Author: Matt Robinson

PINK SAUCE

Posted by

From the days of Anthony Martignetti and for generations before, Boston’s North End has been known for amazing handmade Italian food that is at least as good as your parents made it.

That is why I was so surprised (and pleasantly so!) to find a new eatery in the historic area called Pink Carrot that offered alternatives to pasta and pizza (as delicious as they may be!).

Basing their healthful and delicious offerings on the medically-sound EquiLife products that were created by Dr. Stephen Cabral (which have apparently not only helped customers deal with health issues but the venue’s Miami-based and -inspired owners as well!), Pink Carrot ‘s menu brings a range of protein and produce-based products to the land of Carbonaro and carbs.

The drink menu pours from freshly-crafted coffees and drinks that includes nutrient-packed golden milk and golden coffee as well as brain-benefitting ‘shroom coffee to a produce section’s worth of freshly-pressed juices and both regular and enhanced “super” smoothies. If you want something to wash down with those, the food menu includes creative bowls with chicken, fish, and veggies, as well sandwiches and wraps inspired by international flavors that reach beyond Italy, and a menu of baked potatoes with sweet or savory toppings! Though all of the food is prepared and served fresh and fast, the menu also offers even quicker bites like a set of toasts that goes way beyond avocado and salads that combine fresh veggies in ways that release all their flavor and nutrition and that can be enhanced with a wide range of proteins and sauces to customize to your taste.

For those who do not want to brave the busy streets of this popular and populated neighborhood, Pink Carrot also has a special app that offers with specials and incentives, including delivery to anyone within the borders of Boston.

Que bella!

www.pinkcarrotboston.com

HOLDING THE OLD LINE

Posted by

As the list of participants in my Vetrepreneurs© column continues to grow, I wanted to focus attention on some proud Veterans who have chosen to serve after their tours by serving great food and drink.

Arch Watkins and Mark McLaughlin are former Navy pilots who ended up stationed in the same squadron in Baltimore. When it was time to put on their “civvies” again, the two soon realized that flying off aircraft carriers was far more engaging than being tied to a desk. They also realized that, as nearly any Veteran can tell you, there is no way to finish a tough day in the trenches than with a quality beverage.

After consulting some other veterans of the armed forces and the beverage world, Arch and Mark created Old Line Spirits!

Made from 100% malted barley Old Line’s American single malt whiskey offers essence of caramel, honey, and vanilla in a Whiskey that mixes well and is also great on its own! While the original edition is aged in charred casks made with white oak. Old Line also offers a straight-from-the-barrel cask strength as well as whiskeys aged in barrels that previously produced Armagnac, Cognac, Oloroso Sherry, and even Caribbean Rum! Speaking of rum Old Line recently released a trio of what they call Case 1 rums (“Case 1” being Naval lingo for ideal flying conditions) and have just devised their own six-times distilled gluten-free Case 1 vodka, all of can make any time of night or day ideal.

In addition to providing a great American whiskey and other drinks, Arch and Mark have also opened a great place to enjoy them, using an old hangar (naturally) just outside of Baltimore as their manufacturing facility and a tasting room that also hosts events of all sizes. Even if you cannot make it to Charm City, however, you can surely still enjoy Old Line, knowing that you are not only raising a great glass of Whiskey but also raising visibility and support for our brave Veterans.

www.oldlinespirits.com

EIGHT NIGHTS OF NOSH

Posted by

It’s Chanukah again and that can mean only one thing on Matt’s Meals- a mention of our favorite shmearing shamash- Steve Peljovich!

I know that we talk about Steve a ton, but when your food is so good and you do so much good for the community, you deserve all the support you can get (especially when your food is so good- did I mention that?).

As with all Jewish holidays Steve has pulled out all the stops and upped his creative level to new heights with his famed (and well-named) mishigas knishes. This year’s selection includes latke and apple knishes, holiday brisket knishes featuring his famous family recipe, and even a sufganiyot knish that will have even the most devoted Dunkin’ denizens converting.

If you want ein bissel to eat before the sweet treats, Steve has appetizer-sized latkes, blintzes, chopped liver, and the ever-popular dynamic duo of Auntie Bev’s noodle kugel and Auntie Gayle’s matzo ball soup. And no Peljovich family meal would be complete without brisket and fixin’s as composed by Steve’s culinarily adept wife!

Chanukah is a time to recall the strength and perseverance of the Jewish people and to share delicious traditions with friends of all faiths. Especially in these times of anti-everything, it is more important than ever to come together around the communal table. When that table is topped with tastes from Michael’s Deli, you’d have to be some kind of shmendrik to miss it!

If you ARE too busy lighting candles and spinning dreidels to make a holiday order, have no fear! The true miracle of Michael’s is that, no matter when you visit, there are sure to be lots of fun and fabulous choices, including Steve’s ever-growing menu of themed knishes, special offerings that raise funds for community organizations and, of course, the best corned beef around.

Give Michael’s a spin. You are sure to win!

www.michaelsdelibrookline.com

THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS

Posted by

As my fans know, I love chocolate! At this time of year in particular, however, there is certainly such a thing as too much of a good thing (no matter how good it may be)!

That is why I am so grateful to have found a company called KLEIO who offer a sweet gift that is perfect for the holidays. 

Providing a sense of what they call “sensory history,” KLEIO focuses on the sense that really allows us to enjoy the taste of chocolate (or anything else we crave) – the sense smell.

Instead of offering rich, dark, edible amazement, KLEIO offers candles (which are often a popular holiday gift on their own) that are intended to take those who are fortunate enough to receive them to a particular time and place (such as the tour I took of the Callebaut chocolate factory during my honeymoon!). And while it may sound a bit odd, when you learn that KLEIO uses actual historical research to create their candles and recall that smell is the sense most closely attached to memory, the idea of a candle doing things that food may not (which also includes allowing you to keep your weight and sugar intake down) makes sweet sense indeed!

Working with experts at the Fine Cacao and Chocolate Institute, KLEIO developed a Sweet Cacao candle that recreates and recalls fragrances associated with pure of Mesoamerican cacao.

If chocolate is somehow not your thing, KLEIO also offers the sensory-pleasing scents of famous scientist (and apparently botanist) Leonard DaVinci’s garden and (another personal favorite) a Midsummer Night’s Dream candle that can be accompanied by more Shakespearean wonder as part of KLEIO’s Time Traveler collection.

In addition to smelling historically accurate and just plain amazing, Kleio candles also come in lavish packaging that make the admittedly last-minute holiday gift of a candle into an unboxing experience that makes for its own memories to be savored as you enjoy the new smells and the sensations they elicit.

www.kleio.global/home

OH HOLE-Y NIGHT

Posted by

As so many people in the world seem to be more interested in dissention and division than unity these days, it is more important than ever for those who are so inclined (which is hopefully most of us!) to come together, especially in this season of giving and spiritual renewal.

And what better means of coming together and what better things to give (and get) than donuts?

Thanks to our friends at Kane’s, this sweet sense of unity is easier to enjoy than ever!

Through December 26, Kane’s is offering donuts that are friend and flavored like the traditional Chanukah treat of sufganiyot. These dreidel-worthy donuts are filled with black raspberry jelly that oozes with sweetness for eight nosh-y nights and topped with an extra bit of powdered sugar and jelly on top to make them shine even for donut-y devotees like me!

For those who came to the Jewish party later, Kane’s is decking their halls (and hopefully yours too!) with a red velvet candy cane donuts that is dipped in their signature honey glaze, eggnog donuts made with Lawley’s dark rum and real eggnog and a molasses-kissedgingerbread donut that will surely make you run run as fast as you can to get some. In Kane’s ongoing effort to include everyone, they are also offering a gluten-free chocolate candy cane edition and, as part of the miracle of the holidays, Kane’s has even created their first vegan donut – a  festively-decorated cake-style donut that is made with fresh ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove and rolled in snowy powdered sugar. All of these are available until New Year’s Eve so you can use them for thoughtful after-last-minute gifts and sweet starters to 2023.

No matter what (if anything) you celebrate and with whom (if anyone), Kane’s donuts are always a great gift for everyone, including yourself! 

So be sure to pick up a dozen (or two) and make your holiday nights hole-y ones.

www.kanesdonuts.com

COLORING COPLEY

Posted by

Though it is one of the nation’s oldest and most storied hotels, the Copley Square Hotel continues to innovate to engage and enchant new generations of guests.

Among the most profound parts of the most recent renovation of the former home of the legendary Storyville Jazz Club and Café Budapest is the opening of HuE.

Named for the Hotel’s historic intersection of Huntington and Exeter, the two-floored HuE brings former Ming Tsai sideman Executive Chef Barnett Harper to a Back Bay venue that was crafted by such hospitality heavyweights as George Aboujaoude (who, as we mentioned, recently renamed his famed Cafeteria restaurant Eva in honor of his food-minded family’s next generations) former W Hotel food and beverage manager Maurice Rodriguez, Silk R&B Party curator Robert Eugene, and tech expert Nick Saber, making HuE a certain new favorite in Boston and beyond!

HuE ‘s upstairs dining room will feature a Pan-American menu that combines American comfort foods with Asian accents and that tops out at $30 a plate. Among HuE‘s sharable servings will be kofta meatballs, tofu with chili garlic sauce, a vegetarian burger with spicy Thai tomato jam, and slow-roasted pork ribs in a Tamarind glaze. There will also be a bar that is open until 1:30 AM that will make for the perfect meeting place before or after a day of shopping or a night of music and theater.

Speaking of music, HuE’s downstairs lounge will host more great food (including escargot with XO butter, braised short ribs with coconut polenta, and extra-large portions of twice-cooked noodles with beef and whole-fried fish) along with an ever-evolving menu of live and DJ-delivered musical offerings. There will even be a lower-level “speakeasy”-style wine and Champagne bar for those who want their evenings a bit more intimate and intriguing and all three bars will also offer international wines, creative cocktails, and full bottle service.

 HuE better go check it out!
https://www.hueboston.com / www.copleysquarehotel.com

WHEN HARRY MET DELI

Posted by

From our many discussions of Michael’s Deli and the Gefilteria, fans of Matt’s Meals get a sense that one of my favorite types of food is deli.

That is why I am so excited to check out the exhibit at the New York Historical Society which is entitled with some (kosher) tongue-in-cheek “I’ll Have What She’s Having.”

While Michael’s Thorty Black and Gold sandwich (named for former Bruin Great Shawn Thornton) is not only delicious but donates to a worthy cause and while the Gefilteria recently turned us on not only to new ways to bump and grind with fish but also to a new historical bakery in upstate NY, the legend and legacy of deli stretch from Old Country family tables to some of the most famous nosheries around and continue to evolve and reach more people in ever-more creative ways. 

In this exhibit, the city that many people consider the home of deli brings it all back home with stories that range from the Pale of Settlement to the tenements of the Lower East Side to the concentration camps of Germany and far beyond. Using historical images and artifacts, first-person accounts from both sides of the counter, costumes from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, mouthwatering interactive elements that include deli-themed music and a Bloomberg Connects audio tour, “and, of course, that scene from “When Harry Met Sally,” “I’ll Have What She’s Having” not only brings long-time fans back to their favorite childhood eateries but also whets the appetites of those who may not know the difference between pastrami and salami (oy!). It even invites guests to craft their own deli-worthy sandwiches and to name them after their favorite stars, as was the long-held tradition at such legendary locales as Reuben’s and The Stage Deli (and Michael’s!).

If gefilte fish is your favorite dish and hot pastrami makes you hot, have I got the place for you! Even the Society restaurant will have deli favorites!

The exhibit is on view until April of next year- So take your time and chew slowly!

Through January 1, the Society is also hosting a special exhibit on anti-Semitism that, while not as delicious, is just as vital, so please drop by.

www.nyhistory.org

STARTER KOMBUCHA

Posted by

I have discussed kombucha many times before, and yet I know many people who are still reticent to try it as it apparently has too much fizzy bit (often called “funkiness”) for them.

To them, I say, “Fieldstone”!

Fieldstone Kombucha is fermented just like any other brand, but somehow the founder has figured out a way to get all the fresh flavor and GI tract benefits for which kombucha has become famous without all the spiky starter stuff. It’s like the sourdough of kombuchas- All the homemade taste and body benefits without the afterburn.

With fresh flavors like spiced apple and spicy ginger, chai spice, turmeric, and even beet (with seasonal ones popping up all the time), Fieldstone not only delivers great taste and all the nutrition for which kombucha is known but also some of those “superfoods” we have all been hearing about.

Not only does it taste great on its own, but Fieldstone also works well as an ingredient in drinks such as those detailed on the website (www.fieldstonekombuchaco.com).

Best of all, it comes from a woman-run company right here in New England! 

Speaking of that woman, she started her SCOBY-started story as so many other great food-trepreneurs do by starting in her own kitchen and distributing to her friends before growing into what I hope becomes a sector-leading company.

In addition to being made here, Fieldstone kombucha also sources ingredients from local farms and even has a local artist design the label artwork! They also packages their products in recyclable materials so they have less impact on the environment and are good for everyone involved!

If you need more incentive to try Fieldstone, they can deliver (in 100% recyclable packaging!) and, if you enter “kombuchaships” or “localkombucha” you can get 10% off your first order!

www.fieldstonekombuchaco.com

BLISSFULLY MISNAMED

Posted by

A few months ago, I thanked the gods of food that the Donut Villa Diner had doubled in size from its original location in Malden to a new spot in Cambridge.

Apparently, the gods heard me because the donut-forward eatery recently added a third Villa in Newton!

And while the donuts are among the best I have ever had (which is saying something!) and come in such amazing flavors as double-chocolate toasted almond and white Belgian chocolate and Oreo (not to mention their ridiculously fresh apple fritters!) and variations as donut pizza, donut cheeseburger, donut breakfast sandwich (of course!), donut French toast, and a maple donut bread pudding that is worth another trip on its own, the restaurants seem to be greatly misnamed.

Though it started as the Donut Villa Diner over 50 years ago and is now called (at least around Newton) the Donut Villa Brunch Club and Bar, the fact that the diner-like menu is so lacked with so many amazing items that have no donuts in them. Among my favorites (which is admittedly a difficult decision) are and an Ahi tuna burger that is so good it should be il-Legal (especially when paired with the pickle fries, as every meal should be!). For those who need more choices (as they will surely come back again and again), there are also such creative offerings as lobster-packed and waffle-based Benedicts, corned beef hash-burger, a chicken parm sub, crab cakes, tofu scrambles, a banana split waffle, and what is appropriately named the Bonkers Breakfast, as well as healthy sets of gluten-free and vegan options as well.

Oh and did I mention that, as the new name implies, the latest Villa has a both a full coffee bar and a full bar bar that features tons of taps of local and international beers and customizable creative cocktails? Well yes and yes!

It has been said that you can’t judge a book by its cover and asked what’s in a name. In that spirit, I urge you to go for the donuts but stay for everything else!

www.donutvilladiner.com

HOLDAYS AT HAYMARKET

Posted by

Now that we are (hopefully) visiting others for the holidays it is time once again to get gifts for them all!

As usual, our friends at Boston Public Market have everything we (and everyone we know) could ask for…and more!

From gifts to groceries and treats to trimming, BPM makes holiday prep easy. And not only will you be helping the Market’s marvelous makers, you will also be supporting area entrepreneurs through the “Market on a Mission” non-profit program as well.

As part of its December Happenings series, the Market is hosting such special events as Pine Bar tap takeover featuring Shelburne, VT’s Fiddlehead Beer on December 22, a visit from Frosty the Snowman December 18, and a Holiday CrEATor Market (with an emphasis on the “E A T”) every weekend right up until Christmas Eve! There will also be a sleigh-full of tours, tastings, and classes, including pasta ornament making with Seven Hills Pasta December 17, ornament decorating with Laurel Greenfield Art December 20, and a coffee tasting with George Howell on the 23rd that will help you power through the final shopping days and get ready for what is sure to be a great holiday (or at least better than last year)!

No matter when you visit, there are always plenty of pretty and practical pieces from the enviro-conscious crafters of Peterman’s Board and Bowls, American Stonecraft, and the ever-able artists at HOPe Unlimited. If you have already finished your holiday shopping (as if!), you can still enjoy local legends like Beantown Pastrami, Crescent Ridge ice cream, Red’s Best seafood, and the ever-popular gift-makers at Q’s Nuts (as well as bagels from Bagel Guild for those who prefer to shmear through the snow).

Whether you need gifts for others or a well-deserved treat for yourself, Boston Public Market is always ready to deliver. And as we prepare to give to others we love, a visit to the Market is a great opportunity to also give to some of our most creative our friends and neighbors as well!

www.bostonpublicmarket.org