Happy Hour with a Sunset View at Mission on the Bay (Swampscott, MA)

Not too long ago I made the trek up to Swampscott in the North Shore with my mom so we can have dinner and drinks with a bay view at sunset. We arrived at Mission on the Bay right at sunset, and managed to take some great photos and videos from our table by the window.

I don't explore North Shore much, and I was pleasantly surprised by the cocktail I had here. The cocktail menu is seasonal, and I had the Go Figure with black mission fig infused bourbon, Cardamaro, and allspice dram. I ordered this because I'm a big fan of figs. The drink was well balanced and complex.


Mission on the Bay also has a great happy hour menu for food (because Massachusetts doesn't allow happy hour alcohol pricing). From 3-7pm on Sunday to Thursday, the bar food menu is half off! You can get more bang for your buck with appetizers like this short rib empanada served with aji amarillo and salsa criolla. The app is normally $12, so during happy hour it's $6.

5 Things to Do on A Winter Wonderland Trip to Quebec City, Canada

Quebec City is a great winter destination if you're looking for one that does not involve skiing or snowboarding. Just a six-hour drive from Boston, Quebec City is perfect for a long weekend trip. Here are five things to do in the winter in Quebec City:

1. Visit the Ice Hotel / Hotel de Glace

The Ice Hotel a.k.a. Hotel de Glace is a must visit for those who are in the area for the winter season. Staying on the ice beds are not required, as the hotel is open during the afternoon to visitors. Day visitors can visit each room (each room has a unique decoration) during the day, as well as drink in the ice bar from a glass made of ice. Hotel de Glace is open until March 25, 2018.

A post shared by Fiona Chandra (@gourmetpigs) on Mar 7, 2016 at 9:15am PST

BOA Steakhouse: dineL.A. Restaurant Week Exclusive Series Preview

by guest blogger Bryan Tsunoda @discovering_LA

Dine L.A. Restaurant Week for Winter 2018 begins Friday, Jan. 12 and runs through Jan. 26. Approximately 300 LA area restaurants are participating for this event. Also returning is dineL.A.’s exclusive series: 16 select restaurants have created a special menu only available during dine L.A. These exclusive dinners start at $95 and BOA Steakhouse in Santa Monica and West Hollywood both return after successfully participating last year.

BOA Steakhouse is modern and has an impressive decor which quickly establishes the tone of the restaurant. We sat in the expansive outdoor patio which is designed to protect its diners from the elements. In January, al fresco dining is unheard of in most cities and I appreciated the experience.

Their dine L.A. menu is a four-course dinner featuring multiple selections per dish and the choices available are quite impressive. Foie Gras Torchon, black truffle cannelloni, Japanese Wagyu and pan seared scallop are just a few of the savory selections. A duo of exquisite desserts round out the last course (you can check out the full menu here).

BOA Steakhouse is well known for their caesar salad.

Prepared tableside it is fun watching the preparation, but it is also prepared to perfection. Foie gras lovers will appreciate the torchon method because it is prepared sous vide and is the ultimate way to prepare foie gras. It was placed on top of a funnel cake with blood orange marmalade giving it a salty and sweet experience.

Sun Basket Meal Kit Review

I recently revisited Sun Basket, a recipe kit delivery service that also offers gluten-free, paleo, or vegetarian plans. I tried Sun Basket before a couple of years ago, but felt that they have improved quite a bit recently with much more interesting and well balanced recipes.

The current recipe offerings are much more interesting, with recipes spanning multiple cultures that are relatively authentic (to a point), easy to cook, and tasty, like this dan dan noodles that I got in my box. Sun Basket also claims to use organic and sustainable products.
(If you're not familiar, dan dan noodles is a Sichuan noodles dish with a spicy sauce of preserved vegetables, chili oil, Sichuan pepper, minced pork, and scallions served over noodles.)

Sun Basket costs $11.99 per serving if you do the classic menu, which comes with 3 recipes for either 2 or 4 people each week with 18 recipe choices. With the family pricing, it's $10.99 per serving for 2, 3, or 4 recipes for 4 people with 6 recipe choices.

The Public House by Evans Brewing Co (Huntington Beach, CA)

by guest blogger Bryan Tsunoda @discovering_LA

The Bella Terra Mall is an outdoor shopping mall in Huntington Beach. Because it is clean and well laid out, it is quite popular with OC residents. Popular retailers like REI and Costco bring in the crowds and their restaurants are good. The PublicHouse by Evans Brewing Company opened last month in the Bella Terra Mall  and nicely filled in a niche for innovative food and craft beer.

Parking in the Bella Terra Mall can be challenging, but I got lucky and found a space only steps away from their establishment. I found The Public House by Evans Brewing Company to be a warm and inviting venue featuring exposed brick and local artwork. Large screen TVs are present, but since they aren’t on each wall, diners can choose whether or not they wish to watch TV.

The Public House made a strategic decision to use their strong craft beer offerings as ingredients for many of their food and craft cocktails. As an example, their sausages are infused with their craft beer, their Moules (mussels) uses Hefeweizen as a key ingredient for the sauce and their caramelized onions are simmered in their KrHOPen IPA.

I was impressed that they had 14 of their craft beers on tap, but I instead veered towards their innovative cocktail list. Affordably priced at $10, each contained between 3-5 ingredients and is topped with a splash with one of their craft beers. An example of this is their Berry Wasted, made with silver tequila, fresh orange juice, lime juice and topped with their Triple Berry Wheat beer. This drink was both fruity and refreshing.

The Dandy Shandy is made with Sobieski Vodka, triple sec, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and fresh blackberries. It was both sweet and sour and I liked enjoyed the fresh blackberries on top - nice touch on the presentation!