More Mexican Wine Treasures

Earlier this week, I wrote about two exciting wines from Mexico that I tasted at The Painted Burro, a Mexican restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville. On the same day of my post, I received an email about a tasting of two more Mexican wines which was taking place that day at Pairings, a wine store in Winchester. So I had to attend the tasting, to see what else Mexico has to offer.The two Mexican wines at Pairings were also from the L.A. Cetto Winery,...

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Thursday Sips & Nibbles

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) Having Blue Heron Farm, an organic garden, less than a mile away guarantees that Aka Bistro'’s fall menu is loaded with fresh flavors and healthfulness. Diners are encouraged to try these new early fall French menu offerings at Aka Bistro. Fall will come to the Japanese side of the menu shortly so sashimi-lovers...

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Celebrate Sake Day On October 1

Raise an ochoko of Sake, say Kanpai and toast the 35th annual Sake Day on October 1.Sake Day ("Nihonshu no Hi") originated thirty-five years ago, in 1978, by a declaration of the Japan Saké Brewers Association. It is celebrated worldwide, though celebrations in many areas are still too sparse. Grape days, such as Cabernet Day or Chardonnay Day, which have only been around for a couple years, get far more publicity. But then...

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Painted Burro: Brunch & Mexican Wine

Mas meatloaf, por favor! This past Sunday, I returned to The Painted Burro, in Somerville, with the Boston Brunchers to check out the Burro's Brunch menu. I reviewed the Burro last week, after dining there on two nights, and now can provide an update after my brunch experience. In short, brunch was delicious and very reasonably priced, well worth checking out on Sundays.In the photo above, you can see panels on the walls and this...

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Rant: Instilling A Fire In Consumers

"I'd rather that wine writers tried to deepen people's love of wine,..."(Reading Between The Wines, by Terry Theise, p.107)Wine writers can easily provide sterile reviews of wines, maybe giving out a point score, letter grade or similar ranking. If a reader trusts your judgment, then they might select a wine based on your recommendation. The Wine Advocate is a prime example of that form of sterile reviewing, and they are successful in getting plenty of people to buy wine. There are wine blogs which do the same thing, providing  sterile...

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Thursday Sips & Nibbles

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) On October 4, Team IMPACT will introduce its inaugural signature fundraising event: Game Day Gala. At this charitable fete, Team IMPACT will celebrate with its cherished benefactors by hosting an upscale tailgating and sporting event experience. The evening’s roster includes event co-chairs – and Team IMPACT...

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Painted Burro: Mouth-Watering Mexican Cuisine (and Meatloaf!)

I have often said that the best chefs can get me to enjoy dishes that I usually dislike. Meatloaf is one of those dishes that has never thrilled me. Too many times I have found meatloaf to be too dry, too much breading, too bland, etc. But Chef-owner Joe Cassinelli has recently changed my mind with his Yucatan Meatloaf at The Painted Burro, his new Mexican restaurant in Davis Square, Somerville.Chef Cassinelli is also the owner of Pizzeria...

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The New York Times Book Of Wine

For 40 years, The New York Times has been running a weekly wine column and the current Chief Wine Critic is Eric Asimov. During those 40 years, the newspaper has accumulated quite a voluminous collection of wine writing, ranging across an incredibly broad section of topics. For example, in July 2010, Asimov even wrote a column on Sake. You now have the opportunity to read a collection of some of these NY Times wine articles in a new book which is...

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Rant: Alcohol With An Expiration Date

At a local wine store, I was perusing their new Sake selections when I noticed something odd about one of the bottles. It was a little murky and it shouldn't have been. It wasn't nigori, "cloudy sake." There was another bottle of that same Sake and it looked perfectly fine. So I looked at both bottles more closely and then realized the problem. In some respects, you could say that one of those bottles was past its "expiration date." In general, Sake is meant to be consumed within one year of its release. After that one year passes, most Sake will...

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Thursday Sips & Nibbles

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)  LONGWOOD Events will host a “time travel” dinner at their modern vintage venue, Alden Castle. Inspired by the upcoming blockbuster, Looper (starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis), the four-course pre fixe dinner will send guests traveling through time in more ways than one. Not only will...

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Tuscan Market: One Stop Shopping & Cafe

Many of us would love to be able to easily purchase fresh baked bread, fresh local produce, artisan cheese, meats, seafood, fresh pasta, wine, and homemade desserts. We might be able to do so by spending a few hours wandering through the North End, stopping at numerous stores to purchase each individual item. But it would be far more convenient, and quicker, if all of those items could be found in the same location. For example, consider a place...

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