This morning was a major milestone for me and this here blog! I was invited up to the WFNX radio studio to talk about food and restaurants on the morning program, The Breakfast Show. It was great meeting Keith Dakin, Fletcher, and the WFNX legend Henry Santoro; all great guys and my time in the studio was fun. My air time was split into two segments; the first was spent discussing restaurants to go to for a first date and restaurants that would be great for a double date. In the second segment we talked tacos!
If you missed The Breakfast Show this morning, you can listen to my segment on the WFNX Breakfast Show Podcast page.
So where do I think the fine people of greater Boston should go out to eat on a date? My first pick is The Washington Square Tavern in Brookline's Washington Square. I learned about Washington Square Tavern nearly eleven years ago, shortly after they opened in 1999, and have been eating there ever since. With an affordable, approachable, and well thought out wine list to go along with great food, this is a perfect date restaurant. I have always been pleased anytime I order fish, but their chicken and steak offerings are also great. I would be completely remiss if I didn't also mention their "Famous Choice Sirloin 1/2 lb. Burger", it is a definite contender for one of the best burgers in the city. Please note that Washington Square Tavern does NOT take reservations, be prepared for a lengthy wait during prime weekend dinner hours.
My second pick for a restaurant to take a date to is Toro in Boston's South End. With a long list of creative and classic cocktails, you'll have plenty to drink while waiting for a table; like Wasthington Square Tavern, Toro does NOT take reservations. Toro, opened and owned by one of Boston's best chefs, Ken Oringer, has another well known chef running the kitchen, Jamie Bisonnette. The kitchen team at Toro has taken Spanish tapas to a whole new level with great success. A lot of people say that the best way to judge a sushi restaurant is by how good their tamago (sweet egg omelet) is. Well the same analogy could be used to judge a Spanish tapas restaurant by how good their Tortilla Espanola is; the Spanish egg, potato and onion omelet at Toro is incredible and the rest of the food follows suit. Want to play Russian roulette with your food? Try my favorite item on the menu, the pimientos del padron. These small peppers are lightly roasted and dusted with sea salt, some of them are hot, some are not - how lucky are you!? Looking for a little more adventure? Try the mollejas (crispy veal sweetbreads with blood orange and cinnamon,) morcilla (house cured blood sausage,) or Asado de Huesos (roasted bone marrow with radish citrus salad and oxtail marmalade.) If your looking for something a little less Fear Factor, try the Gambas al Ajillo (griddled garlic shrimp) or Maíz Asado con Alioli y Queso Cotija, La Especialidad de la Casa (the house specialty, grilled corn with alioli, lime, espelette pepper and aged cheese.) There is plenty for everyone at Toro whether you are adventurous or not. If you like to share small plates, you would be remiss if you did not try Toro at least once.
Looking for something from the sea? Head to Neptune Oyster on Salem Street in the North End, just be careful if you drive, most of the on street parking in the North End requires a resident permit; I found out the hard way the first time I was there.With a dozen different oysters on their raw bar most of the time, this is one of the best places to go for oysters. Yes, I know there are plenty of other places for oysters, including B&G Oysters in the South End, but Neptune is without a doubt the place to go. In addition to the great oyster selection, there is also a great wine list to pair with them. The appetizer options include some great salads and the entrees are all about the fish. They do have a burger and a steak on the menu, but if you skip the fish here you are really missing the boat. At $25, the lobster roll is priced in line with the other great lobster rolls in the city; trust me when I say it's worth it. Once again, Neptune Oyster does NOT take reservations.
Once you've made it past a few dates you might consider a double date with a couple other friends. For something a little more casual, check out Franklin Cafe (South End, Southie and Cape Ann in Gloucester) or The Paramount on Charles Street in Boston. J and I love the Franklin Cafe in the South End; we haven't visited the Cape Ann location or the relatively new South Boston spot. Known for their creative cocktails and their modern twist on comfort food, the Franklin Cafe has always delivered when I've eaten there.
If you're looking for some upscale fish tacos or a great plate of steak tips, check out The Paramount. The steak frites is also a winner here. If your date night carries over to breakfast, The Paramount has great brunch too. Actually Toro and Washington Square Tavern also have great brunch, so do your homework and pick a place that matches your mood for the night.
If its uber-casual that your looking for or if you are on a really small budget, go out for tacos! My favorite for tacos and burritos is Anna's Taqueria. I'm a super chicken guy through and through but their Mexican plates, quesadillas and tacos are great choices too. If your in the Fenway area, check out La Verdad, another Ken Oringer spot. Try the carne asada tacos, my favorite here, or the lengua (beef tongue.) The texture of the tongue is really unique and the meat is incredibly tender. It's a treat if you've never tried tongue before. If your on a date and its already going south, order a few tacos from the taqueria and call it a night. Otherwise have a seat in the restaurant, order a few cocktails, and enjoy some fine Mexican food.
Finally, not mentioned during the segment on The Breakfast Show this morning, Tremont 647 has $2 tacos on Tuesdays each week. Chef Andy Husbands and his great kitchen team make some really outstanding tacos each week. The fried plantains and guacamole are also excellent. Not Tuesday night? Enjoy the constantly changing menu and sign up for their newsletter to stay up to date on the special dinners/events they host every month.
There you have it, with more detail than what you may have heard on WFNX this morning.
Here are all the details:
The Washington Square Tavern
714 Washington Street
Brookline, MA
617.232.8989
http://www.washingtonsquaretavern.com
Toro
1704 Washington Street
Boston, MA
617.536.4300
http://toro-restaurant.com/
Cuchi Cuchi
795 Main Street
Cambridge, MA
617.864.2929
http://www.cuchicuchi.cc/
Neptune Oyster
63 Salem Street
Boston, MA
http://www.neptuneoyster.com/
The Franklin Cafe
Three locations, see web site
http://www.franklincafe.com/
The Paramount
44 Charles Street
Boston, MA
http://www.paramountboston.com/
Anna's Taqueria
You'll find me in the Coolidge Corner and Beacon Hill spots
http://www.annastaqueria.com/
La Verdad
1 Lansdowne Street
Boston, MA
617.421.9595
http://www.laverdadtaqueria.com/
Tremont 647
647 Tremont Street
Boston, MA
617.266.4600
http://tremont647.com/
@tremont647
Showing posts with label tacos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tacos. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
Saturday, March 07, 2009
Best Korean BBQ Tacos at Kogi
Yes, I'm eating tacos again. I can't help it, they are the nearly perfect food - tasty, portable, and quick. I also like Korean barbecue so when I learned about Kogi BBQ before heading to California in December, I immediately starting following them so I knew where they'd be when I was hungry. Wait, I'm always hungry. Anyway, not quite sure what I'm talking about? Back in late November @kogibbq began to Twitter. What's Twitter? Really?! Follow me @onefoodguy and find out!
Okay, let me start over. Kogi BBQ is a taco truck, a Korean BBQ taco truck, and they use Twitter to broadcast their location in and around the greater Los Angeles area! Actually, they have two trucks and a menu at Alibi Room in Culver City, CA but back in December they only had one truck and I wanted to try their tacos. So I started following them on Twitter and periodically checked Twitterberry to find where they would be. On my last night in Venice I saw they would be parked outside The Brig on Abbot Kinney, just 1 mile from my friends house where I was staying. Score! Kogi tacos were on my late night menu!
Kogi offers four different fillings for their tacos, Korean short ribs - their signature, spicy BBQ chicken, spicy pork, and tofu, and each taco is topped with sesame-chile salsa roja, julienne romaine and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, crushed sesame seeds, and sea salt, then garnished with a lime wedge, an orange wedge, and a red radish wedge. I know they sound awesome, and they ARE awesome. I really wish Kogi had a truck in Boston...Kogi are you listening?!
If you want to learn more about Kogi BBQ, follow them on Twitter @kogibbq and if you want to see what's going on at the trucks, check out their photostream on Flickr. Don't have Twitter? Don't care for Flickr? Go to http://www.kogibbq.com, find out where the trucks are, and go get yourself some incredible Korean BBQ tacos! Tell them One Food Guy sent you!
Okay, let me start over. Kogi BBQ is a taco truck, a Korean BBQ taco truck, and they use Twitter to broadcast their location in and around the greater Los Angeles area! Actually, they have two trucks and a menu at Alibi Room in Culver City, CA but back in December they only had one truck and I wanted to try their tacos. So I started following them on Twitter and periodically checked Twitterberry to find where they would be. On my last night in Venice I saw they would be parked outside The Brig on Abbot Kinney, just 1 mile from my friends house where I was staying. Score! Kogi tacos were on my late night menu!
Kogi offers four different fillings for their tacos, Korean short ribs - their signature, spicy BBQ chicken, spicy pork, and tofu, and each taco is topped with sesame-chile salsa roja, julienne romaine and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, cilantro-green onion-lime relish, crushed sesame seeds, and sea salt, then garnished with a lime wedge, an orange wedge, and a red radish wedge. I know they sound awesome, and they ARE awesome. I really wish Kogi had a truck in Boston...Kogi are you listening?!
If you want to learn more about Kogi BBQ, follow them on Twitter @kogibbq and if you want to see what's going on at the trucks, check out their photostream on Flickr. Don't have Twitter? Don't care for Flickr? Go to http://www.kogibbq.com, find out where the trucks are, and go get yourself some incredible Korean BBQ tacos! Tell them One Food Guy sent you!
Friday, October 24, 2008
More Tacos...at The Cheesecake Factory
I just can't get enough tacos. I've told you about the great tacos at La Verdad in Boston, I told you about Trader Joe's Mini Beef Tacos, I even told you about the fresh fish tacos I made at home last month, inspired in part by the great fish tacos at Acapulco's Restaurant. The other part of my fish taco inspiration came from the great Fresh Fish Tacos at The Cheesecake Factory. I bet you didn't know that The Cheesecake Factory makes amazing fish tacos?!
I think it's safe for me to say that the fish tacos at The Cheesecake Factory are my favorite dish on their menu. I know, that is a very bold statement considering their food is consistently good at all of their locations, and their enormous menu is full of great dishes.
The last few times I've gone to The Cheesecake Factory I've ordered the fresh fish tacos, and I roll out of the restaurant stuffed to the gills! The plate is loaded with three big tacos, tasty rice, black beans, guacamole, and a spicy citrus salsa. The tacos are made of two soft corn tortillas each, loaded with fresh grilled white fish (it might be cod, I didn't ask,) shredded cabbage, cilantro, and a spicy avocado cream. Oh man, I can't wait until the next time I go to The Cheesecake Factory so I can get me some fresh fish tacos!
I think it's safe for me to say that the fish tacos at The Cheesecake Factory are my favorite dish on their menu. I know, that is a very bold statement considering their food is consistently good at all of their locations, and their enormous menu is full of great dishes.
The last few times I've gone to The Cheesecake Factory I've ordered the fresh fish tacos, and I roll out of the restaurant stuffed to the gills! The plate is loaded with three big tacos, tasty rice, black beans, guacamole, and a spicy citrus salsa. The tacos are made of two soft corn tortillas each, loaded with fresh grilled white fish (it might be cod, I didn't ask,) shredded cabbage, cilantro, and a spicy avocado cream. Oh man, I can't wait until the next time I go to The Cheesecake Factory so I can get me some fresh fish tacos!
Monday, September 29, 2008
A One Food Guy Favorite - Fish Tacos!
I think I've made it pretty clear that I love sushi, but I also love Mexican food, specifically tacos! I could tell you about the time J and I were in Mexico and had the most amazing tacos al pastor at this little place in Playa del Carmen called "Tacos" or I could tell you about this small restaurant in Waltham, MA called Taqueria Mexico that serves really great tacos. I could tell you about this place in Framingham, MA called Acapulcos that has outstanding tacos al pastor and even better fish tacos or I could tell you about The Paramount in Boston and The Cottage in Wellesley, both serving great fish tacos. But I'm not going to tell you about any of them; I'm going to tell you about the fish tacos that I made.
My fish tacos consisted of a nice fresh cod fillet sliced up into one inch strips, seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, cooked on a cast iron grill pan and served in fresh corn tortillas that I warmed in the oven. I made some pico de gallo with diced tomato, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper and some aji verde to serve on top of the fish with some shredded cabbage and cilantro. The aji verde was super hot but extremely fresh tasting and perfect with the fish.
I plated the tacos with yellow rice and chipotle black beans. To make the beans I sauteed some red onion and garlic in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then added in a can of black beans with four chipotle peppers from a can with the adobo sauce. I cooked the mixture over medium low heat for about five minutes and added in some chopped cilantro at the end.
These were great tacos; J said she thought they were even better than the ones we get at Acapulcos! This was about as spicy a meal as any that has come out of my kitchen. The pico was spicy, the aji verde very spicy, and the black beans, spicy. So to that I say, if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!
My fish tacos consisted of a nice fresh cod fillet sliced up into one inch strips, seasoned with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, cooked on a cast iron grill pan and served in fresh corn tortillas that I warmed in the oven. I made some pico de gallo with diced tomato, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice, salt, and pepper and some aji verde to serve on top of the fish with some shredded cabbage and cilantro. The aji verde was super hot but extremely fresh tasting and perfect with the fish.
I plated the tacos with yellow rice and chipotle black beans. To make the beans I sauteed some red onion and garlic in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and then added in a can of black beans with four chipotle peppers from a can with the adobo sauce. I cooked the mixture over medium low heat for about five minutes and added in some chopped cilantro at the end.
These were great tacos; J said she thought they were even better than the ones we get at Acapulcos! This was about as spicy a meal as any that has come out of my kitchen. The pico was spicy, the aji verde very spicy, and the black beans, spicy. So to that I say, if you can't handle the heat, get out of the kitchen!
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Baseball and Tacos
With all the recent talk of tacos, I was inspired to finish my post on La Verdad, Boston chef Ken Oringer's Taqueria Mexicana located on Lansdowne Street, just past the centerfield grass of Fenway Park, home of the 2007 World Champion Boston Red Sox!
On my first visit last summer I tried a carne asada taco (grilled skirt steak, carmelized onions, guacomole, salsa ranchero) and a pastor traditionale taco (pork adobo, roast pineapple, lime, cilantro, onion). With prices ranging from $2.25 -$2.50 for most tacos, they are reasonably priced. Sure you could get a limp, tasteless soft taco for $.99 at one of those national chains, but why would you want to when you can have taco perfection at La Verdad?
The grilled skirt steak in the carne asado taco was tender and seasoned to perfection and the salsa ranchero was bursting with flavor, tasting fresh and complimenting the steak quite well. The adobo pork in the pastor traditionale taco was also cooked perfectly, and the roasted pineapple added just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the fresh, bright flavors of the cilantro and lime.
The next time you're in the Fenway area, stop into La Verdad for a couple tacos and tell them One Food Guy sent you. They might look at you like they have no idea what you're talking about, but at least you'll be getting some good tacos. Better yet, make a trip to Lansdowne Street just to go to La Verdad for some tacos. Go Red Sox! Eat Tacos!
On my first visit last summer I tried a carne asada taco (grilled skirt steak, carmelized onions, guacomole, salsa ranchero) and a pastor traditionale taco (pork adobo, roast pineapple, lime, cilantro, onion). With prices ranging from $2.25 -$2.50 for most tacos, they are reasonably priced. Sure you could get a limp, tasteless soft taco for $.99 at one of those national chains, but why would you want to when you can have taco perfection at La Verdad?The grilled skirt steak in the carne asado taco was tender and seasoned to perfection and the salsa ranchero was bursting with flavor, tasting fresh and complimenting the steak quite well. The adobo pork in the pastor traditionale taco was also cooked perfectly, and the roasted pineapple added just the right amount of sweetness to balance out the fresh, bright flavors of the cilantro and lime.
The next time you're in the Fenway area, stop into La Verdad for a couple tacos and tell them One Food Guy sent you. They might look at you like they have no idea what you're talking about, but at least you'll be getting some good tacos. Better yet, make a trip to Lansdowne Street just to go to La Verdad for some tacos. Go Red Sox! Eat Tacos!
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