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 Boston-based restaurant group Legal Sea Foods has partnered with the Hyannis-born snack food company Cape Cod Potato Chips for a promotion that offers a fresh take on the traditional dish. Legal Sea Foods’ “Fish & Chips” promotion will launch on the first day of summer, June 21, and run through July 19 at their restaurant locations along the East Coast. Guests will get a taste of Cape Cod, literally as well as figuratively, as each dish is named for the fishhook-shaped peninsula and made with Cape Cod Potato Chips.

Guests will find some crunch with each munch when ordering any of the three features: Caped Crudo-sader Nachos ($14.95) is tuna crudo atop Cape Cod Potato Chips, peppadew peppers, chives, guacamole and sour cream. The Sandwich, Cape Cod ($13.95), named after the oldest town on the Cape, is a beer-battered cod sandwich with a Cape Cod Potato Chip coating, bacon, lettuce, tomato and chipotle mayonnaise. The Corn on the Cod ($22.95) is cod baked with Cape Cod Potato Chip crumbs, corn-roasted tomato relish and a carrot cucumber salad. All three dishes will be available at both lunch and dinner.

Legal Sea Foods’ executive chef Rich Vellante and his culinary team experimented with countless recipes and kinds of chips and, in the end, came up with dishes that highlighted both the versatility and flavor profile of the Original Cape Cod Potato Chip.

“The chefs at Legal have done a wonderful job in making three unique dishes incorporating our kettle-cooked potato chips. Summer never tasted so good,” said Rod Troni, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Cape Cod Potato Chips.

“It’s a fun collaboration between two Massachusetts brands,” said Roger Berkowitz, president and CEO of Legal Sea Foods. “We’ll let the chips fall where they may, but we think our guests will really enjoy these dishes.”

All Legal Sea Foods restaurants (in MA, RI, NJ, PA, Washington DC, VA, GA) will offer the Cape-inspired menu features.

2) On Wednesday, June 14, at 6:30pm, Legal Sea Foods in Park Square will host a wine dinner with selections from Craggy Range (Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand). Craggy Range Winery was established in 1997 when Australian businessman Terry Peabody visited New Zealand and was introduced to Master of Wine, Steve Smith. Terry, who had promised his family an enduring family wine legacy, sensed a new and exciting possibility in New Zealand with its exceptional climate and the spirit of the people. Together with Steve Smith, the men pursued the Single Vineyard Philosophy of winemaking (to select and source the best land and vineyards in the country, and to plant the vines perfectly suited to that terroir) and made Craggy Range the first in the Southern Hemisphere to adopt such an approach from multiple regions of the country. Under their leadership and guidance, Craggy Range has become one of the most technically advanced wineries ever built in New Zealand and is renowned for its uncompromising standards and meticulous craftsmanship.

Legal Sea Foods will team up with Craggy Range’s wine ambassador, Janet Pouchot, to host a four-plus-course dinner featuring signature cuisine paired with her selections from the Craggy Range vine. The menu will be presented as follows:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Pemaquid Oyster on the Half Shell, Champagne Mignonette
Georges Bank Sea Scallop Escabeche, Grilled Crostini
Marcona Almond Arancini, Honey Mustard Aioli
Craggy Range “Kidnappers Vineyard” Chardonnay, Hawke’s Bay, 2015
FIRST COURSE
Pan-Seared Icelandic Cod (watercress, baby arugula, orange segments, aged white wine balsamic vinaigrette)
Craggy Range “Te Muna Road Vineyard” Sauvignon Blanc, Martinborough, 2016
SECOND COURSE
Grilled Idaho Rainbow Trout (porcini mushrooms, Italian couscous salad, grilled artichoke relish)
Craggy Range “Te Muna Road Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Martinborough, 2012
Craggy Range “Calvert Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Bannockburn- Central Otago, 2007
MAIN COURSE
Tuna Steak Au Poivre (white bean & bitter greens ragout, black truffle compound butter)
Craggy Range “Te Kahu” Meritage Style Blend, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, Hawke’s Bay, 2011
Craggy Range “Sophia” Meritage Style Blend, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, Hawke’s Bay, 2013
CHEESE COURSE
Vermont Aged Gouda, California Aged Cheddar, France Brillat-Savarin (mixed Mediterranean olives, honeycomb, toasted baguette)
Craggy Range “Le Sol” Syrah, Gimblett Gravels Vineyard, Hawke’s Bay, 2013

COST: $110 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9397