Got oysters?

It's early Sunday afternoon and I am having a slow start. The events of the day before are haunting me. Picture this: howling, unrelenting rain and wind, briny smell of the ocean, and the cacophony of three thousand hungry revelers all after one thing: the cull of the quahog. I am talking about what has been become an annual tradition in the town of Duxbury, a short 40 mile drive from downtown Boston, known as the Island Creek Oyster Festival.

This year, folks at Island Creek Oysters have come to celebrate and share what they live and breathe every day of the year: the glory of the bivalve. Despite the weather, this was a truly awesome night. The line up included the who's who of Boston food scene, representatives of wine and spirits world and everything in between.

I will admit that I have despite my attempts to focus on culinary creations of the likes of Jody Adams / Chef & Owner, Rialto or Chris Schlesinger / Chef & Owner, East Coast Grill and Jasper White / Chef & Owner, Summer Shack and Seth and Angela Raynor / Chef & Owners, The Pearl the focus was squarely honed on the day boats and the star of the show, the aforementioned mollusc, of which 40,000 were set aside for the event.

I've discovered that despite it's raw, briny goodness it's amazing what a few sauces do to bring out the raw flavor of this creature. My favorite, simply referred to as "crack" was a combination of fish sauce, cilantro, lime juice, and fresh chili pepper, garlic and ginger?. Married with a dash of yuzu the combination was simply orgasmic. I have never in my life experienced such flavor explosion that had me hooked from the get go. No wonder they call it crack ! Paired with Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc, it was divine experience. Needless to say, I was mentally chained to the shuckers' every word and was eager to spread the gospel of "crack" to anyone who would listen. How many oysters did i eat? More than I care to mention but enough to feel somewhat sealionlike. Thank you again to my partner in crime, Christine Liu of Citysearch Boston, who made my attendance possible and accompanied me throughout. You are a formidable reveler!!!

Confessions of a chocoholic

This past Saturday, Ive had the pleasure of being invited to the relaunch of the Chocolate Bar at the Langham Boston with representatives of the media, Twitter and blogosphere. The idea is decadently simple. Who doesn't love dessert and especially chocolate? For the exception of dieters and diabetics out there, most will raise both hands, smile with glee, and will trample over each other for a chance in the sinful indulgence. But herein lies the caveat in all of its chocolate goodness. How much dessert can one stomach first hand in the morning, sans the usual savory treats of eggs, bacon, toast, etc? Yes, that's right. The only eggs were of the pastry cream variety, sugar and all.

The selection was simply mind blowing. Circa 85 different desserts are displayed in all their glory on multiple stations in the cavernous space of Cafe Fleuri. Chocolate covered bacon? No, you've asked too much. Traditional and somewhat, dare I say overly chocolaty interpretations smile and wink at you from every angle, though a few unusual creations were to be had, if you found them in the sea of dozens of well known creations such as whoopee pie, creme brule or chocolate mousse in all of its forms. Eat me, eat me!

The venue has taken a summer hiatus from its well known seafood buffet brunch, which incidentally relaunched this Sunday. I love the space and firmly believe it speaks of the grandeur of the hotel and reminds me of opulent surrounding that many English hotels are known for. "The Langham Hotel Boston blends the legendary hospitality of the original Langham grand hotel with the classic architectural elegance of Boston's former Federal Reserve Bank building."

With all the pomp and circumstance, dozens of chocolate and caramel balloons draped the columns of Cafe Fleuri, along with the customary white linen covered tables. We were introduced to the pastry chef among other hotel staff who joined us at the table by Julie Shamrock, Communications Manager at the Langham. Julie graciously explained that this year the theme for the Chocolate Bar is Boston neighborhoods. The multi directional post at the entry, pointed to Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Chinatown, North End and the like to showcase desserts representative of those enclaves.

Needless to say, we were all ravenous and ready for dessert exploits. Though I love chocolate and crave it in its cocoa nib purity, I must confess I am not a dessert person per se. I'll take a sweet and savory dish over dessert any day, Pad Thai for instance. My fellow table mates had mixed reactions. Some were happy to dive in to plate after plate of beautifully presented creations, while others, including yours truly were more cautious in their plan of attack. Simply put, it is virtually impossible to try everything. I attempted to try those creations that were unusual and untested. Egg and lotus seed buns, as well as fruit sushi and chocolate soup were my picks as well as mint and chocolate macaroons, which deceptively looked like pistachio flavored ones.

I'll cut to the chase. Though voluminous, the experience underwhelmed and overwhelmed at the same time. Underwhelming was the lack of savory options. Any. Chocolate pasta and pizza and chocolate stuffed crepes simply don't cut it as alternatives. I craved bacon and eggs, in their simplest form, badly. Overwhelming was the plethora of choices, with many selections, frankly too rich, too dense or too sweet were simply overdone. Which is a shame. The theme of Boston neighborhoods worked somewhat but was not representative in each display table, which was confusing. The mood lacked whimsy, harking back to the joys of childhood. A clown, brightly colored balloons perhaps? The hushed music piped over hotel speakers and the chocolate and caramel balloons created a somber mood, lost in the sea of black, brown and mocha. I wish Cafe Fleuri and the Chocolate Bar well, but at $38 per person + tip, you better be prepared for a dessert orgy and dare not ask for a salt shaker.