Massachusetts Archives - Page 31 of 33

Tag: Massachusetts

Brasserie JO’s Salade Niçoise: A Best Bite
Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade Hotel is a wonderful spot for a hearty lunch. Ed's favorite there is the Salade Niçoise with medium rare tuna.

Each part of this dish gets the attention needed to make the whole an outstanding version of this classic French brasserie salad. The tuna is trimmed and tender, grilled with that balance of rare and sear that marks a good grill cook.

The greens are crackling fresh, the kind Ed would eat without dressing, by the handful, if he were in his own kitchen. Green beans, potatoes, pickled onion, chopped eggs are all allowed to let their personalities shine.

The next time you're hungry for a big, big salad, think about giving this one a try. Or, at the bar, you can share it with a friend followed by their famous profiteroles with a giant pour of chocolate sauce for dessert.

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Details:

Brasserie JO‎
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120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02116 (map)
The Colonnade Hotel‎
(617) 425-3240
www.brasseriejoboston.com‎
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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 24, 2012
Ross’ Grill : A Long Time Provincetown Favorite

It's astonishing that we don't have at least ten posts on Ross' Grill in Provincetown. Lunches and dinners at this long-time favorite are one of the highlights of every visit to this town at land's end.

But, like many of the places where we go to relax and where we avoid working, Ross' has been neglected except for the many times Penny has recommended it on Chowhound's Southern New England Board and Trip Advisor's Provincetown Forum.

If a visit to Provincetown is in your weekend or summer plans, here's what you need to know to be assured of a great meal.

Find Whaler's Wharf at 237 Commercial Street. Walk all the way through and go up to the second floor to find Ross' Grill. They do take reservations and we needed one even in mid-April. Our favorite seats are at the bar where we have been well cared for by some of the nicest bartenders anyone could imagine, over the years.

Every time we think the food can't top our last visit, it does. This time, we were blown away by the perfect Pan-seared Gloucester Sea Scallops, Scallion Risotto cakes, Lemon Zabaglione and a creamy cod brandade.

And, be sure to check the blackboard of wine specials. The wine list here has been a source of new favorites for many years. We have a tradition of auditioning Thanksgiving wines and choosing one from this list. We share their taste in Pinot Noir.

Enjoy the great food that comes out of the tiny kitchen but try to save room for dessert. We were alerted that they had pies from their excessively talented pie lady. This time, it was strawberry rhubarb but, later in the season, it may be blueberry/peach.

There's a great harbor view from the waterfront deck if you stop in for a drink or snack. And, if you have a housefull of guests, ask about the large table in the corner where we've seen so many happy gatherings of diners feasting on good food while enjoying good conversation and good friends. It's that kind of place!

Here are more posts from our Provincetown collection!

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Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2008- 2012 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 do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

May 23, 2012
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

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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
Farmers’ Markets Opening Dates Spring 2012

Our weekly calendars are marked with the dates when we can go and see our farmers' market friends at their summer spots. SOWA and Jamaica Plain have already opened for the season, and today is opening day for the Copley Square Market.

With additional food trucks located nearby, many stands offering lunch items, and the Boston Public Library outdoor seats and courtyard nearby, Copley Square is a great place to meet someone for lunch on Tuesdays and Fridays.

The Prudential Center Market has been open all winter, indoors, but will move outside to the Boylston Street Plaza on May 17th.

Here are the opening dates for some of our favorite markets. The links are to maps of the locations.
South End/SOWA: May 6th (Sundays)
Jamaica Plain (677 Centre Street): May 12th (Saturdays), (Saturdays & Tuesdays in mid-June)
Copley Square: May 15th (Tuesdays and Fridays)
Cambridge Center (Kendall MBTA) Cambridge: May 16 (Wednesdays)
Prudential Center: May 17th (Thursdays)
Cambridge/Charles Square: May 20th (Sundays)
Boston City Hall Plaza: May 21st (Mondays and Wednesdays)
Central Square, Cambridge: May 21st (Mondays)
Davis Square, Somerville: May 23rd (Wednesdays)
South Station/Dewey Square: May 24th (Tuesdays and Thursdays)
Kendall Square (500 Kendall Street): May 31st (Thursdays)
Union Square, Somerville: June 2nd (Saturdays)
Roslindale/Adams Park: June 2nd (Saturdays)
Cambridgeport: June 9th (Saturdays)
Swirl & Slice: Union Square Gourmet Market: June 14th (Thursdays)
Brookline/Coolidge Corner: June 14th (Thursdays)
Harvard University Farmers' Market, Cambridge: June 19th (Tuesdays)

We'll be telling you more about some of these markets in the weeks ahead!

Watch for our upcoming review of The Boston Homegrown Cookbook: Local Food, Local Restaurants, Local Recipes. It's full of chefs, farmers, and food producers you know, and we highly recommend it. Remember, always 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. We do reserve the right to edit ads and links out of comments.

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?

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

Nature as Sculptor

What do you see in this weathered wooden pile?

On our last two trips to Provincetown, I spent time photographing the details of this group of weathered piles.

I find them fascinating. They change personality with the light, the tides, and the day.

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

Wine Doggie Bags: Bring the Rest of That Bottle Home

We took home our first 'Doggie Bag" of wine recently. Achieving one of our BostonZest milestones gave us a reason to enjoy a small celebration. So, we treated ourselves to an Uber ride to Hamersley's Bistro and instead of a glass of sparkling wine, we decided to share a bottle of an old favorite, Argyle Brut, over a long lazy meal.

Alas, as much as we were enjoying the food and the good company at the bar, the early, early start to the day caught up with us and we realized we were only going to make it through two courses. Finishing the bottle was also going to be out of the question.

So, we asked our bartender, Mark, to bag it up for us to take home. He laughingly suggested that we blog about it. But, he added a serious note that he is always happy to bag a bottle and have his customers drive home safely.

As with every aspect of the service at Hamersley's, this task was performed in a completely professional manner. Mark found a cork that fit the bottle snuggly, sealed it in one of the bags that the state requires, printed and attached a copy of the receipt for the wine and the meal we had with it, and put it into a take out carry bag along with part of the remainder of Penny's chicken entre.

There are a few rules you have to follow in order to take the remainder of a bottle of wine with you from a restaurant. Since regulations do change over time, here's a link to the state's The Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission regulations on the topic.

Getting comfortable with asking for a wine doggie bag opens the whole wine list as a regular option. If you see an old favorite, a great value, a hard to find wine, or your server has a great suggestion, you can try it without feeling you have to finish the bottle.

Wines by the glass are wonderful and many places work hard to make those choices exciting and a good match for their food. But, those same places put a lot of work into the rest of the wine list and usually have some real treasures by the bottle.

Driving wasn't an issue for us. We clicked on our Uber app and another limo arrived quickly to drive us home. We'll tell you more about this new twist on car service soon. In the meanwhile, click on this UBER link, for a discount on your first ride and to send a few Uber miles our way too.

Love wine? Join our Our Sparkling Resolution

Check Out: Our Wine List

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here's, The Food Lover's Guide to Wine– the latest addition to our wine reference shelf. Here's our review of this book.

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Mother’s Day Dining in Boston 2012

Time to make reservations, if you plan to treat Mom to a meal out on Mother's Day, May 13, 2012.

This is an outdated post, click here for our Mother's Day Dining 2014, Reserve Now for May 11th

Keep in mind that in Boston, this "treat Mom to a great meal day" falls at the beginning of graduation season in Boston with Emmanuel College, Boston Conservatory, Fisher College, Emerson College, and Berklee College of Music holding commencements that weekend. (Here's the full list of Spring 2012 Commencement Dates for planning purposes.)

If your budget is tight, take Mom out for breakfast or treat her to breakfast in bed!

For Mother's Day dining ideas, here are three excellent lists of restaurants with special menus and hours for May 13, 2012.

Don't be surprised if some places require a credit card to secure the reservation. This is the type of holiday when people may book multiple restaurants and decide where to go at the last moment. That can make the restaurant turn away other potential customers, so a guarantee may be needed to reserve.

OpenTable always does a great job guiding you to the right reservation. What's more, you can just click through and reserve from this list.

Boston Chefs has a list of specials for the day from list from their members.

Gayot lists favorite brunches.

Our picks

With a gathering of family members with different food preferences, it's great to know about a place like Eastern Standard where they can please the cocktail lover, the meat and taters brother, and the family epicure.

Sometimes, family meals can use a bit of entertainment mixed in with the food. The Top of the Hub is perfect for this. They'll have prix fixe, 4-course brunch and dinner menus on Mother's Day with live jazz in the lounge for both meals. You'll also receive complementary passes to the Skywalk Observatory above the restaurant on the 50th floor. That will give part of your day a 360 degree view of Boston and the surrounding area.

If Mom is a seafood lover, call now to secure a table at Island Creek Oyster Bar. This Kenmore Square restaurant has established itself as the best fine dining seafood restaurant in Boston. Your family will enjoy the best in seafood, in a big comfortable room, with reservations, and service that will make Mom feel spoiled.

And, for the best gift, let her choose something from her wish list. Get an Amazon gift card! You can send it by email or print it out to tuck into a greeting card.

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Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: istockphoto.com