Boston

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I wrote the below post before the horrific terrorist attacks on Paris on Friday. I have been thinking about all of those affected  by the attacks all weekend and still, like so many others, have no ability to make sense of what happened or the state our world is in. I spent much of the weekend anxious and sad.

I thought about not posting today, but ultimately, I can sit around and feel sad or I can share my love of life with blog readers, people who have, through technology, become friends over the years. I hope that continuing to share things we love and to keep an eye on one another and to connect can help us to keep the love and light in the world when there are some determined to take it away.

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I’ve mentioned it a few times, but our dining habits lately have been leaning sharply toward Dorchester. We’ve visited Tavolo, Ester, and Ashmont Grill quite frequently, and they are so good and so close that it’s hard not to  pull ourselves away.

Last week after drinks with friends we found ourselves in the Fort Point area of Boston and suddenly starving. We were parked by Bastille Kitchen, so we decided to go in and grab a couple of appetizers.

I instantly fell in love with the space and the buzz of energy and activity. The restaurant was busy but had a nice noise level and lots of smiling patrons.

Domaine Augis "La Rosée"

They had a nice by-the-glass wine selection, and I of course went with pink bubbly, Domaine Augis "La Rosée", which added to the already celebratory Friday mood.

I had started the week off with a terrible 36 hour bug and as a result hadn’t eaten much more than soup all week, but at Bastille Kitchen my appetite came back with a vengeance. Their bread basket is not just bread, but warm, buttery mini croissants, which I basically attacked. They were flaky and heavenly. If I could have a warm basket delivered every morning, I would be all set.

warm croissants

Date night always includes oysters, and we polished these off in no time. Fresh, cold, perfect – I love oysters this time of year!

oysters

Now, the plan was to share some appetizers and then to head home, but my ravenous post-illness body saw the Porterhouse for two, and that was all I could think about.

Sides It came with asparagus, potato gratin, grilled tomatoes, and sauce bordelaise, and we got a bit of horseradish on the side, and it was all simply dreamy. The meat barely needed a knife. It was so tender and flavorful, and all of the vegetables were the perfect accompaniments. We ate every bite; I definitely took the lead on this endeavor!

Porterhouse for Two It felt so good to want to eat after feeling so miserable, so we ordered dessert. Profiteroles, light, fluffy, another pastry win, were stuffed with caramel chip ice cream and had a warm hazelnut chocolate sauce for pouring.

profiteroles

The service at Bastille Kitchen was as exquisite as the food and ambiance. Our server and everyone who cared for us were so pleasant and attentive and smiling all the while. It was just a lovely experience. I can’t wait to return.

Tags: Boston, date night, Dining out, dinner, Food, Restaurants, wine

Wine dinners are one of my favorite ways to get together with friends, and this past Sunday we finally had the Hope Family Wines wine dinner at Pastoral that we won at the Lovin’ Spoonfuls Tailgate auction last year.  Lovin’ Spoonfuls is an incredible organization that just recently rescued its 3 millionth pound of food! The tailgate is coming up again in November; get your tickets here, and let’s feed more people in need!

Trying to get a group of 10 friends together is harder than I thought it would be. Initially we wanted to have the dinner last winter after our trip to Tanzania, but I got so sick afterwards, then it was summer, and we just never went through with it.

pastoral wine dinner

Planning the dinner was even more difficult as I worked with at least three different event managers at Pastoral over the months. Between trying to confirm a date and time and then confirm guests, it all really came together last minute. As a result, I was a little frustrated and worried that it wouldn’t go well. In the end, the wines were great, the food was good, and our group had a wonderful time together.

Our dinner consisted of four courses paired with four wines from  Hope Family Wines. A wine rep came in to walk us through the wines, which was a really nice touch. We started things off with the 2013 Liberty School Chardonnay, some incredibly delicious, salty (in a good way) fried olives stuffed with meat, and a beautiful and refreshing wood-fired octopus with crispy crunchy apple and kohlrabi. It was a perfect autumn dish and made me sad that my kohlrabi isn’t growing yet.

Liberty School Chardonnaystuffed olivesgrilled octopus

The second wine was my favorite of the night, a Treana White Blend of Marsanne and Viognier, two varietals I love. There was a delicious, tropical lusciousness to the wine, and I think, while the orrechiette with rock shrimp and arrabiata was delicious, I think the wine would have paired better with something spicier. Then again, my tolerance for spice is extremely high, so my guests may have disagreed.

pasta

The third course was a rich pork belly with buratta and sausage polenta, an unexpected combination of warm and cold that worked really well together. That meaty, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly went great with  the Treana Red Blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, which had great structure and spice, along with blackberry notes. This wine was, to me, decidedly autumnal, and the pairing was beautiful.

pork belly

The final course that Chef brought out was the most stunning, an almond tart with gorgeous fresh figs, fromage blanc, and caramel. I was so full at this point, but the dessert was amazing. I need to have it again. The wine pairing was a 2012 Austin Hope Syrah, an earthy wine that I wouldn’t necessarily pair with dessert. I would definitely love to drink it on its own though!

I loved that Pastoral had some of the wines on tap, so they were served in carafes rather than from the bottle. They were super fresh, and it was a nice touch.

fig dessert at Pastoral

We had a great view of the kitchen from our table, which was a fun experience as we really felt part of the action and were close enough for Chef to come back and forth to provide explanations to us.

Long tables are tough for big groups though, and  I felt bad that I spent a good part of the meal out of my seat. I wanted to make sure I chatted with everyone in our group and decided for groups bigger than six I prefer a cocktail-style setting. Overall though, we agreed that the food and wine were excellent, the service very attentive, and the venue a fun spot for group outings.

Tags: Boston, Hope Family Wines, Pastoral, wine, wine and food pairing, wine dinner, wine tasting

Fall has arrived! While summer will always have my heart, early fall is definitely my second favorite time of year. Sure, I hate the early darkness and slowing garden productivity, but brilliant blue skies and sunny days, apple picking, and fall cooking all help a little. I’ll let you in on a little secret.  . . as much as I live for summer produce, I really love fall cooking! I love roasting and braising and making hearty, comfy one pot meals to pair with red wine.

Last weekend we got an early start on autumn fun with a trip to Belkin Family Lookout Farm. I am obsessed with local food and growing or picking my own fruit and vegetables, and I was excited about the variety at Belkin. This Natick farm, founded in 1651, can be found after a really lovely drive through Wellesley, and had several types of apples, Asian pears, peaches, and plums, in addition to pumpkins, cider donuts, caramel corn, and tons of other fall flavors. For families, they have children’s play area. To get anywhere on the property, everyone must take a train, which is fun for all ages!

apple picking near Boston

We arrived and caught the train out to the orchards to get picking. We filled a giant bag with fruit and may have sampled a few pieces along the way. The air was fresh, the weather was perfect, and it felt amazing to have such a beautiful outdoor space to spend the day in.

apple picking plum

apple picking

plums

pumpkin picking

 

cider donuts

On the way out of the orchard, we browsed the farm store and picked up the requisite cider donuts, which we tucked into immediately. I don’t even like most donuts, but man, a fresh cider donut is pretty incredible and these were some of the best I have had.

Right on the property also sits the Lookout Farm Taproom, serving hard cider that they make, along with food items like charcuterie and flatbread. Of course we had to go in for a tasting! We shared a cider flight, with the two standouts being the pumpkin cider, which had nice baking spice notes, and the summer cider, which had lemongrass and ginger notes. All were crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink.

Lookout Farm Cider Lookout Farm hard cider cider at Lookout Farm

A visit to Belkin Lookout Farm is easy from Boston, and it opens up your day to a beautiful area with lots of open space. It’s only 20 minutes from Boston but feels like a real getaway. If you are looking for fun apple picking followed by delicious adult beverages ( and a TV for football), definitely add Belkin Lookout Farm to your fall fun list.

Tags: apple picking, apples, autumn, Boston, day trips from Boston, fall, harvest, New England, peaches, pears, plums, Travel

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