Porcini's In Watertown

We recently dined at Porcini's in Watertown, a small neighborhood restaurant tucked away on a side street near the Arsenal Mall and behind a somewhat dated exterior and were impressed with this small eatery.  The low-key atmosphere is casual/local, pretty much what you'd expect.  The service was excellent as we dined with what seemed to be a smattering of regulars enjoying a midweek dinner out.  We started with the hummus.  Floating in an excellent, fruity olive oil and served with fresh herbed bread made at the restaurant.

Wild Mushroom Strudel:  Wild mushrooms sauteed with fresh herbs mixed with cream cheese and smoked mozzarella cheese wrapped in phyllo dough.  Rich in flavor, the crispy phyllo crunched on the tooth and was overflowing with hearty mushrooms.

Bruschetta:  Sautéed grilled chicken, Vidalia onions, basil and Roma tomatoes topped with melted goat cheese over grilled focaccia.  Very good with very fresh ingredients.

Chef Rodney Moreira is famous for his Risotto and this seafood version did not disappoint, rich with a buttery sauce and loaded with seafood and vegetables.

The Butternut Squash Ravoili in cream sauce.

If you're looking for a casual atmosphere, nothing fancy, and hearty Italian/American/Mediterranean fare at a reasonable price stop by.

Porcini's Italian Restaurant
68 School Street
Watertown, MA
Telephone:  617.924.2221

Taste Of The Nation 2013

The Tavalo and Ashmont Grill team serving up some great food and showing support for the Marathon Bombing victims.

We stopped in at Taste Of The Nation Boston 2013 recently to benefit Share Our Strength at a new venue, Black Falcon Cruise Terminal.  In past years it's always been held at the Hynes but we liked the bright, airy space down near the Seaport as opposed to the windowless Hynes.  There was food and drink galore,all to benefit a great cause.

Team Rialto.

Chef José Duarte of Taranta.  Thanks for that jello shot José!

The new location provided the opportunity for food trucks to participate on site.  Mei Mei was serving up a great savory Bread Pudding.

I also had the chance tomeet Paula Waxman of 'Wiches Of Boston and her team who was whipping up instant ice cream creations of a huge vat of smoldering liquid nitrogen.

Cooking For A Cause 2013

We were off to the M. I. T. Media Lab recently where we took the glass elevators up to one of our favorite annual events COOKING FOR A CAUSE to benefit East End House.  It was great to finally see this event moved to a Cambridge venue, home of East End House and where most of the participating restaurants are located.

There was plenty of good food and drink and the opportunity to chat with well-known local Chefs.  We also had updates on the many services that East End House offers Cambridge families and young people in need.  Another great year!  Thank you Michael Delia.

Chef Dante Demagistris of dante in Cambridge.

Chef Tony Maws and team of Craigie On Main.

The Pistachio Macaron Pops from Art Bar.

Chef Chris Coombs and friends from Boston Chops.

Chef Mary Dumont of Harvest.

Boston Chops Opening Party

(L to R)  Annie Perkins of SHIFT Communications, Melissa Berenson of The Well Appointed Catwalk, Mandy Mladenoff of Matter Communications, Bianca Garcia of Confessions Of A Chocoholic, JulieAnn Covino of Create Girl and moi.  Photo courtesy of Todd Van Hoosear.

I recently served as a panelist for an event held by the Publicity Club Of New England where I joined fellow bloggers to speak about why we blog, what we blog and what we are looking for.  We also let PR and Marketing people in attendance ask questions and pick our minds.  It was a great event, very fun and informative for everyone.  One of the subjects that we discussed is why we blog and I mentioned that one of the reasons often overlooked is for the social aspects of social media.  I have yet to meet the blogger who does not love to attend events, meet other people and have interesting conversations about what's new and fun to do in Boston.

And that's exactly what we were doing the previous night at the opening party for Boston Chops, the new South End Steak House helmed by Chef Chris Coombs and restaurateur Brian Piccini.  We loved this event because it was really just an evening of fun and celebration, not just a food-centric blogger dinner.  (Although that Mac 'N Cheese with Lardon dish was impressive!)  It was total fun and a great evening in the beautifully renovated space that was formerly Ginger Park.  They really opened the space up.

We began with sips of the "Bull's Blood" a fruity Sangria that was made with Tito's Handmade Vodka.  After one of these we almost had the courage to get up on that mechanical bull.

What we didn't expect were all of the attractive cowboys and models in the crowd, happily posing for pictures and giving the event a lighthearted touch.

Jacki Morisi of Rialto and "Just Add Cheese" (l) was there and so was Rachel Cossar (c) of The Boston Ballet and "Foodista On Pointe."

We spent a few moments with the models (of course) and chatted with Kiara Mooney (left center) and Estela Hernandez (center) who were hair and makeup stylists.

There were lots of friendly faces, many of whom we knew and some we are now glad to know.  Congratulations Boston Chops on a great opening and a great night.  We'll definitely be back for a steak very soon!

Boston Chops
1375 Washington Street
Boston, MA  02118
Telephone:  617.227.5011

Wine Riot 2013

We stopped in at the Park Plaza Castle last night for Wine Riot 2013.  This annual celebration of wine brought to you by Second Glass is geared to a younger crowd who just want to taste some great wines and learn a little bit about them without any of the pretense.

There are lots of booths, organized by region, to stop by for a sip and some information about the vintages and process of wine-making.

Mini seminars were fund informative and included several tastes.  Did you know that just one region of France can have many thousands of wine chateaus.  Most people guessed they would have maybe 150 or so.  The fact is there can be up to 8,000!

There is also a very fun, popular photo booth, music and food.

And don't forget to download the app that will help you list and keep track of all of the wines that you tasted and loved!

New Product Updates

You know the drill.  Well, anyone who is a regular follower does.  Anyway, we get lots of products shipped to us to taste, think about and, possibly, write about.  Most never end up here because we only  feature products that we actually like.  

Skinny Cow chocolates are one of them.  Who doesn't like a good candy bar once in a while?  We tried the Caramel and Peanut Butter Creme varieties and can give the thumbs up on both.  The package contains three little squares and come in at 130 calories, 4 points for all you Weight Watchers.  I tend to be fussy about my candy bars and was rather surprised.  Creamy, chocolaty and satisfying.

We also recently received quite the shipment of new gelato flavors from Häagen-Dazs.  Two of our favorite flavors were the Stracciatella, a simple frozen cream with chocolate shavings blended in, and the Sea Salt Caramel.  

Enjoy!

The Sinclair

We recently had the chance to stop by for dinner as guests of The Sinclair in Harvard Square, the new food/bar/music venue spot that not only features a cool space but also lots of local music acts.

After a flight of boozy cocktails including my favorite The Big Sky (Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, Punt e Mes, Luxardo Syrup, Angostura and Reagan's Orange Bitters with a Laphroaig Float).  They had me at Laphroaig, a premium, earthy, smoky, peat-hinted single malt, with this rich concoction featuring a taste of my favorite Scotch.

Not pictured are the Duckfat Potato Chips with Togarashi and Sinclair Wings with Soy and Hot Sesame, every bit as delectable as the rest of the shared nibbles, especially those Chips.

The Trio Of Deviled Eggs:  Smoked Salmon, Mushroom Truffle and Bacon.  These were probably the highlight of my night. I devoured all three.  

Pastrami'd Pork Belly Sliders.  Salty, fatty and drenched in a Russian Dressing, these could not have been more satisfying bar fare.

Crispy Fried Oysters.  Served on the shell, lightly seasoned with a bit of celery on top.  Great bites.

Local Roasted Beets, Thyme, Honey, Chopped Hazlenuts and Goat Cheese Mousse.  Since I rarely make this dish at home I almost always order it when on a menu and these did not disappoint.  This course was served with a Greco Di Tufo, Vadiaperti, Campagnia '11.

Brussels Sprouts, Bacon, Hollandaise and Poached Egg.  The Brussels sprouts were perfect, also one of my favorite sides but the poached egg made the dish a bit heavy.  The pairing here was Chateau L'Ermitage, Rhone Valley '10, very nice match.

Our third course (not pictured) was Grilled Prawns, Tasso Ham, Spinach and Creamy Grits.  I am not a fan of prawns, personally, but the mix of the seafood taste with the ham and grits was nicely done and the Grenache Blanc was a nice accompaniment.  

Raviolo, Mushroom Ragu, Crushed Pistachios and Truffle.  A hit!  A simple sheet of pasta layered with incredible flavor.  The wine here was Priorat, Sirsell, Spain '06, probably my favorite wine of the night.

Pecan Pie with Chocolate Sauce and Whipped Cream.  I am usually not a fan of Pecan Pie but this version was surprisingly less sweet than the cloying others I have tried.  Loved it.  In fact, most of the desserts were on the less sweet side, which I found quite refreshing.

Carrot Cake with Mascarpone and Caramel.  Again, a different version.  It looked more like a lemon cake, free of all those overly chewy, almost indigestible bits of carrot and light on the spice.  Very, very nice.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Lychees and Strawberries.  Once again, excellent and the lychee provided the unusual taste. The desserts are excellent across the board.

Eve the cookie plate was done well: Nutella, Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter and Lemon, all freshly-baked and, once again, not overly sweet.  I loved that Nutella version.

The Sinclair Kitchen
55 Church Street
Cambridge, MA  02138
Telephone:  617.547.5200

Afternoon Tea at Aura

The weather may not exactly be cooperating but you can still welcome in Spring at the Flower and Garden Show this weekend and if you do make sure to stop by Aura at the Seaport Hotel for Afternoon Tea.

Tea is served from 1-4 PM in the very comfortable lobby area just outside the restaurant, with plush seating and cozy couches and pillows.  And, of course, fresh flowers everywhere.

I went with the Earl Grey tea, my favorite.  The server, Christopher, could not have been more attentive and made the afternoon break completely unrushed and relaxing.

The typical array of tea sandwiches and fresh pastries are served on an elegant two-tired tray along with a variety of jams and Devonshire Cream, a clotted cream always served with a proper tea.
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Sandwiches included egg salad, salmon, cucumber and cream cheese and ham, all very traditional and perfectly turned out.

Proper etiquette dictates that you break off a piece of your scone, add the clotted cream then the jam of your choice.  The black current scone was delicious.

A great way to relax with a few friends and enjoy a bit of refined elegance in a nice spot, the tea service is priced at $29.00 and is a rare but well-deserved treat.  You still have one day to enjoy it and it makes a great diversion from all those rowdy St. Patrick's Day events!

Aura
One Seaport Lane
Boston, MA  02210
Telephone:  617.385.4300