The Best Things Our Food Editor Ate (and Drank) Last Month | July 2024

As food editor of Yankee and co-host of Weekends with Yankee, it’s my job to travel around New England trying all the great food that our region has to offer. In this regular column, I’ll share my favorite discoveries, from New England-made products to cheap eats to fine dining meals. Come along for the food crawl!

Now that summer is really here, I’ve been spending as much time as possible near the water. Of particular note is Boston’s Seaport district, where I ate two of my favorite meals this month, This is a tiny bit surprising, because in the rush to build Boston’s newest and shiniest neighborhood, many of the first office towers were anchored by chain restaurants, with mixed results. The good news is that Seaport 2.0 has ushered in a number of independent eateries from popular local chefs. And the food is excellent. Let’s start with the lobster roll.

1. The Hot Buttered Roll at The Reel House in Boston

The Reel House Oyster Bar sits at the very tip of Fan Pier with a sweeping view of Boston Harbor. It’s a stunning spot to watch the boats sail by at sunset. And given its prime location, it could probably get away with turning out pretty-good food and still succeed. But under the leadership of culinary director Marc Orfally, a talented Boston veteran, the food is terrific. Fresh off a week of COVID quarantine with my first negative test to celebrate, I tucked into a perfectly sweet and tender lobster roll. The split-top bun was toasted and buttery, the meat succulent (always a mark of quality with hot-and-buttered rolls, which are easy to overcook), and it was all served with house-made potato chips and a shot of sweet-and-spicy coleslaw. Now, given the vagaries of lobster pricing and the prime geography, this was a very expensive roll—about $45. For me, it was worth it, especially given that even the less expensive seafood spots in Boston charge close to $30 for a small roll. Lobster is a special-occasion food these days and if you’re going to have it, make sure it’s great. 

2. The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie from The Dublin General Store in New Hampshire

I know some people prefer crunchy cookies. I’m firmly in the soft-and-chewy camp. And in my view, there’s no better chocolate chip cookie than the one made at the Dublin General Store in New Hampshire (conveniently located down the road from Yankee’s offices). These cookies are huge, packed with chips, not-too-sweet, soft in the center, and crisp at the edges. The snickerdoodle, molasses, and peanut butter cookies are also excellent. You’ll find them in a case right next to the register. Limit 8 per customer. 

3. Taleggio Brûlée at Hook & Line

It’s not unusual to serve a cheese course before dessert (or instead of it). What’s less common is to combine the cheese with the dessert. Early in June, I attended a wine dinner hosted by Peay Vineyards at Hook and Line, another great restaurant in Boston’s Seaport district. Chef Mark Cina turned out five courses  of prawn “lasagnette,” oysters, tempura mushrooms, and confit pork shoulder that were perfectly calibrated to the parade of chardonnays, pinot noirs, and viogniers. 

And just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, the servers presented us with bowls of taleggio cheese that had been topped with sugar and brûléed, then garnished with candied almonds and kumquats. You tapped the sugar crust to break it, then scooped out a spoonful of creamy taleggio to spread on grilled bread and top with the garnishes. Several weeks later, I can still taste it. It’s not a regular menu item, but I include it here because the idea could be recreated at home, provided you have a broiler and can keep a close eye on the sugar as it brûlées.