Rant: A Hunger For Bakeries?

Is there a deep hunger for bakeries? Are consumers especially eager for light and flaky croissants, sweet cinnamon rolls, and crispy coconut macaroons? It certainly seems so based on some recent experiences.

I recently stopped at the Lakon Paris Patisserie in Brookline and thoroughly enjoyed their Ham & Cheese Croissant and Coconut Macaroons. It happened to be their opening day, and as I expected, most of their baked goods were gone by the early afternoon. I actually expected them to have sold out even sooner. 

As I enjoyed their baked goods so much, I decided to check out their original location in Newton. I stopped there on a Friday morning at 9am, and there was a short line. They had opened at 7am, and by the time I arrived, they were extremely low on their croissants and other baked goods. And by 9:30am, they were nearly sold out, and they were scheduled to remain open until 3pm. 

Lakon Paris has received much media attention lately, so that might be part of the reason for its immense popularity.  Their baked goods are damn good, so that is also an important reason for its popularity. However, I didn't expect they would be nearly sold out by only 9:30am. If you had stopped there at lunch time, you were probably too late.

I've also visited Colette's Bakery, in Melrose, numerous times and often by noon, especially on the weekends, they have a very limited amount of baked goods left for sale. And they are open to 4pm! It's common to see a short line outside the door waiting to get in. People love their croissants, quiche, chouquettes, breads, apple turnovers and more. It certainly hasn't garnered the same amount of media attention as Lakon Paris, but locals are well aware of its existence. 

The lesson appears to be that you need to arrive early at these bakeries if you want the best selection, and sometimes a selection at all. Or maybe you could call them and put in an order that you could pick up later. It may not be easy to obtain these delicious baked goods, but it's worth the effort.  

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) In April, Kane’s Donuts is bringing the flavors of spring to New England with fresh, local ingredients like orange fruit and shredded coconut. The April flavors of the month include Orange Burst, Zebra Donut, Funfetti Donut, Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Strawberry, and Vegan Coconut Cream.

Orange Burst is a yeast style donut topped with frosting that is bursting with orange fruit. The Zebra Donut is a yeast style donut frosted with creamy vanilla and dark chocolate stripes. The Funfetti Donut is a cake style donut with rainbow sprinkles folded into the dough and drenched in Kane’s Signature Honey Glaze. The Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Strawberry Donut is a strawberry donut covered in a chocolate ganache then drizzled with delectable strawberry frosting. Finally, the Vegan Coconut Cream is a cake style donut with a light, fluffy frosting topped with shredded coconut. Kane’s will also offer special Easter Donuts the week of Easter.

2) Angelos & Stavros Petropulos announce the “official” opening of Kosmos, their Greek restaurant located in Walpole. The restaurant actually opened about six months ago, but a formal announcement was delayed until the owners felt the restaurant was meeting their high standards. As an old Greek proverb says, “To kaló prágma aryí na gíni" ("A good thing takes time to happen"). 

Their menu includes many family recipes, some dating back generations. The menu features starters like Spanakopita (spinach pie), Oktapodi (grilled octopus with Santorini split pea puree), pan-seared Saganaki cheese, and Keftedes (lamb meatballs). Entrees include Kotopoulo (chicken chops), Lamb Chops with grilled tomato salsa, Burdeto striped bass, and Makaronia Me Kima (a Greek version of Bolognese). Kosmos also offers three large platters serving two people— a selection of grilled meats, seafood stew, and whole, grilled snapper. Desserts are Lemonopita phyllo cake, Saragali baklava rolls, and Bougatsa custard pie with Nutella. 

They also serve Sunday Brunch, with dishes such as Spanakopita Benedict, Greek Yogurt Pancakes, Shakshouka, Lamb Meatballs (for two), and Xoriatiki Omeleta (omelet topped with a traditional Greek village salad). Plus, the restaurant has a full bar, a large cellar of Greek wines, Greek spirits and three Greek beers (as well as some local beer selections). 

Stavros Petropulos, who attended business school in Switzerland and managed restaurants in Athens, Rhodes, and Santorini, supervises the front of the house, Angelos and (Sonora born) Executive Chef Luis Figueroa oversee the kitchen. The two friends worked together at Committee and share a hands-on work ethic Angelos credits to his mentor/former boss—Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro. “Being raised in Greece and going through the Greek debt crisis of 2007-2008 (the longest recession so far of any modern county) made me understand that nothing is given to you and hard work pays off,” Angelos says. “Chef Hamersley used to expedite each and every plate. His passion and attention to detail is always an inspiration.” 

Soall Viet Kitchen: Another Amazing Lunch

The bubbling and aromatic dish above is the Chicken Claypot from Soall Viet Kitchen in Beverly, and it's probably my favorite dish at this excellent Vietnamese restaurant. 

Soall was also one of my Favorite Restaurants of 2022 and I noted that "the two owners, Sa Nguyen and Mia Lunt, offer authentic Vietnamese cuisine, to highlight the culinary delights of their homeland. The food is fresh, well-prepared, delicious and reasonably priced." Recently, I dined there for lunch once again, and the food was at the top of its game: fresh, delicious, and well-made. Each dish couldn't have tasted any better. This is why it's one of my favorite restaurants, and why my readers need to dine there as well. 

We started with the Sweet Potato & Shrimp Fritters ($9), composed of very thin and crunchy slices of sweet potato (like a nest of French fries), which concealed plump shrimp within its center. The sweet chili sauce that accompanies this dish is a nice addition. This is one of my favorite "Snacks" on their menu, and each fritter is a good size as a starter for your meal.

The Steamed Pork Bao ($10), is made cucumber, pickled veggies, and Vietnamese mayo. The fresh, soft bao is filled with plenty of tender, thinly sliced pork, that has a savory and delicious sauce, similar in many respects to a barbecue sauce. It tastes similar to the sauce they use on their braised pork ribs. The cucumber and pickled veggies add a nice crunchy aspect, as well as some different flavors. 

The Chicken Claypot ($17.50) is made with small pieces of tender chicken in a caramelized sweet and savory sauce, with a couple chili peppers. It's accompanied by jasmine rice, or noodles, with some pickled and fresh veggies. It's also served bubbling hot and the aromas are so enticing. The chicken is moist and tender, and the sauce possesses a great depth of flavor, nicely balanced between sweet and savory, and with a mild bit of spicy heat. The veggies act as a nice palate cleanser to the richer sauce. You can also order this dish with salmon instead of chicken, and it is equally as delicious. If you dine at Soall, you definitely should order this dish.

This was the first time we ordered the Caramelized Pork Chop ($21.50), a center-cut chop marinated with garlic-lemongrass and honey, caramelized in a pan then finished in the oven. It's atop a bowl of rice, pickled veggies and fresh veggies. It was large and thick, cooked perfectly, tender, moist and flavorful, and with a delectable glaze. Definitely one of the best pork chops I've tasted in quite some time. 

Get yourself to Soall Viet Kitchen and enjoy some of the best Vietnamese cuisine on the North Shore. 

Surf Seafood: New At The Woburn Village--First Impressions

At the Woburn Village, a number of restaurants have opened, mostly fast casual spots, from Shake Shack to Cava Mezze Grill, with new spots coming in the near future. One of the newest restaurants, a full service restaurant, is the Surf Seafood Restaurant. This is its third location, with others in Nashua and Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the Nashua location having opened with Chef Michael Buckley in 2002. The Woburn location is open seven days a week, for both lunch and dinner. 

I haven't been to either of the New Hampshire locations but have twice dined for lunch at the Woburn location. Overall, I've been very pleased with the restaurant, including enjoying a dish that is likely to be one of my favorite dishes of 2023. I'll definitely be returning to the restaurant to check out more of their menu, and recommend my readers check it out as well. 

It's a large and elegant restaurant, with a good-sized bar, with booths, high-tops, and other tables. 

There's also a Raw Bar/Sushi, where you can observe displays some of their seafood as you sit and enjoy your meal. 

The food menu is fairly extensive, concentrating on seafood but with some non-seafood options as well.  On the menu, you'll find Small Plates (15 choices, $8-$22), from Chourico Braised Mussels to Rhode Island Style Calamari; Salads (3 choices, $8-$12); Sandwiches & Tacos (7 choices, $16-$34), from Lobster Roll to Surf Bacon Cheeseburger; Nigiri Sushi, Sashimi, & Maki Rolls; Raw Bar, from Oysters to Tuna Poke; Surf Classics (entrees, 14 choices, $26-$42), such as Surf Ramen, Sesame Seared Tuna, Korean BBQ Scallops, Surf Style Fish & Chips and Buttermilk Fried Chicken. 

They have a full bar, with cocktails, beers, and wine, as well as four different Sakes ($15-$45/tokkuri or small bottle)

For Nigiri, they offer Tuna, Salmon, and Yellowtail, priced from $12-$14. Although that may seem pricey, the menu fails to mention that you actually receive three pieces, not the usual two, making the dish more reasonably priced. The server also didn't inform me that there were three pieces and I didn't know until the dish arrived at my table. The Tuna Nigiri ($14) was very good, tender and fresh.

The Roasted Brie & Bacon Oysters ($16), topped with garlic crumbs, were tasty, with a nice blend of flavors, briny, smoky, and garlicky, with some creamy and crunchy textures. Even if you dislike raw oysters, you may enjoy these treats. 

This was an excellent dish! The Lobster Fries ($22) may remind you in some respects to poutine, but it blazes its own trail. The dish is made with crispy fries, garlic butter, Maine lobster, lobster bisque, and queso fresco. Bisque instead of gravy, and no curds, just queso fresco. The french fries were great, thick and sturdy, with a crisp coating and a fully interior, and stood up well to the bisque. There was only a small amount of flavorful bisque so the fries weren't drenched. There was plenty of pieces of sweet lobster, and the queso fresco was a nice addition, enhancing the dish. Overall, it was a delicious and well-balanced dish which I would highly recommend. 

The Crispy Shrimp Steamed Buns ($12), are made with a sweet and spicy dragon sauce, cucumber citrus slaw, and bibb lettuce. The sauce was quite nice, with a mild spiciness, adding to the crunchy shrimp. 

This Portuguese Seafood Stew ($34) will likely be one of my favorite dishes of 2023! It's made with haddock, mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp, chourico, an aromatic tomato broth, potatoes, garlic, and herbs, and was accompanied by some grilled ciabatta. There was so much delicious seafood, including very plump mussels, tender haddock, and large scallops. The broth was complex and intense, utterly scrumptious, and perfect for dipping the ciabatta. The chourico added a pleasing spicy element too. Everything in this dish worked so well together, creating a delectable unified dish. It was also quite a large dish, and I ended up taking some of the broth home. 

The Miso Marinated Salmon ($31) included seared salmon, a sesame-jasmine rice cake, seared asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, and a ponzu sauce. The salmon was cooked perfectly, and was tender and tasty, enhanced by the bright citrus of the ponzu. The rice cake was also a nice addition, and the veggies were fresh and delicious as well.

On one visit, I split the Fried Fisherman's Platter ($35) with my dining companion. The dish included fried (with a house breading) haddock, shrimp, scallops, and sweet clams, accompanied by coleslaw, fries, and tartar sauce. The fried seafood was very good, with a tasty coating, and my companion stated the cole slaw was one of the best she had ever had. 

On my first visit to Surf Seafood, service was a bit lacking, but on the second visit, it was excellent. As the restaurant is fairly new, allowances should be made for some minor service issues, which hopefully will be worked out soon. The food is quite good, sometimes rising to excellence, such as the Lobster Fries and Portuguese Seafood Stew. I'll be returning soon to check out more of their dishes, like maybe the Korean BBQ Scallops or the Pastrami Smoked Salmon BLT. 

Rant: Want Great Value Wines? Choose Portugal

What's the easiest way to find a delicious value wine, with character, under $15? I have a simple piece of advice: Buy Portuguese wine! 

I recently attended the new Boston Wine Expo and I was especially impressed with the selections from Brands of Portugal. They offered a diverse mix of Portuguese wines, at a variety of price points, and I felt that many offered excellent values. However, I've long known that Portugal offers some of the best values in the wine world, and I receive confirmation constantly when I find and sample new Portuguese wines. 

You can buy cheap bottles of Yellow Tail, Barefoot, or similar brands, but they aren't going to impress anyone. However, inexpensive Portuguese wines can and do impress. For example, I once held a private wine tasting event, with six wines from different countries. The overall favorite wine, which most impressed the guests and earned hearty raves, was a $6 Portuguese Vinho Verde! 

Every year, exports of Portuguese wines to the U.S. grow, and in 2021, the U.S. was also Portugal's second largest market, at a value of about $129 Million. France took first place with about $131 Million. From 2020 to 2021, the fastest growing export market for Portuguese wines was the U.S., seeing a growth of about $19.2 Million. The growth in France was only $10 Million, so the U.S. could take the top spot in the next few years.

The U.S. is the top import market for Portuguese Vinho Verde wines, which are usually found at under $15, and can even be found at under $10. These are usually easy-drinking white wines with a touch of effervescence that are perfect for the summer and are excellent food wines too. There are certainly higher end Vinho Verde wines that are available as well, and that is more of a newer category in the U.S, and one worth seeking out. 

Portugal also offers numerous Red and Rosé wines, many produced from indigenous grapes, priced under $15. You'll find plenty of diversity at this low price point. As I've often said before, there is probably no other wine region in the world where you can find as many good wines under $15 than Portugal. You can find some in other wine regions, but they are far less common, and you'll have to seek much harder to locate them. Chances are that if you purchase a Portuguese wine costing $15 or less, you'll find a tasty wine, much better than similarly priced wines from most other regions.

I shouldn't fail to mention that Portugal makes plenty of fascinating high-end wines as well. They aren't simply a producer of inexpensive wine, but rather a diverse country of wine of all types and price points. In the near future, I'll be reviewing some of the Portuguese wines I tasted at the Expo from Brands of Portugal. And in the fall, I'll be traveling once again to Portugal, exploring Vinho Verde and the Douro. 

As spring progresses, and summer approaches, you will want to stock up on inexpensive wines for your parties, BBQs, and gatherings. Seek out Portuguese wines and impress your family, friends and guests.