Massachusetts: Boston – The Paramount

The Paramount: Boston

44 Charles St., Boston, MA 02114

We had a very mixed experience at The Paramount and I attribute it mainly to my fiancé’s sheer exhaustion at the end of an almost 9-mile walking day and his limited dietary choices.

I appreciated the little details like the cucumber in the water, cloth napkins, and the bread and hummus that arrived before our meal. He wasn’t the biggest fan of having a cucumber slice in his water and couldn’t eat the bread, so didn’t get to enjoy the hummus as much as I did.

This was another vegan meal for me… I had a roasted buddha bowl filled with lots of exciting flavors and textures. While I can’t remember all the ingredients, the parsnip had a distinct flavor and the wedge of tofu crumble was actually pretty tasty, even though I don’t normally like tofu. The Peach and beet puree was a really interesting combination to top it all off.

My fiancé ordered a shrimp and vegetable entrée that came out looking like something you would get at a Chinese restaurant. There were only a couple pieces of shrimp in his meal and he was very disappointed, especially since this is a pricey restaurant. When he saw the bill, he paid it hastily and stormed out, leaving me to wait for the credit card and meet him outside. He said he felt the food was only worth about half of what he’d paid for it and refused to elaborate further.

Massachusetts: Concord – Saltbox Kitchen

Saltbox Kitchen: Concord

84 Commonwealth Ave, Concord, Massachusetts 01742

When it started raining on our Minute Man National Park visit in Concord, we decided to seek shelter in a local restaurant. Concord is an adorable little town, but the parking meters are very confusing to operate if you’ve not been there before. I somehow added a free 12-minutes to our meter and we hurried off in search of somewhere nearby, so I could go back and feed the meter when it ran out. Fortunately, the Saltbox Kitchen farm-to-table restaurant was right across the street.

Since it was after typical lunch time, our choices were limited to the already prepared items in the case. We both decided to take advantage of the special that allowed us each to choose 3 veggie or salad options. We did have the option to have them warmed, but neither of us did.

My fiancé chose a cauliflower salad, a spinach and bean salad, and artichokes. He also tried one of their beers. He enjoyed the whole meal and said it was just enough to leave him full, but not bloated. He was very happy that gluten and dairy free options were clearly marked, so he didn’t have to ask for special considerations or even bring up his dietary restrictions at all. Sometimes he gets very sick of having to do that, so he always enjoys when he doesn’t have to. They allowed him to taste the beer before ordering a full glass. It was bright and light, with a citrusy flavor and went well with his vegetable bowl.

I had a buckwheat groat and kale salad, honey carrots and artichokes. Everything on the plate had wonderful flavors. The carrots weren’t too sweet and the buckwheat salad was very nicely spiced, while still allowing the natural flavors to come through. I also found myself full but not bloated. I had considered going back after my bowl for an egg tart, but decided I really didn’t need to eat any more and stopped after the veggie bowl.

We were able to sit at a counter looking out the front window and keep an eye on my car. I went back once, but someone else had added time to the meter. Since we didn’t have to wait for the food to be cooked, it didn’t take any longer than that for us to finish enjoying our lunch and get back to the car.