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) Fried Lobster & Waffles? Ok, you have me hooked. I've had fried lobster before and loved it, especially at the Clam Box in Ipswich, but I've never had it with a waffle. But now I can.

Kathy Sidell, President and Culinarian of the MET Restaurant Group, has just opened a new restaurant, Saltie Girl, which will focus on globally sustainable seafood, whether it is fried, sautéed, raw, house-potted, smoked or in tins.

“Growing up on the East Coast on a sailboat with my Dad, I have a deep affinity for the saltiness of the sea and the fruit it bears. During my travels I have discovered beautiful, high quality fish in tins, jars, smoked and of course amazing local and fresh seafood. Being a New Englander is almost synonymous with the briny taste of steamed clams, the salty ocean taste of lobsters perfectly cooked, the creaminess of a local oyster and the natural sweetness of a Nantucket bay scallop. We are blessed to have such amazing seafood locally. I have long been fascinated by the many ways to enjoy these morsels of the sea. Hence, ‘Saltie Girl’ - reflecting a way of life and a passion for eating nature’s bounty! I hope to bring all these delicacies to Saltie Girl so they can be enjoyed by our quests,” says owner Kathy Sidell.

Saltie Girl is located at 281 Dartmouth Street, next to MET Back Bay, and will have 16 seats for regular dining and a 12 seat full bar with an attached raw bar and shucking station. They will be open for both lunch and dinner, seven days a week, with a late night “Cocktails & Tins" menu offered Thursday to Saturday from 10pm-1am. Reservations will not be accepted and seating will only be available for walk-ins.

The kitchen will be helmed by Chef Kyle McClelland who has worked at locations such as The Federalist, Ambrosia on Huntington, The MFA, Ten Tables, Pigalle, Clio and others before tenures at Toppers at The Wauwinet, Caviar Russe and Propsect in New York. The crew will be rounded out by Sidell’s team of many years, Chef David Daniels with operations by Stephen Zeneski.

Beyond curating one of the largest tinned seafood collection in New England, Sidell and McClelland will be preparing such dishes as Fried Lobster & Waffles with sweet corn butter and spicy maple syrup and French Burgundy Snails with black garlic butter. Chowder, bisque, a raw bar, fried whole belly Ipswich clams and lobster rolls by the ounce are on the menu. The restaurant will also have a full bar featuring specially curated wines, beers and spirits as well as an innovative cocktail menu.

So who else wants Fried Lobster & Waffles?

2) Rosebud American Kitchen and Bar invites guests to celebrate the 4th of July with a holiday selection of classic, American pies available for special order for your barbecue or picnic. In addition to its currently available pies, Banana Foster, Mixed Berry, Chocolate Cream, Peanut Butter Fudge & Dutch Apple, Rosebud will be offering Peach Crumble, Strawberry Rhubarb & Blueberry Crumble for holiday ordering.

The pies cost $25 each and need to be pre-ordered by June 30th to ensure pick-up by July 3rd- Rosebud will be closed July 4th. To place an order, please call (617) 629-9500

3) The Fifth Annual Trade PMC Brunch Fundraiser will be held at Trade on Sunday, June 5, from Noon to 3pm. This includes a brunch buffet and specialty cocktails, along with a silent auction to benefit Dana Farber Cancer Institute. This year marks Team Porto-TRADE's sixth consecutive Pan Mass Challenge - the 192 mile bike ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown to raise money for cancer research. In the last 5 years, the Trade team of riders has raised over $500K toward finding a cure.

Tickets to the Fifth Annual Trade PMC Brunch Fundraiser are $50 and are now available on eventbrite. For more information or to make a reservation, please log onto http://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-pmc-fundraiser-at-trade-tickets-24969362034 to purchase tickets.

100% of the proceeds will go to the Dana Farber Cancer Research Institute.