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"Dining & Drinking"
Perfecting a craft is a life’s work…especially when it has to be delicious.
The time has come that New Englanders are embracing (and craving for) the local underdog whose life’s work is providing the public with a game-changing palette necessity… craft beer.
Trade, the innovative restaurant co-owned by Rialto’s Jody Adams, has taken the opportunity to celebrate Boston’s latest revolution in what Bostonians are drinking and who’s creating it by founding Trade Craft— a beverage appreciation forum of sorts to bring enthusiasts and creators together at the same table for good conversation and great tastes. Continue reading »
Nothing says winter like hot chocolate. And nothing is more warming than FREE hot chocolate. Free. F. R. E. E. The Revere Hotel is introducing their seasonal pop-up shop,”Pop it Like it’s Hot” from executive chef Bader Ali.
Not only are the cocoa-creations made from Taza chocolate, but they’ve got drool-enducing flavors like maple bacon, meringue brulee and ginger white chocolate. Yum.
If hot cocoa doesn’t warm your heart, maybe the fact that all donations go to charity will. All donations got to The Home for Little Wanders which prides itself on helping children from infancy to adulthood and strengthening families, so don’t be a grinch, ‘kay?
Stop by the Revere Hotel lobby on Friday’s from 3pm to 6pm by December 21, because that’s when the cheer ends. Wah-wah.
The Revere Hotel
200 Stuart Street
Boston, MA 02116
Newly opened BoMa has character out the wazoo, making this little hole-in-the-wall a force to be reckoned with. Beautifully handcrafted cedar and walnut carpentry, an over-sized pergola above the bar, and massive distressed beams along the ceiling make this South End hot spot effortlessly chic. Continue reading »
After nearly seven months of remodeling, The Fairmont’s Oak Long Bar is open and buzzing. Good luck getting a reservation though. No, not because you aren’t a very important snowflake; they just don’t take reservations. This American Brasserie doesn’t need to either – open almost 24 hours (6:30AM–1:30AM) there is rarely a time when it isn’t packed, especially toward the weekend. The addition of their patio a few months prior has added new options for seating, but rather than alleviate space constraints, it’s only added to their allure.
The naughty and the nice of it…
Continue reading »
Once the weather gets chilly, it does not mean you have to put the cool refreshing drinks away- au contraire! It is time to escape with libations with a little exotic inspiration.
Check out what we’re sipping on Floradora a la Hendrick’s Gin. Continue reading »
Attention brunchers! Style Boston is celebrating its new encore episode on Sunday mornings at 10 am with an ode to the best of the best in Boston brunching. This weekend, we are giving away a free Sunday brunch for 2 to the ultra chic and delicious Gaslight Brasserie du Coin in Boston’s South End. All you have to do is watch Style Boston Saturday at 11:35 pm on WBZ or Sunday 10:00 am on MyTV38 and tell us what Jerod Mayo’s second favorite sport is on Facebook or Twitter.
Need something to do this 4th of July? Check out some of these popular Independence Day activities, handpicked by yours truly.
Fuse and XFINITY have come together to give you a chance to win a full day and night of enjoyment in Boston! One lucky winner will win a pair of tickets to an event of their choice at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre, a music prize pack including an MP3 player and headphones, a gift certificate for a night on the town and a pair of tickets to a local Boston museum or attraction! In short, it’s one of the few contests worth entering.
To enter, simply head here and fill out the quick registration form. This sweeps is only open to residents of Massachusetts and ends next Thursday, October 13th, so get on it now.
That meant NOW, kids.
On a recent morning I picked up a package of lemonade and glanced at its label. “Farm to bottle,” it read. It reminded me a new restaurant in Maine—one I happen to otherwise genuinely love—that advertises “farm-to-fork” dining. Sigh.Enough already with this “farm-to-everything” crap. It’s not that I don’t applaud the concept; I co-wrote one of New England’s first cookbooks spotlighting the idea with Peter Davis—a real-deal, agro-loving chef who’s been hanging out with suppliers, touting farmer’s markets, and running a restaurant serving farm-fresh ingredients since back when many of today’s biggest proponents were still getting fed Happy Meals by their parents.
But if the concept’s going to stick around long enough to survive fad-dom—and I sincerely hope it does—then let’s stop these all-to-cloying stabs at pushing the phenomenon one step further. We need a new, all-encompassing label for farm food. One as simple as the ingredients itself, minus any douchebaggy attempts at cleverness.
Either that, or we need a new batch of even dumber, more cringingly specific labels. To wit:
Farm-to-nostril: That glut of high-end perfumes, body lotions, and room sprays that exploit the trend with scents like “organic lavender” and “field basil.” (See: Whole Foods personal hygiene aisles.)
Farm-to-newstand: The piles of magazines and books now so obsessed with organic eating, sustainable foods, and whole-animal eating, they nearly exclude all other types ingredients and of cooking.
Farm-to-liver: Organic vodkas, gins, and rums. Liqueurs infused with organic fruits and/or herbs. As if you can taste the difference with something that’s 80 proof.
Farm-to-back alley: Marijuana growers who tout their product—hydroponic or otherwise—as superior because it’s lovingly made in small batches by a lifelong farmer.
This probably shouldn’t be aimed toward the Western set of consumers, but spoonplus has got to be the coolest thing since sliced bread. This is a Spork for the elite, allowing you to eat anything you deem worthy of your bento box. Having lived in China for four months, I’m of the mind that chopsticks are a better, more efficient, and more convenient way to eat everything… except soup and yogurt. Problem immediately solved with spoonplus.
Designed by Paris-based designer Aïssa Logerot, I sincerely hope Spoon Plus makes it into every home wares store this side of the pond. Preferably, before the holidays so I can make some stockings proud.
Remember when I wrote this? Eh. Probably not.
Well, I stand corrected on it. A tad, if not completely. OK, I’ll get there. Keep reading.
Every once in a while, something sneaks up on you and messes with something you knew you were absolutely right about. Maybe it’s J. Lo getting weirdly beautiful post-40 after you long ago decided she was a mall-rat-wannabe has-been. Or maybe it’s just a Robert Frost poem, which struck you as a lovely ode to how delightful nature can be, but is actually about, you know, keeling over dead. Or maybe only slightly less dramatically, it’s a plate of food that catches you completely by surprise.
I showed up at the bar of just-opened Forum with expectations of nothing other than getting a solid drink. (This was, after all, the new incarnation of Vox Populi. Which is all I’ll say about that.) And while they may still be working out a few kinks delivery-wise,the program is indeed already cocktails-solid. Incredible, flavor-sharp martinis. Beautiful, citrusy gimlets. After one of each, to make sure I got home alive, I also wolfed down an order of raviolo.
That’s not a typo. Ravioli’s a bunch. E replaced by O means you get one lone, gleaming pasta dome. It’s three bites at most, but who cares? In those three forkfuls, worlds intermingle. Because inside that pastry is an egg, meticulously poached during the cooking process of the pasta, so its yolk flows as soon as a fork splits it. Bacon shards and shingles of black truffle are scattered about it, and ricotta turns it into a something more like a savory dessert.
But really, it’s all about that damn egg. To which I, having thrown down my gauntlet strongly in the anti-egg-topper camp, must now admit that there’s just something ridiculously cool about having an egg ooze out at you surreptitiously, meaning from inside a dish as opposed to from its top. Maybe it’s the element of surprise a hidden treat imparts (though from a culinary standpoint that makes zero sense). Maybe it’s respect for novelty in the cooking process that demands. Mostly though, I’m guessing it’s that this dish just simply works, thanks to the strength of the bacon’s flavor, richness of the ricotta, and the texture of the pasta’s delicacy—all of which don’t just stand up to, but actually kind of demand the egg. Yes, yes, even if it were on top.
That just about justifies my 180, then, right? Good. Now I can go order another and still sleep tonight.
Raviolo, $16, Forum, 755 Boylston St., 857-991-1831, http://forumboston.com.
Boston Recessionistas, rejoice! DailyCandy Deals is coming to the city to rescue our little piggy banks and help us best stretch out our hard-earned dollahs to: get out and shop, eat, see, and experience all the nooks and crannies in town!
Starting from TODAY, August 8, DailyCandy Deals will have its local Boston site for us all to dive in (way to make our Monday, we are already loving you, DailyCandy)!
To start off the launch with a bang, the website is offering all kinds of über-cool deals, including:
- A romantic tasting menu for two at the fancy Haru;
- First-come, first-serve bargain deals from Fandango for the movie Change Up, featuring none other than Mr. Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman!;
- 40% off of Wembe, an organic skincare line, as well as
- a 50% off deal on a manicure prep set from Julep!
These deals won’t last long (give yourselves a strict 24-hour deadline and >>bookmark<< the website)! So become a DailyCandy Deals Boston MEMBER today, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the line-up change of exclusive deals and offerings!
I am your proverbial health buff… yes, the yoga-practicing, Kombucha-drinking, tincture-dropping,
tofu-munching kind. It’s annoying at best, especially since one can so easily stay svelte on a regimen of
espresso and nicotine. But then I just look at a picture of than Janice Dickinson and I’m right back to OM-ing.
Truth is, the only qualm I have about the natural lifestyle (aside from the Birkenstocks) is the damper it puts on my nightlife. Every time I approach a bar, it’s like an epic battle between my inner-health-buff and my inner-working-professional-who-just-wants-a-stiff-drink. The healthy Me is all, “Liver damage, enamel corrosion, hypertension, excessive sugar, empty calories …” and there’s my other side who can’t say anything because she’s drooling over the thought of a pomegranate mojito.
And thus, my greatest challenge has been to establish some semblance of accord between that which is good for my health and that which is good for my sanity. So imagine my thrill when the alcohol industry began to see a lucrative target market in granola-crunchers like myself. The bait: an innovative line of vitamin- and nutrient-infused liquors. Nutritious alcohol? The Holy Grail of health-conscious boozers! (Cue: angelic choir.)
Among the most compelling options, is Blue Ice Organic Wheat Vodka, certified by the USDA and distilled in the heartland of Idaho. It goes through a rigorous filtration process to remove impurities, resulting in a smooth taste without common additives like citric acid or glycerides. If you prefer a more flavorful spirit, you can opt for Fragoli Strawberry Liqueur, chockful of hand-picked antioxidant-rich strawberries. Stir in some of the Colorado-born iX Mixer for an extra splash of electrolytes, vitamins and minerals to combat dehydration and preclude that impending hangover.
Be wary of a concoction of a particular kind called Devotion, the industry’s first 80 proof triple-distilled protein-infused vodka.
Whenever you throw protein into something, you run the risk of intersecting the muscle-head demographic. This was my skepticism with Devotion… until they picked up the Jersey Shore’s Situation as their spokesman. Needless to say, skip this packy purchase.
If you want to stick to the typical bar lineup, opt for red wine with its heart-healthy polyphenols; or whiskey, which incidentally has the same antioxidant content as your daily dose of Vitamin C and contains the same cancer-fighting ellagic acid that you’ll find in fruit.
With these innovative options, I am no longer between on-the-rocks and a hard place when it comes to my recreational sipping. I’ll drink to that, hold the guilt.
The Top Five Meals on Wheels Ideas That Will Never Be:
1. Martini Popsicle Truck: Gin, vodka, dirty, extra dry, whatever. I want little more than a full menu of boozy frozen treats on a stick, preferably either olive-, lemon-infused, to roll up my street right about 5 p.m. every day.
2. Nutella-Grand Marnier-Banana Crepes Truck: A heady creation, so overwrought with disparate flavors, they actually taste a little like bubble gum taken altogether. But the combination, while disgusting on paper, is one of the world’s most glorious street foods. Regular orders kept me alive in Paris. And would give me one big reason to live now.
3. Fat-tastic Truck: Dutch chocolate beignets, duck rillettes, Awful Awfuls, triple crème cheese. If it’s jacked up with saturated fat, it’d be peddled off this diet-destroying rig. Healthy? Hardly. Will it all be positively dripping with flavor? You bet your fat ass.
4. Vampire Mobile: A fix for Sooki Stackhouse addicts between Sundays. Think True Bloody Marys, garlicky crostini, red velvet cupcakes. Okay, so it’s a pretty thin concept. But get Alexander Skarsgård to serve it all shirtless, and you’ve got yourself a slam-dunk of a biz.
5. Mean, Lean, Green Machine: Any putz can get a prescription for legal marijuana and fire it up. But to clarify it in butter perfectly and roll it out into beautifully rich chocolate chip cookies takes a special kind of pastry chef. Or, more specifically, a special kind of baker.
This may be the summer of food trucks, but last Friday, something else entirely rolled up to my front doorstep: a gleaming maroon motorcycle complete with a World War II-era sidecar that had been painstakingly converted to a freezer compartment-cum-delivery vehicle. And it was full of—uhm, what else?—brownie/marshmallow/ice cream pizzas. Duh.
It was all the handiwork of Bob Rook, owner of Emack & Bolios—the original ‘70s-born bohemian ice cream operation (yes, precursor to Ben & Jerry’s) that’s still churning out hormone-free, insane flavors like “Caramel Moose Prints” (butterscotch ice cream blended with caramel and chocolate peanut butter cups) and, apparently now, an equally insane riff on frozen pizza.
It happened that my four- and six-year-olds were home. It happened they were in the mood for ice cream, which is essentially their permanent state of being. And of course, it happened they went absolutely ape-shit over the delivery. They dove almost literally headfirst into the pie—a brownie-crusted creation, loaded up with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, an epic ooze of marshmallow, and chocolate hearts, stars, and peace signs. Needless to say, sugar rushes ensued. As did requests for more—and for motorcycles as future birthday gifts.
I’d offer you a snapshot of the Cosmic Cruiser, but you really need to see it for yourself:
Serves 10-12 adults or 14-16 kids. $24.95 (plus a $3 delivery fee). emackandbolios.com.
We aren’t halfway through our (spectacular) lobster-brioche sliders at Russell House Tavern when we realize we’ve been lied to. As G.M. Ian Grossman sets down a slab of wood set with morsels beautiful enough to warrant of a national food rag cover, we dive immediately in, and it’s achingly obvious: Russell House is no “Tavern.” Hell, with charcuterie this delicate and meticulous, it barely even qualifies as a gastropub–even the new brand of relatively elevated gastropub. No, there’s full-on, serious, take-no-prisoners kitchen wizardry afoot here: We’re talking smoked, diced lamb belly with velvety harissa and marcona almonds on garlicky grilled bread. Bluefish pate like I haven’t tasted since stepping off a schooner on Nantucket. And the kicker? A glistening terrine of foie gras zapped with Laphroig, then scattered with smoked almonds, black pepper syrup, and subtly tart cherry gelee. It’s got to be one of the most gorgeously balanced foie renditions I’ve wolfed downed in years.
I’m a little partial, of course, to that last dish. Anything that good, which also takes one of my favorite single malts as a key flavor note, only makes me shudder with pure jealousy. The cookbook I’m currently writing, “The Drunkard’s Cookbook: Tasty Booze-based Recipes and Other Excuses to Drink in the Kitchen” could damn well use an entry that genius. And I just wish I’d come up with it. Never mind that exec chef Michael Scelfo’s skill wouldn’t be out of place at a fine dining spot; RHT’s ultra-chill atmosphere (especially this time of year, on the sun-speckled patio), its chatty and funny servers, and the dining crowd’s swirl of joviality–they all conspire to camouflage just how ambitious the food actually is.
That’s because, whether we’ve got the recession to primarily thank (probably), the public’s exhaustion with stiff, pretentious restaurants (just as probably), or the fresh-off-the-farm craze (definitely), RHT is the latest and most extreme example of nigh-fine dining recontextualized in order to put diners at ease enough (mentally and financially) to make regulars out of them. Ten years ago we were stacking imported status ingredients on a bone-china plate next to candlelight and damask-covered banquettes, and hoping diners didn’t mind overpaying for it on special occasions or date nights. Now we’re luring diners back once or twice a week with lower prices (which means they’re still spending about as much as they were before, ultimately) and easygoing atmospheres, and food that seems unfussy but has, in fact, a stupendous epicurean soul. Because no matter what else has changed in our collective unconscious, now that we’ve all had a taste of incredible food over the last decade, there ain’t no going back. No matter how it’s dressed up. Or in this case, down.
Speaking of which, I’m getting Scelfo’s foie recipe if it kills me. Just watch.
Boston has always been a city revered for its eats, but it appears it is finally taking a cue from New York City and expanding its offerings when it comes to finer fare. Forum, on 755 Boylston Street, will open its doors to the public July 15th. The Euz Azevedo (of both The Federal and Noche fame) restaurant is being designed by Martin Vahtra (L’espalier, ICA Boston/Water Café), so we can expect a sleek, minimal, and modern atmosphere – a clear reflection of the much-anticipated menu.
The restaurant will have a casual gastropub on the bottom floor, with a considerably more upscale dining area above. Boston food-lovers, does this ring any bells? Nouveau French restaurants Sel de la Terre and L’espalier employ a similar concept. And they were designed by the man now at the helm. Surprise, surprise. To add insult to design doppelganger injury, guests at L’espalier can spy on the Forum guests, and vice versa, as they’re nearly right across the street from one another.
That said, I’m curious to finally compare the actual food (lest we forget that restaurants are, in fact, about dining and not simply design). Jared Chianciola of Eastern Standard will fill the role of executive chef, featuring an “Eclectic American” theme. Sounds tasty, but what I’m most excited for are the cocktails…
Word on the street is beverage manager Alexei Beratis (Towne) will introduce barrel-aged cocktails, which are mixed and subsequently aged in small barrels, enhancing existing flavors with the characteristics of the barrels being used. Not exactly a ‘new’ technique, as you can currently find barrel-aged cocktails at Cambridge’s Temple Bar, among a few others in town, but I’m thrilled at the prospect of chilling out with one of these cocktails after a strenuous day of Newbury Street shopping (window shopping also permitted, natch). Location, location, my friends.
Make reservations for Forum now, or wait a couple weeks and I’ll see you at the end of the bar.
