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.
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1) Celebrate Banyan Bar & Refuge's "1st birthday" with a Hawaiian Style Luau on Monday, July 25th. Lei's, Tiki drinks (out of pineapples), an a la carte menu filled with Kulua pork, Poke , and so much Don Ho music.

This is a seated dinner. Banyan opens at 5pm but will be taking reservations depending on availability and until the kitchen closes at 10pm. Reservations can be made by calling the restaurant 617-556-4211.

THE MENU
Vegetables
Green papaya salad, long beans, lime vinaigrette, toasted peanuts (gf,v) $7
Watermelon Salad, tomato, silken tofu, shiso, lemon ginger vinaigrette, sesame seed (v) $7
Potato salad, macaroni, kewpie mayo, egg, pickles (gf,v) $6
Roasted purple sweet potatoes, soy glaze, togarashi (v) $6
Meat + Seafood
Smoked scallop + jonah crab rangoon, pineapple sweet + sour sauce $9
Manapua, stuffed sweet bread, char siu pork, guava jelly  $5 each
Spam Fried Rice, grilled pineapple, salt cod, fried garlic (gf) $12
Plates
Lomi Lomi salmon bowl, backyard farms tomatoes, pickled red onions, cilantro, fried shallots, white rice (gf) $14
Grilled octopus poke bowl, kimchi, seaweed, taro chips, white rice  $16
Kalua Pork, slow roasted pork in ti + banana leaf, coconut milk braised local greens, king’s hawaiian bread (gf)  $14

2) Pier 6, Charlestown’s waterfront dining destination, has just launched its mid-summer menus featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients from Executive Chef Adriano Silva.

New dinner additions include the Halibut Tartare with avocado, wontons, and sesame vinaigrette ($15), Local Burrata with a tomato chutney, arugula pesto, and brioche ($12), Provencal Style Duck Leg served with brussel sprouts, celery root puree, and a plum coulis ($14), Pepper Crusted Tuna with summer vegetables and a gazpacho sauce ($27), and a New York Strip with cauliflower mashed potatoes and a mushroom gravy ($35).

For an afternoon delight try the all new lunch menu which includes Grilled Swordfish with sugar snap peas, faro salad, and romesco ($25), or a Chicken Caesar Wrap with parmesan, croutons, and potato salad ($12). Brunch offers options such as Avocado Toast with cherry tomato, dukkah, feta, and fried egg ($8), or the Heirloom Tomato & Watermelon Salad with fresh mozzarella, red onion, and balsamic ($10). For an al fresco dining experience order off the new deck menu with options such as the White Clam Flatbread with corn, bacon, tomatoes, mozzarella, and cherry peppers ($14), or a Rustic Italian Flatbread with sopressata, oregano, mozzarella, and cherry peppers ($12).