Rant: Bistro 5 & Respect For Older Restaurants

Next month, Bistro 5, a superb Italian restaurant located in Medford, turns 19 years old. It came to mind recently as I once again recommended it to some friends. I first dined at Bistro 5 back in August 2008, and it was an impressive first experience. During the last ten years, I've dined multiple times at Bistro 5, including at wine dinners, chef tasting menus, during their heirloom tomato festival, during their truffle season, and more. The restaurant is consistently excellent, and that is one of the main reasons the restaurant has lasted so long. Consistency is a significant element of restaurant greatness.

Chef Vittorio Ettore, of Bistro 5, is a culinary master, creative and passionate. However, he and his restaurant don't seem to get sufficient attention from the press. On social media, they are infrequently mentioned. As I've said before, new restaurants get the lion's share of publicity from food writers, reviewers and on social media. There is often a frenzy to be one of the first to review a new restaurant, and with so many restaurants opening all the time, writers don't lack for material. However, that means they give little, if any, attention to restaurants that have been open for years. That needs to change.

I've written about this issue before, first back in 2014, and it is an issue that should be raised time and time again, to continue to bring attention to this matter, as a regular reminder to people. Many older restaurants were reviewed years ago but often haven't received an updated review in a very long time, if at all. During those years, so much can change, sometimes for the positive and sometimes for the negative. Since Bistro 5 opened, there is now a whole new generation, and many of them may never have heard of Bistro 5. Consumers shouldn't have to rely on a 10 year old review to judge a restaurant. Some of these older restaurants are worthy of a new review, to ensure people know that it remains a quality restaurant.

Last year,  Patrick Maguire, of I'm Your Server Not Your Servant, posted on Facebook, offering a Challenge to "list Boston area restaurants that have stood the test of time (15 year minimum) that you genuinely love, appreciate, respect, and to state why, devoid of any selfish motive." His post received a substantial number of responses, giving love to those older, worthy restaurants which may not often receive sufficient attention from food writers. It was fascinating to see the number of restaurants which actually have stood the test of time, lasting at least 15 years. That is a huge accomplishment in the restaurant industry.

These restaurants have survived so long for a reason and they should receive additional attention from time to time, to ensure people don't forget them. Every month, a significant number of restaurants close, indicative of the toughness of the restaurant industry. Those that can survive the test of time often deserve our respect and attention, and we need to ensure they are not forgotten. We need to write more about these older restaurants, to continue to highlight their quality. Any worthy writer can find an angle concerning these older restaurants. Don't just be dazzled by the new, restaurants that might not even survive a year. On social media, people need to talk about these older, but worthy, restaurants.

If you haven't dined at Bistro 5 yet, then get there ASAP. Go for their Tuesday evening $1 oysters or their Thursday night Burger special. Check out their A la Carte Menu, for items like Smoked Scallop Agnolotti or Veal Milanese, or be adventurous and opt for the Chef's Tasting Menu, three or five courses. In addition, keep an eye out for their special events, especially seasonal ones like Heirloom Tomatoes and Truffles. Learn why Chef Vittorio Ettore is one of the most talented chefs you might not know.

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events.
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1) As part of Branch Line’s focus on staff training and education, the restaurant has created an all-staff project titled, “BYOR,” or “Build Your Own Restaurant.” Dividing the entire staff in half, each team has been tasked with designing a restaurant from scratch (name, concept, menu, lighting, etc.) and now they get to actually open their creation to the public in the Branch Line space:

On Tuesday, April 10, from 3pm-6pm, Mulberry Wine Bar opens, serving up wood-fired fare and domestic wine & beer in a communal dining format. Focusing on shareability, the menu includes Vegetable Chips & Dip Duo (sweet potato & taro chips with smoked herb hummus & spring garlic ranch), Fire-Roasted Radishes (herbed ricotta, sea salt) and a Meat & Cheese plate (Moody’s Chorizo Seco, Formaggio’s Tongue & Cheek Terrine, Rogue River Blue, XO Gouda, crostini). For those on the hungrier side, Mulberry also offers a Commander Rodman’s Burger (brie, mushroom jam, smoked garlic aioli). Playful beverage offerings, such as rosé in a can and Notch Brewery’s Zwickel, exude the restaurant’s convivial atmosphere.

On Wednesday, April 11, from 8am-11am, The Early Bird Café opens, focusing on lighthearted hospitality and local ingredients. A counter-service fast-casual café, guests have the option to either grab their food to-go or enjoy it leisurely at a table. Early Bird Café’s menu features made-to-order breakfast items and creative beverages. Food highlights include Brûléed Grapefruit, Toastie (warm house made roll filled with gruyere and ham) and a Stone & Skillet Breakfast Sandwich (scrambled eggs, cheddar, choice of bacon, house made chorizo or avocado). To drink, enjoy creative refreshments such as Sparkling Hibiscus Iced Tea, Lavender Honey Ice Coffee and Black Current White Chocolate Mocha. Misfit Juice, Capito Hot Coffee and Capita Iced Coffee round out the offerings.

2) Viale, in Central Square Cambridge, is proud to announce "Whole Lotta Love," the next 'Get Down' in an ongoing dinner party series. The event on Thursday, April 12, from 5pm-10pm, will feature dinner specials from a whole pig butchered by Ron Savenor from Savenor's Market, beers from Jack's Abby, and Led Zeppelin playlist from Murf Reeves Music. The event (open to restaurant industry and the public) will be a casual, fun night to hang out for a few drinks, snacks, and some great tunes. No advance purchase required.

"Whole Pig Get Down" Menu:
~Pork and Beans with Corn Bread, Black Strap Rum & Jack's Abby IPL
~Head Cheese
~Viale Hot Dog with Comte, Mustard & BBQ chips
~Pork Rinds with Togarashi & Yuzu Aioli
~Roast Pork and Rabe Sandwich with Aged Provolone

Reservations recommended to guarantee seating. Please call Viale for reservations: 617-576-1900.

3) As of March 26th, Airbnb Experiences –activities hosted by in-the-know locals– officially launched in Boston. The Food Lens, a curated guide to Boston’s dining scene, is proud to partner with both Airbnb and featured TFL Spot, The Hawthorne, to host a signature experience: Classic Cocktails and How to Mix ‘Em.

The two-hour, Monday-evening classes will include hands-on instruction for building three drinks, as well as an overview of each drink’s history, ingredients, tools and techniques. Guests will also enjoy light bites and leave with recipe cards enabling them to recreate the cocktails at home. Classic Cocktails and How to Mix ‘Em encourages tipplers to stir and sip their way to memories sure to last a lifetime.

Upcoming Classes:
Monday, April 9th 6-8PM
Monday, April 23rd 6-8PM
Monday, May 7th 6-8PM
Monday, May 21st 6-8PM
Monday, May 28th 6-8PM

Cost: $65
To Book: Airbnb users can book their experience by clicking here

4) On Tuesday, April 10, at 6:30pm, Legal Harborside will host a four-plus-course wine dinner with selections from Mauritson Wines, an evolving portfolio of world-class wines. Family owned and operating since 1868, the Mauritson’s homestead is situated in Sonoma County’s Dry Creek Valley and today manages hundreds of vineyards stretching across Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Rockpile Appellations.

In 1998, sixth-generation owner Clay Mauritson perfected and released the original Mauritson Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel, creating the first wine to be made under the family’s label. Destined for the wine business, Clay and his team continue to carry out his family’s traditions and heritage nearly 150 years later, producing some of the most sought out wines in the industry.

Legal Harborside will team up with the wine expert to host an exclusive four-plus-course dinner featuring a selection of Mauritson Wines. The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Smoked Scallop Mousse, Chive Blossoms
Oyster on the Half Shell, Key Lime Granita
Salmon Tartare, Tomato Caper Relish
Mauritson Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, 2016
FIRST COURSE
Pan-Seared Branzino (cherry chutney, english pea purée, wild mushroom ragout)
Charlie Clay Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2015
Charlie Clay Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2016
SECOND COURSE
Bluefin Tuna Steak (espresso rub, wild berry bbq sauce, braised pea greens)
Mauritson “Rockpile Ridge Vineyard” Zinfandel, Rockpile, 2014
Mauritson “Rockpile Ridge Vineyard” Zinfandel, Rockpile, 2009
MAIN COURSE
Herb-Rubbed Venison Rack (warm spring bean salad, minus-8 beet emulsion, heirloom carrots)
Mauritson “Clough” Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, 2012
Mauritson “Clough” Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, 2009
DESSERT
Chocolate Hazelnut Napoleon (fresh raspberries)
Rockpile “Independence,” Rockpile, 2014

COST: $125 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9397

Momi Nonmi: Onigiri to Loco Moco

If you find yourself around Inman Square, Cambridge, you have a number of excellent restaurant options, from Bisq to Puritan & Co. If you're seeking Japanese cuisine, your top choice is definitely Momi Nomni, which has been open for nearly six months. Owned by Chef Chris Chung, formerly of AKA Bistro and Uni, Momi Nonmi is intended to be a casual izakaya, with some Hawaiian accents. My initial experience here was stellar, a special omakase dinner, and I knew I had to return again to check out more of their offerings. 

When I recently found myself in the neighborhood, and craving something to eat, I stopped by Momi Nonmi and sat at their small bar, for a few small plates and Sake. Momi Nomi is an excellent Sake destination, and their passionate Sake sommelier, Stephen Connolly, can help you select some excellent choices to accompany your food. 

Please note that this is more of a highlight than a full review, as I was primarily there just to enjoy the cuisine. My experience continued to solidify my belief that this is a superb restaurant, well worthy of more attention. It earns my highest recommendation. 

I opted for a couple Specials of the evening, including the Kalua Pork Onigiri. This Hawaiian style dish is a take on Japanese onigiri, with plenty of tender and savory pork slices, atop a triangle of rice, and topped with intriguing ingredients which elevated the complexity and tastiness of the dish. Plus, it looked aesthetically pleasing, a tower of deliciousness.

For pure decadence, it would be tough to beat the other Special, the Toro & Foie Onigiri. The silky foie was pure bliss in my mouth, and a fine accompaniment to the silky tuna, with its caramelized coating adding some crunchy texture to the dish. With the nori at the base, you could use it to wrap up the dish to make your own kind of version of a maki roll. Everything was prepared well and the richness was a delight, and brief out for Sake.

The decadence continued though, with a complementary dish of their A5 Wagyu Tataki. Initially, this dish presented a bright acidity with citrus, a little crunch from the greens, and then I reached the thinly-sliced, silky Wagyu which basically melts on your tongue. For beef lovers, it doesn't get much better than this Wagyu, and the tataki was a great choice to showcase the beef. Simple but powerful in its application.

Finally, I opted for more of a comfort food dish, the Teppanyaki Loco Moco, which is composed of a bed of rice, topped by a grilled grass-fed beef patty and a fried egg. Tableside, a sizzling gravy is then added to the dish. Wow, this would be the perfect hangover food! The rich and savory gravy was a superb addition to this dish, enhancing the flavor of the beef and egg. The yolk also added its own richness to the dish, and eating the gravy soaked rice was pure pleasure. I certainly didn't need or want a bun for this burger. You probably wouldn't expect to find a burger here, but you need to check it out as I bet you'll place it on your list of some of the best burgers in the Boston+ area.

As you can see, Momi Nonmi is producing some amazing dishes, with creativity and a great melange of flavors and textures. Head there for lunch or dinner, or one of their special events. You won't be disappointed.

SENA18: The Seafood Expo (Part 3)

What were some of the most interesting seafood products that I found at the 2018 Seafood Expo North America (SENA)?

I previously wrote about some of the most interesting seafood products I found at SENA and I'm back to describe more impressive foods, as well as highlighting a few of the chefs who were preparing delicious seafood dishes.

The Boston Smoked Fish Co. may be the only smoked seafood company in the Boston area. The founders, Chris Avery and Matt Baumann, began in 2013 by experimenting with a home smoker and a myriad of varied brine recipes, different fish and various hardwoods. They now use local seafood, various herbs and spices, and then smoke it in small batches. You can find their products at the Boston Public Market and assorted local grocery stores. I tasted several of their different products and all of them were delicious and flavorful, highly recommended.

Some of the products you'll find include: Simply Smoked Salmon (Norwegian Atlantic Salmon) for $8.99/4 oz, Smoked Wild Haddock (line caught haddock from Georges Bank) for $8.99/4 oz, Smoked Salmon Pate for $8.99/6 oz, Smoked Salmon Bacon for $8.99/3 oz, and Smoked Bluefish Pate (Cape Cod bluefish smoked over hickory hardwood) for $8.99/6 oz.

There were samples of their Smoked Salmon Bacon and it was a rich and smoky treat. They use salmon belly for the bacon as the belly is thinner, with more fat, and takes to the smoking better. I could have easily consumed all of these compelling samples, loving the bacony salmon taste.

Simple and tasty smoked salmon.

Both the Smoked Bluefish and Salmon Pates were delicious, presenting a creamy and complex taste, with a smoky kick as well as the richness of the seafood and nicely balanced spices. These would create impressive appetizers for a party, or just for a dinner for two.

Seek out Boston Smoked Fish Co. for their locally sourced seafood products!

At the Japanese Pavilion, I stopped at the Banjo Foods booth, drawn to the large advertisement for "Sweet Miso Wasabi." The company was established in 1952, in the prefecture of Shizuoka, and produced wasabi powder. Over time, they have expanded their production to include wasabi paste, ginger paste, eel sauce, salad dressings and more. Wasabi remains a dominant ingredient in most of their products. Wasabi and horseradish are both plants of the Brassicaceae family though much of the "wasabi" you see at local Asian restaurants is primarily horseradish, with little, if any, actual wasabi. You'll usually see actual wasabi grated, with sharkskin, tableside atop your sushi or other dish.

The Sweet Miso Wasabi is a sauce/condiment created by a blend of coarsely grated wasabi (from the stem) sourced from Shizuoka, horse radish and Shinshu (yellow) miso. It is gluten free, and doesn't contain any MSG or artificial colorings. I very much enjoyed enjoyed its rich and complex flavors, the intriguing blend of spicy heat, sweetness, and saltiness. This is a versatile item, which can be used as a condiment atop sushi, or as a dip, sauce, or spread. This could be used with many type of protein, from seafood to beef, chicken to pork. I have some of the Sweet Miso Wasabi and look forward to experimenting with it. Highly recommended!

Basically every bit of the wasabi plant is edible and Banjo Foods also makes a Chopped Wasabi Stalk, another type of sauce/condiment which is made from 100% wasabi stalks from the Shizuoka prefecture. It has a predominantly spicy taste with herbal accents, a pleasant complexity. It too is versatile and they even recommend mixing it with cream cheese or mayo.

Besides the various seafood products at SENA, there were numerous other booths showcasing other elements of the seafood industry. The City of Gloucester has had a booth at numerous Seafood Expos, showcasing the famed fishing community, local seafood, and sustainability. This year, their booth also created a Monkfish Stew for sampling.

To promote their community, they created an initiative, Gloucester Fresh, noting that: "Gloucester is a fishing town with both triumph and loss. Seafaring and fishing have always been, and will continue to be, a very dangerous undertaking. Gloucester, Massachusetts has lost more than 10,000 fishermen to the sea since its founding almost 400 years ago." I've long advocated that Americans should eat more local seafood and Gloucester is certainly an excellent source for such fish.

Gloucester Fresh has long tried to promote using more seafood species than just the usual suspects. This year, they chose the Monkfish, which some think is one of the ugliest fish in the sea, with its big head, beady little eyes, and huge mouth filled with lots of sharp teeth. The North Atlantic is one of the main regions where monkfish are harvested. Looking past its appearance, the Monkfish has delicious meat, with some calling it a "poorman's lobster." Commonly, the tail meat is used, a lean, mild-tasting white meat, though the cheeks and liver are eaten as well. The tail meat doesn't flake like a cod, but is more firm like a scallop or lobster. It is sustainably harvested and can be bought relatively inexpensively.

Cooks acquired from Snapchef, a large culinary training and staffing company located in New England, created the Monkfish Stew.

The stew was made from chunks of monkfish, onions, celery, carrots, tomato sauce, oil, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh parsley, which was poured over white rice. With a spicy kick, the stew was tasty, with plenty of tender, and slightly sweet, pieces of monkfish. It is the type of stew that any seafood lover would enjoy, and which would also convince people that monkfish is a delicious seafood that they should be eating.

There was a celebrity chef at SENA too, Robyn Almovodar, who has been a contestant on two seasons of Hell's Kitchen, as well as episodes of Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen (winning both episodes). I got to taste a couple dishes she prepared, including a Spicy Tuna Poke and a Seared Tuna with Ponzu Sauce, and I was impressed with the blend of flavors in each dish.

Rant: Buying Wine On Vacation

Spring is in the air, and though hopefully the weather will continue to improve, there still is a chance of snow during the next month or so. However, this is also the time when people begin considering their plans for a summer vacation, from a simple weekend getaway to a longer two week trip. You might even be planning multiple vacations, to different destinations.

I strongly recommend that you include wine into your plans, such as visiting a winery or sampling different wines at dinner. There are wineries in all fifty states, and the quality of that wines continues to improve. There are approximately 10,000 wine producers across the U.S. You probably didn't know that Massachusetts alone has about 67 wine producers. Why not include a winery visit wherever you travel? If you travel internationally, you'll likely find plenty of wineries too in many different countries.

Sipping a glass of wine, while sitting outside and viewing the vineyards where the grapes came from, can be a superb experience. The same can be said for drinking wine with the wine maker, or sipping some while deep within a wine cellar, surrounded by barrels of aging wine. These are special experiences which you will long treasure, and it might cause you to purchase wines to take home with you. I encourage you to buy wine on vacation, however I must provide a caveat, a warning that you might not otherwise hear.

If you find an impressive wine on your vacation, a wine that thrills your senses, which makes everything seem better, you need to understand that it might not taste the same when you get it home. It may not be as impressive or taste as good. Yes, it will be the same wine that you drank on vacation, but the taste may differ. Many people have eventually come to this truth, though they often don't fully understand the reason behind the transformation.

It is actually simple. Your experience of a wine depends in large part on the circumstances surrounding your tasting of that wine. When you are on vacation, awed by your surroundings, thrilled by new experiences, wine may tend to taste better. You are already in a great mood, with a thrilling ambiance, so you elevate all of the elements of that experience, including the wine. Wine also tastes better with the presence of good friends, or even new acquaintances who assist in making your trip even better. You might be at dinner, sitting on a patio overlooking majestic mountains, and your wine might taste wonderful because you love the setting so much. Conversely, a bad vacation experience can make wine taste worse.

So, if you buy wine while on vacation and bring it home, you will have a different set of circumstances when you eventually drink it, which will affect your perceived taste of that wine. That doesn't mean you shouldn't buy wine on vacation. You just need to understand how your surroundings affect the taste of your wine, and maybe lower your expectations of how that wine might taste at home. It will likely still taste delicious, but it may not seem as transcendent as it did on vacation. Or you can provide a better set of circumstances when you finally drink that wine at home, trying to elevate everything. For example, share the bottle with some great friends, and reminisce about your vacation experience.