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.
******************************************************
1) Kane’s Donuts is ringing in the New Year with a new array of seasonal donuts, available throughout the month off January at all three Kane's locations. These include a Sugar Raised, Blueberry Filled, Almond Joy, Vegan Funfetti Donut, and a Gluten-free Cookies and Cream Donut.  

The Sugar Raised Donut is a simple, yet delicious, light and fluffy yeast dough rolled in granulated sugar. The Blueberry Filled is a light and fluffy yeast donut rolled around in confectionery sugar, then filled with a blueberry pie filling. The Almond Joy is Kane’s chocolate cake-style donut dipped in a coconut glaze, then topped with shredded coconut and toasted almonds drizzled with dark chocolate. The Vegan Funfetti is a vegan donut with rainbow sprinkles folded in the dough and then dipped in a glaze topped with sprinkles. The final flavor is a Gluten-free Cookies & Cream Donut. This is a chocolate cake-style donut frosted with a light, fluffy vanilla cream frosting and then dipped in chocolate cookie crumble.

2) Forcella Boston, in the North End, has recently expanded, adding two new dining areas, including an area for private parties. The private dining room can accommodate up to 14 people, either for a seated dinner or cocktail party style.

The Forcella Wine & Cocktail Bar soft opened in late summer and is now in full swing and also offers the full dinner menu. The space can also be booked for private parties of up to 20 people. A wide variety of wines are available, all imported from Italy, along with cordial cocktails. Signature cocktails that can always be found on the menu include Espresso Martini, Negroni, Aperol Spritz, Old Fashioned and more. Both wine and cocktail offerings will also expand and rotate in 2024.

Additionally, Forcella has a year-round outdoor dining patio, privately nestled in the rear of the restaurant - a unique offering in the North End. Pending weather, heaters are set up outside for those who choose to dine outside in the winter months.

With a primary focus on traditional Italian meals and signature wines, Forcella does not serve coffee or dessert. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, open Tuesday through Thursday from 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., Fridays from 5 p.m. - 11 p.m., Saturdays from 3 p.m. - 11 p.m. and Sundays from 3 p.m. - 10 p.m. Dinner starts at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, although guests can enjoy a drink in the wine bar before dining.

3) On Wednesday, January 24th from 6 to 9 p.m., Chef/Owner Will Gilson and the Puritan & Co. will be serving up lots of bubbles and lots of dance moves, for a fun (and fizzy) take on the classic wine tasting! They invite guests to don their best 80's look for a "Risky Fizzness" champagne and sparkling wine tasting party.

Guests will enjoy samples of over 40 bottles of bubbles alongside an over-the-top fun soundtrack and over-the-top-fun menu of reinvented, nostalgic favorites like mortadella hot pockets, eggo waffles with caviar and creme fraiche, passion fruit gushers, and so much more!

Tickets cost $75 per person, including gratuity, and can be purchased HERE. 

Quinta do Bomfim: A Tasting Flight

During my vacation in Portugal, and while we were still in the Douro region, we had a little free time available, after our incredible lunch at Quinta da Pacheca. So, we made a brief stop at the Quinta Do Bomfim tasting room. This tasting room is part of Symington Family Estates, a family business whose history extends to the 19th century and which currently owns port houses, including Graham's, Dow's, Warre's, and Cockburn's. They also have a portfolio of Douro wines including Quinta do Vesuvio, Quinta do Ataíde, Altano, and Prats & Symington. They own 26 Quintas in the Douro region, with over 2500 acres of vineyards. 

Quinta Do Bomfim, located on the Douro River, receiving its name from "Vale do Bomfim," the "well-placed valley." The quinta was acquired by Dow's in 1896, and in 1912, Andrew Symington became a partner in Dow's. It became a famed quinta, and many of Dow's best Ports come from grapes from this Quinta, and they are all crushed in traditional lagares. 

At the tasting room, where you can taste most Symington ports and other wines, there are a few different wine flight options, and you can also select a number of wines by the glass.  I opted for the Specialist Flight, which included four wines: one White, one Red, and two Ports.  

I began with the 2020 Altano White Reserva (about $14), a blend of Viosinho, Gouveio and Rabigato (primarily Viosinho), which was aged for about 8-9 months in 2nd-use French oak. The aroma brought some citrus and tropical fruit but also some oakiness. On the palate, the wine had good acidity, plenty of fruity flavors, from citrus to pineapple, but also a prominent oaky note. The finish was moderately long but the oak presence was too prominent for my own preferences.  

The 2020 Quinta do Vesuvio Red ($60-$65) is a blend of 75% Touriga Franca, 22% Touriga Nacional, and 3% Tinta Amarela, which was aged for about 16 months in French oak (80% new oak). The grapes are from the Quinta Nova vineyard, which was acquired in the mid-19th century. With an alluring aroma, of black and red fruits, enhanced with spice notes, this wine was impressive. On the palate, it possessed a complex melange of appealing flavors, including ripe plum, blueberry, black cherry, dark spices, a hint of vanilla, and a backbone of minerality. Excellent acidity, well balanced, rich and silky smooth. It expressed elegant power, and possessed a long, lingering and compelling finish. This is a wine best paired with a steak or other hearty meal. Highly recommended and well worth the splurge.

The 1995 Quinta do Vesuvio Vintage Port ($95-$100) is from a very good vintage, whose reputation may have suffered in comparison to the 1994 vintage which was considered exceptional. This Port was made in a more modern approach, and was full-bodied, rich and silky smooth, with a pleasing blend of flavors, including cherry, plum, caramel, subtle spice notes and a mild floral aspect. It was nicely balanced, sweet but with a nice counterbalance of acidity, and possessed a lengthy, satisfying finish. Would like to pair this Port with blue cheese, one of my favorite Port and food pairings.  

The Dow's 30 Year Old Port (about $160) is made from a blend of traditional Port grapes from Quinta do Bomfim and Quintada Senhora da Ribeira, two top vineyards. The grapes were foot-trodden in traditional lagares. This is an impressive aged Port, with an intriguing nose of dried fruit and nuts. On the palate, it presents a complex melange of dried fruits and raisins, accented by notes of nuts, caramel, chocolate and black tea. Each sip brings something new to your mouth. It's elegant, but with a certain intensity, and is also well-balanced, and more dry than sweet. The pleasing finish just goes on and on and on. Definitely a Port to linger over, to slowly sip and marvel at the different flavors which will come to you over time. 

Rant: Forget Useless Predictions

It's now 2024 and you'll hear plenty of predictions for this New Year, but not from me.

As I've said before, predictions for the New Year are basically useless. At the end of the year, nearly all of those predictions will have failed to come to fruition and even those that did are probably due more to luck than any actual ability to predict the future. You would have just as much success by reading tea leaves or the entrails of goats. I know that if I devised my own predictions, they too would probably fail. 

We all hope that 2024 will usher in positive changes to the local food & drink industry. Instead of offering any predictions, I'm going to provide a list of ten of my desires, those trends, issues and items which I would love to see step forward and take precedence in 2024, though I'm not predicting they will actually come to fruition. Some of these items I've been wanting for many years to happen and they still haven't become a trend. I think we would all benefit if any of these desires were fulfilled.

We possess the ability to make these desires come true. They pose valuable opportunities for entrepreneurs and others to step up and make their mark. They are matters we can demand and promote, matters we can hound restaurant owners, legislators and others to pursue. We can make our future become a reality.

1) More French Toast Sandwiches
The Monte Cristo sandwich, ham, turkey and cheese on French Toast, is popular but why haven't there been more sandwiches on French Toast? Iron Town Diner, in Saugus, has an excellent Monte Cristo, but they are also willing to make special orders, including several other sandwiches on French Toast, including a cheeseburger, chicken cutlet and pastrami & cheese. They were all delicious, and enhanced by the eggy French Toast. More restaurants should add such French Toast sandwiches to their menu, and I suspect they would be very popular. 

2) More Savory Pancakes

I've previously enjoyed savory pancakes, made with ham and cheese, and it was very tasty. So why don't more places offer savory pancakes rather than the sweet concoctions that are so common? Rather than have a pancake covered in powdered sugar, chocolate and whipped cream, I'd much rather have one stuffed with small cubes of ham and melted cheese. Such a savory pancake could come in many different forms and its unique nature might interest many restaurant patrons. 

3) More Bread Pudding  
Bread pudding is relatively easy to make and can be inexpensive as it can be made with day old bread. Plus, it's a diverse dish that can be made in a wide variety of flavors, with different sauces, and accompaniments. I've had some superb bread puddings at local restaurants, and would like to see more restaurants offering it on their dessert menus. However, I also think there is a great opportunity for an enterprising baker to open a Bread Pudding Bakery. They exist in other parts of the country so why not in the Boston area? Skip opening another damn cupcake bakery, think outside the box, and opt for a bread pudding bakery instead. I've been pushing for this for numerous years and it still hasn't caught on. Why not?

4) Less Powdered Sugar
Stop using so much powdered sugar, covering pancakes and French toast, adding even more sweetness to sweet desserts. It doesn't make those dishes look more appealing to have a plain white powder on them. In fact, it acts to hide the natural look of the desserts, concealing their true nature. And adding it to sweet desserts is unnecessary as they are already sweet enough. It's overkill. Yet chef after chef still uses it and that needs to stop, especially its use on pancakes and French toast. Find other ways to make your food look better. Find a better way to make your desserts sweeter if that is what you really want to do.

5) More Breakfast Pizza
A breakfast pizza, such as a white pizza with thin slices of potato, bacon (and/or sausage), cheese and a fried egg (or scrambled), 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 widely 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? Breakfast pizza is fine for lunch and dinner too. This also seems to be a missed opportunity for many, so I hope more restaurants decide to add these to their menu.

6) More Duck Wings & Legs

Chicken wings get all the attention and you can find them in many different restaurants, often as an appetizer. There are even restaurants that specialize in chicken wings. Part of the reason for their ubiquity is likely that they are usually inexpensive. However, duck wings or legs can be so much tastier than chicken wings, yet it's very difficult to find restaurants which offer them. A Tavola, in Winchester, sometimes has duck legs on their menu and they are quite scrumptious. Let's see more restaurant start offering duck wings and legs on their menu, showing their taste and versatility. 

7) More Filipino Restaurants & Dishes 

This is another matter I've been ranting about for several years. There is a dearth of Filipino cuisine both locally as well throughout the U.S., though a few regions seem to be opening several new Filipino restaurants. With only a few Filipino restaurants in the Boston area, there is a huge opportunity here for more Filipino spots. Or if even not an entire restaurant, maybe we could see more Filipino inspired dishes on other menus. This is also applicable to a number of other cuisines of which Boston doesn't have enough representation, like Israeli, Peruvian, Croatian and Georgian.

8) More Sake At Non-Asian Restaurants 
In the Boston area, Sake is largely confined to Asian restaurants and there is no reason why that should be the case. Sake pairs well with all sorts of cuisines, from Italian to French, Barbecue to Burgers. I've previously written about The Science of Sake & Food Pairings, explaining reasons why it pairs so well with varied cuisines. For Sake to become more popular and mainstream, we need more non-Asian restaurants to carry and promote Sake. And they need to promote Sake for more than just Sushi. Seafood restaurants could promote Sake for everything from oysters to fried clams. Let's see a pizza or burger joint offering Sake. And hopefully customers will expand their palate and try Sake with their meals. 

9) More Love For Niche Wines
So many excellent wines get largely ignored by the general public, and even by a significant number of wine lovers. I want to see more people willing to expand their palates and explore these niche wines, from Sherry to Georgian wines, from Crémant d'Alsace to Croatian wines, from White Port to Greek wines. Why do you restrict your drinking when you could be sampling all of the world's wine bounty? We need more restaurants adding these niche wines to their lists, and then promoting them to their customers. We need more wine writers to cover these wines, persuading their readers to check out these niche wines. You'll find so many interesting and delicious wines if you break out of your usual drinking patterns and try something new.

10) More Food Pairings With Bubbly

Sparkling wine actually pairs well with numerous food dishes yet most people drink it only as a celebratory wine or as an aperitif. More people should try pairing sparkling wine with a variety of dishes, to learn how well it can pair with their dinner. We also need restaurants and wine sommeliers to start making recommendations for sparkling wine for various menu items. Whenever I've sought a wine pairing recommendation from a sommelier, only rarely have they suggested a Sparkling wine. Sparkling wine even pairs well with simple foods, like potato chips! Why not set up a Sparkling Wine tasting with various flavored potato chips?

What food & drink trends would you like to see in 2024?

10 New Year's Resolutions For My Readers

Happy New Year's Eve and I hope you celebrate well but also spend this holiday safely. I also hope you will enjoy some type of delicious Sparkling Wine, from Champagne to Crémant d'Alsace, Cava to Franciacorta, or something Sparkling from a U.S. producer. It's my fervent wish that this New Year is better for all of us, in so many ways, than 2024. 

This is also the time when many people will ponder the conduct of their lives and choose to make Resolutions, the things they want to do, or not do, to make their lives better in the New Year. Maybe you want to give up smoking or lose weight, maybe you want to start going to a gym regularly or save more money. Unfortunately, many people will break their resolutions after only a short time, within less than a month, so numerous people will choose not to make a resolution, figuring they won't follow it anyways.

As I've done for the last several years, I want to offer some alternative suggestions for resolutions, all connected to food and drink. Rather than deal in absolutes, or exact measurements, I merely hope that you choose to do your best to follow these suggested resolutions with the simple goal of doing better than you did last year. I don't expect anyone to follow these resolutions all the time. Please just do your best. I think you might find this easier to do than a more specific resolution which is an either/or proposition. Seek continued forward progress in these ten resolutions throughout the entire year.

1) Resolve to eat & drink healthier
This encompasses so much, such as eating less calories, consuming less sugar, and choosing items that have less unwanted chemicals. Take small steps in your approach rather than diving into a major change. The smaller steps won't seem as burdensome and it will make it easier to take another small step later on. And even small changes can bring about positive changes, especially when they accumulate over time. We all would benefit from eating and drinking healthier and it will also help our environment and economy.

2) Resolve to consume more local food & drink
Local products can help the environment, the local economy and benefit the local community. Plus, many of those local products can be healthier than mass produced, overly processed foods that might come from thousands of miles away. Eating more local seafood is such a great idea, for many reasons, from bettering your health to helping the local fishing industry. This resolution also includes drinking local wines, as every state now produces wine, and you might be surprised by the quality of some of that local wine. Not all local food and drink is delicious or good for the environment, so do some research to find out the best.

3) Resolve to eat more seafood, especially domestic
Seafood can be extremely healthy for you, especially those fish rich in Omega-3s, so it's an excellent choice for dinner. Seafood is also delicious, versatile and often easy to prepare. Yes, it can be more expensive, but it is well worth the added cost, and there are ways to get more value in your seafood purchases. Buying more domestic seafood will help our economy, rather than buying so much imported seafood. It has been scientifically proven that consuming 26 pounds of seafood annually will reduce your chances of heart disease by 36%. An easy and delicious resolution.

4) Resolve to expand your drink horizons
Don't keep drinking the same old stuff all the time. There are so many wonderful beverages out there to taste, and you might find some new favorites. Break out of your rut and endeavor to try something new on a regular basis. If you mainly drink Chardonnay, venture out and try some other white wines, such as Gruner Veltliner, Trebbiano or Albarino. Try Sherry, Sake, Japanese Whisky, Mezcal, Franciacorta, Baijiu, and other under-appreciated beverages. Sample wines from different countries, including Croatia, Moldova, Greece, Israel, and more. Taste it all, constantly trying new beverages, and continue drinking those you enjoy.

5) Resolve to expand your food horizons
In a similar vein, don't keep eating the same old stuff all the time. There are so many wonderful foods out there to taste, to see if you can find some new favorites. Break out of your rut and endeavor to try something new on a regular basis. Try some less common meats, from rabbit to wild boar, or maybe something even more unusual like insects or guinea pig. Seek out cuisines that are new to you, and look for new ingredients you can try out in your own kitchen. Taste it all, constantly trying new foods, and continue eating what you enjoy

6) Resolve to cook more at home
Cooking at home is another way to benefit the environment, and it can be more economical than eating out all the time. It also gives you a better handle on exactly what you eat, so you can make the food as healthy as you desire. It can be fun too, if you cook with someone else, breaking the potential boredom of cooking alone. Be creative in what you cook, seek out new recipes, and share recipes with others.

7) Resolve not to be THAT jerk when you dine out
When you dine out at a restaurant, get take-out, or delivery, please be polite and show respect to everyone working at or for the restaurant. Don't fault the restaurants for legal restrictions they must follow. Don't demand special treatment or threaten the restaurant just because you write reviews on some community website. Tip generously, showing your servers gratitude for all their hard work. If you have a problem at a restaurant, speak to the management and see if they can resolve your issue. If you enjoy a restaurant, spread the word about your positive experience. Good restaurants can use, and deserve, all the help they can get, especially in these times. It's a very tough industry, and a very tough time, and consumers need to better understand its difficulties, and be more understanding of restaurant efforts.

8) Resolve to give more to fight hunger
Despite the wealth of the U.S., there are still far too many people in our country who can't afford to eat properly. Hunger is a major problem in our country, as well as all across the world, and one that we can do something about. Give food or money to local food banks, national organizations, or any other charity that is trying to combat this problem. Those of us without food security issues can all help out, in whatever way we are capable.

9) Resolve not to waste as much food
It is said that up to 40% of our food ends up as waste, and that is a nearly unbelievable statistic. Food waste can lead to higher food prices and cause more environmental damage. Do your part to help reduce food waste. Don't make as much food as normal when making a meal so you don't have leftovers in the first place. As your mother probably once said to you, finish everything on your plate. Use any leftovers to make additional meals.

10) Resolve not to drink & drive
As I have said time and time again, do not drive if you are impaired AT ALL by alcohol. It is much too dangerous and you could injure or kill yourself or someone else. Even if you don't get in an accident, you could be arrested and that comes with its own high costs. It isn't worth doing it, so please just don't drink and drive. Take a Uber, taxi, or catch a ride with someone else. This is probably the most important resolution of the ten, and the one everyone should opt to follow.

Is there anything I missed?

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays To All

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to my family, friends, readers and everyone else!

May the glad tidings of this holiday season shine on you, your family and friends. May your celebrations be joyous and overflowing with great people, excellent conversation, fun times, delicious food and fine drink. May the gifts you give to others be well appreciated and bring joy to the recipients. May you thoroughly enjoy whichever holiday you celebrate at this season.

This is one of my favorite times of year. It should be a joyous occasion, reveling in all of our blessings, for no matter what ills there may be, there still is much to appreciate. That appreciation deserves recognition and sharing, and not only during the holidays. Do not dwell on the negative but rather embrace all that is good in your life.

It is also a time for giving, for sharing with those less fortunate than us. Please donate as much as you can to your favorite charities, whether you give money, time or goods. Even small donations can make a significant impact. Think of more than just yourself at this time and throughout the year.

Make sure you have a safe holiday as well. Please, please, please don't drink and drive, and drive safely and cautiously. If you are going to drink, let someone else drive, or take a taxi, Uber or public transportation. Again, please do not drink and drive! I hope that everyone will remain around to celebrate the New Year and see what 2024 brings all of us.

Drink and dine with passion this holiday, as well as every day of the year! Passion is what gives our lives meaning, what drives us toward excellence. A life devoid of passion is empty and shallow, and desperately needs change. Seek out whatever makes you passionate and revel in its delights. And share your passion with others.

Happy Holidays!