All Set in Massachusetts

French Chardonnay Connection

Eric Chevalier

Vigneron En Pays De Retz

Chardonnay, 2009  France  - $13.99

Aware that our wine knowledge primarily centers around California, we’re attempting to branch out and learn about wines from other regions.  While a visit to the mother country is probably the only real way to start to grasp French wines, our imminent home renovations are forcing us learn about them from afar (namely with affordable bottles at home on a Saturday night).  Tonight, we tried the Eric Chevalier Vigneron En Pays De Ratz 2009 Chardonnay as an accompaniment to our shrimp cocktail appetizer.  Thadd’s immediate comment was, “this doesn’t taste like Chardonnay.”  Indeed, this wine is completely unoaked, with crisp, grapefruit flavors.  It is fairly light and tart, and almost fizzes in your mouth.

While we weren’t blown away by this wine, we found it drinkable with both our shrimp and our artichoke-crusted salmon (a Todd English recipe).  We also found that it opened up a bit as we drank it, so take your time and enjoy!

A&T Ranking: 7/10

Cheeseboy - South Station Boston

Every few days I walk through South Station during lunch and over the past month or so I've noticed a construction site with this sign:

I love grilled cheese sandwiches and I can't wait for the Cheeseboy to come on line. This new spot is going to be a welcomed addition to the lack of good lunch spots in South Station and the financial district. I will keep posted on the opening date.

Valley of the Moon and Cardinal Football

Valley of the Moon

Cuvee de la Luna, 2007

Sonoma County, CA

$30 (online store)

 

In August, we spent our anniversary wine tasting in Napa and Sonoma.  After two days of fantastic drinking and dining, we returned home with a case of wine from the various vineyards we’d visited.  Of course we wondered whether the bottles would actually live up to what we experienced at the vineyards – especially considering that our palates were saturated with a lot of flavors over those two days.  Well, we’re happy to report that Cuvee de la Luna from Valley of the Moon exceeded expectations.  Of course, that’s not that much of a surprise given that this wine has won numerous awards and recognition throughout 2010.  Combining four of the seven traditional Bordeaux red varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon 69%; Merlot 19%; Malbec 7%; Cabernet Franc 5%), this wine defines “easy to drink.”  We enjoyed it as we were both prepping and eating our rib-eye steak dinner (and Thadd was watching the Standford-Oregon football game and the battle of H-Town Quarterbacks). The wine's smooth cherry, blackberry, and vanilla flavors combined with hints of tobacco.  We’ll be returning to the Sonoma area next week, and we may just stop by the Valley of the Moon to pick up another bottle.

 

A&T Ranking: 8.5/10

Night on the "Towne" in Boston

This weekend marked the opening of Lydia Shire's new Back Bay restaurant, Towne, located adjacent to the Hynes Convention Center. Wanting to be among the first to try it out, we booked a reservation there this evening. The space is airy and chic with a mostly wood decor, and possesses an upbeat, lively vibe -- yet has enough room between tables to maintain some privacy.

Towne's menu is fun and diverse, broken down into categories such as crustacea and carnivore. Flags on the menu signify dishes from certain countries, such as the US, UK, China and Italy.  A huge foie gras fan, Thadd was lured by the seared foie gras appetizer with roasted grape risotto. He was very pleased with the foie gras, and both of us found the risotto creamy and delicious. We also shared the beet carpacccio, which was delicately shaved yellow and red beets combined with fresh watermelon and bite-sized chunks of feta cheese. A great combination!

Next we sampled the lobster and corn pizza with honeyed ricotta. Who can pass on a pizza with that combination!?! While the flatbread was a bit thinner and crunchier than Thadd typically likes, the lobster portions were generous and the flavors combined well with the corn and ricotta. However, this pizza was very filling and we ended up having to "doggie bag" some of it to save room for our sirloin steak. When our steak arrived, we were presented with a sauce cart with four different choices, ranging from horseradish to roquefort.  For dessert, we capped it all off with the brown sugar angel food cake. Alice is a big angel food cake fan (demanded it at all her birthday parties growing up), so the temptation of brown sugar angel food topped with homemade cotton candy and caramel ice cream was irresistible. This is a very sweet dessert, so ideal to share, but unique & well worth trying!

The service was outstanding and the restaurant seemed to be operating flawlessly for day three. We hope that's maintained as Towne gets into it's groove. This is definitely a fun new Boston spot worth checking out.  We look forward to returning and trying the Peking Chicken, which Shire supposedly bought a specialized oven to make!

A&T Ranking: 8/10

"Meet Virginia" - Wines of the Blue Ridge Mountains

Fox Meadow Vineyards

Estate Series

Barrel Fermented Chardonnay, 2008

Linden, Virginia

In June, we visited our friends, Cara and David, at their cabin in the Shenandoah Valley.  They took us to three nearby wineries to give us our first taste of Virginia wines.  Cara, who is not a Chardonnay fan, was raving about the Chardonnays - which made us curious to see how they differ from California ones.  Our favorite winery of the day was Fox Meadow Vineyards, set on a beautiful hillside at a 1,700 foot elevation with a lovely (albeit a bit echo-ey) tasting room.  The tasting was both affordable and fun, as we got to try the wines with different food pairings, including chocoloate, cheddar, and even a rice krispie treat!

We purchased a bottle of Fox Meadow Chardonnay, which is clean, crisp and refreshing summer drinking. The flavors are bold and intense, with tart fruit and only hints of oak despite the extended oak aging. The wine pairs well with seafood (we had it with swordfish) but can also be consumed by itself. You'll pay a bit more for it (low $20s), but it's worth it to try something new and support these local wineries that are just starting to put themselves on the map.

Even if you're not a big Chardonnay drinker, we encourage you to give Virginia Chards a try. We'd be curious to hear your perspective!

A&T Ranking: 8/10

Bartolotta @ the Wynn: Freshest Fish in Vegas

While in Vegas last weekend, we were lucky enough to dine at Bartolotta- a AAA Four Diamond restaurant at the Wynn. Thadd selected Bartolotta partially because we were staying in the adjacent Encore, but mainly because of an article he read about in Wired magazine. The advanced seafood supply chain management expertise of Bartolotta is quite remarkable and the freshness of the fish is of utmost importance.

We had hoped to dine outdoors in a cabana by the lagoon, but the weather didn't cooperate. Therefore, we were seated in a nice booth in the downstairs dining area. The menu consists of Italian coastal cuisine, with a range of homemade pasta dishes and the restaurant's famous fish with a host of preparation options. We started with the loin of rabbit with crispy artichokes and the sea bass stuffed ravioli (appetizer portion). The rabbit was good, but the sea bass ravioli was delicious! For wine, we enjoyed a few bottles of Gruner Veltiner and Rose. The sommelier was impressed by our interest in Austrian wines!

For our entree, we shared the "pagello" or pink snapper, prepared with the "cruda" sauce - tomatoes, arugula, garlic, red onion, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. The whole fish was brought to our table, where it was delicately prepared and served with the cruda sauce, sauteed zucchini, and roasted potatoes. Yes, the fish was $105, but it was absolutely delicious - and made two healthy sized portions for us. The combination of the fish and sauce was so fresh and delicious, it felt like we were dining by the Mediterranean - not in the middle of the desert. Our friends had the seafood risotto, which they also thoroughly enjoyed!

A&T Ranking: 9.8/10

O Ya - It's Among Boston's Best

For Thadd's birthday in January, we ventured to O Ya in Boston's Leather District.  With only a handful of tables and a sushi counter, we can see why this is one of the toughest reservations in the country! We'll start by saying that the prices are exorbitant - dishes range from $8-$61, but the portions are small enough that you'll need to order at least 10 for two people.  However, each menu item we tried was prepared with an exquisite combination of ingredients that set it far apart from your run-of-the-mill sushi. One of our favorite dishes was the "Homemade La Ratte Potato Chip" ($18). $18 for a potato chip?? We thought the same thing, until the amazing smoky taste of the potato chip combined with the black truffle exploded with flavor in our mouths.

Other dishes we enjoyed were the Scottish Salmon Belly with cilantro, ginger, and hot sesame oil drizzle, and the Suzuki Sea Bass with cucumber vinaigrette, avocado, and cilantro that combined for a fresh citrus flavor.  The Roasted Beet Sahsimi  (pictured below) was also excellent if you're a beet fan, whereas the Fried Kumamoto Oyster was pretty basic. And of course we can't forget about the Shiso Tempura with Grilled Lobster (also pictured below), which was served with charred tomato and ponzu aioli. We enjoyed our meal with sake and champagne, and Thadd topped it all off with Hanahato Kijoshu, an eight-year old sake port that was rose in color.

Too often we find ourselves spending a few hundred dollars on a restaurant that is forgettable by the time we decide to write it up on our blog. O Ya is not one of those restaurants. It was unique and savory, and we're already dreaming of going back - although it might take until Thadd's next birthday to save up for it!

A&T Ranking: 9.5/10

Oops!... I Drank it Again

(Oops)

Sauvignon Blanc, 2009

Valle Central, Chile

Tonight, we are watching Steve Langton, our hometown boy from Melrose, MA, compete in bobsledding in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics.  Our dinner, sesame halibut with bok choy, is steaming in foil packets in the oven.  Actually, we substituted haddock for halibut because that's all they had at the grocery store - wonder if that will be okay?

Anyway, to accompany our dinner and our simple, yet scrumptious, appetizer of steamed artichokes with melted butter, we are drinking Oops Sauvignon Blanc from Chile.  We've recently taken an interest in Chilean wines after reading a case about them for a marketing class in our Babson MBA program. The Oops wine is actually a blend - 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Carmenere. Carmenere is known as "the lost grape of Bordeaux" it was grown freely with Merlot grapes for a long time and assumed to be Merlot. In 1994, viticulturist Jean-Michel Boursiquit revealed their true identity. This wine is packed with grapefruit flavor and hints of lime. It works well by itself, but also complements a light fish dinner perfectly. Trying this wine would not be a mistake!

A&T Ranking: 8.5/10

Boston Casting Call : 24 Hour Restaurant Battle -- Food Network New Show

Have you always dreamed of running your own restaurant? Does your wife, husband, brother, sister, mother, partner or friend share that dream?

 

Do you make restaurant quality meals at home and want to show that you can take it to the next level? Are you a pro in the kitchen while your teammate is a star in the front of the house? Are you ready to prove that you have what it takes to run a restaurant? If so, we want to meet you!

 

                                                   Date: Monday, February 8, 2010

                                            Time: 10am – 3pm

                                              Location: Lenox Hotel

                                       61 Exeter Street, Boston, MA 02116

*Please go to www.24hourrestaurantbattle.com to download two applications (one for you, one for your partner). Please bring completed applications along with recent photos to the casting call.*

 

WHO SHOULD APPLY:

Two person teams with pre-existing relationships: Husband & wife, ex-husband & wife, father & daughter, mother & son, newlyweds, brothers, sisters, twins, cousins, best friends, etc.

 

The Skills to Run a Restaurant: Applicants may have no restaurant experience, a ton of experience, or some combination of the two. One member of the team will be the chef and run the kitchen, and the other will run the “front of the house,” so all we ask is that you have the skills to, as a team, actually run a restaurant.

 

Personality that Pops: Are you and your teammate charismatic and outgoing? We’re looking for lots of energy and charm!

 

*Please don’t apply if you already own your own restaurant or have previously owned a restaurant.
 

·If you have any questions, please contact us as casting24boston@gmail.com     

Boston Wine Expo 2010

19th Annual Boston Wine Expo

Saturday January 23 and Sunday January 24, 2010

Seaport World Trade Center --- Boston 

Hours: 1:00 pm- 5:00 pm daily

Ticket Prices:  

Saturday Single Day $85 prior to Jan. 16/$95 beginning Jan. 16
Sunday Single Day   $75 prior to Jan. 16/$85 beginning Jan. 16
Grand Cru Wine Lounge   $175 prior to Jan. 16/$195 beginning Jan. 16