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!)

Aperitivo

Whenever I am home visiting I always try and go to my favorite Schenectady hotspot, "Aperitivo." Aperitivo, traditionally a meal or small plate offered with a pre-dinner drink,  is one of the many restaurants owned by Mazzone Management Group. This charming bistro specializes in Italian fusion cuisine, and offers a selection of both small plates and full portion entrees, as well as gourmet pizzas. 

I love Aperitivo because it's not only close to my home, but it is a truly unique experience located amongst the other cookie-cutter bars in Schenectady. I also enjoy it because my good friend Jordan is the bartender and he is always whipping up speciality cocktails for us to enjoy.

As we sat down at one of the center bar tables, I prefer to sit in the front room vs. the back (more in the action), we were promptly greeted by our waitress who asked what we wanted to drink. My sister and I opted for a bottle of Pinot Noir (instead of a speciality cocktail which are super yummy there), and then began to wait patiently for the bread to arrive. In the meantime I went over to the bar to chat with Jordan, and realized another friend of mine was sitting at the end of the bar, appearing to be on a secretive date.... perfect. Also, by realized I mean I heard an embarrassing voice yell "Send her down" coming from the opposite end of the bar. I went over and said hello, and then immediately called up my cousin to come and join Kayla and I for dinner (Mr. Secretive is a mutual friend of my cousin and I, and I knew he would enjoy making this situation uncomfortable just as much as I). 




As soon as the bread arrived we were in heaven. Its a warm focaccia served alongside oil and vinegar, and is simply delicious. I really love when restaurants put effort into the kind of bread they serve - I feel like all to often restaurants serve some generic italian bread and just call it a day. 

Shortly after receiving our bread the waitress was back to take our order....

I had been instructed by my cousin to order him the calamari appetizer as his dinner. This is fried calamari, served with arugula and a sweet chili glaze. 

My sister ordered the seared scallops served with a sweet corn puree and corn & bacon hash, and I ordered the grilled swordfish with avocado and almond pesto. 


My sister and I also ordered the Matchstick Fries as an appetizer - one of my sister's favorites. We enjoyed our wine and soon our fries arrived.

I instantly fell in love with this dish because of how whimsical it is (and also how tasty). The fries are topped with toasted garlic and parmesan, and served with three dipping sauces, malt vinegar aioli, herbs in oil, and truffle ketchup. To say these fries are addicting would be a severe understatement. They are heaven in a dainty bowl, and I would eat them everyday if my thighs allowed. So. Good. And for the record, my favorite sauce was a toss up between the aioli and oil.




As we waited for both my cousin and our entrees to arrive, we were presented with a complimentary croquet of mozzarella, served with greens dressed in balsamic. 

I love the idea of sending out this "app" because it is so appropriate with the whole theme of the restaurant, and is essentially the definition of it.

Soon our entrees, and Nick, arrived, and I was once again I was equally impressed (with the food, not as much with Nick.... just kidding.

Calamari

The calamari was so delicious, and had the perfect balance of crunch and spice. It's also a really nice appetizer size. 

The scallops had a perfect sear on them, and the crispy corn and bacon hash had such a great rich flavor. The puree of corn had a nice silky consistency, and the micro green salad (with radish, cilantro, and lime) added acidity that complimented the dish perfectly, and helped to break up the richness. 

My swordfish was juicy, had a great char on the outside, and went really well with the gazpacho sauce and the confit fennel. The potato was also very light and delicious, and had a wonderful hint of olive oil. 


I really enjoyed the pesto as well. Traditionally pesto is a combination of basil, walnuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese. The interpretation of avocado with almonds was a great twist, and had a different texture and taste that I really enjoyed. 


When dinner, and the bottle of wine, concluded, the real fun began. The three of us joined our friend and his date at the bar, and added to the already awkward situation. You can tell the night is going to be awkward when you ask,


"Do you guys work together." and at the same time you get both "Yes" and "No" as a response. Kind of hard to proceed from there - Naturally I asked for some sort of elaboration, in which she insisted they did work together and he adamantly denied it. After some more awkward convo and drinks we finally called it a night (we were also the last ones in the place). 


I would strongly recommend for anyone in the area to go to Aperitivo at least once. It has a great modern atmosphere, friendly (and cute) bartender, and the food is some of the best I've had in the capital district. Trust me, you won't leave disappointed. (And trust me, I will be back there soon to try some more great dishes and report on them!)


  

Mohawk Club Round 2

Last night my family and I, sans Kayla, decided to go out to dinner. My dad and Jordan were just finishing up the back 9 on the course, so Joan and I met them over at the club for dinner. Per usual my mom needed some time to primp, and my dad gave us a 15 minute heads up like always (why do men never understand that we don't just wake up this beautiful?), so when we finally arrived the boys had already helped themselves to a "light appetizer" - of wings.

We sat in the bar for a little chatting and chomping on wings, and then sat ourselves in the main dining room. We were quickly greeted by our charming waitress who asked what we wanted to drink, however we were in the process of playing musical chairs so we didn't hear her at first. Where we sit is always a huge ordeal in our family - I'm not sure why, but at a typical dinner my seat gets changed 2 - 3 times.  It's pretty much the same routine every time - My dad sits down and my mom comments on how he doesn't have a great view, he says he doesn't care, then she sits down but she's under an A/C vent and is cold so she has to switch, I stand back and just accept the fact that I will be taking whichever seat has ultimately been discarded, etc. I guess it's our pre-dinner work out?

My parents have been bringing us to the club since we were little, and I have such fond memories of it. I remember my sister and I  spending the majority of dinner in and out of the powder room because of all the fun hair products they had in there to play with - when you're ten pretty much anything "grown up" is awesome. The club offers so many memories for me, and although it has become modernized over the years (jeans are no longer taboo), there's still an old school presence that is comforting.

Because my dad and Jordan already had their appetizer, we enjoyed a bottle of Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, and ordered our entrees. And on a side note, I find that because we named my brother Jordan, we seem to purchase things that have his name on it. We eat Jordan almonds at Easter, buy Jordan wine - Jordan wore "Air Jordans" starting at the age of five.... I don't recall having any Danielle wine, that's all I'm saying.

Jordan ordered the crab cake with micro green salad. He wasn't very hungry (on account of all the wings) so he wanted something light and refreshing.  The micro green salad offered a great contrasting crunch against the crab cake. And the sweet and sour flavors played off each other nicely. Jordan has ordered this crab cake many times, so I think it's safe to say he liked it.

My dad ordered lobster cavatelli - and OMG I actually remembered to take a picture! - Probably because I wasn't the one eating it.

Cavatelli is definitely one of my favorite types of pasta. It has a much doughier consistency, very similar to a gnocchi (although not as dense).

My mother and I both ordered the same things - Chicken Milanese with spaghettini, charred golden cherry tomato, and lemon sauce.

The star of this dish was definitely the chicken - as it should be. It had a great crust on the outside, and was extremely tender on the inside. The sauce had a great flavor and didn't overwhelm the chicken. Typically my opinion is the more pasta, the better the dish, but since there was a larger piece of chicken, this portion of pasta was the perfect amount.  Also, the broccoli rabe and carrot were both "al dente" and added some texture to the dish. Depending on how much time I decide to spend home in Niskayuna, there may be multiple "Mohawk Club" dinner experiences - that or I'm going to need to do more cooking - because I've become very spoiled by the abundance of great restaurants in Boston, and in Niskayuna we usually go to the club for dinner and that's about it. So.....

The other night Jordan, my dad, and I went to the club for dinner without my mom and sister.

Jordan ordered the sweet potato soup. It was super yummy, had great depth of flavor, and was creamy and delicious.

For entrees, my dad and Jordy ordered the Mohawk rib eye which had a 24 hour cajun spice, and was served with mashed potatoes, carrot and green beans.  I love rib eye steak because it has great marbling which adds a ton of flavor and makes the steak very juicy and tender.  The chef did a great job of getting a nice dark sear on the steak, and it doesn't get more perfect than meat and potatoes.

I also have to say that I get such a kick out of the sole carrot - it has become a Mohawk Club signature to many of the dishes - whether it's intentional or not, I think it adds character.

I ordered the scallops served with a sweet corn crema and salsa. The scallops were cooked nicely and the raw tomato/pepper salsa added necessary crunch. I really loved the flavor of the crema and it complimented the scallops nicely. This is definitely a dish I would recommend, especially if you aren't looking for something too heavy. 

Last night we finished up our dinner with some dark chocolate "mohawk club chocolate bars," courtesy of Krause's. 

I can't wait to go back! (Not that I really have a choice :) )