Alices Tea Cup

I know I’ve blogged about Alice’s Tea Cup before but I have to do it again. That’s how much I love coming here.

Is it the food? Kinda. Is it the atmosphere? Maybe. To be honest, I’m not sure why I love it here so much. One things for certain: I love scones and the people here make pretty damn good ones. Although the scone lineup changes daily, they almost always have my personal favorite: pumpkin. Now I know you’ve probably had pumpkin scones before. Just about every bakery makes them when the leaves begin to fall. Why is this one so different? Because it is MORE than just a dry scone. It’s a bakery wonder. Circular instead of the traditional triangle, it has the consistancy of a moist pumpkin loaf with the added bonus of a thin sheet of caramel glaze ontop. When its warm, there is no better accompaniment to a cup of ginger tea.

Speaking of tea, lets talk about the kinds of tea they have here. Well, they 100’s. At least it seems that way. They’ve got all your typical tea types: black, green, red, white, herbal, tisane, organic, and decaf. Each category has about 20 different flavors with all the standards like ginger, chai, chamomile, french vervain, peppermint, vanilla bourbon, jasmine, rose, and genmaicha. Along with some other outstanding teas such as Hawaiian Paradise (apples, berries, apricot, orange peel, rosehips, and hibiscus), Mango Mate, and Herbal Detox (alfalfa, dandelion, nettle bush, and mint). They basically have a tea for every palate and they are all delicious.

So if you are in the neighborhood come on over to Alices for a pot of tea and a blt…unless it’s a national holiday and kids are off from school…then be prepared to wait in a sea of 5 year olf girls.

Eating my Mantra

I’ve been to a lot of restaurants in Boston but the one that sticks out the most is Mantra. It has a French- Indian theme but likes to focus on New England ingredients. Confusing? Not really - its actually pretty delicious.

Positives: Out of all the food fusions in the world, French-Indian has to be one of my favorites. The cumin dusted Long Island duck breast is delightful; as is the goat cheese and potato tikki. I rather enjoy the atmosphere which is sexy without being too dark (unless I’m dining at Dans Le Noir I do NOT like eating in the dark). Its also conveniently located between the Theater District and the Downtown Crossing.

 Negatives: I dont know if its just me (and please correct me if you think otherwise) but I always get a ‘corporate’ feel when I walk into Mantra. Now, this probably has to do with the fact that I use to throw events here when I worked for Morgan Stanley…but I don’t know…maybe it has some validity. This place also tends to be a little too trendy for my liking and can be swarmed with college kids…but thats anywhere in Boston right? 

 
Mantra
52 Temple Pl
Boston, MA 02111-1332
(617) 542-8111
http://www.mantrarestaurant.com/

French Onion Soup

I love onions, cheese, and broth - so french onion soup has always been my perfect combination. This recipe is a huge hit in the Minchala House. My husband often goes up for thirds!

Ingredients:

2 beef marrow bones (get from butcher)

3 cups of beef broth

3 cups of white wine

2 bay leaves

7 medium onions

1 cup of sherry

salt and pepper

3 tbs butter

Put bones, broth, wine, and bay leaves in a pressure cooker and cook on high for 20 minutes. After cooked, strain liquid to remove bones/leaves and reserve.

Cut 7 onions into thick slices.  Cook butter in a large pot on medium heat until foamythen add onion slices in layers. After each layer, salt and peppers the onions - DO NOT STIR. If you keep the heat at medium they will not burn. Cook for 1 hour. Check on them every so often to make sure nothing is burning or sticking (although it shouldnt). After onions are cooked - add the beef broth and sherry. Reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes.

After soup is done heat broiler and place rack on top 1/3 of oven.

Pour soup into oven safe bowls and top with a slice of country bread/italian bread and slices of gruyere cheese. Place a baking sheet underneath in case of spills and heat for 1 minute (the cheese can burn easily so make sure it is not in there for too long)

Enjoy!