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A Sparkling Resolution

December 22, 2011 in wine by traveleatlove | 12 comments

I have a few goals for the New Year, and increasing the size of  our sparkling wine “collection” is one of them.  Sure, other people vow to go to the gym more, to eat healthier food, and I definitely have high hopes for Boston Marathon training and moving more in general, but investing in more sparkling wine is one I know I can keep.

I love bubbly. It’s celebratory, great with food, and depending on what you buy, can be affordable to be a more frequent part of your dining. I happen to prefer sparkling wines made in the Champagne method because of the brioche or biscuit-like quality they can have.

We currently have about 100 bottles of wine in our house. About 90 of them are red. The whites and sparkling wine? Most of them will be coming with us for Christmas or consumed on New Year’s.

And as much as I love a good Cab or Malbec, for whatever reason the past few months have me going for a slightly chilled Verdejo, or even better, Cremant de Bourgogne. I have a really hard time pronouncing Bourgogne though, so I like when I can just point to the menu to order. Does that ever happen to you?

I have decided to go with what makes me happy right now, and that is bubbly

Luckily, thanks to this little blog, I have had the opportunity to taste some delicious (free) samples since my return from Ireland.

sparkling wine

First we opened this Lamberti prosecco. While I enjoyed the bubbles and acidity of this prosecco, I have to say that prosecco is probably my least favorite of sparkling wines. There’s something about that pear aftertaste that is often there that I just can’t get behind. However, I do love my bursting-with-bubbles, Secco, which I purchased at The Urban Grape and enjoyed all summer long. Remember summer?

On the other hand, I fell head-over-heels in love with this Crémant de Bourgogne from Maison Vincent. This wine is crisp and bright and also offers that yeasty quality I love.

sparkling wine

We also received a bottle of Pol Roger Champagne, which we are saving for New Year’s Eve and something new to me, a bubbly from Argentina, Trapiche Extra Brut. The Trapiche is aged briefly in stainless steel, which maintains the freshness of the wine. A lot of citrus came through in this bubbly, lemon and lemon peel, along with a bit of green apple. Though not made in the traditional method, I enjoyed this wine and its uniqueness.

sparkling wine

Earlier in the month I was also able to take part in the TasteLive holiday sparklers event which featured wines we are very familiar with, from Freixenet, Segura Viudas, and Gloria Ferrer. These are the sparkling wines I speak of when I talk about value. The Segura Viudas, for example, retails for around $10 a bottle and is absolutely delightful. I also got a new photo editor, hence the Polaroid shot. Winking smile

Pairing food with bubbly is a cinch. Anything from takeout pizza to a multi-course gourmet meal are great with it. For our Tuesday night TasteLive tasting with friends, I did a bunch of simple items, cheeses paired with jalapeno and fig jellies, and a Trader Joe’s red pepper dip with pita chips and baguette. Because the tastings are hosted on the West Coast, they start at 9:00 our time. We had already had dinner and just needed something to keep our evening hunger at bay!

This Vermont Harvest jam was incredible atop Neufchatel cheese. I ate it for breakfast the next day with bagel chips.

jelly

red pepper spread

I look forward to a 2012 full of health and bubbly because they do go hand in hand!

Do you have any fun resolutions for 2012?

Tags: cava, champagne, prosecco, sparkling wine, wine, wine tasting

Alma Nove Sunday Lunch

November 25, 2011 in Food, Restaurants by traveleatlove | 9 comments

When November hands you a 60 degree day, you get outside. I don’t care what you do, you just need to soak it in. After getting some work done this past Sunday morning, we decided to head out with no real destination in mind. We got on 93 South, and when my husband asked if I wanted to go to Quincy to see our shrink-wrapped boat, I of course said yes. What? A shrink-wrapped boat on bricks doesn’t excite you? I was just curious to see what the bottom looked like, I guess. Any way, we went, we saw for about 30 seconds, scraped some barnacles off while I said “arrrrrrrrr barnacles” a bunch of times, and then we headed to the Hingham Shipyard with Wahlburger’s on the brain.

Wahlburger’s had other ideas. It was absolutely jam-packed with a line jutting out the door. Inside, lots and lots of screaming children. That’s Sunday for ya. I did enjoy listening to some NKOTBBSB blaring from the speakers. I think I will have to bring my sister here to relive our New Kids on the Block Days.

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Instead of waiting and eating with the kids, we decided to head across the street to Alma Nove where we actually enjoyed our first outdoor drink of spring on my birthday back in March. How fitting that it was likely also our last time having a drink outside this year. The patio was empty, but we asked if we could sit there anyway. It turned out there was not a server for that area. It didn’t look good. Fast forward three minutes, and the manager was taking us outside to a sunny table, letting us know that they reassigned a server so we could sit outside. When we thanked her, she said it’s what they do. It was a very nice touch something they didn’t have to do. Still, we were incredibly grateful to be able to eat while taking in the sun.

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I had a glass of Prosecco to start while my husband had their Bloody Maria, a spicy Bloody Mary made with tequila.

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We decided we actually were in the mood for lighter fare which made us glad we weren’t having burgers and fries. We decided to share two salads and a side of mac and cheese.

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Fall “Caprese”, fresh burrata cheese, eggplant, tomato confit, black sea salt – This plate was so full of flavor and texture! The burrata was heavenly, a pillow of cheese filled with creamy cheese and topped with a black salt. The eggplant was done so well it melted in our mouths, and the crunchy little parmesan crisps on the side were perfect for making little sandwiches with.

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Alma Nove’s version of macaroni and cheese, truffled mafaldi, was earthy, dense, and hearty. This serving was more than enough for us to share as a side.

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We also shared this salad: Roasted red and golden beets, aged goat cheese, endive, blood orange vinaigrette.

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My husband’s love of beets continues to surprise and delight me. I enjoy them so much, and to see him get a kick out of a food item that isn’t beef smothered in cheese is exciting! The beets were super sweet, and the blood orange in the vinaigrette really accented that sweetness with a kick of citrus.

We swapped salads halfway through the meal so that each of us got a good portion of each salad. What a spectacular meal! The service was so friendly; we felt a little bad making someone come outside just for us, but our lovely server assured us it was nice for her to get to go outside.

Wahlburger’s will have to wait for another time; for delicious, higher end dining in Hingham, Alma Nove is it. Now we need to have dinner there.

Tags: Alma Nove, Dining out, Food, Hingham, Lunch, prosecco, Restaurants

Bella Notte at Aragosta

October 24, 2011 in Food, Restaurants, wine by traveleatlove | 8 comments

Boston has a new girls’ night out, and it’s at the Fairmont Battery Wharf’s recently opened Aragosta. Bella Notte Thursdays offer Boston ladies the chance to get together over cocktails and appetizers. Drink and food pairings are just $20, and they give groups of food-loving women the chance to mix and match from their carefully selected appetizer menu. On Thursday, I was lucky to be part of a group of blogger friends hosted by the Fairmont for an evening at the chef’s table. Lindsey organized everything, and I met her, along with Megan, Daisy, Bridget, and Elina and Ashley from the Fairmont for a delicious evening.

Aragosta

Sitting at a counter overlooking the busy but super organized kitchen was a feast for all of the senses. Chef David Daniels and his team never stopped moving, and it was a treat to watch our food being made. While we caught up with each other and awaited chef to work his magic, we nibbled on fresh, crusty bread, fruity olive oil, and olives. I was ravenous, and I was more than happy to have a couple pieces.

bread

Instead of ordering, chef surprised us with a bunch of favorites from the Bella Notte menu. Some of the dishes I had tried before and loved, and others were new to me. The food kept coming, and in between lots of chatter, we kept eating.

rigatoni

Truffle rigatoni with warm goat cheese fondue – this was the ultimate comfort food, creamy, warm, with hints of truffle and a dollop of tomato paste that offset the creaminess. We had this over the summer when we were staying at the Boston Yacht Haven and had dinner at Aragosta, and I was excited to see it again.

flatbread

Margherita flatbread with vine ripened tomatoes. In-season, locally sourced (when possible)ingredients are a staple in Aragosta’s menu, which changes multiple times throughout the year. Heirloom tomatoes went out of season, so chef changed up this flatbread to include tomatoes that were available. This crispy flatbread with flavorful, soft tomatoes had that little bit of smoky char that gives pizza that rustic flavor. It was divine.

lobster

Lobster and truffle crostini with white bean puree – need I say more? Lobster an truffle with creamy white beans, heaped on to crunchy crostini made for the perfect bite.

prosecco

Of course, I washed everything down with a couple of glasses of Prosecco.

meatballs

Baked veal and pancetta meatballs – Not always a huge meat eater, I was surprised to find that when we visited Aragosta in the summer, these meatballs were one of my favorites. They are soft, rich, and delightful.

figs

Warm black mission figs wrapped in prosciutto with gorgonzola dolce – this could have easily been a dessert for me. I thought it to be one of the best dishes of the night, each bite complete with soft, sweet fig, salty prosciutto, and tangy, creamy gorgonzola dolce.

salumi

Handcrafted selection of salumi

We truly had a feast, and it was the perfect food for sharing and spending time with friends. I love that Aragosta has created such a fun and delicious way for Boston’s ladies to get together. With the added bonus of nail polish changes and mini massages, Bella Notte Thursdays will definitely be something I will look forward to attending again.

Many thanks to the Fairmont Battery Wharf for hosting us.

What’s your favorite way to spend a girls’ (or guys’) night out?

Tags: Aragosta, Boston, events, Food, Restaurants, wine

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