Now that warm weather is (hopefully) approaching, I have been channeling my inner elementary school child and have officially declared it ice cream season. I recently went to Coolidge Corner for an afternoon of shopping, and treated myself to a frozen yogurt at Berry Freeze. I highly recommend going for a frozen yogurt experience that cannot be found anywhere else in Boston.

Every aspect of Berry Freeze is self-serve, giving the customer complete control over his or her yummy creation. You start by choosing a small or large size…I opted for the small and it was more than enough. The store has several tart flavors, including original, pina colada, chocolate and pineapple. If you are unsure which flavor to have, employees are more than happy to give you a sample. Or, when in doubt, mix multiple flavors. I mixed original and pina colada, and both were extremely flavorful and creamy.

After filling your cup to your heart’s desire, you move to a buffet area filled with toppings. Berry Freeze has tons of different toppings, ranging from kiwi and strawberry to Twix and Oreos. I chose strawberries, blackberries, pineapple and sprinkles. The fruit was extremely fresh, and I was pleased at the amount of healthy topping choices.

Once you are done loading on delicious toppings, simply go to the counter where your cup is weighed. And at only 35 cents an ounce, Berry Freeze provides a tasty snack that your stomach and your wallet can appreciate.

Mon-Thu, Sun 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

273 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 738-3300

Photo courtesy of yelp.com

When the craving hits, there’s no avoiding it, and any good mac n’ cheese lover knows where to get their fix.  Lately I’ve been getting mine at MMMac & Cheese, located in Faneuil Hall’s Quincy Market.

There’s no shortage of new takes on mac n’ cheese, so MMMac stays true to the classic dish’s humble nature, offering a few simple additions to jazz things up.  Every order of mac n’ cheese – with or without toppings – is cooked to order and ready to eat in about ten minutes.  This may irk some mac purists who balk at anything outside of grandma’s roux-based, slow baked, crunchy-topped casserole.  But before anyone starts getting that awful PROCESSED CHEESE dread, let me just say this: MMMac’s cheese blend is fresh, tasty, and contains no hint of plastic.

Basic items – like ground beef or grilled chicken – are added to MMMac’s solid foundation of cavatappi and an American-cheddar cheese blend for a surprisingly delicious experience.  Things get slightly more complicated but no less tasty with dishes like the Italian, a mix of standard mac and parmesan cheese, topped off with grape tomatoes and pesto (it’s green!).  Other inventive renditions include the BBQ Chicken and Boston Seafood.   Diners can choose to load up on custom toppings, including an array of fresh veggies.

MMMac & Cheese offers both small and large sizes.  I overwhelmingly recommend getting the small – as is the case with all things sinfully cheesy, a little goes a long way.  Prices were reasonable, with a small order of plain mac going for around five bucks (prices increase with additional toppings, maxing out at eleven dollars).  Diners who opt out of the bread bowl may be put off by the wimpy, plastic takeaway containers, but when realizing that there is absolutely no place to sit and eat in the oft bustling Quincy Market, it’s convenient to fasten the lid and head for a bench or cozy apartment.

MMMac & Cheese also offers a variety of salads, all of which contain certified USDA Organic ingredients but really, with melty, cheesy, ooey-gooey goodness sitting three feet away, who wants a salad?

Italian cuisine in Boston is synonymous with the North End, but last week I sampled some of the best Italian dishes I have ever had at Stella, a chic restaurant located on Washington Street in Boston’s up and coming South End neighborhood.

I went to Stella with my family, and between the three other diners, I sampled about eight items from the menu. The meal started with freshly baked focaccia and a white bean spread, and being the carb addict I am, it took every ounce of will power to not get full on the bread alone. For appetizers, I highly recommend Parmesan arancini, which were perfectly fried and filled with mozzarella. They sat in a pool of light tomato sauce that had a slight kick but was by no means overbearing. The crudo misto was extremely fresh, but I would recommend it to people who really love lemon, as the tuna had a strong citrus flavor.

For entrees, the pasta dishes are out of this world. My bolognese was made with fresh tagliatelle and came out piping hot. I also sampled the orecheitte, which had crumbled sausage and chile flakes and was equally delicious. The portions of pasta are huge, but any of Stella’s pastas can be ordered in an appetizer portion and served as a starter. The crispy halibut was cooked to perfection, as was the beef sirloin. One of the standouts of the meal was the French fries, and while French fries do not typically capture my attention, these was hot, light and had a wonderful flavor.

Nothing upsets me more than ending a fabulous meal with a weak dessert, and Stella, yet again, failed to disappoint. The chocolate mouse was light and fluffy but with a deep chocolate flavor, and was topped with crouton-sized pieces of homemade biscotti. It reminded me of something my mom would make…only better. But, if I could recommend one dessert, it was the apple crostada and caramel sauce. This was one of the best desserts I have ever had, period. A warm apple filling with surrounded by a chewy, shortbread-like crust, and finished off with a scoop of vanilla gelato. The desserts were big enough to share, but I could have finished this one off all on my own.

From the bread to the last bite of dessert, Stella delivered on every course, and mixed comforting Italian dishes with an upbeat atmosphere that makes it a must in the Boston dining scene.

Stella Restaurant and Bar

1525 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02118
617-247-7747

En Route to my favorite Brighton coffee spot, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a giant “A” protruding from the store fronts. It was Athens, a breakfast experience I had heard about in passing but never given second thought to. With lots of work to do, a desperate need for caffeine, I could not resist the call of the empty window side table that sat in the glow of the February sun.

The menu did not disappoint the breakfast lover within me, nor did it stretch my poor freelance writer’s wallet. For less than eight dollars, I could have anything from eggs benedict, to the Monte Cristo, a brioche sandwich with house roasted turkey, cheddar cheese, cranberry mayonnaise, dipped in egg batter and grilled with home fries. Or for just $3.95, I could have the house-made vanilla pancakes with real maple syrup and sour cherry butter.

I settled on Irish steel cut oatmeal, slow cooked rolled oats cooked with dried fruits and nuts, enhanced only by fresh coffee and cream. It was a little taste of home that filled me up for hours of studying…joy.

The average person walking around the Back Bay area would be taken aback by the grandeur of the Christian Science Headquarters, a massive white dome church that sits pretty on Mass Ave. But few would know that right next door is the Mary Baker Eddy Library home to both the Quotes Café, and the only existing Mapparium in the world.

If you’re in the mood for a delightfully random duet of an afternoon, this is the perfect combination of activities. Start with lunch in the Quotes café. The walls are filled with quotes from the greats like Shakespeare and Ghandi, perfect for some light thought provoking conversation over sandwiches like The Symphony, provolone cheese, broccoli rabe, on tomato basil bread with chipotle aioli. There is also fantastic flat bread pizza options like Athenas, fresh buffalo mozzarella and tomato, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and basil, and classic sandwich options like a Tuna Melt and The American BLT.

As for the Mapparium, this 200 word blog will not do it the justice it deserves, but it is geography frozen in time and recreated in a massive 160 piece stained glass globe, with panels that light up to draw attention to different counties and acoustics which allow you to throw your voice or hear it in surround sound. Who can say no to a great sandwich and self-surround sound?

My food fueled endeavors this week have officially graced each end of the spectrum, from the 12 Tribes Brotherhood of Common Ground Café to a frat boys dream at Sunset Grill. But it is safe to say that Sunset stands as a brotherhood of its own.

Let’s start with this fun fact, their menu is 16 pages long, correction their beverage menu is 16 pages long. Think of your favorite beer and they’ve got it, plus 20 others that are similar and sure to tickle your taste buds with hoppy goodness. As the last leaves of autumn meet their doom, I chose to stand by my fall favorite, the Weyerbacher Pumpkin ale. With 8.0 percent alcohol and a glass rimmed with cinnamon and sugar, it is a desert beer that will leave you flying high to say the least.

And just incase the booze become too much, there is a 12 page food menu to balance your buzz. Are you in the mood for Mexican? They’ve got it, Italian? Yup. Classic American? For sure.  Short of Sushi, Sunset has the broadest expanse of food and beverage of any restaurant I’ve come across and all of it is in the highest of quality.

Thirsty or hungry, sunset will more than satisfy your needs.