This post is very bittersweet for me to write. Last Thursday I had a fantastic and much needed girls’ night with one of my best friends and a new friend. And last Thursday I found out that said best friend is taking her own huge step out of her comfort zone, taking a huge step in her career, and moving to.. NYC. I could not be happier for her, and I support her 100% but I am devastated to be losing her to the city that never sleeps. On the upside? It looks like PBR and Caviar will be seeing some NY blog posts in its future. Best of luck Fiona, I will miss you but I am so, so proud of you!

Ok let’s get onto the food shall we? I’ve been looking for an excuse to get into JM Curley’s since I heard it has a burger that could be one of the best in Boston (don’t worry Craigie on Main, yours is still my favorite). So when Fiona suggested it for our Thursday girls’ night, I fought through a horrible day and we ventured out into the frigid temps and allured by a warm cozy space with heartwarming food. I had my Talisman necklace from Anthropologie (http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/product/shopsale-jewelryaccessories/29045903.jsp;jsessionid=BF0CBB186765101E50995A2BD5048A98.anphlpapp01-store04) to bring us luck, and we didn’t have to wait long for a table.

Now you know a girls’ night requires comfort food so we got the party started with JM Curley’s Cracka Jack. Let me tell you, this is not your typical Cracker Jacks, this little doozy of a mixture comes out as a lovely mix of salty, smoky and sweet popcorn. I mean come on, caramelized popcorn with peanuts AND bacon is pretty much one of the best flavor combinations ever. And there’s even a prize inside! Another treat we opted to indulge in was their Cast Iron Mac and Cheese, and this helping did not disappoint. I know I say I’m a connoisseur in almost every blog, so why stop now. I think I’m a mac and cheese connoisseur, and this was one of the best I’ve had in a while. It came out creamy and melty and with enough breadcrumbs on top to add some crunch, and a great hint of beer with the Cottrell Old Yankee Ale mixed it. This is a dish you can’t go without here… trust me.

So while one friend opted for the burger (the fries WERE extremely notable by the way), and another for a salad and the pork & beans on the special menu, I went big and ordered the pork chop. I rarely will order a full sized entree just for myself anymore, as you all know I love sharing, but at our server’s recommendation I went for it. The Porterhouse Pork Chop with applesauce arrived in front of me as large as a porterhouse steak, covered in sliced and roasted apples. So where do I begin.. Let’s start with the chop, it was cooked to the exact temp pork is meant to be served at with just the right amount of pink in the center. Lightly seasoned with the exact amount of salt necessary to counter the sweetness of the apples, and make for a little bit of a crisp on the outside. The meat was perfectly tender and came right off the bone, and had I not overindulged in bacon cracka jacks and mac and cheese I really would have taken care of the whole thing.. Self control, self control, self control. And the apples you ask? They were cooked to perfection with the right amount of crispness left in them while still soft and buttery. Not overly dressed in cinnamon (but enough for yet another allergic reaction), these apples were most lovely accompaniment to the pork chop. My advice to you is to take a bit of each together, it is simply divine!

So here we have yet another positive dining experience, and I will be sure to be back. Unfortunately I did not have the same experience at Spoke in Somerville on Friday..

Bon Appetit!