Tag: spring break

Cafe Hopping Abroad

Published on by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

by Hayoung Chang ’18

1

Over spring break, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Singapore for an HCAP conference. Obviously I was most excited about the food and especially a tradition called “cafe hopping.” Considering the fact that cafes are one of my favorite things in the world, I was eager to immerse myself in this particular foodie culture.

To explain a little bit, cafe hopping is when you take a whole morning or afternoon to visit as many cafes as possible and sample each cafe’s best dishes. So think of bar hopping, but replace the booze with brunch essentials and scrumptious desserts. I was in foodie heaven. Thrilled, I embarked on my first gustatory odyssey.

2

Our first stop was a brunch cafe. I ordered a classic: the salmon eggs benedict. The combination of salmon, roe, avocado, asparagus and hollandaise sauce was genius, to say the least. My taste buds were inundated by the creamy richness of the avocado and salmon, the tart explosions of the roe and the crunchy softness of the toast. Cafe hopping stop 1: 10/10.

3

The next stop was: you guessed it, another brunch cafe. With two brunches in one day, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. This time, I ordered poached eggs over a potato puree and hash browns with a side of roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus and caramelized onions. As you can see from the photo, the egg was cooked to the ideal consistency for drizzly perfection. Washing it all down with a sip of coffee, I was in a stellar mood. Another jackpot brunch. Cafe hopping stop 2: 10/10.

4

Feeling pleasantly and smugly full, we headed to our last stop: a dessert cafe. Feeling ambitious, we ordered a cheesecake, brownie and an iced latte. The coffee was an ice cold relief to all the walking in the hot Singapore weather. The cheesecake and brownie were average. The consistency of both desserts were slightly too dense for me, but still a superb combination with the latte. Perhaps the bar had been raised after the two stellar brunches. But the hip atmosphere of the cafe made up for it. The murals added a lazy artistic vibe. The perfect spot for some light reading on a Sunday afternoon.

Overall, cafe hopping was a huge success. I would highly recommend to any foodie that is planning on traveling to Singapore!

Spring Break Slushies

Published on by The Crimson CraveLeave a comment

With only one week to go before spring break, I’m sure all of us (21+!) could really use a drink right now.  Or, you know, after we finish our midterms and papers.  Once you arrive at the end of the tunnel that is this Friday, you’ll have really earned it! If you’re looking to celebrate with something other than the classic Border strawberry margs, why not make your own alcoholic slushie?

Whether you are going somewhere tropical and warm, or staying here (which is also surprisingly pretty temperate), these easy-to-make, raspberry and gin slushies will leave you feeling refreshed and relaxed.

 

You’ll need:

  • A blender
  • 2 1/2 cups ice cube
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cup(s) sparkling water
  • 1/2 cup gin
  • 6 to 8 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on the sweetness of your berries and your sweet tooth)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 10 ounces fresh raspberries, frozen

DSC_0022.jpg

Directions:

  1. In a blender, combine ice, sparkling water, gin, sugar, lime juice, and frozen raspberries.
  2. Blend until thick and smooth.
  3. Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Note: this recipe makes 6 standard drinks and can easily be doubled (or tripled, depending on how rough your midterms were this week).

Recipe courtesy of Joy the Baker.

Dine Out Boston: Starter Kit

Published on by br126Leave a comment

By Bovey Rao ’19

The city of Boston is a great place to find an eclectic and engaging dining experience. Home to some of the oldest restaurants in America–and some of the hippest new bars–, Boston has a diverse and incredible food scene for any palette and budget. From March 6-11 and 13-18, 2016, Boston will offer its hungry masses two weeks of good-eating. It’s called Dine Out Boston (formerly called Restaurant Week), an event organized by the city of Boston with the goal to make restaurant dining more economical for two mouth-watering weeks. Enjoy two or three course meals at some of Boston’s finest restaurants (Lunch $15/$20/$25, Dinner $28/$33/$38). While I encourage looking through all 169 restaurants participating, here are some of my recommendations.

Note: You are strongly encouraged to make a reservation at the restaurant, whether by calling, booking through OpenTable, or using the Dine Out website.

 

I Sea Food – Boston’s prime location (i.e. by the Atlantic Ocean) means that fresh seafood is always close and convenient, so don’t miss out!

afco-slide21
Photo Courtesy of Atlantic Fish Company
  • Atlantic Fish Company – 761 Boylston Street, Lunch: $25
  • Mare – 135 Richmond Street, Dinner: $33
  • SELECT Oyster Bar – 50 Gloucester Street, Lunch: $25
  • Union Oyster House* – 41 Union Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
  • Oceanaire Seafood Room – 40 Court Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38

Best of the North End – The Historic North End is known nationally for its authentic Italian food, and some of their best restaurants are participating this year:

terramiabeetsalad
Photo Courtesy of Terramia Ristorante
  • Bricco – 241 Hannover Street, Dinner: $33
  • Mamma Maria – 3 North Square, Dinner: $38
  • Nico – 417 Hannover Street, Dinner: $38
  • Terramia Ristorante – 98 Salem Street, Dinner: $33
  • Tresca – 233 Hanover Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38

Italian outside the North – While the North End boasts some pretty impressive Italian fare, other exceptional Italian joints are scattered all over Boston.

out
Photo Courtesy of Scampo
  • Da Vinci – 162 Columbus Avenue, Dinner: $38
  • Davio’s – 75 Arlington Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $38
  • Grotto – 37 Bowdoin Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $33
  • Scampo – 215 Charles Street, Lunch: $25

Je Suis Francais – French food has a strong showing this year, with many past and current winners of Best French Boston participating in Dine Out Boston.

twfood
T.W. Food Photo Courtesy of Boston Magazine
  • Bastille Kitchen – 49 Melcher Street, Dinner: $38
  • Bistro du Midi – 272 Boylston Street, Dinner: $38
  • Gaslight – 560 Harrison Avenue, Dinner: $33
  • T.W. Food – 377 Walden Street, Dinner: $38
  • La Voile – 261 Newbury Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $38
  • Ma Maison – 272 Cambridge Street, Lunch: $20 Dinner: $33

Something’s at Steak – Do you have a beef with someone? Resolve it at one of the many great steakhouses in Boston!

bg_steak_0861
Photo Courtesy of Grill 23
  • Boston Chops – 1375 Washington Street, Dinner: $38
  • Capital Grille – 900 Boylston Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
  • Grill 23 & Bar – 161 Berkley Street, Dinner: $38
  • STRIP by Strega – 64 Arlington Street, Lunch: $20, Dinner: $38

Somewhere Beyond the Sea – Other countries exist besides Italy and France, I promise, and they have delicious offerings as well.

24dinpic17
Bronwyn Photo Courtesy of Boston Magazine
  • Bronwyn – German, 255 Washington Street, Dinner: $33
  • Oishii Boston – Japanese, 1166 Washington Street, Lunch: $20/$30
  • Q Restaurant – Chinese (Hotpot), 660 Washington Street, Lunch: $20, Dinner: $33
  • Estragon – Spanish, 700 Harrison Avenue, Dinner: $33

‘Murica has Food Too! – Why is it so hard to describe American food…?

bospar-omni-parker-house-food-12
Photo Courtesy of Parker’s
  • Courtyard Restaurant – 700 Boylston Street, Lunch: $20
  • Kitchen – 560 Tremont Street, Dinner: $28
  • Parker’s** – 60 School Street, Lunch: $25 Dinner: $38

Nearby Dining – If you feel like leaving Harvard Square is too much of a chore, fear not! A number of restaurants nearby are participating.

monkfish-sandwich_crop-562x295
Photo Courtesy of Henrietta’s Table
  • Beat Brasserie – 13 Brattle Street, Lunch: $25
  • Grafton Street – 1230 Mass Avenue, Dinner: $28
  • Harvest – 44 Brattle Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $38
  • Henrietta’s Table- 1 Bennett Street, Lunch: $25, Dinner: $33
  • Park Restaurant – 59 JFK Street, Dinner: $28
  • Rialto – 1 Bennett Street, Dinner: $38
  • Russell House Tavern- 14 JFK Street, Dinner: $28
  • Temple Bar- 1688 Massachusetts Avenue, Dinner: $28
  • Toscano Harvard Square – 47 Charles Street, Lunch: $20, Dinner: $38

 

*One of the oldest restaurants in America with frequent visits from presidential candidates.

** Original creator of the Boston Cream Pie