Tag: Gordon’s Wine & Spirits

  • On March 1, 2023 We’ll Raise a Glass of Raventos i Blanc de Nit Cava

    This month we'll raise a glass of Raventos i Blanc de Nit cava. This sparkler certainly qualifies for inclusion in our year of choosing wines associated with great memories and great people. We have a scrapbook of photos of this wine in some of our favorite places. Moreover, we are grateful to four wine mentors for sharing their knowledge of this cava and its history with us.

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    This is one of many wines we discovered thanks to recommendations from Thomas Fielding and Scott O’Connor, one time owners of Perry's Wine and Spirits in Provincetown. These former restaurateurs chose the selection at their shop like a well-curated wine list. 

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    Perry's was always a stop on our initial shopping trip when we arrived for a week or two. We also loved their clever "OPEN" and "NOPE" signs. The last we heard, these gentlemen were headed for retirement in Mexico.

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    Thanks to them, we enjoyed many bottles of this great value wine as we made memories in one of our very special places. We'll think of those times with every sip this month.

    Back in Boston

    Penny ordered Raventos so often at Select Oyster Bar that the staff would often just ask, "The usual?" Select owner, and another wine mentor, Michael Serpa, told us more about the winery and its history. 

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    On the other side of town, we learned even more from Alcove Boston owner and long-time wine educator Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli. He likes this wine so much that he offers it in half bottles, 750s, and magnums. We've followed Tom around since his early years as a bartender at Craigie on Main. 

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    Raventos says, "Five centuries of winegrowing, tradition and family."

    Raventós i Blanc is a winery with one of the longest documented winegrowing traditions in the world. The family farm where our wines are now produced has belonged to the Raventós family since 1497. Five centuries working 90 hectares of vines and forest, a dynasty closely associated with the land from one generation to the next. Today, Pepe Raventós, who represents the twenty-first generation of the family, farms 44 plots using biodynamic winegrowing methods and is committed to maintaining the estate of vines, wood and lake as a complete entity. Raventós i Blanc is faithful to tradition and upholds the relationship between man and nature at the very core of its production philosophy."

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    Trying wines from different places, made with different grapes and produced by different methods, adds spice to our monthly ritual. Since 2007 we have raised a glass of sparkling wine to greet each new month!

    We purchase our bottle at Gordon's Wine and Spirits for $24.99.

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    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List?

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    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: © 2014-2023 Penny Cherubino 

  • BostonZest Take on Some 2016 Local Food Trends

    In her January 5, 2016, Fresh & Local food column, Penny wrote about some of the food trends we thought we'd see strengthening in our area this year. 

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    Do you remember early bowl pioneer "Jack and the Bean Bowl" back in 2009?

    More Food in Bowls!

    Bowls filled with ramen, vegetables, grains, noodles, and soups will grow in importance on restaurant, food truck, and take out menus. Part of this trend is due to our growing acceptance of authentic ethnic cuisines. The need for gluten-free (GF) menu items has restaurants offering the GF-safe ingredients from something like a burrito in a bowl rather than a wrap.

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    Here's one of our favorite bowls of Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil. (More on that dish here.)

    In addition, many of these bowls contain warm, filling, comfort foods from the cultures where they originated and we quickly grow to love them for the same reason.

    We were thrilled when we saw that the food minds over at the Globe agreed with us by publishing a simultaneous prediction!

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    Rumanian Pastrami from Sam LaGrassa's (More on this here.)

    Good Deli Options

    "What the Back Bay needs is a good deli," we hear this from neighbors all the time. We try to explain that the economics of rents in this neighborhood is probably going to prevent that from happening, but we do think we will have more great delicatessens popping up around the area.

    And this new version of the old deli features high quality, often house-made meats, and prepared foods. This trend was started in Waltham by Moody's Delicatessen & Provisions. We are thrilled to learn that we will be able to sample their wares from shared space within the new Gordon's Boston store in Downtown Crossing.

    While for us a deli sandwich is an occasional treat, we do have a few old favorites. Sam LaGrassa's is always on our list of recommendations for visitors. If we're in Coolidge Corner, we'll pick up sandwiches from Michael's Deli.

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    Tacos filled with lamb in barbacoa sauce from Tenoch Mexican Taqueria. (More photos here.)

    Regional Mexican Food

    A second national trend that seems to be slowly appearing in Boston is restaurants offering authentic, regional Mexican cuisines like our much loved Angela’s Cafe in East Boston and the small local Tenoch Mexican Taqueria restaurants and food cart. 

    In December, we learned that Angela's is opening a second location in Orient Heights much closer to transit. Getting there without a car has limited our visits to the original place. 

    What are you seeing in the world of local food that makes you smile? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

    We have a few more trends to talk about and will link to that post when it is published. 

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2009-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

  • BostonZest Take on Some 2016 Local Food Trends

    In her January 5, 2016, Fresh & Local food column, Penny wrote about some of the food trends we thought we'd see strengthening in our area this year. 

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401156ff07fc8970c-800wi

    Do you remember early bowl pioneer "Jack and the Bean Bowl" back in 2009?

    More Food in Bowls!

    Bowls filled with ramen, vegetables, grains, noodles, and soups will grow in importance on restaurant, food truck, and take out menus. Part of this trend is due to our growing acceptance of authentic ethnic cuisines. The need for gluten-free (GF) menu items has restaurants offering the GF-safe ingredients from something like a burrito in a bowl rather than a wrap.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401b8d1393072970c-800wi

    Here's one of our favorite bowls of Bun Thit Nuong from Pho Basil. (More on that dish here.)

    In addition, many of these bowls contain warm, filling, comfort foods from the cultures where they originated and we quickly grow to love them for the same reason.

    We were thrilled when we saw that the food minds over at the Globe agreed with us by publishing a simultaneous prediction!

    6a00e54fc42bb88834016300570e97970d-800wi

    Rumanian Pastrami from Sam LaGrassa's (More on this here.)

    Good Deli Options

    "What the Back Bay needs is a good deli," we hear this from neighbors all the time. We try to explain that the economics of rents in this neighborhood is probably going to prevent that from happening, but we do think we will have more great delicatessens popping up around the area.

    And this new version of the old deli features high quality, often house-made meats, and prepared foods. This trend was started in Waltham by Moody's Delicatessen & Provisions. We are thrilled to learn that we will be able to sample their wares from shared space within the new Gordon's Boston store in Downtown Crossing.

    While for us a deli sandwich is an occasional treat, we do have a few old favorites. Sam LaGrassa's is always on our list of recommendations for visitors. If we're in Coolidge Corner, we'll pick up sandwiches from Michael's Deli.

    6a00e54fc42bb8883401a3fd0c549d970b-800wi

    Tacos filled with lamb in barbacoa sauce from Tenoch Mexican Taqueria. (More photos here.)

    Regional Mexican Food

    A second national trend that seems to be slowly appearing in Boston is restaurants offering authentic, regional Mexican cuisines like our much loved Angela’s Cafe in East Boston and the small local Tenoch Mexican Taqueria restaurants and food cart. 

    In December, we learned that Angela's is opening a second location in Orient Heights much closer to transit. Getting there without a car has limited our visits to the original place. 

    What are you seeing in the world of local food that makes you smile? Add your thoughts in the comments below. Tweet them to @BostonZest or send us an email and we'll add your suggestions to this post as an update.

    We have a few more trends to talk about and will link to that post when it is published. 

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2009-2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino