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RECIPES

BOSTON, EVENTS, NIGHTLIFE, RECIPES, RESTAURANTS

Weekend Events in Boston Worth Braving the Bad Weather For

Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard by now that it is going to rain all weekend long. Repeat that – all weekend long. Allow yourself a sigh and invest in a sturdy umbrella because true Bostonians know that when the going gets tough, the tough go out on the town. Whether you have to trudge around in wellies, or splurge on a door-to-door taxi, here are a few weekend events that are worth fighting mother nature for:

 

splash !!! #1 by joe.laut from flickr

Saturday, March 13

Chocolate Bar at The Langham Hotel – 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Who needs lunch when you can eat sweets? I ask myself this daily. Nothing like 85 chocolate desserts to lift your spirits on a rainy day. Dubbed a “chocolate bar,” this all-you-can-eat sweet fest features everything from tiramisu to a North End inspired chocolate pizza. Calorie counters need not apply. Ticket prices are $38 for adults, $25 if you think you can pass yourself off as a kid.  For more information, click here.

Grand Opening of Royale Boston – 10:00 p.m. – Close

Located at 279 Tremont Street in the Theatre District, Royale Boston replaces The Roxy. Dubbed a nightclub and a live music venue, Saturday’s event boasts live music from All-American Rejects cutie Tyson Ritter, plus music from DJ Sizzahands. In case you thought that wasn’t enough, two playboy playmates will also be in the house. For more information about Royale Boston, please click here.

Sunday, March 14

Green Street in Central Square Host’s Boston Bartenders on the Rise – 7:00 p.m.

Imbibe is a delightful word, especially when paired with four up-and-coming Boston-area bartenders. If you’re able to handle four cocktails, plus a special welcome punch on a Sunday night, then pony up $40 to allow Carrie Cole of Craigie on Main, Evan Harrison of Deep Ellum, Bob McCoy of Eastern Standard and Emily Stanley of Green Street to pour, shake and serve to their heart’s content. Fear not, passed appetizers will also be dished out. Reservations are strongly suggested. For more information, please visit this highly informative article from DrinkBoston.com.

RECIPES

Cosmo: 13 Healthy Foods That Can Make You Fat

Making Sushi at Home by Merlijn Hoek From Flickr

I’m a strong believer that when it comes to healthy eating, knowledge is power!  Today my inbox presented me with a Cosmopolitan.com slideshow of the ’13 Healthy Foods That Can Make You Fat,’ and it’s very compelling. I already knew that spicy-mayo and tempura sushi rolls have a higher calorie count than the grilled or steamed veggie variety. I also loathe that my beloved granola will cling to my waistline more than should be allowed for something that’s so yummy. That doesn’t mean that I don’t savor them from time to time, but I appreciate knowing what I’m getting myself into.

What I found interesting were the comments about sandwich wraps and foods with high levels of sodium. Wraps seem more innocent than their sandwich counterparts, plus they’re a standby at work lunches. And, I’ll admit to purchasing the occasional low calorie frozen entree when they’re on sale. It’s sad to think that fat, calories, fiber and protein often catch my eye before sodium levels.

Care to see for yourself? Please click here to view the full slideshow. You can thank me later. Talk about food for thought (yes, I did just drop that line).

BOSTON, NIGHTLIFE, RECIPES

Guilty Pleasure: Free Late-Night Hot Dogs/Hamburgers at The Pour House

Hot Dog! by dadadreams from Flickr

My friend is going to kill me for sharing her best-kept Boston secret – free late-night food at the Pour House!  At 1:00 a.m. on Saturday nights, the Pour House in Boston’s Back Bay gives away free hot dogs or hamburgers to hungry patrons.  This is an insider tip, because more often than not you have to go to the top floor bar near the kitchen area and ask for them.

Be sure to check your expectations at the door – the dogs and burgers are basic and far from gourmet.  They are, however, free!

The Pour House is located at 907 Boylston Street between Gloucester & Hereford.  For more information about the Pour House, please visit: http://www.pourhouseboston.com/

RECIPES

Anyone Else Disappointed By Top Chef's Vegetarian Episode?

Sometimes you just have to call it like you see it.  Although I found this week’s  Top Chef vegetarian episode entertaining, I am giving it a thumbs down for menu creativity.  For those who didn’t tune in, this week’s episode took the chefs to Tom Colicchio’s restaurant Craftsteak in Las Vegas.  Upon arrival, the chefs begin to drool over Craftsteak’s meat selection, only to learn that they had to prepare a vegetarian feast for actress Natalie Portman.  Comical, right?

Beet, Feta, Green Bean, Chickpea Spinach Salad by Jessica Gioglio

While the storyline was amusing, the final product from the chefs left me unsatisfied and uninspired.  What wasn’t represented well during this episode is that there are so many ways to create a healthy and filling meatless meal that also incorporates plenty of protein.  I understand that they were at the mercy of Craftsteak’s produce pantry, but I still expect to see unique dishes on Top Chef.  Because the other dishes were a bit boring, Michael’s banana polenta stole the show.

Overall, using colorful, yet flavorful vegetables would have made my mouth water — like sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, bell peppers, carrots, or corn.  Seeing a savory-sweet dish incorporating fruit would have been interesting as well.  Drawing from different types of cuisine would have been excellent, because many places in the world rely on vegetables and different types of spices to produce incredibly delicious dishes.

Although I’m not a vegetarian, I know firsthand that meatless dishes can be full of flavor.  One excellent – mostly vegetarian – blog worth reading for its delicious and sophisticated (yet easy!) recipes is The 30 Minute Dinner Party.  Warning , it may even inspire you to entertain more!  http://30minutedinnerparty.wordpress.com/

NIGHTLIFE, RECIPES

A sweet take on happy hour at Kickass Cupcakes

Photo Credit: Nikki Eads kickasscupcakes.com

On August 31, Kickass Cupcakes in Somerville is whipping up a sweet take on happy hour by offering free tastings from 5-7pm of mini cupcakes with cocktail inspired flavors, including lemon drop, mud slide, and peach daiquiri.

To view the rest of my Examiner.com post, please visit:

http://www.examiner.com/x-21772-Boston-Nightlife-Events-Examiner~y2009m8d28-A-Sweet-Take-on-Happy-Hour-at-Kickass-Cupcakes