Panza in the North End

North End residents automatically have a second job: Italian restaurant recommenders. It's usually within the first 10 seconds of someone finding out you live in the NE that they ask which of the dozens of Italian restaurants is your favorite. Now, for Dish Gal, I take this question very seriously. And frankly, it makes me a little stressed-- there are so many North End restaurants I've never been to. That's not because I haven't heard anything good about them, but because I can only have Italian so often, and often I sacrilegiously choose my fave Italian restaurants like Sage and Dante over trying a new one in the North End.

So when I tried new restaurant Panza, I crossed my fingers that it would be delicious so I could recommend it to others. At the risk of giving away the ending of this post, I was not disappointed.

Panza offers one main thing that a lot of other North End places don't--reasonable prices. Pasta and entree dishes very rarely break the $20 mark. The low prices don't mean you have to give anything up, though; the food was tasty, classic, un-fussy Italian fare. I enjoyed the free-form lasagna, made up of black pepper pasta sheets tossed with plum tomatoes, ricotta, chicken, mushrooms, and spinach. The dish was successful, as it differed enough to justify ordering a classic, but didn't change so much that it lost its inherent charm. I thought the chicken was an unnecessary addition, though. True, I notoriously dislike chicken in general (chicken=zzzz to me most of the time), but it seemed to me like an afterthought in this dish, intended to placate those people who would never order a vegetarian dish.

My dining companion was a great friend from Dish Gal's childhood. Back in the day, we enjoyed singing along to "Everybody Dance Now" on her boombox and swimming for hours and hours and hours, stopping only for passing lightning storms or a quick Drumstick ice cream cone from the snack bar.

My friend, let's call her Lynn, ordered the penne amatriciana-- pasta with pancetta, onions, roasted eggplant, fontina cheese, and plum tomato sauce.

Sure, it wasn't her mother's famous bolognese sauce (I still dream of that sauce), but it hit the spot.

I'm not sure if it was the comforting food, the wine, the cozy restaurant, or the great conversation (I'm guessing it was a combination of all of them), but I left this restaurant with a great feeling, and I look back upon my time there with great affection. It gave me that great, indescribable buzz that every North End place should-- that feeling that you can't stop smiling, but also that you'd love to lie down and take a nap ;)

Cocktail of the Week: the Hot 'n Dirty

We were en route to see Jim Gaffigan at Foxwoods, and we were late. Stuck in traffic in Mashantucket, Connecticut, Skylar, Michelle, and I realized as we watched the minutes tick by that we would have to have the fastest dinner of all time at Alta Strada, Michael Schlow's Italian restaurant at MGM Grand Foxwoods (you can read about my first experience there back in December here).

When we finally sat down, I took a courtesy-peek at the drink menu even though I knew what I wanted --a dirty martini. But then I saw it-- the Hot 'n Dirty-- a martini with olives and pepperoncini.

It was heaven. It had the saltiness of the standard dirty martini, mixed with the sassy heat from the pepperoncini.

I'm not sure if this drink is at the Wellesley location (anyone been before?), but if you happen to be at Foxwoods, definitely stop by Alta Strada for a little hot 'n dirty...

Battle of the Seaside Restaurants

I spend a fair amount of time in Hull, not because it's all that great of a town (or that Nan-trash-ket is all that great of a beach) but because my dear friend Jamie's family has a beautiful place right on the beach there. What can I say, I'm a sucker for an ocean view.

So it came about that within a month I tried two different restaurants there-- The Red Parrot and Barefoot Bob's-- seemingly the exact same restaurant. Both are right on the beach, both offer alfresco dining, and both offer a multitude of fried seafood options and unremarkable beers. Which begs the question: Which one deserves your hard-earned dollars?

In the interest of fairness (and because it's my favorite summertime treat), I ordered the same thing at both places-- a fried fish sandwich with french fries.

First up, atmosphere. The Red Parrot offers its outdoor dining at an elevated level, on a second floor deck. This allows for wonderful views of the ocean.At Barefoot Bob's, if you don't get one of the front tables (we didn't), your view is of whoever it sitting at the bar. Heat radiates off the pavement.

Atmosphere winner: The Red Parrot

Next up, the service. Both places had jovial, summer job-type waiters, who joked around and brought things out in a timely manner. Of course you could tell they didn't give a crap, and you could see them gossiping in the corner in between dropping off food, but that's sort of expected in a seaside, summer town, right?

Service winner: Tie.

Finally, the food itself. Here's The Red Parrot's:

And Barefoot Bob's:

Both offered generous portions of fish (could barely fit on the bun), but the awesomely addictive French fries at The Red Parrot blew away the dull, listless fries at Barefoot Bob's.

And so we have a clear winner: The Red Parrot officially has Dish Gal's fried fish sandwich of choice. And, even more importantly, Dish Nephew's, too!

Fine dining, it is certainly not, but when you're hankering for some fried food and sunshine, it's worth checking out.

Quote of the Day

"...cooking was mine. It relaxed me...It was a way to make sense out of my internal chaos. There is logic and order to cooking. What you put into it has everything to do with what you get out of it. With love, it's not so cut-and-dried."

- Giulia Melucci, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti (a fun beach read: chick lit meets Martha Stewart)

Boston Restaurant Deals, part II

The good news: there are LOTS of restaurant deals in Boston. The bad news: there are so many, it's kind of hard to keep track, and I often end up at the right restaurant at the wrong time.

To simplify things, here are Dish Gal's picks for one delicious week! I picked my faves based on creativity of the offer, bang-for-your-buck, and quality of the food/atmosphere. In addition, these deals give you a nice little tour of our fine city along the way, including many different neighborhoods. ;)

Monday

Combat the Monday blues with Magical Mondays at Sel de la Terre, Back Bay. $1 oysters, $1 charcuterie, and $5 cocktail specials. That sounds pretty magical to me...

Sel de la Terre

774 Boylston Street, Boston

Tuesday

Tuesday seems to be the hot "special" day-- every restaurant seems to offer something!-- but for me, the $2 tacos at Tremont 647 are tops. (Click on that link to read the Serious Eats coverage of it.)Runner-up: $1 mini-burgers at Match.

Tremont 647

647 Tremont Street, Boston

Match

94 Mass. Ave. (around the corner from Urban Outfitters on Newbury Street)

Wednesday

For hump day, head over the river to the chic-and-sexy Noir Bar at the Charles Hotel for their 5-4-3-2-1-0 deal. With a drink purchase, choose from items ranging from $5 flatbreads, to $2 salads, to $0 nuts.

Noir Bar

One Bennett Street, Cambridge

Thursday

Meander down to the Seaport District for this amazing deal from Aura chef Rachel Klein. Flight Nights at Tamo, the bar in the Seaport Hotel, include a flight of beer (Thrillist lists Anchor Steam, Buzzards Bay, and Peak Nut Brown Ale) plus three sliders for just $9! Plus, you'll be automatically entered to win a flight night party for you and 25 of your dearest friends.

Tamo Bar

One Seaport Lane, Boston

Friday

Celebrate the weekend by heading over directly after work for Rocca's 5@5 deal-- 5 appetizers to choose from for just $5 from 5-6:30 p.m.

Rocca
500 Harrison Avenue, Boston

Saturday

Restaurants have figured out that most of us will eat out on Saturday nights whether there's a deal or not. You could take advantage of the many round-the-clock prix-fixe options, like the $35 three courses at dante in Cambridge, but for Dish Gal, $35 is still a lot of money to part with these days.

Instead, explore the North End on a budget: Grab a pizza at Ernesto’s (approximately $15) and a bottle of Barefoot Wine ($7) purchased across the street at the Wild Duck. Enjoy it all al fresco on the beautiful fountain-filled greenway (not that I condone public intoxication, but one might suggest... throw that white wine in a solo cup, and you are good to go). Split between four people, that’s a mere $5.50 each.

dante

5 Cambridge Parkway, Cambridge (in the Royal Sonesta)

Ernesto's

69 Salem Street, Boston

Wild Duck

96 Salem Street, Boston

Sunday

Ah, Sunday. For you early-risers, you can save on brunch by heading early (10- 11 a.m.) to Gaslight for their great prix-fixe brunch (click here for menu).

For dinner, head to Cheap Date Night at Myers + Chang (runs Sunday- Tuesday) for a spin on the typical Asian-take-out routine. Only $40 per couple.

Gaslight

560 Harrison Avenue, Boston

Myers + Chang

1145 Washington Street, Boston

Photo credits, top to bottom...

1) Serious Eats

2) Dish Gal

3) New York Times

Mike & Patty's in the South End. Phenomenal.

Sure, going out to The Best Restaurant in the City is great, but every foodie knows that the biggest thrill comes from discovering that small, hole-in-the-wall place that knocks your socks off.

Such was the thrill I got when I finally got to try Mike & Patty's. Ever since seeing it featured on foodie website, Serious Eats, I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. But everytime brunch rolled around, I stuck with my old favorite North Street Grille.

Finally, Dish Mom picked me up one sunny morning, and I suggested we try it. Best. Decision. Ever.

Remember how Dish Gal talked about how much I love sandwiches? While the sandwiches at Hot Tomatoes left a lot to be desired, Mike & Patty's takes sandwiches seriously-- as well one should!!

I tried one that, according to my research, they're sort of famous for: the torta-- shredded pork with avocado, refried beans, jicama slaw, and goat cheese on a luscious, bouncy, soft seeded roll.

This sandwich is NOT messing around...
The other sandwich we tried was the Bacon & Egg sandwich, fancy. The usual bacon & egg is topped with cheddar, avocado, and house mayo-- which has cayenne, cumin, and "secrets" (as the Serious Eats article cites).

Ohhhhh yeah. Toasted multigrain never had it so good.

In addition to these out-of-this-world sandwiches, the place itself just oozes charm. Located on a corner in Bay Village (like a mini-Beacon Hill but without the popped collars and Lilly Pullitzer), the restaurant is easy to pass by-- if you're even in the neighborhood in the first place. Plus, it is ridiculously tiny. And I don't mean Toro-tiny, I mean my-North-End-closet tiny. I couldn't even get in the door to order for a few minutes. Once inside, I was greeted with bacon-scented air and the lovely sound of sizzling food and clanging pans. A few lucky people sat at the lone, high-top table. Two people worked "the line," flipping eggs with the greatest of ease, smearing butter on bread, maneuvering adeptly in the tiny space. A third person took orders, fielded phone calls, and ran outside to deliver brown paper bags filled with joy.

Oh, and to top it all off, the coffee is great, too.

So, the only question is, why are you still reading this? Go git your sandwich on!

Taste of Cambridge = Time of my Life

The day after the Taste of Cambridge, I woke up in a haze. Did I dream that amazing night? Was I the only one who had a ridiculous amount of fun? But fellow partygoers, including Alec, Michelle, and Ruth (new character alert! Ruth is a co-worker who enjoys her daily Starbucks fix and loves to read--she chose her name from John Irving's A Widow for One Year), agreed: We all had the time of our lives.

And these people I went with? They aren't the easiest to please. They aren't swayed by free food and free drinks alone. But they agreed- there was definitely an indescribable, amazing feeling that night at the Taste of Cambridge. Let's investigate why.

First off, amazing food. I mean I guess that was a given, but it really was overwhelming the sheer volume of delectable options.

I think this was my favorite savory dish-- pulled duck sandwiches with slaw from Hungry Mother. I still haven't been to this widely-acclaimed restaurant, but after absolutely loving all their food at tasting events, I'm getting really antsy to get over there.

My favorite dessert? From Craigie on Main. When I saw it, I thought wow that looks lame-- a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker? Then I took a bite- holy @#(@&#* that stuff was good! Too bad I didn't actually look and see what they were...This summer gazpacho from Small Plates? Not the best ever, but was so pretty I had to take a photo:

Second element of the "time of my life" event that worked in its favor: the weather actually played nice. For the first time in weeks, the sun peeked out, allowing for the outdoor revelry to take place.

Finally, the DANCING. A sad note just as the event was starting-- the announcement of Michael Jackson's death-- could've put a damper on the evening. Instead, it heightened it. The DJ started playing some MJ tracks, and the rest is history-- a huge dance party spontaneously broke out.Yes, that's a security guard busting a move...

A video even surfaced with Dish Gal's dancing in it (in the background, but still embarassing). Let's just say, thank God this blog is anonymous so I don't embarass myself by showing that!!!

All in all, an amazing night. Many kudos to the event planners on a job well done.

Now I'm going to go play some more MJ to get "I've had the time of my life" Dirty Dancing song out of my head... ;)