Revised as of 6/14/09
This is my fourth post of a planned series noting my personal recommendations for food/wine places in various towns and cities. This time I am concentrating on Woburn. This list might be expanded and/or revised in the future but I will note when it changes. Be sure to check my extended reviews of many of these places elsewhere on my website.
Wine Stores:
D&L Liquors
485 Main St.
Woburn, MA
Phone: (781) 935-1603
(Good selection. Also have 2 locations in Waltham. Have weekly tastings.)
Restaurants:
La Stanza Diva
315 Main St.
Woburn, MA
Phone: (781) 935-3088
(Good Italian cuisine plus wild game dishes. Very large portions. BYOB. )
Tre Monte
397 Main St.
Woburn, MA
Phone: (781) 938-4020
(Good Italian cuisine. A more high end place.)
Ambassador Indian
9 Cummings Park
Woburn, MA
Phone: (781) 935-6060
(Very good Indian food)
Taipei Tokyo Cafe
318 Main St.
Woburn, MA
Phone: 781-933-6699
(Good Chinese food and sushi. Excellent lunch buffet. BYOB.)
Hot Breads
438 Main St.
Woburn, MA
Phone: (781) 933-7557
(Indian bakery with delicious meat-filled croissants)
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Virtual Wine Tasting
Not all wine tastings are created alike. How would you like to participate in an international wine tasting but in your pajamas, in the comfort of your own home? It may sound strange but it is now a reality, thanks to the Internet. Virtual wine tastings are starting to become more and more popular. But, exactly what are they?
Well, virtual wine tastings can take several different forms. At its most basic, you drink wine at your home and then report your results online. There is commonly a central website that initiates the virtual wine tasting, and where all of the reports are sent. Usually, this website will select a theme for the wine tasting, such as a particular varietal or wine region. And that theme remains in effect for a set period of time, often a month. During that month, you can drink as many or as few of the related wines as you wish. People all over the world may participate. At the end of the month, there will be a collection of wine reviews on that month’s theme.
Let me give you an example of a virtual wine tasting where I participate. Catavino is an excellent Spanish and Portuguese wine blog. They run monthly virtual wine tastings of Spanish and Portuguese wines. June’s theme is wines of the Bierzo region of Spain. During the entire month of June, you drink wines from that region and then post your tasting notes on their forum. You can discuss and compare your tastings with the other participants. It can be quite enjoyable.
Other wine blogs and websites run their own virtual tastings as well. Now, some of these other sites choose a different format. Tastoria runs monthly virtual tasting events, though they are not free. You have to purchase a tasting kit at a local wine store to participate. (I have not tried Tastoria yet so I do not know how much it costs for their kit.) Then, you purchase wines specific to the tasting event. At the time of the event, you log onto your computer and watch a live tasting of the wines you bought. You have the ability to speak to the people hosting the event, to ask questions about the wines. In a similar vein, some other wine sites have free chat rooms so that participants can chat about the wines in the virtual tastings.
Virtual wine tastings are limited only by the imagination and can be quite diverse. They are good ways to interact with other wine enthusiasts. You can feel like a part of a larger wine loving community. They can also be good to get you to try different wines, wines you might not usually taste. If you cannot make it to actual wine tastings at local wine stores, then you probably can still participate in virtual tastings. They are generally not pretentious either, so anyone can simply post their thoughts on the wines, no matter how basic their thoughts may be. So give a virtual wine tasting a try.
This topic also gets me thinking in a different vein. What about virtual food tastings? Or virtual restaurant tastings? A topic to ponder over and maybe discuss at a later time.
Well, virtual wine tastings can take several different forms. At its most basic, you drink wine at your home and then report your results online. There is commonly a central website that initiates the virtual wine tasting, and where all of the reports are sent. Usually, this website will select a theme for the wine tasting, such as a particular varietal or wine region. And that theme remains in effect for a set period of time, often a month. During that month, you can drink as many or as few of the related wines as you wish. People all over the world may participate. At the end of the month, there will be a collection of wine reviews on that month’s theme.
Let me give you an example of a virtual wine tasting where I participate. Catavino is an excellent Spanish and Portuguese wine blog. They run monthly virtual wine tastings of Spanish and Portuguese wines. June’s theme is wines of the Bierzo region of Spain. During the entire month of June, you drink wines from that region and then post your tasting notes on their forum. You can discuss and compare your tastings with the other participants. It can be quite enjoyable.
Other wine blogs and websites run their own virtual tastings as well. Now, some of these other sites choose a different format. Tastoria runs monthly virtual tasting events, though they are not free. You have to purchase a tasting kit at a local wine store to participate. (I have not tried Tastoria yet so I do not know how much it costs for their kit.) Then, you purchase wines specific to the tasting event. At the time of the event, you log onto your computer and watch a live tasting of the wines you bought. You have the ability to speak to the people hosting the event, to ask questions about the wines. In a similar vein, some other wine sites have free chat rooms so that participants can chat about the wines in the virtual tastings.
Virtual wine tastings are limited only by the imagination and can be quite diverse. They are good ways to interact with other wine enthusiasts. You can feel like a part of a larger wine loving community. They can also be good to get you to try different wines, wines you might not usually taste. If you cannot make it to actual wine tastings at local wine stores, then you probably can still participate in virtual tastings. They are generally not pretentious either, so anyone can simply post their thoughts on the wines, no matter how basic their thoughts may be. So give a virtual wine tasting a try.
This topic also gets me thinking in a different vein. What about virtual food tastings? Or virtual restaurant tastings? A topic to ponder over and maybe discuss at a later time.
Monday, June 4, 2007
Georgie D's Place
A rainy Monday night. Can't BBQ. So why not check out a new local restaurant?
Georgie D's Place is new though it has connections to the E&G restaurant. I am not sure of the exact relationship between the two businesses though some of the cooks from E&G's work at Georgie D's. I have long been a fan of E&G's food, usually getting take-out or delivery. So, I had high expectations for Georgie D's.
I had previously tried to get into Georgie D's one Saturday night, around 5:30p.m., but it was full. So, I decided to try it on a Monday night, figuring I could get in without a reservation. Though I was able to get a table, it was actually fairly busy. Georgie D's is a popular place. I should also note that there is not a lot of parking in the area but they do have valet service on Friday and Saturdays.
The restaurant is small and has two main rooms. One room contains the open kitchen and four tables while the other room is basically just a dining room. Some of the tables in that room are rather close together. The dining room might fit about 25-30 people. When I arrived, the main dining room was almost completely full so we chose to sit in the other room.
I first checked out the wine list which is short, with about 16 wines available. Most of the wines are Italian but they have a few non-Italian wines available. Prices averaged about $6 per glass and $22-25 per bottle. There are very reasonable prices.
The menu includes salads, appetizers, pasta dishes and various meat/poultry dishes. It is fairly diverse though with some standard Italian dishes such as Veal Marsala and Chicken Piccata. Appetizers average about $9 and entrees about $17-18. There were also a few specials for the evening. An interesting item on the menu is that if you cannot decide on what to order, you can ask Georgie D to create a dish for you! All of their dishes are available for take-out as well.
While checking out the menu, we received a loaf of warm bread with a dish of oil. The bread is made on the premises and was definitely fresh, with a nice soft interior and a crusty exterior. An excellent way to start the meal.
We started with a Caprese Salad ($9). This consisted of five yellow tomato slices, topped by slices of prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella. These slices were also topped with basil, olive oil, seasonings and aged vinaigrette. This was certainly a large salad! It was delicious with clearly fresh ingredients. There was plenty of prosciutto as each tomato was covered by a large, full slice of the salty ham. A very good salad and a good value.
Next came our appetizer, the Farmer's Sausage ($9). This consisted of two sausages, sliced in half, atop grilled polenta with melted gorgonzola cheese and a side of grilled peppers. This was another good-sized dish. The sausage was tasty and a little spicy. The sauce was quite delicious, especially atop the moist polenta. We used some of our bread to sop up the excess sauce once we finished the dish.
Our entrees included the Veal Marsala ($18) and the Scallop Ann ($17). Dinners are cooked to order so you are ensured of fresh food. I had always enjoyed the Veal Marsala from E&G's so hoped this was as good. And it certainly was! The dish had a large veal cutlet, with plentiful cubes of ham, and pappardelle. I had them hold the mushrooms. The veal was very tender and the marsala sauce was excellent. The Scallop Ann is seared with sundried tomatoes and rabbes. Though the menu stated it came with angel hair pasta, it also came with pappardelle. The scallops were tender and good. Another very good dish.
We were too full to order any dessert.
Service was good. Especially considering that there was only one waitress. Maybe they had not expected so many people on a Monday night. The hostess though frequently helped out to ensure everyone had good service. The staff worked well together.
Overall, this was a very good experience and I would definitely recommend this restaurant. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. This is a restaurant obviously run by passionate owners who want to create an excellent, intimate restaurant.
Georgie D's Place
499 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 481-9300
Georgie D's Place is new though it has connections to the E&G restaurant. I am not sure of the exact relationship between the two businesses though some of the cooks from E&G's work at Georgie D's. I have long been a fan of E&G's food, usually getting take-out or delivery. So, I had high expectations for Georgie D's.
I had previously tried to get into Georgie D's one Saturday night, around 5:30p.m., but it was full. So, I decided to try it on a Monday night, figuring I could get in without a reservation. Though I was able to get a table, it was actually fairly busy. Georgie D's is a popular place. I should also note that there is not a lot of parking in the area but they do have valet service on Friday and Saturdays.
The restaurant is small and has two main rooms. One room contains the open kitchen and four tables while the other room is basically just a dining room. Some of the tables in that room are rather close together. The dining room might fit about 25-30 people. When I arrived, the main dining room was almost completely full so we chose to sit in the other room.
I first checked out the wine list which is short, with about 16 wines available. Most of the wines are Italian but they have a few non-Italian wines available. Prices averaged about $6 per glass and $22-25 per bottle. There are very reasonable prices.
The menu includes salads, appetizers, pasta dishes and various meat/poultry dishes. It is fairly diverse though with some standard Italian dishes such as Veal Marsala and Chicken Piccata. Appetizers average about $9 and entrees about $17-18. There were also a few specials for the evening. An interesting item on the menu is that if you cannot decide on what to order, you can ask Georgie D to create a dish for you! All of their dishes are available for take-out as well.
While checking out the menu, we received a loaf of warm bread with a dish of oil. The bread is made on the premises and was definitely fresh, with a nice soft interior and a crusty exterior. An excellent way to start the meal.
We started with a Caprese Salad ($9). This consisted of five yellow tomato slices, topped by slices of prosciutto and buffalo mozzarella. These slices were also topped with basil, olive oil, seasonings and aged vinaigrette. This was certainly a large salad! It was delicious with clearly fresh ingredients. There was plenty of prosciutto as each tomato was covered by a large, full slice of the salty ham. A very good salad and a good value.
Next came our appetizer, the Farmer's Sausage ($9). This consisted of two sausages, sliced in half, atop grilled polenta with melted gorgonzola cheese and a side of grilled peppers. This was another good-sized dish. The sausage was tasty and a little spicy. The sauce was quite delicious, especially atop the moist polenta. We used some of our bread to sop up the excess sauce once we finished the dish.
Our entrees included the Veal Marsala ($18) and the Scallop Ann ($17). Dinners are cooked to order so you are ensured of fresh food. I had always enjoyed the Veal Marsala from E&G's so hoped this was as good. And it certainly was! The dish had a large veal cutlet, with plentiful cubes of ham, and pappardelle. I had them hold the mushrooms. The veal was very tender and the marsala sauce was excellent. The Scallop Ann is seared with sundried tomatoes and rabbes. Though the menu stated it came with angel hair pasta, it also came with pappardelle. The scallops were tender and good. Another very good dish.
We were too full to order any dessert.
Service was good. Especially considering that there was only one waitress. Maybe they had not expected so many people on a Monday night. The hostess though frequently helped out to ensure everyone had good service. The staff worked well together.
Overall, this was a very good experience and I would definitely recommend this restaurant. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. This is a restaurant obviously run by passionate owners who want to create an excellent, intimate restaurant.
Georgie D's Place
499 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 481-9300
National Hunger Awareness Day
June 5 is National Hunger Awareness Day.
Some of us do not have to worry about hunger. We can easily buy our groceries, get take-out or dine at some fine restaurant. But, there are millions of people across the world, including in the U.S., who do face hunger on a daily basis. They must scrape by, subsisting on the bare minimums, if even that much. We should not forget these people. We should do what we can to help them. And we, as individuals, can take steps to help.
First, here is a list of local events that will occur tommorrow. If you can, participate in one of these events.
Second, you can check out the Second Harvest for additional ways that you can contribute to battling this serious problem.
Third is my own idea. Tommorrow, skip a meal. Then, take the money that you would have spent on that meal and donate it to a local food bank, shelter or similar relief agency. Donate more if you wish, but every penny counts. This is a small thing to do but it can help so many.
Much appreciation to everyone who supports this important cause.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
The Vineyard
On June 2, The Vineyard held their Big Taste of The Vineyard XIV, a free wine tasting with 47 wines. Members of the North Shore Winers attended this tasting.
The Vineyard, located in a strip mall, sells wines, beers, and spirits as well as gourmet foods. In the second photo above, you can see part of the deli case. Within this case are usually desserts, cheeses, prepared foods, meats and more. Surrounding the deli case are also numerous gourmet food products such as sauces, teas, spices and much more. Most of their wines are located against one wall, which is visible in the third photo. The front right corner of the store though also contains many wines, especially what their best sellers. Though it seems they may have less wines that comparable wine stores, it might only seem that way due to the the set-up of the store. They certainly though have a nice selection of wines, including a number of wines I have not seen in other stores. Prices seem average with discounts for cases. The staff is helpful and seem knowledgeable about their wines.
Their website lists upcoming tastings, some of which are listed on my blog in the Upcoming Events list. These include some blind tastings, which you usually do not see at many wine stores.
The Vineyard is definitely a wine store worth checking out.
As for the tasting, here is my list of the wines I tasted that I especially recommend.
2006 Cartlidge & Brown Pinot Noir $15
2005 Morgan Twelve Clone P.N. $30
2005 Mano a Mano Tempranillo $10 (Great value!)
2004 Morgan Cotes du Crow's $19
2005 The Show, Cabernet Sauvignon $14
2005 Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc $30
2003 Oberon Cabernet Sauvignon $20
2003 Lincourt Cabernet Sauvignon "La Cuesta Vineyard" $35
2003 Clos Dominic, Priorat $45
2006 Leira Pazo Pondal Albarino $19
2006 Mandolin Pinot Noir $15
2005 Creed "The Pretty Miss" Shiraz/Cabernet/Viognier $24
2006 Dom. Houchart Rose Cotes de Provence $11 (Great value!)
2005 Curious Beagle Cabernet Sauvignon $14 (Great value!)
2004 Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet $20
The tasting was very good, with a nice selection of wines, including many especially geared for the summer. Their next big tasting will be September 8 so make sure to mark that down on your calendar.
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