Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Thursday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie feasts, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.
 Every Thursday, 6-8 p.m.
Noir Thursday Night Music on the Patio
Every Thursday, weather permitting, the patio will be jamming out to the sounds of Michel Gonzalez or The Irie Roots Steel Drum Band. Also not to be missed is Noir‘s 5-4-3-2-1-0 menu, which is now available Monday through Thursday from 5-9 p.m. With the purchase of a cocktail, you can order cheap snacks, including flatbreads for $5, sandwiches for $4, snacks for $3, salads for $2, sweets for $1 and nuts for nothing at all.
Mondays-Fridays, 5-6:30 p.m.
Happy Hour and a Half at nebo
When did happy hour only last an hour? At nebo, the North End’s after work stop, happy hour equals 90 minutes of relaxing with friends. Every Monday through Friday, order up $7 specialty cocktails, and when the munchies kick in, choose from their $7 bar food options. Continue reading “What’s the Dish?” »
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 About a month ago I attended a very posh prosecco tasting at the Back Bay restaurant Azure. Included in the small, lunchtime gathering were about half a dozen local wine writers and food editors, who were greeted in the exquisitely appointed private dining room with a chilled flute of Mionetto Sergio Spumante to tide us over until the arrival of our fashionably late host: The winemaker himself, Sergio Mionetto.
A little before noon, Sergio finally breezed in, his charming wife and diligent translator (Sergio studied winemaking, not English, apparently) in tow behind him. For the next three hours, we sampled prosecco after prosecco, each paired with a plate of food from the kitchen, as Sergio (via translator) waxed poetic about his vision for each sparkling star.
Yes, food journalism can be a tedious chore. It was in the middle of the very first course that I became distracted from Sergio’s fascinating tutelage. The salad in front of me, though otherwise well-executed, was underseasoned. Continue reading “Waiter, There’s No Salt in My Soup!” »
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Keeping track of Boston’s dining scene can feel almost as daunting as choosing a cocktail at Eastern Standard. Chowder scours the Internet for the latest good news along with tales of the coming chocolate apocalypse.
Good News
 Congratulations to the All Star Sandwich Bar, which was named in Bon Appetit’s Hot Ten Sandwich Shops.
Those of you who donated to save Toscanini’s will be pleased to hear it was named one of Forbes Traveler’s Best Ice Cream spots.
Somehow, Massachusetts residents drink enough coffee to support a Dunkin’ Donuts on every corner and a Starbucks on every other block. The Seattle-based coffee company won’t shutter any of their Bay State locations in the first round of closings. Continue reading “All the News That’s Fit to Eat” »
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 As if the South End doesn’t already overwhelm diners with tough choices (Chocolee or Aroa? Stella or Rocca? Flour or the Buttery?), Thursday night saw the official opening of the neighborhood’s second trendy tapas spot, Estragon.
And, since the Boston staff has more than a few ardent fans of chef Ken Oringer’s Toro—some of whom can be found there several nights a week—a handful of curious editors were on hand to try out the competition. Continue reading “Tapas, Take Two” »
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Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Thursday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie feasts, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.
July 10, 7 p.m.
Dinner in the Garden Series
Om
OM’s new chef Youssef Boujana will match a three-course dinner tasting menu with four mojitos (created with herbs from OM’s garden). Among the pairings are Korean beef skewers with the classic mojito, prosciutto wrapped halibut or the Asian vegetable lasagna with a lychee mojito, and crème brûlée with a strawberry and coconut mojito.
 July 10, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.
Running of the Bulls Party
Toro
Sorry you have to skip the trip to Pamplona this year. But you can still run with the hipsters for Toro’s version of the Fiesta of San Fermin. Scenes from the spectacle will be projected on the walls, while tapas, cava, and sangria will be attacked by all. Guests that wear a red sash will get a glass of sangria on the house. Just don’t all charge the bar at once. Continue reading “What’s the Dish?” »
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 While Boston editors hail from all over, a disproportionate number of us seem to reside in JP. Land of ridiculously cheap, absurdly good Latin food, sustainably cool vegetarian-ish eateries, the Sam Adams brewery, several legendary Irish pubs, mysterious chicken smells, and perhaps the coolest indie grocery store around: That JP. But few people realize that the neighborhood plays host to another little gem: Ula Cafe, located in the Brewery loft complex on Amory Street.
Working as a freelance writer, I spent the good part of 2007 using Ula as my office. (Thanks for the free WiFi, guys!). I’ve eaten practically every pastry they make (though they’re always coming up with seasonal additions, like fresh strawberry scones) and devoured every sandwich on the menu. Let’s just say that after a few months of this, I had to buy new clothes—and a scale.
So, when managing editor and fellow Chowder blogger Jenn Johnson mentioned last week that she’d dropped by for the first time, I just about screeched, “You’re just learning about this now??” Consider yourself informed. Continue reading “Chowder Loves: Ula Cafe” »
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Keeping track of Boston’s dining scene can feel almost as daunting as figuring out what kind of salsa is safe to eat. Chowder scours the Internet for the latest good news and food-related additions to our lexicon.
Good News
Chowderfest has come and gone, and for the second year in a row, Christopher’s Wine Bar won the title of Boston’s Best Chowder. We call shenanigans—Christopher’s is in Maynard.
ZagatBuzz reports that the owners of Lala Rokh and Bin 26 Enoteca will open a new restaurant and gourmet market in the South End sometime this fall. The site also reports that Barbara Lynch’s trio of new endeavors are getting close to opening in Fort Point Channel. Continue reading “All the News That’s Fit to Eat” »
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As a food journalist in a smallish city, I’m frequently recognized around town by a chef, a manager, or (especially) a bartender. Not primarily a restaurant critic, I don’t take pains to preserve my anonymity, though I do try to maintain a low profile—a better strategy for taking in the genuine feel of a place.
Sure, there’s a handful of local eateries where I’m all but guaranteed a free scooby from the kitchen, or a heavy pour of the pinot gris. But beyond a few egregious cases, it’s like being a regular old regular: the same “special” status I’d enjoy as a heavy-tipping amateur gourmand in any other profession.
Lately, though, the VIP game seems to have taken a particularly ugly turn. (Naturally, it’s not usually when I’m the one on the receiving end of such strokes….). Several weeks ago, I was dining at the bar in a posh boîte in the South End. Er, well, trying to dine at the bar, I should say. Not a staffer recognized me as a journalist, so I got a taste of VIP treatment from an onlooker’s perspective.
Talk about obnoxious! Continue reading “VIP = Very Infuriating Patron” »
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Your Chowder hounds have sniffed down the best culinary events in town. Check back every Thursday for your weekly prix-fixe of foodie feasts, cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.
While true Bostonians make a dash for the nearest on ramp come Fourth of July weekend, for those who remain, there’s still a lot of foodie action going on. Click here for our complete list of patriotic events.
Later this week and next:
 July 6-19. Lunch and dinner hours
Providence Restaurant Weeks
Downtown Providence
Road trip it to Prov to see what the home of culinary school Johnson and Wales has to offer. The event, much like Boston’s RW, features two weeks of special prix fixe menus, including three-course lunches for $12.95 and three-course dinners for $29.95. Continue reading “What’s the Dish?” »
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 It’s no secret that most food writers and editors don’t rank high on the food chain, salary-wise. Consequently, we’re masters at getting the most bang for our buck, and at sniffing out mid-priced meals that prove worthy of far more dough. So when the R-word (recession) starts rolling around, we really don’t feel as much of a blow as the average restaurant-addict. (Really, how could our wallets get any thinner?)
For many, though, an economic downturn necessitates the scaling back of one’s dining budget. Perhaps you’d get your guacamole fix at Olecito instead of Ole. Order the steak frites instead of the ribeye. Learn to make your own Schlowburger. Or grill your Fleming’s dry-aged steak yourself.
Wait, what? Continue reading “Desperate Times, Desperate Measures?” »
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