Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Casa Romero, Boston

Saturday night I had a date with one of my favorites- my mom. We decided to go for Mexican, and chose a spot that neither of us had been to before. Casa Romero, located in an ally off of Gloucester Street in the Back Bay gets rave reviews from everyone Ive spoken to.

As soon as we walked into the door, I knew that this would be a meal to remember. The restaurant is artistically decorated with pieces from Mexico that make you feel as though you might have actually been transported to an intimate spot south of the border. The outdoor patio, though it was getting a bit too cold for us to sit out there, looked like a perfect spot to dine on a warm summer evening.

We started with shrimp flautas. In basic terms these are fried taquitos- a small tortilla wrapped tightly around a filling so they resemble a cigar in appearance. At Casa Romero they were served with salsa, sour cream and guacamole on top to resemble the Mexican flag. Cute presentation, but unfortunately, taste wise they were a bit of a disappointment. The seasoning that was used in the shrimp filling (and to be honest- I couldn't quite place the ingredients other than shrimp) was not bold enough to over come the heat of the fryer. Therefore the dish was very hot, and not very flavorful. We also though that there could have been a bit more of the "flag" on top.

My disappointment though in the appetizer did not affect my joy in my entree. I had selected to have a dish called Pechuga de Pollo a la Mexicana which was a chicken breast cooked in a mixture of brandy, tomatoes, capers, mushrooms and olives. The chicken was moist and delicious, and the sauce served with it was very flavorful. I had anticipated the sauce to be more brandy than tomato, and while I was wrong, the outcome was delicious. The brandy could be tasted well in the background of the tomato, and the salty-ness of the capers and the olives shown through. I always enjoy mixing an acid like tomatoes with a salt- there is just something that the two together do to the taste buds that make it delicious. I would have liked to have seen more mushrooms in the dish, but over all, it was fantastic. I would be remiss if I didn't mention that it was also served with two side dishes, re fried beans and rice. Neither were very good to be frank. The beans had a burned taste to them which made them inedible, and the rice was fine, but rather dry and seemed to be an obvious after thought. Despite those two failures though, the chicken out shined it all, and I still have to call that dish a success- one that I would definitely order again.

We had a hard time deciding which dessert to share so we enlisted the help of our waitress. She recommended the Pay de Coco, which was a cheese cake made of ricotta and cream of coconut. It was served with toasted coconut on top and drizzled with an apricot sauce. The cake was light, and hinted of coconut and lemon. It was sweet without being over powering, rich without being too much. The toasted coconut on top added a slight crunch for the differing textures, and the sauce enhanced the dish over all. My mother was slightly concerned that the sauce could have been a bit sweeter, however I enjoyed the slight tartness to it. I found that it added to the lightness of the dish to have that sauce on the tart side rather than sweet- it almost allowed you to trick your mind into believing that you were not indulging in something decadent.

While Casa Romero did not meet my very high expectations, I enjoyed the evening thoroughly and would definitely return. The ambiance of the place, and the items that they did well far out shined those items that they did not do well.

http://www.casaromero.com/

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Steak with a mushroom red wine sauce over fingerling potatoes

Today was one of those no good very bad days starting at 12:30 am when I was awoken by my fire alarm and continuing straight through work. When I was finally able to pack up for the day all I wanted to do was take a long walk home and stand in my kitchen chopping and dicing and creating tasty dishes. I find cooking, and preparing food to be incredibly relaxing, and a great de-stresser. So I took great joy in spending the last few minutes of work thinking through what I wanted to make myself for dinner. Now, to be fair, I had one of those "sad when its over", absolutely delicious, perfect meals on Saturday night, and I took a lot of inspiration from that. So I cant really take credit for a couple of the ideas as basically I would love to be able to recreate it completely, though I know that thats next to impossible.



I was having one of my ridiculous steak cravings so I stopped to pick up some steak, some baby portobello mushrooms for a wine sauce that I was picturing, baby arugula and fingerling potatoes- my favorite type of potato. Somehow I have lived as long as I have, and cooked as much as I have and Ive never had cooked arugula-other than on a pizza as a topping. Saturday night I had it sauteed with onions, asparagus and mushrooms and it was delicious. Arugula has a great spicy, sort of peppery taste to it when raw, and when cooked it mutes slightly but still holds enough of its flavor to add a great dimension. I decided to add it to my fingerling potatoes that I sauteed with just a little bit of olive oil, chopped garlic, chopped shallots, a few red pepper flakes to turn up the heat a bit and salt and pepper. I laid this mixture down as a bed (Im telling you- inspiration) and sliced steak that I had cooked up in my trusty grill pan over the top if it. I cannot tell you how sad I am to not have a real grill, however I adore my apartment and where I live so I guess Ill just have to survive as having one here will just not work. A grill pan does a good enough job I guess- you dont get that great charcoal/fire taste in the meat, but you can get a great caramelization and grill marks so its sort of close.

I then turned my attention to making a wine sauce to cover the meal. I had sliced the mushrooms down into pretty thick pieces and added them to a sauce pan with butter, garlic and shallots simmering. I allowed them to cook for a while to absorb those flavors. Mushrooms are fantastic in that they will just soak up different flavors and really showcase what you cook them with. I do wish that my brain had been working a bit better when I was at the store as I would have remember to pick up some thyme, or maybe some rosemary to add another dimension of flavor to the sauce. After the day I had though I was happy to just know my name, so the sauce would have to do without that addition. Once I had felt that the mushrooms had had enough time to absorb the flavors, I added about a quarter of a bottle of a Spanish red wine. The first few times I tried to make a wine sauce I found that they turned out very bitter tasting, and what Ive realized is that I hadnt been cooking any of it long enough. I hadnt allowed the garlic to saute long enough to turn a bit sweet, and I hadnt allowed the alcohol in the wine to cook off to leave the sweetness and the richness of the grapes. This time I allowed the wine to simmer, over a medium heat, until I could see the reduction happening. The smell of the sauce went from an acrid, alcoholic smell to one of a combination of all of the different ingredients. It smelled delicious. I spooned quite a bit of it over the steak and sat down to enjoy with another glass of red wine.

I would absolutely change a few things to this dish. The arugula was delicious, and added a brightness to the dish that was necessary in contrast to the wine sauce and meat, however as it was under the meat, the dish did not showcase the beauty of it. I enjoyed it as a bed, but I either should have reserved a bit to stand up to the sauce on top of the steak, or I suppose that parsley over the top would have added the necessary brightness to the top of the dish. I also would have added a bit more herbs in general to my cooking. However, I have to say, it hit the spot. The steak had caramelized nicely on the outside, the potatoes had absorbed a bit of the heat with the pepper flakes, and peppery arugula complimented that well. The sauce was delicious.

Sometimes there is nothing better than making something with your hands- chopping, prepping, slicing, stirring...its a form of accomplishment to step back from a meal that youve enjoyed and know that you created it as well. To me, its the greatest satisfaction that no matter what else happens in the day I can make something and be completely happy with it. What else do you need really?

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Atlantic Fish Company, Boston - Brunch

Brunch is one of those meals that you just cant beat. A lazy meal on a Sunday afternoon or late morning is just the perfect end to a weekend. I had the opportunity to check out Atlantic Fish Company's brunch last weekend. I have been a big fan of AFC for a few years for their dinner service, I find the their fish to be incredibly fresh, their service very attentive, and their menu simple, but a very good collection of dishes. Needless to say, I was excited to see if their brunch menu upheld the ideals of their dinner service.

Our server definitely upheld the image of what Atlantic strives to be. He was polite, charming, and was very familiar with the menu. He made great suggestions, and was knowledgeable about each dish that we questioned him on. By his rave reviews, I chose to get their eggs benedict over crab cakes. Thse were served with pan roasted fingerling potatos and light greens. I was a bit hesitant to try a benedict dis again after the last time that I had it at Masa a few months ago. I was very pleasantly surprised with the complete opposite experience with Atlantic. The eggs were perfectly poached, over crab cakes that were full of fresh crab and not weighed down with lots of bread crumbs as they some times are. The hollandaise was light and fluid throughout the meal. Not once did I feel that it had congealed at all or had become a heavy entity on the plate. Instead, I couldnt stop eating my meal and absolutely cleaned my plate. the potatoes, though I personally enjoy a crispy hash brown with my breakfast, were tasty despite their soft nature, they were very well seasoned. I was a bit concerned about the greens on the side, the idea of egg yoke mixing with arugala upset me slightly, however it turned out to be a perfect compliment to the meal.

My mother, my dining companion, had a crab cake melt that was to be accented with a pistachio pesto and brie. She found that the crab cake itself was delicious, however their wasnt enough of the pesto, and she thought that the brie got a bit lost with the bread. She did however thoroughly enjoy their white sangria, though she was remiss that it was served in a large glass and she just couldnt finish it all. I, however, did not have any problem finishing my raspberry martini which was a bit strong for a brunch type drink, but delicious none the less.

All in all, our brunch was delicious. The atmosphere in Atlantic Fish Company is beautiful, and I find very relaxing, and their food has always been superior in my opinion.

http://www.atlanticfishco.com/index.cfm

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Giacomo's, Boston (North End location)

In almost every city, you can find a good Italian meal, maybe even a GREAT Italian meal. Some may be artistically displayed via the old addage that you eat with your eyes first. Some may just be well seasoned, nicely spiced, and incorportating the correct ingredients. And then SOME, not many, are simply, beautifully authentic. They embrace the authenticity of the Italian culture from the moment you walk in the door of the restaurant until you waddle out hours later. Giacomo's in Boston's North End is one of these jewels that you search for.

Anyone in Boston will tell you to get there early or expect to stand in line. Last Saturday night my foodie friend from Florida and I got there later, and stood in a line that reached to the end of the block. Our wait was about an hour, which passed quickly since our neighbors in line were chatty tourists and amused us. We did luck out though, with about 3 parties left in line in front of us, a waitress emerged from inside and asked for a party of two who didnt mind sitting at the "bar". A few dates minded, and so my friend and I scored what I believe to be the best seat in the house. Up at the bar that separates the kitchen from the dining room there are two seats at the far end. From this vantage point you can see the entire room, the chefs to the patrons, and fully experience the place. Giacomos encompasses everything that I know to be Italian. Growing up with stories of my mothers family holidays, I know the boistrous attitudeds, the "come, sit, eat" mentality, and the treat everyone as though they are family ideology. A restaurant has never made me feel more at home. We took our seats and since our waitress wasnt immediately available another came to show us the Specials Menu, hand written on cards-so you know how fresh those were. Moments later, Rosemary, our waitress for the evening came over to introduce herself. We asked her advice for a bottle of wine (most bottles are only $15.95), and ordered a starter of garlic bread. Then we set to the long task of figuring out what we wanted to eat. We made the decision to just get two entrees and share them- but deciding the two became very difficult. With Rosemary's assistance, we decided on the Butternut Squash Ravioli with the marscapone cheese sauce, and the fettucini with chicken, peppers and onions in a tomato cream sauce. The Butternut Squash Ravioli came out first and was absolutely delicious. The cheese sauce was enhanced with asparagus, and the menu also stated proscuitto, though I did not find any of this in my portions. However, the sauce was able to maintain a light feel to it, despite its ingredient list, and was the perfect creamy taste to be paired with the sweet squash filling. Everything about this dish was perfection, and the garlic bread on the side was wonderful as well. The garlic was a presence, without being TOO strong as often happens, and the butter left a nice glisten on the bread without weighing it down.

Our second dish was also good, though after the butternut squash ravioli, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. I wonder though, that if the first dish hadnt been SO delicious, if I would be raving about the second as well? The fettucini was piled high on the plate, and tomato cream sauce was tasty, if not lacking in a little flavor? The peppers were sweet, and the onions a perfect compliment. The chicken included was also very tasty, though I didnt feel as if there was enough of it with the size of the portion of pasta. However, sopping up the remaining tomato sauce with the garlic bread was absolutely amazing.

I must say, we cleaned our plates, all of them, and finished our wine and were possibly some of the most content people in Boston that evening. Rosemary was friendly, and knowledgable and honestly a complete delight. She revealed that she has been working at Giacomos since its opening 24 years ago. I believe that that kind of loyalty and dedication is what makes Giacomos so wonderful. She, along with the other staff, have love, real love for the place, and that shows in every dish they make, every order they place, ever bottle of wine they serve. It is a place that I, along with the other throngs of people who are in love with it, will return to over and over again. Arent we all really, just one big, happy Italian family?

No website to speak of- though the menu can be found through city search and I believe menupages.com. Also- note that when you go- credit cards are not accepted.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Bouchee, Boston

The other day I met up with an old friend to have lunch, and do a little shopping, so we thought, where better to eat, and shop, than Newbury Street in Boston? We decided to dine at Bouchee, a fairly new French "brasserie". Aesthetically, I find Bouchee to evoke those true French undertones- slightly mysterious, rather ornate, and of course beautifully romantic. It is a place that I can picture on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, looking out over l'arc de triomphe.

I had dined here once before, and of course had gotten their mussels, so I was determined to not order them again. I decided instead to order their Nicoise Tuna Salade with a glass of their Pierre Sparr Riesling. My salad was comprised of romaine lettuce, frisee, olives, haricots verts, potatoes, and tomatoes, tossed with a light vinaigrette. This was all topped with three pieces of slightly seared, heavily spiced, sashimi grade tuna. Nicoise salad is a perfect choice when you're looking for a light meal, but that is full of varying flavors and textures, and is slightly exotic with its basically rare tuna. Bouchee accomplished the varying textures and flavors. The dressing was light and flavorful without overpowering the delicate individual flavors of the haricots verts, and the frisee. The potatoes sufficed for a creaminess against the acidity of the dressing and the saltiness of the olives. The tuna definitely added a spice from the outside coating, however, I found that it had been seared just a bit too long, and the white color signifying "cooked" was far too deep. The middle was absolutely still a vibrant red as it should have been, but just a few seconds shorter on the sear would have made it perfect. Together, I really enjoyed the balance of the textures and flavors that Bouchee was able to put together, and my glass of Riesling was a perfect compliment to the meal.

I have one question and one note on my meal though. I have found that with several different types of Riesling, you often end up with crystals floating at the bottom of your glass. Does anyone know why this would happen? Is this just a signifier of a bad wine?

Id also like to note that my salad included hard boiled egg as well, however I asked for mine to be served without this item.

My friend got their Apple Salade that combined granny smith apples with walnuts, blue cheese, dried cranberries and bibb lettuce with a yogurt vinaigrette. She enjoyed this salad very much, and found that the flavors were very good all together, however from looking at her plate, it appeared that there were about three whole apples sliced onto her plate. Even once she finished the salad there were mounds of apples left behind. So while it was well flavored, she would have preferred to have had more actual salad, and less apple.

http://www.boucheebrasserie.com/index.cfm

Monday, April 7, 2008

Wagamama, Faneuil Hall, Boston

One of my favorite girls from my time abroad came into town this weekend to go to a trade show to promote her business- so I got to show her the sites of Boston. Now obviously, I have a slight obsession with food, and luckily for me, K does as well. So I got to show her Boston through our food.

Friday evening we went to a newcomer to the Boston scene, but a transplant from our days studying in London. Wagamama is a London based, Asian inspired noodle bar that we found on a whim early in our stay across the pond, but that became a staple in our dining experience there. When the first US location opened in Boston last summer, I threw a little party. The dishes that they serve there are clean and presented well, combining great flavors and interesting ingredients. They do all this, and manage to maintain affordability.

My old standby, that I ordered again on Friday, is a dish called Yaki Soba. This includes teppan-fried soba noodles that are mixed with egg, chicken, shrimp, green peppers, red peppers, white onion, spring onion, mixed sesame seeds, fried shallots and pickled ginger. Teppan in Japanese means iron plate, so the loose translation for this dish would be noodles fried on an iron plate. The result is noodles that are over all soft as you would anticipate, but with a slightly crisp exterior. They are flavorful and delicious. The added ingredients add contrast of texture and a variety of flavors. The onions are offset very well by the pickled ginger, and the fried shallots create a perfect crunch to the rest of the meal. The chicken, egg and shrimp were all perfect cooked, although I would have appreciated a bit more scramble to the egg. Towards the end I started mistaking big pieces of egg for chicken, which is a surprising taste difference.

The waitstaff was friendly and helpful, explaining the menu well and providing suggestions, as well as interesting cold remedies. Apparently if you boil Coca Cola with ginger and a little bit of lemon, it will get rid of colds. It seemed like an interesting concept- and I am aware of gingers healing abilities...I may have to try this out at some point. We did sit a bit long for our check, but as we were one of the last people to be seated, we felt that this was more because it was the end of the night, than any real reflection on their servers.

Wagamama, much to my pleasure, has opened to locations in Massachusetts, one in Faneuil Hall Marketplace, and one in the Harvard Square area in Cambridge. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

http://www.wagamama.us/

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Bar Lola, Boston

Over the past several years Tapas restaurants, those serving small plates, or several appetizers to form a meal, have been popping up all over Boston. Not surprisingly, I think that this is a great concept. Several small dishes, all of Mediterranean descent, to be enjoyed by the table. Its a great way to get something for everyone at the table, enjoy many different tastes and flavors and walk away completely satisfied. It also doesn't hurt that Tapas places are notorious for having Sangria, wine based drink often spiced with brandy, enhanced with fresh fruit- an absolutely fabulous concoction. Saturday night, I headed to Bar Lola on Commonwealth Ave in the Back Bay to indulge in some tasty tapas, and copious amounts of Sangria.

It is usually advised to order 2-3 plates for each person at the table, so for two people, 5 plates would be a perfect amount. We decided on Boquernes, Calamares Rellenos, Somillo al Cabrales, Albonigas al Jerez, and Palmeritos. The Boquernes were the first to arrive. These were anchiovies served over what reminded me of an Italian bruschetta but containing more vinegar than oil, and then spooned over toasted bread. The vinegar was able to cut the saltiness of the anchovies so the dish tasted meaty, and well balanced. The Calamares Rellenos were calamari stuffed with crab meat and shrimp. Whenever I order calamari under any other preparation than fried, I am always reminded of a horrible meal that I had at Franklin Cafe in the South End a few years ago where the calamari were served basically naked on a bed of arugula, but had been over cooked and were very rubbery. Since that experience I have had a heightened sense of good calamari and the dangers of overcooking it. By its nature it has a rubbery texture to it, however this can be somewhat mitigated. Bar Lola did a nice job on this. I would have preferred a bit more flavor to the stuffing, but all in all it wasn't bad.
Somillo al Cabrales is one of my favorites at Bar Lola, beef tenderloin, grilled and then served with a Cabrales-goat blue cheese sauce. I think that grilled steak paired with any of these tangy cheeses is a perfect pairing. They both provide perfect showcases for the smokey charred taste of the steak, or the cutting, yet creamy taste of the cheese. A second favorite of mine are the Albondigas al Jerez, which are basic meatballs served in a sherry and raisin sauce. I adore using sherry in my own cooking (Ive added it to mashed potato's- fantastic addition) so when I see it on a menu, I get rather excited. Sherry adds a sweetness to dishes that you don't normally find, and combined with the sweet fruit raisins, you get a sweet sauce with just a hint of the bite of the cooked off alcohol. Served over the meatballs, its a perfect compliment to their earthy taste.
Finally, I got to try Palmeritos, dates wrapped in bacon. Dates are sort of a fun fruit, used for stuffing or for eating just as they are, they are definitely a very sweet fruit, and I was excited to try them matched with the smokey/salty bacon. Unfortunately, they will not be added to my list of favorites. The preparation had made them a bit too sweet, and the bacon wasn't enough to cut it. I found them rather mealy, and just too much. It was a sad end to the meal of good tapas.
We ended our time at Bar Lola with glasses of sipping sherry. I love a good port to end a meal, and have always wanted to try a good glass of sherry, so I was very excited for this idea. Being a virgin sherry drinker, I found it pleasing at first but with a difficult after taste. Apparently, sherry is meant to be served cold, which would absolve that aftertaste and make it a very pleasing drink all around. It would seem to me that a place that would have it on their menu ought to know the proper way to serve it, therefore I have to chalk this up as a disappointment to Bar Lola.
Despite the dates, and the warm sherry, I do enjoy Bar Lola quite a bit. The ambiance is what I would anticipate for a Mediterranean feel, dark and cozy. They can accommodate large parties which is definitely a plus in Boston proper and are conveniently located. I wouldn't say that this is my favorite tapas place in Boston, there are others that nudge out the food, but it is enjoyable over all.

http://www.barlola.com/


***Editors Note***
Sadly, I left off a dish from the above review. We also had white asparagus with a romesco sauce. I have a sneaky feeling that I forgot about this dish because it just didnt make enough of an impression. To be fair, I do not have a lot of experience with white asparagus. However, I normally enjoy my vegetables a bit al dente so that they remain somewhat firm. The asparagus held no firmness to the point that it was slightly difficult to cut. The sauce was light and well seasoned, but I had a difficult time getting over the over cooking of the asparagus. So I blame my forgetfulness not on the Sangria, nor the bachelorette party at the table next to us, but simply on my discontent with the dish.

Barlola on Urbanspoon

Douzo, Boston

Beyond mussels, and guacamole, there are a few other foods that will always make me happy. One of those is sushi. Sitting down to a meal of fresh sushi, clean and healthy, just makes me feel good. The entire experience, from the raw fish to the wasabi makes me feel as though I'm adding only the most natural of ingredients to my body. Saturday afternoon, I met up with a friend and we headed to Douzo, located on Dartmouth Street in Boston's Back Bay.

I always love going out for lunch, its less pretentious than dinner in most spots, but carries the same caliber of food. There are far less crowds present so you are really able to enjoy your food without feeling rushed. Also-I am a firm believer, though not practicer, in the theory that your biggest meal of the day should be at midday. I digress though, Douzo, for lunch or dinner, is a treat.

The other thing that I love about sushi- is that its a sharing meal. You can order several different pieces, or rolls, and share them between the table. I always feel as though Ive eaten more, with of course more variety in a meal such as this. Now, I do have to say, I am not fearless when it comes to sushi. When I'm alone, I'll rarely order sashimi (various types of raw fish alone, or just layered on a bit of rice) but Ill try almost any type of maki roll you put in front of me. We ordered a variety of these, along with edamame (soy beans in the shell, steamed and lightly salted) and two Sapporos (Japanese beer).

The first to arrive was my all time favorite, an eel avocado roll. Basically, this is rice, seaweed, avocado pieces and chopped, cooked, eel in an unagi sauce wrapped together. Eel has a slightly smokey flavor to it, and the creaminess of the avocado offsets it well. I have to say though- I tend to over use wasabi so my flavors may be a bit off. Whenever it comes to ordering this though, I'm always in a toss up of trying the cucumber and eel roll, or going to the oldest standby of an avocado-cucumber roll. What I would really appreciate is a cucumber-avocado-eel roll. I just think that the flavors would off set each other so well! The crispness of the cucumber could really heighten the other two. Perhaps Ill have to learn to make sushi...

The other rolls we ordered of note were the Spider Roll, and the Dragon Roll. Both were rolls I would not normally order, which is why I was glad to be sharing with someone who was willing to push a few limits. The Spider Roll was made of soft shell crab tempura (basically crab fried in a very light batter), avocado, cucumber, tobiko (flying fish roe) and a spicy mayo. Since I began eating sushi, back when I was a kid and my dad would take us, I have always stayed away from all rolls that include a mayo ingredient. Maybe its because in my everyday life I really dislike mayo, and will usually only eat a small amount of Miracle Whip, maybe its something to do with mixing rice, seaweed and mayo together that seems odd to me, whatever it is- I have always stayed away. Ive always pictured gloppy amounts of it overpowering the rest of the bite. To be honest- I barely even noticed the mayo in the Spider Roll. The crab was crunchy and light, the soft avocado was a nice contrast to this crispiness, and the cucumber added that light essence that its known for. Tobiko is just sort of a fun ingredient, sparingly used, the roe sort of explode when you bite into them and it just adds one more contrasting texture. The only downside to the Spider Roll, while it was aesthetically pleasing, two of the rolls had the legs of the crab artfully displayed in them. While they were delicious to eat, I found that I really needed to deconstruct the roll to eat it so that I wouldn't make a complete mess of myself. A delicious challenge though.

The Dragon Roll was made of sweet potato tempura wrapped with eel. With this one, the sweet potato sort of threw me off. Ive never pictured many sweet potatos in Japanese cooking, so I was surprised by its presence. However, the mix was delicious. Both the potato and the eel were soft in texture, so the tempura coating gave that texture difference that was needed. It was a delicious roll that I would absolutely order again.

My only other complaint, and I feel that this may be personal, is that there wasn't enough pickled ginger for my taste. I adore this ingredient and will really pile it on when available, sadly there just wasn't enough.

All in all though, Douzo is a great place for sushi. Clean and bright, the ambiance mimics what you want your food to taste like.

http://www.douzosushi.com/

Douzo on Urbanspoon

Restaurant Reviews: A dead art?

Last December I declared 2023 the year I would return to food writing.  It was a bold statement (even now as I look at my last published dat...