Thursday, July 5, 2018

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) Chef/Owner Will Gilson and the Puritan and Company team is excited to announce a very special upcoming wine dinner with COS winery of Sicily. Join them on Thursday, July 19, from 6:30pm-9:30pm, for the rare opportunity of tasting four vintages of COS Cerasuolo di Vittoria followed by a memorable roasted lamb dinner prepared by chef/owner Will Gilson.

COS is Sicily's only DOCG, the highest level of quality following the strictest rules of Italian wine. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to taste four consecutive vintages of their noble wine along with an exquisite dinner featuring 2016 Frappato, 2013 Pithos Rosso, fermented and aged in amphorae, then bottled without sulphur, and two vintages of the singular Ramí, a skin-contact white. The event will also feature Tiziana Forni of Domaine Select, the importer in attendance for discussion about these particular wines, and much more!

Space is limited for this dinner, don't wait. Tickets are inclusive of dinner, wine, and gratuity and are available at EventBrite. Please email rebecca@puritancambridge.com if you have any allergy or dietary restrictions that chef should be aware of.

Puritan & Company's Azienda Agricola COS Wine Dinner includes:
Antipasti/Degustazione Verticale
2011-2014 Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico
Antipasto platter & shared small bites (selection of marinated and grilled vegetables, olives, cured meats, fresh cheese, and breads, caponata bruschetta, arancini, sardines or anchovy or mackerel)
Piatto primo
2013 Pithos Rosso
Grilled tomato and smoked swordfish fusilli with charred octopus and fried capers
Piatto Principale
2016 Frappato
Whole roasted lamb (fennel confit with bay and saffron, salsa verde with parsley and basil, panelle (chickpea or polenta squares), tomato jam with lemon and orange)
Formaggio
2013 & 2015 Ramí
selection of hard, semi hard and soft Sicilian cheeses

2) TAMO Bistro + Bar is offering three Fishbowl Cocktails this summer, Panther Bowl, Raffi Bowl and Coconut Bowl. Each 51-ounce, made-for-two cocktail costs $35. Enjoy them on the TAMO terrace all summer.

Inspired by Marvel's “Black Panther”, TAMO Panther Bowl is made with Cruxland Gin – a unique gin from South Africa made with the Kalahari truffle. This rare and exotic truffle can only be found at certain times of the year, when rain causes it to swell, creating cross-shaped cracks in the ground surrounding it – a tell-tale sign to experts only. This small batch gin is distinctly South African, grape-based and cold filtered for an extra smooth taste. Mixed with Bacardi Rum and Viniq Fusion Vodka, the Cruxland Gin gives the Panther Bowl a savory hint of earthiness. It also includes hyperlocal honey from The Seaport Hotel's very own bee colony. Nearly one million bees live in seven hives and thrive under the loving care of Chief Beekeeper Edwin Medrano. The sweet honey produced by his bees is masterfully incorporated into the hotel's unique cocktails, including the Panther Bowl.

The Raffi Bowl, made with Bacardi Banana Rum, Pillar Blonde Rum, pineapple, pomegranate and lime juice and Pillar Dark Rum Floater will surely satisfy your taste buds. Those with a sweet tooth should indulge in the Coconut Bowl – a masterful creation of Bacardi Coconut Rum, Amaretto, grenadine, prosecco, pineapple and orange juice.

3) Bella Luna Restaurant & Milky Way Loungea neighborhood restaurant in Jamaica Plain,  is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, an exceptional achievement. It is a female-owned restaurant that was established in 1993 by Kathie Mainzer and Carol Downs in response to area gang activity and gun violence. As Jamaica Plain residents and non-profit professionals, the restaurant’s founders were concerned about the growing crime in the community and sought a solution that could simultaneously bring together the neighborhood and support its charitable causes. A boarded-up space on Hyde Park’s Centre Street was the answer, and, thus, Bella Luna Restaurant was born.

25 years later, Bella Luna Restaurant & Milky Way Lounge has experienced significant growth and change, but remains steadfastly committed to its founding principles. Having outgrown its 19-seat Centre Street space in Hyde Park, Bella Luna & Milky Way Lounge relocated to a larger space better suited for accommodating its guests in 2009. Currently located at 284 Amory Street in Jamaica Plain, Bella Luna Restaurant & Milky Way Lounge is a full-service restaurant and event venue with 175 seats, 45 employees, entertainment space, and outdoor patio.

Bella Luna Restaurant believes strongly in the democracy of food- that delicious, gourmet cuisine can be offered at affordable prices, and offers a menu that reflects this philosophy. Bella Luna offers its guests a wide variety of affordable fare including “cosmic pizzas,” “supernova sandwiches,” “celestial salads,” and “interplanetary entrées.” Bella Luna is open for dinner seven nights a week and lunch on Friday and Saturday. The restaurant also offers nightly takeout and delivery to Jamaica Plain residents.

In addition to its restaurant offerings, Bella Luna’s adjoining Milky Way Lounge plays host to a variety of private functions, fundraisers, community-building events, poetry slams, live music, theme nights, and entertainment seven nights a week.

Continuing to build upon the community-focused mission it was founded on, Bella Luna strives to “build a better Boston” by supporting work of neighborhood groups and non-profits. Bella Luna and Milky Way restaurant’s event space and accommodating team have been, and continue to be, valuable resources for local charities and organizations in need of event space or fundraising partnerships- regularly offering food and use of its space to charities at ZERO cost. Additionally, Bella Luna donates 1% of its total sales to local non-profit organizations every year.

Weekly Events include:
--Every Sunday: Live Irish Sessions and Kids Eat Free
Enjoy live Irish music in the lounge with Eamon Sefton and Friends from 5 to 8 p.m. while kids eat free all night from 5 to 9 p.m.
--Every Monday: Off-the-Wall Mondays
Off-the-Wall Mondays at Bella Luna featuring tunes by DJ J-Wall from 6 to 8 p.m. with $8 sliders and fries, followed by Stump Trivia at 8. All free, all ages.
--Every Tuesday: Teacher Tuesdays and Dirty Water Saloon Line Dancing for Queer Folks, Friends, and Allies
     As a thank you to educators, teachers can enjoy ½-off appetizers at Bella Luna every Tuesday. Valid teacher identification required.
     Did you love the Electric Slide as a kid? Are you always the one teaching Aunt Sherry Cotton Eyed Joe at family weddings? Well, put on your best dancing shoes and head to Bella Luna’s Dirty Water Saloon Dancing. Learn country-western two-step, west coast swing and line dancing to Lady Gaga, Pussy Cat Dolls, Marvin Gaye every Tuesday night from 7 to 10 p.m. for only $10 cover charge.
--Every Wednesday: Tropical Lounge on the Patio
Take a mini-vacation on Bella Luna’s patio every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring live Latin, Reggae, Jazz and more!
--Every first Thursday of the month: The A-Beez at Bella Luna
Bella Luna & The Milky Way present a brand new residency, every first Thursday of the month with one of Boston’s best, The A-beez…Amy (Bowles) and Aaron Bellamy (The A-Beez) began their musical collaboration in 2003 as core members of the Sam Kininger Band. In addition to successful careers as sidemen, the Bellamy’s have co-led a ten year residency at Boston’s renown Wally’s jazz cafe, developing their unique blend of hip-hop, jazz and soul. The A.B.’s have performed with artists such as Chaka Khan, Cody Chesnutt, Martin Luther, Cee Lo Green, Akrobatic, Elan Trotman and many more.
--Every first Friday of the month: La Boum Queer Dance Party
Come on down to La Boum where dreams are a reality and get into the groove with DJ Stella every first Friday at 10 p.m.! Pop from the 80s / 90s freestyle / 00s / dance jams / house-inspired stuff / a lil disco / maybe sisqo / madonna / missy / yoncé / prince / whitney / robyn / throwbacks / and more!

Upcoming Special Events
--FistFulla Hits Presents: A Benefit For the People of Flint, Michigan (July 13th at 10 p.m.)
FistFulla HITS presents its fourth multi-band showcase, this time to benefit the people of Flint, Michigan. FistFulla HITS (FFH) returns to Bella Luna/The Milky Way in Jamaica Plain, welcoming a powerful nine-band lineup with live performances by: Mystikal Misfits, Thoughts & Prayers, Los Gallos Locos w/Krista Page, Mara Bel, Ray Liriano, Woza Moya, Roger Nicholson, Ordinario, and Steven Lawrence. But wait, there’s more! Guests can purchase original small artworks generously donated by area artists at our “8X8 VISUALS” gallery during the evening, as well as buy CDs, T-shirts, and other merchandise. All event proceeds go to the Flint Water Fund via the United Way of Genesee County.
--El Yunque, a fundraiser for Puerto Rico, featuring Ramirez (Roots & Spirits / Beats Manuever, Washington DC) (July 27th from 10 p.m; to 1 a.m.)
Roots & Spirits and DashRock, in association with Bella Luna & The Milky Way, present El Yunque, a fundraiser for Puerto Rico, featuring Ramirez (Roots & Spirits / Beats Manuever, Washington DC). Join Bella Luna oas Ramirez takes you on a musical journey through the finest deep, soulful, and underground house music. ($10)
--Hear Me Roar Women’s Pop-Up Market (July 28th from 12 to 4 p.m.)
Bella Luna & The Milky Way is proud to host a brand-new pop-up art market, Hear Me Roar. Hear Me Roar is a community of local female creatives whose objective is to support and encourage one another, provide opportunities, network, inspire, celebrate, and help each other grow. The show aims to provide locals with an introduction to some noteworthy women enriching their communities: women who are business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, and others. Art will be available from several artists who bring a variety of styles and mediums while they themselves are women of different ages and backgrounds.

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