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 & Company has announced that beginning May 4, it will begin operating the culinary events and weddings at The Herb Lyceum in Groton.

A subsidiary of Puritan & Company, Puritan Events Co., will be responsible for all weddings, special events, retreats and monthly farm dinners at The Herb Lyceum. Each week starting on May 4th, The Herb Lyceum will host their very popular Farm Dinners on select Fridays and Saturdays throughout the summer season. Arrival time for The Herb Lyceum Farm Dinners is 6:30pm with hors d’ oeuvres served outside, weather permitting, and dinner starting at 7:00pm. The farm dinners feature five-courses for $75 per person, which includes gratuity. The dinners are BYOB and guests are invited to explore the farm, dine at a communal table and enjoy farm-centric seasonal cuisine created by the talented team behind Cambridge’s Puritan & Company which is led by Chef/Partner Will Gilson.

The menus are posted monthly online and bookings, along with the scheduled dinner dates, can be found by logging onto The Herb Lyceum.  For the BYOB dinners, Puritan & Company’s expert sommelier Peter Nelson will carefully curate wine tasting notes to complement each course for guests to purchase some of the selections and bring with them for the dinner. Dietary restrictions for each menu can be accommodated with advance notice.

The Herb Lyceum is also the perfect spot for one-of-a-kind weddings, unconventional corporate retreats and picturesque private events throughout the season. The special events manager and wedding planner is Rebecca Millette who can customize each event to fit every guests’ unique needs. She can be contacted at Rebecca@herblyceum.com.

2) Cambridge Center for Adult Education is hosting its first ever Oysters, Of Course! event on Thursday, May 31, 5:30pm-8:00pm to celebrate summer and showcase some local chefs and oysters. The event is a benefit for the Cambridge Center for Adult Education (CCAE), one of the country’s most acclaimed education non-profits which sets the standard for community-based experiential learning. With a vibrant program of cooking & wine, visual arts, world languages and ESL, business, life & wellness classes and more, there is always something to learn and experience at the CCAE. Located in the heart of Harvard Square, CCAE creates educational opportunities that are interactive and inspirational.

“We are so blessed to have these amazing chefs as our neighbors” explains Linda Burton, Executive Director. “We are delighted to welcome them to our patio to celebrate summer, and in keeping with the spirit of the CCAE, let’s learn something about oysters and our environment the same time!” 

Chefs Tony Maws and Michael Scelfo will be on hand, as will Island Creek Oysters, Les Sablons, Parsnip Restaurant, Beat Brasserie, The Hourly Oyster House, Honeycomb Creamery, Hooked Fish Shop and more. Wine and Beer sponsors include Salt and Olive, Cambridge Brewing Co. and 90+ Cellars. Oyster demonstrations and discussions will be led by the Massachusetts Oyster Project.

Tickets: $100 General Admission (advance purchase recommended, this will sell out)
Please consider “shelling out” for an individual sponsorship!
$500 Pearl Supporter (includes two tickets)
$1,000 Pearl Patron (includes four tickets)
To purchase tickets please visit: ccae.org/oystersofcourse

3) On Wednesday, May 2nd, at 5:30 p.m., SRV’s co-executive chefs Kevin O’Donnell and Michael Lombardi will continue their cicchetti takeover series with guest chef, Chef Colin Lynch of Bar Mezzana.

Guests will be treated to Lynch's spin on cicchetti (or Italian small bites,) which will be served up complimentary 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. The complimentary cicchetti will be available until supplies last.

The menu will feature:
Japanese mackerel crudo with caramelized onion and almond
N'duja croquette with fennel honey
Buratta panino with cured tomato, basil, and house anchovy
Terrina di coniglio e fegato with aged balsamic and fig

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