the past few weeks in food

i was originally going to do a mega-post about all of these recent happenings, but i decided that since most of them involved food (with the exception of the rob sheffield karaoke party last weekend), i'd focus on that!


clam chowder - saloon, somerville ma

i stopped in here a few weeks ago for an after-work drink with my old neighbor, nicole. the place is a modern speakeasy, and embarrassingly hard to find -- at least for me -- as the only sign is a small lamp, wayyyy up high on the side of the building. once i made my way through the dark doors and down into the basement, i was  digging the vibe. after my frisco sour (well-made and potent), i decided that i was in the mood for a bite. they have a limited food menu, but the clam chowder was rich, creamy, and perfect. and how cute are those dang potatoes?!

PEI mussels, braised short rib, and concord grape gelato - upstairs on the square, cambridge ma

i went here with a friend for restaurant week, and was certainly not disappointed in the food nor the decor. it looked like an alice in wonderland acid trip, as you can see from the picture of the wall that i snapped. this was one of many zebras prancing alongside us as we dined. anywho, the mussels and short rib were awesome, but i really just want to talk about this gelato. sorry, it was too dark to fully capture its deliciousness, but they put one of those vanilla pizzelle things in it and some peanut butter on the bottom of the bowl and it was like a gourmet, deconstructed PB & J. whoa.

chicken enchiladas - la casa de pedro, watertown ma

i've been on many a patio this summer, and this one takes the cake. my friend and former roommate, kari, is moving this week, so we decided to meet up here and have some sangria and yummy latin food. i always order chicken enchiladas anywhere, but these ones were especially fabulous. and they came with fried plaintains and yucca. hello! but seriously, the patio. you would never believe it was in the middle of an office park!

salad with crabmeat, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, capers & asparagus - rowes wharf sea grille, boston 

my dear mom came down to visit last weekend, and joined me for my absolute favorite summer activity in boston - movies by moonlight at the harbor hotel. i think it actually may be called something different now but SO WHAT, WHO CARES. it'll always be movies by moonlight to me. basically, you show up super early to score a seat on their terrace, and then you eat and drink and chat until dusk. then, they show a classic/old movie on their inflatable screen, with the ocean as the background. it don't get better than that. anyways, after the meals of the week, i wanted to get something on the lighter side, and opted for the house entree salad. it was surprisingly filling and tasty, especially when i threw some of the leftover guac from our appetizer in there. probably ate the equivalent of 2 avocados. i don't hate it!