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) City Table, City Bar Back Bay, or Sólás, all located within the historic Lenox Hotel in Back Bay, are participating in this year’s Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer event.

All three locations are participating at Gold and Standard Levels – meaning 50% of all dessert sales during the event will go to Bakes for Breast Cancer and 100% of the special dessert sales during the event will go to Bakes for Breast Cancer. All proceeds will be used to support their mission of providing grants for breast cancer research.

The special dessert being featured at these Lenox hot spots is Raspberry & White Chocolate Mousse with a shortbread crumble, rose wine granite, and earl grey crème anglaise.

WHEN: Monday, May 7th through Sunday, May 13th
HOW: To support the cause, simply dine at any of the three restaurants and indulge on some tasty desserts. To make reservations visit the City Table, City Bar Back Bay, or Sólás websites.

2) Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar is now serving Brunch at its Fort Point location on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11am-4pm. Taking inspiration from the restaurant’s playful twists on snacks, street foods and tacos, Lolita Fort Point’s new brunch menu has been tailored for weekend dining.

Some of the dishes you'll find include: Guava Doughnut Holes (sour cream glaze, lime & sea salt), Lobster Cornbread (lobster, corn & avocado salad, griddled corn bread, habanero-honey butter, crema), Broken Eggs (cholula fried eggs, shoe string fries, queso cotija, pico de gallo, avocado, chipotle torta sauce), Gran Leñador (four scrambled eggs, pork carnitas, grilled chorizo, home fries, torta french toast, guava-agave syrup), French Toast Torta (nutella cream cheese stuffed, coconut-almond crunch), Grilled Chicken Torta (pollo asado, queso dip, avocado, spicy slaw, torta sauce), and Grilled Steak Tacos (prime sirloin, habanero-garlic butter, taqueria relish, shoestrings).

In-house freshly pressed juices have also been added and no judgment if your juice comes with a side shot of tequila.

3) Matadora, the new modern Spanish tapas restaurant announces Tapas Tuesdays, from 5-10pm, which will feature live Spanish guitar music and 3 tapas for $30, including signature favorites like the Shrimp Toast, Flaming Chorizo, Spicy Tuna Tartar, Charred Galician Octopus and Basque Street Corn.

Guests can also sip Sangria, Spanish wines and creative craft cocktails while relaxing on Matadora’s stylish, newly-opened patio outfitted with firepits, lounge sofas, plush rugs and flowing seamlessly into the dining room and central bar.

I'm a big fan of their cuisine and highly recommend you check them out on Tapas Tuesday. That Basque Street Corn is amazing!

4) Starting this month, Asta's wine expert, Theresa Paopao, will be hosting Wine School, an afternoon wine lounge inspired by New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov’s essential monthly column. Asimov’s selections will be featured by the glass along with similar wines and one or two that are completely different, for a fun, hands-on, and totally informal comparative wine lesson. There will also be some thoughtfully paired snacks available à la carte from the kitchen.

This month’s assignment is Fiano. You can read more about it here if you’re feeling studious, or just come in and enjoy a glass after work.

Wine School will be in session every Tuesday-Friday, from 4pm-7pm.

5) This spring, Bar Boulud introduces a new oyster bar and adds a selection of locally-inspired seafood dishes to its French bistro menu.

Boasting local bivalves from Barnstable, Duxbury, Nantucket Bay and Wareham, Bar Boulud is excited to introduce its new seven-seat oyster & raw bar. Showcasing a selection of fresh New England seafood, guests can enjoy local delicacies such as: Tuna Crudo topped with confit tomatoes, pickled ‘Fresno Chili’ pepper and pine nuts; Peekytoe Crab served with jumbo green asparagus, radishes and a house-made egg dressing; and an incredible Seafood Tower to share.

Combining seasonal New England ingredients with its classic bistro fare, signature spring dishes from Bar Boulud include: Bacon Crusted Cod complemented with a spring pea fricassée and charred lettuce; Lobster Risotto complete with English peas, mushrooms and baby spinach; and a Bay of Fundy Salmon paired with vegetables jardinière, sautéed spinach and a beurre blanc.

Accompanying Bar Boulud’s savory selections, Pastry Chef Robert Differ will showcase an assortment of refreshing desserts including: Rhubarb Lemongrass Creamsicle, a bright and sweet treat with Champagne mango, chilled rhubarb soup and a Scottish oat biscuit; Dark Chocolate Marquise served with a warm chocolate foam and cocoa nib gelato; and a Strawberry Vanilla Parfait featuring strawberry sorbet, almond crumb and a ginger jelly.

6) On Tuesday, May 15, Tres Gatos is proud to partner with Olmstead Wine Co. and Flamenco Boston for a unique night of exploring the world of natural wines from Spain, traditional and innovative tapas, followed by the captivating sounds and sights of Flamenco Boston.

Chef Stephen Marcaurelle is putting together a four course tasting menu which will be paired with a selection of biodynamic and natural wines from select producers in Spain.

Limited seats are available for two seatings (6:00 pm & 8:00 pm). Reservations for parties of 2 or more are available online or you can call them at 617-477-4851 for a reservation.

Cost: $60 (before tax & tip)

7) Vialé in Central Square, Cambridge is enthused to announce the next event in their new, seasonal dinner series in collaboration with Cambridge School of Culinary Arts (CSCA). The next CSCA Takeover at Vialé will be held on Wednesday, May 16, from 5pm-10pm. As with all of the dinners in the series, this dinner will pair Vialé chef/co-owner, Greg Reeves (CSCA graduate) and the Vialé team with a different CSCA student/chef. For this event, Chef Reeves will team with Victoria Zeuner from the Professional Chef's Program serving her own unique plates alongside Vialé's usual dinner menu. This is the last dinner in the series until the fall.

Victoria Zeuner grew up on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. She has lived abroad and traveled extensively, where she found inspiration from the many types of food she tried along the way. Between working abroad and extended travels, she has spent a considerable amount of time in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, South Africa, India, and Argentina. These travels and the time spent with the people there pushed her to enroll and further expand her culinary experience. Professionally, she is a Senior Project Manager at an international biotech firm. She is currently in charge of starting up a world class manufacturing facility to produce next generation products for rare disease patients. She holds two M.S. degrees in Chemical Engineering and Engineering Management. She hopes to one day start a venture that will combine these skills with her culinary passion.

Make reservations for this fascinating CSCA Takeover at Vialé. This is the last dinner in the series until the fall.