B&G Oysters (Boston, MA)

There's no lack of oysters in Boston, but B and G Oysters in the South End from prolific restaurateur Barbara Lynch is one of the best places to get some.

Carrying at least a dozen different types daily from local to the other coast, paired with prosecco mignonette and a strong wine list, B&G's bar is a great place to taste through new varietals of this mollusk.

The oysters here are market price, but you can fill your stomach with the rest of their seafood-focused menu, like a tuna tartare bourride with citrus, soft yolk, chicharron crumble ($16)

But don't miss the Fried oysters with housemade tartar sauce ($15)

These are the perfect bites hiding juicy oysters inside.

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Lunch Prix Fixe at Mario Batali's Del Posto (New York, NY)

One of the things I love about New York is the lunch prix fixes, allowing you to try some of the city's best restaurants for a lot less money. When I went with my mom and my aunt last time, we tried Del Posto's lunch: $49 for three courses (with an option to add pasta for $10). With three of us, we got to try a lot of things!

The lunch started with some complimentary finger sandwiches and Cauliflower soup

Bread service

The menu at Del Posto is seasonal, of course, though you might still find some mainstays like this
Vitello Tonnato (olive crostone, caper shoots, lime cells, lemon basil)

Vitello tonnato is a Piedmontese dish of veal slices served in a creamy tuna sauce.

Cotechino (stewed pistachios, chopped Preboggion - that's just mixed green leafy vegetables)

Cotechino is a pork sausage, but the distinction is that this pork sausage is typically made by boiling over low heat for a few hours. It gives a softer flavor than many other charcuterie.

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Kali Dining: An Underground Dinner with Chef Kevin Meehan

When I saw foie gras on Kevin Meehan's Kali Dining menu, I knew I had to go before I moved away. Kali Dining is an underground dinner party that takes place at different locations throughout the year. The menu is set (at $65 when I attended) and this time it was in a beautiful home in Marina del Rey.

We got there and mingled while watching chef Kevin Meehan and his team at work. The dinner is BYOB and there were plenty of wines to go around. The dinner party was pretty small, no more than 20. Meehan makes a great host too, chatting and joking with everyone.

We started with the long-awaited amuse bouche of foie gras truffle

It's a creamy foie gras mousse covered in black crumbs that made it resemble truffles.

Next amuse: Egg yolk poached in ash oil

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