Haiku! Word!

Cooking, baking, calm
Classical music blaring
Pretty great Sunday!

Target Pizza, West Roxbury

By now most of you who grew up in and around my 'hood' of the past eight years, know that MJ's has closed its doors forever.  I drove down Belgrade the other night and saw the emptiness that was once MJ' s and it made me sad.  After many, many years of take-out, eat-in, and mostly delivery, the MJ's era has come to an end.  No more one of a kind lean and mean, juicy steak and cheese subs.  No more of the best boneless bombastic buffalo fingers with bleu cheese.  Bye bye tender, tasty steak tips served with real mashed.  :(

Well, as always, I am here to make your food life a little better and will share with you my discovery of a delectable steak and cheese sub (of course with extra mushrooms on mine) that I have indulged in at least three times over the past month.  Target Pizza on the corner Washington St/Grove St in West Roxbury has come to my rescue and has filled the gaping void that has been longing for a decent steak and cheese.  The meat is tasty, chopped up, not stringy, there's just enough cheese, and served on a fresh sub roll.   And it's huge, satisfies me for two meals!  YUMMY!  The hubs really enjoys their meatball with provolone which of course he devours in one sitting.  The fries are crispy and served on a cardboard tray in a PAPER bag.  They know what's up.  The calzones are pretty dang good, as well.  We tried a small Italian with hots, onions, and pickles.  Very nice.

The menu hosts appetizers, salads, a couple desserts, strombolis, quesadillas, wraps, subs, sandwiches, dinners and more.  Their pizza is delicious and the extra large size is ridic.  The gourmet choices sound delish.  My roomies and I used to dog many a' Target pizza pie back in the day.  The prices are super reasonable, the delivery at times is a bit slow but the wait is worth it.  They own a tiny, red delivery vehicle that is usually parked in front of their storefront.  Good for the environment?  I've never seen it in motion.

I hadn't sampled Target in years but decided to give them a try after my usual delivery joints got sloppy and/or lazy, and/or boring.  And mostly now because I LOVE their steak and cheese subs! I must force myself to venture out and have more of a variety in my next order.  Their website is under construction but is listed on their menu as www.targetpizza.com.

Brickhouse Cafe, Dedham, MA

I may be a bit rusty because it's been so long since I have written a blog on my beloved food journeys so bear with me.  And gracias for reading!

A couple of evenings ago, the hubs and I decided to put our already prepped supper aside and head out on a dinner date.  The only problem is that we could not decide where to go.  I text my buddy to see if she was working at Sophia's Grotto but she had the night off.  Boo.  After going back and forth for a while, we agreed on The Brickhouse on Bridge Street in Dedham.

After driving around the world and back then not finding a parking space once we arrived at the restaurant (because there aren't any), I was one starving, how shall I say?  Ravenous lunatic!  We were seated right away and in the bar area where we wanted.  A couple minutes went by before I started to get really annoyed when no one even said hello to us.  Never mind, not asking us if we wanted drinks!  Finally a server informed us that our server would be right with us.  WTH!  Five more minutes went by before our waitress came over. Judge me if you will but non-existent service pisses me off!  

The hubs convinced me to get over it and enjoy the drama llama of a conversation going on behind us.  Yes, I eavesdrop and I love it.  So being the understanding lover of food that I am, I decided to give the joint a second chance.  We put our drink order in which consisted of a Sam Adams Octoberfest for the hubs and a glass of Red Truck Pinot Noir for me.  Also, an order of stuffed mushrooms and a wedge salad.  

The wine was tasty but the fly that lost it's life in it, not so much.  Believe it or not, I took the fly out myself and took a big sip.  Yeah, like I was going to wait for her to come back?  Hellz no.  A little while later, the charred, bland, breadcrumb tasting shrooms and the mediocre wedge salad was delivered.  The smoked bacon was on top in strips which was different and the lettuce wedge was ginormous but the dressing didn't impress.  Strike three?  Idk.  I've lost count by now.  

The two types of fresh bread with an olive oil concoction that we had to ask for was so far the best part of our food intake for the evening.  We put our entree' order in and got another round.  My Italian combo included raviolis, chicken parm, and a huge meatball, with pasta.  The hubs went with another combo of sirloin tips, chicken parm, and ribs.  Neither one of us were blown away by the chicken parm and my meatball was flavorless.  The tips were cooked to his liking but tough and the ribs just okay.  I did enjoy the ravioli and linguine but overall, I was bummed out and didn't love the red sauce either.  

If you have been reading along all this time, I tend to see the bright side of a situation but the Brickhouse was really a disappointment.  Although the bar area was happening and the restaurant itself is cute, I probably won't go back there.  And I opted for zero dessert.  That about sums it up.  Date night with the hubs = no bueno.  :(  Though it's always a pleasure to try new places and hang out with my man!  :)

Guacamole!!

Dang!  Time fliessssss.  Over the past couple of months, I have totally been brainstorming blog entry ideas and keeping track of my food journeys.  A good amount of time has gone right on by.  I just have not had time to actually sit down and type up my food for thoughts.  I've hosted family, attended bbq's, hung with friends and family, just having a great summer.  And I've been spoiled rotten at my trabajo nuevo by the residents.  They have baked, cooked, and welcomed me with open arms.  I have been blessed with everything from cookies, to sausage balls, to grape leaves, to cabbage rolls, to fried eggplant, on and on.  Loving life and all the food in it.

The hubs and I have been enjoying a fresh batch of guacamole almost every week during this summer.  Avocados are on sale a lot at Roche's.  Plus, it is super easy to make and oh so delish!  Here's my recipe which you know I change up a bit every time---

Guacamole

4-5 ripe avocados, peeled and mashed up
8-9 cherry tomatoes, cut into four
1 small onion chopped (optional)
1 lime, juiced
garlic powder to taste (I heart garlic so I use a good amount)
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together and enjoy with your favorite tortilla chips.  The Green Mountain Gringo Tortilla Strips are the bomb!  Tip: place one pit from an avocado in center of the dip to keep from browning.  YUMMMYY!

Birthday Week 2013!!

What do you mean not everyone has a birthday WEEK?  Surely this girl does.  And believe me you it was as good as true, food was the focus!

I started off the week by paying my respects to the many victims and their families that were affected by the Marathon bombing.  The hubs and I headed downtown on a Sunday afternoon to visit the memorial at the end of Boylston Street.  Emotional is not the word.  There are no words.  Just hope, dedication, strength, and loyalty to our great city of Boston.  After some short prayers and reflections, we decided to walk around  since it was such a gorgeous day.

You know we didn't make it far before yours truly exclaimed that I was starving.  Ha.  We came to an agreement on Joe's American Bar and Grill (http://joesamerican.com) on Newbury Street.  To say the least, the company was by far better than the average bar fare we indulged in.  I will say that the red Sangria was delish and the serving was ginormous.  YUM!  After a quick drink at the bar, we were seated in the downstairs dining room.  The place was popping.  We quickly put an order in for the spinach and artichoke dip with pita chips.  It was tasty but lukewarm at best.  The hubs had the New England Clam Chowder which he described as "middle of the road."  The less than hot minestrone soup which I ate half of, was lacking flavor and minestrone.  For our main course, I decided to go light with the 'Not So Simple Grilled Cheese' with regular fries.  The cheddar and Fontinella cheeses with bacon and tomato grilled on Challah bread was pretty dang good, but again, not hot.  And the fries were not so impressive.  The hubs ordered the bacon cheeseburger which was cooked to his liking and gone in 60 seconds.  No sah.  But, he did enjoy it.  For libations, I chose another fabulous sangria with my meal and the hubs went for his usual...Sam Summer on draft.  Joe's, in my opinion is mediocre bar food with a hopping atmosphere and a friendly enough staff.  Like I said, the conversation and company were the highlight of that din-din.

Monday, after my dentist appointment, the hubs and I went for a late lunch/brunch to one of my favorite breakfast joints in my area, Spring Street Cafe in West Roxbury.  Seems some of the patrons were amused by my drink order of coffee and a Bud Light.  What can I say?  That's how I roll.  My short stack of blueberry pancakes, crispy side of bacon, and basket of fries, was just what the doctor ordered.  YUMMY and filling.  The hubs went with a ham and cheese omelette, home fries, and white toast which he thoroughly enjoyed.  Solid joint.

Skip to Wednesday, the day of my birth.  By my choice, we headed to Delfino in Roslindale for a scrumptious supper.  We were greeted warmly by Michael who asked where we had been since we hadn't come in for dinner in a while.  The vino of choice of my evening was the house Pinot Noir, as I knew I was longing for some carne. The amazingly fresh bread dipped in the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, hot pepper flakes and salt/pepper ensemble that I created was addicting.  MMM!  Instead of our usual Caesar salad, we went with the special.  The crisp, Arugula greens, goat cheese, and sun dried tomatoes with a balsamic dressing was particularly nice.  The hubs especially loved it.  And no, I didn't order the Chicken Parmesan for my main entree'.  Delfino's Aged 14 oz. Sirloin Au Poivre cooked medium with a peppercorn crust, topped with Roquefort butter and served with roasted garlic mashed, baby carrots and asparagus is what I went with.  Magnificent.  The hubs devoured the salmon special served with fingerling potatoes, carrots and asparagus.  Yet another delightful evening at one of my favorite places ever.

Flourless chocolate cake is what I yearned for.  And the best place around my way to get my fave dessert is Masona Grill, (http://masonagrill.net/) in West Roxbury.  We drove right on over after our super dinner at Delfino.  I needed that cake bad.  Accompanied by another glass of Pinot Noir, Boom!  Satisfied.  Oh and the hubs got Tiramisu and a cup of Joe with Bailey's.  Lovely.  :)

As you may know by now if you have been following along with my food chronicles, my fam and I have a birthday tradition.  The birthday person gets to choose when/where/what they want for dinner.  So, Thursday, we ventured over to the general's, aka, mi madre's in C-town for a homemade feast beyond belief, of my picking.  My bro and his charming girlfriend joined us for a buffet style dinner of everything Rozziefoodie could ever ask for.  To start, mi madre's stuffed mushrooms were oh so good, along with some Trader Joe's appetizers, deli pickles and potato chips.  After filling up on a healthy portion of starters, we filed into the kitchen to fill our plates with yumminess.  Madre, by request made her famous meatballs and sausages, Chicken Angelique (tender chicken made with Munster cheese, mushrooms, etc), stuffed peppers, potato salad, steak tips with rice, and a garden salad.  Can you say spoiled?  YUP!  And loving every minuto of it.  For dessert, the general baked my favorite from scratch, chocolate/caramel cheesecake which we washed down with coffee and Bailey's after singing happy birthday.  And yes, it was as delectable as it sounds.  OMG!  Gluttony at its best.  My family knows how to do it right.  Gracias, madre!!!

And finally we come to Friday.  Dinner at my BFF's home with her, my hubs, and my sweet, sweet Godbaby.  :)  Every year, BFF asks me what I want her to make for me.  And every year I tell her Chicken Cordon Bleu, pleaseeee  and thank youuuuu!!  It is a huge pain in the butt but I know she makes it with extra love just for me because it is seriously the bomb diggity.  And I get to pick the sides, too, which were red bliss mashed and fresh green beans.  After singing happy birthday and eating some cake, I was stuffed to the maximum.

In addition to all the savory foods I was lucky enough to consume, I received some pretty incredible birthday wishes, cards and gifts.  All I can say is that I am truly truly blessed.  I have such a great family and the best friends a girl could ask for.

Boston Marathon 2013, endless thoughts, no words

Thoughts keep streaming through my head and some are not so nice. The city I live in and the surrounding areas were terrorized for five days. Boston's finest, as usual, came through and caught the bastard. Alive.

 Like so many others, I can not get the bombings, the feeling of terror and helplessness, the innocent victims, their families, the runners, the patients recuperating in various Boston hospitals, out of my mind. At least I know the victims are getting the very best care in the world. I keep praying for Mr.  Richard Donohue, the MBTA cop, who is still fighting for his life. There's no doubt in my mind, after hearing his to the bone Bostonian brother inform the media of his status, that his family is beyond Boston Strong.

 I've heard so many people's opinions over the past week. The media, celebrities, my family and friends have informed and vented to try to understand and/or get some kind of answer to why anyone could do what those two terrorist assholes came up with. There is no answer. Even if the living bomber does share information, how can we ever really know? One thing those terrorists don't know is that they can't and never will break us. Our spirit is too strong and loyal.

 Being from Boston does give you bragging rights. Quite frankly, we are wicked pissa. We live in diverse communities. We have the best hospitals, sports teams, history, and character. We have a blunt attitude and may sound funny to the rest of the country. There ain't no place on earth like it.

 You can probably tell by now that I am friggen angry. I am sad, scared, proud, hopeful, but mostly I am pissed off. Of course now, we are going to hear which agency did what wrong and pass the buck and blah blah. At least we can learn from the mistakes that may have been made. My point is that we should never have to combine every law agency in the country because of two morons who decided to betray the very country that educated, housed, and protected them. I just can't get my head around it. What the hell went wrong for one, never mind two young men to follow through with such a hateful and senseless assault on our city.

 In my opinion and based on what the media allowed us to see and hear, law enforcement agencies from all over did an amazing job. From being on the scene of the Marathon bombings on Monday to apprehending the suspect on Friday evening. Their bravery and courage inspires me. The support that the country and world has given to Boston is incredible. Our city may have been shaken up but it will never be broken. The neighbors and citizens of this great city will never ever give up. The comradery will prevail. It will take time but as they say...time heals all wounds.

 The reason for this blog obviously lacking any word of food was for me to get a small amount of what I am constantly thinking out. I'm not judging or looking down at you from my soap box. This is how I feel right now. I am angry, hopeful, but most of all I am proud to be a Bostonian. God Bless America. <3 

SKY, Norwood

The hubs totally surprised me when he suggested going to Sky (http://www.sky-restaurant.com/) for our early Valentine's dinner date.  Surprised because I am usually the primary party planner.  And early because we always try to avoid going out on the actual day of the Valentine.  Because that's just crazy.  And he was working on the 14th so it was also virtually impossible.

When we arrived around 5:30 because I was starving and in general, I like to beat the rush,  the joint was EMPTY.  We were greeted and seated right away.  Even asked if our accommodations were adequate.   Our server, Matthew was super friendly, informative, and just totally on point.  He brought our water and fresh bread with whipped butter and some tasty olive oil to dip.  The glass of Coppola "Vatre Sante" 2010 that I quickly ordered was superb.  My recent fave is Pinot Noir and if you're looking for smooth and delish, give the Coppola a chance.  YUMMY!

The ambiance is high end-ish with a steak house kinda feel.  The restaurant itself is cool and pretty large with a good sized foyer where you can check in and hang your coat.  A huge bar area is immediately to the left with a sizable dining room behind the bar.  There's a beautiful, soothing waterfall at the end of the dining room with several tables and booths throughout the room.  And bonus, we were delighted to bump into buddies of ours who were also enjoying an early V-day outing.

Matthew was quick to let us know that all the appetizers were half price since we were there so dang early.  Score.  We put our order in for the crispy steak and cheese wontons with blue cheese aioli and caramelized onion puree and fried calamari with cherry peppers aioli, pecorino romano, marinara.  I didn't love the wontons but the hubs dogged them hard.  They were crispy but the meat lacked seasoning and I hardly tasted any cheese.  The calamari on the other hand was crispy, light, and crunchy, accompanied by the tangy dipping sauce.  Yum.

While finishing up our starters, the wedge salad was delivered and already divided for two.  Nice.  The Great Hill blue cheese dressing was drizzled over fresh iceberg lettuce, diced cucumbers and tomatoes, and sprinkled with bits of bacon .  MMM.  It was lovely.

I decided to take a bit of a break and leave room for my main dish and soon after our entrees arrived.  The Miso Saki Glazed Salmon was how should I say?  Gonzo.  Quickly.  The hubs practically licked his plate clean enjoying every last bite of Sesame Scallion Rice Cake with Stir-fry Asian Veggies.  The small bit I sampled was savory.  My Prime New York Sirloin dinner served with creamy mashed potatoes, sauteed Brussels sprouts and carrots was phenom.  My carne was juicy and perfectly cooked-medium, just how I likey, now.  And the spuds were creamy yet lumpy and awesome.  By that point, I was pretty full and was only able to finish about half of my hearty portion.  The hubs inhaled a healthy sliver of my meat, too.

Of course and you don't even have to ask.  We ordered a decadent treat.  I can't locate the copy of the dessert menu on their website at this moment but I am pretty sure what we ordered was called the the Grown-up S'mores.  And you know some coffee with Frangelico and Bailey's to wet the whistle.  Fantastic combo.  The graham cracker topped with a scrumptious but not so warm flourless chocolate cake with a roasted marshmallow melted on top.  Yup.

The menu isn't the biggest but hosts soups, salads, pasta, chicken, pizza, gluten-free, beef, pork, lamb, a small raw bar, and seafood for manageable prices for the service and atmosphere.  It's a special occasion kind of place to go.  The restaurant hosts functions, does corporate catering, serves dinner every evening and what appears to be a fantastic brunch on Sundays.  I will say that our evening at Sky was a night to remember and the best date the hubs and I have shared in a long time.  :)

French Bread Pizza Haiku For You!

Crispy, crunchy crust
bubbling cheese, best snack ever
Stouffer's pizza.  YUM!

Blizzard of 2013!

Comfort food in crock
hope you hit the package store
let's not joke around.  :)

Rox Diner, West Roxbury

It's been quite a long time since I've written a tasty blog about my flavorful food endeavors.  As I have mentioned before, life sure does get in the way sometimes.  It's not that I haven't enjoyed new restaurants in the past couple of months, I have fo sho.  To name a couple-Napper Tandy's in Roslindale Square (and also in Norwood) and Eugene O'Neill's in JP.  Funny thing, they are owned by the same people so their menus were quite similar.  Good food and a chill environment in both joints.  Napper's is a bit more lively and a good place to catch the game or play some pool.  Full review on one or both to follow, maybe.  :)

Today, the hubs and I decided on a mid-morning Monday date to start our week off in the right kinda way.  We chose Rox Diner (http://www.roxdiner.com/) on Centre Street in West Roxbury, to stuff our faces with everybody's favorite meal-BREAKFAST!  There are two locations, one in West Roxbury which serves breakfast/brunch and the other is in Newtonville which serves breakfast/lunch/dinner.

Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated immediately.  The restaurant is in the same building where Auntie B's was once established.  It is a small diner type setting with a medium sized counter, about six booths along the wall, and some more tables up front.  The service is efficient and super fast.  I highly recommend the fresh squeezed OJ.  Fantastic!

The cordial waitress brought our coffee over to us the minute we sat down and the refills were plentiful.  Our refreshing OJ was delivered right after we placed our full order.  Not ten minutes passed before our A.M. feast was placed before us.  My blueberry pancakes were chocked full of fresh berries and steaming hot, served with real Vermont maple syrup.  Of course my sides of home fries and Irish sausages were a necessity.  Loved the crispy, quarter cut red potatoes.  I wasn't too keen on their brand of Irish sausage.  That was a okay because my awesome hubs, knowing I need meat, gave me most of his Irish bacon and in return I hooked him up with the three sausages, which he enjoyed.  Win/win, in my opinion.  His classic, full Irish Breakfast was not long for this world, per usual.  He enjoyed his double white pudding, Irish bangers and rashers, with fresh tomato, eggs, and toasted bread from Fornax.  Love Fornax.  He opted not to get the beans which puzzled me.

The prices for the portions, the freshness, and the service are right on.  I barely put a dent in my pancakes or home fries.  No worries because the hubs graciously inhaled my leftovers.  Check out either location for your next meal.  You won't be let down.  The menu is huge and hosts all the breakfast favorites.  A quick glance of the lunch and dinner menus for the Newtownville location, looked beyond satisfying. Based on my yummy breakfast, I will definitely be sampling some lunch and/or dinner in the very near future.

Check Me Out On Facebook!!!!

Hi Everyone!!!

The picture above is of some dang tasty ribs I made in the oven a while back.  Finger licking delish!!

Thank you so much for continuing to read my blog!!!  I am sure you can tell by my mouth watering entries that I love me some good food.  Please check me out on Facebook and if you feel compelled, please 'LIKE' my page.  Really appreciate it and I apologize for the lack of postings lately.  Life gets in the way, ya know?  :)  Please stay posted.  There's some reviews in the mixola!


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Happy New Year Haiku! (a little late)

Make resolutions

good riddance to twenty-twelve

cheers to a new year!