Delux Redux

I love Delux Café. An unpretentious gem of a dive bar and restaurant located in the otherwise fairly self important food district of the South End. Yup, my hood. The food hood.

Anyways, Delux is superb. The dark interior is comprised of high windows and wood paneling, with most of the light coming from Christmas lights that give you the feeling that someone put them up years ago for the festivities and just decided not to take them down (same with the mini Xmas tree that sits at the end of the bar and the 3 foot tall Santa statue that greets you at the restrooms). A shrine to Elvis, record murals and old art adorn the walls while classics, oldies and the right dose of Johnny Cash play in the background. A full bar (it's CASH ONLY people - again CASH ONLY), two choices of house wine and a slew of beers make this the best watering hole in the South End.



But let's talk about what people might not know Delux for - the food.

The seasonal menu include choices like fresh Atlantic cod, made-to-order fresh fried tortilla chips and mango salsa, veggies and basmati rice and black bean for sides and seafood paella. All the food is made by one cook in a teeny station in the back. Granted, this increases the wait time a bit, but hey, let's not forget you're in a bar here. Order another round and your food'll be up in no time.

About a month ago, I was at the bar when a stranger next to me ordered the cheeseburger (a new summer addition to the menu!). Since then, I've been craving it. And let me tell you, it was worth pining over for a month when I went back this week.

A friend and I started with the warm chévre, shaved apple and beets and arugula salad. Fresh and delicious. We moved on to split the pork enchiladas and the wanted cheeseburger. The enchiladas are one of the most popular items on the menu and for good reason. The burger. Was. Amazing. It's sure to be a staple for me this summer.

I could go on and on about Delux. But really the take away is: go there. It's a gem.

-xo-

eb

It's pork ya dork!

I usually am not a fan of rice. But Delux's basmati is always spot on in flavor and moisture.

 Sliced taters make for fresh fries. The aged cheddar, grilled onions, watercress and dijon mustard give this burger the right amount of bite. NOM. 

Freakin' Fun Friday aka Sunshine Funtime

Sometimes, you need to have a lot of fun on a sunny Friday. The weather is warming up, the humidity is sneaking back into the air and summer is right around the corner. Time to get back on the saddle and out enjoying the goodness of sunshine. 

A couple of friends and I went in search of those sunbeams by bike and found them in Cambridge. Take a pleasant ride over the Mass Ave Bridge, through MIT and Harvard and you'll find yourself in the middle of a mecca of goodness. From Central to Harvard Square, on through Somerville, there is much fun to be had on the other side of the River. 

We started at Charlie's in Harvard Square on their back patio. A lunch of their homemade black bean burger and a couple of BBC Steel Rail Pale Ales had us well on our way to enjoying the day. The energy of the follows diners and drinkers was contagious. People are ready to be out of their houses and down jackets. Ditttttto. 

Charlie's is a great little joint that has live music inside and two patios, a rare find in Boston. Patios are a bit hard to find here, due to the bizarre (read: really annoying) Blue State laws MA abides to. In addition to no happy hour (yea, that's right, no freakin' happy hour), it states that patrons may not be outside on a patio or roof for the sole purpose of drinking. (And this is a college town?! I feel like that's all I did in Boulder. Just kidding, Mom!) A meal must be purchased and you must have your tush in a chair. Lame. But, still Charlie's has good eats at cheap prices, so taking down a homemade black bean burger as the price to some Vitamin D is no big deal. 

After Charlie's, we meandered to Bowery Ballroom's new location, The Sinclair. A fantastic restaurant and venue, it's the hot new kid in town.  And their patio is unreal. A friend of mine did the interior design and let me tell you, it's one hip place. The menu, logo and identity were done by local design shop, Oat. Really well done. A nom-worthy meal of kale salad, deviled eggs, some grilled octopus and a dish they call Diablo Fries (waffle fries covered in chorizo, cheese and jalapeños - umm yes please) put us our quota of things to chew on. We ordered margaritas, old fashions, cicadas, wine, you name it. It was time to really let loose and enjoy a day in the sun. 

The food didn't disappoint and I'll definitely return to try out some more items from The Sinclair's menu. They have a fried chicken dish that is already beckoning me back. All in all, it was a great day in the sun over the River. Looking forward to many more in the coming months. 

-xo-

eb

This is one of my bike crushes.

My old neighbor in SF, Bike Mike, had one.

Real pretty.

Let's go riding!

Aka always wear a helmet, fool!

Daran breaking both the always wear a shirt and helmet rules.

Thumbs up for locked bikes!

Chaaaaaarlie's.

Lobstahbuuurgher.

(We're in New England here, people)

Kat's ready for summer!

A Berkshire Beer Company's Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale. 

One of my best New England introductions.

#FLNE

Homemade black bean veggie burger?

Don't mind if I do.

The back patio. 

Goodness happens here. 

The front patio. 

Goodness happens here, too.

Marg!

My FAVORITE summer drink.

Diablo Fries.

Don't tell me my business, devil fries.

Are we having fun yet?

HELL YEA!

Thumbs up for fun in the sunnnnn.

Saturday Stoop Lunch

So, most people who look for sandwiches in the South End head straight to the Buttery. And maybe, just maybe, I haven't given enough of a chance to the Buttery. But I think it's just... a little overrated. I'd much rather swing by the wonderful South End Formaggio. This go-to gourmet market deserves a entire series of posts dedicated to it's cheese, charcuterie, wine, beer, baked goods, exotic oils, fresh produce... you get the picture. 

In addition to all this mad goodness, they also have an array of sandwiches. Classics like butter and ham and turkey and swiss sit pretty next to more fun combinations like goat cheese arugula and fig jam and avocado and black bean torta. Being the fish girl I am (which is bizarre considering I grew up in wonderful landlocked Colorado), I opted for the homemade tuna with american cheese on grilled wheat. Filled with yummy things like pickles and green olives, this is a tuna for kings. 

One Tate's Butterscotch Pecan cookie from the bakery counter and a decaf iced tea from Wholy Grain across the street and I had the perfect makings for a stoop lunch. I polised it all off seconds before a spring shower started. Happy Saturday, all!

-xo-

eb

RAWR! Yum.

Butterscotch is just so good. 

Has always been a favorite of mine.

What a Lovely Seasonal Muffin

Nommers, Flour does it again.

A quick morning trip to the Back Bay location this lazy Saturday called for one of Flour's seasonal muffins, the raspberry rhubarb and a cup of oh-so-fresh grapefruit juice. Big, not to sweet and generously filled with plump raspberries and my favorite summer ingredient, tart and refreshing rhubarb. It was nice and quiet this morning, the tables filled with old couples sharing sweets. The crowds sure to come had yet to rustle from their slumber. What a perfect way to start the weekend.

-xo-

eb

Love me some grapefruit - in any form.

YUP!

Ma!

My mom always says she's so lucky to have kids that live in places that are great to visit. I guess that makes me happy, too, cause it's pretty easy to talk her into a weekend trip. She's been here before, but we explored a bit more this time, knocking Cambridge walking, the indy Coolidge Corner Theatre and Fenway off our list.

In true "parents are in town" fashion, we also hit up some superb eats. Russel House Tavern called for a brunch of Salad Niçoise with Salmon and a brekkie pizza (farm fresh eggs make all the difference) and some rosé. Nom. Coppa in the South End for dinner - where you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Ever. A Fenway Frank and Sam Adams brews as we cheered on the Sox (how Boston is that?). And even though she's been before, we hit up favorite Island Creek Oyster Bar for dinner. You can't have guests in Boston and not stuf their face with fresh New England seafood. We ended the weekend with salads and one peanut butter cookie to share from Flour. Their new Back Bay location now offers the best lunch option around.

All in all, a wonderful weekend with ma. And, the best part wasn't that she did my laundry at the end of her visit (although what are mom's for other than to take care of their little chickens?), it was spending some QT with someone so positive, strong, caring and sincere. Hope I can be half the mom she is someday.

So, in anticipation of Mother's Day, Mom, guess what? You're the best. Love you!

-xo-

eb

The Russel House Salad Niçoise was unreal. Look at the salmon! NOM.

Sweet Caroline! (and eb and mom!)

My All-American Beer Holder. Aka white Chucks. 

Twin Donuts! The noms!

Growing up in the Butner home, weekends meant a couple of things: one you would be spending time outdoors running around doing something and two, donuts would be consumed.

The art of the donut (or donnies as my dad calls them) is something to be studied. Since I've moved to Boston and away from Bob's donuts, I've felt hole in my heart (see what I did there?). Bob's on Polk Street is open 24 hours. They make sure a fresh round of donuts is available right at 2am. Hot out of the fryer. Smart folks at Bob's. Known for their apple fritters, it is my humble donut opinion that You. Just. Can't. Go. Wrong. At. Bob's.

So, finding myself in Boston with a donut hole in my heart, I've been doing research on where to find the best local fried dough. And considering that if you yelp donuts in Boston, you're thrown back pages and pages of reviews on Dunkin' Donuts, I needed to do some digging to find a real mom 'n pop place. This article on Boston's independent donuts shops helped a lot. If anything, created a checklist for me (and a sure increase in trips to the gym - ugh - I digress).

Enter Twin Donuts. Or twin donuts as you can see from the awesome and stellar neon sign that acts as the pearl gate to donut goodness. A bike ride away in Allston, this place is legit. Old School like nobody's business. No frills here, just honest to goodness calories and, well, goodness. You can grab a donut from the counter, or sit down to be served standard breakfast fare like egg combos, brekkie sandwiches, flap jacks and omelets. The healthiest thing on this menu must have been the... errr... let me get back to you on that.

On to the donuts. Since I'm in Boston, I took a chance to snag the last Boston Creme (and this was only at 9:45am) and a Honey Glazed. Now where I come from (the West, remember here, people), this Honey Glazed thing was new to me. I guess as the donut traveled West, we dropped the Honey and called it just plain Glazed. Regardless, both donnies stood up to the test. I left satisfied and charmed.

So, twin donuts, thanks for filling that donut hole in my heart. See ya again real soon.

-xo-

eb

(And speaking of indy donut shops, if you ever find yourself in Sisters, Oregon get thyself to Sisters Bakery - no joke, one of the best donuts I've ever had in my life. Perfect for Bachelor skiing mornings.)

Boston Walkabout

Today was one of those, "get out of the house and get movin'" type of days. Partly because of spring fever, but mostly because I had construction going on in my apartment. And, much to my weekend dismay, unlike San Francisco (which has a law that makes it illegal for residential construction to start before 9am), the Irish lads working on my place like to show up around 7:15am. Ouch, says the weekend sleeping in gods.

OK! So out and about we go. A total of 9 miles walked from one side of the city to the other. A bit windy, but all in all, good to feel the sunshine. With the goal of the Bunker Hill Monument in mind, a friend and I meandered across the Mass Ave bridge, along the river taking in the water sports, all the way to Charlestown. A really charming little neighborhood, with it's traditional New England clapboard houses. Two hundred and ninety four steps later, and we were at the top of the Monument.

A post-climb stop at Massachusetts oldest tavern, the Warren Tavern (we're talking 1780 here, people) for an Allagash or two was much needed. We passed on the food, as the standard bar fare looked, well, fairly standard. It was then off to the Navy Yard, the North End (new favorite dive bar there would be the humble and oh-so-Boston Corner Cafe - lots of accents in here) for a beer and pizza and a stroll through the Commons and Garden.

The city is really starting to rumble from it's slumber. Lots of runners, walkers and bikers had the same idea today. Wake up, Boston! Spring is here!

-xo-

eb

crew practice on the charles.

sails away!

love these colors.

the pond is full at the boston garden!

i was here two days ago, and it was an empty muddy mess!

YAY spring :)

i liked the look of this here truck.

can see tooling around during summer in it.

just add a cooler, dog and some company 'n tunes. beach time, anyone?

294 steps to the top.

#workitout

hey there, mister. 

Home cookin'

If you've read any of my previous posts, you know one thing: I love to eat out.

To me, my perfect night out and about is a good dinner with great friends. I love the ritual of trying new food with a great bottle of wine. There's no better way to catch up with a someone or, when I'm dining solo (which can happen in a new city), it's the best way to people watch and people meet. I've met some amazing new friends when dining by myself at the bar of a great neighborhood restaurant.

However, as you can imagine (for the sake of my health and my bank account), I do make my food from time to time. Although I'm not a natural wiz in the kitchen, I'd like to think I do an ok job. I try to cook with simple ingredients. You can't go wrong with olive oil and lemons with a little salt and pepper to taste. And of course, when I'm feeling hungry and a little lazy and want to eat at home, nothing is better than an amazing cheese and a baguette.

Check out some of my favorite home cooked meals.

xo,
eb

Nom pie: fresh mozzarella and goat cheese, tomatoes, red peppers, fresh basil with olive oil

Nom queso: local pepper jack, Wisconsin cheddar, queso fresco and goat cheese

with sauteed jalepeños, peppers, onions and garlic. 

Classic. My favorite New England bakery, When Pigs Fly, make the best and nuttiest loafs.

My go-to: Arugula salad with olive oil and lemons, topped with parmigiano reggiano and

Atlantic salmon (not as good as Chinook, but still delish!), with asparagus and sweet potatoes.

Sauteed garlic shrimp Mexican medley: black beans, cabbage mix, peppers and cotija cheese

on a olive oil fried tortilla.

Nom, breakfast. OJ. Veggie egg scramble with asparagus, red bell peppers, spinach and goat cheese.

Greek yogurt with Maine blueberries, topped with Bob's Red Natural Honey Almond Granola.

My first time making tuna. Guess what! It's really easy. 

Seared ahi tuna steak, with asparagus and sweet potatoes.

My new jam! Southwest Stuffed Peppers. 

Peppers stuffed with black beans, red quinoa, peppers, onions, corn, cilantro

and topped with lcoal pepperjack.

And yes! 

I buy mostly fruits and veggies.

I try to buy local, organic and sustainable.

Unless of course, it's cheese ;)