Restaurant Review: Basil Rice

My first Social Saturday was touch-and-go in that I almost didn't do anything with anyone, but I succeeded in the end!  I was much overdue for some girl talk with my friend JM, so I invited her to try a new restaurant* with me:  Basil Rice Asian Street Food.

Located at 479 Harvard Street in Brookline, Basil Rice occupies the spot left vacant by the now-closed Pita Pit.**  You almost wouldn't even notice that it was there, but people should take notice.  We went in at 5:30, and it wasn't crowded at all.  The staff was wonderfully friendly and seemed very excited to serve us.  The menu is mostly Thai-style food (there's a lot of Basil and Rice on the menu...go figure), but there's a wide variety of dishes to choose from.  JM ordered the Pork Wonton Noodle Soup (8) and I ordered the Beef Basil Fried Rice (9).  Both dishes came out in a reasonable amount of time.  Also, the server brought us both big cups of water, which I certainly appreciated., as the rice was quite spicy.  It was almost too spicy for my taste, but I powered through because it was delicious.  It was garnished with fresh cucumber, which offset the spiciness quite well.  The portion was quite large, and I'm looking forward to eating my leftovers tomorrow.  JM was very satisfied with her choice of soup, as well.  After dinner I got myself an order of Mango Sticky Rice (6) to go, and it was heavenly--and I don't even like mangoes all that much.

This place is great and it's in a super convenient location near Coolidge Corner.  Moreover, it's cheap (they're doing a 20% discount until August 14th) and they deliver!  So give this place your business (and feel free to invite me to come with you)!    


*This is the first time I ever went to a restaurant during its opening weekend.  I felt very sophisticated.
**I regret never going to Pita Pit before it closed.  It would have been some good Provo nostalgia.  Hence my jumping on Basil Rice opening weekend--can't miss out on these opportunities.  

UBurger is Better

I need to stop thinking there's something better out there.

They opened a new burger place, BurgerFi, next to where I go to the gym.  I was pretty excited, because, you know, burgers.

This is basically what happens.

I wanted to go right away with some of my friends, but we never got around to it, and then I found out that practically everyone I've ever met went there without me last week, so today I decided, screw it, I don't need anybody else, I'll go by myself!  Also, I felt an upper respiratory tract thing coming on this morning, and that always calls for grilled meat and deep-fried potatoes.

Honestly, I was a little disappointed in BurgerFi.  Here is my list of grievances:

1. It was kind of expensive.  I got basically the same thing I get at UBurger (cheeseburger, fries, Diet Coke), but it cost about $3 more.
2. The bun was soggy.  My good friend LT, while attending Harvard Law School, raved about this place called Flat Patties.  I never had the heart to tell her that I secretly called it "Soggy Buns" (although I guess I kind of just did).  There is only one acceptable circumstance for bread to be wet:  when it is Thanksgiving and it is stuffing and it is covered in gravy.  Hamburger buns should not be moist to the touch.
3. Too much cheese.  My cheese-loving friends will stand aghast at this one.  I get that a cheeseburger should have a noticeable amount of cheese on it, but at the end of the day, it's still a beef patty, and you should taste the beef more than you should taste the cheese.  The two slices of yellow American on this burger were overpowering (either that or the patty was just really bland, but that's not better).
4. Not enough other things.  I dislike burgers that don't come with pickles and onions by default.  Enough said.
5. The fry:burger ratio was too high.  Don't get me wrong, I love French fries.  They're my go-to vocal health food, but when I'm done with my burger, I don't want to spend another ten minutes finishing my fries as they get progressively colder and less tasty.

This might have seemed like a harsh review, but honestly, it was good.  It wasn't the worst burger I've ever eaten, by far (that honor goes to Grasshopper Cafe--sorry guys, your breakfasts are good, though!).  One redeeming quality is that they had one of those fancy Coke machines where you can add crazy flavors (I like to add a little cherry to my D.C. whenever I'm feeling particularly sinful).  They also have frozen custard on the menu, which would have tempted me had they not also put the calorie count on the menu.  

The sense that I get is that BurgerFi sets itself apart by offering alcohol and providing a trendy and socially-conscious (they don't let you get one step into the place before reminding you that everything is "green" and "all-natural") ambiance.  But I don't really care about alcohol or ambiance at a burger place.  I care about burgers.  So next time I'm in Allston, I'm going to go to UBurger, where the burgers have never been unkind to me.

Restaurant Review: Washington Square Tavern

I grew up watching Cheers on TV with my parents, and then I spent the last nine (ugh) years watching How I Met Your Mother.  These shows were my original perception of what bars were like, and then I moved to Boston and actually started going to bars sometimes and I was like, television LIED to me!!!!  Real-life bars are not like TV bars and therefore I dislike them.  Here are the two things I dislike about bars:

1. They are full of noisy people trying to talk over crappy music.
2. There's always a TV playing sports.

Washington Square Tavern, however, is a bar, and yet has none of these things.  The music was soft and non-crappy, and there was no TV.  Instead, there was candlelight and there were old-timey books on the walls.  Granted, I went on a Monday night, but I get the sense that it's not noisy and annoying at any time of the week.

I went here last week with two friends.  We all ordered burgers, despite the plethora of other fancy-sounding things on the menu, because the sole purpose of the outing was to get burgers.  The burgers were delicious.  I ordered mine "medium" and it was very juicy (as we were told/warned multiple times by the server and host).  When I go again (and I will), I will take special care to position the first bite over my fries so that they will also be covered in juice, because it turns out French fries covered in what is essentially blood are delicious.  My only issue with the burger was in the shape of the patty which resulted in a rather tall burger, but I'm told the shape contributes to the juiciness, so I'll let it go and just fault my jaw for being non-detachable.

The service was fantastic as well.  The host was really nice and you could tell that he recognized the "regulars."  I hope to one day become a regular so that whenever I walk in I will immediately be presented with a Diet Coke and a burger.   

Washington Square Tavern is located at 714 Washington Street in Brookline, MA.  Find their menu here.

Last Hawaiian Restaurant Review: The Counter

Served with the most amazing sweet potato fries (not pictured)

On the suggestion of a friend who I wish I'd gotten to know well enough to miss, I went to The Counter in Kahala Mall with some other friends who fall into the same category as a farewell dinner of sorts.  The Counter is a "build your own burger" type of place with a multiple-choice sheet that was super intimidating, even to one who is so awesome at standardized tests.  The options for what to get were very wild; had I been able to go a second time, I would have tried brie and apricot jam, but in the nature of objectivity and normalization, I went traditional (except I got scallions in lieu of regular onions).  Here's how this burger measured up:

• Structural Integrity:  A.  It stayed together, and the scallions didn't even fall off!
• Burger-to-Bun Ratio:  A-.  Generally okay, though I was left with a bit more burger at the end.
• Topping Quality and Distribution:  N/A.  You can get pretty much whatever you want on this burger, and they give you a decent amount of it.
• Burger Patty:  B+.  It was good, but their interpretation of "medium-well" was definitely much closer to "medium."  I don't love my burgers too pink, but I didn't get sick after, so it was fine.  
• Fries:  A+.  These were probably the best sweet potato fries I've ever had.  Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and served with this sauce that I don't even know what it was (there was definitely some dijon in there) but it was AMAZING.  I wish I had either ordered a bigger plate of them (they're not included in the cost of the burger) or not offered to share.
• Overall:  A.  I might have liked this more than Teddy's, though it was more expensive.

The service was good.  The only thing I very much disliked is that there was a live musician playing.*  He was too loud for the small space and I couldn't hear half of the conversations.  Also, deciding what to order of a million options is stressful enough without some acoustic rendition of a Katy Perry song blasting behind you.  They also sold desserts and milkshakes, but I can't believe that any milkshake could have been good enough to be worth six dollars.  That milkshake would have to bring all of the boys and all of the men and the fracking Queen of England to the yard.

*As opposed to a dead one, which would have been terribly interesting.

Restaurant Review: Cheeseburger in Paradise

The pineapple wedge is a nice touch.  Scurvy prevention with a side of burger.

I'm wrapping up my search for the best burger in Honolulu as I am leaving quite soon!  I was in Waikiki buying a hard case for my ukulele and decided to eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise, right across from the beach.  I was going to go to Cheeseburger Waikiki, but it was farther away and it's owned by the same people so I'm guessing it's the same thing.  I had heard good things about it, so I was pretty excited, probably too excited.  First of all, like most things Waikiki, it's very tourist-friendly.  Lots of gimmicky Hawaiian things to cater to the Jimmy Buffet crowd.  I don't mind touristy if the food is good, however.  I can't say I was huge fan of the service.  It was a busy Saturday evening, I'll grant them, but it took quite a while for my server to get my order.  May I just say how much I dislike when servers call you "sweetheart" (or "doll" or "love", etc.)?  If I'm at a crusty old diner and there's a matronly woman named Flo taking my order, she can call me "sweetheart," but some blonde, tattooed early-twentysomething named Holly can keep the pet names to herself.  Maybe I'm "overly sensitive" but I find it slightly condescending.  I can't be too angry, however, as she did keep the Diet Cokes coming.  I ordered the basic cheeseburger and a side of sweet potato fries.  Here's how the burger fared in my grading rubric (that maybe I've only used once):

• Structural Integrity:  A.  The whole thing stayed together and only a few lettuce bits fell out.  They call it a "five-napkin burger," and I was worried when I was only given two, but it was much less messy than I'd expected.
• Burger-to-Bun Ratio:  A.  Probably the best B:B ratio that I've seen!  One thing I'll note is that they used one of those "Hawaiian" buns which is a bit denser than a normal bun, which probably also contributed to the structural integrity.
• Topping Quality/Distribution:  C+.  Lettuce, one poor little tomato slice, and some onions that were all stuck together.  Where the frack were the pickles?  I missed pickles the most.  I don't even think you could request them extra on the menu.  The cheese was good, but the sauce wasn't plentiful enough to make the burger moist and flavorful.
• Burger Patty:  C.  Meh...it was okay.  It was cooked medium-well, which combined with the Hawaiian bun and the lack of condiments made the whole thing rather dry.  The flavor was decent, however.  
• Fries:  A.  Sweet potato waffle fries are a terrific creation.  They were perfectly seasoned and crispy.
• Overall:  B-.  It was fine, but not really worth the $20 I paid (after tipping Holly), especially when I could have gone to Teddy's just down the street and gotten essentially the same thing much more quickly and for half the price.  

Restaurant Review: Kahuku Grill

The front of the place.  Also, look at the boy in the window.  Look at him.

I think I may have found my rebound burger.  Don't get me wrong; I'm not trying to replace the wonderful burgers in Boston (you know who you are), but I'm not in Boston, so I have to move on just a tiny bit.  I went to the Kahuku Grill on the North Shore for lunch after visiting the Laie Temple today.  I was planning on eating a burger in any case, but I also took the advice of many internet reviewers who said to follow the example of the locals and get the burger instead of the "Famous Coconut Shrimp" (which I may try next time, because there will be a next time).

If you close your eyes and imagine "Traditional Hawaii Burger Joint," Kahuku Grill is what you see.  It definitely has that run-down (but not gross) surf shack vibe to it, which I kind of dug.  One can eat outside or inside, depending on how one feels about eating hot burgers on a hot day (I chose to eat inside).  The place is family-owned, and given that it was a family with seven boys with names all starting with the letter "S" with varying degrees of Biblicality (Seth, Shem, Shez...yeah), I'm going to go out on a limb and say they were probably Mormon.  It also seemed to be the regular lunch place for Temple patrons--lots of white shirts and ties on a Saturday afternoon--which makes sense, given that it's only 2.7 miles North of the Temple.

I ordered the Cheeseburger Combo (burger and fries) and a Diet Coke.  The whole order came to eight dollars and change--pretty reasonable for Hawaii!  The girl who waited on me was very friendly, but I kind of wish I'd waited a bit to order, because after I left, the counter was being manned by perhaps the cutest boy I have seen on this entire island.*  At any rate, I got my drink and sat down and waited for my food.  The Diet Coke was not as Diet Coke-y as I like...but maybe it was a fountain issue.  An appropriately-short time later, the girl brought my food out.  Behold:

Look at those fries.  And that fry sauce.  I was all over that fry sauce.

More evidence of the place's Mormonosity:  Fry Sauce.  I was super excited about this.  For people who have not spent any time in Utah, Fry Sauce is one part ketchup, one part mayonnaise, and one part magic.  So good.  And look:  it's garnished!  As you can see, the fries are not the typical stick fries.  They're more like little quarters of potato slices.  They were hot and the perfect balance of crispy-on-the-outside/soft-on-the-inside.  They were very nicely seasoned; my only complaint is that they were a bit too salty--next time I shall ask for less salt.

The burger was great as well!  I even will be so bold to say that it would be able to hold its own in the Boston Burger Arena (an controversial claim, it seems!).  It's definitely a lunch burger,** but it did well in all the important categories:  burger:bun ratio, structural integrity, non-greasy beef patty, yummy melty cheese!  A thing I noticed was that the burger had a lot more lettuce on it than other burgers that I've had.  There were bites that were in danger of being a bit too "lettucey," but the texture was nice!  I highly recommend it to anyone who has any business on the North Shore, and I think that this will become my regular post-Temple lunch place!

The Kahuku Grill is located at 56-565 Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku, on the same property as the Kahuku Sugar Mill.

*You know, if you're into longish-haired tan surfer guys who are probably too young for me...and let's face it, I so am.  We eye-flirted for a good 1.2 seconds.  It was amazing.

**The difference between "lunch burger" and "dinner burger" should be clear to anyone who's ever had a conversation with me...or who has any common sense at all.

Restaurant Review: Teddy's Bigger Burgers

I always forget to take pictures of my food until I'm four bites in.  But this way you can see the inside of the burger better, right?

My quest continues!  While I've temporarily closed the book on Boston, I'm now out to find the Best Burger in Honolulu.  Yelp.com listed this place at the top of the list, and my roommate said she'd been there and liked it as well.  Teddy's is a chain with multiple locations (see their website for a list), but we went to the one in Kailua.  It was a nice sixties-esque atmosphere, though very "no shirt, no shoes, no problem."  It's the kind of place where you order at the counter and they give you a pager when your food is ready.  I ordered the cheeseburger combo which came with fries and a drink and it came to about $9.50.  It took a little longer than I would have liked to get my food, but I think it was worth the wait.

In my burger quest, I've decided I need to be a little more objective with my scoring system, so here's me being as objective about food as I can be, using the A-F letter grade system.

• Structural Integrity (does the thing fall apart and drip everywhere?):  A-.  It was a little bit drippy, but the thing stayed together.  Not messy at all.
• Burger-to-Bun ratio (are you left with one thing but not the other at the end?):  A.  The last bite contained not only both burger and bun, but also part of a pickle.
• Topping Quality (what toppings are there?  are they good?):  A-.  Lettuce, Tomato, Pickles, and Onions.  All tasted good, and one thing I liked was that the onions were really thinly sliced so it wasn't overwhelmingly oniony.  It was also topped with "super sauce" which was a zingy and slightly spicy topping.  It was interesting, but I think I prefer Thousand Island or Russian dressing.
• Topping Distribution (are the toppings evenly distributed?):  B-.  There was only one tomato and it was off to the side.  The pickles were also kind of localized to one side.  Normally this isn't an issue, but they were stuck to the cheese and couldn't be moved.
• Burger Patty (a more subjective thing):  B.  It was decent, cooked medium, and flat and thin.  It tasted fine, but I've had better.
• Fries (an integral part of the burger experience):  A.  Thick-cut and non-greasy.  They were well seasoned but not too salty.  They had a nice stand-alone quality, but there were way too many and I couldn't finish.
• Overall:  A-.  It's kind of rough to grade the first one, because I don't know what else is out there.  I'll definitely go here again, though!

Restaurant Review: The Gallows

I promise this blog has not turned into a restaurant review blog!  I will write other things shortly, as soon as I can figure out how.  After my previous post about a contender for the Worst Burger in Boston, I must review about one extremely good burger, eaten a day later.

Dave and I went to The Gallows, located at 1395 Washington Street in the South End, on Wednesday evening to try the Burger, which had been highly recommended by strangers on the internet.  The recommendations did not disappoint.  The decor of the place was quite charming, a mix of antiquity and DIY industrialism (in lieu of purchasing a $20K chandelier, the owners constructed light fixtures out of iron rebar and concrete reinforcement, with blossoming branches reaching out into the space*).  The crow/raven pictured on the sign above is a recurring theme in the restaurant--one is even perched in the ladies' restroom next to an antique lace wedding dress.

Our server was excellent--he took great care to explain to us the process by which their burgers were made and how "medium-well" is actually the best option given the natural inherent juiciness of the meat.  We ordered the burger "Our Way" with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and (actually) caramelized onions** ($10).  Our food was served to us extremely quickly, and by golly, was it delicious!  The burger was dripping with juice--not blood and grease (well, there was a little fat, but it wasn't overwhelming)--and tasted amazing.  It was served with fries which were a bit too salty, but crisp and tasty nonetheless, and homemade ketchup which was essentially tomato jam with hints of cloves, cinnamon, and allspice.  The homemade ketchup was interesting, but I prefer Heinz with my fries...call me a traditionalist.  Thankfully, it was present at the table as well.

We declined dessert, as the only option was some type of fancy Fluffernutter (peanut butter, bananas, marshmallow, and chocolate ganache), but as we paid our bill, our server presented us with tiny soft-serve ice cream cones!  I almost wanted to ask for six more, but it was the perfect little amount of sweetness to top off a great meal.

The most remarkable thing about The Gallows (aside from the delicious burger, of course) was the service.  Our server was extremely attentive and friendly and succeeded in creating two happy guests.  The manager conversed with us about the decor, and a server who wasn't even our server stopped to clear some glasses for us upon passing.  Five stars.  Everyone should go here.

*We knew this because the manager, upon noticing us noticing the light fixtures, came to our table and told us about the whole process.

**You all know what a big caramelized onion kick I'm on lately.

Updated Restaurant Review: The Grasshopper Cafe

I reviewed this place a while ago, however, as I dined here today, I must make an amendment.  The Grasshopper Cafe in Charlestown might be up for an award in my book:

"The Worst Burger in Boston"

Beau and I both got the Angus burger here on the waitress's recommendation:  "It's really good," she said.  "Okay," we said, and ordered them medium-well.

First of all, our "medium-well" burger patties came out looking like charred meatballs.  I know they're supposedly "hand crafted," but is it too much to ask that a burger be flat?  They were served on a toasted bun with two leaves of lettuce and one 1/2" thick slice of Roma* tomato, but not the pickles and onions promised on the menu, and no condiments!  It was very awkward to eat, as you had to get through a few bites of bun and lettuce before actually biting into the oddly-shaped patty.  This wouldn't have been a huge problem had the burger tasted great, however, it had an unidentifiable "additional" bad taste (i.e. it tasted like a not-great burger with a hint of something else unpleasant).  

The burger was served with a side dish.  Beau got fries which were fine, and I got "onion strings" which seemed to be nothing more than onion rings that fell apart when they were being overcooked in the deep-fryer along with something else similarly unpleasant tasting.  

For a place that had treated me well in the past, I felt a little betrayed.  Did the waitress lie when she said the burger was really good?  Or does she legitimately think that the burger actually is good?  In the latter case, that poor girl, and if I were going to be around Boston a little longer, I would take her out to a few other burger places in the area (Flat Patties, UBurger, Boston Burger Company...).

At any rate, if you decide to visit the Grasshopper Cafe, do it for Breakfast, and if you go for lunch, steer clear of the burger.  

*For those not well-versed in tomatoes, a Roma (or plum) tomato is less than 2" in diameter, in other words, not the right size for a hamburger, but then again, the hamburger was not the right size for a hamburger, so I guess it fit.  Or didn't. 

Roma tomatoes:  Good for salads, sauces, basically everything except being sliced on a sandwich.

Restaurant Review: The Crêperie on Newbury

I'm really thankful for Groupons, because otherwise, I would have never gone to this delicious, delicious place.  I had a $20 for $40 worth of food deal (with a $5 discount, so it was actually $15!), so I took the beau here on a date.  I mentioned before that I would hate to be a guy and the one traditionally in charge of planning the dinner dates, but I pretty much knocked this one out of the park (thanks Groupon!).  We snazzed ourselves up and took the Green Line to Copley Square and walked over to 259 Newbury Street, where this crêperie sits snugly between ritzy shops and restaurants catering to stylish (cough...rich) Bostonians.

The place doesn't take reservations for under six people, but the girl on the phone said they were so busy with the Groupon deal that they'd hold a table for us.  When we walked in at 7:00 on a Wednesday, however, we literally doubled the in-house population.  The restaurant is very clean and simply decorated, with dance music (Disco, Michael Jackson, etc) playing on a Pandora station loudly enough to be lip-synched and silently danced to, but not loud enough to drown out the other two women diners' conversation about just how much alcohol one can actually drink while pregnant anyway* and whether or not the other lady is "putting herself out there" enough.

Now to the food!  I ordered the chicken and goat cheese crêpe ($12--pictured below) and Beau ordered the braised short ribs ($14).  Covered with a roasted tomato sauce, that chicken and goat cheese concoction was perhaps one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth--at first bite.  It was so delicious, but it lacked dimension, something that could possibly be remedied with some more fresh herbs (and possibly by actually caramelizing the "caramelized" onions**).  The braised short ribs crêpe was good, and had a kind of a sweetness to it that I didn't get to explore very much because I only took a small bite because I'm weird about sharing food sometimes.

For dessert we shared the Bananas Foster ($8--pictured below).  Served with ice cream and caramel sauce, it was delicious and just rich and sweet enough.  Dessert sharing often poses Zeno's paradox:  no matter how small of an amount there is left on the plate, you'll only eat half of it.

The service was good:  everything happened quickly and our waiter was polite and attentive (though there were only two tables at the time, so who knows what it's like when they're busy).  I highly, highly recommend this place.  Even without the Groupon or any other discount, it's not unbearably expensive, especially for Newbury Street.  I'm just sad that I probably won't be able to go again before I leave.  I wonder if there are crêperies in Hawaii...

Check out the full menu for The Crêperie on Newbury here.

*Apparently, according to her OB, it's two drinks per day.  Thanks for the fetal alcohol syndrome, doc.

**Caramelization means brown, people!

My Trip to Michigan

Hello everyone! Yesterday I returned from the shortest trip I ever took that required five* plane rides. I visited East Lansing, Michigan for a grad school interview at Michigan State University. Here is the story of that trip:

On Monday afternoon I got off the plane at the Lansing airport. The Lansing airport is tiny and has a little bit of a "Twin Peaks-y" vibe to it, and I have to like that about a place. Shortly after I got my bag, I was whisked away by a grad student to my interview. The fact that I didn't know that I was having an interview meant that I didn't have time to prepare (thank goodness I was wearing a suit jacket with my jeans and fuzzy boots), but also I didn't have time to be super nervous. I was probably a bit more honest in my interview than I expected to be, but I don't think it was an utter disaster of tactlessness.

The next day, I was taken to see some of the things the Anthropology department has to offer. I saw their forensic lab and their (very impressive) skeletal collection. Overall, this was a very educational trip. Before visiting MSU, I had a very generic Pro/Con list about the program, and now, I'm able to flesh the list out on both sides, which will be very important should I have decisions to make in the future.** I'm trying to not think too much about these decisions until I have to make them, as to preserve my sanity and to not waste a perfectly good Pro/Con list.

(For those curious, here is one tiny glimpse of my Pro/Con list:  Pro--The cost of living in East Lansing is amazing. Con--there are no streetlights and I will probably get hit by cars.)

While in East Lansing, I got to experience quite a bit of the local cuisine, which, as you can imagine, is college-town-diverse. Here are three mini restaurant reviews for you!

• Bell's Greek Pizza (1135 East Grand River Avenue; East Lansing):  Delicious and super cheap. Like $1.50/slice cheap. Food is so much cheaper here than in Boston. This is a fun place where they serve you pizza at the counter and then you go sit down and eat it. I was at post-airplane and post-interview levels of starving, so I ate three slices:  mushroom, tomato-basil, and bacon. The bacon slice was a little soggy on the bottom, which was disappointing, but the other two slices were great. The crust is thick and fluffy and a little buttery, but not greasy, which is just the way I like it.*** Bell's is open until 4:00 a.m., which I imagine appeals to a certain demographic (not mine). 
• Sansu Sushi and Cocktails (4750 Hagadorn Road; East Lansing):  I went here with one of the Anthropology grad students to talk about the program informally. And informal it was! This is a "take your shoes off" kind of place, in the sense that it's authentically Japanese, that is. I got a Teriyaki Chicken Bento box, something I've never tried before. And again, the person accustomed to buying food in Boston says, so much freaking food for eleven dollars! There was chicken, rice, California rolls, seaweed salad, various and sundry things Tempura, and soup and more salad. All very delicious, and it almost felt healthful (even though I was so stuffed afterwards). 
• Thai Princess (1754 Central Park Drive; Okemos):  My friend and I went here for dinner on my last night in Michigan. This is a very college-student-friendly Thai place, but it is very pink. So pink. Like the Victoria's Secret of Thai places pink. Maybe it was for the impending Valentine's Day, but also probably because it has "Princess" in the name. I ordered the Sesame Chicken, which is a change from my normal noodle order whenever I eat Thai food. It was very well seasoned and came with lots of yummy steamed vegetables. I was sad that the side of rice was just regular white rice and not Jasmine or something more flavorful. Just as well, I guess, as I didn't need more carbs that day. The lady who cleared our table was really nice, and she had a good eye for fashion (i.e. she knew that my coat was from Lands End). 

One neat thing is that I have now officially visited every place I have applied for Grad School, which hasn't happened before. Both Provo and Boston were kind of leaps. Good leaps, but leaps nonetheless. I'll keep you all posted when it comes to decision time.

(Also, I failed at bringing a camera. I was like "East Lansing, what do I need to photograph in East Lansing?" There was a display case in the DO school that had a femur in it. The femur was painted gold with the words "Golden Femur" on it. Everyone who knows my superhero alter-ego, Bone Girl, knows that Bone Girl's weapon of choice is the Golden Femur of Justice! The only proof I have is the picture I took with my crappy phone camera that has no way of leaving my crappy phone.)



*Yes, five. Boston to Detroit to Lansing to Detroit to DC to Boston. I normally like to humor the flight attendants and pay attention to the safety briefing, but by the last time, I was like, "girl, I know how to buckle my seatbelt."
**Please bless that I have decisions to make in the future. And bless that those decisions are not "should I live in a box in Somerville or move back in with my parents?".
***Boston pizza tends to be a little too crunchy and burnt-tasting (yes, Upper Crust, I'm talking about you) for my taste.

Restaurant Review: The Rusty Hammer

I guess this is going to be some sort of hybrid-Trip Review/Restaurant Review. On Monday I went with some of my favorite friends on a road trip to Northern Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire. First, we went to Plum Island which is a place full of sand dunes* and bird-watching. We saw a snowy owl and some type of hawk. The rest of the birds were presumably south for the winter.

We then drove northward to New Hampshire, which, from what I can gather, is a state full of thrift stores, tattoo parlors, fireworks emporia, and classy establishments such as Casket Royale (I don't remember the slogan for this place, but I believe when I need to be interred, I'll be taking my business elsewhere). I kid, of course. New Hampshire is lovely.

In the evening, when we had reached our destination/turn-around point in Portsmouth, we sought out a place to obtain food. And so, The Rusty Hammer entered into our lives. This place advertised an award-winning burger (or "wimpy," as they're called at The Hammer†), so we went in.

We all ordered burgers of various varieties. Mine had pepper-jack cheese on it. The burger was well above average, but probably not the best I'd ever eaten (hey, UBurger!). I had onion rings on the side, which were very tasty. My friends who ordered the sweet potato and waffle fries were quite happy with their choices, as well. Prices were very, very reasonable for this type of place.

Hands down, the best thing about this restaurant was the service. It is my second greatest regret that I did not learn the name of our waitress that night. I mean, we were there at 5pm on a Monday night, so maybe service is less wonderful when it's crowded, but still, our waitress was spectacular. She was probably in her mid-to-late forties and had a magical New England accent. She was very attentive and provided excellent positive reinforcement with our menu choices. Here is one particular interaction between this waitress and my friend Dave that might have been the favorite of the evening:

Dave: "Can I get bacon and guacamole on my burger?"

Flo‡: "You sure can, you crazy devil!"

These are the kind of moments you never thought happened in real life. Great waitress. Really spectacular. The only complaint I have about The Rusty Hammer was that the bathroom was freakishly cold. Like as cold as it was outside.

After dinner, we walked around the town square and went into this specialty food store called The Stonewall Kitchen. They had all sorts of jams and jellies and syrups and cute little kitchen gadgets. The men actually bought things while the other girl and I tried all of the samples. My biggest regret of the night is not buying the Blueberry-Pomegranate jam. It was spectacular. So good. I realize the error in my rationale that $3.50 was too much to pay for a tiny little jar of jam. If I ever go back there, I will rectify this.

At any rate, this trip was fantastic, despite the fact that it kicked off a week of every Taylor Swift song ever written being stuck in my head... but that's another story altogether.

The Rusty Hammer is located at 49 Pleasant Street in Portsmouth, NH.

[UPDATE:  I found my receipt. Our waitress's name was Susan!]

*Whenever I think of sand dunes I think of Sarah, Plain and Tall when Sarah talks about the dunes in Maine and then the family makes her a dune out of hay in the barn. We couldn't go near the dunes on Plum Island, and it was 30 degrees outside, so I did not slide down any dunes. I'm adding that to my "to-do" list, though.

†Shortening the name of a thing always means that one is an expert in familiarity with that thing.

‡I don't know if Flo was her real name, but whenever I encounter a spunky lady from New England, I assume she should be called Flo.

Restaurant Review: Grasshopper Cafe

An avid "Gilmore Girls" fan, one of my quests upon moving to New England was to find the real-life equivalent of a Luke's Diner. I have yet to find such a thing, but maybe a diner run by a hunky man in flannel who can cook and build me a chuppah is just too much to ask.

I was delighted, however, when Charlestown (or "The Town," as it's called by us Townies) opened the Grasshopper Cafe. A small-ish breakfast and lunch place, the Cafe balances the rustic charm of the small town with the classiness deemed appropriate for a place a stone's throw from Downtown Boston. It's definitely too well-decorated to be a Luke's diner (the walls are orange, but a nice orange), but there's nothing too bizarrely-posh listed in chalk on the menu boards.

I've been to the Grasshopper Cafe three times since it's opened (which is probably not enough, considering I could walk to its 229 Bunker Hill Street location in one breath if I tried), and I've been quite happy with it all times.

On my first visit with one of my roommates, I ordered a veggie omelet which was served with the best-tasting toast I've ever had (I don't know how toast can be that good, but it was delightful!).

My second trip was a lunch outing, where I had a Reuben sandwich (I have a rule that I always have to try the Reuben wherever I go). The meat on the Reuben was a little fatty for my taste, but the fries were very yummy. I also enjoyed that they offer a variety of different side options for the sandwiches; most other places don't boast that many.

My third trip was with two roommates for a late breakfast ("brunch" is something done by people in relationships... and we don't like those). I got the breakfast special which was Strawberry-Peach Crepes. They used fresh fruit and really great whipped cream. The crepes were topped with granola, which I thought was a little unusual, but I didn't hate (I might have asked for it on the side). The only thing I didn't love was that it seemed like the crepes were overlapping with someone else's savory breakfast order on the grill, so there was a little extra flavor that didn't quite belong. My roommates (who, to clarify, were ravenously hungry) quite enjoyed their omelettes, hash browns, and toast dipped in maple syrup.

Prices are pretty decent. Most things are in the 6-9 dollar range, so including tip it's hard to pay more than $15/person there. The service is what you'd expect for a small diner in the Town: friendly Townies with lots of local pride.

I very much recommend the Grasshopper Cafe if you'd like to be a Townie for a day and enjoy some yummy food.

Restaurant Review: Zume's

I've decided that every now and then, this blog is going to contain restaurant reviews, because, as I've recently found out, some people have been to even fewer food places than I have! Also, I never find review websites all that helpful, because I don't know the people, so maybe the people who give horrible reviews are snobs, or the people who give great reviews have no standards. So here's my review for all of you that know me.

Zume's Coffee House is located at 233 Main Street in Charlestown, MA. When I first moved to Charlestown, I was really excited because it was a short walk from my house and looked cute. So now that I've been there a few times, I figure I can write about it.

First things first, I don't drink coffee. So I can't comment on the coffee. I know what you're thinking, how can you review a coffee house if you don't drink coffee? Chill out, there are other things at coffee houses besides coffee! In terms of drinks, I've had the rooibos iced tea, which was decent, and the hot caramel apple cider, which was far too sweet for my taste. I've also tried a few of their baked goods: the glazed and jelly donuts, which are significantly tastier than their less expensive counterparts at the Dunkin Donuts across the street; the chocolate chunk bar, which was pretty nice the first time, but kind of stale the second time; and the cheesecake brownie, which was lovely in presentation, but pretty lackluster in terms of taste.

They have other real food items there too, sandwiches and soups and such, but I've never tried any of it, since it's a little more expensive than other options. The price to deliciousness ratio of the baked goods and drinks is also a bit high. Other reviews have pointed out a lot of problems with customer service at Zume's. I'm not really a customer-service snob, in that I'll stop going to a restaurant I like if the staff isn't friendly, but I must admit that on all but one occasion (that occasion being the second, stale chocolate chunk bar excursion) I never felt like the people waiting on me were incredibly enthusiastic.

The atmosphere of Zume's is pretty nice, it's moderately-lit, chairs are comfy, menu items are written in colorful chalk, and local artwork is displayed on the walls. I guess it's kind of a hub in Charlestown, a home away from home for residents and their cute babies and cuter dogs. Overall, I'd say that if you can afford this place and like "coffee culture," it's worth a visit, but if you're looking for amazing bakery items and affordable drinks, you might want to take your visit elsewhere.

I must admit that this review may be a little biased, as I've applied for a job at Zume's on two occasions and haven't been hired either time, yet according to Craigslist, they're always hiring. I'm guessing, after this review, they're probably not going to hire me ever.