Train Ride from Boston to New York

B and I headed to New York for the weekend to visit our friends (thanks for being such wonderful hosts, D&N!). Maybe because I’m so used to flying around the country, I’d never thought of taking the train until B suggested it…I’ve been missing out! The train ride from Boston to New York was filled with gorgeous scenery as we passed through Connecticut and Rhode Island. It was so much more pleasant than sitting in a cramped airplane and actually took about same amount of time as flying (if you factor in time to/from airports, checking in, and security lines). The best part was that the Amtrak ticket cost half of what our plane tickets would have cost…sweet, more money to spend on food! :-9
One of the picturesque towns in Connecticut
Hello, Concrete Jungle!

Masse’s Pastries – A Berkeley Treat

After pigging out at the farmers’ market, B and I were craving something sweet and wanted to check out one of the East Bay’s dessert shops…which brought us to Masse’s Pastries in Berkeley (one of the few open on Sundays).

The woman behind the counter was super friendly and helpful. Because it was our first time there and the display of beautiful desserts weren’t labeled, she actually walked us through each of the pastries. What nice service! It was difficult to choose with so many alluring pastries calling out to us, but we finally decided on:

Passion Fruit Mousse Torte – totally hit the spot. I wanted something *relatively* light, but substantial enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. The passion fruit was bright (but not too tart) and tickled my taste buds among the layers of creamy mousse and moist cake, while the white chocolate wrapping provided a decadent element. That amount of white chocolate was too sweet for me, but I appreciated the pretty packaging and peeled part of it off…like opening a present! B also thoughtfully reminded me that this dessert tasted a lot like our wedding cake (awww, I was so touched that he remembered when I didn’t!)…oooh, we could get one of these when celebrating each anniversary!

Salted Caramel and Pistachio Macaroons - I love practically anything salted caramel (especially the Bi-Rite’s salted caramel ice cream and Starbelly’s salted caramel pot de crème), so I was thrilled to see it in macaroon form. However, these macaroons tasted a little flat and didn’t capture the depth of the salted caramel flavor. The pistachio macaroon actually tasted better. Overall, not the best macaroons I’ve had, but pretty good.

I look forward to trying more of Masse's Pastries the next time I'm in the area.

BITE METER: Masse’s Pastries – 3.8 bites (out of 5)

Jack London Square Farmers’ Market

It was a beautiful Sunday morning, so B and I decided to check out the Jack London Square Farmers’ Market in Oakland (Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market in SF is closed on Sundays). Similar to the Ferry Plaza, this farmers' market has tents set up along a waterfront, giving it a beautiful backdrop. There’s also a soon-to-open plaza/building for permanent local vendors.
What I liked about this market:
- Has more of a festive vibe and family-oriented atmosphere than the one in San Francisco
- The prepared food stands were excellent! My favorites were the Indian food stand (forget name, but not Sukhi’s), East & West Gourmet Afghan Food stand, and Cholita Linda’s taco stand.
- Tons of seating on the lawn and along the water with gorgeous views
- Parking was surprisingly easy

What I didn’t like about this market:
- There were only a few produce stands and the selection was slim. (Keep in mind, that I’ve been spoiled by the size and number of vendors at the Ferry Plaza for several years)
- It's relatively small and doesn't take long to cover the whole market
- They don’t proactively give out of free samples and let you try the fresh produce/food

Chicken Tikka Masala Naan Roll – my favorite eat of the day! You must come to the Indian food stand and get one. I forget their name, but make sure it’s the one with a portable tandoori oven. I was really impressed that they actually had a tandoori oven at a food stand to ensure the quality of their naan…and you can definitely taste the difference! It’s warm, soft, and a little bit crispy on the outside, but not too doughy on the inside - basically, awesome. There were many different types of naan rolls, but I chose the one filled with savory and spicy chicken tikka masala…DELISH!! [Tip: the naan rolls are large and quite filling, so I recommend sharing one if you want to eat at more than one food stand]

East & West Gourmet Afghan Food – I was smitten as soon as I tasted a sample of their spinach bolani (thin, stuffed flat-bread) topped with their garlic mint cheese spread and sweet jalapeno jelly. YUM!! I loved the interplay of the cool mint and creamy cheese with the sweet spice of the jelly, and the bolani was the perfect canvas. Of course, I had to buy some!
Cholita Linda – their mint limeade is a must! Refreshing and thirst-quenching. I also liked their spit-roasted chicken taco (the fish taco was just ok), and appreciated the side of tortilla chips with oxacan cotija cheese.
Golden Nugget Mandarins – I’ve never seen such wrinkly and bumpy oranges before. Fortunately, they taste better than they look.
Organic Strawberries – Beware of this stand! The strawberries looked beautiful when we purchased them, but went bad and molded the very next day...grrr.
BITE METER: Jack London Square Farmers’ Market – 3.5 bites (out of 5)