Kickass Cocktail Cupcake Happy Hour


Tonight from 5-7pm

Free tastings of mini cocktail inspired cupcakes...

Menu
Rootbeer Float
Lotus Blossom
Snickertini

Join them on the last Monday of every month!

Kickass Cupcakes
Davis Square
378 Highland Avenue
Somerville, Massachusetts 02144
Phone: 617-628-CUPS
Fax: 617-628-2878
Email: info@kickasscupcakes.com





Calling all Bartender's


NBC’s “On The Rocks: America’s Top Bartender TODAY till 5pm!

LAST minute, we know, but thought we would share this with all our industry people including BARTENDERS.... NBC’s “On The Rocks: America’s Top Bartender is auditioning today at The Estate -- till 5 p.m. today. Anyone interested -- head over --it will not take long.

For more information, click here

Be on the watch for a new club & restaurant...

coming late September to Boston Theatre District at 51 Stuart Street.

Bijou, the 9,000 square foot nightclub will feature "The Parlour"restaurant on the first floor, serving plates from chef Michael Navarrette, formally of Cafeteria and "The Dream" & "The Dark Bar" located upstairs will be the clubbier areas featuring a raised DJ Deck and lounge style seating.

More to come...

Summer in the City Entertainment Series

at the Boston Harbor Hotel is coming to an end, so if you have not been over to experience all they have to offer during the week, you have until around September third!

Timeless Tunes Wednesday Night - August 25: Decades by Dezyne
Groove to the tunes that you know and love with our Timeless Tunes series on Wednesday nights, from June 23rd – September 1st, 6-10 p.m. This series features classic entertainment of various decades of music ranging from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Thursday Night Blues Barge - August 26: Toni Lynn Washington
A floating stage anchored behind the Boston Harbor Hotel at Rowes Wharf provides the setting for some of the hottest local and national blues artists. The Blues Barge concert series begins on June 17th – September 2nd and will include performances every Thursday evening, 6-10 p.m.

Friday Night Movies by Moonlight - August 27: Adventures of Robin Hood
The Movies by Moonlight series offers guests a chance to revisit Hollywood’s silver screen and modern classics. The 2010 series begins with a showing on June 18th and continues every Friday night until September 3rd, starting at dusk. The evening breeze and view from the terrace of the Rowes Wharf Sea Grille set the stage to view these classic films by the sea. Enjoy the exceptional cuisine of Chef Daniel Bruce.

Summer Soul Tuesday Night - August 31: World Premier Band
Summer Soul will take place every Tuesday night from June 22nd – August 31st, 6-10 p.m. Sway to soulful sounds as the hotel hosts various R&B and soul bands this summer. Songs from legends such as Marvin Gaye, Al Green, James Brown, Otis Redding, Roberta Flack and Gladys Knight & the Pips are brought to you live under the stars.

Barbara Lynch on Bon Appetit's Top 10


Once again, Bon Appetit ate their way across the country in search of the best new restaurants. These 10 fantastic spots--from casual places with communal tables to high-end, white-tablecloth affairs--prove that the American restaurant scene is alive and well, and more delicious than ever.


Menton - Boston
354 Congress Street, 617-737-0099, mentonboston.com
The Story: If chef Barbara Lynch ever ran for mayor of Boston, it would be a landslide. Yes, she and her four restaurants, butcher store, cocktail bar, and demonstration kitchen/cookbook store are that popular. Her latest restaurant makes it clear that fine dining is in fact not dead in America.
The Team: Chef Lynch runs the show but executive chef Colin Lynch (no relation) does the heavy lifting. Wine director Cat Silirie is one of the country's best sommeliers.
Must Order: There are two menu options--the seven-course chef's tasting menu and the four-course prix fixe. Shellfish is the star.
What's in a Name: Lynch describes her cooking as a marriage of French technique and Italian sensibility. Menton is a picturesque town in southern France near the Italian border.
The Recipe: Shellfish with Butter Broth and Honey Emulsion


Deuxave Opening this September!


Straight from the mouth of Chris Haynes, Deuxave might be open as early as Labor Day weekend. Keep your eyes peeled and check out below for what's in store...

THE MENU & CUISINE
Executive Chef Christopher Coombs, who has designed and built his "dream" kitchen at Deuxave has created a menu that is designed with an affordable price point, with high value -- entrees average around $26, offering an excellent value for the highest quality foods. The cuisine is strongly rooted in the nouvelle techniques of contemporary French cuisine, married with the splendor of American ingredients in a refined, but casual setting.

THE WINE & DRINK PROGRAM
General Manager/Sommelier Jason Irving, formally of the Four Seasons's Aujourd’hui, is one of Boston's youngest and most respected wine enthusiasts. Irving has worked to create an extensive wine program that is sure to become a local favorite -- patrons are sure to relish in Irving's passion for the art of pairing wine and food.

THE DUO & TEAM
Chef Coombs, one of Boston's youngest up-and-coming chefs recently appeared on the Food Network's popular show Chopped, graduated from The Culinary Institute of America in 2004. Coombs' first venture into the upscale dining scene was at Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger. From there he went to Toppers at the Wauwinet on Nantucket and later the Four Seasons acclaimed Aujourd’hui and then Troquet. Coombs, who has been committed to sustainable cuisine since 2006, enjoys growing ingredients on his rooftop garden at dbar in Dorchester where he also acts at the executive chef.

Owner Brian Piccini got his first taste of the restaurant industry when he began playing piano at the Top of the Hub's lounge in 1999. It was there that Piccini fell in love with food, wine and the hospitality industry, so he began waiting tables during the week while still attending school. Absorbing as much of the industry as possible while there, he then went on to Aquitaine in the South End from 2002-2005, where he refined his restaurant skills even further. In 2005, Piccini opened dbar which immediately took off. This success then inspired Piccini to collaborate with Coombs on the opening of a new neighborhood restaurant in the Back Bay, Deuxave.

THE SPACE & LOOK
A collaboration between Designer Mark Bombara & Brian Piccini, the restaurant design is an upscale “Bostonian chic” style, incorporating a cosmopolitan and culturally sophisticated appearance to reflect the diner’s desire to be comfortable, yet stylish during their night out. Large round chandeliers were hand selected by Bombara who reworked the budget to acquire them and can be seen through the vast windows on Massachusetts and Commonwealth Avenues.


Jill Epstein in today's Boston Globe

TRENDSETTER

All in good taste

Where to Eat publisher hasn’t lost her appetite for the Boston restaurant scene

By Taylor Adams Globe Correspondent / August 19, 2010

Jill Epstein has seen a lot of changes in the restaurant business in Boston since she started the Where to Eat guide in 1999, particularly an increase in interest in the chefs around town.
(Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff) Jill Epstein has seen a lot of changes in the restaurant business in Boston since she started the Where to Eat guide in 1999, particularly an increase in interest in the chefs around town.

Since she began publishing Where to Eat in 1999, Jill Epstein has followed the ups and downs of the Boston restaurant business while building her own brand. Where to Eat — which today includes a robust website, an online newsletter, and the counterpart guide Where to Drink — began as a simple guidebook but now incorporates features and interviews to satiate diners’ ever-growing hunger for knowledge about the personalities behind their favorite restaurants. “I have enormous respect for the restaurateurs,’’ said Epstein, 38, who has a regular gig on NECN’s “TV Diner.’’ “I’ve always kind of wanted to have a restaurant or a cafe. But seeing how hard these guys work,’’ she said with a laugh, “I don’t think I have that dream anymore.’’

Q. How has it been running Where to Eat these past 10 years?

A. It’s been great. It’s been an industry that I’ve really enjoyed working in, and a total breath of fresh air. It’s had challenging times, and less challenging times. When I started it, in 1999 and 2000, it was a very different economy then.

Q. How has the Boston restaurant scene changed since you first started?

A. It was a different climate. Over the first few years, it was really the more expensive, the more exotic, the better. The economy was booming, and the restaurants were doing so well. The stuff they’d put on the menu — the truffles, the foie gras, the really top-shelf liquor and high-end wines — it was kind of like the sky was the limit. It was like a big party, it was crazy. I’ve seen it go the other way as well, and return to a lot of comfort food, and a lot of smaller restaurants, and that’s what we’re seeing obviously now because of the economy. There are still a lot of restaurants opening, which is really exciting, but they’re much smaller. There are a lot of smaller bistros now, places like Keith Pooler’s Bergamot in Somerville and Joe Cassinelli’s Posto. They’re mostly smaller places, and independently owned. Fine dining has also really expanded into the suburbs. We’ve seen a lot of trends come and go and stay, and it’s really been a great decade.

Q. How have these changes informed the way you put together Where to Eat?

A. We’ve definitely had to adjust to the times, and things have gotten more competitive. Also, the way that people want their information has changed. When we first came out, it was a coffee-table-style restaurant guide, came out two times a year, and we had a very basic website to accompany it. Over the years we’ve definitely expanded — not only our geographic area to include the suburbs and not just Boston proper — but to adjust to the times we’ve added a much more significant website, which has monthly recipes and chef features.

Q. How does this engage your readers?

A. I think it has made us have a better dialogue with our readers, and it’s much more interactive. It has made it much more personal to people also, they like to know the name of the chef, and to go into the restaurant and know the story behind it, it’s a major activity for people now. I think they really like it, and that’s what we’ve heard from the beginning: It’s making the restaurants personal to people.

Q. Do you think the Boston restaurant diners are generally more interested in the industry and its restaurateurs?

A. Oh, definitely. If a chef is doing an auction item at a local event, saying that they’ll come to someone’s house and do a dinner party, it goes for an insane amount of money. People are really into it, and even having the restaurants directly cater. People are contacting the chefs directly now, saying, “I love your food and the restaurant. Can you do my daughter’s bridal shower?’’ Or: “Can you do my baby shower?’’ Or: “Can you cater my wedding?’’ And the chefs are out in the dining room now more than ever and really interacting with their customers.

Q. What are some of your own personal favorite places to eat in Boston this time of year?

A. I love eating outdoors right now. I love the outdoors at Via Matta. Dante I really enjoy, and Gaslight on Harrison in the South End has a great outdoor space. Le Voile on Newbury Street for French [cuisine] is amazing. And Scampo I’ve been loving and sending everyone to. I would say all of those, they are sort of my “go-tos’’ right now.

Interview has been condensed and edited.

Taylor Adams can be reached at tadams@globe.com.

Restaurant Week is Here!!!

Last night we checked out Bistro du Midi and I will soon be heading back to try their full menu. Check out what's in store and make your reservations today!!!

Restaurant Week 2010 @ Bistro du Midi

Eggplant & Tomato Dip With Grilled Fougasse
Or
Slivers of Organic Salmon, Fennel, Radish, Tarragon Vinaigrette
Or
Mixed Green Salad, Apples, Balsamic


Roasted Chicken, Sweet Corn, Capers, Black Olives
Or
Pan Roasted Sea Bass, Marinated Tomatoes, Basil Puree
Or
Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Haricots Verts, Pistou


Palette of Janduja with Hazelnut Ice Cream
Or
Peach Clafoutis with Verbena Cream
Or
Carpaccio of Melon with Sauterne Sorbet


$33.10

Stork Club out...Darryl's Bar and Kitchen In!

Lets see how this goes.... a restaurant featuring Southern-influenced cuisine is going to be opening in the South End space that previously housed Bob The Chef's, Bob's Southern Bistro, Circle and most recently the Stork Club.

Darryl's Bar & Kitchen will open on Columbus Avenue along the western edge of the South End and is said to focus on American fare with a nod toward Southern dishes. According to Zagat, there will also be occasional live music, and a full bar will be included as part of the new spot.


Chefs Collaborative Announce 2010 Sustainability Award Finalists


Chefs Collaborative is proud to announce the finalists for the 2010 Sustainability Awards. Established this year, the Sustainability Awards recognize individuals who have played an exemplary role in advancing the Chefs Collaborative mission to promote a national network of chefs fostering a sustainable food system.


A Big Congratulations to Cambridge Restaurant Finalists!!!

The Sustainer award finalists are Chef Peter Davis of Cambridge's Henrietta's Table & Chef Ana Sortun of Cambridge's Oleana

Good luck Guys!


Winners will be announced at the awards dinner on Monday, October 4, at Allandale Farm, in Boston, Massachusetts, during the 2010 Chefs Collaborative National Summit.


100th Anniversary of The Fisherman's Feast

Each August since 1910, the Feast has been held in Boston's historic North End on North and Fleet Streets, making it the North End's oldest continuously running Italian festival. The Feast traditionally starts on Thursday (Aug 12) when the statue of the Madonna is moved from her home in the Fisherman's Club to a chapel at the center of the feast. This will be her home throughout the weekend. Each night and during weekend days there is entertainment on the bandstand and vendors selling food (Italian sausages, calamari, pizza, pasta and much more) as well as crafts. The Feast culminates on Sunday night with the spectacular "Flight of the Angel".

Don't miss out on all the action! Check out these hot spots and make your reservations now!








Pink Berry to Open on Newbury... does this mean we get the celebrities that go with?




I myself am a Red Mango girl...but I guess it won't hurt to have one more!

Spring Roll Recipe Contest!


Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse in Boston is on the lookout for the best recipe you can stuff in a roll – and if you’re the best of the best, they’ll put your spring roll on the MENU and reward you with a $100 gift card.

Post your Spring Roll Contest recipe and name of your creation on their Facebook page wall
by Aug. 13, and Davio’s will pick out the tastiest of the bunch.

facebook.com/daviosboston



RESTAURANT Week MONTH at The Fireplace!

The Fireplace is celebrating Restaurant Week for the entire month of August.

Choose;

Three-course lunch ~ $20.10

Three-course dinner ~ $33.10

Two-course lunch ~ $15.10

Two-course brunch ~ $15.10

Please click here for menus and more information.




Hot! Hot! Hot!



Out there.... cool down at Hotel Indigo, pool-side while sipping on cool drinks from the ever chill outdoor bar at BOKX 109.

BOKX Pool passes are now available to the public throughout the week. Featuring an outdoor bar and oversized couches, the BOKX Pool Deck is a perfect summer escape from the city heat and the ultimate location for dining al fresco. Lunch and dinner are available poolside and private cabanas available for a fee.

WHERE: BOKX Pool at Hotel Indigo | Pool deck | 399 Grove Street | Boston-Newton, MA 02462

newtonboutiquehotel.com or call 617-969-5300