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) Chef/Owner Michael Schlow, Chef de Cuisine Brendan Pelley, the Doretta Taverna team, and Banville Wine Merchants invite guests to join them for their upcoming wine dinner. On Wednesday, November 8, at 6:30pm, Doretta Taverna and Raw Bar will be hosting a special, five-course wine dinner with Chef Brendan Pelley and Banville Wine Merchants.

The evening will include a cocktail meet and greet at 6:30 p.m. followed by a sit-down dinner at 7 p.m. The meal will feature delicious, off-menu fall dishes paired with a carefully curated selection of Banville wines.

Tickets are $100 plus tax and gratuity and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/doretta-wine-dinner-tickets-39206442525?aff=eac2

2) Gaslight Brasserie du Coin, located in Boston’s historic South End, is celebrating its roots by offering an Alsace-inspired prix-fixe menu with carefully curated wine pairings by Trimbach wines. Beginning November 1, Gaslight is introducing an exclusive and authentic Alsace Prix Fixe Menu available through the months of November and December.

Gaslight’s Alsace Three Course Prix Fixe Menu ($33 per person):
Trimbach Wine Pairing (supplement $17 per person)
Available in addition to the regular dinner menu

Hors d’Oeuvres (Choice of One)
Wine Pairing: Trimbach Pinot Blanc
--Quiche Lorraine (Petite Salade)
--Spätzle (Wild Mushrooms and Spinach)
--Bisque de Courgette (Butternut Squash, Apples, Ginger, and House-cured Bacon Lardons)

Plats Principaux (Choice of One)
Wine Pairing: Choice of Trimbach Pinot Gris, Riesling or Pinot Noir
--Poulet avec Riesling (Chicken Braised with Riesling, Cabbage, Prunes and Roasted Creamer Potatoes)
--Choucroute Garni (Duck Confit, Sausages, House-made Bacon With Apple-braised Sauerkraut)
--Shnitzel du Porc (Fingerling Potatoes, Chili Mignonette, and Buttermilk Vinaigrette)

Dessert (Choice of One)
Wine Pairing: Choice of Trimbach Pear or Raspberry Cordial
--Crème Brulée (Tahitian Vanilla Bean and Fresh Berries)
--Gateau Aux Pommes (Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce)

Featured Draft Pour: Kronenbourg 1664 Draft ($4)

3) On Tuesday, November 14, from 6pm-9pm, North End seafood destination il Molo will team up with local wine expert Christian Trotta and Fantasy Fine Wines for a special five-course dinner harmonized with selections from Marco Bonfante wines, an Italian winery set in the south of Piedmont with a long and illustrious winemaking history. Now run by brother-sister duo Marco and Micaela Bonfante, the winery has been producing exceptional wines for eight generations.

il Molo’s Executive Chef Pino Maffeo has prepared an Italian-inspired menu that will take guests’ taste buds on a culinary journey, while Trotta enhances each course with his carefully selected wine pairings.

MENU
First Course
Smoked Salmon, Rye, Mustard, and Caviar
Roero Arneis 2015
Second Course
Seared Foie Gras and House Made Panettone
Barbera D'Asti “Stella Rossa” 2015
Third Course
Wild Mushroom Pappardelle and Fresh Truffle
Langhe Nebbiolo 2014
Fourth Course
Braised Short Rib and Fresh Truffle Polenta
Bonfante Barolo 2012
Dessert
House Made Coconut Cake
Albarone Albarossa 2011

COST: The cost is $120.00 per person. Excludes tax and gratuity.
MORE INFO: For more information, please call 857-277-1895. To purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.ilmoloboston.com/store/event/il-molo-and-christian-trotta-present-marco-bonfante-wines-of-piemonte

4) On the first Thursday of December for the past eight years, the Town of Concord has been sent a tremendous wheel of Crucolo cheese, direct from the producer in Trentino, Italy. Every year, the festivities surrounding the cheese’s arrival in Concord have grown to include more and more segments of the town’s population: from students to selectmen; from merchants to musicians, and from the young to the young at heart.

New for 2017 is a team of magnificent Belgian draft horses, and a full contingent of brass instruments.

At 3:30 PM on Thursday, December 7 where Main and Walden streets intersect, this free, colorful and boisterous parade will provide spectators with an hour of old fashioned fun as a team of horses hauls the giant cheese down the street in a straw-filled wooden cart, guarded by Militia-men, and accompanied by the blare of brass instruments spurring on high-spirited dancers from Concord Academy. Those who arrive early (highly suggested) are given Italian flags to wave as the cheese passes by.

After a brief round of speeches, echoed by the crowd, the Crucolo cheese is then carved on a raised stage and subsequently sampled by all. The cheese – a mild asiago fresco made from cow’s milk -- is sold at The Cheese Shop of Concord, and in the past has sold out in less than 2 weeks.

5) Chef/Owner Delio Susi and his talented team welcome guests to Sulmona, his recently debuted restaurant in the heart of Kendall Square, for a seasonally inspired Hunter’s Dinner during the month of November, from the 1st-22nd. Chef Delio Susi serves soulful Italian food inspired by his hometown of Sulmona and he has an undying appreciation for using only the finest sourced ingredients.

This November, Chef Delio invites guests to savor the bold flavors of the New England bounty with his Hunter’s Dinner. The Hunter’s Dinner can be enjoyed as a prix fixe menu ($55/person) or a la carte, with or without a three course wine pairing (+$15/person). Prices do not include tax and gratuity.

FIRST COURSE
Choice of
--Pan Roasted Quail, Golden Raisins, Herbed Couscous $17
--Autumn Bruschetta, Butternut Squash Caponata, Fresh Ricotta and Garlic Toast $16
--Pumpkin Arancini, Fontina Cheese, Marinara, Grated Cheese $12
SECOND COURSE
Choice of
--Rabbit Triangoli, Caccitore Style, Grana Padano Cheese Swiss Chard $29
--Venison Rack, Parsnip Mashed Potatoes, Heirloom Carrots, Huckleberry Demi $35
--Rainbow Trout, Browned Butter, Sage, Roasted Root Vegetables, Citrus Gremolata $30
THIRD COURSE
Choice of
--Huckleberry Cobbler, served warm with Vanilla Gelato $11
--Apple Cider Sorbet $9

To make reservations, please call 617-714-4995

6) Puritan & Co. Chef/Owner Will Gilson exhibits his culinary talent by paying homage to Harvest season with a multi-course dinner focusing on Fall Flavors. Puritan & Company in Inman Square offers guests a taste of the cuisine that is inspired by the bounty of New England’s local farms with a six course, prix-fixe dinner on Thursday, November 16, from 6pm-9pm. The dinner will be served communal-style and will include carafes of wine at each table.

The menu includes:

hors d’oeuvres
clothbound cheddar-stuffed kielbasa with mustard & apples
potato mille fueille with caviar, crème fraiche & chives
parmesan polenta fritter with sage pesto & pine nuts
beet fritter with salmon tartare & horseradish
first
braised pork shoulder- squash, chicories, rosemary chutney, puffed wild rice
second
celery root bisque- lobster, black truffle, parmesan, meyer lemon
third
seared scallops- sweet potato, leeks, brown butter, piperade
fourth
slow-roasted ribeye- kale & mushroom crepe, celery root, truffle jus
dessert
apple cider donut- pumpkin mousse, candied pecans, bourbon caramel, cinnamon ice cream

The dinner is $85 per person and reservations can be made by logging onto Eventbrite or by calling 617-615-6195.