Another great event...

There are a lot of tasting events and food-related events going on in our fair city all the time. But in an effort to not become a slave to those (much appreciated) PR people that send out press releases all the time, I like to pick and choose which events are worth your hard-earned dollars-- just like how I recommend restaurants I feel are worth the money. This mission is important to me.

In any case, there are a few events that I think are worth the money, just based on the experience alone. Like the Share our Strength dinner at SDLT that I wrote about a couple weeks ago. So here's one that if you can spare the money, seems like it will be fantastic...

Next Tuesday, November 3, at the State Room, starchefs.com presents the 2009 Boston Rising Stars-- a tasting event featuring (to name a few of my favorites) Rachel Klein from Aura, Will Gilson from Garden at the Cellar, Maura Kilpatrick from Sofra (I need to get back there ASAP), Jamie Bissonnette from Toro, Joanne Chang from Flour/Myers + Chang, and many more. For the full list and more info, you can click here

Great venue + great chefs + great food...Sounds like an event not to be missed. If you go, give me a shout at dishgalboston@gmail.com or on Twitter ("DishGal")-- I'll be there! ;)

An AMAZING event this weekend

Dearest readers,

This Sunday, September 27, Sel de la Terre Back Bay celebrates its first birthday with an amazing dinner which benefits Share Our Strength's regional hunger relief and food education programs.

The dinner consists of 7 courses, each prepared by some of my favorite chefs in Boston: Dante de Magistris (from Dante and il Casale), Will Gilson (from Garden at the Cellar), Colin Lynch (Barbara Lynch Gruppo), Tony Susi (Sage), Jiho Kim (L'Espalier), Jamie Bissonnette (Toro and hopefully soon-to-open Coppa), and hosted by Louis DiBiccari (SDLT). The evening will kick off with cocktails from some famous Boston mixologists Kevin Martin (Eastern Standard) and Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli (Craigie On Main).

Tickets are still available, and are $125 for general seating or $250 for limited chef’s table seating. To purchase, please call Carrie Weed at 617-266-8800 or e-mail her at carrie@seldelaterre.com.

For more information: http://seldelaterre.com/events/harvest_dinner.shtml

Happy Birthday, SDLT :)

Love,

Dish Gal

Taste of Cambridge = Time of my Life

The day after the Taste of Cambridge, I woke up in a haze. Did I dream that amazing night? Was I the only one who had a ridiculous amount of fun? But fellow partygoers, including Alec, Michelle, and Ruth (new character alert! Ruth is a co-worker who enjoys her daily Starbucks fix and loves to read--she chose her name from John Irving's A Widow for One Year), agreed: We all had the time of our lives.

And these people I went with? They aren't the easiest to please. They aren't swayed by free food and free drinks alone. But they agreed- there was definitely an indescribable, amazing feeling that night at the Taste of Cambridge. Let's investigate why.

First off, amazing food. I mean I guess that was a given, but it really was overwhelming the sheer volume of delectable options.

I think this was my favorite savory dish-- pulled duck sandwiches with slaw from Hungry Mother. I still haven't been to this widely-acclaimed restaurant, but after absolutely loving all their food at tasting events, I'm getting really antsy to get over there.

My favorite dessert? From Craigie on Main. When I saw it, I thought wow that looks lame-- a piece of chocolate on a graham cracker? Then I took a bite- holy @#(@&#* that stuff was good! Too bad I didn't actually look and see what they were...This summer gazpacho from Small Plates? Not the best ever, but was so pretty I had to take a photo:

Second element of the "time of my life" event that worked in its favor: the weather actually played nice. For the first time in weeks, the sun peeked out, allowing for the outdoor revelry to take place.

Finally, the DANCING. A sad note just as the event was starting-- the announcement of Michael Jackson's death-- could've put a damper on the evening. Instead, it heightened it. The DJ started playing some MJ tracks, and the rest is history-- a huge dance party spontaneously broke out.Yes, that's a security guard busting a move...

A video even surfaced with Dish Gal's dancing in it (in the background, but still embarassing). Let's just say, thank God this blog is anonymous so I don't embarass myself by showing that!!!

All in all, an amazing night. Many kudos to the event planners on a job well done.

Now I'm going to go play some more MJ to get "I've had the time of my life" Dirty Dancing song out of my head... ;)

Concert at Tommy Doyle's

Dish Gal has already talked about one time when cooking and music come together; now I'm going to write about another.

One of Dish Gal's favorites is Christa Gniadek, a super talented, up and coming singer/songwriter who will be performing TONIGHT (May 12) at Tommy Doyle's in Cambridge (in Harvard Square). She goes on at 10 p.m., and there's no cover. Come early for some pre-music libations. Here's the link to the event facebook page.

Suggested pre-concert dinner spots in the area:

- For those as broke as me: visit the chic Noir Bar in the Charles Hotel for their "5-4-3-2-1-0" deal ($5 Flatbreads, $4 Sandwiches, $3 Snacks, $2 Salads, $1 Sweets, $0 Nuts) (offered Monday-Thursday, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.)
- For meat lovers: grab a burger at Charlie's Kitchen
- For those with sophisticated taste on a budget: Garden at the Cellar
- For those lucky enough to have $$ to spend: Upstairs on the Square (try the hot dates)

Taste of the South End

Last night I was lucky enough to attend the Taste of the South End event at the Cyclorama. What a spectacular event! So well-organized, with fantastic restaurants as far as the eye could see. “Celeb” chefs in attendance: Christopher Myers and Joanne Chang of Myers+ Chang; Gordon Hamersley of Hamersley’s Bistro; Jamie Bissonnette of Toro; Anthony Susi of Sage; Will Gilson of Garden at the Cellar (he was in the VIP lounge if you’re wondering why a Cambridge restaurant was there); and Louis DiBiccari of Sel de la Terre (also VIP lounge). Amy Traverso, Boston magazine’s food editor, interviewed chefs at the cooking demonstration station—including the chefs at the Beehive, Stella, and Toro.

Some of my favorite dishes: PICCO’s raspberry chip ice cream; Garden at the Cellar’s duck confit panini; The Franklin’s tuna tartare; Masa’s tamarind-chipotle margarita; Oishii’s grilled black cod; South End Formaggio's Comte cheese; and Gaslight’s duck wrapped in a home-made crepe.

I wish I had taken my camera (DUMB!) so that I could’ve captured some of the better visuals: Mayor Menino, Jamie Bissonnette, Amy Traverso, and the guy from Island Creek Oysters at the demonstration table (such an eclectic group!); The Franklin’s ICE LUGE in which they poured blood orange martinis (into a cup though, not college-style, sadly…); the Butcher Shop’s seriously hunky chef and former Boston magazine cover boy (sigh); and the drag queens wandering the floor.

Let’s just say I’m still full today. . .

Noir Bar Game Night

Call me a dork, but one of my favorite things ever is hanging out at my apartment with Sebastian, getting ready for a night out with some drinks, playing some fun tunes, and playing my favorite game in the world: Uno. This scenario is funny for a few reasons. One, while Uno definitely can be played by two people, it usually is played by a large group. But for Sebastian and I, two is plenty. Another funny part is that it’s not really a drinking game—we made up kind of half-hearted rules like “Anytime you reverse direction, drink” or "+2 means drink 2 drinks/gulps/whatever". However, somehow it usually ends up making you quite inebriated. The miracle of Uno—it just keeps giving and giving.

This back story was just to show you how utterly excited I was to read about this game night event at the Noir Bar at the Charles Hotel this Sunday. Here’s the listing from Daily Candy:

Noir Game Night
What: Get sauced playing Connect Four, Operation, and Uno.
Why: For a sip of the Beurre Noisette made with brown butter-infused bourbon.
When: Sun., 4 p.m.-2 a.m.
Where: The Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett St., Harvard Square (617-661-8010).

"Get sauced" while playing uno!? Either this is my greatest dream come to life, or my biggest nightmare—they’ve stolen my idea! ;)

In any case, this sounds like so much fun, and Noir is one of my favorite bars. Dark and mysterious with comfy booths perfect for canoodling or living it up with a group of friends, Noir is great for nights when you wanna drink well and feel sexy doing it. If it was closer to my neighborhood, I’d be there all the time.

Maybe I’ll see you there—I’ll be the one screaming UNO!! at the top of my lungs with a dirty martini in hand.

Seinfeld, part II: The BIG Salad

George: What's in the BIG salad?

Jerry: Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs...

The episode, "The Big Salad," is one of Sebastian's and my favorite Seinfelds. Elaine's love for the coffee shop's Big Salad got me thinking about where in Boston you can get your own BIG salad...but of course, you should never take credit for someone else buying it..

The Big Salad, to-go: Tossed

This chain restaurant that specializes in salads is tucked away in the Prudential Center, away from the hustle and bustle of the food court, next to the Hynes and Ann Taylor Loft. During lunchtime it's always quite crowded, but you can order your salad ahead of time online. My favorite is the tuna salad, which comes with diced apple and dried cranberries mixed in with the tuna. They also have lots of inventive dressings, like fat-free cucumber dill and citrus chipotle.

The Big, Big Salad: Cheesecake Factory

I think if anyone can say they serve a BIG salad, it's Cheesecake Factory. These bad boys really do have tomatoes the size of volleyballs. They have enough for several meals. In high school, Cheesecake Factory was our go-to restaurant. I don't think we were aware that others even existed. We often would tease Maeve when she'd hem and haw over what she was going to order, sending the waiter away several times, before settling on the same thing every single time: the Chinese chicken salad.

Maeve's favorite salad...

Best Big Salad, with a side of people watching: Stephanie's on Newbury St.

A fashionable restaurant attracts fashionable people--and often such fashionistas are big fans of the salad. Luckily, the salads at Stephanie's deliver not only heft but taste. Dish Gal's personal favorite is the Asian yellow fin tuna salad with pickled onions and wasabi vinaigrette. These big salads are best enjoyed in the summer months, on the patio, with a glass of crisp white wine.

Best Big Salad, with international flair: Orinoco

The salads at Orinoco aren't huge, but I had to include them because of their originality. My favorite (I had it for lunch yesterday even) is the Orinoco salad, with grilled chicken breast, watercress, endives, and green grapes tossed with sherry vinaigrette and topped with feta cheese. The palmito salad features one of Orinoco's famous ingredients: the date. The salad comes with endives and hearts of palm, with cabrales vinaigrette and bacon-wrapped dates. YUM.

Andy Husbands is gonna be piiiissed...

As you may or may not have heard, Chef Andy Husbands's restaurant Tremont 647 has been offering $2 tacos on Tuesdays, presumably to attract budget-minded customers who also have a penchant for Mexican fare. Fellow blogger Cave Cibum reports on the experience here.

So I was surprised to read this morning in my Boston edition of Thrillist that Ken Oringer is now offering $1 tacos at his restaurant, La Verdad, on Tuesdays as well! It seems a little coincidental, does it not? Is it just me?

It seems like KO might not care all that much about what other Beantown chefs think of him, as evidenced in this article from Boston magazine in which he claims Tim Cushman of O Ya stole his ideas: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/the_knives_come_out/.

Couldn't we all just get along, in the hopes of having not one but TWO discounted taco days!?

Eastern Standard party this Thursday

Eastern Standard is having a "Roaring 20s" party this Thursday night, filled with food and cocktails themed around their celebration of the 75th anniversary (wow, lots of 75th anniversary talk today!) of the repeal of prohibition! A wonderful cause to celebrate ;)

Guests are encouraged to wear flapper-era dress. Bathtub gin will start the evening, followed by a six-course(!) menu featuring dishes enjoyed in the 1920's, paired with cocktails. Later, enjoy entertainment, dancing, and party favors.

Here's the lowdown: You can pay $120/person for the dinner (menu below) or pay for just the late-night part of the evening, which is $40/person. If you have some extra cash sitting around, burning a hole in your pocket (don't hear much of you these days...), this seems like a fun and not your ordinary night out on the town.

For reservations, email mhopper@easternstandardboston.com or call 617-532-9100.

First Course: Ampersand Cocktail

Buttermilk Fried Oysters with Standard Caesar Salad and Pernod Remoulade

Second Course: Waldorf-Astoria's Perfect Martini

3 eggs, 3 styles

1) Thin, Toasted Rye Wheel, Smear of Meyer Lemon Cream Cheese, Caviar

2) White Truffle Scrambled (with shaved white truffle)

3) Deviled Egg

Third Course: Maiden's Prayer

Maine Lobster in Pastry with a Sherry Cream Sauce, Peas and Carrots

Fourth Course: The Scofflaw

Philadelphia Pepper Pot Stew

Lamb Neck, Sweetbread, and Cockscomb, Root Vegetables

Fifth Course: The Charles Lindbergh

Roasted Karabuta Pork Chop

Scalloped Potatoes, Housemade Sauerkraut

Dessert: Corpse Reviver #3

Pineapple Upside Down Cake with Cardamom Tapioca

TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala

Yes, this post is late (the event was two weekends ago) but I got so caught up in the technical advancements of the blog last week (twitter! foodie blogroll!) that I let this slip my mind.

In any case, Z and I headed to Sharon two Saturdays ago for the TV Diner Platinum Plate Gala, an event filled with delicious food, an auction emceed by Billy Costa and Matt Siegel, and lots of older women with sequin mini-dresses and ample cleavage. Wowza.

Some of the restaurants that came and participated were: Taranta, The Beehive, Olives, Beacon Hill Bistro, Meritage, Upper Crust, Prezza, Avila, and Eastern Standard, to name a few.

Standouts from the night? I adored the duck pierogi from The Beehive and the delicate ravioli with mushrooms from Olives. Eastern Standard served a yummy sausage and sauerkraut dish; however, Z and I decided if we were Padma and Tom, we’d shake our heads and go, “It’s just too messy to eat!” We were also fans of Beacon Hill Bistro’s yummy duck dish.

There also were some disappointments... The Upper Crust’s pizza was cold by the time it was set out. Cold pizza is great as a night-after breakfast. At a tasting event? Not so much. I wasn't a big fan of Meritage’s tomato soup either, which tasted a step above (or below, depending on who you talk to) Campbell’s, and awkward to eat with no spoon.

There was no shortness of desserts that night, including a spectacular multi-tier cake, emblazoned with all the logos of the sponsors on the side. Who can argue with a massive slice of chocolate cake at the type of event that usually serves up portions smaller than your palm? There also was a chocolate fountain at the Lindt display, and a table of Italian desserts like tiramisu and éclairs. YUM.

Jenny Johnson, TV Diner executive producer and on-air personality, is a friend of mine, though when I say she did a fantastic job with this event, I’m not just saying that because she's my friend. I'm saying it because she used to be my boss. Ha! Just kidding =) She looked radiant in a beautiful shimmering dress, showing the over-accessorized, sequin-bedazzled ladies how it's done.

Guests left with quite a nice gift bag, filled with homemade cookies from Harvard Sweet Boutique, some biscotti from Sage, a Lindt chocolate bar, and lots of freebies to local salons and gyms.

All in all, a delicious night in the ‘burbs!

Free ice cream this weekend!

Ciao Bella (the gelato and sorbet company, not the Newbury St restaurant) is giving away free gelato and sorbet this weekend in Harvard Square, part of their “Discover-Savor-Share” summer tour. Check out the fun bus that they'll be serving it up in:You know how Dish Gal feels about free food (everything tastes better when it's free...see sidebar at right), so if you're in the area, definitely stop by and give it a try:

September 19 (from 5-8pm); September 20 (from 12-5pm); and September 21 (3-7pm).

Boston Wine Festival

So last Friday night I had the opportunity to attend the opening preview of the Boston Wine Festival, the nation's longest running food and wine pairing festival. It was held, as always, in the Boston Harbor Hotel, in its Wharf Room. The room has this amazing view of Boston Harbor; I always get so distracted though being able to see Logan. I find myself gazing out the window, mesmerized by the planes taking off.

Anyway, I digress. The room was filled with long, winding tables covered with massive spreads of food: parmesan gnocchi, pate, lobster, swordfish, tenderloin, duck, chicken curry, shrimp -- enough to make even the most jaded foodie's eyes open a little wider in disbelief. The middle table had empty wine glasses meant to take and wander around to try various wines. On either side of the room were tables with red and white wines being poured by various wine connoisseurs (I assume, at least).

I'd have to say though, with that vast spread, that the food wasn't that amazing... The gnocci tasted a little mass-produced (which granted, it was, but still...) and the chicken curry seemd vaguely out of place. However, some of the passed hors d'oevures were exquisite- one that was beef short ribs wrapped in a warm crepe were knee-buckling, eyes-rolling-back-in-pleasure good. There also was some duck puff thing of some sort that was good (the reason I don't really know the names was that some of the staff didn't even really explain! I hate that. They were like, "duck." Um, okay, thanks for the description...)

I didn't get a chance to even try some wine because of the large crowd (the event was sold-out, approaching 500). The crowd was definitely on the older side, and I felt like if I moved too quickly, I might possibly knock over some 90 year old woman in a Chanel suit. But I did sample a very lovely Cabernet.

The moral of this story? Must get more acquainted with fine wines. . . Perhaps from the cute guy who works at Dave's Fresh Pasta in Davis Square as the wine tasting guy? ;)

Love,

Dish Gal