Burtons Grill:

Burton’s Grill of North Andover is offering a big reason why summer is our favorite season; The Lobster Lovers, Fresh Lobster Roll!

What do we think about when we hear the word, Lobster? Right off the bat, we think of the tail. That white, juicy, succulent meat in the tail leaves diner’s wishing to order more; it’s no wonder why it’s the best part! Not only is the tail the best part of your lobster dining experience, but the claw and knuckles aren’t so bad either! Now, Chef Denise Baron of Burton’s Grill, is offering these three favorite parts chopped up and mixed with mayonnaise on a Brioche Roll and served with Rosemary Potato Chips!

Want to know the secret to Chef Denise’s Masterpiece? Well now you can!

Lobster Roll
5oz Fresh Lobster Meat: Claw, Knuckles, Tail (chopped ¾” x 1”)
1tbsp Seasoned Mayonnaise
1ea Brioche Roll: Griddled
1Leaf Romaine Lettuce
20ea Rosemary Potato Chips

In a small bowl, mix the lobster meat with the seasoned mayonnaise. Once mixed, place the one leaf of Romaine Lettuce on the bottom half of the Griddled, Brioche Roll. Top the leaf with a mound of the lobster and mayonnaise. To finish, place the lobster roll on the left side of the 12” dinner plate, leaving space on the right for the chips; slightly behind the roll.

This 5 Ounce Roll from under the sea is available at Burtons Grill for $21.95 starting Monday, June 29th. The lobster roll will be available Monday – Thursday 11:30am-10pm, Friday and Saturday at 11:30am-11pm, and Sunday from 11:30am-9pm.

Za Za Restaurant: Lobster Bake

Looking for an inexpensive lobster dinner? If so, maybe you should take a short drive to Route 1. Chef Manrique Alvarenga from Za Za Restaurant has declared “I will do a New England Lobster Bake for only $12.99!”

The Za Za Restaurant New England Lobster Bake Special runs every Thursday night from 3pm-10p throughout the summer and includes a cup of clam chowder, a 1 ¼ - 1 ½ pound boiled lobster, farm-fresh corn on the cob and seasoned coleslaw for only $12.99. Sounds like a pretty good deal.

Za Za Restaurant
114 Broadway Street (Rt.1 N)
Saugus, MA
Phone: (781) 233-6815

Rant: Wine Stereotypes

Stereotypes are wrong. They are inadequate generalizations which fail to take into consideration unique individual differences. It is easy to rely on a stereotype but we should not take that easy route. We don't tolerate stereotyping people but that does not go far enough.

Wine can be stereotyped too. Yes, wine has no feelings and does not care how you characterize it. But when you stereotype wine, it can hurt you because you may miss out on a wonderful wine because of those preconceptions. Wines, even made from the same grape, can be so very different that one cannot rely on stereotypes.

As I have mentioned before, I am generally not a fan of Cabernet Franc when it is the dominant grape in the wine. This is because many Cabernet Franc wines have a vegetal taste which does not appeal to my taste buds. It would thus be easy for me to ignore all Cabernet Francs, to stereotype them as all having that vegetal taste. By doing that though, I would miss out on the significant number of Cabernet Francs which lack that taste, and which I would enjoy. Despite my dislike for many Cabernet Francs, I have kept tasting them, seeking out wines that I might enjoy. And I have found them, including a couple which amazed me. I would never have found those wines if I stuck to a stereotype.

I encountered another wine stereotype several days ago at a Rosé tasting. Some people think that all Rosés are sweet, that all Rosés are like White Zinfandel, but that is far from the case. Most Rosé is actually dry and tastes radically different from White Zinfandel. I love Rosé and it is a perfect summer wine, pairing well with so many different foods. I actually drink it year round. Don't think of it as sweet and give it a try as you might find a delicious wine you'll thoroughly enjoy.

Sherry also has been stereotyped as being sweet, as well as being old-fashioned, a drink for our grandmothers. Yet that too is far from accurate. Sherry comes in a variety of styles and flavors, and much of it is dry, delicious Finos and Manzanillas. They too are good food wines, or nice apertifs. There are some sweet versions of Sherry, like Oloroso or Amontillado, but they have plenty of flavor, and pair well with desserts or alone as an after-dinner drink. I had plenty of delicious Sherry in Spain and it helped me appreciate the drink even more.

Israeli wines suffer from a triple stereotype. First, many people think all Israeli wines are Kosher, which is actually not the case. There are plenty of non-Kosher wines produced in Israel and I have positively reviewed a number of them on my blog. Second, many people think Kosher wines generally don't taste good. They think of Manischewitz as being the typical Israeli Kosher wine, yet Manischewitz is made in the U.S. Third, many also think Kosher wines are generally sweet. Both of those two points are erroneous. There are plenty of dry and delicious Kosher wines around. The Israeli wine industry has numerous boutique wineries that are producing excellent wines, Kosher and not, and which you should check out.

A beverage that is near and dear to my heart is Saké, and it too has a burden of a stereotype. Far too many people think all Saké is served piping hot, which could not be farther from the case. Much of the best Saké is served slightly chilled and I have reviewed many such on my blog. Heating Saké can hide so many of its delicious, subtle flavors. There is a myriad of styles and flavor profiles of Saké and there is probably at least one that would please all wine lovers. Break past the stereotype and give a chilled Saké a try.

Even a popular grape like Chardonnay can suffer from stereotypes. After so many oaky California Chardonnays seemed to hit the market, a significant number of people began to think that all Chardonnays were oaky and to shy away from drinking them. Yet that is not true. First, there are Chardonnays which see no oak at all, and they can be quite delicious. The fruit shines forth, not concealed beneath an oaky veneer. Second, there are Chardonnays which only have a kiss of oak, enough to enhance but not conceal the flavor of the wine.

What are some of the wine stereotypes that you have encountered?

Mouss-icle Anyone?

I made a foodie trek to the South End earlier today and had an excellent time, as usual. One of my stops was Chocolee Chocolates, a usual destination when I visit the South End. I am addicted to their chocolate salted caramels.

I also had to try one of their new Mouss-icles ($3), which are available through October. These icy cold treats are composed of rich milk chocolate mousse, frozen onto a stick, then dipped in both milk and dark chocolate. I thought it was excellent, with a nice hard shell of chocolate covering the smooth mousse. The mousse was creamy and rich in chocolate flavor. As I walked down Tremont Street, the sun beaming down, I savored the Mouss-icle, reveling in this chocolate delight.

Plus I bought some of the chocolate salted caramels. I almost want to hide them in the refrigerator so no one else knows they are there. But, difficult as it may be, I will share them.

Chocolee Chocolates
83 Pembroke Street
Boston, MA
Phone: 617-236-0606

1964 Gonzalez Byass Vintage Oloroso Sherry

When I visited Madrid two years ago, I wandered around the Puerta del Sol (Spanish for "Gate of the Sun"), a central plaza with several well known landmarks. One of them is the huge Tio Pepe sign, pictured above. Tio Pepe is the best selling brand of Sherry in the world and it is owned by the Gonzalez Byass house. I had my share of Tio Pepe in Spain but recently had another wondrous Sherry from this producer.

The Gonzalez Byass house originated in 1835 with Manuel María Gonzalez Angel who desired to start a small Sherry business. About twenty years later, he took on Robert Blake Byass, his agent in England, as a partner. Their families worked well together for many years until the Byass family sold their ownership to the Gonzalez family in 1988. The Gonzalez family continues to own and operate this Sherry house.

The 1964 Gonzalez Byass Vintage Oloroso Sherry ($95) is a rarity, a vintage sherry. I had never had a vintage sherry before so was very excited to taste this Sherry. It is an Oloroso (Spanish for "scented"), which has aged oxidatively, and was made from the white Palomino grape. These grapes were grown on albariza soil located on the outskirts of Jerez de la Frontera. Albariza soil is very light, almost white in color, and is considered excellent for the Palomino. Only 2920 bottles were produced and they were bottled in "Jerezana" bottles, which are similar to those used in the middle of the 19th century.

When I did some research on this Sherry, I found that Wine Spectator considered it past maturity. So I was unsure how it would taste. Though it was 45 years old, it was also an oloroso which can age well. Recently, my wife and I went out to dinner with another couple and afterwards we came back to our house. I decided to open the Sherry, hoping for it to be a nice after-dinner treat.

I don't know if this Sherry was past maturity or not, but it certainly was amazing and I can't imagine how much better it could be. It was a rich amber in color, bright and appealing. It smelled wonderful, a melange of enticing odors from caramel to hints of smoke. And the taste was incredibly complex, harmonius flavors of caramel, vanilla, salt, butterscotch, and nuts. It was dry, full bodied, and with an extremely long and satisfying finish. Mellow and smooth, I never wanted the bottle to empty. And everyone else thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

With some restraint, we did not finish the bottle that evening. So I had a couple glasses over the night couple of nights, savoring this exceptional elixir. Fortunately, I have one more bottle in my cellar which I'll save for a special occasion, when I can share it with appreciative friends. If you can find this Sherry anywhere, buy it! It earns my highest recommendation.