Rant: Preventing The Heat Death of Wine

June is here, and temperatures this week, especially Wednesday and Thursday, could rise to the 80s, a toasty heat. This seems like an excellent time to repeat a vinous warning, a caution to protect your wine from high temperatures. 

We often hear how we should stay hydrated, use sun screen, and otherwise protect ourselves from the intense sun and heat. We also hear how we shouldn't leave children or pets in a hot car, even if the window is open a bit. 

However, how often do you hear that you should protect your wine from intense heat as well?

It should be illegal, the torture of an innocent wine bottle by the application of intense heat. It's also a far too common crime during the summer season. Please stop this cruel practice, and persuade others to give it up as well. Do you really want to lose that bottle of wine you recently bought? Please save the gentle wine bottle.

Summer is the time for travel, and maybe you'll visit a wine shop or winery. You might buy some wine and then need to transport it with you. Often, the wine is just placed into the trunk, and you might leave it there while you travel quite a distance, or just store it there for a couple days while you are away. You need to realize that your trunk can get very hot and that heat can adversely affect your wine. It needs protection, just like you, your children, or pets.

When I travel, I often bring my metal wine case, which is insulated and holds a dozen bottles of wine. Thus, I can safely transport my wines and it has been invaluable on long trips. You don't need to purchase such a case, though if you often buy wine it can be a good investment. Instead, you can carry some other type of insulated bag, box or other container, the same type you would use to transport frozen food or other perishables. You need to protect the wine from the heat, keeping it at a cooler temperature.

An insulated container has other uses too if you travel. You might find some food you wish to take home, and that too can be protected on your long drive home. How many times have you stopped at a farmer's market or food shop, and wanted to buy something but worried about it surviving the journey home? An insulated container will resolve that issue.

It's an easy solution to a rampant problem. Save the wine bottle from the heat, so that you don't come home and find your wine is ruined. Cherish the insulated container.

I'll also add that you need to protect your wine at home from intense heat as well. Where do you store your wine at home? Some just place them in open racks in their kitchen or dining room. If those rooms get too hot, then your wines are endangered. It would be better to store them somewhere else, where it is cooler and dark, such as maybe in your basement. If you have a wine cooler or wine refrigerator, that is probably the best place for your wines. 

Protect your wine from heat, wherever it might be.

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) As Summer approaches, there's s a new lineup of seasonal dishes at Gustazo Cuban Café. Chef/Owner Patricia Estorino has crafted a menu that brings together the bold, soulful flavors of her native Cuba with the freshest ingredients New England has to offer. These new creations are all about balance: tradition and innovation, warmth and brightness, depth and freshness. Additionally, chef Patricia is always playing with new and seasonal ingredients.

Here’s a little taste of what’s new:
* Ensalada de Habas – A vibrant salad of fava beans, marinated chayotes, Campari tomatoes, watermelon radishes, red leaf lettuce, crushed plantain chips, and pistachio vinaigrette.
* Ceviche – Black bass cured in citrus and guava with dashi, dragonfruit, gooseberries, marinated cucumbers, crispy onions, and a splash of Curio’s Walk in the Woods gin.
* Grilled Bread – Toasted bread piled high with marinated tomatoes, queso frito, roasted red peppers, sherry balsamic, rose harissa, and opal basil.
* Pan-Seared Swordfish – Served with roasted marble potatoes, grilled asparagus, green almonds, hearts of palm, and tangerine vinaigrette.

With locations in Waltham and Cambridge, Gustazo Cuban Café brings the rich flavors and warm hospitality of Cuba to Greater Boston. Founded in 2011 by Chef Patricia Estorino and her husband Adolfo, Gustazo is known for bold, ingredient-driven cuisine, craft cocktails, and a welcoming atmosphere. 

2) Visit Tambo 22, the excellent Peruvian restaurant in Chelsea, next week, from June 3 to 7, for a special week-long celebration of the release of Chef Jose Duarte's new cook book, Taranta: A Boston Chef's Journey to Sustainability. Chef Duarte is one of my favorite chefs, who is extremely talented, compassionate, generous and an overall great person.  

On June 3, you can meet Chef Jose Duarte in person for a book signings of his new hardcover cookbook. Even if you can't attend the signing, you can still purchase the cookbook online. Also, from January 3-7, you can indulge in some of the cookbook menu specials, which are pictured above. The full Tambo 22 menu will also be available. Please note that items may sell out!

For Reservations, please go HERE.

Portuguese Lunch at Adega in Woburn: First Impressions

On Main Street in Woburn, nestled within a small complex of stores, including a laundromat, cleaner's and hair salon, is an unassuming sign, Adega. Unless you were specifically looking for it, you might drive by without giving it any attention. You might not even realize it was a restaurant. Yet it has existed in that location for 10+ years. 

This is the Adega Restaurant & Bar, a Portuguese restaurant which has existed since 2014, and is owned and operated by Chef Helder Teixeira, who is a native of the Portuguese island of Madeira. The restaurant seems to often fly under the radar, receiving little publicity or mentions on social media,  but is worthy of much more attention. 

Adega is open from Tuesday to Sunday, for both Lunch and Dinner, and it's a homey and clean restaurant, which seats around 50 people.  

There's also a small bar, and in 2022, the restaurant acquired an All Alcohol license, an upgrade from their previous Wine & Malt license.  

The Food Menu offers many traditional Portuguese dishes, and there's always a list of Specials, commonly including 2-4 appetizers and 6-8 entrees. The regular menu includes Appetizers (9 options at $10-$15), with items such as Steamed Mussels and Flame Grilled Linguiça. The Meat & Poultry Entrees (8 options at $20-$30), includes dishes such as Sautéed Pork, Sautéed Chicken, and Black Angus Sirloin Steak. The Fish & Seafood Entrees (12 options at $25-$35) include dishes like Salted Codfish, Portuguese Seafood Stew, and Grilled Octopus.

I've dined at Adega for lunch on two occasions, and the food was consistently delicious. Let me provide some of my initial impressions on my experiences.

One of the Appetizers is Lapas Grelhadas ($15), grilled limpets served with a garlic butter sauce and lemon. Limpets are a type of sea snail with a single shell, a speciality in the Azores and Madeira. I've previously enjoyed them elsewhere, and this dish was quite tasty. The limpets are a little chewy, like escargot, with a briny taste, enhanced by the garlic and butter. It was an ample-sized dish and the sauce was an excellent place to dip your bread. If you've never eaten limpets, they are well worth checking out.

Another appetizer are the Pasteis de Bacalhau ($13), Fried Codfish Cakes with a black-eyed pea salad. The codfish cakes were nicely crisp on the exterior, with a fluffy interior like salty mashed potatoes and cod. Again, a delicious and ample dish, with 6 cakes, for a very reasonable price.

As for the Entrees, the Espetada de Carne e Linguica Caseira com Batata Frita Portuguesa e Vegetal do Dia ($25) is a Beef and Homemade Linguica Kebab with Portuguese Fries and the Vegetable of the Day. A visually impressive dish, the meat was tender and flavorful with a nice spice to the linguica.  

The Portuguese Fries were excellent, a nice combination of crispness and fluffiness. 

Of the Seafood entrees, the Arroz a Valenciana ($35), similar in some respects to a Spanish paella, is composed of sautéed chicken, pork, linguiça, shrimp, mussels, scallops, calamari, clams, and a half lobster. What a combination of meat, poultry and seafood! The broth is made from garlic, olive oil and saffron, and it's all served atop rice. Everything was tender and flavorful, with quite a delectable broth. It's certainly large enough for two people to share, or one very hungry person. 

Overall, Adega earns my hearty recommendation, and I'm eager to try more of their menu items. It's reasonably priced and the dishes are ample and delicious. Service is very good, and the restaurant has a homey vibe. 

Have you dined at Adega before?   

Rant: Older Restaurants Deserve Respect Too

Last month, I provided my initial impressions of Casa Romero, a Mexican restaurant in Boston which has existed for 50+ years. And later this week, I'll be providing some initial impressions of the Adega Restaurant & Bar, a Portuguese restaurant in Woburn which has existed for 10+ years. 

I believe that these restaurants, and many others, don't seem to get sufficient attention from the press. On social media, they are infrequently mentioned. Why is that so? As I've said before, new restaurants get the lion's share of publicity from food writers, reviewers and on social media. There's often a frenzy to be one of the first to review a new restaurant, and with so many restaurants opening all the time, writers don't lack for material. However, that means they give little, if any, attention to restaurants that have been open for years. 

That needs to change!

I've written about this issue before, as far back as 2014, and it's an issue that should be raised time and time again, to continue to bring attention to this matter, as a regular reminder to people. The last time I wrote about this issue was back in 2018, so it's time to bring it to the forefront once again.

Many older restaurants were reviewed years ago but often haven't received an updated review in a very long time, if at all. During those years, so much can change, sometimes for the positive and sometimes for the negative. Consumers shouldn't have to rely on a 10 year old review to judge a restaurant. Some of these older restaurants are worthy of a new review, to ensure people know that it remains a quality restaurant.

These restaurants have survived so long for a reason and they should receive additional attention from time to time, to ensure people don't forget them. Every month, a significant number of restaurants close, indicative of the toughness of the restaurant industry. Each year a restaurant survives is a significant achievement. Those that can survive the test of time often deserve our respect and attention, and we need to ensure they are not forgotten. They need to be supported by our patronage. 

We need to write more about these older restaurants, to continue to highlight their quality. Any worthy writer can find an angle concerning these older restaurants. Don't just be dazzled by the new, restaurants that might not even survive a year. On social media, people need to talk about these older, but worthy, restaurants. And we need to dine at these places, to give them our financial support as well. 

Which older restaurants do you believe are worthy of more attention? 

Thursday Sips & Nibbles

I'm back again with a new edition of Sips & Nibbles, my regular column where I highlight some interesting, upcoming food and drink events. I hope everyone dines out safely, tips well and are nice to their servers.
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1) Big Grin, by Chef John Fraser, a fast casual burger joint at The Lineup in the Winthrop Center in Downtown Boston is celebrating National Hamburger Day with a tasty giveaway. On Wednesday, May 28, from 11:30AM to 3PM, the first 100 guests will receive a free burger hand-crafted by the Big Grin culinary team, specifically for National Hamburger Day. Plus every customer in line who does not receive a burger will receive a voucher for Free Crinkle Cut Fries Fries redeemable at a later date.

Big Grin offers American-inspired roadside classics with Chef John Fraser’s classic contemporary influence. Along with a selection of three burgers including the Big Grin Burger, Big Bacon Burger and the Harvest Burger, Big Grin also offers an Organic Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Seared Dimple Dog, B.L.A.T., Crinkle Cut Fries, Olive Oil Waffle Hash Browns, Melty Jalapeno Chili-Cheddar Cheese, Soft Serve, Milkshakes and Floats. Big Grin also offers a rotating assortment of monthly specials. Explore the menu Here.