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 has new flavors to celebrate the month of August, "flavors that will keep you calm, cool and collected." Kane’s August flavors of the month include:

• The Key Lime Pie Donut, a light fluffy yeast donut filled with a tangy key lime filling, frosted with a cream cheese frosting, dipped in browned buttered graham crackers then topped with a dollop of key lime filling.
• The Strawberry Shortcake Donut is a cake-style donut with real strawberry fruit loaded in the dough, dipped in Kane's honey glaze, then frosted with a creamy strawberry frosting, topped with strawberry crumble and a dollop of whoopee pie filling in the center.
• The Fried Dough Donut is a fluffy yeast-style donut slathered with melted butter and then topped with confectionary sugar and cinnamon. This is one of my favorite of their seasonal donuts and I stopped by yesterday to get some (and the donut is pictured above!). 
• The Gluten Free Apple Cider Donut is a gluten-free cake-style donut made with fresh local apple cider and cinnamon glazed with Kane's honey glaze then drizzled with cinnamon icing.
• The Vegan Chocolate Frosted is a vegan cake-style donut frosted with chocolate and then dipped in chocolate sprinkles. 

2) The Moldova Restaurant, in Newton, has launched a new coffee program within the restaurant. As their web state states, "Our customers have always referred to our original dining room as a coffee shop, and we are now making it official, it is now an actual Coffee Shop." This new Coffee Shop will obviously serve plenty of coffee drinks, but will also serve pastries from local bakeries, as well in house made pastries, and sandwiches.

The hours will be from Tuesday through Friday, 8am to 3pm, and they are working on launching extended hours (including weekends) once they announce their grand opening. In addition, they have a special Brunch Menu in the works. 

You can check out the Coffee Shop menu HERE, and you'll find Pastries such as Armenian Gata, Strawberry Poptarts, Croissants, Nutella Cruffins and more. 

Nightshade Noodle Bar: A Birthday Celebration

It was one of my top dining experiences of the year, a 14 course extravaganza which occurred this past weekend. In a recent article, Choosing a Special Occasion Restaurant, I provided some recommendations for excellent restaurants for celebrations. On Saturday night, for a special dinner to celebrate my birthday, I chose one of my own recommendations, Nightshade Noodle Bar in Lynn.

Over the course of nearly four hours, five of us thoroughly enjoyed 14 courses of delicious and inventive food, along with wine and cocktails. Although we had only ordered the 12 course dinner, Chef Rachel Miller served us two additional courses in honor of my birthday. Service was excellent, attentive and accommodating, and we were never rushed. Although we had a primary server, MJ, other members of the Nightshade team assisted at times, and each one of them provided top-notch service. 

There are roughly 25 wines on their list, and it's a well-curated list with plenty of interesting choices. We began with some celebratory bubbly, the 2019 Avinyó Brut Cava Rosé, a delicious choice which helped to set the festive mood of the evening. We also later ordered the 2021 Troupis Moschofilero Hoof & Lur, a Greek Orange wine, which was intriguing and tasty, pairing well with many of the dishes.

The food! The dishes are inventive and well-composed, delicious and intriguing. We enjoyed quite a variety of dishes, our palates tantalized by such a diversity of flavors and textures. When you order a tasting menu, you can mention two dishes from the menu which you'd like to be included, and the rest is selected by the Chef. So, nearly every dish is a surprise when it comes to the table, and a very pleasant surprise it is. This is a dining experience which will long live in my memory.     

Here are photos of all of our dishes, but please note that some photos don't do proper justice to the exquisite taste of the food.

Nightshade Caviar Service, with bowfin caviar, eggspuma dip, crispy garlic, and potato chips (like kettle chips). A decadent and fun way to begin your dinner. 

East X West Coast Oysters. Acadian Pearl (NB) oysters with black truffle mignonette, & lemon. Shigoku (WA) oysters with roasted coconut, grape, & aloe. A nice comparison of the differences between East and West Coast oysters.

Chilled Portuguese Percebes with a black pepper and lime dipping sauce. It's rare to find Percebes at local restaurants, and they are quite tasty. 

Grilled Coconut Sticky Rice Pop, with tamarind brown butter pork floss. A decadent treat.

Kabocha Squash Bot Chien, with rice cakes, green chili sauce, fried duck tongues, & pickles. The duck tongues are delicious! The flavors in this dish work so well together.

Tamarind BBQ Moulard Duck, with braised yuba in a smoky hu tieu broth. One of the dishes I chose and it was a great choice. 

Live Santa Barbara Sea Urchin Brûlée, with a red curry hollandaise & torched cinnamon. A creamy and briny with hints of sweetness.

Grilled Striped Bass, with a sherry & smoked raisin glaze, peanut romesco, and grilled garlic scapes. Tender and flavorful, with an excellent romesco sauce.

Australian Black Truffle, with red crab, pho broth, parmesan, and fresh pho noodles. It may not look attractive but it's rich in flavor.

Roasted Gulf Shrimp, with a super lemongrass cajun butter. Plump and flavorful.

Shredded Cabbage, with green apple, mistake mushrooms, mint, and a buttermilk-maple nuoc cham. 

Garlic Noodles, with angel hair, parmesan, candied lemon, & fennel pollen. Another well-composed and delicious dish.

Lobster Glace, with smoked vanilla chili vinaigrette & sea foam. Another dish where the photo doesn't do it justice. Excellent flavor with pieces of sweet lobster at the bottom of the glass.

Lemon Verbena & Aloe Palate cleanser

With a candle within it, I received the Honeydew Froyo, with a magic shell and watermelon pop rocks. Creamy and crunchy, with rich honeydew melon flavors.

We also received their Salted Chocolate Mousse, made from 66% Valrhona Caraibe with Cognac. Sweet and salty, with intense chocolate. 

As for the photo at the very top of this post, it's from the Sin City Superette, the market connected to Nightshade. They have renovated the market from its previous incarnation, and now it offers various prepared foods for lunch and other times. Baguette sandwiches, a Steam Bar, Bahn Mi, Po Boys, and more. Various desserts are also available, from Sweet Bread Pudding to Chocolate Fish Sauce Caramel Tart. I need to stop by at lunchtime and check out their offerings soon. 

Final Note: Today, Nightshade has opened up reservations for October. If you want to dine there, make a reservation here ASAP.

World Baijiu Day--August 9: Celebrate at Sumiao Hunan Kitchen

Next Wednesday, August 9, is World Baijiu Day, a day to celebrate and honor this fascinating and delicious Chinese spirit, which you might not realize is also the most popular spirit in the world. This holiday was created back in 2015 by Jim Boyce, who runs the nightlife blog Beijing Boyce and wine blog Grape Wall of China. The intent of the holiday is to raise exposure of Baijiu, to spread awareness beyond the borders of China.  

Jim Boyce says, "It's part of a theme of going "beyond ganbei", the typical practice of draining shots of room-temperature baijiu, one that turns off many people." He also stated, "Like many others, I've had those reckless ganbei sessions that left me wondering if I could look at a bottle again," says Boyce. "But this spirit has a long history, an impressive range of styles and, as we saw last year, can work with cocktails and infusions and foods." 

Numerous venues, all across the world, will participate in this holiday and you can check out the list of participants. You'll find a diverse variety of ways that these venues are showcasing Baijiu, from cocktails, liqueurs and infusions to chocolate, pizza and beer. In the U.S., you'll find events in Baltimore, Cambridge, Los Angeles, and New York, although more venues may be added during the next week.

Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, in Cambridge, will be celebrating World Baijiu Day once again. Founded in 2017, and from the start, the restaurant has offered Baijiu and Baijiu cocktails on their drinks menu. For the last several years, they have also supported World Baijiu Day. This year, they have created a special new cocktail for the occasion, the Summer Jade. It is made with Baijiu, Amaro Montenegro, Lime, Falernum, and Pink Guava Puree.  

In addition, they offer three other Baijiu cocktails on their drinks menu, including:

Fung Wah – Sesame Baijiu, Chrysanthemum, Honey, Ginger, Lemon, Peated Scotch
Baijiu Blast – Baijiu Gin, Green Tea, Midori, Pineapple, Lime
Perpetual Motion – Baijiu, Blood Orange, Elderflower, Mint 

Next week is also the start of Dine Out Boston, and Sumiao participates so while you enjoy their Baijiu cocktails, you could pair them with a special 4-Course Lunch ($33) or 4-Course Dinner ($46). There's a good chance that I'll visit Sumiao next Wednesday to celebrate World Baijiu Day!

Why does Baijiu need a special day of recognition? It's because so many people have many misconceptions about this intriguing spirit. For example, many Americans claim they hate Baijiu, stating it tastes like stinky cheese or sweaty socks. This is usually based on their single experience of Kweichow Moutai, a sauce aroma Baijiu. Moutai may be hugely popular, but it can be off-putting to someone who has never experienced Baijiu before. 

However, Baijiu is a diverse beverage, with many different flavor profiles. There are plenty of lighter, fruitier versions which would appeal to anyone who drinks other spirits like rum, vodka or gin. It can be drank on its own, or used in many different cocktails. People need to realize its diversity, and that there is likely a style that will appeal to them.

For more information about Baijiu, you can check out the 16 articles I've previously written about Baijiu, delving into its fascinating history, production methods, and providing reviews of numerous Baijiu. I've tried to promote this beverage as it can be absolutely delicious and it's also versatile, making an excellent cocktail ingredient. World Baijiu Day is a perfect time to learn more about this Chinese spirit and sample some examples, to get past your hatred of this liquor.

You can hold your own World Baijiu event with friends and family. Just seek out some Baijiu at your local spirits shop and have your own tasting party. Baijiu is becoming more readily available at liquor shops in the U.S., though previously you might not have even realized it existed. Although Baijiu is hugely popular in Asia, it needs much greater exposure in the rest of the world. It is a unique and delicious spirit and well worth seeking out.

Expand your palate and try something different and more unique. Taste some Baijiu and celebrate World Baijiu Day!

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) Leadership from Legal Sea Foods continued their philanthropic efforts with Boston Children’s Hospital, donating $100,000 raised from various initiatives including its holiday gift card fundraiser and annual Chowda Day event. 

The donation was accepted by Dr. Leonard Zon who leads the Stem Cell Research Program at Boston Children’s Hospital. The Legal Sea Foods team presented the hospital with a $100,000 check to help fund the hospital’s Zon Laboratory to advance vital research. Dr. Zon and his talented team graciously guided the Legal Sea Foods group on a tour of the lab, where they were able to see the direct impact of their fundraising efforts in the Stem Cell Research Program and learn more about the everyday work in researching blood cancers and other diseases using the zebrafish model of research.

"We remain unwavering in our dedication to champion the groundbreaking research being conducted at Boston Children's Hospital,” said Matt King, Legal Sea Foods Brand President and COO. “Our profound gratitude goes out to our esteemed guests and dedicated Legal Sea Foods teams, whose endless support has enabled us to raise substantial funds for this pivotal cause. As we forge ahead, we eagerly anticipate the continuation of these invaluable relationships, propelling us towards more discoveries at the hospital and brighter futures for the countless children they will save."

2) The team at Puritan & Company will once again celebrate the life of local culinary legend Julia Child at its tenth annual Julia Child Tribute Dinner on Thursday, August 10th, starting at 6pm. Chef/Owner Will Gilson, his talented team, and a lineup of guest chefs will treat attendees to a delicious prix fixe menu of signature Julia dishes.

Each course will be served alongside carafes of wine on each table, which will be kept full for all to enjoy throughout the meal. Full wine, beer, and cocktail lists will also be available for purchase. Seatings will be available communal-style, individually at the bar, or on the patio-weather permitting. 

Alongside Chef Will Gilson, guest chefs include:
Robert Sisca (Bistro du Midi/The Banks)
Sean Blomgren (Spruce Peak Vermont)
John DaSilva (Chickadee)
Louis DiBiccarri (Sub Rosa)
Dante DeMagistris (IL Casale/The Wellington)
Tony Susi (Bar Enza)
Alexis Babineau (Puritan and Company)
Rachel Dykes (Puritan and Company)

Tickets cost $150 per person (including food, wine & gratuity) and can be purchased HERE. 

Rant: We Need More Breakfast Pizza

Over the weekend, I made a morning stop at the Tuscan Market in Salem, New Hampshire. Beside shopping for some pasta and sausage, we decided to get a bite to eat. On their breakfast menu, they offer five different pizzas, two which are breakfast pizzas. The first was the Classic Breakfast ($15), made with eggs, provolone, prosciutto cotto, spinach and Hollandaise. We opted for the other, the Formaggi ($15), made with eggs, mozzarella, parmigiana reggiano, taleggio, and black pepper. We also added some prosciutto. 

The Formaggi is the pizza pictured above, with two large eggs, with hard yolks, with the eggs and cheese sitting atop a layer of prosciutto. This was delicious, with an excellent crust, with crunchy edges and a chewy interior. The blend of melted cheese was tasty, enhanced by the salty prosciutto and the taste of the eggs (although I would have preferred a gooey yolk). This was a fine choice for breakfast, and I've enjoyed a number of breakfast pizzas at other restaurants over the years.

So why don't more restaurants serve Breakfast Pizza?

A breakfast pizza, topped with items such as sliced potatoes, bacon, sausage, fried or scrambled eggs, cheese, and more, can be absolutely delicious. It isn't a difficult dish to create yet you won't find it available on many menus. Think of all the pizza joints you know and then consider which ones make a breakfast pizza. You might know one or two, at best. 

So why isn't it more popular and available? It's puzzling to me and it seems such a no-brainer. People love pizza so why wouldn't they also love a breakfast pizza? I know plenty of people who would order a breakfast pizza for lunch or dinner as well. This seems to be a missed opportunity for many restaurant so I fervently hope some restaurants take notice and decide to add it to their menu. 

A quick Google search indicates that the origins of breakfast pizza are murky, with one restaurant owner claiming to have invented it in the 1990s. Other sources claim that it extends back to the 1970s. However, in a more in-depth exploration, I've found references to breakfast pizza back to the late 1950s!

The earliest newspaper mention I located was in the Buffalo News (NY), December 19, 1957, in an article with above title. The article provided a recipe for breakfast pizza, using English muffins as a base, and topping it with tomato paste, salt, pepper, butter and pork sausage meat. The same recipe appeared in newspapers into 1958, in states including Oklahoma, Missouri, Minnesota, Indiana, Arkansas, and New Jersey.

Another type of breakfast pizza, a Cereal Pizza, was described in the Garden City Telegram (KS), August 1, 1960. The recipe called for making a "crust" of crushed corn flakes, topped by cooked farina, which was chilled over night. The next day it was then topped with butter, brown sugar, cheese, bacon or sausage. This recipe was reprinted in other newspapers, such as in California and Illinois.

The Chicago Tribune (IL), September 13, 1964, mentioned a recipe contest, sponsored by the Poultry & Egg National Board. One of the entrants had a recipe for "Honeymoon Breakfast Pizza" which was said to be "like a sour cream soufflé on a pizza crust."

The Mount Vernon Argus (NY), October 1, 1964, presented a different recipe for breakfast pizza, which used cornbread as a base, and it was topped with eggs and sausage, with a suggestion to add tomato sauce if desired. This recipe was repeated in newspapers in Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, California and Louisiana.

More breakfast pizza recipes would be published during the rest of the 1960s, and throughout the 1970s too. Interestingly, the Cornish Guardian (Cornwall, England), November 7, 1969, published a recipe for Breakfast pizza, which used a scone dough for the crust, and was then topped with eggs, a can of tomatoes, and sausages. 

It's clear that the idea of breakfast pizza has existed for over 65 years, and many variations exist. Now, we just need to make it more common, more readily available at local restaurants. Breakfast pizza needs its day in the spotlight!

Where have you enjoyed Breakfast Pizza?