Bostonist

This Week In Booze: Drink, Sparks, Hobos

C. Fernsebner — 2009-11-20T11:30:26-05:00

Hobotime.

Rachel Maddow and Bostonist have a thing in common: “I go to Drink and I drink.” [Herald]

The FDA is cracking down on caffeinated booze. Bostonist does not mourn the demise of Sparks, but we hope the feds keep their hands off our Cuba libres and coffee flips. [Brookston Beer Bulletin]

Some bar called Lord Hobo opened. [Bostonist]

As did a very nice wine shop in Central Square. Beside a well-curated wall of bottles, there are heaps of cheese and baked goods. And Bostonist noticed some goat yogurt in the fridge. [BostonZest]

Don't fear the artichoke. [Stuff]

"The perfect martini for us is one that can’t be picked up on the first sip, but rather must be bowed down to." As chronic drink-spillers, we disagree—but we adore Gargoyles's Vesper. [Globe]

Woodward, a tavern at the brand new Ames Hotel, has big leather chairs, a fireplace, and their very own Smuttynose beer, served by the glass or the growler. [Thrillist]

Hard cider and apple brandy are enjoying a well-deserved resurgence. [NPR, SFGate

Drinking in Boston: Bring on the Belgians

Llalan — 2009-11-19T14:00:00-05:00

You can’t beat a nice strong Belgian beer on a cold winter night. Then again, you can’t beat it on a hot sweaty summer day, either. Some would have it that you can’t beat a Belgian beer period. But what exactly are they referring to when they say “Belgian?”

Terms like Trappist ale and abbey beer are tossed about as popular synonyms for “Belgian.” While the terms are related to Belgian beer in some way, they are not the only kind of Belgians out there, and they may not be what you think.

Trappist ale, as many know, is brewed by monks…or at least kind of. The term Trappist also does not refer to a single style of beer, either; it is merely a legal term. The beer must, in fact, be approved by the Vatican as a “legitimate abbey product,” to be called Trappist. To achieve this designation the beer must strictly enforce three rules: it must be made under the supervision of the monastery’s community; it must be made within the walls of a Trappist abbey (which seems obvious but is somewhat contested); and a majority of the profit must go to social works. Chimay and Orval are probably the best known Trappists here, but Westvleteren and Rochefort are said to be the most authentic.

The term “Trappist” was restricted by Belgian law in 1962 due to rampant misuse of the brewing traditions for commercial profit. This is where the term “abbey beer” comes in. Abbeys are from companies that craft their beers after the traditional Trappist styles, companies that are contracted by an abbey, or both. A well-known abbey-brewery team would be Maredsous.

For more on Belgian beer, check out Good Beer Guide to Belgium by Tim Webb. And just start sampling.

Photo courtesy [cipher] on Flickr using Creative Commons License.

Does Boston Need an Open Market?

Kerry Skemp — 2009-11-19T13:30:00-05:00

As farmer's markets close, BostonZest is daydreaming about a Boston Public Market. Would you be interested in a year-round local food experience? Try Local Harvest for finding a resource in your area, or join the public market crusade.

A Rare Glimpse of Lord Hobo's Opening Night

Rick Sawyer — 2009-11-19T11:32:22-05:00

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We know for a fact that many of you wanted to go to Lord Hobo when it opened last night but did not make it past the massive line. Bostonist went on your behalf. Behold, our findings.

When we arrived at the bar, shortly after 9 p.m., the merciful hand of Providence lead us straight to the front door, overtaking hapless slowpokes, and inside without a moment's hesitation. We somehow missed the line completely. Nevertheless, we weren't keen to wait for a table or even bar food, so we had our drinks and scrammed. Those who arrived shortly after us, and who were still in the queue when we left, should be grateful for our abstemiousness.

The usual bombastic opening night reviews are already available on Yelp.

Lord Hobo is Open

Rick Sawyer — 2009-11-18T17:06:26-05:00

As of 5 p.m. this afternoon, Is Lord Hobo Open? has read "YES."

This Week In Booze: Questionably

C. Fernsebner — 2009-11-13T11:30:00-05:00

A Tiki-esque concoction, served at Drink, with Campari sugar on top. (Lady Gaga not included.)

Chuck Bass has opened a speakeasy (on television). Is the speakeasy is over (for real)? [Atlantic]

How hard is it to get a negroni in this town? [Chowhound]

And what is Lady Gaga's effect upon sales of Campari? [Alcademics]

Is Lord Hobo open—Sunday? Tonight? [Twitter/CitysearchBOS, islordhoboopen.com]
A shiny new wine shop definitely opens in Central Square today. They'll also be selling local preserves and cicchetti. [Centralbottle]
The Angostura drought rages on. [Guardian]

You've got until midnight to buy your Tiki Bash tickets. [LUPEC]

Drinking in Boston: That's What She Said

Llalan — 2009-11-12T14:00:00-05:00

Women and craft beer. Are they mutually exclusive? Is the world of craft beer a man’s world? If not, why does it seem so few women participate in it? [Must the "fairer" sex be limited to cocktails? --Ed.]

A few years ago, this Bostonist wrote a piece in The Weekly Dig about why girls should drink beer and why beer should not be thought as a dude-only drink. The article got many virulent responses, both positive and negative. One man was moved enough to propose marriage. A boy commented on Facebook that he was glad the article was published because, among other more violent acts, he was better able to put roofies in beer than in shots.

As these are certainly extreme responses, one does wonder what the prevailing opinion is about women and beer. The Bostonist is afraid to say that although there are many women who enjoy good beer and many men who enjoy those women, it still seems that a lot of people associate women with beer only as the big-boobed ski- or beach-bunnies on the major labels’ commercials.

Luckily, there are many women out there countering this perception. And two of them just wrote a book entitled The Naked Pint: An Unadulterated Guide to Craft Beer. Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune, two hot beer chicks (really) are taking on the world with this book, proving to everyone that girls can dig beer…and know what the hell they’re talking about.

More beer chicks after the jump!

The Naked Pint begins with the basics of how beer is made, and proceeds to move through the many styles of craft beer from simplest to most complex, and ends up with a few chapters about brewing at home and even cooking or entertaining with beer. These two renowned beer sommeliers clearly know their stuff and present it in a clear and entertaining fashion. Before the book really gets going, though, they do address the fact that they are female beer experts. They conclude that women are as fascinated by beer as men are and, “Let’s be honest, what’s sexier than a woman who knows her craft beer?” We concur.

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Cheap Eats: Daily Grill

Pam — 2009-11-11T11:15:00-05:00

A restaurant called Daily Grill sounds nothing if not a little generic. Luckily, their food is anything but. While the Daily Grill is a popular chain on the West Coast, it's rather new to the East, and the Daily Grill in the Prudential Center is their only New England outpost.

The best deal at the Daily Grill is their Social Hour menu, offered weekdays 4-7pm, Saturday 12-5pm, and all day Sunday. The page-long menu features small plates for only $2.95 (a hot dog, hummus plate, beef sliders, meatloaf sliders, a chicken quesadilla, fried calamari, and mac and cheese) and $3.95 (spinach artichoke dip, crab cake sliders, tuna sashimi, and chicken pot pie). Order a drink and you get your first plate free. Bostonist enjoyed the calamari, some of the most tender we've had, and the sliders, which could be paired with another dish to make a full meal. The chicken pot pie, though, was the real standout, and probably the best deal. For only $4, you get a big bowl heaped with chicken, carrots, peas, onions, and mushrooms in a cream sauce and topped with flaky puff pastry, a perfect antidote for the cold days that are sure to come.

If you're willing to spend a little more money but still want a good deal, try the Daily Grill's Supper Menu. For $28, you get a choice of any salad on the menu, one of five main courses (such as filet mignon with a bleu cheese crust, ala cart at $25), and your choice of a dessert or a glass of wine. That's basically three courses for the price of one - not a bad deal in our books.

Daily Grill is located at 111 Huntington Avenue, at street level below the Prudential mall. They are open Monday-Thursday, 11:30am-10pm, Friday and Saturday, 11am-11pm, and Sunday 11am-10pm.

For more local food writing from Pam Aghababian, check out Cave Cibum.

Bostonist Was There: StarChefs.com Gala Tasting at The State Room 11/3/2009

Tom Lewis — 2009-11-06T17:00:51-05:00

StarChefs.com Gala Tasting at The State Room from Thomas Attila Lewis on Vimeo.

Excellent food and drink were had at StarChefs.com Boston Rising Stars Review 2009 held at the State Room downtown on Tuesday night, November 3rd. Local chefs and mixology talent showed their skills in an incredibly glamorous setting 33 floors up.

The Northern Lights Cocktail by Craigie on Main made with Highland Park Single Malt Scotch

One of the best things of the evening was the following cocktail made with Highland Park Single Malt Scotch:

Northern Lights

1 ½ oz. Highland Park 12 Years Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
¾ oz. St Germain
½ oz. Lemon Juice
¼ oz. Douglas Fir
¼ oz. Orange Juice
¼ oz. Demerera Syrup
2 Dashes Tiki Bitters

Mount in a mixing glass, add ice and shake. Strain into a specialty glass and garnish with a lemon twist.

The tasted the wares of:

- Host Chef Jodi Bernhard from Longwood Events at The State Room
- Chef Mike Pagliarini from Via Matta
- Pastry Chef Jiho Kim from L'Espalier
- Chef Maura Kilpatrick from Sofra
- Mixologist Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli from Craigie on Main
- Martin Daraz Brand Ambassador of Highland Park Scotch

To see the full lineup check out StarChefs.com

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This Week In Booze: If You Build It

C. Fernsebner — 2009-11-06T13:30:27-05:00

islordhoopen.com

Is Lord Hobo open yet? How about now? Now? Reload. Reload. [islordhoboopen.com]

When life gives you beer cartons, make beer carton libraries. [Book Patrol]
Liquor licensing in Massachusetts is a dark art. [Drinkboston]

Cocktail prodigy Tom Schlesinger-Guidelli is leaving Craigie On Main at the end of the year. [Grub Street]
Do you love champagne? Or booze made by secretive, silent French monks? [Chartreuse & Pol Roger—PDF]

MC Slim JB unleashes his well-informed wrath upon ten reprehensible trends in dining, including exorbitant wine prices at certain Boston restaurants. [MC Slim JB]

Judge not, lest ye be judged by your beer preferences. [Bostonist]

Stuff to Eat in the Suburbs: Watertown—Stellina Restaurant

Ann Woody — 2009-11-06T11:30:12-05:00

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Have you ever needed that perfectly in-between place to dine in Watertown? Somewhere nice, but not too expensive. Somewhere you can dress up if you want, but without high fashion expectations. Somewhere tasty, but not overwhelmingly gourmet. If so, we've found that Stellina is a slam-dunk for all of these criteria.

Located in Watertown Square, Stellina is fairly easy to get to from Watertown, Waltham, or Newton. One of the best things about Stellina is the fantastic patio hidden behind the restaurant (and hidden from the huge parking lot right next to it. This romantic and fun little area boasts a beautiful fountain, flowers, and even grape vines, complete with real grapes. Unfortunately, we’re past prime outside time, but maybe if you familiarize yourself with the staff this fall and winter you can get good seats come spring.

Stellina’s boasts a basically Italian menu with an overall Mediterranean flair. On our most recent visit, we started with a pumpkin soup featuring chipotle as the special ingredient. When we first read the soup description on the menu, it didn't quite reel us in. However, as our waitress was bringing us our butternut squash ravioli, she informed us that an extra soup had accidentally been plated, and offered it to us. We never turn down free food, and fortunately it turned out that the soup was really quite good. The chipotle gave the dish an unexpected yet welcome kick, and the base of the soup was rich and hearty without losing any pumpkin flavor or tasting too sweet. It's those little things, like having our waitress offer us the extra soup, that stand out at Stellina. (Not to mention we have a new favorite spice for pumpkin soup.)

The butternut squash ravioli with fried sage leaves and brown butter was absolutely fantastic. The pasta was fresh and supple and the filling was a successful balance of squash, sugar, sage, and ricotta. The salty, smooth butter was accented perfectly by the slightly crunchy burst of flavor offered by the sage leaves. Odd as it may sound, this Bostonist will definitely be dreaming about this ravioli for months to come.

Tasty starters aside, the entrées are where Stellina can sometimes go awry. This Bostonist has had everything from acceptable pasta to fantastic swordfish at this little restaurant. While their pastas are generally decent, Stellina truly shines when preparing meat or fish. On this visit, we tried the steak with sautéed mushrooms and shallots, featuring spinach and polenta fries. Tender and cooked precisely as asked for, medium to medium rare, the perfectly salty steak was nicely accompanied by almost-caramelized shallots that prompted everyone at the table to have a taste. The shallots' role in the sauce lent a fantastically rich and slightly sweet addition to every polenta fry. Crunchy on the outside with soft, slightly creamy polenta on the inside, these polenta fries were almost worth the trip on their own.

We finished the evening with a lovely Tiramisu. Though Tiramisu is sometimes better in concept than execution, nothing in this light and flavorful dessert was overpowering. The lady fingers had been soaked just long enough, the cream was fresh, and the chocolate was of the finest quality. It was a wonderful way to end a fine evening.

In addition to these delicious dishes, Stellina offers an extensive wine list and surprisingly strong cocktails. You can check out Stellina’s menu (including the wine list) on the restaurant's website, though keep in mind that the many seasonal and daily specials won’t be listed online. Of note about Stellina is that they take reservations; a wonderful convention that more Boston area restaurants should consider adopting. The next time you're looking for a fun but not too fancy night out in the Watertown area, give Stellina a try.

Drinking in Boston: What Beer Are You?

Llalan — 2009-11-05T14:00:00-05:00

Ever been afraid that you’re being judged by what kind of beer you’re drinking? Ever judge others based on what they’re drinking? Of course you have. Well now one market research company, Mindset Media, thinks they have cracked the code on beer drinkers’ personalities.

An article in Ad Age earlier this week shared some of the company’s thought provoking, or perhaps just provoking, findings. More interesting than the article itself was the long string of comments following it: message after message filled with indignation, disgust, and bile. Everyone had been wrongly categorized.

Here are some examples of why the beer drinking masses were up in arms. While Budweiser drinkers are sensible, their Bud Light-drinking compatriots are “lacking in carefulness.” Also, Budweiser drinkers are 42% more likely than the average Joe to regularly use breath freshening strips. (?) Michelob Ultra drinkers are often conceited; Heineken drinkers, posers. And since Blue Moon drinkers are “quite willing to go against convention,” they naturally “can also be sarcastic and snide in order to get a point across.” Well, some of this is starting to sound familiar…

One matter that really got the readers’ goat was that all craft beers were lumped together as one category. However, the researchers had some flattering findings…if you consider it complimentary that craft drinkers are “more likely to spend time thinking about beer rather than work.”

More controversy after the jump

Photo courtesy dubstyle on Flickr using Creative Commons License

Some of these fantastical stats were debated humorously by the readers. “My stats prof always told me, ‘There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.’” We suppose if you are an abstainer and disagree with the fact that you “don’t like to loosen up very much,” you could be a little miffed. Another reader mocked the entire study: “This is the best self-help I've ever found. I can change to whom I want to be like, just by drinking a different beer!”

What do we think about this? When taken with a grain of salt, the study is just pretty amusing. On the other hand, if the broad strokes of the study’s generalizations don’t fit your own self-image, you’re bound to feel wronged. It was, after all, just a marketing research venture though, meant to find the average in a wide-reaching study. John Durant, Mindset Media’s Director-Research, reminds the readers that “the study we ran does not say all individuals in a group are the same.” What do our individual readers out there feel about such a study?

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Lord Hobo's Menu Unleashed

Rick Sawyer — 2009-11-02T14:56:10-05:00

It's gotten boring waiting for Lord Hobo to open. The restaurant, which will eventually occupy the deathbed of the B-Side Lounge, has been threatening to open since last January, which has given its owners plenty of time to think of a less retarded name. ("Peasant Bourgeoisie"?) At any rate, its menu is finally live, complete with nearly two dozen irritating ellipses. The good news? 30 freaking beers. (Via Grub Street Boston)

The Angostura Bitters Apocalypse: Nigh, But Temporary

C. Fernsebner — 2009-10-30T13:30:00-05:00

Photograph by Flickr user Annie Mole.

Angostura bitters—that small but seemingly bottomless bottle that's been in your fridge door forever, wrapped in an oversized muumuu of a label—have been unexpectedly scarce at bars in recent months. Craigie On Main has reassured its customers via tweet that they've got a stockpile to outlast the Angostura apocalypse.

Bostonist has heard all sorts of things blamed for the shortage of this cocktail staple: bottling mishaps, distribution issues, politics, and, shaking a fist in the direction of Brooklyn, the recent fad of formulating beverages that contain whole ounces of bitters per serving. Turns out that the bitters have been out of production for nearly a year due to the ubiquitous financial crisis, which has devastated Trinidad & Tobago's CL Financial, Angostura's parent company. They're restructuring, and Patrick Sepe, CEO of Angostura USA, has told Bostonist, via email, that there were also glass and ingredient shortages, but "As of October 9th Angostura [has] moved back into production and will be at full capacity by the end of November."

"There are scheduled shipments that will hit the entire north east beginning next week and continued through November," said Sepe, when asked about Massachusetts' supply. "So hopefully it will make its way to our very important mixologist friends and household consumers within the next 12-15 days."

Until the famine ends, Bostonist hopes that more bar patrons are discovering the joys of Fee's and Bittermen's, available to home mixologists at Liquor World, The Boston Shaker, and other fine retailers.

This Week In Booze: Starlit

C. Fernsebner — 2009-10-30T11:30:00-05:00

Booze of various heights at Trina's Starlite Lounge in Somerville. (Baby-sized High Life ponies come by the bucket.)

The Archdiocese of Boston urges Catholics to hold off on the consecrated wine, lest they catch transubstantiated swine flu. [Globe]

Is there any point in making cocktails with single malt Scotch? No? (Did anybody ask at Drink? Their dishwasher seems to have an Ardbeg-rinse cycle.) [Stuff]

Encounters With Whisky At The End Of The World. [Globalpost]

Grand is the place to be on Saturday afternoon. Jill DeGroff will be signing her book of bartender portraits, and her husband—some guy named Dale—has a book, too. LUPEC will be there, too, with Halloween Punch. Costumes are encouraged. [Grand]

Cambridge Brewing Company is the place to be on Saturday night. The Great Pumpkin Festival goes until midnight, and there will be no fewer than twenty pumpkin beers. [CBC]

The Lord Hobo: are we there yet? [BeerAdvocate]

Trina's Starlite Lounge: we are there, a lot. Try the Gentleman cocktail, and the cornbread. [TV Diner]

See you at the Fernet party. [Drinkboston]