February 29th 2016: A Donut from Donut Kitchen, Holden

I got a Boston Creme Donut from Donut Kitchen in Holden today.

Nothing special, as expected.

February 28th 2016: Meals in Chinatown, Dorchester and Medfield

We started out today with our first meal in the Chinatown area of Boston at Hot Eastern, a nice looking restaurant that is located in the basement level.

We got a glass of Soy Milk,

the Beef Mala Bang,

the Lamb Skewer

and the Chinese Crepe.

Excellent stuff, especially the glass noodles, the soup for which wasn't too spicy and was actually peanut flavored. The crepe was something we have never tried before either, the crispy wonton skin inside making it really delicious. A pretty good meal to say the least.

Our next meal was in the Dorchester area of town at an African restaurant, Restaurant Laura, which is actually pretty nice inside, and today they had a buffet spread and a live jazz band to boot.

Unfortnately, the food itself was nothing special.


Next, we headed into Hull to do a little bit of sightseeing on this nice day in winter.

Hull Yacht Club

Memorial Middle School

Sunset Bay Marina

Fire Department

Nantasket Beach

St. Mary of the Assumption

We were a little apprehensive about going onto Spinnaker Island, as it apparently is a private place and we were technically trespassing.

Luckily, we left just fine, Done with sightseeing for the day, we headed into Medfield for dinner at Rock and Roll Ribs Joint, a small bar restaurant serving BBQ in town.

We got the BBQ Sundae (piece of homemade corn bread covered in baked beans, topped with pulled pork, cole slaw and covered with candied pecans),

the St. Louis Ribs (dry rubbed and smoked for hours. Served with cole slaw and BBQ baked beans)

and the Burnt Ends Sandwich (the tip of the beef brisket which was smoked for over 12 hours, cut it into bite size pieces and then slow roasted in homemade BBQ sauce for an additional 3 hours.  Served on a soft roll with  fries).

The only good thing was the burnt end, which were tender and delicious in the BBQ sauce. The rest were absolutely tasteless, and the BBQ sauce provided did not do much to make it better.

Definitely not coming back again.

February 27th 2016: Dinner at Sfizi Tapas Bar, Boston

Today, we had dinner at Sfizi Tapas Bar, a pretty nice Italian tapas place in the North End area of Boston, which is a rare sight to see here.

We were the first ones in the restaurant, and we got the best seats in the corner by the window facing the street. For food, we got the Baked Calamari (STUFFED WITH SAUSAGE AND RABE),

the Zucchini Blossoms (TEMPURA FILLED WITH TRUFFLE MOZZARELLA),

the Lobster Ravioli (CLAMS, CRAB MEAT ASPARAGUS, LOBSTER FUME),

the Maltagliati Pasta (WILD BOAR RAGU AND RED WINE SOFFRITTO)

and the Tiramisu.

The calamari was not bad, the filling and the sauce being pretty flavorful and not bitter at all, although the flowers were just deep fried and nothing really special. The pasta was a little too sour for our liking, although the ravioli wasn't and much better. The tiramisu was the best dish of the night, perhaps the best tiramisu I have had to date, not being too watery and not bitter at all, with enough of the liquor flavor without the alcohol taste.

Overall though, I have had better food in this area. I would give this place a pass.

February 26th 2016: Dinner at Bocado, Worcester

We had dinner tonight at Bocado, a tapas bar in Worcester which I went to a long time ago.

It was restaurant week today, and we were lucky to get a seat at a small table when we got in, much less a parking spot, which we were lucky enough to get because someone was leaving.

We originally thought the deal would be 8 tapas for 2 people, but instead it was only 5. With that, we got the Calamares Con Ajo (fried calamari with garlic, lemon, parsley and orange horseradish cream),

the Patatas Asadas (crispy roasted potatoes with saffron and tomato aioli, black truffle oil),

the Saltea Do De Setas Del Bosque (sautéed forest mushrooms, silky polenta, goat cheese butter, sherry vinegar glaze, shallot crisps),

the Jerez Panceta De Cerdo A La Brasa (crispy braised pork belly, spiced carrot purée, sherry balsamic syrup, crushed pistachio, pickled grilled onion)

and the Gambas Al Ajillo (sautéed shrimp with garlic, parsley, and olive oil).

The calamari was a little on the sour side, though still crispy and good. The potatoes were cooked just right, crispy yet flavorful. The mushrooms worked well with the polenta, and the pork belly was excellent with the vinaigrette. The final dish, the shrimp, were fresh and delectable in the garlic olive sauce.

For dessert, we got the White Chocolate-Raspberry Bread Pudding. Pretty good as well.

Needless to say, an enjoyable experience here today.

February 25th 2016: Breakfast in Leicester and Worcester

I stopped by Tiny Tim's Cafe, a small diner in Leicester. Seeing nothing interesting on the menu, I just got a side of Hash.

Nothing special, and I didn't like the onions and peppers in it.

On the way back to work, I got a Passion Fruit Mousse from CB Bakery, a small one in a crappy part of Worcester at 108 Belmont Street.

Tasted really weird. Definitely not venturing there again.

For dinner, we went to Mezcal Cantina in Worcester. This place has moved since the last time I was here, but is much bigger now.

We got the Crab Cakes (spicy jicama slaw, tomato horseradish salsa, lime aioli),

the Habanero Salmon (seared salmon, house habanero rub, habanero tequila lime sauce, arroz loco, habanero pico de gallo),

the Chorizo and Potato Tacos (crispy chorizo and potatoes, with lime, cotija and sliced jalapeno)

and the Fried Ice Cream (crunchy cinnamon and coconut-coated flash-fried ice cream with whipped cream, shaved chocolate and strawberry sauce).

The crab cakes were definitely better than the ones we had yesterday, with a spicy kick to them. The salmon was not dry either, again with spicy habanero flavor.n The tacos were just alright though, the potato being a little undercooked, while the dessert was just so-so. Overall though, still a pretty good meal, compared to yesterday's.

February 24th 2016: Dinner at Monroe Restaurant, Cambridge

Today, We went to Cambridge to have dinner at Monroe, which used to be Moksa, which I have been to in the past. Nothing much has changed in terms of decor.

For food, we got the Moules Frites (With white wine sauce,  fresh herbs, topped with fries and lemon aioli),

The Sweet Pork Tacos (with black bean puree, corn salsa, grilled green apple and lime sour cream)

and the Grilled Atlantic Salmon (with saffron barley, pesto green peas, baby carrots, green oil and balsamic glaze).

The mussels were absolutely delicious, with crispy fries and big mussels. The tacos were just alright, though, with the meat being a little on the dry side. The barley was not bad, but the salmon itself was dry.

Overall, with several good restaurants nearby, I would give this place a pass.

On the way back, we grabbed a Castella Cake from Paris Baguette, which was good as always.

February 23rd 2016: Meals in Auburn and Westborough

I stopped by Uncle Mark's Diner, a small diner in Auburn, this morning for breakfast, getting a Hash and Cheese Omelette. Nothing special really.

I also stopped by the Tatnuck Cafe and Bookseller, a pretty nice place selling books and other stuff in Westborough

later in the day, getting some mini-pastries.

A nice alternative to Barnes and Noble.

February 22nd 2016: Meals in Spencer, Northborough and Brookline

I started out today with breakfast at Kosta's Cafe, a cosy diner in Spencer.

I got the Hash Crepe Supreme (crepe stuffed with scrambled eggs and hash topped with Hollandaise sauce),

which was absolutely scrumptious. A definite recommend from me.

I also got a Maple Glazed Donut from the Dippin' Donuts in town.

Nothing special really.

Lunch was at Special Teas, a small tea place in Northborough.

We got the Mulled Cider for a drink,

A tad too sour for me. My hot water came in a cute teapot, although it was leaky.

My other half got half a Famous Melt (english muffin with fresh basil mayo, smoked turkey, broccoli and tomato and mild cheddar on top) and a Tomato Spinach Soup.

The soup was not to my liking either, although the sandwich was not bad. My Spinach Crepe (with seafood, broccoli and tomato)

was not bad, although I was hoping the seafood inside would be more than just crabmeat.

The dessert menu was written on a plate,

but we decided not to get anything as we already had to wait over an hour to get our food, and we did not want to wait any longer. Overall, the food was just okay, but definitely not coming back again.

For dinner, we headed into Brookline to check out Rifrullo Cafe, a really nice looking place with interesting stuff on the menu.

We got the Sweet Potato Gnocchi (Hand-rolled gnocchi with duck ragu),

the Chicken Curry (Served with lemon basmati rice & toasted coconut),

the Roasted Beet Salad (Herb goat cheese & hazelnut pesto),

the Eggplant Tagine (A savory vegetarian casserole with eggplant, chickpeas and yogurt)

and the Lemon Yogurt Cake,

The main courses were pretty good, although the beet salad was just alright, and the cake was a little stale. The best dish of the night was the eggplant though, which was extremely flavorful. Overall. a pretty good meal. I would come back again.