Thursday, September 14, 2017

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1) It's that time again, the Annual Heirloom Tomato Celebration at Bistro 5 in Medford. From Wednesday, September 13th through September 28th, Chef Vittorio Ettore and team will offer seasonal favorites, highlighting the Tomato, into 5 different dishes, including a dessert. Every year, Chef Vittorio Ettore and team put in countless hours trying to come up with unique ways to incorporate the tomato and they always create some amazing dishes. Bistro 5 is an excellent restaurant year-round, but the tomato celebration is always special.

Heirloom Tomato Tasting Menu 
--Tartare of pineapple and plum tomatoes, with avocado and olive bread chips
2016 nortico, alvarinho, portugal
--Escargots with speckled roman tomato brulee, saffron bubbles, and pancetta dust
2015 gilbert picq, chablis
--Lobster pappa al pomodoro with green zebra tomato, with cucumber and radish
2016 valentino ‘mucci’, rosato, cerasuolo d’bruzzo
--Duck breast with compressed carbon tomatoes, with chanterelles, dauphine potatoes, and corn puree
2013 marco bonfante ‘stella rossa’, barbera d’asti
--Basil torta with persimmon tomato gelato, meringue, and lemon cremeux
2015 felton road, riesling, new zealand

Cost: 3 courses $55 (with wine pairings $20 more), 5 courses $75 (with wine pairings $30 more)
**All our heirloom tomatoes are sourced from Kimball Farms in Pepperell**
To make Reservations, please call 781-395-7464

2) Paella rocks! Such a classic Spanish dish and I love it, from the crispy rice to the tender seafood. Just look at that amazing picture above of a huge Paella pan. Thus, I was excited to learn about an upcoming Paella Showdown between two famed Boston chefs. In such a showdown, the attendees can't lose, getting to enjoy two different Paella recipes.

On Monday, September 25, starting at 6:30pm, you can witness Paella on the Porch Showdown: Chris vs Jamie at The Automatic, located at 50 Hampshire Street, Cambridge. Chef Chris Schlesinger will face off against Chef Jamie Bissonette in a pugilistic cook-off to see which chef can create the Best Paella!

Chris Schlesinger, a James Beard award-winning chef, founder of East Coast Grill and author of several books, opened The Automatic with his friend, legendary bartender Dave Cagle. Chris's Paella recipe has become famous, even featured in The New York Times. Jamie Bissonette, who is also a James Beard award-winning chef, can brag about his Paella too. He headlined this year’s Food &Wine Classic in Aspen, showcasing his Paella to the crowds.

As they say, There Can Only Be One Paella On The Porch Champion!

Chris said, “I welcome Jamie to our patio for the ultimate paella cookoff. There’s a deep sense of camaraderie in the Boston chef community, and this will be a whole lot of fun!

And Jamie has said, “I can't wait to throwdown with Chris this year. It's such an awesome event and I'm stoked to be a part of it all."

Price: $45.00/per person, includes food and one glass of Ameztoi Rosato. Guests will vote for the Champion Paella.
To make Reservations, please call 617-714-5226. I suspect this will sell-out quickly so I recommend making reservations quickly.

3) On Monday, September 18, at 7:30pm, Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca Chef Mario LaPosta and his team of sommeliers invite guests to join them in welcoming Michele Bernetti, son of founder Massimo Bernetti of estate Umani Ronchi, who will be showcasing his wines alongside Chef LaPosta’s menu. Bernetti will be bringing a few bottles that are not available in the US, but will come directly from the winery’s cellar.

The featured menu/wines will include:
Antipasti:
Focaccia w/ Caciocavallo & Salumi
Calamari Fritti
2016 Umani Ronchi Terre di Chieti Pecorino
Primo:
Maccheroni alla Chitarra with Lobster, Brown Butter, Butternut squash
2012 Umani Ronchi Casal di Serra Vecchie Vigne Verdicchio
Secondo:
Pecorino-crusted Lamb (Sweet Pepper Marmellata)
2010 Umani Ronchi 'Pelago'
AND
2014 Umani Ronchi 'Jorio'
Dolci:
Apple SottoSopra (Brown Butter Gelato)
NV Umani Ronchi MAXIMO

Cost: Tickets are $95 and can be purchased by logging onto https://umanironchidinner.splashthat.com

4) Kings Dining and Entertainment’s 1200 employees, in 10 locations in 5 states, commit to fundraising for hurricane relief and will be donating proceeds from various promotions to hurricane relief efforts. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Jose, Kings Dining & Entertainment will be hosting a fundraising drive throughout September to help their neighbors affected in the south.

Kings, which has locations in Doral, FL, Orlando, FL and Raleigh, NC, has felt the effects of these hurricanes firsthand and has seen the devastation they have caused their guests and supporters. Kings is determined, through its charitable arm: Kings Cares™, to work with their employees and the communities they operate in to raise money to donate to the American Red Cross disaster relief.

There are multiple ways to give back, and have fun while doing so. The following options will be available at all Kings MA locations starting on September 13th:

--Monday, September 18 and Monday, September 25: 50% of Kings’ gaming sales will go directly to hurricane relief efforts. Bowl for Hurricane Relief bracelets will be available at each of Kings’ locations for $5 each, with all profits going directly to relief efforts.
--For every $10 that any Kings’ guest donates through Kings’ “Bowl for Hurricane Relief” GoFundMe page (Gofundme.com/kingscares), that guest will be entered into a raffle to win a King Pin Room party at the Kings location of their choosing.
--For every corporate event booked at Kings between September 25th and September 29th, Kings will donate $100 to hurricane relief efforts.
--Kings locations are available to partner with individuals to host group fundraisers at Kings to support hurricane relief.

Additional details can be found at http://www.KingsCares.com.

5) Chef/Owner Matt O’Neil, of the new Ledger restaurant in Salem, in conjunction with Executive Chef Daniel Gursha, Chef de Cuisine Craig White, and Pastry Chef Michelle Boland, is starting Sunday Brunch on Sunday, September 17. Available weekly from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Ledger’s brunch menu remains true to the restaurant’s mission of serving New England-inspired dishes elevated by today’s resources and culinary techniques.

Pastry Chef Boland will serve an array of decadent, fresh-from-the-oven-treats like gooey Cinnamon Rolls, warm Banana Bread, and “Jordan Marsh” Blueberry Muffins, along with a rotating selection of homemade Donuts. Ranging in price from $11 to $24, Ledger’s hearty brunch dishes consist of evolutions and riffs on famous classics, with highlights including Banana Bread “Foie-sters” (griddled banana bread, rum caramel sauce, seared bananas, and house-made foie gras butter),  Chicken and Waffles (buttermilk fried chicken, corn waffles, green chile butter, honey hot sauce, pickles), House-Cured Pastrami Hash (hot-smoked Creekstone brisket, fried egg, Sparrow Arc breakfast potatoes), Prime Skirt Steak Frites (green pepper & sunflower relish, two fried eggs, Sparrow Arc breakfast potatoes), and a baked-to-order Buttermilk Pancake (candied nuts, crème fraiche, Morningwood maple, and macerated fresh fruit) $12.

There will also be some brunch sandwiches including a Breakfast Burger (North Country bacon, fried egg, cheddar, smoked hollandaise, brioche bun) $19, mammoth EBLGT (fried egg, North Country bacon, farm lettuce, fried green tomato, aioli, brioche) $11, Open-Face English Muffin (Ducktrap smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers, chiles, red onion, farm greens (+$10 for caviar) $15, and Sausage and Biscuits (housemade breakfast sausage, buttermilk biscuit, scrambled egg, sweet pepper) $14, all accompanied by crispy Sparrow Arc breakfast potatoes and a tangy dill pickle spear.

Brunch cocktails include the 22 oz. Bloody Mary, (secret recipe) along with the Apple Pie Mimosa (French vanilla vodka, caramel, apple cider, prosecco), Banana Bread (caramel-infused vodka, banana liqueur, Frangelico, cream, cinnamon pecan rim), Not Your Average Mimosa (orange-infused vodka, orange juice, bitters, champagne) Sunrise On Washington (grapefruit vodka, Aperol, champagne), and refreshing Paloma (platinum tequila, lime, grapefruit soda, salt rim), along with a duo of Red and White Sangrias.

To make a reservation, please call 978-594-1908

6) Six years ago, I asked Where Is The Filipino Love? I lamented the lack of Filipino restaurants in Boston and Cambridge, noting the tiny amount of Filipino restaurants throughout the U.S. Since that time, there have been small inroads into bringing Filipino cuisine to the Boston area, and a new group is hoping to continue introducing Bostonians to this complex and compelling cuisine.

BOSFilipinos has recently launched with a mission to "connect the Greater Boston area to the Filipino community through content (expect tons of food) and programming." Their site has a blog about all matter Filipino as well as a list of upcoming Events.

They will be hosting their first pop-up in a couple of weeks, on Monday, September 25, at Saus, located at 33 Union Street, Boston. There will be two seatings, one at 6pm and the other at 8:15pm.

The tasting menu will be presented by Chef Roland Calupe, from the Milagros Project, and looks amazing, including:

--Scallop Kinilaw (local scallops marinated in coconut vinegar, chili, and herbs)
--Ilocos Empanada (fried empanada made of rice flour and annatto with vigan style pork sausage, green papaya, and egg)
--Pancit Molo (savory wonton dumpling soup with shrimp, pork, and garlic)
--Chicken Inasal Steam Bun (grilled chicken marinated in lemongrass annatto and garlic in a steam bun with scallions and aioli)
--Pork Rib Adobo (braised pork ribs in soy sauce, spiced vinegar, palm sugar, bay leaves, and peppercorn)
--Sinangag (a Filipino meal wouldn’t be complete without garlic rice)
--Leche Flan with Lavender Ube Halaya (sweet egg custard with lavender scented purple yam sauce)
*Unfortunately, for this event, there will be no substitutions available.

Cost: $65 per person
Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/milagros-project-bosfilipinos-filipino-food-pop-up-tickets-37512451753

7) On Wednesday, September 20th, from 7pm-10pm, Bar Boulud and Chef Daniel invite guests to celebrate the greater breadth of France’s culinary heritage with a five-course Rhône Valley Wine Dinner, featuring elegant and focused pours from Domaine Yves Cuilleron.

Pairing hand-selected varietals with regionally-inspired dishes from Chef de Cuisine Michael Denk and Pastry Chef Robert Differ, the menu will showcase French countryside classics. The five-course Rhône Valley Wine Dinner will be served as follows:

Soupe de Châtaignes (chestnuts, celery, Swiss chard, sausage caillette)
Yves Cuilleron, Marsanne, Collines Rhodaniennes, 2016
Homard aux Choux (lobster, Savoy cabbage, grapes, coral custard)
Yves Cuilleron, Saint Joseph Blanc, Digue, 2015
Loup de Mer (fig, fennel, sauce Syrah)
Yves Cuilleron, Syrah, Collines Rhodaniennes, 2015
Canard aux Navets (roasted duck breast, turnips, glazed onions, mushrooms, sauce au sang)
Yves Cuilleron, Saint-Joseph, L’Amarybelle, 2014
Yves Cuilleron, Côte-Rôtie, Madinière, 2014
Bombe au Chocolat de Lyon (genoise cake, ganache, praline ice cream)
or
Tarte aux Pommes (crème fraîche)

COST: $175 for five-course menu with wine pairings (Ticket price includes tax and gratuity)
Tickets are available on Eventbrite.com: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rhone-valley-wine-dinner-with-chef-daniel-boulud-tickets-37254937521

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