GET YOUR DAY ON TRACK

As if working from home were not hectic enough, many of us are now responsible for children who no longer have the benefits of school to enjoy while they leave us in peace for a few precious hours.

That is why I am such a fan of our local friends at Atomic Coffee Roasters!

Starting as a café in Beverly, Atomic has expanded to a second generation and is now served at cafes and restaurants throughout Greater Boston and is blazing a trail to other areas with its locally-sourced, roasted, and packaged coffees.

Speaking of trails, Atomic has partnered with the New England Mountain Bike Association to celebrate another great thing to do with your family in the summer and all year ‘round. For each bag of their delicious Singletrack coffee (which combines small-farm beans from Ethiopia, Guatemala, and Honduras) sold, Atomic will contribute $2 to the Association to help them preserve open space that can then be enjoyed on wheels or by foot. 

As Atomic was founded by professional cyclists and as some of us need a little help getting off the couch and on our bikes, the percolating partnership is a perfect match!

In addition to finding this and other amazing coffees (like their seasonal Simple Summer, their out-of-this-world Space Cadet, their canned cold brew, and other blended and single-origin varieties) on their website (drinkatomic.com), visitors can find recipes and tips for ideal brewing conditions and more!

Need to get your gears turning this summer (or anytime)? Go Atomic!

drinkatomic.com

ANOTHER ROUND AT THE WINERY

In its never-ending quest to give area food, wine, and entertainment fans what they want, City Winery is offering a new program that will bring all of these and more to more people than ever by encouraging what some may say is the sadly lost art of of sharing.

As part of their new “Pairing is Sharing” dining experience, the food and beverage teams at City Winery have combined forces to combine small plates that show off their big-flavored wines through a dining experience that is guided by the diners but supported by the staff.

Tapping into top winemakers like North Coast, Sonoma Mountain, Windrem, and City Winery’s own wines from their hydroelectric-powered facility just north of New York City, the sharable selections options include charcuterie and oysters, charred octopus, Wagyu Sliders, triple cream brie, as well as a mushroom-pocked pizza known as the ”Fun-guy” flatbread. All of the wines are tapped fresh from stainless steel kegs and all the equally elegant edibles are prepared and delivered fresh to enhance the experience all the more!  

For those who want to enhance their experience even further, the Winery recently rang in Ringo Starr’s birthday and will soon be hosting the legendary likes of Lisa Loeb, Dickey Betts, Holly Near, Bebel Gilberto, Lalah Hathaway, Cowboy Mouth, and Jon Cleary & His Absolute Monster Gentlemen, as well as bartending classes, comedy shows, and trivia nights.

Despite the name, City Winery has been offering much more than wine for many more years than some of the wine you drink has probably been around. If someone has not shared it with you yet, be sure to reserve a table for Pairing is Sharing and make it a night of wine, friends, and song!

https://citywinery.com/Boston

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO USE CONDIMENTS…

For those of you who did not catch their fin-ny feature on the hit show Hot Ones (check around minute 11) or hear me raving about how good their sauces are and how much good they do for the environment and the oceans, there will soon be another chance to eat the heat and try the ever-growing line of deliciously devilish sauces from The Spicy Shark.

On Saturday, July 29, the Shark and many of his fiery friends will return to the Smuttynose Brewing Company in Hampton, NH, for the second annual New England Hot Sauce Fest. 

Hosted by Bella and Dark from Heat 101, the event is a family-friendly opportunity for those who live to feel the burn will be able to sample the wares of the Spicy Shark (who helped found the event) and over 30 other locally-sourced heat-seekers as well as food trucks, great music, and, of course, hot food-eating contests and Smuttynose beer.

Speaking of spicy food-eating contests, the Festival will offer an opportunity to at least watch others try the world’s hottest pepper (appropriately called “Pepper X”), which surpasses even the renowned Carolina Reaper in terms of heat!

As always, Spicy Shark is donating the majority of proceeds to the Blue Ocean Society and the Seacoast Science Center to support their vital efforts to protect our oceans and foster environmental education about sharks and other spicy species.

Tickets are available at www.newenglandhotsaucefest.comhttp://www.newenglandhotsaucefest.com and while the main event runs from 11-5 but VIPs can start smokin’ an hour early!

For more info about the Shark’s spicy selections, surf over to www.TheSpicyShark.com.