 Aside from a good, garlicky pickle, very few things can enhance a perfect sandwich. With the exception, that is, of a potato chip. Having scarfed our way to the bottom of too many disappointing bags, we were reluctant to try yet another oddly flavored concoction. (Balsamic sweet onion? Pass.) But friends brought us around to trying Rylee’s Kettle Chips, whose bright, simple packaging hides not just a great snack – but a heart warming story, too.
Rick Jewell founded the Connecticut-based line of snacks and named them after his daughter, Rylee, who suffers from a neurological disorder called microcephaly. Very little about the cause of the disease is known but it affects almost twice as many children as autism. Jewell’s five year old has a severe case, which is the reason he started the snack line: a portion of the proceeds goes to the Foundation for Children with Microcephaly, which helps families and children who suffer from the disorder.
Yes, the tale is a sweet one, but the chips are pretty addictive to boot (we tore through three bags in one sitting). Gluten, cholesterol, and trans-fat free, they’re made without MSG and come in some crazy flavors (jalapeno, spicy dill pickle) as well as your standard variety mequite BBQ and salt and vinegar. All of which are sure to mesh perfectly with your next summer sandwich.
Find Rylee’s Kettle Chips at Sebastian’s and the House of Blues or online at ryleessnacks.com.
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 The loyalty fans have to Nantucket’s Turkey Terrific sandwich (from one of our fave spots, Provisions) rivals the clamor we’ve seen surrounding Barbara Lynch’s prune-stuffed gnocchi or Gordon Hamersley’s roast chicken: it’s downright legendary. But the selection of sammies on The Rock has expanded recently. Meaning, at the very least, you have a few options to get you from one lunch to the next.
Fresh, a four-season-old market set a few blocks from Provisions on Salem Street, not only stocks a well-edited selection of easy drinking wines and booze, but also does sandwiches to order (as well as sushi, breakfast sammies, and even a few prepared dinner items). On our last jaunt down, we discovered the local’s new favorite, The Capone ($8.95, above). A riff on a classic Italian sub, this soft, roasted garlic ciabatta roll is stuffed top to tail with cured meats (capicola, ham, salami), provolone, banana peppers, pickles, onions, and tomatoes. A light smear of herbed balsamic vinaigrette pulls the ingredients together nicely and the roll offers punchy kick. Stock up on a couple before your bike ride down to Jetties Beach, or grab an assortment for your crew (The Yardbird, 8.95, pairs turkey breast with Muenster, arugula and basil aioli).
And don’t worry — that Turkey Terrific will still be on the menu tomorrow.
Fresh, 5 Salem St., Nantucket, 508-825-2100; freshnantucket.com.
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 I have just removed my pants and liberally sprayed them, once again, with stain remover. Today’s disgrace (yes, a repeat performance) involved dripping basil and cilantro (from pesto and herb vinaigrette respectively) from a sandwich from Canteen. I am crackers for a good sandwich and this newish, sorta-Central-Square Cambridge spot, has me hooked. The violating sandwich (and my current darling), the Green Goddess, is meant to be vegetarian (it’s filled with warm asparagus, broccoli, zucchini, spinach, and feta cheese), but I am naughty and get some roasted turkey in it, too. I should know better than to take it to go. I had more than enough time to eat it at home, but I can’t resist its siren-like beckon, staring at me from within its see-through plastic take away box. By the first traffic light, the box is open and there’s green matter all over my shirt, pants, and the console of my car. I’ve had similar experiences with the Crafty (turkey, avocado, bacon, chili-spiked mayo, and caramelized onions), the Cuban (slow roasted pork, melted cheese, pickles), and a few of their wraps. I have no will power. The one time I sat at Canteen, my friend Amy ordered one of their many crepes, the “Merguez.” And even I wouldn’t be irresponsible enough to eat this one in the car — it’s a North African love fest of crumbled lamb sausage drizzled with a warm feta cheese sauce. It’s ridiculous. I am told that while the sandwiches are outstanding, breakfast is even better. I may have to alter my morning routine.
Canteen, 983 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-547-5477, gocanteen.com.
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Yes. It’s Mother’s Day. It comes around every year, but like snowfall does the MBTA, somehow the holiday always catches us by surprise. If you’re really on the ball, you already have your bouquet/chocolate/brunch combo lined up. If not, you’re probably starting to sweat. Not to worry: just click through our roundup of all things Mother’s Day: From brunch options to duckling parades, we’ve got you covered.
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Slideshow by Allie Vasilakis
Photography by Emily Wilson
Custom meat blends, artisanal bunwork, and lavish toppings (foie gras, anyone?). They may be a splurge, but are these burgers worth every penny? You decide. Here, we highlight seven of the most notable and highest-priced patties around the city.
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 Wow, that headline really feels like sacrilege, given how long I’ve bowed at the altar of Rami’s, and the Israeli takeout joint still does turn out fantastic chick pea fritters. But the spinach falafel wrap at Sofra has made a convert out of me, and so it’s over the river we go.
Why? Start with the Turkish flatbread, called yufka–similar to a tortilla–which is made fresh the moment you order. Add a lashing of beet tzatziki, which adds a sweet tang and gorgeous color, and sprinkle on sine house-made sweet-and-sour veggie pickle (I spied cauliflower, peppers, carrots, and cucumbers). Throw in a few pickled hot peppers and a sprinkling of lettuce. Then pile on the falafel themselves, made with whole chickpeas, chickpea flour, and spinach, stirred with allspice and onions, and fried until crispy outside, moist and tender inside. Drizzle with tahini brown butter sauce. Die happy. Continue reading “The City’s Best Falafel: Not in Brookline!” »
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 Here at Boston, we spend a lot of time trendspotting (so you don’t have to!)—looking for new insights into The Way We’re Eating, scouting new hot spots, keeping a bird’s-eye view on the dining scene.
What we haven’t done in a while, though, is zoom in and talk about the best single dishes we’ve tried of late—dishes that aren’t part of any trend, or necessarily turned out by the newest chef. So let’s have at it. Here is a non-scientific sampling of some truly stand-out foods (in no particular order):
Continue reading “Our Favorite Dishes: Winter Edition” »
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 Time to let you in on one of Boston’s best-kept secrets. You know Toro, Ken Oringer’s tough-to-get-in tapas place on the far end of Washington Street? Turns out they serve lunch. Yes really. For a while. No, I don’t know why you haven’t been there yet.
I’ve been there, as recently as, oh, yesterday. And it’s hands-down my favorite lunch escape, being just a few blocks from work and home to some truly delicious food. Start with the house salad. I always do.
No dried-out mesclun mix here. You’ll get tender young greens—arugula, dandelion, red-leaf lettuce—plus avocado, sunflower seeds, and nutty chick peas. I’m not a dainty salad girl, but this one could certainly stand in for a full meal.
Continue reading “Toro’s Well-kept Secret” »
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Aside from a good, garlicky pickle, very few things can enhance a perfect sandwich. With the exception, that is, of a potato chip. Having scarfed our way to the bottom of too many disappointing bags, we were reluctant to try yet another oddly flavored concoction. (Balsamic sweet onion? Pass.) But friends brought us around to trying Rylee’s Kettle Chips, whose bright, simple packaging hides not just a great snack – but a heart warming story, too.
