Boston Happy Hours

One of the things that I love about leaving Boston is finding a good happy hour deal. For some reason, back in the day, someone decided that outlawing discounted drinks would keep Bostonians proper (they also made parties hosted by a household of women illegal-too much like a brothel and banned Native Americans from entering the city until a few years ago, but I digress). Anyone who been around Fenway after a good Red Sox game probably noticed that that idea didn't pan out...but the law remains in place.

To make up for the lack in drink specials, restaurants offer cheap eats daily, ranging from deep-fried pub food to freshly shucked oysters. As a graduate student I need to take advantage of the deals, because let's face it, ramen just doesn't cut it anymore. It is also a good way for a family to go out for dinner without having to dip into their 401ks (it can get pricey eating out in Boston). The following list is just the beginning-several deals will be added daily, but I wanted to start with some favorites...check back for updates!

Estragon
700 Harrison Avenue (Washington St. at E. Brookline, Silver Line)
Boston, MA 02118-2631
(617) 266-0443

Estragon offers $1 tapas at the bar from 5:30-7pm Monday-Thursday. I am in love with their braised beef cheeks in Pedro Jimenez...they are falling apart tender..mmm.

KO Prime
90 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108-4101
(617) 772-0202

KO Prime has $5 dollar glasses of wine and martinis from 5-7pm and 9-11pm! During those times bar bites are priced at $2 or $5. They also offer $29.95 all-you-can-eat prime rib on Tuesdays and Wednesdays! Now, I don't eat enough to take advantage of this deal, but for those who do, hot damn that's a great deal for steak!

Lineage
242 Harvard Street (Coolidge Corner, or Harvard at Beacon St. on the 66)
Brookline, MA 02446-2904
(617) 232-0065

Lineage has $1 oysters at their bar from 5-7pm Monday-Friday. I believe that the owner's brother is a fisherman-you cannot get much fresher seafood than that! Take your significant oyster-loving other to Lineage for a dozen (or two)!


Minibar
51 Huntington Avenue (Copley)
Boston, MA 02116
Tel: (617) 424 - 8500

Minibar offers $2 mini Kobe burgers from 5-7pm Monday-Thursday.

Noir
1 Bennett Street
Cambridge, MA 02138-5707
(617) 661-8010

Noir's 5-4-3-2-1 happy hour menu runs from 5-7pm Monday-Thursday. Flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, snacks and sweets compromise this tasty deal.

Small Plates
JFK Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 441-0056

Sundays and Mondays from 5-6pm and Tuesdays-Saturdays from 4-6pm Small Plates offers a delectable selection of tapas, wines and wine cocktails for $5 each!

Tapeo
268 Newbury Street (Copley T stop)
Boston, MA 02116-2424
(617) 267-4799

Tapeo offers $5 tapas at their bar-a steal for items such as duck confit in a berry sauce or scallops in a saffron cream sauce.

Tremont 647
647 Tremont Street (Arlington T stop)
Boston, MA 02118-1201
(617) 266-4600

$2 tacos are offered Tuesday evenings, the selection changes weekly. The cheap tacos provide the perfect excuse to consume plenty of libations such as their pepper-infused XXX margaritas! (Just be sure to take the T or have a DD-lined up, they can pack a punch!)

Union Bar and Grill
1357 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
(617) 423-0555

Free bar bites weekdays 5:30-7 pm, $29.95 for 3 courses with a glass of wine from 5:30-6:30pm daily, a $9.95 prix fixe brunch all day Saturdays and 10-11 a.m. Sundays includes coffee, fresh squeezed juice, coffee cake and your choice of B52 French Toast, Smoked Salmon Scramble of Chef's Choice Omelet. Great deal, great food, great (or okay but very amusing) service. 'Nuff said.

Spanish Omelet (based roughly on Ferran Adria's recipe for el Bulli)

Tortilla Espanola is an inexpensive, delicious dinner choice. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to two days. Served with a side salad, good bread and a bottle of wine, a Tortilla is an easy and impressive option for entertaining. (I originally posted this in November, but took pictures today while preparing them for fund raising lunch #2).


Ingredients:

Potatoes (about 3 large ones or 2 lbs of baby potatoes)
2 Large Onions
1 Dozen Eggs
Oil (olive, canola, vegetable...olive oil gives the best taste but all are fine to use).
Salt & Pepper

Rinse/scrub potatoes and onions clean under running water. I do this BEFORE cutting into them to practice good food safety (this should appeal to my fellow hypochondriacs).

Peel potatoes and cut into small rectangles, about 1/4 inch thick. Peel onion and cut in half, slicing along the layers so that you have long, thin onion strands.


Using a large skillet, heat about 1/3 cup oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, using a pancake spatula to prevent any potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Turn heat down to medium/medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are just about tender. Add onions to pan and cook until they are soft, about 5-8 minutes, turning mixture occasionally to prevent sticking.


Strain onion/potato mixture in colander over clean saute pan (reserving leftover oil).

While potatoes/onions are cooling, crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add pepper and salt (I always err on the side of too little, as these can be added to the cooked tortilla). Whisk eggs vigorously for a minute.



When potato/onion mixture is warm but not HOT, add to eggs and stir.

Heat pan with reserved oil over medium-high heat (add more if the pan bottom is not liberally covered). Pour egg/potato/onion mixture into pan, flattening mixture with a spatula. Turn heat down to medium-low. Use spatula to loosen tortilla from pan every couple of minutes until eggs are almost set. They will still look a bit runny on top.



Carefully slide tortilla onto large round serving plate. With oven-mitts (and perhaps the help of a friend), place pan on top of the plated tortilla. Hold both pan and plate on each side and flip upside-down so that the undercooked eggs are now on the bottom of the pan.

Turn heat up to medium and cook for a few more minutes, loosening bottom with spatula, until lightly golden.


Slide onto clean serving plate.

*Vegetables and meat can be added to the tortilla. Mushrooms, bell peppers and chopped cooked Chorizo complement the flavors nicely!

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

I was just talking with my mom about making sfogliatelle, these Italian puff pastries filled with ricotta and happiness. We both think fresh ricotta would work much better in the pastry recipe, but Duluth, Minnesota lacks a specialty (or near-specialty) food shop. Happily, Epicurious has a recipe that looks easy.



Ingredients:
8 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice*
Cheesecloth

Line a colander with 4 layers of cloth. Set colander in sink.

Bring milk and salt to simmer in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in lemon juice. Let simmer until curds form, 1 to 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer curds to cheesecloth. Let drain about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl, cover and keep refrigerated.

The cheese is good for 2 days.

The cheese can be used in desserts, pasta, sandwiches, eggs, almost anywhere!

*Save the lemon rinds to use in my other recipes, like a Sour Cherry and Ricotta Tart!