Burtons Grill: Brunch

If savory Frittatas are what you crave or maybe sugary Griddle Cakes, then head over to Burtons Grill and enjoy their new Sunday Brunch menu!

Every Sunday from 11:30am-3pm, satisfy your cravings at the North Andover Burtons Grill location with delicious culinary delights such as: Burtons’ Griddle Cakes topped with seasonal fruit, served with maple syrup and your choice of sausage or bacon ($12.95). If that isn’t appetizing enough, try the Filet Benedict, a combination of two filet grilled medallions served on English muffins with two poached eggs topped with lemon hollandaise sauce ($16.95). The Sunday Brunch menu also features an assortment of refreshing cocktails such as a Bloody Maria ($9) made with Milagro Tequila, a fire roasted pepper infused tequila, or a delicious Peach Bellini ($8) prepared with peach purée, Bacardi peach rum and champagne!

Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (978) 688-5600.

BRUNCH FEATURES

Filet Benedict* 16.95
Two filet medallions seasoned and grilled, served on English muffins, topped with two poached eggs and lemon hollandaise sauce, served with seasonal fruit from Smolak Farms and home fries.
Crab Cakes Benedict* 14.95
Two crab cakes seasoned and seared, served on English muffins, topped with two poached eggs and lemon hollandaise sauce, served with seasonal fruit Smolak Farms and home fries.

Chef’s Seasonal Omelette 15.95
Three egg omelet stuffed with lobster, asparagus, manchego and cheddar cheese, served with seasonal fruit, home fries and choice of toast.

Burtons’ Griddle Cakes 12.95
Three griddled cakes, topped with seasonal fruit, served with Vermont maple syrup with choice of sausage or bacon.

Chef’s Frittata 11.95
Burtons oven baked omelet with zucchini, onions, oregano, parsley and cheddar cheese, served with home fries, choice of toast and bacon or sausage.

Smoked Salmon Plate 12.95
Smoked salmon, English cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, capers, olives, cream cheese, chives, and a griddled bagel.

SIDES

Bacon 3.95 Fruit 3.95 Sausage 3.95 Home Fries 2.95

BRUNCH BEVERAGES

Mimosa 8
Bloody Maria 9
Peach Bellini 8
Kenyan AA Coffee 2.50
Espresso 3
Cappuccino 4
Latte 3.50
Mochaccino 3.75
Assorted Juices Available

WBW#59: Guest Post by John Gauntner

I am extremely pleased that John Gauntner, a famed Saké authority and educator, has chosen to participate in Wine Blogging Wednesday #59! John lives in Japan, working and interacting in the Saké industry. The Japanese media refers to him as the "Saké Dendoushi" ("Saké Evangelist"), for his intense devotion to the promotion of Saké.

He has several books about Saké, including his latest: Saké's Hidden Stories: The Personalities, Philosophies, and Tricks-of-the-Trade Behind the Brew. I recently reviewed that book and really loved it.

John has chosen to review a new Saké from Hakkaisan, and here is his review.

"Hakkaisan from Niigata recently released a tokubetsu junmai-shu, a relatively young sake just brewed this spring, released in June, so laid down a scant two months. It was (note past tense!) a genshu, but the alcohol was a lowish-for-genshu 18%.

I was told it was the first time Hakkaisan made such a sake, as they do not make junmai-shu (excluding of course the ginjo range). They also only made a small amount and presold it, so that it all disappeared instantly. I was part of that pre-order frenzy and scored a small bottle.

How'd it taste? Rich, young, tight, clean and balanced. It was, on one hand, very much a Hakkaisan product, in that it had nothing even resembling off flavors or roughness. Very clean and bright. But it also had much more fullness than most of their products, and was lower in acidity than most junmai-shu.

Also, two more things made it signficant. One, the slightly higher alcohol boosted both impact and a little sweetness. Two, the choice of yeasts. I had to look this up on the internet and the research confirmed my "suspicion" that they used yeast #1801, giving it this lovely berry-like aroma yet plenty of balance. (The actually blended #1001 and 1801, for those that really care...).
More relevant to drinkers, it was fruity in the mid-palate in both flavor and aromas but not ostentatious or overly aromatic. Mostly berry-like stuff: cranberry, raspberry, a bit of apple too I guess.

...and it finished tightly, cleanly and definitely. Lovely overall, if
young."

John Gauntner

WBW #59: Homage to Kushi no Kami

Kanpai!

Today is Wine Blogging Wednesday #59, an Homage to Kushi no Kami, the god of Saké. For this month's theme, people were to conduct their own kikishu (“Saké tasting”) by selecting any Saké and reviewing it. They could earn bonus points if they reviewed multiple Sakés of different styles or types, as well as if they paired Saké with food. My hope was that people would explore this unique beverage, and maybe gain a better appreciation for it.

For my own kikishu, I have tasted two different Sakés, both which I had bought from Sakaya, the all-Saké store in New York City. I decided on Saké breweries with history, older producers. I also chose two different types, a Junmai and a Junmai Ginjo. Plus, one was a Yamahai.

First up is the Sato No Homare "Pride of the Village" Junmai Ginjo ($57.99/720ml) which was brewed by the Sudo Honke brewery in the town of Obara in the Ibaraki prefecture. This is the oldest, still operating Saké brewery in the world, having been founded back in 1146 A.D. It is over 860 years old! Are there any wineries which are that old?

The brewery is currently operated by the 55th generation of continuous family ownership. What a sense of history then when you open a bottle of their Saké. Compared to most producers, the brewery only makes a small amount of Saké each year. Plus, they only produce quality Saké, only Junmai Ginjo and Junmai Daiginjo.

This particular Saké was made from Yamada Nishiki rice, which was polished to 50%. Thus it could qualify as a Daiginjo but the brewery chose to release it only as a Ginjo. This Saké has an alcohol content of 15.1% and a Saké Meter Value of +3, making it a slightly dry Saké. Smelling this Saké, you might be surprised to get aromas of violets, pear and subtle red fruits. Then when you taste it, you'll find it silky, clean and light. The flavors echo some of the smells, though the fruit flavors are more prominent than the floral notes. As you concentrate, you will realize the complexity of the taste and with its lengthy finish, you will have plenty of time to ponder over the flavors. This is an elegant Saké yet with some body. An exceptional example of the great potential of Saké. This should appeal to anyone.

I drank this with a roasted chicken dish and think it paired up well. The Saké was not overpowered and it was hearty enough to stand up to the food too. It seemed to refresh my palate, while its flavors helped to complement the savory spices on the chicken. I would not have paired this Saké though with a spicy hot dish.

Next up was the Kuro Obi "Black Belt" Do-D0 Junmai Yamahai ($41.99/720 ml) which was brewed by the Fukumitsuya Saké brewery in the Chubu region of the Ishikawa Prefecture. The brewery was founded in 1625 A.D., so it has over 380 years old of history. They make only Junmais though they make a variety of different brands.

This particular Saké was made from Yamada Nishiki and Kinmon Nishiki rice, which was polished to 65%. This Saké has an alcohol content of 15% and a Saké Meter Value of +5, making it a dry Saké. What makes this Saké more unique is that is it a Yamahai. That means that the brewer uses native yeasts, those just floating in the air of the brewery. It is very risky though so very few brewers make this style any more. Yet when they succeed, a Yamahai can be rich and acidic, much more like a red wine.

This Saké had a pale, yellow color to it and an earthy nose, maybe some mushroom and almost a slight milky smell. It was a rich, full-bodied drink with pronounced earthiness and a certain creaminess to it. It was a more unusual taste, certainly very different from the fruity Sato No Homare. It seemed more rustic, which could very well be due to the use of native yeasts. I enjoyed this for its more unusual taste though it probably would not appeal to a newcomer to Saké.

Thanks to everyone who participated in WBW#59 and I will endeavor to get the summary posted as soon as I can. Thanks as well to Lenn of Lenndevours: The NY Cork Report for allowing me to choose this theme as well as for starting the whole idea of Wine Blogging Wednesday. I hope everyone enjoyed the theme, maybe learned a thing or two, and hopefully there were a few converts to Saké.

Stoneham Sun: Trek to Tupelo

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the July 8 issue issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it also sometimes touches on other food and wine topics.

The new column has been published today and will be available online soon. The new article is a restaurant review of Tupelo, a new Cambridge place serving inexpensive, Southern cuisine. Check out their Fried Grits!

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here.

Dine with passion

Rose Tasting

Walk into almost any wine store right now and you will see Rosé wines being prominently displayed. It is like a sign of summer, though you can enjoy Rosé any time of the year. It is a very food friendly wine and often just plain delicious.

I recently attended a Rosé tasting at Wine••Sense, a boutique wine store in Andover. Samanta, the owner, opened seven different Rosés, including five from France, one from Italy and one from Spain. She sells others at her store as well. Out of the seven, three particularly stood out to me.

The 2008 Domaine de la Bergerie Rosé de Loire ($12.99) is a blend of 70% Groslot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Groslot, also known as Grolleau, was a new grape to me, a red grape grown primarily in the Loire region and used mainly for Rosé. It has a dark pink color with a nose of strawberry and spice. It was dry with restrained red fruit flavors and a bit of floral notes. There were none of the common Cabernet Franc vegetal tastes. This is a good example of a French Rosé and a style I generally prefer.

The 2008 Domaine du Chateau d'Eau Rosé ($12.99) is a blend of Syrah and Cinsault. The vineyard and winery are organic and biodynamic. This wine had a bright pink color and an enticing smell of strawberry with hints of watermelon. On the palate, it is dry with nice red fruit tastes and mineral notes as well. A crisp, refreshing wine which would be perfect for a hot summer day.

The top winner of the tasting for me though was the 2008 Ameztoi Rubentis Txakolina ($19.99), from the Basque region of Spain. It is a blend of 50% Hondarribi Beltza and 50% Hondarribi Zuri and has a light effervescence to it. When I was in Spain, I visited a winery that made Txacoli, both white and red, and so it has a special place in my heart. This wine had a light pink color with an alluring smell of bright red fruits. On the palate, it was fruity yet dry, crisp and with that light fizz which can be so refreshing. And at only 11% alcohol, you can drink a few glasses and won't feel woozy in the sun.

What are your favorite Rosés?

Wine••Sense
166 North Main Street
Andover, MA
Phone: 978-749-9464