Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
As people begin to venture back downtown, a 40-year-old friend has reemerged to welcome them back with open arms and healthy, satisfying food.
After emerging from a hibernation that began in March of 2020, Milk Street Café has come back stronger and more satisfying than ever before!
In an effort to encourage and show appreciation for offices that are reopening, Milk Street has already reopened its corporate catering service and is preparing bountiful buffets for brave (and hungry) office workers throughout the area. One of the new additions to the already formidable menu of options at Milk Street is an online catering platform that will make ordering and enjoying even easier (and safer) for your entire team.
As for the menu itself, Milk Street is proud to bring back its popular watermelon gazpacho for the summer and is also offering its famous freshly-made soups, pressed sandwiches, vegetarian and pescatarian entrée options, and desserts, as well as one of the best coffee bars in town! There is also a sushi chef who is ready to slice and dice your favorites right before your eyes, a set of balanced bowls that are packed with nutrition to keep you going through your day, and plenty of grab n’ go options for those who still want to limit their time indoors.
To celebrate their fourth decade, Milk Street will also be hosting special events, including trivia contests and weekly raffles that can earn you a $100 café gift card. On their birthday, they are givingthe gifts! How neighborly! How Milk Street!
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
In case you were busy dealing with the Olympics or forest fires or voter suppression or any other recent disasters, you may have missed National S’mores Day on August 10.
Fortunately (for those in the Boston area, at least), there is a great place to get your otherfavorite Girl Scout treat any time!
Horse Thieves Tavern in Dedham Square (which is also home to Blue Bunny Bookstore, home base for award-winning twin authors Peter and Paul Reynolds) has always been a fun place to hang out, play games, eat, drinkm and be merry. While Chef Chris Lutes has brought his formidable talents from places like Miracle of Science, Cambridge 1, and the Audubon to create such tasty tempters as grilled downeast sausages, house-made hummus, five-cheese ziti, loaded Hasselback potatoes, fried Korean chicken, Native American pudding topped by neighbor Ron’s ice cream, and the Thieves’ burger (which comes with slaw and Chef’s special sauce), one of the Tavern’s most popular draws has long been its deconstructed S’more, a three-part cast-iron skillet loaded with crispy graham crackers, fresh marshmallows, and flamed chocolate that can be dolloped to your heart’s (and messy fingers’) content.
Even if August 10 came and went without any special sweetness for you, you can still enjoy one of the many things that has made Dedham Square famous by dropping by Horse Thieves for dinner, drinks, or before or after a film at the Dedham Community Theatre (another independent local gem that thankfully made it through the pandemic) across the street. No matter when you go, you are sure to have a gooey good time!
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
We recently talked about the new developments in coffee like the nootropics in Pivot and the alcohol in Bomani, but there is stil something tobe said for simple, home-grown coffee made with clean, natural ingredients.
Among my favorites in this apparently ever-more-rarified realm is Loco.
Having recently partnered wth our friends at Drink Simple who provide the electrolyte- and antioxidant-rich maple water that Loco uses to make their rich and creamy coldbrew, Loco also uses coconut water in another variety and even oat milk in a vanilla honey can that is like coffee and dessert in one! Like the climate-conscious coffee recyclers at Rens Original, Loco also uses eco-friendly case packaging made from compostable materials that degrade in days and are not harmful to wildlife.
In restropsect, Loco does not sound crazy at all! And that is what I like about it (in addition to the great taste, of course)!
In addition to extra-good taste, Loco has a strong dose of caffeine, which may frankly make you a bit Loco. If you can moderate your intake and spread out your enjoyment, however, you should be just fine!
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
I was recently privileged enough to attend a game at the beautiful new Polar Park in my ancestral city of Worcester. And while the game was great and the Park packed with fun stuff to do and see, one of the most impressive elements was the wide array of food options and their quality!
In addition to well-named spots like Nacho Nacho Man and The Infield Fry, Polar Park shines bright lights on local legends like Table Talk pies, Wormtown Beer, B.T.’s Smokehouse, Coney Island hot dogs, Wonder Bar pizza and, of course, the entire line of Polar beverages. In addition, the park also offers both Harpoon and Sam Adams and a yon of other tasty treats from Atlas Distributing and other area suppliers.
While all of these vendors offer a wide range of options, what makes Polar Park reallystand out is the The WooSox Market, which not only features a completely kosher food set from the Butcherie in Brookline and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, but also a frictionless shopping experience in which overhead cameras track what you pick up (and not who you are) and put it all in a virtual cart so you can just walk out and be charged automatically. Apparently, the limits are only designated by guest comfort and/or Worcester fire codes!
Even though the baseball season may be winding down, the Park will stay open for special events including tours, indoor batting practice, photo opportunities, and college football, as well as the Worcester Wine Festival August 28 and a Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival October 2. Another Taste of Worcester event and dining on the diamond events are also in the works.
Worcester is coming back and Polar Park is its new crown jewel. Be sure to drop by for a game and stay for the food (or vice versa).
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
I know I talked about the opening of Premiere on Broadway in Somerville before it officially opened, but I went to eat there on night theee and it was AMAZING, so even though I rarely do two pieces on the same place, I wanted to mention it again.
First of all, the space is BEAUTIFUL! In addition to way-cool star-studded artwork and a HUGE bar (helmed by former Beehive mixlogy master Martin Fernandez), the 10,000-square foot venue has PLENTY of seating (including many booths that are next to enormous garage doors that not only allow a view but can be opened to make indoor seating like outdroor seating- but with a real roof!), and even a dance floor where local bands and DJs will be doing their things almost every night.
Even though it was only the first weekend, the place was running like a well-oiled machine with a friendly cooperative staff always nearby and every made-to-order order delivered as effectively as possible. This is thanks in part to the experienced ownership of the Zammuto family (who also opened 519 on Broadway), who are developing the entire building.
As might be hoped, however, the star of the show was the food, which is being cratively crafted by former Eataly Chef Dan Bazzinotti.
While the entire menu is amazing, some of the standouts are the “dirty rice” arancini, a massive charcuterie that boasts homemade pickles and a crunchy sausage that chef calls a ”Slim Jim,” a grilled peaches and pistachio plate, hand-made gnocchi with corn and smoked ricotta, and lobster paraprdella that (I am told) was delicioso! They also had a triramisu and espresso martini that put me under the talbele with joy!
With a great Sunday brunch and plans for a pizzeria next door, Premiere has what it takes to be the next hot spot in the suburbs and should draw crowds from Tufts and far afield as well, so get on it early!
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
I recently jumped on the intermittent fasting bandwagon and have been using an app called Fastic to help me lose a little weight and feel sharper during the day. Most of all, I have been using it to help me stave off the temptations of late-night eating.
Developed by internationally-lauded sleep experts Dr. Michael Breus, Dr. Lauren Broch, and Dr. Michael Grandner and Tao Group partner and chef Chris Santos, Nightfood offers a delicious set of flavorful ice creams that are specially formulated to help people sleep. Loaded with snooze-friendly vitamins and minerals like B6, calcium, magnesium, and zinc (and no other drugs) Night Food also has lower sugar, fat, and calories and more protein and fiber than other dairy desserts, allowing it to fit in (at least better) with my nightly fasting plans.
In addition to more traditional flavors like Full Moon Vanilla, Midnight Chocolate, and After Dinner Mint Chip, Nightfood also comes in such more monstrous flavors as the maple-y Bed and Breakfast, a Pickles for Two flavor that is official ice cream of the American Pregnancy Association, and even a decaffeinated Cold Brew that is all the buzz among ice cream fans!
Unfortunately for those plans, I recently found an amazing option that not only tastes great but apparently helps me sleep better!
So whether you are eating for two or trying to eat better later at night, Nightfood is sure to be a good reason to break your after-dinner fast!
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
As so many of us were home for so much of the past year, many discovered (or re-discovered) our ovens and went on cooking jags that may have left our own pilot lights burned out. Other were calling for take-out so much that our phones wondered what hit them.
Throughout this period of sourdough and speedy delivery, many other appliances may have fallen by the wayside. Among these was an old kitchen friend that many of us met at a wedding but have since only used for toast.
Fortunately, our friends and neighbors at America’s Test Kitchen have come out with a cookbook that will hopefully return this cooking companion to its rightful place not only on the top of our counters but on the top of our minds.
Toaster Oven Perfectionis a delicious collection of recipes that will help you not only remember where your toaster is but fall in love with it all over again. Starting with a refresher course on all a toaster can do (and which ones may be best for you), the book then waxes poetic about the virtues of this tiny but trustworthy tabletop trooper that makes perfect portions of fabulous foods with more cooking options and less waste. From baked ziti, bourbon bread pudding, and breakfast toasts (that’s “toasts” – plural!) to salads, sliders, short ribs, and sugar cookies, the wide range of well-tested recipes will have you going back to your toaster (and to this book) again and again.
With the help from this great book, you may soon find yourself saying, “Look. Up on my counter. I’ts a fryer! It’s a broiler! It’s- my toaster!!!”
Matt’s segments for “Connoisseur’s Corner” usually air on WBZ (1030 AM) Saturdays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25, and 11:55 AM and Sundays at 7:25, 8:25, 9:25 AM.
Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!
I have sung the praises of the many eateries in the Needham many times. The food at places like Hearth, the Farmhouse, Latina, Pressed, Spiga, Walnut Grille, and Farm Grill is some of the best around and we are very fortunate to have them nearby and to call the owners and other patrons neighbors and friends.
Among my favorite friends in Needham are the creative and charitable folks at Abbott’s Frozen Custard. In addition to being the go-to source for birthday cakes and other special treats (like my favorite turtle bars with their Spanish peanuts and thick chocolate coating!), the team at Abbott’s has always been supportive of my family and of many others in the area. They have had flyers up for my Ivy League book for months and, more recently, sponsored an event that was hosted by my twin daughters to clean up the area around Needham High School. I had originally asked for 10 $1 coupons to hand out to the first participants, but Abbot’s Manager Mary Pat Dauria left an envelope for me with 40 for $2 each! Needless to say, the folks that came to help clean up were even more gratified when they found a coupon for cool delicious treats tucked into their rubber gloves!
Having been founded in the Rochester area in 1902, Abbott’s has tons of shops around NY but only has a few elsewhere. That is why people come from far and wide to enjoy their rich and thick frozen custard and the many other tasty treats that Needham has to offer and, especially as so many independently-owned restaurants continue to emerge from the pandemic, I hope that people will continue to show them some neighborly love even if they are not neighbors.
