Take your pick from Champlain Orchards

Though apple picking season may be a bit behind us, that does not mean it is too late for great cider (as if it were ever!).

That is why I was so excited to hear all that is going on in one of my favorite cider sources- Champlain Orchards!

While they are celebrating 25 years under the same name and family ownership, Champlain is far from resting on their laurels. These days they are growing over 150 different kinds of apples (did you know there WERE so many?!) as well as a massive mix of pears, plums, cherries, and more! After every harvest, the Champlain team sell some of this premiere produce directly and making amazing ciders and other tasty treats out of the rest.

Recently, the Orchard started tapping into their sugar maple trees in order to add organic maple products to the mix to make such sweet stuff as a a maple cider syrup that is truly the best of both worlds!

Among my favorites of their ecologically-processed products are such Good Food and other award-winners like their Mac & Maple (which is reminiscent of their amazing new cider syrup), their cider-Sangria mashup called Sidria, the Honeycrisp ice cider, and their sugar-free selections like their top-selling Kingston Dry that are great refreshers after a day of shoveling (or not).

Though Champlain distributes throughout the region, a visit to their Shoreham, VT, mothership will be made all the sweeter with the opening of their new Cider Garden, which offers full pours, small bites, fire pits, lawn games, and plenty of pick-your-own pleasure!

Champlain Orchards has long been a favorite, but as they continue to expand their offerings, I hope that I do not fall behind trying them all.

I will surely enjoy the effort!

www.champlainorchards.com

Hit the Deck and cozy up in Boston’s Seaport

Posted by Matt Robinson

As Boston’s swanky Seaport continues to become overburdened (and apparently begins to sink!), it is reassuring to know that there is a great hotel called Yotel where you can eat and drink and even stay right at the entry (or exit) point so you can ease your way in or enjoy a last drink on the way out (and, if you have too many, stay for the night).

In addition to great food and drink and comfy and cozy rooms that you check into using their resident robot, Yotel also offers packages that include everything from Children’s Museum passes to bed and brunch packages, as well as discounts for government agents and Federal employees who may be dropping by the nearby courthouse or just getting away from the gun and badge set.

Among the most popular parts of Yotel Boston is the rooftop resto-bar known as Deck 12. While this swanky see-and-be-seen site offers great food and some of the best views of Boston all year, it has recently been converted into the seasonal sensation APRÈS…@ Deck 12. If such a rooftop would come across any mishaps, the owners can Explore Services.

To celebrate the season and replicate a cozy mountain lodge, Deck 12 has been decked out with gondolas, chair lifts, and ski-themed Adirondack chairs. And if a rooftop in winter does not sound appetizing, rest assured that every guest gets personalized heaters and cozy blankets to keep them warm even without an adult beverage.

Speaking of beverages, the APRÈS…@ Deck 12 menu will also include such seasonal sippers as the yummy rum-my Naughty Toddy, the Norse-inspired Thor’s Hammer (featuring real Brennivin aquavit), and the cinnamon-y Sugar Mountain, as well as fiery fondues and other great grub. There are even special menus for dinner after 5 and weekend brunches from 10 to 3 and also the option of dining away from the elements but still in touch with all the winter-themed fun in their equally cozy indoor space.

So if skiing is not your thing but après is, take the Yotel gondola (er- elevator) up to Deck 12 and enjoy a slope-side celebration in the city!

www.deck12bos.com

Coffee from the Source

Posted by Matt Robinson

For many years, I have been talking about great places to get coffee. Perhaps the best place, however, is Africa, which is commonly considered the birthplace of coffee.

If you want to get a great taste of some of the oldest and best coffees in the world, the African Coffee Club is a great place to start!

A third-generation family-owned business that was founded by a coffee-making family, the African Coffee Club distributes coffees from all over the continent to coffee lovers all over the world.

From Burundi and Cameroon to Tanzania and Zambia, the Club offers access to all of the best sources from this uniquely-situated coffee climate. And as all of the coffees come from individual farmers, they are natural single-origin and naturally processed, allowing more of each coffee’s flavor and culture to shine through.

For those who are new to coffee or new to African coffee, the Club offers a wide range a gift sets. Once you have chosen some favorites, the Club’s subscription service allows members to receive different coffee’s every two, four, or six weeks, or just to buy or try a new favorite one at a time. The coffees are perfect whether you like drip, French press, or pour over, and cannot only help you find your next favorite coffee but can also make for great gifts for friends, family, and colleagues that will open their eyes and their pallets to great new flavors that are actually some of the greatest old flavors the world has ever known.

In addition to offering great coffee to their members and customers, the African Coffee Club also offers great support to their member farmers, paying above market value to their independent producers throughout Africa and using sustainable farming practices that not only result in great coffee but also demonstrate great ways to run agriculture and business. It has also helped members of the founding family go to school and benefitted their community and culture in many other ways, making each cup even more satisfying!

Want great coffee with a great story? Go to the source with the African Coffee Club.

www.africancoffeeclub.com

HARVESTING SNOW

Posted by Matt Robinson

Have you ever had a food or drink that you love so much you want to enjoy it now but also want to save some for a special occasion?
I feel that way about the Fox Hill Maple wine from Snow Farm Vineyard.

As the vineyard is located on an island, it is special to begin with. When you taste that fresh crisp wine with just enough real maple sweetness, it is special on another level!

And while I am a BIG fan of their maple wine, I have also fallen for many of their other offerings.

Snow Farm’s Seyval Blanc (which is apparently the favorite of their head winemaker- and for good reason!) balances dry and fruity flavors and mouthfeels, much like a zesty Sauvignon Blanc. Their Vidal Blanc is put through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, imparting a comforting smoothness that can be enhanced with age or enjoyed as soon as you receive (or give) it.

While their menu of wonderful wines continues to grow, special attention has clearly been paid to Snow Farm’s recently-released Fortress Red- a fortified Port-style wine made exclusively from the Farm’s own Frontenac grapes that is aged in oak, releasing scents and flavors of chocolate, coffee, and a hint of licorice that make it ideal for accompanying a wide range of foods or being enjoyed on its own like a fine aperitif.

If you cannot choose your favorite (as I apparently have- at least for now!), Snow Farm also offers gift sets that are great for introducing others (or yourself) to their fine flights. For those in the know (or those who want to be such), there is also a Snow Farm Wine Club that gives members discojnts on what they already love and the inside track on what is coming up.

Speaking of coming up, Snow Farm is looking forward to opening their own distillery next year and to making a new line of liquors right on the island as well.

For information on all of their oenophilic and other offerings, visit www.SnowFarm.com. And the next time you are in the area of South Hero, VT (which is worth a trip for the wine and the natural beauty), be sure to drop by and tell ‘em Matt’s Meals sent ya!

WINE, MEN and WOMEN, AND SONG

Posted by Matt Robinson

I recently enjoyed a concert by one of the first bands I ever reviewed – The Slambovian Circus of Dreams – at City Winery in Boston and it not only brought back memories of my earliest days as a writer but also my love for live music combined with great food and drink.

Ever eager to bring such great memories and good vibes to their guests, City Winery is expanding upon the great tipple and tune combos that I mentioned recently such as the Sunday Berklee band brunches and Monday night Soul Pairings with a new offering that builds upon their already popular Vinofile Club.

While the original Vinofile membership includes 48-hour advanced access to concert tickets (with no fees!) and points that can be used toward future food and ticket purchases, as well as access to members-only events, the Plus level adds a bottle of the Winery’s monthly featured wine, a monthly wine flight in the restaurant, entrance to exclusive monthly tastings (with a guest!), access to limited-edition wines, and a complimentary entree and glass the week of your birthday! And at only $30 a month, the monthly bottle of wine alone makes it all worth wine (I mean worthwhile)!City Winery’s award-winning wines are made with world-class grapes from around the world and combine old world techniques combined with 21st-century technology. As everything from grape selection and fermentation to bottling happens in one place, there is no wine fresher or more creative than those at the Winery. When you add great food and some of the most popular musical acts around, it makes the Winery a great place to visit and revisit month after month (if not more often!).

Even if you are not a member of the clubs (at least not yet), the Winery has also prepared holiday gift baskets for those who cannot make it in all the time and for anyone who appreciates great gifts of great wine.

Holiday Cheers!

citywinery.com/boston

LIFE-SAVING FOOD

Posted by Matt Robinson

Especially in these times when so many go without the basic necessities and so many more have challenges concerning healthcare, it is heartening to see a union between a hospitality organization and a hospital that benefits all involved.

The Viscariello Hospitality Group (which includes such South Shore staples as Mamma Mia’s, ThreeV, Carmela’s, and Mia’s Catering) (VHG) recently announced a $30,000 donation to the new Beth Israel Lahey Health Breast Center in Plymouth, which provides women in the region easier access to the clinical and support services, including screening and diagnosis and also treatment and counseling and education.

The donation will support the center’s registration stations and help make patients feel more welcomed and comfortable during challenging times in their own lives.

As it is a family-owned organization, it may be no surprise that the Viscariello Group used their profits from food sales to support other families in the region. Fortunately, their food is so good and also family recipe-inspired that it is easy to give back to them so they can give more to others. Form Mama Mia’s homemade pizza and pasta to Carmela’s upscale but still family-friendly Italian fare to the more eclectic but still comfortable Three V (which, as the name suggests, is run by the Viscariello family’s third generation), the Group has a wide range of venues all over the South Shore, making it easy for anyone to come find new favorites every time they drop by. And if they cannot visit when they want, Mia’s catering can help bring the Viscariello family’s flavors to wherever they are!

Talk about providing care for the neighborhood!

www.viscariellohg.com

MORE WINE AT JUST THE RIGHT TIME

Posted by Matt Robinson

While I remain a devoted fan and patron of the Boston Harbor Hotel’s Wine & Food Festival (which kicks off January 12 and runs through March), I am also looking forward to the return of the area’s largest weekend wine event – the Boston Wine Expo – which is scheduled to return to the Boston Park Plaza Hotel March 25 and 26.

This year’s events at the Boston Harbor Hotel include dinners featuring Chef David Daniels’s fabulous food paired with wines form such remarkable regions as Bordeaux, the Napa and Rhone River valleys, and South Africa, as well as legendary lees-leavers like like Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Les Domaines Barons de Rothschild, Frog’s Leap, Opus One, and our own Ruby Wines. There will also be master classes and meet-the-winemaker events that will engage and entertain everyone from simple sippers to international oenophiles.

While the Harbor Hotel’s event has featured hundreds of wineries over the course of a record-breaking 33 years, the Expo gathers over 100 over the course of two days, making it the largest wine consumer event in the nation!

In addition to being able to try so many wines at once, guests of the Expo will also be able to attend Grand Tastings each day from 1-3 PM and those who participate in the VIP program (which costs about an extra $50) will also be invited to an exclusive tasting at which they can meet the winemakers and retailers in a more intimate and personal setting. These extra-important guests will also receive gift bags filled with special offers from food and wine purveyors in and around Boston.

As the event has been away for a bit, organizers are strongly suggesting that fans pick up their tickets and VIP passes soon as a sell-out is expected.

Whether you enjoy luxurious hotels, great food or an abundance of amazing wine, you cannot go wrong with either the 34^rd edition of the Food & Wine Festival or the triumphant return of the Boston Wine Expo…or both!

L’chaim!

www.boswineandfoodfestival.com www.boswineexpo.com

HIGHER. FASTER. SWEETER.

Posted by Matt Robinson

As we prepare for skiing season, many of us will be headed up to VT to catch some great snow and beautiful scenery. Along the way, you will hopefully have a chance to enjoy some amazing maple syrup as well.

While I have sung the praises of many maple-based favorites, including products from Ackerman and Anderson Farms, Burlap and Barrel, Sugar Bob’s, Cornell’s New Leaf Tree Syrups and Nana’s butter -and marshmallow-infused Special Sauce, there is a ski-centered syrup that regularly takes me above the treeline of taste.

Created by the family of Olympians Barbara Ann Cochran and Ryan Cochran-Siegle, Slopeside Syrups come in three class-leading grades, all of which are made with 100% pure maple but taste as if there is something warmer and spicier that makes each of them a natural topper or mornings on the mountain or just mornings period.

And as if Slopeside were not enough of a ski-free Cochran claim to fame, they have also paired with the energetic maple makers at UnTapped, another team of organic-minded Vermonters who use syrup to fuel skiers like Cochran and anyone else who needs a sweet shot of superpower.

Whether you try their individually-wrapped shots of syrup, their super stroopwafels, or their Mapleaid hydration packs, UnTapped is sure to help you tap into new sources of energy and deliciousness!

Not only does Untapped support your performance, but they also support creative neighbors like the skiwear pros at Skida gear, which is also available on their website and also make sure that you are ready to hit the slopes (or at least shovel out the car).

Ski season is (hopefully) upon us so it is time to tap into the slopeside life with Slopeside syrups and Untapped maple products.

h ttps://slopesidesyrup.com / https://untapped.cc

LAY DOWN, SALLY

Posted by Matt Robinson

As I am not only blessed with a wonderful and brilliant wife from CT but also with her pizza-loving family, I am well versed in the ways of New Haven-style pizza.

That is why I was so excited to hear that CT’s famed Sally’s APizza was coming to Woburn!

(Speaking of hearing, it is pronounced “A-pizza”!)

With nearly 100 years of saucy experience, Sally’s has long been legendary around the Nutmeg State but has never crossed the northern border until now. And even for people who have welcomed the invasion of Frank Pepe, Sally’s is still a treat to be tried!

Combining their original recipes and custom-made coal-fired ovens, Sally’s consistently produces thin crust pizza that is chewy, crispy, and oh so satisfying!

Though they may be most famous for their original mozzarella and special tomato sauce pie, Sally’s menu also has such tempting toppings as the Garden Special (with onion, zucchini, and basil), CT”s famed clam pizza, the Calabrian Chile chicken pizza with oven-roasted chicken and an extra spicy sauce, a pie with fresh tomatoes instead of sauce and even a white pizza that goes without no sign of tomatoes at all! For those in the know, there is also The Insider which features diced onion and parmesan on Sally’s signature sauce, and once you try any of Sally’s Apizza-s, you will surely want to become an insider soon!

If you are not a pie fan (as if) or want something to go along with your pies (ah!), Sally’s also has fresh Caesar and Caprese salads and wings that come with the same Calabrian Chile sauce as the pizza.

No matter what you order, be sure to save rom for some cannoli pie, complete with chocolate chips and powdered sugar.

If you cannot get to CT or MA, Sally’s also ships anywhere in the country. Even so, it is surely worth the trip!

www.sallysapizza.com

MEET ME AT THE CLUB CLUB

Posted by Matt Robinson

Though I firmly believe that most golf courses should be used for low-income housing, I am a fan of the miniature edition.

Unfortunately, around New England, the “putt-putt” season is relatively short.

That is why I was psyched to find a place where I can play regardless of the weather and even enjoy an adult beverage while enjoying what some may say is a child’s edition of a pastime that otherwise takes up far too much space, time, and money.

Combining great food and even greater beverages with some of the most creative and electrifying (or at least electrified) miniature golf holes around, Puttshack in the Boston Seaport is a great place to combine the 19^th hole with the rest of the front nine!

Using country club technology that keeps track of your game for you and offers bonus points for especially chic shots, Puttshack not only allows you to drink while you play and not have to worry about keeping score but encourages it with such swing-saving swillers as the porn star martini (with passion fruit liquer and a smoke-filled side of Sofia Coppola’s sparkling rosé), the umami bomb bloody Mary (with umami ice, pecan wood bacon, and pepperoni), and the peach tea on a peachtree (featuring Tennessee whiskey from our old friends at Ole Smoky).

If you need something to absorb the liquid fun, Puttshack has such savory stroke savers as wood-fired Thai octopus, Korean BBQ bao buns, Puttshack poutine with red wine bacon gravy, and lobster mac n’ cheese rolls known as Boston tailpipes, proceeds from which are donated to Wonderfund to bring joy to the thousands of Commonwealth kids who are involved with the Department of Children and Families.

No matter what you eat or drink (and drink…and drink), the soul of the Shack are the holes, some of which replicate such other party-themed faves as beer pong and others of which involve trivia questions about Boston (though you might want to tackle that one early before your beverages bogey your bid).

And did I mention the TVs and DJs all around? Well, there’s that too!
So grab a club and head to the club that lets even duffers have a ball!