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? 

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) Tonno Wakefield invites guests to discover the wines of New York's Finger Lakes during an exclusive Dr. Konstantin Frank Wine Dinner on Thursday, September 17, beginning at 6:30PM. This curated dining experience will challenge the common misconception that the Finger Lakes region only produces sweet white wines, highlighting the winery's portfolio of dry Rieslings, elegant Chardonnays, complex Cabernet Francs, sparkling wines, Pinot Noirs, and other European varietals.

The evening will begin with a reception featuring Dr. Frank Sparkling Riesling, followed by a five-course dinner paired with wines from the acclaimed winery. The menu includes:
First Course: Seared scallop with chive risotto, scallions, sesame, sriracha, and soy sauce paired with 2024 Dr. Frank Dry Riesling
Second Course: Spicy shrimp taco with Asian slaw and cherry pepper aioli paired with 2024 Dr. Frank Semi-Dry Riesling
Third Course: Arugula salad with artichoke and shaved Parmigiano paired with 2024 Dr. Frank Grüner Veltliner
Fourth Course: Grilled duck breast with sweet potato purée and cherry agrodolce paired with 2022 Dr. Frank Saperavi
Dessert: Fresh fig with Cayuga blue cheese and hot honey paired with 2024 Dr. Frank Gewürztraminer

Tickets are $135 per person and include the reception, five-course dinner, and all wine pairings. Please note that this event may feature community seating. Guests with allergies or dietary restrictions are encouraged to contact oliviap@tonnorestaurant.com in advance. Due to the nature of the curated menu, substitutions will not be available on the day of the event. Guests can secure their reservation via Tonno Wakefield’s Resy.

Rant: Wine & Beer, It's Not Just About Flavor

Why do you enjoy wine and beer? And please be honest about your reasons.

When you read winer and beer reviews, when you speak to the staff at your local wine and beer shop, when you speak to family and friends, you'll generally learn about the various flavors in those beverages. Some will even rhapsodize with a lengthy litany of aromas and flavors they discern in these beverages, sometimes using descriptors which seem to make little sense to the casual drinker.

In all those descriptions though, one important element is usually omitted, possibly a legacy of our puritanical heritage. It's the dark secret of beer and wine consumption, that aspect we dare not speak aloud. However, it's a secret most of us share, and it makes little sense to conceal it. We shouldn't deny the reality behind our drinking.

Be honest. You can do it. Sure, you probably enjoy the aromas and flavors of your wine or beer, but we all know that you also enjoy wine and beer because it contains alcohol. You like that apparent sense of euphoria provided by alcohol. You revel in how alcohol makes you feel, altering your perception. Frankly, you probably wouldn't be drinking beer and wine if it didn't include alcohol. When is the last time you drank a non-alcoholic beer or wine? How often do you consume non-alcoholic beer or wine? 

In the U.S., non-alcoholic wine and beer has become more popular but it still only accounts for less than 0.5% of overall alcohol retail sales. Some may drink non-alcoholic beverages because they believe it's healthier for them. However, I've heard plenty of complaints about the taste of non-alcoholic wine.     

Maybe we should talk more about our enjoyment of alcohol in wine and beer, to stop hiding our reason in the shadows. It's an important element of what we drink so there's no need to deny it. It probably doesn't seem like proper etiquette to discuss our enjoyment of the effects of alcohol. It seems more refined to discuss the various aromas and tastes rather than explore how the alcohol affected us. If we discuss our enjoyment of the effects of alcohol, we might be perceived by others as having a problem. 

Those who actually discuss such effects, like Anthony Bourdain, are usually seen as rebels and bad boys. However, as so many people actually enjoy the effects of alcohol, it should be the norm to openly discuss it. It shouldn't be perceived as bad. So step up and admit the truth, that you drink wine and beer, in part, because you like the effects of alcohol. It certainly isn't the only reason we enjoy these beverages, but it plays a significant factor. And maybe by discussing it, we can better avoid problems with the abuse of alcohol.