Le Pain Quotidien: A Sweet Meal

I spent Thanksgiving 2011 at a friend's house in Connecticut. Because our friendship strengthened as a result of our mutual love of food, we naturally went to lots of delicious eateries and restaurants. We went to a chain cafe/bakery, Le Pain Quotidien, where I ordered the most delicious tartini (open faced sandwiches): Ricotta with mission figs, black pepper & organic acacia honey.

Not only did the dish have a great presentation, but it was also so tasty! Every bite of the four triangular pieces left me wanting for more. The sweetness of the fig, the drizzled honey, and the ricotta cheese salad fared perfectly with the tomatoes and the rustic bread. Yes, I am lactose intolerant and my stomach boggles whenever I eat cheese, but I am willing to sacrifice my upset stomach for this delicious tartini any time!

My compatriots had the Smoked Salmon & Scallion Omelettes and the Paris Ham & Gruyère Omelettes, which I am sure were equally as fantastic.


In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we ordered a slice of pumpkin pie to share. The crust, which I always take apart since it's usually too buttery and greasy, was the highlight. It had just the right amount of crunch and softness, if that makes sense. The pumpkin puree wasn't overly sweet and I could actually taste the hint of pumpkin. An excellent way to top off a delicious meal.

Audrey's friend's mom got berry tarts and lemon tarts, but I didn't eat them. I personally don't really like tarts though.

A Delicious Affair: Rialto at Charles Hotel

Last Saturday I went to Rialto Restaurant at Charles Hotel with Audrey and her family, who came to visit for the 375th birthday and the Harvard College Parents Fund event. The bread basket had crusty wheat roll with soft inside, Parmesan sticks, and focaccia bread rubbed in garlic oil.

The dinner started with a pleasant glass of red wine. I am not a wine connoisseur and have not had much wine, if not at all, but this wine tasted not too strong, not too bland. Just the right amount of preservation.

I had Lobster bucatini with green and red tomatoes, chilis, saffron ($16) as an appetizer. The bucatini tasted a bit undercooked because it was a bit hard and difficult to choose. The tomato sauce with bits of lobster meat and cubes of tomatoes was savory, but I sort of wanted more sauce because I ended up just eating the sauce and not the bucatini.

I ordered the day's special, grilled char with vegetables and some sort of risotta and grilled jumbo shrimps. This sounds crazy, but I really like the heads of shrimps and the black gooey intestine stuff because they are full of flavors! Haha. The char was a bit fatty and the skin was grilled to black and very crispy (didn't eat the whole thing). I like that the char was cooked medium rare because that kept the juiciness of the fish. The risotto was a bit too buttery, but there really wasn't much for me to truly grasp its taste.

The dinner ended with Caramelized autumn fruit tart with maple cream and candied lemon zest ($12). I enjoyed the fig but the rest of the dessert was a bit too sweet. Well, it was just the right level of sweetness, but I need to watch my waistline so I had to be cautious about eating haha. The peach was the perfect texture, the tart and the bottom was not like a typically pie crust in a tart, but softer (more butter, perhaps?). I like the balance between warm peach and a dollop of cool maple ice cream on top.

I really enjoyed the food, but more so the lovely time and interesting conversation I had with Audrey and her family!