.::|TheDish|::.

iPhone vs. BlackBerry

I have a problem. I am typically pretty good with decision making, but I can't decide which phone to get next: the BlackBerry Curve 8310 (I had the 8820 last and absolutely loved it and this is a step up) or the next iPhone (if rumor proves true, it will be out within the next 60 days). You make think this is silly but it's a huge dilemma! I have a MacBook for work, which has been quite an adjustment but I have grown to love, and everyone has an iPhone as it synchs best with iCal (which blows btw) and Apple products in general, but I keep hearing that the iPhone's touch screen is terrible for typing, and the audio quality when speaking is sub-par; however, as an entertainment device, it kicks ass, and as we all know, it is way "cooler". Meanwhile, the BBerry Curve (note its NOT the Pearl) is a solid business device, and while BBerry has had its difficulties over the last couple years, it's overall the best phone I have ever had. So, I need a phone that's strong for business but also for fun. It's the classic battle: iPhone vs. BlackBerry:

Chel Bella Style Blog!

I am so excited to share my friend Chelsea's blog with with all my fashionista readers! Introducing: Chel Bella Style! The owner of the uber-hip Chel Bella boutique in Hingham, MA, Chelsea brings posts on the latest fashion trends, style tips, and the freshest arrivals at her shop. It is so great to see small businesses embracing and leveraging the power of communication through blogging. Be sure to check it out, bookmark it, leave a comment, and make a trip to Chel Bella to spice-up that spring wardrobe!

Our Weekend Getaway: Mohonk Mountain House

I am finally getting around to posting about our getaway the weekend before last. We headed up to the Mohonk Mountain House located in the town of New Paltz, NY in the Shawangunk Mountains. The property, spanning hundreds of acres with numerous trails, gardens, cliffs, and a lake, is rich with history and beauty. The 7-story, 19th century enchanted castle, once a small inn and tavern, boasts 500 rooms and is simply breathtaking on approach. We visited before the gardens were in full bloom, and it was still quite a spectacle.

The typical reservation includes a four course dinner, breakfast, lunch, and afternoon tea and cookies each day; the food is fabulous! For dinner, I started with a gravalox (salmon marinated in dill) appetizer, followed by mixed greens with goat cheese and candied pecans, and next a rack of lamb, perfectly seared medium-rare. Mike had duck confit, a cheese plate (camembert) and the rack of lamb as well (neither of us can resist rack of lamb on a menu!!). We sipped a fabulous Pomerol from the well-priced and quite extensive wine list. The following Sunday morning, brunch was served rather than breakfast and lunch, and it was an impressive buffet of carved meats, hot entrees such as sole fillet stuffed with lump crab, an omelet station, homemade waffles with all the fixings, a salad station, a dessert station and even a chocolate fondue waterfall. Total decadence and pure gluttony.

What we were not prepared for was how "family friendly" the hotel is and that it definitely has a "resort", high volume feel to it. It's the pristine vacation spot of you have children, and there are so many activities to chose from - including a children's activity center - as well as many other families and children with whom to mingle. But if you are dreaming of a romantic, secluded escape it's just not that. Additionally there were two weddings each day so the grounds were overly crowded.

I did manage to make it to the yoga class in the morning, which was a great class, and well needed to burn off a few of the calories from the night before! We didn't have a chance to capitalize on any of the other activities, in part due to the lack of time, but also due to the uncooperative weather (booo!). Overall, I think we will be back, but it will most likely be at another stage in our lives :)

CORE Vodka

We got out of town this weekend at last, to a resort in New Paltz, NY (more on that later), and on our way, we took a slight detour to catch up with Derek Grout, a long-time best bud in the Hudson Valley. I know Derek from the inception of my interactive marketing career; he was the Ivy league educated cool Web designer dude who always had an energetic smile and a hell of a story to tell. One of the biggest stories I'd say was his decision to leave the quasi-monotonous 9-5 lifestyle and return to his roots – quite literally – in upstate New York. The Grout family has been operating a successful apple farm, Golden Harvest Farms, for decades, and Derek felt it was time to give a little back by turning his passion, creativity, and hard work away from the computer screen and daily grind and start investing in the most important thing possible: his family and their business.

Derek's return to Golden Harvest Farms pumped a new and immediate vitality into the family orchard: he painted colorful signs to help market the farm's fruit and local produce; ran orchard tractor rides for pick your own; and, simply brought life and a helping hand to the farm. But leave it to Derek and his entrepreneurial spirit to take his personal journey just one step further. He began talking about a new idea 2 years or so ago. Why not take those thousands of tons of cider apples that would otherwise be sent to Pennsylvania or elsewhere for cider production and instead ferment the cider, and create one of the finest spirits in the world, vodka.

After months of educating, perfecting, and distilling, Derek's intense labor, passion and commitment brings all of us vodka lovers alike a libation that simply is like no other: CORE Vodka, produced by Harvest Spirits, LLC. No, it's not an apple flavored vodka, but rather it is a smooth, clean spirit, best served over ice or straight up as a martini. From the website:

Harvest Spirits is one of the only distilleries in the country that makes alcohol from the products grown on-site. That means, the apples are grown, where they are pressed, fermented, distilled and bottled at the same location. The benefits are obvious. Not only do we conserve fossil fuels needed to transport the alcohol, we control the entire process, from field to bottle.

The official product launch is May 1, and CORE Vodka will be available in NY state only, for now. I encourage you to take the 2 hour trip from Boston or New York City to the farm to check out the distillery, sample some vodka, and get a tour from none other than Derek Grout himself. Oh, be sure to test out the cider donuts, pick up some fresh produce, and sink your chops into one of the many succulent apple varietals. I'm getting thirsty and hungry now :).

Congrats to my bud for making his dreams a reality and an amazing vodka for the rest of us to enjoy... I'll drink to that!

Harvest Spirits LLC
harvestspirits.com
Golden Harvest Farms
goldenharvestfarms.com
3074 US Route 9
Valatie, NY 12184

To set up a tour of the distillery and farm, call Golden Harvest Farms at 518-758-2920 or Derek Grout at 518-253-5917.

Ten Tables is a Perfect 10!

Rating: 5 forks

Well, 5 forks, that's a perfect score on this scale (btw I keep meaning to write the definition of my "forks", just need the time!).

The best things come in small packages, and this cliché stands true when speaking of Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain. The approximately 650 sq/ft space (that's my best guess), including the open kitchen and a dining room with – you guessed it – 10 tables, is located on popular Centre Street in Jamaica Plain. After many attempts to secure a resie, we finally made it last Saturday eve. It was absolutely amazing!

Ten Tables serves up French/American and sometimes Italian fare, and prides itself on using organic food from local farms. The atmosphere is intimate, simple, and romantic, with local art hanging on the exposed painted brick and delicate orchid flowers floating in water-filled stemless wine glasses resting on each tabletop.

The couple we dined with live a short few blocks away in JP, and are regulars at Ten Tables; they also know the owner, chef and staff so we had quite the "in". We were greeted with a glass of bubbly, followed by a little shot of chilled cucumber soup. Next up, some tasty bread, thinly sliced, soft on the inside and crusty on the outside, served with a long olive plate of smooth olive oil just bursting with fruit and flavor. The presentation was superb.

Next, we selected some apps:

Steamed Mussels with Pancetta (not listed on the website)

Hosemade Chorizo with White Beans and Orange $7

Saffron-scented Potato and Leek Veloute with Vanilla Oil $7

Next came complimentary mushroom consumee to cleanse the pallate, and for the entrées:

Orrecchiette with Fresh Maine Shrimp, Pancetta and Tellicherry Back Pepper $17

Giannone Chicken with Fresh Shell Beans, Bacon and Cabbage $19
Vegetarian Gnocchi  (not listed on the website)

Grilled salmon (also not listed on the website)

Each dish was perfectly portioned, so fresh, unique, and simply stellar. For wine, we ordered up a – ok 2 – bottles of Malbec; unfortunately I can't recall what it was but I am going to find out because it was so delicious!

JP may seem like a "hike" for many of us inner-city dwellers, but Ten Tables is totally worth it. Just plan ahead, as reservations are apparently a month out!

Ten Tables
597 Centre Street
Jamaica Plain, MA
02130
617.524.8810       
tentables.net

Mohonk Mountain House

I have had my eye on this resort for quite a while, and we finally booked a weekend getaway this month! Nestled away in the Adirondack Mountains in New York state's Hudson Valley, The Mohonk Mountain House offers the ideal getaway for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and relaxation dreamers. Seasonal activities include rock climbing on the Shawangunk Ridge, also known as "The Gunks" (for the beau), yoga classes in the fitness center (for moi), hiking, swimming, fishing, snow shoeing, golf, tennis, and more. The spa sounds spectacular, perched atop cliffs overlooking the lake, with 16 rooms including a solarium, stone fireplace, outdoor heated mineral pool, and an indoor swimming pool. And the photo above simply defines beauty, eh?

So I am excited, and will definitely do a write-up after we visit.

Petit Robert Bistro | South End

Rating: 4 forks

The French bistro has become quite a popular option within the dining mix of Boston restaurants. Most recently Gaslight opened on Harrison Ave, and has received quite a mixed bag of reviews. Last week, we finally made it to Petit Robert Bistro in the South End, a not-too-new bistro, but one that I have been dying to try; and after all the hype and positive chatter online and amongst friends, it totally lived up to my expectations.

PRB captures the definition of an authentic French bistro via it's simple, affordable fare (<$20 at dinner, <$12 at lunch), fabulous wine menu, and a loud and energetic dining room atmosphere with simple decor. The menu boasts all the French bistro standards: Patés, Escargot, Foie Gras, Soupe à l’Onion Gratinée, Duck Confit, Bouillabaisse, Coq au Vin, Cassoulet... as well as a very extensive pastry bar menu with classics like Macarons, Nutella filed Crêpes, and Crème Brulée. Yum Yum. Any yes, the specials are written on a chalk board.

I went the lighter fare route that evening, starting with the Garden Salad, Shallot Vinaigrette with Panko Crusted Goat Cheese ($9.75), followed by the seared tuna (not currently listed on the Web menu so I cannot provide the exact detail or price point). Mike selected the richer end of the spectrum, starting with the Fois Gras followed by the Grilled Skirt Steak~Frites, Poivre Sauce ($19.75). And our friends enjoyed the Trio of Homemade Patés with Condiments ($7.00), the same garden salad with goat cheese that I selected, the Steak Frites (again!) and the Three-Mushroom Risotto (also not listed on the Web menu). We paired a fabulous Chateauneuf Du Pape with the meal. Each plate was promptly cleaned, and our wine glasses emptied, which was collectively a sure sign of diner's approval. We sealed the evening off with a couple desserts from the pastry menu: the apple tart, and the profiteroles. Mmmm.

Overall, the service was good. I think if I were to point out a couple negatives, one would be that Mike and I waited about 10 minutes or so before someone came to our table (the couple joining us was running a tad late), and it was the busser, offering us water. We kindly requested that he send over our waiter so we can order an aperitif to sip and enjoy while we waited. It was clearly busy, and the waitsaff was certainly slammed so I suppose it was justified. A second negative was that it was someone's birthday in the dining room, and in celebration, the waitstaff dimmed the lights, brought out a dessert dressed with a lit candle, and sang happy birthday. I was a tad shocked: is the TGI Fridays or Applebees?! Geez!

Aside from those two pretty minor negatives, I really loved the overall experience, and I will be back. Their website is quite informative, so be sure to check it out, though the site could use a little lovin' (looks like a web designer's first attempt with an early version of Dreamweaver!). I particularly enjoy this quote on the homepage: The success of a restaurant is not defined by cash but by the happiness of its customers.

And this customer left quite happy.

Locations:
468 Commonwealth Ave
Boston MA
02215
617.375.0699

480 Columbus Avenue
Boston MA
02118
617.867.0600

www.petitrobertbistro.com
Open 7 days a week 11-11 

Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree Album ROCKS

If you love the melodic, subtle side of Goldfrapp, then you're going to love their new album Seventh Tree! It's a break from their typical synthpop and glamrock, and I have been listening to it non-stop today (ok, well in between con-calls & meetings, of course!). If you haven't heard of the UK band, then listen and learn!  I am not sure which track I like best yet, I have to listen a few more times to be sure. Maybe A&E? It's beautiful.

P.S. Does Alison Goldfrapp look a little like Mary Kate and Ashley here or is it just me?