Best Sandwich Upgrade Since the Foie-Gras-and-Truffle Burger: Burrata BLT at Scampo
Ever since Daniel Boulud debuted his $26 glorified Big Mac (now $32), chefs worldwide have been upping the sandwich ante — for better or worse. If we were the English creep behind the $200 club sandwich, for one, we wouldn’t bet our stash against Lydia Shire of Scampo (Liberty Hotel, 215 Charles Street, Boston, 857.241.1150), who’s been magically gilding the lowbrow ever since she launched lobster pizza to gourmet stardom. For the lunchtime luxury that is her BLT ($12 with tomato soup), she sources burrata, an extra creamy variant of mozzarella, from Pugliese artisans in California; gets smoked bacon from North Country Smokehouse; adds marinated tomatoes and micro-greens; and piles it all on grilled house-made brioche — thereby guaranteeing a needle of sublimity in a haystack of ridiculousness.
Dustin Pedroia Award for Unassuming, Consistent Brilliance: Chef/Owner Zamir Kociaj of Trattoria Toscana
This humble Albanian ex-pat can be found nearly every night year-round in the open kitchen of his modest Trattoria Toscana (130 Jersey Street, Boston, 617.247.9508) in the Fenway. Kociaj turns out dead-authentic, soul-satisfying Tuscan dishes like a dreamy pappa al pomodoro at nice prices, building on the essentials of good olive oil, unsalted coarse bread, legumes, salumi, offal, and roasted meats. (Regulars always seem to order at least one of his outstanding pastas.) Finally, Boston has a chef/owner who understands what “trattoria” is supposed to mean, though the lines out the door no longer consist of just budget-conscious neighbors.
Scariest Moment for Street-Foodies: Speed’s Hot Dog Switcheroo
Ezra Anderson served lovingly-crafted dogs from speed’s famous Hot Dog Wagon (54 Newmarket Square, Roxbury, 617.839.0102) for 30 years with little public acclaim. Ironically, the Wall Street Journal awarded Speed’s its “Best hot dog in America” honors just as the 80-something Anderson was ready to retire and sell the business to apprentice Greg Gale. Fans already nervous about a post-Anderson quality nosedive went ballistic when word spread that the new guy had switched frankfurter purveyors. Mercifully, Gale didn’t otherwise tinker with speed’s painstaking recipe or house-made condiments, and the new dog is actually a slight improvement. Phew!
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