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) Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and Kane’s Donuts has just the dessert to complete any Thanksgiving dinner this year! Kane’s is now accepting Thanksgiving pie orders online, offering a variety of classic favorites perfect for hosting or bringing dessert to share.

Kane’s will be offering:
Apple – $20
Pumpkin – $20
Blueberry – $24
Custard – $20
Coconut Custard – $24
Lemon Meringue – $24
Boston Cream – $20
Pecan – $25

Orders can be picked up in-store from Friday, November 20th, through Wednesday, November 25th. Please note that all orders are for in-store pickup only, with no delivery or shipping available.

2) Eddie Merlot’s is bringing elevated dining to the holiday season with a limited-time Holiday Menu, available Nov. 3 through Jan. 4 at all locations. The menu features premium cuts of meat, fresh seafood and seasonal wine pairings, offering a special occasion dining experience for holiday gatherings, date nights and celebrations.

Featured entrées include:
Garlic Chili Tomahawk Ribeye – 34 oz. Certified Angus beef long-bone ribeye marinated in fresh garlic chili oil, designed to serve two
Surf & Turf – 6 oz. filet mignon paired with a petite cold water lobster tail
Pan-Roasted Salmon with Crispy Lobster Risotto Cake – Served with passion fruit butter sauce and grilled asparagus
Braised Short Rib – Paired with heirloom carrots, fingerling potatoes, cipollini onions and red wine demi-glace
Elk Chop – Pan-seared double-bone elk chop with sautéed fennel, cremini mushrooms and red wine reduction

Eddie Merlot’s is also making holiday gifting easier. From Nov. 16 through Jan. 3, guests who purchase $100 in gift cards online will receive $25 in bonus cards to use toward a future visit from Jan. 4 through March 6, excluding Feb. 12-14.

Rant: Demand More Breakfast Reviews!

Do restaurants that primarily specialize in Breakfast get short shrift from restaurant reviewers? 

If you look back at the recent archives of some of your favorite restaurant reviewers, you'll probably find that they rarely, if ever, review restaurants that specialize in breakfast. And if they do, the articles are usually compilation pieces, discussing a group of such restaurants, maybe by locale. You might see a list of the top breakfast spots on Cape Cod or the best donut shops on the North Shore. Why is this the case? Why don't breakfast restaurants receive more attention? 

Probably my favorite local breakfast spot is Nick & Andy's, located in Danvers. They have delicious  food, prepared from scratch, from Blueberry Muffins to Vlore Cinnamon French Toast, Chicken & Waffles to Hash Browns. The service is excellent too, with many of the servers having worked there for years. I've recommended this place to many people, who have later raved about the restaurant as well.  

However, I have seen few food writers covering this restaurant. Why is that so? In general, many food writers and restaurant reviews rarely cover breakfast restaurants, even though many people love to eat a good breakfast. Nick & Andy's usually seems busy, so there's plenty of people who enjoy their food, but they deserve greater coverage. As do other excellent breakfast restaurants.

I've recently visited and enjoyed the Oasis Breakfast & Coffee in Reading, which also has a bakery with many Brazilian specialties. I love Pão de queijo, Brazilian cheese bread, and the Oasis offers a Pão de queijo waffle, which is quite tasty, and it makes for more of a savory option. And we need more savory waffle dishes. They also have Brazilian donut holes, in a few different flavors, and they are delicious and inexpensive. A good-sized cinnamon & sugar donut hole is only 50 cents! With Thanksgiving coming, you could but some of these Brazilian donuts for your Thanksgiving table, and follow a 200+ year old New England tradition.

I've also recently visited the New Brothers Restaurant & Deli, in Danvers, a cafeteria-style spot with a Greek flair. They have delicious food, such as the Loukaniko Omelet (pictured above), and the restaurant seems like an old-style diner. The plates are plentiful and reasonably priced, and service is excellent. 

Let me speculate on some of the reasons why breakfast is covered as much as it deserves.

First, the number of breakfast spots is certainly much fewer than other types of restaurants so it's only natural that more attention is given to other restaurants. When you look at the lists of upcoming restaurants, there are very few breakfast spots in those lists. This is also a reason though why these breakfast spots deserve coverage, because they are more of a niche and can get lost amidst all of the other restaurant types.

Second, people generally look more for advice concerning dinner restaurants than breakfast spots, especially considering how much money they might spend on a dinner as opposed to an inexpensive breakfast. It's much easier to take a risk on an unknown breakfast spot that might only cost you $20 as opposed to a dinner place where you could drop $100 or more. 

Third, many breakfast spots offer the usual standard fare, with little to make them stand out from other such places. So, they don't seem as compelling to review as they don't offer something new, different or more unique. Again, this is a reason why the best breakfast restaurants need more coverage, to help them stand out from the rest.

Breakfast can be such a satisfying meal, pure comfort, and sometimes with a little sweetness added. And I know that I, and others, enjoy breakfast foods all day long. I can enjoy waffles for dinner, or simple bacon & eggs. An excellent breakfast spot, serving breakfast all day, is special and compelling, and worthy of being reviewed and recommended. If I'm unaware of excellent breakfast spots, I want to know about them and many other people feel the same way.

So, we demand more breakfast reviews!

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.
********************************************************
1) Eddie Merlot’s is bringing elevated dining to the holiday season with a limited-time Holiday Menu, available Nov. 3 through Jan. 4 at all locations. The menu features premium cuts of meat, fresh seafood and seasonal wine pairings, offering a special occasion dining experience for holiday gatherings, date nights and celebrations.

Featured entrées include:
Garlic Chili Tomahawk Ribeye – 34 oz. Certified Angus beef long-bone ribeye marinated in fresh garlic chili oil, designed to serve two
Surf & Turf – 6 oz. filet mignon paired with a petite cold water lobster tail
Pan-Roasted Salmon with Crispy Lobster Risotto Cake – Served with passion fruit butter sauce and grilled asparagus
Braised Short Rib – Paired with heirloom carrots, fingerling potatoes, cipollini onions and red wine demi-glace
Elk Chop – Pan-seared double-bone elk chop with sautéed fennel, cremini mushrooms and red wine reduction

Eddie Merlot’s is also making holiday gifting easier. From Nov. 16 through Jan. 3, guests who purchase $100 in gift cards online will receive $25 in bonus cards to use toward a future visit from Jan. 4 through March 6, excluding Feb. 12-14.

2) Greco Truly Greek (one of my favorite restaurants) is giving one more thing to be thankful for this November, and giving Thanksgiving a little Greek treatment and introducing The Turkey Gyro. The classic Gobbler sandwich has become ubiquitous on menus, so why not switch things up a bit with this new take on a Greek street food favorite? Turkey is spinning on the rotisserie at Greco, ready to be stacked with cranberry. tzatziki, cabbage slaw, fries, all wrapped in their warm pita. Gluten free pita options are available now as well. This is available November 1 to November 30 at all Greco locations: Back Bay (Newbury Street), Downtown (Milk Street), Seaport (Pier 4), TD Garden Hub Hall, and the Burlington Mall.

Rant: Celebrate Sherry, a Neglected Wine

"There are only two kinds of sherry, the good and the better."
--Jerez saying

What is one of the tastiest, most intriguing, and unique wines that you are probably not drinking? It is most likely Sherry, a fascinating fortified wine from a small region of southern Spain.

Today, November 2, starts the celebration of International Sherry Week, a week-long of Sherry events that will be held all over the world. You can search their website to find if your local area is hosting any Sherry events.

As a long-term lover and fervent advocate of Sherry, I enjoy taking the opportunity, to spread my passion for this wine, to intrigue others to give it a try. Sherry remains a niche beverage in the U.S., and most of the Sherry imported into the U.S. is sweet. As such, many Americans have not encountered the myriad joys of dry Sherry. Even many wine lovers have little experience with dry Sherry. It's dry Sherry which is enjoyed the most in Spain, and there must be a very good reason for that fact. And due to reasons I'll explain in the near future, Sherry has been especially on my mind.

Sadly, Sherry sales have been on a decline in recent years but predications indicate it may be making a comeback. As I've written in my history of Sherry, it's a cyclic wine, which has numerous ups and downs, and has always founds a way back up. So, I can easily understand why Sherry consumption could be on an upward swing.

Sherry education is essential to the promotion of Sherry consumption, to get more Americans exploring this intriguing fortified wine. Here are some items that hopefully will motivate you to discover more about Sherry.

• The Sherry region has a lengthy, fascinating history, extending back a few thousand years and may even the source of the Atlantis legend. 
• Palomino, the primary grape of Sherry, may have been planted by the ancient Phoenicians. Every sip of Sherry is a taste of history.
• Sherry may have been the first wine brought to the New World.
• The Mayflower, before it sailed to the New World by the Puritans, was used to transport Sherry.
• Aged Sherry is one of the best values in the wine world. You could buy 50 year old Sherry for $50-$100, far cheaper than almost any other aged wine on the market. 
• Francois Chartier, who has written on the science of food and wine pairings, states that Fino Sherry is the King of Food Pairings.
• A Sherry Bodega is radically different from the average wine cellar, helping to make Sherry possess its distinctive nature.
• Here are 10 Things you should know about Sherry.
• And here are 5 More Things you should know about Sherry.

Locally, Sherry is starting to get a little more visibility, albeit more in the form of Sherry cocktails. I enjoy such cocktails, but I would like to see more people enjoying Sherry on its own too. If you enjoy the flavors of Sherry in cocktails, then why not try the flavors on their own, without other flavors clouding the issue. Try a Fino or Manzanilla, an Amontillado or Oloroso. Or maybe even a Palo Cortado. And then you can move onto some Sherry variations such as En Rama.

The best place to enjoy Sherry is at Taberna de Haro in Brookline, which has many Sherries on their list. Order a few tapas and get a flight of Sherries to compare and contrast. Whenever I drive by the restaurant, I nearly always have to stop for a glass of Sherry. 

Stop missing out on the wonders of Sherry. Take a chance and order a couple dry Sherries, to taste something new. You can thank me later when you find a new favorite.

Easy Thanksgiving Recipes

In one month, many of us will celebrate Thanksgiving and I suspect some of those people have already begin thinking about their menu. What size turkey will you buy? How will you cook it? Which sides will you make? What desserts will you have? How will you handle the allergies and preferences of your guests? Lots of questions to consider. 

Let me begin with some general advice, a sentiment you should embrace. Stop worrying that everything needs to be perfect because it will never be perfect and it doesn't have to be perfect. This is a holiday where family and friends gather, to share everything they are thankful for and not to complain and nitpick about silly and irrelevant issues. It's a time for fun and enjoyment, to relax and chat, to eat and drink, to savor the day together. As long as people enjoy themselves, as long as the food and wine is good, no one will complain or even care about whether it was "perfect" or not, whatever that term might mean. Just everyone being together is perfect enough.

If you're cooking at home, or need to bring a dish to someone else's home, then let me suggest some relatively easy, but quite delicious, recipes. I've compiled a list of five such Easy Thanksgiving Recipes, including:

Drink:

• Sangria: Based on the recipe from Dali, a famed Spanish restaurant in Somerville, this is a compelling drink and you'll probably end up with an empty pitcher by the end of the evening. It's fruity and thirst-quenching, and as it can be prepared ahead of time, you won't have to rush around on Thanksgiving making a drink.

Appetizer:

• Buffalo Chicken Dip: This always seems to be popular whenever I bring the dish to a party.  Lots of cheese, spicy sauce and chunks of chicken.  Get a big bag of tortilla chips and just let your guests scoop up some of this tasty dip. You can make it the day before and just warm it up before it's served. 

Sides:

• Double Corn Pudding: This is an easy substitute for home-made corn bread, and there are never any worries that it'll be too dry. It's very adaptable too, and you could easily add some of your own special ingredients, such as jalapenos or even bacon.
• Special Potato Casserole: Rather than the usual mashed potatoes, or even mashed sweet potatoes, try something which has a little of both. With the addition of goat cheese, these potatoes become especially creamy and tasty. 

Dessert:

• Swedish Apple Pie: Making pie crust can be a chore, so why not make a pie which creates its own crust?  This recipe is a big time saver, and it does not skimp on taste. Top it with your favorite ice cream, whipped cream or cheese. 

Just about anyone can make these easy recipes and your family and friends should really enjoy the results. Plus, these recipes aren't just appropriate for Thanksgiving and you can enjoy them at any time. Buffalo Chicken Dip while tailgating? Sangria for your next wine party? Swedish apple pie for Sunday dessert? We regularly prepare their recipes during the holidays as well as the rest of the year and they always earn raves.

And I have to add that you should bring back a 200+ year old tradition of serving Doughnuts on your Thanksgiving table. Who doesn't love a fresh doughnut? Pick up some cider donuts from your favorite farm stand, or get a dozen or two from your favorite donut shop.

Whatever you do for Thanksgiving, enjoy yourself and appreciate all that you have, rather than worry about what you do not.