Douzo: Sampling Their Menu

Prior to the Wine Spectator Grand Tour, I knew I needed to have dinner, to have a full stomach before facing off against 200 wines. After pondering the myriad possiblities, I chose to eat at Douzo, a Japanese restaurant that somehow I had never dined at before.  After my very positive experience, I will definitely be returning there soon to enjoy more of their menu, while sipping chilled sake.

Douzo has a modern, hip look with a lengthy sushi bar and a smaller alcohol bar. It is a good place for an afterwork drink and snack, a date or a group dinner.  The menu is quite extensive, with everything from sushi to tempura, kushi yaki to teriyaki. Prices are a little higher than average, but not as pricey as some of the other high-end Japanese restaurants in the city. In general, I believe you pay for a higher quality cuisine than you will find at average Japanese spots you might visit.

Besides a fully stocked bar, Douzo carries about twenty different sakes, both domestic and Japanee brands. There are some good choices on the list and I chose to try their Sake Flight ($15), which includes small glasses of three sakes: Kaori Ginjo, Onikoroshi Junmai Ginjo and Honjozo Kimoto. This is a good way to try a few different sakes, and all three are quite delicious, while varied in their taste.

The sushi list has all of the usual selections, as well as some more unique ones, and they also have an intriguing list of maki rolls. I tried some tuna (Yellow Fin), salmon, tamago, and a sweet potato tempura roll. The fish seemed fresh, the pieces were good-sized, and all were very tasty.  I especially liked that the rice was well packed so it did not easily fall apart and it possessed a nice sweet flavor. There was plenty of sweet potato in the maki roll, and it had an interesting blend of crunchy tempura and soft sweet potato.

The menu has a list of Tempura by the piece, which I think is a great idea. You can individually select which vegetables or seafood you would like, from green beans to eel, from broccoli to oysters. I often assess a Japanese restaurant by their tempura, which is such an iconic dish and can be an excellent indicator of the quality of a chef and his kitchen.  I went for the standard Shrimp Tempura and it excelled, just that perfect light and flaky crispness. This is the type of tempura I crave, creating a Tempura Zen moment.

One of their menu specials was Duck Gyoza, and the wrapping was much thicker and chewier than usual gyoza. The interior of the gyoza was filled with lots of very tender and flavorful shredded duck. This may not be a traditional gyoza, but was interesting and tasty, and I would order them again.

The Kushi-yaki, grilled skewers of vegetables, meat or seafood, also can be ordered by the piece, or really the skewer. Again, a great option. I went for the Scallop Kushi-Yaki, which comes with two large grilled scallops and a large scallion. The scallops were excellent, tender, and with an intriguing and spicy grill sauce.

Service was attentive, accomodating and professional.  Overall my experience was very good, and I look forward to returning to check out more of their menu.  This initial sampling was very positive, especially the tempura, and bodes well for future visits. I recommend you check out Douzo, and maybe I will see you there on my next visit.

Rant: Tapeo, Where is the Real Sherry?

During the summer, it can be quite satisfying to sit at the patio of Tapeo, a Spanish tapas restaurant on Newbury Street, and drink Sangria while enjoying Gambas al Ajillo or Pato Braseado. Besides the Sangria, they also have a good Spanish wine list, with Txacoli, Albarino, Tempranillo and more. But, in one respect, their wine list fails in a significant way, and I am still seeking an explanation for this lapse.

Tapeo, where is your real Sherry?

The Tapeo wine list has a heading "Jerez-Sherry" and there are four entries beneath it, yet none of those four wines are either from Jerez or are actual Sherries. Why is that the case?  Why don't they carry actual Sherries? This is a Spanish restaurant so you would expect to see true Sherry, and not just Serry-style wines. It would be like a French restaurant carrying sparkling wine from France but no real Champagne. As a Spanish restaurant, I expect they know the difference between true Sherry and simply sherry-style wines so it is even more puzzling why they do not stock true Sherry.

To be legally known as Sherry, the wine must be produced within a specific region, the Denominación de Origen of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, which is located in the Andalucia region of southern Spain in the province of Cadiz. The points of the “Sherry Triangle” are formed by the cities of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, and Sanlúcarde Barrameda. Beside the place of origin, the wine also has to be produced in a specific manner to be considered Sherry. Real Sherry can be such a sublime wine, especially its aged forms.

Three of the wines on Tapeo's list are from the Alvear winery, which is located in the D.O. of Montilla-Moriles, and thus are not legally Sherry. Just think of it as a sparkling wine made outside of the Champagne region, and thus unable to call itself Champagne. The fourth wine on Tapeo's list is from the D.O. of Malaga, so it also is not legally a sherry.  This is not an esoteric piece of information, but is something easily known to anyone with a basic knowledge of Sherry.

The Alvear wines are produced through a solera method, like true Sherry, but they generally use the Pedro Ximinez (PX) grape instead of the usual Palomino grape. With true Sherry, the dry Sherries, such as fino, manzanilla, amontillado, palo cortado, and oloroso, are produced from the Palomino grape. They generally only use PX for their sweet Sherries, but Alvear uses PX for their dry Sherry-style wines. Thus, with Alvear wines, you are also not gaining any understanding of the depths of the mysterious Palomino grape.

I previously emailed Tapeo inquiring why they do not carry any true Sherries on their list. I failed to receive a response so, on April 29, I attempted to contact them on Facebook and Twitter. On May 5, I received a reply on Facebook that they would look into the issue. As of May 22, I have not yet heard back with any type of explanation. I remain puzzled as to why they don't carry actual Sherry.

Sherry is very misunderstood by the general public so a Spanish restaurant should provide the public accuracte information about this iconic Spanish wine. If you offer Sherry on your wine list, then it should be real Sherry. Otherwise, why not list it as "Sherry-style" wine?

So I must ask once again...

Tapeo, where is your real Sherry?

Central Grill: A New Brazilian Restaurant in Woburn

After La Stanza Diva in Woburn shuttered its doors, there was speculation that it would only be a temporary closing but then there were signs in the windows that another restaurant would open there. But several months passed and the new place failed to open so I was unsure what was happening.  But, the restaurant has now opened. Central Grill Restaurant & Cafe is a Brazilian place, joining a host of other Brazilian restaurants in Woburn. It is a casual place, open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and oddly enough they serve a handful of Italian dishes such as Chicken Parmesan and Spaghetti with Garlic & Oil.

I recently stopped by for lunch, though will likely check out breakfast in the near future as well.  The breakfast menu is fairly complete, with plenty of egg dishes, omelets and pancakes, though you won't find waffles. The lunch and dinner menus appear to be the same with Appetizers ($7.99-$9.99), Salads ($5.99-$7.99), Fish, Chicken, Pork, and Beef Entrees ($7.99-$18.49, though most under $10), Sides, and Sandwiches. Entrees generally include several sides, such as rice, beans, salad and fries. There are plenty of grilled meats, and specialties like linguica and yuca.  

I decided to order a couple of appetizers for lunch, to get a better idea of the variety of their dishes. I started with the Camarao Alho e Oleo (Shrimp, Garlic & Oil for $9.99). Initially, I thought it might be like the Spanish dish, a plate of sizzling shrimp in a pool of oil and garlic but that was not the case. Instead, they were grilled shrimp atop lettuce and tomato. They were cooked nicely, with a strong garlic and pepper flavor. 

The Porcao Mista (Mixed meats for $8.99) comes with three grilled meats, pork (linguica), chicken and beef. They too come atop lettuce and tomato, and I also ordered a side of the Mandioca (Yuka for $3.99). This was a plentiful plate of meat and the linguica was my favorite of the three, moist with plentiful spices. The chicken was also good, small, thin and mostly tender strips but the beef was generally well done and a bit tough. The fried yuca was tasty, with a starchier consistency than fried potatoes.  

Service was excellent and attentive, and my server even explained why someone who sat down after me got their food before me. I hadn't asked her about him, but she offered anyways, stating that he had called ahead to order his lunch. It was fairly quiet in the restaurant, with only a few others dining there. It is also a new restaurant, so it is still getting the kinks out, as well as getting known to the public.

Overall, my food quality was average, though plentiful and reasonably priced, but I would like to return to see how it fares at a different time, such as during a busy dinner period.  With all of the other Brazilian restaurants in Woburn, Central Grill will need to step up its game to be more competitive. But that might come in time. I'll report back once I make a return visit.

Central Grill Restaurant & Cafe
315 Main Street
Woburn, MA
Phone: 781-281-1652

Sake Professional Course in NYC

Sake lovers step forward and prepare to learn all about this wonderful beverage.

John Gauntner, the famed Sake expert and "Sake Dendoushi" ("Sake Evangelist"), is holding his 8th Stateside Sake Professional Course in New York City from Sunday, July 2 to Tuesday, August 2, 2011. This is an educational opportunity you should not miss.

The course runs for three days and finishes with an optional exam, which if you pass will garner you a Level 1 Sake Specialist certification. The course costs $775, which includes the three days of instruction, materials, all Saké for tasting, and one shot at the exam. There are only 60 spots available for the course.

Gauntner states "The course is geared toward industry professionals wishing to expand their horizons in a thorough manner into the world of sake, and will therefore necessarily be fairly technical in nature, and admittedly somewhat intense. But the course is open to anyone with an interest in sake, and it will certainly be fun! The course lectures and tastings will begin with the utter basics and will thoroughly progress through and cover everything related to sake. There will be an emphasis on empirical experience, with plenty of exposure to a wide range of sake in the tasting sessions throughout the three days. Upwards of 90 sake will be tasted across the three days."

For reservations or inquiries, please send an email to info@sake-world.com.  With a limited amount of spaces available, I suggest acting soon if you wish to attend the class.

I attended this course last year when it was held in San Francisco and you can read my review here. In short, it was a superb class, taught by an excellent instructor and well worth attending if you love Saké. I cannot recommend this class enough.

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.
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1) Join The Beehive for “A Night in Buenos Aires” on Tuesday, June 7th, as they present the first-ever “Tango Café,” a celebration of tango music and dance featuring live performances by musicians and dancers from the Longy School of Music, as well as inspired Argentinean food and libation specials. Tango was born in the brothels of Buenos Aires and its seductive and sensual character will be on display at The Beehive.

The Beehive will be transformed into an authentic Argentinean café with the captivating and seductive sounds of The Beehive Tango Orchestra, complete with strings, keys, vocals and accordion. Professional tango dancers from the Longy School will mesmerize the crowd with sultry dance exhibitions throughout the night. Argentinean-inspired food specials and Milagro Tequila cocktail specials will be on tap as well! Boston’s queen bee, Executive Chef Rebecca Newell, will be serving traditional Argentinean cuisine such as Empanadas ($10) and Gaucho Steak with Chimichurri ($24 to $30). Dinner, including The Beehive’s regular menu, will be served from 5:30pm-1am. Live performances are from 8pm-12am. Reservations are recommended by calling (617) 423-0069.

2) Smolak Farms, located in North Andover, has partnered with Edible Boston, Gilt City Boston, Le Cordon Bleu Boston, Yelp!, Vermont Fresh Network and New England Cooks to create “Whim,” an outdoor dining experience. Unlike the typical “pop-up restaurant” Whim will be a permanent installation, hosting dinners every Wednesday night starting June 29th, and continuing on through August 24th, featuring some of New England’s best chefs.

Whim is different in several ways explains owner of Smolak Farms, Michael Smolak, “We’ve held off on doing a dining series because we wanted to offer something distinctly different. With the success of our chef demo series last year drawing over 400 people each night, we felt the audience was there, but we wanted to make sure we did something distinctly different, that would allow the chefs involved to flex their creative muscle and showcase our farm and what we do here. We have a lot of pots on the stove, no pun intended. Our guests are going to walk away with a memory from this experience and feel as if they are receiving a value,” said Smolak.

Guests of Whim at Smolak Farms will be served a three-course dinner under the stars as the chefs cook “in the rough” with only a commercial grill and a La Caja China at their disposal.  Another unique component of Whim is that each week the featured chef will be cooking for his/her own charity. Beyond dinner, guests are invited to take a post-dinner hayride through the Smolak Farms orchards as part of their $60 per person ticket price (excluding gratuity and beverages).

Each chef will be armed with culinary students from Le Cordon Bleu Boston to help them execute the dinner to an audience of 100 guests each Wednesday evening, and then we get to the reason why the restaurant is called “Whim.” The menu for Whim is only unveiled that evening and is completely vetted through the chef’s culinary filter.

For more information on “Whim” – The Restaurant at Smolak Farms please visit www.smolakfarms.com. Tickets can be purchased directly via: http://www.giltcity.com/boston/smolakfarms

Schedule:
June 29: Whim Featuring: Chef Jason Bond of Bondir Restaurant
Charity: Faith Kitchen, www.faithkitchen.org
July 6: Whim Featuring: Chef Erwin Ramos, Olé Mexican Grill
Charity: Food for Free, www.foodforfree.org
July 13: Whim Featuring: Chef Tony Bettencourt, 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar,
Charity: St. Joseph's Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, Salem, MA
July 20: Whim Featuring: Chef Richmond Edes, Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro,
Charity: Community Servings, www.servings.org
July 27: Whim Featuring: Chef Andy Husbands, Tremont 647
Charity: Share Our Strength, www.strength.org
August 3: Whim Featuring: Chef Rebecca Newell, The Beehive
Charity: The Boston Food Bank, www.gbfb.org
August 10: Whim Featuring: Chef Tom Bivins, New England Culinary Institute,
Charity: New England Culinary Institute Scholarship Fund, a 501C3
August 17: Whim Featuring: Chef Evan Mallet, Black Trumpet Bistro,
Charity: Future Chefs, www.futurechefs.net/
August 24: Whim Featuring: Chef Paul Turano, Tryst Restaurant,
Charity: Jimmy Fund Clinic, www.jimmyfund.org

INFO: $60 per person (gratuity and beverages not included). Visit: Smolakfarms.com to learn more and purchase tickets. Included in the ticket price is a 3-course dinner and hayride farm tour. Dress is casual. Beverages not included. Paired wines, beer and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. Only one menu will be presented with no substitutions. Ticket is non-refundable.