Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Solea and New Friends

Hello blog friends! 


So I just had the most fabulous time at Solea on Moody Street in Waltham. Jimmy was having a case of the blahs today so to cheer him up I decided to forgo our run and go out to dinner instead. I suggested Solea, a tapas bar that I hadn't been to before but had heard great things. Plus Jimmy wasn't feeling that hungry, so I thought a few tapas plates would be good.


When we sat down to dinner, we were seated in close proximity to two other two person tables. I usually hate this type of set up in a restaurant. You are constantly hearing other people's conversations and constantly thinking about them listening to yours. The diningroom itself was extremely loud and actually made conversation difficult. I was surprised that it was so busy for a Tuesday evening, but every table in the diningroom was occupied.


After a while of trying to engage a sullen Jimmy into conversation, we noticed that the table next to us had gotten their first plate, even though we had ordered before them. The other table noticed this as well and made a joke about it, offering us some of theirs. We soon were chatting away with them and naturally they noticed me taking pictures of our food, so I had the opportunity to tell them about my blog (hello Kelly and AJ!) and come to find out that they had met there exactly 8 years earlier to the day and were coming back to celebrate the occasion since they had moved to California and were just visiting for a wedding. Further along in conversation Kelly and AJ told us about their move from Boston to California to begin a wine business. AJ sells over 100 boutique wines and in 2007 began his own label. If you are ever in the area, visit AJ Pearce Wines. AJ and Kelly were fantastic and I'm so glad we met them. It certainly cheered Jimmy up considerably and I love meeting new interesting people. Now on to the food!


We ordered five plates as well as dessert:


Queso de Cabra Montaٌnes, Baked Goat Cheese with Tomato & Basil. I got a little overzealous with this one and dug in before I remembered to take a picture, but I assure you, it was much more delicious than it looks. I used the bread basket for dipping. It was so rich that I didn't end up finishing it, but I really really wanted to!


Chorizo a la Plancha, Grilled Spanish Sausage. Fried to perfection. 


Buٌnuelos de Alcachofas y Espinacas, Artichoke & Spinach Fritters. These were easily my favorite. They were crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful on the inside. The cheese sauce underneath added just enough to make them unbelievable. 


Pato Braseado, Roasted Duckling with Berry Sauce. I don't love duck, but as far as duck goes, this was quite good. The berry sauce was exquisite.


Solomillo con Chimichurri, Beef Tenderloin with Spicy Herb Sauce. This dish was my second favorite. The beef came on crunchy french bread and though the spicy herb sauce was a little spicier than I had expected, I was pleasantly surprised at just how delicious this relatively simple dish was. It's hard to go wrong with beef tenderloin.


Tarta de Chocolates, Chocolate Almond Cake Fresh Berries & Whipped Cream. I was actually quite disappointed with this dessert. The cake was extremely dry and there was no almond flavor whatsoever. Our new friends actually ordered my original choice (that Jimmy vetoed) of the bananas with butterscotch and pistachios. Kelly was kind enough to save me a bite and every last morsel was heavenly. Dessert regret. I get it often.




In short, the food at Solea gets a 4 out of 5, but the atmosphere gets only a 2 out of 5. I may go there again, but never on a weekend and I may try sitting in the bar area next time just to see if the noise level is any different.


So I am about a week away from finally being able to divulge my really great news and I am just DYING to tell you all (I'm teasing now I know). The only bad part about my news is that it will leave me unable to complete my goal of getting fitness certified, which makes me a little sad :( Instead I just have to focus on being the fittest I can be. Speaking of fit, my ass still really hurts today, so I didn't make it to BodyPump this morning. I will definitely be attending on Thursday morning though, it's such a great workout. For those of you who are lucky enough to have it at your gym, try it out! Then your ass can be sore too!

1 comment:

  1. Dinner was great tonight and having dinner with Steph certainly helped me get out of my bad mood. Also its not everyday that you meet 2 great people like AJ and Kelly at dinner. They really capped the night with great conversation. Have a safe trip back to Cali AJ and Kelly!!

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