Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently. **********************************************************
1)  Continuing the monthly A Taste of Italy tour, A Tavola has unveiled the September region: Tuscany. From September 5-29, 5pm-10pm, Chef Vittorio Ettore will take guests on an educational and culinary tour through this region of Italy which also happens to be his hometown. He will explain his techniques and inspirations throughout the meal, giving his guests not just a taste of Tuscany, but also a complete culinary experience of his past.

"Vittorio was born in Tuscany to an Italian father and Venezuelan mother, and for the beginning of his life he grew up in Tuscany on a modest sized yet sustainable farm where rabbits, goats, chickens, and pigs grazed the land alongside small crops of items like fava beans, peas, tomatoes, herbs, peaches, apples, and figs. It was the way that his father had been raised, s3 he was eager to instill this same tradition in Vittorio and his siblings. The family was far ahead of their time, or perhaps we are just returning to basics now, in terms of farm raised and preservation. For instance, they fed their baby pig and raised him until September and October when they would then kill the pig and make their own charceuterie of salumi, prosciutto, pancetta, and capicola. They also preserved their produce, such as tomatoes. This heavily inspired Vittorio’s cooking style, and A Tavola’s September menu showcases these roots while incorporating his local produce."

"Simplicity is central to the Tuscan cuisine, and this will be exemplified through Vittorio’s menu. He will bring guests back to square one and back to his roots, with classic, rustic Tuscan food. His upbringing of sustainable farming, preservation, and sourcing locally has heavily inspired the menu, which consists of:"

Gnudi
Lobster, Corn and Homemade Ricotta Dumpling with Wright-Locke Farm Heirloom Tomatoes
2010 Castello di Montauto, Vernaccia di San Gimignano Toscana
Anatra in Porchetta
Boneless Whole Roasted Duck with Prosciutto, Sage and Kimball Farm Peach “Mostarda”
2008 Tenuta di Castiglioni, Tuscan Blend
Ficattola
Fresh Baked Black Mission Figs, Pastry Crust and Zabaione Gelato
2005 Frescobaldi ‘Pomino’ Vin Santo

The pre fixe Tuscany menu is $45 per person, with optional wine pairing for an additional $20.
Reservations are welcome by calling 781-729-1040

2)  Chef/Owner Joe Cassinelli is introducing an extensive new section of Antipasti on the Pizzeria Posto dinner menu. Starting on Friday, September 7 guests can now enjoy a larger selection of antipasti, over 20 different choices. The new items are meant to encourage sharing and sampling for parties of any size that want to experience various dishes and flavors at a reasonable price ($3-$9).

Beloved classics, such as Nonna’s meatballs) and Lemon Arancini (one of my personal favorites), you will find new additions such as Fried Green Tomatoes, Polenta Fries, Lasagnette, and Grilled Octopus Salad. For those who are a bit more adventurous and want to push the boundaries of their taste buds, items like Beef Tongue Pastrami Bruschetta and Trippa all’Amatriciana are other options. And be sure to order the Rosemary Sea Salt Bread.

If you have not been to Pizzeria Posto yet, this is the perfect time to check it out. It receives my highest recommendation.

3) On Saturday, September 22, Seaport Hotel celebrates the start of the autumn season with a one day only Pig Roast and special BBQ menu. Chef Robert Tobin will be roasting a pig on TAMO Terrace and serving up a menu full of fall favorites.

Menu items include:
Pork Sandwich
“Roll your own” Taco Bento Box
Braised Pork Cheeks
Roasted Pork Platter

All menu items will include potato salad, cole slaw and an array of sauces (including chimichurri, KC style BBQ, Carolina Style BBQ, sweet chili, spicy plum, buffalo and mole).

TAMO bar and Terrace will serve lunch and dinner while Aura restaurant will serve dinner only.

4) Amidst a week dedicated to fashion The Beehive, located in Boston’s South End, flips the script as they host Undressed: Fashion Burlesque at 8pm on Wednesday, October 3, in partnership with Boston Fashion Week and Moët & Chandon.

As part of Boston Fashion Week’s Fashion Trail, The Beehive and Boston Fashion Week invite guests to take a break from watching clothes on the runway, and instead watch them being taken off at this sultry burlesque performance. From 8pm-12am, one of New York City’s busiest burlesque performers Calamity Chang, also known as “The Asian Sexsation,” will be joined by the tango and flamenco inspired Medianoche and quintessential pin-up queen Bettina May for “Undressed” a mid-week fashion break which will prove that even during fashion week, you don’t have to be dressed to impress.

While the girls will take the stage at 8pm, guests are encouraged to make it “dinner and a show” as Executive Chef Rebecca Newell serves her eclectic fare from The Beehive’s menu from 5pm-12am. All evening show-goers can sip on bubbly from sponsor Moët & Chandon, and toast to fashion week with a special Moët & Chandon cocktail.

No cover charge, cash bar. To make reservations for dinner and a show, please call (617) 423-0069

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I briefly highlight some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently.
**********************************************************
1) Join The Beehive for “A Night in Buenos Aires” on Tuesday, June 7th, as they present the first-ever “Tango Café,” a celebration of tango music and dance featuring live performances by musicians and dancers from the Longy School of Music, as well as inspired Argentinean food and libation specials. Tango was born in the brothels of Buenos Aires and its seductive and sensual character will be on display at The Beehive.

The Beehive will be transformed into an authentic Argentinean café with the captivating and seductive sounds of The Beehive Tango Orchestra, complete with strings, keys, vocals and accordion. Professional tango dancers from the Longy School will mesmerize the crowd with sultry dance exhibitions throughout the night. Argentinean-inspired food specials and Milagro Tequila cocktail specials will be on tap as well! Boston’s queen bee, Executive Chef Rebecca Newell, will be serving traditional Argentinean cuisine such as Empanadas ($10) and Gaucho Steak with Chimichurri ($24 to $30). Dinner, including The Beehive’s regular menu, will be served from 5:30pm-1am. Live performances are from 8pm-12am. Reservations are recommended by calling (617) 423-0069.

2) Smolak Farms, located in North Andover, has partnered with Edible Boston, Gilt City Boston, Le Cordon Bleu Boston, Yelp!, Vermont Fresh Network and New England Cooks to create “Whim,” an outdoor dining experience. Unlike the typical “pop-up restaurant” Whim will be a permanent installation, hosting dinners every Wednesday night starting June 29th, and continuing on through August 24th, featuring some of New England’s best chefs.

Whim is different in several ways explains owner of Smolak Farms, Michael Smolak, “We’ve held off on doing a dining series because we wanted to offer something distinctly different. With the success of our chef demo series last year drawing over 400 people each night, we felt the audience was there, but we wanted to make sure we did something distinctly different, that would allow the chefs involved to flex their creative muscle and showcase our farm and what we do here. We have a lot of pots on the stove, no pun intended. Our guests are going to walk away with a memory from this experience and feel as if they are receiving a value,” said Smolak.

Guests of Whim at Smolak Farms will be served a three-course dinner under the stars as the chefs cook “in the rough” with only a commercial grill and a La Caja China at their disposal.  Another unique component of Whim is that each week the featured chef will be cooking for his/her own charity. Beyond dinner, guests are invited to take a post-dinner hayride through the Smolak Farms orchards as part of their $60 per person ticket price (excluding gratuity and beverages).

Each chef will be armed with culinary students from Le Cordon Bleu Boston to help them execute the dinner to an audience of 100 guests each Wednesday evening, and then we get to the reason why the restaurant is called “Whim.” The menu for Whim is only unveiled that evening and is completely vetted through the chef’s culinary filter.

For more information on “Whim” – The Restaurant at Smolak Farms please visit www.smolakfarms.com. Tickets can be purchased directly via: http://www.giltcity.com/boston/smolakfarms

Schedule:
June 29: Whim Featuring: Chef Jason Bond of Bondir Restaurant
Charity: Faith Kitchen, www.faithkitchen.org
July 6: Whim Featuring: Chef Erwin Ramos, Olé Mexican Grill
Charity: Food for Free, www.foodforfree.org
July 13: Whim Featuring: Chef Tony Bettencourt, 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar,
Charity: St. Joseph's Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, Salem, MA
July 20: Whim Featuring: Chef Richmond Edes, Beacon Hill Hotel & Bistro,
Charity: Community Servings, www.servings.org
July 27: Whim Featuring: Chef Andy Husbands, Tremont 647
Charity: Share Our Strength, www.strength.org
August 3: Whim Featuring: Chef Rebecca Newell, The Beehive
Charity: The Boston Food Bank, www.gbfb.org
August 10: Whim Featuring: Chef Tom Bivins, New England Culinary Institute,
Charity: New England Culinary Institute Scholarship Fund, a 501C3
August 17: Whim Featuring: Chef Evan Mallet, Black Trumpet Bistro,
Charity: Future Chefs, www.futurechefs.net/
August 24: Whim Featuring: Chef Paul Turano, Tryst Restaurant,
Charity: Jimmy Fund Clinic, www.jimmyfund.org

INFO: $60 per person (gratuity and beverages not included). Visit: Smolakfarms.com to learn more and purchase tickets. Included in the ticket price is a 3-course dinner and hayride farm tour. Dress is casual. Beverages not included. Paired wines, beer and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. Only one menu will be presented with no substitutions. Ticket is non-refundable.

Japanese Festival at Porter Exchange

The Porter Exchange, in Porter Square, Cambridge, is one of my favorite destinations, and has a collection of small, Asian restaurants and shops.  Though I still miss Kotobukiya, the Japanese grocery store which was once there.  Yesterday, the Exchange held their first Japanese festival, with several ongoing activities as well as special events. I dropped by for a couple hours and had plenty of fun and delicious food.  Hopefully, they will hold more such festivals in the near future.    

My favorite of the Porter Exchange eateries is Tampopo (literally translated as "dandelion"), which only has four small tables and a short counter. It is inexpensive and the varied food, from tempura to kara-age, from maki to soboro bowls, is very tasty.  Before attending the rest of the festival, I stopped at Tampopo for some lunch, fortunately getting there before it got too crowded. With such limited seating, there is often a line at prime dining times. I savored some shrimp shumai, miso soup, and spicy chicken kara-age, a few of my usual choices.  The restaurant is consistently good, and nearly everything costs less than $10.

I also stopped by the Japonaise Bakery, to pick up a few of their alluring baked goods, including shoku pan, a thick white bread which is perfect for French toast or grilled cheese, and blueberry scones.  In addition, I enjoy others of their pastries and baked goods, including their sugar donuts, croissants, and sticky buns.

One of the festival tables offered green tea, including in an abbreviated tea ceremony.  The attractive woman above mixed the powdered tea with a whisk, each action carefully conducted. The tea, which I sipped from the bowl, was quite good, with that strong and earthy quality you can find in other green teas.  Some of the other tables had water balloon fishing (Yo-yo Tsuri), brush and ink calligraphy (Shuuji), and origami.

One of the special events was a music and dance performance by Sumie Kaneko and Michiko Kurata. Sumie played a Koto (pictured above) and Shamisen.  This is a dragon koto, a member of the zither family, and Sumie began learning how to play it when she was only five years old.  The shamisen is placed into the lute family and resembles a banjo in some respects.  Sumie played a few songs, even singing at times, while Michiko danced a couple times, once a more formal and slow dance while the other being a more joyous and active dance.  Both women were very talented and the performances were quite compelling.  I have a couple videos but have been unable to upload them yet here.  I will add them when I find a way to do so. Later performances during the day included Aikido, Origami and Wadaiko (Japanese Drum). 

The Beehive: Belly Dancing

Who doesn't enjoy belly dancing? If you are like me and enjoy this dancing art, then stop by The Beehive on Wednesday, May 26th, from 8pm-12am, for “Belly Dancing at The Beehive.” This event will feature cuisine, libations and entertainment highlighting Middle Eastern culture. Join The Beehive for a celebration of Middle Eastern music and belly dancing featuring music by The Pharohs and nationally known belly dancer Phaedra Rose.

The soul of the Middle East comes alive at 8pm with the sounds of The Pharohs, an international Armenian & Middle Eastern ensemble inspired by Middle Eastern, Arabic, Greek, Armenian and Israeli music. While The Pharohs perform watch a mesmerizing belly dance performance by the steamy, seductive and mystical belly dancer, Phaedra Rose.

Come and enjoy the lovely melodies of the evening with Executive Chef Rebecca Newell’s perfectly accompanied Middle Eastern fare with special items such as lamb filled Moroccan cigars, mezze platters and The Beehive’s house cous cous. Enjoy some of The Beehive’s summer cocktails such as their Pomegranate and Apricot Martinis ($11.50) or relax with an ice cold Harpoon beer from the event’s sponsor.

Reservations are recommended so please call 617-423-0069.

There is no cover charge and a cash bar.

O.N.C.E in Hell: How Zombies Showed Me The Way

What is it like to dine in Hell? Everyone, including myself, had their own expectations.

J. J. Gonson and the staff of Cuisine en Locale collaborated with Oberon, home of the American Repertory Theater’s The Donkey Show, to present a culinary and theatrical interpretation of the classic work by Dante Alighieri, the Divina Commedia: Inferno. The Inferno is the tale of Dante's journey, led by the Roman poet Virgil, through the Nine Circles of Hell, each dedicated to a specific sin or crime. The event included ten courses of locally sourced food as well theatrical acts to accompany each course.

The venue was intimate, a relatively small hall with a stage, bar, and tiered walkways. It was an excellent location for helping to immerse the audience in a play, and they used nearly every space in the hall during the play. The guests sat at circular tables and the servers were also participants in the play. I eagerly anticipated what would come.

I have to admit I was a bit disatisfied when I left the event. A number of the theatrical elements did not conform to my expectations. I was hoping for a darker edge to the acts, an emphasis of the terrors of Hell, the horrors of the Nine Circles. Instead, there were plenty of comedic elements and that was disconcerting to me. It almost felt like a mockery or parody of the Inferno.

But I knew something was wrong with my perception. So much time and effort had been invested in this play and I just couldn't believe they had chosen to make it a parody. I had to admit that it had been quite a long time since I had last read the Inferno. So my memory was spotty in many areas, and I assume that others were in a similar position. We probably only remembered the key points of the tale, the bare skeleton of the plot. So many of the details eluded us. What was I missing?

It actually took a zombie book to set me straight! The book, an examination of George Romero's zombie movies, referenced Dante's Inferno, pointing out its various comedic elements. It was not solely dark as my faulty memory had told me. That gave me a better appreciation of O.N.C.E in Hell.

I then read a post about Hell by Jennifer Ede, one of the cooks for the event, giving more background on some of the decisions that were made in preparation for the event. Her post indicated the subtleties inherent in the theatrical acts, their adherence to the themes and details of the Inferno. I had missed much it seemed.

There would have been plenty of benefit if I had read the Inferno prior to attending this event. As I had not, I failed to properly understand everything I was seeing, failed to fully appreciate the intricacies of what I witnessed. I am sure I am not alone, that many other guests lacked a sufficient familiarity with the Inferno to really appreciate the play.

What might have been useful for the guests would have been a summary sheet of the play and its major characters. That might have helped us better appreciate the event, as well as understand more of the nuances. I really wish I had better understood the Inferno before I had attended the event. In retrospect though, I am very appreciative of all the effort, thought and planning invested in the event.

For me, the highlights of the play were Lust, Heresy and Heaven. Lust presented the lovers Francesca and Paolo tangoing across the hall. They danced well, and the tango is certain a sexy dance, one filled with passion. Heresy presently three scantily clad, leather booted nuns doing a bit of a sexy bump and grind, with men yearning for them but being unable to have them. Obviously such a nun is a heretical idea, and any man would appreciate their erotic moves. Heaven displayed Beatrice doing some incredible acrobatics while God played a sitar. She was a vision of beauty and grace, of strength and agility.

The food highlights included the courses for Lust, Treachery and Heaven. Lust presented a Duxbury oyster shooter with a Keown Orchards Green Apple mignonette sauce. Salty and tart, it made an excellent beginning to the meal. Treachery offered Beelzebub's Beelzeburger and Fries, actually just a juicy burger slider on a fresh roll. I could easily have eaten a half dozen of them. Heaven then served up a Pavolva with Creme Anglaise and Verrill Farm Basil Blue Preserves, a creamy and sweet concoction, closing out the meal on a high note.

This was an ambitious event, a true challenge, and I do believe it was a success. Though it probably has not received sufficient appreciation because most of the guests failed to understand and/or remember the details of Dante's Inferno. I very much appreciate all the hard work that was invested in this event, and look forward to see what challenges they accept in the future.

And maybe I will read Dante's Inferno again.

The Beehive: Flamenco Night

The Beehive beckons “Come Dance with Us!” as they present a very special Flamenco Night featuring Bárbara Martínez for one night only! Barbara sings in an amazing Flamenco style with hints of Middle Eastern influences. She will dance and sing with her Flamenco back up group including a slew of amazing musicians from New York, such as gypsy guitarist Pedro Cortés.

Bárbara Martínez is a singer and dancer, currently working on a solo project, leading a group of talented musicians from all over the world in an eclectic new repertoire that includes flamenco, Brazilian, jazz and funk. Performing weekly with her trio on Monday nights at Favela Cubana in the West Village in New York City, Bárbara also performs in numerous traditional flamenco tablao venues on a weekly basis. For the past ten years, Bárbara has been performing both as a dancer and singer in various flamenco companies, such as Pasión y Arte, Andrea del Conte Danza España, Oscar Valero Company and Arts Flamenco.

This event will take place on Wednesday, October 21. Food & Drink are from 5PM – 2AM. Live Music begins at 8PM. Make a night of it by coming to The Beehive for dinner and staying for the show! Reservations recommended.

I saw a Flamenco show when I visited Spain a couple years ago and it was an amazing show. So this opportunity to see a Flamenco dancer at the Beehive definitely sounds good to me.

The Beehive
541 Tremont St.
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-423-0069