Dining Out: East Coast Grill

Before going out to dinner last night I checked the blog a few times because I couldn't believe I had never written about East Coast Grill. The restaurant is located in the heart of Inman Square, the neighborhood my father worked in for nearly 20 years and where I lived for my first two years post-college. I have dined there countless times.

I love the East Coast Grill. I love the vibe, which you get as soon as you walk by. The signage boasts Dixie BBQ and a "powerful" raw bar:

We had a great view of these signs as we waited outside for a table for over an hour. Since it was Friday night I expected a wait, but we were definitely starving by the time we were seated at 8:30pm.

We were seated on the left side of the restaurant in a nice booth. On the divider between us and the table on the other side was an array of hot sauces - a sign of things to come.

The friends I was dining with had never been to East Coast Grill before and were overwhelmed by all the great choices on the menu. While we tried to make some decisions, our waitress brought us some house made pickles to much on.

We started off with some drinks. There was a beer special for the Mexican beer Tecate, which one of my friends ordered and I ordered the Raspberry Rum Lime Rickey. One of my favorite parts of eating at the East Coast Grill is that every drink comes with a neon plastic animal - alligators, monkeys, camels, sharks. When our drinks arrived they had no animals! I said to the waitress, "Excuse me, can we please have our animals?" She looked stunned and said, "Sure, I can get you some." I was so surprised because every other table that received drinks after us (I was watching) had animals in their drinks. No sure what the disconnect was there, but glad it got remedied. Here are our drinks after they received the proper garnish:

To start, my friends ordered the Thai Style Crispy Lobster, which was a special appetizer that night. They said it was perfectly crisp and that the flavor combination of the accompaniments on the plate was superb.

For dinner, someone tried another one of the specials, the Jerk Grilled Atlantic Swordfish which came with papaya salsa, avocado and tomato salad and garlic fried yuca. He could not stop raving about how amazing his entire meal was.

Across from me, a friend ordered the Uncle Bud's Trio Platter which came with pulled pork, pork ribs, brisket, corn bread, cole slaw and a slice of watermelon.

I had what is indisputably the best vegetarian offering in the entire city of Boston. East Coast Grill's "All Vegetable Experience of the Day" is literally every vegetable side dish they serve in the restaurant, all on one plate. Mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, rice and beans, grilled vegetables, plantains, garlic greens, avocado and tomato salad, corn bread and of course, a slice of watermelon. There is absolutely no way one person can finish this. Probably not even two or three people. Makes for some nice leftovers!

Though our waitress offered to show us the dessert menu, we were entirely too full.

East Coast Grill is an awesome place for a group dinner. I've been with as many a six people and it's always more fun when you can order a few plates and pick off each other's selections. East Coast Grill also makes parking easy with their own $5 lot across the street.

For those who like hot and spicy food, you should also know that East Coast Grill hosts an event a few times a year called "Hell Night." On these nights you have to sign a waiver before dining and then you can sample food that is designed to test your heat tolerance. It's basically the "Fear Factor" of food.

If you've never been, absolutely check out East Coast Grill at 1271 Cambridge Street in Inman Square in Cambridge.

Grey's Anatomy: Trials

Tonight's episode of Grey's Anatomy left me . . . dissatisfied. I didn't really laugh or cry, two reactions Grey's can normally trigger for me with its best written episodes. However, I will say, Shonda set us up for some great potential plot lines.

First, Meredith tampers with the Alzheimer's trial to ensure Adele gets the medication instead of the placebo. I am calling it right now, she will get discovered and Derek will divorce her. I suppose it's more a break up than a divorce, since a post-it is not really a marriage license. He will be furious with her for jeopardizing his career. Do you agree with my prediction?

I felt incredibly sad for Scott Foley's character, Henry, this episode. Just as he and Teddy were getting into a flirty routine, she gets back with the crisis therapist! Remember him? He was the one who had to clear each Seattle Grace doctor after the shooting, to approve their mental stability. I am happy for Teddy, but heartbroken for Henry!

What did you think of the Dr. Stark story line this week? He was wonderful to Arizona, but ice cold to Dr. Kepner. I still picture him as John Cage from Ally McBeal, so it's hard for me to take him seriously as a jerk.

I am curious to see how they move forward with Alex and his plan to treat the group of African children.

Next week's episode is going to center around Callie and Arizona's wedding. Here is a preview photo:

What did you think of tonight's episode?

Dining Out: Posto

A few weeks ago I read a review of new Davis Square spot, Posto, on one of my favorite blogs, the Economical Eater. That same day I made a dinner date with one of my favorite girls who lives in Inman Square. She doesn't have a car, so we try to meet at places near T stops. Posto seemed like a perfect suggestion.

Tonight we met at the restaurant at 6:30pm. Since the weather was so gorgeous Posto had their floor to ceiling windows open. I smiled with glee. I absolutely love that first week of spring when you can finally open the windows, restaurants included!

Once we walked inside we were greeted by a friendly host who had an adorable flirtation with my friend. All the tables in the windows were taken, so he walked us to a table for two right in front of the pizza oven. We had a great view of all the pizzas going in and out of the fiery oven.

A few moments after being seated our waiter came to greet us carrying a Post0 branded, glass bottle of water. I love when restaurants brand their presentation like this!

The waiter handed us menus and dove right into describing some of their specialty drinks. We decided to each start with a glass of the Sangria Noir. My dinner date said, "I already like the idea of this drink more just because it says Noir." Touche.

When the Sangria Noir arrived, we both frowned when we noticed it didn't have any fresh fruit in it or as a garnish on the rim of the glass. However, when we took our first sips, those frowns turned upside down! The sangria was fantastic! No fruit needed!

As we mulled over the menu, we snacked on these gravity defying breadsticks. I thought they were stale, but my dinner date loved them. In fact, when we finished our first batch she asked for more. She even grabbed another one from the bar on our way out the door!

To start we decided to share an appetizer that the waiter recommended, the lemon arancini. They arrived, four to a bowl, over piping hot tomato sauce. When you cut into the arancini ball you could smell the lemon. It was intoxicating. At the center of the arancini ball was house made mozzarella cheese. These were superb! I could have eaten ten more!

For dinner, my friend ordered the Maine crab tortellini. She said it was the right amount of seafood flavor. In fact, her direct quote was, "It's not too crabby." Ha! She liked the pea brodo served with the pasta and said she felt satisfied, but not too full, the way pasta dishes can sometimes leave you feeling.

I decided to order the Bianco pizza which was a symphony of cheeses, garlic, basil, lemon zest and baby arugula. I don't know what it is, but I love arugula on pizza. This particular pizza was outrageously delicious! The cheese was ooey gooey good, the arugula was fresh and each piece had the perfect amount of lemon and garlic. I stopped at half so I could eat the other half for lunch tomorrow!

Somewhere in the middle of our entrees we decided to order a second round, this time the strawberry margarita. Our waiter brought the cocktail shaker right to our table and poured the margaritas into martini glasses at the table. He told us when we ordered them that the drink tastes like strawberry lemonade and he was right! I could drink this cocktail every single night. It tasted like candy, which is exactly how I like my alcohol.

After boxing up my pizza, our waiter brought us the dessert menu. Though they had some great offerings: sorbet, tiramisu, chocolate torte and more, we weren't in the mood and passed.

As we walked out, I couldn't help but notice the fun bar set up and the countless bottles of wine decorating the wall behind the bar. Next time we will sit there!

I loved Posto! I was thrilled to see they open their windows in the nice weather, our waiter was excellent, the drinks were phenomenal and the food was terrific! I can't wait to go back and test our more menu items!

Additional great news, the manager stopped by our table to ask how we were enjoying our meal and he told us that they ordered a mobile pizza oven and a food truck! They are taking their culinary creations on the road and you can book the truck for private events. Um. Yes, please!

Visit Posto at 187 Elm Street in Davis Square in Somerville.

Gossip Girl: Pretty In Pink

Hello, my Upper East Siders! Sincere apologies for leaving you recap-less last week! Have no fear, I am back in GG action!

I could waste time talking about this new Charlie girl or Reina's search for her long lost mother, but I would rather obsess over the gorgeous fashion on display at the pink party! Didn't that whole scene make you want to throw a pink party of your own? Rose colored champagne, sugary confections and one incredible dress after another!

I lust for Lily's bright pink, fitted, one should number. Did you notice in the back, the thin strap coming off the one shoulder? Delicate and stunning.

I also loved Serena's textured mini dress. Though couldn't she have paused to brush her hair?

My absolute favorite dress was Blair's. She looked like those cupcake dolls I used to see commercials for as a kid. The cupcake wrapper turned inside out to become the skirt of a beautiful doll. Remember?

I adore Blair and Louis together. His French accent makes me melt. I love that he sent her shoes! Do you think they will last? Is Blair just using Louis to get over Chuck?

In previews for next week's episode Blair faces off against Louis' disapproving family and it's Chuck vs. Louis in a fight for Blair's heart. Yes, please!

90210: Hysteria

To my loyal 90210 recap readers, my sincere apologies for not writing about last week's spring return of our favorite teen soap! I was in Miami at my parents' house and sadly, they do not have DVR, making it impossible for me to bring you the recap in a timely manner. However, this week, I am back in action!

Let's start with Ivy and Raj. Though I completely agree with Ivy that Raj faking his own drowning was uncool, I was thrilled to see her get back in the water! Did you notice the song playing during the surf competition? One of my favorites - "The Seed" by the Roots!

I hope Ivy does get sponsored by Hurley and gets to travel the world. What do you think Raj's diagnosis will be when he finally goes to the doctor for his check up?

How painful was it to watch Silver in her manic state? That blood red hair color was blinding and her incessant voicemails for the NYU alum? Yikes! I wonder how much longer she'll be in this crazed dimension before she (or Navid) realizes something is up.

I feel badly for Annie that just as she was starting to develop a sincere friendship with Marla, it was revealed how sick she may really be. When Annie found those pamphlets at the end of the episode my heart sank. Will the writers goes cheesy on us and have Annie "save" Marla's will to live?

Last, but certainly not least, I loved the Naomi and Max story line this week. It was fun to see Naomi in a jealous fit of rage. You knew Max really cared for her when he took her answer during the competition over his teammate. Though she was wrong and cost him the title, he still wanted to be with her. How cute was it in the final scene when they are walking down the hall, him in the black Gucci shirt and her in his "Geology Rocks" t-shirt? Love.

In previews for next week's episode it looks like many of the supporting cast members return - Aunt Becky, Laurel and Mr. Matthews.

See you next week at West Bev!

Listen: Adele on NPR

It's no secret that I love Adele. Her new album "21" has single handedly mended my broken heart. I was thrilled to discover that she recently participated in NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series. She performed three songs: "Someone Like You", "Chasing Pavements" and "Rolling in the Deep".



"Someone Like You" gives me goosebumps every time and I don't need to tell you how amazing "Rolling in the Deep" is, it speaks for itself.

As you can see from this video, Adele is 100 percent pure talent. No recording studio tricks, just an incredible, natural voice. I love how she closes her eyes when she is really feeling the lyrics.

Adele is performing in Boston on Sunday May 15th at the House of Blues. If you were lucky enough to get tickets (they are sold out), enjoy what is sure to be a positively magnificent live performance.

New Discovery: Outstanding In The Field

A few weeks ago one of my coworkers (who is a super foodie) shared a website with me for a company called Outstanding in the Field. The "About Us" section of their website reads:

"Outstanding in the Field is a roving culinary adventure – literally a restaurant without walls. Since 1999 we have set the long table at farms or gardens, on mountain tops or in sea caves, on islands or at ranches. . . Ingredients for the meal are almost all local (sometimes sourced within inches of your seat at the table!) and generally prepared by a celebrated chef of the region. After a tour of the site, we all settle in: farmers, producers, culinary artisans, and diners sharing the long table."

This seems to me like a perfect opportunity for Boston chef, Will Gilson, owner and chef at Garden at the Cellar in Cambridge. He has always put a supreme emphasis on local food.

If you aren't already in love with the idea of attending one of these dinners, check out these amazing photos of their events:

How gorgeous is this? If you are interested in attending one of Outstanding in the Field's dinners, check out their upcoming schedule here.

There is only one caveat: price. Each of the events I clicked on started at $200 per person. Save your pennies so you can experience this celebration of local beauty!

*All images courtesy of the Outstanding in the Field website.

Spotted: Ted Baker Dress

Those who read the blog regularly know that I am a huge fan of Ted Baker. I can't walk on Newbury Street without popping into the store and each time I receive an email from Ted, the clothes take my breath away.

I recently received an email with a few new dresses and this one in particular caught my eye:

With wedding season upon us I am always looking for new, chic cocktail dresses for wedding-related events. I love the delicate, scalloped top, the empire waist and the body-hugging skirt. Yes, please!

Fashionistas, where have you found great dresses for wedding season?

Read: Water For Elephants

I do my best reading while on vacation. During a typical work week I am so preoccupied and overwhelmed that the concept of "leisure reading" feels like a joke. Reading on vacation allows my the brain space to digest and savor great writing.

On this trip to Miami I decided to read "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. When I went to see the movie "The Adjustment Bureau" a few weeks ago there was a preview from the film version of "Water for Elephants." I had heard great things about the book and became instantly determined to read it before the movie hit theaters April 22nd. Well, mission accomplished!

I read "Water for Elephants" in two days. I couldn't put it down! It was so unlike anything I had read before. The book tells the story of Jacob Jankowski, a young man about to take his final exams in veterinary school, when he learns his parents have both died in a car accident. With no family or home to return to (it gets possessed by the bank), Jacob has to start again in the midst of an extreme tragedy.

On the search for answers, Jacob finds himself aboard a circus train (the story takes place in 1931). The story is as much about Jacob's life with the circus as it is an homage to the history of the circus in depression era America. At times I felt I was reading an incredibly detailed memoir and other times, an engaging history book.

Most of the story is told in flashbacks to Jacob's first year with the circus. However, there are a few chapters that take place in present day when Jacob is ninety three and living in a nursing home. He is prompted to share these stories from his youth when a circus sets up camp outside his nursing home.

Author Sara Gruen is a beautifully descriptive writer. Though I pictured the three main characters as the actors who are going to the play them in the movie (Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz), I could clearly hear, smell, taste and feel everything she described.

The story is painfully real, both emotionally and physically. Though this is not a happy story, it's impossible to turn away.

As you know, the book is always better than the movie, so be sure to read "Water for Elephants" before you see the film! Also, the newest addition of the paperback includes a fascinating Q&A with the author and book club questions!

Have you read "Water for Elephants"? What did you think?

Explore: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Part II)

The Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is my absolute favorite place in all of Miami. From the very first time I visited I fell in love with it and I try to go back every time I visit. While in Miami this week I realized my grandma, who was also in town for Passover, had never been to the garden! My mom and decided we had to take her.

Fairchild is a great place to take your grandparents because they have a guided tram ride that takes you all over the garden with a driver who describes the plants, flowers, trees and artwork you are seeing as you drive by. The tram leaves every hour on the hour between 10:00am - 3:00pm. Not a step of walking required!

We took the 11:00am tram ride, just before the sun gets too hot. Though I have been on the tram ride at least three times before, each driver has their own tour style and often points out different things. Additionally, the art work being displayed in the garden has changed since my last visit.

Currently the works of Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne are punctuating the exceptional landscape of the garden.

Please excuse the angles of some of these photos, as I was shooting them out of the side of the moving tram!

One of the first highlights of the tram tour is the rainbow eucalyptus tree. The bark looks like it's been scribbled on by an army of kindergartners with crayons!

The first two sculptures we saw were the golden apple and the hungry bear. I love this apple! If I had a Manhattan apartment I'd put this on display for all to see!

Next we saw a flock of sheep which looked so natural at first, you had to squint to realize they weren't real!

I liked this dinosaur-like fountain and wished we could have gotten closer to it.

If you didn't look carefully you might have missed this noble owl standing at attention.

There was also a very whimsical rabbit, which reminded me of the rabbit in "Alice and Wonderland." I was waiting for him to jump to life!

This gorilla was also fun. Not to worry, I got a romantic shot with him later, after the tram ride.

I also loved this jade colored fish sculpture, which had a hollowed out center. I would have loved to meet the artist and hear why the fish has an exposed center.

There was also a giant duck, floating in the lake at the entrance of the garden. From the tram ride, you could only see him through the roots of a tree.

After all the Lalanne pieces we saw, my absolute favorite was the gold buck. He is located in the center of three long reflecting pools, which are my favorite look out point in the whole garden. He was so majestic it was breathtaking.

There were other sculptures, not part of the Lalanne exhibit that I also loved. I couldn't help but chuckle at this sculpture of a man looking up at the gorgeous trees.

There is also a sculpture of one of the garden's founding botanists, who we learned lived to be 108 years old!

On the plant side of things, I was struck by the beauty of these fan shaped leaves:

While zooting around we also saw a few Ibis birds. Our tram driver told us the Ibis is a fierce bird, which is the last species to leave before a hurricane. In fact, the Ibis is the mascot of the University of Miami hurricanes!

Here is the view out of the tram as we approached the end of the tour:

As we walked toward the exit I noticed that the staff drive around in little golf carts that are solar powered! How cool!

I also spotted a little friend on the stake of one of the information plaques:

If you travel to Miami, the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden must make it on to your sight seeing list! Check out my post from a previous visit to see more incredible plants, flowers, trees and art work.