Restaurant Review: Tatte Bakery and Cafe in Brookline, MA

I finally got over to Tatte Bakery and Cafe, something I’ve been meaning to do for ages.

At 1:30 on a Sunday, the cafe was out of many menu items, not surprising with the line to the door. Tatte's popularity is well deserved. It’s like stepping into a little piece of Europe with its rustic furniture and decor. Old-fashioned baskets hold packages of fabulous-looking baked goods. The menu offers several breakfast/brunch dishes as well as a variety of lunch sandwiches.
My friend and I managed to find a seat at a counter after ordering. Our deliciously creamy and comforting lattes, made with Stumptown coffee, arrived almost immediately, followed quickly by our breakfast sandwiches.

My avocado sandwich came with tomato, feta, and eggs done perfectly over-easy on toasted brioche. The soft, tasty brioche was the best part.

Sophie’s Croque Monsieur was on brioche instead of the usual croissant, as they had run out. She described it as "biting into a cloud," so no great loss.

I will definitely be back to try the rest of the menu and to indulge in some of those baked goods! Tatte also has locations in Cambridge and on Beacon Hill.

Tatte Bakery and Cafe
http://tattebakery.com/
(617) 232-2200
1003 Beacon St
Brookline, MA 02446

Overnight Oats

Being a college student can be very hectic, especially where meal planning is involved. Breakfast is often sacrificed for fifteen minutes more sleep (although those fifteen minutes never seem to improve my mood or energy level). And that's a big problem, because breakfast is REALLY important. I don't have to tell you all the benefits of eating breakfast. When I do manage to get up in time to make/eat breakfast, it's one of my favorite parts of the day, because I get a few minutes of quiet time alone with my coffee and my food. It's quite peaceful.

Thanks to Pinterest, one of my favorite breakfasts is overnight oatmeal. It couldn't be easier. You put all the ingredients into a tupperware or a jar, put the lid on, shake it up, and store it overnight in the fridge.

In the morning, you have a delicious breakfast that can be served hot or cold and can be eaten on the go. It's also endlessly customizable: some of my favorite toppings include freeze dried strawberries, fresh blackberries, craisins, and sliced almonds. You also get to choose what kind of milk you use. I like using almond milk.

Topped with 1/4 cup freeze dried strawberries and a tablespoon sliced almonds

The oatmeal is pretty loose and liquid when you first take it out of the fridge, which some people like (the oats are soft enough that you can eat it like that), but I usually heat it up for a few minutes in the microwave so that a) it's warm and b) the oats absorb a bit more of the liquid.

Before microwaving

After microwaving for two minutes and adding toppings

This recipe has taken a lot of the hassle out of my mornings. I hope it does the same for you!

Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oats (any kind)

3/4 cup your choice of milk

1/2 T honey or maple syrup

1/2 T vanilla extract

Your choice of toppings

Instructions:

1. Combine the first four ingredients in a tupperware or a jar. Put the lid on, and shake until combined.
2. Put the container in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
3. Either eat the oats as they are, or heat up for a few minutes in the microwave. Add desired topppings.
4. Eat!

Restaurant Review: LoConte's in Boston, MA

Today I had the pleasure of visiting LoConte's Italian Restaurant in Boston's North End!

For a Saturday afternoon, LoConte's was surprisingly empty, likely due to the snow (darn you Boston!) My friend and I were seated at a four-top table in a windowed nook. Bread arrived at our table quickly, with olive oil, butter, and parmesan/herb combo. Delicious! Our garlic bread appetizer was reminiscent of the one I make at home, with olive oil, parsley, and parmesan.

My generous Chicken Cacciatore entrée was accompanied by a choice of pasta, which, while good, paled in comparison to the main dish.

The Cacciatore was hearty, with a zesty, chunky sauce of fresh veggies.

Elise ordered the Chicken Marsala, which was smothered with mushrooms and a sweet Marsala wine sauce.

The service at LoConte's was warm and attentive. The pricing was also reasonable: my entree was $21 and could have fed three people! If you’re looking for a new place to try in the North End, check out LoConte's.

LoConte's
http://locontes.com/
(617) 720-3550
114-116 Salem St.
Boston, MA 02213

Restaurant Review: Panza in Boston, MA

Reviewing restaurants for TasteBUds, Boston University's online food publication, has awakened the food critic in me, so I'm going to include reviews in my blog, too.
Recently, visiting friends treated me to Panza, having discovered it the night before and wanting more. It is a relatively small North End restaurant on Hanover Street. The entrance was crowded, even for a Monday night, but our reserved table was ready on time. Panza is decorated simply with a quiet, intimate atmosphere of white tablecloths and low lighting. I loved the white stone walls and rustic decor.
We were quickly greeted with bread and olive oil. Goat cheese and wild mushroom spring rolls and grilled Italian greens arrived on warm plates. These delicious appetizers were what brought my friends back a for a second night. The spring rolls came with a honey thyme sauce, which added just enough delicate sweetness to balance out the goat cheese flavor. If you need only one reason to come here, these spring rolls are it.

The greens, served over soft polenta that had been sauteed enough to give it a crispy bottom, were equally praiseworthy. These were served with a well-balanced gorgonzola and balsamic sauce.

I ordered the Penne Amatriciana, which came with a flavorful, fresh tomato sauce, pancetta and eggplant.

The generous portion of pasta was perfectly cooked. The pancetta was chopped and added a great crispy element to the texture. I also loved the large chunks of tender, fresh eggplant.
My friend let me try her butternut squash tortelloni, another repeat order that also lived up to its praise. Extra bits of butternut squash topped the dish, along with a rich cinnamon butter sauce that had a dessert-like sweetness.
The service, while a little rushed, was overall very friendly and helpful. Our water glasses were never empty and everything arrived at the appropriate time.
Grateful to my friends for introducing me to Panza, I plan to return soon, eager to try the rest of the menu. Boston's North End never disappoints, but this is a new favorite.

Panza

http://www.panzarestaurant.com/

(617) 557-9248

326 Hanover St.

Boston, MA 02113

Hudg-Bread

"It's hawt. It is a sensual recreation of a timeless classic, sprinkled with love and care." -Nick Hudgins.
This bread came about as a result of Nick Hudgins, my cousin's boyfriend, needing a job in the kitchen. We threw some basic garlic bread ingredients at him, and he came up with this delicious recipe. The smoked mozzarella is an added bonus (we had leftover from making our Spaghetti and Meatballs) to an already great combination of flavors.

Hudg-Bread

Ingredients:
2 Ciabatta sandwich rolls
1 stick butter (softened)
3 cloves garlic
1 oz. smoked mozzarella
2 T parmesan (grated)
1 T fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Cut the ciabatta rolls in half lengthwise, then again crosswise, so you have 8 pieces.
2. Spread 1 tablespoon of the butter onto each piece of bread.
3. Mince the garlic and parsley, then sprinkle evenly over each piece of bread. 
4. Salt and pepper the bread, then sprinkle with the parmesan.
5. Thinly slice the mozzarella and divide evenly between the bread.
6. Place the bread slices on a cookie sheet, then bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and just barely starting to brown. Crank the heat up to 450 and bake for 1-2 minutes more so the bread is golden brown around the edges.
7. Eat.

Amanda and Meggie's Spaghetti and Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs

My cousin, Meggie, and her boyfriend, Nick, are visiting from Michigan! And because we are all poor college students, we decided to make dinner instead of going out and spending a fortune (even though Boston has some pretty great restaurants). Before she arrived, we decided on spaghetti and meatballs. And the day before she got here, Meggie texted me and suggested that we stuff the meatballs with smoked mozzarella. This changed the whole game.
We have already had a crazy food day. We got breakfast at one of my favorite coffeehouses (Pavement, here on campus), and then we got burgers at the famous Mr. Bartley's Gourmet Burgers in Harvard Square. Now, I'm not a big fan of burgers, but today, I had the Snoop Dog burger, which was amazing.
You would think that we would all be done with eating large meals, but after an afternoon of napping, studying, and guitar playing, we got to make our (much anticipated) spaghetti and meatballs. It began as a challenge, with the three of us trying to cook together in my tiny dorm kitchen on my tiny stove with my tiny pots and pans. But the end result was better than anything I could have imagined: the meatballs were browned on the bottom, which made them a little crispy. The cheese inside them was melted and gooey and smokey. And the sauce was full of flavor from the meatballs.

So do yourself a favor and make this dish: you won't be sorry. And if you have extra time, make Hudg-Bread with the leftover cheese. If you're lucky enough, you'll have enough extra meatballs and garlic bread to make a delicious meatball sandwich for lunch the next day.

Amanda and Meggie's Spaghetti and Smoked Mozzarella Meatballs

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

1 lb. ground beef (we used 92% fat free)

1 cup parmesan (ground) plus extra for sprinkling

1/2 cup fresh parsley (chopped) plus extra for sprinkling

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 large onion

3 garlic cloves

2 28 oz cans crushed San Marzano tomatoes

1 lb. spaghetti

3 oz. smoked mozzarella (cubed)

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the box instructions (salt the water!!!), then drain and set aside.
2. Put the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Put the ground beef in a bowl. Add the parmesan, parsley, bread crumbs, egg, and some salt and pepper. Then mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
4. Using a 1 inch cookie scoop, make meatballs, and push one cube of smoked mozzarella into the center of each ball. Make sure the cheese is completely covered by the meat.
5. Raise the heat for the skillet to medium high and drop the meatballs into the oil, doing your best to keep them from touching. Let the meatballs cook, without disturbing them, for 5-6 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.
6. While the meatballs are browning, dice up the onion and mince the garlic cloves. When the meatballs are done, scatter the onion and garlic around the meatballs. 
7. When the meatballs are nicely browned on the bottom and the onion and garlic are softening, pour the crushed tomatoes over them and season with salt and pepper. Adjust the heat so that the mixture bubbles slowly, but steadily, and then cover the skillet and let cook for 8 minutes, or until the meatballs are no longer pink in the middle. Remove the lid and turn up the heat so that the sauce boils and thickens a bit. If you need to stir, do so carefully.
8. When the sauce is done to your liking, toss some of the sauce with the drained pasta in a bowl. Divide the pasta between four plates and top with the remaining sauce and the meatballs. Sprinkle with the extra parmesan and parsley.
9. Eat.

Adapted from the New York Times