The Mind Of A Sommelier: Leo Keka

(Check out my Introduction to the The Mind of a Sommelier series.)

Leo Keka is the owner of Alba Prime Steak + Seafood and Zef Cicchetti & Raw Bar in Quincy Center. A native of Albania, he fled the impoverished former communist nation in 1990 by swimming across a lake to a refugee camp in Montenegro, before finding his way to the United States. Keka, unable to speak English at the time, landed his first job in the industry when he was hired as a dishwasher by fellow Albanian-American and celebrated restaurateur Anthony Athanas of late Boston culinary landmark Anthony’s Pier 4. Keka soon became a server, displayed a natural knack for hospitality and quickly worked his way up through management at both Legal Sea Foods and Grill 23 & Bar, before opening his fine-dining Quincy Center restaurant Alba in 2001. Such an inspiring story!

Now, onto the interview:

What term do you use to describe yourself: Sommelier, Wine Steward, Wine Director, something else?
I’m the owner of Alba but also the wine director. Wine is one of my great passions and I love that part of my job. We have a great, great staff that is very knowledgeable about wine and about our wines in particular. But at the end of the day, even as the owner, I pick most of the wines on our list and I’m proud to do so.

Please give a brief description of the wine list at your restaurant.
Our wine list is focused on American/California cabernets and Oregon pinot noirs with a heavy selection of Italian reds: super Tuscans, Barolos, Brunellos. Those big hearty Italian red wines. We have some great options and sell a lot of them.

What are your objectives with the wine list?
Our goal at Alba is to offer a great bottle of wine at a great price, no matter the guest’s taste or budget. I think a lot of wines are subject to over-pricing in restaurants. We try to avoid that. We try to come in at a very fair price for our guests. Our wine list I believe rivals that of any of the top steakhouses or restaurants in Boston. But our prices are much more affordable.

A lot of the reason why is for me very personal. We grew up very poor in Albania. We didn’t have great restaurants. We had very few material pleasures. One of those pleasures was wine. I remember one Christmas night when I was about 15 my mother brought home this giant 18-liter bottle of red wine that my grandparents had made. It was amazing.

I was hooked on that taste and on the celebratory aspect of drinking wine. I loved it from the beginning. My dad had tried before to get me to drink beer. I didn’t like it. I still don’t. But I’ve loved wine from that moment I first tasted it. I still remember drinking that bottle of wine today.

So that desire to make great wine affordable still influences our list. I’m willing to sell wine at a lower price than other restaurants if it means somebody can experience a wine they might otherwise have missed and enjoy that feeling I felt that Christmas night as a teenager back in Albania. I think our combination of world-class wine at a fair price is the big reason why we sell so much wine.

How often does the wine list change?
We’re always getting in new bottles if they fit our program. But big picture the wine lists changes substantially every six months to reflect new vintages, new bottles, new trends. We probably sample 500 to 600 bottles every six months, find the great picks, and revamp the menu to reflect those tastes. But at any given time we might pick up something new if I really like it and it fits our program.

Are there omissions on your wine list you would like to fill?
I’d love to serve more sparkling wine. I don’t think people drink enough champagne or sparkling wine. Americans in general tend to think of champagne as something you celebrate with, a special occasion wine, and not something you enjoy on its own or with food. Great sparkling wine is tremendous with a variety of foods. I wish more people would order champagne with their food like they do a bottle of chardonnay. We’d certainly offer more. I’d love to sell more.

How do you learn about new wines?
I’m always keeping up with Wine Spectator, following wine auctions, the wine blogs, following global trends. And we have a steady stream of vendors through here most every day showing off their newest bottles. We move a lot of wine for all the big houses in the region so they’re always eager to show off their best new stuff. So we stay up on top of things that way, too. Just by tasting and talking about wine every day with other people who know and love wine.

What is the most common wine question asked by your guests?
Our guests are already well educated about brand-name wines. So they typically want to know what’s the next thing we have that tastes like the wines they already know. So we like to steer them to new wines, about the winemakers, the wine-making regions. I think it’s up to us to lead them to the next great bottle of wine. We want them to buy a bottle because we like it ourselves. But of course we want to make sure it fits their taste profile.

What is the most common criticism you receive from guests about your list?
People are always trying to get more. We have 400 to 500 bottles on the list. We’re trying to pair our wine with our food and also be true to our brand. But there are always more options. People always want more options. Even with the hundreds of bottles we offer, people want more choices. They might ask for something from South Africa or Argentina because it’s great wine they read about or heard about somewhere. But usually those wines aren’t on our list. They’re not consistent with who we are and you can’t carry everything.

We also lack Sake, for example. Sometimes we’ll have a really great Sake. But not usually. It’s not part of what we do. But sometimes people ask for it. You can’t be everything to everybody. But with that said we work hard to ensure our wine list is consistent with our food and our influences and that we offer high-quality wines at a good price.

What is your greatest challenge as a sommelier?
The greatest challenge is trying to keep current choices consistent with past choices. Does that make sense? This is what I mean: somebody comes in and asks for a bottle that they loved. They may be a regular or somebody who comes in only a once a year. But we don’t carry that bottle anymore. The vintage is gone. We ran out. The distributor is out of stock. Whatever the case might be. But we need to make sure we have something comparable in terms of flavor, quality and price point that’s consistent with the great bottles we’ve offered that guest in the past.

So we have to know what our guests expect. The flavors, the styles, the prices. And we have to make sure those options are available, even if the label on the bottle changes. It’s a challenge. But it’s also one of the most enjoyable parts of the job.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the best value wines on your list?
     We sell a 1-liter bottle of Caymus Cabernet for just $95. So naturally we sell a LOT of Caymus. I believe we are the No. 1 single-unit restaurant in Caymus sales in all of New England.
     Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay is another great deal for just $45. It’s from California. It’s very balanced. Pairs well with a lot of food. It’s sexy. It kicks ass. It’s a chardonnay lover’s dream and at $45 we sell a lot of it.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of the most unique wines on your list?
     Our Masseto 2015 is a pretty rare super Tuscan. A 100-point wine. An outstanding special occasion wine. A great wine to enjoy among friends. A unique blend of super Tuscans with a lot of complexity. It’s a wine most people would drink and it remember it forever. We sell it for $900 when it might run you $2,000 somewhere else in Boston.
     Also, we’re lucky to be one of the few restaurants in the region to carry Sassicaia 2015, which Wine Spectator named its No. 1 wine of 2018. This is one of the world’s great wines and we sell it for just $315.

Tell me about 1 or 2 of your favorite wines on your list?
If I have to drink wine for myself, it would be anything from Howell Mountain in Napa. I love the earthiness of the wines in that region. I like the tannins. I like big wines that need decanting. Great spices. Howell Mountain wines remind me of Old World wines. We carry wines from Robert Craig, Dunn and La Jota vineyards in Howell Mountain.

Is there anything else you would like people to know about your wine list, your work as a sommelier, or wine service?
My experience in this industry was forged soon after I moved here from Albania at some of the greatest restaurants in America most notably Anthony’s Pier 4, Legal Sea Foods and then Grill 23. When I landed in Boston I couldn’t even speak English. But Anthony’s Pier 4 had one of the best, most expansive wine lists in America and a very demanding customer base. I learned the wine business, and I learned the language, pretty fast. Then I feel like I refined my knowledge at Grill 23, which had that outstanding wine list and still does today. I learned a lot at both places and met people passionate about food and wine.

I wanted to carry that passion forward here at Alba and sell the same wines but at a better price. I’ve got to meet so many great winemakers, producers, sommeliers and have had the pleasure tasting a lot of wine. It’s helped me create a palate where I can tell you everything I like or don’t like about a wine and then convey those experiences to my staff and to my guests and hopefully help people make educated decisions about their wine.

I’ve taken all those experiences and brought them here to Alba and love sharing them with our guests. It’s really the same passion I learned that Christmas eve when I was teenager drinking my grandparent’s wine. If people get anything out of dining at Alba, I hope that get that passion and pleasure we get from serving great food and great wine.

2017: Favorite Restaurants & My Top 50

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

Let me continue the lists of my best recommendations and favorites of 2017. I have already posted my Top Ten Wine lists, Favorite Wine-Related Items, Favorite Spirits, Sake, Cocktails & Drink-Related Items, & Top Ten Favorite Restaurant Dishes, and now I want to address my Favorite Restaurants of the past year as well as my Top 50 Restaurants.

This is certainly not a complete list but it is more a sampling of memorable restaurants I've experienced and/or posted about over the past year. You will even find a few Favorites from outside Massachusetts as I traveled a little bit this past year.

This is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. For more Restaurant reviews, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Top Restaurant Experience: Sorry Boston, but this year the winner is located in New York City. My good friend, Adam Japko, introduced me to Torishin, a Yakitori paradise, where we sat at the chef's counter, watching the culinary magic happen in front of us. They specialize in chicken, though their other dishes, from Rosy Seabass to Kumomoto Beef, were excellent as well. They serve every part of the chicken, and each skewer was a marvel. I never expected to love chicken arteries like I did. They also have an excellent Sake and Shochu list, enhancing your dining experience. Service was superb and this restaurant earns my highest recommendation. The memories of this dinner will always remain with me.

Favorite Japanese Restaurant: My dining experience at Pabu, a Japanese restaurant located in Boston's Millennium Tower, was close to being one of my top restaurant experiences of the past year. The Omakase consisted of nine courses of Nigiri Sushi and Seafood, and each course was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious, with incredibly fresh seafood. Some of the best sushi I've tasted. Their Sake list is voluminous, with plenty of great choices, including numerous ones you won't find at other local restaurants. Excellent service, a beautiful interior, and a menu of plenty of diversity. I very much want to return to explore more of their menu as I'm sure I'll find much to delight me and tantalize my palate.

Favorite Runner-Up Japanese Restaurant: While exploring the growing culinary scene in Quincy with Kerry Byrne, I was thoroughly impressed by Fuji at West of Chestnut, a Japanese restaurant which is part of an Asian restaurant group with other locations in cities like Boston and Somerville. The cuisine was creative and delicious, aesthetically pleasing and fun. The Fried Whole Fish with Black Bean Sauce was a sublime dish. Though their Sake list is small, they have some excellent options. They even had a very cool private dining area, which has Boston its own kitchen for small groups. Quincy has plenty of interesting restaurants, and Fuji is definitely one of the highlights.

Favorite Portuguese Restaurant: Though I don't get down to Fall River much, I really need to return to Terra Nostra, a killer Portuguese restaurant to which the good people of LGL Imports introduced me. From Chouriço a Bombeiro (flaming chorizo), to Cow's Leg Stew, from Lapas Grelhadas (grilled limpets), to Roasted Rabbit, the food was compelling, much of it excellent, hearty comfort food. They also have an extensive list of Portuguese wines, so many good choices at affordable prices. And the experience was enhanced by all the fine people who dined with me.

Favorite New Spanish Restaurant: Open for less than two months, Matadora is a Spanish Tapas restaurant located in the Hilton Boston/Woburn hotel and it has made a strong initial impression. With compelling dishes like Basque Street Corn to Flaming Chorizo, the tapas choices are strong, delicious and ample for the concept. Their wine list has plenty of interesting Spanish wines, including some Sherry, and their cocktails are creative and tasty. The restaurant has a cool and comfortable look, with a huge metal bull sculpture as a centerpiece. I'm looking forward to my next visit to explore more of the menu.

Favorite New Fast Casual Restaurant: I'm a huge fan of Committee, the Greek restaurant in the Fan Pier area, so I was excited when I learned they would be opening Gre.co, a Greek fast casual place specializing in Gyros and Loukoumades. I wasn't disappointed a single bit. Everything is fresh, from the meats which marinate for 24 hours, to the grilled pitas. I love their Lamb Gyro, which is packed with delicious fillings, and their crisp, hand-cut fries are topped by Feta! And the Loukoumades, Greek donuts are an addictive dessert, hot, soft and available with a variety of toppings, from chocolate to nuts. When I'm on Newbury Street, it's hard not to stop here.

Favorite New Chinese Restaurant: Hunan cuisine is not easy to find in the Boston area but the new Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, in Kendall Square, offers a number of traditional Hunan dishes, as well as some of their own takes on other Chinese dishes. I was enamored with dishes such as the succulent Mala Duck, Jimmy's Crab Bao and their take on General Tso's Chicken. Their more traditional dishes are also excellent, from the Sumiao Shang Gan to Grandma's Pork. They also have a good cocktail program, including several Baijiu cocktails which are very difficult to find in the local area. Check them out for lunch or dinner.

Favorite New Indian Restaurant: The Maya Indian Grill is a welcome addition to Wakefield, providing fresh, from scratch Indian cuisine, including regional dishes from Kashmiri, Punjabi, Bengali, Malabar, Goan and Madras. Their Lamb Samosas may be the best I've ever tasted and I was impressed with the layers of flavors in dishes like their Lamb Vindaloo and Chicken Lagan. And they make excellent Indian breads, which to a bread lover like me is so appealing. They have a lunch buffet and even offer delivery.

Favorite New Seafood Restaurant: It was exciting when the Burlington location of Island Creek Oyster Bar opened, making it even easier for me to visit this superb seafood restaurant. The Burlington location is aesthetically appealing, with special rooms for private groups, and the food & drink are as delicious as the Boston location. Wine director Laura Staley has created a unique and diverse wine list which well complements the cuisine. All of their food, from the Raw Bar to their Tuna Melt, is delicious and service is always impeccable. Seafood is such a healthy food, and everyone needs to eat more, so you all should be dining here.

Runner-Up Favorite New Seafood Restaurant: Another new seafood restaurant, Mooncusser Fish House, is offering some compelling choices. Their wine list is compelling, diverse and interesting, with plenty of classic wines, from Bordeaux to Barolo, while also celebrating less common wines, from Spanish Txakoli to Greek Moschofilero. Their cuisine is also interesting and delicious, with a killer Seafood Chowder. The restaurant is actually divided into two parts, a more casual eatery downstairs and a high-end location upstairs. I need to get back to check out more of their menu.

Favorite Restaurant with a Chef Change: As I mentioned earlier, I'm a huge fan of Committee and they had a chef change this year, hiring a new Chef de Cuisine, Theo Tsilipanos. Chef Theo is a native of the Greek city of Lamia, and even owned a restaurant there for about eight years. He has brought his own culinary skills and knowledge to Committee, making some changes to their menu, but they have been positive, maintaining the same level of quality and innovation as the prior chef. Changing one's chef can be risky but Committee had a win with the addition of Chef Theo and it remains a favorite spot.

Runner-Up Favorite Restaurant with a Chef Change: Chopps American Bar & Grill, located at the Burlington Marriott Hotel, also hired a new Executive Chef, Steve Zimei. Chef Steve began his culinary career working for Chef Daniel Bruce and eventually worked in a number of other local restaurants before returning to work for Chef Bruce at Chopps. Their food remains at a high level of quality, without an iota of diminishment. Some changes have obviously come to the menu but the new dishes are creative and delicious. My admiration for this restaurant continues.

Favorite New Unique Cuisine Restaurant: It appears to be a one-of-a-kind restaurant in Massachusetts, the only one dedicated to Moldovan cuisine. The Moldova Restaurant in Newton offers tasty and comforting Moldovan cuisine and also Moldovan wines. Though the names of the dishes sound unfamiliar, like Plăcinte la Tigaie and Mititei Moldovenesti, the food itself will bring to mind Eastern European favorites. I was quite taken with their cuisine, even their amazing Chicken Soup, and it was well complemented by their wines. This unique restaurant is something you need to experience and I'm sure you'll be a convert after your meal.

Favorite Pizza/Pasta Restaurant: Once again Ciao! Pizza & Pasta makes my Favorites list. Though I haven't dined there are often as usual, my experiences have remained consistent. Great food, from their wood-fired pizzas to their house-made pasta dishes. Prices are very reasonable considering the quality and quantity of food you receive. The owners, Edson Coimbra and Chef Marvin Posada, are the nicest and most genuine of people. I've brought many people here and everyone who has accompanied me has loved the place. If you haven't dined here yet, you need to make a New Year's resolution to immediately remedy that.

Favorite New York Lunch Restaurant: When I travel to New York City, I nearly always find a way to have lunch at Momofuku Ssäm Bar, though I've actually never had dinner there. Their Rotisserie Duck is amazing, so tender and flavorful with a crispy chive pancake. However, the rest of their menu is also excellent, such as their scrumptious steamed buns. They also have an interesting wine list and I'm never disappointed when I dine here. Plus, after lunch, I can walk across the street to their Milk Bar for a sweet treat.

Favorite Chicago Restaurants: On a short, whirlwind visit to Chicago, Adam Japko and I packed in plenty of restaurant visits and my top three includes QXY Dumplings, Slurping Turtle, and Motomaro. QXY Dumplings, located in Chinatown, specializes in dumplings, with about 40 different types, and they are all basically soup dumplings. Delicious comfort food and you can even watch the kitchen staff making the dumplings. Slurping Turtle is a ramen spot, but their Duck Fat Fried Chicken is a decadent wonder. This is another comfort food spot, which also has a large selection of Japanese whiskey. Motomaro is a high-end Japanese spot with a large and diverse menu, each dish delicious and creative. Plus, they have a nice Sake list as well as plenty of intriguing cocktails. Chicago is definitely a great food city.

The Passionate Foodie's Top 50 Restaurants
     In addition to the Favorites listed above, I've compiled a list of my own Top 50 Restaurants, those Massachusetts places where I'm sure to always have a delicious meal, whether a casual breakfast or a high-end French dinner. These are the places I seem to recommend the most to others, including some places where I dine on a regular basis. Many of these places have been listed on prior Favorite Lists, some for multiple years, and are all worthy of recognition and recommendation. There are also some new Favorites, places I only recently encountered but which I know I will be returning frequently. Please note that this is not a list of the "Best" Boston-area restaurants, but my own personal favorites. There are plenty of other excellent restaurants in the area and just because a place is not on my list doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it.

Beverly
A&B Burgers

Boston
Asta
Bistro du Midi
Committee
Dumpling Cafe
Erbaluce 
Gre.co
L'Espalier 
Myers & Chang
Nebo
Oishii 
Pabu
Prezza
Select Oyster Bar
Taranta
Troquet

Brookline
Taberna de Haro

Burlington
The Bancroft
Besito
Chopps American Bar & Grill
Island Creek Oyster Bar
Sichuan Gourmet

Cambridge
BISq
Craigie on Main
Little Donkey
Puritan & Co.
Sumiao Hunan Kitchen
Tampopo

Chelsea
Ciao! Pizza & Pasta

Fall River:
Terra Nostra

Ipswich
Clam Box

Medford
Bistro 5
Tasty On The Hill

Newton
Moldova Restaurant

Quincy
Fuji at West of Chestnut

Saugus
Iron Town Diner

Somerville
Bergamot 
Bronwyn
Dali
The Painted Burro
Posto
Saloon
Tasting Counter

Stoneham
Fusion Taste
Taste of Siam

Wakefield
The Porch

Waltham
Osteria Posto

Woburn
Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe
Matadora
WuBurger

What were some of your favorite restaurants this year?

2017: Top Ten Favorite Restaurant Dishes

What were some of my favorite restaurant dishes of the past year?

Let me continue the lists of my best recommendations and favorites of 2016. I have already posted three Top Wine lists, my Favorite Wine-Related Items and my Favorite Spirits, Sake, Cocktails & Drink-Related Items. Now I want to move onto food and showcase my Top Ten Favorite Restaurant Dishes of the past year.

This list includes ten dishes which I not only enjoyed immensely, but which I also found to be particularly compelling for various reasons. They might be especially delicious or something more unique, but all stand out for some particular reason, above the other dishes I have tasted this past year. These are the type of dishes I would order again and again, and which I would highly recommend. And I'll note that all of these restaurants are located in Massachusetts.

This is certainly not a complete list but it's more a sampling of memorable dishes I have experienced and/or posted about over the past year. It is also a purely subjective list, based on my own preferences, and makes no claims about being the "best" of anything. But all of the items here have earned my strong recommendations and I hope you will enjoy them as well. This list is not in any order of preference, so all receive equal accolades. For more of my favorite restaurant dishes, you can just search my blog posts for the past year.

Haggis at Civic Kitchen & Drink (Westborough)
At a Robert Burns Scotch Dinner, they served Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish that's made from a sheep's heart, liver and lungs, mixed with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, and then encased in a sheep's stomach. Authentic Scottish haggis though can't be imported into the U.S. so the restaurant sourced it from a place in New Jersey, which was made with oatmeal, beef liver, lamb breast, onions and spices. Though a bit leery, the haggis had a pleasant aroma and when I bit into it, it was actually delicious. A silky texture like corned beef hash with a nice balance of spices and a slightly earthy element. I devoured every bit of haggis on my plate and would order it again if I had the opportunity.

Fried Whole Fish with Black Bean Sauce at Fuji on West (Quincy)
This impressive dish, a whole California Striped Bass, had flesh that was moist, flaky and sweet while the crispy skin was nearly addictive. The black bean sauce added a mild earthiness to the dish, with plenty of umami, complementing the sweetness of the fish. Don't worry about seeing the entire fish at your table as this dish is too delicious to miss. And pair some umami-rich Sake with this fish.

Yellowfin Tuna Melt at Island Creek Oyster Bar (Burlington)
A Tuna Melt is a rather common sandwich, yet there are restaurants which elevate it to new heights, and Island Creek accomplishes that objective. The tuna melt is on white rye, with ICOB pickles and Fontina cheese, and it is frankly one of the best tuna melts I've ever eaten. The creamy and delicious tuna filling doesn't ooze mayo like some other tuna melts, and the pickles add a nice texture as well as some sweetness. The melted fontina adds some nutty notes and the bread, with panini-like grill marks, is just the right thickness. Everything meshes well together, creating a superb sandwich.

Mooncusser Chowder at Mooncusser Fish House (Boston)
Made with skate, clams, smoked scallop, creme fraiche, & barley crackers, this amply-sized bowl of chowder contained an appealing and complex melange of flavor. It wasn't overly thick or thin, just the right consistency, and there was plenty of tender seafood within its depths. Right now, with the cold weather, this would be an excellent choice to warm your belly.

Short Rib Mac & Cheese at Chopps American Bar & Grill (Burlington)
Elevated comfort food doesn't always work, but other times, such as in this instance, it can excel. This Mac & Cheese is topped with toasted cornbread crumbs, adding a little grainy and crunchy texture as well as the sweetness of the cornbread. The rotini, which were cooked just right, were in a creamy, cheesy sauce with tender, meaty pieces of short rib. It's large enough to share though you might want it all to yourself.

Classic Lamb Gyro at Gre.co (Boston)
Located on Newbury Street, Gre.co is a fast casual spot which basically makes everything from scratch. The Classic Lamb Gyro is compelling, with a grilled pita wrapping up a hearty amount of fillings, including plenty of tender and flavorful lamb. The tomato jam adds nice acidity and a little sweetness to the gyro while the salty fries enhance the blend of flavors. It was fresh and delicious, ample and well balanced. I wish I lived closer as I would be ordering this gyro every week.

Roasted Rabbit at Terra Nostra (Fall River)
More people need to eat rabbit as it is such a nutritious and delicious meat, though numerous people shy away due to a psychological barrier, especially if they ever owned a rabbit as a pet. I love rabbit and this year, this Portuguese inspired rabbit dish was impressive. The meat was tender and moist, flavorful and with a crisp coating. The sauce enhanced the rabbit and I could have consumed the entire dish on my own.

Lamb Burger Slider at Troquet (Boston)
Troquet moved to a new location, adding a new bar menu which contained plenty of interesting dishes, from pizza to crispy smoked chicken wings. The superb Lamb Burger Slider, topped with lamb bacon, goat cheese feta, and harissa, was moist and juicy, with creamy feta, mild salty bacon, and a slightly spicy harissa. The bread was soft and fluffy, and I easily could have devoured half a dozen of these sliders. An excellent bar snack.

Basque Street Corn at Matadora (Woburn)
Topped with roasted garlic aioli, Idiazabal cheese, and Espelette pepper, this was an amazing dish. I've had similar dishes at other Spanish restaurants, and far too often, the corn tends to be a bit mushy. Here, the corn was tender and firm, the way an excellent corn on the cob should taste. The corn was grilled very well and the addition of the compelling melange of cheese, garlic and pepper well complemented the corn, creating an especially delicious dish. I can't wait to return to have more of this corn.

Friptura De Miel at Moldova Restaurant (Newton)
Another compelling lamb entree! This Moldovan dish consists of roasted lamb, stewed in special wine and rosemary sauce, and normally served with roasted vegetables. The lamb is cooked for over four hours, braised and then roasted in the oven. All that slow cooking made the lamb extremely tender, and you certainly didn't need a knife to cut it. The lamb was tender and juicy, with a hint of rosemary, and it lacked that gaminess which turns off some people to lamb. As a lamb lover, this dish impressed me immensely.

What were some of your favorite restaurant dishes of the past year?

Quincy: The Townshend, Zef Cicchetti & 16C (Part 3)

From Spanish Whiskey to Sangria, Chestnut Ravioli to a Chocolate Snowball, my recent culinary trek to Quincy included three other delicious destinations, The Townshend, Zef Cicchetti & Raw Bar, and 16C. Kerry Byrne (a Quincy native, food writer for the Boston Herald, and the owner of KJB Trending Hospitality) wanted to introduce me to a few more of the newer eateries in Quincy. Through my relatively brief experiences at each spot, I saw much potential and am eager to return for a fuller experience.

Kerry and I began our exploration of Quincy by having a drink at The Townshend, a craft cocktail bar and restaurant serving seasonal, modern far, which opened in May 2015. The restaurant was founded by Devin Adams, whose resume includes Kingfish Hall, Lucca Restaurant, Island Creek Oyster Bar and Drink. It's name is based on the historical Townshend Acts, severe British laws which increased duties on imports, and were part of the reason for the revolt of the American colonists. This is a nod to Quincy's historical importance to the American Revolution.

With a casual decor of light wood and dark metal, it is a cool spot to have a drink after work, or to grab some dinner with a significant other or groups of friends. However, you might want to grab a seat at the bar so you can watch the bartenders in action.

The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch, offering everything from sandwiches to entrees, from Burgers to Wild Boar Ragu, Pulled Pork Melt to Panko Crusted Haddock. Lunch sandwiches range from $11-$13 while dinner entrees range from $24-$29. The kitchen sources many of their ingredients locally and on a chalkboard, to the left of the bar, they list those producers. the chalkboard also mentions the local distilleries, breweries and wineries from which they source some of their drinks.

As we were at the restaurant between lunch and dinner, they only had a very limited menu available, basically a few appetizers, and we opted for the Glazed Chicken Wings, with a Sriracha honey glaze. The meaty wings had a delicious taste of sweet and spicy though it might have been better if he wings had a crunchier coating, though that is more an issue of preference.

The Bar Manager is Palmer Matthews (pictured above), who is a Quincy native, gained much of his bar experience from his time at Drink. He has put together an interesting bar and cocktail program, stocking many local spirits and beers, as well as some more unique offerings. Most of their cocktails cost $10-$11, such as the Blood & Sand (Scotch, Orange & Cherry Brandy) and Kentucky Colada (Whiskey, Coconut, Pina & Peach). They also hand cut their ice from a large block (which you can see above). There is a substantial beer list, with about 8 on draft, and plenty of local brews though you'll also find a number of Belgian beers.

The wine list is interesting and certainly not the usual suspects. There are about 16 wines by the glass, priced $7-$12, and you'll find wines from Hungarian Furmint to Lodi Cabernet Franc. They have over 30 wines by the bottle, with a fair share priced under $50. The diversity appeals to me, and it's good to see one Massachusetts wine even made the list, the Westport Rivers RJR Brut.

I opted for a glass, neat, of Navazos-Palazzi Grain Whiskey, a cask strength Spanish whiskey which was aged in Palo Cortado Sherry barrels. When's the last time you saw a Spanish whiskey at a cocktail bar? It was a first time for me. The whiskey was delicious and aromatic, very Sherry-like and light, with hints of grain and a touch of almost sweet vanilla. It was very smooth, despite the high alcohol content, though a few drops of water might help you enjoy it. 

Palmer then suggested that I try the Dry Fly Distilling Straight Triticale Whiskey, which might be the only straight Triticale whiskey in the world. Triticale is a hybrid of rye and wheat which was created in Scotland in the late 19th century. I enjoyed a shot, chilled by a single large chunk of ice, and found the whiskey to be intriguing, with a nice spicy kick up front, which then became soft and almost sweet. As I love Rye whiskey, I savored the spicy element of the Triticale, but also liked how the wheat softened it more on the finish. It's always great to go to a cocktail bar and encounter something new, and I'd love to return to Townshend to taste more of what they have to offer.

Palmer also joined Kerry and I as we dined at a few more locations, and I found him to be both fun and knowledgeable, down-to-earth individual and a good man to share a drink.

The Townshend team are planning to open another restaurant in the near future, Belfry Hall, which will be an “urban beer hall.”

Leo Keka, a native of Albania, is the owner of Alba Restaurant, a well-known, high-end steakhouse in Quincy. He has now opened a second restaurant, Zef Cicchetti & Raw Bar, next to Alba. Zef Cicchetti, whose name pays tribute to Keka’s father, Jozef Keka, who passed away last year, is a Venetian-style bacaro. They serve traditional cicchetti, small plates, hand-made pasta, local oysters, and more.

It is an elegant restaurant, with lots of dark wood, yet still seems more casual than Alba. You probably were unaware, as I was initially, that coastal sections of Albania once were part of the Republic of Venice. As such, they share some culinary roots so Leo has a good understanding of Venetian cuisine and was a natural extension for him.

Lots of fresh oysters! You can also find little neck clams, Alaskan King crab legs, Maine lobster claws, and Jumbo shrimp as part of their raw bar.

There is an open kitchen, which I always see as a sign of confidence of the kitchen staff. Their food menu includes a number of Cicchetti, from Salt Cod Fritters to Grilled Octopus, priced from $6-$18. You can also find Bruschette, like Steak Tartare, Salumi, Cheese, and Pizzettes (small pizzas). For a heartier appetite, you can try their house-made Pasta dishes ($17-$22), like Black Truffle Gnocchi or Linguine Vongole, or one of their Platti ($23-$38), such as Filet Mignon or Fisherman's Stew. There is something for everyone, whether you want a few bites while drinking at the bar or if a group of you are hungry for a full meal.

We opted to try several different dishes, to get a sense of what you might expect while dining here. The Il Diavolo Pizzette is made with Calabrian chile soppressata and fontina cheese. It is a thin crust pizza, with a nice char, with plenty of soppressata atop it. I enjoyed the lightly spicy pizza, with its crisp crust, and a red sauce with a mild sweetness to it. And it actually is good-sized and can easily be split by a couple people.

The Lamb Garganelli is comprised of braised lamb shank, romanesco cauliflower, and mint gremolata. The pasta was excellent, with a nice bite to it, and the tender lamb was flavorful and compelling. I'm not a fan of cauliflower but the pieces were small, almost circular, and you almost wouldn't even know what it was unless you knew what was in the dish.

My favorite dish was the Chestnut Ravioli, with truffle butter, heirloom cranberry and crispy sage. The fresh ravioli were cooked perfectly, and the taste of the dish delighted my palate in so many ways. The creamy chestnut filling, enhanced by the truffle butter and cranberry, brought to mind an earthy forest. And the crispy sage added a little crunch to the dish. Highly recommended.

Finally, we enjoyed the Saffron Risotto, made with Maine lobster, Vialone rice, and Meyer lemon. The rice was prepared just right, with an excellent texture, and there was plenty of sweet lobster meat in the risotto. For my preferences, the lemon flavor was too strong and I would have liked it more with a lighter use of lemon.

Our final stop was at 16C, a new restaurant owned by Kerri Lynch-Delaney, who is the niece of famed Chef Barbara Lynch, and Kerri also used to work at No. 9 Park as a Pastry Chef. The restaurant offers "fine American cuisine" with Italian accents. You'll find sheet pizzas and a Waygu Burger, Steak Tips and Pan Seared Scallops. However, I decided on dessert, as we had already devoured plenty of savory dishes during our restaurant crawl. The night was ending and a sweet treat would be a nice way to complete the evening.

I did have to try one of their drinks and chose the Red Sangria, which is made with blood orange, dragonfruit, and raspberry. The different fruits are what intrigued me, and I was very pleased with the Sangria. It was fruity, with a nice depth of flavor, and with only a mild sweetness. I'm picky about Sangria and this is actually one of the best versions I've tasted in quite some time. I could have easily drank a few of these without feeling like I was in a sugar coma.

The Dessert list only has a few choices, but they all sounded appealing, and in the end, I decided on the Chocolate Snowball, with a vanilla buttercream and coconut. A decadent treat, with rich chocolate and a creamy frosting, enhanced by the coconut. It is large enough to share, and showcases Kerry's experience as a Pastry Chef. I must come back to try their savory options.

My restaurant crawl through Quincy center merely scratched the surface of the culinary treasures that can be found in this historic city. There are so many other places I could have explored, and more will be opening in the near future. It is clear that Quincy is seeing an ascendancy, and I highly recommend you visit the city and check out its myriad restaurants. It was also great to see the number of immigrants who own and work in a number of these restaurants, and their contributions highlight how our community improves with immigration. Besides all these restaurants, bakeries, and food shops, you also have to remember all of the rich history within Quincy, giving you even more reason to check out this city. I'll be returning to Quincy, to eat, drink and learn more and maybe I'll see you there.

Quincy: The Impressive Fuji At West (Part 2)

Japanese cuisine can be delicious and beautiful, a sublime melange of fresh ingredients and savory umami. On my recent culinary trek to Quincy, Kerry Byrne (a Quincy native, food writer for the Boston Herald, and the owner of KJB Trending Hospitality), aware of my passion for Japanese cuisine, took me to Fuji at West of Chestnut. We experienced a seven-course sampling of the menu, a thoroughly impressive and delicious dinner that made me eager to return to taste more of their various dishes.

West of Chestnut is a new multi-level residential and commercial complex on Hancock Street in Quincy, with a few dozen apartment buildings and several restaurants, including Fuji. Fuji at West of Chestnut, which only opened about three weeks before my visit, is the tenth restaurant owned by the Quincy-based JP Fuji Group. Five of their other restaurants, which range from Japanese hot pot to frozen yogurt, are also located in Quincy, with others in places including Boston, Cambridge and Somerville.

The first Fuji restaurant was opened in Wollaston in October of 1998, and this latest Fuji restaurant is intended to be one of the highlights of their culinary empire. The JP Fuji Group was founded by President, CEO and Chef Jimmy Liang & VP, CFO, and Chef Peter Tse. Chef Jiang is a native of Quincy and he was our welcoming host when we dined there recently.

The restaurant itself is elegant and spacious, with a cocktail bar and sushi bar, and seats approximately 150 people, the largest restaurant currently within their group. During the summer, it will have an outside patio too. I was fascinated by their private dining room, which seats about 12 people, and has its own tasting kitchen. You can reserve this room for an Omakase dining experience, which includes food and alcohol, for roughly $200-$400 per person. The term Omakase basically means "I'll leave it up to you," meaning that the chef will prepare whatever dishes he wants for your dinner. The selections for this Omakase will all be "off the menu" and often include high-end ingredients. It sounds like this could be a unique and exquisite culinary experience for the adventurous diner.

There is a full drinks program at Fuji, from craft cocktails to Japanese Sake. The wine list carries lots of familiar names, the beer list has a few Japanese brews as well as some local beers, and they also carried several Japanese whiskies. Fuji stocks about 11 Sakes (though of course I wish they carried more selections), from Gekkeikan Hot Sake to the sublime Dassai 23 Junmai Ginjo (though please note there is a typo on their Sake menu as the Dassai is a 300ml not 720ml bottle). We opted to drink the Ginga Shizuku Junmai Daiginjo (300ml/$50), which is light, clean and crisp, just an elegant and compelling Sake.

The food menu is expansive, from sushi to noodles, gyoza to wok-tossed dishes. Most Appetizers, from Pork Belly Buns to Salt & Pepper Calamari, cost $10 or less. Check out their Soups, from iconic Miso Soup to the more unusual Oxtail Soup, or their Salads, from Fuji Seaweed Salad to Katsu Salmon Salad. There is a full and extensive range of Sushi, from Nigiri to inventive Maki rolls,  and the Nigiri is reasonably priced. Try an Entree, like the Chicken Kastu or Sake Teriyaki, or opt for a Wok Tossed dish like X.O. Sauce Scallops With Poached Egg or Pineapple Chicken Leg Deconstructed with Cashews. Or you could also go for a Noodle dish like Pad Thai, a Rice dish such as Lobster (Fujian style) Rice, or even Clay Pot, maybe the Crispy Duck version. Lots of appealing choices.

Rather than order off the menu, we placed ourselves in the hands of Chef Liang, to serve us whatever he wanted to present to us, basically our own Omakase. That was a great decision as the Chef served us plenty of tasty and impressive dishes. If you're adventurous, I'd recommend you do the same.

We began with a couple pieces of Nigiri, a piece of Seared Tuna and one of Blue Fin Toro, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. Silky, fresh fish, with subtle toppings, making me crave even more sushi.

We then moved onto a tasty Spicy Tuna Lettuce Wrap, with a house sweet pepper sauce and fresh pineapple. The crunchy lettuce leaf housed an almost ceviche-like mix of tuna, mildly spicy sauce, and fruit. Again, the freshness of the dish stood out.

The next dish, the Fried Whole Fish with Black Bean Sauce, was incredible! The fish was a California Striped Bass and its flesh was moist, flaky and sweet while the crispy skin was nearly addictive. The black bean sauce added a mild earthiness to the dish, with plenty of umami, complementing the sweetness of the fish. Don't worry about seeing the entire fish at your table as this dish is too delicious to miss. Highly recommended!

This cool dish presented Yellow Tail Sashimi, with yuzu, tobiko, and homemade lemon mustard. Again, the silky seafood seemed very fresh, and was enhanced by the subtle flavors added atop it. The citrusy yuzu was a nice addition.

Then, this intriguing glass dome arrived at our table, filled with smoke. What did it contain?
You can watch the video of the unveiling of this dish.

And the reveal! What a beautiful dish, with bright colors and different shapes, a feast for the eyes. The dish consisted of local Striped Bass, with a wasabi puree on bottom, edible pansies, pomegranate, basil/jalapeno oil, and it had been lightly smoked with hickory. Creamy and silky, with the added texture of the greens and pansies, this was another excellent dish.

Next up was the Waygu Ishiyaki, a disassembled Japanese hot stone cooking with premium grade Wagyu beef (from California) that was sliced and served with ginger, scallion, and ponzu sauce & teriyaki sauce. The hot stone is from the famed Mount Fuji in Japan. The fatty beef melted in your mouth, and it was easy to toss a slice on the hot stone for a short time to sear it. I liked both the ponzu and teriyaki sauces, though give a slight personal preference to the teriyaki.

Our last course, hidden beneath cranberry foam, was a blend of Salmon and Spicy Tuna, which was another delightful dish of silky seafood with the added flavors from the foam and other subtle toppings.

Overall, Fuji At West impressed me on several levels, from the aesthetic appeal of their dishes to the scrumptious flavors found within each dish. If you are seeking a new Japanese restaurant to try, I highly recommend you make the short trek to Quincy to check it out. Despite only being open less than a month, the kitchen is doing an great job. I will certainly return soon to check out more of their menu, and maybe to rent their private dining room. Kudos and good luck to Chef Liang and the rest of the Fuji crew.

Quincy: A Historic Culinary Destination (Part 1)

When is the last time you dined at a restaurant in Quincy?

Quincy, the City of Presidents. It is the birthplace of Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, as well as John Hancock. Nowadays, you can even visit the crypts of John Adams, John Quincy Adams and their wives in the basement of the United First Parish Church. I recently visited the crypts, reflected in the picture above. There are plenty of other historical items of interest in Quincy, forming an intriguing background for the recent upsurge in new restaurants which are helming to transform Quincy.

It is easy and relatively quick to travel to Quincy. A short 11.5 mile drive separates Boston from Quincy, although you could also just take the Red Line and get off in Quincy Center. Within about a five minute walk of the Quincy Center station, you will find a diversity of restaurants, bakeries, food shops and more in what is known as the Hancock District.

There are a number of new and upcoming restaurants coming to this District, including Belfry Hall (a modern American craft beer hall), The Courtyard at Cagney’s (a seasonal outdoor extension of this craft beer pub), Fuji At West Of Chestnut (Japanese and Asian), KKatie’s Burger Bar (the fourth location of a famed South Shore burger bar), Pho Pasteur (the second location of this Vietnamese eatery based in Chinatown),  Shaking Crab (Cajun, Creole and soul food), and Zef Cicchetti & Raw Bar (Italian small plates & raw bar). These places will join a number of other interesting restaurants such as Alba Restaurant, The Fat Cat, 16C and The Townshend.

Kerry Byrne (pictured above) is a Quincy native, a food writer for the Boston Herald, and the owner of KJB Trending Hospitality. One of Kerry's clients is the City of Quincy and he is helping to promote the city, telling the fascinating stories of its historic past and compelling present. Kerry recently invited me to come down to Quincy and let him show me a few of the restaurants making their mark. I took the Red Line down to Quincy Center, getting there a little early so I could do a little wandering on my own too.

Gunther Tooties is a bagel cafe, a small chain with five locations on the South Shore that is owned by Tony Chen, a Chinese immigrant. They create healthier bagels, which usually have less than 200 calories and are low in fat and cholesterol. They menu includes a variety of bagels, breakfast sandwiches, salads, signature sandwiches and paninis. You'll also find plenty of coffee, tea, and frozen drinks. Prices are reasonable, the location is homey and comfortable, and it is an excellent alternative to national chains.

I checked out an Egg & Cheese breakfast sandwich on an Egg Bagel. It was fresh and tasty, with a nice texture to the bagel, and certainly better than the breakfast sandwiches you find at the national chains. It feels like the type of sandwich you might make at home if you had brought home some fresh bagels. Gunther Tooties is on the same block as Starbucks and I would strongly recommend you opt for Gunther's.

Donuts & Donuts, located at 1461 Hancock Street, used to be located at the Quincy Center T stop but moved more downtown. They don't appear to have a website or even a Facebook page. It is an independent donut shop, which still seems to be too rare nowadays. Interesting trivia: Back in 1950, Quincy was the location for the first Dunkin' Donuts shop. At Donuts & Donuts, you can buy scratch tickets or play the lottery while enjoying a big, fresh donut. I bought a Glazed Donut and it was a hefty size, though light and sweet, just a delicious donut which made me yearn to try more of their donuts. As I love good donuts, I would definitely recommend this spot.

The Gypsy Kitchen, a gourmet wine, food and cheese shop, has been a part of Quincy for a number of years. The owner, Lisa Lamme, previously owned Le Saucier, in Faneuil Hall, which was the first hot sauce store in the country. This is a cool and interesting shop, with a diverse selection of wines, hot sauces, cheeses, gourmet foods, giftware and more.

Wine geeks will love perusing the shelves and will find the prices to be reasonable. There are a number of organic wines, and the selection is quite good for such a small shop.

If you live locally, this would be an excellent place to pick up a bottle or two for your evening's dinner, or if you're going to a party. There is a wine that will appeal to everyone, from Champagne to Zinfandel. And if you need advice, just ask Lisa and she'll help to select a wine that will fit your needs and desires.

Chocolates, candy, cookies, candles, glassware and more.

Of course they carry a line of hot sauces, and I'm sure there's a hot sauce to please any palate, no matter how hot you like it.

Cheese and meat, a perfect accompaniment for wine. Prosciutto to Cremont to Mousse Truffle.

Crackers, cookies and more. Lots of tasty treats.

Lisa also wrote The Gypsy Kitchen, an easy cookbook which will help people transform simple ingredients into compelling dishes.

(Stay tuned for Part 2 of my Quincy adventures)