Mike's Pastry, Boston

If you've ever flown out of Boston Logan airport, you have likely encountered Mike's Pastry, a Boston institution, known for its cannoli.  Seriously.  I don't think I've ever boarded a flight there without seeing someone getting on with a Mike's Pastry box, a white box, blue logo, tied up with twine.

Mike's is famous, and people go kinda crazy for it.  At least, tourists certainly do.

"Founded in 1946, Mike’s Pastry is located in Boston’s historic North End on Hanover Street. Michael Mercogliano (the “Mike” behind the famed Mike’s Pastry) created the one-of-a-kind cannoli that keeps loyal Bostonians and tourists coming from around the world to enjoy. Going to Mike’s has become a Boston tradition when in town whether visiting family, friends, sporting events, college, or any other event. We hope that you continue the tradition and come see us and grab a pastry."

The North End, original, location is a madhouse, always.  But, they opened a location in Cambridge, right off Harvard Square, and after dinner nearby at Alden & Harlow, we decided to swing by to pick up some backup dessert.  Because, um, me and dessert.

To be honest, I don't really like cannoli that much, and I knew I had thought "eh" when I had Mike's before, but I was happy to try again.

Menu.

I was shocked to find that there were literally no crowds.  One family sat on the side eating a pastry.  A couple came in after us.  And that ... was it.  So very very different from the North End location.

It gave me a chance to actually see the goods, as you usually can't due to the hoards.  They also had a menu posted on a chalkboard, although it was fairly general, included everything they make regardless of it they had it, and, had no prices.  Pastries, cupcakes, cakes, cookies, cannoli.  Got it.

Cakes, Cupcakes, etc.

 It was better to look with our eyes anyway.  The lineup was vast, all fairly super sized creations, large slices of assorted cheeseake, layer cakes, and Boston cream pie.  Italian cookies, right alongside whoopie pies.  A large selection of huge brownies, fudgy, and loaded with toppings.  "Cupcakes" that really were decadent looking mini cakes, with fairly involved toppings.  And don't forget all the cream filled items, cream puffs in several varieties, eclairs, and GIANT lobstertails.

I really was eyeing the lobstertail, but it was truly enormous, and we had just had a huge feast, and no one else wanted it.  They just wanted to all try a cannoli.

Cannolis.

 So we moved straight to the cannoli, available in many flavors, mostly with classic mascarpone filling and different toppings.

Pistachio Cannoli. $4.50.

Our group of 5 had two people who had never had a cannoli before, one person who doesn't eat dessert, and one person who really wanted a cannoli.  And me.  So we got only two, and let the person who actually likes cannoli pick it.

He went for pistachio.

The cannoli was ... fine?  Again, I just don't find the shell very interesting (just a pastry shell), and the filling, while rich and thick and creamy, just isn't enough to excite me.  Pistachio was good for crunch and didn't detract.

My review remains the same.  "Eh, its a cannoli."  Probably a very good one, but, just a cannoli.

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Somi Somi Soft Serve & Taiyaki

Somi Somi is a soft serve and taiyaki shop in Cupertino, part of a chain throughout California, with ambitions to expand more.

"Somisomi can be found all over the U.S., offering irresistible Korean-inspired soft serve in ornate fish-shaped cones. We were founded by two dessert enthusiasts whose love for ice cream led to SomiSomi. Our company delivers unforgettable, personalized ice cream experiences with a Korean flare."

Yes, another trendy ice cream shop featuring taiyaki cones.  Another place with ridiculously long lines.  Another place with everyone stopping to take photos before eating their creations.

I know, I know.  But I don't care if you think these things are made for Instagram, and aren't otherwise worthy.  Because Somi Somi has legit good soft serve ice cream.  And as a lover of soft serve ice cream, that is the part I care about.

Somi Somi makes 11 base flavors, although each shop only carries a few at a time.  They pre-announce the next week's upcoming swirls though, so you know what is coming up next.  The range includes a few basics ("milk", chocolate, coffee), a few fruity (strawberry, banana), a few interesting (Oreo, horchata) and a few Asian inspired (matcha, milk tea, black sesame, ube).

I sought out Somi Somi specifically for the ube soft serve, but I hoped that black sesame would be an option too (even better if swirled!).  I called ahead to make sure ube was on offer, and, I was told that this location (Cupertino) always has ube.  YES.  On my visit, the other options were matcha and Oreo (or swirled), and milk (which could swirl with the ube).  I sampled both the ube and milk on their own, and decided to get the swirl.  I'll cut right to the chase: this is the best ube soft serve I've ever had.

Soft serve is available on its own in a cup, or, as nearly everyone opted to do, with a taiyaki cone. They don't even carry regular cones.  One other interesting thing to note - if you get the taiyaki cone, you have the option of having it served "rightside up", e.g. in the cone, with the taiyaki as your cone, or "upside down", in a bowl, with the cone upside down on top.  I haven't seen other places so explicitly make this an option, but, I think I quickly saw why they do.  More on this soon.  And yes, this was also the best taiyaki cone I've ever had.

Taiyaki Making.

Like most places, Somi Somi has the taiyaki molds right in front of you at the store, and the aroma of freshly waffling cones fills the air.  It really does draw you in.

The taiyaki options at Somi Somi were the most extensive I've seen at places like this.  For filling, for the cone style, you could pick from fairly common custard, red bean, or Nutella, but they also had taro filling as an option, which made me quite pleased.  These are not made to order, but seemed fairly fresh.

For regular taiyaki, as in, just taiyaki, not the cone style, they also have a cheese version, which sounds pretty fascinating.  Unlike the cones, those are made to order, so the cheese would be melty, and I think would be great to try.  The little filled taiyaki are available in singles or trios, and seemed fairly popular too.  I'd love to try these next time, maybe split a ice cream version, and get at least one on the side?

Toppings.

The only negative I have to say is that ordering is a bit chaotic, as the place is just packed, and no one seems to really know where they should be.  The line went out the front, and down the sidewalk, but inside was filled entirely with people waiting for their turn to customize.  This is because when you get to the front of the line, all they want to know is your base flavor, and style.  Then, you pay, and shuffle off to the side, try to stay out of the way, until your name gets called to specify your toppings.  People seemed generally confused, and, in each other's way.

Finally, our names were called to pick our toppings.  The topping lineup is one area that Somi Somi did let me down.

There was not much exciting here.  Just a few cereals (cocoa pebbles, captain crunch, and fruity pebbles), a few crunchy things (graham cracker, coconut flakes, oreos), and rainbow sprinkles.  No drizzles (I was expecting condensed milk drizzle!).  No mochi.

But, toppings are included for free, although most people seem to just pick one, plus they add an option random mini macaron if you please.

Ube and Milk Swirl / Rainbow Sprinkles / Macaron / Taro Filled Taiyaki Cone. Upside Down. 

So, for my creation, I opted for the milk and ube swirl, even though I really did love the ube on its own too.   I was worried that it would get old after a while on its own, and thus, the swirl.

Both flavors were perfectly rich and creamy, very textbook high quality soft serve.  The "milk" flavor was simple, but not too sweet, and I think it was nice to have mixed with the ube.  The ube was very good, and a stunning purple color.  No complaints on this ice cream, at all.

For my toppings, I just went for the rainbow sprinkles, since I don't really like any of the other options.  I found this to be pretty boring quickly though, and really wanted some drizzle, some other crunch, some mochi ... or even, um, more sprinkles?  Because these ran out fast.  Luckily, I had more in my purse ...

The macaron was fine, but, I still just found it random, and I can't say it added to my experience in any way.

And finally, the taiyaki.  I haven't had that many taiyaki cones, because I haven't really liked the others I have had.  But this one was much, much better.  The cone was softer, and more mochi like.  I really liked the texture and the flavor to it.  No eggy quality to it, which was what I didn't care for at Taiyaki NYC in Boston.  I opted for taro filling, which was good, standard taro paste, and it was more generously stuffed than other places have been.  A good item, which again, made me interested in trying just the regular freshly made taiyaki.

I opted for the upside down version, so I could make my own cone, and add to it as I wanted.  Plus, I knew it wouldn't get soggy too fast that way.  My peers however went right-side up, traditional cone style.  And ... let's just say, their cones didn't hold their integrity very well, and they quickly became major messes.  It was a bit humorous to watch adults struggle so badly with ice cream cones, their shirts covered, their shoes covered, and the sidewalk quickly a puddle of purple.  As much as I think the taiyaki at Somi Somi were far better than other places, in taste and texture, they really did fail as cones fairly spectacularly.  I'd still pick taste over function though!  

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Jerry Remy's Sports Bar & Grille @ Logan Airport, BOS

Jerry Remy's is a fairly generic sports bar and grille, located in the Boston Logan airport, airside, terminal C.  It is adjacent to the food court with Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, etc, and doesn't have its own bathroom facilities.

I've walked by a number of times, but never stopped in, until July 2019, when I was at the airport far earlier than I needed to be, and decided to check it out.

The staff mostly ignored everyone, and looked like they hated their jobs.  Signs said to seat ourselves, but no one came to give me a menu, or glance my way, for nearly 10 minutes.  They were not thrilled with life.

The menu was full of things that I'd actually love to try, if I had time to dine-in, or if I was at a reputable restaurants, with tempting appetizers like fried calamari, loaded fries, fresh haddock with a panko breading (or fried, fish & chips if you prefer, or as a sandwich), lobster rolls, and more.  The sides sounded good too, onion strings, sweet potato fries, and more.

But alas, I was just grabbing takeout, so opted for my airport standard: a salad, and a dessert.  My order was quickly prepared, and, actually, the food was slightly above airport average (not a high bar, but, still).  I would consider returning.

Caesar Salad. $11.

"Crisp romaine lettuce tossed with house made Caesar dressing, garlic croutons and grated Parmesan cheese."

For my savory item, I got the most takeout friendly thing I could - a salad, Caesar, dressing on the side.

It was a pretty standard Caesar - torn romaine, both hearts and outer leaves, bite sized chunks. Not the most crispy, but not too wilted.  Some thinly shredded Parmesan.  The garlic croutons were far better than I expected, really herby and garlicky, crisp, not stale nor soggy.  Actually my favorite part of the salad, a shocker since they are usually so forgettable at a place like this.

Overall, all basic, standard components, not amazing, but, decent quality.  It beat my expectations.

But I'm all about dressing.  This is key.  I knew it wouldn't have real anchovy, or be great dressing, but I was thrilled it was at least the creamy style, as I loath the more vinaigrette style of Caesar dressing.  It too was decent, flavorful, well seasoned.  And, provided in a really large condiment container, so I had far more than I needed, which, as someone who likes to save her dressings for other uses, I appreciated.

Overall, not bad, slightly above average, and a good size (this was dinner size, a side size is also available). 

Mega Box.

Dessert options are basic: bowl of ice cream, brownie ice cream sundae, cheesecake, or "Seasonal", which, in the middle of summer, turned out to be "Chocolate lava cake".  Not so seasonal.

I went with a slice of cheesecake, a common move when I'm about to get on a plane (like Yankee Pier in SFO where it was decent enough, and Romano's Macaroni Grill in O'hare - where it was not a winner .  Most of these restaurants buy low end ice cream, so that is out (and not very savable for later), and they certainly don't make their own desserts, so cheesecake is actually a fairly safe bet.

I had to laugh at the packaging, the slice was a reasonable size, but the box was the same size as my giant salad.  Guess they don't have multiple size boxes?

NY Style Cheesecake. $8.

The cheesecake was a decent size slice, served entirely unadorned.  No drizzle of caramel, chocolate, or strawberry goo.  No whipped cream.  Just cheesecake.  Which was fine with me, but, a bit surprising.  No effort put in here.

The cheesecake though was actually good.  Creamy and smooth.  Slight hint of lemon.  Fairly standard cheesecake, nothing earth shattering, but, solidly good.

The crust too was quite decent, a thick back and bottom crust.  Not just soggy, or cardboard like.  It wasn't anything special, not super caramelized or anything like that, but, it was a good crust.

Overall, this really was a fine slice of cheesecake, I'd gladly get another, and I wonder who their distributor is.

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Big Gay Ice Cream, NYC

Ice cream.  Soft serve ice cream.  It is kinda my obsession in the summer.  I love it, and, San Francisco just doesn't have much of it, which, kinda makes sense, given that we don't really have what I consider appropriate "ice cream weather".

But for a few months of the year, New York certainly does.  And when I'm there, I take full advantage of this.

I finally made it to Big Gay Ice Cream, a New York staple in the soft serve scene.  It started as an ice cream truck, expanded into a brick and mortar, and now has several locations around town.  It gets a fair amount of hype, partially for the name, partially for the Instagram-worthy creations, partially for the crazy flavors offered from time to time (e.g. Cheetos).

But, it turns out, the soft serve is great.

Setting

Big Gay Ice Cream has several locations in New York, but I visited the West Village location.

Signature Storefront.

It is hard to miss the shop, with its giant unicorn decals, and rainbows everywhere.  Perfect backdrop for your Instagram shots.

Seating.

There isn't much seating inside, but I've never seen people seem to mind, as the sidewalk outside is always filled with people eating amazing looking cones.  I think the crowds help to draw in more customers, as, even if you are unfamiliar with Big Gay Ice Cream, one look at these cones makes you do a double take.

Food

Big Gay Ice Cream serves ice cream, and a few other related items, only.  No savory food.

Menu Board.

The menu is all based around ice cream, mostly soft serve, although they have pre-packaged pints available too (which you can also buy in grocery stores in the area).

Soft serve is available as a standard cup, cone (or upgrade to waffle cone), sundae, or in a shake or float.  Or, as a Speciality Cone, more on this soon.

Flavors are simple: vanilla and chocolate (or twist) are always available, and each week-ish 1-2 additional flavors are offered, which always sound fascinating.

And then, the Speciality Cones.  These are the things of Instagram dreams.  There is the "Salty Pimp", with dulce de leche injected in vanilla soft serve, sea salt, and chocolate dip.  The Rocky Roadhouse, chocolate soft serve base, with all the standard rocky road inspired toppings (marshmallow, almonds, chocolate chips), and of course, chocolate dip holding it all together.  And many more.

Toppings.

Toppings are definitely the stars of the show, ranging from $1 each for things like Nilla Wafers, Peanuts, Pie Crumble, Dark Chocolate Pretzels, or Whipped Cream.  Sprinkles are always free.

More Toppings.

Premium toppings like their slew of sauces and dips, are $2.  The sauce lineup includes several fruity options (strawberry, key lime), several sweet options (dulce de leche, bourbon butterscotch), multiple forms of chocolate (chocolate dip, hot fudge, "awesome sauce"), and more.

You can also opt to put fillings into your cone itself, like peanut butter, biscoff, or nutella.

Cheetos with Cheetos Crumble.

My first visit, Cheetos was the special flavor of the week.

I asked to sample the Cheetos, expecting just to get a little dollop of the soft serve, but was presented with this instead!  "You need to try the whole thing!", the server cheerfully proclaimed.  Yes, Cheetos soft serve with Cheetos crumble toppping.

This was my first taste of Big Gay ice cream, and I was impressed with the texture of the ice cream.  So creamy.

The Cheetos flavor was fascinating, yes, truly tasted like Cheetos, but I couldn't imagine eating an entire cup of this.  I was glad to try, but also glad to move on.

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Cherry Kool-Aid:  My second visit, the special flavor was Cherry Kool-Aid. This flavor was very mild in comparison to the Cheetos.  Vaguely cherry flavored, but, barely.  Not much going on here at all, although texture was good.

Chocolate: Again, perfectly creamy soft serve, texture just perfect.  The chocolate was a mild milk chocolate, a nice flavor and intensity.  Really perfect for a soft serve cone, and, if I was in the mood for chocolate base, I'd gladly get this.

Vanilla Soft Serve / Pie Crumbles / Chocolate Dip.

For my creation, I was met with total indecision.

Big Gay ice cream is known for the chocolate dip, and I was fairly sure I wanted to at least have chocolate dip.

I kinda wanted to try the Salty Pimp, injected with dulce de leche under the chocolate shell.  I loved the sound of the American Globs, with vanilla soft serve, coated in dark pretzels and sea salt, and then coated in chocolate dip.  Sweet, salty, full of texture ... that really called out.  But I couldn't get past one of the topping choices: pie crumble.  Pie!  Crumble!

So I asked if I could modify the American Globs, just with pie crumbles instead of the pretzels.  I was told that sadly, the chocolate dip wouldn't really stick properly on top of pie crumbles, but they could try to sorta drizzle the chocolate over the top, and it would harden ok.  But they couldn't dunk it.  The server was more than willing to do this, but I went back to the drawing board.  

I had a moment of realization that it was 90* out, and I always say that dip is not ok in temperatures like that.  Ice cream melts too fast, and you can't eat it quickly enough with a chocolate shell in the way.  It springs leaks, it makes a mess, it turns frantic ... it is a golden rule of ice cream for me: no dip when the temp is too high!

So I innovated.  I "invented" a half dip.  This solved every problem I had.  I could have the pie crumble on bottom, and the chocolate dip on top!  And this way, I could control the melting.  Perfect.

I was very pleased with this creation.  The vanilla base was just the perfect creamy texture.  Slightly sweet, slightly vanilla flavored, a nice canvas for the toppings.  The chocolate shell was a little above average, not waxy, a nice snap to it, and didn't seem to break apart or spring leaks as easily as many.  And the pie crumble?  Good for texture, but the pie crust nature I was hoping for, more buttery, flaky flavor and texture, wasn't really there.  It was more akin to crushed shortbread cookies, since it was so finely crumbled.

The cone was a very standard cake cone, although the triangle shaped kind (not the flat bottom).  I appreciated the toppings catcher around it.  And I definitely appreciated that the base of the cone was filled with the dark chocolate pretzels (since I did the American Globs on top). 

Overall, I was pleased, and I'd consider this again, or branch out to try something new.

Pie Crumbles & 4th of July Sprinkles.

Oh, and the better part?  My server gave me a box on the side, with more pie crumble, and 4th of July themed sprinkles (it was July 4th when I was there).  "You know you'll want to dip it more while you walk down the street", he said.  

He was right.  This was a bonus that I really appreciated.

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Taiyaki NYC, Boston

Taiyaki NYC.

Trendy.  Instragram worthy.  Now a chain.  As you might guess, most of the locations are in NYC, however they now have locations in Boston, Miami, and Toronto (a very random assortment of cities ...)

And ... yeah, worth a visit.

"Our mission is to unlock a magical exploration of the palette one Taiyaki NYC®  creation at a time."

Taiyaki NYC is known for taiyaki ice cream cones, and in particular, for the fact that they make ones with unicorn horns.  Like I said.  Made for Instagram.

But also, they care about sourcing of ingredients, and about quality.  The taiyaki cones are made fresh throughout the day, the ice cream (soft serve) is made in small batches.  The quality does actually show.

Storefront.

I visited the newly opened Boston location, in the new up-and-coming seaport area.

You can't make this stuff up - there was a weekday farmer's market across the street, and outside free yoga.  The area was hopping, even on a Wednesday night.

Unicorn Taiyaki.

My eyes rolled at the sign out front, almost enough to make me turn away, as I really didn't want to buy into the Instagram nature of this.

Yes, yes, "seas the day", ha ha, and yes, yes, I could get my taiyaki waffle cone with soft serve and a unicorn horn.

Counter Area.

Still, I went in.

Inside was much smaller than I anticipated.

The entire assembly and prep area was behind a counter, with a single register right when you enter, and only a couple seats along the window.  Certainly not somewhere to go when the weather isn't warm, and you'd want to dine in (uh ... they do know about winter, right?)

Menu.

The menu tries to explain everything, and provides plenty of pictures (and a *lot* of words!)

The beverages side teaches you what matcha and hojicha are, and what taro is, and walks you through options for hot or iced lattes, frappes, and a signel type of slush (taro) ... which you can get with a unicorn inflatable float around it.  Don't ask me.

The other area of the menu is the taiyaki cones(and, someday, "coming soon", souffle pancakes).  There are several pre-designed options to pick from (all $8), or you can build your own.

To build your own, you pick your base: cup for $5, waffle cone for $6, or, as nearly everyone does, taiyaki waffle cone for $8.  The taiyaki cone can be optionally stuffed with red bean or custard (not both!)

Then, flavor of ice cream.  This is the area Taiyaki NYC let me down.  I so desperately wanted taro, but also, they make a taro slush, but have no taro soft serve.  I'd fall back on black sesame even, but alas, no.  Instead, your options are basic chocolate or vanilla (or swirl), strawberry or vegan mango (or mango strawberry swirl), or matcha or hojicha (yup, or matcha hojicha swirl).

I've tried them all.  Sadly, I don't love any, but the vanilla is my go-to.  More on this soon.

After you pick your ice cream, you can add an optional syrup (free), caramel, chocolate, strawberry, or condensed milk.

Then, toppings time.  Two are included free, additional are $0.50.  The lineup includes several types of sprinkles (chocolate, rainbow, cotton candy (!), unicorn (!!)), coconut flakes, crushed oreos, graham crumbs, and rice cracker pearls, and then a bunch of things to stick out of it, like skewers of rainbow mochi or wafer sticks.  Oh, and of course, unicorn horns.

I see why they provide some pre-sets, but of course, I had fun making my own.

Taiyaki Mold.

For the uninitiated, taiyaki are molded, baked cakes, shaped like fish (tai).  They are usually baked to order and filled with things like red bean paste or custard.

Taiyaki NYC *does* make traditional taiyaki like this, but, they aren't really known for those.  They are known for the taiyaki cones.

I didn't see any being made, but I believe they make them all day long.

Taiyaki Waffle Cones.

Here you can see a completed cone, a traditional taiyaki shape, but, with an open mouth, hence, making it a cone.

You can get the cone with red bean or custard in the tip (or plain).

Toppings.

And, like any Instagram worthy shop, its all about the toppings too, which I enumerated above.

The staff apply drizzles and shake toppings on over a grill, and I so desperately wanted to just get a bowl filled with all the stuff from that grill - all the goodies!

Matcha hojicha twist (sample).

So, about the flavors.

They are known for the green tea based flavors the most, so I assumed that is what I would get.  I was mostly just trying to pick which one to get, matcha or hojicha, during my daytime visit (since, caffeine).  I'm glad I asked to sample, as it turned out, I didn't care for either.

The hojicha was just too ... uh ... black tea tasting to me?  It tasted like earl grey.  I really didn't like it, but the texture was good.  It looked like black sesame, and that is really what I wanted it to be.

The matcha was ... ok.  Very bitter.  Grainy actually.  Not my style.

Chocolate (sample).

I moved on to the chocolate, still wanting a good "daytime" flavor.

It was ... ok.  Not much interesting about it, really, and a bit grainy too.  I'm kinda picky when it comes to chocolate ice cream, and this just wasn't for me either.

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Strawberry & Vegan Mango.

My next visit was in the evening, and I avoid caffeine at night, and didn't like the chocolate, matcha, and hojicha anyway, but they were out.

I tried the vegan mango flavor, and really disliked it (icy, fake sweet).

I asked to try the strawberry this time, even though I don't generally care for strawberry ice cream.  I wanted something more interesting than vanilla!  It was creamy, good soft serve, but, yes, it was strawberry, and wasn't for me.

Vanilla Soft Serve / Red Bean Filled Taiyaki Cone / Condensed Milk Drizzle / Unicorn Sprinkles / Cotton Candy Sprinkles / Rice Cracker Pearls. $8.

I did a custom creation.

It was a mixed success.

I'll start with the cone, the taiyaki cone, which I got filled with red bean.  The red bean, found down in the tail, was quite good, a sweet, pleasant mash.  It went better with soft serve vanilla that I would have imagined.  I definitely liked the red bean.  But the cone?  Uh ... this was not for me.  Far more eggy that I was expecting, and just not a style I like at all.  Much like Hong Kong egg waffles.  Soft, eggy, no.  But yes it was fun.  I'd have to opt for a waffle cone next time though.

Then, the ice cream.  I had just plain vanilla, since no other flavor suited me (caffeine or fruity flavors I didn't like).  It was good soft serve, great texture, very creamy, rich, good sweetness.  But, alas, plain vanilla.  Still, solid, above average, soft serve, although, as many reviewers note, it did melt far faster than most, and that shocked me, even though I had read these reviews myself (it was night, it wasn't sunny, it wasn't that hot, the waffle cone wasn't fresh and hot ... why did it melt so crazy fast?!)  I'll admit that some enjoyment was taken away by frantically trying to lick it before it melted all over the place.

The toppings are where I had fun.  Sweet condensed milk for my drizzle, which jazzed up the vanilla quite a bit, and made it almost have a hint of dulce de leche flavor.  A great choice.

Then, both unicorn and cotton candy sprinkles, that were crispy, sweet, colorful, and really quite fun.  Really generously applied, and I loved these.  So much better than your standard rainbow sprinkle.  And finally, I added the rice cracker pearls (extra $0.50, or free with Yelp check-in as you can get a third topping free).  They gave it more crunch too, and I was glad I added them.

So, a mixed review, clearly.

Good quality ice cream, although I'd prefer another flavor, and I'd like it to melt less rapidly.  Great red bean filling, but the cone wasn't for me.  Fantastic toppings.

I'd return, opt for a waffle cone, and I'll keep hoping they add more flavors ...

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Red's Best @ Boston Public Market

When I visit the east coast, I love to take advantage of the seafood variety that we just don't have in San Francisco.  Seriously, east coasters, you might know that people rave about Maine lobster, or your clam chowder, but, do you realize how lucky you are to have haddock? Or atlantic cod? Skate wing?  I really, really love, and miss, these proteins.

So when I planned to meet up with a friend after work for dinner in Boston, I had one thing in mind: quality seafood.  The only problem?  After nearly two weeks on the road, I really didn't want to deal with a fancy restaurant.  I just wanted something super casual, where we could hang out, catch up, and have tasty seafood, but no effort required.

For our destination, I thus selected Red's Best.

"Red’s Best is Boston’s neighborhood fish market featuring fresh, local catch from New England fishermen. Located inside the Boston Public Market in downtown Boston we also have a complete menu including a raw bar, grab and go salads and sandwiches, soups and classic, prepared foods. We are your hub for all things seafood."

Red's Best is located inside Boston Public Market, just a few blocks away from Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall, but, way, way, way lower key.  No hoards of people.  No street performers.  But it is filled with an assortment of food stalls, even places to buy fresh produce, but just not ... all the people.  It is peaceful.  Far more what I was looking for.

That said, it is just food stalls, and, although Red's Best sounded like it had a great pedigree, I wasn't quite aware of how little they had in terms of actual kitchen facilities.  There is also no where in the building that sells alcoholic beverages (except the wine shop, but that is just for purchasing bottles), and seating is kinda scattered throughout, which would be great if you were with a group that wanted things from different vendors, but meant there wasn't really a place with nice atmosphere for us to sit.

The highlight of the experience was the very friendly staff at Red's, who took time to recommend things, suggest sauces to add on, and really, were just kinda awesome.

Mediocre Meal.

I wish I could say that I loved this meal, but ... everything was very mediocre.  I think the seafood quality was likely fine, but, nothing was very freshly prepared, not quite what I was expecting.

Fresh Seafood.

Since Red's is actually a seafood market too, they have a counter full of locally caught seafood, for you to take home and prepare.  It all looked fresh.

Ready to Cook Items.

Plus plenty of items that are ready for cooking, like their house made salmon burgers, crab cakes, and stuffed lobster tails.

Grab N Go.

Near the register is an assortment of pre-packaged grab n go meals including a tempting looking kale salad topped with lobster salad (the same portion they put into the lobster rolls), sushi, poke bowls (including a really tasty looking spicy crab version), and packaged soups.

I tried samples of both soups (also served hot and fresh), mostly out of curiosity and future planning, since it was definitely not warm soup weather at the time (it was nearly 90 degrees outside).

The clam chowder was fine, thicker than most, very potato forward.  Hearty, stick to your ribs style.  I didn't find many clams in my little sample.   I didn't really care for how thick and potato-y it was.

The lobster bisque though was fabulous, very very rich, great depth of flavor.  A bisque though, no bits in it.

I was going to purchase a lobster salad topped salad, and asked if it would hold up ok for a day, and the person ringing me up said that normally it would, but pointed at the special mark on the package, which meant ... it was yesterday's product.  He didn't recommend getting that one, and saving it.  This might have been sign of what was to come, not exactly the freshest offerings.

Menu.

The menu is broken into "Red's Favorites" (standards like fish & chips, fish tacos, crab cakes, fried oysters), lobster (steamed), sandwiches (lobster rolls, oyster po' boys, etc), soups, oysters, a single salad (with optional toppings), and a few simple sides.

I was honestly considering many things.  I do love a good crab cake.  People rave about the lobster rolls.  I can't resist a good fish and chips.  And, hard to resist scallops ...

Kitchen.

I ... thought Red's Best had more of a kitchen.  I thought they freshly grilled fish when you ordered the fish of the day grilled.  I thought they freshly fried things.

But ... here you can see the ... kitchen.  A single staff member worked the area, really just assembling dishes from pre-made components.  I thought the food was going to be more freshly made than it sadly was.  Even the fish just came out of a hot box, not actually cooked to order.  This made me very sad to see, once I saw it.

Salmon Burger. $10.

My companion opted for the house made salmon burger, which I had read rave reviews of.

It really was a decent looking patty, thick, well seasoned.  Served on a fairly boring bun, but with a dill (I think?) aioli and arugula.  I think she liked it.  A good value for $10.

Red's Best House Salad with Catch of the Day (Haddock). $8 + $4.

"Chopped romaine, arugula, sliced red peppers, shaved carrots, Old Bay Buttermilk Vinaigrette".

I'm the last one to really order a salad when I go out, but, I ordered it for several reasons.

First, I read a lot of reviews about it.  People really did like the salad, and all claimed it was far better than expected, particularly the mix of veggies.

Second, they *all* rave about the dressing, saying that it turned a good salad into a crave-able salad.  They talk about wanting to go back just for the dressing.  For a dressing lover, of course this was tempting me.

Still, those reasons alone wouldn't make me order the salad.  It was the optional toppings that sealed the deal.  For $4 ($4!) I could add the fish of the day (haddock), or other things like grilled scallops or a crab cake, or other types of fish.

Since I adore haddock, and we don't have it on the west coast, I wanted one more chance to have a great piece of fish.  At this time I thought it would be freshly grilled or roasted to order, and was really, really looking forward to it.

The salad ... was ok.  The base (romaine, arugula, carrots) wasn't very crisp or fresh, and was just pulled out of the fridge.  The sliced red peppers at least still had some snap to them, although again, not freshly cut, and were slightly slimy.  I saved half the salad, but it didn't even hold up until the next day (in the fridge), and was wilted nearly immediately.  I don't think it was very fresh.

The dressing, was ... fine?  Creamy, seasoned, but ... certainly not as life changing as people had made out.

And the fish?  Well, sigh.  Entirely unseasoned.  Dried out.  Pulled out of a hot box.  It was still haddock, but ... the moist, buttery nature of the fish I adore was lost.  I didn't really want it, and honestly, my office cafeteria does a better job of serving mass produced seafood.

Let's just say, I was pretty sad.  Even for the reasonable price, it wasn't worth it.

Side of Lobster Salad. ~$6.

I really did want to try the lobster salad used in the lobster rolls, but I didn't want a lobster roll (I'm a hot with butter, not cold with mayo type).  I also didn't want the day old pre-made salad with kale base, boring dressing, and the lobster salad on top.

So I asked if I could just buy some lobster salad.  It took a little working out, but was no problem in the end.  The cashier quoted me a price per pound, weighed it, and I was ok with the pricing (~$6), although this wasn't that much lobster at all.

It was ... fine?  It was nicely cooked lobster, sure, not rubbery, no shells, and certainly not overdressed (which people either love or hate in the lobster rolls), but ... eh.  I'm glad I didn't opt for this.

I appreciated them selling me a side of it.

Coleslaw. $4.

My companion also got a side of coleslaw, since the sandwiches don't come with anything (no chips even). Everything is a la carte.

She took one bite and immediately starting looking around for salt.  She said it was horribly bland.  She got salt from a nearby vendor (since Red's didn't have any), but even that didn't save it for her.  She found it very bitter, and made me try it.

It was ... yeah, wow.  Flavorless.  It was fresh tasting, crisp, and not overdressed, but insanely lacking any flavor whatsoever.

I almost ordered slaw for myself, so I'm glad I didn't.  Certainly not worth $4.

Onion Rings. $6. (Side of Cherry Pepper Aioli).

For my side, I went for the onion rings, even though I asked the person taking my order how they were, and he immediately said, "well, they used to be great!  We used to make them here, but it was so much work, you have to coat them in buttermilk, and then fry them separate, etc, etc so now we just buy them.  They aren't as good."

I was deflated, but really craving onion rings, so I still ordered them.

The portion was large, and I appreciated the variety of sizes of rings, big ones, small ones, juicy ones.  They were reasonably crispy, although not very warm.  The coating stayed on, but was uninteresting, no real flavor.  They were ... standard.  Fine.  Nothing special, basically as he said they would be.

I asked if they came with anything to dip into, and he told me they had ketchup down on the end in the condiments section, but then, got very excited, and said, "oooh!  you could ask for a side of the CPA!!!"   I looked up quizzically, and he explained that was the "Cherry Pepper Aioli" that they use on other items, and that it would be great.

Since I adore sauces, and aioli, this was a clear "yes!" from me.  It was good, a bit of heat, interesting flavor, although not quite what I actually wanted with my onion rings.  I used it later with sweet potato fries, and then later still with taro chips, and really enjoyed it with those items.  Probably my favorite thing from teh meal

Tartar Sauce.

I also asked for a side of tartar sauce, to dunk my haddock into, and it was fine.  Good bits of things in it, creamy.  Fairly standard tartar sauce.

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Double Chin, Boston

Double Chin is an Asian fusion restaurant in Boston, on the edge of Chinatown, owned by the Chin family (who own several establishments on the street).

"We specialize in Chinese dishes with modern twists—Asian Fusion done right. Here you can find innovative salads and sandwiches but also glorified comfort food classics. "

It gets mediocre reviews, and seems mostly known for a few very Instagram worthy signature dishes, both sweet and savory.  Open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just dessert, and open super late (4am!).

The menu really drew me in, regardless of the lack of glowing reviews.

Spam and Taro Fries?!

The front of the restaurant is plastered in menus with photos, and articles about their goods.  They clearly set out to draw you in. Which worked, on me.

Interior.

And so in I went.  6pm on a Tuesday night, and the restaurant was nearly empty, at least, void of customers.  Uh-oh.

It wasn't empty though - there was a lot crammed into the space.  Like, um, a porch swing.  It felt crowded, even though there was only one occupied table.  Something just felt kinda tacky to me.

Seating.

The tables were clean though, nothing was dirty, but the crowded, cluttered nature left it feeling unclean, in a strange way.

It didn't help that one table was clearly just used by the staff to put down their own person drinks.

Bathroom Stall.

I always say I don't post about bathrooms unless they are interesting, but, this one was interesting!  The stall was filled with what looked like magazine pages, filled with recipes of Asian cuisine.

I can safely say, I've never seen this before.

Food

So, yeah, the menu.  Yes, it drew me in.  Fascinating items like peking duck fries, lobster rangoon, mac and cheese made with wide Chinese rice noodles, waffle fries poutine topped with "kimcheese" ... and don't even get me started on the shaved ice creations, ridiculous mounds of cube toast, and other extremely photographic desserts.  I think many people visit just for dessert.

Spam and Taro Fries. $8.

But I wanted, yes, the signature, totally ridiculous, spam and taro fries.  If you dine-in, they come served in an actual Spam container, standing up, but I got mine to go.

I dug in ... immediately.

Unlike many people, I actually ordered this for the taro fries, more than for the Spam.  I planned to try the Spam fries of course, but I was really excited for the taro fries.

The taro fries let me down.  They ... weren't crispy at all.  Just, soggy kinda, but hard too (although soft inside).  I tried several, I tried dunking them in things, but the texture was just ... wrong.  Honestly, they seemed like they had been cooked way in advance, and warmed up in a microwave or something.  I couldn't get myself to like them, as much as I wanted to.

But the spam fries?  Well, they were ... delicious.  Fried, super greasy, totally unhealthy, porky, salty ... and somehow apparently exactly what I wanted, even if I didn't realize it.  Best dunked in the provided sauces, but I think they'd be great chopped up on a salad or something too.

I wouldn't get this again, but I did really enjoy those spam fries.

Sriracha Aioli.

The fries come served with two dipping sauces, sriracha aioli, and classic Kewpie mayo.  I opened my bag to see only the former.  I turned *right* back around (I literally hadn't even made it out the front door) and asked for my Kewpie mayo.  The staff were friendly, apologized, and quickly filled a container for me. 

The Kewpie mayo I loved for its simplicity and, well, it just is killer mayo.  If you've had it before, you know what I mean.  The spam dunked in it was a nice pairing, greasy/salty/porky with a simple creamy/fatty dip ... it worked.  The taro fries didn't go as well, they wanted something more flavorful to pair.

Like, the sriracha aioli.  It had some slight heat, was perfectly creamy, and went better with the taro fries (although it couldn't save them), and it went well with the spam too.

I really liked both sauces, and I'm not sure which I preferred with the spam.

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