Good Eats: Parker's

I don't know if the Omni Parker House is really a big deal but I always thought it was. I've been working near it since I moved to Boston and everytime I passed got the feeling it was historical and fancy. When I saw that it was on the list for Restaurant Week, I knew I had to finally see what it was all about.

There are three different destinations within the Parker House: Parker's Restaurant, Parker's Bar and The Last Hurrah Bar. We ate at Parker's Restaurant and our drinks came from right up the stairs in Parker's Bar. The Last Hurrah was on the other side of the building.

First things first, we need drinks. They only provide us with a wine menu so Brig asks for a drink menu. The guy mutters something about the bar and then trudges upstairs to get us the full bar menu. Brig orders something crazy (and is suprised when she doesn't like it) and I try to order a beer but they don't have any on draft. They don't have a single draft beer. I don't have a problem with this except that the menu doesn't specify what's on tap so when my first request gets shot down and then my second request gets shot down I finally hand the menu to the waitress and ask her to read off what actually is available. March is a little early for Corona but my hand was forced.

I ordered the scallops for my first course and they were fantastic. I'm not a big seafood person but these were top notch. My entree was the grilled sirloin steak that was cooked a perfect medium and delicious. For dessert I got the Boston Cream Pie and found out that this was the original Boston Cream Pie. It wasn't Brig's favorite (she was expecting a donut) but it was pretty good.

Weirdly, even though I enjoyed all the food I wouldn't come back here. It was a very strange atmosphere and just didn't feel like a fun place (or a very fancy place either). No personality = No business.

Movie Review: Oz: The Great and Powerful

On Sunday, Brig and I headed up to Chunky's in Nashua for lunch and a movie. We both wanted to see Oz so we could reminisce about our second favorite movie from 1939.

The first thing we noticed upon entering the theater was that a girl was having her birthday party there. Just our luck. The second thing we noticed was how short Brig is and her inability to sit anywhere but in the front how many people were there and that we couldn't be picky with our seats. So, our experience didn't start off so hot but the movie won us over.

It starts similarly to the Wizard of Oz, using the black and white Instragram setting to give it that old-timey feel. The (Spoiler! But if you really don't know the story then that's just sad) tornado comes way sooner than I expected but hey, that just means we get to spend more time in Oz. Oddly enough, the wizard's name (Spoiler! But not really a useful fact or plot point) is also Oz. So, Judy Garland's film could have been called Oz of Oz.

Anyway, fast forward a bit and everything is in color, Oz has met the three witches (Who's good? Who's wicked?) and he's walking down yellow brick roads and making new friends *slash* adventure sidekicks who aren't made out of straw, tin or have a mane. In keeping with the original, Oz's adventure mates are all played by characters he knew from life in Kansas.

The best parts of this movie are the references to the original but I think it stands on its own very well. Considering the story is about wizards and witches, and that James Franco isn't always fully invested in things, it never once dips into camp or farce. They have a very strong cast with real acting credentials and it shows.

Good Eats: Burger Dive

Burger Dive is a perfectly named restaurant. It has all the makings of a chain and I can definitely see it taking off. This location just opened near our house and even though I've mentioned it multiple times, Brig wasn't interested until she read about it on boston.com.

The first thing we noticed upon arrival was a PT Cruiser parked in front that was designed like a hamburger. I could attach a picture but it's even funnier to imagine it. When we got inside we saw that they not only had normal cashiers but also two kiosks where you could punch in your order, slide your credit card and skip the line. Pretty fancy for these parts. Since this was our first visit, we did it the old fashioned way so we could ask questions.

I ordered a Bakoneater which, unbeknownst to me, doesn't come with strips of bacon but rather the burger is half beef/half bacon. The only time it really tasted bacon-y was the first bite. After that, all the other ingredients took over and it just tasted like a normal burger.

Brig ordered an Ultimelt which she enjoyed but which was very messy. We ordered a side of fries that were very good but we found that their "large" was a little lacking. Also, they apparently have tater tots which we totally would have tried if we had seen it at the time.

Brig also wanted to try a milkshake because that's apparently their thing. We got the S'mores flavor and it was delicious! I was ready to blast them for trying to steal Sonic's thunder but they actually know what they're doing. They also have a station for different sauces you can try: ketchup, BBQ, honey mustard, chipotle, their own house dip and more.

The prices were exactly what we would expect, sans the milkshake which was probably a $1.50 more than one would think. This place is definitely on the fact track to becoming a chain and I foresee it being very successful in the future.

Good Eats: Masa

It's Restaurant Week here in Boston and last night we visited Masa in the South End. Brig had heard good things about this place (and/or it was the closest option to her office) so we made after-work reservations. Turns out, 6:00 reservations are only needed on New Years Eve and Valentine's Day (Thanks, Garry Marshall!). There were a few people sitting at the bar but the dining room was barren. There were only two other couples seated when we arrived. (Is 6:00 really that early? Am I old?)

The hostess took our coats and guided us to our booth. The first thing she said was "Watch out for the lip." Brig figured this meant there was a small step up to the table. Alas, she was caught off guard when she slammed her hip into what I can only describe as something like an armrest on the end of the booth seat. These "decorative" booths sure are nice but they're not practical in the least. There is no room between the table and the lip to casually slide into your seat so instead you look ridiculous trying to slowly guide your body in without smashing into anything.

Once finally (awkwardly) seated our server greets himself and asks if we want some Pellegrino (They have bottles on every table). We say no and then start a debate over how things get carbonated (It's science). When he comes back to take our order Brig immediately tells him not to ask for our dessert selections as she has an unsatisfiable craving for anything sweet and how can she ever choose just one she's not ready yet.

We both order their house caesar salad (blue corn tortilla chips instead of croutons) while Brig gets the roasted yellow pepper and I have the young chicken (menu). I didn't for one moment consider why they felt the need to describe my chicken as "young" but needless to say I was surprised when I was served a full rotisserie chicken. This wasn't your run of the mill supermarket chicken but it was literally a small chicken. Long story short, I should have ordered the steak frites.

We make it to dessert and Brig has her choice ready: banana bread pudding. I chose the chocolate truffle tamale. This was the best choice of the night. One of the greatest desserts I've ever had and Brig was so jealous that even after I let her try a bite she kept trying to steal more. That's so unlike her.

Good Eats: Moksa

Moksa is a Pan-Asian style tapas joint that shares a building with its neighbor, Naga, a dance club. Our cab driver knew this but apparently we aren't as familiar with Central Square. Saturday night, we went to Moksa for Brig's friend's birthday.

When we were ordering our first drinks the waiter stopped us. He recommended perusing the original creations by their Beverage Director as she is one of the top mixologists in the city. Based on that recommendation we took a look at their drink menu. It's a Chinese zodiac! So creative!*

I started off with a Red Viper (which FYI looks really girly... because it's red) and then moved on to a Shanghai Noon. The Viper was much better. We also had 2 shots of Patron, which added onto the 2 shots of Cafe Patron Brig made us do before we left the house, was trouble.

We ordered a couple apps for the table (edamame and pork dumplings) that were delicious. For my entree I ordered a Philadelphia Roll because that barely counts as sushi and is my favorite. I believe Brig got a vegetable roll which she seemed to like.

The rest of the night consisted of dancing at Hong Kong and blacking out but our Good Eats entry ends here with a thumbs up for Moksa.


*This is not sarcasm. I was floored by it.

Book Review: FRANCONA: The Red Sox Years

Perfectly timed with the release of the Cleveland Indians' Harlem Shake video yesterday, I finished reading Terry Francona's book about that other team he managed. After 8 years and 2 World Championships, Francona's Red Sox tenure ended in historically bad fashion during September 2011. But let's start with the good stuff.

I really enjoyed this book and it took me back to a time when our owners seemed great, our manager had control of the team and our GM was a wunderkind. Francona's father was a professional MLB-er and he grew up around the game. He also ended up playing professionally and had a 10 year career. Soon after retiring he got into coaching and quickly moved up the ranks. In 2004, he was hired by the Sox to take over for Grady "I think Pedro can give me one more" Little. You know how that season ended.

Fast forward through some more highs (2007 Champs) and we end on the lowest note possible. I didn't enjoy reading the last three chapters because our team is still in the midst of recovering from that mess. It hit a little too close to home. And anyone who read the book excerpts that were released ahead of time know all the salient quotes from this section. The real reason to dig into this book is to remember the good times; how they built something from nothing. It was an insightful walk down memory lane... I can't wait to go back.

Good Eats: Todd English's Olives

Saturday night we visited the famed restaurant, Olives, by local boy Todd English. English is now a famous celebrity chef and it all started with Olives. My only previous knowledge of Olives was that there was a fire a couple years ago and English had a hell of a time getting it opened again. That finally happened last year and when Brig and I saw a Groupon a couple months ago we decided to give it a shot.

As we walked down a Charlestown street to the restaurant, we were greeted by... nothing. There was no sign outside, nothing whatsoever that would lead you to believe this was anything, nevermind a renowned restaurant. Lucky for us, the huge glass windows showed a bar and an open kitchen and so we headed in.

Our waiter was very nice and explained everything in detail. Brig and I got beers and shared a veal meatball appetizer. It was served in a little skillet filled with three different types of melted cheese. Absolutely delicious. For entrees, Brig ordered meatloaf and I had the lamb sandwich. Sandwich is a relative term though as it was really more like a fajita. Each ingredient was presented separately on a large piece of flatbread. There were multiple cuts of lamb, tomatoes, red peppers, hummus, olive tapenade and a cucumber dip. It was a great choice.

For dessert, we shared a pumpkin cheesecake that had just the right flavor level of everything. It really was a good time. There were plenty of other people there but it wasn't packed or exceptionally loud. And the lighting was just the right dimness. We will definitely come back here again to get our fine dining fill.