ATTENTION - BOSTON FOOD FAN HAS MOVED

This blog hosted here on Blogger has worked well for a while, but I've moved the Boston Food Fan site to BOSTON FOOD FAN dot com so that it's a cleaner and clearer destination for Boston foodies.

Please adjust your bookmarks.

Thanks!

Jeff

Brasserie Jo Boston - Media Dinner

When you walk up to Brasserie Jo - at the Colonnade Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay - you’re likely not expecting the classic brasserie because the facade of the hotel is standard concrete in a grid pattern. As senior management explained, many people are surprised by what they get when they come through the door.

So, what do you get at Brasserie Jo? Have you been to Paris? That’s pretty much in a nutshell. Walk in the door and you can speak French to the person at the host stand to start your experience. Then, looking at the standard menu items like the amazing sandwiches and dishes can make even the most stoic person swoon.

In fact, on more than one occasion the other night I heard diners say the food was so good they wanted to weep for joy. It's a gem in the midst of an unassuming block across from the Prudential Center Building. And I recommend you visit soon.

Menu and descriptions are BELOW the photos...

But isn't that putting the cart before the charcuterie? It is. What occurred the other night was the Brasserie Jo Media Dinner where 25+ local newspaper folks and bloggers were invited to try out the menu and taste mini martinis. Here's how it went...

First, the menu - 

First CoursePan Seared Diver ScallopVanilla Beurre Monte, Butternut Squash, Confit FennelWine Pairing: Francois Villard Viogner 

Second CourseFrisee SaladPoached Quail Egg, Brioche, Banyuls Glazed LardonWine Pairing: Louis Boillot Cremant de Bourgogne Rose 

Third CourseSablefishSaffron Fumet, Mussels, Pommes BoulangereWine Pairing: Domaine Ferret Pouilly-Fuisse 

Fourth CourseBeef Tenderloin En CrouteWild Mushroom, Parsnip Fondant Potato, Mustard Greens, Thyme JusWine Pairing: Chateau Greysac 

Cheese Course
Bleu d’Auvergne Pot de CremeTomato Marmalade, PearWine Pairing: Pierre Sparr Riesling 

Dessert
Caramelized Pumpkin TartSalted Caramel Ice Cream, Almond BrittleWine Pairing: Renwood Orange Muscat

Add to that some energetic chatter; martinis that tasted like blueberries, carrots, cucumbers and apples; new friendships; and Chef Nick fawning over each dish as a proud father would do with a newborn; and you get the full measure of the evening.

Take a look at some of the photos. Read some of the dish descriptions. Then take my advice from paragraph three and visit soon if you've never been. You'll be pleasantly rewarded.

Upcoming Restaurant Week - Boston

It is Restaurant Week Boston this week, so I'll be dining at Morton's in the Seaport; All-Star Sandwich Bar in Inman Square, Restaurant Fiore in the North End and Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade Hotel.

Expect to see some posts here and then some over at WWJCE.

Oh, on deck is a plan for me to incorporate that blog into Boston Food Fan so you get all the tasty goodness in one spot.

Let me know where you'd like me to eat, if you'd like to join me for a meal, and what you'd like to see on this blog.

My first Morton's Experience - WOW.

OK. I'm currently sitting at Morton's Steakhouse in Boston's Seaport District as part of our restaurant-week whirlwind, and I'm stunned. I ordered a bottle of Chimay after hearing about it from the bartender and was really excited to drink it.

It's poured, it's in front of me, and I am less than thrilled. I have a thing about hops. And while this beer was so great in aroma, it was really hoppy in its finish. Now, here's the crazy and great part. When the bartender asked how I liked the beer I told him the truth. I said it was much too hoppy for me and he said, OK, what would you like?

Then he took the beer away and brought me a better beer. That is service, attention to detail and caring for your customer. I had even - before ordering the beer - made a joke about buying an oversized beer being a commitment if I hated it.

So, if you're ever in Boston or any major city that has a Morton's, go there. You will be pleased. I am.

606 Congress - Blue Ribbon NYC - A Tasting Event

The other night I had the pleasure of attending a tasting event at 606 Congress in Boston. The restaurant, with chef Rich Garcia at the helm, is nicely appointed and was the perfect place to share a few new menu items. But these items were actually developed by Blue Ribbon, a foodservice group out of New York City, and then introduced to Rich and 606. Then we got to taste them.

Here's how it went...

After arriving and being feted with drinks - even some of those were created just for the restaurant - we got into the tasting. Here are some food shots and descriptions...

The Tasting Menu, Including Drinks

The Michelada. They make it with Harpoon UFO, Lime Juice and Hot Sauce. Tastes like a beer bloody mary.

Jeff Cutler and Rich Garcia

The mingling prior to the Tasting Event

Our Tasting Table at 606 Congress

Our place settings at 606 Congress. They took some care to create a nice presentation.

Bromberg Brothers Blue Ribbon Cookbook. Some great recipes inside. We received a copy as a parting gift.

The funky design placemats at 606 Congress

Menu and Logo from Bromberg Brothers Blue Ribbon Restaurants. Find them on Twitter - @BlueRibbonNYC

Manchego and Mexican Honey Toast. Light and divine. Still warm when it arrived. B+.

Another shot of the Honey Toast. The honey comes from Mexico and honey farms that Blue Ribbon operates.

Spicy Egg Shooters. Pickled peppers and olive oil mayo. These had a little kick, but were perfectly balanced. A-

Another shot of the Egg Shooter

Who thought Hummus could be fancied up? White Bean Hummus Toast. Best dish of the night. A

Another photo of the toast. Olives mixed in were perfectly salty for balance.

Fried Rock Shrimp. These popped when you bit them. Perhaps one of the best preparations of shrimp I've experienced lately. Just so well cooked that I was pleased. Taste was very good. B+

The Rock Shrimp platter

When I take food shots, I look for the best visual of the night. These win for that. While the Smoked Salmon Toast wasn't over-the-top as a winning dish, the fragrance was superb and the color was amazing. B

Another shot of the Salmon

Some of the honey. This was delivered so we could drizzle it on the "Northern Fried" Chicken Wings.

The Wings - a Blue Ribbon specialty. Taste was very good and the best feature was probably the breading/skin. It didn't fall off by itself but clung nicely to the chicken so you had a very balanced bite each time you sampled the wing. B

Wing on my plate

Honey drizzled wing on my plate

Rich Garcia explaining the dishes and the 606 Congress atmosphere and philosophy.

They have some wine.

In all, I had a great time and am looking forward to trying some of the other Blue Ribbon venues. They have a top-end sushi restaurant in New York City that I'd love to visit.

Have you been to 606? What did you think?

The convergence of green + design + emotion

The convergence of green + design + emotion

What defines “great design?”  I love Paola Antonelli’s response to this question.   She advises:

“Think as if this object were not on earth? Would you miss it? The moment an object seems like a necessity or a good addition to the world, that usually works” (as an indicator of good design) - Paola Antonelli

Now what about defining green design?

READ the rest of this post at the link above. Shared graciously by John Bergdoll.

Consumer Experiences

[EDITED for clarity - re: Jeffrey Cutler and confusion of Jeff Cutler™brand]

In the past week, I have been a consumer no fewer than a dozen times amassing $2000+ in purchases and a wealth of experiences. Today, I'm going to share just three of those experiences. Two that totaled $1600 and one that cost me nothing.

First up, Sullivan Tire.

My little car was misbehaving. A little squeak in the front end, some exhaust noise, a whine in the belt area, and tires that were skating all over the road. So I reached out to Sullivan Tire via Twitter and there was a hiccup. I wrote about this on my social media blog, but won't hammer it anymore. Suffice it to say that cell phone and Internet coverage in this country is woefully inadequate for a population interested in remaining connected at all times.

So after reaching out to Sullivan Tire, I set up an appointment in minutes. The store in Nashua was able to fit me in with short notice and was confident they could fix, adjust and repair the shortcomings of my little xA. They succeeded.

What? You want more detail? OK. $1120 later (after being told it could be as much as $1300), I got a car back that runs like a top, makes no noise, feels safe, and has since transported me in relative comfort about 1000 miles.

I'm pleased and I'm telling my friends and readers. If your auto shop doesn't treat you respectfully, explain their processes to your satisfaction, and doesn't fix your car...go somewhere else. And if you have a Sullivan Tire nearby, give them a shot.

Next on the docket, Scooters Go Green.

OK, ok, ok. This post is mostly about vehicles. Two that physically transport me and one that transports my content online and over the Internet. But they're still viable businesses that interacted with me and provided a service. So, let's continue.

In the case of Scooters Go Green, I ride a scooter when I'm not in my car. My scooter was damaged by a hit and run driver a year ago and I recently received restitution from the organization that I approached for repairs. As the agreement I signed with them dictates, I can't say who they are. But common sense would say that anyone who likes to remain safe, stay away from the front of buses in the greater Boston area.

So, damaged scooter was still rideable but wonky. And the shop where I bought the scooter in RI went out of business (not fully, but they're not as accessible for repairs as they once were). When I got the check from the damagers I went to SGG and provided them a list of repairs and adjustments I wanted done.

SEAMLESS! They replaced my tires, headlight assembly, oil, filter, gear oil, air filter, spark plug, cleaned the carb, test rode it and handed it to me last night. It rides as if it were new. And the best part is the price.

When I spoke with Steve at SGG, he estimated the time it would take and I know how much some other shops charge for certain labor, so I thought I was looking at $700 or so. Not even close. The final bill was just shy of $500.

That's two wins in two tries this week. I'm smiling now just thinking about taking a ride later.

Finally, have you heard of YouTube?

You would think - correctly - that most Google properties are locked down tight and reaching a human at these entities is impossible. In most cases you're correct. But what I was trying to do was secure my brand and my name on YouTube. I have had an account for years, but was not able in 2007 when I opened my YouTube account, to get the jeffcutler username. It seemed that another person had squatted on it. That's frowned upon, but isn't exactly against all terms of service for the video sharing site.

What is against the rules is trademark infringement. As you might have seen in January, I began steps to trademark my name because I felt there was a bit of confusion in the social media sphere in Boston. A guy named Jeffrey Cutler [new] had a family tie with a non-profit in Boston and was asked to come in and speak with them. Some people on staff contacted me thinking I was going to be presenting to them and therein began the confusion. [end new] was getting training gigs with clients who may have mistaken him for me. In one instance, he went to train an organization that then called me after he was done. It seemed that they needed some more complete training.

I didn't want to be confused with a guy working for a PR firm who was blogging about sneakers "all-white kicks" as they're called. And further, I wanted to continue to build my brand across the properties most visible in the general population. YouTube fit that model.

So, after filling out a bunch of forms I got an email granting me my username. Now I have to move all my videos over (or probably just start populating the correct site with all my subsequent videos) to further my brand awareness.

YouTube wins for that one.

And there we have a happy trifecta of customer service wins. Not every day that you can say that's happened. How about you? What have you had happen lately that you want to share. Jet me an email and I'll give you access to post here on the Test Lab. It's a site all about reviews and experiences.

Thanks for reading.

Smarter plug design

I spend enough of my life in hospitals that I've seen all sorts of equipment. Syringes, gauges, pumps, whosits, whatsits, etc. There's also a slew of electronics.

For the electrical gear, I sometimes wonder about the safety. Specifically the safety of having electrical cords always being yanked out of walls and replugged in. I mean, plugs can get frayed at the end and a hospital isn't a place that is Sahara-desert dry.

Can you say SHOCKING?!

Well, take a look at what's been introduced - at least at Faulkner Hospital in Boston.

This plug has a handle around it so the stress of removal from the wall is put on the case and the handle, and not on the plug. No more worries about frayed cords. No more worries that lazy workers will ruin equipment. It's an awesome little design change, don't you think?

Just something I noticed today. If you've got a product or even an item review you want to share, send me an email with your idea. I'll probably just have you write it and post it here on the site.

Thanks for reading!

Magellan Tough Case - Review by Jeff Cutler

I'm a traveler. I like to take trips around my neighborhood, my city, my region, my country and even into and between other countries. And the device that's served me well most of the time has been a handheld GPS that I bought years ago online.

As coincidence would have it, that GPS is a Magellan Meridian and I've used it for everything from geocaching to plotting where my plane was going.

Now, Magellan has come out with a multi-use device that makes me think I might be done with the standalone GPS I'm so used to carrying with me. This device - and bear in mind that this is a first-look review...I've only had the gadget for a mere 24 hours - is fantastic at first blush. It's the Magellan ToughCase for iPhone and iPod Touch.

What makes it so fantastic? The case is fully sealed, totally protective, and it includes a GPS transceiver that boosts and assists GPS navigation so that you can use your iPhone for even more precise navigation than ever before.

Here are some photos provided by the company and then shots of my iPhone in my hand in the case. Notice the size and the thickness of the case. Not horribly huge, but still a bit of a surprise. The main thing you need to remember is that instead of carrying two devices - a GPS and a phone - you're carrying one.

Further, you are also carrying a charger. Yes, the ToughCase is a charger too. It keeps your iPhone or iPod Touch juiced up nicely.

What you can see right off the bat is that the case is a little bulky. But you need that. If you're going to trust your iPhone to a case, I'm of the opinion that the case you use better be bombproof. This one is. It's solid and waterproof.

Let me quickly list my thoughts on the Magellan ToughCase...

The charger is a great touch. I am always walking around with a cable and a charger plug to keep my phone powered. This removes the need for me to do that.

The GPS just plain works. I love the additional accuracy of the GPS receiver inside. It boosts whatever GPS app or the map application of the iPhone. I'm still monkeying with the settings as it seems that you still need to have some sort of cell or Wifi signal to use the GPS. That might be a sticking point but I'll figure it out soon.

The protection factor is huge for me. I usually carry around an OtterBox case that's almost waterproof and is definitely rugged. This case leaves that in the dust with its waterproof construction and all-around heft.

What don't I like? I'm not sure I like the price - it's $199 for the case.

I really want the case to allow me to sync my iPhone while inside...but it doesn't. This is clearly a drawback of having a completely sealed unit. But having to take the iPhone out repeatedly to add podcasts and files is a bummer. It also makes it possible for dirt and dust to enter the case if you're not careful.

I love the power options. The buttons on the bottom of the case allow you to charge the phone; use the GPS while charging the phone, or just allow the phone to run normally and not deplete the GPS or charge in the case.

And the case comes with an insert for your iPod Touch and all the necessary cables to charge the case.

*Inside the case is a dock that fits the iPhone or iPod Touch perfectly.

It's a good option for anyone who uses their phone as a GPS, travels for work or pleasure a lot, or just runs down their phone incessantly.

I'll let you know what I think after I've used the case for a few weeks in the wild.*

*I'm headed to New Orleans in a week or so to travel around the marshes and Gulf of Mexico to assess and report on the environmental impact the oil spill has had on businesses in the region. I'll be relying on the ToughCase to direct me around the area.