Tapas on Wheels

I spy with my little eye...a food truck!

Can you spot it?

This weekend only, the Freixenet Tastings & Tapas Truck will be visiting several sites throughout Boston to give food truck eatin' in Boston a more sophisticated twist. Freixenet, the "Black Bottle Bubbly," will be in Boston through June 12th as part of its five-east-coast-city tour. 

The other night, I was lucky enough to join a group of Boston bloggers to get a sneak peak at the Freixenet food truck. Although alcohol can't be served at one of the two events here in Massachusetts, I can guarantee you some good eats - and a chance to win cool prizes. At each location, Freixenet will offer their guests an interactive experience with fun games and chances to win free stuff. 

This weekend, you can spot the Freixenet Tastings & Tapas Truck at the following places/times:

Tonight, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.: Tapeo on Newbury Street

Sunday, June 12th, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.: Stuart Street Block Party (at Stuart St. between Arlington and Berkeley Streets) *Freixenet is allowed to serve alcohol samples from the truck at this event only because there is an age-restricted area with a liquor license.

As a bonus, Freixenet collects donations to benefit Human Rights and Education Programming at all of its stops. 

Good food, fun games and a good cause behind it all? Not a bad concept, if you ask me.

If you can't make it to any of the Freixenet stops this weekend, stay up-to-date with all of their upcoming East Coast appearances here, here and here. 

What are your thoughts on the growing food truck craze?

Birthdays and Tapas at Dali

On Friday night, I ended a busy work week with tapas and wine at Dali in Somerville for my cousin, Carolan's, birthday. Despite how close Z lives to Dali, I have never dined there - but have always been intrigued by it's purple exterior. Upon walking inside, I was immediately impressed with the kitschy decor and upbeat, friendly waitstaff.

Dali does not let you sit down until your entire party is there, so Carolan, myself, my other cousin Catherine, and Carolan's friend Amanda all waited at the bar for our fifth guest to arrive. As Dali got a little busier, the host offered to sit us before our fifth member arrived to clear up some space at the bar. 

Upon being seated, I ordered a glass of Vega Sindoa Blanco ($6.50), which is a light, crisp and refreshing Chardonnay blend (highly recommended).

Our fifth guest unfortunately went to Diva in Davis Square instead of Dali, so while we waited for him, we ordered a round of tapas. In the first round was Queso de Cabra Montanes (baked goat cheese with tomato and basil), $7.50.

Patatas Ali-Oli (potatoes in a garlic and caper aioli sauce), $5.

Complimentary hummus, for the complimentary bread.

Dali had me at baked goat cheese. The queso was insanely comforting, and perfect when dolloped on a piece of bread. The potatoes were also delicious - basically a garlic-y, revamped version of potato salad - and the hummus, albeit simple, was very flavorful and wonderfully smooth.

Once Carolan's other friend finally arrived, we ordered another round of tapas (and drinks). In the second round was one of Dali's specials for the evening, Cintas Con Esparragos (pasta with lemon, asparagus and cheese), $7.50.

All I can say about this dish is wow. While it sounds simple, the flavors were poignant and fresh. Although tapas are for sharing, I could have easily eaten this dish by myself.

We also shared a plate of the Alcachofas Rellenas (mushroom-filled artichokes), $7.50, which were tasty, but not mind-blowing.

In addition to the stellar food and service, Dali also knows how to celebrate a birthday. There were several patrons celebrating on Friday evening, and each acknowledgement was complete with singing, bubbles and candles. 

Carolan and her friend Amanda.

I will definitely be going back to Dali again. While it's not the most economical dining experience, the food, atmosphere and attentive service are worth every extra penny.

Have you ever been to Dali? What's your review?

Thai Tapas at Ronnarong

Last week, Z and I used an Eversave we had at Ronnarong in Union Square. We were both really excited to try out this place, not only because it's a restaurant we'd never been to before in Somerville, but also because the eatery serves up Thai tapas - and I can never turn down tapas.

For a Thai restaurant, Ronnarong also had a very impressive beer list, with a handful of solid, local craft brews. To start the meal, I enjoyed a Stone Levitation Ale, which was slightly dark and hoppy, but still smooth and refreshing.

I can't remember what beer Z ordered (because I'm the best girlfriend and blogger ever), but he clearly enjoyed his brew, too.

For our meal, we split a few tapas as well as an entree. To start, we had the Tofu Satay ($6).

The Tofu Satay was served with thick-cut, grilled zucchini and a slightly spicy sauce. The presentation was vibrant and immensely appetizing, and the dish as a whole was wonderfully light while still packed with flavor.

The second tapas we shared was the Thai Roll ($6), which came with your choice of chicken or veggie filling. Obviously, we opted for the veggie.

These crispy, flaky gems tasted marvelous dipped in the sweet-and-tangy sauce that accompanied them. Although these rolls were simple in flavors, they were addicting and fried to a crisp perfection.

The entree Z and I shared was the Green Curry ($12), which normally comes with roast duck - but, thankfully, Ronnarong is widely open to substitutions, so we got our Green Curry with tofu. 

Our Green Curry was served with sticky white rice (although we also had the choice of brown), and the spicy, borderline creamy sauce paired beautifully with the large chunks of tofu and slew of veggies (which included mushrooms and bamboo shoots). Z and I did discover a nice, long, black hair in the middle of our entree - but when a meal's this good, a simply - albeit unfortunate - mistake like that can easily be forgotten quickly. 

What's your favorite Thai restaurant in the Boston area?

Small Plates with Decent Prices

Personally, I think tapas can be hit or miss. Sometimes restaurants sell tapas for $2-6, and you get quite a bit of food considering the promise of a "small plate." Other times, however, you can pay up to $6 or more for a bite-sized morsel that defeats the purpose of sharing the tapas among friends.

Thankfully, places like Moonstones in Chelmsford exists. I ate at Moonstones (owned by the same people of Cobblestones in Lowell) last year soon after it opened, and was impressed by the smooth, modern decor and upscale bar/lounge area. Last week, my cousins and I decided to have dinner there again, to split some tapas, drink some wine, and relax after work. Moonstones serves full entrees (at dinner and lunch), soups, salads, and even sandwiches, but we went specifically for the tapas and homemade focaccia.

There were only three of us, but we all like to eat - so we ended up getting three tapas to share at first, and then ordered two more. We started with marinated olives, hummus, and focaccia ($4.50).

The olives were marinated in a light, citrus and herb dressing, which helped to cut the intense saltiness of the olives. The focaccia was also perfectly airy and crisp, and the hummus was silky smooth and full of fresh lemon flavor.

Next up was the white truffle and parmesan fries ($7.50), which is one of the more expensive tapas Moonstones makes, but also is the most delicious - and one of the largest. The thin, crispy fries remind me of McDonald's, minus the oversalting and fossil fuel. Moonstone's fries are literally addicting, thanks to the fluffy speckles of fresh parmesan that accompany each bite.

Mini cheese fondue ($9) was next, served with crostini, Granny Smith apple slices, and crackers. I admit $9 is a bit high, but you really do get a lot of food with this one. I'm pretty sure we didn't even finish the entire plate. Regardless, the fondue was delightfully rich, thick and creamy. It was so good, we ended up dipping half our fries in it!

My cousins and I love our carbs, and we couldn't resist ordering a plate of Moonstone's homemade focaccia. We tried their focaccia the last time we went, and I've been dreaming about it ever since. Moonstones has some fancier focaccia bread on the menu, but we opted for the simple version with olive oil, roasted garlic, reggiano, and sea salt ($4.50). The bread was incredibly light and airy, and had the perfect amount of olive oil and garlic - bread that light could easily be overpowered by such strong toppings, but Moonstones achieved the perfect ratio.

Finally, our last course was the Chinese chicken spring rolls with sweet and sour sauce ($8.50).

These puppies were incredibly crispy on the outside, but full of familiar, Asian-inspired flavors on the inside. It reminded me almost of a healthier General Tso's Chicken wrapped up in a light, crispy spring roll. Divine.

Overall, our second meal at Moonstones was a success, and I was also happy to see that their special Earth Day menu was based around organic, locally-grown ingredients (although we did not order off that menu). My only gripe: Our waitress was almost a little too attentive. I felt like half the conversations we started were interrupted. But, my glass of Pinot Grigio was always full - so I guess I'll let this one go. 

Review of new tapas menu at Stonehedge Inn & Spa

Before I disappear for a few days (Zach and I are headed to Sunday River for a mini vacation), I wanted to share with you all a review I wrote of Stonehedge Inn & Spa's new tapas menu for my other blog, Live Free or Dine. Earlier this week, I was fortunate enough to get a sneak peek at the new menu at this upscale spot in Tyngsboro, and I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of food you get for the smaller price tags. The quality of the food was also outstanding.

Upon my return Tuesday morning, expect a recipe for chicken sausage and arugula whole wheat pasta - one of my most recent and new favorite make-at-home dinners.

Until then...have a great weekend!

Best deal this week: $5 tapas at Rendezvous

$5 tapas. This might just be the best deal ever. Every Monday night from 5 to 10 p.m., Rendezvous in Central Square offers $5 tapas at their bar. The menu changes every week, but tonight Rendezvous is serving up dishes like grilled swordfish with toasted cumin seeds and preserved lemon, baby brussel sprouts with extra virgin olive oil, Merguez sausage with yogurt sauce, quince and pomegranate, and salty head-on shrimp with garlic and chili oil. You could easily split four to five of these tapas amongst two people, and walk out the door with a bill for $25 or less!

I've been to Rendezvous once before (on Valentine's Day), and the food was excellent. You know those restaurants that you can just tell when they're using high quality (and sometimes even local) ingredients? Rendezvous is that kind of restaurant.

Will you be taking advantage of Rendezvous' $5 tapas tonight? Share your review with us if you go!

Best deal this week: free small plates at Burton's

At Burton's Grill in Boston, Monday IS the new Friday. The restaurant's Boylston Street location is giving diners free food from 3 to 8 p.m. on Monday evenings. When you purchase an item off of their small plates menu, you get another small plate menu item free. Some of their small plate options include Warm Goat Cheese Salad, Fried Feta, and Firecracker Shrimp. I have been to the North Andover location several times, and I can honestly say I've never had a bad meal or experience there. The martinis are strong and delicious, and the food is upscale without being insanely overpriced and unapproachable. Plus, they make their own ketchup with a kick. Few places take the time to make their own condiments anymore. Here's to hoping Burton's opens this small plates deal to all their locations soon.

Heads up: the "Monday is the new Friday" deal at Burton's Boston is only available until March 22.

Turkey and tapas

Phew! It's been a crazy few days, so I apologize for the lack of blogging. I'll start this post by saying my sweet potato pie came out edible and quite delicious. The only thing I'd suggest is to melt the butter before you add it to the sweet potatoes - I was in a rush, and wasn't thinking like a true culinarian at the time.

My Thanksgiving holiday as a whole was also a success. I spent a lot of quality time with my family, ate a lot of homemade, traditional dishes (without overindulging), and sipped on some budget-friendly, palate-pleasing Yellow Tail wine. I was even fortunate enough to have a second holiday with my boyfriend's family on Friday, but instead of eating the same foods we ate on Thanksgiving, his godfather whipped up some yummy tapas and a holiday cocktail, made with Prosecco and blood orange liqueur. The cocktail was refreshing, and went beautifully with appetizers. I was too busy mingling and gorging to take photos like a good blogger, but the menu ranged from polenta topped with spicy tomato sauce and creamy feta cheese, to a variety of crackers and cheeses, marinated olives, and salmon dip with capers. The spread was vast, and having appetizers and cocktails the night after Thanksgiving was a perfect way to round out the holiday without overstuffing our stomachs two nights in a row.

Needless to say, I have a lot to be thankful for these days. How did you spend your Thanksgiving holiday?