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

Avocado Toast

My friends from California can tell you that I live off avocado toast. When I worked at Domenicos, almost every time I opened the cafe, avocado toast would get me through the slow morning shift. Before I left, I told my Grandparents about my love for avocados and how sad I was that I wouldn't be able to get good ones in Boston, and last week they sent me a whole box of California avocados, perfectly ripe, and perfectly delicious. I ate the first one with a spoon and some hot sauce (avocados and hot sauce just go perfectly together don't they?).
Even though I have been (attempting) dieting, I can still eat my avocado toast. After all, I wouldn't want all of those beautiful gifts to go to waste! I ended up freezing the majority of them. I didn't know you could freeze them, but thanks to pinterest, I now have an endless supply of frozen avocado halves. To freeze, simply cut the avocados in half, remove the pit, and wrap the individual halves tightly in saran wrap. Once all your halves are wrapped, place them all in a large ziploc bag and freeze. Just defrost at room temperature for about an hour before you use them.
Avocado toast has many varieties: one of my favorites is smoked salmon with lemon juice, another is tomato (in season please!) with balsamic. But when I don't have any fancy ingredients, I can always create some form of the basic avocado toast (cheese optional but so good).
You have your bread, your avocado, your lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and hot sauce. Today I added some feta cheese crumbles, but it's good without too. If you're feeling indulgent, add a drizzle of olive oil.

My personal preference for mashing the avocado is to leave some chunks instead of making it into a spread (I like my guacamole like this, too). At Domenicos, we are taught to use a butter knife to slice the avocado several times lengthwise and then again crosswise, then scoop it out and spread it on the bread. This leaves some good size chunks in there! But it's all up to you. That's what's so great about avocado toast: it's endlessly customizable.
So next time you find yourself with some extra avocados, do yourself a favor, and make some avocado toast. You can thank me later.

Avocado Toast

Ingredients:

1 slice Italian/Sourdough bread

1/2 Avocado

1/2 T Lemon juice

1/2 T Feta cheese crumbles (optional)

1 T Olive oil (optional)

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

Hot sauce

Instructions:

1. Toast the bread in a toaster until it's golden brown.
2. Using a butter knife, slice the avocado, still in its skin, several times lengthwise and again crosswise. Then scoop out the avocado and spread it on the bread.
3. Sprinkle the avocado with lemon juice and olive oil (if using). Top the liquids with the seasonings: salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and then your choice of hot sauce. Finally, finish it off with the feta cheese.
4. Cut the toast in half.
5. Eat.

Avocado Fried Egg Sandwich

Avocado Fried Egg Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices Italian/Sourdough bread

1/2 Avocado

1 T Lemon juice

1/2 T Feta cheese crumbles

1 egg

Nonstick spray

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (to taste)

Cholula Hot Sauce

Instructions:

1. Stick both slices of bread in your toaster together (side by side) and toast to desired doneness. This toasts the outside but leaves the inside soft and warm.
2. Mash the avocado inside the skin, then scoop it out with a butter knife and spread it on one piece of toast (the soft side).
3. Sprinkle the avocado with the lemon juice, feta, and red pepper flakes.
4. Head a small nonstick pan to medium high and spray with a small amount of nonstick spray. Crack the egg into the pan, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook to desired doneness.
5. Transfer the egg to the avocado and top with hot sauce and the other slice of bread. Cut in half.
6. Eat.

Turkey Brie Salad

Here is a recipe I created modeled after a salad I had at Whole Foods. It is the salad version of my favorite sandwich at Domenico's.

Turkey Brie Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups arugula

2 oz. smoked turkey (sliced)

1 oz. low fat brie (cubed)

1 apple (cut into 1" cubes)

2 T dried cranberries

2 T olive oil

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1 t  dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the lemon juice and mustard until combined, and then slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper. Pour half the dressing into a container and save it for another use.
2. Toss the remaining dressing and the arugula, turkey, brie, apple, and cranberries together in a large bowl.
3. Eat.

Salsa Fresca

Salsa Fresca

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 T finely chopped cilantro

2 T lime juice

1 minced jalapeno pepper (leave the seeds/membrane if you want more heat)

1/4 t salt

Instructions:

1. Put all ingredients into a bowl and toss well.
2. Eat.

Source: Whole Foods