Valentine's Day Southern Style

So my initial idea for Valentine's Day was to make a home cooked meal and yummy dessert for Philip. But then I almost burned down the kitchen a few weeks back (note: do NOT over microwave a sweet potato!) so Philip made us reservations at Hungry Mother.

Those familiar with my initial blog will remember that Philip and I went to Hungry Mother when we first started dating 3 years ago. We had a great experience and had always wanted to go back so we thought it would be nice to celebrate at a place we know and love.

Hungry Mother did not disappoint and was such a perfect place for us to celebrate the day of love. I'm not a huge fan of overdone Valentine's Days so this restaurant was the best choice as they kept things low key. There were no balloon adornments or stuffy waiters in red shirts and bow-ties or endless amount of flowers that would have over powered the smell of my food. Hungry Mother looked and acted exactly as they would on any other given night.

Philip and I were even seated at the same table we sat at last time in the big, open dining room. The lighting was subtle and interesting, with glass cups as coverings for the actual light bulbs. I was most excited when I first walked in because the wall facing the bar had the same frame theme I've been working on (still working on!) for our dining room at home.

The bar is very small, but the drinks have quite a big personality. Their cocktails are intricate and involved but taste quite delicious. I got the Jasper, which had cava, prosecco, and jasmine syrup (among 18 other ingredients) and proceeded to get a 2nd one when I discovered that they didn't have a glass of pinot noir on the menu.

For starters we ordered Southern Vibes, which is the French southern version of a cheese and meat plate. There was pickled okra, smoked ham, and some yummy cheese dip that we could spread onto burnt toasts. We also ordered the grits which were covered in cheese and bacon and then put in the broiler for a minute (that lovely picture to your right should start to make your mouth salivate for sure).

For dinner Philip ordered the pork which I had a bite of and immediately loved. I ordered the rib eye which came with a root veggie mash and roasted parsnips, carrots, and muchrooms. It was hands down one of the best pieces of steak I've ever had. Both of our plates went back empty (that other fantastic picture to your left is me not waiting for the picture to be taken and digging to my steak).

The icing on the cake - pun intended - was the dessert of very fancy smores. The bottom layer was a combo of what tasted like graham cracker, toffee, and butter all combined together. A layer of dark chocolate ganche came next followed by homemase toasted marshmallow. Straight up heavenly and sinful all at the same time (no pictures because I was just too busy eating, sorry!).

The other nice touch for dessert was the option to get your "pie of the day" in a to-go container. This seems like such a great idea for those that can't fit in pie at that very moment but still want to have something sweet later on. I wish more places would do this!

My only complaint is with service. While our server started off strong, she eventually disppeared, which didn't really make a lot of sense because we got there late so she was ending up with LESS tables, not more. She didn't handle our drinks well at all either. We ordered our first drink at the bar and then when it was time to get a second drink she dropped the ball on wine recommendation and then never bothered to ask 1. if Philip liked the wine I inadvertantly ordered for him or 2. if I would also like a glass. This meant I didn't get a second drink with dinner. Her financial loss.

I ended up ordering a second Jasper to go with dessert, which was fine with me because it was delicious. I just really would have loved a nice red wine to go with my rib eye. After dessert had been cleared away we were ready to go. We watched as our server attended to her other 3 tables repeatedly but never to us. We almost had to flag her down to get the check. Maybe this chick was just not meant to be a server. Hopefully she figures that out soon.

All-in-all Hungry Mother is still a great option for a nice, low key but exceptional meal. It was great to see that they're still excuting interesting and flavorful dishes. There really isn't any place like Hungry Mother in Boston so it's worth the trek to Kendell Square. One more tip - you can get your parking validated if you park in the garage near the cinema. It'll bring your parking price from $12 to $5 which is a very nice touch.

Look for another restaurant review at the beginning of March when we celebrate Philip's 28th birthday!

The City Girl's Guide to Ice Fishing

Since as far back as I can remember, my father - Wes - has taken my sister, Felicia, and I to the annual Meredith, NH Ice Fishing Derby. It takes place every February and you spend one very cold weekend out on the ice hoping to catch the big 3 lb rainbow lurking in the waters below.

The derby has taken place for over 30 years and Wes has never missed a weekend. He has also never caught a fish...but we have always had the best time just being together and enjoying the outdoors.

This derby weekend was the first time we stayed in a nice hotel which was located directly across from the lake in Meredith. We used to stay at my Great-Grandfather, Roy's, house until he passed away when I was in my late teens. In the years that followed, we stayed in some seedy motels and one year even stayed in an RV on the ice. But now that I'm older (and much pickier about having a bed, pillows, shower, and *most importantly* toilet) I took the initiative to secure the fam rooms at the Inn and Spa at Mill Falls - http://www.millfalls.com/

I really enjoyed this hotel. It's part of a large group of small hotels all located right in Meredith with views of Lake Winnepsauke and each hotel has its own camp-style restaurant. The whole place reminded me of Foxwoods with their little houses all lined up to look like Disney World.

 I also thoroughly enjoyed the indoor hot tub when we got back from being out on the ice all day! This is a great spot during the fall if you want to get up to see some foliage and also a great summer spot when visiting the Lakes Region of NH. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, all ranging in price, and all the restaurants have really great comfort food.

After telling people that I'm heading ice fishing I am always asked how I possibly stay warm. I know that I appear like a girl who would wear a pea coat to ice fish, but I can assure you that I am a New England gal born and bred...and also, Wes would have disowned me if I didn't dress accordingly for these weekends.

When heading to where temps will be a balmy 12 degrees, I strongly recommend layering. I start with covering my entire body from head to toe in Hot Chilly's, which are undergarments for people in the cold who might also be sweating. When your body sweats, the undergarments will wick away the moisture and keep you dry and warm. Doesn't this chick look so much like me?

Then I add a durable pair of snow pants. For me, I personally love the ones made by North Face that are NOT the nylon ones. Nylon will easily tear and get burn marks from ash embers. Gloves are essential and I really like the K2 gloves, but you'll want to put some hand warmers in there for added coziness. You'll also want a wool hat that is lined with fleece because heat escapes from your head the most, according to a very credible source - my mother, Carol.

The most important layer I put on is my last layer - my Canada Goose Chilliwack jacket. These jackets, which come in all different styles, are worn by the teams that do work in the Antarctic...which clearly means I need it to go ice fishing. Here are the Carr sisters all bundled up for the day:

So now that you know WHERE to go and WHAT to wear when you get there, I'll assume that I'll be getting plenty of requests to join the Carr family next year! Wes built a new bob house this year but has plans to expand and remodel for next year. We're hoping to have a wood-fed hot tub out on the ice with us as well as a working bar. We might even try and catch something next year ;-)