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 du Midi’s Executive Chef Robert Sisca and his team announce the debut of Chef’s Table 100, the latest addition to their upstairs dining room. Chef’s Table 100 offers exclusive open views of the Bistro du Midi kitchen and is an intimate culinary adventure. Guests can now experience off menu dishes and techniques of modern Provençal cuisine. “I am delighted to unveil Chef’s Table 100 for guests of Bistro du Midi,” says Executive Chef/Partner Robert Sisca. “This new addition to our dining room allows me to interact with guests in a more intimate setting while presenting tasting menus comprised of new techniques and modern Provençal ingredient-driven creations.”

Chef’s Table 100 features both five and seven course tasting menus that are curated to satisfy the most discerning gastronome. The tasting menus showcase Chef Robert Sisca’s latest culinary muses. The Tour de Cinq is the five course tasting menu, priced at $85 per person. The Tour de Sept is the seven course tasting menu which includes additional courses of fresh pasta and foie gras, priced at $115 per person. More adventurous gourmands can elect to add additional courses such as a cheese selection ($15/person) and seasonal freshly shaved truffles ($50/person). The Tour de Cinq and Tour de Sept tasting menus allow guests to experience menu items not yet available on the regular Bistro du Midi menu, and those which utilize techniques that Chef Robert Sisca has most recently perfected such as smoked Beau Soleil oysters, grilled Spanish octopus with eggplant caviar, and lobster and corn chowder cappuccino.

Chef Robert Sisca can also craft a menu to accommodate the dietary requirements and allergies of his guests. Additionally, Head Sommelier Todd Lipman plays an integral role in the Chef’s Table 100 adventure as he tailors the beverage experience closely with the desires of his guests. Chef Robert Sisca also provides guests with personalized take home menus to commemorate their time at Chef’s Table 100. Reservations at Chef’s Table 100 are available nightly and can accommodate two to four guests by reservation only.

For reservations, please call 617-426-7878.

2) Beverage Manager John Mayer and the staff from Local 149 kick off their annual Tiki Week on Monday, August 19 to Sunday, August 25. Local 149 invites guests to celebrate the warm weather with a tropical experience accompanied by lively entertainment, karaoke, trivia, Polynesian dishes, umbrella drinks and tiki torches. Throughout the week, guests can sip on lively libations such as: My oh Mai-Tai, Singapore Sling, Painkiller and Dave’s Doctor Funk. To accompany the tropical drinks, Local 149 will be offering additional themed items like Malaysian Wings, Crab Avocado Salad, Coconut Panna Cotta and Hawaiian Pizza with Banana Peppers.

Below is a listing of the specialty dishes Local 149 will showcase for each day of the week:
Monday: Lamb Burger with Grilled Pineapple
Tuesday: Tuna Poke with Macadamia Nuts (addition)
Wednesday: Spam Porchetta
Thursday: Spam Wellington with Maraschino Cherry Stuffing
Friday: Tiki Tacos
Saturday: Hawaiian Gnocchi
Sunday: Pig Roast

Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant directly at 617-269-0900.

3) On September 10, from 6pm-9:30pm, the East Broadway Foodie Crawl will open the doors of fifteen local establishments in Somerville to allow ticket holders to taste their way through the East Broadway Business District. The District has restaurants from Vinny’s Restaurant, a Sicilian mecca, to Fasika Ethiopian, for authentic Ethiopian.

East Somerville Main Streets led 1,000 people on this cultural crawl last year – and this year promises to be even better with not only tasty bites but entertainment along the way. The 2013 crawl will include performances by professional magician Matias Legier, on site caricatures from Alejandro Yegros, and free local restaurant guides from Shape Up Somerville. And the event has a mission to boot. East Somerville Main Streets is committed to building a safe, sustainable and prosperous multicultural community by developing a vibrant business district at the neighborhood’s heart – all proceeds from the event will forward this goal.

Topping off this tasty affair are three after parties with local desserts and live music. Other local businesses including local Mezzo Design Lofts, Assembly Row and the Holiday Inn will be on site as well. Crawlers can check out Assembly Row’s portable “MBTA car,” which marks the addition of an orange line T stop to the area, and tastes from the Holiday Inn’s new DRAFT restaurant.

Tickets for the Foodie Crawl are on sale now here. You can buy them for $20 online and $25 at the door if there are still tickets.

4) On Saturday, August 31, from 1pm-5pm, the Wine Connextion invites everyone to celebrate a Summer End Bash, sipping on warm-weather wines while snacking on pulled pork BBQ sandwiches. Guests will be able to taste a selection of wines that will not only compliment a variety of budgets but are sure to please a range of palates. As always, the Wine ConneXtion’s weekly tastings are complimentary.

5) 29 Sudbury, located west of Boston, is now open! A collaboration between Greg Hill and Evan Deluty, 29 Sudbury serves Chef Deluty’s award-winning modern American cuisine with Italian influences (think: fresh pastas, coal-fired pizzas, and an all-local raw bar) in a bi-level space that blends modern finishes with historical elements in a style dubbed “funky colonial.”

“Having been a lifelong resident of Stow, it’s always been my dream to open a restaurant nearby that perfectly replicates the Boston dining experience – but without the hassle of driving into the city,” says Managing Partner Greg Hill. “From Evan’s menu, to the craft cocktail program, local beer selection, unparalleled wine list, and sophisticated, yet casual design of the space, we’ve done just that.”

Executive Chef Evan Deluty, chef/owner of Stella, infuses his modern American menu of appetizers, salads, coal-fired pizza, and entrees with Italian flavors and preparations. In addition to a raw bar featuring all local seafood, crustaceans, and mollusks, the menu at 29 Sudbury includes the following sampling of dishes:
· Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts with Country Mustard Remoulade
· Lemon Arancini with Spicy Tomato · Local Sausage Pizza with Banana Peppers and Fresh Mozzarella
· Rigatoni Bolognese with Reggiano (a Stella staple)
· Linguine, Asparagus Cream, Poached Egg, Truffle, Thyme
· Pork Milanese with Pomodoro, Buffalo Mozzarella, and Basil Oil
· Swordfish “Siciliano” with Capers, Red Onion, and Roasted Potato

Deluty says. “We’re excited to work with local producers like Erickson’s Dairy in Maynard, who are producing tiramisu ice crean exclusively for 29 Sudbury’s dessert menu.”

29 Sudbury’s beverage program looks to local, handmade ingredients and producers. Classic cocktails like the Moscow Mule served in a copper mug are offered alongside signature creations like the Blueberry Collins (Cold River Blueberry Organic Vodka from Maine, fresh lemon, soda) and the 29 International (Elderflower Liqueur, Aperol, Prosecco). The wine list, which includes bottles from both Old and New Worlds, features more than 25 varietals by the glass and more than 100 by the bottle. The beer selection offers domestic and imported bottles, drafts, cans, and large-format bottles.

29 Sudbury is now open for dinner and drinks daily, 4pm-1am. Lunch and weekend brunch to begin this fall.