Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I am back again with a new edition of Thursday Sips & Nibbles, my semi-regular column where I briefly mention some interesting wine and food items that I have encountered recently.
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1) There are two new restaurants coming to Reading. First, there is Sam's Bistro, which is located on Route 28 at the site of the old Wayside Bazaar. The restaurant is connected to Stearns & Hill's Bistro in Melrose which I think bodes well. It may have a similar cuisine (Shepherd's Pie?), and looks like it could be open relatively soon. Second, there is Oye's Restaurant, which is at the site of the old Bear Rock Cafe. It appears to be a Japanese-Chinese steakhouse but still waiting for more information about their menu.

2) Executive Chef Raymond Southern of Stanhope Grille at The Back Bay Hotel is launching his new summer menu next week. For the first course portion of the new menu, youll find: Cob Bacon and Shrimp Risotto (shucked corn, tomato jus, chopped scallions - $14); Pan Roasted Sea Scallop (Vermont blue cheese and cornmeal crust, port glaze, lemony pesto, summer greens - $16); Vermont Chicken Liver Terrine (frisee and mutsu apple slaw, porto jelly, cooked stone-fruit - $14); and, Big Eye Tuna Crudo (Tuscan melon, cucumber, toasted sesame, Meyer lemon vinegar, onion syrup - $16). For entrees, check out: Pan Roasted Striped Bass (wilted pea shoots, pancetta tomato jus, tarragon mash - $26); Artichoke and Ricotta Ravioli (lemon pea sauce, crispy fried artichokes - $19); Vermont Skillet Chicken (glazed stone-fruit, sage pan jus, charred scallion mash, braised purple kohlrabi - $25); Grilled Roasted Dry Aged Rib Eye (Russian fingerlings, summer carrot ragout, roasted marrow bone - $36); Butter Poached Maine Lobster Tail (warm baby beet slaw, lobster Bolognese, morel butter - $35); and, New Hampshire Braised Pork Shank (Borscht braised, summer beets, cabbage, apple jam - $29).

3) In celebration of summer, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar has created a 3-course, Summer Prix Fixe menu inspired by the vibrant flavors of the season. To take the guesswork out of the dining experience, Director of Wine Marian Jansen op de Haar provides wine selections for each entree.

Starters
-choice of-
Fleming’ s Spinach and Mushroom Salad or Summer Corn Chowder

Entrees
-choice of-
Beef Flemington Filet Mignon with mushroom duxelle wrapped in puff pastry, Madeira sauce and roasted baby carrots
Suggested wine pairing: Trefethen, Cabernet blend, Double T Napa Valley, 2006/2007
or
Cedar Plank Broiled Barramundi, Delicate white fish with roasted tomato beurre blanc on spinach mashed potatoes
Suggested wine pairing: Sonoma-Cutrer, Chardonnay Sonoma Coast Russian River Ranches, 2007/2008

Dessert
Key Lime Pie with a graham cracker crust served with chantilly cream
Suggested wine pairing: Inniskillin, Vidal Pearl Icewine Niagara Peninsula Canada, 2006/2007

Available now through September 27, 2010.

Cost: $39.95 per person (tax, gratuity, and suggested wines not included)

Ashmont Grill: Duck Tour & BBQ

The Boston Duck Tours’ fleet of amphibious, WW II style touring vehicles has been garaged in Dorchester for more than a decade, yet local residents rarely (if ever) get the opportunity to see, climb aboard, eat on, or photograph these unique “ducks.”

But on Saturday, August 14 from 11am-2pm, the newest addition to the fleet – the bright pink Dorchester Dottie – will be stationed in front of Ashmont Grill, and diners may pick up an ala carte BBQ lunch at the restaurant (from $5), then head outdoors to dine aboard her.

A percentage of the proceeds from lunch sales that day will be donated to Boston Duck Tours’ “Quack, Quack, Give Back” program. Each dollar raised on August 14 will be matched by the company, and will help fund the Boston Public Library Youth Programs, among other recipients.

BBQ lunch aboard Dorchester Dottie
· Choose from Duck Kebabs, Baby Back Ribs, Pearl Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Salads and more

Call 617-825-4300 for menu and other information.

Ashmont Grill
555 Talbot Avenue
Dorchester, MA

True Saké: The First All-Saké Store

One indicator of the increasing interest in Saké in our country is the growth of the number of all-Saké stores. For such niche stores to thrive, there must be a sufficient and ever increasing number of Saké drinkers. Within the last seven years, at least four such stores have opened, in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle and Hawaii. I am sure more will sprout up in the near future too.

True Saké, located in the Hayes Valley in San Francisco, was the first, having opened in August 2003. Located on Hayes Street, the store is surrounded by various boutique shops, cafes and restaurants, making the area a nice place to while away an afternoon. Beau Timken, the shop owner, is extremely knowledgeable about Saké, as well as having a deep passion for this brew. Beau was previously kind enough to participate in Wine Blogging Wednesday #59, where I chose the theme of Saké, and he provided a review of the Kikuhime Dai Ginjo.

I first visited his store about five years ago and was very excited to find a store that carried so much Saké. But as I live across the country, it was not a convenient place for me to shop, especially as they could not ship to Massachusetts. So when I returned to San Francisco, I knew I had to visit once again, curious as to what changes might have occurred over time. Plus, I wanted to buy some intriguing Sakés.

The store is essentially the same size, but it carries even more Sakés now, easily over 200. It looks hip and eclectic, and a potent lure to any Saké lover. There is so much to admire, so many different styles and types of Saké, including some that are exclusive to the store, not available anywhere else in the U.S. It is almost overwhelming to have so many choices, especially considering how many look so intriguing to me. As you can see in the photo above, they also carry a selection of Saké books for your edification.

Many of the bottles have an attached card that provides a description of the Saké, some useful information on its flavor profile and other relevant details. That helps make your shopping much easier. If you have any questions, any of the staff will be more than willing and able to field your questions and offer some suggestions.

This photo does not do justice to this display, which showcases various Sakés.

They carry several different sized bottles, from the 300ml to the 1.8 liter bottles. Above, you can see their selection of those large format bottles, more than I have ever seen at any other store. These are a great size for a party or large dinner.

Their refrigerated cases store Namazake and other Sakés so that you can always find a chilled bottle if you desire.

Even the center of the store has a table with dozens of Sakés. Despite everything, the store still does not seem claustrophobic. At least to me, I love being surrounded by so many delightful liquids. I could easily while away a couple hours persuing the shelves, trying to decide which brew to buy. Prices are good, better than a number of other stores I have visited, and they often have special prices on some Sakés.

You'll also find plenty of glassware, masu, ochoko and tokkuri. If you are new to Saké, and want some more traditional looking glasses, you will find them here.

I purchased a few bottles, though not as many as I would have liked. There were so many bottles which appealed to me, and which I wanted to buy. But, it would have been too difficult to carry a case of Saké in my suitcase, especially as I was not going directly home after San Francisco. So it was with much regret that I left the store with only a few bottles.

The store holds frequent tastings and other special events, plus they have a killer newsletter which you should sign up for, no matter where you live. The newsletter provides plenty of interesting information about Saké, and not just about what the store sells. Their website also has an archive of past issues of the newsletter.

I cannot recommend enough that if you are in the San Francisco area, you should stop here. It has everything a Saké lover could desire. You will be hard pressed to find a better and more diverse selection. With their knowledgeable staff, I am sure they can find a Saké to appeal to everyone, even people who think they dislike Saké.

Kudos to Beau for creating such a wondrous Saké oasis.

True Saké
560 Hayes Street
San Francisco, CA
Phone: (415) 355-9555

All Star Sandwich Bar: A Revisit

The warm cornbread thoroughly impressed me and I would visit again just for that. The proper moistness, just a touch of sweetness, and a wonderful corn flavor. I love cornbread, yet it seems so difficult to find good cornbread. Far too often it is heavy, dry and crumbly. But this was superb and I almost want to keep it a secret so there will be more for me.

Last week, I and several other local food writers and bloggers were invited to a lunch Sand-Tweet at All Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge. I was joined by some good people, including Jackie of Leather District Gourmet, Rachel of Fork It Over, Pam of Cave Cibum, Christine of Citysearch Boston and Dave of Thrillist Boston.

It had been quite a long time since I had eaten at All Star, way back in 2006, and relatively soon after they had opened. The restaurant had initially garnered a lot of buzz but that died down, especially after the restaurant made some significant changes. I was not impressed with their sandwiches, which seemed to be average in quality and over-priced for what you received. So I did not return.

But about two years ago, ownership of the restaurant changed, and two brothers, Kosta and Johnny Diamantopoulos took over. Though they maintained the basic concept of the restaurant, they made some changes as well. For example, the menu is much larger than my last visit. There are actually two menus, one for the regular items that are always available, and a sheet of specials, which are available for a limited time. The specials menu usually has around 8 different sandwiches and some sides. There is certainly plenty of variety available and everyone can find a sandwich that appeals to them, from vegetarians to carnivores.

But what about pricing? I don't recall all of the prices from the prior menu, but I do know that the price of the Beef on Weck used to be $9.25 and now is $8.95, a slight decrease. The average cost of a sandwich is $8.95, and you get some cole slaw and a pickle. Burgers range from $10-$12.50, but in addition to the slaw and pickle you also get French fries. This is not a cheap place to eat, but the size and quality of the sandwiches has definitely improved under the new ownership and gives a better value now.

For beverages, they have a variety of non-alcoholic drinks as well as beer, wine and sangria. To my liking, they carry fresh brewed, unsweetened iced tea. I also tried their sangria which was very pleasant and fruity. The alcohol flavor was very subdued and it was rather refreshing, making for a very good summer drink.

I began with the Grilled Sweet Corn with Basil Butter, one of the special sides. This was a decent side, and I really liked the taste of the basil butter when it melted over the corn.

The hand-cut Cheese Fries ($4.95) were a mound of crisp fries, with plenty of melted cheese. A good value side, the fries have a fresh, clean taste with lots of potato flavor. If they added some bacon atop the fries, I would have been in heaven. It is a large enough dish that 2-3 people could easily share it.

I ordered the BBQ Smoked Pulled Pork ($8.95), which normally comes topped with creamy coleslaw but which I had them omit. It is good that they are flexible enough to omit certain ingredients if you do desire. As you can see, there is a good amount of meat in the sandwich, better than the size of the sandwiches before. As for its taste, it was quite good, with plenty of tender pork with a slightly tangy BBQ sauce. The roll was fresh and I finished the entire sandwich, enjoying each bite. My dining companions enjoyed their sandwiches as well, all of which seemed to have plenty of meat in them, even the Weck.

All Star has certainly improved over the past and I will return to check out more of their menu, as well as for more cornbread. I still feel they are slightly pricey, but you now receive a larger and better sandwich. I don't think I would be as concerned about the prices if they only included some french fries with your sandwich, like they do with their burgers. They are doing a lot good here, and they could do even better with such a slight change. I'll report back again after I have eaten here a couple times more.

All Star Sandwich Bar
1245 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA
Phone: (617) 868-3065

Beretta: Comfort Food, Italian Style

Sometimes you just get lucky. While wandering through the Mission District of San Francisco, we wanted to stop for a drink and maybe an appetizer. We passed by a number of cafes and other places, finally deciding to take a chance on Beretta. I knew nothing about the restaurant but the menu looked intriguing, the place looked clean, and there were plenty of people inside. So we decided to stop in.

As you enter the restaurant, to your left is a long, well-stocked bar. Their wine list is primarily Italian, with about 14 wines available by the glass, for $7-$12.50. They also have an extensive cocktail list, with numerous intriguing options. We tried the Agricole Mule, which contains rum, lime, ginger, & mint and the Airmail, which has rum, honey, lime, & prosecco. Both were very good, not overly sweet, and with a nice blend of flavors. I think this could be quite a hot spot at night.

They have an open kitchen, which is always a good sign. Everything on their menu is fresh, seasonal, and sourced from local farmers, and they use organic ingredients whenever possible. The menu is primarily small plates, lots of different antipasti, some pizzas, risotto and a main entree that changes every day. Prices are reasonable, with most of the small plates costing $5-$7. There was plenty on the menu that appealed to me, and though I wanted to try many different dishes, we were there only for a small bite as we would be having dinner in a few hours.
We began with the Dungeness crab aracini with calabrese aioli ($10) were very good, with a crunchy, fried exterior and plenty of sweet crab meat and cheese inside. One of the better arancinis I have tasted, and an excellent alternative to use crab.

The Baked Polenta with Gorgonzola cheese ($6) was superb, a large piece of moist polenta smothered in cheese with a delicious red sauce. The tang of the cheese was prominent, though slightly modified by the hint of sweetness in the red sauce. This is top-notch comfort food, a hearty dish that is simple but very good. I made sure that the cast iron pan was quite clean by the time I was done, scraping cheese and sauce off of it. It was also a good place to dip some bread.

Service was very good, and I had no complaints. Though my experience here was limited, everything pleased me, and I think this place has lots of potential. I would certainly return here if I visit San Francisco again. If the rest of their food is as good as the two dishes I tasted, then this is definitely a spot you should visit.

Beretta
1199 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA
Phone: 415-695-1199