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. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) The Boston Pizza Festival has announced the lineup of participating pizzerias set to take over City Hall Plaza when New England’s largest consumer pizza event returns on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This year’s festival will bring together a collection of celebrated pizzerias, local favorites, and pizza makers representing a variety of styles and traditions. From New Haven-style apizza and Neapolitan-inspired pies to Detroit-style pizza and creative modern interpretations, attendees will have the opportunity to sample their way through an impressive lineup over the course of the two-day event.

Participating pizzerias include: Sally’s Apizza, Evviva Trattoria, CeCarré Pizza & Provisions, Ciao! Pizza and Pasta, Wicked Cheesy, Pizza Taxi, Quattro, Peppino’s Pizza, Eataly, Annies Pizzeria, Nutella Paradise, Central Cafe, McGonagle’s Pub, Pizzeria Rustico, Know Your Roll, American Flatbread, Palencia’s Pizza, PaPPo’s Pizzeria & Pub, Copperdome Crust, Lala’s Neapolitan-ish Pizza, Motor City Pizza, Mamma Mia’s, Gio’s, and Fiero Forni.

Pizza Taxi is traveling from Vico Equense, Italy, to offer attendees the opportunity to experience authentic Italian pizza without leaving City Hall Plaza.

Each participating pizzeria will fire up handcrafted Fiero Group artisan ovens throughout the weekend to prepare fresh pies on-site. The Boston Pizza Festival will also team up with Sam Adams to offer beer selections available alongside wines from Vinzo’s Wine. Beyond the pizza, the two-day celebration will feature an interactive pizza-making demonstration with The Dough Connection, along with live music and entertainment throughout the weekend.

Tickets for the 2026 Boston Pizza Festival are now on sale. All guests must purchase a $10 Admission Ticket, which includes entry into the event and two pizza slices with any toppings of their choice. Additional slice packages, available exclusively as add-ons, allow attendees to customize their experience with options including The Love Triangle (3 slices), The Pizza Lover (5 slices), and The Whole Fam (10 slices). Add-on packages do not grant event entry on their own.

Admission will increase to $15 on September 19 and 20, the weekend of the event. For tickets and additional information, please visit www.bostonpizzafestival.com 

2) In honor of National Bourbon Month, Vermilion, Michelin-starred chef John Fraser’s contemporary chophouse at Boston’s Winthrop Center, is offering a limited-time $35 Burger & Bourbon pairing throughout September. Available all day at the bar, the special includes Vermilion’s signature burger and an Angel’s Envy cocktail, a Smoked Old Fashioned.

Created by Executive Chef Justin Urso, Vermilion’s burger puts an elevated spin on a chophouse classic with ingredients including Pat LaFrieda beef, sourced from Fraser’s preferred butcher of more than 20 years, is freshly ground each day and formed in-house into 80/20 blend patties. Each burger is also served on a house-made brioche bun, baked fresh in Vermilion’s kitchen. The result is a carefully crafted burger that feels both indulgent and approachable, and an ideal match for bourbon.

3) Maple & Ash is bringing a fall favorite to its home in the Seaport: Prime Rib. Beginning September 13, on Sundays, from 5-10pm, the steakhouse will serve a weekly special on– fire-roasted black garlic prime rib with au jus, paired with creamed spinach and a bone marrow popover – on Sunday evenings ($95 per guest). Maple & Ash’s executive chef Jorge Campos will lead the team in butchering and dry-aging the decadent primal cuts of beef in-house. 

Also beginning September 13, Maple & Ash will expand its dinner service to seven nights weekly, adding Sunday and Monday to its reservation availability. From it’s "I Don't Give a F*@K" tasting menu to its Boston-exclusive bar menu and á la carte signature creations, Maple & Ash will open nightly to serve guests in its dining room, bar and lounge area, as well as its recently debuted all-season terrace overlooking the Superette.

Rant: My Drinking Advice For Post-Labor Day

Happy Labor Day! 

Today is Labor Day, what many people see as the unofficial end of Summer, despite the fact that the official end isn't until September 22. Labor Day also presages changes in the wine and beverage world, beyond the fact it's grape harvest season, and consumers need to pay attention. There are opportunities now that they should take advantage of, to learn more about wine and other beverages, to experience different drinks, and to enjoy plenty of delicious drinks. I've compiled some drinking advice for the Fall and rest of the year. 

1) Don't Stop Drinking Rosé 
It's a myth that Rosé is only a Summer wine. The reality is that Rosé can and should be consumed year-round, no matter what the season, especially as it's excellent with food. Don't be fooled by those who try to claim it's only a seasonal wine. The better wine stores understand that Rosé is great all year round and thus they will stock Rosé throughout  the year, even though many distributors don't push Rosé during this time. Thanksgiving is an excellent occasion for Rosé. For more thoughts on this topic, check out Stock Up On Rosé.

2) Celebrate International Port Wine Day on September 10

Port wine, produced in Portugal, comes in a variety of styles and types, from Ruby Port to Tawny Port, from White Port to Rosé Port. There are Vintage Ports as well as Ports of various ages, from 10 Years to 50 Years. This holiday is a great time to explore the wonders of Port wine, as well as its food pairings. For myself, Port and Blue Cheese is one of my favorites. You can learn much more about Port HERE, with links to my many Port articles, from the Origins of Port to numerous reviews.  

3) Celebrate Sake Day on October 1
Nihonshu no Hi, known in English as Sake Day, originated over 40 years ago, in 1978, by a declaration of the Japan Sake Brewers Association and is now celebrated worldwide. Japanese Sake remains a niche beverage in the U.S. so this is a perfect day to learn more about it, to sample some delicious Sake, and understand its wonders. Some local restaurants and wine shops may offer Sake Day celebrations and you should avail yourselves of that opportunity. For more thoughts on this topic, check out Celebrate Sake Day!

4) Celebrate International Sherry Week in November
This year, International Sherry Week will be held from November 2-8. Sherry may be one of the tastiest, most intriguing, and unique wines that you're probably not drinking. It remains a tiny niche beverage in the U.S. and like Sake Day, this is a perfect opportunity to learn more about Sherry, to sample some delicious bottles, and understand its wonders. This will be at least a couple thousand Sherry events across the world. For more thoughts on Sherry, check out All About Sherry.

5) Don't Stress Over Thanksgiving Wines
The holidays are a stressful enough time that you really shouldn't add to your stress by worrying about the wine. Do you really need specific Thanksgiving wine recommendations? I don't think so. The more I ponder the question, the more I realize that all you need for Thanksgiving are some good wines, the varietals and/or blends being much less important. As long as they don't blatantly clash with the meal, then they should work and few wines are going to so blatantly clash. Drink wines you'll enjoy and don't worry so much about "perfect pairings." For more thoughts on this topic, check out Rant: Don't Stress Over Choosing Your Thanksgiving Wines.

6) Don't Be Cheap When Buying Holiday Wines
As the holidays approach, you might be planning to host parties for your family and friends. You might need a selection of wine for these celebrations. Price is usually a significant factor in your decision as to which wines to purchase. However, instead of buying just the cheapest wine at a shop, ask the staff at that store for their recommendations for the best value wines. They might be able to suggest wines you might not have considered, wines which offer excellent value as well as taste. These are also some great discount wine shops worthy of your attention, offering compelling wines at a low price point. For more thoughts on this topic, check out Rant: Holiday Wines? Don't Be A Cheapskate.

7) During the Holidays, Pair Bubbly With Food

During the holiday season, many people will purchase Sparkling Wine, but for most people, it'll merely be for an apertif or for a celebratory toast. Yes, it's excellent on these occasions but it can be so much more! Many people don't realize that Sparkling Wine also pairs very well with a wide variety of foods, and can be consumed throughout the course of a meal, from appetizer to dessert. Take a chance and drink it with whatever they choose to eat, from seafood to steak, pasta to Chinese food. It's a versatile wine when it comes to food pairings, and it can be so delicious. For more thoughts on this topic, check out Rant: During the Holidays, Pair Bubbly With Food.

8) DON'T DRINK & DRIVE!!
This is one of the most important pieces of advice you'll receive this season. Please give this your full attention. If you've had too much alcohol to drink, if there is any doubt in your mind, don't drive. Just don't do it! Err on the side of caution so that if you have any doubt of your capacity to drive, then please do not drive. Take a taxi or Uber, catch a ride with someone else, walk or sleep it off. Just don't drive! For more thoughts on this topic, check out Rant: DON'T DRINK & DRIVE...OR ELSE!!

What post-Labor Day drinking advice would you like to add?

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. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Today, Bistro 5, in Medford, is kicking off their Heirloom Tomato Tasting Menu, which will be available from September 3rd - September 26th. I've previously enjoyed this special Tomato dinner and I strongly recommend you dine there and experience this delicious event.

The Four-Course Tasting Menu includes:

• Amuse Bouche (Tomato in Maesil Syrup)
• Zucchini Blossoms Tempura (Zucchini flowers stuffed with Maine lobster, Pink Berkeley Tie Die Tomato Jam)
• Tomato Spaghetti (Costoluto Genovese, red shrimp, tobiko roe, and tomato dust)
• Duck Confit (Smoked Speckled Roman tomato crème brûlée, summer squashes and phyllo crisp)
• Tomato... Sweet Tomato... (Pineapple Heirloom Tomato and gooseberry mousse, basil cream, raspberry glaze)

The tasting menu is also available À la carte and can accommodate most allergies or diets

Cost: Four course tasting menu $95; Wine pairing available $45

You can make a Reservation HERE.

2) On September 1, Anna’s Taqueria introduced its newest mashup of two essential Mexican street food staples: the taquito burrito. Perfect for those whose appetites aren’t ready to commit to an Anna’s “super super” burrito experience on any given day, these perfectly snackable rollups are compact and built for those on-the-go. There are two options: grilled steak & cheese ($5.75 each) with fajita veggies wrapped in a flour tortilla, griddled until crispy, served with your pick of a housemade dipping sauce; and chipotle chicken ($4.75 each) with sweet peppers, fresh cilantro and chipotle sauce packed into a grilled flour with a choice of homemade dipping sauce.

There also is an option to dig into two taquito burritos ($9) of your choosing, or to package your taquito burrito bliss with tortilla chips and a fountain drink ($12).

Recent Food & Drink Highlights

Today, I'd like to highlight of some of the foods and related-shops I've recently enjoyed. I want to spread the joy of some delicious dishes and worthy food shops.

Chicken Skin Crisps! I recently stopped at the World Market at Assembly Row in Somerville, a store which sells furniture, home decor, and lots of food, from all over the world. I was impressed with the variety of food and drinks you could find here, from chocolates to teas, Japanese goodies to English ones. I picked up several items, including the above, Flock Chicken Skin Crisps. They are made from chicken skins and "culinary seasonings." They also state they possess 13 grams of protein, no carbs, and no sugar. They were very crunchy and tasty, not too salty, and made for an excellent snack. They sell several other flavors as well, including Nashville Hot, Ranch, Buffalo, Barbecue, Teriyaki, and Dill Pickle.

Cal's Creamery, in Reading, offers delicious, homemade ice cream, and their Sundaes are especially delicious. They stock over 50 different flavors of ice cream, some seasonal, and you might find flavors such as Baklava, Salted Caramel Cow, Nutella Chip, Oreo Cheesecake, Cannoli, Saltz Pretz, and all of the usual regular flavors, like Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry. On many summer days, there's a line outside their ordering windows. You can eat outside at a few picnic tables, or dine inside at one of their interior tables. 

Their Sundaes come in Small ($8.41) and Large ($9.35), and the Small comes with two scoops while the Large has three scoops. You can get scoops of all of the same ice cream, and get different flavors. I chose a Small, with scoops of Banana Cream Pie and Coconut Macaroon. You then have a choice of sauces, including Hot Fudge, Caramel, Peanut Butter, Pineapple, Salted Caramel and Strawberry. I opted for the Salted Caramel. Next, you can get home-made whipped cream or marshmallow, and then have the option for walnuts and a cherry. I chose whipped cream, nuts and the cherry. This might be a Small, but it's a hearty dish, and the ice cream is creamy and flavorful. And the whipped cream is a great addition, with a firm and creamy texture, and it's not overly sweet. Rather than lunch one day, why not have a delicious ice cream sundae?  

I most often dine at Cappa's Trackside Kitchen, in Melrose, for breakfast. I especially love their Pancakes, although their egg dishes, including omelets, are very good as well. Very reasonably priced, good portions, and tasty food all combine to make this spot an excellent breakfast choice. They also serve Lunch, and I've recently gone there a few times to check it out. I ordered one of their Cheeseburgers, and got it with a side of Steak Fries, although I wasn't expecting what arrived. What huge slices of potato! A crunchy exterior with the softer potato interior. Such a tasty dish, and it's rare to find any restaurant serving these type of fries. The Cheeseburger was tasty as well. 

You're unlikely to walk by The Bread Basket, in Danvers, as it's a bit off the beaten path, a side street off Maple Street where most of the businesses are located. However, it's well worth the short detour. It's a French bakery, which makes breads and pastries, croissants and cookies. I was intrigued by the loaf of Cinnamon Babka, which in the above photo is behind the Chocolate Chip Babka. It was a good choice, filled with lots of cinnamon flavor, permeating much of the loaf, and the bread itself was soft and with some crunch from its exterior. If you love cinnamon, this would be a great choice. As I was ready to leave with my purchase, one of the cooks put out a basket of fresh, hot baguettes, and I had to buy one. Once I got to my car, I tore off a piece of the baguette as I couldn't wait to taste it, especially as it was hot. And it was everything I wanted in such a baguette, a crusty exterior with a fluffy interior. If only I had some butter with me at the moment. 

Also in Danvers, Tea Camilla is an independent tea shop, which sells over 150 loose-leaf teas and botanicals, as well as books, cups, candles, and other related items. What a huge selection of teas, including white, green, black, rooibos, and more. A number of the teas are flavored, and there's plenty of diversity in those flavors. You can purchase a packaged, small amount of the teas, often containing 1/2 to 1 ounce, or you can purchase a larger package. The small packages are a great way to try out the teas, to see if you like them or not. I ended up buying 6 different teas, including a Butterscotch White Tea, a Golden Tipped Yunnan Black Tea, and a Peach Oolong Tea. I've been using them to make iced tea, and I've loved all of the teas so far. The flavored teas are more subtle, and not overwhelming, and they don't present as sweet. You might think the Butterscotch would have been sweet, but it wasn't, and added more a creaminess to the tea, with the taste if butterscotch. 

They also serve hot and cold teas, and will make a hot tea for you from any of the teas they sell. Everything is made from scratch, including the iced teas, so you have to wait a short time for you tea to be ready, but you'll be very pleased with the results. 

Rant: Drink Like A Colonial!

How times have changed...

According to The Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson and Franklin Revolutinized American Cuisine (2010) by Dave De Witt, during Colonial days, "The common belief was that strong drink made for a strong body and soul; alcohol was believed to be nutritious and healthful, and it was used in medications that could supposedly cure snakebite, frostbite, fever, cold, melancholy, and even a broken leg. Insurance companies raised their rates for nondrinkers, and hard liquor was even more popular in the colonies than in England."

The book continued, "Colonists drank twice as much as Americans do now." In addition, "Regular drinking was normal for all ages, and young students were given ale or hard cider for breakfast. Harvard College even had its own brewery. In courtrooms, all parties, judge and defendant included, passed around and shared bottles of liquor. Stagecoaches stopped every five miles to “water the horses and brandy the gentlemen.” Whiskey was served at house-raisings, huskings, reaping, land clearings, or whenever women gathered to quilt, sew, or perform other communal labor.

And interestingly, during the Revolutionary War, as England blocked shipments of molasses and rum, colonials had tough times. "For drinkers, times were so bad that they were forced to drink spruce and pumpkin beers." Contrast that with today when pumpkin beers are enormously popular, and can be found on store shelves as early as July. 

As for the drinking habits of American today, a recent Gallup Poll provides disturbing news, which have been supported by numerous other recent articles on the same subject. The Gallup Poll stated, "The share of Americans who say they drink alcohol remains at a record-low 54% for the second consecutive year, the lowest reading in Gallup’s trend dating back to 1939." The article continued, "Self-reported drinking fell over the previous three years, from 62% in 2023 to 58% in 2024 and 54% in 2025, before holding steady this year."

One of the major reasons for this decline is that more people consider drinking to have negative health consequences. "Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults now believe drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day is bad for one’s health. The figure is essentially unchanged from last year’s record-high 53% and marks only the second time since Gallup first asked the question in 2001 that a majority has expressed this view." Back in 2001, only 27% considered it unhealthy. 

The decrease in alcohol consumption has other causes as well, such as the increased use of cannabis and the increased costs of alcohol due to tariffs and other factors. 

One positive with this decline was noted. "As overall drinking has declined, the percentage of Americans who say they sometimes drink too much has also fallen, reaching a new low of 13%. Before 2000, more than 20% of Americans routinely reported overdrinking, including a record-high 35% in 1989." 

If they consume alcohol, what are Americans drinking? Beer, at 36% is the most popular, followed closely by spirits at 32% and wine at 30%. During the past ten years, beer dropped 7 percentage points while liquor rose by 12 points, although wine has remained largely consistent. Gender plays a significant role in these percentages, with 56% of men, as opposed to 16% of women, preferring beer.  45% of women, as opposed to 15% of men, prefer wine. And 37% of women, as opposed to 26% of men, favor spirits.

So, here's some questions for discussion or contemplation:

• Has your alcohol consumption decreased in recent years? If so, what are the reasons for the decrease? Health concerns? Cannabis consumption? Price? Other? 
• Do you prefer to drink beer, seltzers, wine or spirits? Has that preference changed in recent years?
• What might cause you to increase your overall alcohol consumption?