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) Bistro 5, in Medford, is holding their 6th Annual "Heirloom Tomato Celebration" throughout the month of September. As of Thursday, September 1, they will be presenting a Farmer's Market Tasting Menu that is an Ode to Tomatoes, "which even Pablo Neruda would be proud of." I have been to a few of their prior Tomato Celebrations and the meals have been amazing so this is a don't miss dinner.

"...inexhaustible, 
populates the salads of Chile, happily, it is wed to the clear onion,
and to celebrate the union
we pour oil, essential child of the olive..."
Poet Pablo Neruda, Ode to Tomatoes

*This menu is subject to change based on ingredients availability and chef inspiration on a daily basis.

Lobster Bisque
Constoluto Genovese Tomato Bisque, Saffron Bubbles, Chorizo Bits and Brioche Croutons
2010 Domaine Félines Jourdan, Picpoul de Pinet, Languedoc

Fried Green Tomatoes
Green Zebra Tomatoes, Panko-Coated, with Buffalo Mozzarella and Opal Basil Pesto
2010 Santa Maria La Palma, Aragosta, Vermentino, Sardegna

Heirloom Tomato Risotto
Black Plum and Pineapple Tomatoes, Goat Cheese and Crispy Prosciutto
2008 Michele Chiarlo, Barbera d'Asti, Peidmonte

Duck Breast
Smoked Speckled Roman Tomato Brulee, Sweet and Sour Kuri Squash, Thai Basil and Pickled Ginger
2007 A Mano, Primitivo, Puglia

Tomato...Sweet Tomato
Organic Peach Tomato Napoleon, Basil Yogurt Gelato,Vanilla Bean Crème Anglaise and Sweet Pistachio Pesto
2010 Elio Perrone, Bigarò, Brachetto d'Aqui

Tasting Menu
Five Course: $65 per person
Three Course: $45 per person

Wine Pairing
Five Course: $25 per person
Three Course: $20 per person

2) Legal Sea Foods is holding an Oyster Festival from September 19 to October 16.  “Our oyster bars are a hallmark of our restaurants,” observed Roger Berkowitz, President and CEO of Legal Sea Foods. “And no longer should oysters be just the favorites of gastronomes. We want to educate all our guests and encourage experimentation. We’d like everyone to share the belief of the idiomatic saying, ‘the world is your oyster.’”

Special events will be held at various Legal locations and will include: Shellfish Shindig, a ‘shuckout’ of $1 oysters at Charles Square’s vast outdoor Terrace Bar—let the shucking begin on September 25 from 2pm – 4pm (a la carte pricing); Sip Slurp and Sup, a trio of oyster-friendly wines paired with seasonal bites hosted in the Park Square location’s 10,000 bottle wine cellar on September 27 at 6:30pm ($35 per person); Oyster ‘Brew’haha, a four-course oyster and craft beer tasting hosted by Craig Corthell from Craft Brewers Guild at the Copley Square location on October 12 at 6:30pm ($65 per person); and, the grand finale event, Bivalves and Bubbles, an oysters-and-champagne pairing gala featuring eight different varieties of oysters and other specials hosted at the roof deck of Legal Harborside on October 15 from 12pm – 2am ($80 per person). For tickets and more information on each of the events, please visit www.legalseafoods.com.

All Massachusetts Legal Sea Foods locations will also feature a series of rotating in-restaurant specials including items such as: oyster stew; pickled oysters; oysters and bacon on melted leek sriracha toast; smoked oyster spread; Oysters Legal; fried oysters with cassia salt and lime; oyster and andouille sausage jamabalya; oyster po’ boy; and, carpetbagger steak and oyster, mushroom and spinach pie with green salad. Guests are encouraged to toast the festivities with White Sangria, the featured drink throughout the promotion, which features bright, lemony and floral flavors to pair with oysters.

3) From September 12-17, Turner Fisheries will donate 10% of all sales to Newton-Wellesley Hospital to help support its mission of providing the Boston Metro-West community with a wide range of services including medical, surgical, obstetrical, orthopaedic, neonatal, pediatric, cancer, bariatric, emergency and psychiatric care. In addition, 10% of the proceeds from any private events booked in one of Turner Fisheries’ private dining rooms throughout the month of September will also be donated to the Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Simply enter the promo code “NWH” when booking your event to contribute to this great cause. This effort is part of Turner Fisheries’ 2011 Charitable Giving Campaign in which the restaurant will support deserving local charities and organizations throughout the course of the year.

Newton-Wellesley Hospital (NWH) is a full system member of Partners HealthCare, a nonprofit organization that includes acute care hospitals Massachusetts General Hospital, Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals, North Shore Medical Center, and specialty hospitals McLean Hospital and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, as well as Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, Partners HealthCare at Home, and the community-based doctors and hospitals of Partners Community HealthCare, Inc. Newton-Wellesley has been serving its community for over 130 years and provides a wide range of services, including medical, surgical, obstetrical, orthopaedic, neonatal, pediatric, cancer, bariatric, emergency and psychiatric care. The medical staff of the Hospital includes nearly 1,000 physicians practicing a full range of specialties. NWH is a major teaching hospital for Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School residents.