citrus lime grilled shrimp wrapped in bacon, and a plate of meatballs. My kidnapper friend ordered steak wrapped in bacon and a platter of cheese fries. Seemed like a lot of food, but because we are all eaters, we weren’t worried. We couldn’t wait to start the eating.

The cheese fries came out first, and I must say, they were really good! Made of waffle fries, they were crisp, with just the right amount of cheese melted on top. The only hitch I would even write about is that some of the fries stuck together. But hey, it’s french fries. Who cares about that, right? Just pop them in your mouth.

I can’t say that I enjoyed the rest of my meal as much as I enjoyed the fries. First, the waitress got one order wrong, which I was not surprised at because she didn’t write down our order, but just tried to memorize. Now tell me, if a table orders so many different plates, like we did, wouldn’t you write it down? Granted, it was just one plate, but it was not what we wanted. I understand that it might make waiters/waitresses feel more efficient (?), accomplished (?) by memorizing, but I would be more concerned at making sure the order is taken properly. We let it slide because it was only one plate, but it was definitely a mark against the waitress.

As for the food, it was adequate, at best. The asparagus wrapped in prosciutto was too salty, mostly due to some sort of cheese sauce that they added in between the asparagus and prosciutto. Why would you add an extra sauce to something wrapped in a salty item like prosciutto? The coconut shrimp we didn’t get to taste because that was the order the waitress got wrong – we got crab rangoons, instead. What made this mistake ironic was the waitress had actually recommended the coconut crusted shrimp. Even worse, the crab rangoons were not good. The frying of them was ok, but instead of using cream cheese (like the ones we are used to), they used what tasted like ricotta cheese, which gave it a bland flavor, and there was not even a hint of any sort of crab taste. The meatballs (we got two decent sized ones) were seasoned well, but the meat was overcooked, so it was dry. The bruschetta’s only redeeming traits were the avocado and the softness of the bread. The combination of black beans and chopped tomatoes might have been a good idea if they were seasoned properly. Finally, the salt and pepper calamari was the most disappointing. Maybe I expected too much? I love the salt and pepper calamari/squid that I can get at Chinese restaurants, and this was not even close. From what I could taste, there was barely any flavoring of salt or pepper. Perhaps that is why it came with a side of a sort of spicy mayonnaise sauce. That added a little bit of flavor, but it wasn’t the flavor I wanted from a dish called salt and pepper calamari. I think I may have eaten two pieces and stopped. I was more sorely disappointed because it was the dish I had coveted the most.

Brownstone is definitely not a place I would recommend to others for dinner. Drinks, maybe. Hanging out, maybe. But if you want to actually enjoy a meal, I would not recommend it. It’s definitely not worth the price of admission.

Until next time, just keep on walking past Brownstone.

An Ace of an Appetizer

With a busier work schedule and moving, I haven’t had a chance to try a lot of new places recently. I was fortunate, however, to discover a new favorite appetizer. This is exciting for me because I usually always order an appetizer when I dine out, and I feel that the taste of the appetizer is an indication of how my entrée will turn out. In general, I have found that restaurants that serve well-prepared and tasty appetizers usually also serve delicious entrees. This discovery is no different. Though I had dined at the restaurant previously, and knew that it served delicious foods, this new favorite has solidified it as a go-to restaurant. Let me introduce you to kaddo, a dish of pan-fried then baked baby pumpkin seasoned with sugar and served on yogurt garlic sauce, topped with ground beef sauce.

This appetizer is served at Helmand in Cambridge, MA, an Afghani restaurant and one of my favorites of all time (I will do a more complete review at a later date). If I had the time and money, I would eat here at least once to twice a week. The times I have gone, I’ve always been sure to order the banjan , a pan-fried eggplant seasoned with spices, then baked with fresh tomatoes, served on yogurt garlic mint sauce, as my appetizer. The banjan is absolutely delicious. It goes excellently with the flatbread that is served, or alone. It’s so good that I wouldn’t mind just drinking it.

Now, thanks to one of my managers, I have discovered kaddo. We were having a conversation one day about Helmand, and she mentioned an appetizer to which she was absolutely addicted. My mind immediately went to the banjan, and I said, “the eggplant one?” She didn’t even know what I was talking about. She said, “no, it’s one that has pumpkin and some type of meat sauce. It’s amazing. My husband and I are addicted to it. When we go eat at the restaurant, we each order our own, and even take one to go. That’s how good it is.”  She then pulled up the menu online and showed me the one she was talking about. I decided I had to try it.

I finally got the chance when my manager took me out to dinner. She immediately ordered the kaddo, two of them to be precise. When it came, I can honestly say that it did not look appetizing. It looked like mashed squash with a brown sauce on which someone decided to add a dollop of yogurt on top to try to make it look a little cheerier. However, my manager was really excited about it, so I dug right in. I was hooked after the first bite. It was delicious. The tastiness of the combination of flavors was unexpected. The pumpkin tasted like sweet potatoes. The meatiness of the meat sauce did not overpower the sweetness of the pumpkin, but created a flavor that’s hard to describe – I couldn’t decide if the meat sauce increased the tastiness of the pumpkin or if it was the other way around. Either way, it was a winning combination. The yogurt added an overall cooling effect, making it easier to take bigger bites, and bigger bites I did take. It was easy to eat, went down smoothly, and didn’t fill me up, leaving me plenty of room to consume my entrée, though I think I would have been happy just eating multiple orders of this dish for my entire meal, including dessert. Absolutely fabulous! I regret not taking an order home, but I now have more of a reason to dine at Helmand. I think on my next visit, I will just consume the banjan and kaddo as my meal.

Until next time, go get some kaddo!! =)

Flat Patties

For the past several years, my favorite burger place in the world has been, and currently is, In-n-Out. It’s not just the fact that the burger is made fresh when ordered, but combined with the special sauce, right amount of toppings (animal-style!), and the size of the bun, it just makes for a perfect tasting burger. The size of the burger, itself, is perfect. Not too large, but just big enough to satisfy, and yet, want another one at the same time, knowing that you could eat another one and it wouldn’t make you fall into a food coma. In-n-Out’s fries are a great complement, as well. Though it originally took me a few tries to appreciate them, I now cannot imagine having a burger without the fries. I can, but I would prefer not to. I have been fervently wishing the past few years for an In-n-Out to open on the east coast, specifically the Boston area.

Considering my love for In-n-Out, you can imagine my excitement when I heard about a burger place in Harvard Square that calls itself, or is called by others, the In-n-Out of the east coast – Flat Patties. The In-n-Out of the east coast?? Really?? Could it be that a burger place is actually available that will help me get my fix for In-n-Out? It even boasted its own special sauce. I was more than excited. It was too good to be true! I couldn’t wait to try it. I told my brother (another In-n-Out devotee) about it, and we both planned to go. Beforehand, I read some reviews for it on yelp, just to get a general sense of others’ opinions, and overall, it seemed that people enjoyed it. There were some claims of greasiness, but as my brother would say, isn’t that a good thing for burgers?

Too good to be true, I said. Well, it definitely was. I was completely underwhelmed by my experience at Flat Patties. Actually, underwhelmed is an understatement. It’s not a place I would recommend to anyone who is looking to consume a delicious burger.

Amongst its array of different burgers, my brother and I chose to go with the original cheeseburger, the one with its special sauce. We figured that we should try the one that helped Flat Patties gain its “reputation.” We also ordered a side of fries and onion rings. Like In-n-Out, Flat Patties makes your burger when ordered, so it’s fresh. My brother and I waited about 10 minutes for our order, which is a relatively painless waiting time. When our order was ready, we also grabbed some side condiments that were available, which includes pickles and jalapenos, along with ketchup and mustard. We were ready to eat.

Right after my first bite, I had my opinion. First of all, the bun that they use is too thick. Either that, or the size of meat they use is too small. Whatever the case, the bun completely covered the taste of the actual meat. My first bite felt like all I was eating was bread. My second bite was not that much better. I could barely taste the actual burger, nevermind the “special” sauce they claimed to use. I couldn’t even tell you what flavor the sauce is. I’m hoping that they cheaped out on us and only gave us a little bit, but I doubt it. If you advertise a special sauce, wouldn’t you make sure that you used a good amount to make sure your customers got a real taste for it? I didn’t taste anything but bread. Thank goodness for the pickles and jalapenos. If it weren’t for them, my burger would have been literally tasteless. Such a sad disappointment.

The fries were not much better. They were a little bit too burnt, for my taste. The onion rings, on the other hand, were probably the best part of the meal. They were big and deep fried just right – crunchy on the outside, and just the right amount of mealiness on the inside. If I hadn’t already been full from eating my bread burger, I might have ordered more onion rings.

The most sad thing about this experience is that I will not go back to try the different burgers that they do offer. This experience was that disappointing. Usually, I give places a second chance, on the thought that my first meal was an exception to the norm, but I was so dissatisfied that I have no desire to return to give Flat Patties that second chance. Instead, I will continue to wish for the opening of an In-n-Out. There is a Five Guys in the area. I’m hoping that increases the odds for In-n-Out.

Until next time, try Wild Willy's Burgers in Watertown, MA. Not as good as Five Guys (not close to In-n-Out), but good enough to go multiple times. Their fries are also the best!

Hello Foodies!

I am passionate about food.

PASSIONATE.

When I take a bite out of a dish that immediately makes me murmur "mmm...," say "wow!" or just renders me speechless, it is one of the happiest moments of my life. A delicious meal always makes my day, and it is one of the things that I look forward to every day. I even schedule other events in my life around meals, including vacations. When I vacation, one of the first things I research is great restaurants to try in the place I'm visiting. My experience and enjoyment of a new place is always enhanced by the quality of the meals I intake. Though that may sound a bit extreme to others, it characterizes my love for food.

A friend once told me that my passion for food made her meal always taste better, and I couldn't have felt any prouder. I sometimes wish I could put that on my resume, because really, who doesn't want to enjoy a meal?

On the flip side, a mediocre or bad meal is not a good day. However, I appreciate it because it makes me appreciate the good meals that much more. It also gives me a better understanding of what works well together in a meal, and helps me to isolate what spices or flavors I prefer. To be honest, though, I love most combinations. When I find something that I don't like, then please know that there really is something wrong with it. =)

I've decided to write this blog for two reasons. First, I'm currently doing an internship, and besides working, I have a fair amount of free time, and second, within the past year, several friends of mine have suggested that I write a food blog. They've all witnessed my love of food, and the enjoyment I can get out of a fantastically made meal, and they feel that I should share my experiences, and maybe, during the process, show others the way to a delicious meal. I understand that my opinion is not something that people will follow or agree with as we all have different tastes, but I believe that my passion for food has made me somewhat of a distinguishing critic. I eat food not because I have to eat food, but because I absolutely enjoy savoring the different flavors. Eating a meal is always an adventure to me, and without it, life would be boring. Perhaps my experiences can help others to feel the same. Cheesy? Yes, but absolutely honest.

So I hope to have a lot of different travelers with me along my food trip. Good or bad, I plan on writing about every food or meal that I feel is worth writing about, creating great memories along the way, and maybe, just maybe, showing others how to absolutely enjoy a meal.

Until my first bite...have a Reese's peanut butter cup, my personal favorite and one of the best chocolates in the world.