Category: We recommend!

April Sparkler: Denny Bini, Levante 90, Malvasia dell’Emilia Frizzante
We discovered our April sparkler, Denny Bini, Levante 90, Malvasia dell’Emilia Frizzante, at Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square. (In case you’ve just tuned in, for years we’ve kept our sparkling resolution to start each month with a toast over a glass of sparkling wine and we’d love to have you join us. More about that here.)

We nearly missed out on this appealing wine because Eastern Standard pours one of my favorite sparklers and I was ready to enjoy that once again. I did ask about the new addition on the sparkling menu, but frowned at the words “slight sweetness” when our bartender described it.

Ed encouraged me to have a taste before I fell back on an old favorite. The young man behind the bar concurred and Ed and I both quickly learned that the frizzante hid whatever sweet notes others found in this wine.

What’s more, it opened up in the glass after a couple of swirls and seemed perfect for the food we had ordered. This is not a wine for everyone and it is very much a wine that you will enjoy more with food.

Ed’s salmon was a match since a sip of this Malvasia cleared the palate of the lush fattiness of the salmon.

Frizzante Style

Rather than a full sparkler, this wine is frizzante. What’s that? Here’s a definition and an interesting article from the wiseGEEK site.

“… Italians refer to slightly sparkling wines as frizzante wines. In Spain, however, these wines are known as Vino de Aguja. The French term for them is Petillant, while the German term is Perlwein.”

Tip for wine seekers: Photograph the back of the bottle so you’ll have the information you’ll need to find wines in retail shops.

Orange-ish

We located this Malvasia for sale at the Wine Bottega in the North End. (Call before you run over there. The selection in a small, focused wine shop like this is constantly changing.) Here’s their description of the wine.

“Slightly effervescent, bottle fermented, orange-ish, aromatic, dry malvasia from the Fizz Belt of Italy? Need we say more? Denny Bini is a very small scale, cult followed producer in Emilia-Romagna. His wines are a reference point for the locals there and they are finally available (in very limited quantities) here in the US.”

Here’s an article from Wine Enthusiast about Orange wines. As they say, these are not for everyone, they are enjoying a cult following right now, and they are wonderful at matching multiple courses or a table of different choices at a restaurant.

I had chicken pot pie with this Malvasia and it works as well with this typical white wine dish as it did with the salmon.

Discovering Wines

Now you see how we discover wines new to us.
- We explore wine menus we trust.
- We take those offered sips.
- We follow suggestions from servers in places where food and wine training is part of the restaurant’s culture.
- We go to a few carefully selected wine tastings.
- We listen to our wine mentors.
We’ve been fortunate over the years to have met a number of people in the wine and hospitality industry who have been incredibly generous in feeding our constant cravings for wine knowledge. Thanks to each and every one of them.

Related Posts:

Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post: Join Us as We Toast …

A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

Here are all the wines we’ve covered. (Since this is a category, today’s post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.)

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover’s Companion

The Wine Bible

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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April 1, 2015
Keep Supporting Local Restaurants Like Piattini on Newbury Street

One of the places we visited a couple of times during the dreadful winter of 2015, and recommended to friends, is Piattini on Newbury Street. I have to thank my friend Linda Cox for recommending and meeting me at this lovely cafe. Thanks Linda!

Ed and I find the lunch menu to be a good value and it's a great way to sample the dishes on offer. And, we were happy to see the dining room hopping on our recent visits.

The Scampi: sautéed shrimp in a garlic lemon white wine sauce over linguine was $9.95 on our last visit. It was more than I could finish. In fact, when I lunch with Linda, I'll often take part of my meal home.

Ed did finish his plate of Bolognese: homemade fusilli, traditional meat ragout. It was also $9.95 that day. And, he enjoyed some of my linguine.

We found wines well matched to the food. Plus, they come with a bit of information on small cards.

This is the type of restaurant we hope you will continue to support in the months ahead. Soon, the patio will be attracting new customers to Piattini. But, they need your support in winter and on rainy days, too. Small, local shops and restaurants will be in recovery mode from the winter woes for many months to come.

If you follow such things as I do, there have been a lot of restaurant closings since the winter began. We lost another favorite when Petit Robert Bistro in Kenmore Square changed hands. It was always a place we could recommend for value meals day-in and day-out and especially on holidays.

If you have a favorite places that you want to remain or if you've been meaning to try a small local cafe recommended by a trusted friend like Linda, get out and spend some money in your community. And, do it this month, next month, and in the many months to come.

If what you need is not local or if you are one of our readers from another part of the world, BostonZest is also a local business. When you are going to buy from one of the businesses that advertise here or pay us commission, we appreciate your support. One of the easiest ways is to start all your Amazon shopping on one of our pages.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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What's Happening Around Boston in April 2015

Where to Dine in Boston on Easter, April 5, 2015

March 31, 2015
Keep Supporting Local Restaurants Like Piattini on Newbury Street

One of the places we visited a couple of times during the dreadful winter of 2015, and recommended to friends, is Piattini on Newbury Street. I have to thank my friend Linda Cox for recommending and meeting me at this lovely cafe. Thanks Linda!

Ed and I find the lunch menu to be a good value and it's a great way to sample the dishes on offer. And, we were happy to see the dining room hopping on our recent visits.

The Scampi: sautéed shrimp in a garlic lemon white wine sauce over linguine was $9.95 on our last visit. It was more than I could finish. In fact, when I lunch with Linda, I'll often take part of my meal home.

Ed did finish his plate of Bolognese: homemade fusilli, traditional meat ragout. It was also $9.95 that day. And, he enjoyed some of my linguine.

We found wines well matched to the food. Plus, they come with a bit of information on small cards.

This is the type of restaurant we hope you will continue to support in the months ahead. Soon, the patio will be attracting new customers to Piattini. But, they need your support in winter and on rainy days, too. Small, local shops and restaurants will be in recovery mode from the winter woes for many months to come.

If you follow such things as I do, there have been a lot of restaurant closings since the winter began. We lost another favorite when Petit Robert Bistro in Kenmore Square changed hands. It was always a place we could recommend for value meals day-in and day-out and especially on holidays.

If you have a favorite places that you want to remain or if you've been meaning to try a small local cafe recommended by a trusted friend like Linda, get out and spend some money in your community. And, do it this month, next month, and in the many months to come.

If what you need is not local or if you are one of our readers from another part of the world, BostonZest is also a local business. When you are going to buy from one of the businesses that advertise here or pay us commission, we appreciate your support. One of the easiest ways is to start all your Amazon shopping on one of our pages.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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What's Happening Around Boston in April 2015

Where to Dine in Boston on Easter, April 5, 2015

March 31, 2015
What’s Happening Around Boston in April 2015
April is a busy month with the Boston Marathon and other events making hotel rooms expensive and restaurant reservations scarce.

Easter Sunday April 4th & Passover April 4th-11th

On Easter Sunday, you'll find special menus in many restaurants. If you have suggestions for places not doing this or alternative dining suggestions for Easter, please add them. And, Passover is a great time to enjoy some of the special kosher foods that are easier to find at this time.

Related BostonZest Post: Where to Dine in Boston on Easter, April 5, 2015

Do you have a favorite place to buy chocolate for Easter Baskets?

Patriots Day Weekend/Boston Marathon & other BAA races 18th to the 20th

The Boston Athletic Association is expecting 30,000 runners and half a million spectators for the Marathon on April 20th. There are other races and marathon related events all weekend.

There will be road closures and changes in MBTA routes surrounding the Marathon course. Here are some links to information on those aspects of the race.

If you need to get somewhere on Marathon Monday – before the roads close – try to place yourself on the side of the course that will allow you to get where you're going.

Related Posts: A collection of tips for Marathon Weekend, some from past years, that we'll be updating between now and Marathon Monday.
Other Events

For a long list of events for people with varied tastes, check out The Boston Calendar for April 2015.

For free and budget events, follow along with Kate from Boston On Budget.

For a curated list of historic events, you can depend on historian Liz Covart.
- April 1st – New Food Truck Schedules go into effect with a few new trucks and new spots for some of your old favorites.
- April 3-5 is the Anime Boston event at the Hynes Convention Center. This is a fun time to walk the area and take photos of the people dressed as their favorite characters. Most of them love to pose. If you're in town for some other reason, this is just a short lived event, not how Bostonians dress.
- April 18 – Greenway Spring Food Festival: Noon to 4:00 p.m. Some of our favorite food trucks will be on hand.
- April 18 – The Swan Boats will sail out from under the bridge onto the Boston Public Garden Lagoon
- April 26 – 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. - Fresh Paint, Sunday! "View Copley Society artist members at work creating their "fresh" canvases around the city."
Who Are all These Conventioneers?

Here are the dates of conventions that will impact hotel pricing and availability:
- April 9-10 – Boston National College Fair, estimated attendees – 15,000
- April 16-18 – National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting 2015, estimated attendees – 17,000
- April 29-May 2 – American College of Physicians Internal Medicine 2015, estimated attendees - 7,000
Graduation Season kicks off on April 25th

Every year, we publish a list of the spring graduation dates that make hotel and restaurant reservations harder to find in the weeks ahead. This year, we've added Wentworth Institute of Technology on April 25, 2015. If you need restaurant reservations or hotel rooms for friends and family from that date to June 5th, make them now.

You're up Next

What are your favorite April events or things you look forward to doing in Boston in April? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012-2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino (graduation caps are from istockphoto.com)
.

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March 27, 2015
Doin’ the Pothole Dance!

After our dreadful winter season, Public Works has a lot of potholes, like these in Copley Square, ready for filling.

It takes choreographed teamwork to get the job done. These guys know how to do the pothole dance. A runner on her way by joined in.

And, between patches, there's time to sing the pothole song.

The tamper adds the rhythm track.

On a more serious note, you can report potholes on the Citizens Connect app. "Pothole" is a quick choice on the current selection of topics. These change from season to season. This week's array reflects the problems we're all seeing around the city.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Ed Cherubino

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March 20, 2015
March 19th Is Zeppole Day!

When it comes to Saints' Days, March 19th, Saint Joseph's Day has corned beef and cabbage and green beer beaten by a mile with a great Italian pastry, Zeppole or Zeppole di San Giuseppe. Some bakeries will keep selling these until Easter but check before you make a special trip.

Many of the delicious Zeppole we've found in Boston (like the one above from Modern Pastry in the North End) are big enough to share.

Photo by Kyle Bruggeman, Nebraska News21 used under this creative commons license.

When we lived in Providence, we would buy much smaller Zeppole by the dozen like donuts (which is sort of what they are) from Federal Hill bakeries.

Here's a video that shows one way these little beauties are made. This smaller, baked version is the style that Penny, a native Rhode Islander, first knew. Today, we both enjoy the giant Boston-style and are most willing to get out and try your favorites if you'll let us know where to find them.

What is your source for Zeppole and what style do you love? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

And, if you want to know more about the history of this pastry, I refer you to one of my favorite food writers, Clifford Wright. I'd rather call him a food scholar. His cookbooks are amazing reference manuals.

Related Posts:

Zeppole from Modern Pastry

It's Zeppole Season!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 Penny Cherubino and as credited

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March 19, 2015
Poppy Says, “Time to Get a Dog License!”

Massachusetts law requires that all dogs be licensed with their city or town by April 1st of each year. To apply, you must have proof of a current rabies vaccination.

Normally, Boston officials send out packages reminding people with dogs to renew. I called Animal Care and Control to check if the mailing had gone out and found that it's been delayed this year and that the city of Boston plans to delay enforcement.

I don't know what this does if you are in another city or town with your dog, since it's a state law that requires a license. Better apply online or call the contact number at Animal Care to ask that a license package be sent to you now.

I put a reminder on my calendar on March 1st and have already applied online and received Poppy's Boston dog license. Here's the link for Boston. (Check your city or town to see if it offers this convenient service.)

My Poppy was already registered, so I typed in her current license number and all my information was filled in by the system. I uploaded a photo of her spay certificate and one of her current rabies record. Then I entered my credit card information and completed the transaction. The cost this year in Boston for a spayed dog is $16, including a one dollar processing fee.

When her license arrived, we scanned it and put a copy in Dropbox so that both Ed and I always have access to it on our phones. The tag was added to Poppy's ID set.

On a side note, Poppy would like to thank the person who cleared this park bench for her. She loves benches.

Low Cost Rabies Clinics

From the Facebook Page for the City of Boston Animal Care and Control, here is a list of the times and places where you can get a low cost rabies vaccination. The following information was given in two posts.

Fees:

"The fees for the rabies clinics are:
$5 for the rabies shot for Boston Residents
$10 for non-Boston Residents

License fees:
$15 for Spayed/Neutered Dogs
$30 for non-fixed Dogs"

Clinics:

"Saturday April 4th 10am-2pm
Codman Square BCYF Perkins Community Center
155 Talbot Ave

Saturday May 2nd 10am-2pm
East Boston BCYF Martin Pino Community Center
86 Boardman St

Saturday May 9th 10am-2pm
West Roxbury BCYF Roche Family Community Center
1716 Centre St

Saturday May 16th 10am-2pm
South Boston BCYF Condon Community Center
200 D St

Tuesday September 22nd 4pm-8pm
City of Boston Animal Care and Control
26 Mahler Rd"

Update 04.14.15 Since we didn't see any improvement in the list or access to information about low cost rabies clinics in Boston we hunted down this list from the state.

Why Should You Get a Dog License?

We've said it before and now we are saying it again. A license is proof that your dog has had a rabies shot. That's important to anyone who might have to help you find a lost dog or treat a hurt one.

It's really important to let the city know how many dogs live here and should be considered when the politicians do their planning and spend our money. Getting everyone to license their dogs will send a message. So, stand up and be counted!

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino

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March 15, 2015
Where to Dine in Boston on Easter, April 5, 2015

Those in the know already have reservations for Easter brunch and dinner. This is one of the big days for dining out, and popular restaurants will fill their tables for Sunday, April 5, 2015 quickly.

First up, the list of places that organize information about Easter reservations and special offerings.

Open Table seems to have the most complete information, and you can click right through to make reservations. They also give you some idea of prices and special menus. And, you'll find a few places that are offering their regular menus as well.

Boston Chefs has a list of offerings from their member chefs and restaurants.

Gayot lists favorite Easter brunches at places like Henrietta's Table in Cambridge.

Next, places we picked from these lists (we'll add more as we learn about particular offerings)

Bistro du Midi recently added brunch to their weekly offering but that menu will not be available on Easter. However, you may want to try some other weekend. For Easter they have a three course Prix Fixe menu. And, you can plan a walk through the Public Garden after your meal.

Craigie on Main is offering both an Easter Prix Fixe menus and special additions to their regular menu for Passover.

To meet up with family who don't want to come into the city, consider AKA Bistro in Lincoln. We're happy to see that they're offering their regular brunch menu in addition to some Easter specials. The nearby deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is the perfect place to walk off your brunch and take Easter photos.

Update: 03/17/15

Dante Restaurant is one of those delightful places offering their regular a la carte menu with special additions for Easter according to their listing on Boston Chefs.

Update: 03/22/15

One of our favorite spots in Boston, Coppa Enoteca has announced that they will provide an a la cart option as well. Boston Chefs says, "Spend Easter with Coppa in the South End and their menu of shareable Italian dishes. Reservations are recommended. Seatings from: 11:00am-8:00pm.s

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when some people would try to book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can cause the restaurant to turn away other potential customers and makes the venues require a deposit to hold a place.

One thing we would look for, if we were dining out on a holiday, is a place that is offering its regular menu for the day. That's always a plus for us. We're not fans of special menus.

If you know of places where the regular menu will be served, let us know. If it's a place we can recommend, we'll add it to our list. And, we'll add updates and links to this post as we find them. Check back here or follow us on Twitter to learn about updates!

Opting Out of Easter

If this holiday stuff is really not part of your life, this is a great day to go ethnic. Chinatown will be wide open and filled with great menu options. Your neighborhood Indian, Korean, Chinese, or Persian restaurant will be happy to feed you. And, most BBQ and Pizza places do not have Easter menus.

Sign-up for the comment feed or follow us on Twitter for a notice, if we add updates to this page.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: from iStockphoto.com

March 13, 2015
Where to Dine in Boston on Easter, April 5, 2015

Those in the know already have reservations for Easter brunch and dinner. This is one of the big days for dining out, and popular restaurants will fill their tables for Sunday, April 5, 2015 quickly.

First up, the list of places that organize information about Easter reservations and special offerings.

Open Table seems to have the most complete information, and you can click right through to make reservations. They also give you some idea of prices and special menus. And, you'll find a few places that are offering their regular menus as well.

Boston Chefs has a list of offerings from their member chefs and restaurants.

Gayot lists favorite Easter brunches at places like Henrietta's Table in Cambridge.

Next, places we picked from these lists (we'll add more as we learn about particular offerings)

Bistro du Midi recently added brunch to their weekly offering but that menu will not be available on Easter. However, you may want to try some other weekend. For Easter they have a three course Prix Fixe menu. And, you can plan a walk through the Public Garden after your meal.

Craigie on Main is offering both an Easter Prix Fixe menus and special additions to their regular menu for Passover.

To meet up with family who don't want to come into the city, consider AKA Bistro in Lincoln. We're happy to see that they're offering their regular brunch menu in addition to some Easter specials. The nearby deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum is the perfect place to walk off your brunch and take Easter photos.

Update: 03/17/15

Dante Restaurant is one of those delightful places offering their regular a la carte menu with special additions for Easter according to their listing on Boston Chefs.

Update: 03/22/15

One of our favorite spots in Boston, Coppa Enoteca has announced that they will provide an a la cart option as well. Boston Chefs says, "Spend Easter with Coppa in the South End and their menu of shareable Italian dishes. Reservations are recommended. Seatings from: 11:00am-8:00pm.s

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when some people would try to book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can cause the restaurant to turn away other potential customers and makes the venues require a deposit to hold a place.

One thing we would look for, if we were dining out on a holiday, is a place that is offering its regular menu for the day. That's always a plus for us. We're not fans of special menus.

If you know of places where the regular menu will be served, let us know. If it's a place we can recommend, we'll add it to our list. And, we'll add updates and links to this post as we find them. Check back here or follow us on Twitter to learn about updates!

Opting Out of Easter

If this holiday stuff is really not part of your life, this is a great day to go ethnic. Chinatown will be wide open and filled with great menu options. Your neighborhood Indian, Korean, Chinese, or Persian restaurant will be happy to feed you. And, most BBQ and Pizza places do not have Easter menus.

Sign-up for the comment feed or follow us on Twitter for a notice, if we add updates to this page.

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: from iStockphoto.com

March 13, 2015
Shake Shack on Newbury Street

We ran into a friend and her dog across the street from the new Shake Shack on Newbury Street a day after the grand opening. She asked where we were going for lunch and was surprised when we pointed to the burger place. "This is going to be a terrible thing for my diet," she said.

Her whole family visit Shake Shack when they travel to see family in New York – now she has one a block from home. And, I know how she feels. I admit we went twice during opening week.

We told you about our love for Shake Shack in Harvard Square. A menu check for this location shows that they offer beer and wine in addition to a great soft drink selection. And, the Shake Shack team has created special concretes (a blended ice cream drink) for the neighborhood.

We dined-in on Newbury, but we can't wait to try out the patio (complete with a dog parking station) or to gather a bunch of dog walking pals and have a bench lunch on the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. The Collins Memorial is only a quarter mile from Shake Shack and makes a great place to gather a group for lunch or snacks.

We were among the guests welcomed by Scott, the general manager, as he worked his way around the dining room on both visits. Merchants along the street have told us he has also stopped by to say hello to his neighbors.

We may have to add a few miles a week to our walking goals but it will be worth it to have regular Shake Shack lunches. And, because it will make our Back Bay neighbors Jim and Jennifer Hill so happy when they hear it, we get to tell people Shake Shack on Newbury is, "Right across from KitchenWares and Reflections!"

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino

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