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	<link>http://beantowneats.com</link>
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		<title>Salty Pig&#8217;s Tasting Menu</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/salty-pigs-tasting-menu/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/salty-pigs-tasting-menu/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Feb 2013 01:34:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Downtown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[back bay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chacuterie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cheese]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pasta]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=8143</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[General Info Website: http://www.thesaltypig.com/ Location: Back Bay Address: 130 Dartmouth St T Accessible: Back Bay (orange) and Copley (green) Menu: Lunch ($8-15), Dinner ($8-18), Brunch ($8-10), Drinks (beer, wine, cordials) Food Type: Cheese and chacuterie, salads, pizza, pastas Atmosphere: Casual, fun, bar seats and high-tops Featured: New Tasting Menu When: Every Tuesday and Wednesday, Reservation only. Seatings at 5:30 and 8:00 (beginning Tuesday, March 12) What: Two seatings at our Chef&#8217;s Bar accomodating 1-4 guests. Guests will have the option of choosing 5 or 7 courses, they will also have the option of choosing to have wine pairings with each course. Cost: 5 courses $45, with wine pairings $70 7 courses $60 with wine pairings $100 Menu: Seasonal and creative cuisine, with emphasis on French and Italian technique and flavors created using locally sourced ingredients. Service: The Chef and The General Manager/Sommelier will prepare and present food in the open kitchen where guests can watch their food being cooked and plated and talk with the Chef if they would like during their meal. The following is an example of what you might expect from the Tasting Menu. Ingredients, and Chef&#8217;s whims, will change by day but the courses are sure to be fabulous. Amuse: House-made stracciatella with balsamic Array of Salty Pig Parts Proscuitto-wrapped fried dough Potato soup Head cheese Salad: Beets with Charred Endive, Winter Citrus, Creamy Feta Dressing First: Grilled Calamari with Artichoke Tempura, Kalamata Olive, Meyer Lemon Second: Potato Gnocchi with Lamb Neck Ragu, Pecorino, Olio Verde Main: Pork Tasting with Squash, Roasted Grapes, Cavolo Nero Dessert: Vanilla bread pudding Tasting Menu Final Thoughts: I always hesitate with Tasting Menus; what if there&#8217;s something I don&#8217;t like? What if the chef is too &#8220;out there&#8221; for my taste buds? Is it worth the money? This is the constant battle that goes on in my head and what I have to come to learn is that, YES it is all worth it. What better way to get to try a bunch of small plates without having to share with a group of friends and fight over the last small morsel on the plate? Portion sizes are appropriate so you don&#8217;t roll through the doorway on your way out, all the while allowing you to try five to seven different things. I would also opt for the wine pairing here as well, as Sommelier Jillian Rocco definitely knows her wine (and is a huge sherry fan if you&#8217;re into that) and happened to serve one of my favorite wines of the new year (Alvear Oloroso Asuncion from Montilla-Morilles, Spain) which to me, drank like a vin santo without the price tag. Chef Kevin O&#8217;Donnell is serving up some mighty tasty things at Salty Pig, so even if you opt out of the Tasting Menu, your meal is sure to bring enjoyment. For a look at my first visit to the Salty Pig, check out Wine and Cheese, Beer and Burgers. This dinner was complimentary; all opinions are honest and my own. Do you enjoy tasting menus, or prefer to order from the regular menu?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>The Last Word: Gin, Chinese Sausage and Bobby Burns</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-gin-chinese-sausage-and-bobby-burns/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-gin-chinese-sausage-and-bobby-burns/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:54:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weekly Roundup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Aviation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bobby burns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chinese sausage]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sco]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=8062</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our week in review: snippets of food, drink and fun stuff that didn’t make it in to a full post but we thought good enough to share.  Happy Friday! What Lin&#8217;s Drinking: Aviation Variation with Berkshire Mountain Greylock gin at Sycamore. The addition of St Germain balances out some of the acidity of the lemon juice without being over powering. What Jon&#8217;s Drinking: Highland Games is what you get when you walk into Sycamore and ask Scott for a Scotch cocktail. This drink had everything. It was refreshing, smokey, smooth and a little bit of tartness. Scott stumbled across the recipe on Kindred. I suggest you all try it. &#160; New Addiction: Chinese Sausage and Russo&#8217;s Market. It may not seem like these go hand in hand, but Russo &#38; Son&#8217;s market in Watertown carries delicious sausage made my De Pasquale&#8217;s market just down the street in Newton. We have been trying to eat more healthy and the amazing selection of fresh produce (at seemingly whole-sale prices) have made weekly trips to Russo&#8217;s more frequent. Last weekend, we picked up some Chinese sausage. The addition of some fresh baby bok choy, bean sprouts and scallions over fresh pre-cooked Chinese noodles and topped with cilantro, this dinner was easy and went a long way. With some leftover sausage, we decided to indulge in our new favorite appetizer. We substituted the andouille for the Chinese sausage, and topped with some duck sauce (also from Russo&#8217;s). We made this Hogs in a Blanket recipe from Food &#38; Wine to bring to a friends house (they can be made ahead of time and reheat pretty well) and had some pastry dough left over. Jon and I both agreed the andouille was better, but these were still fun. Happy Birthday Bobby Burns: Today marks the birthday of Scottish poet Bobby Burns. The fine folks over at Citizen Public House put together a cocktail and snack menu to pay tribute to this fine gentleman. I happen to adore Scotch cocktails, and the Cameron&#8217;s Kick is one I&#8217;ll be remembering (scotch, Irish whiskey, lemon, orgeat). If you want to celebrate with your own Bobby Burns, here is the recipe (source: BeantownDrinks via PDT). 2 oz. Highland malt scotch 3/4 oz. sweet vermouth 1/2 oz. Benedictine lemon peel Stir ingredients and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Cheers! Read of the Week: This hit the twitter-sphere earlier in the week, but in case you missed it, here the the despicable piece about ReviewerCard, and Luke O&#8217;Neil&#8217;s very fitting retort. And just to close the loop, there was this kind-of follow-up on a similar topic from Eater. From the BE Archives: As the city gears up for its annual wine expo, here is what we had to say about our experience last year: Highlights from the 2012 Boston Wine Expo In Cased You Missed It: One of our favorite dinners ever: Bogie&#8217;s Place. Featured Image: Braised Short Rib at Farmstead Table. Did you eat or drink anything fun this week to stay warm?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Bogie&#8217;s Place</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/bogies-place/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/bogies-place/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jan 2013 16:46:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Downtown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downtown crossing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Martini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Old Fashioned]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steak]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=8029</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This post may be unlike any that we have written thus far. We don&#8217;t have any accompanying pictures, so we are going to try our utmost best to describe in detail and give our dinner at Bogie&#8217;s Place the justice it deserves. Now close your eyes and let&#8217;s begin. On second thought, open them because this isn&#8217;t a narration. The walk into Bogies Place was unique in itself. First, you have to stroll through a bumping JM Curley while doing your best not ordering a round of drinks. When we reached the far end of JM&#8217;s bar, we were immediately greeted by a couple of familiar faces, Patrick and Kevin, who whisked us behind a curtain to a small room in which we have been before, but somehow the space felt transformed. The whole entrance reminded me of the movie Swingers, when the guys walk through the kitchen to the club. The walls inside Bogies are a dark velvet-esc color evoking a feeling of an old jazz club. There are only three tables, a high booth, and a few bar seats (12-14 seats total), so we suggest making a reservation early. Once seated, it&#8217;s easy to notice how far apart the tables are spaced to create an intimate dining experience. We were quickly greeted by our server and bartender, Tracy, who has served us before and we love. The jazz music fit the room and vibe perfectly. The volume was low enough to hear your dining companion but loud enough to drown out the tables next to you. In the background, you hear a bustling jm Curley, which compliments the ambiance nicely. The menu boasts of mainly steak entrees and a la carte selections for very reasonable prices. There is also &#8220;Bogie&#8217;s Seven&#8221; dishes that will rotate monthly to keep things fresh. For starters, you can also have soup or salad. Like JM Curley, the cocktail menu at Bogies is divine . The drink menu echoes the dinner menu with an al a carte martini menu and also has other delicious, classic libations. Lin ordered a Plymouth martini with Boisserie vermouth and blue cheese-stuffed olives. She said it was the smoothest Martini she has ever had. True to form, I tried to recreate it at home, but Lin still says Tracy&#8217;s was better, to which I am comfortable admitting that it was. I started with the Remember the Maine cocktail and it was equally amazing. The absinthe was a refreshing flavor to start the meal and cleanse my palette. We ordered the arugula salad to kick things off. The salad was the perfect size for sharing. It was dressed with apple cider vinegar, walnut oil and fiddlehead tomme, which gave it a nice sweetness as well as a hint of nuttiness. This dish was a great way to begin a heavy meal to-be. For dinner, we ordered steak, obviously. Lin went with the NY Strip, which is dry aged for thirty days and added the Hudson Valley foie gras butter. I decided to go big and saddle up with the Cowboy steak (USDA Prime). I took it even further and hooked up my steak with the house rub, which is similar to a Montreal seasoning. We also ordered a side of their shoestring fries that was a huge portion, perfectly seasoned and crispy. You can&#8217;t have steak without some kind of potato. I say this without any hesitation&#8230; both steaks were absolutely amazing and as good, if not better, than some of the bigger known steak houses in the city. The two thick pieces of steak were cooked perfectly to a medium rare and were also timed just right between courses, which seems to becoming a lost art at restaurants. My Cowboy steak, which earned me a &#8220;You&#8217;re my hero for ordering this&#8221; from Kevin, was so succulent and full of flavor that I immediately stated that we need to come back ASAP. My nightcap for the evening was the Old Fashioned. One of my all-time favorite classic cocktails. This one was money. I even mentioned to Tracy that it was the best Old Fashioned I have ever had in a restaurant. It was exactly the way I make it, the old, old way. One of our favorite aspects of this dining experience was the &#8220;Adults Only&#8221; concept, prominently displayed on the wall just as you enter Bogie&#8217;s Place, as well as their no cell phone policy. Imagine no luminous cell backlight next to you, no errant iPhone-ography flashes, no obnoxious guest talking at twice the volume of normal dinner conversation because he/she is on a cell phone. Here, you only focus on your dining companion, the drinks, the food, the ambiance. You get all of that at Bogie&#8217;s, and it is pure magic. So grab that special someone or anybody you can stand being around, pocket those phones, arrive with an empty stomach and treat yourself to an era of jazz and supper clubs, classic cocktails and a perfect steak at Bogie&#8217;s Place&#8230;the bar behind the bar. Menu Items We Want to Have Next Time: Caviar: I don&#8217;t love caviar, but I am dying to try this. If you have a party of 4, definitely consider ordering this. The price may seem high, but it&#8217;s really a bargain. The chilled vodka is a great touch. Improved Champagne Cocktail: I let Kevin down by not ordering this, but I plan [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Last Word: Cocktails at No 9 Park, Lunching at Abby Lane and Croques</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-cocktails-at-no-9-park-lunching-at-abby-lane-and-croques/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-cocktails-at-no-9-park-lunching-at-abby-lane-and-croques/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 18 Jan 2013 15:29:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weekly Roundup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Abby Lane]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[b street]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bistro du midi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[croques]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downtown crossing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No 9 Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[seelbach]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[theatre]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=8006</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our week in review: snippets of food, drink and fun stuff that didn’t make it in to a full post but we thought good enough to share.  Happy Friday! What Lin&#8217;s Drinking: Seelbach. I&#8217;d order pretty much anything on the cocktail lists at No 9 Park, but last night it was a Seelbach. I love this as a winter drink. Even though it&#8217;s made with bourbon, the bubbles still keep it on the light side, and a perfect drink to start the evening with. What Jon&#8217;s Drinking: Singapore Sling with Mescal on the side at Sycamore. Bar Manager Scott is a big a Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fan and that just may be his favorite line in a movie. The drinks were pretty damn good too. What Jon is Drinking Part 2: Boulevardier by Sam at No. 9 Park. Sam Olivari is leaving No.9 for a cook position in the kitchen at Ming Tsai&#8217;s upcoming restaurant, Blue Dragon. We had to go in and wish him the best. Lunching at Abby Lane: I was pretty excited when Abby Lane opened up right across from my office. Literally. Jon met me for lunch this week in Boston &#8220;celebrity&#8221; Chef Jason Santos&#8217; new spot. The highlight of the meal was the Tuna Tartare, a nice portion with well-balanced texture and flavor. I ordered the Pizza Buffalo; I enjoyed the blue cheese flavor and dressing that had a fun hint of dill, but there were way too many ingredients in this pizza. All of the pizza toppings (fried chicken, blue cheese, caramelized onions, more sauce) were on top of a traditional red sauce and mozzarella base. Jon&#8217;s Chicken Sandwich was underwhelming, looking like there was not a good bread-to-filling ratio. The prices are reasonable for lunch, and the service was quick enough for a one-hour lunch break; perhaps we just made a few bad choices. Tuna Tartare with sesame dressing, wonton chips, red ginger; $14 Pizza Buffalo with spicy fried chicken, caramelized onions and blue cheese; $11 Chicken Sandwich with balsamic tomatoes, basil leaves, fresh mozzarella; $12 The Key to Pot Roast: Short Ribs! Turns out if you use short ribs in your pot roast, it will magically transform from a dry, stringy flavorless dish to something rich, almost creamy and totally delicious. Short Rib Pot Roast (featured image) is on the new menu at B Street in Newton, and just perfect for comfort food on a cold winter night. What to Watch For (say out loud in ESPN voice): Croque and Cocktail Tuesday&#8217;s at Bistro du Midi. What: Each Tuesday at the bar, enjoy a selection of $5 croque sandwiches from Chef Robert Sisca. In order to stick with you New Year&#8217;s Resolutions, Chef will have a &#8220;skinny&#8221; offering each week. Where: The bar at Bistro du Midi, 272 Boylston St across from the Common. Par Avion (equal parts Rye, Aperol, Averna, fresh lemon)  Highlight of the Week: Dinner at Bogie&#8217;s Place, the new steak joint inside jm Curley. We had high expectations, and they were surpassed. More next week, but I think it&#8217;s pretty fair to sum up Bogie&#8217;s Place in two words: &#8220;Nailed it!&#8221; Read of the Week: Derek Brown writes a pretty debatable article about Why Bartenders Should Stop Creating Cocktails. Do you agree with him or not? From the BE Archives: Descent at the W Hotel: Funny to think that we were so excited about this spot opening. And truth be told, we honestly enjoyed the drinks here, which is no surprise since they were made that night by the one and only Elizabeth Powell. I can&#8217;t say I&#8217;m surprised that their cocktail program is now non-existent, but I&#8217;ll always remember their Tea Party as the drink that introduced me to Scotch cocktails. In Case you Missed It: Cinquecento USBG Boston Chapter Happy Friday, and GO PATRIOTS! What are you doing for the game on Sunday?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>USBG Boston Chapter</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/usbg-boston-chapter/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/usbg-boston-chapter/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jan 2013 18:03:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Jon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bartenders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Community]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[USBG]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=7925</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[How many of you know what the USBG is? I&#8217;d venture to say not many of you.  Well, hopefully after you have read this short piece you will have a clearer idea of what exactly the USBG is and who knows, perhaps you will be interested in joining or attending the next party or event. USBG stands for the United States Bartenders&#8217; Guild. The guild has been around since 1948 and is a non-profit organization of like-minded professionals who share the common interest of crafting great cocktails. The guild has chapters all over our great nation in cities and areas like Atlanta, Austin, Boston,  Chicago, Cleveland, Connecticut, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh,  Rhode Island, Sacramento, San Diego, and many others. Why join the USBG? Why not?! But to further answer the question, let me share a couple of my points and some from the USBG website&#8230; The United States Bartenders&#8217; Guild is the Only Official Representative of the International Bartenders&#8217; Association in the United States. It’s a chance to challenge yourself and your skills by participating in hand crafted cocktail competitions; locally, nationally and internationally. You will have access to extensive spirits education and training in our chapter city. There are fantastic networking opportunities with your peers and industry insiders. Access to industry information like new product introductions or trade events. Charitable involvement through your local chapter or through our national charities. Free subscriptions to industry publications and discounted trade event tickets (i.e. Boston Cocktail Summit). USBG members receive discounts on all USBG Master Accreditation tests. There is USBG Health Insurance! Have the opportunity to meet legends in the industry like Angus Winchester, Simon Ford, Tony Abou-Ganim and many others. These are the people behind the huge Luau party last summer. They are also the people behind the people that threw the epic party, #thething. The USBG just debuted a great new platform and resource that will revolutionize it&#8217;s organization &#8211; USBG PULSE. This new web tool has discussion boards, videos, surveys, bartender spotlights, resources and much more!  [Watch the Youtube video about USBG PULSE] What if I am not a bartender? Once, a long time ago, I did tend bar in New York City, but that was a long time ago. I&#8217;m not currently a bartender and sure, sometimes I pretend I&#8217;m Tom Cruise in Cocktail while at home mixing up drinks, but who hasn&#8217;t? I&#8217;m a &#8220;day-walker&#8221;, as some in the industry call it. Scholars maintain that the term means you have a day job and don&#8217;t work in the restaurant industry. But I digress&#8230; What I am trying to say is, no, I am not a bartender and I&#8217;m not the only member that isn&#8217;t one. A great deal of members are actually spirit professionals, writers or brand reps, not bartenders. You can also be an &#8220;enthusiast&#8221; member (like me) and I highly encourage you to consider attending an event than perhaps becoming a member if you have an interest in cocktails and mixology. Personally, I think the USBG needs more enthusiast members because it will not only bring in more funding, but can provide a different prospective for the bartenders during educational seminars. It can also help build relationships between clients, businesses and the community. A true win-win&#8230;win. How much is it to be a member? $100/yr. Next question. What is a Master Accreditation test? Personally, this is something that I probably won&#8217;t ever do, but that is alright. Here is a description from the USBG website about what the Master Accreditation Program is&#8230; The USBG&#8217;s Master Accreditation is a non-brand directed Bartender/Mixologist testing program. This program a comprehensive series of written and practical tests – designed to educate, evaluate and further accredit beverage, spirit, and service industry professionals with a valid title granted by the USBG and recognized by the International Bartender’s Association. It goes without saying that if you are a bartender and want to further your career, holding the titles of &#8220;Spirits Professional&#8221; and &#8220;Advanced Bartender&#8221; are achievements that will definitely help you reach your goals quicker. Who are current members of the USBG Boston Chapter? Below is a short list of some of the current members. Troy Clarke &#8211; President Dave Delaney Jr. Rob Hoover Sabrina Kershaw Kitty Amman Elizabeth Powell (now in Seattle and greatly missed) Sam Treadway Joy Richard Sean Frederick Josh Childs Misty Kalkofen John Nugent Nicole Lebedevitch Josh Taylor Trina Sturm Jackson Cannon Naomi Levy Kevin Martin Bob McCoy Andrew McNees Corey Bunnewith Alexei Beratis Kevin Mabry Ted Kilpatrick Tyler Jay Wang Ryan Lotz Sam Gabrielli Catherine Stanton-Schiff Curtis McMillan Adam Lantheaume Geoffery Kleinmann Fred Yarm Lauren Clark TJ Connelly and your&#8217;s truly Apologies if I missed you in this list. Please feel free to comment below and I will gladly add your name. Short of Facebook stalking each of these members, the app, onthebar, will help you find out where and when most of these people are working behind the stick. I suggest you download the app to see for yourself. How often do local Chapters meet? I am sure each Chapter is different, but the Boston Chapter meets monthly for educational seminars and quarterly for fun-focused events or parties. All the Chapters have a governing board as well with a President, VP, Treasurer, Educational Chairs, Marketing Chairs and Director of Membership. Who can I contact regarding membership or [...]]]></description>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cinquencento</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/cinquencento/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/cinquencento/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:52:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Downtown]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brussels sprouts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cured meat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[octopus]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pasta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[south end]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=7913</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Big. Bold. And Roman. From the walkway leading to the main entrance, the lighted stairway up to the main dining room, and pillars filled with bottles of Campari, Cinquecento has brought some panache to the South End. Space: The main dining and bar are located up a set of dizzying stairs. Slightly raised circles are lighted to give an entrance that I imagine you&#8217;d see in Vegas. Ladies, step with caution if wearing heels. The Friday evening crowd was pulsing with excitement, so much so that it was difficult to hear our dining companions despite being seated at a very small table which was not ideal for the numerous appetizers and salads we ordered to share. Cocktails: Two things jump out on the cocktail list: a large selection of amaro and a Negroni flight. The flight consisted of a traditional Negroni followed by two iterations, which were really like two separate cocktails. Despite being tasty 3 ingredient cocktsils, you might not associate either with a Negroni if you didn&#8217;t already know it was part of a flight. It would&#8217;ve been nice to see closer variations of the classic Italian cocktail, like an aged Negroni or one with Aperol or dry vermouth perhaps.  For something lighter, try the Finocchio. The egg white (not listed on the menu, but in the drink) brings a delicate smoothness to this aperitif-type drink. Amari Finocchio; Skyy Vodka, fennel Cordial &#38; Grapefruit Bitters Negroni Flight (classic, rye, Hendricks) Appetizer Highlight: Grilled Octopus. I&#8217;ve had good and not so good experiences with octopus, and this dish may have surpassed the other good ones. Perfectly-grilled with a lot of flavor, the texture was palatable and the taste was spot on. Grilled Octopus, Celeriac &#38; Taggiasca Olives, $11.75 Add Some Greens: The Kale Salad and Brussels sprouts are great options that go above and beyond a typical house salad. Portions are large enough that even the four of us could each have a few bites. Tuscan Kale with Shaved Pecorino, Pignoli &#38; Lemon; $6.50 Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Pancetta &#38; Ricotta Salata; $8.75 The Dish I&#8217;d Go Back For: Rigatoni alla Norcia. Ground fennel sausage allows each bite to have all of the flavors of the dish. After a few appetizers and salads, this portion was large enough for leftovers. Fennel Sausage, Cognac Cream,‏ Basil, Pecorino; $16.75 Good, but Not Great: Jon is a huge fan of Cinghiale, a classic Italian dish with a wild boar ragout. Because it&#8217;s difficult to find, he was excited to try it at Cinquecento. Unfortunately, their addition of raisins really brought a sweetness to the dish that, in his opinion, took away from the usual richness and flavor of the boar meat. Great for Sharing: A salumi plate consisting of very thinly-sliced meat, with large portion sizes for everyone at the table to enjoy. Coppa, Prosciutto di Parma, Sopressata Piccante; $15 Final Thoughts: I don&#8217;t quite see Cinquecento as a high-end Roman trattoria, but rather as a fun, new spot to meet friends and share some food. The large space isn&#8217;t really like anything else in the South End and I was pleased with all of the options for shared plates amongst friends. Vin Santo Cinquecento is located at 500 Harrison Ave in the South End. Have you been to Cinquecento? What did you think?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Last Word: Comfort Food, Lobster Soup and a Sad Goodbye</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-comfort-food-lobster-soup-and-a-sad-goodbye/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-comfort-food-lobster-soup-and-a-sad-goodbye/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jan 2013 18:59:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weekly Roundup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brandy alexander]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farmstead Table]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hanky panky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lobster]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pasta]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pizza]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=7871</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our week in review: snippets of food, drink and fun stuff that didn’t make it in to a full post but we thought good enough to share.  Happy Friday! Comfort in an Irish Pub: Sometimes you just want an easy meal. One you know you will enjoy. A place where the menu and foods are familiar, the selection is traditional and there is Guinness on draft. Our go-to Irish pub is O&#8217;Hara&#8217;s in Newton. The food is always good and you can&#8217;t beat their prices. I was under the weather for the last two weeks, so we&#8217;ve been staying close to home. The relaxing and recharging has done wonders. Ally&#8217;s Chicken Martini with mushroom, sundried tomato, basil and marsala Amy Margarita Pizza; sauce is put on last to keep the crust extra crispy. Food Porn of the Week: Lobster Soup at Farmstead Table. Do you see that serious piece of lobster in there?! What Jon&#8217;s Drinking: Brandy Alexander at Sycamore (Brandy, Creme de Cacao, Cream, nutmeg dusting). A Sad Goodbye: One of favorite Pastry Chefs, MacKenzie Loughlin, is moving on from her post at B Street. She is a very talented baker, and the one who truly opened my eyes to the value of a trained pastry chef in this industry. On many occasions, we would walk into B Street for just a cocktail and a quick dessert, knowing that anything we chose from MacKenzie&#8217;s arsenal of sweets would be delicious. You can read more about MacKenzie here and here, but in the meantime, we wish her all the best in her new ventures. Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee Salted Peanut Turtle Tart A New Industry Night: Speaking of B Street, they introduced their new Tuesday Industry Night this week. Stop by late night for some small appetizers, like Salted Cod Croquettes (featured image), and tasty cocktails. Or perhaps a tallboy of PBR. Details (as of this posting): When: First Tuesday of every month Time: 10 &#8211; 11:30 pm What: Free bar snacks from Chef Colin, and $5 bartender&#8217;s choice cocktail Highlight of the Week: This little diddy from Scott over at Sycamore; his rendition of the classic Hanky Panky, made with cognac instead of gin. Oh, and fire. Read of the Week: Richard Auffrey&#8217;s thoughts on the fact that the US spends a surprisingly low percentage of income on food. From the BE Archives: An oldie but goodie; Border Cafe reminds us how fun and inexpensive good Mexican food can be. In Case you Missed It: Brunching at Farmstead Table Bantam Cider FYI: Flour Bakery in the Back Bay is now open. The new space is located at 131 Clarendon St. We are really excited to check out Cinquecento (newly opened in the South End) tonight for drinks and dinner with friends. What are your weekend plans? ]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>3</slash:comments>
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		<title>Bantam Cider</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/bantam-cider/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/bantam-cider/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:00:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jon</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Drink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bantam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cocktail]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hard cider]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=7829</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Here are BeantownEats, we love to support good, local products and Bantam Cider of Cambridge is just that. I have always enjoyed a cold glass of hard cider over ice; it&#8217;s a nice alternative to drinking a heavy beer. Co-Founders, Dana and Michelle, have created a marvelously drinkable cider called Wunderkind that is extremely crisp, slightly dry with a pleasing acidic taste and apple notes . It has the qualities of sparkling wine, but certainly is a hard cider. Wunderkind is made from several local varieties of apples, sparkling wine yeast and a touch of honey. Curious to pair Wunderkind with food? No problem! This cider would go perfectly with seafood, pork, chicken, spicy food, cheese and much more. The 22 oz bottle is also great for sharing, but I would suggest getting your own bottle because you will want it all to yourself. While I do enjoy Bantam on its own, I wanted to show off this cider&#8217;s versatility by using it in a cocktail. Here is what I came up with&#8230; The Wun of a Kind Cocktail 3 oz Bantam Cider 1.5 oz rye whiskey  (I used Bulleit) .5 oz peach liqueur  (I used Mathilde) .5 oz fresh lemon juice .25 oz ginger simple syrup  (Store bought from The Boston Shaker or make it) 2 dashes Fee Bros. Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters Long orange peel for garnish Add the rye, peach liqueur, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters into a pint glass. Shake well with ice. Pour over ice into a Collins glass. Top with Bantam Cider. Add your garnish. I really wanted to create a drink that highlights the cider without masking or changing the flavor. I knew I was going to make a highball cocktail with a whiskey, most likely bourbon since its sweet notes would compliment the dryness and crispness of the cider. However, I decided to go with a rye whiskey (Bulleit) instead to get the bold, spicy notes to pair nicely with the sweetness from the peach liqueur and simple syrup. The lemon juice cuts the sweetness and I added the whiskey barrel bitters to give the drink more depth. The cider blends in nicely with the ingredients and still maintains its flavor and characteristics. This cocktail would be great to enjoy in the summer at bbq&#8217;s or in the Fall / Winter for the spice and apple flavors. Cheers, Dana &#38; Michelle! I look forward to trying more of your cider. Find Bantam Cider in your area. Have you tried Bantam Cider? &#160;]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Brunching at Farmstead Table</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/brunching-at-farmstead-table/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/brunching-at-farmstead-table/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:48:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Greater Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bacon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bloody Mary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[eggs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Farm to Table]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[panc]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=7482</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once upon a time on a warm Saturday in December, a Chef who does not like cooking eggs, cooked up brunch. And not just your average greasy-spoon type brunch either. A locally-sourced brunch in line with the simple and fresh style of Farmstead Table. We had heard that Chef Sharon Burns was planning to bake a pastry basket for brunch, and I&#8217;m not kidding you that I thought about it the whole week leading up to brunch. And it lived up to all expectations! I can&#8217;t tell you the last time I had a chocolate croissant but this was devoid of any commercial bakery staleness. This croissant, along with a plain croissant, both had that special made-from-scratch look, texture and taste. There was also a delicious pumpkin muffin and a perfect popover (not pictured). Jon went with his usually pancakes, but these were sweet potato pancakes; lush, savory, yet still light and fluffy. When Chef first told us about brunch, he mentioned getting eggs fresh from Allandale Farm. Even though bacon and eggs might seem like a less-than-exciting brunch choice, Chef&#8217;s enthusiasm was contagious. And you know what? They were the best scrambled eggs I&#8217;ve ever had. Creamy, fluffy, perfect consistency. The other bonus of this dish: Sharon&#8217;s amazing smelt bread toast. Now if only we can convince Chef Chad to host brunch more often Where have you been brunching lately?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>7</slash:comments>
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		<title>The Last Word: jm Curley, No. 9 Park, Snow and New Years</title>
		<link>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-a-saturday-crawl-in-boston/</link>
		<comments>http://beantowneats.com/the-last-word-a-saturday-crawl-in-boston/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jan 2013 16:27:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Weekly Roundup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[buffalo wings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fried chicken]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jm Curley]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tom and jerry's]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://beantowneats.com/?p=7785</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Our week in review: snippets of food, drink and fun stuff that didn’t make it in to a full post but we thought good enough to share.  Happy Friday! Last Saturday, a simple dinner somehow turned into a very fun night filled with friends, and four different bars. Here are the highlights Lin&#8217;s Drink of the Week: Hemingway Heat at jm Curley, with rhum agricole, maraschino, grapefruit, lime jalapeño. I don&#8217;t tend towards rum drinks, but this was stellar. The little bit of heat from the jalapeno was just something that you don&#8217;t see often in cocktails. And just as you would expect from the talented staff behind the stick, this drink was perfectly balanced. It was so good I almost ordered a second one! Jon&#8217;s Drink of the Week: You might be sick of hearing about Tom &#38; Jerry&#8217;s by now, but we had the city&#8217;s best on Saturday night at No. 9 Park. You really can&#8217;t go wrong with anything there, and it was great to share our new favorite winter drink with friends. Jon&#8217;s Latest Obsession: Fried Chicken from jm Curley. It may not look like much, but it&#8217;s four huge pieces of delicious fried chicken, with 5 different dipping sauces, a buttery, flaky biscuit and a cup of iced tea (all for $20). Amazing is the only word that comes to mind. Jon&#8217;s been craving it ever since he first had it a few weeks ago. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow: We were downtown for all of the snow on Saturday night, and it made for such a perfect winter evening (along with great, live Irish music at Mr. Dooley&#8217;s). Happy New Year: A nasty cough and head cold kept us in on New Year&#8217;s Eve, but we still celebrated. Jon made mint simple syrup for a slightly different twist on a French 75 (featured picture), then we broke out new Mad Men-style glasses for a night cap. Classic, aren&#8217;t they? Highlight of the Week: Jon and I were both on vacation the week following Christmas, and what better thing to do on vacation than stuff you can&#8217;t doon a normal work day? So we headed to Buff&#8217;s Pub in Newton for wings and a few cold beers. Doesn&#8217;t really get better than that on a Thursday afternoon. Read of the Week: 20 Things Everyone Thinks about the Food World but No One Will Say. My favorite: All wine mostly tastes the same. From the BE Archives: Chefs Shine on New Years Last year we celebrated New Year&#8217;s Eve at a local restaurant (think across the street, no driving involved) and had a lovely dinner complete with champagne toast. In Case You Missed It: Boston Cocktail Summit: Detox to Retox Lounging at Bar 10 in Copley Square Happy New Year! Do you make a New Year&#8217;s resolution?]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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