champagne

You are currently browsing articles tagged champagne.

Wow! Wow, wow wow! What an opening event. . . Red carpet treatment from start to finish, the Del Frisco’s Boston party last night was a complete blast. Full of delicious food, swanky cocktails, Moet & Chandon Champagne, and the best service I have ever seen, this was truly a night to remember.

The outcome of the evening? We have weekend reservations for dinner. I thought the food and service was so impressive, that I need to share it with my husband.

One problem, it was cold. Very, very cold. I luckily got a lift to the restaurant, but even in my short walk, the whipping winds bit at my bare legs and tousled my skirt. I was excited to get inside and down the red carpet.

DelFrisco's Boston

Once inside, I met my friend Megan, and we made our way into the main event where we eventually found Michelle and fiancé Brett, Renee and Ryan and Fiona. There was bubbly to start, and I checked out the walls, and walls, and walls of wine inside DelFrisco’s. They are set up for wine lovers, that is for certain!

DelFrisco's Boston DelFrisco's Boston wine
DelFrisco's Boston DelFrisco's Boston

The party featured an ice luge, which none of us had seen in awhile, but it was a perfect way for pouring icy cocktails.

We made our way through the massive displays of food, from the beef sandwiches. . .

DelFrisco's Boston

To the incredibly impressive raw bar that featured shrimp, oysters, and crab.

DelFrisco's Boston

DelFrisco's Boston

 

DelFrisco's Boston

To the meat and cheese station. . .

DelFrisco's Boston

DelFrisco's Boston

We sampled a variety of passed bites, including bruschetta, cheese steak roll ups, and my favorite, the crab cake. Everything was delicious.

After awhile, Michelle, Megan, Brett, and I decided to brave the outdoors. The views from Del Frisco’s are stunning, but it was a cold and windy evening, a little too cold for outdoor dining in Boston! Still, we dealt with the elements to have an Absolut Boston cocktail. How could you not?! The bartenders themselves were Absolut Boston, friendly, charming, and tired of the lame weather in our lovely city!

Absolut Boston Absolut Boston
DelFrisco's Boston DelFrisco's Boston

Eventually we found our perfect spot in one of Del Frisco’s Board rooms where we found large dessert and Moet displays. Those aren’t munchkins below, they are cake balls! The Board rooms are gorgeous; I would definitely consider them for a private dinner or meetings.

DelFrisco's Boston

I sampled a lemon cake ball, a cheesecake ball, and a chocolate cup filled with mousse, in addition to several glasses of a glass of Moet & Chandon. Winking smile

Moet

While my attendance at Del Frisco’s opening party was complimentary, it was one of those experiences that I wanted to have again and again, thus the reservation for this Saturday. Boston has steakhouses, but DelFrisco’s does it in a new, modern,  way, with views of all of Boston. I have mentioned before that we are water signs, and a restaurant with views like Del Frisco’s is right up our alley. Boston totally needed this!

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House on Urbanspoon

Tags: Boston, champagne, DelFrisco's, Food, restaurant, wine

The No Kid Hungry Pledge, that is! I took the pledge (which is free!) on Thursday night at the Share our Strength Taste of the Nation event, an evening that brought together chefs from all over the Boston area to raise money for hungry families.

No Kid Hungry

Though the atmosphere was festive, reminders of why we were all there were posted throughout. The statistics on hunger in Massachusetts were astounding and served as a good reminder how lucky I have it.

Share our Strength

89 million meals a year skipped in Eastern MA alone. . . hard to imagine.

Share our Strength Taste of the Nation

While the focus was kept on the need that Share our Strength fills, the event also provided plenty of fun, food, and celebrity sightings. One of the highlights of the evening was meeting Top Chef superstar Tiffani Faison, who could not have been friendlier. Talking with her was like hanging out with a fun friend.

Tiffani Faison

As you would imagine the food was plentiful, and I took about 100 photos. Here are just a few. . .

Glorious goujeres with fig jam, salami, goat cheese from The Blue Room

The Blue Room

Homemade PB&J Hobnobs from Craigie on Main – hobnobs are big in Ireland, and Craigie nailed them.

Craigie on Main

Ashmont Grill went the extra mile, with Future Chefs students serving up their tasty bites.

Ashmont Grill Future Chefs

macarons

Sustainable seafood from Whole Foods River Street

Whole Foods River Street

Fresh artisan bread and rolls from Iggy’s

Iggy's

Asparagus Veloute, the way it is supposed to be made, from 606 Congress Chef Richard Garcia who is incredibly nice and also happens to have an incredibly interesting and impressive bio

606 Congress

Salt cod on crisp potato from Rialto

Rialto

And the best of Rialto and one of the best of Boston, Top Chef Masters’ Jody Adams

Jody Adams

Baklava from Athan’s, one of my favorite cafés in my old neighborhood

baklava

One of my favorite dishes, caramel-y beer braised pork with a horseradish custard from Lucca

Lucca

 

Posto

Then there was the Gargoyle’s table. Hell’s Kitchen contestant, Jason Santos was serving up something quite different than the rest.

Gargoyles

We were instructed first to eat a flower that ended up being a natural Novocain, numbing our mouths before we ate a lychee sorbet.

Gargoyles

It was painful! And my tongue was numb for quite awhile. No bueno. I am not sure numbing guests’ mouths at a food event is a good idea.

lychee sorbet

My favorite moments of the night were spent in the VIP room. Champagne from Nicolas Feuillate was flowing, and trays of food were brought to us.

Tuna tartare from Abby Park

Abby Park

Oysters from both the East and West coasts were shucked by the folks from Neptune Oyster.

Neptune Oyster

VIP lounge

I was lucky to attend the event as press, but I would absolutely recommend Taste of the Nation for a spectacular night out to benefit a cause we can all get behind. It is the perfect place to sample food from restaurants all over the Boston area, sip on cocktails and wine, and mingle with friends. I can’t wait until next year!

Tags: bloggers, Boston, champagne, events, Food, oysters, Share our Strength, Taste of the Nation, wine

Afternoon tea has always been a favorite of mine, whether it be in London, Boston, or Galway. I don’t go to tea nearly often enough, but I definitely have a list of teas that are must-tries on my life list.

Earlier this week, we intended to spend a balmy day wandering around Galway city. But, as it is in Ireland, and you can see four seasons in a day, the second we got into town, chilly rain started pelting our faces. On my long run earlier in the day, I had passed a sign for afternoon tea in the historic Hotel Meyrick in Eyre Square, and tea sounded like the perfect escape from the stormy spell.

The Hotel Meyrick is Galway’s oldest hotel and has certainly seen its share of history and famous visitors. If you have any interest, the history of the Meyrick can be found here.

Hotel Meyrick Galway

Into the Meyrick’s grand entry hall we went, and we found a seat right by the fire. I am not exaggerating when I say that nearly every establishment in Ireland has at least one fire, and I love it.

Hotel Meyrick Galway

The marble fireplace provided plenty of warmth and light as the day outside grew grayer and windier.

Hotel Meyrick Galway

We decided to have the Champagne Tea menu, being on holiday and all. It was actually quite reasonable, only 12 Euros to add two glasses of Champagne.

afternoon tea at the Hotel Meyrick Galway

Our table was quickly set with all that one needs for afternoon tea including lumps of sugar, cream, a large tea pot, delicate cups, and of course, tall, narrow flutes of bubbly.

 

 

Champagne Tea

To our delight, a tower of treats followed, the top layer bursting with strawberry custard tarts and apple cakes.

 

afternoon tea at the Hotel Meyrick Galway

The middle layer was the lunch portion, vegetable salad sandwiches and chicken salad sandwiches, along with a colorful portion of side salad, filled me up after hours of running.

afternoon tea at the Hotel Meyrick Galway

And the bottom portion was my favorite, fresh warm scones, served with a side of butter, jam, and clotted cream. As I sipped Champagne and tea, I went for the sandwiches and scones and actually left the desserts behind!

afternoon tea at the Hotel Meyrick Galway

The tea was an incredibly lovely and leisurely experience. For most of the afternoon we were the only patrons at the Meyrick, and they really took excellent care of us. It was the perfect way to warm up and to prepare for more wandering around town, listening to live traditional music, and shopping before we met the rest of the family for dinner.

The Hotel Meyrick has a spa that is rumored to be very nice, and I am adding it to the list for my next visit to Galway, hopefully this summer.

The top two afternoon tea spots on my Boston list are the Taj and Upstairs on the Square. Anyone care to join me? Winking smile 

Have you ever been to an afternoon tea? When it comes to your morning wake up, do you prefer tea or coffee?

Tags: afternoon tea, champagne, Eyre Square, Food, Galway, Ireland, scones, tea, tea sandwiches, Travel, wine

« Older entries § Newer entries »

new restaurant
WordPress SEO fine-tune by Meta SEO Pack from Poradnik Webmastera