Turkey and stuffing is as good as gravy, but what we here at Chowder really look forward to on Thanksgiving is the pie. (Case in point: The November issue’s Ultimate Pecan Pie.) But when hosts are so focused on the bird being moist, dessert can be an afterthought. Luckily, Community Servings’ Pie in the Sky program comes to the rescue.

Community Servings is baking pies for you to take home for $25, which is probably less than it would cost you to prepare one at home (including the four pounds of butter you wasted trying to get that crust just right). Not only that, but all of the proceeds go toward feeding the critically ill and their families in Greater Boston. But you have to hurry. You only have until November 18 to place your order. Read the rest of this entry »

When Boston’s food lovers around town see fresh mozzarella on their favorite menus, there’s a good chance Lourdes Fiore Smith had something to do with it. The daughter of Italian immigrants has cheesemaking in her blood, and supplies handmade mozz, burrata, and mascarpone to some of the area’s top restaurants (think Oleana, Beacon Hill Bistro, and 51 Lincoln). When Chowder learned that Smith was joining Chef Jody Adams at her monthly cooking class at Rialto a few weeks ago, we jumped at the chance to see how she makes curds and whey.

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Photo by Keller + Keller

For local chef/owners, branching out from one restaurant to several is a mark of success. But while seemingly empire-minded chefs (e.g. Todd English, Ken Oringer, Barbara Lynch) make opening a 3rd, 4th, or even 10th venture look easy, the transition from chef to multi-restaurant owner requires lots of careful planning. (It also helps if you know how to juggle.)

When Krista Kranyak, owner of Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, opened a second Ten Tables in Cambridge this past February, she was constantly shuttling between the two locations. Her survival strategy? Rely heavily on general managers Sean Callahan in Cambridge and Stan Hilbert in JP. “I have the vision of what I want to create, and I hire the right people to oversee that vision,” she says.
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This year, we’re not risking any dinner party disasters–and neither should you. Kick off the holiday entertaining season by studying up with local chefs at Bina Osteria, Radius, The Butcher Shop, Taranta, and The Elephant Walk, all of whom are offering cooking classes and demos across the city. Check out these gems, and get cooking for a crowd.

Holiday Classes at Bina

Bina Osteria/Alimentari is holding seasonal cooking classes and workshops every Saturday at 2 p.m., now through December. This weekend’s workshop is an olive oil tasting on Oct. 24,  followed by candy making for Halloween on Oct. 31 , and wine and cheese pairings on Nov. 7. There will also be other November classes on Scotch and holiday pies, and December classes on gingerbreads, cookies, and more. Most of the classes are free, and you can bring the kids.

Bina osteria/alimentari , 581 Washington St., Boston, binaboston.com, 617-357-0888
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Chowder has seen many restaurants shutter their doors lately, including Azure, Bonfire, and Excelsior. But there’s good news: More affordable eateries are opening up in their places throughout this month and next. Check out the slew of spots coming to a temporarily empty restaurant near you.

Todd English’s “Latin steakhouse” Bonfire has closed, but Pairings will open in its place at the Park Plaza Hotel on October 26. We’re not sure what to make of the “food and drink with personality” it promises–we like our food silent–but we do know that there will be small plates for sharing and good selection of wines by the glass. Executive chef Robert Bean will continue dishing out locally and seasonally crafted selections.
Pairings, 50 Park Plaza, Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, 617-262-3473, pairingsboston.com
Hours: Breakfast: Mon.-Sun., 6:30–11 a.m.; Lunch: Mon.-Sun., 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5–10 p.m.; Bar menu: Mon.–Thurs., -10 p.m.–1 a.m. and Fri. & Sat., 10 p.m-2 a.m.
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Good news for avid home cooks (and folks whose appetite for high-end eats exceeds their dining-out budget): three new gourmet shops have come to town.

In Union Square, husband and wife team Ben Dryer and Karen Coughlin recently expanded the space next to their popular Sherman Cafe to include the newly opened Sherman Market, selling locally-grown goodies and other household staples. As the store’s been open for only a couple of weeks, the  shelves will be stocked “as they go,” says manager Jodi Malone, and already feature a selection of New England cheeses (heavy on Vermont), B&R Artisan Bread, homemade jam, and milk and produce from local farms (delivered by fellow local entrepreneur Metro Pedal Power). Many of the farmers and artisans sold at the market have long supplied Sherman Café, Malone says, so the market is simply making use of these existing relationships. Our favorite feature? Sherman Market will sell herbs in smaller bunches, putting an end to our sad practice of throwing out shriveled yellow bunches of unused parsley.
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The truth is, we never really liked Banq. Well, some of us did; to the rest, it was a highly-designed, overly fussy fusion spot serving icky apps with muddled Indian and Asian flavors, and after the initial novelty died down, we never went back.

Apparently we weren’t alone. With seats going empty and nonexistent buzz, owners Mark Raab and Hemant Chowdhry decided to relaunch the restaurant, renaming it Ginger Park—not to be confused with the Ginger Exchange, a just-opened sushi spot in Inman Square—and bringing in chef Patricia Yeo, an NYC import who has cooked under celeb chef Bobby Flay. Her new menu is an upscale version of Southeast Asian street food, not terribly unlike that at nearby Myers+Chang. (Yeo insists you can’t compare the two, though a recent look at the menus shows both serving potstickers, spring rolls, steamed buns, tea-smoked meats, a papaya salad, and sides of eggplant and Brussels sprouts.) Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe it’s because I’ve been too busy with Thai (Dok Bua, Khao Sarn, Rod Dee, Chilli Duck) or Vietnamese (New Dong Khanh, Le’s, Pho Basil) eateries. But my Korean restaurant roster remains empty, uncharted territory in the culinary landscape of this city. So it was with an eager stomach that I recently descended upon new Korean street-food joint Myung Dong 1st Avenue, where owners Kyungsook and Seungki Lee of Buk Kyung I and II have brought an inspired list of soju cocktails and an extensive menu of stews, noodles, “drinking snacks,” and the requisite bibimbap to the Allston masses.

There’s plenty of room for experimentation here: We loved the seafood and cheese ddok bokghi, a dish of dense, gnocchi-like “rice cakes” served in a sweet-and-spicy, tomato-y sauce, and the thinly sliced beef bulgogi, which comes out on the same rack it’s grilled on, perfectly charred and unbelievably tender.

The fun décor (think wall graffiti and neon-orange stools) adds to the all-around urban vibe. If you’re like me and are among the uninitiated, get ready for a great gastronomic adventure.

Myung Dong 1st Avenue, 90-92 Harvard Ave. Allston, 617-206-3229.

This fall, many restaurants have put together sumptuous, multi-course fixed-price dinners at relatively minuscule price points. Feast your eyes (and stomach) on these.

OctoberFeast at Bambara
Oct. 17, 7 p.m., $40 per person
Join Chef Jay Silva and the team at Bambara when they host OctoberFeast, a traditional fall feast paired with seasonal beer and wine.  All guests who attend will also receive tickets to King Richard’s Faire, New England’s longest-running Renaissance Festival.

Book it!

Fall Prix Fixe at BOKX 109 American Prime
Every Sunday and Monday evening from 5-10 p.m., $20.09 per person
BOKX 109 American Prime at the Hotel Indigo in Newton has a new fall three-course prix fixe available on Sunday and Monday evenings from 5-10 p.m. for only $20.09 per person. It includes a fall salad of Bartlett pears, candied pecans, and Great Hill Blue, and an entree choice of wood grilled chicken breast or housemade herbed linguine. And for dessert, enjoy crispy Nutella ravioli with Frangelico Anglaise.

Book it!

Ken’s Fried Chicken Sunday Supper at Clio
Every Sunday, 5:30 p.m.-close, $35 per person
Every Sunday, the Clio dining room will open after 5:30 p.m., and chef Ken Oringer will present his twist on the bird for $35 per person. Ken’s Fried Chicken Sunday Supper includes accompaniments like cornbread, greens, and a seasonal fruit crisp, but you can also order from the regular menu.

Book it!

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It was flattering…at first. Absolut chose Boston as the third city in its Absolut Cities campaign (following New Orleans and L.A.), using it as the inspiration for a new flavored vodka. But then it was unveiled in August, its label paying homage to Fenway’s Green Monster (yawn) and its black tea and elderflower flavor summoning memories of a party thrown in 1773. The reviews of the Boston-inspired booze weren’t great, either. (Said Grub Street’s Leila Cohan: “It’s very strange, and frankly, as we found out when we got our hands on a sample bottle and had a little taste test with some folks around the office, so is the vodka’s flavor.”

But what do the drinkers think? Read the rest of this entry »