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 know that I have already raved about Polar Park- the new home of the Red Sox farm team. But, speaking of farm, the Park is about to add to their already amazing list of food vendors when it hosts the inaugural Polar Park Food Truck and Crraft Beer Festival on October 2 from 5-9 PM.

Though the games at Polar are usually exciting and the sightlines and fan-friendly features top notch, I would honestly not be surprised if people came primarily for the food! In addition to 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, Polar Park also offers kosher and vegan foods from the Butcherie in Brookline and beers from such Boston faves as Harpoon and Sam Adams.

At the Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival, fans will get a $10 voucher and ten drink tickets all for a $35 admission fee! And if you prefer to help get friends and family home after an amazing night of eating and drinking, there areDesignated Driver tickets for just $25! No matter which route you choose, you will have access to over 20 food trucks and 30 breweries located around the warning track, making it easy to steal a few extra snacks while rounding second. There will also be yard games and live entertainment in the Park and even more food and fun just outside!

The Woo Sox season is drawing to a close, but the fun in Polar Park is set to roll on, so be sure to drop by for a snack and a pint on October 2 or for any of the other exciting and fan-friendly events, all of which can be found at www.polarpark.com/upcoming-events.

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 I love to support local producers and purveyors, many of our listeners have also loved our spots about people who may be a bit further afield.

Among our most popular partners are our brothers and sisters in Africa, such as Jam Jar wines, Nanakono honeys and preserves, Rwanda Bean coffee (which is actually now based in Portland, ME!), and Three Mountains teas. 

Now, I can share the news that South Africa’s Oryx Desert Salts will be available at Whole Foods starting in October!

Sustainably harvested from a vast, ancient saltpan in the remote and unpolluted Kalahari Desert, Oryx’s salts are dried in the South African sun before being packaged and distributed around the world. Their range of satisfying flavors includes smoked salt and their signature BBQ salt, all of which work well in recipes or afterwards for a finishing touch that many African and international chefs will not do without.

As Oryx avoids processing and using preservatives and additives, the salts retain all of their valuable minerals and micro-nutrients, giving them a fuller taste and also making them nutritious wholefoods that belong in Whole Foods. 

Though each glass bottle is fully recyclable, they all come with long-lasting ceramic grinder heads that can be used over and over again without adding plastic to the landfills or to your foods.

So the next time you want some international flavor that helps your health, local farmers and the environment, head to Whole Foods and grab the Oryx by the horns (or at least the bottle)!

oryxdesertsalt.co.za

jamjarwines.com

nakakono.com

rwandabean.com

3mountains.org

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 Boston may still be Dunkin’ country, our friends at Starbucks are doing what they can to support the community by partnering with the Greater Boston Food Bank (where I met my wife!) in the Starbucks FoodShare program.

Through this program, over 200 Starbucks from all over Boston will be donating ready-to-eat meals to the Greater Boston Food Bank. The program is already well on its way to its goal of 250,000 pounds of food (which is the equivalent of over 208,000 meals) this year alone! Especially as production and distribution have been so stretched and requests for food support so high, the Food Bank and its partner organizations are more in need and more appreciative than ever.

According to Food Bank President and CEO Catherine D’Amato, one out of every 10 people and one out of every nine children in eastern MA face hunger. That is why the Food Bank, partners like Starbucks, and programs like FoodShare are all so vital.

So the next time you need a liquid pick me up, think of who might be helping pick up other people from the stresses of food insecurity and other challenges that so many are facing these days and every day.

For more information about the Starbucks FoodShare program at The Greater Boston Food Bank, please visit GBFB.org.

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!

During a recent family escape to Santa Fe, I found an AMAZING chocolate store called Kakawa that actually has a branch office in- of all places- Salem, MA!

Apparently, the curatorial team at the world-renowned Peabody Essex Museum (www.PEM.org) comes to Santa Fe each year for the truly phenomenal Native American market, where they engage the artists who help make up their world-leading collection of Indigenous art. During one such visit, some museum members found Kakawa and was so enamored that they asked the talented team to open a shop near the Museum.

In addition to a market-full of chocolates made with their own 80% cacao blend, Kakawa also has a flight of cocoas that will fill your mouth with international lusciousness, an entire raft of homemade ice creams, and even a milkshake made with handmade horchata! 

Using ancient Meso-American ingredients and processing traditions, Kakawa presents chocolate creations that are truly worthy of being in a museum! So the next time you head to the Peabody Essex, be sure to take a break nearby and take your mouth on a trip around the world of a different kind!

www.KakawaChocolate.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 more people begin to venture out in search of the novelty of dining without a deliverer, the Boston food scene is being blessed with another creative addition.

Nearly 250 feet long and fully sailable, Navy Yard Hospitality Group’s new Tall Ship Boston (which is anchord at East Boston’s historic Pier One) offers amazing food and breathtaking views as well as live entertainment in a venue that is mostly outdoors so guests will not have to be so anxious about partaking and, yes- enjoying!

With an oyster bar and charcuterie station at the bow (that’s the front, for you landlubbers) and three custom-made mahogany bars circling the main mast (the big pole in the middle), the Tall Ship Boston combines authentic nautical décor and great food and drink with some of the best views in the area.

For those who may not yet have recovered their sea legs after months below decks, there will apso be land-based food and drink vendors nearby, as well as special areas for retail and entertainment, making the East Boston waterfront more ship-shape than ever before!

For those who partake a bit too much, the space will even host weekday fitness classes hosted by such local legends as Rev’d Cycling, Kick It By Eliza, and Barre Groove who also promotes the use of natural fitness products like the cbd roll on by fresh bros.

Tall Ship Boston is currently open Monday through Thursday from 3-11 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 2-11 p.m. (21+ after 7, please!). Though the official sailing season may be ending, Tall Ship Boston is planning pop-up events and other special programs throughout the year. Be sure to check out tallshipboston.com to learn more.

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!

We have all been cooped up so long and the urge to let loose is so pent up, who could blame some of us for jumping the gun on certain celebrations?

And while I am not looking forward to seeing Christmas decorations the day after Halloween, I am all for starting Oktoberfest early!

Fortunately, our friends at Night Shift Brewing apparently agree.

In fact, they will be bringing their famed fest back for the first time since 2019 on September 25 at their facilities in Everett and on Boston’s Lovejoy Wharf.

In addition to live music from the Hofbrau Spieler Band and other appropriate entertainers, the September-fest will feature special themed foods that range from beer pretzels to whoopee pies, and, of course, special beers, including aMarzen style Lager, German style Pilsner, and new Hefeweizen. There will also be a Stein-holding contest and the first 50 people to check in get a free Stein to hold forever!

Lest people think that Night Shift is just about beer, I can attest that their hard ciders and seltzers and other beverages (including their craft coffees) are all aces too! However, as it is ALMOST October, we will let Night Shift’s famed beers shine as they do all year.

www.nightshiftbrewing.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!

I know I have been talking a lot about honey lately and that I have been celebrating apiarists from around the world. 

Lest you think that I want to tease or leave out anyone who is not quite ready to venture out, however, I have news that will help bring the honey home no matter where you are!

The folks at Bees and Thank You have recently developed what might be called the GrubHub of hives.

Partnering with local, sustainable beekpeeers and farrners, Bees and Thank you have assembled a series of what they call Bee Well Boxes that can be delivered on a regular subscription basis to you or to anyone else who needs a little extra sweetness (and couldn’t we ALL these days?!).   

In addition to bringing subscribers the freshest and best bee-related products, the progam also supports local producers and helps strengthen the hives that help support not only our immune systems (another key element these days). 

With the proceeds, Bees and Thank You hope to build bee sanctuaries every 500 miles across the nation. These, in turn, will help pollinate local crops and support the food chain upon which we all depend. So by sending a box of honey, you can also send a message that you support local farmers and the environment!

https://www.beewellbox.com// https://www.beesandthankyou.org

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 got more honey news for National Honey Month!

Though many are already in love with Bushwick Kitchen’s buzz-worthy Bees Knees honey varietes that include spicy, salted, and Meyer lemon flavors, Bushwick has recently introduced a set of single-serve honey straws that can be taken on the go for worktime tea, an emergency cooking ingredient, or just a nutritious jolt of natural energy any time of day!

Just like Bushwick’s big bottles, their single-serve sweeteners allow home chefs and professionals to add a squeeze of flavor to any dish or drink. And just like the full-sized bottles, each straw has the added benefits of salty brine, tangy lemons, and hot habanero to add special kicks that most other honeys can’t match.

In addition to their honeys, Bushwick also offers their Weak Knees sriracha and a set of Trees Knees syrup flavors that includes butter, coffee, cinnamon, gingerbread, spicy, and bourbon and that can be bought with Bushwick’s own cinnamon oat pancake and waffle mix.

This just in- Bushwick is about to release a set of hot sauces that are part of a partnership with Angry Orchard ciders, so you can be sure I will be raving about them again soon!

In the meantime, slather on what they got and enjoy!

bushwickkitchen.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!

I just found out that September is National Honey Month! 

As a huge honey fan and bee booster, I am thrilled to have a chance to pollinate business for my many apiary associates, including such rich and sweet friends as Boston Honey Company (who recently opened a new facility and store in Holliston), Red Bee in CT, Johnston Honey from MN (which I just finished and need to get more of!), Nakakono from Africa, and Pacific Resources and Wedderspoon from New Zealand! I am also happy to add to the list of bee-utiful bee-tailers Maggie’s Farm in Greenfield, MA (who I found through the MA Department of Agriculture).

Started by a husband and wife team that includes a former educator who left teaching to, as he puts it, “live my agricultural dream,” Maggie’s hives hardy Russian bees to make a light honey that is great in tea as well as a rarer dark honey that is good with apples for Rosh Hashahnah, as part of a homemade barbecue sauce, or simply on its own! 

As Maggie’s never mixes their honeys, each batch is different, like a fine varietal of wine, making repeated (even regular) orders easy to justify. They also make beeswax candles, soaps, and lotions, and even sell their own beekeeping supplies for those who might be inspired to leave other pursuits to get jive with a hive.

Honey is great at any time of year, but as it is National Honey Month, let us all give a little extra wiggle-waggle for our friends – both local and international – who bring us this environmentally-supportive treat!

bostonhoneycompany.com

redbee.com

johnstonhoney.com

nakakono.com

nakakono.com

wedderspoon.compri-nz.com

maggiesfarmandapiary.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!

After months of delay, Hub Hall at TD Garden is finally set to open!

We talked about the opening when it was originally slated pre-pandemic,but all of the vendors have hung on (and more have apparently been added!) and the TD Garden food scene is ready to grow like never before!

While I have already raved about Guy Fieri’s Tequila Cocina and heard great things about Banners Kitchen and Tap (both of which are also at the Garden, as is an impressive live music venue that is already hosting events), the Hall will surely take things up a notch with its New England-wide array of fan favorites, including Mida Apizza, Lily P’s Fried Chicken, Naco Taco, Castle Island’s famed Sullivan’s, and North End legend Mike’s Pastry.

Another Hub Hall hub will be Cusser’s, the takeout twin of the popular fish house Mooncusser, which recently grabbed award-winning Top Chef Carl Dooley from Cambridge’s Table at Season to Taste and which also recently added a full liquor license that they purchased from the sadly departed L’espalier.

So whether or not you got tickets to the game or the teams are worth watching, Causeway Street will once again be the place to be thanks in great part to the amazing food at Hub Hall and all around the arena.

www.hubhallboston.com