Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting wine and food items that are upcoming. **********************************************************
1) This January, do good and eat well by dining at numerous top restaurants during The Greater Boston Food Bank’s (GBFB) 33rd annual Super Hunger Brunch. With a growing list of nearly 20 restaurants, diners can choose sweet and savory dishes from menus designed especially for Super Hunger Brunch weekend, January 24th – 25th. Prices are set at $25, $35 and $50 per person and for every dollar spent, three nutritious meals will be provided to our neighbors in need.

According to Catherine D’Amato, GBFB President and Chief Executive Officer, members of the food and hospitality industries are among the hunger-relief organization’s most generous and dedicated benefactors. “The food community has always come together in support of The Greater Boston Food Bank. At this time of year in particular, everyone from chefs and servers to farmers and purveyors contribute to the success of our Super Hunger Brunch fundraiser. We appreciate their willingness to help us end hunger here in eastern Massachusetts.”

In 2014, over 1,800 people participated in Super Hunger Brunch, raising enough funds to provide 219,000 meals to men, women, children, families, college students, senior citizens and veterans in 190 cities and towns throughout eastern Massachusetts.

Chefs Jody Adams of Rialto and Trade, Gordon Hamersley, Mary Dumont of Harvest Restaurant, Andy Husbands of Tremont 647 and Sister Sorel, Tony Maws of Craigie on Main and Kirkland Tap & Trotter, Frank McClelland of New France, Ming Tsai of Blue Ginger and Blue Dragon and Brooke Vosika of The Bristol Lounge at Four Seasons Hotel Boston are longtime champions of The Greater Boston Food Bank and serve on the Super Hunger Brunch Culinary Committee.

Participating restaurants include:
· Burtons Grill of Burlington
· Kirkland Tap & Trotter
· Blue Ginger
· Nix's Ten Center
· Precinct Kitchen + Bar
· Grill 23 & Bar
· 80 Thoreau
· Craigie on Main
· La Morra
· Post 390 Restaurant
· Rialto
· Stella Restaurant
· Dillon’s
· Michael’s Harborside
· The Fireplace
· Tosca

Generous in-kind donations have been provided by Cabot, Backyard Farms, Broccoli Associates, Inc., Carol’s Organic Eggs, Costa Fruit & Produce Company, Dragone, Cold River Vodka, Garelick Farms and Ripe.

For more information about the 2014 Super Hunger Brunch and for advanced ticketing, visit http://www.gbfb.org/superhungerbrunch/. To view menus and make reservations visit the websites of participating restaurants.

2) On Wednesday, January 28, at 6:30pm,, Legal Sea Foods in Park Square will host a wine dinner with selections from Buehler Vineyards. Founded in 1971, Buehler is a small, family-oriented winery located in the mountains east of St. Helena in the heart of Napa Valley. Situated north of Pritchard Hill and Conn Valley, near the base of Howell Mountain, the hillside vineyards primarily produce Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel varietals. Buehler combines extensive experience, minimalist winemaking techniques and meticulous practices which produces complex wines with depth for wine lovers at an affordable price point.

Legal Sea Foods will team up with Owner, John Buehler, to host an exclusive four-plus-course dinner featuring signature cuisine paired with his selections from the Buehler vine. The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Scallop Mousse, Brioche Toast Points
Crab, Spinach Spanakopita
Warm Buttered Langoustine, Romano Tart
FIRST COURSE
Lemon Butter Poached Grey Sole Rollatini (Baby Mache Salad, Asian Pear Vinaigrette)
Buehler Vineyards Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, 2013
SECOND COURSE
Gorgonzola Encrusted Tuna Steak (Mushroom Risotto Cake, Mission Fig Compote)
Buehler Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2012
THIRD COURSE
Barbacoa Braised Short Ribs (Yukon Gold & Aged Cheddar Mashed Potato, Grilled Portobello Mushroom)
Buehler Vineyards “Estate” Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, 2012
CHEESE COURSE
Vermont Dandy, Tarentaise, Smith’s Cave-Aged Gouda (Spiced Walnuts, Pomegranate Compote, Grilled Francese)
Buehler Vineyards Zinfandel, Napa Valley, 2012

COST: $75 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9397

3) In honor of National Soup Month, Legal Sea Foods will be declaring January 15 as “Chowda Day.” Available at all Legal Sea Foods locations during normal operating hours, $1 cups of their signature New England Clam Chowder will be served up with the purchase of an entrée. Legal Sea Foods’ iconic clam chowder recipe has been dished out at every Presidential Inauguration since 1981.

If you can’t make it into Legal Sea Foods, their online fish market will be offering a quart of clam chowder for the special price of $11 on January 15. The clam chowder can be shipped anywhere in the continental US overnight and regularly retails for $21.95. A taste of New England is never far away.