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.
**********************************************************
1) On Thursday, November 8, 6pm-9pm, Big Night Entertainment Group and the team at Red Lantern will be hosting a special Whiskey Social with KAIYō Japanese Mizunra Oak Whiskey. Join them for a night filled with Asian cuisine, great energy, and even better whiskey. This will not be your typical whiskey dinner but rather an opportunity for guests to enjoy delicious bites from the talented Red Lantern culinary team, make friends and familiarize themselves with KAIYō’s multitude of whiskeys. There will be KAIYō stations around the room where representatives will explain each type of whiskey and help guests pair their food with the perfect drink. The event is free flowing and a chance for people socialize while learning from the KAIYō whiskey experts.

You must be 21+ with a valid ID to attend. Tickets are $80 and can be purchased here.

2) In honor of World Kindness Day, the Mighty Meredith Project invites everyone to be Mighty Kind at the first “Be Kind. It’s Good for the Mind" signature event at Kings Dining & Entertainment in Lynnfield on Wednesday, November 13th from 6:00 pm - 10:00 pm. The event is designed by young brain injury survivor, Meredith Casey, to celebrate how kindness is a cure for so many things and can impact your overall health -including your brain health, mental health and the well-being of others.

Meredith and her family founded the Mighty Meredith Project - an organization established to raise awareness of Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and the impact of having a hidden illness/disease, with the message of kindness as the beacon of the organization. Meredith hit her head in December 2015. After months of attempting to recover from an initial diagnosis of a concussion, it was also determined Meredith had a blood clot in her brain, due to the head trauma. The associated head trauma has required Meredith to no longer participate in many of the activities she came to love and has changed her outlook on life. The Mighty Meredith Project was created after Meredith settled into a new life of living with traumatic brain injury.

Combined with the kindness of the community, outpouring of support during a difficult time and the need for Meredith to re-define her “normal”, Meredith wanted to start an organization to help others who may be caught in a similar situation. Her mission is simple:

Tickets to the Mighty Meredith / World Kindness Day fundraiser include
Red carpet on the step and repeat
Pizza and Appetizers
DJ Entertainment
Sundae Bar
Chocolate Chip Cookie Special
Signing the Kindness Pledge
Sending Acts of Kindness
Unlimited use of arcade games
Silent Auction and Raffles and more!

Tickets are $35 per person, and are available here.

3) On Friday, November 7, from 6:00 – 8:00 PM, Rebel’s Guild opens its doors and its wine list for one night, featuring rare wine from Orin Swift and Page Wine Cellars with The Revolver Wine Company. Step into the shoes of a fine-dining Sommelier this fall at Rebel’s Guild. The rebellious hideaway is opening its doors to wine connoisseurs, both professional and amateur, to experience the worldly and eclectic selections from celebrated vineyards and wineries.

This tasting will offer a very rare opportunity to sample the hand-selected wines from the passionate mind behind Orin Swift Cellars. The innovative winemakers over at Page Wine Cellars with The Revolver Wine Company, will bring the unique styles of wine production from the Bordeaux region of France, home to Napa Valley. There will also be hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets are available for $35.00 and can be purchased via Eventbrite. All attendees must be 21+ with a valid ID.

4) Sinatra Restaurant at Encore Boston Harbor will host a seven course white truffle dinner on Friday, November 8 at 6:00 p.m. Property Executive Chef Joseph Leibowitz, Chef de Cuisine Timothy Hixson, Executive Pastry Chef Joel Reno have put together an amazing menu that features truffles in all seven courses. The menu will be accompanied by a selection of Italian wines.

White Truffle Dinner Menu
Amuse
White Truffle Custard, Crispy Chicken Oyster, Shaved White Truffles, Parmigiano Foam
1st Course
Winter Salad of Roasted Radicchio, Yali Pears, Frisee, Arugula, Robiola La Tur Crostini, Chestnut Honey, Shaved White Truffles, White Truffle Vinaigrette
2nd Course
Seared Sea Scallops, Cauliflower Puree, Roasted Porcini Mushrooms, Shaved White Truffles, Scallop Jus
3rd Course
Potato Gnocchi, Castelmagno Cheese, Burro Fuso, Shaved White Truffles
4th Course
Filet of Dover Sole, Variations of Chestnut, Shaved White Truffles
5th Course
Veal Tenderloin with Pancetta, Sweetbread Ravioli, Swiss Chard, Shaved White Truffles, Veal Jus
6th Course
Truffle Camembert en Croute, Quince
7th Course
Truffle Gelato, Opalys Truffle Macaron

Tickets are $250 per person. Reservations must be made in advance by calling (857) 770-3310.

5) Proprietor Peter Lovis of the Cheese Shop of Concord was the first in the region to sign up for the international ADOPT-AN-ALP program, which supports small family farms in Switzerland who adhere to a sustainable, seasonal method of grazing their milk cows – from the base of the mountains to the top. Adopt-an-Alp supports the transhumance movement, the move of people and animals in accordance with the seasons, a centuries old tradition.

In exchange, on Friday, November 8 at 1 PM, the shop will be rewarded with a shipment of two artisan Swiss cheeses never seen before in America. Pictured is the 2018 Alpkase, which will be melted and used to make fondue and the traditional cheese-and-potato dish: raclette. Free samples will be available until 5:00 PM.

Also that day, there will be a sampling of Teuscher champagne truffles from Switzerland, a selection of Swiss wines, and Swiss mac and cheese at the deli counter.

6) On Friday, November 1, from 5pm-7pm, Croatian Premium Wine Imports will be conducting a wine tasting at Vinodivino Newton. They will pouring a number of Croatian wines from the Komarna region, and this is a great opportunity to experience these tasty wines. I visited Croatia last month, checking out several wineries in the Komarna region, and I was impressed so I encourage you to check out this tasting event.

You have another opportunity to experience Croatian wines on Thursday, November 7, from 6:30pm-8:30pm, when Jonathon Alsop of the Boston Wine School holds a special class in Roslindale, The Best New (Croatian) Wines You’ve Never Heard Of. You'll get to taste 6-8 Croatian wines from the Komarna region, and learn much more about the country of Croatia, its grapes, and wines. Tickets cost $74.84 and can be purchased online here.