Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food & drink events. For now, some of these events will simply be the opening of certain restaurants, generally ones dear to my heart for a variety of reasons. And I hope everyone dines out safely, and tips well. 

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1) Bergamot, located in Somerville, closed in March due to the pandemic but now is back, although it has transformed into a new restaurant. It will now be called Food Art Bar (FAB), and is a collaboration between Bergamot old-timers, including Chef/owner Keith Pooler and Servio Garcia, and Bergamot bar regulars, Ben Holmes and David Gerzofsky, the creators of FAB Cans. The new place, at the same location of the former Bergamot, will be a combination of an art gallery, a brewery, and the same new American kitchen of Bergamot, featuring the creations of Chef Pooler and second in culinary command, Cam Catarius. 

They are just getting started with soft launch activities and will soon be open Thursday to Saturday, 5:30pm-9pm. Looking forward to seeing this new incarnation.

2) As many of you know, I'm a huge fan of Croatian wines, and we are fortunate in the Boston area that we can find numerous Croatian wines, largely due to Croatian Premium Wine Imports (CPWI). Plus, they ship to many other states, so people all across the U.S. can experience these delicious wines. Recently, CPWI has updated their online inventory and you can now find nearly 50 wine labels in their inventory. Plenty of diversity, unique grapes, and just tasty wines. 

They began their company with only wines from the Komarna Appellation but have expanded to cover many other Croatian wine regions too, including:  
---Dalmatia: Komarna Appellation, Konavle, Pelješac, including Dingač, Šibenik, and soon to be added Brač with varieties of Plavac Mali, Pošip, Dubrovačka Malvasija, Babić, Debit, etc.
---Istria & Kvarner: two wineries, one from inland at Motovun, and one from the coast in Poreč, and the Istrian Malvazija and Teran
--Croatian Uplands: eight wineries with a selection of wines including Pušipel (also known as Furmint, Šipon or Moslavac), Graševina, etc.

So, now is the time to experience Croatian wines, ordering them from the safety of your home. 

3) Do you enjoy the pies at Rosebud American Kitchen & Bar? Well, the pastry team behind those delicious pies has opened a new pastry shop, Elm Street Sweets. Their site states: "We use local produce whenever possible from right here in New England, real butter, sea salt and carefully chosen spices. Fresh blueberries, raspberries and strawberries, no cans of that goopy stuff here! Our apples are all hand selected and carefully peeled and cut to give just the right texture to that classic apple pie."

They sell a variety of products including cakes, pies, cookies and gluten-free items. Banana Bourbon Cream Pie. Peach Blueberry Crumble Pie. Pecan Carrot Cake. Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies. And more. Each item on their website lists all the ingredients, and also mentions a number of allergens. So check out their new site!

4) Let the team at MIDA bring Italy to you with its signature “At Home with MIDA” series: a Wine Tasting and Dinner at your home as you follow along on a Virtual Wine Tasting Tour of Emilia Romagna, Italy. Emilia Romagna is a well-respected food and wine region of Italy, home to delicious Lambrusco. Imagine relaxing on a sun-soaked Adriatic Beach at one of the region’s top resorts, tasting some of Italy’s finest wine and food. 

“The food and wine of Emilia Romagna is perfect for this time of year” according to Seth Gerber, partner, MIDA. “We are excited to share these robust and uniquely made Italian wines paired with some of Chef Douglass Williams’ favorite dishes.” MIDA is offering this peek into the Emilia Romagna region on two nights, September 11 and 12, at 6pm.

RSVP by calling the restaurant 617-936-3490. The price is $120 per couple, which includes a three course dinner and four wine pairings. You can then pick up your dinner kit on the day of the event from 4:30pm-5:30pm. You will then be given a Zoom link, so you can dine and drink with everyone else online. James Mucci, of Mucci Wine Imports, will talk about all four of the wines.