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A brief encounter with spring and a not-so-pleasant encounter with my dentist brought me out and about on Newbury Street earlier in the week.

(Edited to add that I love my dentist. I also love seltzer water and wine and salsa and all sorts of acidic foods and drinks, which have not been super supportive of my teeth enamel. Be careful!)

Newbury Street is a favorite for warm weather wandering, and when my appointment ended at 5:45, it seemed like the right thing to stick around and enjoy the energy.

My husband thought the same thing, and after he miraculously found parking right on the street, we went for a stroll before heading into La Voile for dinner.

(Their website has music, which I absolutely hate. That’s unfortunate.)

La Voile Boston

We sat at the beautiful zinc bar and ordered cocktails to start off a long and leisurely dinner; we were there for a few hours. My cocktail, La Detente, was delicious and the perfect choice on a slightly chilly evening. The smoky Pig’s Nose scotch, Gran Classico Quinquina, and orange warmed me right up and had just the right amount of smokiness and kick. I would definitely order this again.

French Onion Soup

We decided to share French Onion Soup, a beet salad, charcuterie, and mussels for a little taste of a variety of different dishes, and it ended up being the right choice.

First of all, the soup was to.die.for. The broth was so rich and savory, and the gooey cheese and bread were heavenly. It was *almost* as good as my mom’s and made me realize I need more French Onion Soup in my life.  So good.

beet salad

The salad was a needed addition to our diets. We’ve been trying to eat more vegetables, and since we both love beets, this was a great option. Moules frites are always a good choice, especially when a creamy lemon curry option is available, and the frites are perfectly golden, hot, and crisp. I loved dunking frites into the flavorful curry.

moules frites

The charcuterie was one of the best I’ve had, with a truffle pate and a garlicky sausage and pickled onions, all just delicious.

charcuterie

kir royale

While we were finishing up, our server brought us each a complimentary Kir Royale. It turns out they needed us to move to accommodate a larger party, which given that it was Red Sox opening day, we would have been happy to do. It was a nice touch though, to have them offer us something before even asking. I love a Kir Royale!

espresso Settled into new seats and perfectly happy, we decided to stay for espresso and dessert, a chocolate fondant that was gooey and warm, paired with vanilla ice cream. Again, a simple, flawless plate.

chocolate fondant We could have stayed all night, but Monday dates are a rare treat, and we needed to get home to work. We looked longingly at La Voile’s patio as we left, vowing to return on a warmer night for much longer.

La Voile Patio

La Voile was an exceptional dining experience and perfect for a date night. Service and food were both excellent, I loved their wine list and cozy space, and am happy to have another Boston date night favorite on the list.

Tags: Boston, date night, dessert, Dining out, Restaurants, wine

Looking through my phone’s camera roll, it appears I have been eating, drinking, and being pretty merry (and eating and drinking some more). It’s time for a roundup of all of the greats of late that somehow haven’t made it into the blog!

lunch at Abe & Louie's

I learned all about the natural beauty of Germany and German tourism over an incredible steak salad lunch at Abe & Louie’s. This was the second Germany Tourism event I attended, and just like the first one on travel to Bavaria, it made me want to plan a trip to Germany soon!

 

Cidergeist

Cidergeist launched in Boston! I was in Puerto Rico for the launch, but they sent me samples, and I loved the Semi Dry Hard Cider.

Dorset Hall Dorchester

Dorset Hall

Dorset Hall shepherd's pie

We went to a new local Dorchester spot, Dorset Hall on their opening night and fell in love.  Their cocktails, raw bar, pork chop, and shepherd’s pie are all awesome, the space is huge and beautiful, and the staff is great. They nailed it so much on that first night we have been back three times since. It’s a nice addition to our Dorchester restaurant lineup!

New England Boat Show We went to the New England Boat Show and bought a boat. Oops.

It wasn’t spur of the moment though. We went two days in a row did hours of research before we decided on a brand new Stingray. I can.not.wait to get back on the water. The new boat is completely different than the old one. It’s a bowrider, which means the front is open and perfect for sunning and jumping into the sea. Not having a cabin means it is shallower in the water, easier to beach on islands out in Boston Harbor for lazy days, and yet it still has a bathroom (my requirement).

 

Two Shepherds wine club

Spring wine clubs starting arriving. We love Two Shepherds Wine, and now that Massachusetts laws have changed, getting our favorite wine is so much easier!

Hotel Northampton

I started working with two new clients, Hotel Northampton in Hampshire County Massachusetts and gardenUP, a turnkey solution for design, delivery, and installation of gardens.

gardenUP

gardenUP exhibited at the Boston Flower and Garden Show. Between the media preview of the show and visiting the gardenUP booth, I went to this beautiful event twice!

Boston Flower and Garden Show

gardening

It inspired me to get planning for my own garden, which is one of my favorite activities to do all year. I can’t wait to see things growing!

Tango Arlington I made a visit up to Arlington for a friend and business dinner at Tango, steak tips, seasoned veggies,  and Malbec, which was basically all I was craving. It was so simple and flavorful and perfect.

North Plank Tavern

We visited family in NJ for Easter and made another stop at the amazing gem of a restaurant, North Plank Tavern, which we found at Christmas. I had the Applejack Manhattan, made with Laird Applejack, which was once made in this historic building! Sitting at the bar is always my favorite, since we like to chat. At this place, every time we visit we learn a little more about the tavern, which has such an interesting history. And we confirmed it also has a few ghosts.

 

Michel Schlumberger wine prime rib dinner

My family put together some amazing meals including our Saturday dinner of a 13 pound prime rib and vegetable sides, paired with a bottle of incredible Le Sage Merlot from one of our visits to Michel Schlumberger in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. I miss Sonoma something fierce these days.

sparkling wine by the ocean

And finally, we have enjoyed some outdoor bubbly (in glasses we picked up at Shanga in Tanzania). This was from a Sunday night at the yacht club where it was just the two of us around watching the sun sort of set on a cloudy evening. Perfection.

What bits of this and that have you been enjoying?

Tags: boating, Boston, business, clients, cocktails, flowers, Food, gardening, Travel, wine

When you think of pairing food and beverage, wine and beer often come to mind, but it’s a little less frequently that  you hear of a Scotch pairing menu. The Macallan is changing that with their Scotch Supper Club events which offer a delectable scotch and food pairing, along with education on the delicious pours.

My friend Catherine kindly invited us to the W Hotel in Boston for the supper club. and we met early for her recent favorite, a Macallan Manhattan.

Macallan Manhattan

I completely understand now why this is a favorite. This drink packed a powerful punch but was also so well-balanced and tasty.

Scotch Supper Club

After our cocktails in the lobby bar, we headed into the event space for the scotch dinner, where we were greeted with places set with Macallan scotch and menus that featured the pairings.

Macallan Tasting Scotch Supper Club

We launched into the meal with Macallan 12 and an amuse of a rich, smoky bacon lardon, which was delightful with slightly sweet notes of the scotch. It was the perfect bite and sip!

amuse bouche

posole stew

Our second pairing was Macallan 15 Fine Oak with an earthy posole, made hearty with marrow with nice crunchy vegetables for a flavor and texture contrast. The fine oak aging of the whisky gives it a lighter color and body, making it really go with the food rather than overpowering it.

beef cheek The third course, beef cheek with a savory bread pudding, was out-of-this-world with Macallan 18, which was a bit fruitier and balanced out the meat, bread, and cheese.

 

chipotle chocolate layer cake

And then there was heaven. I had been craving cake in the worst way, and this chipotle chocolate number was incredible. They paired it with Macallan Rare Cask which is a dessert in itself with its notes of cocoa, vanilla, and spice. The spice in the cake was really enhanced by the whisky. It was all just so good.

I was very glad that we had parked far away and that it was a nice night’’; I left so full of deliciousness that the walk really did me good. It was a night to remember!

Tags: Boston, Boston blogger, events, Macallan, Scotch, whisky

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