food

Boston Public Market: It’s Open!

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cider vinegar bottles at Boston Public MarketYesterday, I went on a food blogger tour and got a preview of Boston Public Market. I had the best time!

Today, Boston Public Market is officially open for business! More than 37 vendors are located at this permanent indoor market at the corner of Hanover Street and Congress Street.

It’s actually in the same building with the Registry of Motor Vehicles and is easy to get to by taking the T to Haymarket.

We are very lucky to have this market in Boston. It’s the only one of its kind in the whole country! Here’s a little more information about the market.

The Boston Public Market is a permanent, year-round, self-sustaining market featuring fresh, locally sourced food brought directly to and from the diverse people that make up Massachusetts and New England. At the Boston Public Market, farmers, fishermen, and food producers from Massachusetts and throughout New England offer the public a year-round source of fresh, local food and an opportunity to taste, buy, and understand what our region has to offer. The market houses over 35 vendors selling locally produced items such as farm-fresh produce, meat and poultry, eggs, milk and cheese, fish and shellfish, bread and baked goods, flowers, and an assortment of specialty and prepared foods.

The Boston Public Market is the only locally sourced market of its kind in the United States. Everything sold at the Market is produced or originates in New England. The Market is a civic resource, educating the public about food sources, nutrition, and preparation.

Getting Your Falafel Fix In Boston: Pita

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Picture of the front door, signage and street of Pita, a restaurant located in the South End area of Boston, that sells falafel.I love falafel far more than it loves me. Hummus is one of my favorite things to spread on a sandwich or use as a dip for a chip.

Chickpeas can do a number on my stomach, but I can’t resist them or foods made with them. So I have to eat them in moderation. Considering the health benefits and my love for them, it’s a shame that I cannot eat chickpeas to my heart’s content. But alas, it cannot be so.

So when I decide to treat myself to some falafel and more, I have found a place that gets it right every time: Pita.

While working in the Financial District, I used to go just around the corner from my building to Pita on Summer Street.

This week, I was meeting someone for lunch and she suggested we go to Pita on Albany Street in the South End. It’s right on the corner of Union Park Street and there is a cute little park across the street.

You can sit and look at the nice plants and flowers, while enjoying eating your meal outdoors in this lovely summer weather.

Colorful close up picture of daisies growing outside, from the park where I ate my falafel.There is metered parking in the area, if you are driving. So bring a few quarters. But be careful. I drove down Albany Street from Mass. Ave. and was not sure of the exact location.

If you are driving in that direction, turn around before you get to the corner of Union Park. If you don’t, you can get swept up in traffic.

I should have taken the left at the light to make the loop around to get back on Albany. Instead I ended up back on the Expressway! Not fun! At least I didn’t end up on the Pike!

Anyway, the food at Pita is delicious and reasonably priced. For lunch, I ordered a small side of tabouli, which is a very generous portion. I added two falafel to that and I was all set for my meal.

The one down side was the Moroccan mint tea, which was just okay. Not sure that I’d order it again. Other places where I have ordered it, you get a vary large portion and it is very minty and sweet. This was neither.

I tried taking a picture of my meal, but it was so sunny and there was such a glare that I couldn’t even see to take it. Anyway, I highly recommend Pita and know that I’ll be going again!

So Delicious Dairy Free Frozen Desserts: A Taste Test

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So Delicious Dairy Free Frozen DessertsSoooo, this taste test. It wasn’t planned. But I found myself trying several flavors of So Delicious Dairy Free frozen desserts over the weekend and decided to blog it. Because why not?

I visited a few stores and kept noticing an ever expanding array of So Delicious Dairy Free products. I had no idea this brand included so many varieties of frozen treats! I definitely plan to try more. Especially with the weather heating up over the past few days. It hit 90 degrees in the Boston area for the first time this summer!

A few years ago, I had eliminated a great deal of dairy from my diet. First eliminating milk, then trying dairy free cheeses and making my own dairy free ice cream.

Since yesterday was National Ice Cream Day, I had ice cream on my mind. But recently I’ve realized that I’ve added a lot of dairy back into my diet. I love it, but feel like I need to dial it back a bit.

Since I don’t eat most meat, much of my protein comes from cheese and yogurt. I bought some dairy free cultured, but haven’t tried it yet. So let’s get to the taste test.

The first of the frozen desserts that I tried was the Creamy Cashew Cashew Milk. Hands down it was my favorite. Cashews are one of my favorite nuts. The texture and taste were perfect. I will definitely buy this again and try more of the cashew milk products.

Next up, the Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk. The texture wasn’t as creamy as I would like and the flavor was kind of bland. It wasn’t bad, but I don’t think I’ll buy it again.

The last that I tried was the Vanilla Almond Milk. The texture was very good, but again, the flavor was kind of bland. I think I’d try this product line again, but in a different flavor. The butter pecan looks like a good one.

So there you have it! If you’re looking for some dairy free frozen treats, you can definitely find one that you like. Just sample a few.

Happy Monday to you and stay cool!

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Tatte Bakery and Cafe: A Favorite Place

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Tatte bakery signFive years ago, I blogged about finding one of the best bakeries in the world.

Since then, Tzurit Or, the founder and owner of Tatte has expanded to five locations, including the newest space on Charles Street on Beacon Hill.

Tatte Bakery nutboxes

Being at Tatte Bakery is like stepping into a little piece of heaven. If heaven has a bakery. Everything is pleasing to the eye and the palate.

I had never seen anything like a nut box before. Aren’t they beautiful?

That high level of detail and perfection flows through each location and even the Instagram feed. While baked goods and desserts are the specialty, you can also buy food to eat in or take out. Tatte Bakery also caters. I’d like that for an event!

Tatte Bakery rows of nutboxesI told two co-workers about Tatte Bakery and we visited one day after work. Sitting outside in the warm summer air and enjoying the beauty of Beacon Hill is a perfect way to wind down.

Beacon Hill There are so many choices of what to eat, but I decided on a cherry clafoutis. It was so good, I gasped out loud. Not exaggerating here.

cherry clafoutis at Tatte BakeryI’d like to try and make a cherry clafoutis at home. I’ve been buying a lot of cherries recently and now have a recipe, so maybe it will happen. For now, I will savor the memory.