The Century House

The other night the whole family (unfortunately minus Jordan) was together and decided to head out in the middle of a severe thunder storm and pouring rain to go to dinner at The Century House; located at 997 State Route 9 in Cohoes, NY.  The Century House is a hotel, restaurant, and banquet hall that has been around for 220 years on the same original plot of land.

In all of my years living in upstate NY I have driven by this place hundreds of times and never thought to go there for dinner - mostly because it appears as more of a banquet hall than a restaurant. I was definitely curious about what it had to offer, and excited to try it. Obviously on our way there it went from sprinkling to a straight downpour, which clearly didn't let up by the time we arrived... and did we bring umbrellas? nope. Needless to say, even with our 10 ft run from the car to shelter we all got pretty soaked.

Once we finally got inside and waited for my mom to make her big escape from the car we shook off and headed to our table. My first impression of the restaurant was that it was a little dated on the inside. It was just something about the dark wooden chairs, and the very dim lighting, it seemed homey but almost log cabin like. There was live entertainment so the volume was on the louder side, but not as bad as 677 Prime. The restaurant was pretty crowded which surprised me, and it remained crowded for the duration of our dinner. This restaurant definitely has a bit of an older crowd (there was a woman celebrating her 97th birthday that night) so if you are looking for a trendier spot this might not be for you.

Our waitress came by to take our drink orders, and we perused the menus. For appetizer's my dad ordered the French Onion Soup, I ordered the White Asparagus Soup of the day, and my mom ordered the Century House Wedge Salad.

White Asparagus Soup

The white asparagus soup was absolutely delicious. The texture of the soup was extremely pleasing, and the portion was just enough that I actual finished the whole bowl. The asparagus flavor really came through without being too overpowering.

Classic French Onion Soup

The french onion soup was a traditional french onion soup with tons of that creamy crunchy cheese on top - my dad really enjoyed it.

Wedge Salad

The salad was iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, shaved red onion, cracked black pepper, pancetta crisp and avocado ranch dressing. My mom enjoyed her wedge salad, but to be honest I'm not a huge fan of the presentation at all. First of all - too many red onions and not enough pancetta (or BACON).... Also, the cucumbers are all different sizes, and why is the dressing on the opposite side of the plate? Definitely not my favorite presentation for this kind of salad.

For dinner, I ordered the Peppered Hudson Valley Margret Duck Breast, My dad and Kayla ordered the Light House Shore Dinner, and my mom ordered the Veal Oscar.

Peppered Duck

The duck was crusted with both black and pink peppercorns, served with a smoked blackberry duck sauce and a crackling and confit wild rice cake.

I enjoyed the duck, however it was a little too dry. I asked for the duck to be served medium rare, and I was hoping for more pink on the inside. The sauce was nice, but there was a lot of it, and it tasted more like BBQ sauce than blackberry, but overall I enjoyed the consistency of it. The cake was okay, I had a few bites of it but it just didn't make me want to keep eating it. I'm disappointed because I love duck and it's hard to find it cooked in this manor (usually it's served as a whole breast), so I was really looking forward to it - I just wish it was juicier.

Light House Shore Dinner

The Light House Shore Dinner was broiled lobster, pan seared scallops, crab stuffed jumbo shrimp, and whipped potatoes with veg. This dish missed the mark a little. The scallops were pretty good, but the potato was bland and it just didn't seem like a great plate of seafood. My dad seemed to enjoy, it for the most part, but my sister wasn't really a big fan. I think her and I have become seafood snobs after living in Boston and being around great, fresh seafood all the time, but at the same token I don't think restaurants should serve an entire seafood dish unless they can deliver.

My mom's Veal Oscar was veal scaloppini, poached asparagus, topped with lobster and scrap meat, a hollondaise sauce, and whipped potatoes. 

The asparagus was done nicely, and had a beautiful green shade that added nice color to the dish. The overall flavor of this dish was nice, however I found the veal to be a little dry. I think this is because it was such a thin cut of veal that it would be almost impossible not to overcook it. My mom seemed to enjoy the majority of the dish though. 

Finally for dessert we ordered the Baked Alaska. It was a coconut sponge cake, with a passion fruit sorbet center, with torched swiss meringue and fruit coulis. The presentation was very appealing, but it just wasn't my favorite. My mom liked it, however the whole texture of the dish seemed a little off - for me personally. I will say that I would never order this type of dessert, simply because it's not really my cup of tea, so it may be a win for others ... just not for this girl. 

I have to say that I'm kind of disappointed with the way this review turned out... but I think my family needs to take some of the blame. One of my big issues is the number of entrees on this menu. There are so many different choices that I think the restaurant set themselves up for failure. I can tell from my asparagus soup that there are definitely some hidden gems in this menu, and I think this was a case of poor ordering. If I were to do it again I would love to go back and try the pot pie, and perhaps the potato wrapped cod, and maybe even the lamb. I think that this restaurant has some amazing things on the menu (my dad insists because he's gone there for lunch on several occasions and loved it) and I would like to dine here again before I completely write them off. 

The real highlight of the night was probably the fact that there was a wedding going on at the same time, so the drunken characters that ended up in the bathroom were pretty entertaining. All and all it was just great spending time with my family, and although the food didn't quite live up to my expectations, the conversation and good times did. 

On a side note, at the end of the meal we were informed by our waitress that for every meal we ate tonight, they would be donating a meal to the regional food bank. I think that is more than enough of a reason to enjoy a meal at The Century House. 

Danielle & Joan's Hiking Adventure

This past week my mom woke me up bright and early and told me that we were going hiking and to get ready. Still half asleep I agreed to go, and twenty minutes later we were on our way. When my mom decides she wants us to do something we pretty much don't have a choice. It's just much easier to say yes because ultimately we end up giving in, and if we just agree right away we save ourselves from the Italian guilt trip that would otherwise be inevitable. She'll say things like "I guess I'll just bring the dog with me so I don't get kidnapped." Or, "I just wish my family wanted to spend time with me." So to avoid the next few hours of guilt I just agreed.

Anyway, we obviously got lost on our way there - a difficult thing to do because we own a house on the lake and go there often - I love how there's never a dull moment in the Rutherford family... keeps things exciting! So after a slightly longer ride we arrived at the mountain and began are ascent.

Clearly we got a little lost on the mountain, which probably added about another mile onto our already 3.8 mile climb, but overall it was a great hike.... minus the kind of creepy guy lurking the whole time. After our four hour climb we were dirty and starving and decided our number one priority was food.

The views were absolutely stunning

Well prepared Russian family

Less prepared Italian mother-daughter duo...

Catwalk pose at the top of Buck Mountain.. fierce. 

After realizing that our hike took longer than anticipated and therefore our original restaurant choice was already closed, we ultimately decided to go to Pasta Pane, located at 16 Park Avenue in Clifton Park. Pasta Pane is described as a "rustic Italian bistro," and is just one of several restaurants owned by Restaurateur David Zecchini (probably most well known for Chiantis in Saratoga).

All of his restaurants are Italian themed, but each offers it's own original take on Italian cuisine. Pasta Pane is described as offering homestyle Italian meals that are more moderately priced than some of his other restaurants. As we arrived at the restaurant I was skeptical at first. The outside looks a little like a tacky chain restaurant, so my hopes for a true Italian meal were crushed, but because I was so hungry I kept my mouth shut and prepared for the mediocrity. As soon as we walked inside though I was impressed - the decor was homey, inviting, and seemed to have a nice bar scene.

As we perused the menu we aggressively fought over the bread, and tried to decide what we wanted to eat. My mom ended up going with their three-course Harvest Menu, and I obviously went with a large bowl of pasta... wasn't even a question.

My mom decided that she would try the Harvest Menu, which features seasonal dishes for the shocking price of just $20.

To start, she decided to order the Rape E Formaggio, a roasted beet napoleon, goat cheese, arugula and tarragon vinaigrette with toasted sesame flat bread as her appetizer. My mom really enjoyed this appetizer, surprisingly since she didn't realize it had beets in it. Did I mention we were blinded by our hunger?

I really loved the contrasting color of the red beet with the white goat cheese, and although I'm not sure I would describe these as "napoleons," they did remind me of red velvet whoopie pies. The tang from the arugula went nicely with the earthy sweet flavor of the beets.

For her main course she ordered the Ravioli Con Zucca, butternut squash ravioli in a sage, amaretto, and fontina cream sauce.

This was very yummy, and just the right portion because the dish was on the heavier side. In fact, I could almost describe this dish as sweet not savory - it fit nicely with the "harvest menu" theme.

For my main dish I ordered the Granchio, which was capellini pasta, sauteed crabmeat and shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs, in a light tomato sauce.

Overall this was a decent dish, although as someone who loves pasta like I do, and someone who was at a restaurant with pasta in the name, I was slightly underwhelmed. Pasta Pane has about eight pasta dishes on the menu, half of which are penne. I was hoping for more homemade pasta, and more of a variety. Regardless, the pasta was cooked nicely, but the sauce was a little oily, and the crab didn't taste fresh. Although the shrimp was cooked properly, the tails were left on which made it more difficult to eat. All that being said, I was starving, and it still hit the spot.

Finally, for dessert, my mom ordered the Zeppole Con Miele, which is Italian sugar doughnuts served with apple cider honey.

This dessert was actually really well done. The doughnuts were warm and fresh, and the cider honey went very nicely with it. I wish I had saved more room for the dessert, but I would absolutely recommend ordering this!

Despite some of the restaurant's shortcomings, I still think I would come back. The atmosphere and service was very nice and I think if I tried some of the other entrees my opinion might change a bit.

Lukes Lobster, East Village, NYC

So for "breakfast" the other day my sister and I left her boyfriend's apartment and started wandering around the East Village looking for a good place to eat. Our original destination was closed, so as we were trying to figure out a back up plan my sister goes, "I mean if you're in the mood for lobster I don't mind going to Luke's Lobster." I looked at her slightly puzzled and wondered if in my hungover state I had mention wanting lobster? I just replied to her that I didn't care what we ate, and that the diner on the corner would suffice. Again she said, "Dee if you feel like lobster it's fine we can go there, I don't mind." I laughed and asked her if she was in fact the one craving it, and she just grinned from ear to ear.

We decided to go to Luke's. Best. Decision. Ever.

Luke's Lobster is the home of the best lobster roll I've ever tasted. Luke's has several different locations around NYC, and I had the pleasure of going to the one in the East Village, on 93 E 7th Street. This hole-in-the-wall lobster shack does have more on their menu, but the real star is the fresh lobster which is flown in daily from Maine. Although there are just a few stools in this tiny restaurant, it won't matter because I housed this roll in a matter of minutes so eating inside would have been pointless.

Although I didn't get a chance to take a picture of it because I was too busy eating it on the way to Chris's apartment, there are tons of pictures on the Internet, and on Luke's website for you to check out.

This lobster roll is served on a lightly buttered and toasted hot dog bun, filled to the brim with fresh cool lobster, garnished with a small amount of mayo, melted lemon butter, and fresh herbs (and I swear I tasted a little balsamic vinegar on there as well). If you are in the city, pressed for time, and starving, I highly recommend that you check out this hidden gem. At $15 I can say that it's completely worth it and you will not regret it!

677 Prime - Albany, NY

Last Friday we finally decided to change things up a bit, and the whole family (sans Kayla :( ) went to dinner at 677 Prime, located at 677 Broadway St in Albany, NY. Prime is one of the many restaurants owned by Angelo (the owner of Aperitivo), and I would describe it as an upscale steakhouse.

Cute butter display!

Although Albany is a little bit of a drive from our house in Niskayuna, I was admittedly excited to get dressed up and go out. We arrived around 7:45 for our 7:20 reservation... aka right on time for Rutherford standards, and were promptly seated. I'm sure at this point everyone knows what I ordered... and for the record the pinot noir was very tasty. I'll also take this moment to mention that the wait service at Angelo's restaurants, especially Prime, is extremely professional. Our waiter was on point, attentive, and extremely friendly/professional. I've heard from an inside source that there is an extensive training process to work your way up to waiter, and it pays off.

After we ordered drinks, we started off our meal with some appetizers. Jordan ordered the Clams 3 Way Platter, which included garlic chardonnay steams, clams casino with bacon and lemon, and crispy strips with aioli.

Clams 3 Way Platter... lovely photo Jordan, Bravo.

This appetizer was awesome. One thing I'll say is that just because my family is a bunch of chubs doesn't mean you have to be - most of the apps on the menu can be split between multiple people. We just don't share well. That being said, this dish was so delicious. I think my favorite was the fried clams with aioli. The steamed clams had good flavor, but the clams were a little small/tough for my taste. I didn't get to even try the clams casino because my brother had eaten them all in a matter of minutes.... so that should speak for itself. On a side note, I really love this whimsically plating... very clever and inviting.

My dad ordered the Lobster Spring Roll Platter - 3 rolls - chili roasted lobster thin roll, ginger lobster egg roll, and mushroom lobster egg roll, served with hoisin, sweet chili & ginger scallion dipping sauces.

I apologize for the blurriness - thanks Dad. 

This spring roll platter was also amazing. My favorite of the three was the thin roll, dipped into the sweet chili sauce. I also really enjoyed the other two, they all had good flavor and great crunch... a little bit dry, but overall they made a great appetizer. The only component on the plate that I did like was the hoisin sauce ... it's just not my thing, so try at your own risk.

My mom ordered the 677 Chop - comprised of chopped iceberg, romaine, avocado, tomato, cucumber, red onion, fried buttermilk union, blue cheese crumbles, and white balsamic vinaigrette.

677 Chop

I love this presentation. The salad was really good and fresh, and the crunch on top was a great addition. I think it may have been slightly overdressed, but overall it was very good... and deceivingly large.

As we waited for our entrees we ordered another round of drinks, and played on of our favorite games. How it's played is my mom tells a story, almost in a whisper, in a very loud restaurant, and the rest of us try and read her lips. Okay so it's not actually a game, but it does consistently happen when we go out to eat, and the frustration that erupts on both sides is rather amusing. But on a serious note, the restaurant is rather noisy, as the patrons are competing with the live singer/piano player to be heard, so if you prefer a quite spot this place isn't for you.

For entrees me, my mom, and Jordan all ordered the ten ounce filet. I had mine Au Poivre (black peppercorns and brandy cream), and my mom had hers with the Diane topper (mushrooms and brandy cream sauce).

The meat was extremely tender, however the au poivre sauce was way way way too spicy, and almost ruined this dish for me. Even spicy food lovers would have found this dish almost inedible - which was a bummer because I was really looking forward to it. Everyone else's steaks were completely finished so they're really good steaks, I just don't recommend this sauce.

For side dishes the three of us got - sauteed spinach, sour cream and chive mashed potatoes, and lobster mashed potatoes. 

All three sides were really good. Apparently so good that I didn't even remember to get pictures of the potatoes. All of the sides are a large enough portion that you can absolutely share a few for the table - we chose to order our own and bring them home... except Jordan who somehow managed to finish his. I honestly don't know where Jordan puts all this food... oh how I miss my metabolism. The potatoes had great texture, and were so creamy and delicious. I also really enjoyed the spinach - it wasn't grainy, was cooked nicely, and had great light flavor.

My dad decided to order the Veal Maria as his entree.

As you can see, it is a hefty veal chop, pounded thin and breaded, served with tomatoes, arugula, red onion, and balsamic vinaigrette.

I can say with absolute certainty that my dad enjoyed his meal. How do I know this you ask? My dad always offers us some of his food... and by offer I obviously mean force feeds... This time he didn't ask a single person at the table if we wanted some... and he finished the chop. The only conclusion I can draw is that he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Something else quite miraculous happened at dinner as well... I. ordered. dessert. And wow I'm so glad I did. Jordan and I both ordered dessert actually... although no shocker that he did.

Jordan ordered the Banana Cream Pie, which was a giant slice of banana custard on sweet pastry crust, served with caramel tossed bananas and banana chips.

It was a very solid, and might I add hefty, dessert. I really love the huge slices of banana, and the crust had great crunch. I'm not even a huge fan of banana cream pie, but I really enjoyed this one.

I went a slightly different route, and ordered the Cupcake Pedestal. This had four different cupcakes on it - tiramisu, strawberry cheesecake, s'mores, and chocolate hazelnut banana.

So wow... what a dessert. I really loved the presentation, although don't try and cut up the cupcakes on the pedestal.... little wobbly. My favorite of the four was the cheesecake. The inside was actual cheesecake and it was just super super delicious. I also really enjoyed the s'mores and chocolate hazelnut banana because they were very moist and had great flavor. My least favorite was the tiramisu, which worked out nicely because it was my mom's favorite. I'm not even sure what prompted me to order this dessert because I'm not a huge cake fan, but I'm really glad I did. I think it's a really unique thing to see on the menu, and it was just another example of Prime's wonderful plating abilities.

All and all this was a nice dinner. Although I was slightly disappointed with my steak, everything else was very delicious. My favorite will always be Aperitivo, mainly for the less formal atmosphere and more modest prices, but Prime is a nice treat from time to time (if you're willing to pay the NYC prices).

Santa Fe - Brooklyn

So like all of my excursions, this one to Brooklyn also got off to a rocky start. After cleaning out my apartment in Boston, all of my belongings were put into storage until I move into my new apartment in NYC. One of the things that got put into storage along with my stuff was Kayla’s flat screen TV – which needed to come with us to Brooklyn. 


We showed up at the storage unit expecting the TV to be ready and waiting for us – but obviously that would be too easy. The TV was clearly located in the middle of the storage unit, which required me to climb over everything to get to the center, and then we had to strategically move this 52 inch flat screen out of the unit with out it breaking. Which we managed to do. But alas, as I opened up my trunk to load the tv, the box filled with all of Kayla’s glass kitchen bowls came spilling out of the trunk and one by one smashed onto the ground as we helplessly watched.


We made a speedy getaway out of the storage facility, and are still keeping our fingers crossed that there wasn't a camera taping us. 


After we arrived in Brooklyn (finally) we unloaded the car and proceeded to make multiple trips up two flights of stairs to bring all of Kayla’s things into her apartment. Finally, right around 8 pm, we were finished unloading the boxes, and were ready for some dinner. Kayla said she knew this great Mexican restaurant called Santa Fe, located down the street, so we decided to go there (Santa Fe Grill is located at 62 7th Ave in Brooklyn).

The restaurant wasn’t very large, but they had a nice little bar area, and then a small dining room area. The colors and art were cohesive with an authentic Mexican restaurant (masks on the wall – almost reminded me of Casa Romero), and the menu was definitely authentic. 


As soon as we sat down we ordered a couple glasses of sangria, and enjoyed the chips and salsa. 

The chips were crispy and warm, just as they should be, and the salsa had great taste and texture - although I think I would have preferred it to be a little on the spicier side.

Sangria

 The sangria had deep developed flavor, and was very delicious - we obviously enjoyed more than one glass. I will say that I typically prefer sangria with some chopped up fruit inside, however what it lacked in esthetics it made up for in flavor.

For dinner I ordered the chicken and guacamole tacos. As described on the menu, they tacos were served in crispy corn tortillas filled with grilled chicken, pico de gallo, oaxaca cheese and lettuce, topped with a guajillo pepper salsa. I asked if I could substitute the corn tortillas with flour ones instead, and they happily obliged. The sauce was very tasty, and all of the flavors married well together. The guacamole was my favorite part because of how fresh it tasted. My only complaint was that I wish it was served with a side of rice or something - love my carbs.

Chicken Tacos

Kay ordered the chimichangas which were flour tortillas filled with beef or chicken (she had one of each), refried beans, cheese, and onions, deep fried and topped with sour cream and guacamole served with a side of rice and beans. The outside was really crispy, and inside the meat was tender and delicious. I can definitely see myself ordering these next time.

Overall the food is very yummy, most of the dishes are under $15, and the atmosphere is really fun and inviting. We had a great time there, didn't feel rushed through dinner, and although it was lively inside the restaurant we were still able to have a fairly quiet dinner. I will absolutely be going back to Santa Fe!

Oceanaire

It's the end of an era... okay well if an "era" was 2 years than that would be accurate. I officially moved out of my Boston apartment on Saturday. I'm sad to leave it, there were so many memories made in that apartment, but I'm excited to start the next chapter of my life in a new city - with new restaurants! Although Boston will always remain near and dear to my heart, it's definitely time for a change - and to conclude my wonderful time in the city we went to a restaurant where it all began... Oceanaire. This is one of the first Boston restaurants I went to when we were moving my sister into her Boston dorm room for the first time. If you're looking for seafood and elegance this would be my recommendation. The executive chef does a great job of taking local ingredients and elevating them to the next level with flavor and presentation. It's really refreshing to see an entire menu dedicated to amazingly fresh seafood.

I love this photo. It captures the essence of the wine
along with Kayla chowing down. 

I enjoyed Oceanaire then and I thoroughly enjoyed it this time as well. After cleaning and packing for the entire day my sister and I were pretty excited for a good meal and some wine. What we weren't as excited about was sharing my apartment with the rest of the family.... five Rutherfords in a tiny apartment is not conducive to sleeping.... or sanity. My parents and Jordan arrived in Boston around 8, and by 8:40 we were seated at Oceanaire in a cozy table in the back. In true Rutherford family fashion, as soon as my sister excused herself to the bathroom my mom took her seat, my dad took my mom's, and Jordan and I were asked to switch - pretty standard. After the seating debacle the waitress came over and asked if we wanted anything to drink, I promptly took her up on her offer, and then began to relax.

I ordered pinot noir, and the waitress asked if I had a preference or if I would like her to pick one for me. I said i trusted her judgement, and she quickly returned with my wine. As she was pouring the wine into my glass (from a one-glass wine decanter) she explained that it was "one of her personal favorites", and it had lovely "vanilla notes" in it. I really enjoyed both her explanation, reassurance, and overall pleasant attitude... I couldn't wait to try the wine.

Our waitress was also really great because she dealt with our family insanity. By this I just mean that we were all so tired that sometimes we didn't really answer her questions, and we were super indecisive, etc. She sensed our overall lethargic attitude and suggested we put in an order for some appetizers first. My dad and brother ordered the clams casino (my brother is a miniature version of my dad.... well not physically miniature because he's almost 6 ft himself), my mom ordered the iceberg lettuce wedge salad, and Kayla ordered the BLT salad. I passed on an appetizer... a lot of the time I do... I also typically skip out on dessert... I'm an entree kind of girl... plain and simple.

Clams Casino

The classic clams casino was tasty, and had a generous amount of both bacon and clam in each shell (maybe even too much bacon, if there is such a thing?). It's almost not fair to judge any other clams casino because my mom makes an amazing one and I am incredible bias. I prefer my clams casino to have more breading, and have everything chopped up together - but that's strictly personal preference. The presentation of this dish was very beautiful though, and it was a great appetizer size.

Iceberg Lettuce Wedge Salad

Here's my mom's salad. As you can see, these are hearty salads, and could easily act as a meal if you hadn't been packing for days on end and were starving. The lettuce was super fresh and crunchy, the tomatoes were fresh, the bacon was nice and crispy, and the blue cheese was super creamy and delicious... there was a lot of dressing on the salad, but my mom absolutely loved it.

BLT Salad

My sister ordered the BLT salad, and it was exactly like the sandwich, minus the bread of course. The lettuce was super crisp, as was the bacon, and it was topped with a creamy buttermilk bacon dressing. Kayla loved the salad, but she was pretty pissed off about the huge slices of tomatoes... Kayla hates tomatoes, yet ordered a BLT salad.... perhaps she though the "T" stood for "thanks, no tomatoes for me"? -  I'm just not sure. But other than the huge tomatoes she ate the whole thing... sorry Kayla, the readers deserved the truth.

Finally it was entree time, and if you're my dad, second martini time. For dinner we had a little difficulty ordering, as usual. It all started because Joan wanted lobster. That was actually a fairly easy decision. Where it got tricky was when the waitress asked if she wanted it cracked for her, or left whole. She chose whole.... and we chose to get covered in lobster juices... seems fair.

Cute presentation... although when I was "younger" I would make the waiter or waitress take it back if it had the eyes still in. It freaked me out.

My mom really loved it, and the meat was super tender and delicious. I also loved how my parent's meals were served with little stands of melted butter, that had flames underneath keeping the butter hot. It's the little touches that make a restaurant slightly superior.

King Crab legs - sans the physical legs

Again, meat was really tender, and my dad thoroughly enjoyed the food. I was only able to sneak a little bite because everyone wanted all of their food.

Creamed Corn

 Above you will find Kayla's dinner of creamed corn. It was really good, but I would recommend that it be ordered as a side dish, not an entree. It was really yummy though, and not too over-the-top creamy.

Shrimp Scampi

Jordan ordered the shrimp scampi, which was served with tomatoes, and linguine,  in a garlic and olive oil broth. The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente, and the broth was really delicious and had great garlic flavor. My only criticism was that the shrimp was tough, and slightly overcooked. The dish would have been perfect minus the shrimp... so they should have just named it scampi.

Seared Georges Bank Sea Scallops

Last but not least, my entree, the scallops. The scallops were from Georges Bank, and wow this is one of my new favorite dishes. The scallops were perfectly cooked, and were cooked with local corn, chanterelle mushrooms, chorizo, roasted poblano peppers, all bathing in a sweet corn sauce. The balance of the spiciness from the peppers and chorizo mixed with the sweetness from the corn made for a wonderful and enjoyable dish. I really loved everything about this dish - it was the perfect portion for an entree, the corn was cooked really well, and there was a perfect level of spiciness that made the dish very delicious. I wanted to try this dish because it reminded me of what Kayla ordered at Aperitivo (with the corn and bacon hash), and I have to say that this hash was amazing. I would absolutely recommend this meal to anyone! 

Also, the professionalism of the wait staff was really great. Our waitress was friendly and informative, and when my parent's embarrassed me by announcing to her that I was a "professional food blogger," (got to love their confidence in me) she immediately brought over the menu for me to photograph, and also circled the wine I had. 

Top half of the menu

My entree

Bottom half of the menu

In case anyone is really into wine, I would definitely recommend this pinot noir, it was really delicious and went great with my dinner.
For additional wine recommendations please feel free to check out Cara's blog as well (she usually reviews really affordable wines and gives great
explanations on their flavor notes).

 After an amazing dinner we headed back to my apartment to "finish packing." As soon as we went back to the apartment however, we all were way too tired to work. Oh, how were the sleeping arrangements in your little apartment? Thank you for asking. My parents took my bed - it's only fair, they gave birth to me and raised me, therefore they get my bed. My brother (diva cough cough) slept on the day bed in my room, and Kayla and I took the couches. I gave Kayla the full-sized couch because she gave up her weekend to help me move, which left me with the love seat. Needless to say, none of us really slept because we were either uncomfortable, or guilty because we were comfortable, therefore everyone was super cheerful on Saturday for the move (especially when my father woke us up at 6:30 am). All and all though it was a great dinner, and while I'm sad to say goodbye to my apartment in Boston, I'm excited for my next move! (Stay tuned!)