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Tag: Coppa Enoteca

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Around Boston 2017

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area?

    There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.

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    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

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    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Christmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun, holiday dining option. 

    • Coppa Enoteca is one of our favorites and is offering their version of this tradition.
    • Dante in Cambridge will present Chef Dante de Magistris' version of the feast with other menu items available.
    • Grotto was one of the first to present this holiday tradition. They tell us that it will be a nightly special every night in December! 

    Which Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th.

    • The Bristol at the Four Seasons Hotel
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel 
    • Eastern Standard: They will normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Other Resources:

    As we included above, the reservation site Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

     

    Follow us on Twitter for notice of updates to this post.

    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

    Photos: from iStockphoto.com

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    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • Where to Dine Valentine’s Day 2016 – Ideas for Romantic Dining in Boston

    Start early if you want to plan a Valentine's Day meal that your loved one will remember. 

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    This year, February 14th falls on a Sunday.

    Just as you could last year, you have the opportunity to plan a romantic weekend or one day with your true love and a couple more meals with friends close to your heart. A lovely Sunday brunch at a favorite spot is an option. You can follow that with a quiet dinner at home for two or a gathering of friends who are close to your heart.

    Some of you enjoy trying the special holiday menus at your favorite spots. Others avoid dining out on days like this unless they can order off the regular menu. And, this year, we noticed more places offering that alternative.

    This is one of the busiest nights of the year for restaurants, so expect many special prix fixe menus. Also, don't be surprised if you have to leave a credit card to guarantee a reservation and a cancellation fee.

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    If brunch is on your list, we recommend Coppa Enoteca. They say, "Join us for Valentine’s Day at Coppa. We will be offering our regular menu and specials with additional by the glass and by the bottle wine features."

    Coppa is one of our favorite places to spend an afternoon nibbling and sharing plates of delicious offerings like the meatballs and asparagus above. 

    When a Valentine's Day Brunch or Dinner Is on the Menu … 

    • Open Table has a list of restaurants and note if they have a special menu or if their regular menu is available. Fortunately, it looks like more places are going with their regular menu with some additions. 
    • Boston Chefs has a list with some information at this link.

    Reservations at wonderful, romantic restaurants go quickly. But, we have lots of ideas for all types of celebrations for budgets of all sizes. Today, we'll address where to dine. There are more ideas on some of our past Valentine posts. These are from other times, so check for details with the places mentioned.

    Updates will appear here as we find lists of ideas from reliable resources:

     

    Related BostonZest Posts:

     

    Sophisticated Pink Sparklers for Valentine's Day

    Your Special Place, Free Romance for Valentine's Day

    Valentine's Day Live Performances at Half Price

     

    Eight Tips on Buying Jewelry for Valentine’s Day from an Expert

     

    Romance at the Gardner Museum – Valentine's Weekend Destination

     

    Beacon Hill Hot Chocolate and Ice Skating on the Common (A Romantic but inexpensive date.) And, now you can also skate at the Boston Harbor Hotel and slip into the bar for a glass of Champagne after that hand-holding exercise.

    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
    Photo: top photo from iStockphoto.com, 

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  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 Around Boston

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area?

    There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340147e031dab7970b-800wi

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations, so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun, holiday dining option. 

    Update 12/17/15: Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Eve.

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:



    Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Eater, Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year and we'll link to lists from other Boston food sites.

    Update 12/17/15 Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Day.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

     

     

    Other Resources:

    The reservation site Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    From Last Year: Eater Boston has a list of What's Open in Boston Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We'll update with the new one when it's available.

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places, and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Follow us on Twitter for notice of updates to this post.

    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

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2015 Around Boston

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area?

    There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation! More than ever, family and friends are gathering in area restaurants on holidays like this, which means spots at your favorites may be gone if you wait too long.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340147e031dab7970b-800wi

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations, so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun, holiday dining option. 

    Update 12/17/15: Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Eve.

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:



    Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Eater, Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year and we'll link to lists from other Boston food sites.

    Update 12/17/15 Here's a link to Boston Eater's list of places to dine on Christmas Day.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

     

     

    Other Resources:

    The reservation site Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    From Last Year: Eater Boston has a list of What's Open in Boston Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We'll update with the new one when it's available.

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places, and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Follow us on Twitter for notice of updates to this post.

    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

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets

  • Meet Alice “Tajad” Glera: Our October Sparkling Wine

    Our recommended sparkling wine for October 1st is Alice "Tajad" Glera. We met this delightful prosecco at Coppa Enoteca in the South End. It's been on the menu for a while and we've enjoyed it on our past few visits. Please join us as we toast a Happy New Month!

    \IMG_3914 - Version 22015-09-23-Alice -Tajad -Glera-prosecco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    It is the perfect sip for a lazy afternoon on the patio. And, it's a great selection to match the Coppa menu. 

    We enjoyed it with a variety of dishes from a plate of mixed crostini to the semolina pasta with Ligurian veal ragu and salsa verde.

    IMG_3924 - Version 22015-09-23-Alice -Tajad -Glera-prosecco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    A beautiful glass of bubbles adds a touch of festive to any meal.

    IMG_3932 - Version 22015-09-23-Alice -Tajad -Glera-prosecco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    If you are joining our Sparkling Resolution and have decided to start each month with a glass of sparkling wine, we highly recommend a trip to Coppa. You can toast the new month with a glass of Alice and some wonderful small plates. It's one of our favorite ways to spend any afternoon!

    Alice note from the importer:

    "Tajad means “blend” in local Veneto dialect, and this kind of blend of local varieties used to be the daily drinker in the Veneto. Tasting it makes one question the wisdom of abandoning those antique varieties for a single-minded, conformist focus on Glera. (Wine now must be at least 85% Glera to be labeled Prosecco.) Tajad shows a little spiciness, a touch of rusticity, and a lot of character. It makes you wish you could be standing at Nonna Alice’s bar, asking her for another glass."

    Related Posts:

    Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast …

    A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

    Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

    The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

    The New Wine Lover's Companion

    The Wine Bible

     

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2015 Penny  Cherubino  

  • Meet Alice “Tajad” Glera: Our October Sparkling Wine

    Our recommended sparkling wine for October 1st is Alice "Tajad" Glera. We met this delightful prosecco at Coppa Enoteca in the South End. It's been on the menu for a while and we've enjoyed it on our past few visits. Please join us as we toast a Happy New Month!

    \IMG_3914 - Version 22015-09-23-Alice -Tajad -Glera-prosecco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    It is the perfect sip for a lazy afternoon on the patio. And, it's a great selection to match the Coppa menu. 

    We enjoyed it with a variety of dishes from a plate of mixed crostini to the semolina pasta with Ligurian veal ragu and salsa verde.

    IMG_3924 - Version 22015-09-23-Alice -Tajad -Glera-prosecco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    A beautiful glass of bubbles adds a touch of festive to any meal.

    IMG_3932 - Version 22015-09-23-Alice -Tajad -Glera-prosecco-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    If you are joining our Sparkling Resolution and have decided to start each month with a glass of sparkling wine, we highly recommend a trip to Coppa. You can toast the new month with a glass of Alice and some wonderful small plates. It's one of our favorite ways to spend any afternoon!

    Alice note from the importer:

    "Tajad means “blend” in local Veneto dialect, and this kind of blend of local varieties used to be the daily drinker in the Veneto. Tasting it makes one question the wisdom of abandoning those antique varieties for a single-minded, conformist focus on Glera. (Wine now must be at least 85% Glera to be labeled Prosecco.) Tajad shows a little spiciness, a touch of rusticity, and a lot of character. It makes you wish you could be standing at Nonna Alice’s bar, asking her for another glass."

    Related Posts:

    Our Sparkling Resolution is covered in this post : Join Us as We Toast …

    A Few of Our Favorite Gifts for Wine Lovers

    Here are all the wines we've covered. Since this is a category, this post may appear at the top. Just scroll down for more.

    Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

    The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

    The New Wine Lover's Companion

    The Wine Bible

     

     Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2015 Penny  Cherubino  

  • Where to Dine on New Year’s Eve 2014 & New Year’s Day Brunch 2015

    Our readers are already searching our past posts to figure out where to dine on New Year's Eve in Boston. It's time for you to grab a reservation at a special place!

    This is an outdated post. Click below for the link to:

    Where to Dine on New Year's Eve 2015 & New Year's Day Brunch 2016

    And, this year we're adding a few places we think might be great for starting off 2015 with friends and family around a brunch table.

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    We all have our ideas of the perfect New Year's Eve.

    • Are you looking for a place to ring in 2015 with a happy crowd?
    • Will you be out and about dropping in on events or house parties?
    • Or will you make a reservation for a quiet dinner before popping a cork for a private celebration? 
    • Is a walk to view the ice sculptures and skating on the Frog Pond more your style?

    We'll leave the New Year's Eve reservation for those of you who like to be part of a bigger celebration, while we spend the evening with some sparkling wine, good food, and great companions. However, we have gathered resources to help you find a place for any kind of New Year's Eve you'd like. 

    Everyone can begin at Open Table. They maintain a list of special New Year's celebrations at area restaurants. 

    You can put a time into the reservation box on the main page and see what's available. Remember, many places have special prix fixe menus for occasions like this and some may require a credit card to hold a reservation.

    The site Boston Chefs always posts a listing of its member restaurants that have special plans for New Year's Eve. Here is their New Year's Eve list. And, here's the list for New Year's Day. We'll update this section as we spot new information from these sources.

    We'll add updates with other lists, as they become available, from trusted sources around town. Please remember that when we provide a link to a list, we are just giving you a resource. It doesn't mean we are recommending the restaurants on that list. These summaries often include places we love, but since other publishers have different standards, their list may include restaurants we would never recommend.

    We Do Recommend!

    There are restaurants that have planned a special New Year's Eve menu but have built their reputation on high quality food. These are places where you can expect to have a wonderful meal any day of the year.

    • Island Creek Oyster Bar is serving its regular menu and, for that kindness, we've put them at the top of this list. 
    • Eastern Standard, next door, is doing the same. Regular menu, great wine list, craft cocktails.
    • Coppa Enoteca will close from 3-5 on the 31st to prepare for a three-course Chef's menu – $55 per person.
    • Bistro du Midi is offering two seatings at two prices with two prix fixe menus.
    • Grotto on Beacon Hill, Kitchen in the South End, and Marliave downtown all join that list of places sticking with the food you love.
    • Brasserie JO has a special menu but alway provides great food in a relaxed atmosphere, and their desserts are a party in themselves. 

    Where are you spending the evening? What's your favorite way to celebrate? Come back on January 1st and tell us about your New Year's Eve.

    New Year's Day Brunch

    Here is a list of brunches from the members of Boston Chefs. Our pick from this list would be Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel. 

    Open Table did not have a New Year's Day Brunch list when we prepared this post. We put a request in for a table at 11:30 AM to come up with our recommendations. 

    • Craigie on Main decided to do away with their regular Sunday brunch, but they will have brunch on a few selected holidays like New Year's Day. 
    • Petit Robert Bistro would be a great place to enjoy the beginning of a new year with a gang. 
    • Island Creek Oyster Bar will be open with their great brunch menu.

    To be notified of updates to this post, sign-on to the comment feed for this post or follow us on Twitter for updates. 

    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: Photo: iStockphoto.com

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  • Where to Dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 2014 in Boston: Here’s What’s Open

    Where can you dine on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the Boston area? There are a few great choices! But, if you're planning to dine at one of Boston's fine restaurants over the holidays, make a reservation!

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

    IStock_000044618784Small

    Don't be surprised if a deposit is required to hold your reservation or if there are special menus and seatings for these special holiday meals. Unfortunately, restaurants have been forced to do this because of people who make multiple reservations so they can decide at the last minute where to go. This leaves other diners without choices and the restaurants with empty tables.

    Here is our resource page on opening and closings, other than dining, at Christmas.

    What's Open in Boston on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day 2014 Plus MBTA Schedules, Parking, Trash, & More

    What's Open on Christmas Eve?

    There are more choices on Christmas Eve than on Christmas Day. Some of our favorite, special places have wonderful holiday meals planned for those who reserve for the 24th.

    At the early date of this posting, some places have not announced their traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes events for Chistmas Eve. Check back or follow us on Twitter for updates on this fun, holiday dining option. 

    • Coppa Enoteca is one of our favorites and they're offering their version of this tradition.
    • Dante in Cambridge will present Chef Dante de Magistris' version of the feast with other menu items available.
    • Grotto was one of the first to present this holiday tradition. Kitchen and Marliave, Grotto's siblings in the South End and Downtown, quickly joined in the festive fish feast. This year Kitchen will be open offering the regular menu for those who prefer an al la carte choice. At Grotto and Marliave will continue the feasting on fish.
    • Here is a great article from Edible Boston on this traditional meal.

    What Boston Area Restaurants Are Open on Christmas?

    Hotel restaurants, since they must serve the hotel's guests, are normally open on holidays.

    In Boston, hotel restaurants open both the 24th and 25th include some excellent choices:

    • Bar Boulud at the Mandarin Hotel is serving a three-course prix fixe menu from Noon-8 p.m.
    • The Bristol Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel
    • Meritage at the Boston Harbor Hotel gives you a choice of a Christmas Day Buffet Brunch in the Atlantic Room from 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., or their 4-course prix-fixe dinner in Meritage Restaurant from 5-9 p.m.
    • Brasserie JO at the Colonnade Hotel



    Other places open on holidays would include chain restaurants and some places in Chinatown. We once asked a longtime Boston cabbie where we could get something we needed on Christmas, and he said Chinatown was the place to go.

    Here are some conversations on Chowhound.com and Trip Advisor about Christmas dining. We'll add more as we see them pop up this year and we'll link to lists from other Boston food sites.

    Boston Restaurants Not Open on Christmas Day (2014) is a Trip Advisor conversation started by a visitor from London who was trying to find a top Boston restaurant to enjoy on Christmas Day and was surprised to find so many choices closed.

    Trip Advisor on Christmas Dinner (2013)

    Eater Boston's Christmas Map (Updated 12/16/2013)

    What Chinese Restaurants are Open On Christmas Day– (2012)

    Christmas Day Brunch (2012)

    Open on Cape Cod on Christmas Day (just in case you're going there) (2012)

    Xmas Lunch in Boston  (2012)

    Restaurant open Christmas Day in Newton or nearby (2012)

    Other resources:

    The reservation site Open Table has a feature list of its member restaurants with Christmas Eve Specials and Christmas Day Dining. 

    But, you can also input information on the reservation you want on Open Table and come up with a list of restaurants open at that hour. Change the hour and the list will change and some are not on the featured lists. It's a good place to start.

    The Boston Chefs site has posted a list of its participating member restaurants with special features for the holidays. Here's the Christmas Eve List & the Christmas Day list.

    From Last Year: Eater Boston has a list of What's Open in Boston Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We'll update with the new one when it's available.

    They have many good choices to add to your holiday options. We'd particularly like to recommend:

    Island Creek Oyster Bar for Christmas Eve. It's one of our favorite places, and I can just imagine what a happy scene it will be on that evening. 

    Eastern Standard: They will normally open Christmas Day for breakfast and then for a special 3-course prix fixe meal. 

    Follow us on Twitter for notice of updates to this post.

    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: 

    Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

    Photo: from iStockphoto.com

    Related articles
    Greeting November with a Special Treat: Champagne H. Billiot Fils Rosé
    You Never Know What's Under Boston Streets