Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. For this edition, I highlight some New Year's Eve options.  I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Bonde Fine Wine Shop, a boutique wine and accessory store located in the heart of Harvard Square, has launched its 2023 winter event list for its weekly wine-tasting series, including the educational Culinary Themed Wine Tasting classes, Advanced Sunday Wine Tastings and a class focusing on The Essentials of Wine. Owner and wine sommelier Bertil Jean-Chronberg will take his skills and educate participants on how to best pair cuisines with sustainable American wines.

To kick off the new year, Bonde will offer educational culinary-themed wine tastings on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Guests will have the opportunity to taste various styles of cuisine paired with eco-responsible American wines curated by Bertil Jean-Chronberg in a sociable and intimate atmosphere. Tickets are available online for $85+ per person and include four wines and light food samplings.

Playing off the idea of a New Year’s anti-resolution, Bonde will provide a junk food and wine pairing Wednesday, January 11, followed by an evening pairing wine and New York style pizzas on Wednesday, January 25. February tastings include a unique Valentine’s Day tasting on Tuesday, February 14 with decadent pairings of sparkling wines, caviar and chocolates. The following week will be a flavorful night of pairing orange wines with Indian cuisine on Wednesday, February 22. The incredibly popular poutine and wine tasting will return Wednesday, March 15, followed by an evening of wine with fried chicken on Wednesday, March 22.

Bonde will host a Saturday evening advanced Wine Tasting Series geared towards those with an advanced knowledge of wine and stewardship from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Attendees may purchase tickets for individual classes at $105+ per person or the whole 3-class session for $275+ per person. The series starts off Saturday, January 28, with a look into understanding the classifications and relationships between a wine’s body and the soil in which its grapes grow. The event, slated for Saturday, February 25, will discuss the changing climate and on the rise wine regions, including Maryland, Michigan, and Texas. The series concludes on Saturday, March 25, with a look into California’s gold rush and a discussion of wines from the areas of Sacramento and Sierra Nevada.

On Sundays from January through March, Bertil will offer The Essentials of Wine. The class will take place from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. This 5-class series is designed for consumers who may love wine but do not know the understandings of the basics. Participants will instill confidence in themselves when understanding and selecting wine, tapping into one’s personal taste and increasing knowledge of food pairing. These classes will provide the tools to last a lifetime of enjoying wine hosted by internationally renowned sommelier Bertil Jean-Chronberg in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for up to eight participants. Educational material, wine samplings, and light food are included for $300 per person for the whole series.

2) Legal Sea Foods is declaring its annual “Chowda Day” on January 15th as a “Legal” holiday in Massachusetts. On Thursday, January 12, at 2pm, Boston Councilman, Ed Flynn, will officially make a proclamation, in addition to remarks by leadership from Legal Sea Foods and Boston Children’s Hospital. The event will conclude with a “cheers for chowder” toast and photo opportunity with all event participants.

“Chowda Day” continues Legal Sea Foods’ long standing tradition of offering guests a cup of the restaurant’s signature New England Clam Chowder for $1 with proceeds benefiting research at Boston Children’s Hospital. Last year, “Chowda Day” sold over 9,000 units – the highest count volume to date, and is aiming to break that record this year.

3) Some restaurants offering Valentine's Day Specials:

Chef Michael Serpa’s Atlántico will be hosting a Paella Date Night on Monday, February 13. For $85 per guest, the date night deal will include four shareable dishes plus Atlántico Seafood Paella for two in addition to a half bottle of champagne & half dozen oysters, available as a $95 supplement. Atlántico's regular menu will also be available for guests to order from on February 13. On February 14, Atlántico will offer a Chef's Seafood Tasting Menu for Two, which costs $85 per person and features eight shareable dishes in addition to a half bottle of champagne & half dozen oysters, available as a $95 supplement. Atlántico's regular menu will not be available for guests to order from on February 14.

From Friday, February 10 to Tuesday, February 14, Chef Michael Serpa’s Newbury St. newcomer Little Whale will be offering a three-course prix fixe menu for $85 per guest in addition to a half bottle of champagne & half dozen oysters as a $95 supplement. Little Whale's regular menu will also be available for guests to order from.

From Friday, February 10 to Tuesday, February 14, Serpa's Select Oyster Bar will be offering a three-course prix fixe menu for $85 per guest in addition to a half bottle of champagne & half dozen oysters as a $95 supplement. Select's regular menu will also be available for guests to order from.

Located inside the Liberty Hotel, CLINK will offer a special Valentine’s Day dinner on February 14 for $195 per person. The four-course dinner will be paired with sparkling wine and feature Wellfleet oysters; seared yellowfin tuna “adobo”; choice of rack of lamb; Maine salmon, or butternut squash as an entree; and dark chocolate tart as dessert.

Located in the heart of the Back Bay, adjacent to the Prudential Center, Rochambeau will be serving up a four-course menu on Valentine’s Day for $105 per person. With multiple options available for each course, dishes will include burrata salad, spinach mascarpone ravioli, duet of beef, floating island with blackberry anglaise and profiteroles with ice cream.