Waffle fries, goat cheese & dark rum at Boston Beer Garden

I rarely venture into the South End of Boston, but the other night, we took our co-worker, Ryan, there to send him off to Australia. Ryan is Irish and had never been to the South End before, so we took him out for dinner and drinks before he moved out of the country. We all met up at Boston Beer Garden, which, to my surprise, is owned by the same folks that own Union Street in Newton. Thankfully, the food at BBG was a little better. I started the night with a Dark & Stormy ($8), and sipped that throughout the meal - clearly, an $8 beverage that I love ended up being cheaper than ordering two $5-6 brews.

For dinner, I opted for the Mediterranean Wrap ($9.99), mainly because I can't go a day without goat cheese. I splurged on the additional $0.99 for some well seasoned waffle fries, which was a worthwhile investment. The wrap itself was chocked full of fresh chicken, creamy goat cheese, sun dried tomatoes and the perfect, small amount of Italian dressing. For a regular old wrap, this sandwich was full of flavor.

At the end of the night, I spent under $20 and I was full and happy (thanks to the dark rum, the goat cheese, and the folks who accompanied me at the table). BBG, I'll be back!

Reader recipe: carrots with ginger ale

I don't know about you, but when I'm making dinner at home, thinking up a side dish to accompany the entree is my biggest challenge. I almost always have bags of frozen vegetables in the freezer which are great go-to side dishes, but sometimes, I just want something a little different. Thankfully, my dear friend Christine (whom I met at Quinnipiac), recently sent me one of her favorite go-to side dishes.

Christine is a nurse and is in the middle of planning her wedding (which is happening in June), so the girl's got quite the busy schedule. Her unique spin on your normal, everyday carrots is perfect for a simple, "dressed up" side dish to make during the week, and the ingredients should keep you well within your grocery budget. 


Carrots with Ginger Ale
Yields: 4 servings

-7 carrots peeled and sliced (could also use frozen, pre-sliced carrots)
-1 tablespoon butter
-1 cup ginger ale
-1 pinch salt
-2 pinches chili powder
-1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions: Put all ingredients in a covered high-sided saute pan and cook over medium heat until simmering, and butter and sugar are melted (about 5 minutes). Take the lid off, stir and raise the heat to high. Continue cooking on high uncovered until the sauce thickens to a syrup (about 10 minutes).


I can't wait to try this!


What's your favorite go-to side dish to make during the week?

Best deal this week: ending a day on the slopes with The Common Man for $2

I would eat at The Common Man every day if I could – although that would really inhibit my job as a food writer. Regardless, I have been learning how to snowboard at Loon Mountain these past few weeks (a.) because I want a fun winter hobby, and b.) because Zach is an avid snowboarder), and my body is always sore and in need of nourishment after a day on the slopes. My go-to solution after a day of learning: beer and lots of food. However, yesterday I spent $5.75 at the lounge on a Peak Organic pomegranate-flavored beer, which hit the spot, but also hurt my wallet. Little did I know I could have saved almost $4 by driving down the road to The Common Man. From 3 to 5 p.m. every day, The Common Man in Lincoln, N.H. offers $2 drafts and ½ off select appetizers in their lounge. The timing isn’t ideal, as we usually try to get the last run in right at 4 p.m., but I would leave 30 minutes prior for cheap beer and eats after a day of snowboarding – especially after spending so much money at the ski resort.

Side note: The Common Man’s Foster Boiler Room in Plymouth, and The Common Man in Ashland, also have these specials. Foster’s is only on weekends from 3-5 p.m., however.

How you can eat at a fancy restaurant in Boston for under $35 a person

Talk about bargain shopping: Earlier this week, I went to Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade Hotel in downtown Boston with my friend, Dave (@davidgallant). My goal in going there was two-fold: To have a “nicer” dinner, without having to call my bank for a loan. I admit, the prices on the menu were a bit frightening at first ($32.95 for a steak, anyone?), but I was eventually pleasantly surprised at all the options I had to make my meal and overall experience financially realistic for me. Plus, the waitstaff was extremely attentive and informative, and helped us choose dishes that were delicious, yet cost effective. This results in a big thumbs up from me, as I’ve been to upscale restaurants that are immediately inconsiderate if you don’t leave with a large bill.           

Now, on to the review. To start, our waiter brought us a warm, crispy baguette with butter, as well as carrot sticks that were coated in a sweet sauce with fresh herbs (carrots not pictured).

For a cocktail, I ordered the Stoli Doli martini ($10), made with Stolichnaya infused pineapples.

The martini was refreshing, and had the perfect balance between natural sweetness from the fruit and kick from the booze. Now, normally I’d get two glasses of wine during an entire meal out, but the average cost of a glass of wine at Brasserie Jo’s is between $8 and $14. None of the $8 glasses struck my fancy, so to save a few bucks, I opted for the martini and got a beer later on during the night ($5.50).

As an entrée, Dave and I decided to split one of the least expensive things on Brasserie Jo's menu: the Tarte Flambee Spinach ($9.95), made with Gruyere and crispy garlic chips. 

We also split the Roasted Sea Bass ($24.95), which was highly recommended by our waiter and the manager of the restaurant.  

The tarte was more than enough for two people, and it had a great bite from the cheese, with a lingering flavor of fresh garlic. The sea bass also exceeded my and Dave's expectations, and was cooked so perfectly it fell apart with the touch of my fork. The fresh vegetables and creamy sauce that accompanied the fish totally rounded out the dish, too. Bonus: The chef split the sea bass into two plates, so we didn’t have to fight over the fish with our forks. According to the restaurant manager, the chef always tries to split the entrée into several plates if he knows people are sharing. More thumbs up!

Finally, for dessert, Dave and I split the Chocolate Mousse ($7.95), which  our waiter prepared  right at our table. The dish was ungodly creamy, and was served with white chocolate sauce and dark and white chocolate shavings. Thankfully, the dessert wasn't too intense, either - I'm not a big dessert person, but I could have eaten five more plates of this mousse.

Dave and I were even fortunate enough to dine at Brasserie Jo on a night when Chef Joho was visiting. Chef Joho is a world renowned chef, and it was an honor to meet him. He was even generous enough to bring us a second dessert, profiteroles, which the restaurant manager told us people drive all the way from Maine to eat. The profiteroles were chocked full of vanilla bean ice cream and smothered in homemade hot fudge sauce, poured on right at your table.

All in all, Dave and I had one amazing dinner - and between the two of us, we spent $69.35, or just under $35 per person. If we had both gotten an entree and a dessert each, our bill would have easily been over $100. Just by sharing an appetizer, entree and dessert, and getting reasonably priced cocktails, we were able to save, at minimum, $30 on our bill. Not bad for a fancy night out in downtown!

Turning frozen burgers into warm quesadillas

I am a sucker for freezing leftovers. I’m just not one of those people who can eat the same dinner five nights in a row – I need variety in my life. So, when I ended up with four spicy beef burgers a few weeks ago, I ended up eating two of them over the course of the week, and froze the remaining two. The other night, I broke out the frozen burgers and turned them into one of my favorite quick, go-to meals: quesadillas.

Even though it had been a good two weeks since I had the burgers, I just wasn’t in the mood for eating a hamburger patty on a roll. So, I cut up the burgers into strips, placed them inside a whole wheat quesadilla, threw in some defrosted frozen corn, and “glued” everything together with freshly shredded habanero cheese for some extra kick.

On the side, I had the rest of my Newman's Own Peach Salsa that was in the fridge.

And walla! I was eating dinner within 10 minutes, and didn’t have to make an extra trip to the grocery store. Thankfully, I also didn’t have to eat another damn hamburger.

Do you freeze your leftovers? Why or why not?

Guest post: how to survive being married and hungry

Hey guys! I have a special treat for you today: A guest post from my newly married cousin, Catherine. Catherine has been my fellow foodie in life since we were babies, and she has recently become accustomed to the lifestyle of an economical eater, after paying for a wedding and saving for a future. I’m confident you will find her tips useful for saving some dough, especially if you can relate to being a hungry newlywed.

Take it from me: being newly married, trying to get back on our feet from the wedding, the holidays and paying bills, my husband and I have had to adjust to a lifestyle of bargain shopping and cheap eats! We are a couple who loves to eat, but doesn’t like to spend a lot of money. We are home-bodies, who like the taste of home cooked meals, so we usually try to find good deals right at the grocery store. In order to avoid wasting food, we also try to incorporate ingredients that we already have in the fridge, without completely compromising the quality of the meal. Even making a simple pizza at home saves us a few dollars every week, which adds up over time.

For those of you who are newly married, or could simply use some less expensive meal ideas during the week, here are some of our go-to meals when the wallet is thin:

Baked Pork Chop Dinner

1 package thinly sliced pork chops, $3.99

1 bag bread crumbs, $1.00 (1 package will give you at least three meals)

1 sweet potato, $0.89

1 can green beans, $0.80

1 egg—already had in the fridge

Sometimes a little garlic is added to the pork to add flavor

Dip the pork into a little bit of egg, then cover with bread crumbs. Cook in the oven for 20-25 min (baking keeps them a little more juicy), and then serve with veggie’s on the side.

Cheese Burger on Toast

1 package of ground beef – $2.69 (it’s cheaper to make your own patties)

Toast – bread had at home already, versus buying a $3-4 package of hamburger buns

Cheese - had at home already

Since it's winter, we cook the hamburg patties right on the skillet and then just serve between two pieces of toast with a little mustard and ketchup, have a pickle and a handful of chips on the side, and you have one easy and cheap hamburger.

Homemade Pizza

1 package wheat dough

1 package Market Basket pizza cheese

1 can pizza sauce

If you have any veggies or olives laying around the house, you can throw those on too

Use a little flour and work the dough until it forms a nice circle shape. Please on greased pizza pan or cookie sheet. Cover with sauce (usually the can lasts us two pizzas), then cheese and any additional toppings.

These are just some of the simple meals we like to make when we are in a hurry and on a budget! Any of these meals can be more creative - my husband has a simple palate, so we try to keep our meals pretty uncomplicated.

Best deal this week: Fine dining for $5 at Tempo Bistro

Tempo Bistro in Waltham prides itself on being an upscale, downtown-like eatery with reasonable prices, set in a suburban atmosphere. Located on the culinary strip that is Moody Street, this restaurant’s menu boasts the likes of pan-seared duck confit, racks of lamb, and seared yellowfin tuna – all items that scream “special occasion only” to me. However, Tempo’s not letting us economical eaters turn away just yet. The bistro offers what they call “$5 BARgains” everyday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. (except Sundays), at the bar only. Now, I can’t attest to how large the servings are, but for $5 you can gorge on items like Five Cheese Macaroni and Cheese, Mini Baked Brie Bites in Puff Pastry, Seared Limoncello Sea Scallops and Caribbean Spiced Chicken Tenders. Talk about fancy eating for under ten bucks.

Has anyone tried Tempo's $5 grub yet? I'm hoping to head over there in the next week or two to try it out...