L'Andana - Chic in the Suburbs

L’Andana is one of the nicest suburban restaurants I have been to in the Boston area from the family that brought us the wonderful in-town restaurants: Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina, and Mooo!  It’s located in Burlington, along Cambridge Street.  Once you walk inside, you feel like you have been transported from the suburbs to the chic.  The atmosphere is cool and sophisticated with high ceilings and comfortable dining chairs. 

A quick scan of the menu and I knew immediately, that I was going to order the Tuscan Country Supper – a three course prix fix for $38, available Sunday - Friday.  The chilled corn soup with lump crab garnish was delicious – silky and flavorful with bursts of salty fresh seafood from the crab, accenting the creamy corn soup perfectly.  If I was making this at home, I would have included a few whole kernels of corn to add some distinguished texture to the soup, but they did include a frozen avocado sorbetto, that was really interesting and set this dish apart from anything that I have had before.  For my entrée, I chose the Wood-Grilled Sirloin with watercress & mushroom salad and gorgonzola crema, prepared medium.  Unfortunately, it was charred to an extent that it ruined the meat and I had to cut it away.  Normally, I would have returned it, but I didn’t realize the mistake until I had eaten a third of the steak and moved the salad to the side to reveal the charred section.  And, the gorgonzola crema was not very flavorful.  It should have had more of a punch; however the dish was well seasoned and served piping hot – maybe too hot, and not allowed to rest adequately before coming out of the kitchen.  By barely edging out the chilled corn soup, the vanilla bean panna cotta stole the show for me, topped with crunchy almonds in an amazing salted caramel sauce.  At first I thought they were trying too hard to be trendy, but once you make it past the first super sweet bite, the rest of the flavors come together like a beautiful marriage – which was lovely, since my husband and I went to L’Andana to celebrate our wedding anniversary. 

The service was as it should be expected for a restaurant at this caliber; the bar area was very nice – inviting enough to consider going back for a cocktail and appetizer or cordial and panna cotta!  Total bill for two, 3-course prix fix dinners, two glasses of wine and one coffee before tip was $112.  Other great choices in the area are Masa (see blog posting) and Capital Grille, but I would definitely go back to L’Andana, especially for a very nice evening with good friends.

SNOB - Southern Hospitality in Charleston!

Slightly North of Broad, a.k.a. SNOB:  I noticed this restaurant when we first arrived in town as we walked around taking in our surroundings and the menu looked pretty good too. After a couple more days in town noticing the lines around meal time, I booked our reservation – they are on Open Table. 

The atmosphere is funky and eclectic and they've clearly tucked as many tables into the place as possible, but don't let that stop you from giving it a try for yourself.  The cocktails on the specials menu were not great.  I had the berry sangria that tasted too much like over macerated strawberries.  The summer sangria at the Parish Cafe in Boston is so much better.  So, try something else to drink.  I started my meal with the ever popular Bibb lettuce salad with buttermilk dressing and bacon bits for $6.50, which was as good as I expected it to be – it’s kind of hard to mess up that salad unless you are trying to be too difficult.  After loving the Seafood Grits at Magnolias, I had to do a comparison to the Maverick Shrimp and Grits for $18 at SNOB which consisted of tender shrimp and creamy grits accented with sausage and smoked ham (reminiscent of the bacon in my salad) with a just spicy enough tomato based sauce that they serve with a spoon, which is a good thing, because you are going to want to scoop up every last drop of it! We were too full for dessert but they serve complimentary sweets such as snicker doodle cookies, madelines, and a brownie bite which were delicious and perfect end to the meal.  Total cost for 2 cocktails, 1 salad, and 2 entrees was $63 before tip.  Don't hesitate to put this on your list of restaurant choices while in Charleston, if you have the time after going to Magnolias or McCradys (see other blog postings on these restaurants).

Iron Hill Brewery - Great Beer, Great Food!

Iron Hill Brewery:  Great beer, great food, great atmosphere - what's not to like? This place is a home run on all accounts - and they take reservations on OpenTable. There are 8, soon to be 9 locations in PA and DE, including Wilmington, Newark, North Wales, Phoenixville, Lancaster, Maple Shade, Media, and the original spot in West Chester. I've been to 5 locations and they are consistently great. 

On my most recent visit I had the Raspberry Wheat beer for $5, which was a winning combination of unsweetened raspberry tea and a crisp refreshing summer beer.  The crab cake sandwich for $14 was served with my choice of salad or fries.  The meat didn't quite fill the bun, but it was moist and full of lump crab with a light mustard filing that complemented the crab cake.  On a previous visit I had a buffalo chicken sandwich that knocked my socks off.  It was so perfectly prepared with just the right balance of spicy buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing that I keep hoping it will make it onto the permanent menu.  So far, no luck.  If you are lucky enough to stop by for a pint or two in the fall, you have to try the Pumpkin Ale.  It is an adult version of pumpkin pie in a glass.  I only wish I lived closer to take advantage of the Mug Club loyalty program and the growlers!

Magnolias - As Wonderful As You Expect It To Be!

Magnolias lived up to the hype! Don't read any further; just book your reservations now. For some reason, even before I knew about the all the wonderful attributes that Charleston has to offer, I knew about Magnolias.

I ordered their infamous Shellfish Over Grits for $30 and it was worth every penny.  The scallops, shrimp and lobster were perfectly prepared over creamy grits topped with an amazing buttery tomato sauce typically served with the dish. In fact, my mouth is still watering now just thinking about it. My husband had the Parmesan Crusted Flounder for $28 and it was delicious. The crust provided the lovely crunch to the delicate fish and was surrounded with the right sized portion of jasmine rice and assorted bite sized vegetables with lump crab. I highly recommend this entree as well.  The small plates with items like fried chicken and pork chop also tempted me and are big enough for a meal.  And, please, don’t skip dessert.  We thoroughly enjoyed the coconut cake bread pudding for only $8.  It was warm and delightful – full of true coconut flavor.  Total meal with two full entrees, 2 glasses of wine, 1 dessert and coffee was $97.52 before tip. Magnolias is still living up to its reputation!

Zunzi's - Literally Finger Licking Good!

Zunzi's  ---   Go! Go! Go! When you are planning your sightseeing walks around Savannah, make sure you plan to stop by here around lunch time - they open at 11am. It's take out only, with just a few tables outside overlooking a tired parking lot but there's a really pretty square at the end of the block with benches or grassy areas, if that's your preference. 

 

Okay, now here's what to order the first time you go - get the chicken conquistador.  I don't know what they marinate it in or what's in the "special" sauces but it doesn't matter.  It's pure deliciousness that you are going to want to go back for the next day because you are going to wake up in the morning realizing that you were dreaming about this sandwich all night.  And it's huge, but don't share it - enjoy every last dripping bit on your own.  The chicken is warm and diced, served on a soft baguette on a bed of lettuce leaf and those sauces. The sauces are yummy - so yummy in fact that they do sell them by the bottle. Total cost for two sandwiches and a large iced tea was $23.  It's also available over rice or a salad, but go for the messy sandwich - it's literally finger licking good.  I only wish we had gone here earlier on the trip.

La Masseria - Italian Farmhouse in Manhattan's Theatre Distric

A good restaurant is hard to find in the theatre district in NYC, so when you find a great one, you have to go whenever you get the chance.  La Masseria is one of those places – located at 235 W 48^th Street, between 7^th and 8^th Avenues.  Don't miss the homemade pasta choices. Even get one as an appetizer or primi to share before your entrees.  They are divine!  I had the fettuccine bolognese for $17.75.  The meat sauce clung to the fresh pasta perfectly.  I would normally stay away from a pasta dish on a warm summer night while dining al fresco but the homemade pasta is so light that you won't feel like you are waddling down the sidewalk after dinner.  I promise! It was so soft and delicate; I almost forgot I was eating pasta.  My husband had the grilled salmon with zucchini and mustard sauce for $24.50 and enjoyed it just as much, okay, maybe not just as much, but almost! Along with two beers before dinner, our entire bill before tip was $59.  The restaurant is described as an Italian farmhouse in the middle of Manhattan, which isn’t to say that it’s rustic; I would call it comfortable and charming.   Don't hesitate to make reservations for La Masseria whether you are going to the theatre or not, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!