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) The Glass House is beginning Brunch Service, starting Sunday, April 16, which is also Easter. And for Easter, they will also hold a free Easter Egg Hunt beginning at 11am, as well as photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny. The new Brunch menu includes items such as Beignets (with dulce de leche & orange-cardamom sugar), Stuffed Clams (with bechamel sauce, chorizo, manchego, hot sauce, & tarragon), Breakfast Potato Poutine (two eggs, lamb gravy, goat cheese curds, & herbs), Mussels & Fries (ale & herb broth, hot sauce, & creme fraiche), and a Breakfast Burger (fried egg, kimchi hollandaise, bacon, served on a griddled bun with breakfast potatoes). Certainly sounds like a nice addition to the local Brunch scene.

2) In celebration of Passover, Cook Newton is offering the neighborhood a selection of special dishes from Monday, April 10 through Tuesday, April 18. Executive Chef/Owner Paul Turano will serve three unique takes on traditional Seder fare including Matzo Ball Soup ($8), Hot Veal Pastrami with fondant potatoes, sautéed spinach, and mustard jus ($24) and a Passover Cookie Plate with Hamantaschen and coconut macaroons ($7). The regular menu will also be available.

Reservations can be made by calling 617-964-2665

3) The Red Sox Foundation will host Eat Boston’s Eighth Annual Bacon & Beer Festival at Fenway Park, where fans can sample bacon-inspired dishes and beers from various local chefs and breweries. The event will take place on Saturday, May 13 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Red Sox Foundation, Lovin Spoonfuls, and Community Servings.

Tickets are on sale now at www.redsox.com/bacon. General Admission is $52 and VIP tickets are $135 and include early entrance to the event, a bleacher ticket to the 7:10 p.m. Red Sox-Rays game on March 13 at Fenway Park, an event t-shirt and tote bag, a Red Sox giveaway, and a coupon for a special bacony dish at the game.

“It's very exciting to bring the Bacon and Beer Festival back to America's best venue,” said Aaron Cohen, founder of Eat Boston and Gracie’s Ice Cream. “The chefs have always made amazingly creative dishes, and I can't wait to see what year 8 brings.”

Participating restaurants include A&B Burgers, Art Bar Cambridge, b.good, Bambara, Bertucci's, Blue Ribbon BBQ, Bostonia Public House, Brass Union, Brasserie Jo, Brewers Fork, Cask N Flagon, Central Bistro, Chubby Chickpea, City Tap House, Cook and Brown (Providence), Coppersmith, El Pelon, En Boca, Gracie's Ice Cream, Hops N Scotch, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Island Creek Oyster Bar - Burlington, Juliet, La Morra / Heritage of Sherborn, Lion's Tail, Lord Hobo, Loretta's Last Call, Lower Mills Tavern, McGreevy's Third Base Saloon, Michael's Deli, Not Your Average Joe's, Puritan & Co, Rail Stop, Roxy's Grilled Cheese, Smoke Shop, Superfine, Tapestry, The Fireplace, The Sinclair, Tilted Kilt, Trina's Starlite Lounge, UNI, Whole Foods Market, Woods Hill Table.

Participating breweries include beers currently sold at Fenway Park, plus about 15 special breweries invited in just for the day. Special breweries to be announced mid-April.

4) The Burro Bar officially kicks off brunch service this weekend in Brookline. Located in Brookline’s Washington Square, the Painted Burro’s younger sibling restaurant will offer a Latin-inspired brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Created by Chef/Owner Joe Cassinelli, the brunch menu will feature a variety of appetizers, entrees, brunch cocktails, and specialty non-alcoholic beverages inspired by regions of Mexico such as Baja, Oaxaca, Vera Cruz and the Yucatan with splashes of influence from South America. Burro Bar’s modern approach to Latin-American cuisine with a respect for tradition is exemplified throughout its menu where ingredients and local produce take center stage.

Food menu highlights will include:
The Burro Bowl: two fried eggs, beef tongue, Mexican fried rice, pork charro beans, Baja crema, chipotle mayo, and salsa verde
The Burro Benedict: two poached eggs, sliced ham, and refried beans atop English muffins served with smoke chili hollandaise and home fries
French Toast: egg-dipped brioche served with caramelized plantains, mascarpone whipped cream, and maple syrup Mexican Street Corn Esquites: sweet yellow corn served off the cob with garlic mojo, Serrano, cilantro, cotija, and cayenne

Beverage menu highlights will include:
Pineapple Mango Margarita: Cimarrón Blanco Tequila, Combier, pineapple & mango jugos, and agave
Hair of the Dog: almond horchata cold brew, rumchata, and espresso liqueur
Modelo Michelada: Modelo with tomato, clamato, fresh herbs and spices

5) On Thursday, April 13, at 7pm, Puritan & Co. Chef/Owner Will Gilson, Wine Director Peter Nelson, and the restaurant’s team invite guests will kick off spring with a five-course Spring Fling Wine Dinner featuring new spring menu items and American-focused wine pairings. The meal will give diners a sneak peek of Chef Will Gilson’s new seasonal menu and Wine Director Peter Nelson’s upcoming addition of an American wine section to Puritan and Co.’s wine list.

The pairings will include:
Salmon tiradito with rhubarb, roe, jalapeno, lime & 2015 Teutonic Wine Company “Recorded in Doubly,” Willamette Valley, Oregon
“Peas and Carrots” with berbere spiced carrot soup, pea green and snap pea salad & 2016 Edmunds St. John Rosé “Bone-Jolly” El Dorado County, California
Grilled Cobia with nettle flan, crab, fiddleheads, meyer lemon, sunchoke rosti & 2014 Cyprus Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, California
Braised shortrib of local beef with green garlic skordalia, marrow jus, morels, asparagus & 2015 Vinca Minor Carignan, Redwood Valley, California
Marinated strawberries with lemon opera cake, crème fraiche ice cream, basil & 2014 Andrew Rich Gewürtztraminer “Celilo Vineyard,” Columbia Gorge, Washington

Tickets are $95 including gratuity.
Limited space is available and tickets can be purchased at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-fling-wine-dinner-tickets-33345504301