Lyndell’s

lyndellsWhen I was a little kid, my mother would take me to Lyndell’s and they would always give me a cookie. Now that I’m older, I just take a number like everyone else. On most days, you won’t need the number, but on any holiday that calls for pastry, you wait until you’re called. My favorite things: honeycomb bread (made with graham flour which is rare around these parts), white mountain bread, snowflake rolls, all the danish, jelly donuts, ricotta pie, hazelnut cookies with chocolate drizzle, and Linzer cookies.

Eat this: Love Grain

lovegrainHappy Sunday and first day of June! Sunday calls for a leisurely breakfast. Today I whipped up a batch of pancakes with Love Grain’s pancake and waffle mix. They are easy to make, cook quickly and evenly, delicious, and local (Somerville, Ma). The mixture is mostly teff which has been popping up everywhere lately. I made the vegan version with almond milk, just lovely! I’ll probably explore more uses for the mix, maybe muffins or cookies, we shall see.

Casa B

casabTucked away between storefronts in Union Square, CasaB could easily be overlooked. The restaurant has two levels, a bright white color scheme on the first floor and a dimly lit and cozy basement. I’m partial to the lower level where you can see the kitchen working. They also have a beautiful wall full of plants downstairs (which I thought were fake and was delighted to find out are real). Drink menus are placed on the table to start, when asked about the wines the server just described their color. I wish I was kidding.

After the drink orders are placed, the food menus arrive. We order rollitos de aguacate, seven layer salad (a special that day), and camarones rellenos de yuca. Complimentary plantain chips here are tasty, the dipping sauce isn’t even necessary. Rollitos were good, especially the prune and cilantro dipping sauce. The presentation of the seven layer salad was artfully done. The server sets down a plate with a clear glass bowl (placed upsidedown) in the center. Inside the bowl you can see all the beautiful layers, once the beauty is acknowledged, the server gently lifts off the bowl and all the layers fall to the plate. It tasted pretty great too, a little overdressed to my liking, but I’m a minimalist with dressing. Camarones rellenos de yuca, sounded more exciting than they were. Dessert was the winner, a trio of ice cream sandwiches, homemade ice cream and cookies. I’d go back for that again and again.

Boston Burger Company – Somerville

killerbeeLiving near Davis Square I’m used to being surrounded by college students for most of the year. However, I must not be frequenting the same establishments as the bright minds of Tufts University because when I sat down at Boston Burger Company, surrounded by students (and even their friends standing over my table because they were on their way out but still chatting), I felt outnumbered and old. The burger list at BBC is long and it’s tough to make a choice, but I go with the Killer Bee (American cheese, bacon, onions, honey bbq sauce) and some fries (because their burgers are served with chips).

friesThe fries come out first. I don’t know why, I remember saying I wanted them at the same time as the burger, but I’m hungry (maybe she knew?). If you’re a fan of thick steak fries, you’ll enjoy the fries here. Personally, I prefer a thinner cut. The burger is just okay. This isn’t my first time ordering a burger here either nd I always have the same comment – underseasoned. The onion rings and bbq sauce are the best part!

Flatbread Company Somerville

IMG_1580Flatbread is a place that I can always count on to have good pizza and a great draft list. It’s a chain, but no matter which location I dine at, it’s always reliable (I’m trying to go to all of them, including the one in Maui!). The Somerville location is unique since it has a bowling alley attached. They have daily specials for meat and vegetarian pizzas. don’t forget to ask! If you end up loving their dough, they sell it so you can make your own pizza at home.

Highland Kitchen

Highland Kitchen, always packed to the brim with people, I really wish they would expand or open up a second location (and maybe, just maybe, expand the draft list). I can’t blame anyone though, the food and service never ever disappoints and today was not an exception.

Buffalo Fried Brussel Sprouts

Buffalo Fried Brussel Sprouts

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Left – Black Bean Burger, Right – Catfish Po’ Boy