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 in Cambridge has launched a new breakfast bar within the restaurant. From Monday through Friday, 7 am to 2 pm, the breakfast bar will serve tasty favorites from it's now closed sister cafe K2, as well as new coffee creations and dishes. Grab some early morning or post lunch energy from their coffee menu that includes creatively caffeinated concoctions including the Bees Knees, Hard Day, Lavender Latte and more. Or, fuel up for the day with savory specialities like the signature Spud Boats, Salmon or Avocado Toast, breakfast Burrito Bowls and more.

Check out the full breakfast bar menu here.

2) It's March and that means Kane’s Handcrafted Donuts is rolling out new Donut Specials, including three decadent flavors: the Pistachio Donut, the Chocolate Marshmallow Donut and the Reese’s Cup Donut.

The Pistachio Donut is a yeast-style donut dipped in glaze made from roasted, ground pistachios and Kane’s signature honey glaze, topped with pistachios. The Chocolate Marshmallow Donut, a yeast-style donut filled with marshmallow filling then iced with Taza Chocolate frosting and finished with a dollop of marshmallow. The Reese’s Cup Donut is a yeast-style donut, covered with milk chocolate Taza frosting, drizzled with Teddie Peanut Butter and topped with whipped cream and a piece of a Reese’s Cup.

I'm a big fan of both the Pistachio Donut and Chocolate Marshmallow Donut.

For the gluten-free March flavor, Kane’s has crafted the Gluten-Free Blueberry Blast Donut, a blueberry cake style donut dipped in blueberry-infused honey glaze. The cupcake of the month is a Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting, a classic that everyone loves.

All the above-mentioned flavors of the month are available at both Kane’s locations throughout the month of March.

3) On Tuesday, March 13, at 6:30pm, Legal Harborside will host a four-plus-course wine dinner featuring pours originating back to one of the most impressive winery estates in Tuscany, Italy. Known for its rich culture and history dating back to 1560, the Collazzi Estate was privileged with the artistry of Michelangelo when he was commissioned to design and create the estate’s Villa amongst the countryside property south of Florence.

Representing the revered Collazzi collections and his home country, Alberto Torelli’s knowledge for winemaking and agriculture originated from his family’s roots and became a life-long passion. In 2005, Torelli joined the Collazzi team and spearheaded plans to enhance and modernize the techniques of the winery’s winemaking processes. Collazzi Estate’s sandy and clay soils, rich in limestone, with an abundantly rocky texture, make home to grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and a small amount of traditional varieties.

The Collazzi Tuscan wine dinner menu will be presented as follows:
HORS D’OEUVRES
Crab-Stuffed Zucchini Blossom, Avocado Crema
Cod Cake, Lemon Garlic Aioli
Foie Gras Terrine Crostini, Port Reduction
Collazzi “Otto Muri,” Toscana Bianco IGT, 2016
FIRST COURSE
Seafood Charcuterie (octopus mortadella, salmon rillettes, smoked trout)
Collazzi “Libertà,” Toscana Rosso IGT, 2014
SECOND COURSE
Grilled Swordfish (romesco sauce, braised baby artichokes, lemon oil)
Collazzi “Libertà,” Toscana Rosso IGT, 2015
MAIN COURSE
Parmesan Pine Nut-Crusted Lamb Loin (maitake mushrooms, spring onion polenta, blackberry demi-glace)
Collazzi Toscana Rosso IGT, 2015
CHEESE COURSE
Taleggio, Aged Gouda, Pecorino Romano
Collazzi “Bastioni,” Chianti Classico DOCG, 2015

COST: $110 per person, excludes tax and gratuity
Reservations required by calling 617-530-9397

4) SRV’s co-executive chefs of Kevin O’Donnell and Michael Lombardi bring back their popular cicchetti takeover series with guest chef, Justin Shoults of Oak + Rowan, on Wednesday, March 7th in its new after-work time of 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Guests will be treated to Shoults spin on cicchetti to the likes of; Beer Tartar + Caviar (potato crepe, smoked egg, horseradish,) Baby Artichoke (stracciatella, carrot panna cotta,) Duck Polpette (pear mustard, caraway,) and Grilled Cuttlefish (cod pate, panisse, meyer lemon.) Chef Shoults will join O’Donnell & Lombardi in SRV’s sleek bar and bacaro area of the restaurant where guests can pair their gratis bites with Italian-inspired cocktails, amaro or a variety of wine by the glass and bottle.

Reservations are not required. Featured cicchetti will not be available in main dining room. For more information, please contact (617) 536-9500

5) Puritan & Company Chef/Owner Will Gilson, Wine Director Peter Nelson, and the Puritan & Co. team invite guests to join them for the upcoming Totally Fried Fizz Fest. Rumor has it sparkling wines are amongst the most diverse and versatile wines for food pairings and the wine nerds agree - both sweet and savory fried foods are a divine partner with all things bubbly.

The Totally Fried Fizz Fest will be held on Thursday, March 15, form 6:30pm-10pm, and will offer an introduction to the diversity of styles and tastes of sparkling wines served alongside the tastiest fried foods. From funky reds to Grand Cru Grower Champagne, the industry-style tasting will allow guests to try dozens of wines from all over the world from various grape varietals exhibiting a full array of colors and flavors.

Tickets cost $70 and can be purchased on Eventbrite at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/totally-fried-fizz-fest-part-deux-tickets-43361966810?aff=eac2.

This should be a killer event! Peter Nelson really knows his wine and Will Gilson will certainly provide some great food.

6) The New England Center for Arts and Technology (NECAT) is pleased to welcome legendary Chef Jacques Pépin on Friday, March 30, from 4pm-7pm, for a cooking class and cocktail reception. Meet culinary icon Chef Jacques Pépin at an intimate cocktail reception and receive a complimentary signed copy of Chez Jacques, while supporting NECAT, a local culinary job training organization.

Guests will sit in on a cooking demo with Chef Jacques Pépin in NECAT's beautiful, state-of-the-art culinary amphitheater. A cocktail reception follows, with delicious hors d'oeuvres prepared by NECAT students. Chef Pépin is a world-renowned French chef, television personality and author who, together with Julia Child and James Beard, redefined the way Americans view food and dining. Boston is near and dear to Chef Pepin’s heart, as he often visited and cooked with his friend Julia Child in Cambridge and has been a faculty member at Boston University for many years.

After a long and wildly successful career, Chef Pepin has launched the Jacques Pépin Foundation to help support organizations like NECAT, which help disadvantaged individuals enter his beloved industry. NECAT is grateful and excited to welcome the distinguished chef to NECAT in Boston.

NECAT, a registered nonprofit, provides chronically unemployed and underemployed adults with a pathway to long-term employment in the food services industry. The program is tuition free and open to adults looking to commit to full-time employment in order to make a positive change in their lives and achieve economic self-sufficiency. NECAT’s participants face serious barriers to employment including lack of training, substance abuse recovery, homelessness and recent incarceration. Since 2013, NECAT has enrolled close to 500 students with 71% of graduates moving on to successful employment.

NECAT is a very worthy organization, once which has impressed me with its dedication and passion in giving a second chance to hundreds of people, instructing and preparing them for culinary careers. I've been to a few different NECAT events and have listened to a number of inspirational stories. I strongly encourage you to buy tickets to this event and support NECAT!

To purchase tickets, go to: www.jacquespepin.eventbrite.com

7) Chef Tony Maws is delighted to welcome his good friend Liz Vilardi, local wine pro, restaurateur and co-owner of Central Bottle, for a very special “Dinner with Tony & Liz” at The Kirkland Tap & Trotter on Thursday, March 8, at 6:30pm. This dinner will be a collaboration among friends, with Tony serving savory and soulful dishes inspired by his recent trip to Israel, and Liz selecting wine from an all-female winemaker lineup.

“When Tony called and invited me, of course I said Yes!” shares Vilardi. “March 8 is International Women’s Day, so what great timing to pour wine and tell stories from some of my favorite French and Italian female winemakers!” Vilardi has always been a huge supporter of female winemakers, often hosting Female Winemaker events at her past restaurants, Belly and The Blue Room. “It will be nice to be in a restaurant again, and to be working with Tony. To have the opportunity to pair wine with a good friend who also happens to be a very accomplished chef and is creating dishes inspired by his recent trip to Israel – it doesn’t get much cooler than that!”

The Menu will be as follows:
First
Beet and Rose Hummus, Pistachio, Grilled Flatbread
Salad of Cabbage, Avocado, Labneh and Pine Nut
Salad of Cauliflower, Cubanelle Pepper, Za’atar
Eggplant, Aleppo Chile, EVOO and Tahina
Second
Grilled Portuguese Sardines, Preserved Lemon, Cilantro, Olives
Grilled Carciofi Alla Giudia -- Artichokes Jewish Style
Third
Wood Fire Roasted Lamb Shoulder, Zhoug
Freekeh Pilav, Almonds, Currants
Grilled Baby Vidalia Onions, Amba Sauce
Dessert
Malabi, Cara Cara Navels, Dates, Peanuts

The Wine:
Patricia Boyer-Domergue, Clos Centeilles from Minervois in the South of France
Elisabetti Fagiole, Sono Montenidoli, Tuscany, Italy
Elena Panteleone, La Stoppa, heart of Italy

Cost: $95
Tickets are available for “Dinner with Tony and Liz” on Eventbrite. The link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dinner-with-tony-and-special-guest-liz-vilardi-tickets-43491563437?aff=es2