Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Blogger Dinner at Audubon Circle [Boston]

By: Finance Foodie

Eeks! So I’m totally tardy for the party on this review, but better late then never right?

One of my favorite things about running Financefoodie.com is the opportunities to meet and (eat with) other food lovers around town -- so naturally I was pumped for the Boston bloggers dinner at Audubon Circle last month. I had never been to Audubon before, but had heard through the grapevine (aka Twitter) that it’s a popular bar to watch Red Sox games. Good buzz and fun company -- sounded like a promising evening!

I didn’t even have to ask the hostess where to go when I walked in, for I could spot our table a mile away (it was the only table filled with cameras and business cards). Hosted by Jayne, a former blogger turned PR pro, the nine of us got to sample Audobon’s eclectic menu which having deep conversations. Ok just kidding on the latter part (we’re food bloggers not philosophers).

In the spirit of this being a Fenway bar, below are some of the dishes we had, ranked with baseball terms (much more fun than stars, don’t you think)?

STARTERS
The kiwi-cucumber gimlet made with Hendricks gin, kiwi, cucumber, and lime was a highlight (literally – look at the color of that thing!) Crisp and refreshing – this is my idea of a perfect cocktail. I also loved the kiwi-cucumber combination; not only is green my favorite color (as it’s the color of finance), but the tanginess of the kiwi really meshed well with the clean cucumber flavor. HOME RUN

The white bean puree with grilled bread was also very tasty. The white bean was nice and lighter alternative to the chickpea hummus. Bonus points for the hearty grilled bread; the smokiness was a great touch. THIRD BASE

However, the beef shin quesadilla was slightly questionable. The beef filling was very messy and overall was hard to eat (note: do not order on a first date). The filling was also “gloppy” – the whole dish was kind of like a sloppy joe in a tortilla wrap. STRIKE

The sad quesadilla was redeemed by the local heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella and basil salad. This was delicious – the mozzarella firm and fresh, the heirloom tomatoes tangy and generously sliced. THIRD BASE

The watermelon, feta, micro greens, sherry vinaigrette salad also served as a redeeming starter. The watermelon chunks was firm but not overly ripe (mealy watermelon is a pet peeve of mine). One of the better watermelon and feta salads I’ve eaten. SECOND BASE

ENTREES
The pressed turkey sandwich with bacon, swiss, and asian slaw was good but fairly standard. The portion size was quite large (probably enough for two) – but it was really awkward splitting the sandwich amongst the table (we ate family style). SECOND BASE

HOME RUN. Sorry for getting ahead of myself, but the pork schnitzel, arugula, and pickled onion entrée was the star of the show. The pork was deep fried into a palatable crunchy treat that wasn’t over greasy and didn’t leave me with an oily headache after consumption. The arugula also helped to balance to the heaviness of the pork (plus gave me my serving of fresh vegetables for the day)!

So the menu was a mixed bag (but at least there were no foul balls!), but one thing is for sure – the company was straight up awesome. I could definitely see myself coming here for a drink, a few snacks, and a game. Go Sox!
FinanceFoodie, Elina, Jayne, Liz, and Tina

Audubon Circle
838 Beacon Street
Boston, MA 02215
(617) 421-1910
Audubon Circle Restaurant Bar on Urbanspoon

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