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We are not a fan of shopping malls but we do like the shops at Prudential Center as it somehow really doesn't seem like a mall. The upscale shops are a cut above a suburban mall. So, when we were recently invited by Tossed to stop by for lunch, we decided to take them up on the offer.


We also like the fact that the Pru Tossed is off the food court. We're not a fan of food courts, either. If we want to just enjoy a fine pastry and cup of freshly brewed coffee nothing ruins it more than a heavy aroma of garlic and onions hanging in the air.


You can mix and match your smoothie flavors. We chose banana and raspberry. In a rush, this alone would have been enough of a lunch to just tide one over.


First up, we enjoyed a custom-made salad, which is what they are most famous for. We chose baby field greens, carrots, cucumbers, red onions, grape tomatoes and feta. You choose all your veggies and mix-ins including meats and cheeses, then top it off with your choice of the many dressings. We went with the strawberry balsamic vinaigrette. Everything was very fresh. Tossed uses local sources wherever possible. They also have their own salads. We tried their Signature Salad which was just as good.


We also tried one of their crepe wraps. This one was the Pesto Chicken. Very nice.


The tuna salad includes apples and dried cranberries, which made for an unusual and refreshing twist.

Tossed
The Shops At Prudential Center
800 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02199
Telephone: 617.424.8677

Tossed also takes call-ahead and online orders.

We had not been to Chinatown for quite awhile so when we were invited to help ring in The Year Of The Dragon at Dumpling Café recently how could we resist? We joined local chefs, fellow food writers, bloggers and friends to sample terriyaki chicken, pork lo mein, vegetable fried rice, scallion pancakes and our fave, the xiao long bao, a broth-filled Shanghai style dumpling. All of the Taiwainese style fare we tasted was not only great but a great value. The highlight of the event, however, was the stunning Dragon Dance that (loudly) took place inside the restaurant. A full ten minutes of boisterous sound and color filled the place as we were showered with good luck wishes for the New Year. Congratulations! A wonderful and delicious event.





















Dumpling Café
695 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02111
Telephone: 617.338.8859

We sat in for a food demonstration with Chef Jason Santos of blue inc. this week and he shared with us a few, simple tips for making excellent fried chicken and, believe me, the fried chicken he served was excellent.

The Boston Globe Travel Show 2012 wasn't just about exciting destinations and great bargains. It was also about the food of the world and we took in as much of it as we could this past weekend.

Chef Jason Santos of blue inc. was on hand and was the first food demo we sat in on. Tomorrow we'll post video of Chef Jason's tips on perfectly fried chicken. Jason served up his fare from the American Culinary Stage.


Chef Jason prepared this perfectly Fried Chicken Taco, simple but delicious and satisfying comfort food.


Chef José Duarte of the award-winning environmentally-friendly Taranta in Boston's North end showed us the flavors of Peru and Italy. His creative dishes blend the traditions of both cuisines with a new twist.


Chef José prepared a Seared Paiche Amazone with Risotto Style Quinoa he called "quinotto". This protected species fish is only available in small quantities and most of us (including me) had never had it before. The firm flesh was mildly sweet. Nice!


Executive Chef Justin Walker of the elegant Arrows and more casual MC Perkins Cove in Ogunquit and Summer Winter in Burlington was there to bring us the flavor of Maine.


Chef Justin prepared a melt-in-your-mouth Braised Beef Shortrib with Maine Maple Syrup, Turnip Puree and and topped with that glistening onion jam.

Many local wine-lovers know the Sharma family as the owners/operators of Grapevine Traveler, famous for their fine wines, popular wine tastings and craft beer destination shopping. What you may not know is that they are survivors of the recent Costa Concordia cruise ship tragedy. We spent an evening at their shop where they gave TBF an exclusive video interview about their experience. Many of our readers are avid travelers and cruise ships are famous for their bountiful dining experiences. Lots of people find the food one of the biggest attractions for cruise tours so this will be especially interesting for those travel by cruise line, or are even thinking about it.

We have interspersed our interview segments with actual news reports to fill in some of the background information, which all fell into place as they spoke. A few things the news reports didn't emphasize: it was the middle of the night (everything took place in total darkness) and no one on the crew ever took charge directing people into lifeboats and assuring that women and children went first. Their lifeboat was so overcrowded it was barely moving as the massive ship loomed over them, seemingly ready to tip over on top of them.

A disaster is often a life-changing experience. Here is what Sameer and Divya Sharma had to say.

















Grapevine Travelers
18 High Street
Medford, MA 02155
Telephone: 781.396.8463

Boston Chefs, food bloggers, writers, and loyal customers were showered with good luck this week at the Dumpling Café in Boston as part of their New Year celebration. In addition to lots of great food and drinks, we were treated to a Dragon Dance inside the restaurant. Great fun and truly a first for us!

Full post to follow.

Everyone is always looking for a good sports/energy/protein drink, right? With our busy, long days, workouts and often not enough time for a proper meal even we at TBF need them, at times. Svelte is our new fave. It comes in four flavors: French Vanilla, Cappuccino, Chocolate and Spiced Chai. With 16g of protein, 20% daily value of fiber, it's also dairy/lactose and gluten free! Vanilla is my personal fave.



We like it so much that we've got coupons for a free full bottle to the first three readers who email us with their name and address for mailing. It's available at Whole Foods, Shaw's, Hannaford's, Market Basket and Roche Bros.

Good luck!

Liege Potato Salad and Apple Cabbage Slaw samples at Saus.

A young playwright was once trying out his new play in Boston before taking it to New York to debut. There was something wrong and, although he was getting fair audiences, he knew the third act needed work but was at a loss as to exactly what it needed. A legendary Boston theater critic by the name of Elliot Norton attended the play and wrote a column. In that review he suggested that two characters featured in Act I be brought back in Act III to improve the flow of the play and add some comic relief. As you can imagine, playwrights are not always enamored with theater critics but this playwright took the advice and made the change. It worked.

The playwright was Neil Simon and that play, THE ODD COUPLE, went on to smashing success on Broadway. Then it was made into a very successful movie. Then, a TV series! Elliot Norton went on to become known as "the play doctor", diagnosing plays and prescribing changes for improvement. At almost 100 years old, he was still being sought out by writers and theater impresarios for his advice.

Now, I have often said that I am not a restaurant critic. Yes, I visit restaurants and, yes, I write about my impressions with honesty but I mostly consider myself a food writer. However, I am often asked to consult with restaurants, particularly newer restaurants or those offering new menu items. They often know they need to change something and, just like Neil Simon, they don't know what. They ask me to be a new set of eyes and taste buds that can give them a fresh view from a different angle. This is mostly done "off the record." In other words, I can't write about it. That's why I was really impressed when I was recently asked by Saus in Boston, famous for their Belgian fare and even more so their excellent frites, to sample their new menu items, give them my honest feedback AND feel free to write about it. Feedback that is not cursory and has no ulterior motive is worth it's weight in gold. Often restaurants profess their hatred to posting sites where criticism can be the result of the author's bad mood of the day and I agree with that completely. The most respected critic is the one who consistently offers very specific suggestions for improvement rather than endless complaints, rants or tirades.


Veggie Croquettes, about to be deep-fried.


The Liege Potato Salad. Here was the only dish where we offered some feedback: it was too bland. The menu advertised bacon and green onion in the ingredients. That alone would make me order it but, upon tasting, both were scant. We suggested more bacon, much more, and more green onion.


The Veggie Croquette. Very nice.


The Sloppy Jacques, a Belgian take on the Sloppy Joe, is a meaty sandwich served up with a topping of slaw.

We also tasted a great Chicken Saté and a dish called Drunk Chick, which, frankly, we thought were the best of all.

Saus
33 Union Street
Boston, MA 02108Telephone: 617.248.8835
Sun: 12–8pm * Mon-Wed: 12–10pm * Thu: 12pm–12am * Fri-Sat: 12pm–2am

We recently met up with Chef Bob Botchie (formerly of Myers + Chang) at the soft opening of his new place, Kirby's Kitchen, which brings a much-needed oasis to Broadway in Everett, where the food is going to seriously challenge other local eateries. This new, casual restaurant, which also offers take-out, has an inventive menu and features all fresh ingredients, nothing frozen at all. Literally everything on the menu is prepared on the premises right down to the house-made ketchup. A creative mix of classic comfort foods balanced with light, healthy choices and vegetarian fare, there is really something for everyone. We tried nearly the entire menu and it was all spot on, from the creamy Leek and Potato Soup, Beet Salad, and Kirby's Burger to the PB & J sandwich on freshly-baked bread.


Look at those wings! This was our first taste and they were about as good as they get, perfect amount of spice and mild to medium heat.


The Israeli Cous Cous Tabbouleh was every bit as good as it looks in the photo. Fresh, light vegetarian options offer a great alternative or contrast to the rich comfort food.


The classic turkey sandwich is served with a twist. The house-roasted, sliced turkey breast, with gravy, cranberry relish and stuffing is topped with a potato puff. The fluffy potato balls are rolled in panko crumbs and lightly fried. One of the not-to-be-missed tastes, these can also be ordered separately.


Roasted Beet and Orange Salad. Delicious.


The Cubano: Marinated roast pork, Black Forest ham, pickles, mustard and potato chips or fries.


Hummus with roasted garlic, vegetables and pita. Again, all house-made.


I am not exaggerating at all when I say that these were the best onion rings I've ever had. Fresh, sweet onions battered and perfectly fried.


Fried Green Tomato BLT. Nice touch with the tomato. Again, really delicious.


All house-made: peanut butter, jam and fresh-baked bread. The PB&J Sandwich was really one of our favorite treats and a great reminder of a true childhood comfort food.










Kirby's Kitchen
440 Broadway
Everett, MA
Telephone: 617.294.4135
Open 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM, Monday through Saturday

Sometimes it's best to go to a place where everyone is a winner. Before there is the Super Bowl there is the Burrito Bowl, a friendly competition between popular Boston Chefs to see who can create the winning burrito recipe for the coveted Purple Piñata prize and a full year of bragging rights. This is the second year of the event, hosted by Chef Brian Poe of Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake, so I guess it's officially become a TBF Super Bowl tradition and one which we totally hope continues!


Our friend Jenny Johnson of TV Diner (we never, ever miss an episode) was there to serve on the judging panel. All attendees submit a ballot for their favorite dish for The People's Choice Winner and Judges select the final Burrito Champion.


Chef Jason Hutchinson of Boloco was there and we were very happy to see him sporting his I LOVE FUTURE CHEFS jacket.


Of course, one has to start off a burrito competition with a Boloco burrito.


Chef José Duarte of Taranta and his team called in their "hair people" to help them pay tribute to Steeler's Troy Polamalu, a native of Samoa. This is what helps make the event such a fun and friendly competition. Very creative José!


Chef José, last year's Burrito Champion, created an exotic plate of tamarind/pineapple pork, yucca root, taro and malenga, which I'd never had before. An adventurous Samoan tribute.


Chef Brian Poe displayed his usual fun approach to food with a coffee bean marinated steak with Velveeta cheese. Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake has hosted the event for two years now.


Chef Jon Gilman of Church offered us up this taste of barbecue pork with habanero-jalapeno hellfire hot sauce with that gorgeous green tortilla chip. Definitely the most colorful dish ... and the hottest! Nice.


Chef Andy Husbands of Tremont 647 was all fired-up for the pork. Don't miss out on their Taco Tuesdays, one of the most popular weeknight food events in Boston's South End. Two dollar tacos!


Chef Andy's burrito featured a side taste of this spicy shrimp and salsa roja.


Our vote went to Chef Erwin Ramos of Olé Restaurant Group for his flavorful, complex mix of amazing tastes featuring grilled, roasted pork, fried plantains, and black beans.


Judging panel with the winners: People's Choice Winner Chef Brian Roche of Lolita and the new Burrito Bowl Champion Chef Andy Husbands of Tremont 647, who took home the trophy Purple Piñata. Congratulations all for a really fun afternoon.













Thanks to Dean Igoe for helping with this event post.