Elbows Mac N' Cheese

This little restaurant opened a few months ago and I finally got to try it the other day. I was excited since nothing is better than a serving of a good mac n' cheese, especially on a cold day.

It took us a while to study the menu. They had all sorts of combinations and fun play of words like; Okey Dokey Artichokey (spinach & artichokes), So Shellfish (lobster with asparagus), Don't Be Afraid O (chicken, broccoli in Alfredo mac) Chillin Out (cheddar mac with homemade chili) etc.

Sandi ordered the Don't Be Afraid O and I ordered the So Shellfish. The combo included an order of salad or French fries. Sandi had the fries and I had the Caesar salad.  We both liked what we ordered but were not too excited.  It was hot (temperature) and cheesy which was comforting.  My mac n' cheese had large chunks of asparagus but very little and small pieces of lobster. I ate half and had the leftover 2 days after.

Elbows also offer pizzas and a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches. Elbows is located in the city of Cerritos, Brea and Torrance, California. The one in Torrance is at 24427 Crenshaw Blvd. #E at the Torrance Crossroads.

Ye Olde Union Oyster House

Ye Olde Union Oyster House in Boston was established in 1826 which makes it America's oldest restaurant. It is located on the Freedom Trail near Faneuil Hall and is now a historical landmark. Presidents have dined there from Franklin Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton. In fact, John F. Kennedy visited the Oyster House nearly every Sunday at noon and ate Lobster Stew. Preferring the privacy of the upstairs dining room, he always dined at Booth 18 which now has a dedication plaque.

We were very lucky to have dined in the same booth as John F. Kennedy. We, of course, had to order Fresh Oysters on the shell. It was wonderful. The Clam Chowder was also a must along with a Lobster Salad. I opted for the salad only because I didn't want more bread. It was unlike any lobster salad I have had. This salad was full of big chunks of fresh, juicy lobster. I was totally in heaven. The wonderful cornbread was a bonus. My son's friend ordered a steak since seafood was not a favorite.

Union Oyster House has a charming little gift shop where one can purchase all sorts of souvenirs, from magnets to aprons and anything imaginable. Ye Olde Union Oyster House is located at 41 Union St. in Boston, Massachusetts.

Ristorante Limoncello

There's one Italian restaurant you must visit while in Boston, it is Ristorante Limoncello. I was first introduced to the restaurant in early 2000. While I was visiting my son last month it was a no-brainer to visit it at least once.

An interesting fact; Maurizio Badolato from Calabria, Italy won the lottery from a $5.00 ticket and started the restaurant almost 19 years ago. Many celebrities have dined in his restaurant including one of my favorite actors, Robert DeNiro.

They first served us their wonderful bread with a very tasty olive oil while we decided on our appetizers. We had the Carpaccio di Manzo, thinly sliced beef tenderloin topped with baby arugula and Parmigiano Reggiano and also shared an order of Caprese; tomato with fresh Mozzarella with basil and extra virgin olive oil.

For our entrée, I had to have what I've been dreaming of for many years which was the Rosette Pasta. It is their signature dish. A homemade wide pasta rolled with Italian ham, Montassio cheese and mushroom finished with a tomato cream sauce. Calling it perfect doesn't do it justice. You really just have to try it to understand. My son had the Linguine Alle Vongole which was also delicious.

We shared their homemade Tiramisu which was excellent. What a nice way to end a wonderful meal.

I was impressed with our server Jake. I could not decide between 2 of the red wine bottles so he offered to have me try both. He wanted to make sure I was happy with my choice. While dining, Maurizio came by to make sure everything was fine. They even had a singer that came to our table singing songs like "That's Amore" and "Volare".

This truly is a family restaurant that caters to service and authentic Italian cuisine. Ristorante Limoncello is located at 190 North St. at the Freedom Trail next to Paul Revere's house in Boston, Massachusettes.

Gaslight Brasserie Du Coin

While visiting my son for the holidays we were able to sample some of Boston's restaurants. One was exceptionally great that we went twice. By exceptional, I mean everyone at our party was impressed with what they ordered from appetizer to the main entree. The item on the menu that I was most impressed with was their French Onion Soup with Truffled Short Rib. I have had a lot of onion soup in French Restaurants in the past. The best one was at Carette's in Paris. The onion soup at Gaslight was just as good if not better! The other appetizer that I tried was their Escargot with garlic, parsley butter, and breadcrumbs. That too was the best escargot I have had.  I was told that the Bone Marrow was excellent as well.

On my first visit, I had the Steak Frites with a wonderful Bearnaise sauce. Another ordered the largest Pork Chop I have seen with house-smoked bacon jus. I had a bite of that and we all could not get over how juicy and tender it was.

On my second visit, I naturally had to have the French Onion Soup again, after all, that was all I could think of since I had it a couple of days ago. Someone ordered the Shaved Beet Salad with walnuts, red onion, and a Dijon and creme fraiche dressing. My son had the Roasted Cod Poelee with mussels, clams, oysters and Spanish chorizo. I had the Bar Steak with caramelized shallots with a cognac mustard cream sauce and some frites, which were perfect with the sauce. My steak was cooked to perfection and was very tasty.

Since the onion soup was a bit filling together with the French bread they served and after having the steak with frites, I could not find any room for dessert.

Everything in this restaurant was perfect. Parting was such sweet sorrow. It's too bad one cannot order their soup online. Maybe someday! Gaslight is located at 560 Harrison Ave. in Boston, Ma.
Gaslight is part of a group of restaurants; Aquitaine in Boston, Chestnut Hill, Dedham. and 500 Cinquecento, Metropolis in Boston and another Gaslight in Lynnfield, Ma. I will have to try all those next time!

Black Truffle Butter Spread

This Black Truffle Butter Sauce can be had from Trader Joe's. My friend Cynthia already experimented by melting butter to make a nice pasta sauce.  It was my turn to experiment so I melted the whole tub of butter and sautéed some dried Mixed Wild Mushrooms imported from Italy that I found in my pantry and thank God it has not expired. I first soaked them in hot water and within 10 minutes, they all came to life.

After a few minutes, I added some whipping cream enough to serve with my half a pound of Farfalle. Being me and not being patient enough to wait until the sauce thickened on its own I took some of the liquid from the mushrooms and a bit of pasta water and added some Wondra (quick mixing flour) and proceeded to pour it into the cream. Within 3 minutes, my sauce was ready. I added salt and pepper to taste and voila, it was ready. It tasted like something I would have had at an Italian restaurant that would have charged me at least $20.

I had some leftovers from last night so this evening I decided to have it again with 2 pieces of Chicken baked in Jabanero sauce which I bought from Von's Market. The pasta was still delicious and the chicken was a nice addition after all one cannot or should I say, "should not" live on pasta alone.

Birthday at Dominique's Kitchen

December makes Sujata the birthday girl. She decided we would celebrate at one of our favorite restaurants, Dominique's Kitchen. Only three of us could attend as two were MIA out of state. More wine for the four of us!

Sujata inquired about the Mediterranean Fries. We decided to be adventurous and skip the usual Truffle Parmesan Fries.   Sujata, a vegetarian wanted to try the Kale Salad and split it among the four of us. Since it was her birthday, we all agreed. The fries were, in fact, delicious served with a sauce that was a bit spicy with what tasted like saffron. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the Kale Salad was which had tomatoes, watermelon, farro, goat cheese, and candied walnuts.

For dinner, Sujata had the Sole with lemon and capers. Amy ordered the Lobster Ravioli. Cynthia decided on the Pork Tenderloins and I opted for the Lamb Chops. Everything was cooked to perfection as always.

Sujata was presented with a Panna Cotta for her birthday which she had to make her wish and blow out her candle. She purposely didn't eat much of that because she was looking forward to ordering Baked Alaska. We did order one to share and I sacrificed and finished the rest of her wonderful Panna Cotta. The things I do for friends!

As we left, Liza gave me her medical advise for a cough I have had for 2 weeks. She told me to have a Gin & Tonic twice a day. I forgot about it yesterday so I just started today. It worked for her so I am hoping it will work for me.

Benihana

I can honestly say that 2 decades have passed since I have been to a Benihana restaurant. I was invited a few days ago and was in for a treat.

My friends suggested I order the Hibachi Chicken Rice and I courteously accepted their suggestion.  I also left it to my friend Paul, the Benihana expert to order for me. I ended up with the Hibachi Steak. Josephine ordered a Tempura Soft Shell Crab as an appetizer to share which was quickly consumed. The salad with a ginger dressing was nice and refreshing.  We were constantly entertained by Chef Pepito with his tossing the shrimp tails and flipping them into his chef hat. He also made a flaming volcano which he created with the onions. The Hibachi Chicken Fried Rice and Steak were very good. Paul's suggestions were spot on!

I had forgotten how delicious the food can be with the simplest of ingredients like butter, onions and of course some soy sauce. Benihana is always a good choice for a group as you not only pay for the food but for the entertainment. Service was very good.