Category: We recommend!

More Goodness from Boston Food & Whine

This week's Friday Link is to Boston Food & Whine. Tammy is not only an old friend of mine but also of the Boston Food scene. Click through a few posts and you'll see a lot of reasons to become a regular visitor.

Tammy is the one who inspired me to post a lot more back when I started to grow BostonZest from a personal and very occasionally updated blog to a resource for those who shared my love of the city. She is the one whose lead I followed with daily posts.

Yes, this has been a Friday Link before. While it's nice to find new favorites on the web, it's good to spend some time with old friends, too.

Click over to Boston Food & Whine and explore.

Sign up for her feed

Follow @bostonfoodwhine on Twitter

Like her on Facebook

Enjoy the perspective of this smart and sassy woman who was a pioneer on the Boston food blog scene.

What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Shreenshot: Courtesy of Boston Food & Whine

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 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.

August 2, 2013
Toasting August with Billecart-Salmon: A Tale of Two Bruts

We can’t think of a better way to ring-in a new month than by toasting with two glasses of bubbly from one of our favorite Champagne houses, Billecart-Salmon! No, wait. Actually, that would be four glasses and two bottles.

In this post, we explore two Champagne styles: ours and that of some of our wine-loving friends. The right wine is the wine you like! Besides, anytime you’re able to justify opening multiple bottles of these French jewels, the happier the occasion becomes.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, we actually opened our Champagne Billecart-Salmon Extra-Brut at the beach, last summer. Extra Brut is the driest designation of Champagne styles containing less than 0.6% sugar per liter. While this Billecart-Salmon contains the big three: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, they point out that, “No sugar has been added to the dosage.”

Billecart-Salmon says, “A Champagne full of brightness and purity … harmonious minerality … balanced finish” Download More about Billecart-Salmon Etra Brut.

We say, “tight … a bit stern … but, focused”

As for the Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve, we lifted our glasses to welcome August 2013, took our first sips, and couldn’t stop grinning!

We say, “round … mellow … friendly … magical … drink slowly through the temperatures” (allow to warm in your glass)

Billecart-Salmon says, “harmony … balance … persistent and abounding mousse … freshness … rich bouquet Download More about Billecart-Salomn BRUT RESERVE.

We began our love affair with Billecart-Salmon many years ago by falling for their Brut Rosé. Since then, we’ve come to appreciate the depth of this outstanding Champagne house and continue to try their many other offerings.

Whatever your taste in sparkling wine, we hope you’ll join us in a toast to month number eight, à votre santé!

Here’s More About

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 1, 2013
Toasting August with Billecart-Salmon: A Tale of Two Bruts

We can’t think of a better way to ring-in a new month than by toasting with two glasses of bubbly from one of our favorite Champagne houses, Billecart-Salmon! No, wait. Actually, that would be four glasses and two bottles.

In this post, we explore two Champagne styles: ours and that of some of our wine-loving friends. The right wine is the wine you like! Besides, anytime you’re able to justify opening multiple bottles of these French jewels, the happier the occasion becomes.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, we actually opened our Champagne Billecart-Salmon Extra-Brut at the beach, last summer. Extra Brut is the driest designation of Champagne styles containing less than 0.6% sugar per liter. While this Billecart-Salmon contains the big three: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, they point out that, “No sugar has been added to the dosage.”

Billecart-Salmon says, “A Champagne full of brightness and purity … harmonious minerality … balanced finish” Download More about Billecart-Salmon Etra Brut.

We say, “tight … a bit stern … but, focused”

As for the Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve, we lifted our glasses to welcome August 2013, took our first sips, and couldn’t stop grinning!

We say, “round … mellow … friendly … magical … drink slowly through the temperatures” (allow to warm in your glass)

Billecart-Salmon says, “harmony … balance … persistent and abounding mousse … freshness … rich bouquet Download More about Billecart-Salomn BRUT RESERVE.

We began our love affair with Billecart-Salmon many years ago by falling for their Brut Rosé. Since then, we’ve come to appreciate the depth of this outstanding Champagne house and continue to try their many other offerings.

Whatever your taste in sparkling wine, we hope you’ll join us in a toast to month number eight, à votre santé!

Here’s More About

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 1, 2013
Toasting August with Billecart-Salmon: A Tale of Two Bruts

We can’t think of a better way to ring-in a new month than by toasting with two glasses of bubbly from one of our favorite Champagne houses, Billecart-Salmon! No, wait. Actually, that would be four glasses and two bottles.

In this post, we explore two Champagne styles: ours and that of some of our wine-loving friends. The right wine is the wine you like! Besides, anytime you’re able to justify opening multiple bottles of these French jewels, the happier the occasion becomes.

However, in the interest of full disclosure, we actually opened our Champagne Billecart-Salmon Extra-Brut at the beach, last summer. Extra Brut is the driest designation of Champagne styles containing less than 0.6% sugar per liter. While this Billecart-Salmon contains the big three: Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay, they point out that, “No sugar has been added to the dosage.”

Billecart-Salmon says, “A Champagne full of brightness and purity … harmonious minerality … balanced finish” Download More about Billecart-Salmon Etra Brut.

We say, “tight … a bit stern … but, focused”

As for the Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Réserve, we lifted our glasses to welcome August 2013, took our first sips, and couldn’t stop grinning!

We say, “round … mellow … friendly … magical … drink slowly through the temperatures” (allow to warm in your glass)

Billecart-Salmon says, “harmony … balance … persistent and abounding mousse … freshness … rich bouquet Download More about Billecart-Salomn BRUT RESERVE.

We began our love affair with Billecart-Salmon many years ago by falling for their Brut Rosé. Since then, we’ve come to appreciate the depth of this outstanding Champagne house and continue to try their many other offerings.

Whatever your taste in sparkling wine, we hope you’ll join us in a toast to month number eight, à votre santé!

Here’s More About

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

August 1, 2013
Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café, Boston: A First Look

Thanks to Boston's Chowhound scouts, we had already heard about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café in Chelmsford. Our mouths were ready for our first bite when we heard a branch would be opening in Boston.

Here's the #4 Hand-Pulled Noodle (biang biang mian) dish loved by many of Gene's loyal fans.

Gene's offers the opportunity to set aside your Americanize palate and eat as you might in the city of Xi'an in Northwest China. This is a cuisine we haven't seen much of on the Boston food scene.

A pile of thick, chewy noodles are stretched, ripped, and cooked to order. Then, they're sauced with chili oil, garlic, and cilantro. Stir it up and slurp away. (These dishes are not as spicy as they look.The chili oil is humming rather than fiery.)

When the open sign came on last Wednesday, word spread quickly among the area food community and to the downtown workforce.

"Yes, sir, this is the place!"

The line was out the door when we arrived. And it took about a half hour from the end of the line to having a bag of food in our hands. There are a few tables inside, but we took our steaming-hot feast over to a table at Brewer Fountain on the Common. (The Chinatown Greenway Park is even closer to the noodle source.)

Our second dish was the #9 Cumin Lamb hand-pulled Noodles. This was our favorite. In additon to the noodles it had cumin lamb, sprouts, onions, peppers, and chili oil. The lamb was so delicious that we will add a couple of lamb skewers to my next order.

Here is a long conversation on Chowhound's Boston Board about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café.

And, here's the conversation about the new Boston location.

By the way, the café's namesake, flatbread with pork, and house noodle soups are on the list for our next visit.

Details:

86 Bedford Street, Boston, MA 02111 (map)

Phone: 617-482-1888

Hours: Monday – Friday: 11AM – 4PM (Weekend: Closed)

Payment: Cash only

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2013
Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café, Boston: A First Look

Thanks to Boston's Chowhound scouts, we had already heard about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café in Chelmsford. Our mouths were ready for our first bite when we heard a branch would be opening in Boston.

Here's the #4 Hand-Pulled Noodle (biang biang mian) dish loved by many of Gene's loyal fans.

Gene's offers the opportunity to set aside your Americanize palate and eat as you might in the city of Xi'an in Northwest China. This is a cuisine we haven't seen much of on the Boston food scene.

A pile of thick, chewy noodles are stretched, ripped, and cooked to order. Then, they're sauced with chili oil, garlic, and cilantro. Stir it up and slurp away. (These dishes are not as spicy as they look.The chili oil is humming rather than fiery.)

When the open sign came on last Wednesday, word spread quickly among the area food community and to the downtown workforce.

"Yes, sir, this is the place!"

The line was out the door when we arrived. And it took about a half hour from the end of the line to having a bag of food in our hands. There are a few tables inside, but we took our steaming-hot feast over to a table at Brewer Fountain on the Common. (The Chinatown Greenway Park is even closer to the noodle source.)

Our second dish was the #9 Cumin Lamb hand-pulled Noodles. This was our favorite. In additon to the noodles it had cumin lamb, sprouts, onions, peppers, and chili oil. The lamb was so delicious that we will add a couple of lamb skewers to my next order.

Here is a long conversation on Chowhound's Boston Board about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café.

And, here's the conversation about the new Boston location.

By the way, the café's namesake, flatbread with pork, and house noodle soups are on the list for our next visit.

Details:

86 Bedford Street, Boston, MA 02111 (map)

Phone: 617-482-1888

Hours: Monday – Friday: 11AM – 4PM (Weekend: Closed)

Payment: Cash only

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2013
Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café, Boston: A First Look

Thanks to Boston's Chowhound scouts, we had already heard about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café in Chelmsford. Our mouths were ready for our first bite when we heard a branch would be opening in Boston.

Here's the #4 Hand-Pulled Noodle (biang biang mian) dish loved by many of Gene's loyal fans.

Gene's offers the opportunity to set aside your Americanize palate and eat as you might in the city of Xi'an in Northwest China. This is a cuisine we haven't seen much of on the Boston food scene.

A pile of thick, chewy noodles are stretched, ripped, and cooked to order. Then, they're sauced with chili oil, garlic, and cilantro. Stir it up and slurp away. (These dishes are not as spicy as they look.The chili oil is humming rather than fiery.)

When the open sign came on last Wednesday, word spread quickly among the area food community and to the downtown workforce.

"Yes, sir, this is the place!"

The line was out the door when we arrived. And it took about a half hour from the end of the line to having a bag of food in our hands. There are a few tables inside, but we took our steaming-hot feast over to a table at Brewer Fountain on the Common. (The Chinatown Greenway Park is even closer to the noodle source.)

Our second dish was the #9 Cumin Lamb hand-pulled Noodles. This was our favorite. In additon to the noodles it had cumin lamb, sprouts, onions, peppers, and chili oil. The lamb was so delicious that we will add a couple of lamb skewers to my next order.

Here is a long conversation on Chowhound's Boston Board about Gene's Chinese Flatbread Café.

And, here's the conversation about the new Boston location.

By the way, the café's namesake, flatbread with pork, and house noodle soups are on the list for our next visit.

Details:

86 Bedford Street, Boston, MA 02111 (map)

Phone: 617-482-1888

Hours: Monday – Friday: 11AM – 4PM (Weekend: Closed)

Payment: Cash only

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once a year for free 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 Penny & Ed Cherubino

July 29, 2013
Enhancing an Italian Grinder with Summer Market Fare

Sandwiches make it onto our menu more often when I have wonderfully fresh ingredients from the farmers' markets to enhance them.

The Italian Grinder style sandwich above was the result of a quick stop at Trader Joe's to buy milk on the way home from the Copley Square Market. Ed and Poppy (our puppy) waited upstairs while I shopped for that and something for lunch.

In the deli case, I saw mixed packages of Italian and Spanish ham and salamis. I bought the Italian to make my farmers' market version of this Italian American classic.

At home, I made a mixed salad from some tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions from the market, seasoning it with vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. (There is more than enough salt in the prepared ingredients for our taste.)

Ed sliced our loaf of Iggy's Francese and I layered on the prosciutto, capocollo, and salame from the TJ's package. Next, I spread a bit of TJ's tapenade and sliced artichoke hearts we had in the refrigerator, then piled on the tomato salad.

Even in a mixed presentation like this, the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes and snappy, farm-fresh cucumbers shined through and turned a sandwich lunch into a memorable meal.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once-a-year for free, 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows, and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one-month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 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.

July 16, 2013
Enhancing an Italian Grinder with Summer Market Fare

Sandwiches make it onto our menu more often when I have wonderfully fresh ingredients from the farmers' markets to enhance them.

The Italian Grinder style sandwich above was the result of a quick stop at Trader Joe's to buy milk on the way home from the Copley Square Market. Ed and Poppy (our puppy) waited upstairs while I shopped for that and something for lunch.

In the deli case, I saw mixed packages of Italian and Spanish ham and salamis. I bought the Italian to make my farmers' market version of this Italian American classic.

At home, I made a mixed salad from some tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions from the market, seasoning it with vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. (There is more than enough salt in the prepared ingredients for our taste.)

Ed sliced our loaf of Iggy's Francese and I layered on the prosciutto, capocollo, and salame from the TJ's package. Next, I spread a bit of TJ's tapenade and sliced artichoke hearts we had in the refrigerator, then piled on the tomato salad.

Even in a mixed presentation like this, the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes and snappy, farm-fresh cucumbers shined through and turned a sandwich lunch into a memorable meal.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once-a-year for free, 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows, and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one-month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 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.

July 16, 2013
Enhancing an Italian Grinder with Summer Market Fare

Sandwiches make it onto our menu more often when I have wonderfully fresh ingredients from the farmers' markets to enhance them.

The Italian Grinder style sandwich above was the result of a quick stop at Trader Joe's to buy milk on the way home from the Copley Square Market. Ed and Poppy (our puppy) waited upstairs while I shopped for that and something for lunch.

In the deli case, I saw mixed packages of Italian and Spanish ham and salamis. I bought the Italian to make my farmers' market version of this Italian American classic.

At home, I made a mixed salad from some tomatoes, cucumbers, and scallions from the market, seasoning it with vinegar, olive oil, and ground pepper. (There is more than enough salt in the prepared ingredients for our taste.)

Ed sliced our loaf of Iggy's Francese and I layered on the prosciutto, capocollo, and salame from the TJ's package. Next, I spread a bit of TJ's tapenade and sliced artichoke hearts we had in the refrigerator, then piled on the tomato salad.

Even in a mixed presentation like this, the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes and snappy, farm-fresh cucumbers shined through and turned a sandwich lunch into a memorable meal.

What do you know about Amazon Prime? We use it and love it. You pay once-a-year for free, 2-day shipping delivery charges. Amazon throws in access to instant streaming movies and tv shows, and they let you borrow a free ebook each month. They will even give you a one-month free trial. Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Join Amazon Prime – Watch Over 40,000 Movies

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2013 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 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.

July 16, 2013