Food

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream, Where Art Thou?

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For my birthday, Jonathan surprised me with a pumpkin pie ice cream brownie cake. Unfortunately, we finished it before I remembered to take a photo. But Jonathan has refused to share with me where he got the pumpkin pie ice cream! I have googled “Boston pumpkin pie ice cream” and nothing has come up… sad face.

For those of you who might not know, I LOVE everything pumpkin - pumpkin pie, pumpkin ale, pumpkin with pork, pumpkin cheesecake, etc. I wish pumpkin could stick around year-round!

So, if you happen to know which restaurant in Boston serves pumpkin pie ice cream, please send me a message - you might even receive a prize!

A Sushi Lover's Rant (Boston Edition)

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My girlfriend (@militzazik) and I were planning a lunch date via text, and when she suggested “Organic sush,” I immediately replied, “No. If you’re referring to Genki Ya.” So, she let me choose.

So what is my problem?

THERE ARE NO GOOD SUSHI PLACES IN BOSTON! (I wish I could triple underline that for even more emphasis…)

I love sushi. (Maybe even a bit obsessed considering I was a nigiri this past Halloween…) I have explored so many sushi places, but there are none in this whole city that I am crazy about! The In-N-Out effect, as you West-Coasters know - is the feeling that you just got to have it. And there is no sushi restaurant in Boston that embodies the In-N-Out effect… It’s so disappointing!

Just to prove that I am not over-exaggerating, I am going to list all the sushi restaurants that I have been to so that:

  • A. people don’t judge me for being narrow-minded (aka not having enough data points)
  • B. people can suggest sushi restaurants that I have not been to yet
  • C. to show how wrong Yelp can be…*

So here’s my list after being in Boston for almost 4 school years:

  1. Douzo
  2. O Ya
  3. Genki Ya
  4. Basho
  5. Fish Market
  6. Fin’s
  7. Fugakyu
  8. Ginga
  9. Maluken
  10. Kayuga
  11. Hana Sushi
  12. Blue Fin
  13. Masa’s
  14. Symphony Sushi
  15. Minado (buffet doesn’t really count…)
  16. Some others that I don’t remember because they were that noteworthy…

*Please note that I am basing my judgements on SUSHI (sashimi, nigiri, etc.), NOT ROLLS (Philadelphia rolls? wtf…). And that’s why you find so many of these restaurants rated so highly on Yelp - because people review these places for their exotic/non-Japanese rolls… with cream cheese. It really frustrates me when I’m looking for a sushi place on Yelp, because if these are the highly rated ones, then I wouldn’t even consider the even lower rated ones!

I do admit that I enjoy going back to Douzo, but that’s ONE… in ALL of Boston. Oishii, Uni, and Shiki are still on my list to try, but fusion/contemporary sushi should be in its own category.

I suppose people find me a bit extreme, but I have such a passionate love for this cuisine. You can find great Japanese food like donburi and seaweed salad in Boston, but great sushi? Difficult. This is a public plea for help - do you have any other sushi restaurant recommendations?

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Update Jan. 27, 2015

Since writing this article, I have been to a few more sushi places including my new favorite, Cafe Sushi, but even then, it's hit or miss (for the first time in my life, I found a bone in my sashimi... yes, this happened at Cafe Sushi). Unfortunately, I am still on the search, but maybe it's time I learn to cut my own fish.

Steamed Cheeseburgers Are a Thing!

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Steamed cheeseburger and home fries @ Ted’s Restaurant in Meriden, CT

STEAMED cheeseburger?! Yes indeedy! The steamed cheeseburger is a regional thing in central Connecticut. Invented in the 1900s, the steamed burger came to be because there was a huge health craze - everybody wanted everything steamed. So why not a burger… and the cheese! The burger and the cheese are placed into little metal trays, which then sit in the steamer. Once ready, add the toppings and walah, steamed cheeseburger to your liking! I’m guessing the steaming craze didn’t stick around since you don’t find steamed burgers often outside of Connecticut.

So what does it taste like? The burger patty tastes like cooked ground meat, but it’s still juicy and tender. The steamed cheese is the true winner though. Melted, flavorful goodness. I now wish every cheeseburger was made with steamed cheese!