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.. **********************************************************
1) The 11th annual event A Taste of Ginger will be held on Monday, March 23, from 6:30-9:30pm, in the beautiful Art of the Americas Wing at the Museum of Fine Arts, with a goal of raising over $300,000 for Joslin Diabetes Center’s Asian American Diabetes Initiative (AADI). The AADI works to enhance the quality of life and health outcomes for the rising number of Asian Americans living with diabetes, and also collaborates with Joslin as they work to find a cure.

Each year, the event draws hundreds of supporters and foodies who gather to enjoy a lively evening, which includes the opportunity to meet and taste the cuisine of Boston’s most celebrated chefs, including Joanne Chang, Jasper White and Jacky Robert amidst the beauty of the MFA.

Jennifer K. Sun, MD, MPH will be honored for her contributions to the AADI’s mission and her active role within the Asian American community. Dr. Sun is an Ophthalmologist at Beetham Eye Institute, an Investigator in the Section on Vascular Biology at Joslin Diabetes Center, and an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School.

The event will be co-chaired by C. Richard and Deborah Carlson as well as Wesley and Summer Chen; WHDH-TV, Ch. 7’s Janet Wu will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies.

Tickets are $250 per guest, and can be purchased online at: www.joslin.org/ginger.html

2) Puritan & Co. Chef/Owner Will Gilson and his talented team pay homage to Italy’s Hillside Vineyards of Northern Italy in the next installation of “Wine Wednesdays”. Puritan & Company offers guests a taste of Northern Italy which includes a multi-course dinner prepared by Chefs Will Gilson, Alex Saenz and their talented culinary team. The Northern Italy wine dinner is $95 per guest and reservations are required. The hillside vineyards in northern Italy produce wines of considerable charm and complexity due to the altitude and cooler temperatures. This month’s wine dinner will focus on three producers operating under these extremes.

The selections featured are:
2012 Guglierame Ormeasco Sciac-Trà, Liguria
2012 Guglierame Ormeasco di Pornassio, Liguria
2013 Furlani Bianco Alpino, Trentino
2013 Furlani Rosso Alpino, Trentino
2012 Diego Curtaz “Dï Meun,” Val d’Aosta
2012 Diego Curtaz Torrette, Val d’Aosta

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4; Arrival is 6:45pm and Wine Dinner starts at 7:00pm
For reservations, please call (617)-615-6195

3) As I've said before, you should patronize local restaurants, many who have been negatively affected by our snowy winter, Dine Out Boston, hosted by the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau (GBCVB), begins Sunday, March 1 and runs through Friday, March 6, as well as Sunday, March 8 through Friday, March 13. Dine Out Boston features a flexible pricing structure for restaurant owners and guests, alike. Restaurants have the ability to customize their lunch and dinner menus by choosing to offer lunch for $15, $20 or $25 and dinner for $28, $33 or $38. Additionally, restaurants can offer as many courses as they desire at their selected price.

Since 2008, the GBCVB has used this dining program to give back to a different local Boston charity each year. To date, over $300,000 has been raised for charities through the online auction component of DOB. The charitable partner for March 2015 is ArtsBoston, Inc. Gift Certificates provided by participating restaurants will be up for auction starting March 2, with all proceeds benefitting ArtsBoston.

This March, they also invite social media enthusiasts to share their Dine Out Boston experiences and qualify to win a $100 Gift Card to a participating restaurant. Simply take a picture of your meal, tag your location, and then share over Facebook or Instagram using #DineOutBoston. The GBCVB will award two gift cards per day, one over Facebook and one over Instagram.

For more information please visit www.DineOutBoston.com. Check out Dine Out Boston on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dineoutboston, Twitter at www.twitter.com/dineoutbos, and Instagram at www.instagram.com/dineoutboston.

4) On March 10, at 6:30pm, Legal Oysteria will host a wine dinner with the Marchesi Antinori wine company. Since 1385, the Antinori family has been involved in the production of wine, which spans through twenty six generations. The family has always directly managed the estates with innovative decisions along with fundamental respect for tradition and for the territory in which they have operated.

Legal Oysteria will team up with Brand Ambassador, Marco Deary, to host an exclusive four-plus-course dinner featuring signature cuisine paired with selections from the Marchesi Antinori vine. The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Pancetta-Wrapped Shrimp
White Bean and Calamari Salad Bruschetta
Ricotta and Roasted Grape Crostini
Col de’ Salici Rosé de’ Salici Brut, Veneto, NV
FIRST COURSE
Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi (Sunchokes, Olives, Sun-Dried Tomatoes)
Antinori “Pèppoli” Chianti Classico, Toscana, 2011
La Braccesca Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Toscana, 2011
SECOND COURSE
Braised Beef Cheeks (Tuscan Kale, Ricotta Gnocchi)
Marchese Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva, Toscana, 2010
THIRD COURSE
Slow-Roasted Porchetta (Charred Broccoli Rabe, Garlic Confit, Parmigiano-Reggiano)
Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino, Toscana, 2009
CHEESE COURSE
Taleggio
Pecorino Toscano
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Tignanello, Toscana, 2011

COST: $85 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservations required by calling (617) 530-9392