Oh Mickey your so fine

This is more of a lifestyle commentary than a food review or adventure in eating.  Have you seen 9 1/2 weeks?  Mickey Rourke, unrecognizable now from his younger days....a feast for the senses, quite a movie.  But I love how they immerse the film in the NY atmosphere, the people, the street vendors, you can almost smell the city..and though the movie is an adventure in sensuality, its a comment on living life beyond borders, indulging and experiencing.  I dont think even with age we ever get tired of trying a new experience, or setting ourselves up for a new adventure...but you need to go for it, and have the mindset to know you can stretch your perceived limits.  I get sad watching 9 1/2 weeks  now, seeing how handsome Mickey was, though he is just as talented today as shown in The Wrestler, but without his pretty boy looks, his potential is more limited.  Alas, I'm forever a fan.

Smaller portions need taste

Tapas is a very good example of small plates with interesting flavors, that keep you engaged and not wondering about topping it off with a hot fudge sundae.  I havent been in while to present a fresh review, but Dali in Cambridge, MA is fantastic.  Teddy and I went to Cava in Portsmouth, NH for Valentines Day and it was tremendous.  Expensive but good and "hearty" small plates.  Locally, we like to go to TBones for their "just right bites" (Bedford, NH), their pub version of small plates, tonight I had a whole grain flat bread bowl with grilled chicken, salad greens, olives and light cheese, with only fresh salsa as the dressing.  I had forgotten how wonderful salsa can be as a salad dressing substitute, fat free too and full of flavor.  Less succesful is Z bar on Elm Street in Manchester, small portions with high prices that are not justified, quality is so so, not my cup of tea.  Many restaurants are promoting smaller portions or healthier versions of their popular dishes, and me personally always likes to give them a try, considering we are considered the land of obese citizens, plus when your tummy starts to look like a mini mountain when you are lying down, I think its time to cut back! 

Its been a while - North End dining

Not only has it been a while since I posted, but we had our first dinner of the summer season in the North End-Boston last Friday.  We went to La Galleria 33 on Salem Street.   I love the restaurants on Salem Street, they seem to be about $5-10 cheaper a dish than Hanover Street and just as delicious.  We had been loving L'Osteria but we were a party of 7 tonight so not sure of the crowd on the streets, we went with La Galleria based on their willingness to take a reservation which can be rare in the North End.  They also had a decent variety on their menu, and rave reviews from fellow diners which I always look for when trying a new place.  I will preface this review with DONT order the salmon and vodka pasta.  It was smoked, and the flavor not all that pleasing, the two people who ate it, including Teddy, were not quite pleased with the dish.  I tasted it for freshness, and it wasnt very pleasing.  Having said that, the five remaining diners really enjoyed their meals, and we also shared an antipasto platter....at $16.95 for 7 people, it fed us all and was well worth it.  I had the Galleria stuffed chicken - mushrooms, fontina cheese, ham, a light lemon butter wine reduction sauce made it DEYUMMISH - truly DEYUMMISH, I have to say, even the side of linguine tasted like they churned it on the premises, with a simple tomato sauce.  A hearty dish at $21.95.  Our friend Neills enjoyed his dinner from the grill, a chicken and vegetables all looking quite fresh.  I noticed a shrimp scampi type dish that looked fantastic with large shrimps which you dont always find.  I cant remember what Lisa ate but she said it was excellent, and I believe it...we were all so quiet at dinner, which is a good sign that meals were being enjoyed.  Avoid the salmon, and I think you will agree this is a hidden gem in the North End.