Sorry for the delay, team — I got my time zones mixed up!
In Portland, Maine (cold!), and mainly chilling with our nieces last week. Trips to the playground, playing, and learning about their daily routines was the Spring Break we needed. The adults managed to sneak away a few times — I loved the moody interiors of Timber Bourbon Bar and Lounge, chilling out and drinking Royal Marys at Royal River Grill, and an incredible selection of food and drinks at Woodford (I’m not going to rest until we get deviled eggs in the UAE). Did we get to Target and the Kittery outlet mall as well? We did.
On Wednesday, it was back to Boston for some excellent meals and (more) shopping. Dining out saw us to Orfano, a female-forward kitchen with Tiffani Faison, followed by a unique wine bar experience at Nathalie. For dinner on Thursday, we went to female-owned Woods Hills Pier 4, but not before unique speakeasy drinks at Offsuit. For most of these venues, I took the recommendation of a local Boston-based friend. When visiting a city, it really depends on how I choose a restaurant. What guides you? Is it Michelin? World’s 50 Best? Trip Advisor? Word of mouth? We took a more relaxed approach this visit, and I’m happy with all the places we went to, as well as supporting kitchens that are important to me.
Now? Packing up, but not before a final lunch at Ramsay’s Kitchen at the Mandarin Oriental, serving up a selection of international favorites. #invited
Our flight is at 10 PM back to Dubai (via Doha), so I’m already in the air, and Qatar decided to wait until the last possible minute to allow upgrades with miles (!). Thankfully, we were able to nab two — Q-Suites are my favorite way to travel.
Links, please.
Rise of the gastro tavern. Grub Street
European wine tours with The Tasting Class? More details here.
Talk to me about a garbage plate. The Takeout
Food perfumes? Eater
The most expensive Michelin meals. Have you tried any? Finances Online
How did tastes for spicy foods develop? LitHub
Bloomin’ onions: never been cooler? Eater
Would you eat lab-grown caviar? Daily Mail
Big Pop-tart energy. Twitter
Carbonara, but make it salad. Taste
The most sugar you can add to coffee before it’s useless. The Takeout
Some alternatives to Airbnb. Apartment Therapy
Into this burrata hack. The Kitchn
Mushrooms can talk to each other. The Guardian
Intrigued. Dieline
Cookbooks for dogs. Taste
NOT a pizza. Twitter
Were you a sides family? TikTok
On a hunt for these before we leave the States. The Kitchn
This weekend? On a plane and catching up before what will (undoubtedly) be a busy week next week. I can’t wait to pick up Poppy!
Next week? I’ll be enjoying a tasting of the inaugural cocktail menu for the drinks at Papadom, located inside Tresind Studio. Given the current mixes on the tasting menu we had last week, I am very excited about this (and willing to overcome any jet lag to enjoy).
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C.