Category: Food & Drink

Toasting a New Year with Pol Roger!

We’ll be spending New Year’s Eve with Pol Roger (Champagne)– perhaps saluting the memory of the man who sold his first bottle of wine 163 years ago!

As we head toward the beginning of a new month and more importantly a new year, we always look forward to selecting an interesting bottle of bubbly. However, this time a special sparkler appeared on our door step (a gift from a friend and wine merchant) and immediately bumped everything else in line.

Pol Roger Extra Cuvée de Réserve Champagne Brut Vintage 2000– when the name on the bottle has that much going on, how could we resist?

Besides, our benefactor knows our taste is for a pinot-forward sparkler, in this case 60% Pinot Noir – 40% Chardonnay. As this champagne house puts it, the pinot supplies “body…strength” and the chardonnay the “finesse…lightness.” (Something to keep in mind when selecting a champagne to fit your taste.)

As descriptions go, we can expect the aromas of: “ripe, expressive fruit…dried apricots and poached pears and honey…” (who writes this stuff?) “…a champagne of harmony, elegance and generosity.” The wine is said to pair well with, “Rich, full-flavored dishes…Distinctive dry cheeses…”

All this just increases my curiosity and raises my expectations. But, can this storied champagne really live up to the hype? We’ll soon find out and promise to report back in early 2012– look for an “update” to this post.

That update is here: Remembering Pol Roger– New Year’s Eve Tasting Update!

Happy New Year!

For more on our wine adventures, check out:

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 Penny Cherubino

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December 29, 2011
Pomelo Season: Readers’ Choice

Thanks to BostonZest readers, we remembered to look for pomelos last week. As the BostonZest archives grow and grow, we're letting readers' choices guide us to favorites from the past. If you come across a post you think should get a new spotlight, let us know. This post is from our archives but the fruit is around and still wonderful.

Here's the beautiful, heavy, lush pomelo we brought home from Whole Foods on River Street in Cambridge. We added a tangerine and lime to give you an idea of the size.

Add a comment to let us know if you spot Pomelos where you shop. Sometimes they can be hard to find.

Here's an even better measure of the size– this one is just 17 inches around. And, this is not the largest one we've had, it's average!

Inside is the prettiest pink citrus fruit!

The rind is very thick, and you can break the fruit into lovely pieces that are perfect when mixed with some romaine lettuce, toasted almond slices, and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing.

To learn more about Pomelos, here are links to those previous posts our readers were viewing…

River Street Whole Foods has Pomelos

Florida Pomelos At Costco

What's on your food lover's shopping list?

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2008-2011 Penny Cherubino

December 28, 2011
What Christmas Traditions Did You Enjoy?

Do you have Christmas Holiday traditions that you enjoy? I realized how much I love to have a wedge of panettone with my first cup of coffee on Christmas morning.

Traditions can be comforting and sometimes we don't notice that we've created a new tradition, until we think about the little things we like to do on certain holidays.

This is a month of traditions no matter which of the many December holidays you choose to celebrate and to what degree you indulge in the festivity. Some people go to movies, eat chinese food, make a favorite meal.

What are your small traditons and personal ways to mark this festive season?

Where do you like to go?

What do you love to eat?

What events to you enjoy attending?

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Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

December 27, 2011
The Night of the Radishes: Readers’ Choice

Did you know that tomorrow, December 23rd, is Noche de Rabanos or The Night of the Radishes in some regions of Mexico? It is a time of celebration with displays of elaborately carved radishes.

Photo by Travis S.

Yes, this photo shows some of the little ones we know and love, but the main sculpture is made from giant radishes (they can be more than 6 pounds) grown for this purpose. More photos of fabulous carvings here.

We might have forgotten it this holiday except that a post we did on carving radishes last August keeps popping up this week in the list of pages that visitors are coming to BostonZest to read.

It's fun to learn about other cultures and how they celebrate. We'll soon be out looking at the ice carvings around Boston. But tomorrow, in Mexico, people will gather around radish carvings.

Here is every tool you might ever need to carve radishes or any other vegetable. Or, how about whittling? That just takes a pen knife or here's a kit with everything you need.

International Culinary Carving Set 80 Piece, Wood Case

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: by Travis S. Used under creative commons license. Here's his photostream on this topic.

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.

December 22, 2011
Poached Chicken is a Cook’s Treasure

Poached chicken is something you will often find in our refrigerator, especially when we're busy. It doesn't take long to poach a whole bird, chicken parts on the bone, or boneless chicken. You can poach it in water and aromatic vegetables. But for the bonus of a super rich chicken stock, start with a low-sodium chicken broth.

Here are a link for learning how to poach a chicken. I use the Chinese White Chicken method.

Perfect Steeped White Chicken

Once cooked, you can turn the chicken and broth into chicken soup. Here's how we deal with that option. Variations on a Soup theme

Of course, you or your household guests could turn sliced chicken into a wonderful array of chicken sandwiches. We recommend you grab a loaf of When Pigs Fly Bakery's "Savory Cranberry" bread, or as we call it, "Stuffing Bread." It tastes just like a favorite holiday bread stuffing and makes a great sandwich with some swiss cheese, chicken, and a dab of spicy cranberry chutney.

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Then, there are salads. We're not mayo fans, so we turn our poached chicken into a Curried Chicken Salad with an oil and vinegar dressing. But, traditional chicken salad may be exactly what your family will welcome.

And, from there, you can let your imagination fly. Stir fry some veggies and toss in the chicken to warm it. Heat up some pasta sauce and make a quick chicken sauce.

We even make poached chicken for our favorite pup when she's not feeling peckish and we need to tempt her with something special. She loves it.

A heavy pot like a Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron French Oven is perfect for poaching chicken.

Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 Penny Cherubino

December 20, 2011
The Serious Eats Book is a Seriously Good Gift for…
One of my favorite food sites, Serious Eats pubished a really wonderful book this year. Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Eating Delicious Food Wherever You Are, will make a Seriously Good Gift for a food-loving friend who loves to travel for food or find great food when they travel.

How do you know if someone is a serious eater and would love this book? Fortunately the team has put together a simple test to help you decide. They say to ask the following:

"Are you a Serious Eater?
1. Do you plan your day around what you might eat?
2. When you are heading somewhere, anywhere, will you go out of your way to eat something delicious?
3. When you daydream, do you often find yourself thinking about food?
4. Do you live to eat, rather than eat to live?
5. Have you strained relationships with friends or family by dictating the food itinerary—changing everyone’s plans to try a potentially special burger or piece of pie?"
If you're nodding your head as you read, you'll want this book! And, if you're like me you'll turn right to the pages for your favorite locations.

The Boston area is well represented.

Serious Eats executive editor, food-lab guru, and recipe czar J. Kenji López-Alt has serious Boston connections. He's an MIT grad who has cooked in some of Boston's top restaurants and spent a few years working behind the scenes and in front of the camera at Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen.

Serious Eats Up and Down the Price Scale & Recipes too!

Lets take burgers as one example. The book covers What Makes A Great Burger, Burger Styles, Regional Burger Styles, The Hamburger Fatty Melt, Got Buns Hon?, Where the Beef Is: 30 Great Burgers, and the Patty Melt.

They tell you where to find the best regardless of price. Five Great Chefy Burgers details the ledgendary offering at Craigie on Main along with others great burgers they've found around the country.

But, they also cover the Five Fast-Food Burgers Worth Your Time, including a new entry in our area, Five Guys.

Finally, they devote pages to Making Burgers At Home. Remember, this team holds a daily conversation with a vast community of food lovers. They have tested and then incorporated the tips from this remarkable resource.

Reviews

This book has had rave reviews from the New York Times, The Amateur Gourmet, Publishers Weekly, Mercury News, and Weekender.

For yourself or someone else, we highly recommend this book. Leave it out, and you'll find yourself picking it up and getting lost in the 368 pages of delicious!

Serious Eats: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Eating Delicious Food Wherever You Are.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Cover Art courtesy of Clarkson Porter Publishers, NY

Disclosure: Penny is a paid, freelance contributor to Serious Eats. Here is our full disclosure policy.

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.
December 19, 2011
Bourbon Beer? at Sweet Cheeks

If first impressions are as lasting as claimed, then we will definitely be regulars at Sweet Cheeks BBQ. While we’ve given you our Sweet Cheeks BBQ – First Look, I saved the “beverage” part of the meal for today.

I’m always ready to try a new beer, especially if the word bourbon is used to describe it. So, when bartender Rich told me about an ale that’s aged in bourbon barrels, I had to have one. I’ve been a bourbon-lover for years. But, that's certainly not a requirement for enjoying this brew.

My first sip of brilliant, amber-colored Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale from that mason jar was outstanding! Full-flavored, but not heavy, with hints of oak and vanilla. It complemented the entire meal, especially our butterscotch pudding dessert.

This beer is so good, it could be dessert!

Do you have a beer lover on your holiday gift list. How about something from Amazon's collection of beer glasses

Details:

Sweet Cheeks

www.sweetcheeksq.com

1381 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 (map)
phone: 617-266-1300
email: info@sweetcheeksq.com

Words: Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 2011 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 that are part of the 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.

December 13, 2011
Sweet Cheeks BBQ: A First Look

Looking for porky goodness? We found it last weekend at Sweet Cheeks in the Fenway. We had to pick up an item at the Landmark Center, so we checked our "restaurants to try" list for that area and decided on lunch at Sweet Cheeks. Smart move!



We grabbed two seats at the bar and put ourselves in the very capable hands of Rich who guided us through our meal, and saw that our every wish was granted two seconds before we thought of it. Phenomenal food with fantastic service. This is our kind of place.

The menu calls for decisions. Ed was too hungry to make many of those, so he went for the pulled pork sandwich on a bulkie roll (rather than Texas Toast) and added a hot side of collard greens. They were served in the blue mug.

Here's a close up on that pulled pork.

Penny went for the tray of ribs and chose her hot side as BBQ beans, and her cold side as the farm salad. There were also two slices of white bread and a pickle pile on the tray.

If this photo is not one of her best, it's because the aroma of those ribs were a serious distraction, and she was trying to hand the camera off to Ed so she could pull that pork off those bones. Ahhhhh! Smoky, sweet, salty, pork candy.

And, that salad! As those of you who follow BostonZest know, Penny is not a salad person. She seldom orders one, but this promised brussel sprouts and she does love spouts. It was a delight and might be a side she would return to Sweet Cheeks for, even if they didn't have all that incredible BBQ.



It may be dangerous that this place is within walking distance of our home. Having Marshall's Fenway Farm Stand a few doors away will only add to our excuses for a replay. We're already planning a table for 8 to fill one of the big hightops and to try the rest of the menu.



This is a Fenway spot, so get out there and enjoy it before baseball season has many of us staying away from anything in this area. Make it a winter of warm, wonderful BBQ from Sweet Cheeks.

Tomorrow, Ed will tell you about his beer and how it matched both meals right down to dessert. If you came in later, here's that post:.)

Here are a few follow up visits to Sweet Cheeks Q:

Salt & Pepper Potatoes at Sweet Cheeks Q

Bourbon Beer? at Sweet Cheeks

Sweet Cheeks Q- Great Northern Brisket

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Details:

Sweet Cheeks

www.sweetcheeksq.com

1381 Boylston Street Boston, MA 02215 (map)
phone: 617-266-1300
email: info@sweetcheeksq.com

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 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 comments add great insights for our readers. As long as it doesn’t become a pure ad, we’d love to hear from you.

December 12, 2011
Holiday Pops 2011– Where to Dine and Park!
Readers and friends who have tickets for one of the Boston Pops Holiday Concerts are already asking, "Where can we dine around Symphony Hall?" And, once the conversation is open, it's followed by, "Where can we park?"

Please add your favorite spots for dining and parking around this area in the comments below. And, if you try one of our suggestions, let us know how it worked for you.

Here's our primer for a great visit to the BSO or Boston Pops at Symphony Hall.

We say, make dining and parking a joint decision. Our first suggestion is always to leave the car at home or at a park & ride and take the MBTA to the concert.

But, if you must have a car at hand, the Prudential Center is our favorite parking place to recommend in the city. It has its own exit off the Mass Pike. It's connected to mass transit, has taxis available at the doors, and there's a great choice of dining options within the complex. And, best of all, Google estimates that Symphony Hall is a 6-minute walk down Huntington Avenue. (map )

Prudential Options

For wonderful food and great service at a reasonable price, we send friends to Sel de la Terre on Boylston Street for pre-concert dining. If you're driving, simply enter any Prudential parking area or use the restaurant's valet parking service.

You could even return for dessert and post-concert conversation and then have the valet bring the car around. Please, call the restaurant to confirm the details, especially if you're reading this months from now.

If a splurge is on the menu, L'Espalier is right next door and shares that valet service. If a mini-splurge is more in line with your budget, reserve a seat in their Salon for a glass of wine and a bite before the concert, or dessert and a cheese course after. Both restaurants are accessible from inside the Prudential Center via the Mandarin Hotel.

Newbury Street

Park at the Pru and dine on Newbury Street. After dinner you can even walk to Symphony by reentering the Prudential Center and making part of your walk to the concert through their climate controlled corridors.

Since we walk all over the city, we would consider a few of the restaurants on Newbury close to symphony. La Voile is a great choice for French Bistro food.

And, we love to stop into Tapeo for a few tapas at the bar or a table full of choices to share with a group of friends.

Another Great Choice is Brasserie JO

We also recommend that concert goers consider a Boston gem that's often overlooked– Brasserie JO at The Colonnade Hotel. This place always comes through with French flair, great service, and a good meal. It's also a short walk on that same map, because it's across from the Prudential Center.

Ethnic Options for less formal dining.

If you want an ethnic meal or a quick bite before the show, we have a few favorites to recommend.
- Moby Dick – our friend Francine Crawford pointed us to this little gem. It's one of her favorite pre-concert spots.
- Pho Basil on Massachusetts Avenue does Thai and Vietnamese food and pleases us with both cuisines. Here's a post on some of the dishes we really enjoy at Pho Basil.
- Lucy Ethiopian Cafe is across the street from Symphony and is fun and delicious. But, give this choice a bit more time. The pace of this cafe's warm hospitality and made-to-order food is a bit slower than many places. They also have wonderful coffee and a selection of desserts for after the show.
- India Samraat on Massachusetts Avenue between Commonwealth and Marlborough is a bit further away but still within walking distance, especially if you park near Newbury Street. This is a restaurant we enjoy sharing with friends.
- Chili Duck, right across Boylston from the Pru, is a hidden gem and another great spot if you're meeting the gang.
Other resources and opinions:

"Where to dine for Symphony?" is a question routinely asked of the crew over on Chowhound's Boston board. Here are a couple of recent conversations with some options that we haven't tried yet.
- Quick bite near Symphony Hall
- Craft cocktails near Symphony Hall?
Here are maps to help you find more options.

Other parking around Symphony Hall

Other restaurants around Symphony Hall

If this type of information is helpful to you, consider saying thank you by starting your next Amazon shopping trip from here. They have the things you want including Boston Pops music and a full line of MP3 Downloads.

Details:
Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA 02115-4557 (map)
(617) 266-2378

www.bso.org‎

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photo: Courtesy of the Boston Pops (Photo Credit: Stu Rosner)
December 5, 2011
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dining in Boston 2011
You've Reached an Old Post! Go to:

UPDATE: Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 in Boston

It's time to make your reservations for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day meals, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays.

If you have inside info on a local restaurant's plans or a favorite Christmas Holiday tradition, add it in the comments below!

What's open on Christmas Eve?

This year Christmas Eve falls on a Saturday night. A quick check of Open Table for a 9 pm reservation found far more restaurants open than I might have expected.

As with any holiday reservation ask what is being offered. Some places will present their normal menu, some will have a restricted prix fixe, and some will add special items inspired by the holiday. And, don't be surprised if a non-refundable deposit and credit card number are required to make a reservation.

Holiday Traditions

Our friend, Jackie Blombach and her husband always have Tea at the Taj on Christmas Eve. She calls it, "My Favorite two hours of Christmas!"

Traditional Feast

If you hurry and grab one of the spots at the table, you could indulge in the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes at Grotto and sister restaurant Marliave. (Both will also offer a limited menu in addition to the feast.) The Grotto website says:

"The Feast of Seven Fishes, a traditional meal served on Christmas Eve throughout Italy. The Feast dates back centuries and the common belief is that participating in the Feast will bring good luck and fortune in the year to come. Marliave and Grotto will once again be offering our version of The Feast of Seven Fishes. The Feast is served over three courses and utilizes the great abundance of seafood available to us in Boston… "

Need a Holiday Food Break?

If you need a break from the whole Christmas scene, you could wander through Chinatown and enjoy an alternative to the traditional holiday menus. And, if Chinatown isn't quite the fit for your gang, but you would like to nibble your way through an Asian feast, we suggest Meyers+Chang on Washington Street in the South End. Chef Joanne Chang is planning to add some special treats for that night but assures us we will be able to enjoy an evening of great Asian food.

What Boston Area Restaurants are Open on Christmas ?

Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on all holidays. In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:
- Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons
- L'Espalier, Sel de la Terre (Back Bay) and Asana at the Mandarin Hotel
- Eastern Standard at the Hotel Commonwealth
- Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel
- Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel
- Taj Boston Cafe at the Taj Hotel
- Market by Jean-Georges at the W Boston Hotel
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More information and reservations:

Here's Open Table's Christmas Day page but remember, you can go to their main Boston page and request a reservation for the 24th, 25th, or 26th and see the full list of options for the time you prefer.

Boston Chefs has set up recaps for Christmas Eve & Christmas Day.

Subscribe to the comment feed of this post or follow us on Twitter, and we'll notify you of updates. So far, the ChowHounds and Trip Advisor crews haven't had much to say on the topic, but we'll post links if a good conversation from one of these forums gets started.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photo: from iStockphoto.com

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.
December 2, 2011