If there’s anything the team at 50 Best Restaurants pick 80 Thoreau does right, it’s present food and wine that complement each other as well as the seasons. So today, while thinking about my own Thanksgiving menu, I asked 80 Thoreau’s Maitre d’ and co-owner Vincent Vela for some tips on what to drink with the big bird. READ MORE
Archive for the ‘Wine’ Category
50 BEST RESTAURANTS: THANKSGIVING WINE TIPS FROM 80 THOREAUPosted by Donna Garlough on 11/21/2011 at 2:05PM | No Comments
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TIDBIT: CENTRAL BOTTLE’S WINE NEWSLETTERPosted by Erin Byers Murray on 8/11/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
Our inboxes are inundated with food-related e-newsletters – some we’ve signed up for, most we have not. And while we usually hit delete after just a glance, every now and then, we get a standout that hits just the right balance: easily digestible, entertaining, and actually filled with the info we want. Central Bottle’s weekly emails usually arrive right at that moment on Friday afternoon when we’re either ready to wander over to the office kitchen to see what we can pilfer or pinging our friends about their weekend plans. Which makes it an opportune moment to spend ten minutes considering what we’ll be drinking come 5 o’clock, instead. READ MORE |
FOR SIPPING: WHITE SANGRIAPosted by Maggie Brooks on 7/12/2011 at 7:00AM | 2 Comments
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EATING TO COOK: A TRIP TO ALSACEPosted by Annie Copps on 6/17/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
I can’t help it. I became a convert to these gorgeous wines while eating Thai food at Jean Georges’ Vong in New York a good decade or so ago. I, like so many, considered grapes like Riesling and Gewurztraminer far too sweet and cloying to be enjoyed with savory food, if at all. Another great wine lesson learned. The beauty of these fermented and bottled juices is their crisp acidity, dryness, and mineral attributes, which combine to make them wines that beg for some food to be fully enjoyed. Perfect for the Thai-inspired meal I indulged in so long ago, but equally well-suited for New England seafood this summer. Olivier Humbrecht, a dashing man (and Master of Wine) from Alsace, is the 12th generation wine maker for his family’s many hectares of vineyards. He poured a 2008 Pinot Blanc, which is the “Miss Congeniality” of his portfolio. Creamy crab tartlets, king crab tempura with wasabi, and a spicy shrimp fondue were served with it — both the rich dairy and the spice of the appetizers came through and got along famously with his selections. Humbrecht said, with Franco-Germanic accent: “We drink this wine with everything, all year long, with everything but meat and dessert — but sometimes them, too.” At that point, he could have asked me to drink a glass of sand and I would have (and told him it was delicious). Back to the wines, though. From Pinot Blanc, we moved into richer and fuller bodied Rieslings from different land parcels (by the way, all the Zind-Humbrecht wines are both organic and bio-dynamic, “to respect the environment and the people who work the land”). As Humbrecht spoke about how difficult these grapes are to grow due to the particular extremes in the weather and “the mosaic” of complicated geology, it became clear what a labor of love these special wines are. To match the wines, the kitchen plated its version of the traditional Alsation “choucroute garni,” a pork sausage and sauerkraut dish, using rainbow trout instead of pork, with bacon-wrapped potatoes, grainy mustard, and juniper scented sauerkraut — another fine match. We tasted Gewurztraminer with grilled duck served with a mango chutney and fava bean puree, which brought out the rose and geranium notes and balanced the acidity of this late-harvest Gran Cru. You, too, can taste these special wines, as well as wines from other stellar Alsatian producers (including Trimbach, Hugel, Schlumberger, and Gisselbrecht) through July 3 at Legal Sea Foods throughout New England. Legal Sea Foods, 26 Park Plaza, Boston, 617-426-4444. For a list of other locations, go to legalseafoods.com. |
COMING RIGHT UP: PHILANTHROPIC BOOZING AT URBAN GRAPEPosted by chowder on 5/19/2011 at 3:00PM | No Comments
Cushman, who studied in Japan under world-famous sake expert John Gauntner, says many people have misconceptions about the drink, the most common being that it’s best served warm, it tastes like rubbing alcohol, and it’s only good with Japanese food. “Sake is a surprisingly fantastic partner to many different cuisines,” says Cushman. “I drink Junmai-type sake with pizza!” Guests can expect to learn about different types of sake and how to pair them with various foods, but can also request recommendations based on wine preferences. “And we’re going to taste some really delicate, lovely sake,” says Cushman. One hundred percent of proceeds are going directly to the Kiuchi Earthquake/Tsunami Fund, started by the Kiuchi sake and beer brewery. According to Cushman and UG co-owner Hadley Douglas, the brewery has completely halted alcohol production and is instead distilling and bottling fresh drinking water while attempting to house and clothe neighbors who’ve been affected by the recent disasters. Space is limited, so please email hadley@theurbangrape.com to secure your spot. $25, 7 to 9 p.m., the Urban Grape, 7 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill, 617-232-4831, theurbangrape.com. — Lindsay Tucker is a Chowder contributor. |
IMBIBERY: WHAT A RIOTPosted by Erin Byers Murray on 4/26/2011 at 4:00PM | No Comments
By: Sarah Burns
Close to 850 hip, well-groomed urbanites gathered at the Park Plaza Castle for night two of Wine Riot armed with wine glasses and happy buzzes. We’d all long-since given up fighting the purple stain, and with 250 plus wines to sample from the best grape growing regions across the globe, can you blame us? Among the standard full-bodied Spanish reds and Burgundy chardonnays were bold new world blends from California, South America, and Australia. We loved the spicy 2009 Chilean Oveja Negra cabernet franc-carménère that boasted a mild coffee bean flavor and a blackberry finish (imagine that with a slice of molten chocolate cake). But the number one wine of the evening took sweet to another level. The 2010 Jam Jar Sweet Shiraz, a fresh, fruity, and lighter-style shiraz grown in South Africa’s continental climate, got 198 thumbs ups from mobile-app users. One fan raved, “It is exactly what it professes to be… sweet. It can be dangerous when consumed in a festive atmosphere.” What’s more dangerous, though, was the jalapeño mac n’ cheese from Big Moe’s M&M Ribs, a food truck favorite in Roxbury. I asked for a sample, and instead was handed an entrée-sized mound of the warm cheesy noodles packed with spicy kick from Big Moe himself. Douse it in Moe’s tangy homemade barbecue sauce and you’ve got a solid hangover buffer. There were plenty of attractions on top of the wine and food, too. At the fake tattoo booth, I witnessed one petite blonde roll up her sleeve and apply a tattoo of a revealing vixen with devil horns sipping wine to her bicep. (I’m still scrubbing the flaming guitar off my wrist.) The good time spilled over at the costume photo booth, where gals and guys posed wearing feather boas, Viking hats, and bawdy signs that read “I like ‘em big and juicy,” and “I swallow.” A stranger passing through all the mayhem might have thought he’d crashed a rowdy pirate convention. With purple teeth and pictures to prove it, it’s not far fetched. |
COMING RIGHT UP: WINE RIOTPosted by Tanya Pai on 4/21/2011 at 3:00PM | No Comments
By: Sarah Burns The goal behind the Boston-based wine startup Second Glass is simple: drink more wine. Easy enough for us, especially with expo-style wine tastings like Wine Riot, happening this Friday and Saturday, April 22 to 23, at the Park Plaza Castle. In its fifth year, Wine Riot provides a place for winos to get together and swirl, sniff, and sip more than 250 wines from around the globe; take a 20-minute crash course to learn more about the grapes from industry experts; and pair wines with affordable dishes from local vendors.
To remember which varieties you love (or hate), there’s a mobile app that comes preloaded with the name and image of every bottle of wine, so all you’ll have to do is give it a thumbs up or down. There will also be DJs spinning house tunes and (our personal fave) a photo booth to make embarrassing faces in once you’ve downed a few glasses of merlot. Tickets are available here. We’ll be attending this weekend, so be sure to check back next week for our take on the tipples.
Opening night, Friday 7–11 p.m., $60; Riot 1, Saturday, 1-5 p.m., $50; Riot 2, Saturday, 7–11 p.m., $50. Park Plaza Castle, 130 Columbus Ave., Boston, 617-426-2000, secondglass.com/wineriot.
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FIELD REPORT: RED FIRE FARM AT HENRIETTA’S TABLEPosted by Erin Byers Murray on 4/15/2011 at 10:00AM | No Comments
By: Katherine Brooks  Ryan (left) and Sarah Voiland of Red Fire Farm
Mid-week deluge aside, is it finally time to shake off the cold and perk up for spring veggies? Granby’s Red Fire Farm hopes so. On April 21st, they’ll put their best spring-dug produce front and center at Henrietta’s Table for a farmer-focused wine supper along with Westport Rivers Winery and Robinson’s Farm in Hardwick. Expect pastrami salmon crostini and crab cakes to start, salads of local greens, smoked and grilled free-range duck breast, and Taza chocolate pudding for dessert. After salivating over the menu and all those tasty offerings, we chatted with Ryan Voiland of Red Fire Farm to get a sense of what he’s most excited about this spring. Chowder: So what edibles do you hope to see come out of the ground in the next few weeks? Ryan Voiland: April is by far the leanest month for local vegetables. Although the ground in the fields has thawed and we’re planting loads of peas, greens, and onions, none of these plantings will begin to ripen until late May or June at the earliest. Meanwhile we must sustain ourselves with the last of the root vegetables stored from last fall’s harvest (we still have carrots, rutabagas, gilfeather turnips, storage radishes, and beets). In April we also have the last of the salad greens and spinach from the winter high tunnel crops. Chowder: What spring crops are you most excited about? RV: We’re excited about all of our crops! We have a few established plants of asparagus that will yield a crop this May and strawberry season will come in early June. Chowder: Did you plant anything new for spring? RV: This year we have plans to grow a more extensive selection of exotic storage winter squashes. We will also be planting a special type of red potato called New York 129, a variety we’ve been wanting to grow for years. Chowder: Any unusual vegetables coming up? RV: They’re not unusual to the farm crew but the public still isn’t familiar with Hakurei turnips. Planted in the early spring, these are an amazingly tasty white turnip that make for a great raw salad ingredient. The leaves have a surprisingly pleasant sweet flavor when cooked. Chowder: What else are you looking forward to with your April harvest? RV: A break from harvesting! In April, we focus on planting in the fields and in greenhouses to get things started for the summer harvest season. Wine Supper At Henrietta’s Table, 4/21, 6 p.m., $60. One Bennett St., Cambridge, henriettastable.com. For reservations, call 617-661-5005. |
DRINK UP: URBAN GRAPE WINE SHOPPosted by Tanya Pai on 3/1/2011 at 8:12AM | No Comments
By: Lindsay Tucker |
VALENTINE’S DAY DININGPosted by A. J. Downey on 2/9/2011 at 11:49AM | No Comments
By: A. J. Downey From stunning waterfront views to romantic fireplaces — here are at least 14 restaurants to consider this Valentine’s Day. |
