Restaurants

NOT JUST A STOP ALONG THE WAY

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Now that my book on the Ivy League is being sold at the Coop, Grendel’s and Dudley Café, I will be in Harvard Square a good deal more.

Lucky for me, there are a lot more great places to eat and talk about the book.

Even luckier- many of my favorites are all run by the same chef!

I recently regaled Chef Michael Scelfo’s family-friendly and family-inspired pizzeria Josephine and I’ve often hung out at his Alden and Harlow and Longfellow Bar before or after a show at the Brattle Theatre or the American Rep. Most recently, however, I had the opportunity to step a bit out of the Square to check out his fish-forward fare at Waypoint.

In addition to a combination of two of my favorite things – caviar and donuts (both of which are available on their own to “bump” an already amazing meal!) – Wayfair has become known for such reel ‘em in family-style favorites as their Maine-sourced seasonal Uni tray, lobster cacio e pepe with koji butter and pecorino, hearth-baked pizzas topped with such creative choices as clams, smoked whitefish, and mixed mushrooms, and three sizes of oyster towers!

Speaking of oysters- Waypoint recently leaned into their popular $1 oyster program by expanding it to every day! And while you will need to order at the bar on Fridays and Saturdays, with drinks like the Absinthe minded (a particular favorite of the many professors in the area), a traditional (and yummy!) milk punch, regional beers and ciders, and wonderful wines of various colors, it is no hardship!

Though Chef Scelfo may see Waypoint as the next step along his culinary path, it is surely a great last stop for any fans of great food and drink (whether you go to Harvard or not) and one I plan to make a (way)point to revisit soon.

PS Be sure to ask for Lauren! 😉

HOLI PARTY!

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The ancient Indian festival of Holi is March 24. Especially in this time of trial and trouble, it will be good to celebrate color and hope.

And who better to lead the festivities than the community-minded team at Shanti?

On March 30th from 2-6 PM, Shanti will partner with Roslindale Village Main Streets to host a Holi celebration at Rozzy’s historic and beautiful Adams Park. In addition to marking the Hindu holiday, the event will be an opportunity for people to create interfaith community with the help of music, dance, activities, and Shanti’s amazing food.

At the festival, there will be a trio of food vendors offering Shanti’s incredibly authentic (and delicious!) momo and mithai, street snacks like samosa and pakora and various types of chaat, all of which are sure to satisfy! There will also be plenty of Shanti’s refreshing mango lassi and the traditional Holi spiced milk drink Bhang.

While guests can dance to Holi music provided by a local DJ, there will also be dance performances by a team from Westford Academy and Bollywood dancers. At around 4:45, the traditional color display will be presented, bringing brightness to the darkening day and encouraging everyone to seek Shanti, which means “peace.”

In other Shanti-related news, the Dudley Café (which is also run by the Chowdhury family) will be selling my book on the Ivy League at the Cambridge location! So if you are or know a Harvard student who needs to fill up with delicious food or life-sustaining coffee, encourage them to take a fun study break with the help of Lions, Tigers, and…Bulldogs.

 

A MOVING MEAL

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The W Boston has long been a place to see and be seen.

Recently, however, they introduced a new dining option that is hard to take your eyes off of!

In partnership with TableMation Studios, the W now offers a three-course dinner menu that comes with three dimensions of immersive experience.

Combining 3D animation and state-of-the-art 4K projectors above each table, each course is accompanied not just by the W’s impeccable service but also by characters that chat and interact with diners and dance to their own original score that should appeal to Swifties and seniors alike.

The 90-minute digital dinner theater follows Chef Nya on a culinary world tour that ends in spectacular fashion at the Eiffel Tower.

In real life, W’s Executive Chef Garrison Cossu offers such far-flung favorites as crispy Ahi tuna tempura, seared filet mignon with black garlic honey, braised beef sachetti with curried carrots, and a sweet sabayon with berries and macaron that will make diners feel as if there were really in France!

To up the Parisian panache, guests can add wine pairings for an additional fee. For many, however, the trip and the tastes are enough to make their head swim.

Younger travelers can enjoy fried mac & cheese and fried chicken and their own fun drinks like a raspberry and citrus Blue Lagoon.

Special diet substitutions are available with advanced notice, so it is a great trip for any age and appetite.

ANOTHER WINIKER WINNER

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As anyone who listens to our spots or who just knows me knows, I will travel pretty far to hear the Winiker Brothers.

They have been dear friends to both Jordan and myself for decades and are the go-to call not only when we want the best music for any event but when we want support for our lives in general or just for a meal.

That is why I hope to be at Neroli in Westwood on April 4, when the Brothers will make their delicious debut at their latest venue.

In addition to convincingly playing everything from Tony Bennett to Taylor Swift, Bill and Bo and their cohort of top bandmates have also played everywhere from the old and new Gardens to the White House, so you can always be sure of a great night of music when they are on the bill!

At Neroli, the Winiker’s music will complement an equally impressive bill of fare that includes their signature bruschetta with Stracciatella and roasted baby heirloom tomatoes, arancini with brain-healthy and satisfying saffron risotto, three-meat meatballs, salumi and cheese boards, freshly-layered lasagna, lobster ravioli, and other traditional Italian fare served with New England flair.

If you can’t make it that night, they are open Tuesday through Sunday with Sunday brunch and a special Sunday supperclub to help you get ready for the week ahead. If you can’t make it in at all but still want great food, Neroli also offers a take-out market and catering so they- like the Winikers- can get you exactly what you want for your next big event.

GRAZIE, SETH!

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Seth Greenberg has long been known as the man behind Mistral, Mooo, M80, and many more massive hits.
This spring, he will make his latest splash on the banks of the Charles River when he opens MonteVerdi at the Four Diamond Royal Sonesta Hotel in Cambridge.

Turning the German into Italian, MonteVerdi pays tribute to the Greenberg’s family’s time near Venice, where Seth’s late father owned a clothing factory and where his mother was dubbed “Signora Monteverdi.” 

Combining views of the Charles with flavors of the Po and Tiber, MonteVerdi will also bring together the titanic (and locally-spourced) talents of former Ashmont Grill and Rendezvous Chef Christian Ellis, Serafina Back Bay and Verb Hotel manager Jared Hall, and Seth’s favorite designer, Petra Hausberger of Somerton Park Interiors.

Greenberg’s menu is apparently going for the “less is more” philosophy that is the mark of great Italian cooking. With flatbread pizzas and freshly-made pastas to locally-sourced seafood, a new edition of legendary chef Gordon Hammersley’s roast chicken, and an amazing homemade sauce, MonteVerdi will offer everything your Nonna did…and more! 
Opening just as the weather warms, Monteverdi will not only offer an al fresco raw bar but also one of the largest terraces in town, making it the perfect place for a beautiful brunch, a dreamy dinner, or an Italian-inspired evening. This is such a scoop that there is not even a website yet, but you can try www.sonesta.com.

NO NEED TO LEAVE

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My family and I are fortunate enough to have been invited by my wonderful in-laws to Italy next month.

And while I enjoy spending time with them and have long wanted to see the stadium that was inspired by Harvard (Ha!), I recently found a new reason to not go- or at least to not fly.

In addition to the growing issues with aircraft, I was recently given pause by the fact that James Beard Foundation champion and local legend Karen Ackunowicz is opening a branch of her legendary Fox & the Knife at Logan Airport!

Inspired by the Top Chef champ’s own time in Italy and supported by airport restaurateur Paradies Lagardère, Fox & Flight will allow people from all over to enjoy Chef’s bold and beloved Italian dishes as they wait to go to Italy or anywhere else.

As Fox fans already know, however, the food can be so good that you too may not want to leave!

In addition to handmade pastas and bright antipasti dishes, the Logan outpost will offer Aperitivo and Amaro programs that can make flying easier for even the most anxious aviators.

For those who want more international variety at the international terminal, Paradies Lagardère also hosts other local legends at Logan like Berkshire Farms, Stephanie’s, Boston Beer Works, Davio’s, and Vino Volo, but the Fox & the Knife is sure to cut in just fine and may even help people get a reservation at the main location!Grazie, Karen!          

A CORNERSTONE OF SUPPORT

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Another Pi Day has come and gone, but for fans of doing good for others and great food and drink, I have good news!

As Matt’s Meals fans know, I also work with an organization called Project Insulin (a.k.a., “PI”) that is working to craft a generic insulin that will allow people who cannot afford inflated Big Pharma prices to get their life-sustaining medicine.

For their latest celebration of Pi Day, PI hosted a party at The Cornerstone in Somerville. In addition to raising over $5,000 with help from their primary sponsor, Rockland Trust, supporters also raised a special drink that will continue to offer dividends to PI throughout the month.

In addition to the special drinks and special feeling you can get at The Cornerstone knowing how they support the community with more than just great food, you can also enjoy how Somerville native Chef David Oshima combines New England favorites with Asian and Pacific Islander flare.

In addition to his already famous “Sommahville” clam chowder (or is it “chowdah”?) that is inspired by the fare his father used to bring home from Faneuil Hall, Chef also offers a Loco Moco and Hawaiian chicken salad that hearken back to his more distant ancestors. If you want seafood, Cornerstone has tuna tartare or steak frites style, mussels served in either a white wine garlic of fra diavolo red sauce, and shrimp served in even more ways! They also offer a vegetable tower that Chef admits converted him from a full-time carnivore! If you want meat, however, the Cajun fried chicken sandwich, multiple wing flavors and taco fillings, and a legit Wagyu burger fit the bill. There is so much variety that it is easy to make the Cornerstone the cornerstone of your diet many times a week! And if you go soon, you can help PI help other people sustain life while you are at it! https://thecornerstonesomerville.com /http://projectinsulin.org

NOT SO “COMMON”

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Though I am still not over the loss of Latina in Needham Center, the new spot om the corner looks to be a new favorite.

Called the Common Room, the space brings together industry veterans from Hamilton in Brookline, Caffe Graffiti and Dante in Boston and the Salem Food Market in a comfy space that looks like a sports bar but has a menu that goes far beyond!

Though there are plenty of TVs, lots of local and distant beers, and maybe too many images of a former quarterback we used to know, the focus of the new venue appears to be the food.

In addition to seven flavors of chicken tenders (including the already “most popular” honey hots, which deserve the early title), the Common Room offers such proven hits as Chef Dave’s “famous” meatballs, as well as dishes that are sure to become such, like an impressive eggplant or chicken parm with a creamy three-cheese fondue and potato skins that are so loaded with bacon, cheese, and grilled onions that they can make a meal by themselves.

Be sure to save room, however, for the Common Room also has impressive salads and entire mini-menus of flatbread pizzas (including “the Griff” with grilled chicken and alfredo sauce and the “trio”  with ricotta, bacon, and asparagus), sandwiches (including Impossible, turkey, and homemade falafel burgers), and desserts that are so good, they sold out the night I was there!

Though they pay their respects to their Needham neighbors with a great drink called Needham Nectar with bourbon and Agave and a blue rocket burger with gorgonzola, crispy prosciutto, and fig jam, I would predict that the Common Rom quickly becomes another Needham nugget that draws crowds from far and wide.

See you there!                            

  https://commonroomneedham.com

RECONVENING THE COMMITTEE

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While international chains continue to flood the already flooding Seaport, a few local legends continue to hang strong.

Committee has been in the area for 10 years, serving award-winning Greek food that has since been echoed (but never equaled!) elsewhere in the area.

And while the restaurant’s reputation remains strong, the savvy team behind it knows that change can be a good thing.

Not willing to mess up the good thing they have, however, the main change involved returning to a past winner, as owner George Aboujaoude (who we recently feted as the mastermind behind Eva in Back Bay) recently brought back OG Executive Chef Luis Figueroa, who had been heading up the Hellenistic revival in the meantime.

With his proven hand at the helm, confident changes to the menu have also been made, including and reintroducing a weekday lunch service from 11-3 that features build-your-own salads featuring quinoa, couscous, and Greek slaw that are then individualized with Mediterranean dips and proteins like chicken gyro and grilled octopus. 

The popular weekend brunch ups the Athenian influence as well with a Greek croque madame with kasseri cheese bechamel. 

As for dinner, lamb chops with Greek fries and ouzo-marinated shrimp Saganaki with tomato, garlic, and feta cheese will please everyone democratically. Be sure to save room for the uber-authentic Galaktoboureko vanilla custard with crisp phyllo dough and a boba tea-based beverage that is a hit with kids of all ages. 

It’s Greek Revival in its most delicious form!   

https://committeeboston.com

THE GREATEST BREW ON EARTH

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I was recently privileged enough to spend some time in the beautiful environs of Utah. While the skiing was good (at least compared to out east) and the new flag inspiring, one of my favorite finds came as I was headed back to the airport to come home.

Just off the highway between Park City and Salt Lake City is Park City Brewing, a comfortable place to eat, drink, and recuperate from a hard day on the slopes or at the office.

With mylar igloos out front to facilitate dining al fresco even in a champagne blizzard and a small but complete brewing set in the back to facilitate the venue’s delicious malt-based creations, Park City Brewing offers locally-inspired and made beers, hard seltzers and other refreshing treats along with great comfort food. From malty and slightly sweet beer-infused pretzel mounds to Silvercreek bratwurst and chicken sandos that fill your mouth with flavor and just call out for a frosty following of one of the venue’s well-crafted brews to hand-crafted caramel corn with nuts, Park City Brew has far more than beer but the beers are worth the trip on their own! The Mexican lager is muy auténtico and their famed Powder Buoy pilsner pays tribute to the local weather patterns that have made the area so famous among skiers. They also offer their own root beer and a rotating raft of seasonal and experimental flavors- many of which get demanded again and again by regulars and visitors alike. 

Utah may claim the greatest snow on earth, but the beer is not so bad either, especially at Park City Brewing.     

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