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) On Sunday, December 31st, Bar Boulud, Boston, invites guests to ring in 2018 with a festive and elegant Five-Course Prix-Fixe New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner. Beginning promptly at 8:00 p.m., revelers will gather in the lobby of the adjacent Mandarin Oriental, Boston hotel for a welcome reception, complete with celebratory sips and decadent canapés such as: fresh Oysters topped with a Champagne gelée and Citrus Cured Scallops laced with caviar and crème fraîche.

As the night progresses, guests will be seated at 9:00 p.m. in Bar Boulud where they will enjoy a five-course dining experience featuring savory French-inspired dishes including: Rohan Duck Breast, tender Wagyu Beef and Aurora, a delectable dessert comprised of hazelnut milk chocolate cream, raspberry espuma, and moelleux au chocolat crafted by Pastry Chef Robert Differ.

While diners treat their taste buds, live jazz music will add to the evening’s ambiance. Enhancing the experience further, guests will also have the option to add a wine pairing with each course, hand-selected by Sommelier David Bérubé.

Cost: $195 per person (optional sommelier-selected wine pairings for $125 per person)
To make Reservations, please call 617-535-8800

2) Hanukkah begun on December 12th and will continue to the 20th. Kane’s Handcrafted Donuts is celebrating Hanukkah by offering Sufganiyot, mini-jelly donuts traditionally eaten during the celebration of Hanukkah.

These deep-fried Israeli delicacies commemorate the miracle of one night of oil lasting for eight in the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Kane’s Sufganiyot are filled plump with raspberry jam and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

In modern Israel, over 18 million sufganiyot are consumed in the weeks around the holiday. More people enjoy the fried treat than fast on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. The Israeli Defense Forces also purchase more than 50,000 of the donuts each day of the eight-day holiday to boost the morale of its troops.

These donuts are available for order by the dozen at both Kane’s locations, in Saugus and Boston.

3) Loco Taqueria + Oyster Bar, South Boston’s funky neighborhood taco joint, is launching Winter Lunchin’ Land starting this Friday, 12/15 at 11:30am to 5pm and running until the end of January. Normally, Loco Taqueria is not open for lunch. Winter Lunchin’ Land also kicks off with live entertainment from Sam Chase this week from 1-5PM, the artists for the following weeks will be announced via social media.

Winter Lunchin’ Land has all of the Loco favorites from Executive Chef Matt Drummond’s such as ten different Tacos (such as General Tso, Chicken Tinga, and Cola Pork Carnitas), Tuna Ceviche, Grilled Street Corn, Sheet Pan Nachos, Lobster Toast, Bacon Guacamole, and Loco Taco Salad.

Accompanying the menu are a number of new winter cocktails from Beverage Manager Kaitlyn Fischer. These new cocktails are available during Winter Lunchin’ Land only, including:
The Grinch - tequila, crème de menthe, rumchata, bailey’s, candy cane rim
Cousin Eddie (National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation) – vanilla vodka, amaretto, brandy, Averna, chocolate, whipped cream
Ralphie (A Christmas Story) – Captain Morgan, Averna, angostura bitters
Sticky Bandit (Home Alone) – cabrito reposado, Werther’s cinnamon mixture, lemon, garnished with Werther’s candy rim
Dallas, Denver, Orlando (Four Christmases) – mezcal, grapefruit juice, pineapple rosemary simple, grapefruit bitter
Billy Mack (Love Actually) – Myers rum, lime, banana, cardamom, sherry, orange bitters
Kevin McAllister (Home Alone) – two scoops vanilla ice cream, Captain Morgan, root beer, chocolate sprinkles

Make Reservations by calling 617-917-LOCO