Author: Matt Robinson

NOT FOR THE BIRDS

Posted by

As fans of Matt’s Meals may know, I am an olive fan. And while I am able to enjoy the best olive oils from food friends at Brelundi and the Greek International Market (which also has an impressive olive bar), I had never been such a fan of the pimento that is often placed inside the hole where the olive pit had been.

During a recent trip to Savannah, I came to see and taste how surprisingly satisfying this Southern staple was.

Unfortunately, I had difficulty matching the taste of the homemade cheese I enjoyed in Georgia until a company in Virginia called Birdie’s found out about my syndicated author interview show – “The Writer’s Block” – and generously offered to “sponsor” a show by sending their homemade pimento cheese for my audience to enjoy. They even included Snyder’s pretzels for dipping- How hospitable!

Having started as so many of Matt’s Meals’ favorite food folks do as a husband-and-wife team who sold their wares at the local farmers market, Birdie’s is now available nationwide.

And with flavors that range from their always appetizing traditional to recipes that add everything from dill and onion to garlic and parmesan to jalapenos and ghost peppers to a seasonal set with extra olives, it is easy to see how Birdie’s has been able to win over so many- including people who claim to not like pimento!

Let’s hear it for Southern hospitality…and Southern food!

ONE LAST ROUND

Posted by

Even though COVID keeps hanging around, it’s finally getting cool enough to start thinking about heading inside to eat.

But before you hibernate, our friends at Harpoon are making a convincing argument for a few more hours al fresco.

At the Harpoon Beer Garden which is located just outside the Boylston T Stop doors on the skirt of Boston Common, hardy New Englanders and their visitors can enjoy fresh draft beer from Harpoon’s growing menu of faves (including their signature IPA as well as beers from Long Trail, Clown Shoes, and even the popular pairings with Dunkin’!), along with Polar seltzers, margaritas made with Harpoon-sourced alcohol, and (my favorite!) a warm and warming cider that you will want to mull over for some time.

If you need delicious food to absorb and complement your adult beverages, Harpoon has partnered with their Seaport neighbors at Rosa Mexicano to offer hearty and satisfying tacos and chips with freshly-made guac.

In addition to great food and drink, the Beer Garden (which is scheduled to be open through Halloween and to reopen in May) also offers curated culture on Emerson College’s UnCommon Stage that ranges from locally-sourced musicians and dancers (some of whom offer lessons to patrons!) to Harpoon’s famed Flannel Fridays which bestow a bespoke drink holder to anyone who continues to embrace the Grunge esthetic. If not, the Garden even sells Harpoon gear (including those made in partnership with Life is Good)!

Winter is coming but that doesn’t mean we can’t rage against the dying of the light with some delicious food and drink and plenty of friends!

See you in the Garden!

TASTE TOUCHDOWN

Posted by

While I am not such a Broncos fan, as I’m not sure if the Patriots are gonna’ be much to watch this year and I as I am a HUGE fan of condiments, I figured I’d take this opportunity to let people know that former Bronco (and, even worse, former Giant) Ed McCaffrey has traded in his playbook for a cookbook and come up with a line of rather respectable mustard and sauces.

Though he may best be known for eluding coverage, these mustards and sauces work great for covering everything from hot dogs and burgers to salads and crudite. So while the transition from reading defenses to crafting flavor profiles might seem like a leap, but McCaffrey’s attention to detail and passion for excellence shines through in every jar.

In addition to a sausage-ready spicy brown that adds depth to many gastronomic game plans and a perfect for pretzels beer-based variety that is great for gametime snacks or wine and cheese soirees, McCaffrey’s Rocky Mountain Mustard line also leans international with mustards made with creamy Dijon, smoky Chipotle, and spicy Sriracha. Veering a bit from the name, a bit, the Rocky Mountain Mustard tram also offers a “signature” horseradish sauce that is great on sandwiches or on its own. 

If you can’t decide which sauce to enjoy first, try the Game Day Bundle that includes the spicy brown and Chipotle mustard and the horseradish sauce for one bundled price!

So whether you’re a die-hard football fan or more of a serial tailgater, a dilletante-ish dipper or a condiment connoisseur, McCaffrey’s Rocky Mountain Mustard line is a definite…home run!

GET FRESH ON THE CAPE SEPTEMBER 19

Posted by

While most of your friends may packed up their vacation houses by Labor Day, there are still plenty of reasons to go to the Cape!

One of them is a tasting event at Expressions Gallery in Chatham that will be hosted by Farmers to You on September 19 starting at 6:30 PM.

As the name implies, Farmers to You is a collaborative that works with over 150 farms throughout the region to bring everything from award-winning cheese and humanely-raised meats to pasture-raised poultry and eggs, organic bread, and milk that still has the cream floating on top of the bottle, and even creative prepared foods to over 2,000 patrons and locations throughout MA, VT, and NY.  

Among the featured foods and farmers at the Chatham event (which is free but for which registration is requested) will be sweet sauces from Butterfly Bakery (which is also the home of our favorite Fat Toad Farm Caramel!), upcycled crackers from Brewers Foods, Long Wind Farm‘s grown-in-soil tomatoes, Aqua ViTea kombucha, and cheeses from Farmstead Cheese Co. and Sweet Rowen Farmstead. 

In addition to fresh and delicious food, the event in Chatham will also offer the opportunity to discuss with Farmers to You founder Greg Georgaklis and to enjoy the refreshing visual produce of artist Steve Koppel.

Whether or not you can make the event, Farmers to You is always ready to serve through its enticing website (https://farmerstoyou.com), which offers beautiful pictures of every product along with the stories behind the people behind each one. It even has meal suggestions for those who might need a little encouragement with expanding their dietary palette. They also offer their own CSA and pickup or delivery in certain areas and are constantly growing- just like their products!

SUIT UP FOR SCOTCH AND STEAK

Posted by

While they have long been known for some of the best food and most engaging and attentive servers around for years, Davio’s has lately begun to expand their already impressive offerings into a growing menu of special events that may soon include author talks featuring a certain radio food critic!

From cake decorating to flower arranging, Davio’s has been offering its friends and neighbors opportunities to learn new skills and get to know new people and products that can help them entertain and be entertained as well.

On September 18, Davio’s at 75 Arlington Street at the top of Boston’s Back Bay will host an exclusive evening of fashion and flavor when men’s haberdasher extraordinaire Milton’s and some of the most popular whiskey makers from around the world combine forces to present a night of Suits and Scotch.

While enjoying some of Davio’s most popular (and rightfully so!) hors d’oevres – including their fresh tuna tartare and cider bacon-wrapped scallops, as well as their legendary meatballs and internationally-known cheese steak spring rolls – guests will also be able to try bespoke cocktails made with Wyoming Whiskey, Highland Park, and The Macallan. 

As they enjoy their food and drink, guests will also be offered a special preview of the latest tailored looks from Boston’s favorite family-owned men’s store.

Tickets are $75 and can be purchased at https://davios.com/bos.

Another great event that has been bringing many people to Davio’s is its Power Lunch, which is served weekdays from 11:30-3 and includes an appetizer, entrée, and sweet treat for $32. It’s like Restaurant Week every week!

So whether you like your Whiskey neat or in an Old Fashioned, there is nothing old fashioned about the great food and fun events at Davio’s – other than the delicious family-inspired recipes and total dedication to the customer, that is!

LOOK, MOM- NO GMO’s!

Posted by

I recently had the privilege of sharing my book on the Ivy League (www.lionstigersbulldogs.com) at the beautiful Barnes & Noble in Natick, MA (and will present it at B&N in Dedham September 14). And while I was thrilled to see a real bookstore doing so well and to meet all the people who came by to learn about my book and my syndicated author TV show, “The Writer’s Block,” I was also gratified to find that, just a few doors down was an amazing store that had only organic products, including many that I have discussed as part of Matt’s Meals!

Started (as so many great food companies are) as a one-person operation, Mom’s Organic Market is now in six states (including MA!) and growing fast.

Though it is part of a national chain, as Mom’s supports so many independent food makers (including our friends at Runamok and Effie’s) and still offers a full bulk food section that saves money and packaging (as do the recycling and composting stations in each store), as well as a large selection of carbon-friendly foods, I cannot help but try to help them! 

In addition to some of your favorite (or soon-to-be-favorite) brands of food, organic produce, and kindly-raised meats, Mom’s also carries a growing list of money-saving but just-as-delicious-and-nutritious private label items, a full retinue of organic beers and wines, supplements and health and beauty aids (including CBD products), and even clothing! 

What they do NOT carry, however are products made with over 250 ingredients that they have literally banned. Among these are artificial preservatives, sweeteners, and colors, dangerous oils and chemicals, products that pander to kids, and product-wasteful bottled water.

Thanks for lookin’ out for our health, Mom’s!        

THE CHIPS ARE UP

Posted by

While I do everything I can to stay healthy, sometimes, I just need a cookie!

And while I love helping support the work done by Collettey’s and serving my gluten-free friends Mightylicious treats or dropping by Crumbl or Levain for a decadent treat, I am very much looking forward to the latest locations of Chip City Cookies.

Having already deserved out-the-door-lines at the Arsenal and Boston’s West End, Chip City will soon be opening in Harvard Square on September 13 (right next to the also soon-to-open Van Leeuwen ice cream- What could be better?!) and on Newbury Street September 27. 


If you are among the first 100 customers at either opening, you will receive a free cookie. Bt even if you do not get there at 4 AM, don’t worry- There will be plenty of deliciousness to go around, thanks to Chip City’s menu of nearly 80 flavors that range from PB&J and S’Mores to oatmeal apple pie and blueberry cheesecake and from classics like sugar and chocolate chip to the appropriately named Everything Cookie, as well as their famed thin chips (slim and snappy cookies that come in triple chocolate and confetti, among other flavors) and their limited edition crookies (which combine the buttery flakiness of a croissant with thick and rich cookie dough). As the menu is constantly rotating repeated visits are encouraged

What started as a challenge between childhood friends as to who could more authentically recreate the favorite flavors of their youth has grown into New York’s fastest-growing dessert brand and over 40 locations nationwide. If there is not one near you, they can also be delivered via Goldbelly.

So the next time you need something sweet and creative (other than me 😉 ), check out https://chipcitycookies.com and see what your next favorite flavor is going to be! 

BOXING UP SICILY

Posted by

Though boxed wine may still not have the cachet of glass and cork, there is a new series of Sicilian sippers that are helping to stem the stemless tide.

Alileo Wines uses viticultural traditions that go back generations to make wines that fit the modern palates and proclivities. The hand-harvested grapes are turned into wines that are 100% unfiltered, organic, and both gluten- and sugar-free, allowing every sip to be fresh, fruity, and free of the pesticides and other chemicals that plague so many other wines. And as they come in recyclable boxes that are easier to ship and keep more wine fresher longer, the wines are as good for the environment as they are for your favorite oenophile!

Whether or not you have experienced them at their popular pop-ups in Boston’s Seaport District, at Caffe Nero at Legacy Place in Dedham, MA, or at Tuscan Village in NH, Alileo have surely been getting around and are popping up at restaurants and homes all over.

Among the bold boxes are a light and fruity  Zibibbo Macerato, a dry and floral Young Grillo, a full-bodied, fruity, and tannic Syrah, and a darkly different Rosato Bronzato made from Syrah grapes with notes of cherry and red fruit.
Crafted in Sicily by a family that still clings to Old World ways, the wine is brought to the States and into the 21st century by a husband-and-wife who started the winery to fulfill a family member’s last wish.

Though they also sell shirts on their website (www.alileowines.com) that maintain that “boxed wine is not a crime,” Alileo also has sparkling wines made from the same organic grapes that come in bottles as well. They also have a wine club that sends you reminders to get more wine instead of forcing it into your mailbox. In the final analysis, however, it’s what’s inside and behind the wines that counts and Alileo is a great wine with a great story! 

A HOLE STRAIGHT FROM LOWELL!

Posted by

I started doing these segments in order to support independent food makers. While I love every entrepreneur I’ve worked with, I’m especially happy to talk about people who are making it in Massachusetts, especially if they are in the heart of the Massachusetts Miracle- my familial hometown of Lowell )where I look forward to seeing Victor Wooten as part of the Lowell Summer Music Series).

If they make some of the best donuts around? What could be better?!

And if all their donuts are plant-based? WOW!

With flavors that range from chocolate glazed with either coconut, pecans, or sprinkles (“Jimmies” to locals) to a rainbow donut that can brighten any day, Planted Donuts has something for everyone, regardless of their dietary restrictions or proclivities. 

By using all natural, often organic ingredients (that offer more protein than most donuts, by the way) and baking instead of frying, Planted is able to offer donuts that are not only delicious for everyone but have a lot more flavor and less guilt, making it easier to enjoy even more!

Started by Lowell home baker Julie Freitas, Planted Donuts was first developed across the mighty Merrimack in Lawrence at the Revolving Test Kitchen but went on hiatus for a bit. 

On September 14, Planted will be relaunching at Sugar Baking Co. in West Roxbury. From 11-2, donut nuts will not only be able to taste Planted’s wonderful wares but also meet the makers of their ethical and exciting ingredients (Including Taza Chocolate) and get special donut discounts as well! 

If you miss the party, you can still enjoy Planted Donuts at Sugar Baking Co. every weekend (unless I get there first, of course!).

As the jingle says, there is a lot to like about the birthplace of the American Revolution and Planted Donuts is great example!!

GREAT FOR WHAT AILS YOU

Posted by

As I always try to keep up on the latest nutrition news, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Shawn Talbott of the amazing nutritional support company Amare Global on my author interview show, “The Writer’s Block” (http://needhamchannel.org/the-writers-block/), to discuss his latest supplements and his world-leading expertise on the vital connections between your brain and your gut.

A few weeks ago, I was even more excited to have the opportunity to stay with Shawn and his wife Julie at their bed-and-breakfast in Plymouth.

Located right across the street from the beach, the 3 Waves Wellness Bed and Breakfast not only offers opportunities for engaging actively with the beautiful surroundings via walks, bike rides, stand-up-paddleboards, or just a game of croquet or cornhole in the backyard, it also offers delicious, freshly-made foods (including the Talbotts’ signature granola) and the opportunity to try some of Amare’s most popular and beneficial products and even to discuss them with the team that helped create them!

The rooms are comfortable and well-appointed with temperature-controlling bedcovers, lavender-infused sleep masks, and nutritious bedtime chocolates. And if you need more health care, there is a full spa in the basement with an infrared sauna, massage chairs, virtual reality meditation pods, and an on-call massage therapist and reflexologist who can help you get your outer body into better shape while you work on the insides as well.

So if you have a trip planned to the South Shore or even the Cape, make sure to stop at 3 Waves. You may never want to leave but you will surely feel better when you do!