Figs- Boston

 

Ah, Charles Street in Boston during the summer. Quaint, romantic, artsy. The perfect place to grab a slice of pizza and get your palms read, no? Well that's exactly what we did, lol. Not unlike Boston's North End, this little neighborhood street is jam packed with fine eateries and bakeries. Serving up affordable Italian pastas and pizzas, Figs, according to my friend always requires a wait. Inside the tiny, romantically-lit space, which houses approximately 25 or so guests, conversations and a lively level of noise flows. But you would think that with its abundance of customers and business booming, the owners could afford to turn on the air conditioner, especially on a humid and hot day as such. Inside such a cramped space with so many people, the environment felt rather hellish and uncomfortable.

Caramelized Onion Focaccia

This free bread was so dense that I almost ruined my appetite by eating just two pieces. Though it was moist, fresh and gratifying (we were both famished), the focaccia was so greasy that I had absolute no use for the olive oil.

 

We ordered one pizza but divided it in half by selecting two types. It was only the two of us girls eating so we had a ton left over so I would recommend just getting one pizza to share between 3-4 people depending on how hungry you're feeling.

Bianco Pizza

This side of the pie consists of mozzarella, sweet onions, tomatoes and arugula leaves drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I favor white pizzas over pizzas with tomato sauce for some reason. Made just how I like it, the crust is extremely thin and crispy. The ingredients are very fresh and the pizza overall was very flavorful and cheesy. Unfortunately, Figs could really learn to cut back on the oil as I found the bottom of the crust to be overly greasy.

 

Roasted Pulled Chicken Pizza

Come on over to this side of the pie where we have gruyere cheese, basil oil, caramelized onion, chicken and even scallions. I loved all of the ingredients except for the raw scallions of which I'm never a fan. The meat was tender and surprisingly not dried out by the oven heat. The pesto was bold and flavorful while the onions were sweet. Again, the pizza itself tasted great but the crust was far too oily.

Ambiance: 2.5 out of 5 (I would have given a 3.5 out of 5 had it not been for the lack of air conditioning inside the restaurant)

Service: 3.5 out of 5

Food: 3.5 out of 5

Verdict: Gourmet pizza without the gourmet price tag.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/figs-boston

In-N-Out- San Francisco

I feel like I'm going to get shot for saying this but In-N-Out is seriously NOT that good. After all the rave and hype surrounding this burger joint, I finally got my chance to stuff my face with one of these long-awaited burgers and to my disappointment, I was extremely underwhelmed. Strangely, I was impressed with the hospitality of the staff which is absolutely unheard of when it comes to fast food places. The workers at this particular In-N-Out were extremely friendly and smiley (don't know if it's like this at all of the stores or just this one but either way, my compliments to them). The restaurant space is tidy and clean and the menu is extremely simple. As some of you may know, there are several "hidden" menu items, one of them being the animal-style fries pictured below. I guess half the fun and charm of eating here is discovering and trying out all these secret combinations.

Classic Cheeseburger with a side of Animal-Style Fries
My biggest complaint about the burger is that it wasn't juicy or greasy enough (sad to say, but I rarely eat burgers because they're so unhealthy so when I do eat one, it better be darn moist and greasy). I did enjoy the buns which were soft and toasty.

The heaping of toppings sitting atop the fries consists of cheese, sauteed onions, and some sort of relish-infused thousand island sauce. Although the toppings were delicious, the fries themselves, fell a little flat. They tasted baked rather than fried and in my book, that's not necessarily a good thing because we all know that fried tastes much better than baked.

Umami Burger
On a slightly different but relevant note, when I went to LA for the second half of my trip, I had a chance to dine at Umami Burger (unfortunately I didn't take a picture and therefore I'm not writing a post). But the umami burger there is money! It's savory, fresh, juicy, and plenty flavorful (as it should be, given that umami is the fifth taste of savoriness).

75 Chestnut- Boston

Tucked away in the sleepy, residential streets of Beacon Hill, you might just walk right past 75 Chestnut if you're not actively on the lookout. Their menu may not be extensive but you can find all the American classics here, from salads and steaks to burgers and BLTs. The space inside is a touch tight but creates for a cozy and warm atmosphere. 

Roasted Garlic Bread with Marinara

We started with the "75 Chestnut Tower" which is a sampler consisting of three appetizers for sharing. The garlic bread was crispy and cheesy while the marinara was warm and great for dipping.

Fried Calamari

The second appetizer in the sampler was this fried calamari which tasted pretty standard. Seeing that there's not much worth noting here, let's move on.

Sweet Potato Ravioli
This last appetizer was easily my favorite of the three. The next time I go back, I would definitely want to order the entree version rather than just a teaser. The raviolis were filled with a savory, creamy sweet potato mash. The creamy tomato-based sauce was also great for spooning on top of the bread.

Boston Bibb Salad

Ordering salads at restaurants is pretty much unheard of from a girl like myself but on this rare occasion, I went with this leafy bed of greens over a greasy, heavy, delicious burger. I figured I already had enough unhealthy options with the selection of the sampler. Anyways, I'm all for simple and clean but this salad was honestly so plain that I could have easily made it at home. The dressing used was just a simple lemon vinaigrette and the salad consisted of some basic ingredients including goat cheese, dried cranberries, slices of apple, pecans, and of course, bibb lettuce. I enjoyed this variety of lettuce which was super soft and almost "buttery"? But the lettuce being of a tasty kind is unfortunately not something that I could credit the restaurant for.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/75-chestnut-boston