Restaurant week may be over but there are still some good places in the city to get a great vegetarian 3,4,5 course meal. Upstairs on the Square in Cambridge is having a special Vegan & Vegetarian dinner.
The vegan dinner is on August 26th at 6:30pm. It is a four course Vegan meal for $45 and $65 with wine.
On Sept 3rd they are offering a vegetarian four course dinner with organic wines for $50.
Every night the restaurant offers a five course vegetarian meal for $55 as well as a seven course meal for $70.
Check out the website for more information: http://www.upstairsonthesquare.com/
Monday, August 25, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
New England Soup Factory
No matter what time of the year it is, nothing can cheer me up like a bowl of soup. I am a huge fan of soups and needless to say I was very excited when I stumbled upon the New England Soup Factory in Salem MA. They have two other locations, one in Brookline and the other in Needham MA. The menu mentions they carry 150 different types of soups, and the choices of soups are continuously changing.
I went to there for lunch and on that particular day they had three different types of vegetarian soups, each with a distinct flavor. The service was very friendly and I was able to sample all three of the soups.
The first soup I tried was the Black Bean and Yellow Rice with Habanera but found it too spicy for my liking. The Roasted Peach and Ginger soup was a yummy cold and sweet soup that tasted like a peach yogurt smoothie however I could find no taste of the ginger. Out of the three soups, the one I liked best was the Spinach & Zucchini Bisque, a warm cream based soup with shredded spinach. Besides soups, there are quite a few good vegetarian/vegan options on the menu. I ended up ordering the sesame noodles ($3.25), a side dish made with vegetables and ginger in a sesame soy blend. I really enjoyed the taste of this dish but quite contrary to my experience with the Peach Ginger Soup I found the ginger in this dish a bit overpowering.
Depending on the day, the selections of soups could be hit or miss but it looks like they try to offer something for everyone. The ambiance is casual and simple but I did not have a problem finding a seat to have lunch. If you are in the area, the New England Soup Factory is worth checking out for a healthy affordable lunch.
I went to there for lunch and on that particular day they had three different types of vegetarian soups, each with a distinct flavor. The service was very friendly and I was able to sample all three of the soups.
The first soup I tried was the Black Bean and Yellow Rice with Habanera but found it too spicy for my liking. The Roasted Peach and Ginger soup was a yummy cold and sweet soup that tasted like a peach yogurt smoothie however I could find no taste of the ginger. Out of the three soups, the one I liked best was the Spinach & Zucchini Bisque, a warm cream based soup with shredded spinach. Besides soups, there are quite a few good vegetarian/vegan options on the menu. I ended up ordering the sesame noodles ($3.25), a side dish made with vegetables and ginger in a sesame soy blend. I really enjoyed the taste of this dish but quite contrary to my experience with the Peach Ginger Soup I found the ginger in this dish a bit overpowering.
Depending on the day, the selections of soups could be hit or miss but it looks like they try to offer something for everyone. The ambiance is casual and simple but I did not have a problem finding a seat to have lunch. If you are in the area, the New England Soup Factory is worth checking out for a healthy affordable lunch.
Bella Luna Bloggers Lounge
On Tuesday night I was invited to my first ever bloggers event at Bella Luna Restaurant in Jamaica Plain. The premise of the event was to introduce Bella Luna’s new chef Jacob Zachow to the blogger community in and around Boston. Apart from the great time at the event, it was nice putting faces to the blogs I usually visit. I had the opportunity to meet the authors of Cave Cibum, Enough Cowbell, and BostonFab. The restaurant is cute and hip inside, a bit small, but there is a beautiful garden patio behind the restaurant. We did not get a chance to head to the Milky Way bowling alley downstairs but I enjoy candlepin bowling and will have to check it out at a later date.
The food at Bella Luna was delicious and they had a couple of good vegetarian dishes worth trying. First off, The Portobello Black Bean burger was yummy and I definatley found my self reaching for seconds. The second vegetarian item was the flat bread pizza with artichokes and feta. It was nice light pizza with medditeranean flavors. I could not get enough of the minature key lime pies.
I had a great time and this event and I look forward to going back in the near future!
The food at Bella Luna was delicious and they had a couple of good vegetarian dishes worth trying. First off, The Portobello Black Bean burger was yummy and I definatley found my self reaching for seconds. The second vegetarian item was the flat bread pizza with artichokes and feta. It was nice light pizza with medditeranean flavors. I could not get enough of the minature key lime pies.
I had a great time and this event and I look forward to going back in the near future!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Blue Room
Restaurant week runs from August 10th-15th and August 17th to August 22nd. There are over 150 restaurants that participate in restaurant week and a three course dinner is $33.08 and a three course lunch is $20.08. I have tried restaurant week in the past and I have generally had to call the restaurant in advance and ask them to prepare a vegetarian dish. This time I browsed through all the menus, most of them did not have a vegetarian offering but I took a look at Blue Room's menu and they had one vegetarian entree ( that did not consist of pasta) so I decided to check it out.
The ambiance of Blue Room is cozy,rustic and has a nice outdoor patio that is great in the summer time. We tried to get a spot outside but there was a bit of a wait and we were trying to catch a movie. Instead we were seated at a secluded table for two which is good alternative depending on what you're looking for out of the experience. Service was great overall , friendly and prompt. Our server even worked with us to rush our food so we could make it on time for the movie.
The food at Blue Room from a vegetarian's perspective was okay but I will have to say my friend who is a carnivore really enjoyed his meal. For an appetizer I ordered the Chilled Watermelon & English Cucumber Soup. The soup was sweet and refreshing due to the watermelon base with fresh cucumbers in it. For an entree I ordered the Roasted Bay End Farm Eggplant with cous cous, yogurt and chickpeas. The dish was healthy and light but I had to ask my server for more yogurt because it was too dry. For dessert I had the Espresso Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce. It tasted like an eclair with espresso ice cream in the middle. It was average, nothing to blog home about.
Overall I thought the food at Blue Room was okay and with so many restaurants to try I am not sure if I would be back for dinner but I have heard great things about their brunch. From a nonvegetarian perspective, my fiance seemed to enjoy his meal.
The ambiance of Blue Room is cozy,rustic and has a nice outdoor patio that is great in the summer time. We tried to get a spot outside but there was a bit of a wait and we were trying to catch a movie. Instead we were seated at a secluded table for two which is good alternative depending on what you're looking for out of the experience. Service was great overall , friendly and prompt. Our server even worked with us to rush our food so we could make it on time for the movie.
The food at Blue Room from a vegetarian's perspective was okay but I will have to say my friend who is a carnivore really enjoyed his meal. For an appetizer I ordered the Chilled Watermelon & English Cucumber Soup. The soup was sweet and refreshing due to the watermelon base with fresh cucumbers in it. For an entree I ordered the Roasted Bay End Farm Eggplant with cous cous, yogurt and chickpeas. The dish was healthy and light but I had to ask my server for more yogurt because it was too dry. For dessert I had the Espresso Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce. It tasted like an eclair with espresso ice cream in the middle. It was average, nothing to blog home about.
Overall I thought the food at Blue Room was okay and with so many restaurants to try I am not sure if I would be back for dinner but I have heard great things about their brunch. From a nonvegetarian perspective, my fiance seemed to enjoy his meal.
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