Despite the fact that I had a change of plans last week, the pleasant yet abnormally warm weather last week made for a wonderful trip to Massachusetts, and I welcomed the much-needed change of pace and environment. Naturally, I ended up trying lots of different things in the different cities and towns in Massachusetts that I visited, so keep on reading for some ratings of my Mass trip eats!
Medford, MA
Tufts Dewick-MacPhie Dining Hall
So, this is not an aesthetically pleasing picture (and, dare I say, a low-vibrational plate), but I just wanted to give a shoutout to Tufts's mac 'n' cheese. Even though it was stovetop and not baked mac 'n' cheese, it was still pretty creamy, cheesy, and flavorful: everything that mac 'n' cheese it supposed to be. I think I'm going to have to rate specifically the pasta a:
9/10.
This mac 'n' cheese was everything I've been missing from the Bowdoin dining halls of late, unfortunately. To me, it seems that Tufts is some pretty good competition. Maybe it could shake up the Top US College Dining Food rankings!
Arthur's Pastry Shop
There was a wide variety of options available at this bakery— everything from chocolatey desserts to more fruit-filled treats. I went for the latter, as I wasn't in the mood for rich flavors, even though I do love chocolate. I ended up ordering a Bismarck with a Raspberry Puree Spread and whipped cream sandwiched in between some type of bread.
This dessert reminded me of an elevated Raspberry Jelly donut. The sandwich (for lack of a better word, as I couldn't really hear what word the owner used to describe it over the phone) bread was soft and mildly sweet, and the whipped cream delicate. It was light and fluffy, wasn't sickly sweet, and even had a silkiness to it when I ate it. The whipped cream paired well with the bold raspberry flavor, and the softness of the sweet sandwich bread made this easy and wonderful to eat. Because of this, I rate this delightful dessert a:
9/10 stars.
Somerville, MA
Davis Square Donuts & Bagels
I think I'm going to have to start out with the rating here:
5/10 stars.
The donut was fairly priced—$3—which is pretty good, given its larger size. However, it was neither spectacular nor horrible. I give it credit, though, for being fluffy and having a decent strawberry flavor in the filling. The reason why my rating is so dispassionate is because I intended on ordering the Strawberry Shortcake Donut, which features sweet cream and fresh strawberries, and jam sandwiched between a soft, yeasty donut. Instead, I only got the Strawberry Donut. I'm so disappointed by the mistake I made when ordering, but I definitely won't make it again. The next time I am in the Somerville area, I'm determined to get a taste of the delicious donut that I meant to get in the first place.
Kong Dog
I think that the best way I can describe eating a modern, Chicago spin on a Korean corn dog was being lost in the sauce, and I mean this in the best way possible. My friend and I stumbled into the restaurant extremely hungry, looking for something to eat. We went up to the register, ready and excited to order corn dogs with potato breading, only to realize that the store had run out of them. So, naturally, we panicked and thought about what to order. Essentially, everything was on the table except the Fruit Loops Corn Dog. My friend settled on a Dorito mozzarella corn dog, and, I, a 1/2 mozzarella 1/2 beef Hot Cheeto one, pictured below.
When I fbit into the corn dog, the first thing that jumped out at me was the sweet chili sauce, which was not too sweet and not too spicy, and had a balance that brought the whole dish together. Coupled with the subtle flavor of the crunchy Hot Cheeto (which I tend not to like) dust and the gooey mozzarella, this dish was a hit. I was so pleasantly surprised by this meal—Korean corn dogs can be a hit or miss for me, and I tend to have to drown the popular street snack in ketchup in mustard. The taste was so good on its own that I didn't have to do that, hence why I believe this deserved a:
10/10 stars.
I honestly wanted to grab another corn dog the next day, and because I didn't, I can't wait until my next Boston trip to return to Kong Dog!
Boston, Back Bay, MA
City Table
I just want to start with the fact that the Ambiance of this restaurant was lovely: there were pretty ceiling lights and a not-too-crowded dining room, which I liked.
After looking through the menu, I ended up ordering a well-done Brie burger, which, on the website, is described as having a "half-pound all-natural patty, [with] onion jam, crispy pancetta, creamy melted brie, [and] toasted brioche." Unfortunately, although my burger looked good, it did not have any notes of the onion jam, brie, or pancetta that was promised in the item description. I was actually looking forward to tasting the flavors and seeing how the aforesaid items would work with the flavor of the burger. Speaking of the burger meat, it was too charred, and I ended up having to pick off the burnt bits so that I could actually eat the meat of the burger. The saving grace of the meal was the fries, which were yummy enough to eat without ketchup, as they were crunchy and not too salty. With this all in mind, I am going to rate this meal a:
4/10 stars.
I do not think that the size and quality of the burger justified a $21 price, especially when you could not taste any of the flavors listed in the description. Back home, I've gotten a double patty burger with about the same amount of fries for a cheaper price and better taste. Of course, the fries were good, but people are paying for a good burger, and unfortunately I did not get that from City Table, even though I wanted to.
Little Miss Cupcape, Newbury Street (reinsert photo)
Tucked into a little nook on Newbury Street, of which the vibes are reminiscent of Soho in New York City, is Little Miss Cupcape. There were several options available: cupcakes, mini cupcakes, edible cookie dough, and cookies. I decided upon a regular chocolate raspberry cupcake to-go, which I highly recommend. This is because ordering to-go will get a box that fondly reminds you of the Build-a-Bear boxes you would get for your new stuffed animal when you were younger. Does anyone else see the resemblance?
Anyway, I do not have photo of my cupcake because it ended up getting smushed in my backpack and melted by the November sun (isn't that so weird to say?)! I wish I had read the line on the box that said "NO REFRIGERATION," but despite the fact that I threw this cupcake in the fridge, it was still to die for: it was super moist, which was surprising since I know that cool air tends to affect moisture levels in baked goods. In the center of the cupcake was a raspberry puree which worked will with the chocolate. The chocolate wasn't bitter, per se, but was certainly on the less sweet side. Because of this, it allowed the sweetness of the raspberry and the classic taste of cocoa to shine through. So, my rating is a:
8/10 stars.
Why not 10/10? Well, this is my own fault, but the cupcake jostled around so much in my bag that the cake and the frosting separated from each other. So, I went the unconventional route and ate the two separately. While the cake was delicious, the only caveat I have is that the frosting was way too sweet. However, given that most people eat the frosting and cake together, I don't think you'd be overwhelmed by the sweetness since you'd have the cake to balance it out. Despite me not being able to eat the cupcake in its original form, it still impressed me, hence my high rating. I can't wait to come back to Little Miss Cupcape when I am in Boston again, and eat the cupcake as one is supposed to.
Cambridge, MA
Blackbird Donut in Harvard Commons
Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the donut I got, as they melted a bit (thanks to global warming) and smushed in my backpack—similar to the fate of the cupcake from Little Miss Cupcape. I was able, though, to taste it later on the day, and I would rate the Boston Kreme Bismarck Donut a:
6/10 stars.
I just wanted to start out by saying that the service was great: the cashier was really nice and because I went close to the close of business, she gave me and other customers free donuts. I wound up getting 3 donuts for the price of 1!
When I bit into the donut, the first thing that stood out to me was the yeastiness of the dough. Some may find it odd but I actually like being able to taste the yeastiness, as it shows that it was actually fried well. Then, I was hit by the chocolate icing on top, which was the perfect amount of sweetness. In the middle was the custard-like creme filling, which also was perfectly sweet, but could have benefitted from stronger vanilla undertones. Overall, I thought that the flavors of the donut were good. However, I was not a big fan of how dense the donut was: even a small bite was a mouthful. I do understand, though, that this could have been affected by the donut being put in my fridge for quite some time. Then again, the cupcake that I ate was moist despite its time spent in the fridge, so I can't say I really know what to think. I do know that cupcakes and donuts and made differently, after all.
Wrapping up
My taste buds definitely enjoyed the foods and treats I ate in Massachusetts. I know that have to go back to Little Cupcape so that I can properly eat the Raspberry Cupcake, Kong Dog to get a potato corn dog, Davis Square's for a Strawberry Shortcake Donut, and, if I am in the mood to walk a bit, then Arthur's Pastry Shop. I am still on the hunt for a Boston Kreme in Massachusetts that will top the donut that I had at When Pigs Fly earlier this year, so stay tuned for my next review of my Boston eats!