Rant: What Do You Know About Chinatown?

Over 50 years ago, Boston's Chinatown was described as the “oldest, but least known community” in Boston. The Sunday Herald Advertiser, February 24, 1974, stated, “Mention Chinatown and most Bostonians will tell you where their favorite restaurant is. But they couldn’t tell you much more.” 

Today, I think these statements remain true. Chinatown remains a place where most people think only of its restaurants, and would be hard pressed to say much more about it. How much do you know about Chinatown beyond its restaurants?

We should learn more about Chinatown, its history and its current status. It's an important community, one which extends at least back to the 1880s. It's also a community which has long been threatened by both external and internal issues, but has been resilient over all these years. The story of Chinatown is inspiring and fascinating, providing many lessons for other communities. Thinking of Chinatown only because of its restaurants is a disservice, as it has so much more to offer.

One place to start is my lengthy history of Boston's Chinatown and its Restaurants, which starts with the first Chinese, a teenager, who lived in Boston back in 1796. The series of articles then detail the history of Boston's Chinatown, relating many fascinating stories about the Chinese who came to Boston and the eventual establishment of Chinatown. There's plenty of information about the Chinese restaurants in Chinatown, but there's also plenty of non-restaurant information as well. The history series currently ends in the 1960s, but I'm working on a new article that will deal with the 1970s. 

For more current events about Chinatown, you should check out the Sampan, a bilingual Chinese-English newspaper, which is based in Chinatown but reaches all over New England. This is one of the best sources about the problems and achievements of the Chinese community in Boston. I have previously written for the Sampan, and you can find links to my 40+ articles HERE.  

In the last five years, with the advent of COVID, Chinatown hit a low point. Businesses took a hard economic hit, especially some of their restaurants even when they were permitted to reopen. Some restaurants lost as much as 90% of their business, and some even had to close. During this period, racism against the Chinese became even more prominent than usual, which caused numerous problems, including physical assaults on the Chinese. The Chinese have had to deal with racism throughout their entire history in the U.S. and it's terrible that this racism still exists. Chinatown needs your support and more than just your patronage of their restaurants. 

So, educate yourself about Chinatown, and all of its aspects, and not just the places where you can eat.

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) Kane’s Donuts is pleased to announce two limited-edition seasonal donuts with fall favorites from Samuel Adams and Angry Orchard to bring customers the Sam Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale Donut and Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider Donut. These fall flavors are in stores beginning October 1 and available through October at all Kane’s Donuts locations.

Tapping into Samuel Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale, Kane’s has crafted yet another seasonal delight. The Sam Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale Donut is a pumpkin’d cake-style donut, drenched in Kane’s honey glaze infused with a reduction of award-winning Sam Adams’ Jack-O Pumpkin Ale. Kane’s Angry Orchard Hard Apple Cider Donut is a cake-style apple cider donut made with fresh apple cider and a hint of cinnamon, then dipped in Kane’s honey glaze reduced with Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider.

Sam Adams Jack-O Pumpkin Ale is the pick of the patch with cinnamon and nutmeg aromas that recall memories of freshly baked pumpkin pie. It has a balance of seasonal spices with a crisp, refreshing finish. At 4.4% ABV, Jack-O finishes smooth with a lingering, subtle notes of fresh citrus. 

Angry Orchard Crisp Apple Hard Cider is nothing short of biting into a crisp fall apple freshly picked from the tree. At 5% ABV, it is a perfect balance of sweetness and bright acidity from culinary apples, combined with the dryness of traditional cider-making apples, resulting in a complex yet refreshing hard cider. 

For the month of October, Kane’s will also feature the Caramel Apple Crunch Donut, an airy yeast donut filled with apple pie filling, frosted with Kane’s homemade caramel, and topped with Kane’s Butter Crunch. The Vegan Fall Funfetti Donut is Kane’s vegan cake-style donut, complemented with fall sprinkles folded in the dough, then drenched in a sweet glaze and topped with sprinkles. The Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut is a cake-style donut loaded with spices and apple cider, then rolled in fresh ground cinnamon and sugar. Plus, Kane’s uses real, fresh local cider in their donuts. The Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Donut is a cake-style donut made with real pumpkin, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and is drenched in Kane’s Signature Honey Glaze. This donut is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free. The Marble Cruller Donut is a cake-style classic donut with Kane’s twist of rich chocolate and cake doughs combinedinto a cruller, cooked to a crispy texture, and then drenched in Kane’s signature honey-dip glaze.

2) Eva's Little Kitchen, with locations in Bedford and Concord (newly opened), they have some Specials coming in October.

First, Eva’s Little Kitchen is celebrating National Banh Mi Day on Friday, October 10th with a buy one, get one 50% off promotion for its Pork Belly Banh Mi dish at both West Concord and Bedford locations, from 8am-3pm. Eva’s Pork Belly Banh Mi is made with carrot, radish, cucumber, cilantro, sriracha mayo served on ciabatta and usually sold for $17.

Eva’s Little Kitchen is also celebrating National Dessert Day on October 14th early by offering free chocolate chip mini cookies to the first 25 customers at both West Concord and Bedford locations each day on Sunday, October 12th and Monday, October 13th.

Eva’s typically bakes anywhere from 3-5 dozen of its chocolate chip cookies every day, which are sold for $4.75 and one dozen for $57. The chocolate chip cookies contain two kinds of chocolate and both chocolates vary in the consistency, so the chocolate is really dispersed throughout. They’re chewy, gooey, and not too sweet. They’re topped with Maldon flakey salt which really helps balance it all out. Eva’s uses the best raw ingredients it can source - from the flour to the butter - and high quality chocolate.

3) il Casale (with two restaurant locations in Belmont and Lexington) is hosting a Chef’s Choice Pasta Contest for National Pasta Day. From October 1st through October 14th, contestants are invited to send a pasta recipe and photo to il Casale executive chef & co-owner Dante de Magistris at pasta@ilcasalegroup.com, who will hand select a winner to be announced on October 17th (National Pasta Day). The winner will have their pasta dish featured on both il Casale menus all weekend long from Friday, October 17th through Sunday, October 19th.

il Casale is an intimate, rustic-Italian farmhouse restaurant offering equal parts traditional Italian cuisine and exclusive family classics. The menu is structured to resemble the courses of a traditional Italian meal and are helmed by co-owner & executive chef Dante de Magistris, who takes inspiration from his Grandmother’s family recipes, travels to his family's hometown in Italy, and techniques he learned under years of guidance by Michelin-Starred Chef Don Alfonso in the Sorrento Peninsula. Owned by the de Magistris brothers who grew up above their father’s hair salon down the street, il Casale offers seasonal indoor and outdoor dining options at both locations.  

In addition to the Chef’s Choice Pasta Contest, il Casale has recently rolled out new Nonna-inspired fall dishes and cocktails, including: Fall Dishes helmed by co-owner & executive chef Dante de Magistris: Gamberi Risotto (shrimp, saffron cream risotto, broccoli rabe); Pesce Spada alla Griglia (grilled swordfish, butternut squash pine nut pesto, spinach, crispy sage, grilled lemon); Ravioli ai Fungi (mushroom ravioli, corn cream, aged white balsamic reduction, crispy kale, parmigiano crumbs). 

2022 Olivier Roten Dôle Coteaux de Sierre: A Swiss "Blood of Hell" Wine

In Switzerland, wine production extends back at least to the ancient Romans. Today, the two most commonly planted grapes in Switzerland are Pinot Noir and Chasselas, which total almost 60% of their plantings. However, Switzerland currently exports only a tiny percentage of their wines, so it's difficult to find their wines at local wine shops. Some are available in Massachusetts, and they are worth seeking out. 

Including the Blood of Hell.

In Valais, a canton and AOC in Switzerland located in the southwestern part of the country, there is a municipality called Salgesch. There's a legend that a group of knights once came to Salgesch to visit the Knights of St. John. The visiting knights were given wine, the Knight of St. John had produced from their own vineyard. The visitors drank so much wine, they apparently got quite drunk, wondering what they had consumed, referring to it as a "real wine from hell." This wine then acquired the nickname of "Sang de l'enfer," meaning "blood of hell" in French. This wine was Dôle, from the Valais AOC. 

The Gamay grape was introduced in the Valais region around 1859, and a Geneva botanist, Augustin Pyramus de Candolle, gave the name “Dôle” to the Gamay grape, naming it after a French city, which was also the birthplace of Louis Pasteur. Over time, Dôle began to refer to more just Gamay, but rather a wine blend of Gamay and Pinot Noir. It also eventually became a protected appellation in Valais, with specific regulations as to the composition of the blend.

However, in 2021, the regulations about Dôle changed, so that the blend must now consist of at least 51% Pinot Noir and Gamay, although Pinot must dominate. In addition, the rest of the blend, up to 49%, can consist of other red grapes such as Cornalin, Humagne, Rouge, Syrah and others. 

I recently enjoyed a Dôle wine, with a more traditional blend of only Pinot Noir and Gamay. The 2022 Olivier Roten Dôle Coteaux de Sierre (about $25) was produced by the Caves du Paradis, which is located in the township of Sierre, along the Rhône River in the Swiss Alps. The winery was founded in 1959 by Alex Roten, and 30 years later, in 1989, his son, Raphaël Roten, took over the estate. Most recently, Olivier Roten, the son of Raphaël, took over. The winery now owns about 25 acres of vineyards, about 600-800 meters above sea level. The winery has seeking Organic certification and is otherwise sustainable.

The 2022 Olivier Roten Dôle Coteaux de Sierre is a blend of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Gamay, with a 13% ABV. The wine was fermented in stainless steel and then aged for at least 6 months in concrete tanks. It has a light red color, translucent, and an appealing nose of strawberry, black cherry and a touch of earthiness. On the palate, it's a light bodied and elegant wine, with fresh flavors of red fruits, such as raspberry and strawberry, a touch of earthiness, and hints of minerality. It possesses good acidity, mild tannins, and a lengthy, satisfying finish. Would be a nice pairing with salmon to roast chicken, pizza to burgers. An easy-drinking wine, but not a simple one. Highly recommended.

Rant: How Do You Mainstream Sake?

How do we make Sake, that diverse and fascinating Japanese alcoholic beverage, fermented from rice, more popular in the U.S.? It remains a niche beverage that hasn't yet made a major breakthrough with American consumers. We may now consume more Sake than ever in our history, but it's still such a tiny amount when compared to beer, wine and whiskey. 

How do we make Sake more mainstream?

I've long been deeply involved in research on the presence and perception of Sake in the U.S. since the 1800s, having perused hundreds and hundreds of articles. One statistic that has stuck with me was that for many years, approximately 80% of Sake was consumed in the U.S. at Japanese restaurants. I suspect that figure hasn't changed too much in the present day.

There are plenty of valuable suggestions on how Sake can be made popular, from increased education to making Sake labels more approachable, however most of those will only make incremental progress to the objective of mainstreaming Sake. Slow but steady progress. Is there any suggestion which might have a greater and quicker impact?

For a number of years, I've believed that the greatest impact, the best way to make Sake more mainstream, is by getting more non-Asian restaurants to place Sake on their menus. Currently, Sake is nearly always found only at Asian restaurants, so the average consumer equates it only with Asian cuisine, from sushi to katsu. That misconception prevents Sake from becoming more mainstream, relegating it only to a certain type of cuisine, ensuring it remains more of a niche beverage.

We need non-Asian restaurants to have the courage to place Sake on their drink menus, to show consumers that Sake pairs well with a diverse selection of cuisines and foods. I want to see Sake served with burgers and pizza. I want to see a sommelier at an Italian bistro recommending Sake with a pasta dish. I want to see seafood restaurants recommending Sake with oysters, fried clams or a lobster roll.

Sake can and should be paired with appetizers, entrees and dessert. It works well with a myriad of cuisines from Italian to French, Mexican to Spanish. It's an excellent accompaniment to a diverse selection of foods, from burgers to pizza, seafood to poultry, mushrooms to cheese. Its versatility is without question yet few restaurants, except for Asian spots, take advantage. In some cases, it can even be a better pairing than wine.

I've previously written about how well Sake pairs with food, in articles such as The Science Of Sake & Food Pairings, Pairing Cheese & Sake, Sake, Seafood & Lobster, and Sake For Thanksgiving. I've presided at Sake dinners at local restaurants, pairing it with Italian and French cuisine.

We need Sake to be seen as a commonplace choice wherever you dine. As long as Sake is seen as only an accompaniment for Asian cuisine, then it will never become mainstream, remaining forever a niche beverage.

These changes will involve some work for restaurants. It will require more education about Sake on the behalf of restaurants and sommeliers, who should be excited to learn about this compelling beverage. They need to learn how Sake will pair well with their cuisine. They need to learn how to persuade diners to take a chance on a Sake pairings. None of this is difficult, and mainly involves an investment of time and a willingness to experiment.

Those pioneering restaurants willing to take a chance on Sake would be in a unique position, with a new selling point for consumers, standing out from other restaurants. They could lead a path to a future where Sake becomes more popular and mainstream. So what are you waiting for?

Kanpai!

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) This October, Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is celebrating the tantalizing taco throughout the Northeast. Dubbed “TacOctoberfest,” the monthlong celebration of the fan-favorite Mexican dish will manifest in three forms for the hungry and determined.

National Taco Day – October 7: From 3-5pm, Margaritas will be dishing out free tacos to its “Circle of Friends” reward members. Upon simply showing your “Rewards” screen on the app, take your pick of a free taco – ground beef, chicken, or carnitas – in a hard or soft corn shell, or flour tortilla. Not a “Circle of Friends” member? Signing up takes just a couple minutes by visiting margs.com/rewards but you can also fulfill your taco dreams on the cheap with Margaritas’ “Taco Tuesday” special where all tacos are just $4 all day.
*Free taco reward valid for dine-in only with the purchase of any other food or beverage.

Taco Gigante Challenges – October 1-31: Think you have what it takes to conquer Margaritas’ towering tacos? Channel your inner Joey Chestnut and get ready to dig in because the Taco Gigante Challenge returns and a newcomer enters the gauntlet: the Flaming Gigante Challenge. For the traditional challenge, the strong-willed (and stomached) will be presented with a two-pound taco stuffed with four different meats, cheese, salsa fresca, refritos, lettuce and rice topped with queso, tomatillo and picante sauces. 

Its devilish twin, the Flaming Gigante, is a super-spicy version of the original doused in Fuego sauce and topped with fresh jalapeños and Flamin’ Hot Cheetos®. To the victors go the spoils: a free taco weekly for a year. (Bonus: If you complete the Flaming challenge, you’ll also take home a keepsake t-shirt memorializing the conquest.) 

For those not looking for full “Gigante” glory, the two-pound taco specials will be available to share amongst your taco team. Taco Gigantes are available for $15 each for a limited time. Contest winners’ free weekly taco is redeemable from December 1, 2025-November 30, 2026. Flaming Hot Gigante t-shirts available while supplies last.

Taco & Cerveza Pairing – October 1-31: Keeping it frothy for Octoberfest, Margaritas will feature a taco-cerveza special all month. Pair a Sam Adams Octoberfest with a birria taco plate – three slow-cooked beef birria and cheese tacos with consommé and grilled pineapple, topped with chopped onions and cilantro – and watch the worlds of beer and birria come together in perfect harmony. $19.99 per order.

Available at Margaritas Mexican Restaurant locations in CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ and PA.