Rant: Boston Restaurants, Follow New York City's Lead

Consider a hypothetical restaurant which, on average, does 150 covers per night. In a week, they will do 1050 covers and in a month, that will total about 31,500 covers. Think of all the many pounds of ingredients that restaurant needs to create all those dishes. The major problem is that approximately 40% of that food will be wasted, discarded as refuse.

Where does all that trash end up? Far too often, it goes to landfills, creating larger and larger mounds of refuse.

Last summer, I ranted that Restaurants Should Cut Portion Sizes to reduce food waste. "It is estimated that over 40% of the food that is produced for consumption ends up as waste. What an incredible statistic which should bother everyone. The EPA states that in 2010, more than 34 million tons of food waste were generated." Food waste is a huge problem and needs to be addressed by everyone, from home owners to restaurants.

The New York Times recently reported that New York City acknowledged the problem of food waste, indicating that 1/3 of their 20,000 tons of daily refuse are from food waste and that restaurants account for 70% of commercial food waste. Over 100 New York City restaurants have stepped up the plate, vowing to "reduce the food waste they send to landfills by 50%" through composting and recycling. Both high end restaurants and chains will be participating, and hopefully other restaurants will join into this pledge as well.

That seems like a great start to an united effort to reduce food waste in New York City. Let us hope that other cities emulate their efforts and I am calling on all Boston restaurants to step up and make a similar pledge, to reduce their food waste by 50% through composting and recycling. I am sure there are some Boston area restaurants which already engage in such practices, such as Taranta in the North End. Chef Jose Duarte of Taranta is dedicated to making his restaurant green and sustainable, and has engaged in many beneficial practices toward that goal, including composting and recycling.

If any Boston restaurant currently practices composting and recycling, please contact me and I will add you to the post, making known your efforts to help reduce food waste. Or feel free to leave a comment on this post telling us all about your practices. If you are not composting and recycling yet, but want to start, please tell me this as well. If you don't want to compost and recycle, please step forward and tell me why you do not wish to do so.

Let us all do our part to reduce the problem of food waste.

Read More

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 likely to be a popular gift choice for wine lovers during the upcoming holiday season.

I recently received a review copy of The New York Times Book of Wine: More Than 30 Years of Vintage Writing, edited by Howard G. Goldberg (Sterling Epicure, August 2012, $24.95). It is a 574 page, hardcover book with a selection of over 125 articles, written by about 28 different authors. Eric Asimov and Frank J. Prial have contributed the most amount of articles to the book. Quite a hefty tome at a very reasonable price.

Howard Goldberg was an editor at the New York Times from 1970-2004, and also wrote about wine for them starting in the mid-1980s. He currently writes the Long Island Vines column, which discusses and reviews the wines of Long Island, New York. He has four articles of his own in this book.

The book is organized into 15 chapters, by subject matter, though the content of each chapter varies from a single article to as many as 27. The two largest chapters include Chapter 8-You're Feeling Continental? This Is For You (European wines) and Chapter 4-What You Drink With What You Eat (food/wine pairing advice with recipes). Articles about French wines occupy about half of Chapter 8, but you will also find coverage of Italy, Spain, Germany, Hungary and more. I was especially pleased to see so much coverage given to food and wine pairings, which I think can help show people that food and wine should be considered a natural accompaniment.

Chapter 7-Made In the USA is about half the size of Chapter 8 and nearly every article deals with California. Fortunately, you will find information on other US wines, such as Washington and Oregon, in different chapters. There is plenty of diversity in general within the book, with chapters on wine writing, sweet wines, sparkling wine, restaurants and much more. It is not a collection of boring tasting notes but rather many thoughtful pieces on a great range of wine topics such as Spanish Sherry, the Japanese Koshu grape, serving alcohol to your children, Txakolina, Madeira, and natural winemaking. A plethora of compelling articles.

This is a book to slowly savor, to sample in any order you please. You can start by reading the articles about the topics which most interest you. There is a good index which will help you determine which articles pertain to the subjects you prefer. Over time though, I recommend you branch out, to try new topics and see what you think. You might find a new favorite. Wine lovers should be adventurous and that is how to approach this book, with an open mind, willing to explore new territory.

You will find plenty of opinions in these articles, but you won't find much pretension. These are articles that everyone can enjoy, from those new to wine to the knowledgeable wine geeks. These articles will educate and entertain, and may even getting you thinking about wine in different ways. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys wine.

Read More

2011: Favorite Restaurants

What were some of my favorite restaurants of the past year?

I have already posted several of my Favorites' lists and and now I want to concentrate on my Favorite Restaurants of the past year.  This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of memorable matters I have experienced and/or posted about over the past year. Some of the winners are the same as last year, and if so, I will provide a link to last year's list where you can read the details of that restaurant. Restaurants which are consistently good certainly deserve recognition, and I have tried to place their returning winners at the bottom of this post.

This year, I have also added a special new category, Overall Favorite Restaurant. This will highlight one place which has most impressed me over the past year, a consistent performer which has maintained a superior quality in all aspects. This restaurant receives my highest recommendation though all of the favorites in this post are also very worthy, deserving of my strong recommendation. In addition, you will find more Favorites from outside Massachusetts as I traveled a good deal this past year. I hope you enjoy all of these recommendations.

Overall Favorite Restaurant: Congratulations and kudos to Bergamot, an innovative and impressive restaurant in Somerville. Their food is superb, and the chef often combines what may seem to be disparate ingredients and creates delectable and harmonious dishes. From a phenomenal Pork Belly Ravioli, to an incredible Roast Chicken, the ever changing menu always has plenty of compelling dishes. They also have a killer wine list, with plenty of interesting choices, as well as an excellent cocktail program. Service is always professional and attentive, and the entire staff works well as a single unit. I have written a few times about Bergamot, including here, here and here. Every time I have dined here has been an excellent and delectable experience. It receives my highest recommendation and I urge all my readers to dine here.

Favorite Suburban Restaurant: The winner is AKA Bistro, which won last year for Favorite New Suburban Restaurant. This is another restaurant which is very consistent, offering excellent French and Japanese cuisine, very good service, and an interesting wine and sake list. From the savory, home made Miso Soup to the addictive Mussels, both cuisines please the palate. Though they are located only a few minutes off Rt.128, they still seem a hidden treasure and you should make the effort to dine there. The Runner-Up in this category is 51 Lincoln in Newton, which has an eclectic menu of cuisines, including Italian, Latin, French, Thai, Cambodian and more. The food is usually local, artisanal and quite delicious. I need to eat there again very soon.

Favorite Suburban Italian Restaurant: Italian restaurants are ubiquitous in the suburbs, but too many of them are simply average. But you can find an excellent Italian spot in Woburn, Tre Monte. They offer reasonably priced and hearty portions of tasty Italian staples and their own specialties. In addition, their Bolognese is killer, and I am very picky as to my Bolognese sauce. They also deserve kudos for their Arancini, a great blend of a crisp and crunchy exterior concealing lots of gooey cheese.

Favorite North Shore Restaurant: This winner also has a killer Bolognese and Arancini, making it a worthy choice for dinner. 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar in Salem is gaining lots of recognition for its cuisine and the kudos are well deserved. Plus, they are bold enough to have an all Italian wine list, including plenty of interesting choices.This is another restaurant I need to dine at again very soon.

Favorite Unique Ethnic Restaurant: Sometimes delicious food can be found in the most unlikely places. Moby Dick, located on Huntington Avenue, looks very unassuming, the kind of place you might walk by and never give a chance. But their food will surprise and impress you, from their moist and tender kabobs to their intriguing rice dishes. Very reasonably priced, portions are good and there are plenty of options, including organic and vegetarian. Don't pass this place by!

Favorite Pizza Chain: Many pizza chains offer, at best, only an average pizza and it is often better to find an independent pizza shop. But, Naked Pizza is one of the exceptions, offering a tasty pizza, which is also healthier for you. The pizzas are generally reasonably priced, though I have a small issue with how they price their additional ingredients. They are mainly a delivery and take-out shop and make a great option rather than places like Dominoes. They only have two locations currently, Brookline and Brighton, but are looking to expand and hopefully they will venture out to the suburbs at some point.

Favorite New Hampshire Restaurant: I don't dine enough in New Hampshire and that should change as there are a number of worthy spots throughout the state. This year, I was most impressed with Lobster Q, located in Hampstead, which offers seafood and barbecue. Their clam chowder was superb, the fried clams quite a delight and the ribs were compelling. Much of their food is made from scratch, including their barbecue sauces, and the quality elevates this place above many similar places. So if you are in southern New Hampshire, why not make a stop here for lunch or dinner.

Favorite Newport Restaurant: You probably would not expect to find creative Mexican cuisine in Newport, Rhode Island but it exists and it is excellent. Perro Salado, Spanish for "salty dog," does not offer traditional Mexican cuisine but rather Mexican-inspired dishes, and they are making some amazing food from their Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad to the mouth watering Sticky Pork Ribs. They have plenty of different tequilas, including an extensive list of cocktails such as margaritas.

Favorite Syracuse Restaurant: When seeking restaurant recommendations for Syracuse, New York, nearly everyone mentioned Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. They were largely correct and I will add my recommendation as well. Forget the wine list, this is a place for beer, hard cider and cocktails. For food, go for items like the Catfish Strips, Cornbread and BBQ Pork Ribs. A casual place, service is very good and the prices are reasonable.

Favorite New York City Bakery: NYC has so many excellent bakeries and restaurants, but I do have to give kudos to some of my newest finds. Momofuku Milk Bar, part of David Changs's culinary empire, is innovative and creative, with plenty of absolutely tasty baked goods, both sweet and savory. From Cornflake cookies to Cornbread with cortija cheese & jalapenos, their products really impressed. Please check them out!

Favorite New York City Lunch: David Chang deserves much praise, and the Momofuku Ssäm Bar, located across the street from the Milk Bar, is the place to go for lunch. You must have their Rotisserie Duck, which offers simply one of the best pieces of duck I have ever had, tender, moist and flavorful. This duck has remained locked in my memory and on my next trip to NYC, I will definitely return here. Their Steamed Pork Buns impressed as well, and I don't think any of the dishes will disappoint. Rush to eat here!  

Favorite Charlottesville Restaurants: While at the Wine Blogger's Conference, I found time to explore a number of restaurants in Charlottesville, Virginia, and I lucked out, finding several worthy places. I compiled a single post, describing the good places that I found, from excellent country fried steak at The Nook to delicious sushi at Ten.

Favorite Portland, Oregon Restaurant: This is a tie between two restaurants, Pok Pok and Ping, owned by the same chef, Andy Ricker. From the addictive Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings to the mighty Kha Muu Thawt, Chef Ricker is creating some superb Asian cuisine. The restaurants are casual spots, a great place to hang out with friends, drink and enjoy tasty food. I will be sure to return there when I go back to Portland next summer.

Favorite Underappreciated Restaurant: For the second year, the winner is T.W. Food in Cambridge. Though its location is off the beaten path, it is well worth the effort to dine here. It is an intimate spot with superb food and wine, killer special events and very reasonably priced for the quality you will find. Make a resolution to dine here in 2012.

Favorite Brunch, Traditional Fare: For a second year, the winner is AKA Bistro in Lincoln.

Brunch, Traditional Fare-Honorable Mention: For a second year, my choice is Tupelo in Inman Square.

Favorite Brunch, Non-Traditional Fare: For the third year in a row, the winner is Myers & Chang in the South End.

Favorite Donuts: For a second year, the winner is Donut City in Lynn.

Favorite Japanese Restaurant: For a second year, the winner is Oishii in the South End.

Favorite Chinatown Restaurant: For a second year, the winner is Gourmet Dumpling House.

Favorite Asian Buffet: For a third year, the winner is Taipei Tokyo Cafe in Woburn.

Favorite North End Restaurant, High End: For a second year, the winnner is Prezza, due to dinners like  this one, with Rabbit Parmigiano.

Favorite North End Restaurant, Moderate: For a second year, the winner is Nebo.

Favorite North End Restaurant, Fusion: For a second year, the winner is Taranta.

Favorite Italian Restaurant Outside the North End: For a second year, the winner is Coppa.

Favorite Italian Restaurant, Somerville: For a second year, the winner is Pizzeria Posto.

Favorite Suburban Steak House: For a second year, the winner is Beacon Grille in Woburn. 

Favorite Fried Seafood: For the second year, the winner is the Clam Box in Ipswich.

What were some of your favorite restaurants this year?

Read More