Category: We recommend!

Planeta Carricante from Neptune Oyster’s Great Wine List
Whenever we walk into Neptune Oyster, we always check out the wine specials on the big blackboard across from the bar in the rear. You often find an interesting wine on offer.

A while back, it was a Carricante from Planeta, a vinyard that grows grapes in the volcanic soil of Mount Etna in Sicily. It was a perfect match for Penny's hot, buttered lobster roll and Ed's mussels. It's an island wine just made for seafood and a great selection for Neptune's menu.

Volcanic Soil & Wine

To students of wine, every new bottle tasted is an opportunity to learn about what put that particular flavor into that particular glass. The Planeta Vineyard sent us researching volcanic soil. Here are some of the interesting articles we found around the web on that topic.
Neptune's Wine Lists

In addition to the main wine list with its well matched backbone of seafood-friendly wines, and the chalkboard specials, Neptune has a second list called, "The Pearls." Here, you'll find bottles that are fit for a celebration or that will turn a Tuesday afternoon with wine-loving friends into a celebration.

Vinny's Tip Jar update

Here's an update on Neptune's Vinny Sapochetti who was hurt recently in an auto accident. We ran into Neptune owner Jeff Nace in the North End over the weekend and asked him how Vinny was doing. He told us that Vinny is in a rehabilitation facility and is making progress.

On May 11th, we told you about a special benefit, Vinny's Tip Jar Fundraiser & Auction being planned by his many friends in the hospitality industry. There is still time for you to support this event and put the evening on your calendar. Jeff also said that if you send cards or notes for Vinny to Neptune, they will see that he gets them.

Vinny Sapochetti

C/O Neptune Oyster

63 Salem Street, Boston Ma 02113

What's on your wine lover's shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.
May 21, 2012
Boston Street Food App: Food Truck Tracking

Back in March, Toby left a comment on one of our Food Trucks/Street Food posts. He wrote, "Hi Penny & Ed, I think you might like my iPhone app for finding the Boston trucks: Street Food Boston. It's updated daily with the latest hours, closures, etc. Enjoy! Toby"

We downloaded this free app to our phones, tested it out, watched it grow, and now we are recommending it as our Friday link today. As you can see in the screengrab above, they also have apps for some of our Canadian readers and for Bostonians headed for Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto.

This app lets you find food trucks on a map with red or green pins signaling who is open and who is not. Or, you can switch to a list to look for a particular truck. Once you have a truck in mind, you can swipe to see a screen telling you about the food and giving you the current schedule and links to their homepage, twitter, and email.

You can sort trucks by those nearby you, a-z list, popular, or your own favorites. If you love food trucks, give this app a try and let us know what you think.

But, remember, for in depth information on the Boston food truck scene, photos of the food, and tales of the food truck community, always come back to the BostonZest Food Truck/Street Food collection.

What's on your exploring Boston shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshot: courtesy of Tatlow Park Sofware, Inc.

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 18, 2012
Myers+Chang Dim Sum Brunch
Myers+Chang seemed like a great destination on a Sunday when we needed a good, long walk and wanted to enjoy some small plates of delicious stuff. We arrived near the end of the lunch rush, waited a few minutes, and got a corner table by the patio.

We settled in with a lovely glass of sparkling rosé and took turns adding items to our menu.

You'll see these sturdy, wind resistant champagne flutes showing up in our sparking wine and roof deck dining posts because, thanks to the great customer service provided by M+C GM Scott, we were able to purchase some.
Click on the thumbnails above to see the full version in the viewer window.

We nibbled our way through the Fresh Rolls, Dan Dan Noodles, Wok-Roasted Lemongrass Mussels, Wok Charred Brussels with Caramelized Onions and Bacon, and Thai Ginger Chicken with Rice Vermicelli.

Ed loved our server's offer of grilled bread to soak up the luscious sauce left, after the mussels were gone. If we hadn't been so full, we might have ordered a second round of those!

What's on your weekend shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here's Joanne Chang's ever-so-rightfully-popular Cookbook, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe

Details:

Myers+Chang

1145 Washington Street,

Boston, MA 02118 (map & reviews)

(617) 542-5200

myersandchang.com

‎

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.
May 14, 2012
Vinny’s Tip Jar: Hospitality Industry Supporting One of Their Own

Recently, we heard the sad news that Vinny Sapochetti–the always smiling, always helpful waiter at Neptune Oyster–had been in an automobile accident and was facing a long recovery period. You may also know him from one of the other places where he's worked over the years.

His many, many friends in the Boston hospitality industry are organizing to assist him.

A very special event is planned. Here's a link for complete information.

Vinny's Tip Jar Fundraiser & Auction

Monday, May 28th, 2012, 5p.m.–10p.m.

Hotel Commonwealth Ballroom

500 Commonwealth Avenue, Kenmore Square, Boston, MA 02215

We hope you'll help to whatever extent you can. Spread the word. Send a donation. Attend the event. Or, just keep Vinny in your thoughts and send healing wishes his way.

Instead of an ad in this spot, today, we ask that you consider making a donation to the fund for Vinny.

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Screenshot courtesy of Vinny's Tip Jar

May 11, 2012
TerraVino Wines: Places We Shop

We live a city lifestyle. Our shopping trips are more likely to take us to three or four small shops than to one big box store. Here in Boston, and on the road, we'll share our great shop finds with you. -The BostonZest Team!

Update: Alas we can't shop here any longer because the store closed a few months later.

Name: TerraVino Wines

Address: 234 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 (Map & Reviews)

Phone: 617-232-1180

Do you have a roster of small, well-curated shops where you find the best selections? Let us know in the comments below or send us an email. We're always ready to add new resources to our list.

(Click on any photo for a larger image)

Shop Description: Calm and soothing. You can see the thought that was put into designing the shop. What you may not see is that it is also very green– environmentally responsible that is! Here are the details about that aspect of this store.

People: Christopher and Rayna Carbone are the owners. Christopher (above) is a Certified Specialist of Wine. But, more important than the letters after his name is his ability to communicate his love of the wines he stocks to customers with any level of wine knowledge. He asks the right questions, tries to figure out what you like, what food you are matching, offers tastes, and refines his recommendations from there.

What makes this shop special: A very warm welcome. Great wine knowledge. A carefully curated selection. Plus, a great location right off the Green Line in Coolidge Corner. You know you'll be going there soon, for something, so stop by and explore this new shop while you're there.

They say: "We believe in wines that are Real, honestly made, in the most Natural way. We offer wines that we truly believe in, allowing them to express their origins, the talent and commitment of the producers, and the inherent quality of the vintage. We put our dedication to work through our commitment only offering exceptional Natural wines that are sustainable, organic and biodynamic. "

We Say: Our first visit was like walking into a room filled with old friends. As we circled the selection, we took turns saying, "Look they carry…." followed by the name of a longtime favorite wine, producer, or importer.

Nice Touch: They have four reds and four whites available for tasting. This allows you to try wines that might be a bit out of your comfort zone and helps guide the staff to offer better recommendations for you.

Regulars say: Richard Auffrey, The Passionate Foodie said, "This is very much a hand sell store where customer service is key. Many of these wines will be unfamiliar to the average consumer, and even the avid wine lover is likely to find plenty of wines they have not tasted before. It is a very intriguing selection of wines, and there were plenty of wines which interested me."

Gretchen (@MoralBeast) and Urban Wine Dweller wrote: "The brilliant Thierry Triolet Champagne Brut from @terravinowines. Really great stuff. Perfect with sushi." Our thanks go to Gretchen for recommending TerraVino Wines.

Did you know? Another part of this couple's green and natural lifestyle is a gluten-free, vegetarian diet.

Don't Miss: Their sparkling wine selection on the center table. Here's a Grower Champagne we bought from TerraVino. You know how we love sparkling wines!

Phone: 617-232-1180

Website: www.terravinowines.com

Twitter: @TerraVinoWines

Facebook: Terra Vino Wines

While you're in the neighborhood: Coolidge Corner is home to many great, local businesses, and a fabulous farmers' market on Thursday afternoons from mid-June to late October.

Here are reports on a few of our favorite places in the area:

Michael's Deli

When Pigs Fly Bakery

Party Favors

Brookline Farmers' Market

While we love to support local shops, we also hope you'll support us when you shop on Amazon. When you click over to Amazon from one of our links, they put some change in our tip cup. It doesn't cost you anymore, but it helps keep BostonZest coming your way.

Fine wine glasses that are dishwasher safe? While Ed insists on washing our stems, I can't swear to it but the manufacture says that, the Schott Zwiesel Tritan Crystal Forte Collection can go in the dishwasher. We do put our barware from the same line through the dishwaser all the time. How about this Stemless Snifter?

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 10, 2012
Brebirousse d’Argental Petit: Soft Ripe Sheep’s Milk Cheese from France

Standing in front of the cheese case at South End Formaggio, a pile of softly bulging, Brebirousse Argental Petit cheese gently called to me.

"You know I'm ripe and you know I'll be soft and runny," it said.

My nose did a few exploring sniffs in the general area of the pile of cheeses and detected no tell-tale scent of overripe.

There were sheep on the label, so this was one to learn more about. When asked, our cheesemonger said, "There's nothing about it not to like."

He knew I liked strong, sheepy cheese and warned me that this one has a more moderate flavor. But, I figured sheep milk will show its personality and richness and added one to my order. I also like to have some great, mild cheese for friends who don't like my stinky finds.

This piece of art sat on the kitchen counter, tempting the two of us with its lovely, fuzzy rind, and bright orange glow until we finished our day's work and were ready to enjoy a glass of wine and bit of cheese. I could already see it as a show-stopper on a cheese tray.

Yesterday, we showed you how we opened this plump prize with a cheese harp. Here's what it looked like about 90 seconds later.

The taste was mild in a brie-like way, but the rind was perfect and most certainly added to our enjoyment of this cheese. We continued to cut smaller wedges with the wire cutter and enjoyed every inch of our find.

Micah Shull at Fromaggio e' Meraviglioso reviewed it and said, "The interior paste looks like vanilla pudding. It is rich, creamy and thick on the tongue. Brebirousse tastes buttery, salty, with a little sweetness and hints of meadow, but not obviously a sheep's milk cheese."

The Smelly Cheese Club will provide more details on the production of this little gem.

Here are more of our post about cheese.

What's on your cheese studies shopping list? Remember click right here to go to Amazon and check out some great books on cheese to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Penny & Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

May 9, 2012
Love My Cheese Harp!

There are two kinds of cheese harps. This term is used for the wire cutter that cheese makers use to cut the curdled milk into the cubes that will separate from the whey and one day become cheese. It's also used for a handheld wire cutter that is the perfect way to cut open and enjoy pieces of a fully-ripe, soft cheese, like this Brebirousse Argental Petit.

I was trying to balance the harp on top of the cheese for a photo, but it works so well it began a gentle journey through the cheese.

I bought mine from a favorite cheesemonger, but I did find this wire cheese harp on Amazon that looks just like mine.

Here's more about that lovely piece of perfectly ripe cheese that we were slicing open.

And, here are more of our posts about cheese.

What's on your cheese serving shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © Ed Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

May 8, 2012
Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin Enters the James Beard Hall of Fame

One of my daily reads, A Proper Bostonian, gave me the great gift of an introduction to Laurie Colwin's books. Somehow, it hadn't registered with me that this essayist, that I had read in Gourmet and The New Yorker, also had books I should read.

I borrowed the Boston Public Library copy of Home Cooking for far too long and when they wanted it back, because another fan requested it, I bought my own copy.

Last week, the James Beard Awards placed Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin in their Hall of Fame for cookbooks. However, this is far more than a cookbook. It does have some recipes, but it also has stories flavored with witty and wise insight.

A big thank you to Ms Proper for putting so much enjoyment into my evening reading sessions. I think my summer reading list will include the rest of this author's books. That should make for a warm, relaxed summer with lots of gentle laughter.

By the way, here's where you can find the rest of the winners of the James Beard Foundation Book Awards. Just click on the category under, "Browse more book awards" in the left hand column.

What's on your summer reading shopping list? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

More Home Cooking: A Writer Returns to the Kitchen

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Cover art courtesy of Vintage Books

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 7, 2012
Made by Hand, a Handcrafted Friday Link
The upcoming, juried exhibition, “Made by Hand: a celebration of exceptional work from the North Bennet Street School” is our Friday link.

We never cease to be enthralled by the work that comes from the students and alumni of this Boston treasure and look forward to seeing this collection of hand-made objects painstakingly crafted by the school’s students and alumni– from elegant furniture and one-of-a-kind musical instruments to exquisite jewelry and ornate hand-bound books.

Here's a sneak preview they have shared with us! In the photos below (left to right) are:
- Handmade pendant by Laurie Berezin, NBSS ‘11
- Handmade fiddle by David Golber, NBSS ‘98
- Decorative bench by Jerry deRham, NBSS ‘83
- Hand-bound book cover by Kevin Sheby, NBSS ‘13
- Grandfather clock by Juan Pablo Blanco, NBSS ’12
Click on the small photos above to see a larger version in the viewer window.
- What: Made by Hand: a celebration of exceptional work from the North Bennet Street School
- Where: Main Lobby, 125 High Street, Boston MA (map)
- When: Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 18, 2012
- Hours: 8:00 am – 8:00 pm daily.
- Admission: Free
- Handicap Access: Yes
- Reservations: Not required.
- Nearest parking: 125 High Street garage. Limited street parking (metered).
- Nearest T stop: South Station (Red line)
- More Information about the show: 617-227-0155 or see the online page.
If you clicked over to the North Bennet Street School site, it may have made you think that you'd like to learn a new skill or give someone you love the chance to explore the life-changing opportunities inside those walls.

Here are some books to inspire you to do just that, at any age!

It's Only Too Late If You Don't Start Now: HOW TO CREATE YOUR SECOND LIFE AT ANY AGE

The Renaissance Soul: Life Design for People with Too Many Passions to Pick Just One

The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World
Details:

North Bennet Street School

39 N Bennet St.

Boston, MA 02113-1914 (map & reviews)

(617) 227-0155

nbss.edu‎

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: Courtesy of the North Bennet Street School

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers' comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We reserve the right to edit ads out of comments.
May 4, 2012
Northeastern, Forsyth and Hemenway: Where to Find Food Trucks

As these rolling restaurants expand their reach and numbers throughout the Boston area, we’re Food Truck Tracking– checking out some of their favorite nesting spots, and what you’ll find when you get there. -The BostonZest Team!

Fenway- Northeastern- Forsyth and Hemenway Streets

Location: The intersection of Forsyth and Hemenway Streets. (map)

MBTA Link: Take a Green Line E train and get off at the Northeastern stop.

More info @: Boston's Food Truck Page, Hub Food trucks, or on the Street Food Boston app.

How many trucks: One truck at a time.

Who's here: The schedule calls for Mei Mei Street Kitchen, Roxy's Grilled Cheese, Frozen Hoagies and Boston Speed Dog. (Update: May 3, 2012: Check the latest feeds from these trucks. Steve at Hub Food trucks tells us there have been some changes to the schedule.)



(Click on any photo for a larger version.)

What we had: The opening day of Mei Mei drew us out to this spot. Our lunch was "Beef & Cheese Dumplings," "Porky Mac & Cheese," "Supah Spicy Magic Brownies," and "Crimson Berry Iced Tea."

Hours and dates: So far, some Tuesday through Friday lunch and dinner slots are filled here.

Tips: If you crave shade on a summer afternoon, the open space east of the building where the truck parks is a nice strip of shady grass that everyone seems to use for sitting and walking between streets.

And, if you are visiting the Museum of Fine Arts, a visit to a food truck might be just the break you need in a long day of viewing treasures.



(Click on any photo for a larger version.)

Where to Eat: There are benches up towards the museum, grassy lawns for picnic style dining, stone seating on Forsyth Street and a few tables in front of a Northeastern building on the corner.

Where to eat inside: We'll leave this one to you. Let us know if you have a good idea for a place to dine inside in the winter.

Restrooms: You could check in the Northeastern campus buildings where the public is allowed. If you're a member of the Museum of Fine Arts, you can use your free admission to access their facilities. If you know of a spot or two, add them to the Universal Hub Wicked Good Guide to Boston Restrooms so the rest of us can find them.

Bonus points for: A super friendly crowd of food truck lovers! The line was filled with happy, fun folks.

For more of our Food Truck/Street Food coverage: click here. Or, anytime you visit BostonZest, you can click on the "Food Truck/Street Food" tab at the top of the page.

Link: Boston Food Truck Location Map

Did you know you can buy groceries from Amazon? Have them ship what you need, and have more time to check out food trucks.

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2012 Ed & Penny Cherubino

Note on Comments: We monitor comments constantly and anything that is pure spam, inappropriate, or nasty is swept away. In addition to readers comments, we welcome hearing from the people, places, and services we cover. Often those add a great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you. We reserve the right to edit ads out of comments.

May 2, 2012