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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Even as people continue to get their shots, many still need a shot in the arm to help them get through another day of pantsless meetings.

Fortunately, the folks at Odd Fellows Ice Cream Co. have enhanced their already-raved about ice cream happy hours by combining the best of their own creamy offerings with recipes from some of the top bars around to offer a set of sweet treats that will surely help you get through (or sleep through) another day.

Known as the Boozy Capsules program, these new offerings not only make those who enjoy them feel better but also support those who created them with partial proceeds going to bartenders who have been cleaning glasses for the past year.

Crafted by OddFellows’ resident James Beard-nominee and Co-Founder Sam Mason, the Capsules include meldings ofcoconut sorbet with Dorothy Parker Gin and Kalani Coconut Liqueur, cranberry-lime sorbet with Absolut Citron and Cointreau, coffee ice cream with Oloroso Sherry and Manuka honey , and awhiskey ice cream made with Dewar’s.

With locations in Chestnut Hill, MA, and around New York (including their latest in Domino Park), a visit to Odd Fellows may involve crossing state lines. And while we do not condone such behavior, amazing ice cream combined with fine booze is surely a good reason to, in the words of the late Shock-G, doowutchyalike.

oddfellowsnyc.com

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

As Matt’s Meals fans know, food trends come and go. And while bacon apparently will still not go away (Argh!), a pair that seems to be hanging around lately is the dynamic duo of buzz-enhanced seltzers and cannabis-infused items.

Leave it to Bay State women to figure out how to offer the best of both worlds!

Based in Georgetown, MA, LEVIA was first in Massachusetts to release a cannabis-infused seltzer. In addition to 5mg of locally-sourced THC per 12 oz can, LEVIA drinks also have zero calories and sugar and are now available at over 70 cannabis retailers from Boston to the Berkshires. 

While all three flavors are delicious, each kind offers a different feeling:Achieve combines vibrant raspberry-lime sparkling water with LEVIA’s own sativa blend. 

Celebrate keeps the smiles coming with a lemon-lime mix. And Dream offers an indica blend in a jamberry base that offers tasty serenity and calm. All three offer a consistent experience and consistently-delicious taste (which, by the way, is the only part that lingers).  

Whether you want to get things done a bit faster, enjoy good times a bit more, or find new levels of mellow, LEVIA has the stuff you need to amp up, rave on, or chill out.

https://LEVIA.buzz

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Living in Needham, I am blessed with many great restaurants that are all right nearby. From Hearth, the Farmhouse, and Latina (and, of course, Abbott’s custard!) in Needham Center to Farm Grille, Walnut Grill, and Pressed right over the border in Newton, there is a bounty of local flavor that brings people from far beyond our borders.

Chef Marisa Iocco has long been a local legend thanks to the amazingly authentic Italian food she creates at Spiga in Needham. With her new ghost kitchen and delivery source Polpettiamo (which means ‘love of meatballs’ in Italian), she is bringing some of her most popular dishes to RI, making the already amazing Providence food scene even better! What is more is that Chef Ioccoo has plans to bring the new concept back to Boston later this year

The trip-worthy ‘polpettes’ (meatballs) come in such fantastic flavors as sausage and peppers, veal marsala, lamb cacciatore, salmon, and both chicken and eggplant parmigiana balls. All are are hand made with in-house grated cheeses, local meats and herbs and topped with a variety of delicious sauces (including a house-made béchamel). The menu also includes meatball burgers, fresh pasta, arancini balls, as well ashandcrafted meat and vegetarian lasagna, and many sides and dessert options as well.

Delivery is available via Uber Eats, Grubhub, DoorDash, and Seamless Tuesday to Saturday from 11 am to 10 pm.

So even if you are still afraid of crossing state lines (or even driving to Needham), Chef Iocco is doing all she can to make sure that more people in more places wil be able to find out what makes her balls (and other offerings) so famous.

Be sure to check out www.polpettiamo.com and www.spigaristorante.com to find out what is new in her kitchen and mangia!

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

I have raved in the past about the wide array of satisfying and energizing plant-based nutrition drinks and bars made by Huel. And as I enjoy the new banana flavor (which actually mixes well with their chocolate and peanut butter varieties), there is a new benefit to tout.

In addition to helping support our nutrition and weight-loss goals, the world’s best-selling nutrition brand is now doing more than ever to help their fans and the planet. In addition to providing optimal amounts of protein, carbs, fat, and all 27 essential vitamins and minerals, Huel products also help the environment by cutting down on the carbon emissions and other gaseous toixins that are produced by the meat industry. In fact, the folks at Huel have gone so far as to track their carbon emissions on their website (www.Huel.com) and will be listing them on their packging by the end of this year!

According to recent reseach, eating two plant-based meals a day cuts food-related carbon emissions by 50% and could free up acres of land for farming and reforestation which would in turn help recapture many greenhouse gases and make the entire world a healthier palce to live. On a more personal level, a plant-based diet also reduces the risk of heart disease, lowers the likelihood of obesity, and improves overall health. 

As their carbon emissions go down, Huel continues to ramp up their nutrition content and expand their menu of options, so that those who enioy them can feel and do their best for themselves and the world.

So the next time you need to fuel up, Huel up!

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

As many neighborhoods begin to awaken from their Covid-induced hibernation, it is good to see that many of our locally-sourced friends in the food industry have made it through and are coming back for more!

Among the places that I have been most grateful to visit again is the North Street Grille, where the vibe is family friendly and the website (www.BestBrunchBoston.com) still says it all!

Headed by Robin Sidell (whose brother Sol oversees the South Street Diner near South Station), the North Street Grille is a North End institution that, like the Diner, attracts people from far further afield. Visit Goodfoodblogph.com to make sure you are using the best blenders at home for your smoothies.

And no wonder! With a drink list that runs from bottomless cups of coffee and tea to mature audience milkshakes, wines, and cocktails and a massive menu that includes such amazing options as Robin’s famed chicken and waffle sliders and banana Bourbon French toast (as well as the Healthy Start breakfast, which still satisafies with egg whites, oatmeal, fruit, and wheat toast), customizable omelelttes that are offered with everything from asparagus and avocado to prosciutto and steak, not to mention a raft of pancakes including their cannoli and S’mores editions and an entire menu of Benedicts that includes everything from smoked salmon and lobster versions to a BLT Benedict and Benedict in bed (which is stuffed into French toast!), the North Street Grille not only has something for everyone but at least twothings! In fact, the only downside to my last visit was the one-hour table time limit, which prevented me from resting after the main courses and starting all over again! Fortunately, that should be done away with soon. Whenever I go, I know that Robin and the crew will be around whenever I need to get my feed on and to enjoy amazing food among friendly and familiar faces again.

So drop by and tell Robin that Matt sent you. You will both be glad you did!

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

While the Celtics and Bruins are a bit up and down of late, the TD Garden has recently reintroduced a team that is sure to score every night.

After months of providing funds and support for their thousands of workers, Big Night Entertainment Group is once again ready to serve their legions of fans with the reopening of Guy Fieri’s Tequlia Cocina.

Combining Guy’s famous flair with Chef Rachel Klein’s understanding of the Boston-area food scene, the Cocina will offer an ever-expanding menu of options that already includes such standouts as Guy’s famed trash can nachos (served in an actual can!), the enourmously tasty and fresh Acapulco gold salad (which is a meal in itself even without available protein toppers), Wagyu beef and barbacoa cauliflower tacos, habanero honey carrots, and the ample and authentic churros, all of which are worth the trip even when there is no game or concert.

Speaking of concerts, even on nights when the Garden is silent, Big Night is planning to bring more local and national acts to their acoustically-engineered performance space and also offer a rentable event hall that can include catering by Chef Klein as well!

Whether or not your teams win or lose, the Cocina also has plenty of beverages with which to celebrate or drown your tears, including the Cadillac and caliente margarita, the dragonberry mojito, Mexican mule, and a full menu of tequlas that can be enjoyed solo or in flights. There are also fists full of beers and wines and Jarrtios sodas that add to the authentic flavor and sense of fun.

While you may not be able to drive in, there is plenty of fine dining to dive into whenever you go to Guy’s.

www.guyscocina.com

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

In my many years as a writer, music critic, and food reviewer, I have enjoyed a lot of coffee!

And while I still count friends like the folks at Beantrust, Blue Fire, Dean’s Beans, Soldier Girl, and Veteran Roasters among my favorites, I was recently presented a special set of beans by a red-headed stranger you all surely know that had- well- a little something extra.

I have had the honor of hanging out with Willie Nelson a number of times and even have his autograph on my boxing gloves (long story!), but it was only recently that I had the pleasure of sharing a cup of coffee with him (or at least sharing a cup of his coffee).

While other coffee makers are adding it to their blends, Willie’s Remedy directly infuses CBD  – the non-psychotropic but comfortably mellowing part of the hemp plant that has become such a rage in recent years – into their hand-selected coffees. The result of this melodious mixture is a coffee that is both energizing and calmng. And whether you like light, medium or dark roast, Willie’s got you deliciously covered. He also makes a set of directly-infused teas in a variety of flavors that ranges from a sweetly spiced chai and delicate, floral chamomile to a sweet and tart hibiscus and refreshing peppermint, each of which makes you feel good in its own way and all of which come in 100% biodegradable bags. 

Willie also offers tinctures so you can customize your vibe and get on the road again.

While you will surely feel better after imbibing any of Willie’s remedies, you will also feel good knowing that his fairly-traded products help local farmers as well (though this is no surprise coming from the founder of Farm Aid). 

So make sure to introduce your friends and family to the Red-Headed Stranger and his deliciously supportive remedy.

www.williesremedy.com

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Before I was writing and speaking about food, I was a music critic who dreamed of being the next greast Jazz writer.

As the years went on and I could no longer go to gigs ‘til all hours, I started arriving at various venues early and reviewing the dinner and drink menus as well asn the music and the rest is journalistic history!

As I still love Jazz, howeve,r I am thrilled to inform everyone that award-winning Jazz vocalist, cook, and television host Laura Theodore (a.k.a., “The Jazzy Vegetarian”) is not only getting ready to launch the ninth season of her eponymous show on PBS, but is also releasing her latest cookbook.

And it’s a toe-tapper!

Easy Vegan Home Cookingfeatures scores of healthy recipesthat are sure to score with people of all dietary persuations. From bountiful breakfasts, light lunches, and satisfying suppers, to a swoon-worthy set of delightful desserts, Easy Vegan Home Cooking also offers requires eight ingredients or fewer, the book is a perfect introduction for the many new chefs who emerged during the pandemic and also for anyone who wants to eat better without giving up taste.

It’s like having Duke Ellington write for Taylor Swift!

Dig it (and Thoedore’s many other groovy offerings) at www.jazzyvegetarian.com.

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

Square Manufacturing Pizza is a place that we touted even before it opened and I am very glad to say that I was finally able to enjoy it.

And enjoy it, I DID!

Located on Route 9 just near the Route 27 interchange, Square not only offers some of the best pies around but it also demonstrates how the folks in Detroit still know [poop] from Shinola.

Unlike most of the pies with which people in other parts of the country may be accustomed, Square befittingly offers pies thart are not only square but that also have the sauce added afterthe pizza has cooked. 

Speaking of sauces, the marinara at Square is amazing! However, in another possible difference from what you are used to, it is only one option. In fact, Square offers an entire menu of sauces that includes salsa and crema, hatch chile Ranch, ginger soy with toasted sesame seeds, Texas BBQ, and Mike’s hot honey drizzle. The pies themselves range from the also well-named Big Cheese, as well as a Hawaiian-inspired Luau, a Greek powerhouse named Zeus, and even a southern-inspired shrimp n’ grits pie. If none of these suit your fancy, Square also offers nearly 30 mix-and-match topping options and nearly endless possibilities. In fact, the only things that all the pies have in common is the shape and the great taste!

So whether or not you are tired of cutting corners or just want to find a new favorite pizza place, Square Manufacturing Pizza is worth motoring to.

www.squaremfg.co

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.

Recent samples can be found at https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1002-Connoisseurs-Corner-28654273/.

If you have ideas for future segments, please send them to Matt@Matts-Meals.com.

Also, please follow me on Twitter @MattsMeals73.

Thanks for listening and thanks for supporting our friends and neighbors in the food-service industry!

As Matt’s Meals fans know, I am a fan of cider, especially when it is crafted by indepdent apple fans who know what they are doing and do it all well.

That is why I am so excited to tell people about Cider Hill Farm in Amesbury, MA!

Using special apples from 1,000 of their 10,000 trees, the folks at Cider Hill have been farmking for 40 years and pressing, bottling and selling their own ciders on their farm since 2017. From seasonal selections to special editions like their rum barrel-aged frost cider, they press every flavor they can out of their 145 acres.

Despite the name, Cider Hill offers more than cider, including fruit and berry picking and their annual Tulip Fesival during which guests can cut their own tulips. They also offer a young farmers area with live anumals and a giant sandbox and host orchard walks and even outdoor workouts amidst their trees and flowers! In addition to taking the ciders home, Cider Farm’s farm store and CSA program offer locally-grown produce and herbs that can help anyone make a great meal to go with any cider.

Each weekend, Cider Hill opens up its popular Cider Bar to guests for award-winning ciders on tap and (through May 16) live music, during which their own food truck offers delicious options to enjoy before closing on a sweet note with the Farm’s own cider donuts.

No matter what the season or what the reason, a visit to Cider Hill Farm is always ripe for the picking!

www.ciderhill.com