Have you ever run into one of those restaurants that you only ate at once, but would still list as one of your favorites? Jack’s of New London, NH was one of those for me…it closed down before I could get back. Baker’s Best Cafe in Newton was also one of those, and it also closed down before I got to go back.

So imagine my excitement when I was approached to set up a brunch for the Boston Brunchers with Baker’s Best Catering! You see, they had closed down the cafe, but only to be able to focus on their thriving catering business.

We were lucky enough to be greeted by owner, Michael Baker, and Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz for the majority of our day. While Chef was busy in the kitchen, Michael gave us a personal tour of the space, which was so much better than you ever imagined a catering space would be.

Before building this space, the catering facilities had been located in the basement of the old cafe. When they decided to build the new location they had military consultants come in and watch and analyze the way the catering staff moved and worked. The result is this perfectly designed, optimized chef’s paradise. Honestly, the staff never has to double their path, they can go from dry goods, to cold storage, to freezers to cooking to packing and out the back door. It is really quite impressive.

Equally as impressive is owner Michael Best’s obvious vigour and love for what he does. From the initial goal of creating a “REAL” turkey sandwich, to now employing over 120 catering staff, chefs, cooks, and administrators, Michael has kept his standards of quality at a peak, and some how instilled an equal passion from his staff.

Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz glowed with every morsel that was introduced to us. Her creativity combined with a certain practicality made for the perfect introduction of passed apps, or “Eye Openers” as they so cutely named them.

Bloody Mary Shots w/ Poached Shrimp, Pickled Green Beans and a Celery Salt Rim…joined by Liz of www.eatingplaces.wordpress.com

A couple of the bites that followed have now joined my list of some of the best things that I have ever eaten. The Asian Tuna Tartar in a miso sesame cup with siracha aioli, wasabi greens, and soy pearls had a texture unlike anything I had eaten…in a good way!  The sweet potato corned beef hash in a maple brown sugar bacon cup was delicious, but paled next to the other bites. However, more than one bruncher did declare this their favorite bit.

Clockwise: Everything Bagel Bite, Tuna Tartar, Sweet Potato Hash

But now it is time to talk about the bite that I will be dreaming about from here until the end of time….The Everything Bagel Bite. A moment of silence please….This bite was made up of a crunchy everything bagel cup filled with creme fraiche, gravlax, red onion, lemon pearls and frisee. The way the textures and flavors came together in this bite…it was honestly one of my greatest food bites ever.

We returned to the dining room (which was actually Michael’s office decorated by Peterson Party Center). We were delighted to find that the remainder of our meal would be a Chef’s Sideboard Buffet served right in the middle of the kitchen! What an experience! We helped ourselves to quiches, beet ravioli stuffed with queso valdeon and challah french toast with bananas foster, fresh berries, and Vermont cider maple syrup.

This buffet earned an A+ just based on beauty alone. The beet ravioli…genious! It did not prove as bold in flavor as it was in color, but once I added the salad to the beet bite, it was pretty close to perfection. While at brunch, some one tweeted to methat if they didn’t serve us french toast, I should demand it. Luckily I didn’t have to do that. And yes, it was absolutely delicious, the thick challah bread standing up to the perfectly balanced batter.

Beverages provided by Brix in South Boston

I would be remiss if I did not point out the delightful conversation that happened during this brunch. Like any good meal should do, our brunch at Baker’s Best created the perfect atmosphere for enjoyment. And it wasn’t over yet! When it was finally time to leave, the farewell committee had these adorable containers of multi-flavored whoopie pies for us to take home. Carrot cake, peanut butter fluff, peppermint, chocolate and red velvet whoopie pies better than any I have had were the perfect au revoir!Michael, Phylis and the rest of the Baker’s Best crew put on an unbelievable event for the Boston Brunchers. I have no doubt that their professionalism, passion and creativity pours into every wedding, bar mitzvah, oscar party, and office breakfast that they cater.

So, I have another fun event to tell you about my foodie friends. And yes, I have a pair of tickets to give away as well!

This event is hosted by Union Square Main Streets:

Union Square Main Streets creates a vibrant neighborhood by enhancing the Union Square business district and surrounding neighborhoods through active community collaboration.  By enhancing the artistic and ethnic strengths of the neighborhood we seek to drive commercial and economic development.  We celebrate food — local and international, our own eclectic creative sensibilities, and the dense, unique fabric of our New England square that blossomed before there was such as thing as smart growth.

Union Square Main Streets has put together an evening that will delight all of your tastebuds as you experience a progressive dinner through three of the areas top dining destinations: Casa B, The Independent and Journeyman. This fabulous event will take place on Tuesday, March 13, 2012 at 6:30 pm.

The crawl will start at 6:30 at Casa B, Union Square’s newest restaurant, opening just last December. Owners Alberto Cabre and Angelina Jockovich serve up tapas and pinchos, embracing romanticism, warmth and the spice of Latin-America. They’ll have a selection of delectable tapas ready for us and a glass of their exquisite sangria.

The next stop will be The Independent, where seasonal and sustainable ingredients are prepared classically. This long-time neighborhood favorite will serve up a savory course and paired beverage.

The evening will end at Journeyman, where chefs Tse Wei Lim and Diana Kudajarova source their ingredients from small artisan producers to prepare elegant food that always surprises. They promise to end our delicious night memorably.

And let’s not forget the fun you will have with the other foodies and non-foodies who join you in this advernturous evening! If you would like to hedge your bets and buy tickets ($40 + processing), simply click here. However, if you would like to win tickets….

How to Enter:

• Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment here telling me about your favorite local restaurant in your hood.
• Bonus Entry: Follow Union Square Main Streets on Twitter and tweet “I would love to win tix to @allabout02143′s foodie crawl thanks to @renh77 http://wp.me/pVsto-Ed“. Leave me a comment saying you did so.
• Bonus Entry: Blog about this event with a link back to this post. Leave me a comment saying you did so.
• All entries must be received by 10am on Wednesday, February 29th.
• Winner of 2 complimentary tickets to the Foodie Crawl will be chosen using Random.org on Wed, Feb 29th.
• If you win and are unable to attend, you will forfeit your prize and a new winner will be chosen.
• If you do not respond to the prize notification within 48 hours, you will forfeit your prize and a new winner will be chosen.

Seeing that my last post was on December 26th, I think you all can guess this has been a hectic month for me. Besides December and January being my busiest months at my full time job, the weight of the new year, my impending graduation from my EdM program this May and the life changing decisions that is forcing me to make….its really cold out!

What does all of this equal? Well, not much more than an excuse as to why I haven’t really been cooking or blogging. In my defence (yes, another excuse) I HAVE gotten some posts up for my blog on The Watertown Patch!

I digress….In the last 2 months, Foodler has come to my rescue. Now, hear me out. I have been endlessly skeptical of food delivery services. I just don’t get it. Why would you pay extra money, and wait extra time, when you can just as easily call a restaurant that delivers. Well, when Foodler reached out to me to try them with a credit, I had my opportunity to see why!

But the truth is, Foodler didn’t cost more. The delivery charges depended on the restaurant and the distance from you. So my local delivery joints charged the same fee as if I ordered through them directly. Plus there is the added bonus of being able to have delivery from restaurants who do not order the service themselves, or for whom you are outside of the delivery area.

The useability of the site is great. It keeps track of the restaurants you have ordered from, shows ratings from past customers, and makes suggestions based on your delivery history. All pretty useful!

So what about their delivery? Well, I ordered using Foodler a few times before writing this review in order to make sure service wasn’t dependent on the location. Every time, my order came EXACTLY in the estimated delivery time. My order was also correct each time.

My first order was from S & I To Go. Meh. The main dish was a little low on actual dish. The dumplings didn’t travel well. But the Fried Bananas….now those were amazing! I think the issue may have been because this restaurant WAS a good distance away. But the portion on the Spicy Prik Khing was really disappointing.

My next order was from Fiorella’s Express, which I have experience ordering from directly, so I knew what to expect. Once again, delivery was right on time. This time, with Fiorella’s being in my neighborhood, the food was hot and perfectly prepared. The Spincotta & Prosciutto Pizza was heavenly. The Pepperoni Fra Diavlo, while tasty, was way too heavy on the pepperoni. I did notice that the portion on the pasta was smaller than I remembered. So, I do have to wonder if they downsize the portions when you order from Foodler.

Last week I ordered from another local go-to, Thyago’s. This time everything came exactly as it would have if I ordered from the restaurant.

So, my final assessment. A! Job well done Foodler! With the addition of being able to earn credit back to your account, my question is now: Why WOULDN’T I order from this food delivery service!

Disclaimer: Foodler.com offered me a $15 credit in order to try out their service in exchange for an honest and truthful review. All additional moneys spent were out of my pocket. As always, all of the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Bloggers: If you are interested in receiving a credit in order to try out Foodler and blog about your experience, please .

Its Sunday, and there is football on, therefore, wings are to be made! Every time I want to make wings, I get sad all over again that we don’t have a grill. But, thanks to the blog over at Dave Eats, I don’t need no stinking grill!

I like to think of these wings as a tab bit healthier than our favorite wings over at Orchard Park Grill, which I modeled my flavoring after. Once you taste these wings, I promise  you will never miss the deep-fried version again!

The slow cooking process, and the beer that they cook in, makes this chicken extra tender and fall off the bone good. There is no tugging, or picking to get the meat off these wings, the chicken will almost literally melt in your mouth.

All of this deliciousness can cause a little problem, because it is easy to put back way too many of these and end up with a belly ache. Trust me on this one.

As with most of my recipes, there is plenty of room to customize this one. My version came out pretty spicy, and spot on to my taste buds. I balanced out the spice with a homemade “ranch raita”. I wanted ranch, but didn’t have all of the ingredients on hand. What I ended up with, however, was cool and refreshing, and will become a staple in my dressing, dip, sauce repertoire.

What is your go-to Football Food recipe?

The Best Homemade Chicken Wings

Adapted from a Recipe by Dave Eats

Ingredients:

• 2 lb chicken wings (flappers and drums separated)
• 2 tsp Dave Eats Rib Rub (or a little more than a half a teaspoon each: brown sugar, paprika, mustard powder)
• 2 tsp Seasoned Salt
• Cayenne powder to taste (I used 1/2 tsp)
• 2 beers of your choice (I used Ryan’s home-brew)
• 1 cup BBQ sauce (I used Kraft Thick & Spicy)
• 1 cup Wing Sauce (I used Franks Red Hot)

Directions:

• Rinse wings and lay them in a roaster pan in a single layer
• In a bowl, mix together all your spices
• Sprinkle half the seasoning over the wings, flip the wings and sprinkle the seasoning on the other side of the wings
• Cover wings and refrigerate the wings for at least an hour, or overnight if you wish.
• After the wings are done resting, preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Pour both beers over the wings
• Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven
• Cook for 30 minutes
• Reduce the heat to 250 degrees and cook for another hour
• While the wings are cooking, make your Chobani Dip and refrigerate
• In a separate bowl, mix together the BBQ sauce and the wing sauce
• Take the wings out of the oven and drain the remaining liquid
• Place 1 Tbsp oil in large, non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat
• Once the oil is hot, pick up a wing, using tongues, and dip it in the BBQ mixture to coat
• Place the wing in the hot pan
• Repeat until the pan is full, but not crowded (you may have to do several batches)
• Cook on this side until the skin begins to brown (about 3 minutes)
• Flip the wings and cook until the second side begins to brown as well (about 3 minutes)
• Remove wings from pan, repeat until all wings are browned
• Serve with your favorite dipping sauce

Yogurt Ranch Raita Dip

Ingredients:

• 6 oz plain Chobani Greek Yogurt
• 1/2 tbsp mayo (I use low-fat)
• 1 garlic clove (peeled and diced)
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice of 1/2 a large lime
• Salt to taste
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions:

• Mix yogurt and mayo together in a bowl
• Place diced garlic on a chopping board, sprinkle with kosher salt
• Use the back of a knife or fork to mash the garlic into a paste
• Add the garlic paste to the yogurt mix
• Add cilantro, lime and sugar and mix well
• Add salt to taste
• If you would like, add red pepper flakes to taste
• Stir well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes

Nothing makes me more giddy than when a new restaurantopens up in my hood. Nothing except when said restaurant then announces that they DELIVER!!

Maximo's Takeout – 584 Mt Auburn Street, Watertown, MA

I know you all are with me. We all order delivery every now and then, and we all get sick of ordering either Chinese food or Italian food to be delivered. So if this healthier, real food option started delivering in your area, I’m thinking you would be pretty stoked too.

Maximo's large, clean kitchen is surrounded by plexiglass so you can watch your food being made!

Introducing (drum roll please)….Maximo’s Takeout! Right at the intersection of Cambridge, Watertown and Belmont, Maximo’s is super convenient. The only downfall is parking on Mt Auburn Street, which can be hectic. But, if you are in the know, you park on one of the side streets abutting Maximo’s building.

Maximo's is takeout, but they do have limited seating in case you like it too much to leave!

Maximo’s boasts that they:

…to provide healthier, more creative options with the added ease of takeout or delivery. Scattered within our menu you will find superfoods such as sweet potatoes, kale and quinoa; comfort foods such as grilled cheese and burgers; with a touch of local inspiration.

Maximo's Roasted Tomato Bruschetta – Freshly marinated tomatoes and veggies with grilled french bread

By looking at the menu, it seems to be a goal well fulfilled. With the added plus of there being something for everyone. The menu really runs the gamut in choices, from burritos ($5.99), to a cilantro lime grilled tuna dinner ($9.99), to (my favorite) the Mediterranean Turkey Burger ($7.99) which is Ground turkey mixed with tabouleh, goat cheese, & Maximo’s special spice blend. Served with djaiki sauce, lettuce, & grilled tomato. Oh man is it good.

Ryan had the Grilled Chicken Bruschetta dinner ($9.99), which came with two sides. The house roasted potatoes are an absolute MUST! They are perfectly seasoned and roasted. The chicken breast was well grilled, and topped with bruschetta, which was exceedingly fresh.

To top it all off, Maximo’s is owned and operated by a great local family. At any time that you stop by, you may find family, friends and neighbors all dropping in to say hi and grab a delicious dinner. It is a nice thing to see in these times.

So, the analysis…. 2 enthusiastic thumbs up! I highly recommend that you give this great local joint a try. I haven’t tried their delivery service yet, but you can bet I will soon!

So, I have made it to day 5 of my detox. I have to say that this has been a lot easier than I expected, and I have even found a few new and delicious foods!

I mentioned one of my big hurdles was that work was taking me to 5 Napkin Burger for my birthday. Well, that actually ended up to be an amazing experience! I ordered the Veggie Burger, bunless, which I would have never done if I weren’t detoxing. This burger was, very clearly, extremely fresh veggies and grains processed very close to cooking time. I could identify beets, carrots, lentils, and pure deliciousness. By far the best veggie burger I have ever had. For my side I got the tomato, avocado, cojita salad, which was meh (I am VERY picky about dressing, the tomatoes were delish), and we shared a bowl of the housemade pickles, which I am now addicted to. I did have a gorgeous picture to tempt you into salivation, but it has sadly disappeared.

My other dining adventure was at UFood Grill before attending Romeo and Juliet at the Boston Ballet with the Boston Brunchers (go see it!!!). I chose UFood because it would be fast and get us to the ballet, and because they provide nutritional info, which made eating by my rules easier. I ordered the veggie chili, a side of brown rice, and a side salad. The meal was totally satisfying, and once again I did not feel deprived by detox.

Besides eating differently while out, I also discovered some great new things to eat at home that I can easily add into my “normal” eating patterns! First up was brown rice pasta. I cooked up some Tinkyada Brown Rice Elbow Noodles, and then let them simmer for a few minutes in my homemade marinara (which I have a simple new recipe for that I will share soon). These were really good! They may have that brown rice pasta mushyness to them, but it worked once I cooked them in the sauce for a while. I will definitely use these again!

Other grains that have seen their way into my kitchen this week: Bulgar, brown rice and steel cut oatmeal (fail!!!). Seriously, steel cut oatmeal may be my biggest kitchen challenge yet…isn’t that sad! These were mostly topped with veggies that were seared in a non-stick pan and drizzled with soy sauce and red pepper flakes. I could seriously eat this every day!

Since the steel-cut oatmeal fail, I mostly ate fruit for breakfast. Bananas, pears, peaches, and strawberries. Fruit always makes me happy, so this part was easy! I also discovered Bora Bora bars, which are delicious, all natural, and follow all of the rules to my detox! Score! I had the Tropical Sesame Cranberry bar, which contains nothing but: Roasted Peanuts, Raisins, Organic Agave Nectar, Organic Sesame Seeds, Roasted Almonds, Cranberries, Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Rice Syrup, Whole Grain Crisp Rice, Sunflower Oil, Natural Flavor.  A lot of the other bars had the same ingredients, but just stated “Crisp Rice”, not “Whole Grain Crisp Rice,” so these bars won!

Today for lunch I am trying Moo Moo’s Vegetarian Cuisine Cashew Stir-fry. I chose this meal after reading all of the ingredients on pretty much every frozen meal in the “natural food section” of Shaw’s. It won because I know exactly what every ingredient is (and how to pronounce it) and they are things I would find in my kitchen! It also won because the noodles are whole grain.

So folks, there it is! My week in food detox. I can tell you that I feel less tired and less bloated. I am still craving sweets at night though, so I may have to stay away from sugar for a while longer. I also have to say that I have felt completely fine without my coffee. However, I miss my morning coffee ritual terribly. I would like to stay away from that next week, but I’m making no promises.

I am very happy that I have found some new items to incorporate into my lifestyle, and I hope that I choose to keep this general way of “choosing to eat” long after this detox is done!

What is your favorite healthy habit?