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In a word: Zoning. Or lack thereof.  There are hidden pockets of stores and restaurants all over the place in Cambridge.  Of course it’s awesome when you find one of these fantastic places hidden away, but at the same time it’s frustrating if you don’t own a car. 

For example, a friend called me up this morning and wanted to go Hi Rise Bread Co. for lunch.  He had found the place through a friend.  This place was tucked away in Cambridge and only 3 miles from my apartment, but not too close to public transportation.  Since 6 miles was a bit of a lengthy walk, I hijacked my roommate’s car (which is completely justified because he went on a 2-week business trip and left me a sinkful of his dishes) and drove off.  

It was DELICIOUS.  I had a grilled sandwich with chicken, harissa, olive spread and tomatoes.  Heaven between carbs (which is basically heaven wraped in heaven).  The sandwich was a bit on the pricey side for a random Cambridge bakery ($10)…but in all honesty, I did not eat again for 8 hours.  I also bought myself a chocolate brioche roll.  It was tasty, but not as good in my opinion.  The roll was a bit on the drier side. 

I would never have found this place if my friend didn’t recommend it.  Who else has places to recommend in Boston/Cambridge/suburbs?

If you know me or have read the “About” section, you would know that I’m currently living in Boston, actually Cambridge, but that’s a minor detail.  What you may not know is that I went to Tufts for my undergrad degree and spent four years plus a couple of summers in the Boston area.

School has been amazing so far (I got to drive one of the T subway cars for one of my team projects!), but unfortunately I’ve had limited free time to cook, let alone eat out somewhere besides the Au Bon Pain or Cosi near campus (and the transition back to a student budget isn’t helping).

I have managed to hit up a few good places, but my *favorites* as an undergrad have been more difficult to visit.  I’ve been thinking about this for a little while now and there are actually a couple of reasons why I haven’t made a stronger effort to see some of these restaurants.  The first is pretty obvious; I’m busy and somewhat lazy.  Treking to Davis square to grab a sandwich just isn’t worth the effort sometimes and trying to get someone to come with isn’t the easiest thing either.

The second half of the reason relates more to nostalgia.  I have such fond memories of certain places during college, whether it be related to the actual food or just the experience.  To put it bluntly, I’m scared.  I’ve been scared to return to my old stomping grounds to discover change.  They places might be exactly the same, but I’m different.  What if something isn’t the way I remembered it?  Will that tarnish my beloved college memories?  I know it’s silly to think my memories will be altered, but the thought has crossed my mind.

Well I am happy to report one place was exactly like I remembered.  My friend Leah was in town from California and after grabbing dinner in Harvard Square, we couldn’t pass up the temptation of dessert at FInale.  Lead ordered the famed, Molten Chocolate Cake, while I went ahead and had the Boston Cream.  The dessert had yellow cake, vanilla Bavarian cream and chocolate ganache.  Additionally there were mini-chocolate whoopie pies on the side and cherry almond florentines served with vanilla ice cream.

Yes, I got so excited I took out my camera and looked like a tourist visiting Boston for the first time.

Overall, it was rich (I couldn’t finish!) and delicious.  I honestly have to say, my favorite part was the Florentine and vanilla ice cream.  It was the right about of salty and sweet, crunchiness and smoothness.  The Whoopie Pies were also really nice, although I think they could be better compared to high-end Oreos.  They had a bite to them and were rich in chocolate flavor.  The actual Boston Creme itself was not my favorite part of the dish.  The ganache and cream were fantastic and very light.  The cake wasn’t heavy, but dense.  I would have preferred a little bit lighter style.  The presentation was beautiful, although there could have been a bit more attention to detail.  The Whoopie Pies were a little uneven and the corner of the Boston Cream was a little sloppy.

In the end, I’m glad I was able visit an old favorite and not be disappointed.  I guess it’s time to dust off the food rolodex and hit up some other great places in Boston!  As always, suggestions are welcome (and appreciated!)

I’ve been anxious to try Starbucks’ latest venture to return to personalized service, the Clover, ever since reading about it in Wired a few months ago.  Therefore, I was ecstatic to discover my local Starbucks (which, for the record, might be my favorite branch ever) was going to be debuting this coffee contraption.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Clover, it is essentially the $11,000 version of your office Flavia coffee machines.  The extra $10,800 is a bit pricey, but the coffee isn’t from a packet either.  In addition to using freshly ground beans (measured out precisely to the tenth of a gram), the machine boasts customizable temperature and brew time settings.  Starbucks also offers an additional coffee selection specifically used with the Clover.  Swoon.

As you can probably tell, I’m a coffee fan.  My entire family has it pulsating through their veins.  Now I’ll be honest though, I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks’ drip coffee.  I find it bitter and unappealing.  I much prefer their lattes and teas.  This is why the Clover piqued my interest; coffee, made freshly for me, in front of me and with really cool technology!

And yesterday was the big day (which was celebrated with balloons outside the shop).  I sauntered in on my way home and checked out the offerings.  After a few seconds of debate, I selected the El Savador Pacamara, a coffee from Latin America with hints of lemon and dark chocolate (cool, huh?).  I should note all of the “Small Batch Coffee” offerings had a fruit influence, a bit more variety would have been appreciated.  The barista measured and ground the beans in front of me as we made small chat about the new item.

About a minute later, I had a fresh cup of coffee in my hand.  Stop. Sniff. Sip. Burn Tongue. Oops, I got a little too excited and forgot that coffee is served hot.  A few minutes later I repeated the exercise.  Freshness, not bitter, not unappealing, and not $4 like the Wired article said (it was ~$2.50 for the tall).  In fact, I rather liked it.  I was able to taste the distinct flavors and I did not need sugar to mask bitterness.

Did Starbucks make the right choice in purchasing the entire Clover operation?  That is still a question to be answered.  The coffee was superior to the usual drip that had been sitting around, but I question the Clover’s versatility.  This Starbucks was located in the outer part of Kendall Square in Cambridge, it’s never ridiculously crowded and the baristas are genuinely friendly.  I feel this particular one corresponds to Starbuck’s vision of returning to their roots and focusing on the customer.  Here, the Clover fits.

I question its usability in metropolitan places like Manhattan and Chicago.  A place where there is a Starbucks on every corner and people have finished their coffee before they’ve paid.  A place where I always have had to wait in line to get coffee…imagine what the extra minute per person would do to those lines?! Disaster.

Although at $11,000 each, I’m sure they would not be set up in all those locations just yet.  For now, I’m still excited to have the Clover in my neighborhood so I can try out the other coffee flavors and see if they also live up to the hype.

*Yes, I realize this line has probably been used to death

Organic, Local, All natural…years ago people who ate these types of food would also be referred to as hippies, granola eaters and would spend their spare time practicing yoga and spend their time traveling the country in a VW Van…I kid, I kid, some of them had homes too.

Gross exaggerations aside, the proliferation of organic food has swept the country and become mainstream.  It’s almost impossible to enter a grocery store these days without seeing the phrases, “Locally Grown” or “All Natural.”  The Organic Trade Associate estimates sales in the US to reach $23 billion in 2008, a 19% compounded annual growth rate since 1990.  Whole Foods’  2007 acquisition of Wild Oats even got Wall Street involved, providing ~$700 million in financing.

One of the newest services in organic produce comes to Boston in the form a green box, and no, it’s not the Green Monster.  Boston Organics, recommended by my sister and her fiancée, provides a weekly or biweekly [reusable] box of fresh organic produce delivered directly to your doorstep.

Since I am only one person, I chose the smallest biweekly box for $30.  The service is selectively customizable to allow customers to pick their fruit/veggie ratio.  I say selectively because the list of produce is pre-determined, so you can’t peruse an online inventory to find what you want.  I actually find this somewhat refreshing for a couple of reasons.  First, since the produce is mostly local, you’re receiving what’s in season and therefore best tasting.  In addition, variety is the spice of life.  I’m hoping to receive some items I wouldn’t normally purchase in the grocery store.  This will force me to mix up what I’m eating and try new recipes or cooking techniques.

People with allergies shouldn’t be concerned.  They do have a “No-List” for items you don’t want to receive.  It’s a no questions asked online check list.  You don’t like peaches, you’re sick of zucchini…no problem, just update your list and next week it’s guaranteed not to show up.  My sister is allergic to limes (which makes for disappointing gin & tonics), so they are on her black list.

The quality of the produce I received today was great, and the nectarine I ate earlier was delicious.  I hope the expansion of Boston Organics does not affect the quality, since that is always a concern as companies grow.  Until then, my fridge is full and I am quite content eating away

$30 box for 8.12.08

• 2 Pink Lady Apples
• Bunch of bananas
• 2 Nectarines
• 2 Pluots
• 2 Peaches
• 1 Cabbage
• 1 Green Lead Lettuce
• 3 Ears of Corn
• 1 Cucumber
• Bunch of Scallions
• 2 Eggplants
• 3 mini yellow zucchini/squash

A mere hour after @Mashable‘s Tweet regarding social-networking cooking site BakeSpace, peaked my interest, the site is already down for upgrades.  Not a good way to relaunch guys.  Investigation and reviewing must commence another day.