Bowling, Moving, Wedding, and Recovering

What a week! And it's almost September. How did that happen?

Wednesday, we had our work team outing to Sacco's Bowl Haven in Davis Square. You walk through the doors and into the past. Pretty cool, but bowling is not my things, especially not candlepin bowling. They also have a restaurant area and make flatbreads, and have a decent bar.

After bowling (and word games), a few of us went to Foundry on Elm for drinks and wings. Those wings are sooo good. I'm still dreaming about them now.

Eat me!

After two rounds of drinks, we moved next door and downstairs to Saloon. It's very posh, but a throwback to a different time. There's really no reception/internet down here, if that's a dealbreaker for you.

White truffle honey popcorn - great snack.

Maple buffalo wings - really good, but I prefer Foundry's dry rub and remoulade combo.

Potato wedges - not as good as I wanted them to be.

Interesting place, but there are so many places popping up all over Davis Square. So, not sure I'll be back. Maybe for the popcorn. 

A couple of nights later, Tai and I go to Chinatown for dinner. We tried to go to BLR by Shojo, but apparently you need reservations. Stay tuned, maybe I'll get to it in a couple of weeks.

Instead, we go to Irashai, which I swear was once the first Pho Pasteur in the city. But I digress. It's a small space, and they use really weirdly rectangular tables. And you can see stacks of Sapporo from the dining area.

Avocado salad - they slice their avocado and layer it on top of the rest of the salad. Different in terms of presentation. Okay in terms of taste.

Hamachi and salmon sashimi, dragon roll, and volcano roll.

So, they're no Oishii, but the food here is really solid. So this will definitely more than replace Fuji for me, except it's in Chinatown and parking here is awful if there's any roadwork going on. But it hasn't been sooo bad lately.

Saturday morning was moving day for Jessica. And she was kind enough to order us lunch from Twelve Hours Boston in Brighton.

Blueberry crab rangoons - I actually liked this. They were smaller than I anticipated though. Not sure the cost is justified.

Pad see ew with beef - Lacking in flavor. It needed more sauce, or something.

Freebies since we placed such a big order. We weren't sure what the green things were, but I think they're the Green Bermuda Triangles; Ray ate one and said it was weird. The takoyaki balls were not bad though.

After moving, we rushed home to get ready for Catherine's wedding at the Danversport Yacht Club. Driving in, it looked like such a giant place, but the wedding was off to one side, with its own area for the ceremony, cocktail hour, and ballroom for reception. So we didn't see any other people at all, except when driving in and out.

Pasta appetizer - standard.

Salad - also standard, but I liked the strawberries.

Salmon - really generous portion, but a bit overdone. I really wanted sour cream for the potatoes hah.

Chocolate cake.

Vanilla cake. The thing that looks like a truffle was actually ice cream! :)

Wedding food. I get it, it's tough to have 150 entrees come out at the same time.

The following day was lazy day. We did make it out to Shake Shack and Wegman's though.

BONUS:

When you need one of these for one person, and you still make more than one trip.

Not the same playing tetris when it's not with snowboard bags.

This. This is a torture device, I swear.

 The cake.

The bride.

Congratulations to the couple!

No Rest for the Wicked

What a busy weekend. It's Tuesday and I am still recovering.

The weekend started Friday evening with dinner at Figs in Beacon Hill.

Really good bread.

Bacony Brussels sprouts - not as crispy as I like.

Fries - yum.

Half calamari, half spicy chicken sausage - I really miss their spicy shrimp. With that said, I still enjoy the pizza here.








Go early. Or go late. It's a tiny place, and it gets busy. And very loud. But the pizza is worth it.

Saturday was Catherine's bachelorette party at Emerald Lounge in Boston. It's not a bad space. Small-ish, and weirdly set-up. Getting to the entrance is also interesting. Bathrooms are individual (love), with lights around the door - green for vacant, red for occupied (cool), buuut the inside bathroom walls are all mirrors (bizarre).

The food menu was very limited (boo).

Shrimp cocktail - meh.

Fries - good.

Daily pizza - bbq chicken was the pizza of the day. It could have used a bit more cooking time.

Chicken tacos - I didn't try this, but everyone said they were good.

Sliders - do not get. The bread was hard.










So, what are the chances I'd be back here? Slim to none. Just not my scene any more. And really, what are the chances, if I did go, that'd I'd be here for food? Bahahah.

Sunday morning, we were up early for Canobie Lake. So many great childhood memories of this place. It's funny how things change but still stay the same. Or maybe I'm the one changing.

Typical amusement park fare of hot dogs, burgers, and fries. Somehow, they managed to make me not even want to finish a hot dog.








After a long day in the sun, we went to Grand Chinatown in North Quincy. It was busy. Food was slow. And we were really hungry.

Salt and pepper fried calamari - first thing to come out and only thing for a little while. Needless to say, we finished the place.

Beef chow foon - typical. Not amazing but solid.

Sweet and sour pork - I was pretty full by this point, but the dish was good.

Pea pod stems - same as above.











I'd probably go back on a weekday. Or maybe just not prime dinner time on a weekend.

BONUS:

The bride to be.

On the drive home from Canobie. Exhausted children.

Lolita...Finally

After many many many cancellations and rain checks, I finally got together with Catherine, Jenny R, and Dannhi. We met at Lolita in Back Bay.

I cannot remember the last time I've been here, or the last time I've eaten here. I don't think the decor has changed, but the vibe seems more relaxed now.

Palate cleanser, with optional shot of tequila.

Watermelon peach and strawberry basil mojitos.

Chips and salsa! Sooo good.

Jicama chopped salad - great flavor. Super refreshing. I would have preferred the jicama cut more slaw-like instead of cubed.

Empanadas - small-ish, which means more dough, less filling. But also very good.

Avocado toast - bread was too hard. Okay otherwise.

Grilled street corn - yum. Honestly, get this if you come.

Chicken quesadillas - more chicken than cheese, but delicious.

Steak tacos - I was very full at this point, but the steak was tasty.

Halibut tacos - I did not eat this, but Dannhi approves.

Chicken asado skewers - really good. Great char flavor, but tender (and not dry!) chicken. Seasoned well.

Cotton candy! With pop rocks! Complimentary. Need I say more?



















Not a single bad dish (although if I were going to nitpick, I'd say the avocado toast was a low point). A really lovely meal. Great service. Food started coming out quickly. Chips were refilled. I don't think I have a single bad thing to say about Lolita. Can't wait to come back.

BONUS: