The Breakfast Club in Allston - Not the Movie!

We were in Allston on Saturday to say goodbye to one of our cars. Sniff, car we will miss you. As we drove past The Breakfast Club, it looked fairly crowded so we decided to stop in for breakfast.



As the name suggests, The Breakfast Club is 80s themed complete with Madonna playing on the sound system. The menu has a school theme with items named "The Jock" and "The Janitor". We enjoyed sitting at the counter and watching the cooks at work. It was fascinating how they had the technique down to a science.



I got "The Jock" though I'm not sure why it's named so. "The Jock" is a healthy egg white omelette with tomato and broccoli. Wouldn't a jock have beef or bacon or something?




Chomp Meter:
This diner is pretty good if you are in the area. I liked that the eggs and home fries weren't too greasy so I didn't feel like I'd get a heart attack after leaving. As far as diners go, I still prefer Deluxe Diner in Watertown however which has more creative and better tasting fare.

The Breakfast Club
270 Western Ave
(between Riverdale St & Speedway Ave)
Allston, MA 02134

Gitlo - Refreshing Dim Sum Place

My hair stylist told me about Gitlo, a dim sum restaurant in Allston, a couple weeks back. We finally headed there on Saturday. I haven't had Hong Kong dim sum in Boston in a while. The usual greasy China Town fare just doesn't appeal to me much anymore.



Gitlo's is not your typical Hong Kong style dim sum restaurant since they don't have carts. Probably because the place is rather small. I'm guessing it sits approximately 25 people. You order your food and they bring it to you.

We started with the Cantonese dumplings. These were really like pot stickers. Nicely pan fried and delicious. I also liked that the dumpling skins weren't too thick. (My pet peeve.)


My absolute favorite was the XO Sauce Daikon Cake. I am still dreaming of this dish. At first sight, it was strange that the pieces of daikon cake were chopped into cubes and not triangular blocks. But don't let the shape deceive you, it was delicious! The pieces were so nicely fried. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You can even taste pieces of freshly grated daikon! The topping of fried scallops (not sure what it is) was also delicious.

XO Sauce Daikon Cake(L) Crab Meat Puffs(R). The crab meat puffs were ok. The puff pastry was a little too thick and heavy and the crab meat was imitation crab.


The Scallop Shiu Mai was another favorite. Unique too since it was topped with flying fish roe.


We also got the char shiu pao, a dim sum staple. Yummy though not the highlight.


The chicken feet was a special (not on the menu). The texture of the feet was good, very crunchy, however the flavor was rather bland. Overall it ok.


Allston is really becoming quite a hub for Asian food! Jo Jo Taipei, John's Market, Shabu Zen, Tea Infusions, Yi Soon Bakery, and now Gitlo. I am pretty excited about this find and can't wait to go back for the fried daikon cake!


Chomp Meter:
Highly recommended especially if you're tired of the same ol' Chinatown dim sum restaurants. Gitlo's a refreshing, finer take on Hong Kong dim sum, though the selection is smaller. Definitely get the daikon cake, it makes the trip all worthwhile!

Gitlo
164 Brighton Ave
Allston 02134
Phone: 617-782-2253

Deluxe Town Diner - A Modern Take on Diner Fare

Hey, the weekend is almost here! One of my favorite things to do is head to Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown for breakfast. They serve diner food that's definitely less greasy (a big plus) and a lot more creative than most.

In fact we were just there last weekend. I so greedily dug into my meal that I forgot to take photos until the end, then gasped in horror when SO reminded me.

This is no substitute for food photos but here's the inside (we sat at the counter):



I highly recommend the potato pancakes here. They are crisply fried and thin, served with a generous portion of sour cream and apple sauce. The ployes are very good too. I haven't tried many of the items, since I usually stick with the eggs. For lunch I am fond of the Apple Curry Turkey Burger that has apples yogurt and spices and feels healthy. Not sure if it actually is :P

Deluxe Town Diner
627 Mount Auburn Street (East Watertown)
Watertown, MA
Phone: (617)926-8400
Open daily from 7am-10pm



Chomp Meter:
This is a great place for breakfast: pancakes, eggs, omelettes, french toast. There's also a variety of other foods from sandwiches to meatloaf for dinner. Traditional American style diner food but lighter and with a "city dweller" twist. There's also an assortment of teas if coffee is not your thing. Get here early though, there is a line on weekends.

South End Buttery - Oh the buttery goodness!

The South End Buttery is my favorite place to bring our pooch because it is super dog friendly! We can sit at the tables outside and she can socialize with other pups and snack on cookies from Polka Dog Bakery.

I always get the Buttery Country Biscuit when I'm here. It is just so good, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, and aged cheddar on a buttermilk biscuit. I ventured to try "Eggs in the Hole" once but the biscuit is so much more satisfying!

Eggs in the Hole
two whole eggs or egg whites cooked in the center of toasted multigrain slices, fresh chopped herbs, crispy bacon, fresh fruit garnish

Some days I also treat myself to a cup cake from the Buttery. I can't resist the butter cream frosting on the cakes. They even have little cards with photos of dogs next to each type of cupcake. My friend claims that the cupcakes here are better than the ones from Magnolia Bakery in New York. The Magnolia Bakery ones being too sweet.

I got the red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting on my last visit. It was delicious with a subtle chocolate flavor. I also saw Boston Cream Pie cupcakes on the menu. Will have to try that on the next visit!





Chomp Meter:
This is a great breakfast spot. I want to come here every morning. The coffee and selection of cup cakes is reason enough to wake up. Oh one slight problem, I don't live anywhere close to the South End.

Leisurely Brunch Places

I resisted merging my Blogger with Google Account to the detriment of this blog. Turns out I really didn't have a choice...

Anyhoo my latest obsession is slow weekend brunches where you can sip a latte or mimosa (if you're in the mood) and chill with friends or catch up on the week's news. Here are my favorite finds, coincidentally all French. There're no long lines so you won't feel the pressure to leave!

---Gaslight---
Gaslight is in the South End. You can take a stroll after breakfast here to the cute little stores around. And the other great part is there's free parking in a big lot next to the restaurant. This is my favorite of the three!

Oeufs Poches Vignerrone with red wine sauce, jambon cuie and mushrooms. This was good but a tad too vinegary.

Yum, especially the fries. Croque-Monsieur with ham, gruyēre and bechamel:

Gaslight
560 Harrison Avenue
Boston, MA 02118
617 422 0224

---Petite Robert---
There're 2 locations now. One in the South End and the original in Kenmore Square. Save room for dessert!

Petite Robert Bistro
468 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA 02228
(617) 375-0699

---Eastern Standard ---
I would not recommend going to Eastern Standard when there's a Sox game since it's near Fenway. Great place otherwise with outdoor seating in the summer. Here's a photo of my yummy poached egg salad with sweet breads. The only complaint about this place is portions run small.

Eastern Standard
528 Commonwealth Avenue
Kenmore Square
Boston, MA
617 532 9100

Chomp Meter: I'll definitely be back to any of these places. Would love to try dinner at Gaslight too!

Johnny's Luncheonette

Sunday brunch was at Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton Center. We'd originally arranged to meet T and S at Chung Shing Yuan in Newtonville but the line was literally out the door and 20 people long (the students are back!) when they got there at 2pm so we decided to switch venues.



Johnny's is always a good place to go for brunch. In addition to breakfast fare, they have a whole lunch menu as well.

I like the corned beef hash at Johnny's but T's promised to take us to a place in Brookline with the BEST corned beef hash.


S and I shared the Blintzes. It was delicious, though it's hard to go wrong with lots of cheese, isn't it? :)


Belgian Waffles. This actually looks better than it tasted. The waffles could have been left on the pan a little longer.


Home fries, turkey links, and eggs over easy. Always a good choice.


Chomp Meter:
We frequent Johnny's quite a bit since we live in the area. The line isn't as bad if you go later (around 2) and parking is also fairly easy to find.

See Johnny's Luncheonette and other foodie finds on a map on Chompster.com

Johnny's Luncheonette
30 Langley Road
Newton Center MA
617 527 3223