Tag: wine

Union Square Swirl & Slice: Specialty Foods Market

The first Union Square Swirl & Slice: Specialty Foods Market is scheduled for tomorrow evening, June 14, 2012 from 5-8 pm. This new type of market will run each Thursday evening until September 20th.

Somerville has been in the forefront of providing new ways to reach the people who produce local food. This new market will be one more fun way to connect with wineries, cheesemakers, and specialty food producers.

What is Swirl & Slice?

The folks at Union Square Main Streets say, "The items at Swirl & Slice: Union Square Specialty Foods Market will be those you’d pack for a romantic, summer picnic or bring for a weekend away with friends. Wine, cheese, cured meats, breads, jams, pickles and other locally-produced, refined foods that typically take the back seat at other farmers’ markets will be the stars here. Bread and other baked goods, roasted nuts, and cut flowers are also expected to be among the offerings. Check out our amazing vendors here."

In addition to the opportunity to taste and purchase products at the market, there will also be live jazz. And, when you're ready to sit down for a relaxing meal, you'll have a wide selection of restaurants in Union Square. This sounds like the perfect place to meet friends, have some fun, and enjoy a summer evening.

If you go, come back and let us know what you think. We'll be following the news of this market and reporting back to you. Follow us on Twitter: @BostonZest for updates!

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Details:

Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: istockphoto.com and sceenshot from Union Square Main Streets.

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.

June 13, 2012
A Frisky Italian Malvasia to Celebrate June!
This sparkling Malvasia from the Emilia region of Italy is a perfect way to celebrate the arrival of June. As we scour the vineyards of the world for interesting candidates to fulfill Our Sparkling Resolution – to greet each month by popping a bottle of bubbly – we couldn’t have found a more perfect fit, right in our own backyard.

Our first impressions: fruit, almonds, a briny nose, hints of Manzanilla sherry, light, subdued bubbles (frizzante).

We consulted an award-winning wine source, The Oxford Companion to Wine , Edited by: Jancis Robinson, that described Malvasia from Emilia as, “lightly sparkling dry to demi-sec.” It’s known as, “champagnino or ‘little champagne’, and where local trenchermen consider it the perfect accompaniment and digestif for the rich local fare.”

Well, alright, if it’s good enough for local trenchermen, than we must be in good company. Our local fare included pretzels, a cucumber & tomato salad, and our favorite shell-on roasted almonds from Fastachi.

The Malvasia Dell’Emilia’s also won points for its 11% alcohol, a trend we enthusiastically support. We say, “serve this sparkler cold and keep it cold,” (with a chilled sleeve on the bottle).

Who might like this wine?
- Riesling Lovers
- Anyone with a “Life-List” of Wine
- Trenchermen (of course)
- Italian Wine Fans
- Moderately Priced Wine Advocates
Malvasia Dell’Emilia – $18 @ TerraVino Wines in Brookline

Here's a look at the Wines We’ve Been Tasting

And, more about Our Sparkling Resolution

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Details:
Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
Photography: © 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.
June 1, 2012
Otto Pizza, Coolidge Corner: Our First Look (At This Location)
We love Otto Pizza and were so happy about the arrival of their first sit-down dining spot in the Boston area, that we rushed over to Brookline on Friday to enjoy a few opening day slices.

Mashed potato, bacon, and scallion – Genoa salami, tomato, and scallion.

Yes, there is a bite out of the "mashed potato, bacon, and scallion" slice. Penny, who normally doesn't eat the crust of her pizza, ripped off a corner and was chomping on it before anyone could grab a photo. That says a lot about the quality of the Otto crust. We think that without great crust, you can't have great pizza.
(Click on the thumbnails to view any photo in the space above.)

The newest Otto Pizza is one block from the Coolidge Corner stop on the Green line, across from the Coolidge Corner Theatre. (Now isn't that handy?)

This corner location has large, arched windows that fill the space with light, and high ceilings that make the room seem far bigger than it is. The user-friendly design accomodates customers who want to dine-in with table service, order a slice and drink at the bar, or anyone who prefers to grab a slice and sit along a counter. You can even stand at a giant beam along the Harvard Ave window "people watching" while you eat.

(Click on any photo for a larger view.)

We always have to start with the mashed potato, bacon, and scallion. This is one of many white (meaning without red sauce) pizzas on the menu, and we both love this combination of flavors. Next up was the Genoa salami, tomato, and scallion. And, we finished with the butternut squash, ricotta, and cranberry which we think of as a dessert pizza.

A wide choice of slices ready-to-go after a quick heat & crisp in the oven.

A nice selection of pizza-friendly beer & wine!

Best wishes, Otto for great success in this new location. You've given us one more reason to shop Coolidge Corner!

Related Posts:

Otto Pizza, Harvard Square and Portland ME

TerraVino Wines: Places We Shop

Michael's Deli

When Pigs Fly Bakery

Party Favors

Brookline Farmers' Market

What's on your Amazon shopping list? Father's Day is coming up! Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

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

Otto Pizza

Coolidge Corner

289 Harvard Street, Brookline MA (map)

Phone: 617-232-0014

www.ottopizza.com

Twitter: @otto_pizza

Facebook: Otto Pizza

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.
May 29, 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
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.

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 3, 2012
Expand Your Wine Comfort Zone: Sampler Cases

In February, we bought a sampler case of Kermit Lynch wines from Bauer Wine & Spirits. We are long-time fans of both the ledgendary importer and of our neighborhood wine shop where Howie Rubin has been pointing us to great wines for 20 years.

Sampler cases are a good way to expand your wine comfort zone.

When curated by an able wine merchant, sampler cases can be an education about a country, an importer, or a type of wine. If you shop stores that offer these attractive sets of wine, sign up for emails on their offerings.

Bauer offers samplers on a regular schedule. Their customers have explored the Iberian wines (Portugal & Spain), rosés, single vineyards like Montes in Chile, seasonal selections for warm and cold days, and holiday samplers that put the right wines in your rack for a variety of guests.

These selections are often outstanding values because the store can purchase in greater quantity knowing that they will sell this group of wines quickly. The Kermit Lynch case, two bottles each of six wines, was offered at sale price plus an additional 15% discount.

We plan to feature other sampler opportunities in the weeks ahead. If you have a favorite wine shop sampler, let us know in the comments below or send us an email. Some shops do full cases, others offer 6-packs.

And, we have an upcoming post scheduled about one of the wines in this sampler.

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 a great interview and review of this book over on Taste of the Past.

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.

April 18, 2012
Greeting April with a Big Sip of Bugey Bubbles!

We’re saying Hello to April with an outstanding sparkler– Montagnieu Brut from the Bugey!

Repeat after me, BOO-zhee. I enjoy saying Bugey almost as much as drinking this outstanding sparkler.

In a year where each week seems to hold a special weather surprise, this Montagnieu Brut from the small French region of Bugey seems a perfect wine to celebrate our sparkling resolution as we leap into the unknown of a new month.

While this is not Champagne, we think it’s very Champagne-like. Without the label in plain view, it could have easily fooled us.

This sparkler has a big, important Champagne character to it. Penny insisted, “It became better with every sip– bigger, fuller, like an aged white wine.” It reminded us both of the way Krug gets better sip-by-sip. Try drinking this Bugey through the range of temperatures by enjoying each glass without topping it up.

It’s a white sparkling wine that’s nice and dry with the roundness of a pinot. As constant students of wine, we now know we really like the blend of Altesse (also known as Roussette) and Mondeuse Noir grapes.

Simply put, Bugey “Montagnieu Brut” was a pleasant surprise and has prepped us for the next 30 days. Bring it on, April.

For more about the wines we’ve been enjoying (including a Bugey Cerdon) check out
Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Bugey “Montagnieu Brut” $25 at The Wine Bottega, in Boston’s North End

Here’s more about Bugey “Montagnieu Brut” from Louis Dressner Selections

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 list. We heard a great interview and review of this book over on Taste of the Past.

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.

March 31, 2012
Benvenuto March with Prosecco from Bisson & Rosenthal

We’re welcoming March with a bottle of prosecco– always a safe bet, but with Rosenthal on the label it’s nearly a sure thing! We once advised a friend, who was uneasy about the thought of ordering wine at an upcoming business dinner, to just ask the restaurant for a Neal Rosenthal wine. She got a Standing O!

The terms, “artisan, traditional, and natural” are more than words on a label, they’re part of this wine merchant’s philosophy. When Rosenthal talks about Enoteca Bisson and Pierluigi Lugano’s care and passion as a grower and producer of distinctive wines, you can begin to appreciate the vision and effort that goes into his prosecco.

Vino Frizzante Prosecco (Glera in Italy) 2010 Bisson is produced in a “bone-dry style.” That would normally be enough for me to take a pass on a sparkler, but one sip and I was intrigued.

Bisson Prosecco uses a Crown Cap (also called a “Spark Cap”)

Yes, it was dry but not in an overwhelming way. We both could taste the fruit– concentrated pear? Penny compared the wine’s body to that of a Bollinger Champagne!

When we returned to buy another bottle from Howie Rubin at Bauer Wine & Spirits, he wasn’t surprised, “I find it’s got a little more chalkiness, more like real Champagne.” Rubin pointed to, “…the yeast in the nose. It could be the limestone in the soil, it could be more Champagne-like soil.”

Whatever it is, we’ve added our applause and another bottle to our wine rack. There’s a lot of prosecco out there. “Leave it to Neal Rosenthal to give us something that’s a little drier, a little more complex, a little deeper in flavor,” said Rubin. “It sets it apart from all the rest.”

Links:

Vino Frizzante Prosecco 2010 Bisson, Rosenthal Wine Merchant, NY at Bauer Wine & Spirits

Here's More About: Our Sparkling Resolution

Check Out: Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s 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 wish list. We heard a great interview and review of this book over on Taste of the Past.

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.

March 1, 2012
Celebrating February with an Impressive Budget Sparkler– Dibon Cava

We’re toasting the arrival of February with a budget sparkler that has high-end taste!

Dibon Cava Brut Reserve ($9.99) is so impressive, you’ll want to share this find with every wine-lover you know.

If “balance” is a fault, then it’s this wine’s only fault! It will please a wide range of tastes– not too dry or too fruity. A light nose that reminded us of citrus? lemon curd? No, dried apricot.

It's light, refreshing, and inviting. Very food-friendly (spicy chicken wings, potatoes, roasted root vegetables worked for us). This cava also shines all on it’s own! And, it was still very good as it warmed.

Dibon Cava would be a perfect opener for a party, at a restaurant with friends, to begin a meal or an evening. And, a special way to celebrate the start of a new month. Salud!

We found Dibon Cava at Bauer Wine & Spirits

It's all part of Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

Need some Valentine's Day gift ideas? Click over to Amazon and do some planning and if you do buy something there, they'll put a few coins in our tip cup.

Details:
Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 2012 Penny Cherubino

February 1, 2012
Favorite Holiday Sparklers from Cava to Champagne– Our Friday Link!

Our favorite sparkling wines for your holiday shopping list make up today's Friday Link.

During the past four years, we’ve been saluting each new month with a glass of bubbly– it’s Our Sparkling Resolution.

Here are some of our favorites, beginning with the more budget-friendly…

Always on hand, it’s that good! Nino Franco Prosecco

A relatively inexpensive sparkler for beginners and experts alike,
Segura Viudas Brut Rosé

An inexpensive sparkler with nice balance, Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Sparkling Wine

Looks like a party! La Rosée 2009

A lovely way to greet your guests, Adami Prosecco

An old friend, in more ways than one, Argyle Brut

Excellent growers choice, Pierre Peters Champagne

Getting a bottle of Movia Puro Rosé open could be the hit of the party!

Sparkling Wine Can Be a Small Luxury or a Big One, Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé

To help you with your shopping for New Years Eve, we’ve added a Sparkling Wine Tab (Top of Page) to make it easier to keep up with Our Sparkling Resolution selections.

Enjoy!

Our Sparkling Resolution

Our Sparkling Resolution Winner’s List

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.

Details:
Words: Penny & 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 16, 2011