At Chowder, we do a lot of the talking (and eating, but hey—it’s our job). So we thought we’d hand over the mic back over to Boston uber-chef and guest blogger Ken Oringer for a moment. Following the successful launch of Coppa in December—a collaboration with chef Jamie Bissonnette—Oringer found time for a little culinary getaway to Spain. Here, he explains why the best thing a busy chef can do for his business is get the heck outta town. (more…)

Being a food journalist comes with obvious perks—getting to dine at some of the city’s most elegant spots, hearing about cool new restaurants before they’re even open, and sampling really interesting fare. But sometimes we also get try brand-new kitchen gear, like the new SousVide Supreme, which hit stores this winter. For the home cooks on our staff, it’s a blast.

Even if you haven’t heard about sous-vide—via food magazines or shows like Top Chef—you’ve probably eaten something cooked using this advanced slow-cooking method. Its name means “under vacuum,” and it involves cooking vacuum-sealed meats, fish, and produce in a controlled water bath at very low temperatures. Restaurants all over Boston employ the technique to produce uber-tender meats with incredible flavor and consistency. Done right, the method accomplishes all that regular cooking does–like killing off unpleasant microorganisms—and more. But it’s still not technically legal here, say several chefs (who shall remain anonymous), since health departments aren’t quite sure what to make of the low-temp technique from a food-safety perspective. You generally won’t see “sous-vide” written on a menu; dishes prepared this way are often called “slow-cooked,” several chefs-in-the-know explained to me.

So when I got a chance to try the first at-home machine for sous-vide cooking, I jumped. (more…)

In the wake of Haiti’s tragic earthquake, local bars and restaurants are rising to the occasion by hosting events to raise money for the devastated nation. Benefit nights at Southborough’s Tomasso Trattoria last weekend generated over $1,300 for the Red Cross, says owner Tom Prince. Last night the South End’s Beehive hosted a  “7 for 7” benefit concert, and servers at Myers+Chang have been donating a percentage of their tips to Haiti relief.

Care to eat and drink for the cause? Here are several upcoming events where you can dine well and do good. (more…)

Photo by Kate Kelley.

The dining industry is used to waiting on the hungover (and grumpy) set on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. (We’re sorry!). Sadly, our city’s hardworking chefs, bartenders, and servers rarely get to enjoy a brunch of their own.

But oh, how the tables have turned. We just got wind of a fun new weekly special: From noon to 4 p.m. on Mondays (which are like Saturdays for weekend-working chefs), Inman Square’s Trina’s Starlite Lounge is serving up its trademark biscuits and gravy, fried chicken and buttermilk waffles along with brunchy beverages. Of course, it wouldn’t be Trina’s without the griddled dogs, and for brunch, they serve ‘em with a fried egg and American cheese on Wonder bread. (more…)

Once upon a time, Boston had small plates. Then came upscale regional Italian, the “urban brasseries,” the hyper-local and seasonal menus, and then what feels like an interminable flood of comfort food.

And then, finally, a new trend starts to emerge from the sea of mac and cheese: Judging by this winter’s additions to the restaurant scene, it seems Provençal cuisine might be the city’s next big thing. Bistro du Midi, which opened last month in the tony Heritage on the Garden building, is named for the Midi region in southern France, and chef Robert Sisca plays up  the seafood, fresh herbs, olives, and vegetables signature to the area’s cuisine. After a lovely dinner of pan-fried halibut with chickpeas and golden raisins capped off with a dessert of rosé-poached pears, we thought, yes. After months of eating pork belly and braised short ribs, this light, fresh stuff is just what we need. (more…)

Chef Tony Maws of Craigie on Main. Photo by Keller+Keller.

A Chowder quickie on the Boston dining scene.

Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli, bar manager of Craigie On Main and Best of Boston 2009 Mixologist, is moving on at the end of ‘09. Rumors are swirling on Chowhound, with some saying his next stop may be the new W Hotel or even Coppa (which has yet to open, by the way). There is absolutely no confirmation of either as of yet. And yes, we’re getting very impatient (regarding both)!

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At Chowder, we do a lot of the talking (and eating, but hey—it’s our job). So we thought we’d hand over the mic to a chef for a while—and who better than Ken Oringer, whose five Boston restaurants (Clio, Uni, Toro, La Verdad, and KO Prime) are among our perennial favorites? But while this culinary icon has earned plenty of accolades both local and national (see: Iron Chef honors, a feature in this month’s Food & Wine, etc.) he’s the first to say that restaurant success doesn’t come easy. Case in point: Coppa, the South End enoteca that he and co-owner Jamie Bissonnette were scheduled to open in September, but which was waylaid by major construction delays and fire inspections. (It’s currently due to open this weekend.) Here, Oringer muses on why it’s worth all the headaches. (more…)

Used to be, the organized chaos of a restaurant kitchen was a tucked-away affair, hidden from the view of a paying public who preferred to dine far away from hot burners and splattering grease, thankyouverymuch. If you wanted to see your food being cooked, you’d have to go to a sushi bar or a shrimp-flinging Japanese steakhouse.

These days, many of the city’s top restaurants prepare their food in full view of the folks who’ll be eating it. Chefs and their knife skills practices are on full display at upscale eateries like Craigie on Main, B&G Oysters, Sportello, Scampo, and Ten Tables in JP (which is expanding to include a bar in December). The seats closest to the action are often the most coveted.

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The theater district has a new show in town: Market by Jean-Georges, which recently opened inside the new W hotel. We’ll admit that, in the months preceding the restaurant debut, we had our doubts about whether it’d be a deserving new dining destination or just another ho-hum import from a too-busy-to-care celeb chef. But during a warm, lovely chat with the international culinary superstar himself, Jean-Georges Vongerichten shed a little light on what makes Market work for Boston, and why he’s glad to be back in the Hub after a long hiatus. (His first U.S. venture was Boston’s Lafayette restaurant, which opened in 1985 in what is now the Hyatt hotel and was located just blocks from Market’s site.)

Being the types to eat the frosting before the cake, we’ll skip to the good parts: (more…)