Tomasso Trattoria "Best Restaurant" West of Boston

The annual "Best of Boston" issue was released this week and, in the West segment, Tomasso and Panzano were both recognized with awards.

 

Tomasso was selected as the winner of Best Restaurant, General Excellence, and we were also the runner-up for Best Locavore Restaurant (that is, restaurants serving mostly locally sourced foods). 

 

Panzano was also honored as the runner-up for Best Gourmet Shop West of Boston.  Fred Mullins and his staff at Panzano work very hard to provide great product selection, quality, and customer service.  It was very gratifying to see our efforts recognized and rewarded by Boston Magazine. 

 

visit tomasso and panzano here 

Hot Summer Drinks to cool you down!

CHILI LIME MOJITO, OM Restaurant & Lounge

SHANGHAI SAKE SANGRIA, Myers + Chang

BLUEBERRY-LAVENDER SMASH,  Tastings Wine Bar & Bistro

THE NAIRA, BOND Restaurant | Lounge

CALIENTE SUNRIS, Sensing Restaurant

BLUE LEMONADE, Harvest

TOKYO COSMO, Douzo

MADAME LILLET, Gaslight

Lunch @

Can you say Genourmous! Is that even a word? Well its how we would describe the Lobster roll Jill had at Stephi's on Thursday for Lunch! Jason opted for the roast turkey club salad, which was just as large, and I enjoyed an ever toasty turkey reuban panini with fries of course. The staff there is so nice and the place is just plain comfy. Thanks Stephi's staff for a great lunch this past Thursday! Will be sure to see you soon....

a few other favorites of ours are....

• salty pretzel crusted crab cake

• prosciutto and parmesan fritters

• smoked salmon tart  

Yet, Another Rainy Day Recipe!

Polpetti 

by La Morra Chef Josh Ziskin

• 5 lbs ground beef
  
• 6 oz ground or chopped prosciutto
  
• 3 cups ground dried porcini
  
• 2 cups parmegiano
  
• Bread soaked on milk
  
• 8 lightly beaten eggs
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 bottle white wine
  
• flour to coat balls
  

Mix all ingredients vigorously with your hand, until the mixture is somewhat light and fluffy. Taste for seasoning.

Roll into 2 oz balls.

Heat large pans, Add a little oil, flour, and lightly brown balls on all sides. Deglaze with white wine, and finish cooking as wine reduces, adding a little stock if needed.

Jill Shares her Favorite Things on TV Diner!

4 Food Events you should know about...

This weeks picks from W2Eat!

Tuesday, July 14 – Tuesday July 21 

Lunch & Dinner specials will be served at UpStairs on the Square for a week long festival: Tribute to Lobster & Corn. Susie and Steve will each be highlighting all kinds of intriguing combinations—for appetizers, lunch specials, and dinner entrees in both dining rooms. You won’t need a bib, but bring your appetite…check out the menus online.

Tuesday, July 14th (Bastille Day)

Street Fair in Celebration at Gaslight

Great Food, Fine Wine, Entertainment  Music and Goods From Local Artists

Call: 617-422-0224 

Friday, July 17th

Bruno’s Summertime Favorites

Join Olivadi Wine Director Bruno Marini in this special monthly pre-fixe kicking off with a Reception featuring Chef Selection of  Passed Hors d’ oeuvres & Bruno’s Secret Sparkling Cocktail. $75 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity

Call: 781-762-9090

Sunday, July 19th 

Beer & BBQ Showdown at Chiara 

Enjoy a day of bbq & beer in a head to head culinary showdown!

$49/person (Price includes: Beer, Hors d'oeuvres & Dinner)

Call: 781-461-8118

Where to Eat - Cheap Eats

Happy Hour has a new meaning thanks to the Recession. Menu deals are popping up left and right all over town and I am not referring to bar nuts on the counter. This past week, Monday-Thursday,  I challenged myself to a week of cheap eats, testing whether or not the deals are as good as they claim to be and to see if they can fulfill the place of an actual dinner. 

Not only was this less of a challenge that I originally thought, I was also overwhelmed with the portions restaurants are practically giving away. 

Well as much as I loved saving money, its Friday and time to splurge....Have a great Weekend!!!

Monday

 5-4-3-2-1-0 deal at Noir Bar at the Charles Hotel

With the purchase of a drink, Noir offers $5 Flatbreads/ $4 Sandwiches/ $3 Snacks/ $2 Salads/$1 Sweets and the nuts they throw in for FREE. Monday through Thursday from 5-7pm 

What I tried: Cool Hand Luke ($12) a Grilled Chix and Portabello Flatbread ($5) oh & some nuts (free) = $17

Call: 617-661-8010

Tuesday

$1 Raw Bar and $5 Frozen Mojitos at Stix Bar & Patio

Freshly shucked oysters on the half shell, king crab legs, scallops, shrimp, and jumbo crab claws... available Tuesdays through Fridays from 5-7pm at the bar and on the patio. Enjoy with $5 Meyer's Mojitos.

What I tried: 5 shrimp ($5) 4 oysters ($4) & 2 Mojitos ($10) = $19

Call: 617-456-7849

Wednesday

Sensing Snacking Platter

A collection of 6 bites for $.99 a piece. Options range from foie gras to cantaloupe & prosciutto Kebabs every Wednesday from 5:30-7:30pm. 

What I tried: 2 Lobster rolls ($2) 2 Kebab of cantaloupe & prosciutto, port jelly ($2) 2 Local oyster with shallots and vinegar grani ($2) 2 Marinated spicy clam ($2) and 1 Caliente Sunrise ($13) = $21

Call: 617-994-9001

Thursday

50 cent Tapas at Masa Bar

Every night tapas are $1 except for Thursday which if you order a combo plate, they are $.50. Signature Masaritas or a classic margarita, or a ½ liter of sangria are just five bucks apiece offered 7 day/week. 

What I tried: 2 Fire Roasted Corn taco ($1) 5 Beer battered Achiote Shrimp ($2.5) 3 Goat Cheese Quesadilla ($1.5) 2 Pulled Pork Spring Rolls ($1) 2 Ahi Tuna Tartare ($1) 2 Empanada ($1) & ½ liter of sangria ($5) = $13

* extra special treat; thursday's happen to be salsa night as well. stick around, starts at 9pm

Call 617.338.8884 

Congrats to Improper Best Winner's!

 

All of July

Dine Like a President

from Childhood to The White House

During the entire month of July, come to The Fireplace

and enjoy the foods of our greatest native sons.

 

Those US presidents who were born, raised or vacationed

annually in the six New England states will be honored with a

culinary exploration into what these patriots ate and drank.

 

To be served are favorite recipes of:

John Adams  Massachusetts

John Quincy Adams  Massachusetts

Franklin Pierce  New Hampshire

Chester A. Arthur  Vermont

Calvin Coolidge  Vermont

Franklin Delano Roosevelt  Summers -- Campobello, Maine

John F. Kennedy  Massachusetts

George H.W. Bush  Summers -- Kennebunkport, Maine

George W. Bush  Kennebunkport, Maine

 

These culinary treats will accompany The Fireplace's always all-American

"Red, White & Blue" wine list. The presidents' dearest libations will also be imbibed.

Dinner Sunday-Wednesday 5-10 pm, Thursday-Saturday 5-11 pm

Lunch Monday-Friday 11 am-2:30 pm

Brunch Saturday & Sunday 11 am-2:30 pm

Mid Day Menu Daily 2:30-5:00 pm

1634 Beacon Street Brookline 02446

617 975 1900

fireplacerest.com

4th of July plans?

So the forth is right around the corner and your still not sure what's in the works... here are some suggestions....

Asana 4th of July Buffet Menu at the Mandarin Oriental
A variety of delectable dishes created by Chef Nicolas Boutin

La Morra BBQ
Enjoy a delicious Italian style BBQ in your home or at La Morra. Chef Josh has put
together an amazing meal of some of his famous BBQ menu items for take-away.

Dine Like a President at the Fireplace
Enjoy cuisine of the American Presidency from Childhood to the White House, featuring the dishes of American Presidents who hail from or regularly vacation in New England. Available on the 4th and the entire month of July!

OM Family Cookout
Infusion Shots, Burgers, haute dogs, raw bar & skewers before the fireworks and red, white and blue cocktail specials after.

Grilling Out front at UpStairs on the Square & Live Jazz
They’ll be throwing steaks, ribs, chicken and corn on our new grill right in front of our door on Winthrop Street. At 8:30pm enjoy Mid-Life Crisis Jazz Band and special appearance by vocalist Judith Murray.

Charles Hotel, Special Room Rates through the 7th
While there, dine outside at Rialto, Henrietta's or grab a drink at Noir or the world-famous jazz club, Reggatabar

AND if you're heading to the Esplanade, check out these surrounding spots;

Rainy Day Recipe

Max’s Meatballs, Chef de Cuisine, TAVOLO

Dorchester, MA

The Meat

3 lbs. ground beef and 1 lb. ground veal

Herb Bouquet

1 sprig each thyme, rosemary and sage tied together with twine and set aside.

Vegetable mixture

1/2 white onion chopped

1/2 celery stalk, rinsed and chopped

1/2 carrot (medium size), peeled and chopped

1/2 cup leek, washed and chopped

1/4 head fennel, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

6 garlic cloves

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp chili flakes

1/3 C dry white wine

Place all the veggies in a food processor and ‘pulse’ until quite fine.  Place oil veggies, chili flakes and herb bouquet in a pot over medium heat, sweat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Deglaze pan with wine and cook until wine has almost completely evaporated. Toss bouquet and chill.

Breadcrumbs

1 cup plain breadcrumb and approx.  3/4 cup milk

Mix with your hands until crumbs are moist.

The Rest

4 eggs, cracked and beaten

1 T Worcestershire sauce

2 T ketchup

3 T parmesan, grated

2 T chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

In a big bowl combine, meat, veggies, crumbs, and ‘the rest’.   Mix by hand until well incorporated.  Over-mixing makes meatballs heavy.  Roll into whatever size you prefer.  Tavolo uses 1/4 lb. balls.   Roast them on a cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes in a 450 degree oven, or, cook them for a few hours in marinara sauce.  Serve with pasta, parmesan and chopped parsley.

 

Take a peek inside

Chef's in Shorts: Aftermath

I have to say this is my most favorite event of the summer, could be the year.... Chefs in Shorts took place this past Friday night at the Seaport Hotel and offered some of the tastiest samples the summer barbequing season has to offer. City chefs maintained the grills offering up specialties such as Eric Swartz’s (Davio's) Grilled scallops with tomato and Vidalia onion jam on bruschetta, Dante de Magistri’s (dante & il Casale) Grilled pizza margarita and Katherine See’s (Kingfish Hall) BBQ shrimp and avocado salad all to benefit the Greater Boston Food Bank. There were individual clambakes in tin foil bags; an array of scallops served 8 different ways and mini ice cream cones for dessert. The Guys from Island Creek Oysters were there shucking and shooting and the $60 ticket price included beer and wine. The setting; an urban BBQ atop Seaport Boulevard overlooking the city’s skyline. If you have not yet attended I highly recommend you mark your calendars for June 2010!

Chefs in Shorts

I had so much fun volunteering at last years "Chefs in Shorts" and am looking forward to attending next friday as a guest for the twelfth annual BBQ event. Please join in on the fun and help support the Greater Boston Food Bank to Boot! Drinks and apps are included in the ticket price and tickets can be ordered online at http://www.seaportboston.com/Event/Chefs-in-Shorts.aspx

12th Annual
Friday, June 12th, 2009
Seaport World Trade Center
7-9:30 p.m.
$60 per person

The twelfth annual Chefs In Shorts© event brings together a group of the area’s leading chefs who will fire up the grills and create their favorite dishes during this outdoor, summer-in-the-city barbecue.  Join some of the city’s most talented chefs for a night of grill-offs and fun.

Tickets are $60 per person (non-refundable), which includes complimentary beer, wine and tastings.  This event will take place rain or shine.

Earth Day, April 22nd!

Eat GREEN at these restaurants;