Max and Leo's Coal-Fired Pizza, Now Open in Fenway (Boston, MA)

Max and Leo's is a highly rated coal-fired pizza join in Newton, and lucky for us they've just opened up shop in the Game On! space in Fenway.

This is such a great place to grab a bite and a drink before or after a game at Fenway. I really enjoyed the thin crust! We tried a white pizza with mushroom, sausage, and caramelized onion.

Wings are also a good appetizer to share. They're not deep fried and the meat was tender and juicy. The favorite (if you can take the heat) seems to be the Honey Hot Habanero wings ($10.50)

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Willie Mae's Scotch House (New Orleans, LA)

I'm late in posting about my visit to Willie Mae's Scotch House but decided to do so now because of the recent news of Willie Mae Seaton's passing. This great woman ran Willie Mae's Scotch House for decades until she passed away at age 99.

I had the chance to dine at Willie Mae's when I was in New Orleans for the last Foodie Hub North American Awards (formerly known as Chowzter). This hole in the wall had won a James Beard Award! Of course, Anthony Bourdain has been here, too.

Willie Mae's is off the beaten path, but it's less than 2 miles away from the French Quarter, so the pilgrimage here is totally doable. The place was completely packed. You'd probably have to wait in line but thankfully they are quick in serving you and churning food out, so the turnover is high.

Willie Mae's fried chicken definitely deserves one of the top spots on any fried chicken list. The skin is super crispy, the chicken is juicy and seasoned well. We all dug in and loved it! Get it with a side of fried okra.

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Sicilian Breakfast at Brelundi (Waltham, MA)

First, let's talk about the name. Brelundi may sound like an Italian word to some, but it actually just refers to "breakfast lunch dinner" - the three meals this Italian cafe in Waltham serves. They actually have quite a unique breakfast offerings. Breakfast, Sicilian style. Brelundi is open from 7am everyday and it's close to the T station, so it's great stop for locals on their way to work.

The unassuming eatery actually has quite a few surprises, like their breakfast arancini ($4 each). If you're not yet familiar with it, arancini is a fried risotto ball and it is said to have originated in Sicily back in the 10th century. They're usually filled with cheese, meat, or vegetable, but Brelundi takes a unique approach with their breakfast versions!

The breakfast arancinis, which were quite big - two might fill me up, are filled with either eggs and spinach, or eggs and sausage. They're also great for a grab-and-go breakfast since it's easy to hold and eat them with your hands.

I really enjoyed these since I usually like both arancini and eggs in general, why not put them together, right?

There's also a 12" breakfast pizza for $8, topped with fresh, housemade mozzarella cheese, bechamel sauce, eggs, and a choice of spinach, prosciutto, or sausage.

I was impressed by the thin crust of this pizza - usually I end up not eating the edges of pizza because it's too doughy or too plain or something, but this one was nice and crisp.

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