Casa B

casabTucked away between storefronts in Union Square, CasaB could easily be overlooked. The restaurant has two levels, a bright white color scheme on the first floor and a dimly lit and cozy basement. I’m partial to the lower level where you can see the kitchen working. They also have a beautiful wall full of plants downstairs (which I thought were fake and was delighted to find out are real). Drink menus are placed on the table to start, when asked about the wines the server just described their color. I wish I was kidding.

After the drink orders are placed, the food menus arrive. We order rollitos de aguacate, seven layer salad (a special that day), and camarones rellenos de yuca. Complimentary plantain chips here are tasty, the dipping sauce isn’t even necessary. Rollitos were good, especially the prune and cilantro dipping sauce. The presentation of the seven layer salad was artfully done. The server sets down a plate with a clear glass bowl (placed upsidedown) in the center. Inside the bowl you can see all the beautiful layers, once the beauty is acknowledged, the server gently lifts off the bowl and all the layers fall to the plate. It tasted pretty great too, a little overdressed to my liking, but I’m a minimalist with dressing. Camarones rellenos de yuca, sounded more exciting than they were. Dessert was the winner, a trio of ice cream sandwiches, homemade ice cream and cookies. I’d go back for that again and again.

Toro Boston

IMG_1117Finally, I get myself to Toro! Sure, I had to race there in order to get two seats at the bar at 6pm (practically an early bird special!), but it was well worth the effort! Deciding which items to order proved to be ridiculously difficult, everything sounded amazing. The dishes, cocktails, and wine were superb! By the time 7pm rolled around, the ambiance at the bar became oppressive with the crowd, but other than that, no complaints!

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