BostonZest

Go to Toro and Order This Combo! It's a Best Bite...

It had been a while since we'd visited Toro, but at two recent lunches, we really enjoyed this combo of tomato bread ("Pan con Tomate -Toasted bread, tomato, garlic" on the menu) and Chorizo ibérico de Fermín proving that simple, high quality ingredients, perfectly prepared and presented can be wonderful. 

That board was filled with slices of the most delicious chorizo before we tucked in, and the tomato bread had a perfect, crisp, grilled bottom to stand up to being handheld as you munch. A glass of sherry or a beer will match this snack well. 

Try it the next time you're in the area. By the way, if you have found Toro too busy and too noisy, we highly recommend visiting at lunch time on a weekday. 

 

Toro, 1704 Washington St, Boston, MA 02118

617-536-4300

 

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Here's something we love having in our kitchen. It's perfect for getting all the foam out of our Nespresso Aerocchino frother.

 

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2019 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

North End Waterfront Is "Talking With Paul Deuterio From Galleria Umberto (No, It’s Not Closing)"

We have featured the great site North End Waterfront as a Friday link in the past. Today they win a spot for this great interview with Paul Deuterio From Galleria Umberto.

You know we are fans of this wonderful North End gem of a restaurant. We have covered it before, usually to remind other fans about the restaurant's traditional July vacation. We have shared it with friends who are amazed at the quality and the value.

We are also fans of North End Waterfront because the team there led by Matt Conti keeps us informed on the past, present, and future of this neighborhood. This great interview with lots of background information is one example of why we visit the site and follow their updates on Twitter and Facebook.

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2017 Penny & Ed Cherubino  

Petit Robert Bistro Profiterole Update!

We don't talk about dessert around here very often. That is partly because desserts often disappoint. So when a dessert we love, like the giant profiterole at Petit Robert Bistro (South End) arrives at our table with a different look from the last time we wrote about it, we hold our breath as our spoons descend and hope for the best.

The good news is that it is only the shape that has changed.

The pastry is still crisp and light, the ice cream is still rich and full-flavored, and the chocolate sauce is still swoon-worthy.

It is still a dessert that is worth a walk to the South End and all the other steps it will take to neutralize the calorie count.

It is also a dessert to keep in mind when you go to another restaurant where the dessert list does disappoint. At Petit Robert, they have graciously served us a profiterole at the bar, upon request. 

 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny Cherubino 

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Pink Glera, Piselli, and the Patio at Coppa Enoteca for a Perfect Spring Afternoon

When one spring vegetable dish would not fit with an allergy, our server at Coppa suggested a new menu item – Piselli (Roasted snap peas, chermoula vinaigrette with fried shallot.)

Between bites and wipes of the sauce with bits of bread, we sipped a pink Glera. It was such a great combination that when a friend stopped to chat, we offered to order another round to share with him so he could taste it. 

Any day on the patio at Coppa is a good day. We always order a few small plates and try to mix up our old favorites with new temptations. 

This new menu item gets our best bite status. 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2017 Penny Cherubino 

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Best Bite: Select Oyster Bar's Black Mission Fig Tartinettes with Smoked RI Bluefish

Something like Select Oyster Bar's Black Mission Fig Tartinettes with Smoked Rhode Island Bluefish qualifies for one of our "Best Bite" posts when we have to work at not ordering it every time we visit the restaurant. Or, when we order it anyway after we promised ourselves we'd skip it this time and try other things on the menu.

The first time we tasted this menu item, Chef Michael Serpa brought a sample over for us to try. Since Penny can't have mayo, he explained that the bluefish was mixed with crème fraîche. The menu listing also mentions verjus and chives.

It not only became a frequent order from our seats at the bar, but also a fun photo subject.

While you may be tempted to dive right in for your first big bite, relax and enjoy the beauty of the colors and textures first. This is one good thing about taking food photos. It makes you think about the look of the dish and notice the work that the kitchen staff has put into presenting your food.

Not only will this be something we'll keep ordering for ourselves, but it also will be one of the shared items we'll make sure the table has when friends return from summer places and join us at this lovely addition to the Back Bay restaurant scene. 

Since the menu at Select changes frequently, we did check with chef to be certain this dish would be around for a while. It will be. But with his creativity, it could have a bit of a change or twist here and there. We recommend you stop by for lunch one day soon and give this version your own taste test. 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny Cherubino 

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Best Bite: Blue Prawns on the Plancha at Select Oyster Bar

Penny's current crush at Select Oyster Bar on Gloucester Street in the Back Bay is the Blue Prawns (heads on) on the plancha with espelette pepper and lemon. This is such a lovely way to get totally messy with food between sips of Txakoli.

As you know from a previous post, we fell in love with Select at first bite and we highly recommend this wonderful addition to the Back Bay and to Boston's seafood scene!

It's good to see our most trusted food scout, MC SLIM JB, add his endorsement in his Improper Bostonian review. He said, "Having quickly taken its place among the growing ranks of genuinely excellent seafood restaurants, Select’s novel focus on more Mediterranean flavors gives it some useful differentiation." But do read the entire review to get his full story on Select.

Here's another view of those lovely prawns. I hope they remain on the ever changing menu for a while longer!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny Cherubino 

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Thinking Cup's Boston Cream Pie

We visit Thinking Cup for great coffee. But, last weekend, we added a Boston Cream Pie to our order and discovered that they do a great job with this classic Boston dessert.

Freshness is something they certainly have mastered with their coffee drinks. And, fresh, fresh, fresh, moist, creamy, and delicious are words we muttered between bites of this lovely cake.

In this side view, you can see the layers of cake and cream. 

The other important element in a great Boston Cream Pie is the chocolate ganache frosting. Thinking Cup makes theirs with an excellent quality chocolate. You can taste the difference. And, we love the little tray (complete with a tiny grab handle) to lift the cake from the case. 

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: ©2014 Ed Cherubino 

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