I am back with a special Friday edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently. **********************************************************1) On Tuesday, September 18, at 7:30pm, the Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro and the New England Aquarium will co-host a “Celebrate Seafood Dinner,” a four course dinner, to raise awareness of the challenges facing the oceans and the benefits of sustainable seafood. Executive Chef Josh Lewin is committed...
Friday, 31 August 2012
Thursday, 30 August 2012
I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently. **********************************************************1) "Tiki culture is all about living the good life; listening to music, enjoying exotic drinks and taking it easy." China Blossom Restaurant & Lounge, located in North Andover, may be thousands of miles away from the nearest tropical escape, but on Saturday, September 8, its outdoor space will transform...
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
What is the best introductory wine book? Which book would you most recommend to a newcomer to wine who wants a basic wine education? Such a book should be comprehensive yet not too detailed. It should be easy to read, not pedantic or snobby. It should make wine fun, reveling in its wonders and diversity. There are a number of books that qualify under these standards, yet one of the ones I most often recommend is written by Kevin Zraly.I have read...
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
I love how Twitter can connect people from all over the world. Recently on Twitter, I was contacted by George Davis, the General Manager of Chives Canadian Bistro in Halifax, Nova Scotia. George was making plans to visiting Boston in September and wanted some recommendations. This was days before I was to leave for a visit to Nova Scotia. I checked out the website for his restaurant and was intrigued by its philosophy and menu. I had been seeking...
Monday, 27 August 2012
At the Beacon Hill Wine & Gourmet in Melrose, a large portion of customers purchase beer and I hear some of their comments on beer prices. Plus, I have spoken to a number of friends and others about beer prices. Based on their comments, it seems to me that beer drinkers may be cheaper than wine drinkers. I am very curious as to why this might be the case.In a usual six-pack of beer, each bottle is about 12 ounces and thus a six-pack is the rough equivalent of three bottles of wine. Many six-packs cost under $10, and even most of the higher...
Friday, 24 August 2012
I have been spreading my passion for Sake...This past Wednesday, I was the guest host on #WineChat, a weekly online discussion on Twitter, and the topic was Sake. Beginning with some basics on Sake, the discussion quickly transformed into an intense Q&A and I spent much of the hour typing responses to everyone. The discussion was very well received, and numerous people voiced their pleasure at learning so much about Sake. The passion...
Thursday, 23 August 2012
I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently. **********************************************************1) For 20 years, Taste of the NFL has been working to kick hunger at their annual charity event held on the eve of the Super Bowl. On September 12, past Taste of the NFL participant and restaurateur Steve DiFillippo (Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse; Avila Modern Mediterranean) will team up with the organization...
Wednesday, 22 August 2012
"Beauty is worse than wine, it intoxicates both the holder and beholder."--Aldous Huxley A sense of aesthetics and a support of the underdogs in the wine world can be valuable traits for a wine blogger. Are you embracing both elements? Both are aspects I have discussed and promoted before, though Randall Grahm probably more eloquently addressed these issues in his keynote speech this weekend at the Wine Blogger's Conference in Portland, Oregon.Though I was unfortunately unable to attend the conference, Randall Grahm, of Bonny Doon Vineyards,...
Monday, 20 August 2012
I feel sorry for grapes like Baco Noir, Marechal Foch and Seyval Blanc. Though they are used to make wine, they often get very little respect because of their parentage. These grapes are hybrids, not pure vitis vinifera like Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. Because they are not "pure," a fair number of people look down upon them, sometimes even shunning them. Is this grape racism? Shouldn't these hybrid grapes be judged by the quality of their wine...
Sunday, 19 August 2012
1) Join me on Twitter this Wednesday, August 22, from 9pm-10pm EST for #WineChat. I will be the guest host for a discussion on Sake, that exciting and delicious Japanese alcohol. Everyone is welcome to join the talk on Twitter, and I will try to answer any Sake questions that you have. I will be talking about many different Sake topics, from food pairings to the basics of Junmai and Daiginjo. It is always a fun time on #WineChat so come join...
Friday, 17 August 2012
It took us about 12 hours to drive to Nova Scotia, a lengthy ride through the dark night, some fog, construction delays, and more. We journeyed there to attend a family wedding and stayed for five nights, at a hotel in Dartmouth near the waterfront. Though the hotel provided a continental breakfast, it certainly was not exciting. But culinary deliverance was just around the corner, at the Two If By Sea Cafe.The Cafe, which also has a location in...
Thursday, 16 August 2012
I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently. **********************************************************1) BOKX 109 American Prime, a steakhouse at Hotel Indigo in Newton, announces the appointment of Stephen Coe as Executive Chef. A seasoned professional with over 20 years of restaurant industry experience, Coe excitedly joins the culinary team at BOKX 109 American Prime for the second time in his career. "A Massachusetts...
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
"Sip your spirits and cure your cold, but I will take Port that will cure all things, even a bad character. For thee was never a Port drinker who lacked friends to speak for him.”--William Makepeace Thackery--19th century Despite the change in the balance of power, English demand for Port continued into the 19th century, though the amount of wines imported from Portugal decreased. Between 1807-1816 AD, about 50% of the wines imported into England...
Tuesday, 14 August 2012
"Port is not for the very young, the vain and the active. It is the comfort of age and the companion of the scholar and the philosopher."--Evelyn Waugh --17th to 18th centuryAs relations between England and Portugal grew even closer, England began to acquire significant concessions from Portugal to help maintain good trade relations. This created an imbalance of power, allowing England to dictate many terms to Portugal. As an example, the Commonwealth...
Monday, 13 August 2012
Chef Kevin Long impressed me with his efforts at Red Lantern, an Asian restaurant and bar on Stanhope Street. So, when I and a guest received an invite to check out one of Chef Long's newest endeavors, GEM Restaurant & Lounge, I was intrigued.GEM, located downtown in the Jeweler’s District next to Sam La Grassa's sandwich shop, opened in March and is part of the Big Night Entertainment Group, which includes other restaurants...
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