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) Puritan & Co. Chef/Owner Will Gilson, Wine Director Peter Nelson and the restaurant’s talented team welcome Oregonian winemaker Chad Stock as their guest of honor at a winemaker dinner on Thursday, May 3rd, at 6:30 p.m.

A top winemaker of and authority on Oregon wines, Chad will provide guests with an excellent introduction to the state’s wines beyond the ubiquitous Pinot Noir and the status quo of conventional winemaking. Along with complementary dishes prepared by Chef Will Gilson and conversation about Oregon wine varietals, Chad will be pouring tastes of a variety of wines produced by the three Oregonian wineries where he works.

Tickets cost $95 and can be purchased here: Eventbrite.
For reservations, please call (617)-615-6195.

Due to the limited number of seats, Puritan and Co. requires a $30 deposit per person. Puritan and Co. will call to confirm attendance on Saturday, April 23. If the reservation is cancelled after that time, and the space is not able to be reserved, a Puritan & Co. gift certificate will be issued in the amount of the deposit.

2) On Tuesday, May 1, at 6:3opm, Legal Harborside will host a four-plus-course wine dinner with selections from the acclaimed Knights Valley family retreat, Peter Michael Winery. The evening’s pours will be chosen by Peter Michael, a driven entrepreneur whose passion for winemaking began at his father’s side in Bordeaux and Burgundy. The dream of having his own vineyard came to realization in 1982 when he caught eye of the 630 acres of volcanic ridges and creeks on the western face of Mount St. Helena in Knights Valley, today known as the Peter Michael Winery.

Drawing inspiration from the wineries of Burgundy and Bordeaux, the Peter Michael vision is to perfect terroir-driven wines exclusive to the Cabernet, Pino Noir, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay families.

Legal Harborside will team up with Michaels for a four-plus-course dinner paired with select northern California-grown wines. The menu will be presented as followsr:

HORS D’OEUVRES
Lobster Puff, Chive Pâte à Choux
Kampachi Crudo, Finger Lime
Pork & Crab Gyoza, Soy Sesame Vinaigrette
Peter Michael “L’Après-Midi” Sauvignon Blanc, Knights Valley, 2014
FIRST COURSE
Prosciutto-Wrapped Monkfish (Meyer lemon butter, veal demi-glace, warm spring bean salad)
Peter Michael “Ma Belle-Fille” Chardonnay, Knights Valley, 2012
Peter Michael “La Carrière” Chardonnay, Knights Valley, 2015
SECOND COURSE
Pan-Roasted Wild Salmon (sunchoke purée, pea greens, king oyster mushrooms)
Peter Michael “Le Caprice” Pinot Noir, Fort Ross-Seaview, 2013
THIRD COURSE
Dry-Aged Sirloin (smoked white asparagus, wild ramp chimichurri, cipollini onions)
Peter Michael “Les Pavots,” Knights Valley, 2006
CHEESE COURSE
Saint-Nectaire (cow, Guvergne)
Crémeux de Bourgogne (cow, Bourgogne)
Comté Fort Saint-Antoine (cow, Franche-Comté)
Peter Michael “Au Paradis” Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, 2014

COST: $195 per person (excludes tax & gratuity)
Reservation required by calling 617-530-9397

3) The team at Loco Taqueria & Oyster Bar is growing and they have just appointed inaugural Chef de Cuisine Jacob Mendros. Together with Executive Chef Matt Drummond, they have added over a dozen new menu items at this funky neighborhood taco joint.

Chef de Cuisine Jacob Mendros most recently opened Explorateur and prior to that was in the kitchen at L’Espalier. Jacob has fully embraced the bold flavors of regional Mexican cuisine and the endless summer vibe of Loco while revamping the menu.

Tacos are now available individually and some of the new items are: Oaxacan Quesadilla (a mildly tweaked version of a very classic dish from Oaxaca on a corn tortilla with blossoms, avocado bisque and queso Oaxaca), Fluke Crudo (herb jus, grapefruit soda, nori, horseradish and orange and black corn chips - although not necessarily traditional in Mexican flavors, it is light and earthy), Burrata (salsa verde-pesto, farm greens, shaved radish and onion, warm corn tortilla), Maine Mussels (rosé, serranos, radish and sour cream), Eggplant Al Pastor Taco (charred pineapple, crispy onion, shaved serrano & scallions), Asparagus Taco (green tortilla, fried cotija, buttermilk caramel, coriander), Burnt Ends Taco (guacamole, apple & red onion slaw, Carolina bbq), Ronnie Mac’s Taquitos (ground beef, Monterey jack, iceberg, Spanish onion, sesame seeds, Ronnie’s sauce), Chicharon Guacamole (roasted poblano, chicharron chips), Crab Guacamole (lump meat, chopped mango, blue corn chips) and Warm Wheat Berries salad (farm greens, roasted broccoli, cotija, egg yolk, cilantro & pepita pesto). The menu at Loco remains predominantly gluten free, with the exception of 4 out of 35 of menu items.

For guests who want to get a little adventurous, any of their 100+ tequila and mezcal selections can be made into a margarita. Beverage Manager Kaitlyn Fischer also now offers five types of tequila & mezcal flights:
Bartenders Favorites – Siete Leguas Blanco, Don Fulano Repo, Tequila Ocho Anejo
All in the Fam – Fortaleza Blanco, Fortaleza Repo, Forteleza Anejo
Ballin’ – Arette Grand Extra Anejo, Clase Azul Repo, Don Julio 1942
Tour de Mexico – Chinaco Blanco, Corralejo Blanco, Casamigos Blanco
The Funky Stuff – La Venenonsa Sierra Jalisco, Derrumbes Michoacan & Mezcal Vago Elote

4) The Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca and the Corey C. Griffin NHL Pro-Am invite guests to dine out for a cause this April. Throughout the month of April, Babbo will be serving up a special edition Buff Chick Pizza to raise funds for Boston Children's Hospital. Created in partnership with the Corey C. Griffin NHL Pro-Am, $5 from every Buff Chick sold at Babbo from April 2nd to April 30th, will be donated directly to the the Pro-Am's fundraising efforts supporting Boston Children's Hospital's Pediatric Head Trauma Unit.

Established in memory of lifelong hockey fan and player, Corey Griffin, The Corey C. Griffin NHL Alumni Pro-Am brings together NHL greats for an annual hockey tournament, which raises money to support the care and research of pediatric head trauma at the Boston Children’s Hospital Pediatric Head Trauma Unit. Contributing to the $2,500,000 already raised by the tournament, Babbo's Buff Chick pizza was inspired by Corey's favorite childhood sandwich he would regularly order alongside longtime friend and co-founder of The Corey C. Griffin NHL Alumni Pro-Am, Anthony Aiello.